25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
https://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.png00Todd Briggshttps://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.pngTodd Briggs2020-05-17 13:35:542020-05-24 14:15:20Luke Pt. 20: Am I A Neighbor?
10 The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. 2 These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.
Key differences between the instructions given the twelve vs these 72
Christ trained leaders (12) then gave then ½ of as many to then train 12 x 6 = 72
One extra P: Prayer
The worker being sent into the fields are told to ask for more workers to be sent
Those who God sends on mission are to ask Him for co-workers
Who is in charge of ‘The Harvest’? If it’s about us, beware pride or self-loathing
We do not ‘Own’ any ministry, we should not say ‘My Ministry’
Every mission field is ‘His Field’
3 Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road.
‘Now Go’… if God gives you a job don’t delay (delayed obedience = disobedience)
Realize this is not going to be ‘Safe’…God does not offer ‘Safe’ to Christ followers
Count on God to provide essentials and that what you have now is enough
Don’t tell God to prepare you more, He knows if you are prepared enough
Stay focused on what you have been sent to do, keep moving
5 “Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ 6 If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. 7 Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide, because those who work deserve their pay.
Establish if people are willing to accept God’s offer of peace (Gospel)
Even if the offer is rejected, you are still blessed for offering it
Don’t go provision shopping, be content with God’s idea of provision for you
Let God bless you for doing what He asked you to do.
8 “If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. 9 Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ 10 But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!’
Once welcomed, live as those who welcomed you do: ‘Contextual Mission Work’
Demonstrate God’s power by healing (Physical & Emotional)
Give people hope that the Kingdom is becoming accessible (Gospel)
See if God is working there and if not, let them know you have no part in their fate
When rejected, try to leave them thinking about The Kingdom
12 I assure you, even wicked Sodom will be better off than such a town on judgment day. 13 “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.
How can Sodom be better off?
They didn’t get a chance to respond to the offer of God’s peace
Korazin & Bethsaida saw His power 1st hand and didn’t respond (no repentance)
Jesus says those in ‘wicked’ towns would respond in repentance vs rejecting Him
14 Yes, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. 15 And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead.” 16 Then he said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me.”
Tyre & Sidon neighbors to Israel where God was not fully revealed
They will be better off because they didn’t get the opportunity Capernaum did
God has mercy on those who He gives less chances / reveals Himself to less
The Message = Jesus Christ = God
How people respond to the Gospel is the same as how they respond to God
The principal; from those who are given much, much is expected
But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. Luke 12:48
17 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” 18 “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!
The joyful report: demonic forces must obey Christ’s followers who ‘use His name’
‘In Someone’s Name’ & to ‘Come In Someone’s Name’ are about unity & oneness
When we act in unity with God’s will, we can trust that demons must obey us
The most powerful of Angels (now The Enemy) is forced to bend to God’s will
Only through unity with God’s will & His Spirit can we overcome demonic forces
19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”
He gives them ‘Authority’, but the real gift isn’t the authority
The real gift is eternal union w/ God, Him forgiving our sin & buying us out of hell
Because God Himself has ‘registered’ our names in heaven we get that authority
But the value of that authority is not even close to the value of salvation (eternity)
21 At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.
What gave Jesus such Joy?
The very idea of what He was going to accomplish @ the cross: Our Salvation!
He was joyful the 72 were learning important theological lessons
Thanking God for being who He is: opposes the Proud, gives grace to the humble
If we want to please Him we need to do things His way: humble yourself!
22 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Trust, unity, complete transparency & total intimacy are perfect in the Trinity
You cannot know God The Father except thru God The Son
Christ chooses those He reveals the Father to (we don’t really ‘Choose Jesus’)
23 Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen. 24 I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.”
Christ shares this last part only with the 12
You are being given much, so much more than prophets and Kings
Many with strong desires to know God fully were not given what the 12 got
Summary:
It’s God’s field & harvest; we prayerfully ask God to multiply us & call our partners. To work with Christ we must go where danger is, but He provides for our eternal safety.
Offering Christ’s Peace is the ultimate blessing, & our calling as Christ’s disciples.
Those given more opportunity will be judged more harshly regarding their response.
Working with Christ by His power is awesome. Christ’s salvation is ‘The Awesomest’!
Thinking we are wise & clever impairs our vision of God; humility opens our eyes.
Realize how fortunate you are if Christ has chosen you, so live thankfully & graciously.
Application Challenges:
Will you live for eternity and not to stay alive, trusting in Christ’s Peace without fear? Will you live like God Provides everything, so you can follow where He leads? Will you live trusting Christ’s Power He gives You to do His Kingdom Work? Will you live from a place of gratitude for the Privilege of living your life for Christ?
We all need to mature as disciples. Not only do we have that need, it should be an undisputed goal of Jesus Christ’s church: creating a culture seeking spiritual maturity. Spiritual, Emotional, & Relational health are the hallmarks of mature disciples of Christ.
Christ’s discipleship is a process that produces maturity. Maturity is the normal process of all creation: plants, animals & people. So if we are to move towards maturity as disciples of Christ, how do we measure that?
The Sermon on The Mount gives us standards for a relationally mature disciple of Christ, a vision of the goals of discipleship. Today’s passage gives us more standards in response to disciples being immature.
You can’t microwave Discipleship! It takes time, there is no other way God does it. Learning from mistakes and redoing lessons until it becomes lifestyle: Discipleship
Our passage today is a series of encounters between Jesus & His established disciples as well as those just becoming His disciples. In all these encounters Jesus points out their immaturity & leads them to maturity.
Here & now Christ uses His Body & Leaders to identify immaturity & to help the immature grow. This is how Jesus Christ’s church is supposed to work! Spiritual / Relational maturity is not a luxury for Christ’s Body, it is absolutely essential!
Ask God’s Spirit to open your eyes to your own immaturity, and for Him to change you!
Luke 9:37-62
37 The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. 39 An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. 40 I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”
Always crowds! What a thing it must have been to see Him while incarnated
Only Child (seems to be a theme)
Dealing with Demonization / Possession is serious spiritual business
This Guy had heard of Jesus’ disciples casting out demons
One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority
to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. (Luke 9:1) 3 weeks ago
The 12 had experience, but could not do it! ‘dem knew it, but them can’t do it’ B.Boys
41 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”
God calls us what we are: faithless & corrupt (be honest about who you are)
They had cast out demons weeks ago at the most
The disciples did not apply what they knew and had seen God do (Need Practice)
How long until you are transformed? Some of that depends on you
42 As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father.
The evil spirit gave everyone a display of his possession
Jesus rebuked the demon, cast it out
He healed the boy of the damage done by the demon
Returned him to his previous state (reconciliation)
43 Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God’s power. While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.” 45 But they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
No other explanation, so it has to be God
While the display of power was still fresh in their minds, He taught them
He had noticed how they forgot previous lessons (God knows we are not perfect)
We all need repetitive schooling from Jesus! Get used to it and make it lifestyle
We all need to take lessons from Jesus and wait for them to fully make sense
46 Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. 48 Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”
God has far less trouble noticing our pride than we do ourselves (false humility)
This is a direct call to be humble, not act humble!
True humility begins with how you approach God (we need outside evaluation)
We are not to aspire to be greatest but rather to be the least…180 difference
This sort of thing never happens in the church today, right? HA!
49 John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.” 50 But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”
Our shared goal as Christ’s followers is more important than any group / sect
The opposition will be clear; worry about them, no need to go looking for enemies
Recognize we are on the same team
The spiritually immature will see false enemies and judge other people’s callings
I was regularly like this 15 years ago, can still be in my worst moments.
51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. 53 But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem.
Luke lays the ground work for Jesus’ mission to be understood
Samaritans only wanted Jesus if He was going to be on their side
Competition and cultural differences used as excuses for disunity
54 When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 So they went on to another village.
Exercising power for personal reasons while ‘spiritualizing it’ = immaturity
We learn as we mature that ‘Vengeance Belongs to The Lord’…Him alone
I used to put a lot of energy into attempting to enact my idea of ‘Justice’
Jesus will use others to rebuke the immature, these guys accepted it, will you?
57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”
Immature disciples over-promise; Jesus wants us deal with reality.
The message: ‘Count the Cost’ Christ’s disciples are guaranteed NOTHING here
A realistic view of discipleship as a long hard process is the start of maturity
Making choices that involve sacrifice of comfort, acceptance &status = Maturity
59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
Meaning is: ‘let me inherit my father’s estate’
Priority is worldly things 1st, then heavenly things after. There never is an after…
Same message as the third soil in the parable of the soils from Luke 8
“The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” ~ Jesus @ Luke 8:14
61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” 62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Being Christ’s disciple is not about being detached from you old life but living the same life in a totally new way. Don’t look back, look forward.
To be part of The Kingdom of God you must be ‘Undivided’ in your loyalties
Mature disciples will prioritize The Kingdom over EVERYTHING else
Summary:
Mature Disciples recognize their flaws and need for Christ’s Spirit
Mature Disciples trust God even when things don’t make sense
Mature Disciples are humble having been humbled by God
Mature Disciples recognize how God calls us all to serve Him differently
Mature Disciples accept that Justice belongs to The Lord
Mature Disciples consistently prioritize The Kingdom over things in this world
Application Questions:
To grow in maturity, how can you allow God to stretch you spiritually / emotionally / relationally?
How well do you recognize your ‘Spiritual Pride’? How can you intentionally pursue greater humility?
How do you avoid judging other’s practices, callings and ministry practices?
What may be the costs you have to consider to go to the next phase of your discipleship?
Our
community here at Midtown Church is formed around the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. A key aspect of that culture is we place a High Value on the
Word of God: ‘The Scriptures’
If
you are looking for commentary & speculation on our current
situation, you have come to the wrong place. If you are looking for
the Word of God prayerfully presented, explained and applied, welcome
home! May God Bless you!
This
passage is extremely important regardingTheology &
our resulting discipleship. We get a clear definition of exactly who
Jesus of Nazareth is and what He will do. We get clear expectations
from Jesus as to how His true disciples should respond to His
Messiahship, His Redeeming Death & Resurrection and His call lose
our lives. We see how together the Old & New Testaments
proclaim Jesus as Messiah and together are a progressive revelation
of who God is We get a Clear Command to ‘Listen’ to Jesus. To listen
is to hear and understand, and if we listen to Christ well, we will
always act on what He says. That is what we call Discipleship!
Luke
9:18-36
18
Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with
him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” 19 They
replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still
others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
The
last thing we saw Jesus do is feed 5000 people with 5 loves & 2
fish
At
this point the Disciples had seen: Calming Storms / Healings /
Resurrections
The
crowds saw some of these things as well; how does society view
Jesus?
There
was that tendency to define God as He had previously been defined
Same
attitude as Herod Antipas in last weeks’s text
20
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter
answered, “God’s Messiah.” 21 Jesus strictly warned them not to
tell this to anyone.
Knowing
that they (the 12) had been chosen He asks them in private
Peter
answers for them: Eternal / Anointed / Divine / Glorified
It
wasn’t God’s plan for Jesus of Nazareth to be declared Messiah at
that time
By
all accounts the Disciples did what Jesus commanded them to do
22
And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be
rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the
law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
Christ
says ‘Must’… this is God’s plan laid out to His Disciples
The
‘Son of Man’ Speaks the mystery of the Incarnation (All God &
All Man)
He
Must: Suffer many Things
He
Must be Rejected by The Entire Religious Establishment (Roman Style)
He
Must Die (His human body)
He
Must be Resurrected
This
is the story of how the Gospel (The Message of the Messiah) was
enacted
23
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must
deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For
whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses
their life for me will save it.
Christ
gives clear expectations of what it takes to be His Disciple
Self
Denial…the only way to be honest about that is to surrender your
life
The
daily taking of my cross means I have to do it every day (go to my
death)
The
only way to do this is His Way; it only works when we follow Him
Being
His Disciple means you lose your life FOR HIM
If
you want to be the god of your life you cannot be Jesus Christ’s
Disciple
If
you want to be the god of your life you will lose ‘life’ (Eternity
with God)
One
is truly wise who surrenders what he cannot keep to gain what he
cannot lose!
25
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or
forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and
in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
The
question Christ asks us all is: What really matters?
This
a crucial part of what the Gospel Message contains: How
we respond!
When you totally
buy into something you are not ashamed to be associated
His association
with us will mirror our association with Him
Our commitment
now / His commitment for eternity
If
we could get a glimpse of that glory we would respond with
commitment
27
“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death
before they see the kingdom of God.” 28 About eight days after
Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up
onto a mountain to pray.
He
ends the conversation with a real zinger!
He
shows them what He is talking about 8 days later…Taking only the
three
29
As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his
clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses
and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31
They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to
fulfillment at Jerusalem.
Christ
models how prayer is the way we ‘Open Up’ to what God is doing…
The
three were given a view of Christ’s full on Glory
Moses
& Elijah
Speaking
of his ‘departure’ as in His Crucification
The
plan was in place What he shared with disciples earlier is confirmed
Why
Moses & Elijah? Why is it significant that they be in accord
with the plan
32
Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully
awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As
the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good
for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one
for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was
saying.)
They
had been praying for a while (hard to stay focused) like in
Gethsemane
They
figure out who these two guys are.
They
represent Old Testament Scripture:: The Law & The Prophets
God
shows the revelation of the Hebrew scriptures are continued in
Christ
Peter
wants this meeting to continue, to have them all stay there
He
did realize it was a window into heavenly reality, a glimpse of
eternal glory
34
While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they
were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the
cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
The
cloud was the ‘Shekhinah Glory’ of God
The
Glory of God is the presence of His Holiness
Contact
with that Holiness causes humans to fear because His power is near
God
clearly identifies The Christ and conveys His authority
Context
of Father & Son is of oneness; so listen to Him like you listen
to ME
36
When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The
disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that
time what they had seen.
It
all ends abruptly…they were given a measured dose of Christ’s
Glory
This
revelation would not make sense until Jesus had died & risen
Summary:
The
world is confused about who Jesus Christ actually is, His Disciples
are not
Christ
planned to suffer, be rejected, die and be raised to life: to save
our souls
As
His disciples we must : deny ourselves, carry our cross & follow
him unashamed
God
shows Christ to be a continuation of the revelation of Himself: Story
of Scripture
Christ’s
glory can be seen on earth, but only in limited way ‘Glimpses
of Heaven’
Christ’s
disciples are commanded to listen to Jesus: It is just that simple
(listen = act)
Application
Questions:
List
at least three things that convinced you Jesus is God’s Messiah?
What
does it look like in your life to ‘not be ashamed’ of Jesus or His
words?
Why
was Christ ‘elevated above’ and ‘included with’ Moses & Elijah?
God
says: ‘Listen to Jesus’. What do you need to listen to Jesus about
today?
Keep
PRAYING (Send Prayer Requests to: barbiebriggs67@gmail.com)
Keep
Pressing into God (Take greater ownership of your discipleship) Build
habits!
Keep
giving sacrificially: Honor the commitments you have made and give
beyond in ways God prompts
How
does Christ provide for His Disciples as shown in the Scriptures?
There is a pattern in this passage that I have personally
experienced. Provision shown in Scripture is for His Disciples, ones
who lay down their lives for Him. This passage is specific to the
provision for those who were doing His will & following. We are
going to see individual provision & community provision (same
pattern in both). We will see how amongst Christ Disciples there is a
network of shared provision. The generosity of ‘Christ’s Surrendered
Disciples’ is used by God as a means to provide for other surrendered
disciples. Of course He does the heavy lifting! Our part is to
venture out with open hearts & hands to join Christ in His work
and to take chances while living for the Gospel, trusting Christ will
provide.
Luke
9:1-17
One day
Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and
authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. 2 Then he
sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal
the sick.
‘The
Twelve’ Named select group (called by God, confirmed by their
following)
Christ
confers power to His chosen disciples (All disciples of Christ are
‘Chosen’)
The
power He gives them is to heal others, to provide freedom, wholeness
& life
Important:
power over demons & diseases (not all disease is caused by
demons)
He
provides power to be used (use it or lose it)
He
empowers those who act: He provides for those who distribute HIS
love
3 “Take
nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a
walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of
clothes. 4 Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave
town.
If you are going to be provided for you don’t need to provide for yourself
This is a class for those who are serving & obeying as true disciples (just 12 now)
He tells them I am going to provide for you through others (Those who respond)
God’s people are going to take care of His ‘Co-Workers’ (Don’t steal my blessing!)
Be good with what he provides, don’t go ‘provision shopping’ (trust God is right)
Whatever season you are in trust that the way God is providing for you is best
5
And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet
as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their
fate.” 6 So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the
Good News and healing the sick.
If
you are not part of Christ’s providing for His Co-Workers, you are
on your own!
The
‘Circle of Provision’ in The Kingdom of God: be provided for and
help provide
Once
given the mission they went.
This
is Christ’s expectation of His disciples: Gospel Living & People
Loving!
They
trusted Christ to provide…does it work?
7
When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything
Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the
Baptist had been raised from the dead.
It
is an aside between the two stories, He is interested but clueless
Classic
example of being so self-absorbed you can’t get what God is doing
8
Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen
from the dead. 9 “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this
man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him
Secular
view of a limited God: He recycles old guys, only works in certain
ways
Herod
thinking he controls something, can’t be John…I dealt with him!
There
is interest in a condescending way… He didn’t try very hard to see
Him
10
When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done.
Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida.
11 But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed
him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and
he healed those who were sick.
Everything
‘THEY’ had done…they knew it was Christ’s power
Bottom
line ‘Stuff happened’! When you rely on God you will see ‘God Stuff’
He
was in Capernaum, went around top of sea of Galilee…
Even
without trying Jesus was drawing crowds
Once
the crowds found Him, He welcomed, taught & healed
Those
who took the time to find him were provided for! It is worth it to
seek Him!
The
crowd was there to be discipled: they listened, learned &
followed
12
Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said,
“Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can
find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in
this remote place.”
The
Twelve wanted to provide for the crowds, but not thinking of the
supernatural
Just
like the 12, our ideas of provision are often limited to what we can
see
Just
like us they needed to be taught how to get in on the provision
network
13 But Jesus
said, “You feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread
and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and
buy enough food for this whole crowd?” 14 For there were about
5,000 men there.
They
have expressed that there is no way to provide, Christ says: ‘You
can do it!’
Jesus
shows them they can’t provide from what they have or what they can
get
it
is important for us to get out of our limited perceptions and
illusion of control
I
have looked at situations and said, there is no way I can do this…
When
I have walked in faith and obedience I have seen God do what I could
not
Jesus
replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
15 So the people all sat down. 16 Jesus took the five loaves and two
fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them.
50
is about the perfect size for a fellow ship meal (like we are going
to have soon)
He
took what was there and looked to heaven
He
blessed what was shared…His Disciples shared the 5 loves & 2
fish
Then,
breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to
the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. 17 They all
ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up
twelve baskets of leftovers!
In
order for us to bless others Christ wants to break us first!
(Maturation Process)
Oswald
Chambers: ‘We are to be broken bread and poured out wine’.
We
get in on the provision network when we live sacrificially
Sharing
our lives for Him & with Him as Disciples He will use us to
provides 4 His
And
as we live in such a manner, we will in turn be provided for by His
Disciples
Midtown
Has been provided fro by communities of disciples:
New
Hope / 1st Woodstock / Crosspoint / 1st
Powdersville / Victor Church / 1027
As
a community of disciples we have provided for communities of
disciples:
Summary:
Christ
wants us to venture out to do His work, in His power, trusting He
will provide.
Christ
wants us to be content with the provision He has given us.
Christ
wants His disciples to participate in His Provision for His
Disciples.
Christ
wants to bless both sides of His Disciple Provision Network.
Application
Questions:
What
has kept you from taking chances to share Christ’s message &
healing?
What
has happened when you did something that required you to really trust
God to provide?
Have
you not been content with what God has provided? What might change
that?
How
have you been provided for by Christ’s Disciples? How have you
provided for Christ’s Disciples?
https://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.png00Todd Briggshttps://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.pngTodd Briggs2020-04-18 17:00:292020-04-19 08:18:09Luke Pt. 16: Christ's Provision For His Disciples
The
four scenes take place from 6pm Thursday to Noon Sunday
6pm
Thursday: WHO DO WE BELONG TO? John 13:1-6
The
setting is the ‘Upper Room’, they are about to begin the ‘Passover
Seder Ritual’. Before they begin the meal, the guests feet were
washed by a servant of the Host
1
Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to
leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples
during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.
2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas,
son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
John
gives us insight from the Holy Spirit as to Jesus’ state of mind
He
had loved them by action, and His death would be the ultimate act of
love
The
betrayal was part of God’s plan
3 Jesus knew
that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he
had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the
table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and
poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’
feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
With
full knowledge of EVERYTHING… Jesus sought to demonstrate His love
The
Mystery of the Incarnation…not a mystery to Jesus
He
took on the role of the lowliest servant and one by one, washed
their feet
6 When Jesus
came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to
wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what
I am doing, but someday you will.” 8 “No,” Peter protested,
“you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I
wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then
wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
Peter
is like: your not really going to do this are you?
Peter
can’t understand how Jesus is the greatest because He is willing to
be least
You
have to let Jesus serve you (Die For You) in order to belong to Him
Once
Peter realizes what is at stake, he is all in
Are
you all in with the idea of letting Jesus cleanse you / forgive you
/ redeem you
Who
do we belong to? CHRIST CALLS US TO BELONG TO HIM!
3pm
Friday: WHO BOUGHT US? Matthew 27:46 & 50-53
The
setting: The Place of the Skull… At about 9am Jesus is nailed
to the cross. Roman solders throw dice for his clothes. The religious
leaders mock him. He interacts with one of the thieves next to him.
At Noon it goes dark for three hours…Here is where we pick up the
action:
46
At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli,
Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you
abandoned me?”
The
sin of all mankind is placed upon The Christ
God
the Father cannot be in fellowship with sin so He must abandon Him
David
prophesied this; it only makes sense in a bigger context
A
price had to be paid, God’s perfect Justice demanded it
50 Then
Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit.
He
says: ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’ & ‘It is
finished!’
His
Life-Force left that body…for now (He Himself released His Spirit)
51 At that
moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two,
from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs
opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were
raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’
resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to
many people.
In
both Mark and Luke the curtain being torn TOP TO BOTTOM is recorded
The
separation of God’s presence from us because of sin is ended from
His end
Supernatural
power caused nature to resonate & God’s people to rise to new
life
They
were godly because God animated them & they demonstrated
redemption
Who
Bought us? CHRIST BOUGHT & PAID FOR US TO BE RAISED FROM THE
DEAD!
6am
Sunday: WHO IS OUR HOPE IN? Mark 16:1-6
1 Saturday
evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could
anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at
sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each
other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to
the tomb?”
Sabbath
was sundown Friday to sundown Saturday (No commerce)
The
stones were not meant to be rolled away often
With
a lever you could get it open enough to get inside
There
would normally be men who performed such a service but not 1st
thing
Rich
people’s cemetery, there would be ‘attendants’
4
But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was
very large, had already been rolled aside. 5 When they entered the
tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the
right side.
Something
had happened, they didn’t see it happen, they just could see the
result
Luke
describes ‘A young man clothed in a white robe’
The
women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You
are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t
here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his
body.
If
you search for Jesus, who was crucified, there is no need to be
alarmed
The
angel tells them exactly what has happened; we have God’s word on
it!
The
angel says: believe in what you can’t see! That is what Hope is!
Who
is our hope in? CHRIST IS OUR HOPE FOR ETERNITY WITH GOD!
Noon
Sunday: WHO IS OUR REVELATION? Luke 24:13-17 & 21-27
13 That same
day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus,
seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking
about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed
these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with
them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him. 17 He asked them,
“What are you discussing so intently…
They
were part of the core of Jesus’ followers talking about the past 66
hours…
The
resurrected Christ seems to be just another traveler
Jesus
wants to start with what they think about it (God meets you where
you are)
He
is there to reveal Himself to them
21 We had
hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all
happened three days ago. 22 “Then some women from our group of his
followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back
with an amazing report.
They
had hoped… but they did not believe Jesus was the Messiah
They
had an amazing ‘report’….Amazing as in there was no explanation
for it
23
They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told
them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure
enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”
Angels
telling them Jesus is alive, an empty tomb and STILL they don’t
believe
They
had information, but no revelation!
Throughout
the world people know some the story but do not believe
The
problem is they don’t know the Whole Story…
Where
do you get the whole Story?
25 Then
Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to
believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it
clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these
things before entering his glory?”
It’s
all there in the Hebrew Scriptures! Who the messiah is and what He
does…
The
death, burial & resurrection of Jesus the Christ only makes
sense with O.T.
27
Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the
prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning
himself.
The
information in the Bible comes alive as God’s Spirit enables us to
understand
God
Himself wants to take us through the Scriptures to understand who He
is
Christ
Himself provides the Illumination that leads to Revelation of God’s
Glory
We
need the whole of Scripture, Old & New Testaments understood
together
We
are so blessed to have the complete revelation!
Who
Reveals God to us? CHRIST IS OUR REVELATION OF GOD’S GLORY!
Application
Questions:
What
are some lifestyle choices that can help you more fully belong to
Jesus Christ?
How
can you intentionally pay forward what Jesus Christ paid for you?
How
can you focus on expressing your hope for eternal union with Him?
How
can you increase your openness to Scripture’s revelation of who
Christ is?
https://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.png00Todd Briggshttps://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.pngTodd Briggs2020-04-11 22:07:052020-04-12 07:52:38Easter 2020 Who Jesus Christ Is: 4 Scenes From 66 Hours
What
is ‘Faith’ and where does it come from? How do you practice your
faith, act in faith and live by your faith? When I think of
practicing my faith this is what it looks like, trusting God can
change things that seem unchangeable. You need a firm foundation:
God’s Word. Faith comes from God’s hand, we are gifted by God with
the faith to believe in Him. We can ask God for faith but we cannot
create it ourselves.
Faith
is the belief in a reality that we cannot completely document or
prove, something for which there is incomplete evidence. Yet it is
not a belief founded in nothing.
This
passage shows that when we believe in Him as the All Everything God,
amazing thing, unexpected things, long hoped for things… will
happen in our lives!
Luke
8:40-56
40 Now when
Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting
him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at
Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his
only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
People
are tracking Jesus’ movements and are waiting for him (Capernaum)
A
Jewish Religious leader, more like an Elder than a Pastor in our
context
Meets
Jesus at the shore, wants Him to come with him to his house (faith
act)
Big
deal for such a man to fall at Jesus’s feet (it was all for someone
else)
As Jesus was
on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there
who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could
heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his
cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
Picture
Jesus walking through town being mobbed by people in the street
Some
manuscripts include: though
she had spent all her living on physicians
V43
What
it meant to have bleeding for 12 years!
The
desperation she must have experienced…she had exhausted human
means
She
approached Him in faith
She
was like: “If I can just touch Him”
Mat
9:21 & Mark 5:28 She said to herself, If I only touch his cloak,
I will be healed
BAM!
Instant healing
45 “Who
touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said,
“Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46
But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out
from me.”
Jesus’
healing power is accessible by faith
Peter
talks to Him like He is just a man who can only have finite
knowledge
All
God / All Man, Jesus invokes His divinity here and is ‘All Knowing’
He
knows who the someone is, He wants her to tell her story
Christ
wants you to tell your story
47 Then the
woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and
fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she
had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he
said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
Even
after Jesus had healed her she tried to hide…then she publicly
testified
Her
story leaves no doubt divine intervention had occurred (Miracle)
Jesus
proclaims it’s her faith that caused the healing (Faith In Jesus to
heal her)
We
know God does the healing but our faith
She
is to go in peace because she knows 1st hand who Jesus is
49 While
Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the
synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t
bother the teacher anymore.” 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus,
“Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”
One
of Jairus’ people come to tell him that his daughter has died (human
view)
With
Jesus there He says “no point having the ‘Teacher’ come”
(underestimating)
Jesus
says: Don’t listen to fear, trust ME! Believe in ME!
Putting
your faith in Jesus for ‘Others’ (praying for others)
51
When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in
with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and
mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for
her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”
53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
Why
only the three & the parents? Did Jesus only want faith in the
house?
Faith
in Jesus for who He truly is plays some role in God’s healing
process
The
people were convinced she was dead based on what they knew &
could see
When
Jesus claims He can change the situation, they laugh (Pure Pride)
54 But he
took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit
returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her
something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them
not to tell anyone what had happened.
By
HIS WORD He changes what was thought to be unchangeable
Dominion
over life & death, proven by The Resurrection, 4 details see
next week
The
eating is to demonstrate the restored life is same as before, human
Why
does He order them to not tell? He tells the parents not to tell,
but the girl…
Summary:
Jesus
responds to acts of faith with miracles.
Christ
has a healing agenda of His own that is not always clear to us.
Our
faith is part of the process God uses to bring healing to our lives.
If
we trust Jesus and relinquish control, we will see miracles for
ourselves others
Application
Questions:
How
can & do you specifically approach Jesus Christ in faith for your
own needs?
When
was a time you acted in faith on someone else’s behalf? What did you
learn?
When
God is not doing something on your timetable how do you react?
Are
there things in your life you are convinced God can’t change? What &
Why?
Make
the most of this Holy Week and get ready to celebrate Easter next
Sunday!
This passage is a great example of Jesus’ way of discipleship: life experience and relatable stories to establish spiritual principals to be put into practice. This is what ‘The Church’ is founded on! It is also about God controlling the grace that brings salvation & our stewardship of what He gives.
Luke
8: 8:4-21
4 While a
large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town
after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his
seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was
trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground,
and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no
moisture.
This
is a message for the masses
The
Farmer had a purpose: sowing seed
‘Broadcast
Spreading’ The Gospel is proclaimed to everyone
Seed
on the path has no shot; no soil and it is exposed to being taken
away
The
seed on the rocky ground is without the means to grow (moisture)
The
seed on the rocky ground couldn’t grow, seed need soil
7
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the
plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded
a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he
called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
The
seed among the thorns couldn’t compete with what was already there
(world)
What
is there before the seed keeps growing (thorns grew up with the
seed)
The
seed cannot grow amongst the thorns, it needs to separate (called
out)
The
good soil had everything necessary for the seed to grow and produce
fruit
Crops
that are in the right environment reproduce more and more of
themselves
If
God has given you the ability to hear (‘Spiritual Ears’) then pay
close attention
9
His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The
knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you,
but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they
may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ (Isaiah 6:9)
How
a ‘Disciple’ should act: Going to God & asking for answers
(James 1:5)
God
allows some to hear & understand kingdom things others are
destined to not
The
Isaiah verse shows God has always operated like this
Here
is where we find the tension between God’s control and our free will
11 “This
is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.”
The
‘Word’ of God is the fullness of who God is and how He is to us
God’s
Word is the Gospel or The Kingdom.
Basically
a synopsis of the Scriptures
God
enabling us to embrace & surrender to His Word brings us into
‘Right Relationship’
12
“Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil
comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not
believe and be saved.”
The
different soils are representative of different people and their
receptiveness to God’s Word
‘Along
the path’ has the opportunity to hear but the Devil deceives them
This
group is what we call ‘Non-Regenerate’ they literally cannot believe
Consistent
in the Scriptures is the message that God controls who believes
13
“Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with
joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a
while, but in the time of testing they fall away.”
The
‘Rocky Ground’ has an emotional response to God’s Word (not enough)
They
receive it but it is not rooted, God’s Word is not foundational in
their life
They
are good with God while everything is smooth, but when life’s storms
come..
Following
Jesus without a foundation rooted in God’s Word is not following
Jesus
14
“The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as
they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and
pleasures, and they do not mature.”
Those ‘Among The
Thorns’ hear but go on ‘their’ way, not changing to God’s way
They begin the
process of surrendering their life but try to add it to current life
They focus on the
things of this world over God’s Word
2 Timothy
3:4b-5a…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a
form of godliness but denying its power.
They do not
mature… Literal translation: ‘They bear not to completion’
Maturity is
making it to the point where you reproduce (Mature things reproduce)
15
“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good
heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a
crop.”
The
‘Good Soil’ is prepared by God, those who God has given grace to be
saved
The
Word of God is what makes us noble and of good heart (Hear &
Retain)
Disciples
of Christ find the Word of God to be of ultimate value.
Matthew
13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.
When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and
sold all he had and bought that field.”
Those
who God puts His Spirit in CAN & DO persevere in being lifelong
disciples
Treasuring
God’s Word transforms us, that’s what produces a crop
(multiplication)
The
Crop that is a hundred times what is sown = ‘Kingdom Reproduction’
The
salvation implications of the parable: 3 of the 4 ‘Soils’ do not
inherit the Kingdom. Then there are discipleship principals in this
parable for those who are saved and the last four verses in this
passage speak of stewardship regarding God’s Word amongst His Family.
16 “No one
lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed.
Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see
the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed,
and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the
open.”
Jesus
gives some overall principals for how we apply the previous parable
The
Word of God is the lamp, it has a obvious purpose to those who ‘Use’
it
The
truth will be found to be the truth, at some point all will be
revealed
This
is true about your salvation and your discipleship
18
“Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be
given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have
will be taken from them.”
This
is a call to examine your follow-ship and discipleship in light of
God’s Word
What
does the the ‘therefore’ refer to? Both the soils and the lamp!
Are
you being a good steward of what you have been given?
How
well do you listen to God / God’s Word?
19
Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not
able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your
mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21
He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word
and put it into practice.”
Does
growing up around church or your linage make you Jesus’ family?
True
Family is those who share your values, Jesus values God’s Word
What
makes you part of His family is based on valuing & applying
God’s Word!
Listening
= Hearing + Understanding (practice)
Putting
God’s Word into practice takes: motivation, faith, grace &
intentionality
We
call this process Discipleship!
It
is meant to be done TOGETHER AS FAMILY!
Summary
Demonic
forces are always working to diminish God’s Word.
A
true relationship with God is founded on & rooted in God’s Word.
Jesus
teaches we are to unrelentingly prioritize God’s Word over care for
earthy things.
The
goal of our salvation is to join God in reproducing it, based on
God’s Word.
Jesus
teaches we must share the light we have been given: God’s Word.
The
measure of our being Jesus family is how we listen to and practice
God’s Word.
Application
Questions:(Assumption is that you want to Biblically Grow as a
Disciple)
What
does it look like to consider how you listen to God’s Word, making
the most of the grace you have been given to understand the Gospel?
(Listen = Hear & Understand ) (Use the grace given to open
up to more grace)
How
do you reconcile this Scripture saying some won’t listen to God’s
Word & perish? (They will be ‘Unable to believe unto
salvation)
Which
are your biggest challenges & why? Spiritual attacks, your
rooting in God’s Word or being preoccupied with things of this world?
(letting lies run your life / lack of Scripture based life /
what ‘captivates’ you?)
What
fuels your vision of growing to maturity and reproducing as a
disciple of Christ? (Motivation based on others and God’s
Glory)
In
what ways can you intentionally hear God’s Word & apply it so HIS
light shines? (specific practices, priorities & lifestyle
choices that grow your ‘Spirit-Living’)
https://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.png00Todd Briggshttps://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.pngTodd Briggs2020-03-28 19:23:212020-03-28 23:11:57Luke Pt. 14: The Essential Value of God's Word
In
the life as disciples of Christ, serving in obedience to Christ and
growing in Christ, there will be storms to ride out and demonic
forces to face. As Jesus’ disciples gathered as His church how do we
deal with these things?
When
it comes to ‘Storms’ in our life, it’s not a question of if they
come, but rather when. It’s not a question of demonic forces, it’s a
question of how many… this is a fallen world! Often, and especially
in times like these, it is some of both!
This
is the reality of our world; storms & demons…but take heart!
Christ is there with us! In
the Storm and as we deal with demonic activity. As His surrendered
followers we can weather the storms & rebuke the demonic forces.
Luke
8:22-39
22
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other
side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they
sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the
boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
Jesus
had a reason to go across the lake (eternal purpose marked every
move)
Did
he fall asleep on purpose?
Were
they in great danger or did Luke express the view of the disciples?
Fear
can create ‘alternate realities’ in our lives
24 The
disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going
to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters;
the storm subsided, and all was calm.
They
use the title ‘Master’ as in ‘Master Teacher’ NOT ‘Master of All
Creation’
They
didn’t fully know who Jesus was at this point so they reacted in
fear
But
Christ is there!
If
we don’t fully know Jesus, we too will be fearful in the storm
When
we give Him control of our lives (Discipleship) we see the storm
differently
25
“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and
amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even
the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
Who
is your faith in? Who do you think is in control of your life &
everything else?
The
combination of fear & amazement is a good learning environment
His
control has been demonstrated, yet they are slow to understand
(Like US!)
The
Storm is a metaphor for the danger we face in this fallen world, our
world. What makes this a dangerous and fallen world is the presence
of sin & demons. 1/3 of the Angels created followed Lucifer in
his attempted ‘Coup’ & became demons.
26
They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake
from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a
demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not
worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.
He
is met…this was a ‘prearranged’ meeting. Are there any
coincidences?
Christ
is there with THIS guy and with everyone dealing with the demonic
activity
This
is someone we would call ‘Mentally Ill’…
Not
all mental illness caused directly by demons
Then
and even now, there is not much that humans can do for such people
28 When he
saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of
his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High
God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the
impure spirit to come out of the man.
His
recognition of Jesus was intense! He knows His ‘Name’
Demonic
forces are subject to Christ, yet still totally rebellious
Jesus
made it clear they were being cast out of the man and so
negotiations start
Demons
displays they believe lies about Jesus / God (Judgement V
Torture)
Many times
it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept
under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the
demon into solitary places. 30 Jesus asked him, “What is your
name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into
him. 31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into
the Abyss.
We
get a description of how the demons possessed this man (they like to
isolate)
Demons
look for the opportunity to be of greater strength
Humans
empower their activity by being deceived and giving them place
They
traffic in lies (followers of ‘The Father of Lies’)
They
know their next destiny is to be locked in the Abyss
32 A large
herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged
Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33
When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the
herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
Places
where pigs were kept were symbolic for places where God is not
honored
(The
story of the prodigal son in Luke 15)
The
demons choose the pigs, or do they? They had to have Jesus
permission
Not
a good choice to destroy their host, the pigs…
Without
a ‘Host’ the demons scatter (Jesus allows them to stay in the world)
34 When
those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and
reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out
to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man
from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed
and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
The
pig herders lose their whole herd…and freak out!
When
everyone came to see what happened they found the ‘Freed Man’
Seeing
the massive change in the man scares them
36 Those who
had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been
cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked
Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got
into the boat and left.
The
locals are more concerned with keeping the status quo than God’s
work
Jesus
Christ will not force Himself on anyone (The Ultimate Gentleman)
Fear
kept them from seeing that God himself was there
Fear
can overcome people and make them do stupid things (Tell God
to Leave)
Even
when Christ is shown to be a savior, there will be people who fear
change
38 The man
from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus
sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has
done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much
Jesus had done for him.
Like
the women who had been delivered this man wanted to go with Jesus
Jesus
specifically wanted this man to be a ‘witness’ among his own people
This
guy didn’t get the job he wanted but he did what Jesus asked HIM to
do
I
hope we can be grateful for what Christ has done in our lives &
be content
The
Storm can be something that causes us to fear and react irrationally.
The Storm can also be a means by which we learn who Jesus Christ
truly is. The battle we fight to keep from being influenced &
impacted by Demonic Forces is our Biblical reality. The ‘Good News’
is: Christ is there with you! He wants to empower you to
overcome. As a disciple are you ready? How strong is your faith in
Christ and His power over demons?
Application
Questions:
What
things right now are making you feel like you are going to drown?
(Talking
with someone you trust about these things helps)
Jesus
asks His disciples: “Where is Your Faith”? Answer that as
specifically as you can.(Why
is your faith in Jesus? How did you get to that place?)
What
do you know about demons based on Scripture?(Knowing
your enemy)
How
can you leverage Christ’s power over demons as His Spirit-Indwelt
follower? ( Biblical
Understanding / Seasoned Guides / Faith Based on Experience )
How
can you grow to trust Christ more in life’s storms and during demonic
activity?(Taking
Ownership of Your Discipleship)
https://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.png00Todd Briggshttps://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.pngTodd Briggs2020-03-21 11:52:072020-03-22 12:43:39Luke pt. 13: The Storm & The Demons
This
is a story of ‘The Experience of Forgiveness’ and how that experience
will effect those who truly experience it. It is also a cautionary
tale about what happens when you become ‘self-satisfied’ in your
relationship with God. When we get ‘Holier than thou’ and begin
focusing on the judgement of other people’s situations, we become the
same as the Pharisees.
36 When one
of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to
the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that
town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the
Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of
perfume.
Why
did he invite Jesus to dinner?
He
was aware of the miracles Jesus was doing, It was probably a test /
vetting
Woman
‘who lived a sinful life’ would have been a prostitute in that
context
She
too had heard all that Jesus was doing…and she brought the ‘Jar’
She
didn’t let her sin keep her from coming to Jesus
38
As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his
feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them
and poured perfume on them.
Coming
face to face with God she seems to be under great conviction
The
logistics of how it worked (she was in the background)
Her
brokenness was such that she was without pretense or shame
39 When the
Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this
man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind
of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus answered him,
“Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he
said.
He
said to himself (thought it) Jesus answered (knew what He was
thinking)
He
was figuring out how to discredit Jesus rather than how to believe
on Him
He
supposes he knows what the whole story is (playing ‘holy spirit’)
Do
you approach Jesus with skepticism or with faith?
41 “Two
people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred
denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay
him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will
love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the
bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
He
tells the story do demonstrate the inequity of our transgressions
Yet
he shows how God makes us all equal with His forgiveness
The
awareness of sin & the depth of repentance (reality) is
reflected in our love
44 Then he
turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?
I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,
but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
He
demonstrates to Simeon what it looks like when you surrender to God
Her
brokenness is to be our example
45
You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered,
has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head,
but she has poured perfume on my feet.
The
extravagance of her selfless actions opposed to his
self-righteousness
Simeon
didn’t recognize Christ in any way, she recognized Christ in every
way
47
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her
great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves
little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Jesus
says her forgiveness is validated by what she does
The
reality of her experience of forgiveness changes how she acts
Jesus
tells her directly that she is forgiven, a sweet assurance
49
The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who
even forgives sins?” 50 Jesus said to the woman,“Your faith has
saved you; go in peace.”
The
question only has one answer: God Himself!
Jesus
gives her and us assurance of salvation
He
had not even died for her and yet she puts her faith in Him (God
given faith)
1
After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to
another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve
were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil
spirits and diseases:
The
Twelve (Special category) called to leadership
The
Women were there as a result of being healed by Jesus
Mary
(called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the
wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many
others. These women were helping to support them out of their own
means.
They
had been so impacted by Jesus (like the woman with the perfume)
They
responded to what they had been given by giving
We
see different roles played by different people in the community
What
is your role in this community?
As
a members there are some common roles we all play
We
have two people, Simeon the religious leader & a Woman who lived
a sinful life. Regarding the two of them, Jesus is going to basically
say: be like her, not like him
Application
Questions:
What
are the specific sins that can keep you from being broken &
intimate with Jesus?
Why
should you not suppose to know what is going on in someone else’s
spiritual life?
How
do you specifically respond to God’s forgiveness? How much do you
love?
How
would you describe your experience of having your sin forgiven by
Jesus Christ?
https://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.png00Todd Briggshttps://midtownchurchatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/logo-full-Black-340x100-v2.pngTodd Briggs2020-03-15 11:00:162020-03-16 12:16:33Luke Pt. 12: The Great Equalizer
