Mind-Bloggling!

Category: Sermon Prep

In order to be a Christian, a person must confess, "Jesus is Lord." Obviously, this confession must be more than empty words, it must be a sincere declaration that Jesus is the King before whom the confessor bows in humble submission and obedience.

So, the question arises—What are the commands of Lord Jesus?

If your mind immediately gravitates toward issues like lust, fornication, adultery, abortion, homosexuality, stealing, lying, etc., you do well. But, when Jesus says, "This is my commandment," what follows? What are His sovereign decrees? What does He command His subjects to do?

Too often, I fear, we believe that we are faithful citizens of His kingdom if we abstain from most of the "big sins" listed above. But is that what the King Himself taught?

This Sunday, we will consider how the lordship of Jesus Christ should, must, be manifest in the lives of His people, and we will see that there's more to it than simply staying out of trouble.

Category: Sermon Prep (and follow up)

Thesis: Gratitude and worship are the proper responses to God's mercy.

Luke 17:

¹¹ And it came about while He was on the way to Jerusalem, that He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered a certain village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him;

Leviticus 13-14 gives a detailed account of leprosy and lepers.

The lepers should have know that healing lepers was a sign of the Messiah's arrival:

Matthew 10:8 "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give."

Matthew 11:3-5 ...and said to Him, "Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them."

Were they too preoccupied with themselves to grasp the greater significance of their healing?

¹³ and they raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

The lepers called Jesus, "Master," (epistates), and they asked for His pity (as opposed to demanding that He heal them).

Apparently, stories of Jesus' ability to heal had reached this village. Did these men truly believe that Jesus was Messiah, or were they simply trying any and all means to be healed?

 ¹⁴ And when He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And it came about that as they were going, they were cleansed.

Why did Jesus want them to go to the priests?

 ¹⁵ Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice,

The leper's loud (glorifying) voice was proportionate to his understanding of the "bigness" of Jesus' mercy. In other words, he couldn't contain himself because he was exceedingly thankful for this marvelous gift.

Application: Do we glorify God in proportion to what He has done for us?

What caused the one man to return to Jesus (as opposed to proceeding with what He had commanded)? What caused the others not to?

 ¹⁶ and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.

This leper recognized that Jesus had provided him with a magnanimous gift, and responded in the proper way.

It would appear that at least some of the ten were Jewish. Only this Samaritan (who were hated by the Jews) gave thanks.

 ¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine-- where are they? ¹⁸ "Was no one found who turned back to give glory to God, except this foreigner?"

Thanksgiving and giving glory to God are virtually synonymous, and God expects to receive them for His good gifts.

Jesus seemed to expect that all of them would stop their journey to the priest (which Jesus had told them to take) and return to Him. Why?

 ¹⁹ And He said to him, "Rise, and go your way; your faith has made you well.

"Made you well," is sozo, which often means, "to save." Does Jesus mean that his faith has made him physically well (implying that the other nine would not remain free of leprosy) or that his faith had made him well spiritually (implying that the other nine were healed, but remained enemies of God)?

What does the rest of the Bible teach about giving thanks?

All ten obeyed the command of Christ to show themselves to the priests. They had faith that He could (and would) heal, and acted before they were healed. How should we be challenged by this? Are their promises given to us that we hesitate to act upon because we don't see any inidcation that God will do what He said He would do?

What promises are we afraid to act on?

What prevents us from being more thankful?

How can we become more thankful?

Category: Sermon Prep

[Disclaimer: These are not meant to be conclusive or persuasive, but thoughts and questions that come to my mind as I initially begin my own sermon preparation. Some ideas will never make it to the sermon, others will change by the time Sunday morning comes around. Nor am I concerned about precise grammar. This is just me thinking out loud about the sermon text, and I encourage you to think with me in preparation for the preaching of God's word.]

Luke 17:

5  And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

Why did the apostles ask this question? What provoked their concern for greater trust and belief? Was it the instruction regarding stumbling blocks and forgiveness? Was it pride (considering the answer Jesus gives)? Was it fear of becoming like the Pharisees and therefore incurring the ire of Christ?

 6 And the Lord said, "If you had [lit. have] faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you."

The Greek "had faith" is present tense, why do many of the translations translate it past tense?

What's the point of the comparison with a mustard seed? Where else does the Bible speak of mustard seeds or mulberry bushes?

Whenever Jesus seems to be asking alot, the disciples wonder at it and draw what they regard as radical conclusions (Matthew 19:7-10; Matthew 19:23; Matthew 18:21).

Jesus agrees with their assessment that their faith needs to grow. In fact, He indicates that their faith currently is not as big as a mustard seed. If it was, they could do marvelous things (command a mulberry tree to replant itself in the sea, for example). But it's not, so the commands He gives to them (forgive, don't love money, use their money to make friends for eternity, receive repentant sinners with joy) seem impossible, beyond their reach.

There is a specific obstacle in their way to obedience:

7-10 "But which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'? But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me until I have eaten and drunk; and afterward you will eat and drink'? He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"

Two principles: 1) A slave's first priority is to obey his master, his own needs and wants are secondary. 2) A slave is not to expect gratitude for doing his duty, for he does not act out of grace, but out of obligation. (You wouldn't thank a man for paying off his loan, that is, in a culture free of "political correctness" you wouldn't).

Application to the disciples: When they (we) do what Chrst has commanded (such as watching out for stumbling blocks and receiving repentant sinners and resisting the idolatrous love of money and forgiving others limitlessly), they should not expect commendation. They are simply doing what their master commands them to do. These are duties, not gracious, undeserved, generous actions.

How does this increase faith?

Category: Sermon Prep

Luke 17:1 And He said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks should come, but woe to him through whom they come!"

"Stumbling blocks" is skandalon (snare, trap). What does it mean that they are inevitable? Why are they inescapable?

Other passages which speak of stumbling blocks:

Leviticus 19:14 'You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the LORD.

Judges 2:3 "Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.'

Judges 8:27 And Gideon made it into an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

1 Samuel 18:21 And Saul thought, "I will give her to him that she may become a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David, "For a second time you may be my son-in-law today."

Psalm 119:165 Those who love Thy law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble.

Matthew 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

Matthew 18:7 "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

Obviously, the Pharisees—with their idolatry, adultery, greed, covetousness, and hard hearts—were potential snares for believers because of their positions in religious leadership. Who are potential stumbling blocks today?

What does 'woe' mean?

Matthew 13:41-42 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Romans 9:33 just as it is written, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed."

What is the application for us?

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.

 17:2 "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.

What is a millstone?

"Little ones" immediately calls children to mind. Is Jesus suddenly talking about children, or is there a reason why He might describe adult believers as "little ones"?  

Where else does the New Testament warn about the dangers of false teachers and dangerous leaders? Do we learn anything about their punishment from those passages?

Romans 16:17  Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.

Is this why teachers are liable to stricter judgment (Jas. 3:1)? 

Category: Sermon Prep

[Disclaimer: These are not meant to be conclusive or persuasive, but thoughts and questions that come to my mind as I initially begin my own sermon preparation. Some ideas will never make it to the sermon, others will change by the time Sunday morning comes around. Nor am I concerned about precise grammar. This is just me thinking out loud about the sermon text, and I encourage you to think with me in preparation for the preaching of God's word.]

Luke 15:1 Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was reported to him as squandering his possessions."

A manager (or steward) was endowed with the care of property which did not belong to him. He was a servant, not an owner. A great deal of responsibility was entrusted to him by the owner of the property. He had the authority to make purchases, sign contracts, pay wages, etc. His objective was to use the assets assigned to him to meet the goals of the owner. This may include: earning a profit, raising healthy crops, keeping equipment orderly and functional, et al.

Good stewardship means that we use the resources (money, time, etc.) God has entrusted us with, and given us responsibility for, in a way that is pleasing to Him and according to His instructions.

'Squandering' is the same word used to describe the progigal's profligacy in 15:13. Significant?

The steward was unfaithful (or at least, profoundly irresponsible) with the owner's estate.

 ² "And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'

No owner would tolerate the profligacy of a steward, otherwise, he would soon find all of his possessions gone. This owner demanded an explanation of the steward's actions.

 ³ "And the steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ 'I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship, they will receive me into their homes.'

Although given a great deal of responsibility and authority, a steward was accountable to the owner of the house. Again, he was not an owner, but a slave.

With this firing, the steward realizes that his means of earning a living are in question. How will he eat? Where will he live? He is unable to do manual labor, and is too proud to beg. What is his future?

Key term: So that. It gives the purpose or reason for what he is doing. The manager is going to perform an action so that they will receive him into their homes (see v9).

Who are "they"? What does he mean by, "receive me into their homes"?

 ⁵ "And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' ⁶ "And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' ⁷ "Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'

The steward has one more thing to do before he cleans out his desk: try to win the favor of his master's debtors by reducing their obligation to him. It's like an account manager at a bank filing paperwork to reduce someone's loan by 50% just before he is fired for stealing from the bank.

The steward expects to place his master's customers in his debt by putting more money into the pockets. They will look with favor upon him and welcome him into their homes

 ⁸ "And his master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly;"

Under what circumstances would the embezzled praise (commend or boast in) the embezzler? Why would the owner do this? He was impressed with the clever problem-solving and quick thinking of the steward.  (If the steward had performed his duties with such sharpness, he would have been commended and still have a job.)

[That seems to be the end of the parable and the beginning of Jesus' direct instruction.]

"For the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light."

This appears to be a key interpretive verse. What is Jesus saying?

Who are "sons of this age"? (cp. Luke 20:34; 1 Cor. 1:20; 2:6-8; 4:4) Who are "sons of light"? 

 ⁹ "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

Parallel to v4: Do (this) so that they may receive you into eternal houses.

The steward used his financial resources to make friends for himself, and they welcomed him into their homes; Christians should likewise use their financial resources to make friends for themselves who will welcome them into their eternal homes.

What should we do with our money to keep it from becoming the root of all kinds of evil and from consuming us and from being our answer to everything? Invest it in eternal things. Give it for the purpose of serving Christians (new or existing), eternal friends. Give to missions, kingdom-building, needs believers. Lay up treasure in heaven. Don't build bigger barns.

Category: Sermon Prep

Luke 13:1-9:

1 And some in that hour itself were present who reported to Him concerning those of Galilee whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices.

Why does Luke draw our attention to the fact that this conversation took place "in that very hour"?

Jesus had warned (and rebuked) about observing the signs of the times and the necessity of settling accounts with God before judgment. Did that provoke these questions about the massacred Galileans? So, Lord, are You telling us that God judged these Galilean Jews because of their great wickedness? Is that the kind of "observing the signs" you were talking about? They did not settle accounts with God, and so He destroyed them?

Probably this took place in Jerusalem during Passover when Jews from all over (including Galilee) would have been in Jerusalem sacrificing. ('Sacrifices' would most likely refer to the temple.) 

2 And He who answered said to them, "Do you think that those Galileans were sinners beyond all Galileans because they have suffered these things?

Jesus is basically asking, "Is it your conclusion that this kind of calamity only comes upon the most heinous individuals? Does your theology teach you that really, really bad things only happen to really, really bad people?"

3 No, I say to you. Rather except you repent, you all will likewise perish.

So, if the men in His audience would repent, they would avoid similar catastrophic death? And if they did not repent, they would all find themselves being killed by Pilate or some such method? Is Jesus speaking of physical, tragic death? If so, then the conclusion to be drawn is that those who believe that Jesus is Messiah would avoid being executed unjustly by a pagan leader.

What would that say about the apostles and other early Christians who were killed maliciously and unjustly by Roman or Jewish leaders? What would that say about modern missionaries who are massacred by Muslims or other evil men? It would seem that people who suffer such tragedies did not repent, if that's what Jesus means.

Another possibility is that when Jesus says, "perish," He is not talking about the tragic means of their death, but rather their eternal peril. They died with unrepentant hearts, and now they stand before the Most High at judgment. They will certainly be condemned. The warning is for His audience to settle accounts with the Judge now, before their day in Court.

This would fit the context well.

4 Or those eighteen upon whom the tower fell in Siloam and killed them, do you think that they themselves were debtors beyond all the men who inhabited Jerusalem?

"Debtors" would refer back to the need to settle accounts before being thrown into debtor's prison (12:49-59).

The answer to Jesus' rhetorical question is, "No, the people tragically killed in the tower accident were not worse sinners than other citizens of Jerusalem."

Pilate was the source of the murders of the Galileans, but God is the implied source here. This was a catastrophic event which belongs to the category of "natural disasters" such as Katrina or the I-35W bridge collapse in Minnesota. The implication of Jesus' question is that God is the ultimate cause of the tower's falling and killing those Jews, which raises the question--Did God kill them because of the magnitude of their wickedness as compared to the other Judeans?

This was Jewish theology. Cp. John 9, where the man born blind was assumed to be so due to God's judgment on him or his family. The Jews believed that God brought calamity on sinners. Job's friends shared the assumption that bad things happen to bad people. Incidentally, there is no indication that the victims of the tower were engaged in particularly evil activity.

The Old Covenant did lay out very clearly that God would visit His people with calamity if they broke the covenant (See Deut. 28:15f.; Lev. 26:14f). Is this a general question of theodicy, or is it a covenantal question.

5 No, I say to you. Rather, except you repent, you all will likewise perish."

Jesus' answer was, "No, the tower did not fall upon those men because they were the most wicked men in Jerusalem. God was not singling them out. Rather, everyone who does not repent will find themselves experiencing similar catastrophe." Again, does Jesus mean tragic death or condemnation at judgment?

If Jesus means tragic death, then the conclusion would be that those who repent will not experience such calamitous demise. Were none of the victims of Katrina believers? Do only non-Christians fall prey to early, unexpected, devastating "accidents"?

Or is Jesus saying that these tower victims were killed and now face the verdict of a holy Judge against their sin? The point would then be that all of us must stand before God's judgment seat, and whether we die young and tragically or live to a ripe, old age, we must settle accounts with God now or join them in eternal condemnation.

Other passages that may speak of God's temporal acts of judgment upon the world:

Ephesians 5:5-6  For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

Col. 3:5-7 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is on account of these things that the wrath of God will come, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.

1 Peter 4:17-18 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?

6 -9 And He was speaking this parable: A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard, and he who sought fruit in it came and he did not find. And he said to the vinedresser, "Behold, three years I came seeking fruit in this tree and did not find. Cut it down. Why does it even occupy the earth?" And he who answered said to him, "Master, leave it also this year, until I can dig around it and I can throw manure, and if on the one hand it does produce fruit into the coming season, good; and if on the other hand, no, then you will cut it down."

What is the point of this parable? What would those who first heard it have understood Jesus to be teaching with it? What should we learn from it today?

Cp. Romans 2:1-16.

Questions to Ponder:

1. 9/11, Katrina, the 35W bridge collapse in Minnesota, were these events God's judgment on the people who died in them? How would you defend your conclusion?

2. What does Jesus' statement, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish," mean?

Category: Sermon Prep

Likewise, husbands who cohabit according to knowledge, as with a weaker vessel, you who assign honor to the feminine as even a joint-heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. 

Now the goal: all are same-minded, sympathetic, brother-loving, good-hearted, humble-minded, not those who return evil for evil or abuse for abuse, but on the contrary those who bless. Because into this you were summoned, in order that you could inherit blessing. For “The one who desires to love life and to see good days must stop the tongue from evil and the lips of it are not to speak guile, but he must turn from evil and must do good; he must seek for peace and he must pursue it. Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just and His ears into their entreaties, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

And who is the one who will mistreat you if you are zealots of good? But rather, if also you suffer because of righteousness, you are blessed. But do not be afraid of their terror, and do not be troubled, but hallow the Lord the Messiah in your hearts, ready always with a speech of defense to every one who asks you a word concerning the expectation among you; rather, with gentleness and fear, be those who have a good conscience, in order that that in which you are blabbed about, those who act despitefully towards your good way of life in Christ can be disgraced. For better to suffer, if the will of God desires, for being those who do good than for being those who do evil (1 Peter 3:7-17).

How should a Christian husband treat his wife? Is he the boss, and she his servant? Should he require her to walk two steps behind, speak only when spoken to, and make sure that she doesn't burn the toast? Sadly, there have Christian leaders, whole generations even, who have understood headship and submission in that way. However, a close examination of 1 Peter 3:7 ought to eliminate that cruel misinterpretation forever.

Peter instructs husbands to know their wives. Some translations say something like, "Live with her in an understanding way." Husband, do you know your wife? Do you understand her? Let me ask a harder question--What things do you know, inside and out? How did you acquire that depth of knowledge? Have you spent the same amount of time and effort in studying your wife? Do you exert an equal amount of effort learning about her as you do in collecting the stats of your favorite player or team? Do you have a greater grasp of your job or your hobbies than of what makes your wife happy, sad, jealous, secure, hopeful, depressed, fulfilled, or empty? If so, you have your priorities out of order, and you are failing as a husband.

I will say in passing that the Greek words behind “know” and “vessel” in v.7 have clear sexual connotations, and I am convinced that Peter has physical intimacy in his mind (not exclusively, but clearly) in this verse. Any wife will tell you that there is a direct link between a husband's seeking to understand her relationally/emotionally and her desire to know him physically.

Yes, the wife is commanded to submit to the husband, but this does not mean that the husband may treat her as his subordinate. He is to treat her with great honor and deference. He should esteem her highly. A wife ought to feel like her husband values her more than anyone or anything on earth. She is, after all, co-heir of eternal life with him. They share the same destiny; they were bought with the same precious blood of Christ. The Lord Jesus does not regard a wife as inferior, less dignified, or less significant than the husband. Neither should a husband.

As you observe marriages in the world, do you see husbands honoring and treasuring their wives ? How about in the church?

In verses 8-17, Peter recapitulates and summarizes his main objectives of the last chapter or so. The goal for Christians living in a pagan culture is that we remain committed to unity, sympathy, brotherly love, compassion, and humility. Also, he reminds us to show love and respect to our enemies, which will often cause them to question our (seemingly) inexplicable hope in the face of persecution. This will lead to an opportunity to share the gospel of Christ, which we must do eagerly and gently.

How committed are you to keeping peace and maintaining unity with other members of the church? Where and how have you been responsible for disunity? Recently? Do you need to do anything to reconcile and repair the relationship? How about sympathy with others, do you take the time to really understand what your fellow believers are experiencing? Do you love the body of Christ as if they were your own brothers and sisters? (Bickering does not count!) Is there a deep, heartfelt affection for other Christians inside of you? How about humility? Do you resent the fact that your efforts have not been recognized? Do you desire acclaim? Do you wish people in the church would take more notice of you and your goodness?

My guess is that we all have work to do in these areas. May the Lord grant His sovereign, gracious Spirit to us for improvement.

Category: Sermon Prep

Luke 12

8 "And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me in front of men, the Son of Man will confess him in front of the angels of God.”

Confess does not always mean, "admit guilt." The noun form of the word (homologia) "implies consent to some thing felt to be valid, and in such a way that it is followed by definite resolve and action, by ready attachment to a cause" (TDNT).

What is our confession?

Romans 10:8-10: But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart "-- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

2 Corinthians 9:13: Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all.

1 Timothy 3:16: And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, beheld by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

Hebrews 3:1: Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.

1 John 2:23: Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

1 John 4:2: By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

Titus 1:16: They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed.

Conclusions: Confession must be open and public. Jesus will also confess and deny. We must make decisions now in light of their eternal consequences: suffer the rejection of men now or suffer the rejection of Christ later.

What do the angels of God have to do with it? (Read: Matt. 13:40-43; 16:27; 25:31-32; Revelation 3:5.)

9 But he who refused Me in front of men will be refused in front of the angels of God.

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).

Jesus has already warned about the danger and evil of hypocrisy, so He obviously is not talking about merely professing His name to others. The confession must be true. We must acknowledge Christ for who He is and believe it so much so that our actions demonstrate that belief (cp. James 2:14f).

Questions to Ponder:

1. Who are the "angels of God" and what part do they play in judgment? 

2. Are you prepared to give up your life, family, health, reputation, and comfort for the name of Christ? 

Category: Sermon Prep

Luke 11

29-30 And of the throngs who were assembling, He began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation. It searches for a sign, and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also will be the Son of Man to this generation."

What would have filled the minds of these Jews--God's chosen people who had been in a position of privilege since the time of Moses--when they heard Jesus refer to them as a "wicked generation"? Why did Jesus single out the generation to which He was speaking?

What kind of sign were they looking for? Where else do the gospels speak of the Jews' desire for signs? (See John 6 for one example.) How was Jonah a sign to the Ninevites? What comparison is Jesus making?

31 "The Queen of the South will be raised in the judgment with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she went from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here." 

Who was the Queen of the South, and again, what comparison is Jesus making?

32 "The men of Ninevah will stand up in the judgment with this generation and they will condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here."

Can you picture the judgment scene Jesus is describing? The Jews of His day are standing at the Great Tribunal and are called upon to give an account of their actions: "When I sent the Messiah to you, how did you receive Him? What was your attitude toward Him? What was His message and how did you respond to it? Answer Me, O men of Israel! That's right, you have nothing to say, do you? Michael! Gabriel! Summon the Queen of the South. Men of Israel, this pagan woman heard of the great wisdom of Solomon, and she traveled over land and sea to witness it for herself because she had the good sense to realize the value of it. But as for you, even when Wisdom incarnate came to you in your own land, so that you did not have to journey half a mile to see Him, you turned a deaf ear. Summon the Ninevites of Jonah's day! Men of Israel, how did these men respond to the preaching of Jonah? Still nothing to say? Of course not! Because you now realize that when they were confronted with the vengeance of God, they repented of their evil ways. These vile, heathen murderers, some of the most ferocious, aggressive, narcissistic, idolatrous people of all mankind, changed their ways when they were told of My indignation. But you, as you persisted in Your obstinacy, you also rejected a Prophet far superior to the rebellious, ungrateful Jonah. You rejected My Son. What say you?!"

Compare Hebrews 10:26-31 (the "willful sin" there is rejecting Christ).

33-36 "No one who lit a lamp places it into a cellar, nor under a basket, rather upon the lamp-stand, in order that those who go in can see the light. The light of your body is your eye. Whenever your eye may be simple, also your whole body is bright, but whenever it may be useless, also your body dark. Therefore, watch out that the light which is in you is not darkness. Therefore, if your body is bright, not having any dark part, the whole is bright as whenever the lamp with the radiance might illuminate you."

What is the point of this metaphor? How does it fit with the previous rebuke of "this wicked generation"?

Questions to Ponder:

1. What is the worst possible sin that a person can commit?

2. The answer to the first question is, "Rejecting Christ" (Cp. Heb. 2:1-2, 10:26f.). Why? Do you know people who understand the gospel and have rejected it? What does this passage mean for them?

Category: Sermon Prep

"To put it another way, spiritually there’s no such thing as an orphan in the world.  No one is a spiritual orphan.  No one in the world belongs to nobody.  You are either a child of God, or you’re a child of the devil...there is no orphan category.  God is your Father or Satan is your father.  And it all depends on your relationship to Jesus Christ.  If you are with Christ by faith in Him and a part of His Kingdom and the gathering of souls into His Kingdom, then you are the child of God.  If you are not with Christ in that enterprise, you are against Him and you belong to Satan."

[John MacArthur on Luke 11:14f.]

Category: Sermon Prep

(Luke 11-13) So then any one of you, the son will request a fish from the father and he will not give to him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or also he requests an egg, he will not give to him a scorpion, will he?

Therefore, if you, men who are worthless, know to give good gifts to your children, how much more the Father of heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who request from Him.

Our Lord has taught us that far more generously than any human father, our heavenly Father gives good gifts to His children. He will never answer our prayers by giving to us something which will harm us. However, we must realize that the specific request we put before Him may not be what is best for us. For example, we tend to want immediate relief of pain and suffering, but our loving Father may have planned an extended time of struggle for us, in order to teach us patience or dependence or perseverance or a deeper longing for eternal life and our resurrected, glorified body. In such a situation, the Father will not grant us a quick reprieve; but in the long run, we will be better off. We may discover that our gracious Lord has answered our prayer with something like, "No, I will not remove the thorn right now because it is serving a loving purpose which I have determined for you. My grace is sufficient; you will be okay. In fact, you will find that what you perceive as weakness is actually the beginning of My strength being produced in you. My power will be manifest in You through your difficulty. This will bring Me glory and you joy. Trust Me!"

What our Lord does promise in response to our prayers is the gift of God's Spirit. If we pause and consider all that the Spirit accomplishes in God's people, we may begin to see how absolutely marvelous this answer is.

Beginning Friday and extending over several days (or weeks), I will post a survey of all the work attributed to the Holy Spirit in the Bible. If we stop and ponder the extent of the Spirit's work, we may find that we have not paid sufficient attention to the Holy Spirit in our lives. I strongly urge you to dig out your concordance or go to www.biblegateway.com, and look up 'Spirit' and begin to gain an appreciation of the broad scope of the Spirit's achievements. As we learn all of His efforts on our behalf, and for Christ's glory, we may begin to realize that the greatest answer to prayer that God could grant us is His Spirit.

A few examples: We desperately want and need to grow in our understanding of God's character ("Hallowed be Thy name"). Who will illuminate the word of God so that we may experience this growth? Answer: the Holy Spirit. We desire to do the Lord's preceptive will, that is, to obey His commands; and we desire to see His kingdom expanded ("Thy will be done"). Who will grant us the desire and ability to submit to Christ? Answer: the Holy Spirit. We need to forgive others ("Forgive us our debts"). Who will enable us to do so? The Holy Spirit. Who will keep us steadfast in the face of trials and temptations ("Lead us not into temptation")? God's Spirit. On and on we could go.

In addition to this, we learn in Romans 8:26-27 that the Spirit also prays for us, and He always knows the will of God. Therefore, His prayer on our behalf is always acceptable to God. I exhort you to give a good look to those two verses.

Thank the Lord for sending us His Spirit!

As we conclude the portion of Luke dealing with the Lord's Prayer, may I encourage you to consider the kinds of things that the biblical characters (especially in the NT) prayed about and compare them to the kinds of things you usually pray about.

Let me include a couple prayers from Ephesians for you:

Ephesians 1:15-23   For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. 

Ephesians 6:18-20   With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 

How often do our prayers sound like that? How often do we fill our requests of the Father with physical/temporal things such as sicknesses, job needs, and business of life details; and how often do we pray for sanctification, holiness, theological and biblical growth, hope and assurance, and perseverance for others?

Here's a bonus question for you: James 5 speaks of the elders praying for healing. Besides that text, where would you go to find either instruction for, or an example of, praying for the sick? Please email me (doug@frontrangealliance.org) if you have an answer.

Now don't misunderstand me. I am in no way suggesting that it is wrong to pray for the sick, nor do I desire that you decrease the amount of prayer you offer for the sick. What I am suggesting is that we give serious consideration to the prayers of Scripture and think about things we ought to be concerned with in addition to the physical/temporal aspects of our loved ones.

Questions to Ponder:

1. Have you ever read through the New Testament and noted the pervasive and comprehensive work of the Holy Spirit? Or to put it another way, can you think of anything in the Christian life that is not begun, continued, and culminated by God's Spirit?

2. How do the items on your prayer lists compare with the prayers of the New Testament believers? If they are essentially different, why is that?

3. According to this text, the Father answers our prayers by giving us the Holy Spirit. How does/will that impact your praying?

Category: Sermon Prep

Luke 11:5-13

This is a parable. It is not a true story involving real people, but is a fictional narrative thrown alongside Jesus' explicit teaching to help His disciples picture in their minds what He was seeking to communicate. The general rule of thumb for parables is that we do not treat them as allegories. That is, we do not look at every detail or character and try to find a corresponding referent in real life. Rather, we seek to ascertain the basic, essential, obvious point being illustrated.

5-6 And He said to them, "Any one of you will have a dear friend and will go to him at midnight and will say to him, 'Dear friend, lend to me three loaves of bread because my dear friend arrived from a journey to me and I do not have that which I will place before him.'”

Hospitality was high on the list of virtues in ancient Israel. If a friend traveled to see you and arrived at your house at noon, afternoon, evening, midnight, 3AM, it wouldn't make any difference, the expectation was that you would accommodate him. It was a shameful thing not to provide, so for this man to seek food to place before his friend is not a striking occurrence. If he had known that the journeyman would be arriving that night, he might have made or borrowed the bread earlier, but he did not know (there were no cell phones or scheduled planes or regular train routes).

Historians tell us that traveling at night was a common way to avoid the heat. Still, midnight is an unappealing time for anyone to arrive for a visit. There is a reason Jesus chose that particular time.

Three loaves are not what we pick up at the store in plastic bags, enough to make 50 sandwiches and then some, this was three relatively small pieces. In the language of our day, he was asking for something more like three muffins than three loaves.

7 That one who answered from within may say, 'Do not make yourself a trouble to me. Already the door has been shut and my young children are in bed with me. I am not able to rise up to give to you.'

This friend's friendship has its limits, and disturbing him at midnight is one of them. It would be too much trouble to get up and get the bread because the door has already been shut. This door probably did not swing on smooth, well-oiled hinges like we have today, but rather was heavy and rough when opened. Furthermore, it would have been secured with a large wooden or iron bar pushed through rings. To lock and unlock these ancient doors required a measure of physical exertion that people don't want to exert at midnight. And it was a loud process.

Which brings up the next point--the kids were already asleep. Not in their private room upstairs away from all of this, but lying right there next to the man on the family mat in the corner of the one-room house. If the knocking didn't wake them, getting up, disbarring the door, opening the door, and locating the loaves of bread certainly would. No, the neighbor informs, your visiting friend won't die if he doesn't get any food until breakfast; the price is too high for me to help you right now.

8 I say to you, even if he will not rise up and give to him because he is his dear friend, he will indeed arise and give to him as much as he needs because of his shamelessness.

Jesus now moves to His point. Friendship is not enough motivation to get this neighbor out of bed and into a posture of helping. However, a bold, shameless request is.

At first glance, persistence appears to be the attribute that Jesus is advocating, but that's not exactly it. The Greek word translated 'persistence' (NASB, NKJV), 'impudence' (ESV), 'boldness' (NIV), and 'importunity' (KJV) is anaideia. It appears only here in the New Testament, and it's basic meaning is "shamelessness." Jesus is not emphasizing the asker’s unwillingness to stop, as much as his attitude in asking: "I am not ashamed to ask; I am not worried about the consequences of asking; I am not afraid of disturbing you or troubling you; I don't care what else you have going on or what inconvenience this brings upon you. I need your help. Give me what I need!"

This is the attitude which our Lord instructs us to have as we approach our holy, sovereign Abba, Father. The Lord's Prayer is the what of our prayers, and this is the how of them. We are told to be shameless in our pursuit of what we need.

David was shameless in his requests of God. Consider the implications (and attitude) of Psalm 13:1-3 :

"How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD my God."

Read through the Psalms looking only to observe the way in which David approached God. It wasn't polite, timid, or careful. He marched right in and demanded, "God, I need help." "Kill my enemies." "Why are You not listening to me?" "Answer me when I call!" "Are You going to ignore me forever?"

What keeps us from praying like that? Is it respect? Fear? Unbelief? Laziness? Lack of passion and real concern about things?

9-10 Also I say to you: request, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; strike, and it will be opened to you. For each one who requests, receives; and the one who searches, finds; and to the one who strikes, it will be open.

How often do we qualify the promises of these statements right into the cemetery? Does our doctrine of God require us to (in effect) cut these verses out of our Bibles? Have we so figured out God's sovereignty that Jesus cannot mean what He says here? Have we allowed the "Name it and claim it" folks (and other presumptuous Christians) to ruin or eviscerate our Lord’s words? Do we ever truly ask, seek, or knock, or do we say, "What's the use? God has determined everything already, so there's really no point in asking anything other than, 'Thy foreordained will be done.'"? Is that the attitude Jesus expresses in this instruction on prayer?

Questions to Ponder:

1. "If God is sovereign, why should I pray?" How would you answer that question if a new believer put it to you?

2. If it were possible to print a transcript of your prayers throughout the last week, what would we find? What words would accurately capture the "mood" of your prayers?

Category: Sermon Prep

Luke 11

4 And [Father] forgive us our sins because we also forgive everyone who is a debtor to us.

[Matthew 6:12: "And forgive us our debts as also we ourselves forgive our debtors."]

In Luke, sins are called hamartia, "failure to hit the mark,” “a fault,” or “an offense;" in Matthew they are opheilema, "that which is owed,” or “a debt."

In both places, 'forgive' is aphes, "to send away,” “to let go,” or “to dismiss."

In Luke, we ask for forgiveness because (Gr. gar) we have forgiven others; in Matthew we ask for a release from debts in the same way as we have released those who owe us.

In Matthew, Jesus adds that our being forgiven by the Father is contingent upon our forgiving others (6:14, 15). See also Mk. 11:25.

According to this text (and others in the NT), sins are obligations or debts. How have we incurred these debts? To whom is payment due? How can we make payments?

Aphes (forgive) is used repeatedly for the idea of leaving behind: the devil left Jesus after the temptation (Mt. 4:11); Peter and Andrew left their nets to follow Jesus (4:20); James and John left their boat to follow Him (4:22); when a person is at the altar and remembers his brothers complaint, he is to leave his offering at the altar and go seek reconciliation (5:23, 24); disciples who are being sued for their shirt are told to leave their coat as well (5:40); the fever left Peter's mother-in-law when Jesus touched her (8:15), et al. In the same way as these things are left, we are to ask the Father to leave our failures and debts behind. And, we are agreeing to leave the failures and debts of others against us behind.

Mt. 18:21f. is an expanded illustration and teaching by the Lord regarding forgiveness. This is how it looks in the kingdom of heaven.

Who has the authority to release a man from his debts? Who can relieve someone of their obligation to make restoration for failures or acts of offense? Only the one who is owed or who has been offended. If a man owes my friend $10,000, I have no right to say to the debtor, "Hey, don't worry about it. You are released from your debts. You don't have to pay him back." Or if I see a careless driver veer off the road and into a person's yard where he crashes down the garage door and causes thousands of dollars worth of damage to a vintage corvette resting inside, it is not my prerogative to walk up to the careless driver and say, "You have done a lot of harm here, but I can see that you have learned your lesson. Don't worry about it. You don't have to make restitution to the owner. You are free to go, just be more careful in the future."

If believers are forgiven once for all in Christ (Heb. 10:12, 17), why do we need to continue to confess our sins and seek forgiveness for them? 

Why is there no forgiveness for the one who blasphemes the Holy Spirit (Lk. 12:10)? 

One reason for Christians to seek God's forgiveness regularly is the principle taught by Jesus in Luke 7:47--a person who has been forgiven much, loves much; but a person who is forgiven little, loves little. By habitually confessing our sins to the Father, we remind ourselves of how much He has forgiven us, which will increase our love for Him (and others).

1 Jn. 1:9 is an important verse for believers regarding forgiveness.

In the Lord's Prayer, there is a correlation between the Father's forgiveness of us and our forgiving others. When does God forgive us? Before we ask for forgiveness? Are we required to forgive someone without them asking for forgiveness? Does this mean that if someone has borrowed money from us, we should immediately cancel their debt (without payment) so that we can ask God to forgive us?

The angel told Mary that she would give birth to a Son and she would call Him 'Jesus' because He will save (or rescue) His people from (out of) their sins (Mt. 1:21). If we think of our sins as debts, how does this impact our thinking about salvation? What does it mean to be rescued out of our debts or obligations?

Peter said, "Love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Pt. 4:8), what does that mean?

What is the relationship between forgiveness and bitterness?

This prayer request was taught by our Lord before the cross. Has anything changed due to the death and resurrection of Christ about the way we ought to pray this prayer?

Questions to Ponder:

1. Why are sins called 'debts'? Who do we owe? What do we owe? How can we make payments?

2. What is the correlation between asking God's forgiveness and our forgiving those who have sinned against us? How does Luke 11:4 compare with Matthew 6:12, 14?

Category: Sermon Prep

Luke 11:2 And He said to them, "Whenever you pray, say, "Abba, Your name be sanctified. Your kingdom come."

[Matthew adds: "Your will be brought about--as in heaven, also upon earth."]

God is and always has been King of the earth--"For the kingdom is the LORD's, and He rules over the nations" (Ps. 22:28); "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom" (Ps. 45:6); "Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endures throughout all generations" (Ps. 145:13)--so why would Jesus command the disciples to pray that the Father would bring His kingdom? In what sense was God's kingdom not already present?

Daniel 7 is the key OT passage which must be understood if we are to capture the "coming of God's kingdom." Certainly, God has always reigned over His creation, but He had promised throughout the OT that He would establish His (human) King over the earth. The covenant with David (2 Sam. 7) was a prediction of this coming King, as was Isaiah's Child (9:6, 7). The Son of Man in Daniel 7 is the most descriptive and detailed account, and Jesus referred to Himself on multiple occasions as "the Son of Man." Jesus' ascension was the fulfillment of the Ancient of Days scene in Daniel 7; He is the human king who would reign.

Jesus Himself said that His kingdom is not of this realm or this world (Jn. 18:36).

Kingdom in OT:

Ex. 19:6: "And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

2 Sam 7:12f./1 Chron. 17: Davidic kingdom promised.

Is. 9:6, 7: For a child will be born...the government will rest on His shoulders...there will be no end to the increase of His government...on the throne of David and over his kingdom...

Dan. 2:37f.: After the fourth kingdom, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, it will destroy all other kingdoms.

7:1-28: Daniel sees the kingdom of God being given to the Son of Man and His saints.

Kingdom in NT:

Repeatedly John and Jesus say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Mt. 3:2, for example). 

The kingdom of God is the dominant theme of the NT. We might even say that salvation is secondary to it because saving men and women is the means of making sinful human beings worthy of God's kingdom. Consider the many and varied ways in which the NT speaks of the kingdom:

Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom (Mt. 4:23). The kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit (Mt. 5:3) and to those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness (Mt. 5:10). One who annuls one of the least of the commandments shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 5:19). Only those whose righteousness exceeds the Pharisees will enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 5:20). Seek first the kingdom (Mt. 6:33). Not everyone who says to Jesus, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom, but only those who do the will of the Father (Mt. 7:21). Many will come from the east and west and recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom, but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out (Mt. 8:11, 12). Whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist (Mt. 11:11). Violent men take the kingdom of heaven by force (Mt. 11:12). If Jesus exorcises demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come (Mt. 12:28). The apostles were granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom (Mt. 13:11). The kingdom of heaven is like--wheat/tares, mustard seed, leaven, hidden treasure, pearl of great price, dragnet full of fish, head of household (Mt. 13:19f.), king who settles accounts with his slaves (Mt. 18:23f.), and landowner who hired slaves (Mt. 20:1f.), a king who gave a wedding feast (Mt. 22:2f.), ten virgins (Mt. 25:1f.). The kingdom has keys (Mt. 16:19). Some of the disciples would not die until they saw the Son of Man coming in His kingdom (Mt. 16:26). Unless you become like a child, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 18:3). Some men become eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 19:12). It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 19:23). Tax-gatherers and harlots will get into the kingdom ahead of the chief priests and elders of Israel; and the kingdom would be taken away from the chief priests and elders and given to a nation producing the fruit of it (Mt. 21:23f.). The scribes and Pharisees shut off the kingdom from men (Mt. 23:13). The gospel of the kingdom would be preached for a witness to all the nations, and then the end would come (Mt. 24:10). The Son of Man will gather the nations and the sheep will inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world (Mt. 25:31f.). Jesus would not drink of the fruit of the vine until He drinks it anew in His Father's kingdom (Mt. 26:29). It is better to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than go to hell with both eyes (Mk. 9:47). Jesus was sent for the purpose of preaching the kingdom of God (Lk. 4:43). The twelve were sent out to preach the kingdom of God (Lk. 9:2). The Father has chosen gladly to give disciples the kingdom (Lk. 12:32). The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed (Lk. 17:20), it is in "your midst" (17:21). Those who give up home, wife, etc., for the sake of the kingdom will receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life (Lk. 18:29). When the events of Luke 21 occur, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. The Father granted Jesus a kingdom, and He in turn promises the apostles that they will be judges in His kingdom (Lk. 22:29, 30). The thief on the cross asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom (Lk. 23:42). Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom; if he is not born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom (Jn. 3:3-5). Jesus' kingdom is not of this world or realm (Jn. 18:36). After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the apostles and spoke of the things concerning the kingdom (Acts 1:3). Philip was preaching the kingdom of God (Acts 8:12). Paul and Barnabas declared that the way into the kingdom of God is through many tribulations (Acts 14:22). Paul sought to persuade Jews about the kingdom of God (Acts 19:5; 28:17). Paul preached the kingdom of God in captivity (Acts 28:29). The kingdom of God is not eating or drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rm. 14:17). The kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power (1 Cor. 4:20). The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:21: Eph. 5:5). At the end, Christ will deliver up the kingdom to His Father (1 Cor. 15:24), and He must reign until all enemies are under His feet (15:25). Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 15:50). We have been transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son (Col. 1:13). God calls a person into His kingdom (1 Thes. 2:9). Persecution indicates a church's worthiness of the kingdom (2 Thes. 1:2). Paul was confident that the Lord would deliver him from every evil deed and bring him safely into His heavenly kingdom (2 Tim. 4:16). Our kingdom cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:28). Practicing 'these things' supply the entrance into the "kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1:9). Jesus made us to be a kingdom (Rev. 1:4; 5:10). John was a fellow partaker of the kingdom (Rev. 1:9). The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15). Now the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down (Rev. 12:10). 

Son of Man: Ezekiel is referred to by the appellation from God.

Daniel has a vision of the Son of Man being enthroned. Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man (Mt. 8:20; 9:6, et al.) See especially Mt. 10:23; 12:8; 13:41; 16:27, 28; 19:28; 24:27-51f.; 25:31; 26:64; Lk. 17:22f.; Acts 7:56; Rev. 1:13; 14:14.

Luke 19:11f.

Considering the New Testament's emphasis on the kingdom, we can see why Jesus commands us to pray about it.

Questions to Ponder:

1. What is the kingdom of God? What does it look like? What does it mean to ask the Father to make His kingdom come?

2. The NT says that believers are a kingdom (Rev. 1:6), what does that mean? How do you fit into God's kingdom?

Category: Sermon Prep

Luke 10

38 And in their going He entered into a certain village, and a woman named Martha received Him into her house.

Where were they going? What else do we know about Martha and Mary (see John 11)? Considering that Jesus was not welcomed in every place (Luke 10:53), what does this indicate about these women?

39 And this one was a sister who is called Mary. She was listening to His word, even she who sat beside, before the feet of the Lord.

Who else was in the room? What were they doing? What was Jesus saying that Mary was interested in? How does the fact that Mary was a woman contribute to this story?

40 But Martha was occupied in much service, and she who stood near said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister left me to serve alone? Therefore, speak to her in order that she could help me."

Martha was being hospitable which was an expectation of women in that day. The Scripture commands hospitality in the New Testament. So, what's the problem? Why is Martha rebuked?

What is Martha asking Jesus? What is her complaint? What does she want Jesus to do? What might be going on in her heart and mind to make such a request?

41-42 But the Lord who answered said to her, "Martha, Martha, you care for and you are troubled about many things, but one is a need, for Mary choose the good part which will not be taken away from her."

Obviously, tone is difficult to determine from a written text, but if you had to guess, how would you describe the way in which Jesus was speaking to Martha? What is Jesus' point?

Mary chose "the good part;" what is the good part? What, specifically, did Mary choose and why was it better than Martha's choice?

Questions to Ponder:

1. Jesus is not physically present to teach you, so how can you be like Mary? How can you 'sit at His feet'? What cares and distractions keep you from it?

2. How do you decide when it's time to clean the garage or fold the laundry and when it's time to hear the word of Christ?

Category: Sermon Prep

Luke 10

25 And, behold, a certain Law expert who was testing Him arose saying, "Teacher, I will inherit eternal life if I do what?"

What was the goal of the Law expert's test? What was he trying to evaluate in Jesus with this question?

The Old Testament says very little about 'eternal life'. (Dan. 12:1-4). Notice that the presupposition in the Jew's thinking is that eternal life will come as a result of doing something. On what is that conclusion based? How does he know that?

26 And He said to him, "What has been written in the Law? How do you read it?"

Jesus seems to affirm that the answer to the question can be found in the Law, an area in which this man is an expert. (Who's testing whom?)

27-28 And he who was answering said, "You will love the Lord your God out of your entire heart, and in your entire soul (psyche), and in your entire strength, and in your entire thought, and your neighbor as yourself." And He said to him, "Correctly you have answered. Do this and you will live."

Notice the flow of thought here. The lawyer wants to know what (according to Jesus) he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus asks him what the Law (OT, Torah specifically) says about inheriting eternal life. The Jew believes that the Law teaches that the person who loves God with his whole heart, soul, strength, and mind, and who loves his neighbor as himself, will inherit eternal life. Jesus agrees with the lawyer's conclusion. Jesus affirms that the man who does this will have eternal life. (cp. Lev. 18:4, 5.)

Any Christian who has been in a good church for more than ten minutes ought to have heard a thousand times that eternal life is not the result of our efforts (ex. loving God and loving our neighbor), but the result of believing the gospel. Sola fide! So, how can Jesus agree that if this Jew will love God and love his neighbor he will have eternal life?

In Rom. 2:1-16 (see especially v. 6-10 and v.13) Paul says explicitly, "the doers of the Law will be justified." Is that good news? that the Jews who keep the Law will be justified? (According to Rom. 3:10f., how many Jews keep the Law?)

According to the Law, how much love for God is required for a person to "live"? How much of one's heart is the "whole heart"? or how much of one's soul is the "whole soul"? or how much of one's strength is the "whole strength"? or of one's mind, the "whole mind"? Can you imagine if that were the end of the story?--

All those, and only those, who love God with their whole heart and whole soul and whole strength and whole mind will have eternal life. (Oh, and, you also have to love everyone else to the very same extent that you love yourself.)

What should have been the Law expert's reaction to this? (Or, for that matter, Israel's reaction when they first heard; cp. Exodus 24:3) Did he really think he could  love God (or had) and his neighbor to the degree required by God? Apparently so. Read the next verse.

29 But he said to Jesus, he who desired to justify himself, "And who is my neighbor?"

Just to be sure that he was as righteous as he thought he was, the Law expert decides to get clarification on the proper definition of 'neighbor'. In other words, "I'm pretty confident that I have lived up to these standards, but I want to hear Your confirmation, Jesus. Who qualifies as a neighbor, and therefore I must love them, and who doesn't?" (I guess he thought the loving God part was a slam dunk.)

30-37 Jesus, the one who replied, said, "A certain man was coming down from Jerusalem into Jericho and he fell to robbers. They departed, those who also stripped him, who also put on blows, who left him half dead. And by coincidence, a certain priest was coming down by that way and he who saw him passed by on the opposite side. And likewise also a Levite who came by the place and who saw passed by on the opposite side. And a Samaritan who was traveling came to him and he who saw felt compassion. And he who approached bound his wounds pouring olive oil and wine, and he who put him upon his own beast carried him into the inn and took care of him."

"And on the morrow he who threw out two denarii gave to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him and that which you might spend besides I, in my return, will restore to you.'"

"Which of these three seems to you to have been a neighbor of him who fell into the robbers?" And he said, "The one who showed compassion toward him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and you do likewise."

The Jews despised the Samaritans with a profound hatred. (See Jn. 4:9; 8:48.) I am not sure that there exists today any comparable hostility (although the Muslim detestation of the western "Christian" may be getting close). A Jew would have been repulsed to think that they had to be 'good neighbors' to the Samaritans, and to think that such friendliness was required for eternal life. . . preposterous!

What is Jesus' point in telling this story? (Hint: Remember what provoked the story--the Jew wanting to prove that he had kept God's command to love his neighbor and thereby know that he has merited eternal life.)

Questions to Ponder:

1. Is the 'Good Samaritan' a story intended as an exhortation for us to love our enemies? (Obviously, I don't think so. So what is it's purpose?)

2. Do you realize how desperate and hopeless we would be if the only way of receiving eternal life was by loving God with our WHOLE heart, etc., and loving others as we love ourselves?

3. Have you thanked God for the gospel yet today? Do you realize why the good news is so good?

Category: Sermon Prep

Luke 10:21-24

21 In the same hour, He rejoiced exceedingly in the Holy Spirit, and He said, "I give thanks to You (or "I praise You"), Father, Master of heaven and earth, that You kept these things hidden from the wise and intelligent, and You uncovered them to children. Yea, Father, because in this manner approval came to pass in front of You."

"In the same hour" as what?

What role does the Holy Spirit play in Jesus' rejoicing? (Cp. Lk. 1:41f.; 2:67f.)

'Rejoicing' in the Scriptures (especially throughout the Psalms): Being glad, singing, shouting, exulting, displaying banners, praising, expressing delight, crying aloud.

Jesus refers to the Father as "Master (or Lord) of heaven and earth," when and where is Jesus referred to in similar expressions? Why is that important? What does this appellation tell us about Jesus' understanding of Himself and His relation to the Father?

Who are the "wise and intelligent" from whom the Father hid "these things"? What are the things which were kept hidden? Why did He hide them? Who are the "children" to whom they were revealed? Is it unfair of the Father to hide one thing from one person and show it to another? And why does Jesus find this circumstance in which one group is prevented from seeing "these things" and another group is enabled to see "these things" as cause for rejoicing and giving thanks? Do we pray like this? Should we? And why was this selective disclosure pleasing to the Father?

What should be our response to this? Does the Father still hide things from some and reveal them to others? (See 1 Cor. 1:22-31; 2 Cor. 4:3-6; Acts 13:44-48, especially v.48.; 1 Pt. 2:6-8.)

22 "All things were handed over to Me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and to whom the Son wishes to reveal."

"Were handed over" is a past tense verb (aorist passive), when were all things handed over to Jesus by the Father? What things were handed over to Jesus?

What does it mean that no one knows who the Son is except the Father? or who the Father is except the Son? Didn't the Jews (some of them, at least) know who the Father was? What does it mean "to know" the Son or the Father?

This verse is asserting, No one knows who the Son is, nor who the Father is, with the following exceptions: 1) The Father knows who the Son is. 2) The Son knows who the Father is. 3) Those to whom the Son desires to make the Father known know the Father.

Does this help us determine what things were handed over to Jesus?

According to Jesus' words here, why did the Pharisees not know the Father? (cp. Jn. 8:41f.) Why were the 70 different? Why did they know the Father? Is it still the Son's prerogative today to determine who knows the Father and who doesn't? How does this compare with John 6:35-65?

23 And He who was turned toward the disciples said privately, "The eyes which look at things which you all see are blessed."

Why does Jesus say this privately? Who else was around?

What "things" did the disciples see? Why did that make them 'blessed'?

24 "Because I say to you that many prophets and kings desired to see things which you all see, and they did not see; and to hear things which you all hear, and they did not hear."

What are the "things which you all see"? To which prophets and kings does Jesus refer, and what does it mean that they did not see or hear these "things"?

Questions to Ponder:

According to Jesus' teaching in this text, why do you believe in Jesus (i.e. know the Son and the Father) and Joe Unbeliever doesn't? Do you realize how blessed you are to know God, and that you have a knowledge that the Father does not reveal to everyone? Does that cause you to rejoice?

Category: Sermon Prep

There seems to be two extremes among Christians in how we think about Satan and his demons. Some become almost obsessed with them, others virtually ignore them altogether (possibly because of the secular influence of our culture). The Scripture does neither. It reveals plainly that the spiritual forces of evil wield a great deal of power and influence, and also (with equal clarity) that the Lord Jesus is sovereign over Satan and his minions. One of the things we have seen already in our study of Luke, and will continue to see, is that with the arrival of the Kingdom of God begins the demise of the kingdom of Satan. When Christ appeared, the foundation of the devil's palatial fortress began to crack. Ultimately, it will undergo complete collapse. In the meantime, we continue what the disciples initiated--the proclamation of the Kingdom.

Luke 10

17 And the seventy returned, those who were saying with delight, "Lord, even the demons are obedient to us in Your name."

The disciples had no misgivings about the source of their power over the demons, they readily acknowledge that the demons submit to them because they are acting under the authority of Jesus. We should be careful not to mistake this as though there is actual power in the name Jesus. It's not the name, but the Person behind the name. (Cp. Acts 19:11ff).

18 And He said to them, "I was watching Satan, the one who fell as a flash of lightning out of heaven.'"(or "Satan, the one who fell out of heaven as a flash of lightning;" the Greek is ambiguous).

The first challenge of this verse is to understand what "out of heaven" modifies. If it modifies Satan, then Jesus saw Satan fall out of heaven; if it modifies lightning, then Jesus saw Satan fall like lightning falls from heaven. The Greek could go either way. The NASB implies the former; the NKJV, NIV, and the ESV imply the latter.

It is clear that while the disciples were out healing the sick, raising the dead, proclaiming the kingdom of God, and exorcising demons, Jesus was observing the fall of Satan. The question is, Was this a literal, geographical fall or a metaphorical fall? Was Satan roaming around in heaven prior to this encounter (cp. Job 1 & 2) but now found himself suddenly tossed out on his ear, or was Jesus describing the destruction of Satan's forces as though they were tumbling down to the ground, swiftly and chaotically scampering for cover like lightning bolts from heaven (cp. Ezek. 1:14, Nahum 2:4)?

Both views raise interesting questions. Had Satan been allowed to dwell in heaven prior to this? What was he doing there? Why was he expelled now? Where is he now and what power does he retain? On the other hand, is Jesus describing the total defeat of Satan? What about the later NT passages that speak of satanic forces (ex. Eph. 6:10ff, 1 Pet. 5:8)? And again, where is he now and what power does he retain?

Think about what the Bible (especially the NT) teaches about Satan: Moves people to sin against God (beginning with Eve, and even tempted Jesus), accuses sinners of their sin (Joshua the priest, Zech. 3:1), attempts to thwart God's purposes (Mt. 16:23), takes away the gospel from those who hear it (parable of the sower), has offspring/sons (Mt. 13:38; Jn. 8), causes sickness (woman bent double, Lk. 13), was a murderer from the beginning and is the father of lies (Jn. 8:44), moves people to betray God (Judas), makes men liars (Ananias, Acts 5:3), destroys men (1 Cor. 5:5), has plans for deception and division of the church (2 Cor. 2:11), disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), is the master of false apostles (2 Cor. 11:15), has angels at his command (2 Cor. 12:7), has ability to thwart man's efforts (even of the apostles, 1 Thess. 2:18); can perform false signs and false wonders (2 Thess. 2:9), takes advantage of young widows (1 Tim. 5:14), had the power of death (Heb. 2:14), prowls like a lion seeking to devour (1 Pt. 5:8), can cause imprisonment (Rev. 2:10), has (or had) a specific dwelling place and throne (Rev. 2:13), deceives the whole world (Rev. 12:9), is a slanderer by name (devil means "slanderer"), was the reason for the creation of hell (Mt. 25:41).

Also see and ponder the significance of the following passages: Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13; Rom. 16:20; 1 Jn. 3:8; Rev. 12:9.

19 "Behold, I gave to you the authority (exousia) to trample above snakes and scorpions and upon all the power (dunamis) of the enemy, and absolutely nothing could injure you."

Notice that demonic forces are referred to here as snakes and scorpions. What implications (if any) does this have for our understanding of other biblical texts such as Mark 16:17ff or Rev. 9:3, 10? Also, compare this verse with the original temptation, fall, and curses of Gen. 3.

Jesus had the authority to ensure that no efforts by Satan and his demons could injure the disciples, what comfort ought that bring us today?

Questions to Ponder:

1. How often do you think about the things that are going on "out there" in the spiritual, non-observable realm? Are your thoughts informed more by Scripture or by popular Christian authors and movies?

2. Do you live your life believing that Jesus is Lord over everything: "natural forces," supernatural forces, kings, Congress, bombers, wicked students with guns, rainfall, technological advance, etc.?

Category: Sermon Prep

On the mount of transfiguration (Luke 9), the disciples are awakened to find standing next to Jesus not one, but two of the giants of Jewish History--Moses and Elijah. What is the significance of the appearance of these two highly esteemed figures? Furthermore, what does Peter's suggestion tell us about his esteem of Jesus as compared with his esteem of them?

As you compare the assertion in verse 27 with the immediate account of the transfiguration, do you see any correlation? In other words, does the temporary glorification of Christ have anything to do with the kingdom of God?

Here we find one of the extremely rare occurrences in the New Testament of God speaking out of the heavens. What does He say? Considering the audience, the context, and Jesus' mission, what is God communicating to the disciples?

Then we have other fascinating questions like, How did Peter know it was Moses and Elijah? Where had they been prior to this mountain experience? Why not, say, David or Abraham?

Category: Sermon Prep

Questions to Ponder (Luke 6:39ff)

1. As you think about other churches you have been a part of, what would you say were their foundations? Have there been some built on sand?

The pull on leadership to do whatever it takes to grow a church numerically is strong in the modern day. Often times that pressure leads a church to build on a foundation of the personality of a dynamic leader, or a consistent presentation of positive and stimulating "feel good" messages, or lively and engaging music performances. The problem is that all of these things shift like sand. Dynamic leaders become less dynamic. Positive thinking is impotent. And guitars make wonderful instruments, but you cannot build a house on them.

2. How is Christ training you to become like Him?

Jesus said that a student who has been fully trained will be like his teacher. This is an extraordinary promise. If Jesus is our teacher, we will become like Him. But that raises the questions, How does Jesus teach us? How can we learn from Him? What is our training regimen?

Give it some thought before Sunday.