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Lesson 36

What Do You Treasure?

Luke 12:13-34

The title to this lesson is a vital question.  One of the people in a Bible Study gave a good definition for STUFF.  He said it was Stuff That’s Unimportant For the Future.  I think that pretty much sums it up. I have to admit that I am just as guilty as the next person in liking to have things. Like most men I enjoy walking through the man’s toy store better known as the place where all kinds of neat gadgets are on display. It is so easy to get into the position where I know longer have things because they meet a practical need and be possessed by something just because I just have to have it because of the fact that it is the latest and greatest.  The fact is that I can never keep up with all that is offered in the market place.

I read or hear of people who will camp out for days just so they can be the first one in line to get the brand new phone or whatever gismo that is being put on sale.  There is a person I know who felt a need to purchase something almost every day.  Their rational was that I bought it because I deserve it.  One may accumulate a drawer full of gadgets, a tool shed full of tools or a closet full of clothes.  The question at the end of the day that each of us must ask ourselves is do the things in our possession really satisfy a deep longing that only God can fill or do they possess us and become an idol.  I am trying to learn to differentiate between these two opposite views.  Hopefully, I will gain a greater understanding that things are just tools to make a job a little easier.

It is a subtle kind of greed that may take place in the church.  Greed is another way of thinking about looking out for one’s own interest.  The way this plays out in the church is the focus that we have on the one or two ministries in which we are involved without regard of how it impacts the church as a whole.  It becomes my Bible study class, the choir, small group ministry etc. Whenever we seek funding for every dream we may have which may cripple some other ministry it may be the type of attitude that Jesus condemned.  Bill Hybels in his book, “Courageous Leadership” discovered this was occurring at Willow Creek.  Each staff member acted as if their ministry was not part of the overall vision and strategy of the church.  We need to be careful that we do not minister in isolation.

Luke 12:13-15

It seems that Jesus at that point in His earthly ministry was dealing with more and more major issues that the people of His day were facing. Many of them are still prevalent today.  He had just dealt with the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and now was faced with another situation which could have played right into the hands of the religious leaders. A man approached Jesus demanding that Jesus go against the law of inheritance established in the Mosaic Law.  He wanted Jesus to tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him. Whatever decision Jesus would have made would have offended someone and set Himself up for further accusations by the Pharisees. As He had done so many times He refused to get into the middle of a controversy by answering the person in such a way that He dealt with the core issue.  The man was suffering from at least the sins of greed and covetousness. Jesus gave a stern warning against that kind of thinking. He pointed out that a person’s identity is not wrapped up in what he possessed. In a way Jesus was telling him that his demand reflected his character.  He certainly was not satisfied with what God had given him but wanted more even if it was not rightfully his.

1. What were the major issues with which Jesus was confronted that have already been discussed? (The hypocrisy and false teaching of the Pharisees.)
2. What was the man demanding of Jesus?
3. Why did Jesus refuse to get involved in the family matter? (He would lose either way in the eyes of those around Him.)
4. How could the Pharisees have used His answer against Him? (If He gave in to the demands of the man then they could accuse Him of violating the Mosaic Law on inheritance.)
5. What was the underlying problem in the man’s life? (He was a greedy and covetousness man.)
6. What did it say about Him? (His god was physical possessions.)
7. What did Jesus say was more important than wealth? (Who he was did not depend on what he owned.  Contrary to what is said today that money makes a man the opposite is true that he truly reflects what kind of man he is based on how he handles what God has given him.)
8. What should our attitude be toward things?

Luke 12:16-20

Instead of answering the man directly Jesus told a parable.  It would be a message for all those around Him to hear.  The parable was about a man who had reaped a great harvest.  It was pointed out that the man was already rich before the abundant crop came in.  He decided to increase his wealth by building new barns and hording the crop for himself. His plans were to enjoy all of the fruits of his labor for himself.  He was not going to share them with anyone but was going to eat, drink and be merry.  There was only hitch in what he had decided.  While he expected to have a long life God came to him and declared that he had been a fool for thinking that he was the one who determined what his future would be like.  Rather than the long life with all of its benefits his life would end that very night. God further indicated to him that what he thought was his would be distributed to others after his death.

1. What problem did Jesus address when He told the parable? (The greed of the man in hording the harvest for his own pleasure and comfort.)
2. What would have kept the man from being judged by God so harshly?
3. What does this parable say about the way we view our possessions?
4. What would it mean to hold possessions with an open hand rather than a clinched fists?
5. What picture did Jesus paint for us by declaring that the man had acted like a fool?
6. What was the final judgment of the man? (With all of his possessions he forgot the One who he should fear?
7. What did God mean by his soul would be required of you? (He had been more interested in profited himself and gaining the whole world than doing those things that would have indicated he loved God.)

Luke 12:21

What Jesus was pointing out was that the greedy man one who holds on to what he has earned or been given does not honor God with what God has provided him.

1. What is to be our treasure?
2. Where should it be stored?
3. What are the indications that through your actions and attitudes that you are storing them in heaven?
4. How does greed, covetousness and other failures keep us from a relationship with Jesus? (Our focus is on the things of this world and not as if we are aliens who are only here for a short while.)

Luke 12:22-28

In complete contrast to the man in the parable Jesus wanted His disciples to not worry about what this life has to offer in the way of possessions including food and clothing, prestige, power, or position.  Jesus goes on to share three examples of how God provides for their needs. 

• Ravens certainly do not strive the way man does yet God takes care of them.
• Although man can certainly shorten his life it is not in his power to add one hour to his time on earth.  Since he cannot affect even the smallest detail he should leave everything in God’s hands
• The lilies cannot make themselves beautiful, but Solomon as wealthy as he was could not compare to the beauty that God gave them. If God took the time to create such beauty in vegetation which is only alive for a short period of time, how much more would he provide what a person wears.

Jesus had strong words for those who concerned themselves with the basic needs of this life.  He called them men of little faith.

 

1. What is to be the concern of each of us?  (We are not worry about anything knowing God will provide for us.)
2. What examples did Jesus give to show how God will provide for us?
3. What are the things about which you spend time worrying?
4. Which of the examples resonates the most with you?
5. How does your choice reflect the things that concern you the most?
6. Why did Jesus use such strong words speaking of those who worry?

Luke 12:29-31

The followers of Christ were to be different than those who focused on material things like food and clothing.  The nations of the world seek after and war over those things.  He admonished them to not worry about earthly possessions.  The Father would provide what they needed. 

1. In what ways were the disciples to be different than the people of the nations around them?
2. What are the possessions that you believe you cannot do without?
3. What would you think if God told you that He would provide you with all you need?
4. Is there anything wrong with desiring to have material possessions?
5. Why or why not?

Luke 12:31-32

Man’s focus is to be on the things of the kingdom of God.  Those things that man needs, God has promised to provide.  He does not give out of some kind of obligation. His joy is to gladly man share the one thing that is important, His kingdom.

1. What was to be the disciple’s main focus? (Eternity)
2. Why do we not have to worry about material possessions? (They are temporary.)
3. What is God’s attitude concerning the things He wants to provide for us?
4. How does this focus eliminate the attitudes of greed and covetousness?
5. What is the greatest gift that God wants to give us?

Luke 12:33-34

To make sure that the disciples understood what He was saying, Jesus commanded them to:

• Sell possessions,
• Give to charity
• Make money belts that do not wear out.
• Place your unfailing treasure in heaven where it will be safe. 

He demanded those things from them so they would understand to whom they were to be committed.  To belong to Christ is to put one’s total trust in Him.  The very thing that a person treasures to that he will give his heart.  Man’s belief in Christ is the greatest treasure of all.

1. Why did Jesus command the disciples to sell everything?
2. What is meant by a money belt that does not wear out? (The wealth of this earth is temporary. 
3. Where is your heart’s treasure?
4. Why is our treasure safe in heaven?

 

• Take a realistic look at what you consider important.
• Learn to be satisfied with what God provides for you.
• Remember that your life is not what you have but your place in God’s kingdom.
• It is important for you to be at peace with God which means to not be anxious about the things that you cannot control.
• Pray that God will help you with attitudes like greed and covetousness.

Instead of focusing on ourselves we are to strive to serve others.  This was the theme of the teaching of Jesus and prevalent in the letters of Paul.  We see this especially in the answer to one of the Scribes when he asked about the law.  Jesus finished up His words with the command to love one’s neighbor as well as you love yourself.  When we reach the point that we stop thinking about ourselves but others we will have no time for things like greed or covetousness to creep into the body.  Pride is to have no place in the church because it is the great destroyer of unity in the body of Christ.

 

Lesson 35

It’s all in the Open

Luke 12:1-12

I think one reason that some of us watch too much Fox News, CNN or MSBN is our desire to know what is going on.  Beyond that there is whole idea of picking sides. Being a conservative I am ready to hear when the opposite side messes up when in actuality there is enough sinister behind the scenes maneuvering to be disappointed with everyone.  I have come to learn that eventually no matter how hard one may try to hide his or her real character the truth will be brought to light.  I think it was P.T. Barnum who said, “You can fool some of the people part of the time but not all of the people all of the time.”  Sadly, recently there have been enough scandals that I cannot even keep up with them.  Jesus gave the greatest advice when He told those around Him to seek to know the truth.  By truly knowing it and living it one can be free. 

I have found that if I tell a lie then I wind up having to tell more of them to cover up the first one.  Soon if carried to its logical conclusion I would no longer know the truth if it was right before my eyes.  This is the problem faced by the Pharisees. They had lived so long under the self-made law that they could not recognize that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law.  For me the gospel is the truth and to deviate from its teachings makes my whole life a dishonest display of false piety.  Although I fail I want to live according to God’s word.

Churches must guard against presenting a false front to the world.  We can do this by having our priorities all wrong.  One of the falsehoods that so many present is that large numbers in attendance shows that we must be doing something right.  What may be happening is a lot of busy work that appeal to the needs and senses of people but do nothing to build a mature follower of Christ.  When someone comes up with a better mousetrap many will gravitate to the new place because all they truly desire is to be entertained. 

It is more important for us to take a hard look at ourselves to see what are the core beliefs for which we stand.  It is easy to be popular but in the long run it does not help a person deal with the real need of their life.  We should be all about presenting the truth of the gospel even when it is not the popular thing to do.

Luke 12:1

Luke begins with what took place following the exchange with the religious leaders.  After Jesus had pretty much destroyed the bases for how they lived they became as is written, hostile toward Jesus.  As mentioned last week they became very confrontational.  Every venue in which they had the opportunity they attempted to trap Jesus with all kinds of questions.  Their intentions were to have cause to accuse Him of breaking the Mosaic Law.

It was during one of those debates that the crowds were drawn out of curiosity to where Jesus was.  They were so intent on hearing what was taking place, it was what one would expect at a mob scene with everyone jockeying for a better seat or position.  Luke indicates that things were out of control with people actually stepping on one another. 

Jesus took that opportunity to tell His disciples to be on guard against the false teachings of the Pharisees.  He called their work hypocrisy because they were not what they appeared to be. They were like so many false prophets of today who slip into positions of leadership and subtly influence others to believe a lie.  The yeast of which Jesus spoke was the piece of sourdough that permeated the whole batch of dough altering the way it reacted when cooked.  The teachings of false teachers can do the same to any church.

1. What was the attitude of the Pharisees and lawyers after the debate Jesus had with them?
2. What usually happens in a debate involving Christianity and Atheism?  (Because Atheism is based on a lie the proponents of that ideology become belligerent and hostile.)
3. What did Jesus mean by using the metaphor of the yeast? (The sourdough affects all of the dough and alters its nature.)
4. What examples of yeast do we have in society today?
5. How are they able to gain influence over others? (They use half-truths and try to alter the teachings of Scripture as the serpent did in the Garden of Eden.)
6. How can we be on guard against them? (By studying and meditating on God’s word and comparing what they teach against what the truths are found in the Bible.)
7. In what ways do we see hypocrisy at work in the church today?

Luke 12:2-3

For years the religious leaders had kept the people in the dark with their false interpretations of the Law.  Now Jesus was telling the people that those leaders would no longer be able to hide behind the mask of hypocrisy. Their entire lives would be on display for the whole world to see.  How they thought they could continue with the kind of life they were leading is amazing.  If they truly knew the Scriptures as they thought they did then they would have understood that it is impossible to hide from God. Back in Psalm 139 David wrote that there was no place that a person could go to hide from God.  The writer of Hebrews said, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 5:13) 

He goes on to write, “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Jesus, in Luke, told the people, even what is said in the privacy of one’s home will be made public. Every man’s sin will be made public at some point.  The last judgment will bring about the final revealing of all the acts done by every man.

1. What was the great cover up about which Jesus spoke? (The hypocrisy of the Pharisees.)
2. What does the Scriptures tell us about man’s attempt to cover up and hide things from man and God?
3. What have been the occasions when you have not been totally honest with yourself or God? 
4. How did you feel when you came under conviction of what you had done?
5. Why do men attempt to hide from God?
6. In what ways will your secret actions be revealed? (Eventually our true nature will be revealed.)

Luke 12:4-5

Jesus never sugar coated the future for His followers.  In a number of places He told them they could expect persecution and death. At the beginning of His earthly ministry He spoke of the persecuted in the Sermon on the Mount.  See Matthew 5:10-11. During the last hours of His life He again warned them of the impending time of persecution and even the death of some of them at the hands of the religious leaders. See John 16:1-4.

Here in Luke He was telling them that even those things were inevitable that they need not have fear.  Men under the power of satan could only kill the body but could not affect what occurs with a man’s soul. He went on to say that the One to fear is God.  It is He who has ultimate say over what happens after death.  He has the authority to allow a person into heaven or cast him into hell the place of eternal punishment.  Every person who has ever lived will spend eternity in one of those places.   

1. Why was it important that Jesus explain what would happen to His disciples in the future? (He needed to make sure of their commitment no matter what took place.)
2. What power does satan have?
3. What power has God retained for Himself? (Whether we spend eternity in heaven or hell.)
4. Why do people act as if God does not have the final authority over where you spend eternity?    
5. What are evidences that this is true?
6. What decision have you made in regard of your future in eternity?

Luke 12:6-7

Jesus told those around that if they are safe in the hands of God they not need to fear what may happen to them in this world.  He gave a detailed description of God’s total knowledge.  When one considers that He is even aware of the number of hairs on a person’s head that is pretty conclusive evidence.  As John wrote to know that followers of Christ are totally secure in the hands of God is assuring.

1. What do these verses say about God?
2. What evidence did Jesus give of our eternal security?
3. How do those words make you feel?
4. How do these verses relate to what Jesus said in John 10:27-30 and 1 Peter 1:3-4?

Luke 12:8

Paul wrote in Romans 1:16 that he was not ashamed of the gospel. Here Jesus was encouraging His followers to take the lead from Paul.  He was calling them not to be silent before men but to share the good news about Him with all they met.  If they did so He promised to witness of their faith before the angels in heaven.

1. What did Jesus mean when He called His followers to confess Him before men?
2. What are some of the ways that we can carry out His words?
3. What is the importance of speaking of what He has done in your life? (It is hard for others to see you other than a good person unless you verbalize your faith.)
4. What does it mean to you to think that Jesus will speak about you because of your witness in His name to the angels in heaven?
5. In what way does this reassure you of the security of your eternal life?

Luke 12:9

Conversely, to deny Jesus before men by one’s silence will bring about the same silence from Him on a person’s behalf in heaven.  To refuse to witness of Him before men would have indicated a lack of faith in the good news He brought into the world.  The strong words spoken by Jesus indicated how He viewed of the importance of commitment to Him and the willingness to openly telling others about Him.

1. Why did Jesus present the negative consequences of not confessing Him before men?
2. What is one of the ways that we show the lack of faith in all that Christ has said? (We keep the good news to ourselves out of fear.)
3. What in this verse gives a clue to how Jesus viewed confessing Him before men?
4. In what way do the words found in Romans 10:13-14 show the importance of our role in the spreading of the gospel?

Luke 12:10

Jesus carries His admonishment one step further.  Even though He told them that they would be forgiven if they spoke anything against Him.  He did not however stop there.  To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin. This was a heavy condemnation against all those who had seen the works He had done and refused to understand that He had done it under the power of the Holy Spirit.  He had said in John that He could do nothing unless directed by God.  In essence to deny Jesus was denying the Holy Spirit also.  To reject the Son was to reject the God who sent Him.  That is exactly what the religious leaders had done.  Sadly, at that point they had hardened their heart against God doing a work of turning the heart of stone into one of flesh as was written in Ezekiel 11:19.

1. What was the last stage of denial in a person’s life? (Denying the Holy Spirit.)
2. Why was this sin not forgivable? (It denied the work of the Holy Spirit in the world which had been going on since before creation.)
3. Why did Jesus allow people to speak against Himself? (Because the ultimate rejection was of His Father and not just Him.)
4. When has a person reached that point in his life? (If you think that you may have reached it you there is still hope for you because the Holy Spirit is convicting you of your thoughts.)
5. To whom was Jesus directing those words?
6. Why? (They were so blinded by their own self-righteousness that they could not see that the Son of God, the Messiah was right before them.)

Luke 12:11-12

The final words in this particular discourse were for the ears of the disciples. Notice He did not say if you are, but when you are brought before the authorities. They were told that on those occasions they were to not plan ahead of time how they would defend themselves. At that point in time the Holy Spirit would give them the words to say appropriate for the time.  I do not usually do this but I am going to share what this verse means to me.  I believe that it points out the upmost importance in the life of every Christian to study God’s word and meditate on it until it becomes ingrained in our lives.  Then when the occasion arises when a defense or confession needs to take place the Holy Spirit can pull out from that well of knowledge the exact words needed for that moment.  It is as if He can only get living water from a full well but will come up empty if there is no water there.  Preparation will lead us to being sure of what we speak because we know the source.

1. What was the one thing that Jesus was sure was going to take place after He was gone? (His disciples would be brought before the authorities because they confessed Him as Savior and Lord.
2. What was the one thing they did not need to do? (Write out their defense ahead of time.)
3. How was the Holy Spirit able to give them the words to speak? (The word of God was already an important part of their lives.)
4. How can we be prepared for God to use us in difficult situations? (Prepare ahead of time by making His word a vital part of your life?
5. What examples can you share of an occasion when you sensed the Holy Spirit giving you the right words to speak?

 

• Arm yourself with God’s word so that you will not be mislead by false teachers.
• Understand that you cannot hide anything from God.  He knows every infinite detail about you. See Psalm 139
• Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness knowing that God knows everything that happens anyway.
• Stand up and be willing to share the gospel at all times and in every places.
• As Paul said in Romans 1:16 never be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Do not be fearful of men.  They cannot keep you from your rightful place with God for eternity.

The church has two choices.  We can either put up a false front of righteous as did the Pharisees or we can show the world how truly committed we are to Christ.  The former puts us in a position of bringing attention to our accomplishments.  The second brings all the glory to God.  If we think we can hide behind the masks of self-righteous we will be sadly mistaken.  Not only will the world see right through that façade but God will judge us for attempting to mislead others.  Jesus spoke to His disciples clearly of their responsibility.  It is the same instruction He has given us today.  We are to openly and willingly confess Him as Savior and Lord before a world that desperately needs to hear that news.  To refuse to do so is as He said is to reject Him. This is the task given to the church in Matthew 20:18-19.  It is still in effect today.  Let us not be found guilty of rejecting our Lord. 
      

Lesson 34

Hypocrisy on Display

Luke 11:37-54

Many years ago I belonged to the Episcopal Church.  One of the things I enjoyed was the ritual of the services.  I pretty much knew what each Sunday was going to be like.  I did not realize how much of what I had learned was imbedded in me until I attended a service in that church thirty years later and realized how much had changed.  The denomination had switched from the 1929 version of the prayer book to something more current.  I did not think the service had the same quality and flow to it as I had remembered from my youth.  One of the dangers I have discovered from that experience is the real possibility that with which we become familiar can at some point lose its effectiveness and meaning in our lives.  This does not mean that change needs to occur for change sake.  I believe that anything can become routine or habit if I allow it to do so.  At that point I find myself just going through the motions.

For example, one of the things that I learned along the way about memorization is that to have whatever it is that you want to remember that material must be repeated for forty-one days.  At that point it becomes engrained in one’s life.  Unless one meditates on the Scripture while memorizing, it becomes something learned by rote and has no meaning in life.  I have to be careful that I do not become like the religious leaders in the time of Jesus and have church become a list of things that I do just to be accepted. I must understand that anything I do is done because I want to give back to God because He has accepted me as one of His children.  I can do nothing to earn that love it is freely given.

We in the church can get so caught up in doing things that we forget the real reason we come together as a body.  Our programs and activities can become to us like the law to the Scribes and Pharisees. They have the possibility of becoming more important than the worship of God and serving His Son.  We can know this is happening when we are afraid to stop a particular ministry that is no longer accomplishing the purpose for which it was started.  It has at that point become the law to the person leading it.  Somehow over the years they have taken ownership and it would be a personal affront to discontinue the program.  We must open our eyes and remember that everything we do is temporary at best.  What reaches into the hearts of people today may be totally different than when a ministry began.  Let us make sure that everything we do is Christ honoring and would be what He would have us doing today.

Luke 11:37-38

There was one reason and one reason only that the Pharisee invited Jesus to a meal.  He and the others with him planned to use the time as an opportunity to trap Him in order to be able to bring charges against Him. Jesus knowing why He was invited accepted and went to the man’s house.  He wasted no time in providing the opening which the religious leaders were seeking.  Upon entering the house He immediately reclined at the table without first going through the ritual of ceremonially washing His hands.  It was customary to perform the task after returning from the synagogue before eating.  It consisted of dipping one’s hands into a bow and allowing the water to run down the arms to the elbows before drying them off.  This was not done for the purpose of cleansing of the dirt from a person’s hands but one of the petty practices established by the religious leaders to indicate their piety.

The reaction of the Pharisee was as expected.  Although he did not say anything out loud, he was amazed that Jesus had just gone in and reclined at the table.  He must have thought surely this man would not be ignorant of such a common practice which the religious leaders had turned into part of the law.

1. What was the primary reason that Jesus was invited to the home of the Pharisee?
2. Knowing his reason why did Jesus accept the invitation?  (It would be another opportunity for Jesus to show what truly had meaning in life.)
3. Why did the religious leaders perform the ceremonial washing of the hands? (To show their piety.)
4. Why did Jesus ignore the practice? (It was useless for cleansing a person.  It was only an outward sign of what should have been taking place in their hearts.  It is like saying the blessing at a meal that is not heart felt.
5. What did Jesus know was coming because He had violated the oral law of the Jews? (He could expect a rapid denunciation of His actions.

Luke 11:39-41

Jesus presented a picture of the spiritual condition of the heart of many of the Pharisees.  Everything which they thought made them acceptable to God was really only for display of their piety before men.  Even though their actions seem to be religious they had done nothing to change the condition of their heart.  Jesus did so much condemn the actions of the Pharisees as He did their motives. The one example He used was to say to them the things like love and alms giving should come from a heart that is pure.  What is done by a truly spiritual person will be obvious without all of the theatrics used by the Pharisees to gain attention.

1. What was Jesus trying to get the Pharisees to see? (The truly spiritual life is more important than their oral tradition.)
2. What did their actions show about them?
3. In what ways are our actions reflective of what we truly believe?
4. How can we make sure that we are not doing things to please man instead of God?
5. What does it take for us to show we truly love God? (We are to do those things that come from a heart full of gratitude for all He has done for us.  Our love come from a heart full of His love.)

Luke 11:42-44

As seen in Luke 6 a woe is a denunciation with a sense of sadness because of the actions taken by man.  Here Jesus shared three things for which the Pharisees stood condemned.

• The extreme measures to which they carried the whole idea of tithing, giving of the ten percent of all of their goods.  They were more interested supposedly in giving things to God than they were treating people fairly and showing genuine love towards man and God.  Both were important and neither should be neglected.
• The Pharisees wanted people to know how important they considered themselves by always to being seated in the prominent places in the synagogue so as to be seen by the people.  They also wanted to be recognized and admired in public for who they were.
• The final one was for their deception.  They appeared to be religious but in truth were cold dead men walking around because of their unbelief.  They were like tombs that were not marked and therefore defiled all who happen to touch or be like them.

 

1. Why did Jesus condemn the Pharisees? (They practiced a false religion.)
2. In what ways could their actions be viewed in a positive light?
3. How did the Pharisees show what was really important to them? (Their outward displays

• of religiosity.)

1. In what ways are we sometimes guilty of acting like the Pharisees?
2. How can we combat those tendencies? (Make sure that what we do is actually out of our love for God and man.)

Luke 11:45

Having heard the words spoken about the Pharisees one of the lawyers present was highly offended.  He felt insulted because by referring to those who rigorously kept the law, but were devoid of genuine faith, Jesus had also spoken of the hollowness of the lawyers. Although the Pharisees practiced the law, it was the lawyers who were the experts of the law.

1. Why would the lawyer be offended by Jesus’ condemnation of the practices of the Pharisees? (They interpreted the Law and established the rules by which people lived.)
2. What was the difference between the Pharisees and the Scribes? (The Pharisees carried out meticulously what the lawyers said the law meant.)
3. In what ways can we become like the two groups?
4. What are actually examples of how we get caught in the trap in which these people found themselves?

Luke 11:46

The remarks of the lawyer led Jesus to a pronouncement of woes on him and his peers also.  The first had to do with their treatment of the Law of Moses. It was their interpretation that lead to the myriad rules and traditions that were in place during those days.  It is the same as is seen today where laws by legislative bodies passed that balloon into thousands of pages of regulations needed to explain and enforce them.  Just to take one of the Ten Commandments which simply states that the Jews were to keep the Sabbath Day holy. The Scribes had done an especially good job of limiting what people could do on the Sabbath.  Sadly, for every rule they put in place they had figured away to lawfully get around it.  One example of the violation of the law consisted in what it meant to travel only a certain distance on the Sabbath.  By tying ropes at the end of the street where they lived they could extend the distance that they could travel.  That is just one of the over thirteen hundred rules addressing what could be done on the Sabbath. Each of their rules made it almost impossible for the average person to keep the law.

 

1. Why did the lawyers feel it necessary to make so many rules regarding every facet of the Jews life? (As with most elitist they did not believe the people were capable of interpreting the law properly.)
2. Why did Jesus condemn them?  (Because they did not even follow the rules they made?
3. How can we make Christianity burdensome for people?
4. How do we keep it simple?
5. What happens when we come up with all kinds of demands before a person can become a Christian?
6. What does the Bible teach us is necessary to become a Christian?

Luke 11:47-48

His second woe had to do with the prophets that had been so much a part of Jewish life. He charged them with being accomplices of the actions of their ancestors who had killed the prophets.  The Scribes built tombs for the very men who had been killed because of their preaching.  It was total hypocrisy to honor the prophets by providing a proper burial place for them and yet not heed the warnings from their mouths.  Both they and their fathers had heard the words proclaimed by the prophets but had not paid any attention to them.

1. What is a sure sign of hypocrisy? (To know what is right and pretend to be living accordingly but reality acting contrary to what is right.)
2. What are some of the ways are our actions hypocritical?
3. What is the danger of listening to the truth and not living according to it? (We may hear a woe pronounced against us.)
4. Who are some of the wise men you have encountered that you disregarded?
5. In what ways have you attempted to destroy their witness and why?

Luke 11:49-51

Jesus the very wisdom of God in bodily form spoke the mind of God as He indicated what was to happen to Him and the future spokes persons for God.  The men who had agreed with their fathers by building the tombs would now be guilty of rejecting the Son of God and killing Him. Not only would He fall at their hands but those who were His followers would be martyred.  Beginning with Stephen and James, all but John would be executed in different ways by the enemies of God.  Because they were to carry on the tradition of their fathers they were guilty by association with their acts for the blood shed by all of the Old Testament prophets beginning with Abel and ending with Zechariah mentionedy in 2 Chronicles 20:14.

1. Why was Jesus able to make this last accusation of the Scribes/lawyers? (He knew the mind of God and spoke what was to occur in the future based on the events of the ancestors of those men.)
2. In what ways were the lawyers the same kind of people as their ancestors? (They refused to heed the words of the prophets and killed them to stop the message they spoke.)
3. How is it possible to be of the same type of people as the lawyers?
4. What does it mean for us to have the wisdom of God living in us that we may have a discerning spirit? (To be in tune with God purpose in life will help us to avoid the entrapment of the world.)

Luke 11:52

The last denunciation speaks of how the false teachings of the lawyers hindered the people from entering into the kingdom of heaven.  Because they depended so heavily on keeping the law externally for salvation they chose to reject the idea that there must be a completed change of heart in order to truly have eternal life.  Everything they did and taught was completely opposite from the message that Jesus brought.  The burden on the people was so heavy that they could not see God as loving and compassionate but heavy handed and oppressive. Jesus showed the people was His Father was truly like.

1. How have you acted at times that would keep people from seeing Jesus in us?
2. What are some of the ways that we can be like the lawyers?
3. How can we know the true message of God?
4. What is the message that you want to share with the world?
5. How do you do that without hindering God working in a person’s life?
6. How does the action called for in 1 Peter 3:15 and Colossians 4:5 differ from the attitudes and behavior of the lawyers?

Luke 11:53-54

Jesus left the Scribes and Pharisees to contemplate what he had said to them.  From that point on whenever they spoke with Him they affirmed what He had said about them.  They became very hostile and tried to trap Him into falling in the ambush they had set for Him.

1. How did the Scribes and Pharisees affirm what Jesus had said about them?
2. At what point in your life were you possibly hostile to the teachings of Jesus?
3. How did you act when you heard someone witnessing to you?
4. Why did the men continue to reject Jesus and want to trap Him? (They did not want to give everything they possessed in the way of power, position, and prominence in the eyes of the Jews.)
5. How was their actions a self-fulfilling prophecy? (They were determine to get rid of the thorn in their flesh.)

 

• Search your heart to see if you have lost your passion for Christ.
• Read God’s word with a strong desire to have it renew your spirit and mind.
• Be willing to give up on programs that have become ineffective and do nothing to transform the lives of disciples.
• Do not become defensive when somehow points out how you have fallen into a rut in your Christian walk.

Several years ago Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger wrote a book called “Simple Church.” This premise of the book was that a church that does a few things well is more effective than one who is a one stop shopping center for church programs.  Their approach was a four prong way to carry this out.  They pointed out that a church should:

• Clarify its vision and purpose
• Movement towards removing programs that are ineffective.
• Alignment is making sure that every ministry fits into the vision of the church.
• Focus on those things that the church can do well and do not allow other programs creep into the life of the church.

There are other books etc. which have reinforced this concept. There is a tremendous advantage by following the Simple Church model.  People do not get burned out by trying to do too many things.  They will remain passionate about the ministry in which they are involved because they are not having to concentrate on programs that do not fit their gifts.  The final statement that should be made is the benefit of not continuing programs that need to die a natural death.  We would no longer hold on to those programs that become like the law for the Scribes and Pharisees. Sadly, those who have their favorite programs discontinued will criticize those who stop those programs.  Let us be honest and only continue those ministries that spread the gospel and bring people into the kingdom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 33

Light Chases Darkness

Luke 11:29-34

There have been at least two times that I have literally been in total darkness.  I do not mean when I did not understand a situation, but a in a physical sense.  The high school I attended had a tunnel under a street that connecting the two buildings.  On the night of our school annual signing several of us decided we would go through that tunnel for the last time.  What we did not realize was how dark it could get.  The old saying that one could actually feel the darkness applied.  The only way we made it from one building to the next was to glide our hands along the wall.

The other instance occurred on a trip to the Luray Caverns. At one point deep into the tour, the guide cut off all of the lights.  You talk about dark.  It was a weird feeling to know that we were at the mercy of the man to turn the lights back on.  Our youngest son who was probably less than five let us all know that he was not happy with the situation.  At that point the light came back on.  We were definitely grateful.

When I think back to that time, I realize that much of the world lives in a darkness much worse than those two experiences.  I knew that the dark in which I found myself was temporary and I would again see the light.  Many live and die never coming to Jesus, who is the light of the world.

All of us belong to different organizations of some type.  It may be church, clubs, work or even recreational teams of one type of another. Of those only the church can provide the security that we can live in the light.  Sadly in our world today we have allowed a shrinking of the impact of the light.  So many have turned their backs on the solid doctrine of the faith and have become no more than social gatherings.  Any group that does not have the gospel at the very core of what it believes and practices is living in darkness.  Today it is difficult to find the truth of God’s word truly taught because we have let religion take its place.  Religion is our attempt to reach God through our own efforts rather than accepting what He has already done for us.

Luke 11:29-30

A sign of darkness in the lives of people is the search for meaning in life. Sadly, many of the ones who came to Jesus were there for two reason.  They had shown up out of curiosity to see what He would do next.  Others came because of physical or mental needs hoping that Jesus could fix what was wrong with them.  There was a third group that will not be found in this particular passage.  They were those who actually were seeking for the truth that would change their lives.  This last group is not the ones Jesus was addressing. 

It is obvious from the words of Jesus the crowd was from the first type.  He saw that they wanted to see the spectacular event that would amaze them.  Only by doing miracles would the people believe that He was indeed something special.  That would not necessarily include understanding why He came to earth in the first place.  

Instead of overtly condemning the crowd Jesus told the story of Jonah’s trip to Nineveh. They wanted to see a physical sign.  Jesus said that what He would do was not what they expected.  The only sign they would see was what was required of the Ninevites when Jonah showed up in their city.  He was there for one purpose only.  The citizens of Nineveh were a wicked people to whom God had decided to extend grace.  After some missteps the prophet arrived calling the people to repent or suffer the judgment of God.   That was the same the thing that Jesus was doing to the lost people of His nation and beyond.

1. What were the three different kinds of people about whom Jesus was speaking? (Curiosity seekers and those wanting something from Him.)
2. Of which group is there no mention in His condemnation of those there? (Seekers of truth.)
3. When Jesus spoke of the sign of Jonah to what was he referring?  (The call to repentance that both He and Jonah required.)
4. How were the generation to whom Jesus was speaking different from the Ninevites? (The Ninevites repented when the heard the words of Jonah.  Many of the Jews refused to accept the words of Jesus.)
5. Why was it difficult for the Jews to listen to a call to repentance?  (They were too caught up in the physical aspects of what Jesus was doing.)

Luke 11:31

Jesus would once again refer back to the Jewish Scriptures with another story that would bring judgment on the generation in which He was living.  He tells of the story of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon found in 1 Kings 10:1-10 and 2 Chronicles 9:1-12.  The pagan queen of Ethiopia heard about the wisdom of Solomon and came to him seeking answers to her questions.  She returned home with the full realization and full of awe that God had indeed blessed the king.  The lesson to be learned, that the people had missed, was that as great as Solomon may have been He was greater.  He wanted them to understand that if the queen acknowledged a mere man as great, they should be able to see that His words and miracles surpassed all that Solomon had said and done.

1. Why did Jesus refer back to the Old Testament to make a point? (They held men like Solomon in high regard.)
2. How did all of Solomon’s wisdom compare with what Jesus had taught? (The wisdom of man can in no way compare to the wisdom of God as seen in Jesus.)
3. What was her reaction to Solomon?
4. In what ways was Jesus greater than Solomon? (Spoke and acted under the authority of God.)
5. Why could the people not see that truth? (They did not want to see because the devil had blinded their eyes.)

Luke 11:32

Once again He returned to the Ninevites.  Their reaction to the strong words of prophecy from Jonah was to repent from their sins. (Jonah 3:5-9) Seeing the response of the Ninevites, God “relented concerning the calamity which He had declared.” (Jonah 3:10) Surely if a heathen nation would repent upon hearing the word of God the Jews with the entire word of God at their disposal should have recognized that Jesus was bringing those very words alive in their midst.  Because they were so blinded the example of the Ninevites would bring condemnation down upon them.  Jesus once again said that they should recognize that His presence showed that someone greater than the prophet Jonah was among them.  If the Ninevites responded to Jonah, a mere man, in such dramatic fashion they should see that the words of Jesus were meant for their own age.

1. Why did Jesus return to the story of Jonah?  (He wanted to show how the Ninevites responded to the message from God.)
2. What example did the Ninevites provide for the Jews? (A people open to hear God’s word will do as He commands)
3. What were the people missing in both the case of the Queen of Sheba and the Ninevites?
4. What blocked their ability to hear Jesus that had not been a stumbling block for the people of Nineveh? (The Jews were so caught up in their own laws and traditions that they were blinded to the truth.)
5. Who are we most like the Jews or the queen and the Ninevites?
6. What reasons can you give for your answers?

Luke 11:33

This is a clear picture of what Jesus had been doing for about three years.  He was constantly making sure that the light of the word of God was not hidden from the people but in every way brought out into every venue in which He found Himself.  He had come to expose the darkness, the very thing that kept them as slaves. The Jews, sadly, during their entire history had tried to keep the light to themselves.  By doing so they had disobeyed God by not sharing it with the world.  Jesus comes along carrying out the very ministry given to them and they try to discredit and stop Him in every way at their disposal.  The light must shine and not be hidden or God’s glory will not be displayed throughout the world.

1. How were the Jews attempting to hide the light of God’s world? (By keeping it to themselves.)
2. What happens to the light that is kept hidden away? (It will eventually go out or never be affective because no one knows about it.)
3. What did God do overcome the reluctance of the Jews to share the good news with the world?
4. In what ways does the church hide the light?
5. What happens to churches and believers that do not share the light with the world?
6. How do we make sure that the light is always on the lampstand?

Luke 11:34

The eye is not the light.  It is the means by which the light is received. If the person is open and ready to receive what Christ has to offer then His light will shine brightly within that person. Conversely, if a person has chosen to blind himself to the light, even if it is right before him the light will do him no good.  The light can only come to dwell in those ready to receive it. The old saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder is certainly appropriate for what Jesus is talking about here.

The Jews had chosen to blind themselves to all that Jesus had to say.  In their effort to maintain the status quo, the following of the law, they had literally shut themselves off from the freedom that Jesus came to provide for them. (See John 8:31-32)

At the end of the episode in which Jesus had healed the blind man John wrote these words of Jesus, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” John 9:39 The Pharisees responded by saying” We are not blind too, are we?” (John 9:40) The answer that Jesus gave fits in very well with this verse in Luke.  He said, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, “We see, your sin remains.” John 9:41

The Pharisees and those like them were blinded because they refused to hear what Jesus had to say.  They were so tied to the laws and traditions that they did not recognize their need for salvation.  The law had blinded them to the truth.

1. What did Jesus mean by using the eye as being like the lamp?  (The eye and lamp are the means by which the light is seen.)
2. What are the factors that make the eye good or bad?
3. What does the physical eye do for you?
4. What does the spiritual allow to have happen in your life?
5. Why could the Jews and Pharisees not see what Jesus was saying to them?
6. What do you think of the statement in John 9:41?
7. What had the Pharisees missed out on because of their blindness? (See John 8:31-32)

Luke 11:35-36

The people around Jesus were admonished to make sure that their lives were full of light and not darkness. He goes on to explain that a life filled with light leaves no room for darkness to operate.  As Matthew says that a person who has Christ, from him that light will shine. (Matthew 5:16) The man in Luke 11:24-26 fits the one who has refused to have his life filled with the Holy Spirit.

1. Why did Jesus so emphasize the role of the light in a person’s life?
2. Who represent those who you know that are void of the light of the Holy Spirit?
3. What happens when a person is full of the light? (Matthew 5:16)
4. What happens when a person neglects or refuses to have the light indwell him?
5. Why were the Pharisees examples of those who rejected the light?

 

• Do not look at the time spent in the place where you are supposed to learn and worship as a place to be entertained.
• Meditate on, Study and read God’s word every day for it points to life God has to offer each one of us.
• Focus your mind on those things that will fill your life with light such as good books and movies and music with a solid uplifting moral themes.
• Avoid those things that will bring about darkness in your life such much of what is offered in magazines, TV, movies and other forms of so called entertainment.
• Spend time in meaningful conversation with those who can give guidance for life from God’s word.

 

During the period called the dark or middle ages learning was not given top priority in life.  Thankfully the one place that took it seriously was in the church.  If it had not been for the dedicated men and women who continually poured over the Scriptures and preserved it by meticulously copying it we may have any copies available to us today.  Others followed in their footsteps translating it into the language of the people. 

Today we have more translations than at any time in history.  Sadly, even though there are more actual Bibles available, many of us have multiple copies, it is probably the most unread book in the world.  In Amos 8:11-12 God told the prophet that there would come a time when there would be a famine for the hearing the word. When that day comes we will once again enter another dark age. We need to do all in our power to make sure that the light of God’s word continually shines forth.  Let it not be on our watch that the light dims and goes out.  The church has a tremendous responsibility to make sure that the gospel is shared with all people.

 

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Lesson 32

A House Divided

Luke 11:14-28

Over the course of my lifetime I have attended on a regular basis or belonged to five different churches in three different denominations.  Of those five in three of them I have experienced some type of discord within the congregation related to the Pastor. In those situations there has been open hostility towards the man the church called to be its leader.  The earliest recollection of this type of divisiveness occurred when I was just a teenager.  The church asked the minister to leave because in the mind of the people he did not fit the bill of what they saw as a good preacher or pastor. 

In one church a beloved pastor left because he could no longer work in an environment where everything that was done was compared to what his predecessor had done.  He continually lived in the shadow of that man.  He finally decided that the church needed someone without ties to the previous man.  Sadly, the next minister was an aggressive individual who believed that he was called because the church wanted to move in a new direction.  When he suggested changes or began to implement them he ran headlong into the establishment of those who were not about to budge, because they liked things exactly as they were.  After a number of years the minister was actually driven out of that church.  The last Sunday I attended there I just sensed that the Holy Spirit was not present in such a hostile climate.  That church has since closed its doors.

If there is one weapon that satan uses more than any other it is division and strife in the church.  We become his unwitting allies when we fight either among ourselves or attack the leadership of the church.  Christ and the writers of the New Testament constantly called the followers of Christ to be unified.  Many of the epistles were written because of problems in the church, especially those things that cause division.  Jesus on the last night before His crucifixion prayed that the disciples and those who would come after them in the faith would be one with Him and His Father.  In at least the letters to the Corinthians, Galatians and Philippians Paul had to deal with cliques or individuals in conflict with each other and sometimes his teaching.  The apostle John, especially in 3^rd John had to call out those who were destroying the fellowship of the church in Ephesus. 

Whenever members of the church loses their focus on Christ and His work and look at their own ministry, small groups or teams as central to the church then division is standing at the door waiting to keep the people from being unified.  We are then in danger of seeing satan gain victory over us and slowing down the impact a church might have on the community.  When David drifted away Nathan had to tell him that his actions actually allowed the nations around Israel to blaspheme God. In the eyes of His enemies he had made God appear too weak to receive complete dedication from the one king who God had placed on the throne of Israel. David was a man after God’s own heart but certainly did not behave in that way.

Luke 11:14

As He had done so often before Jesus cast out a demon from a man.  Unlike before the demon did not speak and had caused the man to be mute.  When he was freed the man began to speak. Luke wrote that the crowd was once again amazed.

1. In what way was the action of that particular demon different from the ones previously faced by Jesus?
2. What impact had he had on the man’s life?
3. Why was the crowd amazed?
4. How is it that we are so often amazed when God does something in our midst?
5. What does our reaction show about our faith?

Luke 11:15-16

There were two responses to the miracle done in the man’s life.  The people reacted by:

• Accusing Jesus of casting out the demon under the authority of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.  Beelzebul is just another name for satan. When a person does not have an answer for what he has just experienced the easiest thing to do is to attempt to demean what a person does or says by ridiculing him, accusing him falsely or using intimidation. The militant atheist uses these tactics because they have no answers to refute the truth of God.
• Testing Him by wanting to see some kind of sign from heaven.  It was not enough that they had just seen a man cured.  The crowd always wanted more.  By denying His power over demons they were actually questioning God’s ability to work through Him.  This is called blasphemy.

 

1. What were the two different ways that the people responded to the miracle?
2. In what way were they the same? (Both were mean to discredit the miracle that Jesus had performed.)
3. Why do people use such tactics when they hear what they do not want to hear? (Because they have no answers for the truth.)
4. To what have the militant atheists resorted to doing in debates over the reality of God and Christianity? (They no longer answer questions or give a reasonable argument for their positions but resort to be belligerent.)

Luke 11:17-18

Jesus knew what they were thinking and spoke to them using a tool of logic.  His opening defense was:

A kingdom that hopes to continue cannot be divided.  Two things will happen to it.  It will be laid waste and it will fall.  They should have understood that satan was not going to do anything that would weaken his forces or bring defeat on himself.  If he was allowing a person, like Jesus and the other Jewish exorcists to cast out demons his whole plan for the control and destruction of man would fail miserably.

1        Why was the accusation made against Jesus by the people problematic? (It was not logically possible.)

2        What are satan’s tactics?

3        How would what they were saying go against everything that the devil is trying to do in the world?

4        Can you name a time when you may have made such illogical statements concerning what you understand about God? What was the occasion?

5        What does Jesus’ statement say about churches when there is division to be found in them?

6        How does this principle operate in homes, among friends or other organizations?

Luke 11:19

The second point in Jesus’ defense brought the issue closer to home.  He used a logical argument to show that to accuse Him was to bring judgment upon them.  The steps look something like:

• The fact that a demon had been cast out was undeniable.
• If He is in league with satan in the casting out of demons
• The Jews who cast out demons must also be in league with satan
• Therefore because they approved of their actions they also were guilty of working with the devil.

 

1        How did their accusation bring judgment on them?

2        In what ways does Jesus’ logic make sense to you?

3        How could you use a process like this in sharing Jesus with others?

4        How often have you been caught in a verbal trap as the people in that crowd did that day?

5        How have you handled situations like this when you have been falsely accused of something?

Luke 11:20

One final point was made that summed up what had really taken place.  Jesus words also would have been encouraging to the people as well.  If indeed Jesus had cast out the demon under the authority of God then the kingdom of God had truly come upon them. It would also mean that those among them who had done the same would have cast out demons by the finger of God.

1. What had really taken place?
2. How would Jesus’ words be an encouragement to them?
3. What did it mean for the people for Jesus to have accomplished the work that He had done in the man’s life?

Luke 11:21-22

Jesus painted a picture for the people that very clearly pointed to Himself.  In the parable:  

• The strong man with all of his weapons and guards surrounding him feels he is perfectly safe in his domain.  Truly that attitude is one of false security. The devil believes that this world is his playground and he is king of the hill.
• The stronger man who entered into the domain is Jesus. He had come into the world to reclaim all that was His.
• The devil was no match for the more powerful Jesus who took out of his hand all he had possessed and gave it to the conquering people.

 

1        Who are the different characters in this parable?

2        Why does satan still maintain that this world belongs to him?

3        What are his weapons and who are the guards around him that give him a false security?

4        What weapons does Jesus bring to the battle?

5        Who benefits from the defeat of satan?

Luke 11:23

There is no middle ground with Christ.  Man either chooses to give his life to Him or chooses death.  Many throughout history have tried to live on the spiritual fence.  They have not been willing to make the commitment to follow Jesus with their total being.  All that one has to do is look at the state of the church today to see how this continues to be played out.  Attendance is sporadic at best and ministries within and outside the walls suffer for lack of people who are willing to serve.  Jesus made it very clear in another place that those who do not give their lives to them that He never knew them.

1        What did Jesus mean by the statement about either being for Him or against Him?

2        What are the indications that a person has made that choice?

3        How have people tried to live as if they are sitting on the fence?

4        What will be the response of Jesus to each of those groups?

Luke 11:24-26

As if to explain what a man would look like who had not committed his life to Jesus.  He was like a man who had been possessed by a demon.  The man may have somehow been freed from the demon and cleaned out all of the evidence from his life that the demon had been there.  The problem was that he left the place where the evil spirit had left empty.  He may have tried to fill it with religion or other meaningless pursuits. 

In the meantime the demon had tried to find a new home but was unsuccessful so he returned to see how things were going with the man.  Finding him empty he found seven other spirits. All of them took residence making him seven times worse that he was previously.  Every person is going to be filled with some spiritual relationship good or bad.  Unfortunately the man was one who thought he could continue to sit on the fence and not have to make a decision.  It ended up costing him his peace and life.

1        In what way was this man an example of those who are unable to decide whether they wanted to be a disciple of Jesus or not?

2        What is the problem with just getting rid of the bad in our lives?

3        How is this picture like those who have religion and not Christ?

4        What does it mean when we understand that there is a void in our lives that only God can fill?

5        What commitment have you made in your life?

Luke 11:27-28

As Jesus finished speaking a women cried out.  She invoked a blessing on the woman who bore him and nurture Him during His early life.  Jesus indicated that there was one thing more important than all the things done to sustain human life. The real blessing comes to one who hears God’s word and follows what it teaches.

1        Why did the woman cry to bless the one who had given Him life? (Because of His ministry.)

2        What was more important to Jesus?

3        How does the world know that we have heard God’s word?

4        What are the things that we do that indicate we have indeed received His word?

•   Do not take part in any group that seeks to divide the church.
•   Seek the truth in every situation.
•   Be careful not to condemn someone just because you do not agree with them.  What    

  they believe may be helpful to you.

•   Fill your life with that which will help you to grow spiritually.
•   Remember it is not religion but Christ who will give meaning to your life.
•   Hear the word of God with an open heart and mind and believe the message within its  

  pages.

One of the things that the church has done to hopefully eliminate dissension is enact the elder model of leadership.  With this kind of team in place reduces the focus on one individual.  It is so easy to criticize when there is just one person in a leadership role.  We have worked hard to make sure that it is not a house divided but one of unity.  Much more can be accomplished for God’s kingdom when we are all working toward the same goal.  We want to be messengers for Christ who do not get sidetracked by peripheral issues.  Great care must be taken to make sure the world does not see a number of diverse groups with their own agendas at work in the body.  Let us not be a house that is ready to collapse from within, but one built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 31

Prayer Instructions from the Master

Luke 11: 1-13

Like so many of you I have books on prayer on my bookshelf.  The problem is that I have probably not read them or put into practice what they are trying to teach me about affective communication with the Father.  Of all aspects of my walk as a follower of Jesus my prayer life is probably the weakest link.  Of course I realize that prayer is to be an integral part of our daily walk but yet I treat it in a somewhat haphazard way.  I do not set aside a dedicated time of concerted prayer each day. This is a good example of the spirit is willing by I let other things crowd out talking with God. What I have just said does not mean that I do not pray.  When specific needs arise either in my life or my family or those I know I pray for them.  What I am talking about however is a lifestyle of continuous prayer which needs to be addressed in my life.

We wonder sometimes, maybe, why we do not see powerful things occur in the church. If we would take a good look at the body of believers we probably would realize that we only give lip service to prayer.  One of the least attended activities at church and most likely in many other churches is the weekly prayer time. Even in those sessions the question becomes, is the things for which we spend the vast majority of our time about us or others?  I have no reason to criticize others, as you can see from what was written above, but our prayers seem to be somewhat innocuous and lacking of any power.  The things we talk about are unlike the prayer model presented to the disciples.  We very seldom acknowledge God in the way He calls us to do. 

Jesus told His disciples to ask in faith and they would receive what they requested.  The secret is asking in His name and believing.  We ask but do not act like we truly believe He will accomplish much on our behalf.  We pray and then try to figure out on our own how we are going to handle the situation.  We must learn that man can make all the plans in the world but unless it is God directing our steps all of our activities will be fruitless.  We are to learn to pray for what God would desire on our behalf.  We are to become like minded with Him.  That is what the model prayer is all about.

Luke 11:1

This chapter opens with Jesus praying. The disciples had observed Him doing so, many times before.  He had turned aside from all the demands on Him and had entered into a season of prayer.  The disciples did not interrupt that precious time the Son had in fellowship with the Father.

When He had finished they approached Him with a request based on the example He had set for them.  It is possible that the prayers of Jesus had been very private and they did not know the content of them.  They requested that Jesus provide them a framework by which they could pray effectively.  Some of them had been disciples of John the Baptist who had taught them to pray.  They wanted to know what expectations Jesus had for their prayer life.

1. What example did Jesus set for His disciples?
2. What affect did it have on them?
3. Why did they possibly not know the content of the prayers of Jesus? (It was possibly a time of quiet communion with the Father.)
4. Why was it important that the disciples understand how to pray? (Jesus would not be with them much longer and they would need to depend on the Father for guidance.)
5. Who are some of the examples for you in the area of prayer?
6. Why do you need to establish a pattern of prayer in your life?

Luke 11:2

Luke wrote that Jesus responded by telling them what to say. Matthew in his recording of the gospel said that Jesus gave the framework by telling the people to pray in this way.  The prayer was not meant to be repeated verbatim but to include the different elements. 

1. Why are we not to pray by continually repeating the same words? (Prayer is to come from the heart.)
2. What is the best way to keep from doing the above? (By using the Bible as the starting point of prayer?
3. Why is the framework so important? (It helps us to focus on what God considers is essential for each of us.)

Luke 11:3

There are differences between the model prayer in Matthew and Luke.  Jesus first spoke about the prayer during the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew started with our Father and had a longer ending. According to the NASB the ending is now found in the earliest manuscripts.  Luke’s seemed to be providing a shortened version or summary.  He began with describing how man is to relate to God. 

He wants each man to understand

• That God is the Father to all mankind.  There are many sources that indicate that a person’s picture of God is framed in the way one views his or her earthly father.  Sadly, for many their family experiences have been poor at best thus their view of God as Father is somewhat distorted.  Jesus wanted to be understood as that loving and caring being who has man’s best interest at heart.
• That God is to be viewed as hallowed.  Man is given to Him all honor and glory.  God is transcendent which means there is an otherness about Him. It is the idea that He is above and beyond all things and not part of His creation.  Finally man is to see Him as
• holy which also means that He is set apart but involved with mankind. When speaking of man holiness is to be separated from the ways of the world and consecrated and set apart to carry out the work of Christ.
• God’s kingdom comes when man turns over complete control of His life and accepts the work that Christ has done in his life. Man is to see this relationship with the Father.

 

1. Why did Luke give a shorter version of the model prayer? (He was giving to the disciples the core elements of the prayer.)
2. How is the way we see God filtered through our own experiences with our earthly fathers?
3. How can we get beyond our prejudices brought on by that relationship? (Christ’s relationship with God and the love that we have shown.)
4. What does it mean to view God as holy?
5. What does it mean for us to be holy?
6. How do you understand the phrase that we are to be holy because He is holy?
7. What does it mean for God’s kingdom to come to earth?
8. In what way is it possible in light of all that is taking place today?

Luke 11:3

God does care about our needs.  Jesus emphasized that man is to ask for provision for today.  In that day the people lived from day to day.  They were dependent on God to meet their every need.

1. What difficulty do we have in understanding this provision of the model prayer? (Most of us do not have to depend on what we can obtain today.  Most of us have more than enough.
2. Besides food what other needs might Jesus mean in this statement?
3. What is the real essence of this part of the prayer? (We are truly reliant on God for our very existence.)

Luke 11:4a

Every person who has ever lived is under the penalty of death because of our sins.  Man is to continually seek God’s forgiveness.  The second part of this verse talks about the fact that as God has forgiven man, then, he is to in turn forgive those who have done wrong to him.

1. What is the condition of mankind in relation to the Father? (We all have lived under the penalty of death for our sins at some point in our lives.)
2. How do we get release for that penalty?
3. What is the responsibility of those who have been forgiven? (To forgive others who have sinned against us.)

Luke 11:4b

Luke is short and to the point when discussing how man is to proceed on the path of life.  It is so easy to be enticed to stray away from following Christ.  Man’s prayer is that he may live under the protection of God and not succumb to the tricks of the devil.

1. What are some of the temptations that you face every day?
2. How do we keep from be led astray from God’s path?
3. How does God protect us?
4. What is the importance in understanding God’s word?
5. How does praying in the fashion discussed above keep us on the straight and narrow in this life?

Luke 11:5-8

Jesus wanted His disciples to understand the importance of being in continual prayer.  All too often a person will give up on prayer because God does not answer him immediately.  There needs to be an understanding that prayers are answered according to God’s timetable.  He does not want to withhold anything from a person but provides as a man has needs.

1. What is the important principle that we need to understand about prayer?  (Our prayers are to be persistent.)
2. What happens to you when God does not answer your prayers immediately?
3. What is the thing that we are to understand about God from this parable? (He may not give to us what we want unless it is in our best interest and His timing.)
4. How is prayer like the idea of preventative maintenance? (By constantly being in prayer one is prepared to face the challenges he may face in his daily activities.)

Luke 11:9-10

Building on the above idea, Jesus points out that receiving comes from asking.  Those things that are truly important must be sought with all of one’s heart if they are to be discovered (found).  Lastly, unless a person knocks on the doors of opportunity they will never be opened.  Man never knows which door will open for him unless he knocks on it.  To discover God all three of these must be done.

1. What is gained by asking? 
2. What are the two answers you get by asking?
3. What are the things that you are truly seeking in your life?
4. In what ways is the reward worth the effort?
5. How many times have you failed to find answers because you have refused to knock on the door that may hold the key to your future?
6. How important is it to never give up doing all three of these things?
7. What do you have to lose if you don’t?

Luke 11:9-13

Jesus went on to compare an earthly dad to the heavenly Father.  The earthly, although a sinful man, does nothing to harm his child in anyway.  He provides for the needs of the child in a loving way.  If man has a desire to do this for his child, just think how as the loving heavenly Father cares more than any man can about His children.  Therefore, He wants to give to those who ask of Him.

1. What does a good earthly father do for his children?
2. How does he show that he truly loves them? (He would not do or give them anything that would bring harm to them.)
3. In what ways does God do more for His children?  (He provides what not even an earthly father can give.)
4. How can we be like our heavenly Father?

 

• Pray through the model prayer by thinking what each phrase truly means and not just by what you have said by rote.
• Use the ACTS method which is Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication
• Meditate on the Scripture you are reading during your daily time with the Lord.
• Pray through some of the Psalms. For example use Psalm 119:9-12 for guidance in your daily walk.

Prayer changes things is a favorite phrase used by many.  If this is so we need to look around and see if the church is different than the world around us.  Our desire is to be like Jesus. He and His disciples both understood the importance of prayer in their daily lives. The message and instruction on prayer needs to taught and practiced if we expect to impact those who need to know Christ.  Our examples should be the men of God in the Bible who time after time sought the counsel and protection of their heavenly Father.  The book of Psalms especially is full of David and others crying out to God in all kinds of situations.  If they saw the need in their day are we to do less in the time given to us. May we all make prayer a priority in our lives and watch to see what God will do.

 

 

Lesson 30

Personalities and Relationships

Luke 10:38-42

“What Makes You Tick” a book by Mels Carbonnel expresses my feelings.  For years I have been fascinated with why people are what they are.  I think that is why I enjoy biographies as much as I do.  Usually, they are written about those who have accomplished a great deal in life.  They have come from all kinds of backgrounds.  Many came from the poorest of living conditions, but they did not allow their beginning hold them back.  I especially admire George Washington who in spite of having only the equivalent of an elementary education went on to be General of the Army during the Revolutionary War and later first president of the United States.  

What was it that not only made them what they were, but each of us who we are.  Part of the equation is personality.  It is our makeup and how we relate to people.  Besides knowing our spiritual gifts it is important to know our own personality.  It is a case of what we do with the giftedness God has given to us in light of our personality.  It is the part of us that either attracts or repels people.  Quite often we get along with people who are like us.  Introverts and extroverts, for instance, do not mingle as well unless each can accept the differences between them.

I mentioned Mels Carbonnel.  He developed a tool called “Uniquely You” which helps a person discover his or her personality and spiritual gifts.  In his profile he lists for four different types of personalities.  His method is called DISC.  Each one of us has a dominant or a combination of types of personality traits.  I will share these types as we look at our text for today.

Churches have a personality.  It is what we would call the culture of a particular body.  Those outside of a congregation may describe us in different ways.  Some might say that we are friendly and welcoming.  Others might look at us as cold and aloof.  We have a tendency to always picture ourselves in a positive light. 

Another way that this same idea has been expressed is as a church’s DNA.  Our own personal DNA tells a lot about us from our physical makeup to how and why we think as we do.  Although no two people have the same we learn to relate to each other despite our differences.  This is what people see as they look at the corporate body is a group of diverse individuals brought together by a common cause.  God made each of us different, but has also united us in Christ.

Luke 10:38

The incident recorded below actually occurred in the village of Bethany. John 11:1 tells us that it was the home of not only Martha and Mary but of their brother also.  The location was about two miles east of Jerusalem on the Mt. of Olives. One commentator had the timing of the trip sometime in December prior to the upcoming Passover when Jesus would be crucified.  He had stopped at their home for a little time of rest before the coming of an ever increasing persecution which He was to experience.

Martha was probably the owner of the home in which her sister and Lazarus also lived.  Evidently, her brother was not there at that time because he was not mentioned.  She was the one who welcomed Jesus into the house.  Not only was her brother not there but there is also no mention of her brother.

Jesus had come away from the crowds for a time of rest among friends.  Throughout the Scriptures there are other mentions of leaders who had their friends or were called friends of God.  David had his Hushai. (2 Samuel 15:37, 1 Chronicles 27:33) Solomon, who had everyone, needed a friend. Zahud filled that role for him.  For these men their friends were men upon whom they rely and in whom they could confide.  It was one thing to be called a court official and entirely different thing to be called a friend.  Abraham (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23) and Moses (Exodus 33:11) were both considered friends of God.

At that point Jesus did not even identify his disciples as friends.  That would not occur until they were in the upper room the night before Jesus was crucified.  He said to them, “I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

1. Why would Jesus stop at the home of Martha and Mary?  (It was a safe haven for Him among friends.)
2. Why did Jesus need friends when He had so many people surrounding Him? (He needed someone who demanded nothing from Him in any way.)
3. What does the fact that even David and Solomon needed a friend say to us?
4. How can we be considered friends of God? (When we have the deep longing to be in communion with Him and are willing to hear what He wants to tell us.)
5. Why did Jesus not call the disciples friends until the last night?  (It was at that point when they would be in communion with the Father.

Luke 10:39-40

These two verses show the sharp contrasts in the personality of Mary and Martha.  Mary is seen as content to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His words.  Her sister on the other hand was one who thought that in order to show her love for her friend was to take care of His physical needs, like food and a place to sleep.  Her frustration with Mary spilled over and she wanted Jesus to reprimand her for not helping with all of the preparations. 

Using Mels Carbonnel’s  profile of DISC, Martha would be a D type personality.  One who is a type D is very active and characteristically dominant, decisive, driving and demanding.  Her sister would be possibly be a CS and more passive in nature.  The characteristics of a person like her would be competent, compliant, cautious, correct, submissive, steady, sensitive and shy. 

The characteristics were very evident when their brother Lazarus died.  (John 11)  When Jesus arrived after four days it was Martha who rushed out to meet Him with a confrontational attitude. She wanted to let Him know that He should have been there to help.  Jesus responded by calming her and telling her everyone was going to turn out alright.  Even at the tomb she kept questioning the possibility that Jesus could help at that point.

Mary, however, remained in the home with those who had come to mourn with the two sisters.  She only went out to meet Jesus when Martha indicated that He was asking for her.  Her approach was different even though her opening words were the same.  She fell at His feet in worship and submission.  

1. In what ways were the sisters different?
2. What attributes do you admire in Martha? (She was full of energy and got results from her activity.)
3. What might be a criticism of her and others like her?
4. Why do you either like her or are critical of her?
5. What type of person does she represent? (The entrepreneur, athlete etc.)
6. What is the danger for her and those like her? (They may focus on the wrong thing.
7. How do you feel about Mary?
8. Which of the two are you most alike?

Luke 10:41-42

Jesus answered Martha in a way to help her refocus on what was important.  He let her know that she did not need to wear herself out making preparations for Him. The thing He needed more than anything else at that point was true companionship.  By his words He was indicating that she was missing out on what was important.  As He had told his disciples before they would always have the poor with them but He would not be with them in His earthly body. (Matthew 26:11) He was then telling her the same thing.  There would always be beds to made, dust to be gotten up and meals to be fixed.  Those moments with Jesus were precious and could never be gotten back once they were gone.  Mary understood that there was only one important thing.  By her actions Mary displayed what true friendship looked like. She was content to remain at the Master’s feet.  With all of her busyness it the very thing Martha was missing.  Sitting at the feet of Jesus Mary listened.  She had the sensitivity to not want to miss a single word that would come from the lips of Jesus.  More important than all Martha had been doing, what Mary learned could never be taken away from her.

 

1. What did Jesus want Martha to understand?
2. What would she miss out on by continuing her activity?
3. When is the time when we are able to discern what God is saying to us?
4. What did Mary understand?
5. How many precious moments with God have you missed by all of your frantic activity?
6. What quality of being a true friend did Mary exhibit? (Listening)
7. How is taking part in some activities sometimes detrimental to your growing as a disciple?
8. What does it mean in your own personal walk in the Lord to meditate and memorize God’s Word?
9. How do you want to live your life accomplishing great things in the world or acquiring that which will last for eternity?

 

• Discover the type of personality you are.  This can be done formally through personality surveys and informally by asking those who know you well how they picture you.
• Try to make different kinds of friends, those for recreation and others for those serious times when you want to understand God’s word.
• Do not get so involved in activities no matter how good that you miss those important moments of meditation and reflection.
• Be willing to listen to others quietly.  They may need someone like you.
• Most important is to listen to what God wants to tell us through His living word. 
• Understand the proverb which says, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24) Make every effort to cultivate that kind of friendship.

There is a tendency in churches to develop lots of ministries thinking that they need to meet every need.  Eventually they will find out that doing so is impossible, because there will always be something they missed. There is a danger of burning out the people the church has to serve.  It is of greater benefit to keep what we do simple.  There is actually a book out written by Thom Rainer with the title, “Simple Church.” In that book, he speaks of centering all ministries around the vision God has given and leave everything else for other churches to do.  Andy Stanley in
“Deep and Wide” provides some good advice.  He states that there is one question that should be asked before beginning or continuing a ministry.  It is “What is the best way to_____.  Every church needs to fill in the blank for themselves. The bottom line is that everything we or any church does should be based on the Word of God.  We all can be so busy that we forget that His message to us is the most important thing we need to know.  Let us make it the core of who we are.

 

Lesson 29

Focus of One’s Love

Luke 10:25-37

It is said confession is good for the soul. Many of you do not know that I am an introvert by nature.  I have a tendency to be satisfied with surrounding myself with books or other literature and just losing myself in what I happen to be reading at the time.  This often prevents me from getting close to others.  Sadly, this also has prevented me from participating in serving others. For so long I have been hesitant to get involved in groups that would require me to spend a lot a time away from home. 

This is not to say that I do not care for people.  I just show it in a different way.  Most of those around me do not know the extent to which I long for them to understand God’s word and His plan for each of our lives.  I guess that is part of how God has wired me.  To me the most important thing is for each of us to know and love God.  If God has given me the gift of teaching I would be remiss in doing everything I can to open His Word to touch lives. 

Fortunately not everyone is not like me.  God has equipped the church with those who have a variety of gifts.  There are many who have the gifts of giving, serving and mercy.  As we look around it is obvious who God has so gifted in that way to serve not only Him but their neighbors in the way He has shaped them.  We can love our neighbors in many different ways.  The source of that love is the love we have for Him.

If a church is not impacting the community around it, the question becomes whether we are showing that we love God by touching the lives for whom Christ died.  We can remain within the walls of the church and not reach out to anyone.  We can serve only those who we have determined are worthy of our love.  It is dangerous to establish who God wants to reach with His love.

Luke 10:25

A lawyer or scribe who had a thorough knowledge of the Jewish Law approached Jesus.  He was attempting to trap Him into saying something that would be in violation of the Law.  He asked the same question that had been put to Him by the Rich Young Ruler.  He wanted to know what he needed to do to “inherit eternal life.”  Unwittingly he asked the right question.  He wanted to know how eternal life, something he could not earn, might be his as a gift of grace.  Of course this was not the usual understanding of the Jewish religion which was based on works.

1. Why would a lawyer approach Jesus? (He was hoping to trap Jesus into saying something that was in violation of the law.)
2. What indicated the mindset of the Jews concerning salvation in his question? (They believed to keep the Law would get them into heaven?
3. Who else had asked the question? (The Rich Young Ruler.)
4. In what way did he unwittingly ask the right question? (Inheritance is something given that cannot be earned or possibly deserved.)
5. In what ways have you asked the same question?
6. In what ways have you tried to put God to the test?
7. When have been times when you may have tried to bargain with God?
8. If so how would your words be the same as the lawyer’s? (Both of you were trying to justify your position.)

Luke 10:26

Rather than answering the lawyer directly, Jesus turned the tables on him.  Jesus saw what he was trying to do and knew what the man thought about salvation for the Jew.  Surely, the man would be able to find the answer in the Scriptures he knew so well.  Therefore, Jesus let the lawyer answer his own question.  He asked him what he had found and understood from the Law that would give him what he supposedly was seeking.

1. Why did Jesus not answer the man’s question directly? (He knew that the answer He would give would not satisfy the lawyer in the same way that it did not help the Rich Young Ruler.  His story will come in Luke 18.)
2. Why did Jesus point the man to the Law for the answer? (He was well versed in all of the law.)
3. When you have questions about life where do you go to look?
4. How many times have you been disappointed with the solution to a problem because you did not look to see how God’s Word addresses the issue?
5. How would you feel if someone asked you what the Bible said about eternal life?

Luke 10:27

Without one moment of hesitation he quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5.  That passage spells the criteria for finding salvation.  Man is to love God with his total being which includes:

• The heart which is the center of man’s being.  From it come the desires, emotions of man and is the place that indicates the presence of Christ in one’s life.
• The soul which makes a man what he is as a living creature.  It is that part of man which will never die.
• In his strength or might man is to love God with all the energy that he has.
• The mind is added here and in Matthew.  The love of God is not all emotion and feeling but also of the intellect.  Man with his ability to think and discern may choose to love or reject God.  It is in the mind that man matures in his relationship with God.

 

While he was sharing with Jesus he quoted Leviticus 19:18 which said that a Jew was to love his neighbor as himself.  Both of these verses were ingrained in the life of every Jewish religious leader and were put into the phylactery worn by them.

1. Why did the man give the different dimensions of one’s love for God? (It encompassed all that man is.)
2. What did each of those criteria represent?
3. Which of them represent the love you have for God?
4. Why did the lawyer couple the love of neighbor with the love of God? (The law was explicit about loving both.)
5. Why did the priest carry a copy of these two passages around with them all the time in the phylactery?
6. Where are we supposed to carry these teachings?

Luke 10:28

Jesus commended the lawyer for being able to recite those two verses.  He at least knew in principle what they were.  Jesus wanted to make sure that they had been imbedded themselves into his very life.  The command that the lawyer was given was if you truly want to receive the eternal life that you asked about then go and live out loving God with your total being and your neighbor in the same way you love yourself. The latter will flow out of the former.

1. Why did Jesus commend the lawyer? (He at least knew the Law.)
2. What was more important than be able to recite the Law?
3. What does God want to happen in our lives from reading and studying His Word?
4. What benefit would the man gain by following the Word he had just quoted? (He would inherit the eternal life he sought.)
5. What is the danger in just knowing what is in the Bible? (We may fail to follow its teaching?

Luke 10:29

The lawyer questioned Jesus further wanting to know whom Jesus considered to be one’s neighbor.  The man would have definitely come at the subject from a Jewish perspective.  Whether he was sincere or not he wanted to make sure that according to the law who were those individuals with whom he may associate.  For him anyone who was not a Jew was not considered to be worthy of friendship. 

1. What was in the mind of the lawyer when he asked Jesus to identify who was a neighbor?
2. Whom did the Jews consider to be potential candidates? (Other Jews only.)
3. Why would he even bother to ask that question at all? (He may have known of Jesus’ association with the Gentiles.)
4. Who do you consider as people with whom you might associate?
5. Who are those you may want to exclude?
6. Why is the answer to the lawyer’s question important to us? (We must see the world through the eyes of Jesus.)

Luke 10:30-35

Once again Jesus did not answer the man’s question directly.  Instead, He told the story of the Good Samaritan.  The story has several components to it. 

• Man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho along a very dangerous road was attacked, robbed and left for dead.   
• Travelling probably in the opposite direction a priest approached the man.  Seeing the man he concluded that he was dead.  He therefore made sure that he got as far away from him as possible by going down the other side of the road. As a priest and maybe on the way to Jerusalem to fulfill a religious obligation and did not want to become defiled by    touching a dead person. His religious duty was more important to him than the well-being of the man.
• Following the priest a Levite came along who would have been in charge with the management and taking care of the articles of worship in the temple.  He also saw the man decided not to help him.  He passed by on the other side of the road.
• A third man approached the place where the man lay, suffering from his wounds.  He was a Samaritan taking a journey.  There were no religious traditions and rules that hindered him from helping the injured man.  He took the time to go over to the man and check on him.  When the Samaritan discovered that he was still alive he provided first aid on the spot.  He then placed him on the beast he had been riding and took him to an inn and continued to nurse him back to health.  When it came time for the Samaritan to leave he gave the inn keeper enough money to take care of the man’s needs.  He also promised to pay the inn keeper any additional expenses the man might incur.

 

1. What do you think of the actions of the three men?
2. What was the problem with the first two? (They lacked compassion and were insensitive to the needs of others.)
3. In what ways can we get so caught up in “church” work that we neglect the world around us?
4. Why did Jesus have the Samaritan as one of the characters?  (The lawyer would not have considered that a Samaritan would be the one to help.)
5. How do we keep from being like the priest and the Levite?

Luke 10:36

At that point in the conversation, Jesus gives the lawyer the opportunity to answer his own question.  Jesus wanted to know from the lawyer which person he would consider to be a good neighbor.  He wanted to make sure that the man had no wiggle room so he clearly identified the man helped as the one who had fallen into the hands of the robbers.  The only one who stopped to help that particular man was the Samaritan.  Jesus then waited for the answer from the Scribe.  One can almost imagine the difficulty he would have had identifying the neighbor. 

1. Why did Jesus ask the lawyer to answer the question concerning the neighborly action taken by the Samaritan?
2. Why did Jesus ask the question with specific detail of the victim?
3. Why didn’t Jesus just tell him the lesson to be learned from the parable? (The lawyer needed to find answers for himself.)
4. Why would it have been difficult for the lawyer to answer?
5. If the one giving aid and comfort is a member of society that you do not admire, how difficult would it be for you to admit that anyone in that group could do anything good?

Luke 10:37

Notice, the lawyer would not even give credit to the Samaritan for doing good to the man. His answer was evasive.  He would only say, “The one who showed mercy toward him.”  He was not going to go any further, so Jesus commanded him to act in the same way that the Samaritan had acted by treating all men compassionately with discrimination.

1. Why would the lawyer not admit that a Samaritan could be a good neighbor? (The Jews would not have anything to do with the Samaritans.)
2. How did he respond to the question from Jesus?
3. What did Jesus understand from the answer He received from the lawyer? (The heart of the man had not changed.)
4. Why did Jesus command him to go and be like the Samaritan?  (Only by doing so would he show that he loved God with his total being and had the right heart attitude to receive eternal life.)
5. What do you need to change in your life that may be hindering you from being a good neighbor? 
6. How does the attitude that needs to be changed affect your relationship with the Father?

 

• Prayerful think about the word Luke used to describe our love for God.   
• As you follow Christ make every effort to return the love for God in the way He has loved us.
• Try to understand who might be your neighbor.
• Treat your neighbor with the same kind of love which you would have for your brother.
• Be careful that your Christian faith does not isolate you from those in need.
• Be you doers of the word and not hearers only.

 

The church is to be the place where those who love God congregate.  We are to be followers not in word only but our actions.  One way to show that we are truly His is to have a brotherly love for those who come into the church.  The Greek word for this kind of love is phileo. No one should be beyond the reach of this kind of love.  We must never forget that the reason that God established the Church was to serve others.  Even Jesus said that He did not come to be served but to serve. (Matthew 20:28)  Let us follow His example as we try to impact the world with His love.  

 

 

 

Lesson 28

What is Really Important?

Luke 10:17-24

All of us will leave a legacy of one kind or another.  For those who have achieved a great deal what is said about a person may be very positive.  If one has not done much with his/her life then what is said will be less than complementary.  Adding to that thought everyone has accomplished something in life. As I look back on my life I can say that is true of me also.  I will give just a couple of examples.  My work career has been primarily with three rather large organizations.  In each of them I was able to gain experience to be able to go on to the next one.  While I worked for two industrial plants I was able to complete my college education with the help of company reimbursements.  Having a degree provided the inroad into my third and last full time employment.  Notice how many times that the pronoun I was used above. 

There have been many opportunities presented to me over the years that at the beginning of my career would seemed improbable to ever occur.  Almost everything that I have dreamed of doing, I have at some point done it at least one time.  I never expected to go overseas is one but one example of what I am talking about.  Four times in the early 2000’s I travelled to two different countries.

Why I am saying all of this?  What I have discovered is that no matter of what has been accomplished there is one thing that is more important than any of them.  It is being a follower of Jesus Christ.  Anything we do may get or may not get us accolades from others.  But all of that praise or criticism is meaningless when compared to all that God has for us.  To have one’s name written in His heavenly ledger is truly all that counts.

Churches can get caught up in the same trap of looking at what it has accomplished or even is doing.  What is the trap about which I am speaking? We have a tendency to equate success in pleasing God with all of the programs and events that take place within the walls of the church.  Numbers of members, budgets and number of people attending all too often are the measuring rod by which we determine how we are doing.  We have to be very careful to evaluate everything by God’s standard.  Is what we are trying to accomplish furthering the reach of God’s kingdom in the world? Even more importantly do we even stop to ask how what we are doing changing and transforming individual lives?  If we cannot answer either of those with a clear cut assurance that they are taking place then we need to see how to turn things around.

In the passage for today Jesus made a clear statement of what He considered important.  Let’s look at His view of success.

Luke 10:17

In last week’s lesson seventy men were sent out to minister in the name and under the authority of Jesus.  They have returned and began to report all the things that had taken place during their journey. The one thing that they wanted to talk about was the fact that even the demons had to obey them because they spoke to them in the Name of Jesus.  There was no mention of healings or the results of the blessings given on the homes where they stayed.  They were excited by those activities that brought instant and visible results.  It would take a while to see if God truly blessed a household or if lives were changed by their words.  There was no time to wait around to see if those things took place.

1. What was the one thing that all of the men seemed to want to talk about?
2. Why was this so important to them? (Instantaneous and obvious results occurred.)
3. What did they not mention? (Results of the blessing and teaching that took place because they are more long term and not as obvious.)
4. What are the things that we talk about that occur in church?
5. In what ways is their evidence that a life is changed?
6. Why do we not include it in our conversations? (We are not involved with people enough to see if God is really working in their lives)
7. What is the one thing that we do to make sure that transformation takes place that will become evident to others? (Disciple them which takes building relationships, time and commitment.)

Luke 10:18

There are three possibilities to what Jesus was saying.  He may have been referring to

• Eternity past when satan warred against God and was kicked out of heaven along with the angels that chose to follow him.
• The future defeat and ultimate punishment that he will receive.
• Or it could mean that based on the description given to Him by the seventy that He saw that the devil never again would have the power to dominate people again.  He saw satan fall from his position and had met defeat.

 

1. What are the three possible ways this verse may be understood?
2. Why is this verse important to you and me?
3. How could the actions of the seventy be seen as a defeat of satan? (In Jesus name satan can no longer dominate, control and destroy man.)
4. Why is it important that whatever we do it all be done in the name of Jesus? (In our own strength we are unable to defeat satan.)

Luke 10:19-20

Their exuberance was to be understood.  Jesus then shared with them what their future would look like. He was going to provide them with the authority to deal with the evil forces of this world.  This included protection from all the devil and his forces would try to throw at them. It is interesting that He spoke of the fact that nothing would injure them.  He surely could not have been speaking about physical harm because it would not be long before James, John’s brother, was martyred.  Even before that event Stephen was also killed by the Jews. The disciples were imprisoned and beaten and many other followers were persecuted by Saul. So what did He mean?  Surely, He was talking about the eternal life they would have that no one could take away from them.

All of the disciples might have taken pride in His words to them.  They were to be thankful that He had allowed them to be part of His work.  Such power could very easy turn to pride.  To make sure that did not happen, Jesus then turned to what was really important.  The thing they were to rejoice about was having the security of salvation.  He expressed it by speaking about having their names recorded in heaven.  The one place that each person who has ever lived should hope that his/her name is found is in the Book of Life. 

1. What Jesus did mean by saying that the disciples would be protected from the snakes and scorpions?
2. What are the snakes and scorpions we face today?
3. How are we protected from them?
4. How could Jesus say that none of them would be injured when so many would either be martyred or persecuted? (His words did not mean protection from physical problems.) 
5. What was the danger of having the power of Jesus flow through them? (Pride might set in.)
6. What is the most important promise for each of them and us? (The fact we have our name written in the Book of Life.) 
7. If you do not have this assurance what do you need to do?  (Pray to receive Christ.)

Luke 10:21-22

Jesus after speaking to the disciples and hearing all they had accomplished began to rejoice.  The focus of that rejoicing was the Father to whom He gave all the credit for what has happened.  His words were echoed by Paul later in chapter one of his first letter to Corinthians.  These verses would coincide with Jesus’ words about being like the little children who found favor with God.  He praises God that it is not the proud, the intellectual ones or those wise in their own eyes that understood what God was doing but those who were helpless and dependent like infants.  This is the way God had worked from the very beginning of time.

The second part of His prayer emphasized His role in God’s plan.  God had handed everything over to Him.  There was a progression in the relationship that man has with God.  It flows through Jesus.  Jesus said,

• The only one who can truly understand and know the Son intimately is His Father.      
• The only person who can truly know the Father is the one who is the closest to Him, His Son.

Thankfully, for mankind Jesus did not stop with those two statements.  He continued on with the statement that gives every hope.  The Son has chosen to reveal His Father and therefore Himself to the world.

1. What words would you use to describe what Jesus is looking for in His followers? (Humility, childlike nature, and dependence on Him are just a few.)
2. What had the Father done for His Son? (Given Him all authority.)
3. Why can we not know the Son without the Father?
4. Why can we not know the Father without the Son?
5. How is there any hope for us? (The Son has chosen to show what His Father is like.)

Luke 10:23-24

He then had a word especially for the twelve.  He wanted to know what a blessing had been given to them.  There are a number of places that speak of the fact that the identity and time of the coming of the Messiah had been hidden from all those born prior to that day.  They had been given the privilege to experience firsthand the One who was the fulfillment of all the prophecies written about Him. Even the angels in heaven were not privy to this information. (See 1 Peter 1:10-12 and Colossians 1:26 for examples)

1. Why were the disciples truly blessed?
2. Why was the message hidden from other generations? (The time was not right for a number of reasons for the Messiah to come.)
3. In what way are we beneficiaries of that blessing given to the disciples? (We live in the age of grace.)
4. What was important about the message given in all of the prophecies?  (Prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah.)

 

• Whenever you have had success in a ministry in which you have been involved remember that it has only succeeded by the authority you have received from Jesus.
• Look at your own life and evaluate your relationship with God.  
• Ask yourself honestly, are you sure that your name is recorded in heaven.
• It is important to understand that God is not looking for the proud or those wise in their own eyes but the humble and those dependent on Him.  They are truly the ones that will receive the good news He has for them.
• Understand that you can never know Jesus until you know God the Father.  
• Understand that the only way to know the Father is looking at Jesus. What He is like can only be found in the gospel.

Recently, I read a book titled “The Trellis and the Vine” by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. They describe the vine as that which living in the church today.  It is the ministries carried on by all of the body not just a few people.  The trellis is the structure that allows the ministries to take place.  Sadly, many churches have forgotten that it is not the structure that makes the kingdom grow but what gets most of our attention.  Jesus shared with the few among the many who had followed Him what is the most important thing we do.  It is to make sure that we do all according His name to make sure that everyone within the sound of our voice and the sphere of our influence have their names recorded in heaven.  Everything else we do is peripheral to that one thing.  The gospel must be shared that the devil can be defeated and Christ will reign.

 

Lesson 27

Workers to the Harvest

Luke 10:1-16

In all the years that I have attended church there has been one thing that has stood out in the life of the church.  There has always been a shortage of workers.  In fact that is actually how I began to serve.  I was approached by someone, I do not even remember who, and asked if I would fill in as teacher for a man who had been called to active duty and sent, I think to Alabama.  He had been teaching a group of eleven year old boys.  The fact that it was to be temporary was probably the only reason I agreed.  I had not been back in church very long and was enjoying my Sunday School class.  That temporary assignment has turned into more that forty years of teaching different age groups in two different churches.  By the way, I would not trade all those years for anything.

There are a whole lot of me’s in every church.  They would rather someone else do the work while they benefit from what the other person or persons is doing.  Statistically it has been proven over and over that eighty percent of the service in any body of believers is actually accomplished by twenty percent of the people.  With so few people working we have to wonder how all the needs of a church’s ministry can be met.  While many sit on the sideline there are those who fill multiple positions.  Sadly, at some point those individuals get tired, frustrated or burned out. Each believer has been gifted in at least one area of ministry. God expects those gifts to be used so that the church can benefit from what each person has to offer.  Our church is probably no different.  Give thought and prayer how each of can be an answer to the problem and not the problem itself.

Luke 10:1

Jesus again sent out teams to carry out ministry throughout the region.  Rather than just sending out the twelve He chose seventy men to go before Him.  In all likelihood the twelve disciples were not part of that contingent of men. 

One commentator stated that the thirty-six cities were those through which Jesus would travel on His way to Jerusalem.  Another indicated that the cities would be those reached following His resurrection.  To try to go to all of them immediately would delay His journey and take Him out of His way.

1. Why did Jesus send out another group of men to go to the different cities? (The good news would spread faster.)
2. What was the importance of sending out seventy people? (Cover more territory.)
3. Why do you think the twelve disciples would have not been a part of that group?
4. If He did not intend to go to all of the cities why were they mentioned? (Possibly He was referring to the cities that would be reached after His resurrection.)
5. Why would He not go to thirty-six cities? (It would have delayed His journey.)

Luke 10:2

Seventy men compared to the enormous task ahead caused Jesus to declare that there were so few works to get the job done.  He beseeched those there with Him to pray that God, in the coming days, would provide more workers to bring in the harvest.  It was possible that He said those words because at that point His popularity was beginning to wane.  Many of those who had followed Him in the early years had now deserted Him. (See John 6:66)

1. What has not changed in the two thousand years since Jesus spoke those words to the seventy men and His disciples? (The fields that were ready for harvest seem to have grown even larger than in the day of Jesus.)
2. Why did He believe that the workers were few? (Just look at the number of men available to send out before Him.)
3. Why was Jesus having trouble getting those to serve with Him at that point? (The popularity He had once experienced was in decline.)
4. How much did the demands made by Jesus on the lifestyle of disciples play a part in fewer workers? (It was not an easy road to travel as a disciple.)
5. What is our responsibility today? (To continue to go and make disciples.)

Luke 10:3

It is always dangerous to go out as a representative of Jesus. There are many in the world who are enemies of Christianity and do not want to see it have success.  Because of the very nature of a follower of Christ it is easy to get devoured by those who oppose the church.

1. In what ways is it somewhat dangerous to be a follower of Christ even in this country?
2. What are some examples you can give to prove this point?
3. Who are the wolves to which Jesus was referring?
4. In what ways can they be devastating to the church?
5. What will give you the strength to face such opposition?
6. Why is the church failing to prepare believers to face such enemies?

Luke 10:4

His instructions to the seventy were along the lines of those given to the twelve before in chapter 9:3-5.  The whole idea as was stated before was to not take anything with them which would hinder their work.  They were to depend totally on the provision of God the hospitality of the people with whom they were staying.  Self-sufficiency will often get in the way of the ministry to which God has called a person. One other command was given to given to them.  They were not to allow themselves to be slowed down by carrying on frivolous conversations.  This last statement showed the urgency of their mission.

1. Why were the seventy to leave what we might consider those things essential at home? (They were to carry nothing that would hinder the ministry.)
2. How would you feel if you were going on a trip and someone said not to carry anything with you except the clothes on your back?
3. What are some things that have kept you from carrying out God’s mission in your life?
4. What would you consider frivolous conversations?
5. Why are they, in a way, dangerous diversions to the task given to us?
6. What is the important message that we have?

Luke 10:5-9

Jesus went on to say that the seventy could expect two different types of people.  The world, then as now, is made of up those who accept Christ and receive those He has sent with the message of the gospel and those who reject Him and His followers.  He first gave instructions concerning the former.  The seventy were told to:

• Issue a blessing of peace on the house into which they enter.  That blessing would only have meaning if a man of peace lived there. To bless a man and his family would be asking for God to look over the family with a watchful eye to bring joy and peace to them.)
• Stay in one house and not move from place to place. (One thing it would be disrupted to the mission and dishonoring to the family with whom they were staying.)
• Eat and drink what was provided for them.  In that culture and many others around the world the host would usually bring out the very best he had for his guests.  It was a way of honoring those who had chosen to stay with him and his family.
• Heal those who needed healing.

It was important for the citizens of each town to understand what all the work of the seventy meant.  They were to tell them very clearly it was proof that the kingdom had indeed come near to them.

1. What are the two basic groups of people around the world? (Those who accept Christ and those who reject Him and His followers.)
2. What did the blessing of peace entail?
3. Why were they to be satisfied with the meals provided for them?
4. What example does this set for us when we are in some ones home as a guest?
5. What was the only other instruction He gave? (To heal the sick.)
6. What did He mean when He told them to say the kingdom has been near you?

Luke 10:10-11

Some would find themselves in cities that would not receive them or their message.  The action they were to take in those cities was to

• Verbally share they were going to shake off the dust off their feet as a sign of protest against them.
•  God was going to reject them.
• Let them know that they had missed a great opportunity to have the message of the kingdom proclaimed to them.

 

1. Why were those of the seventy who found some cities inhospitable to be out in the open? (To let the people know what opportunity they had missed)
2. What was the message to those towns?
3. What opportunity had the people missed?
4. In what ways do we miss the same opportunities to know that God was to be near to us?
5. Why did Jesus go to such lengths to instruct the seventy as to what they might expect? (They needed to be prepared to be able to give an answer to the reason they were there.)

Luke 10:13-15

Jesus then gave them examples of cities where He had gone that had not understood the purpose for which He had come.  In some of them His whole message had been rejected.  Those who had followed Him had done for what they could gain from Him.  He used as an example some of cities that would fare better than the places where He had ministered to the people and shared the good news. One of those was Sodom which had been destroyed by God because of its total depravity. 

He then compared Tyre and Sidon which had been also destroyed because of immorality and pagan worship.  Chorazin and Bethsaida had seen, heard and experienced His words and still had not accepted Him as the Messiah. Tyre and Sidon given the same opportunity would have gone into great mourning and repenting by putting on sackcloth and sitting in ashes as evidence of their change of heart.

Finally He turned to speak about the city of Capernaum.  It was the city to which He had moved after leaving Nazareth, as He began His ministry.  They expected because He had worked there and spoken there that it should be considered as better than other cities.  Jesus indicated that it is not the His presence but acceptance of Him that would bring about salvation.  The people of that city were lost because they totally missed who Jesus was.  They did realize that only in Christ is there life.     

1. How could Jesus say that cities that had been destroyed because of immorality and worship of false gods fare better than cities where He had taught and healed so many?
2. Why did He select the particular cities for condemnation?  (Most of His work had been done there with little results.)
3. What cities might we name that might receive the same kind of condemnation?
4. How can we make sure that Jesus will never speak such harsh words to us?
5. Which cities exemplify the power of God? (Tyre and Sidon in particular)
6. How could God work in the lives of those people?

Luke 10:16

The last point that Jesus wanted to make before sending the men out was who was responsible for the results that would come from their mission.  He wanted to make it very clear that the journey was not about them but Him and His Father.  The old saying, “The buck stops here” was true for them.

He let them know that they were the messengers proclaiming the truth about Him.  They needed to understand all that He had been saying came down to the fact that:

• Whoever listened to what each of them had to say was listening ultimately to the words of Jesus.
• They were not to take on the burden of being rejected upon themselves.  The rejection was not them but of Jesus.
• Finally to reject Jesus was to reject the Father that the Jews claimed to know.
• It was the Father who had sent the Son into the world to reconcile the world to Himself.

 

1. Why did Jesus believe it was necessary to make this last statement? (They needed to understand that their mission was to point people to Jesus and not themselves.)
2. How do you feel when someone will not listen when you trying to witness to them? Why?
3. How does the saying, “The buck stops here,” relate to the words of Jesus?’
4. Why is rejection of the Son rejection of the Father?
5. What was the purpose of the coming of Jesus? (To glorify His Father and to bring about reconciliation between God the Father and all of us.)

 

• Prepare for the call to serve for you never when it may come.
• Once you have prepared respond when asked to serve according to your gifts and abilities.
• Search your heart to see if there is any doubt that might cause you to reject the gospel.
• Show hospitality to those who are our guests on Sunday Morning.
• Do everything in your power to make them feel welcome.
• Understand that you are not responsible for saving anyone.  You are to be a witness of what Christ has done and then leave the results to the working of the Holy Spirit in the person’s life.

Although I have not looked at them in a long time the number of unchurched people in Chesterfield has probably decreased.  The last statistic I saw hovered around eighty percent. Jesus had a remedy for just such a situation.  He said the workers are few.  Then we who are involved are to seek to bring others into opportunities to serve by praying that God will touch the hearts of those whom He has equipped.  Then like the in the lesson today we are to ask them to be a part of what God is doing.  Once again we can turn back to what has been learned over the last number of years in recruiting new people in leadership.  Broad statements will not get results.  When a person is asked personally by those involved in a ministry there is a great possibility of a positive response.  We have great news to share with the world.  Let us not miss out on that opportunity by failing to involve all we can in the work.  Remember the harvest is plentiful. We dare not negligent in including all who want to see God’s kingdom grow.