BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

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.