Luke 11:29-36: Don't Miss Out

Introduction

Fully customizable closet rack… Staci had to adhere to the instructions exactly while I wanted to customize…

We live in a world where we can “customize…” Burger King’s slogan for years, “Have it your way.” Customize your house, your car, etc. Customize to suit your needs, your tastes, etc.

We try to customize our faith… “I’ll follow Jesus if… I’ll obey Jesus when...” OR, “I’ll serve the church if…”

Luke 9:23 - Jesus doesn’t call us to a customizable faith. He calls us to a cross-centered faith. He calls us to surrender.

Why do we want to customize our faith? We don’t want to miss out on what the kingdom of this world offers. Last week: 2 kingdoms. We try to live with one foot in both kingdoms instead of rejecting the kingdom of this world in exchange for the Kingdom of God. BUT… to live with a foot in the kingdom of this world ultimately means you will miss out on the kind of life that God has for you.

Some of you know that you are missing out on the work that God wants to do in your life.

I don’t want you to miss out on the life that God has for you.

Luke 11 - Jesus has very direct words for people who choose to live for the kingdom of this world instead of embracing the Kingdom of God that has come in the person and work of Jesus.

Three warnings from this passage that will help you to NOT miss out on the work that God wants to do in your life.

Don’t miss the sign.

Luke 11:14-28: Two kingdoms. The antagonist accused Jesus of being of the kingdom of Satan, but Jesus reminds the people that His work is of the “finger of God.” He is the “stronger man” that has come to defeat the strong man.

Jesus point is very clear: you aren’t neutral. You will either align yourself with the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of this world (Luke 14:23).

vs. 29 - Crowds increasing - curious but not convinced. A crowd of skeptics who demand a sign (Luke 11:16, 1 Corinthians 1:22).

People today still looking for a sign. “I’ll believe if/when...” If God heals my disease, when God gets me out of this mess, etc.

Jesus’ pointed words to the Jews: “This generation is evil… no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah...”

What is the sign of Jonah? Story of Jonah well known in first century culture. A death to life story… An amazing story of judgment and grace. The sign of Jonah = death to life - and a sign of judgment for those who reject the sign.

Matthew 12:39-40 - Jonah in the belly of the fish points to the resurrection of Jesus. Jonah disobeys and it ends in a near death experience. Jesus obeys and it ends in death. Jonah delivered from the place of death. Jesus resurrected from death.

After Jonah’s deliverance, he shares God’s message and people of Nineveh repent. BECAUSE of the resurrection of Jesus, we believe and repent of our sins. The sign of Jonah is a sign of death to life.

Ultimately, Jesus saying, “I AM the sign.” People didn’t need more “signs” from Jesus. They needed to know that HE was the SIGN from God. Jesus is the Gospel. His death and resurrection would prove that HE is the sign of God.

You have plenty of evidence. People do not reject Jesus because of a lack of evidence. (We need apologetics… but for some… there will never be enough answers.) Plenty of unbelievers would claim a lack of evidence as reason for their unbelief, but the evidence for Jesus is overwhelming: biblical evidence, historical evidence, archaeological evidence, evidence in lives changed, etc. We don’t need more evidence or signs.

AND you have conviction from the Spirit - you KNOW He’s working, convicting you of sin, drawing you to Himself.

You have a lack of response to the evidence. NOT a head issue - a heart issue - this is why people you know and love ultimately reject the faith. The real issue is that many reject the evidence of who Christ is because of FOMO - we don’t want to miss out on what the kingdom of this world offers. We’re willing to miss out on what the Kingdom of God offers, but we’re not willing to miss out on what the kingdom of this world offers.

Is Jesus enough for you?

How are you responding to the sign that has already been given in Christ?

Are you sensitive to the Spirit’s work in your life?

Lady not asking for a sign at Starbucks. Instead, responding to the Spirit’s work...

Don’t neglect your access.

vs. 31 - “The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment...” Jews who reject Jesus judged for unbelief. The people of Nineveh speak against them (vs. 32) because they believed the message of God in their day while the Jews in the days of Jesus did not. AND the queen of the south speaks against them because she believed God in her day while the Jews did not believe Jesus in His day.

1 Kings 10:1-10: King Solomon known for his wisdom. Queen of Sheba traveled “from the ends of the earth” to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Endured the difficult journey because she sought truth.

The point: the true King - Jesus - among His own people. The Jewish people didn’t have to travel from the ends of the earth to see or hear the King of kings. He was among them. God incarnate among His covenant people in the person of Jesus Christ. From His mouth they heard wisdom, the words of life. 1 Corinthians 1:30: Jesus IS the wisdom of God.

Jesus, walking among His own people, yet they reject Him. What access and what rejection!

On the day of judgment, the queen of the south who embraced the wisdom of God, and the people of Nineveh who repented of their sins, will stand in stark contrast to the Jews of Jesus’ day who rejected Him.

The message of Jesus is clear: you have your sign in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and you have access to Him. He is present and at work among us. You have access to His wisdom.

What is the wisdom of Jesus? The cross… (1 Corinthians 1:21) Our wise God chose to save us through the death and resurrection of His Son, and now invites us into a relationship with Him where we can live in His wisdom. We can know the heart of God and how to live life the way God intended.

You have access to the very wisdom of God. Don’t neglect it! Remember:

You are not as wise as you think you are. We think it’s wise to chase our own desires. (Adam and Eve thought they were wise…) How has following your own wisdom worked out for you? How many decisions have you made that you know were not informed by the wisdom of God? Every decision that you have made that is informed by your will instead of God’s will is a bad decision… AND likely the reason why you made that bad decision was FOMO.

Jesus is far wiser than you will ever be. You chased your desires because you didn’t want to miss out on what this world offers, but every time you choose to follow your will over God’s will, you end up missing out on what God offers: joy, peace, fulfillment, purpose, etc. What God offers is good and eternal, what the world offers is temporary and destructive.

You need the wisdom of Jesus, and it’s available. Jesus is present. Follower of Jesus, His Spirit is in you to teach and lead you. Not a follower of Jesus? You can know the wisdom of God.

If not a follower of Jesus, don’t reject the ONE who is present and offering you the gift of Himself!

How do I walk in the wisdom of Jesus?

Be more humble and less prideful. You have to admit that you don’t know as much as you think you do.

Be more engaged and less distant.

Be more teachable and less critical. How teachable are you? Many of us have no problem criticizing everything we can’t or won’t believe about God and His church, but few of us have the discipline to actually sit and learn from Jesus.

Don’t fail to see.

Two illustrations about lamps/light. Jesus talks about lamps/light often in the Gospels.

First illustration: vs. 33 - A lamp is placed prominently in a house to give light to everyone. You don’t hide a lamp under a basket. The revelation of God cannot be hidden.

The message to the Jews: don’t miss the light. The light of Christ might be rejected (and it was rejected by the Jews), but the light of Christ will shine. Christ will be embraced by many even if the ones who He came to reject Him (Isaiah 49:6).

Second illustration: The problem is NOT the light - the light shines. The problem is that we fail to see the light. Why do we fail to see the light? OR, why do we fail to see that the Kingdom of God is far better than the kingdom of this world? Answer: unhealthy eyes. We have bad spiritual eyesight. The solution: Take care of your eyesight (vs. 35). Jesus to the skeptics/antagonists: “You think you are seeing by the light, but you are not. You are in darkness.”

What about you? How’s your spiritual eyesight? If your spiritual eyesight is blurry, you will miss out on seeing the truth about God’s love for you and how He wants the best for you. If your spiritual eyesight is blurry, you will always think that what this world offers is better than what Jesus offers. You will believe a lie.

Spiritual blurriness is caused by:

A prideful heart.

A judgmental attitude.

A self-serving motivation.

A divided loyalty.

Spiritual clarity happens when I:

Repent - of my FOMO, of my pride, etc.

Trust - that it’s far better to miss out on the things of the kingdom of this world and gain the things of the kingdom of God.

Pursue - what I know is God’s best for my life.

This passage similar to the previous verses. Two kingdoms to choose from and there is no neutrality. Jesus has given you the sign: Himself. Will you believe? Will you believe that He died and rose again for you? Will you align yourself with His kingdom?