Rewards
Notes
Transcript
The Luncheon
The Luncheon
after church Jesus was invited to a luncheon at a pharisees home
where He healed a man on the Sabbath
then Jesus speaks to the men about their jockeying for positions of honor at the table
condemning them for their pride
their need to be humble in order to enter the Kingdom
now Jesus is going to turn to the host and scold him.
These pharisees should not have invited Jesus to lunch
they wanted to trap Jesus but instead they were shown their sin, and their need of forgiveness, and repentance
all these men have 2 running lists going
1 who do I owe a favor to?
who has invited me to a banquet so I must repay I’m
2 who do I want to be in debt to me?
who do I want to go over to his banquet
these dinners are a reciprocating arrangement
this is the background of what Jesus is going to say
read Luke 14 12-14.
Already Rewarded
Already Rewarded
some of the things Jesus preaches and speaks on is eternal rewards
not seeing any rewards now but in eternity
opposed to getting rewards now
turn to Matthew 6 1-6.
V 16-18
these men are constantly doing things that have an instant reward
And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and that will be your repayment.
of course we do the same
people post on facebook or instagram and then constantly check for likes and views
someone to write a compliment
credit cards with cash back rewards
fast food restaurants
online shopping with 2 day delivery
we track the packaging to see where it is right now
Austin Perlmutter M.D. writes in Psychological Today
Our brains are constantly changing in response to what we do and the things we pay attention to. For example, each time we impulsively eat an unhealthy snack or buy something online, our brain pathways for those actions are reinforced and strengthened, making it easier to fall into the same patterns the next time around and harder to break the cycle
Seeking instant gratification can lead to impulsive decision-making, difficulty in achieving long-term goals, decreased self-control, and a reduced ability to tolerate delayed rewards.
these men were the same way.
but they were doing spiritual things that had instant gratification
we want also spiritual instant gratification
we plant a seed in an unconverted heart
and want to see the sprout instantly
Listening to a garden radio show
a woman called and wanted to sue a seed company because she planted seeds yesterday and it was defective
so Jesus has some commands for the host and for us
Invest And Be Blessed
Invest And Be Blessed
investors caution people from always changing investments
stay in for the long run
don’t worry about the downs, the ups are bigger in the long run
Jesus did not specifically mention the Kingdom, but this is what He is speaking of
Kingdom life
V 13
taking care of the poor
helping the homeless and sick
giving to the poor
being Jesus to the world
He who is gracious to a poor man lends to Yahweh, And He will repay him for his bountiful deed.
He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.
these next verses we have seen before concerning giving
but the context is giving to a poor starving church
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows with blessing will also reap with blessing.
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make every grace abound to you, so that in everything at every time having every sufficiency, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
Jesus is telling these men who have the two lists
throw away your lists and invite those who can’t possibly return the favor
be compassionate
You Will Be Blessed
You Will Be Blessed
V 14 you will be blessed because it will feel good in your heart
you will get what the experts call the warm fuzzes
it feels good to give to someone who you know will never be able to give back
in proverbs we found out that we are lending to God
what these men do is for an instant, small, short lived, gratification
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
our long term investment are in Heaven
I don’t know what these look like but I do know they come from Jesus
If Jesus tells us to invest in heaven then the proceeds are out of this world
investing is not just financially
it’s also in service
Linda visits shut ins and people in nursing homes
they could never repay the favor
so where is the Holy Spirit leading you to give or serve?
what has He convicted you do and you have not?
