What's the point of these sermons?
Luke the man, the physician • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 4 viewsthese sermons were a bar no human can attain without the spirit. Even with the Spirit, they are guidelines but still difficult to do!
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Luke 6:36-49
Luke 6:36-49
We continue on this Thanksgiving week with Yeshua teaching the way we can experience blessedness, the Latin word is “fortunatus” speaks of fortunate, prosperous, contentment and joy.
Who wouldn’t want such blessing or be fortunate to be able to handle life’s struggles, trials and persecutions in a positive way?
Yet we have to remember the principles from the Sermon on the mount or Sermon on the plain were given before the church was born. The message to the church is different and better.
Now that Yeshua lives in us, we can perceive the blessing of knowing these moral principals through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Some Christians believe, since we have the Holy Spirit we can follow the law or even succeed living these principals.
We’d all like to I’m sure, but to be able to execute them perfectly requires a glorified body & mind!
Anybody who thinks they can now are blind! And Jesus will talk about this.
In regards to the law Paul said that by the works of the Law NO FLESH WILL BE JUSTIFIED IN HIS SIGHT, for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. [Rom 3:20] So the law had a purpose just like these moral principles did. Perfection! That’s raising the bar a bit!
To us, perfect is “being as good as possible, no mistakes”
Jesus said in the sermon of the mount
“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Again that sermon is focused on the vertical or spiritual aspect while Luke is more focused on the horizontal physical aspect.
But when Yeshua said you are to be perfect as your heavenly father it didn’t mean “be as good as possible, make no mistakes” but the Greek word is “teleios” which maturity, or completion but it also means “a goal or a purpose which has reached its end” indicating a future event. In other words, there’s coming a day when our goal or purpose to live by these moral principles will reach their end. But did you know this word is mentioned at least two times concerning the church? Let’s look at Eph 4 verse 11
11-12 And He Himself gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ,
For how long?
13-14 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature [perfect] man, “teleios” to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, so that we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming,
but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ, from whom the whole body, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the properly measured working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
As the church, we’ve yet to attain the unity of the faith and the full knowledge of the Son of God, so the church hasn’t reached maturity or completion.
As Paul told the Corinthians “For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect “teleios” [“a goal or a purpose which has reached its end has come, or the coming of Jesus] then that which is in part will be done away”. [1 Cor 13:9-10] what part? The desire to prophesy, speak in tongues and gain knowledge!
I share this first before we get into the second part of this sermon to His disciples so we can understand this “teleios” is a lifetime process.
In the meantime we grow when the entire body of Christ is working together in a communal effort with everyone doing their share to usher in “teleios”.
In other words, as Christians we walk by these moral principals in the same way we heed the Proverbs. They are guidelines and principles to having a fortunate or blessed life.
So in Luke 6 - Yeshua is sharing what God’s character looks like. The blessings that come when we do them not just agree with them.
36 “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Now Israel understood God as a father in relation to their nation but not as Abba.
The term “Father” carries “the authority of God” - “Abba” carries “the intimacy of God”
Just as Yeshua described His character in Matthew 11:28-30 - gentle and humble in heart. YHWH described Himself to Moses in Ex 34.6-7 -
Let’s read it from the Amplified version
And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord! the Lord! a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, Keeping mercy and loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.
Sad to say this incredible verse is rarely known in churches. In the world, God is non-existent or seen as a kill-joy.
In woke churches His holiness is ignored and their sin is celebrated.
Many kids who grew up in church were taught God is so angry He’s going to judge sinners to hell but that’s the outcome of ignoring His love, mercy and grace!
Notice that God describes His first attribute as merciful “not getting what we deserve”
2ndly grace “getting what we don’t deserve” and
3rdly -He is slow to anger!!
4th, He’s abundant in loving kindness and truth!!
5thly He Forgiving iniquity or lawlessness, trespasses and sin. That’s quite a resume’ surpassing His Son!!
Hebrew word for mercy is “He-sed” - a loyal love, favor and joint obligation meaning God isn’t angry and excited to send people to hell but He desires a mutual and intimate relationship with humanity! But He warns that those Who reject His character will spread their guilt to their lineage up to four generations!!
So Jesus was saying “If you want to be like My Father don’t give your enemies what they deserve.” Again, such actions are for us to reflect God’s mercy and keep from being judgmental.
37 “And do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.
All three actions are best to avoid if we want the same treatment - the golden rule - “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
Matthew’s version explains the spiritual component of intensity.
“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you.
Scoffers may say to us, You can’t judge me because the bible says “Judge not lest you be judged”.
But the word judge is “krino” = to condemn by passing judgment. We judge without condemning or passing a verdict because if we’re guilty of the same thing it will be measured back to us.
But it doesn’t mean we can’t judge. in 1 Cor 5 Paul told Corinth not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Are you not to judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God will judge. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.
So there is a reason to judge within the church if people are pretending to be “Christian” but if their lives are misrepresenting Christianity, we must call it out! Verse 38
38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure— pressed down, shaken together, running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
At a previous church before attending Applegate fellowship this verse was always quoted at every offering. [quote]
But the context isn’t about money. It is saying ...“Give or [Grant mercy, forgiveness and pardon], and it will be given to you. They [the people you showed mercy, forgiveness and pardon to] will pour into your lap a good measure or [fair portion] pressed down, [compacted in fullness] shaken together, [settled in] running over. [into your lap] - It’s a metaphor of people who wore robes with folds that acted like pockets and it meant a personal, tangible gift..] For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” [mercy, forgiveness and pardon will be given to you in abundance]
Now Yeshua is going to wrap up his moral principles with a contrast of how one hears them but doesn’t do them versus those who hear and do will be better off!
39 And He also spoke a parable to them: “Can a blind man guide a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
Answer? Yes! Why? They can’t see! What’s this got to do with judgment? "if a blind man is trying to lead or guide another blind man he must think he can see!
And that parable leads to His point as He’s speaking to His future Apostles.
40 “A student [or disciple] is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.
You see, a student or disciple may have knowledge but without a teacher, he is blind and will only lead others to a pit!!
The key to see clearly is to be fully trained by Yeshua so we can be like Him!
But if we gather our own knowledge without the teacher, it will puff us up. Again, it’s eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Remember, these were young men bursting with ego!
If they thought too highly of themselves they would become blind guides just like the Pharisees became and were far from God.
Remember, in Luke 9 these same men will argue over who was the greatest in the kingdom! And Jesus will bring a child as a picture of innocence and humility.
To battle this potential problem of ego, Yeshua challenges them...
41 “And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log [plank] that is in your own eye?
42 “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
How do we get the log or plank out of our eye? We have to acknowledge it’s there!! Hypocrite means being a “mask wearer” like an actor in the theater.
Some one who comes to correct you about a tiny fault you have when you know they are constantly practicing that same fault even more so than you is hypocritcal!!
You see how arrogance blinds you of your own errors? Our own sins always look worse on somebody else!!
Now He makes the same point by illustrating two fruit trees
43-45 “For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a bramble bush. “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil. For his mouth speaks from the abundance of his heart.
Figs easy to pick but a thorn bush has many sharp-pointed needles that will poke you.
This is a metaphor of is someone who produces bad fruit. They are like porcupines “many fine points, but you don’t want to get near them!”
Of grapes course are easy to pick from the vine but if they were from a bramble bush or blackberry bush.
they would poke and make you bleed. - It’s the same concept of hypocrisy!
So, be it a log in your eye or bad fruit in your conversation, such people are blind to their own sins when they are obvious to everyone else.
Each of us are known by our fruit. Question remains: Is it sweet or sour?
Ripe or rotten?
46 “Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
It’s a good question even today!
In other words: There are many who call Jesus Lord but lack mercy, and come down on believers in the church and believe they see things clearly yet their attitude and conversation is sour, rotten and bitter, their words are empty!
So here’s the point of both sermons.
“Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the river burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
he is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the river burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
49 “But the one who heard and did not do accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the river burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”
and the river burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”
So it’s a simple goal for all of us.
How can we be known as merciful, blessed, genuine, forgiving, and fruitful? Three requirements to be fortunate and blessed!
1] Come to Jesus - we will become whom we hang out with
2] Hear his word - get familiar with the scriptures - “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God”.
3] Obey His word - This puts you on a solid foundation -
[worship team]
On Christ, the solid Rock I stand - all other ground is sinking sand. For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
All drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
So folks, as we have communion, let’s make it our goal to keep growing in Christ so when that which is perfect “teleios” has come, [Jesus] then that which is in part will be done away. [Our work and our serving one another in love in the church!!] Will be finished!
[If time allows] Maybe after Communion - read from bible 1 Peter 1:13-23
