Jesus Speaks 2

I - God bless my work this day,

Y - We need our world to make sense

Y - We need our world to make sense

Most of the time our lives more or less make sense, we feel in control of them. Even when good or bad things happen, if we can understand why its not so bad.

Actions - Consequences

Cause - effect

Stayed up too late - missed my alarm - was late to work

Got pulled over - because I was speeding

more examples...

He got sick because he diddnt take care of himself.

I got the promotion - my hard work

we know why these things happen...

But sometimes things happen that dont fit very well into how we understand the world...

I worked really hard on that paper and I got an F...

I go to church every week but I still didn’t get that job...

I work out every day but I still had a heart attack...

That person cheated and is successful...

I read my bible every day but I had a terrible week...

I forgave my boss, but I got fired...

I always eat healthy, but I still gained weight...

I was kind to the person and no-one noticed...

Its when these kinds of things happen that we get thrown off. We dont know how to fit them into the way we see the world.

If enough of them happen at once OR when life throws big random setbacks, unthinkable tragedies, and problems we dont know how to deal with, THEN we go LOOKING to hear from God

We ask… (SLIDE)

God, why did this happen?

God, please make this right?

God, please give me hope?

God, help me understand why?

God, why did this happen?

God step in, make this right, make it better, or at least help me understand.

G

Trans: These are the kinds of questions the crowds have for Jesus in . Its these kinds of questions that bring them to sit at Jesus feet and listen to what he has to say.

Some of them want him to solve their problems

Some are looking for hope

Others are looking for Jesus to help them understand. Where does Jesus fit in the world?

Luke 6:17-19

Luke 6:17–19 NIV

He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

God, why did this happen?

Explain how - Jesus has been giving hope, solving problems, and teaching. And now an enormous crowd has gathered .

Solving their problems

And now an enormous crowd has gathered .

What he says to them is something much more than they were looking for for… Its something that does not fit with the way they order their world, and it doesn't fit too well with our’s either.

Luke 6:20-

Luke 6:20 NIV

Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Poor in ANE has to do with more than $$$, but also social status.

Luke 6:21 NIV

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Luke 6:22–23 NIV

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

Luke 6:22 NIV

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

What Jesus is saying isn’t a slightly different way of understanding life. Its a complete shift.

Explain how....

People believed - like we (most religions, and most people) do today - that “things happen for a reason” and if you are poor, if you are hungry, if you are weeping, if you are condemend by others then....

Why else would we...

They also in Jesus day, and if we are honest in our day to believe generally if you do good things good things will happen to you.

That if things were going good in your life, it must be because you are good, or smart, or valuable, or chosen for blessing or at the very least worthy of respect. Not always, but most of the time.

We tend to believe this too, why else would anyone care about what Kim Kardashian does?

Its into that way of understanding the world and into our way of understanding the world that Jesus says.

NO, blessed are the Poor for the Kingdom is theirs...

That if you astruggle

This is enough, this is crazy enough, this is challenging enough.

but much to the discomfort of his listeners and our discomfort as well, jesus keeps talking.

Luke 6:24–26 NIV

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Luke 6:

Dont misunderstand. These are hard frank words, but they are not words of condemnantion, but words of desperate warning.

If I am honest this is not what I am looking for when I come to the bible for help with my problems.... and its not what most people who read the bible today want to hear either... (elaborate)

Its not what they were looking for either.

Instead of coming in to make sense of a small part of our already understandable life.

Instead of healing our hurt knee, giving us a little hope for tomorrow, or helping us understand why we diddnt get that job.

Instead of solving the problem and walking away Jesus says far more.

Jesus says its not just that tragedy that is out of line. Its not that illness, or that bad day, or that difficult situaiton that is wrong and everything else makes sense.

His message is clear, this is wrong all of it. Its backwards, its upside down. Your worldview cant contain me, because its wrong. Jesus and what he is doing is TOO BIG to fit into a worldview. He must be the foundation, or be rejected all together.

Jesus refuses to edit or be added to or to fix our understanding of the world.

JESUS FORCES a Confrontation with our understanding of the world.

His message is clear, this is wrong all of it. Its backwards, its upside down. Your worldview cant contain me, because its wrong. Jesus and what he is doing is TOO BIG to fit in their understanding of the world. He must be the foundation, or be rejected all together.

If we hear God today in his word, he is confronting our basic understanding of the world. Its hard to hear because its a warning.

So often we believe that if we do what we are supposed to do, go to church, be nice to people, read our bibles, follow the law, and act as good neighbors to others than God will bless our lives, our work, and our families.

I have thought this without really thinking it, God will will give you this if you make sure my life goes good.

I have a plan, I have a direction, I have goals to achieve and God is there to help me out, to save the day when I mess up, and to answer for it when things dont go as expected.

“We usually want to find a place to fit Jesus into our lives. But hearing God is about building our lives on his.” (SLIDE)

will we?

Y - Jesus is speaking to you.

Trans: Jesus says, the way things work out in this world is wrong. Success/failure in this world is not a measure WORTH, morality, closeness to God, hard work, or whatever. And if it WAS, none of us would make the cut, all of us would be poor and hungry.

Jesus message here has always been heard differently based on what is happening in your life. Its was said, like all of scripture, with the intention of comforting the afflicted, and afflicting the comfortable. And during different times in your life one side or the other of Jesus words here may be what we need to hear.

To the Afflicted - HOLD ON (SLIDE)

Do these words sound like comfort to you?

Or perhaps they sound too good to be true

Do you see yourself as poor, hungry, weeping, and even hated?

Have thing in your life not gone as you hoped?

Has something happened to you that has shattered your worldview? A tragedy, a failure, a loss?

Has something left you wondering if God really cares about you?

Has something left you saying, but GOD WHY ME?

Are you WEARY and heavy burdened?

Are you not on the top but the bottom?

Are you looked down on?

Are you excluded?

Are you hopeless?

Are you wondering if your life has any value?

Jesus is speaking to you.

He says, “NO that tragedy isnt your fault, NO your lack isnt your failure, NO you couldn’t have done anything differently.

Jesus is speaking to you.

He says “YES you have value, YES you are worthwhile, YES you matter to me,

Jesus is speaking to you.

He says, “I died and rose for you, come to me an find value, come to me and find rest, come to me and FIND Resurrection. This life is not the end, these successes and failures are not your story, and that loss is not the final world. This is only the beginning. Come to me.”

To the Comfortable

To the Comfortable - LOOK OUT

Or do you find your eyes drawn to the second half of the passage?

Do these words challenge you?

Do you find them hard to read?

Do you find yourself among the rich, well fed, laughing, and well liked?

Do these words make you uncomfortable, do they get under your skin, because they get under mine. Are you looking for the escape hatch?

Do you mark your value by what you have or what you have accomplished?

Do you find your identity in your things, your success, or your comfort?

Do you take your worldly blessings as reward for your morality?

Do you look down on those without, those who struggle, and those who cant seem to make progress in this life?

Do you live like the things you have are what gives your life value?

Do you belive your good Behavior will save you?

Do you think you can keep yourself safe?

He says, “NO that tragedy isnt your fault, NO your lack isnt your failure, NO you couldn’t have done anything differently.

Do you sit in judgement over those who cant seem to follow the rules, whose lives and relationships look like a mess?

Don’t close the book, dont close your heart. Jesus is not condemning you. Its not meant to make you feel bad or look bad, or tell you that you didn't work hard or that your not valuable.

Jesus is speaking to you. WOE, look out. Slow down. STOP. HARD HAT AREA. He’s warning you.

He’s yelling not because hes mad, but because you are headed into traffic.

“FOSTER NO” because he loves you.

IF this is you

Jesus is speaking to you.

He says, “NO that work is not what gives your life value, NO you cant get to me yourself, NO you are not strong enough,

NO you are not good enough, NO your morality will not save your life.

Jesus is speaking to you.

He says, “Lay down those things. Lay down your effort, your wealth, your hard work, your success and find your value in me. Lay down your strength and find your strength in me. Lay down your plans and find your hope in me.

Jesus is speaking to you.

He says “YES you have value, YES you are worthwhile, YES you matter to me and its not based on what you have earned, or said, or done, or followed, or been remembered by.

Jesus is speaking to you.

He says, “I died and rose for you, come to me an find value, come to me and find rest, come to me and FIND Resurrection, Come to me and find TRUE LIFE. This life is not the end, these succeeses and failures are not your story, and that loss is not the final world. This is only the beginning.”

I dont know which message you need to hear from God today, but if your anything like me its probably the one that bothers you the most.

Will we hear him?

Jesus is speaking to you.

He says “YES you have value, YES you are worthwhile, YES you matter to me,

Jesus is speaking to you.

He says, “I died and rose for you, come to me an find value, come to me and find rest, come to me and FIND Resurrection. This life is not the end, these successes and failures are not your story, and that loss is not the final world. This is only the beginning. Come to me.”

W

W - If we can hear

During your life you will probably need to hear both half's of Jesus words here. Sometimes even in the same day.

And just because you hear them once, doesn't mean you never forget. We constantly need to be reminded. The circumstances of life constantly call us to return to these words and that message.

But when we hear these words. When we really believe them. When we put build our worldviews on Jesus and him alone we will find. That we see things differently.

We treat all people, even our enemies like they are intrinsically valuable

We accept our success with humility.

We see our tragedies as a little less crushing.

We share our time, talents, and treasure with people who need it.

We are able to pour ourselves out for others like Jesus did for us.

We make sacrifices for others

We are a little slower to judge.

and a little quicker to love.

because we know that our VALUE is unshakable and our future is secure in the Resurrection.

We can never be the same again.

Lets pray.