The Christian Life

Introduction

Speak of where chapter 11 left off

Sanhedrin questioning the authority of Jesus

Speak of the teaching and questioning that has taken place at the beginning of chapter 12.

Jesus’ Teaching of the vineyard

Scribes and Pharisees questioning over the coin

if Jesus says yes to taxes, he is a trader to Israel

if Jesus says no to taxes, he is an enemy of Rome

Sadducees questioning about the widow

Reductio ad absurdium

Reductio ad absurdium (Reduction to absurdity) - is a form of argument that attempts either to disprove a statement by showing it inevitably leads to a ridiculous, absurd, or impractical conclusion, or to prove one by showing that if it were not true, the result would be absurd or impossible.

Jesus responds with scripture that they believe… does not dive into the absurdity with them.

Today… The Christian Life

A conversation between…

A Scribe, Pharisee… Seems to be a legitimate or sincere question.

Jesus… By his response does not give the impression that he is being attacked, and speaks truth to what our christian lives should look like.

28 One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which command is the most important of all?”

29 Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.,H, 31 The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself.,z There is no other command greater than these.”

32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is one, and there is no one else except him. 33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question him any longer.

The Question

Illustration - Sarcasm and texting… it doesn’t work

This does not seem to be sarcastic

Jesus’ response seems to be one that is sincere and not one of being attacked

Commands… over 600 commands given in the law of Moses.

It seems that this should be something that is discussed

are all important? sure...

are all important to us today… maybe not so much

This needs to be something that we need to ask of today

we argue over denominational things all the time

tongues, baptism, communion,

we have a desire to be right so we look for an argument

This needs to be a question we ask ourselves, not necessarily one we ask of others

we need to examine our hearts to see what it most important to us

less concerned with what is most important to others, i.e. in an accusing way of proving wrong

otherwise we are no different than the scribes, pharisees and sadducess that we see Jesus talk about in

38 He also said in his teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who want greetings in the marketplaces, 39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”

38 He also said in his teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who want greetings in the marketplaces, 39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”

The Response

Illustration - asking a question and not listening to the answer

One day brave enough to start speaking in tongues when I see their mind go away…

We do the same here… we have heard that we are to love God and love Jesus so many times that we zone it out.

Shema - The Israelites would say this everyday.

to remind them that of the importance

Challenge congregation to pray verses 29-31 everyday this week.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 12

29 Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.,H, 31 The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself.,z There is no other command greater than these.”

demonstrate what that would sound like

Verse breakdown

Lord

NT - kurios, authority or master

OT - Yahwey - the covenant name of God

I AM - the one who said he was there in the beginning and will be there in the end

who said he would redeem the people of Israel, free them from slavery in Egypt, and eventually from their sins

who told Moses that he heard the cry of His people, saw their pain and knows them

God

NT - theos - God

OT - Elohim - Creator, Powerful God

the one that created everything and has all ultimate power.

power over all of creation

power for your everyday life

One = One! There is no other God

we are to love him with everything that we have

this is an unconditional love; not love because of what he will do for us; because he has already done everything for us… He first loved us

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice, for our sins.

10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice,v for our sins.

Neighbor

story of the good samaritan.

Tell the story…

give a quick application; everyone you come across is your neighbor

this includes enemies

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5

43 “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor,n and hate your enemy. 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?,q Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

There are many Pastors, this one included that in the past have said, now go do that...

this leads to people feeling defeated...

maybe great to start, but you will fail…

The Life

Now that you have been informed, and told you will fail, lets look at what this looks like.

Life of sacrifice

widow lady of

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 12

41 Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. 43 Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had—all she had to live on.”

Priority - Loving God will all you are means that God is the priority in your life, not what you do with the excess

we do not have excess in time and resources

means that we value other things over God

Sacrifice - an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.

urge - parakaleō; from 3844 and 2564; to call to or for, to exhort, to encourage; implore

Offer yourself as a sacrifice… this means that God is not there to serve us, but we give him all of us

parakaleō; from 3844 and 2564; to call to or for, to exhort, to encourage

Because of his mercies...

his grace! He first loved us, while we were offering him just a little

while we were not loving him

while we were not loving others

This means we can operate in that grace right now

you will fail, but there will be grace to bring you back, grace to forgive you

which should drive us to love him more

not take advantage of that grace

This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands.

Conclusion

3 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands.

what I am asking you to do is give up…

not try to make the rules to follow only to fail,

but just to love God, love people and let everything else sort itself out.