Luke 9:43-56
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Last week we talked about faith.
Faith is believing and acting on what God says.
To know what God says, you need to hear from him.
Through...
listening to real, biblical preaching
reading the Word
and mingling with the people of God - the church
- church member and I talked the other day about hearing from God through people in the church
We talked about how faith is not...
wishful thinking
wishful thinking with some religious talk sprinkled in
a power that we have to change things
misapplication of Scripture...
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
To understand this verse, you have to understand the context...
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
So, with the Spirit of God in us, Christians can learn to be content with whatever our situation is.
NOT - that you can recite that verse and then with enough faith you can do anything you want.
That’s just silly isn’t it?
That is why a lot of people in the world think Christians are silly - because too many of us are.
==
Speaking of silliness - we are going to look at pride today.
Pride makes you silly - really it’s worse than that - it makes us foolish.
Before we get into our discussion of pride, let’s pray because...
Pride is a blind spot...
We are going to need God to reveal it to us.
PRAY
==
Before we get into our discussion of pride...
Let’s look at a strange few verses.
43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples,
44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.”
45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
How thick could these guys be?
((Elaborate)) explain v.44-45
==
Now let’s look, with eyes wide open, at what pride does to us.
46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.
47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side
48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.”
50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him.
53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
55 But he turned and rebuked them.
56 And they went on to another village.
Pride makes us believe we are better than others.
Pride makes us believe we are better than others.
Jesus just told them that he was about to be delivered into the hands of men...
and what were they worried about?
Which one of them was the greatest.
(Were it not for grace)
What were they bragging about?
healing?
casting out demons?
being present for the transfiguration?
None of that was of their own doing!
All they could have possibly been comparing was the work of God in them.
What did they have to brag about except God working in them??
Our pride robs God of glory that rightfully belongs to Him.
What did their conversation sound like?
( I healed 4 blind guys
I healed 5 deaf guys
I cast out 3 demons
Jesus chose me as one of the 3 that got to see the transfiguration )
47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side
Rabbis did not mess with children - and only Rabbi Jesus had women followers.
Children are precious and we love them.
But...
in Jewish society
they were quite low on the pecking order.
They don’t have the intellectual capacity to stimulate you with their conversation.
(they are cute and sometimes sweet and fun to talk with)
but they won’t dazzle you with the depth and complexity of their thoughts.
They don’t produce goods or services.
They don’t contribute to the family financially.
(I know they are immeasurably precious - I’m talking about their role in Jewish society
- Don’t leave here saying Steve and West Laurel don’t love children - because we do love and cherish them.)
The point is that Jesus takes this - lowest on the social pecking order child and makes His point.
48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
He challenged their whole paradigm of what constituted greatness.
What God thinks greatness is - service, obedience, and humility
Is God more impressed with what I am doing right now...
or
what Cat, Darlayne, and Kristi are doing?
Is He more impressed with Jimmy’s service on Sunday morning that everyone sees...
or
the work that Pat does in the office where nobody sees?
I think this should show us that God is most pleased not by position, job title, or visibility,
but
the obedience and humility with which we perform our service.
Which of us are serving with the most obedience and humility?
We don’t know - We can’t see the heart
but...
God can and does.
What we do in service to God is important!...
whether we are in the spotlight or not.
==
It will be easier to avoid pride if you are not in the spotlight.
That is why it is critically important that churches only put mature believers in high profile positions.
Please don’t think that means we should not tell people they are appreciated.
It is our job to appreciate these folks - it is their job to be humble.
I want to be the best preacher on the planet - I won’t get there, but I also won’t stop trying.
We need to try to be good at what God calls us to do...
but...
We don’t need to compare ourselves to others and think we are better.
Pride makes us tribal.
Pride makes us tribal.
((Explain
white vs. black
denominations
reformed vs. Arminian
teetotalers vs. those who drink in moderation
etc.))
Read with me...
49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.”
50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”
I will quickly and gladly separate from someone because of heresy...
but...
I will gladly work with folks who don’t think like me on secondary issues.
Some folks won’t.
Those people cause unnecessary division.
There was a guy who I liked very much who chose to leave because of a secondary issue that we disagreed about.
There was no need.
I was happy to work with him, but he would not have it.
Pride makes us “my way or the highway” people.
==
Let me stress that we should never accommodate heresy, ever...
but...
We also don’t call stuff heresy that isn’t.
We need to compete with people who get the gospel wrong and work with people who get it right.
Racism - (tell truths about it) - pride is the root.
==
On some things, we can even work with those who get the gospel wrong.
2 examples...
Religious liberty
Pro-life
Pride makes us judgmental.
Pride makes us judgmental.
When we are right sometimes it is actually hard to be humble.
We are right about the gospel.
We do know the truth about God’s word and have had our minds renewed in it.
I am sure there are things wrong in my theology, but I don’t know what they are.
If I did know, I would change my theology.
But...
We have the gospel right.
If we don’t understand why we have the gospel right, our being right can lead to pride.
Look with me at...
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him.
53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
55 But he turned and rebuked them.
56 And they went on to another village.
Should the Samaritans have rejected Jesus?
Of course not!
But...
James and John seem to have forgotten that except for the grace of God...
they would be in the same boat as these Samaritans.
If you want to fix a judgmental spirit, think on these verses...
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
I’ve got so many more of these that I could have included.
If we really see that we are saved not because
we’re smarter
we’re more moral
or
we’re better in any way
then...
We can have a spirit of service, obedience and humility.
Listen to what Charles Spurgeon said about this.
If any man be saved, he is saved by divine grace and by divine grace alone; the reason of his salvation is not to be found in him, but in God. We are not saved as the result of anything that we do or that we will, but we will and do as the result of God’s good pleasure and the work of His grace in our hearts. No sinner can prevent God; that is, he cannot go before Him, cannot anticipate Him. God is always first in the matter of salvation. He is before our convictions, before our desires, before our fears, and before our hopes. All that is good or ever will be good in us is preceded by the grace of God and is the effect of a divine cause within.
He’s right, and he said it better than I could.
==
So, we need to start loving our mission field instead of despising them.
If someone is still blinded by the god of this world, they are going to love the things you hate and vice versa.
Do we battle them for the culture?
Certainly we...
stand for life
vote our convictions
give money to causes we believe in and that they hate
but...
They are not the enemy...
They are the captives and slaves of the enemy.
They don’t need conquered - they need emancipated by the gospel.
We talked at length about how difficult - impossible aside from the Spirit of God in us - it is to love our enemies...
nevertheless...
that is what we are commanded to do.
It helps if we see them for what they are.
They are blind captives of the enemy, not the enemy.
==
If we are not careful we will develop the spirit of Jonah - the one in the Bible - not the wonderful grandson
Jonah did not want to preach to Nineveh.
Why?
He did not want God to be merciful to them.
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
Sometimes we feel that way about our enemies...
while God feels like this...
11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”
It takes a lot of pride for us to decide that we can judge better than God can.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Most of us know that verse, but we think...
Okay God, I know vengeance is yours but here is how and when you need to execute it.
So, is it kosher to call down fire on our enemies?
Nope.
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
(sigh)
Easy to say - impossible to do without the Spirit.
but...
It is so much easier to do when we realize that would be us “were it not for grace.”