Gentle & Lowly IV
GENTLE AND LOWLY • Sermon • Submitted
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· 27 viewsSermon 4 in 2021 series from Ortlund's Gentle & Lowly.
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The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
INTRO—
INTRO—
[[REMINDER: Austin preaching next Sunday, so…the following Wednesday (10/27) will be a ‘catch up’ week.]]
[Ch. 10: The Beauty of the Heart of Christ]
Question: What do we want for our kids—for the next generation—to whom we pass the torch?
To be safe…To have a good job…To enjoy life…To love…(to love well…)
As far as all this goes, Jonathan Edwards frames his answer like this: “Children ought to love the Lord Jesus Christ above all things in the world.” (Ortlund, p.95)
He could say this on the basis of Matthew 10.37 “The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.
To encourage the kids to love Jesus above all, he share this encouragement with them...
“There is no love so great and so wonderful as that which is in the heart of Christ. He is one that delights in mercy; he is ready to pity those that are in suffering and sorrowful circumstances; one that delights in the happiness of his creatures. The love and grace that Christ has manifested does as much exceed all that which is in this world as the sun is brighter than a candle. Parents are often full of kindness towards their children, but that is no kindness like Jesus Christ’s.” (Ortlund, p. 96)
Indeed, Jesus’ heart is beautiful (Matthew 11.29)! This beauty is quite excellently displayed...
Through His Compassion. (John 11.33-38 [44])
Through His Compassion. (John 11.33-38 [44])
[Ch. 11: The Emotional Life of Christ]
Jesus was often “deeply moved” by the circumstances of those around him...
Matthew 20.34 “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed him.”
There were two blind men sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd demanded that they keep quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
Mark 1.41 “Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.””
Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Matthew 9.36 “When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”
John 11.33 “When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled.”
34 “Where have you put him?” he asked. “Lord,” they told him, “come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Couldn’t he who opened the blind man’s eyes also have kept this man from dying?” 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 “Remove the stone,” Jesus said. Martha, the dead man’s sister, told him, “Lord, there is already a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. 42 I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so that they may believe you sent me.” 43 After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.”
“Splanchnizo”… the seat of the emotions; the gut/bowels; to be stirred in the gut/bowels.
Jesus’ emotions stirred (sympathy) is awesome because…[BB Warfield (1851-1921; Presbyterian minister (1876-1879); Princeton theologian (1887-1921)) notes.]
We see that his heart is perfectly, consistently moved with compassion (not like our too often indifferent, cold heartedness).
We see the depth of his emotions toward us…and for us!
Through His Kindness. (Matthew 11.16-19)
Through His Kindness. (Matthew 11.16-19)
[Ch. 12: A Tender Friend]
Jesus is the instigator and perfect sustainer of lasting (everlasting), deep friendship.
He goes further than many (most?) of us would dare to go to begin/be a friend...
Matthew 11.19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.””
“To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to other children: We played the flute for you, but you didn’t dance; we sang a lament, but you didn’t mourn! For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’
Ok, so along with Ortlund, let’s dismiss the objection to this beautiful truth, quickly: “That Jesus is friend to sinners is only contemptible to those who feel themselves not to be in that category.” (p. 114)
On the other hand, Jesus being a friend to sinners means:
He enjoys rather than refuses our presence. (p. 115)
We can feel welcome and accepted around Jesus. (p.114)
**Remembering that HE is THE KING! (p. 119; Richard Sibbes (1577-1635), Anglican, pastored churches in Cambridge & London (1616-1633)).
We are included in what Jesus is doing. (John 15.15 “15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.” )
Such GREAT Kindness!!!
CONCL—
CONCL—
Dane Ortlund: “He walks with us through every moment. He knows the pain of being betrayed by a friend, but he will never betray us. He will not even so much as coolly welcome us. That is not who he is. That is not his heart.” (p. 120)
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”