Because I Became Convinced
Luke: Because I Became Convinced • Sermon • Submitted
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Today it is almost 1 year to the day that we moved into this wonderful facility. This building is a testament to God’s faithfulness and the generosity of the Belle Plaine United Church of Christ.
Today is also the last in our - Because I Became Convinced - series walking through the entire book of Luke.
To prepare for tonight’s message, I spent some time going back over where we have been in this series.
Unless you have a really really good memory, you probably don’t remember the title of Don’s first sermon in this series (I didn’t).
The first sermon in this series was titled, “What I Believe Determines How I Live.” I couldn’t think of a more fitting title for tonight’s message, so I stole from Don and titled this last sermon nearly the same, “What You Believe Determines How You Live” because what you believe does determine how you live - and that is the one thing I want you to remember tonight - what you believe determines how you live.
We started Luke in March 2019, and now, almost 100 sermons, two buildings, 3 years and a pandemic later, we are finishing.
So far, in GCC’s short span of existence, we have gone through the entirety of Ecclesiastes, Galatians, Ephesians, 1 John, now Luke and many other individual passages.
That may seem like a lot (and it is), but, Lord willing, it is just the beginning.
So, with those thoughts, lets go to the text and bring the Gospel of Luke to a close...
Before we read, I want to start by asking you a seemingly odd question… Do you know all about Jesus, yet, you still have an uneasiness in your heart? Do you have it all together on the outside, but on the inside you know something isn’t quite right? Does it bother you?
Well, let me tell you about my Jesus...
If you have your Bible, please open up to Luke 24:36-53.
As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.
Despite all that has occurred, and despite the explanation given by Jesus on the road to Emmaus, they still don’t understand and they still think they are seeing a “ghost.”
Jesus’ statement here “Peace to you!” or, in the NIV, “Peace be with you!” is the perfect summation of all of Jesus’s teachings. You could say that Luke’s gospel is the gospel of peace. The word “peace” occurs 13 times in his Gospel, the same number as all the other Gospel’s combined.
Those who follow the King, those who follow His law, those who know Jesus, will have peace. In John 16 we see Jesus say, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
But, Jesus’ words of comfort have yet to sink in for the disciples, so...
And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
Jesus knows they still don’t understand, so he tells them to come touch Him and see that He is indeed flesh and bone - that He is living and breathing in a very alive human body - they are not imagining Him, he is not some Greek ethereal spirit, He is not a ghost.
And, so that there was no doubt...
And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.
Ghosts don’t eat food and breathe air. The risen, resurrected Jesus does!
Imagine what it was like for them...
Now that Jesus has their full attention and belief, He speaks to what this all means...
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.
Jesus reminds them that He told them He was going to be crucified, die, be buried and then He would rise again after 3 days.
When Jesus says that everything in the Law, Prophets and Psalms “must” be fulfilled, He was telling them that this, His life, death and resurrection, were not optional.
That word “must” “dei” (day) in Greek, literally means “to be unavoidably determined by prior circumstances” or “to be required by obligation.” God had spoken in the Jewish Scriptures, fulfilling His command was not optional.
Jesus goes on to “open their minds” to understand what had been written. In particular that He had to suffer and die, that He had to rise from the grave, AND, that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed IN HIS NAME to all nations.
You see, what you believe, (not what you know) determines how you live.
The disciples received a 3 year seminary education from God himself - Jesus. They knew all of these things - they knew what Jesus had told them - but they hadn’t believed. They hadn’t internalized it, they hadn’t rested in that peace Jesus spoke of.
BUT, when they finally believed, --believed in the dead, buried, resurrected, glorified, ascended Jesus and it radically changed their life. When they believed, personally, that what Jesus did, He did for them, personally, it changed everything.
They went from living in sadness and fear and hiding to living in joy and confidence and worship - glorifying God in the Temple; glorifying God in the very presence of those who had murdered Jesus on the cross. Bearing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control.
An excellent example of this is the story of John Wesley.
Founder of “methodism” which formed the basis for the Methodist denomination.
-subset of Anglican church
-where we get our idea of life groups and Bible studies - these are all things born out of the ministry of Wesley.
Wesley’s story doesn’t begin with Wesley - it begins with the Moravians.
1457 Moravian church founded in what is now the Czech Republic - 30 years before Martin Luther was Born. They were the real beginning of the Reformation and believed in Salvation by Grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone. Very focused on a personal relationship with Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They still exist today.
(motto - see slide)
Now, to John Wesley
Raised in England
Father was a Priest in the Anglican Church
Studied at Oxford
With brother Charles, they led what was known as the “Holy Club”
Homeless
Prison
Bible Study
George Whitefield
Great Awakening
Wesley was a meticulous journaler, so we know quite a bit about what he was thinking and experiencing.
1728 Ordained Priest in the Anglican Church of England
January 1735 Headed to the Colony of Georgia on a missionary trip.
On January 25th, this is what John wrote in his diary: “In the midst of the Psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over, split the main-sail in pieces, covered the ship and poured in between the decks, as if the great deep had already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the English.
The Germans calmly sung on. I asked one of them afterwards; ‘Were you not afraid?’ He answered, ‘I thank God, no.’ I asked: ‘But were not your women and children afraid?’ He replied mildly: ‘No, our women and children are not afraid to die.’” The storm was boisterous, but the Moravians kept praising God. Finally, the storm subsided.”
This experience had a profound effect on John.
After reaching Georgia, John sought spiritual counsel from a Moravian Bishop, Augustus Gottlieb Spangenberg. Though Wesley had been sent as a missionary, he knew there was something missing after his encounter with the Moravians in the storm.
Spangenberg said to Wesley, “My brother, Do you know Jesus Christ?”
“I know,” replied Wesley, “that Jesus Christ died for my sins.”
“That’s not what I asked you,” said Spangenberg, “Do you know Jesus Christ?”
Wesley responded, “I hope He has died to save me.”
“Do you know yourself?” persisted Spangenberg,
“No,” replied Wesley, “I long to know Jesus Christ.”
This conversation had a deep and profound impact on Wesley who later, when back in England, wrote in his journal:
“I went to America to convert the Indians, but oh, who shall convert me? I have a fair summer religion. I can talk well; nay, and I believe myself, when no danger is near. But let death look me in the face, and my spirit is troubled. Nor can I say, ‘to die is gain.’ I have a sort of fear that when I have spun my last thread I shall perish on the shore. I have learned that I who went to America to convert others was not converted myself.”
In London, John was in regular contact with a Moravian named Peter Bohler.
One day Boehler said to Wesley, “My brother, my brother, that philosophy of yours must be purged away.”
When Wesley complained, “Ah, how can I preach the faith which I have not got?”
Boehler answered, “Preach faith till you have it, and then, because you have it, you will preach it.”
“’In the evening,’ says Wesley, ‘I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to Romans. About a quarter before nine while he was describing the change God works in the heart through faith in Christ,
I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.’”
John went forward from that moment, knowing Jesus. He became one of the most important preachers of the 18th century.
You see, what you believe, (not what you know) determines how you live.
Just like the disciples who went from knowing all of Jesus’ teachings, knowing about what the Scriptures foretold, to actually believing Jesus and believing in Him, Wesley went from knowing all of Jesus’ teachings, knowing what the Scripture taught about Jesus, to believing Jesus and believing in Him.
To quote Don from the first sermon in our Luke series… “When we become convinced of something, we act on it.”
Wesley was convinced He was missing something - he had all the head knowledge, the Oxford seminary degree, scripture memorized, he had traveled and preached Jesus across the ocean, but he didn’t have Jesus. And he acted on it -
To end tonight I want to leave you with some reflection questions (in your bulletin) because Luke’s goal was to move Theophilus from knowing about Jesus, to believing in Jesus. Luke wants to do the same thing for you..
Reflection Questions
What do you believe?
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is your savior? Do you know Him?
Or, do you just know that Jesus Christ is the savior?
Are you more like John Wesley before Aldersgate or after Aldersgate?
- Is there proof (fruit) in your life of the Holy Spirit?
- Is there a peace in your heart?
- Or, do you just have "head knowledge;" do you know of Jesus without knowing Jesus?
- Would you still want heaven if Jesus wasn't there?
Let me close by asking you the same questions I started with… Do you know all about Jesus, yet, you still have an uneasiness in your heart? Do you have it all together on the outside, but on the inside you know something isn’t quite right? Does it bother you?
Well, let me tell you about my Jesus...