Luke 9

As Luke 9 wraps up, Jesus has a few teachable moments He uses.  First the disciples are arguing over “which of them would be most famous”.  Jesus sets them straight.  Check this out: “Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference”.  It is not the way the world measures us that will determine our eternal value.  It is how we are on the inside, down deep in our spirit and heart that God cares about.  So much of our life is focused on stuff that has no eternal value.  We want to accumulate things, and when I look back a few months, I wonder why I spent resources on that thing sitting there in the corner I never even look at any more.  We have to learn to store up our treasures in heaven.  God values PEOPLE, not stuff.  God sent Jesus to handle the investment of people, not our bank account.  Not saying money does not matter at all – we have to pay the bills and take care of our family.  That is a God given responsibility.  But our investment needs to be in things that matter to God – and it is spelled people.  As the chapter ends the story finds the group on their way toward Jerusalem.  Along the way several things happen. 

1.      The first village “refused hospitality”.  The disciples want to “call down a bolt of lightning”.  Jesus says lets move on.

2.      The first person wanting to join the trip is challenged with giving up comforts.  “Are you ready to rough it”? is what Jesus asks.

3.      The second person comes and is challenged by priority.  He wanted to go make funeral arrangements for his father.  “First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!”.

4.      The third person was plagued by excuses.  He needed to “straighten things out at home” before he could join.  “You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow” was Jesus reply.

 

Guys – we need to get things straight.  Jesus wants us engaged in ministry where we are every day.  We have work to do.  It needs to be a priority and not done based on how it fits our comfort.  And certainly it shouldn’t be put off til tomorrow with all the excuses we can dream up.  We need to get after it.

Luke 9

The middle of Luke 9 contains some strong teaching from Jesus about what it means to be a Christ follower.  That is what discipleship is about – following Christ.  Check out what He says: “Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat–I am…Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self”. Whoa – that is not exactly the easy life as a Christ follower.  Let Jesus run my life?  Self sacrifice -  but Jesus life is all about me isn’t it?  Not exactly guys.  There are two keys to being a true Christ follower that lives life Jesus’ way.  First He has to be in control – the word we need to remember here is LORDSHIP.  Jesus needs to run my life.  Second the word we need to forget – ME.  Being a Christ follower is not about me.  It is about Jesus and others.  It is about loving and leading like Jesus did.  The world would tell you that is completely backward.  I run my own life, ask for help if I get in a jam, but focus on me and if there is anything left – time, money, energy, love – then I can pass a little around as long as I get a return on that to me.  Wrong answer for a Christ follower.  It is all about Jesus and others. Are you a Christ follower?  Is He Lord and are you off the throne of your life?

Luke 9

Luke 9 begins with Jesus giving the ministry assignments to His disciples.  He tells them to go and do two things: “preach the news….heal the sick”.  Pretty simple and clear.  Go speak truth and touch people where they are.  That would be a great set of things for us to do as well.  We need to speak truth into each other, and we certainly need to touch people as they wrestle with the struggles of life.  I love what Jesus tells them to do as they go to do the work of the ministry: “Keep it simple; you are the equipment”.  Doing the work of the ministry is not a complicated thing.  Today we sometimes make it that way.  But Jesus tells the disciples – you are the messenger and your life is the message.  Speak truth and love people.  Oh that we would all be vessels in God’s hands like that.  Strip off all the things we think we need to do to minister to others and just be available to live life with them.  Show them truth by how we live.  Speak truth into them as opportunities arise.  Love them unconditionally as they struggle with life.  YOU are God’s equipment.  You are how He has chosen to reach the world.  I have often said I am not sure why God chose to use undependable and fickle humans as His messenger of truth.  But that is His design and WE are His chosen means of making a difference.  So we need to get after it.  Jesus goes on to tell His disciples this: “If you’re not welcomed, leave town”.  This seems a little harsh at first glance.  Why would He tell them to give up and move on.  Because Jesus understands the nature of the human race.  Beating people with more truth is not going to make them accept it any faster.  Some of the greatest frustrations in my life have been people I have tried investing in over and over for years and they never would consider what I shared or respond to it.  We need to be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit in this area, but sometimes we need to move on and focus where our investment will provide some impact.   This section ends with the feeding of the 5000.  Jesus has been teaching all day in a remote area.  It is getting late, the disciples want to send the people away to get food.  Jesus has this response: “You feed them”.  What?  We are out in the middle of no where.  There is nothing anywhere close to feed them with.  You have to be kidding Jesus.  Nope – you feed them.  That is really His message to you and me as well.  We want to dump the responsibility of taking care of speaking truth and meeting people’s needs on pastors and churches.  Wrong.  We are the church.  We are the ministers.  It is our responsibility.  I don’t expect God to ask you to feed 5000, but He is asking you to open your eyes and serve, right where you are, right now.  Time to get after it and get in the game.

Luke 8

The last section of Luke 8 deals with Jesus healing a couple folks.  By now the people had heard of Him and there was a crowd gathered to see the man who could do miracles.  A man named Jairus, “president of the meeting place”, came to Jesus and “begged Him to come to his home because his 12 year old daughter, his only child, was dying”.  Can you envision this scene.  A powerful leader in the community comes to Jesus begging for healing for his daughter.  He is beside himself with fear and grief.  Do you pray and ask with that amount of fervor?  Are you willing to push through the crowd to get to Jesus?  Do you understand the power available if you share your burden with Him?  Guys – these stories are not fairy tales.  These are given to us in God’s Word to help us understand the power of the relationship we have through Jesus.  These lessons need to lead us to the feet of Jesus with all our fears and problems.  As men who are charged with leading our homes, we need to be equally as determined to come to the source of all power on behalf of all we are entrusted.  Jairus had faith in Jesus’ ability to heal his daughter.   Along the way through the crowd, a woman who had been bleeding for many years managed to get close enough to touch Jesus robe.  Instantly she was healed.  Jesus felt the “power discharging” and stops to see who touched Him.  The woman tried to stay hidden but realized she needed to confess and does.  Jesus blesses her faith and sends her on her way.  But as he continued through the crowd, a messenger comes from Jairus’ house to tell them his daughter is dead.  Catch what is said here: “No need now to bother the Teacher”.  Immediately they give up.  After all she is dead, right?  Catch what Jesus says in response: “Just trust me”.  He doesn’t let the news derail the plan.  He continues on to Jairus home and arrives to “everyone crying and carrying on over her”.  But Jesus is not impacted by the apparent situation or facts as the rest of those present were.  He speaks life back into the child and “her parents were ecstatic”.  Do you give up on God?  Do you decide that He is unable to deal with the situation?  I know I am guilty at times of saying “its too late” or feeling that I don’t want to waste God’s time on this or that.  That is the wrong attitude guys.  God will not always answer every prayer I ask the way I want when I want.  But God will always answer every prayer, in His time, according to His plan.  I need to have the faith to lay them all at His feet, over and over and over, and just trust Him.  Are you trusting today?  Is there a burden that has you dragged down you need to put at the throne?  He is there – on call 24/7 – don’t carry it any longer.  Give it to Him.  He is listening and wants to act….

Luke 8

The middle section of Luke 8 deals with a couple stories of Jesus and His power.  The first involved the disciples and a boat ride where things get a little rough.  Jesus is sleeping and they are convinced they are going down and will drown.  So they wake Him.  Remember – here is what scripture tells us: “a storm came up….water came in….they were going to capsize”.  Seems like an SOS moment to me.  But Jesus was sleeping and they woke Him to save their hide.  What does He do?  He gets up and speaks.  The winds die down and the sea calms.  Because of His words.  What does He say to His disciples?  Check this out: “Why can’t you trust me”?  Straight to the heart of it.  There was a lack of faith.  Things were bad – death seemed imminent – but Jesus still expected them to trust Him totally.  I fall short here.  I want to take things into my own hands and try to fix them when it doesn’t seem like Jesus is paying attention to things the way I would like.  After all, the boat is going down.  They are sinking.  What was He thinking?  Guys – we have to learn to trust completely.  Why don’t we trust Jesus?  Has He EVER failed you?  Really failed you?  Did He EVER not do what His Word says?  I am willing to bet not.  He has given us no reason to doubt, yet in our human nature, we still do.  This is a battleground for all of us.   

The second story in this section involves a mad man who has been possessed for many years by demons.  Jesus casts the demons out and sends them into a bunch of pigs (Luke 8 sure has a lot of farm stuff in it).  The pigs run over a cliff into a lake and drown.  Picture it, this man possessed by years, totally out of control for his entire life, is now free and sitting at the feet of Jesus.  The townspeople hear of the miracle and come out to see if it is true.  What do they do?  They ask Jesus to leave.  A miracle has happened and they want Him out of town.  Why?  Pay close attention: “too much change, too fast, and they were scared”.  The Message version nails a very true description of the way we are as humans.  We struggle with change.  It happened when Jesus walked this earth and it happened yesterday and will again today.  As we lead, we have to keep this principle in mind.  As we follow Jesus, we must resist the temptation to be fearful as well.  He will take us into new areas.  He will lead us out of our comfort zone.

Luke 8

Luke 8 has one of my favorite stories as a farmboy.  It is the parable of the seeds.  The story tells us four things that happen to the Word of God when it is sown into someone’s life.  It falls on:

1.       The road – hard and unable to grow – the birds eat it – “the Devil snatches it”

2.       The gravel – sprouts and withers because of no roots – “the moment there is trouble it is gone”

3.       Among the weeds – grew but was strangled – “the seed is crowded out”

4.       In rich earth – produces a bumper crop – “it holds on no matter what…until there is harvest”

Which kind of soil is your heart?  We all need to be careful to guard our hearts and be sure we are rich earth.  God is sowing His Word into our lives.  The question is what kind of “soil” are we providing for it to grow in. 

Jesus goes on to give us this very important lesson: “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed”.  Are you letting your light shine for Jesus?  I remember so well the kids song that speaks to this.  “Hide it under a bush oh no, I’m gonna let it shine”.  Is Jesus shining through your life.  Jesus goes on to say “we’re not keeping secrets, we’re telling them”.  Sometimes it seems like we as Christians want to keep secrets.  We aren’t telling others about our faith.  I know that describes me at times.  Am I afraid of what others will think?  Maybe.  But I have the solution to their sin problem and I better not hide it.  Our walk needs to line up with our talk, but there needs to be some talk for our walk to line up with.  It is NOT enough to be silent and just walk with God.  We need to share truth – verbally and audibly speak it guys – not just think it and hope osmosis sets in.  People need the Lord.  We need to tell them how to find Him and then lead them there by how we live.  Are you hiding your light under a bush?  If so it is time to bring it into plain sight and tell people about Jesus.

Luke 7

Luke 7 ends with the story of the harlot who comes and pours expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus.  Simon, one of the Pharisees, had invited Jesus over for dinner with a group of his peers.  As they were sitting there, this sinner of a woman comes in and washes Jesus’ feet with her tears, wipes them with her hair, and anoints them with perfume.  Of course Simon and the boys are upset that Jesus would associate with such a woman.  But Jesus gives us a couple truths that is so critical to remember.  First – the Pharisees in all their righteousness had done nothing to make Jesus comfortable – there was “no water…no greeting…nothing for freshening up”.  Does that describe us in the church today – we don’t get outside our comfort zone of friendship and reach out to those who really need Jesus?  Secondly – Jesus teaches us that “If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal”.  Guys – we need to never forget that our forgiveness of sin is anything but minimal.  Jesus went to the cross for us.  Thus our gratitude should be anything but minimal.  We need to proclaim the freedom He gave us.

Luke 7

The first half of Luke 7 deals with Jesus coming into the town of Capernaum.  “A Roman captain” heard He was coming and had a “servant who was on his deathbed”.  While the motive may have been somewhat wrong, this Roman “didn’t want to lose him” and “sent leaders” to Jesus to ask for healing.  The Roman captain was a good man – he loved the  people and had treated them well.  A little later the captain sent “friends to tell Him” that Jesus didn’t even need to come to his house to heal, all Jesus had to do was give the order.  I love how scripture captures that key moment: “Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd: “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel”.  What set this Roman apart?  Two little words – “simple trust”.  There was no fanfare, no big expectations, no attempting to seek glory for himself.  He just believed that Jesus could and would.  Do you?  Do you know that Jesus is still in the miracle business?  Do you believe He can and will?  Men – this is one area we need to really look in the mirror about.  Too often we want to be in control of what happens, we want to fix things and be the one who is in control.  That really is not how God works.  Jesus continues on to Nain, a village down the road, where He meets a funeral procession.  A “woman’s only son was being carried out for burial”.  Do you know what happened?  “When Jesus saw her, his heart broke”.  It wasn’t a heart of steel or non compassion here.  Jesus was not afraid to let His human side be exposed.  His heart broke – He “went over and touched the coffin”.  Again, no fanfare or attempt to make a big production out of it.  Jesus simply touched and spoke and viola – “the dead son sat up and began talking”.  Can you envision that?  What a place to have been that day.  Never forget we serve the same God and are saved by the very Jesus that brought healing and life to these two folks.  He hasn’t taken a leave of absence or shut down His ministry.  It is very alive and very well and He is in the business of impacting the world exactly the way He did some 2000 years ago.  What are you expecting Jesus to do today in your life?  How are you praying for Him to impact people in your circle.  Guys – we need to be asking for the power of Jesus to be shown in and through us – not so we can get any glory, but so the name of our Lord and Savior can be obvious and center stage.  Simple trust – no magic formula – just believe.  Jesus will do the rest!

Luke 6

Luke 6 finishes with some strong teaching from Jesus.  He gives us a list of things to follow:1.       Don’t pick on people2.       Don’t jump on their failures3.       Don’t criticize their faults4.       Don’t condemn those who are down5.       Be easy on people6.       Give away your lifeI was doing ok til we hit that last one.  The principle here is clear and Jesus spells it out: “Giving, not getting, is the way”.  We are called to be givers men.  We are called to give away our life.  That means we give up control and become the vessel God created us to be – clay in His hands – to do the work of the ministry as He directs.  God’s plan of economy is all about giving away all that we are and have.  He wants no less than ALL of us and it.  Jesus then goes into the teaching of how we want to focus on each other rather than looking in the mirror ourselves.   Whack to the head #2 for me: “It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own”.  It is sure easy for me to see what is wrong in your life.  I can focus on that all day.  But to look in the mirror and find faults I have is not nearly as fun.  But that is what we have to do.  My attention needs to be on getting my own life cleaned up – not enjoying time pointing out every little fault you may have. Two wasn’ t enough today, so here comes the third one – and probably the biggie for me: “It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts…These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on.”  Guys – Jesus teaching is not just a suggestion – they are the very foundation of life.  What matters is the man we are on the inside.  Once that foundation is right, we need to align what happens on the outside.  Jesus is in the business of building our life as a Godly man.  Nothing short of that will do.  Are you the Godly man he has created?  If not – time to get with the program.  He has given us the roadmap.  Now it is time for us to EXECUTE.

Luke 6

What a bunch of life lessons in the middle of Luke 6.  Hold on – Jesus has a lot for us to learn that we can apply directly right NOW.  He starts by telling us to “count yourself blessed” when people speak badly of us – slander us – cuts us down.  Luke gives us a life lesson on people and why they react like that – check this out: “What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable”.  I find that to be so very true.  People who feel a bit threatened or that someone is getting too close for comfort lash out.  It is a very unfortunate but true teaching.  He goes on to tell us there is “trouble ahead”:1.       “if you think you have made it”2.       “if you’re satisfied with yourself”3.       “if you think lifes all fun and games”4.       “when you live only for the approval of others”What do these have in common guys?  Focus on me.  There is trouble ahead if I am focused on self.  No other way to say it.  I am not the center of the universe – God is.   Jesus continues to teach about how we should relate to others.  Check out the lesson He gives us: “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them”.  Did you catch that.  There is no focus on self here anywhere.  It is about serving others – about taking initiative to touch others – about reaching out to others.  That is the “simple” guidance He gives.  Stope thinking about self and focus on those in your circle of influence.  What can you do for them.  How can you make a difference for them.  What will you do intentionally today to impact someone else?  Get after it today!