Archives for November 2017

OVERVIEW: Jesus teaches about stewardship (16:1-13); Jesus teaches about covetousness (16:14-31); Jesus teaches about forgiveness (17:1-6); Jesus teaches about faithfulness (17:7-10); Jesus teaches about thankfulness (17:11-19); Jesus teaches about preparedness (17:20-37); a lesson to be learned from a persistent widow (18:1-8); a lesson to be learned from a proud Pharisee (18:9-17); a lesson to be learned from a deprioritized ruler (18:18-34); a lesson to be learned from a pressing beggar (18:35-43).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

There is a tremendous amount of action and pertinent information in today’s reading—certainly more than there is space in this venue to comment sufficiently. Our thoughts today will center around key subjects that are addressed in these chapters that have particular and significant application for believers living in these last days.

Subject #1 – STEWARDSHIP. (16:1-13) Though the circumstances were somewhat different for the steward mentioned in this passage, each of us are quickly moving toward the ultimate accounting of our stewardship at the Judgment Seat of Christ. (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10, 12) Just as this steward in 16:2, we will “give an account of our stewardship.” The key determiner on that day will be the answer to the simple question, “What did we do with what He entrusted to us?” The New Testament is clear that we will give an account of our stewardship of:

• The LIFE of God. (Gen. 2:7; Rom 5:12; Col. 1:26-27; 1 John 5:11) We have been given the ability to LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY.
• The LOVE of God. (Rom. 5:5; Mark 12:28-31; 1 John 4:14-17,19; 1 Thess. 4:9) We have been given the ability to LOVE DIVINELY.
• The GOSPEL of God. (1 Thess. 2:4; 1 Tim. 1:11; 6:20) We have been given the ability to impact SOULS ETERNALLY.
• The GIFTS of God. (1 Peter 4:10-11; 1 Cor. 3:10) We have been given the ability to be SERVE POWERFULLY.
• The RESOURCES of God. Money – Luke 16:11; Time – Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5; Talents – Matt. 25:14-27; People – 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15) We have been given the ability to manage RESOURCES WISELY.

Verse 11 of chapter 16 is a doozy. I am convinced that many Laodiceans never reach anybody with the gospel and are never truly able to minister effectively because God is unwilling to entrust to them what He truly treasures, simply because of their unfaithfulness to Him with money.

If verse 11 is a doozy, then verse 13 is a blockbuster for our generation of believers! We have convinced ourselves that this verse has been true for everybody but us, and that we somehow have the ability to love both God and money. What part of “CANNOT” do we not understand? When God looks at our lives, does He think we love Him and hate money, or does He think we hate Him and love money? Does He think we hold to Him and despise money, or hold money and despise Him? Many 21^st century Christians are attempting to love money and love God at the same time, but Jesus said it simply “CANNOT” be done!

Subject #2 – HELL. (16:19-31) It is clear that prior to Christ’s resurrection, believers who died were held in a place of paradise called Abraham’s bosom. It was obviously close to the place of punishment called Hell where all unbelievers were located, being separated by a great gulf, or gaping opening. (16:26) Notice that Hell is a real place, where real people go, and experience real suffering and torment. Notice that in Hell, the rich man had EYES and could SEE (16:23a); had a BODY and could FEEL (16:23b); had a TONGUE and experienced THIRST (16:24); had a MOUTH and could TALK (16:27); and evidently, had a MIND and could REASON (16:28).

The passage also teaches us that there are actually no unbelievers in Hell. Unbelief may have gotten them there, but as soon as they open their eyes in Hell, they become believers! Sadly, it is eternally too late. The passage also teaches that people in Hell have compassion for the lost (16:28). Would to God that believers would have the same passion and compassion for souls that this lost rich man had. Sometimes we think that if God would just do some miraculous thing, our lost family and friends would come to Christ. The passage teaches us that if they refuse to believe the Bible, they wouldn’t believe even if someone rose from the dead to speak to them. They already proved that by not believing in the resurrected Christ!

Subject #3 – FORGIVENESS. (17:1-6) In this passage the Lord teaches us about the importance of forgiveness. When someone offends us, immediately God’s grace kicks in to be more than sufficient to help us to bear it. (2 Cor. 12:9; 1 Cor. 10:13) Hebrews 12:15 teaches us, however, that we have the ability to “fail the grace of God” (i.e. refuse to apply His grace). If we refuse to apply that grace, Hebrews 12:15 says that our unforgiving spirit will cause a “root of bitterness” to spring up in us and “trouble” us, and “defile many” people around us, even leading us into sexual sin! (Heb. 12:16) Don’t ever underestimate the importance of forgiveness!

Subject #4 – THANKFULNESS. (17:11-19) As you read this story about these 10 lepers, recognize that, generally speaking, believers in our day are characterized by “the nine” rather than the “one.” Jesus’ question is a good one in the Laodicean Age, “Where are the nine?” (17:17) A couple of cross references to keep in mind:

• 2 Timothy 3:2 says that being “unthankful” is as characteristic of believers in our day as being “lovers of our own selves!”
• Romans 1:21 reveals that being “unthankful” is one of the first steps toward a “reprobate mind.” (Romans 1:28) Hey, this is serious stuff!
• 1 Thessalonians 5:18 teaches us that it is impossible to be in the perfect will of God and not be thankful! Again, pretty serious stuff!

Subject #5 – RIGHTEOUSNESS. (18:9-14) Any way you slice it, we who hold to the fundamentals of Bible-believing Christianity run the greatest risk of becoming the modern-day Pharisees. Have you become Pharisaical? Verse 9 of chapter 18 lets us know that there are two tell-tale signs:

1. Trusting in your own righteous. (i.e. Trusting what you “do” FOR Christ, rather than who you “are” IN Christ)
2. Thinking you’re more spiritual than others.

What do you trust as the true source of your righteousness? Paul talked about those who are “ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” (Rom. 10:3) God’s righteousness could never (on either side of salvation!) be ACHIEVED! It can only be RECEIVED! Paul cried out in Philippians 3:9 the desire to “be found in him, NOT HAVING MINE OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, which is of the law (i.e. what I do for God), but that which is through the faith of Christ (i.e. what Christ does for me), the righteousness which is of God by faith.” What do you honestly think when you look at others? Do you secretly think that you are on a higher plane than they are because of what you do or do not do? It’s spooky, folks! We must be careful!

OVERVIEW: Jesus provides pertinent answers to pertinent questions (13:1-35); Jesus addresses the guests in a Pharisee’s house on the Sabbath day (14:1- 35); Jesus gives three illustrations to reveal God’s heart for the lost (15:1-32).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we move into chapter 13 today, Jesus continues His journey toward Jerusalem (see 9:51: 13:22; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11, 28). As He makes His way, He is faced with four questions that provide a clean breakdown of the chapter. He is asked:

1) A POLITICAL question about JUSTICE. (13:1-9) Jesus knows that anything He says about Pilate will certainly make it to Jerusalem before He does! Verses 3 and 4 teach us not to assume that human tragedies are divine punishments.

2) A LEGAL question about the SABBATH. (13:10-21) It could only have been the pride and self-righteousness of the Pharisees that could cause them not to see that Jesus “loosing” this poor woman from Satan’s bond and her suffering on the Sabbath (13:12), was no different from them “loosing” their ox or donkey from the stall to get water on the Sabbath. (13:15) Pride and self-righteousness still cause that same blindness and that same hideous judgmental spirit today.

3) A THEOLOGICAL question about SALVATION. (13:22-30) Notice that Jesus turned the man’s general question about how many would be saved, to a personal question about whether or not HE would be saved. It is amazing how many people to this day ask great, spiritual, theological questions that they have no intention of obeying or practicing, even if they receive the answer!

4) A PERSONAL question about DEATH. (13:31-35) Though there is not a specific question asked in these verses, Jesus’ response to the statement in verse 31 is as if asked a question about whether he was concerned about Herod’s desire to kill Him. Jesus responds by saying, in effect, that His life was on God’s timetable, not man’s. (See John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 13:1; 17:1)

Recognize today (and every day), that your life is on that same time schedule! In chapter 14, Jesus is invited to come over to one of the chief Pharisee’s house for dinner after church, so to speak. Jesus quickly recognizes that He is intended to be the main entrée, so rather than be eaten alive, He takes command of the room, and faces all those in attendance with their own personal issues.

• In 14:1-6, He begins with the Pharisees, making them face their false spirituality, by healing someone on the Sabbath.
• In 14:7-11, Jesus then faces the other guests with their self-promotion, by pointing out that they had all sought to position themselves in the room to make themselves appear important.
• In 14:12-14, Jesus faces the host with the fact that the people he had invited were actually invited to fulfill an obligation to them, or to impose a debt on them. It makes you wonder, where are the people who don’t have an ulterior motive behind their generosity? Even when we do something for nothing in return, the ulterior motive can be that we wanted to be viewed as someone who does things for nothing in return. Wow!
• In 14:15-24, Jesus is facing the Jews with the fact that they were about to miss the invitation of their Messiah, and that He would then turn to the Gentiles. Notice that the more things change, the more the things remain the same. People miss Jesus for the same exact reasons in the 21^st century that they did in the 1^st They miss Him because they are:

1. Relishing in their riches. (14:18)
2. Climbing in their career. (14:19)
3. Focused on their family. (14:20)

• In 14:25-35, Jesus leaves the Pharisee’s house, and then faces the multitudes with the fact that He wasn’t looking for people who wanted to simply add Him on to their already cluttered life. He was looking for those who would see their relationship with Him as the most important relationship of life, and see Him as life itself!

Jesus was never interested in self-seeking consumers, but self-denying disciples. As has been pointed out repeatedly throughout the 365 Days of Pursuit, in contrast to the consumer driven messages that are preached in the Laodicean Church Period, true, biblical, Spirit-anointed preaching is at least two-thirds negative! (See Jer. 1:10 and 2 Tim. 4:2.) Facing people’s issues as Jesus has just done in chapters 13 and 14 wouldn’t fly too well today. If someone preached like that today, you might could expect to hear questions and comments like:

• “Why does our message need to be so negative?”
• “People don’t want to come to church and have to feel bad.”
• “I’m afraid to bring visitors to church because the strong preaching may push them away.”
• “I’m just not being fed.”
• “I’m looking for something that has a better ‘ministry’ to my kids.”

But the good news is, Jesus wasn’t all negative! In chapter 15 He pulls out three illustrations that reveal the heart of God for His lost creation. Jesus shows us that our Heavenly Father is like:

• A Tender Shepherd. (15:1-3)
• A Diligent Housewife. (15:8-10)
• A Longing Dad. (15:11-32)

He searches… and seeks… and longs… and sacrifices to see that which was lost returned to its rightful place. Praise the Lord, our rightful place is with Him!