Scott LaPierre Ministries

We see frequent examples in Scripture of why we should rejoice over the results versus the motivation. When other men began to prophesy Joshua was concerned, but Moses rejoiced (Numbers 11:26-29). When a man was casting out demons, the disciples were concerned, but Jesus said to let him continue (Mark 9:38-41). Paul said some people were preaching the gospel with good motivation and others with bad motivation, but he rejoiced that the gospel was being preached (Philippians 1:15-18). The prodigal son returned to his father because he was hungry (Luke 15:17). We can rejoice he returned home. https://youtu.be/JBuxTUsTIbg We see frequent examples in Scripture of why we should rejoice over the results versus the motivation (Mark 9:38-41 and Philippians 1:15-18). Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for Rejoice Over the Results Versus the MotivationSermon Notes for Rejoice Over the Results Versus the MotivationRejoice over people (Lesson One) using their gifts.Rejoice over people (Lesson Two) preaching the gospel.Rejoice over people (Lesson Three) repenting. Family Worship Guide for Rejoice Over the Results Versus the Motivation Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Numbers 11:16-29—Why was Moses so overwhelmed in the wilderness? Why did God tell Moses to appoint elders? What happened with many of the men who were appointed? Why did Joshua object? How did Moses respond to Joshua’s objection? Day 2: Mark 9:38-40 and Philippians 1:15-18—Why did Jesus’s family think He was out of his mind? Why did the disciples try to stop the man casting out demons? How did Jesus respond to their objections? What application does this have for us? What are some good and bad reasons people preach the gospel? How did Paul feel about people preaching the gospel even for bad reasons? Day 3: Luke 15:11-17, John 6:44, 65—Why did the prodigal son want to return home? Do you think this was a good or bad reason for him to return home and why do you feel that way? Why should we consider the results versus the motivations? Can you think of some examples of results you could rejoice over even though the motivation was bad? Sermon Notes for Rejoice Over the Results Versus the Motivation The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Rejoice Over the Results Versus the Motivation” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 15:17. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 15:11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! You may be seated. Let’s pray. We are working our way through what is commonly called the parable of the prodigal son. I saw something in the account that I wanted to elaborate on, especially with VBS approaching, which is that we should look at the results of what happens, versus the motivation. Instead of jumping right into it, I want to back up and look at some other examples that make the same point. We will turn back to Luke, but for now please turn to Numbers 11. Look with me at verse 11… Numbers 11:11 Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.” How does Moses sound? In a word, overwhelmed! He was leading an entire nation – millions of people – and he was crushed beneath their complaining and grumbling. It was so unbearable he even asked God to kill him! He shares with God – in a frustrated way – how he’s feeling. He uses language that makes him sound like a mother to all these children, such as conceive, give them birth, carry them, and nurse. He reminds me of a mother with a bunch of children who are out of control. She might not just

What leads to repentance? Romans 2:4 says, "God's kindness is meant to lead [us] to repentance." When we are thinking of repenting, we wonder, "Will God really forgive me? Have I done too much for Him to be able to love me? Would God ever want a relationship with me again?" It is thinking about God's kindness that gives us the confidence that we can repent and be forgiven. Table of ContentsFamily Worship GuideSermon Notes for What Leads to Repentance?Lesson One: Sometimes the worst thing to do is give because it can (Part One) be poor stewardship.Lesson One: Sometimes the worst thing to do is give because it can (Part Two) prevent shame.Lesson One: Sometimes the worst thing to do is give because it can (Part Three) hinder repentance.Lesson Two: (Part One) God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance.Lesson Two: (Part One) God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance (Part Two) and so is His wrath. https://youtu.be/r8e_h4A_byY What leads to repentance? Romans 2:4 says, "God's kindness leads us to repentance." God's kindness gives us confidence we can be forgiven. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 15:16, Genesis 2:25 cf. Genesis 3:5-7, Micah 1:11, Nahum 3:5, Revelation 3:18—Why was it good that nobody gave anything to the prodigal son? Why can it be bad stewardship to give to people at times? Why is shame so important? How does giving to people prevent shame? How can giving hinder repentance?Day 2: Romans 2:1-5, 2 Peter 3:9, Luke 15:17, Jude 1:22—Why are we without excuse when we judge others? How can God’s kindness lead us to repentance? Why is God patient with us when we sin? How can God’s wrath lead us to repentance?Day 3: Psalm 73:1-22—Why was the psalmist struggling in his faith? Why do the wicked prosper at times? Why might we envy the wicked? What can we tell ourselves to avoid being envious of the wicked? What caused the psalmist’s attitude toward the wicked to change? Sermon Notes for What Leads to Repentance? The title of this morning’s sermon is, “What Leads to Repentance?” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 15:11. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 15:11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! You may be seated. Let’s pray. We are working our way through what is commonly called the parable of the prodigal son. The son left home with lots of money, but then something happened. Look at verse 14… Luke 15:14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. As soon as the money was gone the people who acted like they were his friends were gone as well. At this incredibly low point, things got so bad he had to start caring for pigs. As we talked about last week, this was the lowest point a Jewish person could reach. Luke 15:16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. We are not told how much the son was paid, but considering he wanted to eat what pigs were eating tells you it was so little he could not afford food. Do we have anyone here who takes care of pigs? Do pigs eat anything? Katie used to have pigs and she said, “Pretty much.” Wanting to be accurate in my sermon, because I know pastors have reputations for inaccurate stories, I studied what pigs will and won’t eat. Here’s what I learned: pigs will eat just about anything. Their diets are disgusting and the fact that the son could look at what pigs were eating and be jealous tells you things were incredibly bad for him. Picture him looking at the food pigs were eating licking his lips. The pigs were living better than him. That’s how bad things had gotten. He was starving. The pods were most likely the wild carob (Ceratonia oreothauma), which only had black, bitter berries, barely nourishing enough to keep pigs alive, say nothing about people. And he was longing to eat these! The pods were virtually un-digestible for humans. For Jews to listen to Jesus prea

We are prone to wandering from God the Father. Generally, when we have sin in our lives we want to be as far away from God as possible. We don’t wander physically like the son in the parable, but we do wonder spiritually. We don’t physically go to a far country, but we avoid praying, reading the Bible, attending church and fellowship. https://youtu.be/Bu4-vZmz4D0 We are prone to wandering from God the Father. When we have sin in our lives we avoid praying, reading the Bible, and attending church. Table of ContentsLesson One: God lets His children wander from Him.Lesson Two: Sometimes parents must let their children wander from them.Lesson Three: God has ways of bringing us back from wandering.Lesson Four: Slavery to God results in freedom. Family Worship Guide for Prone to Wandering from God the Father Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 15:12, Jeremiah 2:2, Mark 10:21-23, John 6:66, Lamentations 3:27—Why did the son go to a far country? In what ways do we, spiritually speaking, go to a far country away from our Heavenly Father? Why do you think the father didn’t go after his son? What application does this have for us in our relationship with God and in our relationships with our own children? Day 2: Jeremiah 2:19, Luke 15:14-15—When we wander from our Heavenly Father how does He bring us back to Himself? How do our backslidings rebuke us? What does it mean that sin punishes the sinner? Provide some examples of what this looks like in your life or other people’s lives. Day 3: 2 Peter 2:19, John 8:34-36, Romans 6:18, Exodus 21:5-6, Matthew 6:24—How does sin make people slaves? What does it mean for people to be slaves to sin? How can people be freed from slavery to sin? Describe the process for people to become a willing slave of a master in the Old Testament? What application does this have for us as Christians? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Prone to Wandering from God the Father.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 15:11. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 15:11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. You may be seated. Let’s pray. On Sunday mornings we have been working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and have reached what is most commonly known as the parable of the prodigal son. We took a brief detour for a few weeks because of something I saw at the beginning of the parable that I thought was so important I wanted to elaborate on it by showing you a few other examples in Scripture. Let’s back up to the beginning of the parable to briefly review… Luke 15:11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. As we talked in our sermon on these verses, the son’s request was incredibly rude and disrespectful. The listeners in Jesus’s day would’ve expected the father to: Reject the son’s request Rebuke him for his disrespect Slap him across the face Remove him from the family Announce the son should be viewed as dead And then hold a funeral for him Instead, we read… Luke 15:12b And he divided his property between them. The only thing more outrageous than the son’s request was the father’s response. Jesus’s listeners would never believe a father would respond this way and give his immature, rebellious son his inheritance. No earthly father would do this, which begs the question: why did the father in this parable do this? The answer is the father in the parable doesn’t represent any earthly father. He represents God the Father: The father in the parable extends freedom that will be taken advantage of and used sinfully, like God the Father extends freedom that can be taken advantage of and used sinfully. The father in the parable gives the son what he wants – even to the son’s detriment – because he represents God the Father who might give us what we want to our detriment. And we looked at some other examples in Scripture of God giving people their will to their detriment: God let Moses take Aaron with him when he refused to go God gave the Israelites meat after they complained about the manna God let Balaam go with Balak after telling him no God let 2.5 tribes settle outside the

When God says, “Obey their voice,” it doesn’t always go the way we expect. In 1 Samuel 8 God told Samuel to obey the people’s voices and give them a king to their own detriment. In our lives, when we keep pushing sometimes God gives us what we want to our detriment. https://youtu.be/9n9RO9QI9GI When God says, “Obey their voice,” it doesn’t always go the way we expect, like in 1 Samuel 8 when God told Samuel to give Israel a king. Have you ever wanted something so badly that, even after God warned you it wasn’t good for you, you kept pressing until you got it?That’s exactly what happens in 1 Samuel 8, when the Israelites demanded a king. And in one of the most surprising responses in Scripture, God said to Samuel, “Obey their voice.” This passage reminds us of a sobering truth: sometimes God gives us what we want—to our own detriment. The People’s Request: “Give Us a King” 1 Samuel 8:4–5“Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, ‘Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.’” The Israelites were tired of being different. They wanted to be “like all the nations.”But holiness means being set apart. By asking for a king, they were really asking to be unholy—to give up their unique identity as God’s chosen people. At this point in Israel’s history, God Himself was their King. He fought their battles, guided their leaders, and protected His people. But they wanted an earthly ruler they could see. God’s Heartbreaking Response 1 Samuel 8:6–7“But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.’” This is one of the most heartbreaking statements in Scripture.The God who rescued Israel, split the Red Sea, and thundered against their enemies now says, “They have rejected Me.” Even after warning them that an earthly king would oppress them—take their sons, daughters, land, and flocks (1 Samuel 8:10–18)—the people persisted: 1 Samuel 8:19–20“No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” The tragedy is that God had already been fighting their battles. The King They Wanted—Not the King They Needed Just one chapter earlier, in 1 Samuel 7:10, God Himself delivered Israel: “As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel.” No human king could match that.Yet Israel traded the invisible, all-powerful King for a visible, impressive one. Enter Saul: tall, handsome, and exactly what the people wanted. 1 Samuel 9:2 — “There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he.”1 Samuel 10:23–24 — “From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people... And all the people shouted, ‘Long live the king!’” Saul wasn’t chosen because he was what God wanted—he was chosen because he was what the people wanted. Lesson One: When God Says, “Obey Their Voice,” It Doesn’t Always Go Like We Expect When the Israelites insisted on a king, God essentially said, “Okay—if that’s what you want, you can have it.”But what followed wasn’t what they expected. 1 Samuel 13:5–7“The Philistines mustered to fight with Israel... When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble... the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns.” Their great, tall, warrior king couldn’t deliver them. They hid in fear—exactly the opposite of the confidence they thought a king would bring. When God gives us what we demand outside His will, it rarely turns out like we imagined.He may allow it, but His permission doesn’t equal His approval. Lesson Two: God Can Give Us What We Want but Remove the Power to Enjoy It This truth is echoed in Ecclesiastes 6:1–2: “There is an evil that I have seen under the sun… a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them.” God can give us the very thing we’ve been begging for—but take away our ability to enjoy it.That’s what happened to Israel. They got their king, but lost their joy, peace, and protection. This same principle appeared earlier in Israel’s history when they craved meat instead of manna: Psalm 106:15 — “He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.” They were filled physically but starved spiritually. God gave them what they wanted, but it didn’t satisfy their souls. The Other Side of the Lesson: God Can Give and Bless the Enjoyment Too Thankfully, the Bible also shows the opposite truth.In Ecclesiastes 5:18

Settling outside the Promised Land is problematic. The Promised Land’s physical rest prefigures the Christian’s spiritual rest in Christ. Two-and-a-half tribes stayed on the east side of the Jordan, outside the Promised Land, and it was detrimental to them. Spiritually it is detrimental to us when we stay outside the rest we can have in Christ. https://youtu.be/SlMoXSzpEcE Settling outside the Promised Land was problematic for 2.5 tribes and it is detrimental to us if we don't enter the spiritual rest in Christ. Table of ContentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: The Promised Land was a place of rest beyond the Jordan.Lesson Two: The 2.5 tribes got what they wanted to their detriment.Lesson Three: The Promised Land’s physical rest prefigures spiritual rest in Christ.Lesson Four: We settle outside the promised land when we don’t rest in Christ’s (Part One) finished work.Lesson Four: We settle outside the promised land when we don’t rest in Christ’s (Part Two) forgiveness.Lesson Four: We settle outside the promised land when we don’t rest in Christ’s (Part Three) victory over Death. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Deuteronomy 3:20, 12:9-10, Joshua 22:4, Numbers 32:1-15, 33 cf. Joshua 22:10-12, 1 Chronicles 5:26—How was the Promised Land a place of rest? How was it NOT a place of rest? Why didn’t the 2 ½ tribes want to settle in the Promised Land? Why was Moses concerned about them not settling in the Promised Land? What did the 2 ½ tribes experience to their detriment for settling outside the Promised Land? Day 2: Hebrews 3-4—How does the physical Promised Land prefigure our spiritual rest in Christ? In what ways is Moses a type of the law? In what ways is Joshua a type of Jesus? How does the law serve as our tutor? Day 3: Matthew 11:28-30, 12:5, Hebrews 10:11-12, John 1:29, Hebrews 2:15, 1 John 5:13—Why do we struggle to rest in Christ’s finished work? Why do we struggle with whether we have truly been forgiven of our sins? Why do we still fear Death despite Christ’s victory over it? What can we do to overcome these struggles and truly rest in Christ? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Settling Outside the Promised Land.” Please open your Bibles to Numbers 32 and stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Numbers 32:1 Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2 So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land that the Lord struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 And they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.” 6 But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? 7 Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the Lord has given them? 8 Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the Lord had given them. 10 And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, 11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, 12 none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord.’ 13 And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone. 14 And behold, you have risen in your fathers' place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel! 15 For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.” You may be seated. Let’s pray. On Sunday mornings we have been looking at a few examples of God giving people what they want…to their own detriment. I think this is so important, because of a mistaken notion about God… Some people think that if God doesn’t want them doing something, He will prevent them. There are people who engage in sin and their defense is, “God hasn’t stopped me, so He must be okay with it. He didn’t close the door, so it must be okay that I walked through it.” But it doesn’t work like this. God hasn’t created a bunch of robots. We are free moral agents who can push for our will

Some people have a mistaken notion about God. They think that if God doesn’t want them doing something, that He will prevent them. But it doesn’t work like this. God might give us what we want to our detriment. If we push God, He might let us have what we want even to our own detriment. We saw that in last Sunday’s sermon when God let Moses take Aaron with him. We see it in this sermon when God gives the Israelites meat in the wilderness and lets Balaam go with Balak. https://youtu.be/Lc6Oydt51q8 Some people think if God doesn’t want them doing something, He will prevent them, but God might give us what we want to our detriment. Table of ContentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesGod might give us what we want but later (Lesson One) we might not want it.God might give us what we want but later (Lesson Two) He might punish us.God might give us what we want but later (Lesson Three) He might be angry. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: 1 Numbers 11:1-19—Why would the Israelites complain at the beginning of the chapter after everything God had done for them? Why do we complain despite all God has done for us? Why do you think the Israelites no longer wanted the manna? Why do you think God gave them meat? Why would the meat become loathsome to them and what application does this have for us? Day 2: Numbers 11:31-34, Philippians 3:19, Psalm 78:26-31, 106:12-15—Why would God punish us after giving us what we want? What do you think it means that they ate but weren’t filled? What application do you see this having for us? What does it mean that God sent leanness into their soul? Day 3: Numbers 22:2-22—Why was God angry with Balaam after he went? Why would God be angry with us after giving us what we want? How did things end up going for Balaam after he went? What application does this have for us? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “God Might Give Us What We Want to Our Detriment.” Please open your Bibles to Numbers 11 and stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Numbers 11:1 And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. 3 So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned among them. 4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” 7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. 8 The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. 9 When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it. Go ahead and skip to verse 18… Numbers 11:18 And say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”’” You may be seated. Let’s pray. On Sunday mornings we have been working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse, but we encountered something at the beginning of the parable of the prodigal son that I thought was so important I wanted to elaborate on it by showing you a few other examples in Scripture. Let me remind you what we read and then I will explain why I wanted to flesh this out… Luke 15:11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. As we talked in our sermon on these verses, the son’s request was incredibly rude and disrespectful. The listeners in Jesus’s day would’ve expected the father to: Reject the son’s request Rebuke him for his disrespect Remove him from the family Slap him across the face Announce that the son should be viewed as dead And then hold a funeral for him Instead, we read… Luke 15:12b And he divided his property between them. The only thing more outrageous than the son’s request was the father’s response. One commentator wrote, “For a father to do this…would cause [people to] gasp. Rather than strike [th

Romans 4:25 says, “[Jesus Christ] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised to life for our justification.” The first half looks back to Good Friday when Jesus died for our sins. The second half moves to Easter Sunday. This is what we’re celebrating today: Jesus being resurrected for our justification. Justified means, “Declared righteous.” What does this have to do with Jesus’s resurrection? Jesus is our Substitute. He died in our place and took the punishment we deserve. If He stayed dead that would mean He was a sinner and unable to save us. But his resurrection reveals he is our perfect substitute who could die in our place and take the punishment we deserve. https://youtu.be/cFo4TIdnvfA Jesus Christ was delivered up for our trespasses and raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25). This looks to Good Friday and Easter Sunday! Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for Jesus Christ Was Raised to Life for Our JustificationSermon Notes for Jesus Christ Was Raised to Life for Our JustificationLesson One: Don’t miss the spiritual, because you’re focused on the physical.Lesson Two: If you’re focused on the physical you won’t want what Jesus offers.Lesson Three: Christ was raised to life for our justification. Family Worship Guide for Jesus Christ Was Raised to Life for Our Justification Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: 1 Samuel 16:6-7, 2 Kings 6:15-17, John 3:3-7, 4:10-39, 6:27-35—Can you think of some other examples in Scripture of focusing on the physical versus the spiritual that were not mentioned in the sermon? In what ways do we focus on the physical versus the spiritual? Day 2: John 6:66-68, Luke 24:13-34—Why did the large crowds abandon Jesus in John 6? Why were Peter and the other disciples willing to stay with Jesus? Why were the two people on the road to Emmaus discouraged? Why should they have been encouraged? Day 3: Romans 4:25, Acts 2:24, 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17—What is justification? How are people justified? How can God be both just and merciful? What does it mean that Jesus was raised for our justification? Why is Jesus’s resurrection so important? Sermon Notes for Jesus Christ Was Raised to Life for Our Justification He is risen! The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Raised to Life for Our Justification.” Before we get into these verses in Luke 24 I want to back up and help you see the mistake these two made, because it is a common mistake we can make. Just so the mistake can be obvious, I’m going to give you a lesson that spells it out… Lesson One: Don’t miss the spiritual, because you’re focused on the physical. Unfortunately, man has the tendency to see the physical instead of the spiritual and this is why there was so much confusion and frustration associated with Christ’s First Coming: People were focused on what they wanted Christ to do physically But Christ came primarily for spiritual reasons Let me share a few examples with you from Scripture to show you how often this happens… Think about when the prophet Samuel went to anoint the second king of Israel. God sent him to the house of Jesse, who had eight sons. Eliab was the oldest and David was the youngest. Listen to what happened… 1 Samuel 16:6 When [Jesse’s sons] came, [Samuel] looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, stood before Samuel and he must’ve been strong and physically impressive, which caused Samuel to think he was the next king of Israel. More than likely Samuel thought this because he previously anointed Saul, who was a physically impressive man: 1 Samuel 9:2 [Kish] had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel (twice it mentions how handsome he was). From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 1 Samuel 10:23 When [Saul] stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people (now listen to this…), “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” So all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!” If Samuel – and the people of Israel – would’ve looked at Saul spiritually, instead of just physically, they would’ve seen he was actually very small. And unfortunately, Samuel was only looking at things physically when Eliab stood before him…and God rebuked him for it… 1 Samuel 16:7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For THE LORD DOES NOT SEE AS MAN SEES; FOR MAN LOOKS AT THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART.” Basically, this means God doesn’t look at things like man looks at things, because man looks at things physically, but God looks at things spiritually. Samuel was one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. If this could happen to him, it could happen to anyone. Here’s the background for the next example

When we say, “Father give me my share,” as the rebellious younger son did in Luke 15:11, we set ourselves up for problems. We always want to have soft, teachable, receptive hearts that are submissive and sensitive to God’s will. We never want to keep pushing for our will when God has made His will clear. The worst that can happen is not that God will keep saying no. The worst that can happen is He can finally let us have our will even to our own detriment. https://youtu.be/ft7lT39Ys4k When we say, “Father give me my share,” like the son in Luke 15:11, the worst that can happen is God lets us have our will to our detriment. Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for When We Say, “Father Give Me My Share”Sermon Notes for When We Say, “Father Give Me My Share”Lesson One: The first two parables are about the salvation of unbelievers, but the third parable is about the repentance of a backslidden believer.Lesson Two: The son’s request was incredibly disrespectful and selfish.Lesson Three (Part One) Our Heavenly Father might let us have our will to our own detriment.Lesson Three (Part One) Our Heavenly Father might let us have our will to our own detriment (Part Two) such as with Moses. Family Worship Guide for When We Say, “Father Give Me My Share” Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 15:1-12—What are some of the major differences between the first two parables and the third parable? What did the younger son’s request communicate? Why was it so disrespectful and selfish?Day 2: Luke 15:12, James 1:17—Why would Jesus’s listeners have been so surprised by the father’s response in the parable? What does this teach us about our Heavenly Father’s possible responses to us?Day 3: Exodus 3:11-4:14—Why was Moses unwilling to go? What were Moses’s five excuses? Why do you think God let Aaron go with Moses? Was God’s decision to let Aaron go with Moses merciful or judicial, and why do you think that? Sermon Notes for When We Say, “Father Give Me My Share” The title of this morning’s sermon is, When We Say, “Father Give Me My Share.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 15:11. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 15:11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. You may be seated. Let’s pray. In the last sermon we finished the second parable, the parable of the lost coin, and this morning we will begin looking at the third and final parable, the parable of the lost sons. A couple things to notice: The first parable deals with losing one out of 100, or 1%. The second parable deals with losing one out of 10, or 10%. The third parable deals with losing one out of two, or 50%. The percent is increasing.The value is also increasing. A son is worth more than a coin, and a coin is worth more than a sheep. Let me share a few other things about this parable before we begin… According to my ESV Expository Commentary this parable “is simply incomparable and is perhaps the greatest parable Jesus ever uttered, which would make it the greatest parable in history.” The first two parables primarily focus on God, but this parable focuses as much on man, and in particular his sin and rebellion. We believe in one God who eternally exists as three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. There are parables that primarily deal with the second Person of the triune nature of God, God the Son, such as the first two parables. The shepherd who goes to look for the lost sheep and the woman who goes to look for the lost coin represent Jesus as He goes to look for lost sinners. But this parable focuses on the first Person of the triune nature of God, God the Father. In other words, to be clear, the father in the parable represents God the Father. Also, the two themes of the first two parables are joy and repentance. The words joy, rejoicing, and repentance occur eight times. Joy and repentance continue to be the themes of the third parable as well, but there is a significant change. The words joy, rejoice, rejoicing, and repentance are absent. Instead of using these words, we get to see them described: We get to see the son’s repentanceWe get to see the father’s joy Finally, the previous two parables were about unbelievers, but this parable focuses on a believer. This is so important I want to

Jesus said, “There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7). Because we are one of many people who have been saved, we could wonder if our salvation is meaningful to God. But there is joy in heaven, not just over hundreds or thousands of people's salvation, but over one sinner who repents. https://youtu.be/dOZ7extp6CE Jesus said, “There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15). There’s joy not just over the salvation of many, but over one! Table of ContentsThere Is Joy in Heaven Over One Sinner's SalvationWhat Brings God the Greatest Joy in Heaven?God's Joy in Heaven Over Just One Lost Sinner Being FoundGod's Joy Is Our RewardGod Rejoices Over UsThe Lord Seeks and the Sinner RepentsWho Are the Righteous Persons Who Need no Repentance?We Need a New Nature Versus More EffortThree Characteristics of True Repentance Luke 15:7 “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” repents.” The silver coin is a drachma, which was a Greek coin roughly equivalent to the Roman denarius, which was equal to the pay for one day’s labor. When Jewish girls were married they received ten silver coins as wedding gifts. They would wear the coins in a headband to show that they were married. Losing one of the coins meant more than just the loss of financial value, because the coins also held sentimental value. It might be like losing one of the stones in your wedding ring. Ancient houses were dark because they didn’t have lights in them like we do. If this woman was going to find her lost coin, she was going to have to "light a lamp" to do so. Just as a woman would rejoice over a stone missing from her wedding ring, so too would a woman rejoice over finding one of her ten lost coins. But this parable this isn’t primarily about a woman searching for and finding a lost coin. It is primarily about how hard Jesus works to find lost sinners. He lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and seeks diligently until finding them. We only need to think about Him hanging on that cross to see the full length He would go to seek and save the lost. There Is Joy in Heaven Over One Sinner's Salvation Just to make it abundantly clear that the parable is not primarily about a woman searching for a coin, Jesus spelled it out: "There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). Rejoicing over lost sinners is not something that is only important to people on earth. All of Heaven wants to see people saved. I want to draw your attention to something that I don’t think would be initially obvious. Look back at verse 5… Luke 15:5 And when he has found it (the lost sheep), he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Luke 15:6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ It makes sense that the shepherd rejoices when he finds the lost sheep, but doesn't it seem excessive? He calls together his friends and neighbors and tells them to rejoice with him. This is what we would expect for something major like a wedding or graduation. It’s the same in verse 9: "She calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.'" Imagine a woman finds her lost wedding ring. Can you imagine her calling her friends and neighbors and telling them to rejoice with her? This is what we might expect for a child that was missing and then returned, but not for a lost coin. Jesus often spoke with hyperbole, or exaggeration to make a point: “Cut off your hand, pluck out your eye, a camel goes through the eye of a needle, hate your parents and children.” This is another example. Nobody would act this way over a lost sheep or lost coin being found. Why present such an absurd situation? For the same reason Jesus always used hyperbole: to make a point. He wanted to show the Lord’s joy over lost sinners being saved. Verse 10 says, "There is joy BEFORE THE ANGELS." This isn’t simply saying there’s joy in heaven. This is about God's joy, because He’s the One before the angels! We should also rejoice over lost sinners being saved. To do so is to be like God. What Brings God the Greatest Joy in Heaven? There are two themes in these parables. The first is joy. The word joy or rejoice occurs five times in verses five through 10. Have you ever wondered what brings God joy? I’m sure: When we have marriages that reflect Christ and the church i

Jesus said of Himself, “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The Parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, hidden treasure, and pearl reveal Christ’s heart to seek and to save the lost. https://youtu.be/5SmTMgu3OE0 Jesus said of Himself, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The Parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, hidden treasure, and pearl reveal Christ’s heart to seek and to save the lost. Table of ContentsJesus Seeks and Saves the Lost Because They’re Valuable to HimThe Lost Should Be Valuable to UsJesus Seeks and Saves the Lost, Versus the Lost Seeking and Finding HimBuild Theology with Indicatives Supported by NarrativesSeeking and Saving the Lost Causes Jesus to RejoiceThe Parables of the Hidden Treasure and PearlLet Christ Be the HeroPrefigured in the Book of RuthSeeking and Saving the Lost Brought Jesus Joy The religious leaders in Jesus’ day divided people into two groups: the clean and the unclean the righteous and the unrighteous They wanted to be clean and righteous so they tried to live separately from people they thought were unclean and unrighteous: Some rabbis in Jesus’ day took this idea so seriously that they refused to even teach people they thought were unclean and unrighteous. Morris, Leon L. "Luke: An Introduction and Commentary" (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1988) Let not a man associate with the wicked, not even to bring him the law. Strack-Billerbeck, II, 208 This led to the religious leaders' criticism that “[Jesus] receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). Jesus responded by preaching the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son (Luke 15:3-32). Later Jesus said of himself, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). The three parables, better than anything else in the Gospels, reveal Christ’s heart to seek and to save the lost. Luke 15:3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? Jesus was willing to leave ninety-nine to pursue one, which doesn’t make sense. You don’t sacrifice ninety-nine for one. There are two possibilities: one logical and one illogical. The logical possibility is understood by imagining a family is camping. They go on a hike, come back to the campsite, but notice one of the kids is missing. The father leaves his wife and the other kids to look for the child that’s missing. The other possibility is illogical. Jesus often spoke with hyperbole, or exaggeration: "Cut off your hand, pluck out your eye, a camel goes through the eye of a needle, hate your parents and children." This is another example, because a good shepherd would never do this. The parable could describe a shepherd diligently looking for a lost sheep, but it talks about a shepherd leaving the other ninety-nine sheep to search for one lost sheep. Only a foolish shepherd would endanger 99% of the flock for 1% of the flock. One author, familiar with shepherding in the Middle East, wrote: I have never seen in Syria, Palestine or Mesopotamia a flock attended by a single person. Two, and even three, shepherds are commonly employed. When one sheep is lost and the shepherd goes to seek it, the other shepherd takes the flock home. Bailey, K. E. (1983). Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes: A Literary-Cultural Approach to the Parables in Luke (Combined Edition, Vol. 1, p. 149). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Jesus described an absurd situation or the same reason He always used hyperbole or absurd situations: to make a point. He wanted to show the value of that one lost sheep to the shepherd. Jesus Seeks and Saves the Lost Because They’re Valuable to Him The Lord seeking and saving lost sinners was first pictured back in the Garden when God sought out Adam and Eve after they sinned: "The Lord God called to Adam, 'Where are you?'” (Genesis 3:9). I don't know if you wake up some days doubting your value. I don’t know how valuable you feel in your workplace, school, marriage, or family. But I can tell you this: even if you aren’t valuable to anyone else, you are incredibly valuable to Christ. If you were that one lost sheep, Jesus would be willing to leave the other ninety-nine sheep to find you. The Lost Should Be Valuable to Us If lost sheep are valuable to Jesus, and we love Jesus, lost sheep should be valuable to us. For a moment think about that people who might have the least value to you: People begging for money: I will be the first to say that I am not defending his actions. I know that for every needy person there are several frauds who could be working beg instead. But whether they are truly needy or not, they are still valuable to Christ. Drug addicts: Sometimes you can see the toll the years of addict

What does the Bible say about saving money? Should Christians save money? Proverbs 13:22 says, "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children." Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn what Bible verses about saving money teach us. Table of ContentsWe Develop the Habit of Spending or Saving MoneyThe Bible’s View of Saving MoneyAvoiding Financial RegretsSaving Money the Right WayTaking Advantage of Time and InterestContrast Peter and PaulAccumulating Money Wrong WaysAvoid Gaining Money CorruptlyAvoid Gaining Money QuicklyWhat about Gambling?Is the Stock Market Gambling?Teach Your Children About Saving MoneyHelped by God After health-and-fitness-related New Year’s resolutions, such as exercising more, going on a diet, and losing weight, the second-most-common resolutions are financial. This would be good news, except that only 64 percent of New Year’s resolutions last longer than the first month, and only 46 percent last longer than six months. Changing is hard! As a pastor, I’ve heard many people say, “I’m going to stop this,” or “I’m going to start that,” but then nothing changes. We get into the habit of doing things one way and it’s difficult to do things differently. This is why the Bible warns us about losing good habits and developing bad ones: “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’” (1 Corinthians 15:33). “They get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house” (1 Timothy 5:13 NIV).” “Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). In chapters 11 and 13, we discussed avoiding going to the movies, eating out, or buying high-end coffee because all these purchases add up. The other risk is these activities become habit-forming. We Develop the Habit of Spending or Saving Money Notice the word or in the subhead above. We can’t develop the habit of spending and saving money. They are mutually exclusive. Think of a plane trying to fly in two different directions. I’ve spoken with people who habitually spend money and defend their actions by discussing how much they have saved. They still develop the habit of spending money, but they’ve found a way to justify it. For some people, spending money moves from a habit to an addiction. Consider these testimonies. Although women are in view, men can have similar problems: Michelle feared the day her husband might discover her secret stash of credit cards, her secret post office box or the other tricks she used to hide how much money she spent shopping for herself. She said, “I make as much money as my husband and if I want a $500 suit from Ann Taylor, I deserve it and do not want to be hassled about it. So the easiest thing to do is lie.” Last year, when her husband forced her to destroy one of her credit cards, she went out and got a new one without telling him. She also said, “I do live in fear. If he discovers this new Visa, he’ll kill me. “Men just don’t understand that shopping is our drug of choice,” even while admitting that some months her entire salary goes to paying the minimum balance on her credit cards. She added, “Walking through the door of South Coast Plaza is like walking through the gates of heaven. God made car trunks for women to hide shopping bags in. “Shopping is my recreation. It is my way of pampering myself. When you walk into [a mall] and you see all the stores, it is like something takes over and you get caught up in it.” Three in five women admit to hiding purchases from their husband. These women are slaves to spending money, and as I said a moment ago, men have this problem too. The good news is all of us can change. Even if you’re the biggest spender, you can develop the habit of saving money. The same fervor you had for spending, can be turned into a fervor for saving. You can become as excited about maxing your retirement account as you used to be about buying things. You can reach the point that you view every purchase as money you are unable to save. To put it simply: As much as spending used to be your habit, saving can become your habit. The Bible’s View of Saving Money As negatively as the Bible speaks of debt, it speaks equally positively of saving: “The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down” (Proverbs 21:20 NIV). Foolish people spend (gulp down) what they have, but wise people save (store up). Earlier I mentioned Proverbs 13:22 to condemn government debt: “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” But what would this verse look like when followed? You would have people who save so much it is passed down not just to their children, but to their children’s children. In the New Testament, Paul affirmed, “Children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children” (2 Corinthians 12:14). Folly fritters away and is unprepared for the future, but wisdom conse

Psalm 32:1-4 describes what it feels like being burdened by sin. David was one of the most vibrant and vigorous men in Scripture, but his sin prematurely aged him. His health deteriorated dramatically at an early age, especially in Old Testament times, and especially for a man as physically gifted and strong as he was. The tax collectors and sinners drew near to Jesus to have their sin burdens lifted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8htGjuSljNY Psalm 32:1-4 describes being burdened by sin. Tax collectors and sinners drew near to Jesus to have their sin burdens lifted. Table of ContentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: Sin is a heavy burden to bear.Lesson Two: Sinners draw near to Jesus to have their sin burden lifted.Lesson Three: The self-righteous never have their sin burden lifted. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Psalm 32:1-5, 31:10, 38:3, 1 Kings 1:1—Why is it fitting to call sin a burden? Why do you think David’s sin burden affected him so much physically? What could David have done to ease the suffering from his sin? If you’re familiar with David’s life, what did it finally take for him to repent? Read 2 Samuel 12 if necessary. Day 2: Luke 5:12-13, 15:1, Matthew 3:2, 4:17—Why do you think tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus when so many others were turning away? Why is leprosy such a fitting picture of sin? How could Jesus reach out and touch a leper without becoming unclean? Describe the picture of double imputation when Jesus cleansed the leper. Day 3: Luke 15:2, Isaiah 65:2-5, 1 John 1:9—Why does self-righteousness stop people from having their sin burden lifted? Describe the sins the rebellious people committed in Isaiah 65. What was the final sin described in verse five and why was it so appalling to God? What can we do to be cleansed of our spiritual leprosy? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Are You Burdened by Sin?” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse. We are in Luke 15, but first I would like to have you open to Psalm 32. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Psalm 32:1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah You may be seated. Let’s pray. We got a children’s version of Pilgrim’s Progress for Christmas for one of our kids and we started reading it together as a family…again…because we didn’t finish it the first time. Christian carries a heavy burden at the beginning of his journey, symbolizing his sin. This burden is what initially prompts him to seek salvation. It isn’t until he reaches the place of Deliverance, or the Cross, that he gets rid of the burden. And this brings us to lesson one… Lesson One: Sin is a heavy burden to bear. Listen to the lyrics of this well-know hymn… What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! Why does it say He bears them? Because they’re a burden. Are we weak and heavy-laden, This is how a heavy burden makes us feel. Cumbered with a load of care? More language of a heavy burden. Psalm 32 probably contains the best description in Scripture of what it feels like being burdened by sin. Look at verse 1… Psalm 32:1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Do you remember when we talked about double imputation last week? Our sins imputed to Christ’s account His righteousness imputed to our account This verse describes that imputation. The words the Lord counts no iniquity mean he doesn’t impute our sins to our accounts. These are the verses Paul quotes in Romans 4 to explain imputation. The verse says blessed is the man against whom the Lord [does not impute sin], and that’s a great reason to feel blessed…but it’s not the reason David says he was blessed. Notice the first word of verse 3 – at least in the ESV – is for, which means, because. David says he’s blessed for, or because, of the reason he’s about to give…basically, so he wouldn’t have to keep feeling the way he was feeling! Look at verse 3… Psalm 32:3 For when I kept silent, What does this mean? Here’s the context… David committed adultery with Bathsheba, had her husband, Uriah, murdered, but instead of confessing his sin, he covered it. One of the marks of the integrity of Scripture is it records the lowest points of some of its greatest people. No punches are pulled. The following two verses show the agony David exper

The danger of self-righteousness is that it prevents people from recognizing their spiritual sickness. Self-righteous people think they’re spiritually healthy, so they don’t look to the Great Physician. If you’re sick, but you think you’re healthy you don’t know anything’s wrong. You won’t get the medical attention you need. You keep getting worse, often without knowing it. It is dangerous to be physically sick and not know it, but it’s even worse to be spiritually sick and not know it. If you’re physically sick and don’t know it, the worst you can experience is physical death. But if you’re spiritually sick and don’t know it the worst you can experience is eternal death. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl-8q9AUXs0 The danger of self-righteousness is that it prevents people from recognizing spiritual sickness and seeking to be justified by faith. Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for The Danger of Self-RighteousnessSermon Notes for The Danger of Self-Righteousness and Understanding JustificationSelf-righteousness is dangerous because it (Lesson One) causes us to think we’re healthy when we’re sick.Self-righteousness is dangerous, because it (Lesson Two) prevents us from wanting Jesus’s righteousness.Self-righteousness is dangerous, because it (Lesson Three) is shooting at the wrong target. Family Worship Guide for The Danger of Self-Righteousness Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Isaiah 1:5-6, Jeremiah 30:12-13, Proverbs 16:2, 30:12, Hosea 12:8, Revelation 3:17, Luke 16:14-15—What does it mean to be spiritually sick? Why would people think they are spiritually healthy when they are spiritually sick? Why is it dangerous to be spiritually sick but think you are spiritually healthy? Besides what was mentioned in the sermon, can you think of other examples in Scripture of people being spiritually healthy when they were spiritually sick?Day 2: Luke 18:9-14, Matthew 3:13-15, Luke 5:31-32, Isaiah 55:1—What two things does Jesus offer us? Define justified in two words. What is double imputation? Why is justification greater than mere forgiveness? How can we be justified? How do many people wrongly attempt to be justified? In other words, how do many people think they can go to heaven?Day 3: Luke 18:9, Romans 10:3, Jeremiah 10:19—Why is self-righteousness shooting at the wrong target? Romans 10:3 says the Jews sought to establish their own righteousness. How did they do that? There are reasons people won’t go to an earthly physician. Why won’t people go to Jesus, the Great Physician? Sermon Notes for The Danger of Self-Righteousness and Understanding Justification The title of this morning’s sermon is, “The Danger of Self-Righteousness.” Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word… Isaiah 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” 4 Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. 5a Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? Now this is the part for this morning… Isaiah 1:5b The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil. You may be seated. Let’s pray. On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse, but this morning we are going to continue from last Sunday’s sermon. If I would’ve preached two hours last week this would’ve been the second half. So let me briefly remind you what we talked about… Luke 5:31 Jesus [said], “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. We talked about just how fitting it is to describe Jesus as a Physician for sinners. Earthly physicians heal physical sickness, but Jesus heals spiritual sickness.Earthly physicians work on the body, but Jesus works on the soul. Look back at Isaiah 1:1… Isaiah 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Isaiah is speaking to Judah in the days of these kings. If you’re familiar with the Jews during this season of their history, you know they were struggling spiritually. Look what Isaiah said to them in verse 5 about their sickness… Isaiah 1:5a Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, They are sick in the head. Isaiah 1:5b and the whole heart faint. They have heart failure. Isaiah 1:6a From t

Jesus said, “Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28). Jesus wanted to prevent people from starting to follow Him and then stopping later. Expectations shape experiences. When you know the cost involved in following Christ, there’s a better chance of persevering. So, He used two illustrations that both involve foresight: building a tower and going to war. https://youtu.be/nqUqFGC59vQ In Luke 14:28 Jesus said, “First sit down and count the cost,” to prevent people from starting to follow Him and then stopping. Table of ContentsJesus Wants Unbelievers to Count the Cost So They Don’t Start and Then StopTwo Metaphors Illustrating Counting the CostFirst, Count the Cost When Building a TowerSecond, Count the Cost When Going to WarJesus Wants Believers to Count the Cost So They PersevereIs There Anything You Won't Renounce?Christians Share Similarities with SaltFirst, Salt FlavorsSecond, Salt PreservesThird, Salt HealsFourth, Salt NourishesOnly Apostates Lose Their SaltinessApostates Look Like Believers"Enlightened""Tasted of the heavenly gift""Shared in the Holy Spirit""Tasted the goodness of the word of God""The powers of the age to come"Apostates' Saltiness Can Never Be Restored Consider the duality of the Gospel. Gospel means “Good News” and there’s much good news: Jesus takes the punishment our sins deserve We’re given the very righteousness of Christ We will spend eternity in heaven with the Lord We don’t have to spend eternity in hell. I’ve heard people say, “Don’t tell people about hell, because that’s the bad news.” I don’t think it’s bad news to learn that you don’t have to go to hell. To me, that’s great news. But there’s also a cost associated with all this good news, or a cost associated with being Christ’s disciple: Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters yes, even their own life such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Following Christ can be hard! Jesus said, "For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:14). Jesus himself said following Him is hard. So, guess what could happen? People can start following Christ, but then stop. They begin, but don’t finish. Jesus Wants Unbelievers to Count the Cost So They Don’t Start and Then Stop If you are like me, when you think of the parable of the soils you think of three bad soils and one good soil. That’s true, but it’s also true that three of the soils started off well, and two of them stopped, leaving only one good soil: Luke 8:6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it (grew up with the plants, meaning the seed started growing) and choked it. Jesus interpreted the soils: Luke 8:13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. One soil "believes for a while," which is to say begins, but doesn't finish. This is apostasy, which we'll talk more about in a moment. The other soil grows up enough thorns choke it, which is to say it also begins, but doesn't finish. Two of the three soils start and stop Jesus wants to prevent unbelievers from starting and stopping, so He preached the following: Luke 14:28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? This introduces an interesting balance. On one hand we have 2 Corinthians 6:2, quoting Isaiah 49:8, which says, "Now is the day of salvation." This sounds like people should make a decision today! But in these verses Jesus tries to prevent people from making a hasty decision by telling them to first count the cost. How do we explain this? I think the balance is, press people to make a decision, but make sure they understand what’s involved. Tell people to repent and turn to Christ, but encourage them to count the cost. Two Metaphors Illustrating Counting the Cost The spiritual application from both metaphors is that it is best to figure out as early as possible whether we really want to follow Christ. First, Count the Cost When Building a Tower I don’t think we see this much in our day, because of the financing people receive for building projects. What typically happens is people build something and it ends up being much more expensive than they initially thought, but it seems like at least it gets built. But in Jesus

It is as though Jesus said, “You cannot be my disciple if you won’t do these things.” This is probably the clearest teaching on discipleship in all of Scripture. “Great crowds” followed Jesus. While many popular religious leaders would try to make the crowds even larger, Jesus seemed to try to stop people from following Him. Of all the statements He made that turned people away, we have reached the most shocking: “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). Learn what this means. https://youtu.be/kP1Av9WJmiA Jesus said, “You cannot be my disciple if you won’t…” followed by incredible requirements, such as willingness to bear our own cross. Table of ContentsJesus Said, “You Cannot Be My Disciple If You Won’t Learn and then Do.”Jesus Said, “You Cannot Be My Disciple If You Won’t Suffer for Me.”Understanding CrucifixionBearing Our Cross Means Submission to ChristIf We Want the Glory We Must Partake in the SufferingJesus Said, “You Cannot Be My Disciple If You Won’t get Off the Fence.”Joshua Wanted the Israelites to Get Off the FenceElijah Wanted the Israelites to Get Off the FenceJesus Wanted the Laodiceans to Get Off the FenceLuke 14:27 Also Prevents Fence SittersFootnotes We have the potential with God’s Word to be in one of two groups: we hear God’s Word and do what it says, or we think our responsibility ends at simply hearing. It’s great to listen, but we must go further and actually do. This is a common theme in Scripture: Matthew 7:24 Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, AND DOES THEM, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Luke 8:21 Jesus said, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God AND DO IT.” John 13:17 If you know these things, blessed are you IF YOU DO THEM. James 1:22 But BE DOERS OF THE WORD, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. I mention all this because Jesus said as much: Luke 14:27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25 says "great crowds" followed Jesus. While many popular religious leaders would try to make the crowds even larger, Jesus seemed to DISCOURAGE people from following Him. Of all the statements He made that turned people away, verse 27 is the most shocking. Jesus Said, “You Cannot Be My Disciple If You Won’t Learn and then Do.” The words "bear his own" remind us that discipleship involves more than simply hearing. We must be doers: Disciples are more than people who learn by means of lectures, sermons, and books. Disciples are people who learn by doing: Since studying these verses, my understanding of discipleship has changed. I’ve said before that disciple means student. Disciples learn, but a better English synonym would be apprentice: Picture students – whether in elementary school, high school, or college – and what do you think of? You think of students sitting at desks listening and learning. Picture apprentices. What do you think of? You think of hands-on. You think of people doing what they’re learning and applying the knowledge received. If disciples were simply students, Jesus would’ve said, "“Make sure you’re listening to Me and paying attention. Watch me take up my cross and deny Myself.” But Jesus told people who wanted to be his disciples, "You need to pick up your own cross and deny yourself too.” Think this is important because we can be tempted to be students rather than disciples. We can be tempted to be learners without being doers. We go to church, listen to sermons, read Christian books, attend Sunday School, or home fellowships to gain knowledge. But if we’re going to be disciples, we must apply it too. If we aren’t, then our knowledge isn’t helping much. Jesus Said, “You Cannot Be My Disciple If You Won’t Suffer for Me.” Part of doing is "[bearing our] own cross." This parallels the idea of "hating [our] own life" from the previous verse (Luke 14:26). If you hate your own life, you’re willing to pick up your cross to follow Christ. We are so familiar with the cross that, when Jesus said this, we miss some of its significance. We must avoid understanding Jesus’s words through our 21st-century lens and instead consider how they sounded to his listeners in his day. I want to help us do this by pointing out the differences between what the cross represents today and in his day. Today, crosses are largely symbols of love and affection. They’re reminders of what Jesus did for us: We put crosses in our churches. We put crosses in our business brands or logos when we want people to know we’re Christians. We hang crosses from the rearview mirror in our cars. We have crosses in our homes. We have framed pictures of crosses with beautiful poems and verses next to them. We wear crosses as jewelry or adornments. We put them on necklaces or keychains. We wear clothing that has crosses embroidered on it. We love crosses. They’re one of the most endearing and iconic images to

What do Bible verses on debt teach us? What does the bible say about borrowing money? Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn the scriptures on owing money. Table of Contents for How Does God View Debt?What Does the Bible Say About Debt?What Does the Law Teach?What Does Wisdom Literature Teach?Even Churches Can Be WrongDebt Is Your Enemy Versus Your FriendOur National DebtBiting the BulletSacrificing Our Children's Future for Our PresentThe Bible's CondemnationHow Much Debt Do We Individually Have?Credit Card DebtStudent Loan DebtAutomobile DebtWhat About Mortgages?Trust God to Help You A man came home with a fancy new car. His wife asked, “Why did you buy that? We can’t afford a new car, and there was nothing wrong with our old car.” The man answered, “Our old car needed a new battery.” His wife replied, “Then why didn’t you just buy a new battery?” The man said, “Well, I was faced with a choice. A new battery cost $100 and a new car cost $25,000, and they wanted me to buy the battery with cash.” Many people can relate to this man. We think debt is a blessing because it allows us to buy things with money we don’t have. Read on to learn how God views debt. Just to let you know ahead of time, you might have more trouble with this chapter than any other in this book. Is it because avoiding debt is more difficult than obeying the other teachings in the book? No, not at all. In fact, giving is probably more difficult for many people than avoiding debt. You might have more trouble with this chapter because the principles in it are so contrary to the world’s approach to money. For example, if I tell you it is important to give, save, and plan for retirement, you can find plenty of non-Christians who agree. But if I tell you to avoid debt, you can find plenty of financial advisors who will disagree and tell you that not only is debt acceptable, it is necessary and beneficial. I will be the first to say that we should consider the counsel of financial advisors. When I do counseling, I have recommended people visit them. But let me ask you this before we go any further: Whose counsel should we value the most? Whose instruction should trump all others? God’s! The question is not “What makes the most sense financially?” or “What do financial advisors recommend?” The question is, “What does God want?” Your Finances God’s Way received its title because it is about managing finances the way God wants, and the Bible tells us how to do things God’s way. Walking by faith means obeying God when it doesn’t appear to make sense or goes against the counsel of others. As Peter said, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). So what does God say about debt? What Does the Bible Say About Debt? To learn the Bible’s teaching on debt, we must understand the difference between law and wisdom literature. The law (think Leviticus) contains commands forbidding sin, while wisdom (think Proverbs) contains principles that help us navigate through life. Let’s consider what the law and then wisdom literature have to say about debt. What Does the Law Teach? The law does not condemn lending and borrowing. Instead, it condemns usury (exorbitant interest) and promotes generosity: “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him” (Exodus 22:25 ESV). “If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you (Leviticus 25:35-36). “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release…every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor” (Deuteronomy 15:1-2 ESV). The point to notice is debt is not a sin because the law does not forbid it. What Does Wisdom Literature Teach? Wisdom literature also discusses lending and borrowing: “O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who…does not put out his money at interest… The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous…is ever lending generously” (Psalm 15:1-2, 5; 37:21, 26 ESV). Jesus is “the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24, see also verse 30 and Colossians 2:3), so His words also tell us what wisdom says about debt: “Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away” (Matthew 5:42). We see (1) lending and borrowing aren’t discouraged, (2) usury and failing to pay what’s owed are condemned, and (3) generosity is praised. Up to this point, debt hasn’t sounded bad. But now we must consider one of the most well-known financial verses in the Bible: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender” (Proverbs 22:7 ESV). How do we understand debt sounding acceptable elsewhere, but unacceptable now? Combining the teaching on debt from the law and wisdom literatu

What does it mean to love Christ? In Luke 14:26 Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” We know Jesus didn’t literally mean to hate our parents, spouse, children, and siblings, because that would contradict other verses: First Timothy 5:8 says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” If we’re told to care for our family members, how could Jesus tell us to hate them and mean that literally? In Matthew 5:44 Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” If Jesus tells us to love our enemies, He isn’t going to tell us to hate our family members and actually mean it. So how do we explain this? In Scripture, the word hate doesn’t always mean hate. Sometimes it is used to create a contrast, or to elevate one thing above another. In this case the word hate means, “Love less.” Jesus expects us to love him more than our family members. https://youtu.be/uVnw4qgvZw4 What does it mean to love Christ? Luke 14:26 says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate….” We must love Jesus more than family. Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for What Does It Mean to Love Christ?Sermon Notes for What Does It Mean to Love Christ?Lesson One: We must love Jesus more than anyone else.Lesson Two: Love is actions versus feelings.Lesson Three: Our obedience demonstrates our love for Christ.Lesson Four: We love Jesus, because He first loved us with actions. Family Worship Guide for What Does It Mean to Love Christ? Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 14:26 cf. Matthew 10:37, Deuteronomy 21:15-17, Genesis 29:30-31, Luke 16:13, Romans 9:13, Malachi 1:2-3, Matthew 22:35-38—What does it mean to love Jesus more than anyone else? Provide some practical examples of what this can look like in your life. Describe how the word hate can be used in the Bible. Who are some people in the Bible who seemed to hate others? What about love others? Day 2: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, James 2:14-17—How does the world describe love? How is the world’s understanding of love different than the way the Bible presents love? How does understanding biblical love change your behavior toward others? Day 3: John 14:15, 15:10, 1 John 4:10, 19, John 3:16, Romans 5:8—How does our obedience demonstrate our love for Christ? Who are some people in Scripture who demonstrated their love for the Lord through their actions and obedience? How has God demonstrated his love for us? Sermon Notes for What Does It Mean to Love Christ? The title of this morning’s sermon is, “What Does It Mean to Love Christ?” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 14, verse 26. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Let’s back up to verse 25 for context… Luke 14:25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. You may be seated. Let’s pray. I think this passage contains the clearest teaching on discipleship in all of Scripture. In our last sermon in Luke’s gospel, we talked about how Jesus seemed to DISCOURAGE people from following Him. We looked at a few accounts of Him saying things that caused massive numbers of people to turn back. And this account is similar. Notice it says great crowds. I can’t say how many people this was, but I’m guessing if Jesus could miraculously feed tens of thousands of people, which happened on at least two occasions, we are talking about at least thousands of people following him here. Picture what this looked like, and let me ask you… What would you expect many popular religious leaders to think at this moment? Wow, this is great. Look at all the people following me. I better make sure I don’t mess this up and say something they don’t want to hear. What wonderful, encouraging thing can I say that will cause them to want to continue following me, and hopefully tell their friends so they start following me as well. But Jesus’s desire was never to build the largest possible crowd. Instead, he wanted to make true disciples; therefore, he never adapted His message to please people. He wasn’t running a popularity contest. He always spoke very plainly about the high cost of discipleship, and the cost never sounded higher than it does in these verses. He makes several bold demands that would make any halfhearted individuals turn away. Look at verse 26… Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And this brings us to Lesson One…

Isaiah 7:14 says, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and call his name Immanuel (which means God with Us).” Prophecy can have a near, partial fulfillment and a future, greater fulfillment. In Isaiah’s day a young girl was a virgin. She would get married, cease being a virgin, have a child, and name that child, Immanuel. There is nothing miraculous about this birth, other than God predicted it. When Ahaz saw this child named Immanuel, he would think of Isaiah’s words and the child would serve as a sign that God would deliver Judah in the future. Seven hundred years later, Mary gave birth to Christ as a virgin and He was literally, "God with Us.” Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for The Virgin Shall Conceive and Bear a Son, ImmanuelSermon Notes for The Virgin Shall Conceive and Bear a Son, ImmanuelLesson One: Some people don’t want to believe.Lesson Two: Jesus is the true and greater Immanuel in that He (part one) was born of a virgin.Lesson Two: Jesus is the true and greater Immanuel in that He (part two) is literally God with us.Lesson Two: Jesus is the true and greater Immanuel in that He (part three) gives us victory over the greatest Enemy. https://youtu.be/QqRy2X2hxFE Isaiah 7:14 says, “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and call his name Immanuel (which means God with Us),” and Jesus fulfilled this. Family Worship Guide for The Virgin Shall Conceive and Bear a Son, Immanuel Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Isaiah 7:1-13, Hebrews 11:1—Who is Ahaz, Rezin, and Pekah, and what is the relationship between them? Where does Ahaz want to turn for help and why? What does Isaiah’s son’s name mean and why is it significant? How did Ahaz view Rezin and Pekah and how did God view them? What is the significance of them trying to put Tabeel on the throne?Day 2: Isaiah 714, Matthew 1:21-23, John 1:14—Why did God want to give Ahaz a sign? Why did Ahaz not want to ask for a sign? Why did Ahaz not want to believe, and why do you think some people choose not to believe? Describe the sign God gave Ahaz. What does it mean that prophecies can have a near and partial fulfillment and a future, greater fulfillment? Describe how that occurs with this account. Can you think of any other examples in Scripture?Day 3: Isaiah 7:2 cf. Hebrews 2:14-15, 1 Corinthians 15:26, 54-57—How is Jesus the true and greater fulfillment of the prophecy? How is Jesus literally God with us? Describe the enemy Ahaz faced versus the enemy we face. The child in Ahaz’s day served as a sign of victory over what enemy? In what way does Jesus serve as a sign of a greater victory? Sermon Notes for The Virgin Shall Conceive and Bear a Son, Immanuel The title of this morning’s sermon is, “The Virgin Shall Conceive and Bear a Son, Immanuel.” You can probably tell this is the message I was going to preach on Christmas if I didn’t get Covid. I wanted to preach it today, because I think it works just as well on any Sunday. We are going to learn about one of the most amazing, and familiar, prophecies in the Bible, but just to let you know ahead of time, it’s going to involve learning the background to it. This is important, because without the background we can’t appreciate the prophecy. There are three names in this account that I want you to be able to keep straight, so I put them in the bulletin: Ahaz is the wicked king of Judah. He worshipped other gods and even sacrificed his son to Molech. One commentator said, “He was a cowardly, superstitious and hypocritical ruler, one of the worst kings Judah ever had.”Rezin is the king of Syria and he’s also badPekah is the king of Israel (also called Ephraim throughout the account) and – you guessed it – he’s bad too. Rezin and Pekah are allies and they attacked Ahaz. Ahaz wants to turn to Assyria for help instead of turning to God. God sends the prophet Isaiah to Ahaz to try to get him to trust Him instead of Assyria. With that in mind look at verse 1… Isaiah 7:1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. This is a summary verse. Rezin and Pekah wanted to conquer Judah but were unable to and the rest of the chapter explains why. Isaiah 7:2 When the house of David (which is another way to refer to Ahaz and his people) was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim (another way to refer to Israel),” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. When the combined forces of Syria and Israel approached Judah, it terrified Ahaz and all the people. They knew they could not withstand these armies. So God sends the prophet, Isaiah, to Ahaz… Isaiah 7:3 And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. God told

In Luke 14:26 Jesus said, “If anyone comes after me and does not…” and then he listed things that make it seem like He tried to discourage people from following Him. In this sermon we looked at a few other examples of this happening. Because if Jesus said these things in His day and they’re recorded for us, then we should hear the same thing in our day so that we know what is involved in following Him. Table of ContentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesJesus said, “If anyone comes after me,” they must (lesson one) sacrifice.Jesus said, “If anyone comes after me,” they must (lesson two) repent.Jesus said, “If anyone comes after me,” they must (lesson three) spiritually understand.Jesus said, “If anyone comes after me,” they must (lesson four) take the hard way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I-0ZGkjO_4 In Luke 14:26 Jesus said, “If anyone comes after me and does not…” and then listed things that seem like He didn't want people following Him. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 14:25-27—How is Jesus NOT like military recruiters? How might you expect Jesus to address large crowds? How does it seem like Jesus did address large crowds? What are the different reasons people followed Jesus? Why should people follow Jesus? Describe some of the sacrifices we are expected to make to follow Christ. Day 2: Mark 10:17-23—Describe the rich young ruler’s attitude toward Jesus. Why did Jesus say that nobody is good except God? Why did Jesus share the 10 Commandments with the rich young ruler? Why did Jesus tell the rich young ruler to sell all his possessions? Do we have to sell all our possessions? Why or why not? Why do you think Jesus didn’t go after him? Day 3: John 6:2-66, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Matthew 7:14—Why was such a large crowd following Jesus? What did Jesus mean when he said that people didn’t see the sign? Why did Jesus say he was the bread that came down from heaven? Why didn’t the people understand what Jesus was talking about? Why do you think Jesus didn’t try to clarify things for everyone? Why do you think Jesus so graphically described eating his flesh and drinking his blood WITHOUT saying that he was speaking spiritually? Why did Jesus say, “The way is hard that leads to life”? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “If Anyone Comes After Me.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 14, verse 25. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 14:25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. You may be seated. Let’s pray. In college I went through Army ROTC, and after graduation I served as an officer. My military experience allowed me to have some familiarity with recruiters. Used car salesmen have the reputation for being dishonest and saying whatever’s necessary to make a sale. SOME military recruiters are a close second. Please notice I said some because I do think there are also some honest recruiters. Military recruiters must satisfy what’s known as “commission mission.” Their performance is determined by the number of people they’re able to recruit. As a result, they strive to make the military sound as attractive as possible, which creates a strong temptation for them to lie. After looking at a few articles, here are the top lies I could find that military recruiters tell people: There’s a great chance you’ll be stationed wherever you want. There’s almost no chance of you being sent to a combat zone. You’ll receive a large signing bonus. They don’t yell at you in boot camp anymore. You can quit any time if you don’t like it. There are horror stories of people who were promised things before they signed on the dotted line, only to find their military careers ended up being considerably different than what the recruiter promised. I tell you all this, because after I became a Christian in my early 20’s and started reading the Gospels, I saw that Jesus is the opposite of military recruiters in two ways… First, He was honest: He told people the truth. He wanted them to know what to expect if they followed Him. Second, it seems like He actually tried to DISCOURAGE people from signing up…yes, you heard me correctly! When you look at Jesus’ interactions with people, you’d almost think He didn’t want them following Him. Look at Luke 14:25… Luke 14:25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, Notice it says great crowds. I can’t say how many people this was, but I’m guessing if Jesus could miraculously feed tens of thousands of people, which happened on at least two occasions, we are talking about at least thousands of people again. Picture what this looked like

In the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14:15-24, Jesus said, “A king gave a great banquet and invited many.” Those who had been invited began to make excuses, which represent the excuses many people give to the gospel. In response to the king invited the Gentiles, and all those who are poor, crippled, blind, and lame. Spiritually speaking these people represent all of us. Do we make excuses too? Table of Contents for A King Gave a Great Banquet and Invited ManyFamily Worship Guide for A King Gave a Great Banquet and Invited ManySermon Notes for A King Gave a Great Banquet and Invited ManyLesson One: The preparations are finished for our great banquet too.Lesson Two: There’s no good reason to reject the invitation to the great banquet.Lesson Three: The three main excuses for rejecting the invitation are our (part one) possessions.Lesson Three: The three main excuses for rejecting the invitation are our (part two) work.Lesson Four: There is still room at the great banquet for those who won’t make excuses. https://youtu.be/6usNoa8s9Z8 Luke 14:16 says, “A king gave a great banquet and invited many.” People made excuses, which represent the excuses given to the gospel. Family Worship Guide for A King Gave a Great Banquet and Invited Many Family Worship Guide for A King Gave a Great Banquet and Invited Many (Luke 14:15-24) Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 14:15-17, John 19:30—Why do you think one of the religious leaders was so confident that he would attend the great banquet? Describe the two invitations associated with formal suppers in Jesus’s day. In what ways are the preparations for our great banquet finished? In other words, why can we say that “It is finished”? Why did the Jews reject Jesus when he came? Day 2: Luke 14:18-20, Matthew 13:22—Why did Jesus speak with hyperbole, or exaggeration? Can you think of some examples in the Gospels? Describe the three excuses the people gave when they received the second invitation. What other excuses can you think of people giving when the gospel is shared with them? What was so absurd about these excuses? What does it look like when people reject invitation because of possessions, work, or relationships? Day 3: Luke 14:21-24—Even though the servant experienced so much rejection when inviting people to the great banquet, why wasn’t he a failure? Who did the king invite to the banquet after the first group rejected the invitation? Who did these different groups represent? Even though the religious leader in verse 15 wanted to attend the banquet, why would he be prevented from doing so? What is required for us to attend the great banquet? Sermon Notes for A King Gave a Great Banquet and Invited Many The title of this morning’s sermon is, “A King Gave a Great Banquet and Invited Many.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 14, verses 15-24. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 14:15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” You may be seated. Let’s pray. Here are the most outrageous excuses I could find that people gave to avoid work, as well as the journals they’re found in: In 1982 the Canadian Medical Association reported Bingo Brain, which is the headache associated with carbon monoxide intoxication occurring after spending long hours in smoke filled bingo halls. In 1956 the Journal of the American Medical Association reported Espresso Wrist, which is pain caused by espresso machine operators from strong wrist motions required to operate the equipment. Do we have any espresso makers here? Is strong wrist motion required? In 1965 the British Medical Association Journal reported Flip-Flop Dermatitis, which is a skin disease on the feet from wearing rubber flip-flops. I’ve

David and Mephibosheth, in 2 Samuel 9, is one of the most beautiful accounts in the Old Testament. When we read Scripture, we want to be David defeating Goliath or Elijah on Mount Carmel, but we are Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was unable to walk because he was made lame through a fall, and spiritually speaking, we are unable to walk with God, because we have been made lame through the fall. Mephibosheth was condemned to die because he was descended from Saul, like we’re condemned to die because we’re descended from Adam. David sought Mephibosheth like God seeks us. David showed Mephibosheth kindness because of Jonathan, like God shows us kindness because of Jesus. King David brought Mephibosheth into Jerusalem, like King Jesus brings the spiritually lame into the New Jerusalem. Mephibosheth was adopted by the king, like we are adopted by the King. Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for David and Mephibosheth: Brought into JerusalemSermon Notes for David and Mephibosheth: Brought into JerusalemLesson One: Show kindness to those who can’t return it.Lesson Two: Mephibosheth was condemned to die because he was descended from Saul, like we’re condemned to die because we’re descended from Adam.Lesson Three: David sought Mephibosheth like God seeks us. Lesson Four: David showed Mephibosheth kindness because of Jonathan, like God shows us kindness because of Jesus. Lesson Five: Mephibosheth was adopted by the king, like we are adopted by the King.Lesson Six: King David brought Mephibosheth into Jerusalem, like King Jesus brings the spiritually lame into the New Jerusalem. https://youtu.be/4gjFG11bYak Family Worship Guide for David and Mephibosheth: Brought into Jerusalem Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 14:12-14, 2 Samuel 4:4, 1 Kings 15:29, 1 Corinthians 15:22—Who should we invite to dinner? Who shouldn’t we invite to dinner? Is this completely literal? Why was Mephibosheth condemned to die? Describe the parallels this has for us.Day 2: 2 Samuel 9:1-8, Romans 3:11, 1 John 4:19, John 6:44, 65—What similarities do you see between the way David sought out Mephibosheth and God seeks us out? In your own life, how did God seek you out? In other words, how did He get the gospel to you; through a friend, coworker, or parent? Why was David kind to Mephibosheth, and what parallels does this have for us? Why has God shown you favor?Day 3: 2 Samuel 9:9-13, John 1:12, Galatians 3:26, 1 John 3:1, 2 Samuel 5:6-8, Galatians 4:26, Hebrews 12:22, Revelation 3:12, 21:2, 9—What did David do with Mephibosheth after he brought him into Jerusalem? In what way ways does this look forward to what God does with us? How is the earthly Jerusalem a type of the New Jerusalem? In what ways are we “Spiritually lame”? Mephibosheth was so relieved to see the King David was okay. What encourages you and challenges you about his example in your relationship with Christ? Sermon Notes for David and Mephibosheth: Brought into Jerusalem The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Brought into Jerusalem.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 14, verses 12-14. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 14:12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” You may be seated. Let’s pray. This morning’s verses pick up right where the previous verses left off. Look at verse 1… Luke 14:1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, Jesus is still dining at the house of this ruler of the Pharisees and there were other Pharisees and lawyers present. Who remembers why they invited the man with dropsy? Did they want to bless him? No. They wanted to trap Jesus. If you walked into this luncheon you would say, “The Pharisees are here, and it makes sense that Jesus is here, because they would invite prominent people, which Jesus was…but why in the world is this man with dropsy here?” The religious leaders would never invite a man like this to a meal, because the thinking of the day was if someone had a deformity, disability, or sickness, they were being punished by God. And this morning’s verses flow from this. Jesus says who we should and shouldn’t invite. Look at verse 12… Luke 14:12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when y

Jesus said, "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:11). This is one of the most common themes in Scripture: "God puts down one and exalts another" (Psalm 75:6), "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up," (James 4:10), "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:6). Adonijah is a perfect Old Testament example of disobeying this teaching. First Kings 1:5 says, "Adonijah exalted himself, saying, 'I will be king.'" He took the best place and had to give it up to someone more honorable than him: Solomon. Then with shame he had to take the lowest place (Luke 14:7-10). Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for Everyone Who Exalts HimselfSermon Notes for Everyone Who Exalts HimselfLesson One: Humility can prevent humiliation.Lesson Two: Adonijah exalted himself and was humbled.Lesson Three: Solomon was moved up higher and honored in the presence of all.Lesson Four: Jesus is the premier example of humility followed by exaltation. https://youtu.be/nlh8RbOJz9Y Jesus said, "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled" (Luke 14:11). This is a common theme in Scripture that should challenge all of us. Family Worship Guide for Everyone Who Exalts Himself Family Worship Guide Memory Verse: Luke 14:11 Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 14:7-11 cf. Mark 12:38-39, Psalm 75:6-7, James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:5-6, Philippians 2:3-4—Even though we might not care where we sit, how does Jesus’s parable apply to us? Do we have any pursuits that show an obsession with position or status? How can humility help prevent humiliation? Can you think of a time pride caused you embarrassment? Day 2: 1 Kings 1:1-27—Why was Adonijah such a prideful young man? Contrast the way Adonijah tried to obtain the throne with the way David, his father, received the throne. In what way(s) was Adonijah humbled? How does Jesus’s parable apply to Adonijah? Why did Adonijah’s friends abandon him? Day 3: 1 Kings 1:28-49, Proverbs 29:2, Philippians 2:6-11—How was Solomon exalted? Why do you think God chose Solomon over Adonijah? How is Jesus the premier example of humility followed by exaltation? Describe how Jesus humbled himself. Describe what Jesus’s exaltation will look like. Sermon Notes for Everyone Who Exalts Himself The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Everyone Who Exalts Himself Will Be Humbled.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 14, verses 7-11. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word… Luke 14:7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” You may be seated. Let’s pray. This morning’s verses pick up right where last week’s verses left off with Jesus healing on the Sabbath. Look at verse 1… Luke 14:1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. Jesus is still dining at the house of this ruler of the Pharisees and verse 3 says… Luke 14:3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, Lawyers and other Pharisees are present. The end of verse 1 says they were watching [Jesus] closely, but while they watched him, he watched them too. Look at verse 7… Luke 14:7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited (this means invited to the Pharisees’ house), when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, The synagogues and assembly halls of the first century had benches around the outside wall and a few benches in front. Most of the congregation stood or sat cross-legged on the floor. There were a limited number of good seats and they were the ones the Pharisees always wanted… Mark 12:38 [Jesus] said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to…39 have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts. Where people sat said something about their prominence and importance. There was a “pecking order.” The most honored people sat closest to the host. Now maybe you say… “This doesn’t really apply to me, because I don’t care where I sit.” The issue was obsession with position or status, so this can apply to us: Do we care about position or status? Do we want to be noticed or pr

In Luke 14:3 Jesus asked lawyers what was lawful on the Sabbath. They were experts in the law. This is their language! They were always deciding what is and isn’t lawful. If anyone should’ve been able to answer this question it was them. But they couldn’t answer, because they created a complex system of rules that made the Sabbath a burden instead of a blessing. Learn why doing good was appropriate and lawful on the Sabbath. Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for What Was Lawful on the Sabbath?Sermon Notes for What Was Lawful on the Sabbath?Lesson One: It is easy to add rules to God’s commands.Lesson Two: The Mishnah was a commentary on God’s law, the Gemara was a commentary on the Mishnah, and the Talmud combined the Mishnah and Gemara.Lesson Three: The rules added to the Sabbath made it a burden.Lesson Four: The Sabbath was about doing good.Lesson Five: Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath and the Pharisees violated it. https://youtu.be/GIh6Vbvmrdg In Luke 14:3 Jesus asked what was lawful on the Sabbath. Learn why doing good was appropriate and lawful on the Sabbath. Family Worship Guide for What Was Lawful on the Sabbath? Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 14:1-4, Exodus 20:8-11—Why did the Pharisees invite Jesus over for a meal? Why do you think they invited the man with dropsy? Why were the Pharisees watching Jesus so intently? Why did the Pharisees have so much trouble answering the first question Jesus asked? Day 2: Mark 2:27, Matthew 22:35-39, Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:14—Why do you think it is so easy to add rules to God’s law? Can you think of any rules you have added to God’s law? Are all of them good or should some of them be removed? How did the rules that the religious leaders added to the Sabbath make it a burden? How does the New Testament simplify the Old Testament law? Day 3: Matthew 12:12, Psalm 121:3-4, John 5:16-17, Luke 14:5-6—What was the purpose of the Sabbath? What was acceptable on the Sabbath? What was unacceptable? What does it mean that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath? How did Jesus fulfill the Sabbath and how did the religious leaders violate it? Sermon Notes for What Was Lawful on the Sabbath? The title of this morning’s sermon is, “What Was Lawful on the Sabbath?” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 14, verses 1-6. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. We will start at verse 22 for context… Luke 14:1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they could not reply to these things. You may be seated. Let’s pray. Just like many people look for fellowship after the worship service on Sunday, in Jesus’s day many people looked for fellowship after the synagogue service on the Sabbath. Look what happened on this particular Sabbath… Luke 14:1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. The Pharisees were the ultra-orthodox sect of Judaism who lived by a very strict code. With the exception of a few of them, such as Nicodemus or the one in the previous chapter who warned Jesus that his life was in danger, they were the worst opposition Jesus faced during his earthly ministry. But even though Jesus had some of His greatest disputes with the Pharisees, He still associated with them, not to be one of them, but to love them and show them a godly example. You’re tempted to say, “How kind of this Pharisee to invite Jesus for dinner!” Nope! This ruler of the Pharisees invited Jesus, but it wasn’t for fellowship. Notice it says they were watching him. Multiple Pharisees are present and they were watching him to see him do something so they can condemn him. The Pharisees had good reason to watch Jesus on the Sabbath, because it seemed to be his most popular day to heal people. Listen to how busy Jesus has been on the Sabbath up to this point: In Luke 4:31-37 he cast out a demon on the Sabbath In Luke 4:38-39 he healed Peter’s mother-in-law’s high fever on the Sabbath In Luke 6:1-5 he allowed his disciples to pluck grain on the Sabbath In Luke 6:6-10 he healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath In John 5:1-9 he healed the lame man on the Sabbath In Luke 13:10-17 he healed the woman who was bent over on the Sabbath In John 9 he healed the blind man on the Sabbath And they are expecting him to heal someone else on the Sabbath. Look at verse two… Luke 14:2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. Luke wrote this gos

Bowing the knee to Jesus Christ is something each person will do, whether on this side of heaven or the next. Everyone will come to the realization that Jesus is the Son of God: Isaiah 45:23 [God says], “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.” Romans 14:11 “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” Philippians 2:10 At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. How can it be that every knee will bow to Christ when we know many have rejected him? There are two ways people bow the knee to Christ: willingly in this life, or unwillingly in the next life. Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for Bowing the Knee to Jesus ChristSermon Notes for Bowing the Knee to Jesus ChristLesson One: Jesus repeated people’s names when they failed but would recover.Lesson Two: Sorrow is a Christlike response to sin.Lesson Three: We choose how we bow our knee to Christ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NXPE_X8DbA Bowing the knee to Jesus Christ is something each person will do, whether on this side of heaven or the next (Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10). Family Worship Guide for Bowing the Knee to Jesus Christ Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 10:38-42, 13:34, 22:31, John 12:1-8, Acts 9:1-5—How do you think Jesus spoke to Martha? Why did Jesus rebuke her in Luke 10, but not in John 12? How do you think Jesus spoke to Peter? What did Jesus want Peter to do after he recovered? How do you think Jesus spoke to Saul? How did each of these people recover from the rebuke Jesus gave them? Day 2: Psalm 118:22-26, John 12:12-13, Romans 11:25-27—How do you think Jesus spoke to the Jews when he repeated the name of their capital? Why was he sorrowful? Can you think of other times Jesus seemed sorrowful over sin? What about angry? Can you think of examples of Old Testament versus quoted in the New Testament and explain the way the context applies? Day 3: Luke 19:41-44, Zechariah 12:10, Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10—Why did Jesus weep after his triumphal entry? What does it mean that every knee will bow to Christ? How can this be true when we know that many reject Christ? Why do you think Jesus compared himself with a mother hen? How can you see this being a fitting illustration? Sermon Notes for Bowing the Knee to Jesus Christ The title this morning’s sermon is, “Bowing the Knee to Jesus Christ.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 13, verses 31-35. We started these verses last week and we will finish them this morning. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 13: 31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Let’s pray. Because we have to read Scripture instead of listen to it, or to be specific for this morning’s verses, because we have to read Jesus’s words, versus hear them, we have to guess how he said this to the Jews. As we talked about last week: Because the Jews murdered the prophets… Because they would murder Jesus… Because Jesus – according to his own words – often reached out to them, and they were not willing… How would you expect Jesus to say, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” to the Jews? I would expect him to be angry. To understand how Jesus said these words we are going to do something a little different. Instead of jumping right into the verses, we are going to look at the other times Jesus said names twice. This will give us a good idea how he said these words to the Jews, because he always seemed to have the same tone when repeating names. There’s one other thing I want to mention about these examples before we look at them. It seems like whenever Christ repeated people’s names, they were in weak, vulnerable positions of failure, but they would recover and do well in the future…and this brings us to lesson one… Lesson One: Jesus repeated people’s names when they failed but would recover. First, please turn to the left to Luke 10. Luke 10:38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But

We see Jesus’ compassion for sinners when He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34). The Jews murdered the prophets, apostles, and Jesus, yet Jesus still wanted to gather them under his wings to love and protect them. Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for Jesus' Compassion for SinnersSermon Notes for Jesus' Compassion for SinnersLesson One: God has a course for our lives.Lesson Two: The Jews murdered the prophets, apostles, and Jesus.Lesson Three: The Jews’ sins reveal Jesus’ compassion for sinners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPXbmx4nbxU We see Jesus Christ’s compassion for sinners when He wanted to, “gather the Jews as a hen gathers her brood under her wings” (Luke 13:34). Family Worship Guide for Jesus' Compassion for Sinners Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 13:1-34, Romans 11:22—What does it mean that Jesus prevents us from viewing him one dimensionally? What are the different “dimensions” of Jesus we see just in Luke 13? In other words, what characteristics of Christ can we see in this chapter as we come to the end of it? Day 2: Luke 13:31-32, Acts 2:23, 3:13, Psalm 37:23, Proverbs 16:9, 20:24, Jeremiah 10:23, Ephesians 2:10—why do you think Herod wanted to kill Jesus? Why wasn’t Jesus afraid of Herod? How can we reconcile our free moral agency with the verses about God directing our steps? Describe some ways you have seen the Lord orchestrate the course of your life. Day 3: Luke 11:47-50, 13:33, 20:9-16, 22:22-23, 23:20-21, Matthew 22:2-7, Acts 7:52Luke 13:34, Romans 5:20—Why do you think the Jews murdered the prophets, apostles, and Christ? Why do you think Jesus was still so compassionate toward the Jews? How does the Jews’ wickedness serve as the “black velvet background”? What are some other examples in Scripture of God’s compassion for sinners? Sermon Notes for Jesus' Compassion for Sinners The title this morning’s sermon is, “Jesus’ Compassion for Sinners.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 13, verses 31-35. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 13: 31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Let’s pray. Along with looking at commentaries on the verses that I will be preaching on, I might also try to listen to a sermon or two. Any guesses how many sermons John MacArthur had on these five verses? Six! That’s more than one sermon per verse! I will be able to cover these verses in two sermons, but I will tell you it was not easy. There is so much about the compassionate heart of Christ toward sinners that I think I would be shortchanging you to try to pack it into one sermon. And apparently John MacArthur thought he would be shortchanging his congregation if he tried to pack it into five sermons. I think we generally view people one dimensionally. For example, we say: He’s friendly or he’s hard to get to know She’s introverted or she’s extroverted He’s funny or he’s serious Jesus made it near impossible to view him one dimensionally. Right when it seems like we are starting to pin him down, we encounter verses that make him look completely different. For example, how did Jesus look in the previous verses we looked at last week about shutting the door in people’s faces and sending them to hell for eternity where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth? He looked very severe! Then we reach this morning’s verses and Jesus compared himself to – of all things – a hen that would like to gather her chicks under her wings. And how does this make Jesus look? Very compassionate! It reminds me of Romans 11:22 which says to consider the kindness and the severity of God. We definitely get to see both as we move through the Gospels. With this in mind, let’s get into this morning’s verses. Jesus was busy with His ministry when He was warned of a death threat against Him… Luke 13:31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” This shows that not all Pharisees opposed Jesus. There were

Jesus said, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24). We should consider the following verses to see why many will seek to enter heaven but few will enter. Table of contentsWe Should Consider Why Many Will Seek to Enter Heaven but Few Will EnterThe Question Is, “Does the Lord Know You?”The Lord Doesn’t Know People Who Haven’t RepentedJesus's Indignation Toward UnbelieversThe Main Problem with Easy-BelievismThe Jews Thought They Would Enter Heaven and the Gentiles Would Enter HellThe Jews Learned They Will Enter Hell, and the Gentiles Will Enter HeavenNot a Universal LawThere Will Be Surprises in the Kingdom of GodA Sobering Passage https://youtu.be/VJ6vNVMs3yQ Jesus said, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. Many will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24). We should consider the following verses to see why many will seek to enter heaven but few will enter. There are some things in life that you can be late for while other things can be very problematic if you’re late. For example, you can be late to a movie or a sporting event, but if you’re late for the bus or a flight, you’re in trouble. When I was in Army ROTC in college the commander of the program was Colonel Brewer. He told all of us, "My class starts on time, and when it starts I shut the door, lock it, and I don’t open it. If you’re late, don’t try to get in.” One of the cadets told me about a time that he was eating lunch at the same time as Colonel Brewer. He was watching him to see when he left so that he could follow him to class. He walked behind Colonel Brewer, expecting that Colonel Brewer would let him in when he reached the classroom because he knew he was walking behind him, but he still locked him out. The most terrifying example of being locked out in the Old Testament occurred in Noah’s day. Noah spent 120 years building the ark. The earth began to flood. Noah, his family, and the animals got on the ark, and then we read: "Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And THE LORD SHUT HIM IN" (Genesis 7:16). Shutting them in meant shutting everyone else out. We Should Consider Why Many Will Seek to Enter Heaven but Few Will Enter I can’t imagine what it was like for those people locked outside the ark. As terrible as this would have been it doesn’t compare to being locked out of heaven: "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able" (Luke 13:24). So, let's look at the following verses to see why many will seek to enter heaven but few will enter. Jesus said, "I say to you." The word you occurs 13 times in Luke 13:24-28, because Jesus wanted to make this personal. Please keep that in mind. We should picture Jesus speaking directly to us if we haven’t entered! Luke 13:25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ This is interesting! These were not people who openly rejected Jesus. They were people who spent time with him during His earthly ministry. They had been around Him. They heard His teaching. He had been among them. They probably witnessed His miracles. They had even eaten and drank with Him and enjoyed His fellowship. The simple way to say it is this: they are people who looked like they were saved. And they seemed to think they were saved. They mentioned their behavior that led them to this conclusion and caused them to think they should be able to enter. But the claim to have been in social settings with Jesus and even to have been in his audience listening to his teaching carried no weight with him. The Question Is, “Does the Lord Know You?” If I had to think of what these people would look like today, it would be religious people who believe they’ve spent time with Jesus, listened to his teaching, but they didn’t have a saving relationship with him. These people, along with those in Matthew 7 who say, “Lord, Lord,” but hear, “Depart from me” are the best examples in Scripture of having a false sense of security. Two times (Luke 13:25 and 27) Jesus said, “I do not know where you come from.” They thought they knew him, but he didn’t know them. He told them the exact opposite of what they expected. It is not enough to know something of Jesus and have some association with him. He must know and recognize us. When Jesus says, “I do not know where you come from,” it sounds as though there are people Jesus doesn’t know. Of course, he knew them in a sense: He knew who they were and he knew of their lives. But he didn’t know them in a

Jesus said, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24). There is probably an obvious question you are asking. It’s the same question I asked when reading these verses and I looked forward to studying them to learn the answer. Jesus says we are supposed to strive to enter through the narrow door, so does that mean we get to heaven by trying hard enough? It almost sounds like: If we put forth enough effort we will be saved If we don’t put forth enough effort we will go to hell. But this isn’t true because we know we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. No matter how hard we try we could never save ourselves. So how do we explain this? Why is striving required to enter through the narrow door? Check out this message for the answer. https://youtu.be/k6zEVj5yKqo Jesus said, “Strive to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:24). Why is striving required to enter? Check out this message for the answer. Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: Many people will not be able to enter through the narrow door.Lesson Two: There has always only been a remnant.Lesson Three: Striving is required to enter through the narrow door because (part one) the door is narrow.Lesson Three: Striving is required to enter through the narrow door because (part two) of pride.Lesson Three: Striving is required to enter through the narrow door because (part three) we love sin.Lesson Four: We should be thankful if we have entered through the narrow door. Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 13:22-24, Matthew 7:13-14—Why do you think Jesus didn’t answer the man’s question with the word yes or no? What does the narrow door represent? What question did Jesus encourage the man to ask himself? Why do you think many people will not be able to enter through the narrow door? Day 2: Romans 9:27, 11:5, John 14:6, Acts 4:12—What is a remnant? Why do you think there has always only been a remnant? Can you think of other examples from Scripture of times there was only a remnant? Why must we strive to enter the narrow door? What does it look like to strive to enter through the narrow door? Day 3: Luke 13:20-21, 18:9, John 3:19—How does pride keep us from entering the narrow door? Although we are not saved by works, what is required to be saved? What is agape? How is agape different than other forms of love? Why do we love sin unconditionally and sacrificially regardless of the consequences? How should we feel if we are able to enter through the narrow door? Sermon Notes The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Why We Must Strive to Enter Through the Narrow Door.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 13, verse 22. We will get through verse 24. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word… Luke 13:22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Let’s pray. Briefly take your mind back to my last sermon in Luke. We studied the parables of the mustard seed and leaven. Both of those parables are about the kingdom of God spreading. What could these parables make people think? That everyone will be saved! The kingdom of God will spread and envelop everyone. But then we reach this morning’s verses, which provide the balance. Jesus is traveling and look at the question he is asked… Luke 13:22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23a And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” The scribes often discussed how many people would be saved, and somebody asked Jesus to share his thoughts. I would guess that this was a common question in Jesus’s day, not just with the scribes, but with everyone, just as it’s a common question in our day. Haven’t all of us wondered at times how many people will be saved: “Will it be many or few?” Now before we look at Jesus’s answer, let me ask you: do you remember in a recent sermon I said that often Jesus didn’t seem to answer the question he was asked? Briefly look one chapter to the left at Luke 12:41… Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” The answer is either, “For you,” or “For all.” But Jesus said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? This isn’t the answer to the question Peter asked. Often, Jesus wouldn’t answer the question because he could look past the question to people’s hearts. He knew what they needed to hear, and what they needed to hear was different than the answer to the question they asked. So, he would tell them something else. T

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven in Luke 13:18-21 describe the growth and spreading influence of the church, but from different approaches. The parable of the mustard seed is about outward growth. Birds from outside fly into and become part of the tree. The parable of the leaven is about inward growth. The leaven works from inside the dough. Leaven makes dough rise from within which pictures the way the gospel changes us inwardly: it changes our hearts and then works its way into our actions. https://youtu.be/jqYR-es4vUg The Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven Jesus taught in Luke 13:18-21 describe the growth and spreading influence of the church. Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for The Parables of the Mustard Seed and LeavenSermon Notes for The Parables of the Mustard Seed and LeavenLesson one: the parable of the mustard seed illustrates the outward growth of the kingdom of God.Lesson two: the parable of the leaven illustrates the inward growth of the kingdom of God.Lesson three: nobody is physically born in the kingdom of God. Family Worship Guide for The Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 13:18-19, Revelation 7:9, Psalm 72:19, Daniel 2:35, Habakkuk 2:14—How does the parable of the mustard seed illustrate the outward growth of the kingdom of God? In what ways is a mustard seed a fitting metaphor for the kingdom of God? In what ways do you see the kingdom of God spreading throughout the world?Day 2: Luke 13:20-21, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 10:5—How does the parable of the leaven illustrate the inward growth of the kingdom of God? What similarities does the parable of the leaven have with the parable of the mustard seed? What difference or differences are there between the two parables? How do you see the kingdom of God working in people’s hearts?Day 3: John 3:3, Colossians 1:13—What kingdom are we born into? What does it mean to be born again? Why must we be born again? How can we be born again? What takes place spiritually when we repent of our sins and put our faith in Christ? Sermon Notes for The Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven The title of this morning’s sermon is, “The Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 13, verses 18 through 21. Please stand for the reading of God’s Word… Luke 13:18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” 20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” Let’s pray. I have to tell you that these were some of the most difficult verses that I have preached on in a long time. The reason is that there is such strong, even diametrically opposed interpretations among commentators, about these two short parables. One interpretation holds that the kingdom of God, and by extension the church, grows and then experiences corruption. This interpretation makes sense, because in the parables the kingdom of God ends up containing birds and leaven, which are both presented negatively in Scripture. For example… In the Parable of the Sower birds come and snatch away the seed… Matthew 13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Then when Jesus interpreted the parable he said… Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. The birds are associated with the devil himself, which obviously makes birds look bad. When Babylon is destroyed during the tribulation it becomes filled with demons and birds… Revelation 18:2 And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. Seeing birds live with demons also makes them look bad. D.A. Carson says, “Close study of birds as symbols in the Old Testament and especially in the literature of later Judaism shows that birds regularly symbolize evil and even demons or Satan.” So, when there’s a parable about birds coming into the kingdom of God it looks like a parable about corruption coming into the church. Leaven isn’t any better. It is one of the strongest pictures or types of sin: Leaven is a fungus that grows in bread dough…just like sin grows in a person’s life.You can never completely get leaven out of dough…like we can never completely get sin out of our lives.Leaven “puffs up” bread…like sin puffs up or leads to pride.A small amount of leaven spreads through a b

The dangers of legalism and spiritual bondage are demonstrated in the account in Luke 13:10-17 when Jesus heals the crippled woman. Legalism makes people captives as much as any physical disability. The synagogue ruler was angry because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. It is hard to believe that something so beautiful could be so upsetting, but it reveals the bondage he was in—a bondage that was worse than the crippled woman’s bondage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCxyV95irrs The dangers of legalism and spiritual bondage make people captives as much as physical disabilities as shown when Jesus healed on the Sabbath. Table of contentsFamily Worship Guide for The Dangers of Legalism and Spiritual Bondage (Luke 10:13-17)Sermon Notes for The Dangers of Legalism and Spiritual Bondage (Luke 10:13-17)Lesson one: don’t be kept from worshiping because of (part one) suffering.Lesson one: don’t be kept from worshiping because of (part two) shame.Lesson one: don’t be kept from worshiping because of (part three) bitterness.Lesson two: we can’t free people physically, but we can spiritually.Lesson three: The synagogue ruler was in greater bondage than the crippled woman. Family Worship Guide for The Dangers of Legalism and Spiritual Bondage (Luke 10:13-17) Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 13:1-4, 11, John 9:2-3, Job 1:20—What do you think could have kept this crippled woman from attending corporate worship? What might keep you from attending corporate worship? Why do you think suffering, shame, and bitterness might keep people from church? What can we tell ourselves to prevent this from happening? Day 2: Luke 13:12-13—What is legalism and spiritual bondage? What keeps people in spiritual bondage? What does it look like when people are in spiritual bondage? What can people do to be delivered from spiritual bondage? Why is spiritual bondage so dangerous? Day 3: Luke 13:14, Galatians 5:1—why was the synagogue ruler’s bondage worse than the crippled woman’s bondage? In other words, why is spiritual bondage worse than physical bondage? How can Jesus set us free? What does Jesus set us free from? What doesn’t Jesus set us free from? In other words, what do we continue to struggle with after being in Christ? Sermon Notes for The Dangers of Legalism and Spiritual Bondage (Luke 10:13-17) Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word and turn to Luke 13. Luke 13:10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him. You may be seated. Let’s pray. The title of this morning’s sermon is: “The Dangers of Legalism and Spiritual Bondage.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves in Luke 13. We will look at verses 10 through 17. Jesus’ ministry is well under way and the people have been amazed, not just at the things He’s been teaching, but the things He’s been doing. In this morning’s verses we will get to see him perform a healing that amazes some and upsets others. Look with me at verse 10… Luke 13:10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. Even though the opposition continued to rise against Jesus he was still welcomed into some synagogues on the Sabbath. On this particular Sabbath there was a woman who was unable to stand up straight for eighteen years, because of a disabling spirit. It’s hard to know exactly what that means. I read quite a few commentaries and they don’t all agree. Here are the two things I can tell you that I feel confident about: First, she wasn’t demon possessed. But second, there was a demon causing her condition. We know it was a demon because we can’t imagine a godly angel doing this, and in verse 16 Jesus said she was bound by Satan. Beyond that, I think anything we might say is speculative. We shouldn’t think that all physical problems, or even many of them, ar

We must bear fruit in keeping with repentance. The main point of Luke 13 verses one through five is that we must repent. Jesus says, “You are looking at people who died in these tragedies and asking if they died because they are worse than everyone who lived. Instead, you should ask whether you have repented, because they perished physically, but if you don’t repent you are going to perish spiritually, or eternally.” Then Jesus adds to this in verses six through nine by talking about fruit, because if people have repented they will produce the fruit. John the Baptist said, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8). Jesus and John put repenting and bearing fruit together because they go hand-in-hand. Usually when we think of repentance, we think only of stopping. We should also think of starting or producing fruit. This is known as putting off and putting on (Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIMk-VVWYSc We must bear fruit in keeping with repentance. When we think of repentance, we think only of stopping. We should also think of starting. Table of contentsFamily worship guide for Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance (Luke 13:6-9) Sermon notes for Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance (Luke 13:6-9)Lesson one: repentance involves stopping and starting.Lesson two: fruit is an evidence of genuine repentance.Lesson three: God is patient (part one) so we have time to repent and produce fruit.Lesson three: God is patient (part two) even when he knows people won’t repent. Family worship guide for Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance (Luke 13:6-9) Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 3:8, Ephesians 4:25-32, Colossians 3:5, 12—Why does repentance involves stopping and starting? Explain putting off and putting on. What are some examples of sins that aren’t listed in Scripture that you would stop, and what are the accompanying behaviors you would put on?Day 2: Luke 13:6-7, Matthew 13:23, Acts 26:20, Ephesians 5:8-9, Colossians 1:5-6, Hebrews 12:11—Explain the parable of the fig tree, what the different elements represent, and the main point(s). Discuss insincere temporary repentance and sincere lasting repentance. How can we tell the difference between the two? Why is fruit an evidence of genuine repentance?Day 3: Luke 13:8-9, Matthew 12:20, Leviticus 19:23-25, 2 Peter 3:9, paste that—Why is God patient with us? What happens if we don’t produce fruit, or another way to say it: what does it mean if a person doesn’t produce fruit? Why do you think God is patient with people even when he knows they won’t repent? Can you think of some other examples in Scripture of God being patient with people who did not repent? Sermon notes for Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance (Luke 13:6-9) The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 13 verses 6 through 9. Recently I shared with you that while I enjoy going verse by verse, because we look at verses in sections, it is easy to ignore what comes before or after those sections. In other words, it is easy to look at the verses out of context. With this morning’s verses it is particularly important to notice how they flow from verses one through five, which we looked at last week: "Are We Suffering for Sin?" The main point of verses one through five is that we must repent. Jesus says… “You are looking at the people who died in these two tragedies and you are wondering if they died because they are worse than everyone who lived. You are asking the wrong question. Instead, you should be asking whether you have repented, because they perished physically, but if you don’t repent you are going to perish spiritually, or eternally.” Now Jesus adds to this in verses six through nine by talking about fruit. The idea is if the Jews repented as Jesus commanded in verses three through five, they will produce the fruit discussed in verses six through nine. Let me remind you of something we have discussed before because it is one of the main points of these verses…and this brings us to lesson one… Lesson one: repentance involves stopping and starting. Do me a favor and briefly turn a few chapters to the left to Luke 3. Here’s the context. John the Baptist wasn’t performing Christian baptisms, or baptizing as we know it: to identify with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, because Jesus hadn’t died, been buried, or resurrected yet. Instead, he was performing baptisms of repentance. He was the forerunner preparing the way for people to receive the Messiah. He did that by preaching repentance, because the only way people would want Jesus to be their Savior was if they recognized their sinfulness and need to be saved. But John knew that many of the Jews were trusting in their descendancy from Abraham. In other words, they were trusting that just because they were descended fro

The common tendency when experiencing trials is to wonder if we are suffering for sin. When Difficult situations occur we wonder what we did to cause the suffering we are experiencing. In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus taught that suffering is not always the result of sin. When Jesus commented on two tragedies that took place, he didn't explain why they happened, because we don't often get to find out why suffering occurs. Instead, he said we must all repent so we don't perish eternally. https://youtu.be/s8ykAvmI8xk During trials we wonder if we are suffering for sin. In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus taught that suffering is not always the result of sin. Table of contentsFamily Worship Guide for Are We Suffering for Sin? (Luke 13:1-5)Sermon Notes for Are We Suffering for Sin? (Luke 13:1-5)Lesson One: Suffering isn’t always the result of sin.Lesson Two: All suffering is the result of sin.Lesson Three: We don’t always get to find out why we are suffering.Lesson Four: We must all repent or perish eternally. Family Worship Guide for Are We Suffering for Sin? (Luke 13:1-5) Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 13:1-5—why did the people share this news with Jesus? How would you have expected Jesus to respond if you weren’t familiar with the account? How did he respond and why did he respond this way? How did Jesus elevate these physical accounts to the spiritual level? Day 2: 1 Peter 2:20, 3:17, 4:15, Hebrews 12:5-6, John 9:1-3, Job 1:8, Hebrews 11:35-37, 2 Corinthians 11:23-28—do you see any similarities between the Tower of Siloam falling and the Twin Towers falling, in particular regarding the way people responded? Besides the examples from these verses can you think of other examples from Scripture of godly people suffering? Day 3: Job 38-41—what does it mean that all suffering is the result of sin? Why do you think Job didn’t find out why he was suffering? Why didn’t God tell him? How do we know if we are suffering for righteousness’s sake or because of our sin? What did Jesus mean when he said that we must repent or we will perish? Sermon Notes for Are We Suffering for Sin? (Luke 13:1-5) The title this morning’s sermon is, “Are We Suffering for Sin?” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 13. We will look at verses one through five. Many times I have responded to people’s questions by asking them a question. Someone asked me why I do that so frequently and I said, “Why shouldn’t I?” If you respond to people’s questions by asking a question you shouldn’t feel too bad about it, because Jesus seemed to do the same thing. In these few verses he responds to the news about two calamities, not by explaining what happened, but by asking two questions. Look with me at verse one… Luke 13:1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Instead of simply saying Pilate murdered some Galileans who were offering sacrifices in Jerusalem, he uses this vivid way of describing the violence. This incident is not recorded anywhere else in Scripture, but it is not out of character for Pilate. Josephus, the great Jewish historian, records several incidents in which Pilate murdered Jews. These people weren’t just talking to Jesus. They were giving him an important news update for two reasons: First, he and most of his followers are from Galilee, so people would assume he’d be interested in this news. Second, he’s perceived as a leader and people would want to know his thoughts. It reminds me of press conferences with political leaders who are being asked their take on some controversial situation. It’s also possible that they might have been warning Jesus because he was heading to Jerusalem where the violence took place. Whatever the case, receiving this news put Jesus in a difficult situation because: If he ignored what Pilate did the Jews would accuse him of being pro-Roman and disloyal to the Jews. If he defended the Jews and criticized Pilate he would be in trouble with the Romans and the Jewish leaders would have a good excuse to have him arrested. So look how he responded… Luke 13:2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? Now if you weren’t familiar with this account this isn’t how you would expect Jesus to respond. Imagine you were just told about a number of people being violently murdered. Wouldn’t you say something like: This is terrible. I’m so sorry to hear this. What a horrible tragedy. I can’t believe this happened. Instead, Jesus turned it around on the people and asked them if they thought the Galileans who were murdered were murdered because they were worse sinners than everyone else. There’s plenty of application in these verses, but I would like to read through them first because the second account is so much like the first. Look at the next

Each city of refuge served as a beautiful type and shadow of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As Hebrews 6:18 says, "We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us." Table of contentsThe Cities of Refuge (Deuteronomy 19:5-6 and Numbers 35:9-12)Christ Is Our City of Refuge (Hebrews 6:18)Pursued by an Avenger (Numbers 35:19)Refuge from Death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)The City of Refuge Is Accessible by All (Numbers 35:15) The City of Refuge Is Near to All (Deuteronomy 19:3)Released from the City of Refuge by the High Priest’s Death (Numbers 35:25)Life Ensured in the the City of Refuge (Numbers 35:26-28)No Other AlternativeHelp for the GuiltyApplicationSpread out for MinistryAre We Welcoming?Are We Content with Christ?Do We Recognize Your Guiltiness? The twelve tribes of Israel were given a portion of the Promised Land as their inheritance to live in. The exception was the tribe of Levi: “The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the Lord's food offerings as their inheritance” (Deuteronomy 18:1, see also Numbers 18:23-24; Deuteronomy 12:12, 14:27; Joshua 14:3, 18:7). Instead, the Levites were assigned the duties associated with the sanctuary and religious activity of the nation, including being the nations’ priests: “The Lord your God has chosen [Levi] out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time” (Deuteronomy 18:5). Even though they weren’t given an inheritance in the land, they needed places to live, so God assigned them areas throughout the nation. By providing cities for the Levites throughout the land all the people had access to them and their ministry: The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities. The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. “The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. Numbers 35:1-3, 6 The Cities of Refuge (Deuteronomy 19:5-6 and Numbers 35:9-12) The Levites were given a total of forty-eight towns to live in, and six of them were special, being called, cities of refuge. In the ancient world, there was no police force; therefore, it was up to each family to avenge murders. Under the Old Covenant: “If there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Exodus 21:23-24, see also Leviticus 24:19-20, Deuteronomy 19:21). The nearest blood relative to the deceased was charged with the responsibility of executing the murderer, so there was “life for life.” But the nearest blood relative’s own emotions, passion might cloud his judgment. He could end up avenging his relative’s death by indiscriminately killing someone who wasn’t guilty of a capital crime. For example, what if the murder took place in self-defense, or even by accident. Here's a description of such accidents: When someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live, lest the avenger of blood in hot anger pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him fatally, though the man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the past. Deuteronomy 19:5-6 Imagine two men are working in the field and one man trips and falls in front of the other man’s plow and animals. Perhaps the injured man later succumbs to his injuries. Although the man plowing is innocent, the nearest blood relative might seek vengeance anyway. The cities of refuge provided a haven for the accused to flee to while the death was investigated, and guilt or innocence was determined: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. Numbers 35:9-12 Christ Is Our City of Refuge (Hebrews 6:18) The ancient world could be a terrifying place to live. Without the cities of refuge if people were accused of murder, it would seem like a hopeless situation. Where could they go for protection? Who could they look to for help? Police officers couldn’t be sought. Lawyers couldn’t be appointed on their behalf. Justice could be sw

We should make every effort to settle with God before we stand before Him. In Luke 12:58 Jesus said, "As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison." If we are involved in legal disputes and we are accused and guilty, the best thing to do is try to settle outside of court, because if it goes to trial, we will be found guilty and it will be worse for us. In modern day vernacular, it is as though Jesus said, "Do everything you can to settle outside of court, because if you stand before the judge it is not going to go well for you.” The spiritual application: If we wait to get right with God until we stand before him, then it is too late. https://youtu.be/2IJlFCOLukY In Luke 12:58 Jesus said we should make every effort to settle with God before we stand before Him on Judgment Day. Otherwise, it is too late. Table of contentsFamily Worship Guide for Make Every Effort to Settle with GodSermon Notes for Family Worship Guide for Make Every Effort to Settle with God Lesson One: We should be more interested in spiritual matters than earthly matters.Lesson Two: Make every effort to settle with God before standing before him.Lesson Three: People can’t settle their debt in hell.Lesson Four: Only Christ can pay our debt. Family Worship Guide for Make Every Effort to Settle with God Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 12:54-56—What rebuke did Jesus have for the Jews in his day? Why do you think the Jews were unable to interpret the present time? What are you most interested in? What are you most knowledgeable about? After answering these questions do you think you’re more interested in earthly or spiritual matters?Day 2: Luke 12:57-58, Revelation 12:10, Job 1:8-11, 2:3-5, John 8:44, Luke 13:34-35—What does the devil’s name mean? How does he live up to this name? What does it mean to settle with God? Why should we make every effort to do so? Explain Jesus’s second illustration in your own words.Day 3: Luke 12:59, Matthew 25:46, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Revelation 14:11, Mark 9:48, John 5:29, Acts 24:15, Matthew 6:12, 18:23-27, 1 John 2:1—What did you learn about hell from those verses? Describe our debt. What makes it different than a financial debt? What can’t we do about this debt? What can we do about this debt? What does it mean that Jesus is our advocate? Sermon Notes for Family Worship Guide for Make Every Effort to Settle with God The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Make Every Effort to Settle with God.” I like preaching verse by verse, but one thing we need to be cautious of is taking sections in chunks and looking at them independently of the passages around them. So, it’s a good idea as we go verse-by-verse to consider the context: Look back at verses 35 through 40. You probably have a heading in your Bible for this section. Something about Christ’s return. Jesus is telling the crowds that we must be ready.Then in verses 41 through 48 he talks about faithful servants who are ready when he returns and how they will be blessed, and unfaithful servants who are not ready when he returns and how they will be punished.In verses 49 through 53, which we covered last week, he talks about the purpose of his coming, but it’s not exactly like we tend to think. He says in verse 51, “Don’t think that I have come to give peace. Instead, I came to bring division.” How do we explain this when we know other verses teach that Jesus brought peace? He came to bring peace between God and man, but this can create division between man and man. Then he follows up with this morning’s verses about discerning the time. He uses two illustrations that stress the importance of discernment and diligence in spiritual matters. The two illustrations are: First, discerning the weatherSecond, diligence in settling lawsuits. Let’s take a look at the first illustration in verse 54… Luke 12:54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. There have been times Jesus addressed the large crowds and times he addressed just the disciples. Here he turns from the disciples to the crowds again. He wanted everyone to discern the time. The first century had no Weather Channel. Their predictions came from the formation of clouds and winds. Jesus’ listeners knew: If a cloud formed in the west over the Mediterranean Sea, rain was on the way.If a warm wind blew south from the Arabian desert, a heat wave was coming. I was thinking about the account with Elijah when God told him it would rain after the drought… 1 Kings 18:43 [Elijah] said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times.

Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.'” All of this was wonderfully foreshadowed with the bronze serpent. This is part two. Here is part one. Table of ContentsUnder a Curse from the LawTaking the Curse of the Law for UsPersonal Application (Continued from Part One)Complaining about Circumstances Can Be Complaining about GodIngratitude Is SinDiscouraged Too EasilyDisciplined for GoodRuining the GoodThe Gospel Is Meant to Be SharedThe Only Way to Be Saved Under a Curse from the Law Galatians 3:10 says, “All who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’” This is a quote of Deuteronomy 27:26 which says everyone who doesn’t perfectly obey God’s law is cursed. Because none of us perfectly keep God’s law all of us are under a curse. Some Jews, whether out of pride or ignorance, believe they can go to heaven by obeying God’s law, but it is this same law that tells them they are cursed if they don’t keep it perfectly. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The law must be viewed as a unit, which is why it’s always spoken of singularly: law versus laws. The law contains 613 commands, but it is only one law, and to break part of it is to break all of it: “Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it” (James 2:10). Imagine a boy who throws a rock through his window. His parents confront him and he replies, “I didn’t break the whole window. I only broke part of it.” This is the same argument as the person who claims to have only broken part of the law. The first part of Galatians 3:11 says, “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law.” Justified means, “Declared righteous.” Nobody will be justified, or declared righteous, by the law because nobody keeps it perfectly. But what is the purpose of the law if not to save us? It is meant to show us our sinfulness: “Through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). When we become aware of our sinfulness we see our need for the Savior. Because we can’t be justified by the law, we must be justified another way. That is by faith so Galatians 3:11 finishes, “For ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” This is a quote of Habakkuk 2:4. Those who are justified, or declared righteous, “Live by faith,” versus works for obedience to the law. Galatians 3:12 continues, “But the law is not of faith, rather ‘The one who does them shall live by them.’” By quoting Leviticus 18:5 Paul juxtaposes living by faith in the previous verse with living by the law in this verse. The law and faith are mutually exclusive. To try to be justified by one is to choose not to be justified by the other. When people choose to be justified by faith they are choosing not to try to be justified by keeping the law. When people try to be justified by keeping the law, they have chosen not to be justified by faith. And should people try to be justified by the law, they must also “live by” it, which means keep it perfectly. Taking the Curse of the Law for Us We can be justified by faith, but this still leaves us with a problem: because we have broken the law we are under a curse. Either we bear the curse or someone bears it in our place. But if someone would be willing to bear the curse in our place, he would have to have perfectly obeyed the law so as not to be cursed himself. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” This is a quote of Deuteronomy 21:23. Jesus kept the law perfectly and was willing to be hanged on a tree to take our curse for us. Many Jews reject Jesus as their Messiah, because he was hanged on a tree and cursed. How could their long-awaited Messiah be cursed by God and under his divine judgment and condemnation? But it is only in Jesus being cursed in our place can the curse be lifted from us. The Greek word for “redeemed” is exagorazō, which speaks of buying a slave’s freedom. When Christ took the curse for us, he purchased our freedom from sin and death. All of this was beautifully foreshadowed in Numbers 21. The fiery serpents were sent as a curse against Israel. This is such a fitting type and shadow, because the curse was removed when the bronze serpent was lifted up and put on a tree, just as our curse was removed when Christ was lifted up on a tree. Just as the bronze serpent took away the wrath of God for all who looked to it to be saved, so too does Jesus take away the wrath of God for all who look to him to be saved. Personal Application (Continued from Part One) Complaining about Circumstances Can Be Complaining about God This account in

In this sermon I discuss four blessings when choosing God over family. There aren’t many situations more difficult for Christians to face than having to choose God over family. Allow these four encouragements to help you if you find yourself in this situation. https://youtu.be/h9rfdJkGLE4 Choosing God over family is one of the most difficult situations Christians face. Allow these four encouragements to help you. Table of ContentsThe Gospel Creates Peace Between God and ManThe Gospel Creates Division Between Man and ManBlessing One: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Be Like ChristBlessing Two: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Teach Our ChildrenBlessing Three: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Discuss Our FaithBlessing Four: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Show God We Love Him Consider the following: A relative claims to be a believer but wants to marry an unbeliever, so you’re unable to support the relationship. A relative claims to be a believer, but is living in habitual sin, so you have to confront the person. I know people and when they chose God over family: It meant supporting church discipline against a family member Or it meant asking a child to leave the house because that child was rebellious As you can imagine, even though these people made the right decision, it was still excruciating. There are examples in the Old Testament of people having to choose God over family members. For example… Moses called for the execution of the individuals responsible for constructing the Golden Calf. This meant some Israelites had to kill their own relatives… Exodus 32:27 [Moses] said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you KILL HIS BROTHER AND HIS COMPANION AND HIS NEIGHBOR.’” This gives us a good idea of how wicked idolatry is. Another example involving idolatry… King Asa was one of the greatest reformers in the Old Testament. When he purged the idolatry from the land, he even had to punish his own grandmother, because she made an idol… 1 Kings 15:13 [Asa] removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. I can only imagine how much criticism King Asa might’ve received for banishing his own grandmother. You could listen to this and say… “Well, this is the Old Testament. It was much harsher. We are in the New Testament, which is more loving and gracious.” But we have reached the verses in the New Testament that show that even though we aren’t called to execute family members, we are still called to choose God over them. But before Jesus talks about choosing Him over family members, He first talks about the divisiveness of the gospel, and I’ll explain why in a moment. Look with me at verse 49… Luke 12:49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! Fire represents judgment, so Jesus is saying He came to bring judgment to the earth. This isn’t how we normally think of Jesus’s first coming, is it? We think about him bringing judgment at his second coming but bringing salvation at his first coming. For example, he said… John 12:47 I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. Yes, Jesus came to save the world in his first coming…but what happens to people who reject him? They get judged! In the very next verse Jesus said… John 12:48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words HAS A JUDGE; the word that I have spoken WILL JUDGE HIM on the last day. So, reject Christ, get judged, and experience the fire he brought. But now look at the next verse for those who RECEIVE Christ… Luke 12:50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! So right after talking about the judgment unbelievers will receive, Jesus talks about the judgment HE received for believers. The baptism Jesus is referring to is the crucifixion. The word baptize means immersed, and sometimes it’s used to describe being baptized, or immersed, in trials. We even talk about a baptism by fire when we’re talking about people suffering. That’s what Jesus is saying about himself here. Notice he said how great is my distress until it is accomplished, or until the cross is behind him. Because Jesus is God in the flesh we can lose sight of his humanity. But right here we see a very human response to the cross. JUST THINKING ABOUT being crucified was greatly distressing to him. We know that Jesus’s distress became even worse as his death approached. In the garden it was so bad he sweat drops of blood… Luke 22:44 Being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. But despite his distress and agony at the thought of going to the cross this was the reason he came and he was determined to do it. Notice how Jesus tied these two great events together: The judgment

Jesus established the bronze serpent as a type of Him: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). This is part one. Here is part two. Table of ContentsReject the Manna and Get the SerpentThe Bronze Serpent Represents SinLike the Bronze Serpent, Christ Became Sin for UsThe Bronze Serpent Represents JudgmentSin Lifted Up and JudgedSaved by Faith from the Serpent’s BitePersonal Application (Continued in Part Two)Frustration Isn’t an Excuse to SinGod Disciplines His ChildrenComplaining about Authority Can Be Complaining about God When I was in the military we trained with MILES gear. MILES stands for Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System. Thank of a big game of laser tag and you will have the idea. We would also use smoke, blank bullets, grenades, and Claymores to get closer to resembling actual combat. One day a friend of mine said, “Look at these bushes. They stop lasers, but they won’t stop bullets. We want things to be as realistic as possible, but if people try to hide behind leaves in combat, they’re going to be in trouble. They think they’re safe when they’re not.” Imagine believing something would keep you safe when it won’t, or believing something would not keep you safe, when it would. The Israelites faced a situation that required believing a brass snake on a pole would keep them safe from snakebites! Not only that, it would heal them if they had already been bitten. Let’s look at this account in greater detail to see a beautiful type of our Savior. Remember the context from the previous chapter: Israel is making their second attempt at entering the Promised Land. This is the new generation God would bring in, because the old generation was forced to die in the wilderness. Sadly, this new generation (again) looks like their grumbling, faithless parents: From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. Numbers 21:4-9 Reject the Manna and Get the Serpent Israel had to go around Edom because the Edomites refused them passage through their country (Numbers 20:18). This forced the Israelites to travel far south back toward the wilderness and away from Canaan. Understandably this was discouraging. Combined with the lack of food and water, the people engaged in one of their favorite wilderness activities: complaining (Exodus 15:24, 16:2, 17:3, Numbers 12:1, 14:2, 16:3, 41 and 20:2). Although, one difference in this account is that while Israel previously complained about Moses directly (and God indirectly), this time the people complained about God directly. Then they compounded their sin by complaining about the manna (a type of Christ; see chapter 8), and Israel heaped even more judgment on themselves. All of this contributed to the severe discipline. God didn’t punish the Israelites for wanting their bare necessities met; He punished them for their irreverence. In the past, when Israel sinned, the glory of the Lord appeared and the judgment followed. But this time there was no warning. They didn’t want the bread from heaven, so God sent poisonous serpents into the camp. People became sick and “many people died.” It’s a somewhat fitting picture: they rejected God’s gift of life and health from heaven, so God sent them suffering and death from earth. The Israelites who died probably constituted the last remnants of the old generation God said wouldn’t enter the Promised Land. The word “fiery” is the translation of the Hebrew word saraph, which means “burning.” The same word refers to the angels, or seraphim, who minister before the throne of God (Isaiah 6:2, 6). Fiery doesn’t describe the appearance of the servants. Instead, it describes the inflammation and pain caused by their venom. Those bitten suffered greatly. In the past, Moses fell on his face before God and interceded for the people of his own volition, but now the judgment was so terrible the people begged him to pray for them. God didn’t answer the way anyone would’ve expected. Instead of removing the serpents and healing the people who had been bitten, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent, put

God told Moes, "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it to drink” (Exodus 17:6) Read on to learn about this wonderful type of Christ. This is Part II. Here is Part I. Table of ContentsBaptism and Communion with ChristA Firm FoundationProducing Living WaterThe Samaritan Woman at the WellThe Feast of TabernaclesStruck Once for Sin"Speaking” to the RockPersonal ApplicationSuffering Doesn’t Mean We DisobeyedAsking the Right WayPressing onRemembering God’s Past ProvisionThe Wilderness Isn’t Supposed to Be PleasantThose Who Have Been Given Much Must Be CarefulProsperity Is Not Always a Sign of Obedience Baptism and Communion with Christ The word baptize means immersed. Think of how we say people are immersed in their thoughts or immersed in their work. Sometimes when Scripture uses the word baptize it communicates immersion, but with something or someone. For example, the Greek word for baptized is used in Matthew 3:11 and Acts 1:5 to refer to people being baptized (or immersed or having unity) with the Holy Spirit. Mark 10:39 is about being baptized (or immersed) in trials. When people are suffering, we say they are experiencing a baptism by fire. First Corinthians 10:2 says Israel was “baptized into Moses…in the sea.” This figuratively took place when Israel crossed the Red Sea. It might seem odd to compare crossing the Red Sea with baptism because the Israelites stayed dry, but it isn’t physical (water) baptism: it’s spiritual baptism. Notice it doesn’t say they were “baptized into the sea.” It says they were “baptized into Moses.” This is about their spiritual immersion and unity with Moses in the wilderness. Paul uses the same words Romans 6:3 and Galatians 3:27 to say we “were baptized into Christ.” Like Israel was baptized into Moses, we are baptized into Christ. Like Israel experienced spiritual immersion and unity with Israel in the wilderness, we experience spiritual immersion and unity with Christ in the church. Along with baptism, the other ordinance is communion, which these words look forward to: “all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.” The idea isn’t that Christ physically nourished Israel in the wilderness: He wasn’t physically in the manna or the water. Instead, Israel was spiritually nourished by Christ in the wilderness, like we’re spiritually nourished by Christ in the church. As we discussed in the previous chapter, Jesus is also our spiritual food. He said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). A Firm Foundation The Greek word for a small rock formation is lithos. But the Greek word in 1 Corinthians 10:4 is petra, referring to a massive rock formation, conveying the strong foundation Jesus provides. Jesus himself, along with many New Testament verses, use this metaphor: “On this rock (petra) I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18). In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock (petra). And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock (petra)” (Matthew 7:24-25). Like Christ was the spiritual Rock for Israel in the wilderness, He’s the spiritual Rock for us in the church: “Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 2:20). Probably thinking back to Jesus’ statement to him in Matthew 16:18, Peter used three different Old Testament verses employing the metaphor in 1 Peter 2:6-7: For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (Isaiah 28:16). So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” (Psalm 118:22, also quoted by Paul in Acts 4:11) and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” Isaiah 8:14 David wrote, “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” (Psalm 95:1). Singing to a rock doesn’t make sense, unless we understand the rock is Christ, our salvation. Producing Living Water Physical water is important. We recognize there’s no life without it, but there’s also a sense in which it doesn’t really keep you alive. You drink water throughout your life, but you still end up dying. This reveals—not the strength —but weakness of water. Jesus said He could provide water that would give people eternal life. After Moses struck the rock, it produced water that satisfied the people’s physical thirst, looking forward to Christ providing living water that satisfies our spiritual thirst. The physical water from the rock that kept people live temporarily looked forward to the living water from Christ that keeps people live eternally

First Corinthians 10:4 says, "The spiritual rock that followed them was Christ." What does this mean? Read on to learn about this beautiful type of Christ. This is Part I. Here is Part II. Table of ContentsComplaining Instead of Asking (Exodus 17:1-7)A New Generation Sounds Like the Old (Numbers 20:1-13)A Heart-Breaking, but Necessary JudgmentThe Spiritual Rock that Followed Them Was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:1-4)God’s Glory in Christ Throughout my life water has been so available to me that it never seemed that valuable. There was only one time it seemed to dramatically increase in significance. After my senior year of high school, during the summer, prior to going to college, I worked as a wilderness firefighter. This is when I learned I didn’t want to be a wilderness firefighter! When they trained us they couldn’t stress water’s importance strongly enough. They told it was more important than our tools, tent, food and even the other firefighters with us, because it was something we needed to stay alive. There was an unwritten rule that we could ask for help, borrow food and tools from people, but we could never ask people for any of their water. We went to our first fire in Los Angeles. The temperature was over 100°. We were traveling up and down mountains wearing helmets and boots while carrying our backpacks and tools. It was hot and exhausting. That was the moment water seemed much more valuable. For years after that I never viewed water the same. Let’s think about water’s value and what it’s like being in the wilderness without any to understand the Israelites’ situation when they were in the wilderness without any water: All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone him me.” Exodus 17:1-7 Complaining Instead of Asking (Exodus 17:1-7) Exodus 12:37 says there were 600,000 men, which means there were anywhere from three to four million people. The need for water for a group this size would have been an immense problem. There was nothing wrong with the people asking for water but there was a problem in the way they asked—they “quarreled with Moses” and demanded: “Give us water to drink.” Although the Israelites probably thought they only contended with Moses, he responded that they tested God; they were like children trying their parents’ patience. Despite Moses’s warning, they persisted, going so far as to bring the outrageous accusation that God was trying to murder them: “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” After everything Moses did for them—such as being used by to God deliver them from their bondage, perform numerous miracles including unleashing the plagues, part the Red Sea, and provide miraculous food from heaven—unbelievably they were ready to stone him. At a loss, Moses turned to God: And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. Exodus 17:5-6 To encourage Moses and give him confidence, God had him take the rod he used to perform previous miracles: turning the rod into a serpent and the waters of Egypt into blood, bringing hail and locusts, and parting the Red Sea (Exodus 4:4, 7:20, 9:3, 10:13, 14:16). Ironically, it would be this same rod that would get Moses in trouble forty years later. When Moses parted the Red Sea, he held the rod over a body of water and it became dry. Now almost the opposite happened: he would strike a rock in a dry desert, and water would come out of it to drink. This was completely testable. Moses would walk before the people, strike the rock, and water would come for, or it wouldn’t leaving him looking foolish in front of an already hostile nation that wanted to kill him. Moses trusted God, went before the people, and the LORD provided. Psalm 105:41 recounts what happened: “He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.” The people had plenty to drink and water their flocks. Likely the water from the rock became a steady source. Had the people not behaved so horribly, God would have provided the water in a context of blessing and the names for

In Luke 12:42 Jesus asked, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?" In Luke 12:35-40 Jesus preached about being ready for his return. We could almost think that what the guys are doing in Acts 1:9-11, is the best example of doing what Christ wanted: standing there, waiting, staring off into heaven. But then Jesus preached Luke 12:41 to 48 to prevent us from thinking this. Being ready for Christ’s return means serving. If we want to know who then is the faithful and wise steward we should look at our lives. https://youtu.be/K7gvDjZf8EU Table of ContentsSermon Lessons for Who Then Is the Faithful and Wise Manager?Family Worship Guide for Who Then Is the Faithful and Wise Manager?Sermon Notes for Who Then Is the Faithful and Wise Manager?Lesson one: prepare for Christ’s return by serving.Lesson two: our lives reveal if we don’t expect Christ’s return.Lesson three: unfaithfulness is a strong evidence of being unsaved.Lesson four: the punishment will match the offense.Lesson five: ignorance is no excuse. Sermon Lessons for Who Then Is the Faithful and Wise Manager? Lesson 1: Prepare for Christ’s return ____ ______________ (Luke 12:42-44 cf. Acts 1:6-11, Matthew 25:20-21, Luke 19:16-19). Lesson 2: ______ __________ reveal if we don’t expect Christ’s return (Luke 12:45, 1 John 3:2). Lesson 3: Unfaithfulness is a ____________ ________________ of being unsaved (Luke 12:46, Matthew 25:26, 30). Lesson 4: The ____________________ will __________ the offense (Luke 12:47-48, Matthew 10:15, 11:20-24). Lesson 5: Ignorance is ____ ____________ (James 4:17, Luke 12:48). Family Worship Guide for Who Then Is the Faithful and Wise Manager? Directions: Read the verses at the end of the lessons to answer the following questions: Day 1: Why does it seem like Jesus didn’t directly answer people’s questions at times? What does it look like to prepare for Christ’s return? What are some ways you are preparing for Christ’s return? What are some ways you could better prepare for Christ’s return? How does the world typically reward faithfulness? How does the Lord seem to reward faithfulness? Day 2: Why do people’s lives tend to deteriorate spiritually when they don’t look forward to Christ’s return? What positive changes are typically shown in people’s lives when they look forward to Christ’s return? What is the relationship between faithfulness and salvation? Day 3: Describe the two categories for unbelievers. Looking back at the verses what are the different punishments you see? Why would the punishment be worse for some cities than it will be for Sodom and Gomorrah? Is ignorance an excuse? Why or why not? Sermon Notes for Who Then Is the Faithful and Wise Manager? The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Who Then Is the Faithful and Wise Manager?” We are continuing our verse-by-verse study through Luke’s gospel. Go ahead and turn to chapter 12. We will cover verses 41 through 48. Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. I’d like to back up to verse 35 because this morning’s verses flow from last week’s verses… Luke 12:35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” This is as far as we got last week. Here are the new verses for this morning… Luke 12:41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and fr

Jesus said, "You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:40). Jesus wants us prepared to serve Him. Our waist must be girded so we’re ready to act quickly, but we need to be able to see where we’re going! We live in a dark world and the light we need to see comes from God’s Word: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). What is the blessing for those servants who are ready for Christ’s return? In an unbelievable reversal of the servant illustration Jesus says that he will serve the servants who faithfully served him. Jesus compares the way he will return with the way a thief will rob people. A thief does not announce his arrival. He comes when it is unexpected. The same is true with Jesus: the only way to be on guard against a thief is to live in constant readiness, and the only way to be prepared for Jesus’s return is to live in constant readiness. https://youtu.be/vKO5YMwcZ28 Jesus said, "You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:40). He wants us prepared for Him. Table of ContentsSermon Lessons for The Son of Man Is Coming at an Hour You Do Not ExpectFamily Worship Guide for The Son of Man Is Coming at an Hour You Do Not ExpectSermon Notes for The Son of Man Is Coming at an Hour You Do Not ExpectLesson one: Christ wants us ready to serve Him.Lesson two: focusing on Christ’s return provides victory over sin.Lesson three: we need God’s Word to see where we’re going.Lesson four: Jesus will serve those who faithfully served him.Lesson five: every generation is supposed to believe they’re the last. Sermon Lessons for The Son of Man Is Coming at an Hour You Do Not Expect Lesson 1: Christ wants us ready to __________ ______ (Luke 12:35, Exodus 12:11, 1 Peter 1:13). Lesson 2: focusing on Christ’s return provides victory ________ ______ (Luke 12:1). Lesson 3: we need God’s word to see where __________ __________ (Luke 12:35-36, Psalm 119:105, Matthew 25:3-13). Lesson 4: Jesus will __________ __________ who faithfully served him (Luke 12:37-38, John 13:4-5). Lesson 5: __________ ____________________ is supposed to believe they’re the last (Luke 12:39-40, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, Hebrews 10:37, James 5:8, Revelation 16:15, 2 Peter 3:3-10, Revelation 1:1). Family Worship Guide for The Son of Man Is Coming at an Hour You Do Not Expect Directions: Read the above verses at the end of the lessons and then answer the following questions: Day one: what are the two illustrations Jesus uses to encourage us to be ready for his return? What does it mean – spiritually speaking – for our waist to be girded? In what way does the Jews participation in Passover serve as a type of our readiness? How does focusing on Christ’s return provides victory over temptation and sin? What temptations can you resist better by focusing on Christ’s return? Day two: why is a lamp such a fitting metaphor for God’s word? In what ways does the parable of the wise and foolish virgins resemble the teaching in Luke’s gospel? What does it mean to be awake spiritually speaking? Why do you think Jesus serves those who have faithfully served him? In what ways does this truth encourage you to live differently? Second to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, describe some of the most obvious times during Jesus’s earthly ministry that he served others. Day three: why did the New Testament writers of the first century write about Jesus returning soon, even though he hasn’t returned in the last 2000 years? Using 2 Peter 3 what are some of the reasons Jesus hasn’t yet returned? What does it mean that Jesus’s return is imminent? What does it mean that Jesus will return as a thief in the night? In what ways does this encourage you to live differently? Sermon Notes for The Son of Man Is Coming at an Hour You Do Not Expect The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Coming at an Hour You Do Not Expect.” We are continuing our verse-by-verse study through Luke’s gospel. Go ahead and turn to chapter 12. We will cover verses 35 through 40. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word… Luke 12:35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” You may be seated. Let’s pray. In this section not only does Jesus tell us to look forward to his return, he tells

Acts 2:42 says regarding the early church, "they devoted themselves to the word (apostles' doctrine), and fellowship, communion (breaking of bread), and prayers." This verse can serve as a blueprint for churches. It describes the foundation of the early church, and it can serve as a foundation for us. Peter preached a great sermon on Pentecost and three thousand people were saved. This huge group of new believers couldn’t be sidetracked by any books, programs, or other churches. So, looking at what they focused on ("devoted themselves to") allows us to see what we should focus on. https://youtu.be/8YyhJ-Y7FdA Acts 2:42 says regarding the early church, "they devoted themselves to the word, fellowship, communion, and prayers." A great blueprint. Table of ContentsSermon Lessons for They Devoted Themselves to the Word, Fellowship, Communion, and PrayerFamily Worship Guide for They Devoted Themselves to the Word, Fellowship, Communion, and PrayerSermon Notes for They Devoted Themselves to the Word, Fellowship, Communion, and PrayerLesson one: the early church sets a good example, because of what they didn’t have.Lesson two: Jesus builds the church.Lesson three: we want to equip the saints by devoting ourselves to the Word, fellowship, communion, and prayer. Sermon Lessons for They Devoted Themselves to the Word, Fellowship, Communion, and Prayer Lesson 1: the ­­­__________ ____________ sets a good example, because of what they didn’t have (Jeremiah 6:16, Acts 2:23, 36-38, Deuteronomy 30:6) Lesson 2: __________ ____________ the church (Acts 2:39-41, Matthew 16:18, Psalm 127:1, 1 Corinthians 3:6). Lesson 3: we want to equip the saints by ________________ __________________ to the Word, fellowship, communion, and prayer (Acts 2:42). Family Worship Guide for They Devoted Themselves to the Word, Fellowship, Communion, and Prayer Directions: Read the above verses at the end of the lessons and then answer the following questions associated with them: Day one: when considering the vision for our church, why can the early church serve as a good example for us? Why shouldn’t we try to be original? What else do you think we can learn from the early church? The early church wasn’t perfect. What are some things we can learn from them to avoid? Day two: why do we want unbelievers to be convicted when they attend our services? What does it mean that those listening to Peter at Pentecost were cut to the heart? Why is it encouraging that Jesus said he would build the church? What application does this have for us? Even though Jesus is building the church, what responsibilities do we still have? What can the account with Gideon illustrate for us? Day three: how can Acts 2:42 serve as a nice blueprint for us? What are the four areas (or spiritual disciplines) this verse encourages us to focus on? Briefly describe each one of them and their importance. After taking an honest assessment of your spiritual life, which areas do you feel comfortable with, and which areas have the most room for growth? What practical steps can you take to see yourself grow in these areas? Sermon Notes for They Devoted Themselves to the Word, Fellowship, Communion, and Prayer The title of this morning’s sermon is, “They Devoted Themselves to the Word, Fellowship, Communion, and Prayer” Go ahead and open your Bibles to Acts 2. Just to give you a little direction for the following Sundays, this is our last sermon on the vision of the church. Next week I’m going to resume my verse-by-verse studies through Luke’s gospel. If you want to read ahead, we will pick up where we left off at Luke 12:35…13 years ago. For now, let’s go ahead and read our verses this morning: 36 to 42. Acts 2:36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. As you can tell we are looking at the early church. This is pretty much as early as you can get because it is Pentecost which we would consider the birth of the church. Let me explain why I like this approach when considering the vision of our church… You’ve probably heard many of the buzzwords in the church today: postmoder

Can Christians get angry at sin and death? My father died unexpectedly earlier this month. Because he had Alzheimer’s I had years to think about him passing away and how I would feel. I expected grief and sorrow, but I didn’t expect to feel angry. We should evaluate our feelings to determine whether they please or displease God. We do this by reading God’s Word to see what it says about the feelings we are experiencing. We also look at our premier example, Jesus Christ Himself, to see if He experienced those same feelings because He was the perfect Person. The difficulty with evaluating anger is it isn’t as straightforward as other feelings. There are some verses that discourage anger and others that encourage it. https://youtu.be/AvXFyOleLek Can Christians get angry at sin and death? My father died unexpectedly. I expected grief, but I didn’t expect to feel angry. Table of ContentsSermon Lessons for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?Family Worship Guide for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?Sermon Notes for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?Lesson one: we should evaluate our feelings.Lesson two: we can be angry at (part one) sin.Lesson two: we can be angry at (part two) Death. Sermon Lessons for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death? Lesson one: we should evaluate ______ ________________ (1 Thessalonians 4:13, Ephesians 2:12, Matthew 5:4, 26:36-38, Proverbs 22:24, Ecclesiastes 7:9, Colossians 3:8). Lesson two: we can be angry at: (part one) ______ (Deuteronomy 9:8, Numbers 11:1, Mark 3:5, James 1:20, 4:1-2, Psalm 97:10, Proverbs 8:13, Amos 5:15, Romans 12:9). (part two) __________ (John 11:31-44, 14:9, Hebrews 1:3, Revelation 20:14). Family Worship Guide for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death? Directions: Read the verses and then answer the following questions: Day one: 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Ephesians 2:12, Matthew 5:4, 26:36-38, Proverbs 22:24, Ecclesiastes 7:9, Colossians 3:8. Would you agree that death is “Normal”? Why doesn’t it feel normal? Why do you think we should evaluate our feelings? What feelings have you experienced when you’ve lost a loved one? Do you believe those feelings are supported by God’s Word? Day two: Deuteronomy 9:8, Numbers 11:1, Mark 3:5, James 1:20, 4:1-2, Psalm 97:10, Proverbs 8:13, Amos 5:15, Romans 12:9. Why is anger a difficult feeling to evaluate? Can you think about godly examples of anger in Scripture? What about ungodly examples? What does it look like to have a godly anger toward sin? What does ungodly anger look like, and why is it often produced in our lives? Day three: John 11:31-44, 14:9, Hebrews 1:3, Revelation 20:14. Why do you think Jesus was angry at Death? Why did Jesus let Lazarus die? Why did Jesus weep, and what does that mean for us with him being our faithful High Priest? Considering Jesus wept, what does that tell us about God himself? What application does the account with Lazarus have for us when we lose believing loved ones? Sermon Notes for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death? The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?.” Pastor Nathan preached for me the last two weeks which I really appreciated, so that I could be with my mom and kids, and plan Dad’s Celebration of Life. But even though I didn’t have a sermon to prepare, I worked on this message. I wanted to preach this, versus jump right back into our vision sermons, because of all the people in our church family who have lost loved ones recently. For example: The Raleys lost their son Robby Lehtonen and Mike Houck each lost a brother The Schmitz’s – Allan, Kandie, and Malyna – lost a cousin and nephew Allan Schmitz lost his father Audrey Templin lost a sister, and her children lost an aunt Richard and Betty Pender lost a son Wendy McFarlane lost a brother Kelli Motzkus lost her father Bonnie Ailshie lost a grandfather Edie Cole lost a daughter Pastor Nathan’s uncle is on hospice and wasn’t expected to live through yesterday Four families have experienced miscarriages And even if we haven’t lost people recently, most of us have lost people in the past, and we will lose more people in the future. And this is because death is so…normal. Now my suspicion is when I just said that – that death is normal – you probably cringed a little and disagreed with my use of that word. And why is that? Because death doesn’t feel normal. It feels completely abnormal. But I looked up the definition of the word normal, and it said, “usual, common,” which means if death is something all of us experience then it is actually one of the most normal things in existence. But again, it doesn’t feel that way, does it? Over the last two weeks I was wrestling with my feelings regarding my dad’s passing and I tried to evaluate them biblically. By that, I simply mean I tried to figure out whether my feelings were good or bad, right or wrong…which is what led to this sermon. Let me share something that probably won’t sound like it has that much to do w

My father, John Arnold LaPierre was born on September 24, 1951, and he passed away on May 2, 2021. This is the eulogy I shared at his Celebration of Life at Woodland Christian Church on May 15, 2021. If you'd like to watch the full service, you can do so here. https://youtu.be/ovcfDLdLApA The eulogy I shared at my father, John Arnold LaPierre's, Celebration of Life at Woodland Christian Church on May 15, 2021. Table of ContentsJohn LaPierre's ObituaryNotes for John LaPierre's EulogyFavorite memories about John LaPierreTreehouse and importance of familyWorking hard to care for our familyA faithful, loving husbandThings to give thanks for…Recently repeated many blessings with DadDad was able to pass with dignityWe were given many good years with DadWe were blessed with a wonderful church familyThings I’m thankful I did for John LaPierre…I took CPR trainingI told my dad I loved him many timesI shared the gospel with Dad many timesGospel Presentation John LaPierre's Obituary John LaPierre was born in Plattsburgh, New York on September 24, 1951. He attended St. Joseph Catholic School through the 8th grade and then transferred to Dannemora High School where he graduated June 1969. John was active in sports, playing basketball, baseball, and soccer in high school. He attended Cortland State University for three years majoring in physical education. John and Donna were married on February 2, 1974 in Dannemora, New York. John started working for the Department of Corrections in Dannemora in 1973 until May 1979 when he, Donna, and Scott (born in 1978) moved to California. John continued working for the Department of Corrections until retiring in April 2007. John's second son, Jason, was born in 1979. John enjoyed coaching and watching his sons participate in various sports. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, and camping with his family, and then golf during retirement. John became a Christian in 2008 and his son, Scott, baptized him soon after. When Scott took the pastorate of Woodland Christian Church in 2010, John and Donna followed him to Washington, where John also served as a deacon at his son's church. Shortly after John was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Fortunately, it progressed slowly, so he was able to enjoy many years with family and friends. In January of 2017 John was diagnosed with throat and lymph node cancer. He went through 37 radiation treatments which successfully treated the cancer. Even when John couldn't remember the names of his grandchildren they still brought him great joy whenever he saw them. They were certainly the light of his life. John was predeceased by his father, mother, and son, Jason. Notes for John LaPierre's Eulogy I thought I would begin by sharing some of my favorite memories about my dad… Favorite memories about John LaPierre Treehouse and importance of family I spent most of my young life in MacArthur, which is in the mountains of northern California. That’s also where Katie grew up, and where her parents still live. It’s very rural. We couldn’t see any of our neighbors through all the thick trees. One day Dad took Jason and I into the woods behind our house. He said, “This is where I want to build you a treehouse.” It was pretty neat: completely enclosed with a nice roof, a trapdoor to enter it from the bottom after climbing up a ladder, and a sliding window. After Dad finished it he wanted all of us ,Dad, Mom, Jason and Ito spend the night in it. The floor of the treehouse was plywood, and we slept in sleeping bags. This made for a long, uncomfortable night. The treehouse was good size, but with the four of us rolling over and bumping each other, I don’t think we slept very much. But it was a nice, fun time that I still remember. I also mention this memory because it reveals something about Dad that stands out in my mind: he really wanted us to spend time together as a family. I remember growing up knowing family was important, and there was little Dad and Mom wouldn’t do for us. Most of you have seen how that pattern continue through my adulthood with my parents following us from Northern California down to central California, which is where we were before moving here, and then up to Woodland. Working hard to care for our family Something else I remember about Dad is he was very hard-working. People can show their love for others in many ways, and Dad has never talked much, but he showed his love and concern for his family by the way he provided for us. When I grew up the phrase, “double shift,” was common. Dad was always working double shifts: two eight hour shifts back-to-back. He would drive home, sleep a few hours, and then head back to work. I played sports throughout school, and Dad made it a point to watch all my events. Because we lived in such a rural area that meant driving all over Northern California, two or three hours to different games and tournaments. Dad was such a hard worker that it seemed like even

Is retirement biblically acceptable? What are the retirement verses? Is retirement in the Bible? In 1 Timothy 5:1-10 Paul discusses what older, retired people can do. Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn about Christian retirement. Table of ContentsA History Lesson on RetirementRetire Into Christian ServiceRetired People Can Mentor (1 Timothy 5:1-2 and Titus 2:3-5)Retired People Can Pray (1 Timothy 5:3-5)Retired People Can Assist (1 Timothy 5:9-10)Slowing Down the Wrong Way (2 Samuel 21:15-17)Slowing Down the Right Way (Numbers 8:23-26)Combine Faith and Wisdom When Planning for Retirement Katie and I were part of a wedding reception that took place on a golf course in a retirement community. We saw a room next to the restaurant filled with elderly people. They went there each morning to drink Bloody Marys for breakfast and then spend their day golfing and socializing. While this might seem like a dream come true to many people, I suspect you recognize this is not the most honorable way to retire. While God doesn’t prohibit retired people (or any people for that matter) from enjoying golf, social functions, or other pleasurable pursuits, these activities shouldn’t be the focus of our lives. As 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Many hobbies are “lawful,” but when are we being “brought under the power of [them]”? I can’t answer this for you as it’s an issue of discernment, but I can say the Holy Spirit will be faithful to convict you when you’re spending too much time in unprofitable ways. The Bible never talks about people reaching a point when they can stop working and start living selfishly. It’s tragic when older people who have run most of the race and now have more freedom than ever to serve the Lord simply squander the time they have left on meaningless activities with no eternal value. Take your mind back to the parable of the rich fool. Luke 12:19 says, “I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’” Sadly, this captures what comes to mind for some people when they think of retirement, but this shouldn’t be the desire for Christians. If our view resembles that of someone Jesus calls a fool, then we should repent and change our thinking. There is nothing wrong with retiring from a secular profession, but there are right and wrong ways to retire. We should view retirement similarly to the way we view money: it is amoral but just as people can use money morally and immorally, people can use retirement morally and immorally. Before we go any further, let’s understand how the world’s idea of retirement developed so we can avoid this approach. A History Lesson on Retirement Retirement began as an inappropriate response to social issues. Before the Industrial Revolution, people’s jobs could change more easily as they got older. For example, an aging farmer could let his sons do the harvesting while he performed fewer and less-intensive chores, and a businessman could hire out the more difficult work and act as a mentor to those under him. When the Industrial Revolution took place, an obsession with productivity and economic growth arose. There were machine-based jobs that could do the work of multiple people at a faster pace and a cheaper price. This was the one moment in history to pinpoint when elderly employees became viewed as liabilities. They couldn’t work as quickly as younger people, and they were prone to more mistakes. This slowed production, increased expenses, and made younger employees more attractive. In response, corporations pushed the government to enforce retirement to remove an aging workforce in favor of a younger one. Because the elderly were viewed as being useless, when they retired, they did nothing. They had been told they had little to contribute and it was best if they simply got out of the way, so they spent their remaining years in unproductive ways. Dr. William Osler and "The Fixed Period" A prominent man in all of this was Dr. William Osler. He was an expert in the field of gerontology (the scientific study of aging). On February 22, 1905, he delivered a speech titled “The Fixed Period.” He said, The effective, moving, vitalizing work of the world is done between the ages of twenty-five and forty, when [people] are energetic and creative. Workers from age forty to sixty are tolerable. Workers over age sixty are useless. Dr. Osler said people should be forced to retire. They should have one year to settle their affairs, and then be “peacefully extinguished by chloroform.” Osler’s speech made headlines, with reports claiming, “Dr. Osler recommends chloroform at sixty.” The concept of mandatory euthanasia for humans after a certain age, often 60, became a recurring theme in twentieth-century literature. For example, Isaac Asimov’s 1950

The need for a holy church is great, because just like God called Israel to be holy in the Old Testament, He has called the church to be holy in the New Testament: “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16). We tend to think something is holy if it is moral or righteous, and something is unholy if it immoral or unrighteous, but it’s better to understand holy means separate. For example: When Moses approached the burning bush, God told him he was standing on holy ground, not because the ground was better than other areas of ground, but because it was set apart for God. If there were two identical vessels, but one was used in the temple and one wasn’t, the one in the temple was holy because it’s set apart for God. Israel was holy by keeping ceremonial commands (those dealing with tassels, foods, clothing, farming), and the church is holy by being separate from the world: “Do not be conformed to this world…do not love the world or the things in the world…friendship with the world is enmity with God” (Romans 12:2, 1 John 2:15, James 4:4). https://youtu.be/05RN--psIgU The need for a holy church is great, because just like God called Israel to be holy, He has called the church to be holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). Table of ContentsSermon Lessons for The Need for A Holy ChurchFamily Worship Guide for The Need for A Holy ChurchSermon Notes for The Need for A Holy ChurchLesson one: God always has an inside and outside.Lesson two: holiness separates the inside from the outside.Lesson three: holiness in the church means avoiding worldliness.Lesson four: seeker sensitive churches blur the line between the inside and outside.Lesson five: draw the line at immorality when being “all things to all people.” Sermon Lessons for The Need for A Holy Church Lesson one: God always has an ____________ and ______________ (Matthew 21:31, Mark 4:11, Luke 16:16, Colossians 4:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:12, 1 Corinthians 5:12-13, Revelation 22:14). Lesson two: ________________ __________________ the inside from the outside (1 Peter 1:15). Lesson three: holiness in the church means ________________ ______________________ (Romans 12:2, 1 John 2:15, James 4:4, Hebrews 12:14). Lesson four: ____________ __________________ churches blur the line between inside and outside (1 Corinthians 9:19-21, Galatians 5:6, 6:15, Acts 15:5, 16:3, 18:18). Lesson five: draw the line ____ ____________________ when being “all things to all people” (1 Corinthians 8:7-12, 9:22). Family Worship Guide for The Need for A Holy Church Directions: Read the verses and then answer the following questions: Day one: Matthew 21:31, Mark 4:11, Luke 16:16, Colossians 4:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:12, 1 Corinthians 5:12-13, Revelation 22:14. What does it mean that God has always had an inside and an outside? Why do you think this is the case? Can you think of any other examples in the Bible of an inside and outside that were not mentioned in the sermon? Day two: 1 Peter 1:15, Romans 12:2, 1 John 2:15, James 4:4, Hebrews 12:14). What are some moral commands in the Old Testament? What are some ceremonial commands? What are the differences between them, and why are they so important? What did it look like for Israel to be holy in the Old Testament? What does it look like for the church to be holy in the New Testament? Why is holiness so important for the church? Day three: 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, Galatians 5:6, 6:15, Acts 15:5, 16:3, 18:18. We appreciate the seeker sensitive churches’ desire to reach the lost, but in what way or ways do they typically err? What does it mean to “be all things to all people”? What does it not mean? How do we know where to draw the line? What are some amoral things Paul did to reach unbelievers? In what way, or ways, is Christ the greatest example of becoming “all things to all people that He might save some”? Sermon Notes for The Need for A Holy Church The title of this morning’s sermon is “The Need for a Holy Church.” Katie and I had a wonderful time in California last week. We were able to see many dear friends. Grace Baptist will always have a special place in our hearts. My previous mentor, Joe Gruchacz, left the ministry, but he still attended the conference with his wife, Janet, and spent an evening with us. I met the new pastor, Tim Dinkins, at last year’s Shepherd’s Conference. We get along very well and were able to spend quite a bit of time together. It was a wonderful time, but we are glad to be back. I appreciate Pastor Nathan preaching for me, and I really enjoyed his sermon. If you haven’t listened to it, I would encourage you to do so. Let’s pray. Last time I preached I shared that we were going to talk about the vision of our church. We haven’t done so for over seven years. In this morning’s sermon, as you can tell from the title, we’re going to talk about holiness. It is part of our vision to have a holy church, and I want you to understand why that’s t

First Samuel 3 verse 1 says, "The boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision." These words describe the dark days of the judges, which came to an end when God raised up the first prophet, Samuel, to give people the Word of God. Israel was brought out of darkness by the light of God's Word. This delivered Israel from the situation in Judges 2, verse 10 that took them away from God 3.5 centuries earlier: "There arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel." https://youtu.be/Ao-rM2kWBao "The word of the Lord was rare in those days" (1 Samuel 3:1). The dark days of the judges, which ended when God raised up the first prophet. Table of ContentsSermon Lessons for When the Word of the Lord Was RareFamily Worship Guide for When the Word of the Lord Was RareSermon Notes for When the Word of the Lord Was RareLesson one: Israel moved from victory to defeat because they did (part four) what was right in their own eyes.Lesson two: vision should come from God’s Word.Lesson three: God’s Word restrains sin. Sermon Lessons for When the Word of the Lord Was Rare NOTE: parts one through three are from the previous sermon: There Arose Another Generation Who Did not Know the Lord. Lesson one: Israel moved from victory to defeat because they did: (part one) not know the Lord (Judges 2:10a, Jeremiah 9:23-24). (part two) not remember what the Lord has done (Judges 2:10b). (part three) not remain holy (Judges 2:1-2 cf. Judges 1:28-35, 1 John 2:15-16). (part four) what was right in __________ ______ ________ (Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25 cf. 1 Samuel 8:7, Jeremiah 17:9, Matthew 6:22-23, 15:19, Ecclesiastes 9:3, Genesis 6:5, 8:21, Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). Lesson two: vision should come from __________ _______ (1 Samuel 3:1, Ezekiel 7:26, Proverbs 29:18). Lesson three: God’s word __________________ ____ (Exodus 32:25, Proverbs 29:18, Amos 8:11-12). Family Worship Guide for When the Word of the Lord Was Rare Directions: Read the verses and then answer the following questions: Day one: Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25 cf. 1 Samuel 8:7, Jeremiah 17:9, Matthew 6:22-23, 15:19, Ecclesiastes 9:3, Genesis 6:5, 8:21, Proverbs 14:12, 16:25. Why was Joshua’s death such a pivotal moment for the nation of Israel? Who were they supposed to start following at that moment? Who, or what, did they end up following instead? What does the Bible tell us about our hearts? Day two: 1 Samuel 3:1, Ezekiel 7:26, Proverbs 29:18. Samuel is a transitional figure between what two offices? What is the relationship between vision and God’s word? Why were the days of the judges so spiritually dark based on 1 Samuel 3:1? How did God bring the dark days of the judges to an end? Day three: Exodus 32:25, Proverbs 29:18, Amos 8:11-12, Ezekiel 11:19, 18:31, 36:26. How does God’s word restrains us? Aside from the book of judges and the time Moses and Joshua went up on Mount Sinai, can you think of other instances in Israel’s history of them being unrestrained because of the absence of God’s Word and vision? Regarding God’s word, why are we so fortunate today? Our hearts are incurable, or desperately sick, so what is the solution? Sermon Notes for When the Word of the Lord Was Rare The title of this morning’s sermon is, “When the Word of the Lord Was Rare.” Go ahead and open your Bibles to Judges 2 and I will open us in prayer. Last week I shared that we were going to talk about the vision of our church. We haven’t done so for over seven years. We began by considering the dramatic change that takes place between the books of Joshua and Judges: Joshua is largely a book of victories Judges is largely a book of defeats As much as Joshua is victory, after victory, after victory, Judges is defeat, after defeat, after defeat. We see why this happened in Judges 2:7-12. Let’s briefly read through these verses again… Judges 2:7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. 9 And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. 11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. You see Israel’s unfaithfulness began after Joshua’s death. Let me invite you to think about Israel’s life as a nation up to this point, so you can see why this is such a pivotal moment. Egypt served as a womb for Israel to grow as a nation: 70 people went into Egypt at the end of Genesis, and they multiplied and b

Judges 2:10 says, "There arose another generation who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel." This is why the nation of Israel went from victories to defeats. The historical books of the Bible read almost like one book, with each book serving as a chapter of a larger book covering the history of the nation of Israel. But between Joshua and Judges the change is so sharp it could almost seem like we missed something: Joshua is largely a book of victories. Judges is largely a book of defeats. Keeping in mind from 1 Corinthians 10 and Romans 15 that we are supposed to learn from the Old Testament, when we see something this dramatic take place, we should ask why it happened. We are given the answer in Judges 2:7-12. https://youtu.be/rx51zNfVXNQ Judges 2:10 says, "There arose another generation who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel." This is why Israel went from victory is in the book of Joshua to defeat in the book of Judges. Table of ContentsSermon Lessons for There Arose Another Generation Who Did not Know the LordFamily Worship Guide for There Arose Another Generation Who Did not Know the LordSermon Notes for There Arose Another Generation Who Did not Know the LordLesson one: the Promised Land is a picture of spiritual rest in Christ.Lesson two: Israel moved from victory to defeat because they did not (part one) know the Lord.Lesson two: Israel moved from victory to defeat because they did not (part two) remember what the Lord had done.Lesson two: Israel moved from victory to defeat because they did not (part three) remain holy. Sermon Lessons for There Arose Another Generation Who Did not Know the Lord Lesson one: the Promised Land is a picture of __________________ ________ in Christ (Hebrews 3-4, Joshua 13:1, 21:44, 22:4, Matthew 11:28-29). Lesson two: Israel moved from victory to defeat because they did not: (part one) know ______ ________Judges 2:10a, Jeremiah 9:23-24). (part two) remember what the Lord ______ ________ (Judges 2:10b). (part three) ____________ ________ (Judges 2:1-2 cf. Judges 1:28-35, 1 John 2:15-16). Family Worship Guide for There Arose Another Generation Who Did not Know the Lord Directions: Read the verses and then answer the following questions: Day one: 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11, Romans 15:4, Hebrews 3-4, Joshua 13:1, 21:44, 22:4, Matthew 11:28-29. Why do people have trouble learning from the Old Testament? What can we do when we read the Old Testament to find application from the accounts? How is the Promised Land a picture of our relationships with Christ? Describe the rest the Promised Land offered people of Israel. Describe the rest Christ offers His people. Day two: Judges 2:9-10, Jeremiah 9:23-24. How do the Old Testament historical books read like one book? What two books have a sharp change between them? Describe the change. What does it mean that the new generation did not know the Lord? What does it mean that the new generation did not remember what the Lord had done? What application does this have for us? In other words, how can we ensure that the generation following us knows the Lord, and remembers the things that He has done? Why don’t churches want to simply preach the Word of God? Day three: Judges 1:28-35, 2:1-2, 1 John 2:15-16. What does the word holy mean? How is Israel to remain holy? How did Israel fail to remain holy? What are some practical ways for us to remain holy? Why didn’t the Israelites drive out all the Canaanites living among them? In other words, why did they want to keep them around? Why don’t we drive out all the sin in our lives? In what ways has the world crept into the church? What can we do to prevent this? Sermon Notes for There Arose Another Generation Who Did not Know the Lord The title of this morning’s sermon is, “From Victory to Defeat.” Go ahead and open your Bibles to Joshua 21 and I will open us in prayer. This morning’s sermon has been on my heart for a while. I started working on it over a year ago, but then everything took place with COVID, and the sermons that accompanied it, such as those on wisdom and knowledge, putting off preaching this. Every few years I share about the vision of our church. The last time was over 7 years ago, January 2014, so we’re probably due. This sermon will help set up those sermons. Let me remind you of some verses that are important to keep in mind when we’re studying the Old Testament: 1 Corinthians 10:6 These things [in the Old Testament] took place as examples for us…11 [and] happened to [Israel] as an example, [and] were written down for our instruction. Romans 15:4 [the Old Testament] was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. So the New Testament says we’re supposed to learn from the Old Testament. I’ve told you before that people will look at the Old Testament and wonder what they are supposed to learn from it. Generally, the difficulty comes fr

In Colossians chapter 2, verses 11 through 14, we see many things Jesus is willing to do for us. Jesus is willing to give us victory over sin: "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ" (verse 11). Jesus is willing to be our substitute: “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses” (verses 12 and 13). Jesus is willing to cancel our debt: “by canceling the record of debt” (verse 14a). Jesus is willing to free us from the law’s demands: “that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (verse 14b). https://youtu.be/gwaM4slXs6Q Colossians 2:11-14 contains many things Jesus is willing to do: give us victory, be our substitute, cancel debt, free us from the law. Table of ContentsSermon LessonsFamily Worship GuideSermon Notes for Jesus Is Willing to…Lesson one: Jesus is willing to give us victory over sin.Lesson two: Jesus is willing to be our Substitute.Lesson three: Jesus is willing to cancel our sin debt.Lesson four: Jesus is willing to free us from the law’s demands. Sermon Lessons Jesus is willing to… Lesson one: ________ ____ victory over sin (Colossians 2:11, Romans 2:29). Lesson two: ____ ______ Substitute (Romans 6:3-4, 23, Acts 2:24, Colossians 2:12-13). Lesson three: ____________ ______ debt (Colossians 2:13-14a). Lesson four: ________ ____ from the law’s demands (Colossians 2:14b, John 16:8, Romans 3:21-28). Family Worship Guide Directions: Read the verses and then answer the following questions: Day one: Colossians 2:11, Romans 2:29. What did physical circumcision always prefigure? What does it mean that Jesus died for our salvation and sanctification? What is the difference between the two? Why can’t the law produce our sanctification any more than it can produce our salvation? Day two: Romans 6:3-4, 23, Acts 2:24, Colossians 2:12-13. Why do we need a substitute? In what ways is Jesus willing to serve as our Substitute? Why couldn’t the grave hold Christ? In other words, why couldn’t He remain dead? What does baptized mean? In what ways were we baptized into Christ? What does water baptism represent? In other words, what does water baptism demonstrate about our relationships with Christ? Day three: Colossians 2:13-14, John 16:8, Romans 3:21-28. Describe the debt that we owe God. How can this debt be paid? What does it look like for us to pay it? What did it look like for Jesus to pay it? What are trespasses; how are they different than other sins? How did Jesus free us from the law’s demands and what does this mean for us? Why does the Holy Spirit convict the world of righteousness, and what does this have to do with Jesus’s ascension? How are we justified, or declared righteous? Sermon Notes for Jesus Is Willing to… Title of this morning’s sermon is, “Jesus Is Willing.” Go ahead and open your Bibles to Colossians 2: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Over the last few weeks the sermons have been about baptism as we looked forward to today’s baptisms. Last week we talked about circumcision, and of course today is resurrection Sunday. So we’ve got: Baptism Circumcision And resurrection And beautifully all three are tied together in this morning’s verses. Let’s read Colossians 2:11-14 so you can see what I mean… Colossians 2:11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. In these verses we get to see some of the wonderful things Jesus is willing to do for us, and we’re going to talk about some of these things for the rest of the sermon. First, reread verse 11 with me… Colossians 2:11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, We talked about this verse somewhat last week… Circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with the nation of Israel. Even though it was physical, the true and greater circumcision was spiritual: that of the heart. That’s what Paul’s talking about in this verse: He says circumcision made without hands, which means it’s spiritual not physical He says putting off the flesh, but he doesn’t mean the physical flesh, he means the spiritual flesh,

Physical circumcision always prefigured, or foreshadowed, the true and greater circumcision God wanted, which was spiritual circumcision of the heart (Colossians 2:11-12 and Romans 2:28-29). Spiritual circumcision of the heart occurs when people repent and put their faith in Christ and are saved. This is part three of a three-part series. Here are parts one and two: Credobaptism vs Paedobaptism: Which Is Right? What About Baptism for Children? Table of ContentsChildren Must Have Circumcised Hearts to Be BaptizedSalvation (Circumcision of the Heart) Versus Spiritual Maturity Is the Requirement for BaptismDon’t Try to Talk Your Children Into Being Baptized https://youtu.be/QYXj75k72wA Spiritual circumcision of the heart is the true and greater circumcision God wanted (Colossians 2:11-12 and Romans 2:28-29). Because we believe our children must be saved before being baptized I tried to give you some evidences of salvation to look for in our children’s lives. While no parent can know for sure that their child is saved, hopefully, the evidence I provided has been helpful…not only in determining whether your children are saved, but even if you are an adult, examining your own salvation. We are going to look at a few baptisms in the book of Acts, but first we need to have a brief discussion of circumcision and what it prefigured or foreshadowed. I told you that we believe in credobaptism, or more commonly known as believers’ baptism. Those who believe in infant baptism are known as paedobaptists, and they see a strong relationship between circumcision and baptism. The idea is, babies were circumcised, so babies should be baptized. But there is an important issue… Physical circumcision always prefigured, or foreshadowed, the true and greater circumcision God wanted, which was spiritual. In other words, the true and greater circumcision God wanted His people to have was always of the heart, and it occurs when people are saved. Listen to these verses: Colossians 2:11-12 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands (this means it’s not physical), by putting off the body of the flesh (this refers to the spiritual flesh), by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. Romans 2:28-29 No one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, NOR IS CIRCUMCISION OUTWARD AND PHYSICAL. But a Jew is one inwardly, and CIRCUMCISION IS A MATTER OF THE HEART, by the Spirit, not by the letter. Paul said circumcision is a matter of the heart BY THE SPIRIT, not by the letter. This means the letter of the law, which can’t provide spiritual circumcision of the heart. Only the Holy Spirit can circumcise their hearts, so they repent and believe. And at that point, they can be baptized…and this brings us to lesson one… Children Must Have Circumcised Hearts to Be Baptized Just so you don’t think this is my opinion, let me share some verses that make this point… God gave Abraham the sign of circumcision, but throughout the Old Testament even though many of the Jews were circumcised physically, they were not circumcised spiritually, in that their hearts weren’t circumcised. Listen to these verses making that point… Leviticus 26:41 [God says] I walked contrary to them…if then THEIR UNCIRCUMCISED HEART IS HUMBLED AND THEY MAKE AMENDS FOR THEIR INIQUITY, 42 THEN I WILL REMEMBER MY COVENANT WITH JACOB, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham. The interesting part of these verses is circumcision was the sign of the covenant, but God said He wouldn’t remember His covenant with them unless they were circumcised spiritually…even when they were circumcised physically. So physical circumcision meant nothing if people weren’t also circumcised spiritually. Jeremiah 6:10 Behold, THEIR EARS ARE UNCIRCUMCISED, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it. They wouldn’t listen to spiritual truths, so God said their ears were uncircumcised. Ezekiel 44:6 O house of Israel, enough of all your abominations, 7 in admitting foreigners, UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART AND FLESH, to be in my sanctuary, profaning my temple. God was upset the Israelites allowed foreigners into the temple, and He didn’t just point out that they were uncircumcised physically, He pointed out that they were uncircumcised spiritually. Deuteronomy 30:6 The Lord…WILL CIRCUMCISE YOUR HEART and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord…with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. This verse describes what it looks like if people’s hearts are circumcised: They will love the Lord with all their heart and soul. Again, God was talking to people who had obeyed Him physically, but He wanted to move to their spiritual condition, which meant loving Him. There are lots of other verses I could give you, but you get the point. The i

Credobaptism vs paedobaptism is a common debate among Christians. Paedobaptism is also known as infant baptism or baby baptism. Credobaptism, which is the view, is known as believers’ baptism. Because I am a credobaptist, I would like to provide three evidences of salvation to look for in your children’s lives. This is part one of a three-part series. Here are parts two and three: What About Baptism for Children? Spiritual Circumcision of the Heart (Colossians 2:11-12 and Romans 2:28-2) https://youtu.be/kZ7jfcvQeKI Credobaptism vs paedobaptism is a common debate. Paedobaptism is infant baptism or baby baptism, and credobaptism is believers’ baptism. Table of ContentsSermon Lessons for Credobaptism vs Paedobaptism: Which Is Right?Family Worship Guide for Credobaptism vs Paedobaptism: Which Is Right?Sermon Notes for Credobaptism vs Paedobaptism: Which Is Right?Lesson one: at WCC fathers play a large part in shepherding their families.Lesson two: salvation is the requirement for baptism.Lesson three: evidence of salvation to look for in your children (part one) godly sorrow.Lesson three: evidences of salvation to look for in your children (part two) spiritual fruit.Lesson three: evidences of salvation to look for in your children (part three) spiritual hunger and thirst. Sermon Lessons for Credobaptism vs Paedobaptism: Which Is Right? Sermon Lessons for When Should Children Be Baptized? 03:38 Lesson 1: at ______ ______________ play a large part in shepherding their families. Lesson 2: __________________ ____ the requirement for baptism (Acts 2:41). Lesson 3: evidences of salvation to look for in your children: (Part 1) __________ ____________ (2 Corinthians 7:10). (Part 2) __________________ __________ (Matthew 3:8, 7:19, 13:23, Acts 26:20, James 2:17, 20, 26). (Part 3) spiritual ____________ and _____________ (John 4:13-15, 6:35, 66, Luke 6:21, 25, 1 John 2:15, John 3:19). Family Worship Guide for Credobaptism vs Paedobaptism: Which Is Right? Day 1: Read Acts 2:41, 2 Corinthians 7:10 and discuss: what is paedobaptism? What is credobaptism? What is godly sorrow, and what does it lead to/produce? What is worldly sorrow, and what does it produce? What is the difference between both? Day 2: Read Matthew 3:8, 7:19, 13:23, Acts 26:20, James 2:17, 20, 26 and discuss: why is genuine repentance accompanied by spiritual fruit? For a hint, think of the practice of putting off and putting on. What is the relationship between saving faith and works? What are works, or fruit, we can look for in our children’s lives to be confident in their faith? Day 3: Read John 4:13-15, 6:35, 66, Luke 6:21, 25, 1 John 2:15, John 3:19 and discuss: what does it mean to have a spiritual hunger and thirst? What spiritual truths were Jesus is trying to communicate to the woman at the well? What spiritual truths did Jesus want to communicate to the crowd that followed him after feeding the 5000? Sermon Notes for Credobaptism vs Paedobaptism: Which Is Right? The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Credobaptism vs Paedobaptism: Which Is Right?” As you probably heard during the announcements we are having baptisms in a few weeks on Easter Sunday. With my children getting older we have been having many conversations about baptism, and when and if they should be baptized. I thought it would be good to help some of you think through your children being baptized too. So over the next couple weeks leading up to the baptisms I’m going to talk about when children should be baptized. Once I finish these sermons I am going to preach on the vision of our church. I try to do this every few years to help establish: Where we are Where we want to go How we do things The last time I preached on this was over seven years ago, January 2014, so I am probably overdue. The reason I mention this is I’d like to share something about our view of fathers in the church, that doesn’t just relate to our vision, but also baptism. This brings us to lesson 1… Lesson one: at WCC fathers play a large part in shepherding their families. In some churches the elders carry much of the responsibility for families. At WCC we try to put some of that responsibility back on the fathers’ shoulders, because that’s where we think it belongs. Here’s an example… At some churches: Only elders pray, read Scripture, or preach in the service Only elders administer the communion elements Only elders baptize people As you know if you have attended WCC for very long, or I could even say one Sunday, you can see that we try to involve men, including young men, frequently. We have men and young men: Pray, read Scripture, and preach in the service Provide the communion devotion, as well as distribute the elements Lead the music Share some of the teaching load Lead home fellowships And baptize their children We do this for two reasons: Most obviously, we don’t think it’s biblical that only the elders serve and/or use their gifts in the church Second, we believe God has called men to lead in the home and