Study in Luke - Chapters 5/6

It has been evident throughout history that people will not willingly follow someone they feel superior to. You’ve seen it in business when a younger, less-experienced person has been promoted above those with age, skills and wisdom. In the military, a Second Lieutenant, fresh from the academy has a hard time gaining respect from seasoned Master Sergeants and war-hardened troops. Guys with life experience aren’t easily persuaded by those with education.

Peter faced a similar challenge. Jesus was asking him to, “Come follow Me.” Now, here’s a man’s man, a crusty fisherman who gives more orders than he takes, does what he wants, goes where he wants, says whatever he wants. How is he going to submit to someone else leading his life? How is he going to give control to another person?

Remember, after the big catch of fish, Peter fell down at Jesus’ feet and said: “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

Peter is in the middle of an identity crisis. That happens when you get a glimpse of yourself stripped of ego, standing exposed for who you really are. He was humbled.

Humbling means lowering your perception of yourself. The Bible says not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. It tells us we must humble ourselves before God will lift us up, but also it shows us how He can humble us.

When Peter saw himself in contrast to who Jesus was, he was humbled. When he fell to his knees he was humbling himself.

In that moment, Peter saw that he was less of a man than he had promoted himself to be. He looked at Jesus’ purity. He saw his sin. He looked at Jesus’ purpose. He saw his floundering. He looked at Jesus’ power. He saw his weakness.

In an instant, this man who made life all about himself gained new perspective. To follow Jesus, Jesus must become the center of Peter’s life.

A few years ago, the word of the Year by the American Dialect Society in Anaheim, CA, was plutoed. It was coined when a vote involving just 424 astronomers at a meeting of the International Astronomical Union in Prague, on August 24, 2006, decided Pluto was no longer a planet. The word means “to demote or devalue someone or something.”

Most of us can’t handle the thought of being plutoed. We want to advance, we want to promote, we want to gain the advantage.

But to follow, we must submit—place ourselves under the authority of someone else’s leadership.

Leonard Bernstein, the famous orchestra conductor was once asked: what is the most difficult instrument to play in the orchestra? He said: second fiddle. Everyone wants the lead. Nobody wants to follow.

It would take humility for the men Jesus chose to play second to His lead to be able to follow Him.

When pride rules, it is hard to admit we need a God, a Lord, a master, to even say, we need help.

Someone said: When pride walks onto the platform, God walks off.

When Peter saw the limitations of what he brought to the table, he faced the challenge and chose humility.

Levi (or Matthew) had a similar moment.

Luke 5:27  After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, "Follow Me." And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him. And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house, and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

Was Jesus looking at Matthew when He said this? At other times Jesus proved He could see inside the minds of people and know their thoughts. He could see into their hearts and know the sincerity of what they were saying or doing. Was this why Matthew dropped everything at the tax table and followed Jesus?

Or was he the tax collector of another story? Luke 18:10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Here’s a man showing the kind of humility required to follow Jesus. Are we seeing a pattern yet? The path to being made right with God or to inviting Him into the issues of our lives requires us to acknowledge we are more with Him than we are without Him.

Those who don’t believe they are sick are not going to go to the doctor. Those who don’t believe they are ignorant are not going to seek information. Those who don’t believe they have a problem they can’t handle are not going to admit they need help.

Look at healing. Jesus healed many people throughout His ministry. Luke tells us of one where the man confessed Jesus as his only hope. Luke 5:12  While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him.

What made this healing unique was the confession: Lord, I have a need. You have the answer. I submit my need to You and trust You for the result. That’s humility. I can’t fix my problem. You can. I’m not the most important one here, You are.

What did John the Baptizer say? He must increase; I must decrease. Or in a more personal statement: For Him to increase, I must decrease. I will not place myself underneath the Lord, nor will I ever submit to His control over my life as long as I feel I am more important. We cannot compete with Him for who’s in control.

The Pharisees saw themselves in control of Jewish life. One day they were challenging Jesus about His obvious disregard for their traditions, specifically, the Sabbath obligations. “Why do you and your men do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” In other words, Do You think You are above our rules?

Luke 6:5 And He was saying to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him. But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" And he got up and came forward. And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?" After looking around at them all, He said to him, "Stretch out your hand!" And he did so; and his hand was restored. But they themselves were filled with rage…

Why? They saw Jesus acting as though He was superior to them and their beliefs, which is an interesting observation because He was! His words challenged them because they came with authority which means you have to believe or dismiss. They can’t be ignored.

So He challenged them with outcomes. Let’s play this out. According to your response, one of these two results will be true.

Luke 6:46 "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. "But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."

If you are building on the wrong foundation, your life will crumble. You will be like a man who placed his ladder on a wall and spent his whole life climbing that ladder, only to find out he had leaned it against the wrong wall. He didn’t follow the instructions.

Why are we given instructions? Because the success of the final product depends upon accurately putting the pieces together as they are designed to fit.

Instructions are burdensome to those of us who think we can accomplish the end without them. I don’t need no stinking instructions. Instructions are for those who can’t figure out what to do. Instructions are for those who need help. They are a crutch.

Ever hear that in reference to Jesus? Christianity is a crutch. Salvation is for weak people. Following Jesus is for those who don’t have what it takes to blaze their own trails. It is for the ignorant and inferior.

I’ll be the first to admit: I’m one of those. That’s me. I am the sick one who needs a Divine Physician. I am the sinful man who feels ashamed to stand in the presence of the Lord. I am the sinner, beating my chest, crying out for the mercy of God.

Jesus said to the Pharisees, the one who thinks he can justify himself apart from Me can count on his life crumbling. But, the one who humbly submits to Me, he will stand.

In South America, the llama is a cultural metaphor for arrogance. To keep a herd of llamas corralled, you don’t even need a fence. All you need is one rope circling around the herd to keep them enclosed. Just by placing it at a height between the head and base of the neck, the llamas are trapped. Rather than stooping beneath the rope, they will stand tall, proud but captive.

Why were the Nations of Israel and Judah both taken captive? They had lowered the importance of God over them, choosing to run their lives according to their own desires. They elevated themselves and their wants above Him. They plutoed God.

How did God respond: Jer 13:17 But if you will not listen to it, My soul will sob in secret for such pride; And my eyes will bitterly weep And flow down with tears, Because the flock of the LORD has been taken captive.

Pride makes us think we’re the answer. Humility reminds us He is.

·         How do I respond to the doctor’s diagnosis? Jesus

·         How do I handle the crisis of my adult children? Jesus

·         How do I face a life that’s dwindling down? Jesus

·         How do I help my grandchildren deal with life? Jesus

·         How do I rest in peace during my fiery ordeal? Jesus

TAKEAWAYS:

1. The hardest actions are the ones that require humility.
2. Humility doesn’t expose weakness, it admits it.
3. When I admit I need the Lord, I am demonstrating faith not failure.
4. If I refuse to admit I need the Lord, I am not declaring my strength but exposing my lack of it.
5. Since we didn’t create the life, to think we know better how it should be lived than the One who did create it, we are setting our hopes on a false foundation.

A Study in Luke - Ch. 5 Renewing the Passion

When we got our boys a swingset years ago, I was surprised that this massive structure came in a long, narrow box. Nothing was together. There were hundreds of parts, bags of screws, bolts and attachments…and pages of instructions. It took hours to put it together. But finally there it was. The boys loved it. I was proud. And then as I was gathering up the leftover parts, I read the final note on the instructions: retighten all bolts once a month as long as the swingset is in use. In other words: for the rest of my natural life.

I wasn’t providing my kids a play toy, I was making a lifetime commitment to a metal monster.

Making a commitment involves dedicating yourself to something or someone and assuming the obligations and responsibilities of that commitment.

Probably the best picture of commitment is marriage. What begins with vows or promises that establish the foundation for building a life together is intended to continue for the duration of the marriage.

We are so happy making our vows, then life starts. We settle down. Routine, busyness, illness, kids, moving, in-laws, disagreements, change. After a while our commitment grows cold and the vows become a faded memory. We are consumed with duties and responsibilities. The relationship goes stale. What had started as a fiery hot volcano of passion, now is only a Bick lighter that doesn’t always work. Where are the flames, where’s the passion?

Woman asked her husband—“Why don’t you ever nibble on my ear anymore? I loved it when you nibbled on my ear. They’re dangling.” He said, “Well, just a minute, let me go get my teeth.”

Our marriage commitment obligates us to not settle for less but to press on to what’s best. To live out our devotion. To love and be loved and do the actions that demonstrate that love.

If you’ve ever played with fire, you’ve taken a fully enflamed log out of the fire and watched it slowly quit burning and grow cold.

Well, what if we’ve pulled away from the fire? What if we’ve grown cold and somewhat indifferent? What if we’re just going through the motions? How do we get back what we once had? How do we renew a commitment back to how it was in the beginning?

In the Revelation of John, Jesus told the church of Ephesus: But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first. (Rev 2:4)

The issue Jesus had with the Ephesians was they had grown cold in their devotion to Him and were no longer doing the things that they used to do that expressed that love. So He told them, “Think back to the earlier days when what drove who you were also driving what you did. When you lived out the excitement of belonging to Me.”

First rule of fixing a computer that’s quit working is to reboot. To turn it off and restart it to what it was like before things messed up. To bring us back to where we were before we drifted away, often God reboots our commitment, by reminding us how this all got started and what life was like when He was our first love.

Then He gave them the process of renewal: Change your mind, turn your face back to look at what consumed your passion and start doing the things you used to do. Things that expressed your love for Me. I’m not asking you to just change your behavior but renew your mind to the love that used to drive your life. Then live that way.

Deep inside them was life-giving evidence of a changed heart.

Prov 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence for from it flows the springs of life.

The heart drives the actions. Reviving the heart will change how we live and what we do.

Paul said: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom 12:2)

What initiates the transformation? Renewing or reviving the place within your heart that holds your commitment. Jesus called that place your first love. Go back there, let the love grow hot again and let that love control your attitudes and actions. Returning to your first love. That works in marriage. But that process was designed for rekindling our relationship with the Lord.

God used that method with many people in Scripture. Each had a significant moment of commitment but had strayed away. He brought them back to a memory where they first made their commitment and then gave them the opportunity for a second chance.

Jonah 1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me."  But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa… Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land. Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you." Let’s go back to that moment before the fish…

Jdg 13:5 "For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines." Jdg 16:17  So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, "A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any other man." Jdg 16:20 She said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And he awoke from his sleep and said, "I will go out as at other times and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him. Jdg 16:22 However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off.  Let’s go back to the promise from your birth…

Mar 16:7 "But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'"

But while they were supposed to be waiting for the Lord…John 21:3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

Joh 21:11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

John’s memory of that moment was the net didn’t break. Peter’s memory was of a seashore and a different boatload of fish—153 to be exact. There was no other reason to number them. It was a number Peter remembered.

Luke 5:1-11

What was Jesus doing? Tying the two events together to bring Peter back to when his heart was softer and more excited about following Him. Back when he made his first decision to make Jesus his first love, to leave everything and go with Jesus.

In John’s story, the crucifixion had taken the wind out of Peter’s sail, doused water on his fire (use any cliché you like). He was loose from the dock and drifting and Jesus knew it. It was too easy for Peter to go back fishing instead of waiting for Jesus.

Same things as with Ephesus: “Your love has lessened. I can see it in your actions. Don’t tell me you love Me and live like this?” But He wouldn’t leave them there. He offered the way back. “Remember when you first believed, renew your mind to what that was like and start doing again the things you did at first, the things that demonstrated your love.”

What things: Remember…

·         When Prayer became important – Prayer changed from saying words to speaking with God. It was the time in my day I acknowledged God’s presence in my life.

·         When the Bible became alive – When I would intentionally seek insight into the ways of God. Reading to discover something that would help me know God better and live more effectively for Him.

·         When you would Worship – Worship isn’t attending a worship service. It is a heart connected with God expressing praise and devotion. It is telling Him you love Him. Thanking Him.

·         When trusting God with the details of your life was easy – Back when your first thought in a crisis or trouble was God help me.

·         When you would let God help others through you – When you looked for ways to minister and serve—to be of use to the Kingdom.

Commitment speaks of obligation. There are things we do when we’re committed. There are things we don’t do if we’re not committed.

·         The swingset never was retightened again. I wasn’t committed.

·         Marrying my wife was a good thing. That commitment changed my life and continues to change my life for the better.

·         Following Jesus is a commitment that has obligated me to live within the delight of His love. It is renewed daily with an on-going response to continue doing the things that show Him I love Him.

To rekindle our love for Him, God often takes us back and reminds us of those early days of our commitment, reminding us how this all got started and what life was like when He was our first love.

TAKEAWAYS:

1. Commitment is an obligation that begins in our hearts and spreads throughout our whole lives.
2. When we choose to live out our commitment, the evidence of that choice becomes obvious.
3. If the things of God are not obvious in my life, it is because I have moved away from the fire and lost the passion I once had for Him.
4. The journey to renewal reignites that flame, rekindles my love, redirects my thoughts and revives the practices that once expressed my devotion to Him.
5.  A renewed commitment—like a renewed marriage—can be even more life-changing than the original. 

A Study of Luke - Ch 3

The very last thing said in the Old Testament is: Mal 4:5 Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers…

400 years later…Luke 3:1  Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar [began reign in 14 A.D. this would be approximately 28 A.D.], when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea [began in 28 A.D.], and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, Luke 3:2  in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. Luke 3:3  And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

Mat 11:9-10 "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, 'BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.' "Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer! Mat 11:14 "And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.

Role of prophets – to speak in behalf of God. To bring God’s purposes into whatever the people faced. To stand and declare Thus saith the Lord…

People need rallying points, they need leaders who will stand up and say, “This is the way.” John was that kind of leader.

Churchill was as well: “You ask, what is our policy? I say it is to wage war by land, sea, and air. War with all our might and with all the strength God has given us, and to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs - Victory in spite of all terrors - Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival. Let that be realized. No survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge, the impulse of the ages, that mankind shall move forward toward his goal. I take up my task in buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. I feel entitled at this juncture, at this time, to claim the aid of all and to say, "Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength."

Churchill prepared an unprepared people for a war that proved to be, by his own words, Briton’s finest hour!

But there was no prophet’s voice for 400 years. With no word from God of substance enough to write down, the people lost enthusiasm for loving God with their whole hearts, minds and spirits. They’d become lazy in expectation. 400 years with no one saying, “Come, then, let us go forward together to the heart of God. Then the time came.

Mark 1:4-5 John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 

How do you distinguish a fresh work of God? Change. Change of attitude, change of direction, change of heart. When God acts, there is a difference.

Baptism wasn’t unusual. In fact it was common practice for a variety of Jewish purification rituals. Gentiles becoming Jews would be baptized.

Luke 11:37  Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined. When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed [baptized] before the meal.

But a baptism of repentance was new. It went beyond the cleansing ritual for sin. It accompanied changing your mind or changing your direction. Specifically, it was to give evidence you had turned your life toward God, given your heart (or the control center of your life) to Him.

The use of the word repent is limited, however. In the Gospels and Acts, repent or repentance is only used 18 times. In the rest of the New Testament you will not find repent but you will find repentance used 8 times.

2Co 7:10  For the sorrow that is according to God produces a repentance [desire to change] without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

2Ti 2:24-26 The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance [the desire for change] leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance [the process of change].

Repentance is that moment of surrendering to God, declaring He has the better life for us than the one we are living on our own. We act on the desire to change the direction of our life from us to Him.

Rom 2:4 Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? The kindness of God creates the desire for change and points us to the opportunity to change.

Change is a process. It begins with the desire for change—repentance—but doesn’t stop with just the desire. The second part of repenting is confessing. I am confessing how I have missed God’s intentions by going my own way. I’m not dealing with sins but sin—the driving force within me leading me away from God. God there are desires inside me that take me away from You, and I have given in to them.

Mark says John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The word for isn’t in the original. It is the word into (which we’ll deal with again in a few minutes). A person didn’t get baptized to get forgiveness. The baptism was because their repentance led them to confess their sin and God forgave them.

They confessed their sins. To whom? John? Why would John care about hearing how they had sinned against God. What could he do about it? They were confessing to the only One who had the power to forgive—God, Himself.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Why baptism? Why not just have them stand on a rock and shout out loud, “I am turning my life toward God.” Baptism was symbol and a challenge.

·         Leaving an old life, entering a new.

·         Dying to the old self and embracing the new.

·         Having confessed my sin, I am declaring it washed away.

·         Stating for the record, I’m all in, immersed completely surrendered to God.

It was a practice even the Pharisees couldn’t argue with. They used water in a purification ritual. Problem: they thought the water was what cleansed them.

It was the difference in rinsing your hands or washing with soap. Rinsing may make us think we’re clean but stuff remains that won’t come off without soap.

Rebecca told of Joe washing his hands. With soap? He went back to wash again.

John’s mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah, not create rituals. He knew that people needed to be prepared and they weren’t. The war for the souls of mankind was at hand. The first part of that preparation was repentance – turning away from an old and empty life. He started there.

John preached steps for the people to follow:

1. Repent (and confess)
2. Be baptized
3. Live in anticipation that the Messiah was coming

Step three was where John and the people he baptized lived. Some baptized by John took this message to other parts of the world. But the message was limited to Step 3.

Act 18:24  Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Act 19:1  It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.  He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism." Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus." When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Their understanding was limited because of a lack of information. They had repented of their sins and were baptized, prepared for what God was planning to do. They simply didn’t know that He had already done it. Their picture wasn’t complete. They believed up to the limit of their knowledge but needed the rest of the story to fully come into the Kingdom. Priscilla and Aquila as well as Paul filled in the blanks. The men believed, were baptized into the Name of Jesus who fulfilled the promise for which they were prepared.

Difference between in and into: In is a word of agreement with. We agree with a plan or purpose so we believe in it. We agree with something we’ve been told so we believe in it. We agree that Jesus is who He says He is so we believe in Him.

Into indicates that a point has been reached or entered. We have moved into the house. We have gone into the church. It is a preposition of location.

Where are we with Jesus? Are we in agreement with things we know about Him? Or have we entered into a vital relationship with Him personally?

Jn 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes into Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Believing in simply means I agree with what’s written about Him. Believing into means I have entered into relationship with Him.

That’s how I spent my teenage years in church. Believing in but never moving into.

John wasn’t a converter or an evangelist, but one who prepared people for what God had coming. He wasn’t given them a religious experience through baptism but wanting evidence they have made a life-changing decision to turn their lives toward the Lord so they would be ready for what God was going to do.

That was the promise at John’s birth: Luke 1:16-17 "He will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

But God had a step 4 for John: John 1:31 "I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water."

The ultimate purpose of John’s mission was to identify the Messiah. Later, he’ll say, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” God had told him, when I show you who the Messiah is, your ministry will be completed. The time to prepare is over. Now, it’s time to receive who He is.

Want to know why Jesus was baptized? It was for John. It was the sign John was to see to declare Him the One. It served no other purpose.

John 1:32-34 John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God."

Seeing that convinced John—God was saying to him, “John, this is why you were born. This is your defining moment. John moved into Step 4—meeting Jesus and acknowledging Him as Savior and Lord.

God has that same moment for each of us to discover we were born to meet Jesus.

What happened to John? Luke 3:20 Herod had John put into prison. John never walks free again but will die a fulfilled man.

There is a fulfillment that comes when we know who Jesus is and give our hearts to Him. He blesses us then and continues to bless us throughout our lives. That anticipation John called the people to live with, knowing Jesus was coming, is how we live every day. We live in the assurance He is here.

2018 is going to be a significant year for us. We will see God do amazing things in and through our church. I want you to join me in living in anticipation of what He will do.

TAKEAWAYS:

1. John’s life demonstrated the power and purpose of God.
2. He expected that the people who came to him for baptism had repented: chosen God’s way over their own.
3. The evidence of repenting is a changed life.
4. Believing in Jesus can change our perspective but believing into Him begins a relationship that changes our lives.

Mary's Story Pt. 3

Distractions are interruptions that interfere with us accomplishing what we believe is important. They are rabbits in our minds that capture our thoughts and take them away from what we are supposed to be thinking about. They compete for our time and try to occupy space within our minds needed to stay focused. They compel our eyes to look at images not associated with the task at hand. Basically, distractions take us away from what is considered the main thing.

Amazing amount of ways to fight distractions.

1.       Determine what is most important—that is your priority.

2.      Organize your time around that priority.

3.      Schedule your day accordingly.

4.      Refuse to allow anything to keep you from your schedule.

5.      Say no to interruptions.

But what if the distraction proves to be more important than what we had thought was most important? What if the rabbit is a better catch than what we’re after? What if the interruption solves greater problems than it causes? What if in denying the distraction we lose one of the greatest moments of our lives?

One cold winter day in 1971, students at a small Kentucky college went to their weekly chapel service. It was their duty. Attendance was required. They expected nothing but getting their name checked to prove they were there. 185 hours later they came out of that chapel, changed beyond their wildest dreams. God had scheduled the Asbury Revival, a divine moment, within a busy college curriculum.

A lady had an eating disorder caused by using food to cope with life. “There is nothing life can throw at me that I cannot eat away,” was her motto. The comfort she found in eating was only compounded by the guilt she experienced when she was done. She went to church one Sunday in her usual mindset of no expectations. The Pastor shared that Jesus was the Bread of Life. Suddenly it dawned on her that the desire to eat wasn’t the problem. The problem was what she chose to eat. She had been expecting food to do what only Jesus could do. Four years and 172 pounds later she has held to her new diet. Her divine moment gave her a new life.

Every morning a man went out into the garden to spend time reflecting, doing his devotions and reading the Bible. After his wife died it was four days before he went back. As he was reading his Bible, considering how alone he felt, reading of the Spirit of God descending like a dove, he begged God for comfort. A bird suddenly flew up and perched on his foot. The bird showed no fear and spent several minutes chattering to him.  This had never happened before. After a while the bird jumped from his foot to his knee.  He said he just put his hands out and said, no food. But the bird seemed happy just to be there twittering to the man for a few more minutes and then it flew away. He thought about the comfort the little bird had given him but the loneliness came back when the bird flew away. The man went back to his prayer and asked for comfort again and the bird actually came back.  He said afterwards, “I was just amazed at the whole thing, enjoying the moment with the bird, then missing his company when he flew away.” Which was how his emotions were—unpredictable and raw. “But, then the bird came back to me. Then I realized, by a little insignificant bird, God gave me a divine moment to remind me I wasn’t alone. He was with me.”

A divine moment is when God interrupts our lives to give us something better than whatever it is we’re after at that moment.

They are extraordinary because in that moment we discover something we might miss had we pushed it away as an interruption. They are moments that remind us that we are part of a much bigger picture of what God is doing.

Vance is a Black man living in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood. But that isn’t the only reason he stands out. He is a servant-hearted father who also cares for the many other kids who play in the streets by his building. One night at 9 p.m., there was a knock at Vance's door. The 16-year-old boy who lives a few doors down needed help tying his tie. He had a big presentation at school the next day, and he had no father to help him get ready. After Vance had finished tying the tie, the boy asked, "Do you have a pair of black dress shoes I could borrow?" Vance thought about the $60 pair of shoes in his closet that he hadn't even taken out of the box yet. He cringed when he was certain God was telling him to give the boy those shoes. Vance cringed inside. He told the boy to wait at the door as he headed into the apartment to look for any pair of shoes but the new pair. Before he went to the closet, though, he told his wife what he sensed the Spirit was saying to him. She agreed that it sounded like something God would say. So he got the new shoes and brought them to the boy. His last hope was that they wouldn't fit. After all, how many 16-year-olds have size-12 feet? They fit perfectly. Just a few weeks after Vance gave away his new shoes, he and his wife sensed God telling them to start a Bible study for the kids in their building. They bought four Bibles and put out word a Bible study was beginning. That Sunday, seven kids showed up at Vance's apartment—brought there by the 16-year-old owner of a new pair of shoes. The following week they bought more Bibles, and the 16-year-old brought in 14 kids! Who would have thought the kingdom of God would come to the kids of that apartment complex just because one man, in a divine moment, chose to give away a new pair of shoes?

What is a divine moment? It is slice of time into which God slips a unique and unexpected encounter. It is a sovereign act, not something you can plan for or schedule. Can you miss it? Sure, by being so focused on what you think is more important, you can miss what God wants you to see.

An old shoe cobbler dreamed one Christmas Eve that Jesus would come to visit him the next day. The dream was so real that he was convinced it would come true. So the next morning he got up, straightened up his shop, sat down and waited. The hours passed. But an old man came inside for a moment to get warm out of the winter cold. As the cobbler talked with him he noticed the holes in the old man’s shoes, so he reached up on the shelf and got him a new pair of shoes. He made sure they fit. He dried his socks and then sent him on his way. Still he waited. An old woman came who hadn’t had a decent meal in two days. He sat and visited for a while. He prepared some food for her to eat then sent her on her way. Then he sat back down to wait for Jesus.  Then he heard a little boy crying out in front of his shop. He went outside and found out the boy had gotten lost from his parents and didn’t know how to get home. The cobbler put on his coat, took the boy by the hand and led him home. When he came back to his little shoe shop it was almost dark and the streets were empty. And in a moment of despair he lifted his voice to heaven and said, "Oh Lord Jesus, why didn’t you come?" And then he heard a voice say, "Oh cobbler, lift up your heart. I kept my word. Three times I knocked at your door. Three times you answered. I was the man needing shoes. I was the woman needing food. I was the little boy on the street." Jesus had come. The cobbler just didn’t realize it.

Luke 2:21  And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD"), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS."

All of this was routine, simply carrying out what was expected—following the Law. Nothing unusual or exceptional about it. No one would have looked at them and said, “Look at those religious fanatics.” If you were a Jewish family, this is what you would do. Eight days after the most spectacular night of the presence of God and angels and shepherds, they were now into the ordinary schedule of life.

Who expects God to show up in the ordinary stuff of life?

Let me tell you about Simeon: Luke 2:25  And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Righteous, devout

            Righteous – a title given – we are righteous (right with God) because God

                        declares us so.

            Devout – a title earned

Devout: totally committed to our beliefs. Believing strongly in the principles of our faith and structuring our lives to live by those principles: To be deeply devoted to God. Living out our righteousness.

Men typically judge someone more by what they do than what they say they are.

·         If you give a man a title with a job description and he doesn’t do what is on the job description, then he isn’t being what his title says he is.

·         But, if a man does the job he’s called to do he can wear the title.

Simeon was both righteous and devout.

            He wore the title righteous but backed up that title through his devout actions.

Ask a man if he is righteous, he’ll answer no, not really. Ask him if he is devout, he’ll stay he’s trying or working on it.

Which tells us this story didn’t come from Luke interviewing Simeon. It’s what Mary remembered him. She saw him as a righteous man first then told Luke what he was doing.

A man would look at what someone does, then define him.

·         He passed for 389 yards, threw for four touchdowns, ran for one. His QB rating for his last game was 147.7. He’s an MVP Quarterback.

·         He shot from 300 yds and got a 14 pt. buck that scored a 127. He’s a great hunter.

By the things a man does he either deserves the title he is given or he doesn’t.

That’s probably what Luke heard when Mary told him about Simeon. She saw a righteous man who did things that blessed them. Luke heard the things Simeon did that demonstrated he was a righteous man.

Acknowledged the presence of the Lord in his life. Something a righteous man would do.

·         Looking for the consolation of Israel – the Messiah – Meaning he was open to God’s Divine Moments.

·         Lived with a promise. What are you trusting God for? What in your life needs God’s intervention?

·         Came in the Spirit – sensitivity to God’s promptings and anticipation of God’s workings.

·         Took the Baby into his arms and blessed God. Why did Jesus come as a baby? Because even burly old men will hold a baby in their arms.

·         Shared insight with Mary.

Luke 2:26  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel." And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed--and a sword will pierce even your own soul--to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

Simeon’s Divine Moment:

·         Were it not for Simeon’s desire to see God, he would have missed seeing God in a baby.

·         The Holy Spirit was upon him – He was sensitive to the promptings of God.

·         Wasn’t looking for a baby. He was looking for God so was prepared for however God would reveal Himself to Simeon. He found both in the same package.

·         He didn’t get up that morning saying, “This is the day I see the Messiah.”

·         He didn’t have it on his to-do list: go to the Temple, meet Jesus.

·         He simply lived in anticipation of God fulfilling His promise.

·         His desire for God made him open to this divine moment with God.

Righteous men live that way. They’re not weird, they just leave room for God.

Does God have a divine moment planned for you this Christmas?

Easy to lose the gift in the wrappings.

TAKEAWAYS:

1.       God does many extraordinary things within the ordinary.

2.      Since every day is a day the Lord has made, we can expect there will be moments within those days in which He does something special.

3.      Being preoccupied is the easiest way to miss what God is doing.

4.      If we choose to live in anticipation, we will be in a better position to recognize the Lord when He visits us.

Mary's Story Pt. 2

I read an article this week on information trends. In medical school, they tell you half of what you are about to learn won’t be relevant when you graduate — they just don’t know which half. A procedure will be replaced, new medications will be discovered, causes and treatment of diseases will be reevaluated and changed. Diseases not in the books today will be the new threat for health tomorrow.

We’ve seen it in a drug claiming to be safe a few years ago and now is listed as a bad drug subject to lawsuits. Substances that are dangerous now will become acceptable in the future and things we trust now will be untrustworthy before long.

A few years back eating eggs was harmful, today eggs are good for you. Sugar substitutes were considered safe, now they are a hazard. Cigarettes were harmless and asbestos was a safe product. Once Brussel sprouts were bad…and they’re still bad.

In every field of knowledge, most of what is true today will one day be updated by better information.

This is what the author called “the half-life of facts.”  The premise that for every category of knowledge, the facts that knowledge was built on will slowly be overturned, changed, and replaced. In medicine, the rate of that overturning is high enough that you never really complete your education. For a doctor, Medical school is an on-going process.

In physics, about half of all research findings will be discredited within 13 years. In psychology, information changes about every seven.

Some of that change is due to revision. The field of History is being tampered with continuously as people want to sanitize the ugly out of what went on, or rewrite events to twist the truth to fit a political or social agenda. Simply throwing in a lie or two or leaving out key information to unsuspecting students can change the whole impact of an event.

Kids are used to beliefs being taken away from them. One of our families told me of the discussion about the reality of Santa Clause with their grandson. They went ahead and used that moment to clear up other myths—tooth fairy, Easter Bunny, Great Pumpkin. The grandson thought about it and asked: what about God? Is God a myth, too?

With so much information changing, will there be a day that our belief in God will be replaced by some History Channel exposé that in a manuscript found in a mayonnaise jar in a cave in Western Kentucky says: I don’t exist, signed God. Will that be the silver bullet Atheists are looking for?

So in a culture where change is the rule and nothing lasts forever, where truth is flexible and can be spun, twisted or stretched as needed, how can we believe what the Bible says is true?

1. Inability to disprove it. Men who have tried ended up surrendering their lives to what it says: C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel
2. Continuity of the story. It is one story of Redemption from start to finish. Over 40 different writers, written over a period of 1500 years, one message.
3. Historical accuracy of its details. Archeology has reinforced the Bible not disproven it.
4. The compelling affect upon those who believe it. Seeking lives have always been transformed.
5. It is based on eyewitness’s accounts. Strongest testimony is a first person story.

Ultimately, we believe the Bible is true because we believe in God. Scripture says God breathed the very words into existence. We believe that God, who cannot lie, presented us truth through men He chose to write His words. Luke being one of those men.

But what makes Luke’s version of the story of Jesus’ life correct? Well, even if you take out the effect of inspiration and just made it a deposition of facts, what Luke wrote came from the people who experienced the stories. They were told to him by the people who were there. Luke also wrote the Books of Acts where he made 46 historical references. Every reference has proven accurate. He seems quite trustworthy as a historian.

He started his gospel with: Luke 1:3  it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; Luke 1:4  so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

Exact truth is different from relative truth. What we think about what he wrote is immaterial. Whether we believe what he wrote doesn’t matter. Truth remains true. His accounts are true because he extracted from those who were there what they saw, heard and felt relative to Jesus’ life. That intersection of their lives with Jesus was their testimony of what happened. The lasting effect of Jesus in their lives was indisputable.

I’d like to take you back to that interview Luke had with Mary. Remember, he never met Jesus and didn’t know all the backstory. All he knew was what he had been told. In this moment, he’s trying to fill in the gaps of his understanding by asking Mary to share her story.

Okay, so Mary, I believe I’ve got the things about Elizabeth and John, let’s shift over to the story of Jesus’ birth.

Well, we were planning for the birth in Nazareth but then a Roman soldier came to town and announced the census from Caesar Augustus. It meant Joseph would have to go to Bethlehem right when the baby would be born.

Now, which census was this? I know there was one in celebration of Caesar’s victory over Marc Antony…

No, this was the first one, about 12 years before that one. Quirinius was governor then.

But I didn’t think Quirinius was governor until later than that.

Actually, he was governor twice, during the first census before Herod died and then reaagain during the second census.

From what I know, most censuses take place at your home city? Why did Joseph have to go to Bethlehem? You guys were from Nazareth. Shouldn’t he have been registered there?

This wasn’t like most censuses. This one had something to do with a man’s ancestral roots. It was like a reverse migration back home to be counted. Since Joseph’s family traces back through David, he had to go to Bethlehem.

But the Romans didn’t count women in their censuses. Why did you go?

Well, you remember, when I got back from Elizabeth’s, I was already three months pregnant? Well, we were married right away. But being pregnant that soon would make people think we had been together before we got married, so we kept it a secret. Flowing dresses helped and I stayed home a lot.

You know I never realized you would have had a full-term baby in only six month. I can only imagine the shaming by your family and friends and even the people in town. So, you were actually married when Jesus was born?

Yes, but since we never consummated our vows before the birth, I guess we were technically still betrothed. And, of course, I was still a virgin.

And fear of the shaming made you go with him to Bethlehem?

That, and I didn’t want to be alone having the baby with Joseph so far away, so I went with him. And we planned to stay away for a while.

Oh, I get it. That’s why you stayed in Bethlehem after the census was over.

No one questioned us when we came back to Nazareth with a child like they would have if we came back with a baby.

That makes sense.

We thought so.

Ok, so, back to the birth.

Well, it was time for the baby to be born so I found some cloth strips to wrap around him then used a manger for a cradle.

Why cloth strips and not a blanket?

We didn’t have a blanket and the cloth strips were already there in the corner.

And why a manger?

We had to stay in a stable.

Okay, why in a stable?

Because there were so many people in town for the census there were no rooms available at the inn.

So you weren’t all alone?

No, there were others around. In fact, some shepherds came in from the fields.

Wait, Bethlehem…that was where they tended the sacrificial sheep for the Temple?

Yes. They told us a fantastic story of angels and lights. They said our baby was the Savior. They said the angels spoke to them and said: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men.”

They spoke? I would have thought angels would have sung.

The shepherds were very nervous, but they clearly said the angels spoke.

Nervous?

Yes, I even had to tell them not to be afraid. They said that was the same thing the angels told them. Apparently all of this had been pretty unnerving: Angels, lights and now the Savior.

Did they stay long?

No, they were only there for a few minutes. They said a blessing over our baby then went back to their fields. But they left praising God.

So what impressed you most about the shepherds coming?

That everything was exactly like the Angel said. They told them they would find our baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger and that would be the sign from God that Jesus was the right One—Christ the Lord.

Amazing. So strangers coming in, telling you how special your baby was. How did that make you feel?

Emotionally overloaded. Flooded by such precious thoughts. All I could do was try to take in as much as I could and let it settle in my heart.

What kinds of things were you thinking about?

Oh, all kinds. What’s going to happen, how is everything the angel told me going to work out, who this baby will become and how that will affect me.

Mary…did you know? Did you have any idea what this baby would become?

How could I? I was a young girl who had just become a mother. My life was now His life. My future was right then, in that moment. Tomorrow was a million miles away. All I knew was…I loved Him more than I ever loved anything in my life. (pause) And I still do.

SONG

Luke 2:1  Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

TAKEAWAYS:

1.       When God is at work He leaves no dangling loose ends.

2.      He accomplishes everything that concerns us.

3.      Even in completing the big picture He takes care of the smallest details.

4.      Nothing is considered insignificant to Him.

5.      You and your concerns matter greatly to Him.