The HOPE of Christmas - 2 December 2018

“The HOPE of Christmas”

  2 December 2018 (SBC Ireland)

INTRODUCTION:

            Today, on this the first Sunday of Advent, we have lit the Candle of HOPE, reminding us of the many years of God’s people waiting for the coming of the Messiah. This hope was wonderfully fulfilled in the miraculous birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, and glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “hope” in this prophetic context gets varied reactions from people. Sceptics of the Bible say that Christians are like little children at Christmas time who go around saying, “I hope, I hope, I hope that Santa brings me a pony for Christmas!” when all the while everyone around them knows full well that they are not going to get what they long for. This is their attitude toward those saints of old who were looking forward to Messiah’s First Coming, but even more so toward those of us today who are awaiting Christ’s Second Coming. “It’s not going to happen,” they say.

However, this criticism owes to a misunderstanding of the Biblical concept of hope. Let me give you a working definition: Hope is a state of settled peace and assurance as a result of one’s faith being applied to a sure thing. The operative words here are, of course, “a sure thing.” Those who patiently awaited the appearing of Messiah knew for a fact that it was just a matter of time. Why? Because God had promised it in the Scriptures and through the prophets. Therefore, they had believed it, and that settled it for them! The sure things upon which they were basing their faith and hope were the clear promises of God Himself, His unblemished record of keeping His promises in the past, and the fact that His reputation for integrity depended upon His faithfulness to His own Word.

TRANSITION:

My dictionary at home defines HOPE as, 1. “a cherished desire accompanied by expectation of, or belief in fulfillment; 2. to long for with expectation of obtainment.” Notice that there is a big difference between hope and “wishful thinking” as I explained a moment ago.

            Of course, Christmas time, at least for the children, is all about hoping, about looking forward to receiving something wonderful that they have anticipated and dreamed of [e.g. a new dress, a special toy, a new red bicycle, etc.]. But hope is an important part of all our lives, children and adults alike. I think that the word “hopeless” is one of the saddest words in the English language, when it is applied to a person or a situation. But what are the big things that most people hope for in this life? What are the things to which most of us look forward with the expectation of fulfillment?

1. To grow up
2. To go to a “good” university
3. To land a high-paying, secure job/career
4. To marry the woman/man of our dreams
5. To have wonderful, healthy children
6. To buy that first house
7. To have an excellent salary and get raises
8. To retire early so that we can travel
9. To live “happily ever after”

            But today we want to turn our attention from these earthly hopes and dreams and focus on spiritual aspirations. On this first Sunday of Advent we remember the hope, the anticipation, the looking forward to the appearing of the promised Messiah, the One who would come to be the Saviour. For centuries, people awaited the fulfillment of the promise that God would bring forth the Anointed One at just the right time.  Christmas is when we celebrate and commemorate His appearing.

            Today I would ask you: “Do you have this kind of hope?” and if so, “Upon what is your hope grounded?” God wants us to live with hope every day. In 1 Corinthians 13:13 hope is listed as one of the three graces which should adorn every Christian’s life. “But now abide Faith, Hope, and Love, these three.” Faith and hope are related but are not the same thing. Faith is better translated as “believing” for it is almost always used as a verb rather than a noun. Hope, on the other hand, is something we possess, a state of being we enjoy as a result of our faith.

MAIN BODY:

            This morning I want to introduce you to some of my favorite Bible verses about the HOPE that we as Christians have as part of our inheritance as sons and daughters of the King. It all comes down to the fact that God Himself is the basis for our hope.  Without Him and His faithfulness we would indeed be HOPELESS.

I. The Ground of Our Hope: (i.e. what it rests upon)

A. God’s Love and Mercy – Psalm 33:18-22, “Behold, the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His mercy, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.  We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our Help and our Shield.  In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.  May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in You.”

B. God’s promises – Psalm 119:74, 81, “May those who fear You rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in Your promises.”… “My soul faints with longing for Your salvation, but I have put my hope in Your word.”

C. God’s Holy Word – Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

D. God Himself – 1 Peter 1:20-21, “For He [Christ] was foreknown before the foundation of the world but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”  Psalm 42:5, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.”

E. God’s Son, Jesus Christ – 1 Timothy 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus who is our hope.”  Ephesians 1:18, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints.”

II. The Objects of Our Hope: (i.e. things we hope for)

A. Christ’s return/the Rapture – Titus 2:13, “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Christ Jesus.” 

B. The resurrection of our mortal bodies from the dead – Acts 24:14-15, “But this I admit to you, that I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law, and that is written in the Prophets, having a hope in God that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.”  Likewise, in 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  

C. Eternal life in Heaven with God – Titus 1:1-2, “Paul, a bond-servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago.” 

III. The Benefits of Our Hope

A. Hope is a HELMET to protect our mind – 1 Thessalonians 5:8, “But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” 

B. Hope is an ANCHOR to secure our soul – Hebrews 6:16-19, “People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. ¹⁷ Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸ God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

IV. The State of Mind that Hope Inspires:

A. Blessedness – Jeremiah 17:7, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”

B. Rejoicing – Romans 12:10-12, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer.”

C. Boldness – 2 Corinthians 3:9, 11-12, “If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! ¹¹ And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! ¹² Therefore, since we have such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech.” (cf. 1 Peter 3:15)

V. Biblical Descriptions of Our Hope

            A. A good hope – 2 Thessalonians 2:16

            B. A blessed hope – Titus 2:13

            C. A joyful hope – Hebrews 3:6; Romans 5:3

            D. A sure, firm hope – Hebrews 6:18

            E. A living hope – 1 Peter 1:3

            F. A saving hope – Romans 8:24

            G. A glorious hope – Colossians 1:27

            H. A purifying hope – 1 John 3:3

            But how do we get from God all the things for which we have hoped? What is the secret of tapping into His promised blessings?  Let me tell you a little story that I hope will answer this question.

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for art collecting. Together they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the walls of the family estate. The widowed father looked on with satisfaction as his only child became an experienced art collector.

But the day came when war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram that his beloved son had been killed while carrying a fellow-soldier to a medic station.

On Christmas morning a knock came at the door of the old man’s home, and as he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hand. He introduced himself to the older man by saying, “I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you.”

“I am an artist,” said the soldier, “and I want to give you this.” As the old man unwrapped the package, the paper gave way to reveal a portrait of his son. Though the art critics would never consider the work a piece of genius, the painting did feature the young man’s face in striking detail and seemed to capture his personality.

The following spring, the old gentleman became ill and passed away. The art world was keen in anticipation! According to the Last Will & Testament left by the old man, all the art works would be auctioned. The day soon arrived, and art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world’s most spectacular paintings.

However, the auction began with a painting that was not on any museum’s list. It was the painting of the man’s son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid. The room was silent. “Who will open the bidding with $100?” he asked. Minutes passed with not a sound from those who came to buy. From the back of the room someone callously called out, “Who cares about that painting? It’s just a picture of his son. Let’s forget it and go on to the important paintings.” There were other voices which echoed in agreement. But the auctioneer replied, “No, we have to sell this one first. Now, who will take the son?” Finally, a friend of the old man spoke. “I knew the boy, so I’d like to have it. I will bid the $100.” “I have a bid for $100,” called the auctioneer. “Will anyone go higher?” After a long silence the auctioneer said, “Going once. Going twice. Gone.” The gavel fell.

Cheers filled the room, and someone was heard to say, “Finally! Now we can get on with it!” But the auctioneer looked at the audience and to everyone’s surprise announced that the auction was over. Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Someone spoke up and asked, “What do you mean it’s over? We didn’t come here for a picture of some old guy’s son. What about all these paintings? There are millions of dollars’ worth of art here! We demand that you explain what’s going on!” The auctioneer replied, “It’s very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son…gets it all.”

CONCLUSION:

            That is the essence of the story of Christmas: Whoever takes the Son gets it all! The Bible puts it like this in 1 John 5:11-13, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 

            I stated at the beginning that HOPE is part of the inheritance of the believer. The Bible is clear in saying that apart from Christ there is no hope. Without God people have no rock on which to stand. Listen to these verses:

·         Job 11:20, “The eyes of the wicked will fail and there will be no escape for them; and their hope is to breathe their last.”

·         Ephesians 2:12, “Remember that you Gentiles were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

·         1 Thessalonians 4:13, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep [i.e. dead in Christ], that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.”

The question that remains is, “Do you have the Son? Do you really know Jesus in a personal way? All the blessings that God wants to pour out on your life are wrapped up in Jesus. The one who has the Son has it all. When you have Him, you get the rest as well.

Jesus Commissions the 70, Part 1 - 30 September 2018

“Sheep Among Wolves”

Luke 10:1-12 (SBC, Sligo IE)

30 September 2018

INTRODUCTION:

            In the years when Jesus walked among us, it was a common custom for a king or a nobleman to send out a herald ahead of him to prepare the way by announcing his coming. This person was called a kérux (Greek, κῆρυξ pronounced kay'-roox). Towns and villages would also often have such a person in the employ of the city government. They would walk through the streets ringing a bell and shouting out the news of important upcoming events happening in the town. In ancient Rome, they typically proclaimed public notices during the market days. Later, especially in the cities of Europe, this role was taken over by the “town-crier,” proclaiming critical news for the public. Prior to widespread literacy, town-criers were the primary means of communication with the people of the town, since many people could not read or write. Proclamations, local statutes, market days, social events, and advertisements were all proclaimed by the town-crier.

            In our passage for this morning, Jesus sent out 70 men to do a similar job, to prepare the way for His upcoming visits to towns and villages throughout Israel. Jesus sent these men out 2-by-2. He gave them a message to declare and a mission to fulfill. This morning we are going to try and see if the instructions He gave them have any bearing on what we Christians are supposed to be doing here in Sligo.

TRANSITION:

            Luke is the only one of the four Gospel writers who includes this story in his narrative, although Jesus gave very similar instructions to the Twelve when He sent them out as recorded in Luke 9:1-6, which we studied several Sundays ago.

           

MAIN BODY:

Verse 1: Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them two and two ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.

·         “Now after this…” After what? This probably means: after Jesus started on His journey to Jerusalem, as recorded in Luke 9:51, which says, “When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem.” Pastor Kirk did a great job of explaining this last Sunday.

·         “…the Lord appointed seventy others…” Why does Luke say this? Up until now our attention has all been focused on the 12 Apostles, but we need to remember that those fellows were not Jesus’ only converts. Jesus had been teaching and doing miracles all over the country and many people had come to trust Him as their Saviour and Messiah. By this time there was a whole movement of people who had come to believe in Him. Proof of this fact is that now He could command the loyalties and services of these 70 dedicated men for a preaching mission to the cities of Galilee and Judea. It was time now for them to step up and begin to assist Jesus in the work of the ministry. 

·         But who were these men? Frankly, we have no idea who they were. We do not know their names or their home villages. We do not know whether they were single men or married. We do not know how they met Jesus or came to be hand-picked by Him. They are nameless, faceless servants of God, who in obedience to Christ, went out preaching the Gospel and doing the work of the Kingdom. As far as we know, not a single one of them ever achieved greatness in the way the world measures greatness. There are no statues or memorials erected in their honor. But I believe their names are etched into the walls of Heaven for all to see, and for all to remember for eternity.

·         We all know that the Twelve Apostles held a unique place in the Early Church and they were certainly blessed to witness the miracles and receive the personal attention by Jesus. These Seventy though, were sent out to preach on His behalf, telling us that the Apostles were not the only ones with a responsibility to proclaim the Gospel and the coming of God’s Kingdom in Jesus Christ.

·         He sent them out in pairs on this dangerous mission. There are several reasons that have been suggested for this arrangement:

1.    The two together would provide moral and spiritual support and encouragement for each other.

2.    Old Testament Law required that a matter be settled by the testimony of at least two witnesses (Deut. 19:15).

·         Before we go any farther I might as well address a thorny textual problem right now rather than wait until later. Some of your versions say that Jesus appointed 70 and others say 72. This is not a doctrinal issue. It should not undermine your trust in your Bible. It is a textual issue, almost certainly resulting from some scribe getting drowsy over his work. It just happens to be something that we cannot explain. Most of the oldest and best Greek manuscripts say “seventy,” but a few others say “seventy-two.” Personally, I believe the correct number is 70 but either way it makes no difference to the validity or integrity of the text.

Verse 2: And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.”

·         We hear Jesus saying similar things in several places: in Matthew 9:37-38, John 4:35, etc. Jesus was a trainer of men. He sent out those seventy men to prepare the way for His upcoming visits to the villages and towns of Judea. He gave them a burden for the souls of men. He told them that the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few. He sent them out two-by-two to help meet this need. This specific mission was for a limited time, and their office was temporary, but the work of sharing the Gospel did not end. It goes on, right up to this very day.

·         “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few…” Jesus is of course referring to the spiritual harvest, the reaping of souls, and He says that this harvest is “plentiful,” meaning rich and bountiful. Today, especially here in Ireland, we tend to think of the harvest as rather slim pickings, and we get discouraged because we do not see much fruit. But we need to pray and ask the Lord to let us see the harvest field through His eyes, because He obviously sees things that we are not aware of.

·         Something else: The best way to discover that you need more harvesters is to get out there and get to work in the field. Then you will know how shorthanded your crew really is. The armchair Christians sitting in their comfortable pews seldom get worried enough to even pray this prayer because they never feel the pinch.

Verse 3: ^“Go your ways; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”

·         Wow! This is a real encouragement! Nothing here to make a guy nervous, no sir. “I’m sending you out and you might not make it back, because some of the people are probably going to try and kill you. But no worries. That’s the worst they can do.” Jesus warns them that they can expect hardship and danger—they will be “lambs among wolves.” Jesus used this sheep vs. wolf motif more than once. For example, in Matthew 10:16 when He sent out the Twelve He said to them, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” And of course, you remember Jesus’ warning to His followers in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

·         Jesus was warning these men to be on their guard so as not to be taken in by people who were not what they seemed to be or even claimed to be. This is good advice for us as well. We need to recognize that there are real wolves out there. That should not make us fearful, but it should make us cautious.

Verse 4: “Carry no purse, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way.”

·         Astonishing! Jesus tells them not to carry a “purse,” meaning a “money purse,” like a wallet or money belt. “And do not take a bag.” By this He means a suitcase or a satchel. They were to go only with the clothes on their backs. “No shoes,” means no extra shoes, just the ones on their feet. These messengers were to travel light. Their mission was so urgent that they were not to take the time to gather provisions for their journey. They were not to carry extra money, provisions or sandals. They were to trust God to meet their needs as they traveled about in this itinerate preaching ministry.

·         Furthermore, they were to “greet no one on the way.” That does not mean that they were not to speak to people they met on the road or to be rude to people. Rather, they were not to engage in lengthy greetings and conversations even though that was customary for that time and region. Middle Eastern cultures, including the Jews, had some very elaborate rituals and social rules for interacting with people. But these fellows had an urgent job to do and they were to get on with it, not waste precious time on things that did not matter.

Verses 5-6: “And whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ ⁶ And if a man of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you.”

·         Jesus is here referring to taking up lodging when they come to a town or village. They are to give the greeting of peace. If the people of that home are truly people of peace, the greeting of peace will rest upon them and a state of harmony will exist. This is figurative language that Jesus is using, and it assures the disciples that they will not be trying to convey a blessing to someone who does not wish to receive it. You can only do so much in reaching out to people.  

Verse 7: “And stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the labourer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house.”

·         In other words, “Wherever you find a kind soul who will give you room and board, accept their gracious hospitality with thankfulness and do not be thinking of finding better lodging and meals somewhere else. That would be an insult to the person that took you in.” Jesus told the 70 preachers that they were not to spend time looking for the best accommodations in each town. They were to accept whatever home was first opened to them. They were to bless that household and ask God’s peace to rest on it. They were to accept the hospitality and food of that family. The 70 were to receive what was needed to sustain them. They were entitled to sustenance, not luxury. 

Verses 8-9: “And whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you; ⁹ and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”

·         Wherever you land, see that place as your field of ministry. Look around and do what can be done there. Be a blessing to them. Fellowship with them. Eat with them. Make friends with them. Heal their sick and tell them the Good News of the Gospel and of the Kingdom of God that has come near to them. Tell them about the Saviour who loves them. Give them hope. Show them love. Lift them up. Treat them the way Jesus would if He were there.

·         And by the way, this is how we should approach our witnessing as well. Wherever we find ourselves we should seek to bring joy and light and help into that setting, helping people, encouraging them, sharing Jesus with them and telling them why we love Him. This is what witnessing is all about. As Christ’s disciples today, we are also sent out to find those who are receptive to the Gospel message, and wherever we are received we are to minister. We are to minister by meeting the physical and material needs that we see. But we are also to witness to them and give them the Good News of salvation in Christ Jesus.

Verses 10-11: “But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’”

·         Jesus told them, “If you find yourself in a place that refuses to receive you, where you are treated badly and where they refuse to listen to your message, do not waste your time beating your head against a stone wall.” He solemnly spoke of the seriousness of rejecting His messengers—He said that to reject them was to reject Him! In those days, shaking the dust from the feet was a symbolic action that showed divine displeasure. In this case it was reserved for those who refused the Gospel, thereby shutting themselves out of God’s kingdom and ultimately out of Heaven. The Lord told these Seventy men to warn the people about the consequences of their rejection of Him.

Verse 12: “I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.”

·         Jesus was telling them, “Just know that I see everything that is happening to you. Know that if they reject you, it really means that they are rejecting Me.” Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities in Palestine during Abraham’s time. Sodom was known for its vile wickedness (Gen. 18:20). In fact, the word “sodomite,” referring to a citizen of Sodom, came to denote the sin of homosexuality. God judged Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed the two cities with “brimstone and fire” (Gen. 19:24). Jesus’ point was that God’s judgment on these cities would be mild compared with what would befall those who rejected the Gospel message.

CONCLUSION:

Here are several conclusions that I draw from these verses:

1.    Bottom of FormThe life of a Christian witness should not be cluttered and weighed down with non-essentials. We should travel light and not get caught up in material things. We are to love people and use things; not the other way around.

2.    TThThe Christian witness needs to focus on the job to which he was called. Winning souls is the mission, and the Gospel is the message. Everything else is of lesser importance. We are to be witnesses 24/7/365, not just on Sundays.

3.    The Christian witness is to have pure motives, not looking to benefit from the ministry. There is no place for greedy preachers who fleece the flock.

4.    It is a serious thing to reject God’s invitation. He sent His Son to be the sacrifice for sin. To reject Christ is to reject the Father and any hope of being saved.

5.    This passage tells us that knowledge of the truth brings greater responsibility. This is a biblical principle. “For to whomsoever much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). When a person has heard the Gospel and knows what is at stake, to reject the truth and walk away will bring a stricter judgement than for those who did not know. This truth applies to believers as well.

A Lesson in Servanthood - 16 September 2018

“Who is the Greatest?”

Luke 9:46-50 (SBC, Sligo IE)

16 September 2018

INTRODUCTION:

            In the 90s, there was a craze in the USA and in many other parts of the world of Christians wearing brightly colored plastic bracelets with the initials, “W.W.J.D.” It stood for “What Would Jesus Do?” The movement was fueled in large part by a rediscovery of Charles Sheldon’s wonderful old 1896 novel, In His Steps, which was subtitled, “What Would Jesus DO?” It is the story of a Christian man who decided to live his life always asking that question before making any kind of decision. After reading the book millions of Christians started wearing those bracelets and trying to have their behaviour guided by that probing question.

            Now I am not trying to make light of that, but I would simply point out that perhaps the real question should be, “What would Jesus THINK?” For you see, attitude determines action, and belief governs behaviour. What we do is an extension of what we believe to be true. In other words, Jesus’ doing was always predetermined by His clear vision of who He was and His unshakable understanding of what He believed.

            This morning we will see Jesus trying to straighten out His disciples and help them see that being great in God’s Kingdom looks differently than being a great person in this world. He will try to correct their thinking, which, in turn, will correct their behaviour. Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 9:46-50.

TRANSITION:

            Last Sunday Matthew explained the fact that the four Gospel writers seldom if ever include all the same details in their accounts of the teachings and miracles of Jesus. An illustration of this could be four different people standing on four corners of an intersection when a parade passes by. Each observer watching the same parade would tend to notice different details, and their writeups of the parade would be colored by their own experience and the things that caught their eye. In the same way, only by comparing the various Gospel accounts do we get the full picture. That was true of last week’s study and it is true of the passage we are looking at today. And again, as with last week, Luke’s account of these events is the briefest of the three.

           

MAIN BODY:

Verse 46: An argument started among the [disciples] as to which of them might be the greatest.

·         Luke does not give us any background information or lead-in. He just tells us that an argument broke out between the twelve apostles about which of them was the most important. However, Mark’s account in 9:33-34 gives us a little bit more information: “They came to Capernaum; and when [Jesus] was in the house, He began to question [the disciples], ‘What were you discussing on the way?’ ³⁴ But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.” As strange as it might seem, this was apparently a common topic of conversation among these guys (cf. here and in 22:24; Matt. 18:1-5; Mark 9:33-37). We would like to think that this bunch of “spiritual giants” would be better than that, but they had feet of clay like the rest of us. Only later, after the Resurrection and the Day of Pentecost, do we see them really begin to show the mature spiritual character that we have come to associate with them. But at this point in the story, as Matthew pointed out so well last Sunday, they were fumbling the ball at every turn.

·         Notice that Mark says, “…and when [Jesus] was in the house, He began to question them…” While we don’t know for sure whose house He entered, you will notice that the text says He entered “the house.” Mark deliberately uses the definite article. I believe, as do many others, that there is a very good chance that it was Peter’s house in Capernaum. That would make perfect sense because Jesus and the fellows had stayed there on other occasions.

·         Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” I have told you before that whenever Jesus asked His disciples questions it was never to gain information. There was nothing they could possibly tell Him that He did not already know. However, Jesus posed this probing question to open the door for Him to teach them a very important spiritual lesson. You can bet your hat that He already knew exactly what they had been arguing about as they had walked along the road.

·         Mark says in 9:34, “But they kept silent…” Yes, they certainly did, and it is obvious why. As soon as the Master asked that question their consciences were pricked. In that moment I think they must have looked like the little boy who was caught with his hand in the biscuit tin. The instant that Jesus asked them the question they knew that they were in the wrong. Jesus asked the question out loud, but all He got from them was guilty looks, their sheepish silence, and a whole lot of foot-shuffling. I think they were suddenly ashamed to admit that rather than being concerned with His coming death, they were more interested in jockeying for positions of personal greatness in His coming Messianic Kingdom.

Verse 47: But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side,

·         Jesus did not need to hear their excuses to sort out what was going on. He could look deep into their hearts and minds and perceive what was there. Nothing was hidden from Him, just as nothing we do, think, or say escapes His notice.

·         There is an old familiar saying that goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Object lessons function in the same way. According to Mark’s account, Jesus, the Master Teacher, first sat down because He had something very important to teach His disciples it was customary for a rabbi to sit down to teach. Then He reached out His arms and beckoned a little child to come to Him. Where did the child come from? Maybe it was from that household. Maybe he was Peter’s little grandson. Maybe he was a little boy who had been watching Jesus from the doorway. We do not know. But Jesus called the little boy over and had him stand there beside Him. Then Jesus began to teach them about real love. The disciples’ conversation on the road revealed that their love was puffed-up, self-seeking, self-serving, and me-centered. Jesus’ love, on the other hand, is selfless, focused outward rather than inward, always looking out for the best interests of others. And that is the way we should love too, whether we are talking about loving our spouse, our parents, our Christian brothers and sisters at church, or the people out there in the world who do not yet know the Lord Jesus and are sometimes rather unlovable.   

Verse 48: …and [Jesus] said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”

·         What does Jesus mean by all that? Well, it’s kind of like this… If you love my grandson, Lucas, it shows that you love Lucas’ daddy, Christopher, which shows that you love me because Chris is my son and Lucas is my grandson. We are a package deal. We go together. In fact, don’t ever try to convince me that you love me while you are saying horrible things about my son. And don’t even think about bad-mouthing Lucas! I love my son and my grandson, and they love me, and we go together. You can’t have one without the other.

·         Jesus loved that little child standing by His side. He told the disciples that by truly loving and showing love to that child they were really showing their love for Jesus. On top of that, to receive Jesus and to love Him means that they love the Father who sent Him. Bottom line… you can’t love Jesus and hate the people that Jesus loves. You cannot say that you love God and yet reject the Son whom the Father sent to be the propitiation for our sins. If you really love God, then you will love Jesus. And if you really love Jesus, then you will love the people that He so loved that He was willing to die for them. According to 1 Corinthians 13, real love, genuine Christian love, agape love, “suffers long and is kind, does not envy, does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own.”

·         Luke does not tell us how the disciples responded to Jesus’ admonishment and His lesson about serving others. My impression is that there was a stunned silence in the room. According to Mark 9:35 Jesus had just said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” That must have rocked them back on their heels and left them sputtering, especially considering the argument they had had just a short time before.

·         You may have noticed that often when people are left speechless and feel embarrassed or threatened by something that has just been said to them, they will try to change the course of the conversation, to switch subjects. I believe that is exactly what happened here.

Verse 49: John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us.”

·         Astonishing! Immediately after Jesus’ lesson about the true nature of being a servant and having the godly attitude of seeking to serve, rather than to be served by others John comes up with this as his best response. Right after Jesus used the little child as an object lesson to teach them that really loving God also means loving the Son of God; and that, in turn, means loving the people that Jesus loves, right on the heels of those powerful lessons about servanthood and humility and genuine love, and then John pipes up with this zinger comment! Amazing! How obtuse can you get, John?

·         We do not know what caused John to want to change the subject so abruptly. Maybe he was feeling convicted by Jesus’ words. Nevertheless, John took the conversation in another direction by bringing up these folks who were casting out demons in Jesus’ name but were not part of their little group. John’s comment fairly bristles with hostility, bigotry, intolerance, and self-righteousness. He was thinking, “How dare they do stuff in Jesus’ name but not submit themselves to us, the real followers of Jesus?” This sounds like a Pharisee talking, doesn’t it?  

Verse 50: But Jesus said to [John], “Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you.”

·         What is Jesus saying here? The first part is clear: “Leave him alone. Do not hinder him. Quit trying to stop him.” Then Jesus explains the reason: People doing miracles in His name and by His power and by His authority obviously believe in Jesus! And they are only going to have good things to say about Jesus, not bad things.

·         “…for he who is not against you is for you.” John and the others would have turned that around: “By George, whoever is not exactly like us and hangs out with us and does everything the way we do it is obviously not part of our group and therefore should be stopped at all costs!” That is what the disciples believed. What a contrast to Jesus’ way of thinking!

CONCLUSION:

I suspect that we, often, more closely resemble John and his mates in some of our attitudes toward fellow believers, than we do Jesus. Among Christians there is a great deal of “brand loyalty” to denominations, creeds, traditions, worship styles, and hobby-horse doctrines. Although people seldom verbalize this attitude, if they did it would sound something like this: “We are from the First Church of the Heavenly Handshake and we have the most accurate theology, the most biblical way of conducting worship services, the most powerful praying, and the most authentic New Testament way of doing church in general. That puts us at the top of the hill and everybody else somewhere down below us. Jesus must be very proud of us. So, if you want a good church, come see us!”

Now there is nothing wrong with being connected to a denomination or an association of churches. In fact, it is a good thing in my opinion, for a variety of reasons. Moreover, there is nothing wrong with having a well-thought-out doctrinal statement and definite positions on biblical issues. We should know what we believe and be able to explain the “why” of it. Likewise, there is nothing in the world wrong with having a style of worship with which we feel comfortable and that aids us in connecting with God. The Bible leaves the door wide open as to worship styles, and we have a lot of wiggle-room there.

The problem arises when we take our denomination, our worship style, our doctrinal slant, and our modus operandi and make them the norm for every Christian or Christian group to follow, under threat of excommunication if they fail to live up to our homemade theological litmus test. That is Pharisaism at its worst! And sadly, I have observed that it is common among Christians, and I have even occasionally been guilty of it myself, which really troubles me.

The two big take-aways from this morning’s teaching are…

1.    If you want to be great in God’s Kingdom, learn to be the servant of all. Jesus is our model, our example to follow. He came, not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for others. That should be our attitude as well.

2.    Do not think that you have a corner on truth and that your way is the best way or the only way. Recognize that the Body of Christ is bigger than our church or our denomination. Be open to the fact that other believers might just have something to teach you about piety, godliness, zeal, and service.