Two Miracles--One Lesson

A sermon summary by Steve Fountain originally preached on March 24, 2013 called "Two Miracles--One Lesson" from Luke 7:1-23.

What do we do with the story of the Centurion’s servant and the widow’s son? Do these two miracles appear random to you?  They beg the question: “Why does Luke choose to record these?” (Luke 7:1-17)

And what are we to make of John the Baptist being mentioned after a four-chapter absense? (Luke 7:18-23)  These stories glorify the one true God by teaching us that Jesus is not only our Savior, but He is our Lord—and He does all things well.

1.  The Roman Centurion (Luke 7:1-10) was a man of integrity and personal fortitude— the kind of man that children would aspire to be like. 

He finds his beloved servant in failing health despite the best medical efforts.  Having heard much about Jesus performing healings miracles (verse 3), the centurion — knowing the sensitivities of the Jews — asks the elders of the Jews to go and speak on his behalf and request Jesus to come and heal his servant.

The emissaries plead and lobby (v. 4) that he is worthy of help because of his philanthropic works (v. 5).  But before Jesus reaches the centurion's house, he begins to recognize how great Jesus is and how unworthy he is. He sends a group of friends out to meet Jesus (v. 6-7).

Key here is the centurion realizes that he is not worthy AND that Jesus has all authority.  It is a remarkable expression of faith — apparently a kind of faith which Jesus had not seen in Israel.   

Jesus Has All Authority — He is Lord of All.  The Centurion recognized this.  Do You?

But Jesus is a loving and compassionate Savior, too.

As Jesus, the disciples, and a great crowd were approaching the gate of Nain, they meet a funeral procession, leaving town heading toward the tombs. (Luke 7:11-17).

2.  The only son of a widowed mother is being carried out on a funeral bier to a tomb.  She is now alone in the world — without a male protector and provider. 

Luke significantly says that the Lord saw her, and he had compassion on her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” 

Jesus walks past the widow now, and touches the bier — defiling himself — no one touches a funeral bier.  Shocked, the men carrying the dead stood still, as they hear Jesus address the corpse, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 

And because Jesus is the Lord over life and death, and possesses all power over the realm where the man’s spirit had departed, the young man’s spirit joins his body again in obedience to the Lord’s command.   

On His own initiative, Jesus gave life to this young man. He cannot be a Savior, if he is not Lord of All.  Jesus has all compassion, because Jesus is both Lord and Savior. 

And where has John the Baptist been hiding for the last four chapters?  (Luke 7:18-23) In Luke 3:18-20, we read that rather than repenting of his sins, Herod adds this to them all, that he locked up John in prison. 

John had preached a coming Christ who would destroy the powers of darkness and judge the unrighteous with fire.  But instead, Jesus leaves John helpless, and in prison with much of Israel not believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

John’s experience was not measuring up to his expectations — and his faith was beginning to wane. Is it that we are like John, and have misunderstood who Jesus is and what he asks us to do?  John wants to know the day and the hour of God’s vengeance upon sinners and persecutors of righteousness like Herod. 

So in verse 22, Jesus responds by working more miracles of healing and restoration as proof that He is the promised Messiah from the prophecies of Isaiah 35 and 61. 

In verse 23, Jesus says, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Jesus is telling us to trust in Him because He is in control of all.

Here lies our problem: we want Jesus to be our Savior, but we don’t want Him to be our Lord, or we may not realize how much of our life he owns.  We are surprised when God shows us that he owns our bank account, our children, and much of our life is struggle because we don’t realize this grand truth that Jesus is not simply a Savior, he is also Lord. 

Jesus is teaching us by these miracles that He is a trustworthy Shepherd — He is Lord and Savior.  If we come to him, hear him, and do His Word, he will lead us and nothing will separate us from His love.

Jesus does the right things in the right way and at the right time.  You cannot do Christianity your way.  You must believe that His way is best.

A Character Worth Imitating

A sermon summary by Steve Fountain originally preached on March 17, 2013 called "A Character Worth Imitating" from Luke 6:36-49.

We arrive now at the third and last section of the Sermon on the Mount. 

Jesus shows us a character worth imitating (verses 36-38).

Then Jesus uses 4 parables to show us that we are all imitating someone or something (verses 39-45).  

Finally Jesus concludes his sermon with a stern, prophetic warning (verses 46-49). 

Character

Verse 36 is a bridge for what follows, highlighting again the importance of developing a character like our Heavenly Father.  “Be merciful, even as your heavenly father is merciful.”  In other words, “Since your Heavenly Father is known to be merciful, let your life take on the same merciful character.” 

Luke 6:37-38 we discern 4 characteristics of God’s mercy that we are to imitate followed by a promise.  We are to be merciful, gracious, forgiving, and selfless.  In a real sense, these 4 ways can be taken together as one. 

Parables

Blind leading Blind. 

 In verse 39, Jesus proposes the impossible—a blind person leading a blind person.  The inevitable outcome of this is to fall into a pit.  The natural answer to both of these questions is no, a blind person cannot lead a blind person to safety.  Jesus says, it is absolutely critical that you find someone you can trust and follow him.

 Teacher and Disciple. 

 In verse 40, Jesus draws our attention to the disciple-teacher principle.  We are not as well acquainted with the teacher-disciple analogy in our day — we don’t eat, sleep, and play with our teachers as they did in the ancient near east.  A better analogy that paints the picture for us in our day is of a Father-Son relationship.  And the point here is “Like Father-Like Son.” 

If we are not careful, we can acquire bad traits from our teachers that are not helpful.

 Logs and Specks.  

 In verses 41-42, we have the famous analogy of offering to take the speck of dust out

one’s eye, while trying to do it with a 2x4 sticking out of our own eye.  And sadly, we often take this analogy out of context.

In summary, Jesus is saying that if you have an obvious character flaw like a  judgmental spirit or a loose tongue, and you begin training others, your disciple will turn out just like you. 

Those who have the ability to examine themselves and remove the beam are in the best position to help someone else.  A person who sees their sin, repents, and is forgiven — this is not perfection, rather, it is humility—this is the person you should follow.

 Fruit or No Fruit. 

 We typically read verses 43-45 and say, “You cannot get bananas from an orange tree, or you cannot get pears from an apple tree,”  but this is not Jesus’ point. 

The good person brings out of his heart good things, and a bad person brings out bad — the overflow of the mouth is merely the overflow of the heart.  If you spill hatred, bitterness, and jealously — it is simply the exposing of the character of your heart.  When your life spills, does love or bitterness come out?

Warning

In verse 46, Jesus asks a very penetrating question.  “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”  The obvious answer to this is, “If I ignore the voice of God, and do not follow him then I am not his disciple — I am following someone or something else.”

And the answer to all our hearts longing is found in a deep, committed, praying, community relationship with Jesus Christ and His people.  Look at verse 47, where Jesus lays out discipleship plainly for us. 

1.  You must come to Jesus.  2.  You must hear his Words.  3.  You must do his Word.

It is that simple.

Those who refuse to come to the Father’s Table, refuse to repent of their sins and receive forgiveness, refuse to imitate the Father’s love, will one day discover that their house of cards falls flat.  But by then, it will be too late.

Loving Like Our Heavenly Father

A sermon summary by Steve Fountain originally preached on March 3, 2013 called "Loving Like our Heavenly Father" from Luke 6:27-36.

When looked last time at the Sermon on the Mount, we saw how Jesus tries to help us see God through His gracious invitation to sit at the Father’s table.  To do so, we must reverse of our values by repenting of our sinful pursuits. 

As we continue, Jesus addresses those who have forsaken their sin, and have turned to the Savior, and those who sit at the Father’s Table. Jesus says to you; now that you are a child of God, imitate the loving character of your Heavenly Father--just as we do our own earthly parents.  

It starts with God's love, which is radically others-focused. Let's take a look at some key aspects of God's definition of love that we should strive imitate.

1.  Love by intervention (vv. 27-28).  “We are to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, pray for those who abuse us.”

In these four examples — love, do good, bless and pray — Jesus defines love as proactively seeking the good of those who are our enemies, who hate us, curse and abuse us.  We react, not in the normal way, but by pouring out blessings on those who are attacking us.  It is very easy to love those who are favorable to you. 

The intervention that is advocated here is the kind of love that prays for a coworker, child, family member, landlord — or anyone who is an enemy in your life — that they would have the peace of God in their life, too.  It is the kind of others-focused, sacrificial love that we are called to imitate.

2.  Love by self-sacrifice (vv. 29-31).  In these verses, Jesus gives four examples of the kind of self-sacrificing love we are to imitate.  Three of the examples are involuntary, and one is voluntary. 

When hit, we do not hit back; in fact, we allow potential harm for the sake of something greater.  If someone takes our coat, then we are to allow him or her to take the shirt, too.  And if someone takes one of earthly possessions and refuses to give it back, we are to let them keep it.  This is truly radical.  These are of course involuntary situations.  Yet, the poor and oppressed are not the only ones who must give. 

In verse 30, Jesus is saying that if God has blessed you, and given you peace and financial stability, then you must demonstrate a sacrificial love and share it with those who are destitute. 

3.  Love by command (v. 31).  This section is summed up with what we affectionately call the Golden Rule (v. 31).  Some have argued that Jesus is completely unique in his emphasis, but the Golden Rule has its roots in the Law of Moses, of all places.  In Leviticus 19:18, we read, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”  In fact, this verse is wonderful summary of Leviticus 19, in which, God prescribes looking out for the interests of other people. 

Loving like our Heavenly Father  (vv. 32-36).  

Jesus gives three negative examples in contrast this radical new love.  If you only love those who love you, only do good to those who do good to you, only lend to those whom you expect a return, what's the benefit?  Even sinners do this kind of thing. 

The sinners expect to pay for what they get. You have heard it said, “If I do enough good things, then God will have to let me into heaven.”  That is worldly wisdom, but it is not grace.  Grace is free and without conditions — it is not something we earn on our own. Jesus paid it all at Calvary.

Now that we are at the Father’s Table we must begin to be merciful, generous, and gracious like our Heavenly Father.  We must imitate and demonstrate that we are His Children — not out of slavish drudgery, but out of joy and gratitude as sons of the Most High.

An Invitation to Sit at the Father's Table

A sermon summary by Steve Fountain originally preached on February 24, 2013 called "An Invitation to Sit at the Father's Table" from Luke 6:17-26.

Often quoted by politicians, the Sermon on the Mount  is not a piece of legislation or manifesto; rather, it is a gentle invitation to all who hear to come to the Father.   The invitation encourages responsiveness to God, to trust his care, and to rest in his promises.  The tenderness and possibility of a personal relationship with God cannot be missed. 

It is likely that neither Matthew or Luke have the whole sermon intact. Matthew's account runs 107 verses — about seven minutes of oration. Luke’s record is significantly shorter — just 30 verses.  So, it appears that we have two separate summarizations of Jesus’ sermon.  And the brevity of Luke should not concern us either, for he includes the 'missing' teaching in other places in his gospel account.  

Jesus presents a series of blessings followed by curses. Typically, we can take the blessings and do without the curses, thank you very much.

But to view it this way would be to miss the gentleness of the invitation, and the attractiveness of leaving behind our normal perceptions of grander, glory, and self-worth to take a seat at His table.

1.  The Blessing of Coming to Christ empty-handed (vv. 20-23).

Jesus contrasts two competitive values with four images to ponder.  Those with God's blessings are poor (v. 20), hungry (v. 21a), weep (v. 21b), and are hated (v. 22-23).  

In verse 20, there is the personal nature of the kingdom rule of God in view, and in verse 22 rejection comes as of one identifies not with stuff, but with the Son of Man. 

One commentator has paraphrased this “Blessed are you materially poor, who nonetheless look to God and his promise, for the kingdom of God is yours.”  The kingdom of God is not about gold or silver; rather, it is living in a world where God is your loving father and king. 

The kinds of people who belong to the kingdom of God are also hungry and distraught (v. 21).  The reference is not the physical filling with food, but  the spiritual satisfaction as being received by God and welcomed as one of his children.  Jesus is drawing on images from the Psalms. 

In verses 22-23, we have a picture of someone suffering for their entrance into the kingdom of God.  They follow Jesus exclusively as the Son of Man who has the authority and dominion over all. They boldly live it, love it and embrace Christ — and are hated, excluded, reviled, and spurned. 

In our culture, it is the red carpet, or A-listers who seem to have it all together.  Many of us try to assert our selves into the mold of apparent success.  What Jesus says is counter-cultural, and the values are completely reversed. 

2.    The Curse of Clinging to Self with closed fists (vv. 24-26).

Those who have the applause of men will one day find that they have missed the applause of the audience of God.  Their reward is now in this lifetime.  

Jesus wants us on a different, narrow path to blessedness. We need to glorify Him, not ourselves.

In His series of blessings and curses, Jesus is showing us the essence of repentance.  Repentence is seeing the rule of God as desireable, when the entire world laughs, scorns, and ridicules Jesus of Nazareth — it is to be preferred to an eternity of flames. 

What these scorners fail to realize is that when Jesus returns the world’s values will be reversed.  How blessed it will be for you then to be at the Father’s Table, rather than discover too late that you are outside, unable to enter the kingdom.  You will discover that it was a curse to cling to your plans of self-actualization with closed fists.

Conclusion: To come to Christ, we must respond to God’s gracious, and gentle rule.  We must admit our sinfulness.  We must come hungry, empty, and desperate, otherwise, we will not come.  We must come to Christ empty-handed with a heart full of faith.

Great sinners need the one true, Great Savior. 

Encounter with the Bridegroom

A Sermon edited by Steve Fountain originally preached on February 17, 2013 called "An Encounter with the Bridegroom" from Luke 5:33-6:16.

A bridegroom is a man who is about to be married to a women (i.e. the bride).

Why does Jesus choose to call himself a “bridgegroom?” As we study Luke 5:33 to 6:16, it is important to understand how Jesus describes himself.

1.  The Son of Man is the Bridegroom who receives a Bride

In the last post, we came across that curious description of himself as the Son of Man who has authority on the earth to forgive sins (5:24).  The description comes again in 6:5 as the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath. 

The spirit world has unanimously called Jesus the Son of GOD, and now we have Jesus talking about himself in terms of the Son of MAN?  In fact, He is both, but why would Jesus describe himself this way?   

“The son of man” was used in Daniel 7:14 looking forward to the Messiah: “And to [the son of man] was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of Man. If Jesus is preaching the Kingdom of God, and he forgives sins, reverses the affect of sin, and invites all who are sin-sick to enter the cripple gate, then can we not say that Jesus is the one of whom Daniel is speaking? The long awaited Bridegroom is here!

2.  How does the Son of Man receive His Bride?

Jesus asks the Pharisees, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?”  And then Jesus says something that again is lost on the crowd.  He says prophetically, “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days” (Luke 5:35).

The wedding feast of Jesus’ ministry lasts for three years, and Jesus is cut off and left with what appears to be nothing. Jesus is led up a hill and hung on a Roman Cross and all his disciples and his followers carry his body to a tomb and lay it in the ground sealing the door with a stone. 

“The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them” (Luke 5:35).

3.  How does the Son of Man demonstrate His Arrival?  

Thankfully, the tomb could not hold him, and he broke free bringing life for all that see Jesus as not only having the authority, but the power to forgiveness of sins. 

After the resurrection Jesus went into the throne room and all authority was given to Him.  Jesus contrasts himself to the venerable David, saying,

“Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” 

What is Jesus saying here?  Remember Daniel 7?  Did Jesus enter the presence of God in the throne room, just as David entered the presence of God (Luke 6:3-4)?  Is he like David, or is he greater than David?  Look at verse 5.  Jesus says, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” 

And so what does Jesus do to demonstrate his authority over the Sabbath?  He does just what he did when he said he has authority to forgive sins.  He validates his authority by performing a miracle on the Sabbath—violating tradition to the shagrin of the Pharisees.

The battle lines are drawn.  Those who will not change and will not concede that they are in need of the Great Physician, spit on the Bridegroom, and remain outside the Kingdom of God. 

But there is festal joy for those who see Jesus as the Bridegroom and come in.  These people leaving the slum of sin, take the white robe, which is washed in his blood, these repent and find forgiveness, and go up entering the wedding of the kingdom. 

Change is not usually welcome unless you can see that you need help.  You must recognize that you need God to change you, for you cannot do it yourself. 

The most grateful people are those who know just how much they have been forgiven.  And the change that results in this kind of joy will only come when you repent of sin and receive forgiveness.