Luke Chapter 13
By · CommentsThis Preaching in Shorts Bible study is on the Book of Luke. Each chapter is read verse by verse with the major points highlighted and discussed.
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Luke 13:1-35 (NIV)
1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them–do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” 6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” 10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” 15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing. 18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.” 20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” 22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” 31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day–for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! 34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
At the end of Luke chapter 12, Jesus is telling the crowds that they need to make a choice about who Jesus is. This thread continues as we start Luke Chapter 13.
Luke 13:1-5
Rather than choose Jesus, the people are bringing up all sorts of little distracting points. What about this and what about that (people dying in some sort of disaster, did it happen because they deserved it, is God good, why do bad things happen to good people, how can you follow a God who allows things like that to happen?) These are the same questions that people still raise today instead of choosing to follow Jesus. And yet, time is ultimately running out. That is the point of the parable of the fig tree.
Luke 13:6-9
In this parable, the fig tree represents Israel. Israel has been planted and tended and yet has produced no fruit. If it doesn’t begin to produce fruit it will be rooted out. Luke then goes on to address what people often do rather than choose to follow Jesus. They try and find some ground along the edges. To look one way but live another. It is almost like a game that people play. It is called hypocrisy and yet is a trap that we can all fall into at times. Both of the following illustrations also tie back to producing fruit. There will be fruit when you choose to follow Jesus.
Luke 13:10-21
The first of these games could be called formalism. Looking right on the outside but being way off the mark on the inside. Jesus illustrated this with a woman who has been oppressed for eighteen years and is physically impacted to the point where she is bent almost in half and can’t straighten up. Jesus heals her and the ruler of the synagogue is not overjoyed, he is actually annoyed, because Jesus did not follow the “proper form”. The ruler of the synagogue actually says this: “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” Jesus labels this action as one of hypocrisy. You would untie your ox on the Sabbath but not pray for someone to be healed? Formalism is an empty way of life, and yet is a trap that is easy for the church to fall into. Formalism and fruit producing are two separate things. If our form is perfect and yet we don’t produce fruit, we miss the boat.
Luke 13:22-35
Jesus then talks about people who want to appear that they follow Jesus, without actually making a commitment. “We ate with you and drank with you, let us in” and yet the reply from Jesus is “Sorry, I don’t know you.” It is not about going to church, it is all about being the church. Huge difference!
Take Your Stand Introduction
By · CommentsThis Preaching in Shorts sermon series is about Taking Your Stand based on Epheisnas 6:12-18.
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Take Your Stand Introduction
Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
I believe that one of the evil one’s biggest schemes right now is this:
1.) Anti-encouragement
As we talked about in our last series, not only are we living in a discouraged grumpy world, we live in one that has become anti-encouragement. No good news allowed. For example:
What wasn’t a headline…
The new microbe was found to be breaking down oil about twice as fast as expected.
Researchers discovered the new oil-eating microbe while studying the underwater dispersion of millions of gallons which escaped after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in April.
It thrives in cold water in the deep sea where temperatures are around 5C (41F) and scientists said it may have adapted over time, through a process of natural selection, due to periodic leaks and natural seeps of oil in the Gulf.
When the bacteria were found to have acted on oil they consumed half of it in 1.2 to 6.1 days, giving an average of about three days.
Around 95 per cent of the bacteria in the oil plume were the new type, while outside only five per cent were.
Hazen said:”What we know about the degradation rates fits with what we are seeing in the last three weeks. We’ve gone out to the sites, and we don’t find any oil, but we do find the bacteria.”
The team also found that the new microbe acts without significantly depleting oxygen in the water.
There have been concerns that oil-eating activity by microbes would consume large amounts of oxygen in the water and create “dead zones” which would destroy ecosystems and fisheries.
But the study found that, while oxygen saturation outside the oil plume was 67 per cent, within the plume it was still 59 per cent. A previous study published last week suggested no decrease in oxygen.
Does anybody else get that? In response to an oil spill, a new microbe appears out of nowhere that eats oil plumes in a day and a half and doesn’t destroy the oxygen levels in the water. Wow, what a coincidence. The scientist call it some sort of natural selection. What????? Natural selection!!! How about supernatural selection!!!
What was in the news…bad economy…double dip recession…be afraid, be very afraid…back in a minute after these commercials…
What wasn’t a headline….
The Library of Congress’ Depression color collection shatters some of the myths about life during the great depression. With images of urban life in the late 1930s, they depict a Depression-era world in which the downfall doesn’t necessarily mean destitution; rather, it may mean wearing a coat that is growing shabby with age or reading the latest headlines off a newspaper publisher’s window in order to save the price of a paper. Or, for children photographed outside a tenement, it may mean living in a run-down home, but finding a new set of clothes under the Christmas tree.
Gone are the bleak landscapes and hopeless-looking sharecroppers that populate so many of the rural images from the 1930’s. Rather, these photos depict tired-but-satisfied homesteaders and freshly-scrubbed children performing in a school pageant. For recreation, there are square dances and state fairs, with attractions that look startlingly familiar. In short, it is a world that is more frugal than today’s America, but not necessarily less joyful.
After I read the oil microbe story I was standing in my living room and I just started to worship I God. I was singing How Great is Our God…
And then I said, “I don’t think enough people are saying this, but Thank You”.
And I felt like the Lord impressed on me this simple thought, “The oil microbe is nothing compared to what I did at the cross”.
Time to take your stand.
2.) What does it mean to take a stand?
Sometimes people think of taking a stand as making a declaration, or forming a resolution, or choosing a side. And while at some levels it is all those things it is really much more. Taking your stand in the Kingdom of God is a way of life (of being and doing) that allows a person to impact the world.
In this new series, we are going to develop the idea of taking a stand. Of utilizing our spiritual weapons of being thankful for five things and encouraging two people every day so that we can take our stand.
We will be using Ephesians 6:12-18 as the foundational verses for this series and I would like for you to memorize them, one verse each week, so for next week you should know Ephesians 6:12. Let’s look at the whole passage:
Ephesians 6:12-18 (NIV)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
We will be breaking it down this way:
a.) Standing up to evil
Ephesians 6:12-13 (NIV)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
b.) Standing alongside the broken
Ephesians 6:14 (NIV)
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
c.) Standing against fear
Ephesians 6:15-16 (NIV)
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
d.) Standing with Jesus
Ephesians 6:17 (NIV)
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
e.) Standing in Love
Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
3.) Will you take your stand?
Use the Encourager’s Plan!
Get focused – Hebrews 10:19-25
thankful5 – Be thankful for five things
Take Your Stand – Ephesians 6:12-18
encourage2 – Encourage two people
Connect – visit www.encourage2.com often
Another Great Beach BBQ Baptism at Bahia Honda
By · CommentsWe had a great time at the Beach BBQ Baptism last Saturday. We had a beautiful day with lots of breeze. The worship was wonderful as people really got into lifting their voices and it sounded like we had a full choir singing to the Lord. The BBQ was also excellent as usual and everyone enjoyed a great meal. Best of all, of course, was that eighteen people made a public confession of Christ and got baptized! The breeze had kicked up the waves a little bit, so the dunking was easy. The baptism crew got some new t-shirts for the occasion, check out the picture below to see what I mean.
