[0:00] This morning, we're doing one of our discussions. In the last two chapters of Romans, chapter 11, chapter 12, looking at the various messages that Jesus gives.
[0:21] And so we want to have a chance to kind of reflect and kind of take stock of all that he's been teaching us. There's a lot there. And so it's good for us to kind of step back and take a breath, take a big picture view of it, talk about some of these things, how do they relate to us, that kind of thing.
[0:43] By the way, I'd appreciate your prayer for our AA Bible study tonight. You might notice there's something missing on this flyer.
[0:54] I found downstairs multiple flyers and posters where the AA was torn out. Appreciate your prayers for that Bible study because obviously someone doesn't want that to happen.
[1:08] Amen. Which is good. That's good. The enemy cares about what we're doing.
[1:18] So be praying about that. It's a blessing to do that. So appreciate your prayers. We're walking into, not with the people in the Bible study, but we are walking into enemy territory as Jesus did throughout his life.
[1:35] As he preached the word, the enemy would stand up and revolt. Right? So pray that God's word would be able to be heard by those dear folks that come and want to hear his word.
[1:52] So what we're going to do, as I said, we're going to do a review. So I'm not going to read all of chapter 11 and 12. I want to read a few portions. In the first part of chapter 11, we've already looked at and reviewed.
[2:07] That's the prayer of Jesus. Jesus' teaching on prayer. But from verse 14 through the end of chapter 11, almost all of that is Jesus dealing with skeptics or Pharisees or those who are to whom he gives warning.
[2:28] Okay? And then almost all of chapter 12 is toward his disciples, training his disciples, preparing them. Okay? So there's a lot of different subjects here.
[2:40] There are a lot of different things Jesus says, but kind of there's a big picture. So Jesus is going back and forth. He's dealing with the crowds. They're still big crowds.
[2:52] But primarily now he's warning them. And then in chapter 12, we see him turning back to his disciples. Even in the midst of all the crowds, he turns to his disciples to concentrate on them.
[3:07] Okay? That's still his mission. And remember, in the context of Luke. Okay? Okay? Okay. Okay. From the end of chapter 9 until chapter 19 when he reaches Jerusalem, this is all a journey.
[3:22] Ten chapters of Jesus traveling south to Jerusalem. He's not going directly there. He's going to wind around. It's going to take him a few months.
[3:33] But his face is set toward Jerusalem. That's where he's going. So we can understand that his words get a little bit more strong. He doesn't have any time to waste.
[3:45] Okay? Time is ticking down. And so his messages become stronger. His warnings become stronger.
[3:56] And his teaching and training becomes another level. Okay? So that's why it is the way it is. So what I want to do is just read a few portions just to kind of pick up the theme.
[4:10] I believe the main theme of these two chapters is the fear of God. Okay? Which he brings up in chapter 12. The beginning of chapter 12.
[4:21] And I think it's that central theme that kind of focus, that's focusing Jesus to rebuke, to warn, and to train.
[4:32] The fear of God. So look at chapter 12 with me if you would like to stand as I read Luke chapter 12. I'm going to read a few sections from chapter 12. Chapter 12, verse 1.
[4:47] In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together, that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
[5:11] Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light. And what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
[5:29] I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body. And after that have nothing more they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear.
[5:42] Fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I say to you, fear him.
[5:56] Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God? Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not.
[6:08] You are of more value than the sparrows. And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man, will also acknowledge before the angels of God.
[6:20] But the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven.
[6:32] But the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say.
[6:51] For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. Down to verse 22.
[7:02] And he said to his disciples, Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.
[7:15] For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens. They neither sow nor reap. They have neither storehouse nor barn.
[7:27] And yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life?
[7:39] If, then, you are not able to do this, do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow.
[7:52] They neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith?
[8:17] Do not seek what you are to eat, what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
[8:27] Instead, seek his kingdom, and all these things will be added to you. Verse 35.
[8:40] Stay dressed for action, and keep your lamps burning. And be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door for him at once when he comes and knocks.
[8:56] Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service, and have them recline at the table, and he will come and serve them.
[9:13] If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants. So reads his word.
[9:26] Let us ask the Lord for discernment. Father, in these moments, as we talk about these two chapters of Luke, give us your spirit to discern what you want us to take from it.
[9:42] I pray, Lord, that you would give us discernment to know individually what you want each of us to hear and apply and reflect on. But I pray as well as a congregation, as your church on this hill, show us what you want us to see and to hear, that we might trust you and honor you in the days ahead.
[10:14] This we pray in Christ's name. Amen. Please be seated. Okay. As I mentioned, two chapters.
[10:26] One primarily dealing with warning and some rebuke, and then chapter 12 dealing with mostly primarily with training. So if you have an outline, you can kind of see where we've been in Luke.
[10:40] We see Luke keeps coming back to the theme of Jesus' mission. Saw in Luke chapters 4 and 5, he's gathering disciples. Then in chapters 9 and 10, he's sending out his disciples.
[10:55] And now we see in 11 and 12, again, a refocus in training those disciples. Okay. He's teaching them at the beginning of chapter 11.
[11:09] And then chapter 12, he's training them. So here we go. We got lots of different subjects here. We talk about chapter 11, what Jesus' healings means, what hinders people from believing Jesus, and exposing hypocrisy.
[11:29] And then chapter 12, fear nothing but God, fighting covetousness and anxiety. He is coming when you do not expect, and he came to cast fire on the earth. So serious subjects.
[11:42] Not comfort words. Though they can be comforting as a result. Okay, where do you want to go? What are you thinking?
[11:53] My questions for you to ponder. What are you discovering? Anything that you've discovered that's a surprise about Jesus or what he says?
[12:05] What is God teaching you? How has Jesus' teaching impacted you? Okay.
[12:17] Your time. Hear from you. What are you thinking? What questions do you have? What thoughts do you have? Yeah. I have a thought pastor. In chapter 11, what impresses me is his teaching method.
[12:36] He at first, he is talking and teaching to the people. Yep. And then he switches over to chapter 12, where he is actually teaching his messengers, or obviously the disciples.
[12:55] Yeah. It's like he never stops in, I think, not only teaching, but obviously training. Right. Which to me says, this is an ongoing, lifetime process for us.
[13:13] Yes. Yeah, there's still much more for them to learn than for us to learn. Yeah. Yeah. Good. Good. What else?
[13:24] There's much more for us to learn, but now is the time to make the decision to want to learn. Yeah. Not put it off. Yeah.
[13:38] The section in chapter 11 where he, people are seeking a sign, right, and he tells them the only sign that you, the generation will get is the sign of Jonah.
[13:49] I'm not going to put on a miracle for you. You wouldn't believe if I even did it. So you get the sign of Jonah. But then he warns about light. But then he warns about light. He says, take heed, lest the light in you be darkness.
[14:05] Think about that. Take heed, lest the light in you be darkness. If the light in me is darkness, then I don't have light, right?
[14:17] But it seems to imply that I think I have light. I think I know. I think I understand. I think I'm okay. And Jesus is saying, take heed.
[14:28] Be careful. Are you really listening? Are you really letting the light in, right? And he's talking about the eye as the receptacle of understanding.
[14:41] So, yeah, he's warning. There's a lot of warning in these chapters. Jesus is getting very, very serious. He's really not interested in gathering a crowd.
[14:53] There are crowds because he is still doing some healing. He is still fascinating to people. But he's not trying to pacify the crowds.
[15:03] When the crowds come, he's a bit more, you know, strong warnings here. But he keeps turning back to his disciples. Okay, what else? What else are you thinking?
[15:14] What are you seeing? Discovering? Yeah. Well, as long as somebody else. Well, we'll go back. Yeah. Yeah. Does anyone else? Yeah. No, go ahead. What I also understood out of this is we have no reason to be, anxious to be worried about the worldly things.
[15:37] What our focus needs to be is our faith in him and also other readiness. Yeah. Because we don't know when he is coming. Right.
[15:48] So, never mind the problems of the world. Still need to be living within it. Sure. But not anxious about it.
[16:00] Yeah. Not anxious. It doesn't mean we don't think and prepare and plan. Yeah. But not to be overly worried about, will God provide?
[16:12] Look at the lilies. Look at the, you know, look at the birds. What else? Yeah. Yeah. So, the part about being ready. Yeah. That's always really, I don't know, speaks to me a lot.
[16:28] Just for example, the plane crash this week. Well, there's two of them. Hmm. People didn't know that was going to happen. No. Right. Were they ready? Right. Right.
[16:40] I mean, it happens every day out on the road or people have heart attacks and die. But there's just so many ways. We don't know. We don't know. Yeah.
[16:51] He can take. We don't wait until tomorrow. Yeah. Yeah. And that's the point, you know, at the beginning of chapter 13, the crowd brings up this tragedy, the tower that fell on these people, you know, or that Pilate killed, murdered these people.
[17:07] Well, you know, Jesus, you know, what do you think about tragedy, Jesus? And his answer is, lest you repent, you likewise will perish. Wow.
[17:18] Okay. He's simply getting to, you could die at any time. You can't count on tomorrow. Have you repented yet? And that follows the section of, you know, it came to cast fire.
[17:33] Are you ready? That's, I agree, Christy, that's a striking, you know. Do I think about that? It's not only the rapture here. It's a situation like that.
[17:45] Yeah. Yeah. Being ready for when he comes back. When he comes in the cloud, being ready for that. Yeah. And does that motivate me?
[17:57] Do I think about that? Because he talks about, you know, I'm coming when you don't expect, which means he could come at any moment. Any moment.
[18:08] I'm not waiting for anything. Because, oh, no way, well, he's got to do this first. He's got to rebuild that temple. He's got to do this. He's got to do this. No.
[18:21] He says, I'm coming at a time you don't expect. But we'll see more of that in chapter 21 when he talks about future things. But it's kind of like, no, it's, it's.
[18:34] So are we ready? Are we thinking about it? Are we working? Because he talks about being ready as being active and serving others. Are we doing those things?
[18:45] That's readiness. In light of, he's coming. I'm at the door. Am I ready at the door to open the door when he comes? Or that kind of thing.
[18:57] And he's going to be delayed. Maybe he comes in second, watch the third. We don't know when he's coming. But am I ready? As soon as he's there, I'm ready to open that door. The picture, anyway. Yeah, Rick.
[19:08] Yeah, I just wanted to follow up on what Miriam was saying. You know, some of these were commanded not to be anxious about anything. They're trying to put the puzzle pieces together. Certainly Christ was anxious about his crucifixion.
[19:21] But I think we need to put that in perspective. I don't believe he was anxious about his physical body being nailed to the cross. I think he was anxious about being separated from the Father.
[19:34] That is an anxiety that I think we need to have. That fits in with the fear of the world as the beginning of wisdom. We need to be focused on that relationship.
[19:47] And then tying that back to testing and temptation, where testing is choosing what is right, whereas temptation is stepping away from something that's wrong.
[20:00] We need to keep our perspective on our relationship. Yeah, testing is when I'm aware, and I recognize anything as a test.
[20:14] Temptation is when I'm passive and not aware. It catches me. Right? Because in the Greek it's the same word, testing, tempting. Same thing.
[20:26] It's my perspective that makes the difference to them. Well, that's knowledge, right? Yeah. Well, and that my faith is active. Yeah.
[20:36] If I just kind of passively go through my day, I'm going to get caught. If I'm praying and I'm thinking I'm sober. I'm sorry, Dan. Go ahead. No, it's knowledge. It's just practicing your knowledge, being conscious, as Paul would call it, our conscience.
[20:55] Just keeping it active and in tune so that we don't know it. And I think that's the readiness that is being discussed here because we are not to be anxious about what tomorrow comes to the earth, Jesus' own words.
[21:16] What is worry going to do for you? Right. However, are you denying me today? Yeah. As you pointed out earlier, are you relying on your own understanding?
[21:31] Do you think you're really okay? Have you stopped measuring yourself? Yeah. Well, Diane, in regards to that, in my head is, do I rely on a pastor?
[21:44] Mm-hmm. And his words, all the words. Right. To teach me instead of being God's word. Because I was reading here, it says, you also must be ready because the Son of Man will come in an hour when you do not expect him.
[21:59] And yet we know that there's many false teachers out there even in the church. Right. And I think we get, and I hope, speaking of my own self, I can get lazy and rely on technology and not do my time during the middle of the week.
[22:15] Yeah. Where I now, nothing gets you better. Yes, I know. Right. I trust you instead of God's word. Zach says it every time he preaches. He reads the Berean passage.
[22:26] Right? I take my word for it, look at the word, and make sure it's saying what I'm saying. And there's so many pastors who do that. Yeah. And that's the truth. You have to know it.
[22:37] And you have to keep it. And as Pastor Bill has said, you have to keep in prayer, you have to be connected. How do I have to be connected to God and Jesus? Because the Lord says, even over here, where consider the lilies.
[22:50] They do not live or spin, right? He goes, how much more will it close you? If I trust a man to provide that, and I trust the pastor's words, I'm not going to the Lord when my life is struggling.
[23:02] And on the other hand, if I'm not in his word, and know the we, how will I know? Because maybe the pastor's not teaching him to be right. And so I'm not, I'm leaning on a man who might actually be the one who falls.
[23:16] Right. You agree? Right? Too many times this has happened. It's a measurement. It really, it is. It's a sermon. Now, I'm always... The pastors are challenging people. I think that's my biggest challenge.
[23:27] The pastors are challenging their congregation, us, to get in the work. Because then they'd be held responsible. And yes, they might fall.
[23:38] Oh, they'll be held responsible. Either way. That's true. They don't see it that way. I wouldn't want to be some of those guys. Right. Yeah.
[23:49] Yeah, now, Susan, I'm always right. That's why I'm... Yeah. A requirement of membership. There's too many smart folks here who dig into their Bibles.
[24:02] I have to be careful, right? Daniel. I think that when your faith is strong and you have a convicting faith, that any test you go through can become your testimony.
[24:20] Only if you use it to God's glory. If I use it for mine, it's not a testimony. Right. And the same that any messes that I'm in or the messes that I've created with a strong faith that hinges open on what Jesus has done, your mess becomes your message.
[24:38] Again, to God's glory. And not my own. Amen. Yeah. Thank you. What else?
[24:51] Yeah, Dawn. In 12, 29, and just that whole kind of section there, like 29, 30, maybe 31, or something like that.
[25:07] And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it. So it's a paganism. And your Father knows that you need Him that He can be and He can be added to you as well.
[25:20] I have a struggle with my digestion I've had all my life.
[25:35] But yet, I have this love affair with food. And also, I've been addicted to caffeine all my life. and this week, my program that I'm on from this nutrition is trying to get fun to help me with my digestion which is so awful.
[25:57] It's very, very Spartan where I can eat only like three things. and I was having a big pity party and I was just crying in my kitchen.
[26:07] Why can't I have something that will make me feel better? I just want, you know, some coffee with real cream in it. Just a little caramel ice cream, you know?
[26:19] No, not that. Oh. That's me. There are things that I, you know, I need these things to eat or drink to make my, to make me feel better and stronger.
[26:33] I just felt so weak. And the Lord let me go on and on for 15 minutes to have a pity party.
[26:45] And then after I calmed down with that, He just spoke to me and He said, the law of the Lord is perfect in reviving the soul.
[26:56] And the steps that the Lord are trustworthy and making life wise with the soul. The precepts of the Lord are right giving joy to the heart.
[27:08] And I was like, thank you God. I have been looking for food and drink and stuff I've been relying on all my life.
[27:19] And to me it's a form of my value. And I just was so grateful that day that God said, yeah, and another thing I was thinking, I just want a happy movie or a cup of coffee or a happy movie.
[27:35] I don't know. Just like that. It's yummy. So, nut butter on the stupid rice cake. And He said, that's not going to satisfy you and you shouldn't put, you shouldn't set your heart on these things that you will eat with them.
[27:56] I've been setting my heart on them. So, this section speaks to me. Preaching to me, Don.
[28:08] The diverticulitis, I have to cut all the, yeah, so I can relate. So, not down to three things, although probably soon. Yeah, brother. peace, not peace, but division as well.
[28:23] Hmm. 49. So, where are you? Yeah, I came to, where are we?
[28:38] Verse 49? Yeah. Right, came to cast fire on the earth, right? Right? which he explains as part, I have a baptism to be baptized with, I have a suffering to undergo, but then he talks about what do you expect?
[28:57] Do you think I came to give peace on earth? No, but rather division. He did not come to bring peace on earth. Well, what about Christmas? I thought Christmas says, you know, you came to bring peace on earth.
[29:12] Well, we're not reading that quite right. The peace is to men with whom he's pleased. He doesn't come to bring external peace, he comes to bring internal peace, right?
[29:25] Peace, and peace with God. Does not come to bring peace on the earth this time. Right? And he's not talking about the purpose, his primary purpose that he comes is to do what?
[29:41] What's his primary, how would you answer? Why did Jesus come? What's his primary purpose? Salvation, right? To save sinners from their sins, right? To save his people, right?
[29:53] To set captives free, right? That's his primary, but what's the effect of that? So that's why I think verse 49 says, I came to cast fire, verse 50, the parallel to that is I have a baptism to be baptized with.
[30:11] And I am in distress until it's accomplished. So Rick was referring to that, that sense of anxiety or distress, what he's facing.
[30:23] And he calls it a baptism because he's talking about he's going to be immersed in suffering. He's going to be flooded with all this suffering, right? Suffering and death. So he couples that with the fire on the earth.
[30:35] So his primary purpose is the baptism which brings us salvation. The effect of that, the result of that is the fire that will divide.
[30:49] Christ comes to save but not all men will accept that. So his coming is to save but the effect is people will be divided over him.
[31:00] Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And he talks about even in families, right? In one house it will divide people.
[31:12] Some will accept him and worship him and follow him. Others will be skeptical and reject him and say, no way, you know, that's just going to happen. That's what he's talking about. The effect is division.
[31:26] And you look at the result. For 2,000 years what has happened as a result of Christ's coming? People are absolutely divided. They're at war. Crusades.
[31:38] You got all kinds. You got killing. And that's the division we have here then where he talks and goes on to talk about family.
[31:50] Yeah, even within a family it will be divided, right? So Paul's family was divided. Remember, we have examples of others in Acts.
[32:04] But you said, yeah, it will divide families. Well, you can use probably as I prayed this morning your own personal. Yes. Yeah.
[32:14] The experience possibly. where you have siblings who think you're nuts for believing.
[32:25] Yeah. Our extended family we have that. Very much so. Very hostile. Right? Yeah. How can you believe that? Yeah. Yeah. Well, how about those families?
[32:36] I think that's something that it feeds where somebody over in Israel Israel where the family will murder you before we leave you. Yeah. Exactly.
[32:46] Right? So I mean, talking about a division that they must stand strong enough to say, I believe this is the truth to the point that my family will kill me. Another great example.
[32:58] Yeah. Right? I mean, we might not see that and yet we still see that here in the U.S. too because that tradition has come here. Right?
[33:09] We don't agree with it but that's the reality of it. Some of them just ostracize. I mean, I've seen that in our family where you need to be my house. I can't be that I don't know you. So Jesus said that again also in John 3.
[33:22] He's talking to Nicodemus. Right? He talked about I came to save. Right? For God so loved the world that he sent his only son that whoever believes in him might not perish but have eternal life.
[33:34] He says, I did not come to condemn the world. That's not his purpose but to save the world. But whoever believes in me is not condemned but whoever does not believe in me is condemned already.
[33:50] Fire. So he says it's not his purpose to bring condemnation. His purpose is to save people out of it. But those who don't believe in him he says the result is fire.
[34:06] The coming of Jesus is the most important event in the world. In eternity. it does not just affect how I live today it affects eternity.
[34:22] Right? Fear God. Don't fear man. Don't fear man who can kill you and can't do anything more. Fear God who can kill you and then cast you into hell. Think about you know whom shall I fear?
[34:35] Man's got nothing. He can torture me he can hurt me I can suffer I can he can even kill me but that's it. Right?
[34:48] Whereas God so that's yeah Tom? in reference to that I have not come to condemn but you haven't believed in me you're condemned already does that have anything to do with our state of being dead and our all of us are dead in trespassing and whether we realize it or not we're all in that state he's come to reach down and make us alive and rescue us from that I believe that's accurate spiritual death that we're already in yes yeah Ephesians 2 we were born in sin right?
[35:36] We're born we're dead in sin we're already under the wrath of God everyone's under the wrath of God everyone is condemned until they believe once they believe once they've been born again they're rescued out of condemnation right?
[35:51] It's not that my decision sends me one way or the other my indecision is unbelief I may not even have hostile feelings toward Jesus I just don't believe it well then I'm that's you're the believe or you're not you're the persuaded or you're not and that goes back to everyone all men starting with Adam has the wrath of God and now so they cannot deny knowledge yes somewhere yeah Paul Paul makes it absolutely so I mean the whole yes Paul makes it absolutely clear in Romans 1 no one is without excuse so we all have the breath yeah of God yes of God who has breathed into Adam and we're all children of Adam and so we cannot deny we can't that's the problem well we can suppress the truth that's what Paul
[37:05] Paul says it's just suppressing the truth yes so we have it and we are aware of it and it's we could totally persuade ourselves that we're not aware of it that we never saw it that's called twisting and suppressing we replace something for another I think there are degrees of that yes I think that's what readiness is also all about there are degrees of that suppression and that is what is going to be problematic for us for one when Jesus comes because we have to understand that there is that standard in place yeah yeah well and you know Paul in Romans 1 says where they they suppress the truth that he's there right they know it they know it's in their hearts it's in it's evident in creation deny that remember in Romans 3
[38:17] Romans 1 talks about three three giving overs they go so far God gives them over okay which I think means he pulls back lets them believe what they want and then they get further down he pulls back some more he gives them over all right I mean that's scary and that's what's called the wrath of God in Romans 1 the wrath isn't active the wrath is pulling back during this life there's another kind of wrath that comes later okay that's scary but Paul is absolutely clear nobody's without a team everyone knows some level yeah they can get to a level where they're absolutely convinced that you know no no no no I got no I don't see it I love a lot but on the day God will open the books and it'll be crystal clear no one's going to stand before him and go but you didn't show me sure I did let's go back and let me show you
[39:31] I showed you I showed you I showed you every morning I showed you a sunrise every sunset you came to Colorado you saw my mountains I showed you I showed you showed you showed you showed you besides all the kindnesses he showed what else I'm sorry getting on wait a minute anyone else we chose Marianne Marianne's looking around she doesn't want to go ahead Marianne I have two points here and it has to deal again with not worrying not having to be anxious about anything God gave us a brain if we're not supposed to use are we not supposed to use it say you were told you got cancer do you sit and wait or do you of course you will go to the doctor and do you say the Lord has given me the doctor but the doctor he's a human being or she's a human being so then do I sit and wait upon the Lord or do
[40:54] I have to put a little bit of faith in that doctor to help me and if I put the faith the kind of faith I put in doctors is I push them and I change if they don't answer right I mean with enough I'm paying enough they better work do you understand my point of the question am I wrong to have faith in that doctor or is it against the Lord's word where he says to have faith in him to wait on him does that mean I am we have a doctor who wrote this gospel we have a doctor who wrote this gospel Dr. Luke he was a physician okay Paul counted on him a lot to stitch him up and you know put him back humpty dumpy back together again he didn't just sit and do nothing yeah so so
[42:00] Paul refers to Luke later as the physician he didn't when he came to Christ he didn't give up being a physician somehow that was wrong yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah and that's wisdom I don't think I don't think in the same way that you're putting faith in God you're being reasonable right they know more than you in reference to your body right so let's hear what they have to say does it make sense does it you know no I don't think there's anything wrong with
[43:05] I mean we put faith in one another in a sense we trust one another we can we can break that trust with one another but we are one another and requires us to trust one right to confess to one another share with one so we're putting faith in others here we put faith in the people we buy our food from so if you want to talk about it in terms of faith we're trusting people that they're doing their job true ultimately the doctor the doctor is of this world yeah well but God provided doctors so I mean you have to you have a faith that God is going to work through that doctor not necessarily faith in the doctor right right so and I think we have faith in people generally until they break that faith right
[44:10] I mean we we do that with one another and if we break faith with each other then we don't cast that person out we confront them when we deal with them we forgive them but remember there's a difference between forgiveness reconciliation and trust right I forgive reconcile takes two people trust takes time to earn that back but I initially trust people I must if I'm to do one another I have to have trust okay to some level right some people as I spend more time with them like a Rick I have more trust right I don't know until he throws me under the bus right no I don't you know what I'm saying so but in general Christ calls us to have a trust in one another because of what we're supposed to do with one another we're supposed to share with one another we're supposed to you know bear our burdens with one another we're supposed to trust people to pray for me trust people to care for me so that's trust too so I know what you're saying there's a difference between trust in God and trust in men right
[45:32] I have a trust and a faith in God which will he will never fail me he might not do what I want him to do but he will always there's yeah he's trustworthy whereas people we can fail each other so I don't have the same kind of faith in people yeah right now there's a joke that I heard years ago about this person that was in a house and the dam broke up from their house and so they prayed the Lord please protect me from drowning with what's about to happen in my house so this car came up in front of their house and they said okay the dam is broke we're here to take you to safety no no no the Lord's going to take care of me then the water comes up and then this boat comes up and you know we're here to take you to safety no no no the Lord's here to protect me and then as the water rises they're standing on the roof of their house just before they go in and this helicopter comes over and says you know we're here to protect you no no no the Lord is going to protect me and they drown and they go up to heaven and they say to
[46:48] God you know Lord we trusted you you can help us and he said well I sent you a truck and a boat and a helicopter more than you need so I think it's important to trust God but accept the help from the people that he provides it's a good way good thanks Rick that's a good way okay it was just opportunity to testify to the doctor do yeah I had just an incident with my doctor operated on my neck and through conversation and didn't know him and having faith in him to be able to do the surgery because he was in my spinal cord and my larynx and found out he prayed with me before he went to surgery thank you lord cool and I'm going back to him again here to verify and that's the same way with our doctors we don't jump into the situation and it's not the doctor fault if he's not trying well enough we've got somewhere we have to get some sentences and I believe
[48:21] God will do the sentences to check into and make sure well I can't really trust this person or should I look and see if there's a second opinion or a third opinion and see where it's at so the trust we have in the doctor that actually is taking nothing away from no it's a limited trust it's a limited trust temporary trust it can take away if you let it take away yeah I'm sorry what did you say it can be taken if you put everything on that doctor then you're pushing God aside if you're putting everything onto that so prayer I think what then pray pray simultaneously as you're talking as for prayer from everyone also though
[49:27] I think too is that Holy Spirit is some person he shows up at the oddest times and that's another part of readiness I believe it always be ready to hear that voice you and that sign you do get it you can ignore it or say like sometimes I get the raising of the hairs on the back of my neck and it's not just because I'm cold it's because I believe the Holy Spirit is trying to help me to make a decision I'd like to share an observation on this whole conversation about trust and faith in God or people and we sang it this morning in the chorus on the Solid Rock on Christ the Solid Rock I stand on all of the ground there's sinking sand God is unchanging people are changing and so to me that summarizes everything we've been talking about my ultimate trust and faith is him he's the only one that will never ever thank he will be true to his word people on the other hand yeah so you'll find progress you know you'll find doctors you learn to trust more and more because hey they really go after it and they're they really know what they're doing and you'll find others that are mailing it in like anything thank you all
[51:01] I didn't mean that no that that was that was fine Susan which Which part?
[51:46] Oh, so what does confess, what does acknowledge me before men and deny me before men? Yeah. You do not need a word out of plenty.
[51:59] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so verses 8 and 9 are looking at how do you generally spend your life? Do you ever confess Christ before men? Do you ever acknowledge Him outwardly, verbally before men?
[52:15] Right, if you're asked. Yeah, it doesn't mean you're out preaching on the street corner. But do you acknowledge Him? So the word confess means to say the same thing.
[52:26] Do you say the same thing about Jesus that He said about Himself? So do you acknowledge Him before, publicly, before people, or, you know, a small group, whatever, that He is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, right?
[52:40] What you know about Him. Basically, you're a testament. Or do you deny Him? Do you, people, you know, like Peter did, right? But that was a temporary denial.
[52:53] I mean, if you've never said a word about Jesus to anyone outside your family, I'd be worried. Okay. But not in a defending way.
[53:06] No. No, and then 11 and 12 are talking about giving a defense. Okay. When you're called on the carpet, you're, so, verses, yeah, 8 and 9 is just, do I talk to others about Jesus?
[53:19] Yeah. If somebody asks me, do I say, yeah, I'm a Christian? Absolutely. I mean, I like to say, my King is on His throne, and that usually leads into other things. But, and then 11 and 12 is, hey, when you come, when you're called on the carpet, and I, those 11 and 12 verses probably relate more to the apostles, because that's, that's the story of Acts.
[53:39] Right. Because they are called before councils, and they are threatened, right? But I think there, in a lesser sense, we can be called like that. We could be put in a kind of a hot situation where I've got to defend myself, right, have a, have an answer, and I'm, in those moments, He's saying, I, I'll, I'll tell you what to say.
[54:01] Okay. Right. Which is different than what Peter says in 1 Peter 3, always be ready, right, to have an answer for the hope that is in you, those that ask you.
[54:12] So, in general, do I have an answer, do I have a testimony, just a basic testimony? Why do I believe what I believe? Yeah, which I think everyone here would have, if, but have I thought that through?
[54:25] Whereas that's talking about when you're threatened. Make sense? Okay. Anything else? Good.
[54:36] We got it all. We understand. It's okay. Hard section, isn't it? It's kind of like, I, I like it when Jesus talks more about grace.
[54:47] You know, and come to me, all who are weary, you know, I love those. These are harder. These make us, whoosh. But it shows us, you know, He's on this walk to Jerusalem.
[54:58] He's on this journey. He's getting real serious. Things are getting real serious. He's getting real serious. So, in the next chapters, as we go on, chapter 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, we get more of the parables.
[55:14] And we're going to see a lot of parables. This whole section, these whole 10 chapters in Luke, are, about 90% only Luke deals with it.
[55:26] So, most of these things we're going to see in these 10 chapters, you won't see in Matthew, Mark, John. So, we're getting some unique material. Because Luke has written, right, to give us certainty about the faith, about the gospel that's been delivered to us.
[55:52] He's showing us an accurate picture of Jesus, not a one-sided view, of Jesus, but a full picture of Jesus. Soft words and hard words.
[56:03] Okay? So, okay, let's pray. Father, help us through the week as we reflect back on these things to take the time to reflect, to take the time to dig in, to look again at something you've shown us.
[56:24] Keep us, Father, give us a heart that's receptive and humble and grant us, Lord, thoughts, thinking, a mindset, Father, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, thinks through these things as Jesus continues to challenge us to think, to consider, to reason.
[56:51] So, we thank you for what you're doing in Christ's name. Amen. Amen.