Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/mbf/sermons/61235/the-life-of-christ-part-13/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] Good evening. Welcome back. We have a few new faces, perhaps.

[0:15] You know, Dedeck and his family only came for the last day, I think, last time, right? And Willie, you're new here, I think, right? Welcome. Welcome. Okay, so we're going to continue and we'll maybe do a brief overview of the last, or the first 12 weeks, and then what's ahead.

[0:36] So the reason I'm wearing the headset is because it's getting video recorded, so people can watch it later. And when we do the scripture readings, we're going to pass this mic around, and so that in the recording that they hear your voice after reading.

[0:57] So don't be scared of it. It's just a mic. And everything is turned off, except this. Okay.

[1:09] Yeah. Okay, good. And so, yeah, so you won't hear yourself except your normal voice. All right. Well, I have some extras here, yeah.

[1:27] Yeah. So who all needs a book? You want to hand them out? Who forgot their book from last spring?

[1:40] All the singles there. Would you like a book to follow in?

[1:54] Or? I've got two more. And that's it.

[2:14] Yeah. All right. Let's open in prayer. Lord, thank you for blessings, your goodness to us, your grace.

[2:27] We've been at this course for 12 weeks last winter and spring, and summer has gone really fast.

[2:40] And so, Lord, as we connect again and just dig back in, that you would, again, lead and bless, teach us from your word.

[2:50] And Father, give us understanding of the entirety of your word, that we can piece it together as one story. So tonight, as we continue, may you, again, just bless our evening.

[3:05] In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. All right. So for the children's ministries, so we had Mary offer for the first two Wednesdays.

[3:21] And so it's still open for others to maybe take a week or two or as much something to consider, unless there's someone else outside of this circle.

[3:38] But it's so good that we can focus here in class without having interruptions. So just so you're aware of that, something to think about.

[3:52] Okay. So in review, what sticks out from the first weeks last spring?

[4:08] We went February, March, and April. What do you remember? Some of the Beatitudes.

[4:25] Some of the Beatitudes, okay. Okay. What about them? Okay.

[4:39] All right. All right. Anyone else? Some of you were there the whole time, so if nothing sticks out, then maybe we have to go back to the square one.

[5:03] Okay. I know it's a long time.

[5:16] We have May, June, July, August, September, five months ago. Well, just an overview.

[5:27] We've actually covered, of the three years of Christ's ministry, we've covered the first two and a half, basically. We're approaching the two and a half year mark.

[5:43] And after next Wednesday, we'll be already at the last week. So we'll only have today and another one, and then we'll be at the Passion Week.

[5:56] And so we've covered a lot of Jesus' life and ministry, and yet Scripture has so much for that last week. There's so much of it there. There's so much of it there.

[6:07] So we'll be spending a full month in those five days. And so, but we introduced the Gospels just as an overview, and looked at why four Gospels and so on, and the different context of why each one was written.

[6:30] And then we looked at how God prepared for the Messiah by sending His angels, the conceptions of John and of Jesus, and then the birth of John and the birth of Jesus.

[6:45] We looked at the genealogies and so on, right at the onset that God showed that this is the Messiah coming through all the right genealogies as the son of David.

[7:04] And so we have all of that, and then His ministry begins with His baptism. John is baptizing, preparing the way. Jesus gets baptized, and He goes through the temptations and so on.

[7:18] And then His ministry starts kind of officially after the baptism. And then we have approximately three years of Jesus walking, of teaching, and challenging, and showing who He is.

[7:40] Yeah. So I believe that Jesus as much showed who He was than He said who He was. By His very actions, by His, just His life, and the things that He did, He showed that He was the Son of God.

[8:01] And so they could not only listen, but see. And very, very apparent to those who believed, and those who refused to believe, it was difficult.

[8:14] Okay, so then He starts off by showing that He is the Messiah. And that section is called the authentication of the Messiah.

[8:27] So showing He is authentic, that He is really who He says He is. And so He introduces by teaching and doing miracles, showing in every aspect that He does things that only God can do.

[8:47] And He's showing the world. This part is in Judea as well as Galilee. And so we went over lots of details there of Jesus showing His authenticity as the Messiah.

[9:06] Okay, and then all of His teaching, including the Beatitudes, is in there. And that led to much controversy. So as we have teaching, as we get exposed, it always leads us to decisions.

[9:24] Right? When we are taught, when we hear and understand, always we have a decision to make.

[9:35] And so the Jews, by and large, have a decision to make. Are we going to submit to what our eyes tell us and what our ears are telling us?

[9:48] Or are we going to harden our hearts? That's the dilemma. And so it causes much controversy. As on one hand, most of the Pharisees and the leadership is openly opposed.

[10:04] And also dealing harshly with the people that do believe. So warning them not to follow Jesus. We had examples where they were put out of the church or out of the synagogue if they would follow Christ.

[10:21] And so then there's this dilemma. Okay? And then Jesus, from there, started to give more specific instructions to the twelve.

[10:33] He selected the twelve. And spent a lot of time with them. And we had about twenty different points there as he taught the Messiah.

[10:45] And then in Numeroon 7, open opposition. Starting at the Feast of Tabernacles. They're opposing him.

[10:56] Fighting him. And then we went on to him preparing the disciples for future ministry.

[11:09] And that's kind of where we're at right now. Is that preparation stage. So, in the instruction age or stage, Jesus also introduces for the first time the kingdom age.

[11:28] The church. The church. And remember, as they reject and push back and push back the controversy, then Jesus starts to give the parables.

[11:44] He switches to parables. And he says, the kingdom of heaven is like the mustard seed or the sower. And he starts to give these parables of what the church age is going to be like.

[12:01] He's introducing a new era. So, it's like, guys, you're pushing away the kingdom. You're not ready to receive who I am.

[12:16] And so, therefore, and God knew all of this ahead of time. So, his plan was complete. But because of your rejection, the kingdom is going to get pushed off. And the kingdom here on earth, as we talked about Sunday morning, right?

[12:34] And so, the thousand-year reign. So, in the meantime, he talks about the kingdom of God now in the church. And so, he introduces that only after they push back and they reject.

[12:48] He starts to introduce, there is going to be an intertwining time, a time in between this time and the coming kingdom.

[13:03] And so, we today, as Gentiles, have enjoyed that time for 2,000 years. And we're still waiting for that coming kingdom. Just like the Jews are.

[13:18] So, any questions there? It's a very brief overview. I realize that. But, kind of, just going over what we've done so far.

[13:29] Any thoughts at all? Okay. If not, let's turn to page 15 in your notes.

[13:46] And we're at the letter M. Number 1 there, hypocrisy.

[14:01] So, Jesus has traveled back for that whole last section. He was back in Judea, in Jerusalem region, attending the Passover.

[14:16] Or was it Tabernacles? I forget which one it was. Tabernacles, I think. Yeah. And so, he is done in Galilee. So, he began his baptism by the Jordan.

[14:34] He spent most of his time after that in Galilee, in that whole region. But he did make two trips to Jerusalem to introduce himself. And there was pushback a little bit.

[14:49] He went back to Galilee. In Galilee, they officially rejected. His ministry was done there. The next step would be to kill him.

[15:01] And so, we conclude that the reason why Jesus has not been in Jerusalem a lot before is that is where they're going to kill him. And his time is not yet.

[15:14] And so, even now, as there's rejection, we're going to see that he's going to leave Jerusalem and go to Perea, or to where John was baptizing by the Jordan.

[15:25] And it's going to be the last three months before the last week. And so, he actually leaves Jerusalem again. Because they would not put up with him for three months.

[15:39] They would seek to kill him. And like Scripture says, his time was not yet. So, M there. Let's go through that last section.

[15:52] So, instruction to the disciples. And he starts in Luke chapter 12. So, we're going to be in Luke for most of today.

[16:04] Luke 12. And the section is called Hypocrisy.

[16:20] And we're going to start with Elliot. The left-wingers. It was on, John? Okay.

[16:36] So, when you read, read a portion of it, or all of it, or a couple of verses, whatever you want. So, we're going to start with 1 to 12 in Luke 12. Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, he began to say to his disciples, first of all, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

[17:01] But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.

[17:19] Friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear. Fear the one who, after he has killed you, has authority to cast you into hell.

[17:31] Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear.

[17:42] You are more valuable than many sparrows. Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God.

[17:57] But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him. But unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven.

[18:10] And when they bring you unto the synagogues and unto the magistrates and powers, take ye no thought how or what things ye shall answer or what ye shall say. For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

[18:24] Okay, thank you. So this first section on hypocrisy, it begins with an innumerable multitude of people gathering together so that they began to trample one another.

[18:42] Have you ever been in a crowd that's that big? Cochabamba? That's kind of scary. Yeah.

[18:53] We were once on a site where there was, later we read there have been about a million people there. And the crowd moved and you just had to follow because there was no room.

[19:05] And it felt like a herd of cattle, I think. But anyway, that's innumerable people that they began to trample.

[19:15] There's people going down. They're getting stepped on. Okay? That's the scene here. Then Jesus makes the statement, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

[19:36] So a couple of words here. What's hypocrisy? Definition-wise? What does it mean to be a hypocrite?

[19:50] A liar? Yep. Your talk and your walk don't match. Basically, right? Okay. And what's leaven?

[20:00] Eleven? Okay. Yeah.

[20:13] I thought we wanted the ladies that wouldn't tell us. Yeah. So we put the yeast, the leaven into the dough and it permeates. It just spreads.

[20:24] Can you stop it once it's in there? It just... Yeah.

[20:34] But it just works its way through, right? Okay? So he's saying, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. And...

[20:45] Jesus is exposing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, of the Jewish leadership.

[21:00] And so... And so... The leaders are trying to influence, keep the people from following Jesus or listening to his teachings. And so they're being controversial.

[21:16] And Jesus tells the crowd, beware of their leaven, of hypocrisy. So they're being hypocrites is permeating, like leaven, through the crowd.

[21:31] And he says, beware of it. Don't follow. Don't fall for it. And so, in other words, he's saying, see through them that what they say and do does not match.

[21:50] And... So in that kind of setting with all those people there, Jesus makes that... that statement there. The passage there, that nothing...

[22:07] There's nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

[22:24] Their deeds will be exposed. There's... There's nothing that we can hide. And... I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do.

[22:39] But I will show you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he is killed has power to cast into hell. I say to you, fear him. And so, how big is the fear of man?

[22:59] Who wants to be honest here? Big? Big? Anybody without? Has anybody conquered?

[23:19] Do we find ourselves behaving a certain way with certain people? And when with other people then we do different? I mean, that's not all bad or wrong as long as we stand up for truth.

[23:34] And so, this is real. And it's real for us today as well. So that's what they're dealing with and Jesus is saying you need to overcome.

[23:45] You need to realize that the fear that they're putting on you, when religious leaders put fear on you, you need to be able to see through it and not fear them because fear God who sees in truth.

[24:02] He is the one to fear. fear. And human leaders often put on fear and pressure to keep us under control.

[24:14] And we need to see what does God want and not be scared to stand up to what's right regardless of what leaders say and do.

[24:25] And that includes me as well. Okay, so the passage goes on.

[24:47] I'm going to skip to verse 8. I also, I say to you, whoever confesses me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.

[24:57] But he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven. But to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

[25:13] And so the, Jesus says, I can defend you, but you need, you need to confess me.

[25:24] If you deny me, I will deny you. If you push me out of your life, you're going to be out of the kingdom life.

[25:37] That's, it's our choice. And so for a multitude in Jerusalem or Judea, innumerable, they have huge decision to make.

[25:50] just like all of us individually did and do, right? But they're at that pivotal point and Jesus is challenging them.

[26:05] All right. So that's, this is making a stand for our faith. how many of us when we were new Christians had to make a hard stand?

[26:26] Anyone? Anyone? I know we were very much called to task or, or lots of accusations and we had to, we had to, to look at Scripture and say, are we right or are we wrong?

[26:45] And, our first year or two of marriage was very rough that way or tough and, and it was, now looking back, it was good for us. It was good for us.

[26:58] It made us dig in. And so, yeah, so many of us go through that. So it's not, not a bad thing. It's making a stand. The next section is, uh, covetousness and verses 13 to 34.

[27:16] And so let's read through that passage. It's rather lengthy. Um, you want to start, Igor? Step it well. Chapter 12, starting in 13.

[27:30] Actually, just read through 15. Okay. Okay. And one of the companies said unto him, Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me.

[27:45] And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness.

[27:57] For a man's life consisteth not of the abundance of the things which he possesses. Okay. Thank you. So that first section there has to do with, well, this whole, I've called this section covetousness.

[28:13] So he's teaching on that. And, and so there's a, there's a guy from the crowd calls out to Jesus, Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.

[28:28] And Jesus answers back, Take heed and beware of covetousness. What is covetousness? Wanting something you don't have.

[28:44] Okay. Okay. Wanting. Can we use some stronger language? Adolatry. Greed.

[28:55] Lust. All those things. Yeah. Envy. Yeah. Yeah. Colossians 3 verse 5 says idol worship is covetousness.

[29:13] It actually defines it. And so greed for things is an idol. It's covetous. It's, it's that.

[29:24] And so what's going on here? There's, there's a guy, a man from the crowd, teacher, Jesus, tell my brother to share. And, and Jesus, of course, being God, looked into his heart and saw the covetousness.

[29:44] What's the background here? In the culture, the, the, in the context, the older brother was receiving a double portion.

[29:55] and, this guy is jealous. And maybe he squandered his portion or, but he's saying, I want half of what he has.

[30:08] Make him share it. And, Jesus looks at the root of the problem. You're greedy. You want what's not yours.

[30:21] Regardless if that culture is right or wrong, Jesus endorsed that their system was that the oldest son got a double inheritance. And, and he had extra responsibilities that went with it.

[30:34] It wasn't for not. We won't get into that. So, let's read the next portion from verses 16 through 21. And I spake a parable unto them saying, the, the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully and he thought within himself saying, what shall I do because I have no room where I, where to bestow my fruits.

[31:10] and he said, this will I do. I will pull down my barns and build greater and there will I bestow my fruits and my goods.

[31:23] And I will say unto my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

[31:34] But God said unto him, thou fool, this night thou soul shall be required of thee. Then those shall, then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided so is that layeth up treasures for himself and is not rich towards God.

[32:02] Okay, thank you, Jake. what's the moral of that story, that parable that he just shared? Okay.

[32:30] Okay. So tying this into the previous episode where the guy says, tell me, tell my brother to invite inheritance, and Jesus says, beware of covetousness, and then he illustrates it.

[32:52] And with this farmer, dude that is covetous, and he's rich, and he has even bigger crops, and we all know the story well, he pulls down his barns, he builds bigger, it describes Western society.

[33:14] It's what we like to do. And then he says, soul, you've got it made. You've got it made. And God says, you fool.

[33:27] you're worried about physical, you focus on physical, but it's the spiritual that matters. And so again, with that, it's the attitude of the heart toward wealth, toward material things.

[33:50] and there are believers that have a lot of things that they're steward over, and they know how to handle it, and still give glory to God.

[34:06] But here, this guy didn't. And his heart was not for God, but for himself, and God calls him a fool. He says, don't you know I'm in control of your life? I can demand it tonight.

[34:20] Okay, so he illustrates covetousness. Verses 22 onward through 34.

[34:33] Then he said to his disciples, therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

[34:45] Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn, and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

[34:57] If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin, and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

[35:11] If then God so clothes the grass which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink nor have an anxious mind for all these things the nations of the world seek after and your father knows that you need these things but seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you do not fear little flock for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom sell what you have and give alms divide yourselves money bags which do not grow old a treasure in the heavens that does not fail where no thief approaches nor moth destroys for where your treasure is there your heart will be also all right so what's the main point in this illustration or this story don't worry what's wrong with a bit of worry

[36:15] Charlie yeah does does worry give us more control over the situation but does it really doesn't does it no okay it becomes a concern right yeah so when does worry become wrong okay yeah so when we fret over situations that we cannot change it turns into sinful behavior where we're supposed to go to

[37:20] God with it so to be concerned over my child or over this situation or that but then to bring that concern to the Lord to worry or fret or be anxious means we're getting uptight we're getting worked up instead of releasing it to the Lord and but that's only part of the story here so in context of the first two what Jesus is saying now is don't you know that my father is trustworthy see the answer to greed or covetousness is to trust that the father will care for me so if you want to stop being covetous you need to start trusting the father and he uses the illustrations of don't be anxious over what you will wear

[38:36] God closes the lilies in the grass don't be anxious of what you will eat he feeds the birds right and then he says over all these things the nations are worried about but you seek first the kingdom of heaven king of God and he will give you what you need so it's a matter of do we trust our father to provide us what we need in life that's the that's the key here to overcome the the temptation to covet is will God provide for me what's the answer will he does he it's a it's a personal answer do we believe it or is it just things that we say but have we experienced it and when we experience it then then that faith grows we know that

[39:52] God is faithful right okay I love how he ends it verse 32 do not fear little flock for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom so all these things that we covet and worry about and try to scrape together here on earth Jesus says God wants to give that to you in the coming kingdom it's all going to be yours it's his not only give it says it's his good pleasure it's God's heart he's going to give all that stuff to us and so we are not we are not to live a life of covetousness here and yet we recognize that that even in the circle of believers

[40:58] God entrusts one guy with ten bucks and the next guy with a million and makes us stewards over that and the guy with less is he less blessed well in society's eyes yes but in God's eyes no see we measure success by money by material things that's that's a worldly assessment and by the way the the Jews their philosophy was whom the Lord loves he makes rich the Pharisees taught that whom the Lord loves he will prosper and so now Jesus is breaking through that kind of teaching which is false right yeah yeah right yeah during during during our ministry in

[42:24] Bolivia we had ties to to a conference of Spanish churches that were similar belief as we had teaching I think they had 13 churches in their conference and we got to meet many or if not all of those pastors and some of them didn't have vehicles they the church paid them as much as they could which was little but you would not hear a grumble or they were on fire and and doing giving it their all didn't matter that they were riding a bicycle it's a different perspective right from a different country so it's yeah it's so Jesus is breaking through society here teachings of society number three watchfulness verses 35 to 41 let your waist be girded and your lamps burning and yourselves be like men who wait for their masters when he will return from the wedding that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately blessed are those servants whom the master when he comes will find watching surely saying

[44:05] I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat and will come and serve them and if he should come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants but know this that if the master of the house had known that the hour of the thief would come he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into therefore you also be ready for the son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect thank you watchfulness a a teaching on being prepared and ultimately

[45:11] I call it the imminent return of Christ he uses the illustration of a master going away on business and the servants are to be to be watchful and to expect his return at any time and to behave accordingly and of course this illustrates spiritually the return of Jesus and so he is so so on the heels of teaching on conquering greed not getting caught up with society and their values he's saying rather you need to be looking forward to the kingdom through the turn of Christ that's our focus not making money or whatever right any thoughts or questions on that or does it make sense okay so by the way

[46:21] Jesus is not asking you to quit your jobs that's but but just that our attitudes are right towards material things that we have that in the perspective right and we are commanded to provide for families we are commanded to be busy to work he says idleness is not good in fact he says he who does not work should not eat and so we we know that it's supposed to be in balance but with an eternal perspective okay let's move on so that's well I'll just make one more statement in that he is also illustrating that since the Jews are rejecting the kingdom he is now with this story saying I'm going to be going away and I'm going to return at a time future but unannounced and you are to be ready so he is actually introducing his departure in this illustration so it's maybe the first time very clearly that he's saying

[47:36] I am going to be leaving okay verse 42 to 48 on faithfulness and the Lord said who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his master will make ruler over his household to give them their portion of food in due season blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes truly I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has that we're unaware of we are to be ready and so if we are not living for the

[49:55] Lord and he returns what's going to happen so we have some Jewish flavor in here verse 47 or verse 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and an hour when he is not aware and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers that's a Jewish flavor that they think the kingdom is for them it's appointed to the Jews if you do not live for God when Jesus comes back and you do not give your heart to the Lord you will be as a Jew appointed your place with the unbelievers because that's what you are so it's not only written to us but in a sense to the

[51:02] Jews in the context but it applies to us as well verse 47 and that servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes if we know what we ought to do so this is now in terms of salvation of giving our heart to God that our lives are serving the Lord and if we if we don't we will be beaten with many stripes but he who did not know yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few you know it alludes to the fact that there will be degrees of punishment punishment and for someone who knows full out what to do and refuses refuses sounds like there will be a harsher degree of punishment now we we often think hell is hell right but there's this illustration and a few others that seem to indicate there there may be degrees of punishment even there even as believers will be rewarded at different levels unbelievers will be punished at different levels and so we don't understand that don't know what it will look like but the Bible appears to teach that so we just leave it at that okay so we are to always live with that expected return okay verses 49 to 53 and I am come to send fire on the earth and what will I if it already be kindled but I have a baptism to be baptized with and how am I straight until it be accomplished suppose you that

[53:07] I am come to give peace on earth I tell you nay but rather division for from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided three against two and two against three the father shall be divided against the son and the son against the father there are mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother and mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law all right Jesus introduces this section on on on his baptism at the cross he doesn't use well yes he uses that word there I have a baptism to baptize with how I wish it were already kindled and and then he says I'm distressed till it is accomplished so we are we are maybe six months before the cross here probably less maybe four or five at this story and

[54:11] Jesus says I am distressed because I know it's coming and I know the effect it will have and how I wish it were accomplished already he's looking past and it's not that that that he's going to change his mind we know he didn't but he knows it's something before him and that he will die for the sins of the world and so the the effect of his coming is that that his death burial and resurrection brings well it brings peace to those who surrender to it but it brings division to the world how many of us have divisions in our families extended families anyone not you know when when in a family of unbelievers someone believes we have light and darkness we have a different set of values now a different outlook on life it changed man the Holy Spirit is working and and it's impossible that it won't do this and that is why

[55:44] Jesus is so adamant and Paul do not be unequally yoked in marriage because it's going to do this and it does enough of this as it is right you know we marriage two people coming together is hard enough but when we're not equally yoked or not seeing things in spiritual light the same way it's going to be tougher yet and so that's he does well he does bring the family in here so he says do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth I tell you not at all but rather division so peace in the sense of between people but not he's not saying that that that you won't have peace in your heart so everyone that accepts and surrenders will have peace within but not necessarily peace with your neighbor it's going to be controversy there okay and then we have you know right to the core he says in one house five in a house and two against three and three against two father against son son against mother and son against father and father against daughter and daughter against mother and so on and it just right to the core because unequally yoked unequal in faith and so Jesus brings that and he knows what it's going to do and yet it's the only way one at a time how many households when there's darkness that the light starts to come through the children and we've all maybe either seen it or experienced it or whatever a child comes to faith or children and then maybe after years the parents come or maybe one first and then the other and lots of different variations but one at a time it breaks through and what follows is controversy and but eventually the Holy

[58:03] Spirit works so he's warning them this is what's going to come in fact they're facing it and he says I'm distressed till it comes all right number six there Luke 12 54 to 59 then he said then he also said to the multitudes whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west immediately you say a shower is coming and so it is and when you see the south wind blow you say there's there will be hot weather and there is hypocrites can discern the face of the sky and the earth but how is it you do not discern this time yes and why do you even even of yourselves do not judge what is right when you go with your adversary to the magistrate make every effort along the way to set with to settle with him least he drag you to the judge and the judge deliver you to the officer and the officer throw you into prison

[59:30] I tell you you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last might all right are we good at discerning the weather there's some German sayings uven der out moring out red skies in the evening fair skies in the morning or so on in German it matches but there's lots of sayings and that's what Jesus addresses here he says you know how to discern the skies sailors know well when there's storms brewing they can tell ahead of time usually when they come mankind has learned that right and he says you know all this stuff when you see the south wind blow you say there will be hot weather and there is

[60:38] Jesus acknowledges it but then he says hypocrites you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth but but how is it you do not discern this time and what is he talking about here what are they being hypocrites about yeah discerning the times the old is passing away I am here the fulfillment of the old we're entering the new covenant I am the Messiah you cannot you can discern the physical weather and stuff how come you cannot discern from scripture what's going on here and he's calling them hypocrites you ought to know so we look back on the coming of

[61:40] Jesus 2000 years ago it's all written in history we know but we have ahead of us his second coming and if we refuse to acknowledge the signs that God is allowing to happen that we are near the second coming he would call us hypocrites why are you blind why are you refusing to open your eyes to this so as believers we are called to know the seasons and the times like he says in Thessalonians the unbeliever does not is not aware what's going on in the world the unbeliever doesn't know that things are falling into place they can't discern that and so the Jews mostly in unbelief weren't discerning either and so he is pointing that out very clearly and he uses an illustration here that of judging what is right and then 58 and 59 when you go with your adversary to the magistrate or the judge and make every effort along the way to settle with him lest he drag you to the judge the judge deliver you to the officer and get thrown into prison and if you get thrown into prison you're going to be paying every dime that you owe what is he saying with this story any thoughts your homework he is saying you need to take care of your sin if you don't deal with your sin and it's paid for you're going to be taken before the judge and who will be the judge who's going to judge jesus the very guy telling on this and if you don't deal if you don't deal with your sin before you meet me in glory you're going to pay for every sin he's using an earthly story which we can understand and julius i'll use you as an example i owe him 17,000 bucks for fixing my truck and i i came at night and took it went to the shop and got the keys and and he's kind of upset with me and and he threatens to take me to court and i can i can choose to ignore him and take me to court well if i go to court i'm going to lose and i'm going to pay every penny but rather he's saying before he takes you to court deal with him work it out pay up take care of the matter and so that's a physical story here on earth example of that and but he's applying it to the spiritual deal with your sin before you meet judgment okay that concludes chapter 12 there number seven

[65:40] i'm gonna push through a few more here luke 13 one to nine there were a present at the sea season some that told him of the galileans whose blood pilot had mangled with their sacrifices and jesus answering said unto them suppose ye that these galileans were sinners above all the galileans because they suffered such things i tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish or those eighteen upon whom the tower of siloam fell and slew them think ye that ye they were sinners above all men that dwelt in jerusalem i tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish he spake also this parable a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came and sought fruit thereon and found none then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard behold those these three years i come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none cut it down why cumbereth it on the ground and he answered answering said unto him lord let it alone this year also till i shall dig it out and dung it and if it bear fruit well and if it not then after that thou shalt cut it down okay thank you all right so when bad things happen to people is god punishing them no well that was the belief in that day so the illustration the pilot the roman governor killing some galileans who had come to jerusalem to sacrifice to the feasts and he killed some of them that was their reward for coming to worship god they bring this example do you suppose that or they're asking about it and they're telling him about it and jesus asks the question do you suppose that these galileans were worse sinners than all other other galileans because they suffered such things and jesus says straight out i say no unless you all unless you repent you will all likewise perish we have an appointment with death we need to be very careful that we don't accuse people this this came upon you because you're a sinner god does work through us and in us and allows things to happen to draw us to him but it's not for us to judge that or to say this came upon you because of your sin what is it that that is a very wrong teaching very wrong teaching okay and then the next example is the 18 of whom the tower of siloam fell and killed were they worse sinners and he says no then he gives the parable verse 6

[69:40] of the fig tree a man had a fig tree in the vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and there was none and he said to the keeper of the vineyard look for three years I've come looking for fruit on this fig tree and find none cut it down it's no use and if it bears fruit well no but he answered sir let it alone this year also give it one more chance and if it bears fruit if not then cut it down what is Jesus saying here the Jewish context the fig tree representing Israel and Jesus saying God has planted Israel for three years I've come looking for fruit and you rejected me cut it down it's like the father saying give it one more chance push back rejection and so out of this comes some bad theology as well that God is done with Israel and replacement theology there's a difference we know that in the year 70 so 70 years after this this story

[71:14] Jerusalem was destroyed the temple was destroyed the Jews were scattered we know that but it's not necessarily that God is done with them or we know he isn't but he set aside the kingdom of Israel he set them aside and introduced the church age and he's saying because the fig tree refused to bear fruit so to understand that correctly Jesus came looking for fruit for faith he's looking for faith and yes there were individuals that were believing but as a whole they were rejecting okay so that's a lesson on repentance so he's saying to them each one of them so on the tales of our past dealing with their sin and so on here's a lesson likewise each one of you needs to repent you need to accept the savior can you see his mercy can you see that these aren't random teachings and sayings how they flow as he's talking to the

[72:43] Jews he's teaching them one subject leading to another he's illustrating illustrating and so all of what Jesus does has purpose and it actually flows and it's so that we learn to read it with that in mind with understanding I marvel at how one parable after another it builds on the past one Jesus is being very merciful to them number eight concerning Israel's need Luke 13 10 to 17 and he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath and behold there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years and was bowed together and could in no wise lift up herself and when Jesus saw her he called her to him and said to her woman thou art loose from thine infirmity and he laid his hands on her and immediately she was made straight and glorified

[73:53] God and the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day and said unto the people there are six days in which men ought to work in them therefore come and be healed and not on the Sabbath day the Lord then answered him and said thou hypocrite doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall and lead him away to watering and ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan hath bound lo these eighteen years be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day and when he had said these things all his adversaries were ashamed and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him okay thank you again

[74:53] Jesus illustrates and he uses a physical situation a woman crippled bent over for eighteen years she could not raise herself up so I imagine she was whatever something she had infirmity she could not straighten herself for eighteen years that's a long time and Jesus uses her to illustrate why he has come and he says woman you are loosed from your infirmity and he laid hands on her and immediately she was made straight and she glorified God what is Jesus illustrating he's saying Israel you are spiritually crippled I have come to loose you from your bonds

[75:56] I have come to give you life I have come so that you may walk uprightly before me like this woman now can using a physical example illustrating their spiritual need and so again I marvel at how Jesus brings this together time and time again showing them their need and trying to get them to grasp that he is their answer the Messiah and yet it seems to be of no avail so there comes a time where Jesus the timing God will set the timing but it will run out and for two and a half years plus he's been teaching and he's been illustrating and healing and now we're towards the end already and yet he's giving them opportunity okay they use of course the

[77:18] Sabbath as the way out in their hypocrisy to discredit him you can't be the Messiah because you did this on Saturday and not understanding the purpose for the Sabbath and Jesus illustrates again that which one of you wouldn't help his animal on the Sabbath how much more this daughter of Abraham needs to be released from her bondage and then they're ashamed they realize and they're ashamed number nine verse 18 to 21 then he said what is the kingdom of God like and to what shall I compare it it is like a mustard seed which a man took and put it in his garden and it grew and became a large tree and the birds of the air nested in its branches and again he said to what shall

[78:19] I like like in the kingdom of God it is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened okay so now Jesus turns to the coming kingdom and not not the the millennial kingdom but the church age and so these two parables are two of in in Matthew 13 we went through those already so I won't stop here but he repeats two of them here later on in his ministry of what the kingdom of God will be like leaven working its way through it'll it'll just grow and so today we have the church in every country in the world and every people group every nation every tongue language says scripture tells us there are believers all right

[79:32] I want to go on to end yet and we're going to conclude with that one we have a few minutes left so turning to the book of John it's going to end a big section here where Jesus teaches instructs the disciples John 10 verses 22 to 39 now it was the feast of dedication in Jerusalem and it was winter and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch then the Jews surrounded him and said to him how long do you keep us in doubt if you are the Christ tell us plainly Jesus answered them I told you and you do not believe the works that I do in my father's name they bear witness of me but you do not believe because you are not of my sheep as

[80:39] I said to you my sheep hear neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my hand out of my father's hand I and my father are one then the Jews took up stones again to stone him Jesus answered them many good works I have shown you from my father for which of those works do stone me the Jews answered him saying for a good work we do not stone you but for blasphemy and because you became because you being a man make yourself God Jesus answered them is it not written in your law I said you are gods if he called them gods to whom the word of God came and the scripture cannot be broken do you say of him whom the father sanctified blaspheming because

[81:43] I said I am the son of God if I do not do the works of my father do not believe me but if I do though you do not believe me believe the works that you may know and believe and the father is in me and I in him therefore they sought again to seize him but he escaped out of their hands all right thank you okay so we have the feast of dedication have you heard of the feast of dedication before we have we have Passover the three feasts are the main ones are the Passover first fruits which is our Pentecost and then Tabernacles which is our Thanksgiving but this is dedication and it's interesting that Jesus recognizes it and he walks in the it was the feast of dedication it was in winter and

[82:50] Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch now the feast of dedication was not ordained by God but it it's a feast that the Jews just like Purim with Esther right how God saved the Jewish people well in dedication it's a feast that Israel holds right around Christmas time or just before in December and it's in remembrance of God saving the Jewish people by the hand of Judas Maccabeus you heard that name Judas Maccabeus okay lived roughly 160 years before Christ and that's where the Greeks had the world government and

[83:51] Alexander the Great had long died already and conquered his world but one of his followers much later was Antiochus Epiphanes and he was a terror he terrorized the nations and he set his face against Jerusalem to destroy and there's a lot of extra biblical reading of how he desecrated the temple of the Jews and he went and offered a pig on the altar which was an abomination right and so this Maccabeus Judas he led a revolt and actually conquered and got control of their city and their temple again and rededicated the altar and the temple repaired the destructions and so God showed himself strong through this individual this

[84:54] Maccabeus and so they dedicated the Jews the feast of dedication in memory of that and so yeah so it doesn't really affect us directly but it happened in their day and so now 160 and Jesus is 32 here or 33 so 190 some years later they're holding this annually okay in remembrance of what God has done for them so that's the backdrop there as he's walking in Solomon's porch in the temple the Jews surround him and they ask how long do you keep us in doubt if you are the Christ tell us plainly what's wrong with our question what he had shown them in every way he had told them and shown them and they are so if

[86:07] Jesus says I am God that's blasphemy in their eyes a human being being God that can't be you're a person like us you're walking on this earth and so they're looking actually to set him up for accusation so they can accuse him and so Jesus responds I told you you did not believe I told you who I am you don't believe the works that I do in my father's name they bear witness of me it's plain it's clear and as we've gone through this course we've seen how repetitive Jesus has been in showing them in every aspect proving who he is and here they're asking tell us plainly and then we'll believe no you won't and so

[87:15] Jesus says I have shown you I have told you and then an interesting statement verse 26 he tells them right to their face this is why you don't believe and understand who I am is because you're not my sheep your eyes have not been opened that's why you don't understand you don't belong to me does that mean that Jesus doesn't want them to belong to him is that what he is saying does Jesus want to cast anyone away no but at this time he is saying you don't understand who I am because you don't belong to me yet your eyes are closed you're blinded and it's only when you will express by faith and step out from from everything that's stopping you till then you will not understand who

[88:34] I am so we need to learn from that people who are not sheep the Lord's sheep do not get it they don't you either are a sheep or you're not we don't like that word sheep do we but that's what he is saying we either belong to the Lord or we don't it's there there's no gray area here or here okay the teaching is very deep here you do not believe because you're not of my sheep as I said to you my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me here is the evidence that you are one of my sheep if you are my sheep hear my voice and he is saying to them you're not hearing my voice you're not recognizing it why because you're not my sheep my sheep hear my voice so for us do we hear the

[89:46] Lord speaking to us do we hear his voice secondly my sheep hear my voice and they follow me so he's challenging them my sheep hear my voice and they follow me Jesus says and when they do that I know them and I give them eternal life now who owns eternal life or who is eternal life who possesses eternal life God he is life he is eternal he alone possesses eternal life and here he says my sheep hear my voice

[90:48] I know them and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish when we become his sheep he gives us eternal life and here he says and they shall never perish and neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand because we now belong to the Lord the owner the possessor of eternal life and he chooses to give that life to all that surrender to him it's a very deep theological passage here my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand and then he makes a profound statement I and my father are one now

[91:53] Jesus a human figure in front of them says I am God and what do they do and we're right back to the start of the conversation tell us plainly who you are what did Jesus just lead up to I and my father are one he told them plainly and what did they do let's kill the guy full circle right Jesus answers many good works I have shown you from my father for which one of these works do you stone me so why would you kill me now look look what I've done all the miracles all the teaching the Jew says for good work we do not stone you but for blasphemy because you being a man make yourself

[92:54] God would it be would it have been harder for us to live in that day we look back we have the full story that Jesus was both human and God we accept it because we know it's true but if we had if we lived back then and we had Jesus teaching in the synagogue saying I and my father are one they had a dilemma right our eyes I trust are spiritually open I know they are and with that we would recognize who he was because of all his works and so on yeah so they they come back we don't we don't we we're not going to kill you for for the good works but by saying that you're

[94:05] God because you're human and then he ends the story with a quote from Psalm 82 verse 6 where he says in the law I said you are gods if he called them gods to whom the word of God came and the scripture cannot be broken do you say of him who the father sanctified and sent into the world you are blaspheming because I said I am the son of God and so that Psalm 86 is a reference to or 82 verse 6 is a reference to Moses most likely where Moses was like God to his brother Aaron and Moses was like God to Pharaoh and we have scripture to back that up and they looked at Moses and he was like

[95:08] God to them in such extreme reverence that they treated him like God and so we have human examples of being lifted up that way in their eyes in such esteem and so that's what Psalm 82 verse 6 is referencing to Jesus is saying to them we have guys in the past that were considered there why is it so wrong with my works that you would not see me as God he's challenging them again they had no problem accepting Moses being called God or a God so he's trying to reason with them right get through to them yeah those scripture references would be Exodus 4 verse 16 and Exodus 7 verse 1 where

[96:09]  Aaron and both Pharaoh look at Moses as God and the other scripture was Psalm 82 verse 6 okay so that that kind of brings things to a head to a head in Jerusalem and next week we're going to start off he goes back to Perea he leaves Jerusalem and goes Jerusalem and goes back to Perea across the Jordan this is the Jordan and that's where John was baptizing so that's where our story will start off next week all right we'll close off with that thank you for helping me break in the first session again and Lord willing we'll see you back next Wednesday from