Luke 15 - Christ Defends His Ministry

 

Luke 15 – Christ Defends His Ministry

 

Christ explained that they were sheep that had gone astray and needed a shepherd to bring them home. They were lost coins, stamped with the image of God, needing to get back into circulation again. They were disobedient sons who were wasting their inheritance and needed to come home to the Father.

 

Sheep are foolish animals and naturally go astray, but the spiritual shepherds in Israel had not ministered to them (Jer. 23; Ezek. 34). The woman lost the coin because of carelessness, and the son was lost because of his willfulness. The father did not search for the boy but let him learn his lessons the hard way and discover how good it was back home. (Rom. 2:4)

 

Jesus always saw the potential in people. The sheep could be brought back to the flock and bring joy to the shepherd, the coin could be found; and the son could return home and lovingly serve his father. There is hope for every sinner because Jesus welcomes everyone.

 

Lost describes the person’s condition without the Savior. Jesus seeks the lost and the result is joy. Whenever we lose something and find it, there is always joy.

 

God’s grace is the Son of Man coming to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus wanted the Pharisees to understand that His whole purpose in coming to earth was the very thing that prompted their accusations of Him – reaching out with grace to sinners.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible. Nelson’s Quick Reference Study Bible, J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible.

Luke 14 Exploiting or inviting?

 

Luke 14– Exploiting or inviting?

 

When we eat together, it should be a time of loving fellowship and joyful gratitude to God; but the Pharisees turned tables into traps and exploited people. They used a man with a handicapping condition in trying to catch Jesus; they went to feasts only to receive honors; and they invited to their feasts only people who would return the favor. Hospitality is ministry only if our motive is to help others and glorify God. Jesus reinforced the definition of unconditional love; giving to people who have absolutely no ability to pay back what is owed (James 2:1).

 

Salvation is a feast, not a funeral; and God wants His house filled. As His servants, we have the privilege to tell the world, “Come, for all things are now ready!” Even if some reject the invitation, keep sharing it. Those who think they are the least worthy are the ones He wants to have at His feast. We should ask ourselves, “Am I the sort of person God will welcome into His kingdom?”

 

Is it easy to be part of the crowd and follow a popular Jesus, but that is not true discipleship. He calls you away from the crowd to take up your cross and follow Him. When it comes to winning the lost, God wants His house filled; but when it comes to discipleship, Christ thins out the ranks and wants only those who will die to self and live for Him.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.

 

Luke 13 Why Does God Keep Me Alive?

 

Luke 13 – Why does God Keep Me Alive?

 

How easy it is to ask questions about others’ tragedies and fail to learn the lessons they teach! The big question is not “Why do people die in tragic and seemingly meaningless ways?” but “Why does God keep me alive?” Am I worth it? Am I bearing fruit or taking up space? The precariousness of life in a fallen world should prompt everyone to take stock of their spiritual condition.

 

The ruler of the synagogue was a hypocrite because he treated animals better than he treated people. Suppose the woman did come to the synagogue on another day. Could he have healed her? Of course not! We wonder how many needy people come to church meeting looking for love and help and go away disappointed.

 

God’s kingdom is at work in the world, but many people fail to take advantage of their opportunities. Instead of entering the kingdom, some people only ask questions about it. Salvation is not a theory to discuss; it is a miracle to experience. No wonder Jesus wept when He saw sinners passing by their opportunities to be saved! Do not wait for opportunities to come; they are already here. Jesus is the way to salvation, and no other way exists.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.  J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible

 

Luke 12 - A Fearful Heart

 

Luke 12 – A Fearful Heart

 

When you fear people, you start to hide things, and this leads to hypocrisy. You fail to confess Christ openly and depend on the Holy Spirit, and this silences your witness. When you fear God alone, you need fear no one else; and you can boldly witness for Christ. You are important to God and precious in His sight, so never fear what people can say or do.

 

A greedy heart. Imagine being so greedy that you would interrupt a sermon to ask for help to get more money! The weeds were certainly growing in that man’s heart (Matt. 13:22). We all need a certain amount of money to live, but money is not a guarantee of security. If anything, it creates false confidence that leads to foolishness.

 

A divided heart. Worry means to be pulled apart, and that is what worry does to you. If your heart is centered on Christ and trusting wholly in Him, you will have a united heart that fears God alone (Ps. 86:11).  If your treasures are heavenly, you need not worry; no enemy can take them!

 

A cold heart. We are God’s servants, and He expects us to be faithfully doing our work when Jesus Christ returns. But when we stop looking for His coming, loving it (2 Tim 4:8), and longing for it (Rev. 22:20), our hearts get cold, and we get worldly. The Lord will deal with careless servants when He returns, so we had better be ready.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah.

Luke 11 - Prayer

 

Luke 11 – Prayer

If Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Twelve apostles all needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray! We must put God’s concerns first, because prayer is based on sonship, not friendship. God is a loving Father, not a grouchy neighbor; He gives us what we need. He neither slumbers nor sleeps; and He doesn’t become irritated when we ask for help (James 1:5). The Lord’s prayer provides a pattern for all to follow honor God, submit to His will, depend on Him to meet needs and forgive sins, and ask for strength to forgive others and to resist the evil one.   

 

More dangerous than open hostility is attempted neutrality, for an empty life is an opportunity for satan to move in and take over. The only sign we need is the “sign of Jonah,” our Lord’s resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:22-36). Jesus has won the victory over the prince of darkness. Obey satan and you let in darkness rather than light, and soon you will not be able to distinguish between them (Matt. 6:22-23).

 

Jesus was a guest in the home, but He did not flatter His host or the other guests by avoiding the truth. He exposed their hypocrisy and condemned them for their sins (Matt. 23). They defiled people, burdened them, and locked the door on them, all the while posing as holy men of God. Instead of taking the opportunity of repenting and being forgiven, they opposed Jesus and attacked Him. The lawyers made the people’s lives far more difficult. In doing so, they took a divine gift meant to point people to God and used it instead to trample their spirits. (Matt. 23:4).

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.

J, Vernon McGee Through the Bible

Luke 10 - What makes You Serve?

 

Luke 10 – What Makes You Serve?

 

Jesus was not limited to the twelve; seventy others obeyed Him and helped to reap the harvest. But the laborers are still few because the ministry is difficult and dangerous, but it is also rewarding.

 

What makes you rejoice? When the disciples rejoiced over their successful ministry, Jesus told them to rejoice because they were citizens of heaven. After all, their work might not always be successful; but their salvation would never change. Jesus rejoiced because the Father’s will was being accomplished in their lives.

 

What makes you pause? It is not difficult to discuss neighborliness in the abstract, but it costs something to be a real neighbor. We must pause to help when we see injustice and hurt, or like the priest and the Levite, do you look for an escape? You are never more Christlike than when you feel another’s hurt and seek to help.

 

What makes you listen? Take time to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His Word. It is important to serve the Lord and serve others, but it is even more important to delight your Lord by spending time with Him. Don’t be so busy serving Him that you have no time to love Him and listen to Him?

 

Faithful to my Lord’s commands,

I still would choose the better part.

Serve with careful Martha’s hands,

And loving Mary’s heart.  Charles Wesley.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.      J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.

Luke 9 - Christ Equips Us.

 

Luke 9 – Christ Equips Us.

 

He will never send us out to do a task without first giving us what we need. We are prone to trust what we have, but we should trust in Him alone. If we are in His will, we will have His supply. Jesus commissioned His disciples to duplicate what He had done. To make this possible, He equipped them with both the power to do the supernatural and the authority to do His will.

 

Christ enables us. How could twelve men feed five thousand people? Only through the enabling of the Lord, for He did the miracle: they only distributed the blessing. Christ is looking for clean empty hands that He can fill. Jesus had been teaching His disciples to depend on the power and resources of God, and now He gave them a task they simply could not complete on their own.

 

Christ encourages us. If you confess Christ as Son of God and Savior, and take up your cross and follow Him, He will reveal to you His kingdom and His glory. When you experience the glory of God, the demands of discipleship become blessings that carry you along in joyful obedience. Followers of Christ must not only give up their own agenda but die to it.

 

Christ endures us. What strange words from the lips of Jesus: “How long shall I be with you and bear with you?” He must bear with our unbelief and failure, our lack of love, and our lack of dedication. Is Jesus blessing you, or bearing with you? Jesus always speaks exactly what is needed to move His followers toward greater godliness, even if it stings.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better. If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary. J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible. Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.