September 15, 2013
Evening Service

We will continue tonight with the “Sermon on the plain” from Luke chapter 22.  Jesus has set the bar pretty high for us.  He has asked us to choose a life that includes being poor, hungry, weeping and reproached.  He instructed us to not only tolerate our enemies, but to love, bless, do good and pray for those who oppose us.  This life is possible IF we yield ourselves to the moving of the Holy Spirit and we do it all for the “Son of Man’s sake.”  Last week we were told not to judge or criticize and to be forgiving.

We then focused on verse 38.  We looked at how God has given unto us His very best in the gift of His Son.  We looked at the NT teaching on giving from the Corinthians letters.  We are to do our part on a regular basis, with purpose, and as we have been prospered.  “God loves a cheerful giver.”  (2 Cor. 9:7)

Remember the scene from which this teaching is coming from.  Jesus has just spent the night in prayer and then chose the 12 men He would entrust His ministry to.  This discourse is directed to them as well as the big crowd that has sought Him out (and us).  After presenting His expectations (commandments) for anyone who will follow Him, He now uses three scenarios to demonstrate how our impact on others can be limited to our spiritual condition.  Let’s “rightly divide His Word.”

Luke 6:39 And He spoke a parable to them: Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?

• Jesus uses a very practical and easily understood example to teach the importance of knowing the truth.  This parable includes two positions that all of us fill in some capacity.  There is the leader and the follower.  As He speaks to the disciples and us, He clarifies that a leader must know where he is going.  We must know the narrow path that leads to salvation or we, and those who follow us, will both be lost.
• The follower also must believe in his leader.  We must be sure that our leader is first also following Christ.  Paul wrote this to the Corinthian church.

 

1Co 11:1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

• We will all be leaders and followers at some stage in our life.  As a leader we must point everyone to follow Christ.  Everything we do and teach must reflect all the glory to Him.  As followers, we must know our scriptures and follow only the leader who lines up with God’s Word.

 

Luke 6:40 The disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfect shall be like his teacher.

 

• A person cannot teach what he does not know.  A teacher (leader) can only bring a student (follower) to a level he himself has obtained.
•  How do we speak on answered prayer if we do not pray?
• How can we tell others the blessings of Bible study if we do not study ourselves?
• How do we expect people to accept our invitation to church if we do not attend?
• How do we teach someone to offer sacrifices of praise if we do not do it ourselves?

 

Luke 6:41-42 And why do you look at the splinter that is in your brother's eye, but do not see the beam that is in your own eye?  (42)  Or how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me pull out the splinter in your eye, when you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First cast out the beam out of your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to pull out the splinter that is in your brother's eye.

• Jesus is telling us here that the best thing we can do for others is grow in our own faith.  We must work at removing our own faults before helping our brother with his.
• The airline instruction is that in a time of emergency, place the oxygen mask on you and then helps others with theirs.
• “Seeking first the kingdom of God” means our personal relationship to God comes before our spouse, children and even before the work we do for Christ.
• It is vitally important that our ministry to others flows out from our personal relationship to our Savior.  Otherwise Jesus could also call us “Hypocrites.”
• Look at the examples that follow:

 

Luke 6:43-45  For a good tree does not bring forth corrupt fruit, neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  (44)  For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  (45)  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth the good. And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth the evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

• A tree’s fruit will resemble its trunk and roots.  We cannot produce the fruit God desires if our base is evil.  It is our relationship with Him that grows our roots deeply into Him and then we will naturally produce His fruit.
• The master of our heart ultimately determines our works and actions.

 

 Luke 6:46 And why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?

• How can we call Him “Master” and not obey His commands?
• The two statements contradict one another.  True servitude to Christ can only come through obedience.  Then and only then can we call Him “Lord.”

 

• Geoffery O’Hara wrote this:
• You call Me the Way and walk Me not
• You call Me Life and live Me not
• You call Me Master and obey Me not
• If I condemn thee blame me not
• You call Me Bread and eat Me not
• You call Me Truth and believe Me not
• You call Me Lord and serve Me not
• If I condemn thee blame me not

 

Luke 6:47-49  Whoever comes to Me and hears My Words, and does them, I will show you to whom he is like.  (48)  He is like a man who built a house and dug deep and laid the foundation on a rock; and a flood occurring, the stream burst against that house and could not shake it; for it was founded on a rock.  (49)  But he who hears and does not perform, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, on which the stream burst, and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.

• Whatever situation we find ourselves in; leader or followers, teachers or students we must have our foundation built firmly upon Christ.  Anything else will fail you.
• Men, money, power, works, knowledge, wisdom, abilities, looks all will fail you and fade away.  But:

 

1Pe 1:24-25  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of men as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls out,  (25)  but the Word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the Word preached as gospel to you.

 

Where is your foundation built?

Can you lose everything but Christ and still stand?

 

Lord, may our foundation be built firmly upon You and You alone.