Luke 13:22 - 17:10

Teaching that is plain and to the point is bound to produce some enemies, and Christ’s teaching is no exception. His sermons are seldom veiled and His purpose is never simply to make truth comfortable or palatable. Consider these pointed statements: ‘You, too, will perish unless you leave your evil ways and return to God. 123:3,5 “Go, tell that fox (Herod) …” 13:32 “Everyone who tries to honor himself shall be humbled” 14:11 “No one can become my disciple unless he first sits down and counts his blessings—and then renounces them all for Me.” 14:33 But there is the tender side to Christ’s teaching as well. The love of the Savior for lost sinners permeates His words. Three times in Chapter 15 He illustrates the truth that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. CHAPTER 13, 14, 15 Admonitions from the Son of Man concerning 13 – God’s Kingdom “Enter!” 14 – God’s Invitation “Come!” 15 God’s Love “Return!” 13: 22 General ? and Jesus immediately answered it with a personal ? The ? is not how many will be saved, but whether or not YOU will be saved! Get that settled first and then we can discuss what you can do to help get others saved! Put together the Luke Scripture and the Scripture from Matthew 11:1-14: Kingdom as a great feast…with the patriarchs and prophets as honored guests 13: 28. But many people who were invited waited too long to respond and when they arrived at the banquet hall, it was too late and the door was shut…v.25 Why did they wait?…is not easy; the sinner must enter a narrow gate and walk a narrow way. The world’s crowd is on the easy way…leads to destruction…It is easier to walk with them Matt 7:13-14. Delay because of false sense of security…Jesus among them…had eaten with Him and enjoyed His fellowship…yet they never trusted Him. God gave the nation many privileges and opportunities, but they wasted them/ God is long suffering but there comes a time when even God shuts the door. Pride – they would not humble themselves before God. They were 1st…but in God’s eyes, they were last…and the Gentiles would come and take their place…Matt 21:43. They depended upon an ancient religion to save them. It takes more than reverence for tradition to get into God’s kingdom. But Jesus gave the major reason “Ye would not v. 34. Minds instructed by the Word v. 26, hearts stirred by His mighty works, but their wills were stubborn and would not submit to Him. THIS IS THE DEADLY CONSEQUENCE OF DELAY. The longer sinner wait, the harder their hearts become. “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Heb. 4:7 A composer was notorious for not answering his mail. When he heard that a friend had died, the composer said, What a pity..He died before I answered his letter, which he sent me 5 years ago! When sinners fail to answer God’s invitation to His feast, THEY ARE THE ONES WHO DIE. They are “thrust out” of the joys of the kingdom and are punished with “weeping and gnashing of teeth 13:28. Regret because they see how foolish they were to delay, but alas, it is too late. Hell…remembrance of opportunities wasted. Strive to enter in at the narrow gate…13: 24 comes from the sport arena …giving his best to win the contest. If people today would put as much effort into things spiritual as they do things athletic; they would be much better off. Herod – fox…Jesus was not afraid of danger…an animal that was not held in high esteem by the Jews Neh. 4:3. Cunning…apt illustration of the crafy Herod. Jesus walked in the light and foxes went hunting in the darkness. The Lord was grieved as He saw the unbelief and rebellion around Him and He broke out in a lamentation over the sad plight of the Jewish nation. Anguish… not an expression of anger. His compassionate heart was broken. Hen and chicks: The Pharisees told Jesus that He was in danger, when in reality they were in danger. Jesus is addressing the whole nation and not just the Pharisees who had tried to provoke Him. CHAPTER 14…Jesus is fully aware of what is in men’s hearts so He was never caught off guard. Jesus dealt with five different kinds of people and exposed what was false in their lives and their thinking. The Pharisees – False piety v.1-6 The Guests: False Popularity v. 7-11 The Host: False Hospitality v. 12-14 The Jews: False Security v. 15-24 The Multitudes: False Expectancy v. 25-35 Passerbys admiring the latest in boating equipment are confronted by an enormous, sleek shiny new yacht with these words stenciled on the bow: “If you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it!” Two army generals confront one another with their respective troops standing toe to toe on the battlefield. The generals sit down over a cup of coffee study each other’s strengths and weaknesses and resolve their conflict without firing a shot! Again, they are counting the cost rather than engaging in a hopeless battle. They are being admonished to count the cost. Discipleship is costly. It means rearranged priorities, inconvenience, expense, personal sacrifice. We must read 14:25-35 carefully. Then count the cost in our own personal walk with the Lord. What are you willing to give up in order to put Christ first? Chapter 15: Luke 15 The chapter of the LOST and FOUND. The word sinners designate the people of the street whom the Pharisees looked down upon with contempt because they did not know the Law or keep the traditions of the elders. The Pharisees grumbled because they did not share Jesus’ heart for reclaiming lost individuals. In response, Jesus tells them three parables about a lost SHEEP; a lost piece of SILVER, and a lost SON to show that God rejoices over the recovery of even one lost SINNER. The Joys of Salvation: The Joy of Finding…the lost sheep v. 3-7; the lost coin v.8-10; The Joy of Returning v.11-24 Rebellion-went to a far country; Repentance-came to himself v.17-19; Rejoicing-he came to the father v.20-24 The Joy of Forgiving v. 25-32 THE RIGHT AND WRONG OF RICHES (chapter 16) Why is the Lord so concerned @money…because it is not neutral…love of money is basically evil! The right use of wealth 1-13 A wise steward 3-8 The application 9-13 The wrong use of money: 14-31 A contrast of life 19-21 A contrast in death v. 22 A contrast in eternity v. 23-31 Chapter 17: 1-10 1. Deals with your influence…very important…will be held accountable! 2. What to do when you see your brother sin! 3. Do more than is asked/required!