Archive for the ‘Discipleship’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Day 127: Like 19:11-27 — God Reigns!

Friday, May 7th, 2010

In Luke 19:11-27, we have the parable of the ten minas. Luke has two components in his parable. He focuses on talents and a king’s vengeance on those who oppose him. Luke wants us to consider a role of God’s kingdom that we don’t like to focus on. God opposes those who do not accept His sovereignty.

In Jesus’ day many kingdoms were corrupt, greedy, and violent. In many ways things are still the same today. There appears to be a growing mistrust of our government, as we see corruption in almost every aspect of our leaders. The beauty that we often miss is the contrast that Luke is putting forward. The value system of Jesus’ kingdom is diametrically opposed to that of the kingdoms of Jesus’ day and our governments today. On the other hand, the law of retribution still applies, for those who serve God faithfully will be rewarded, and those who resist God’s kingly rule will perish.

The kingdom will not appear immediately (Luke 19:11). We as disciples are called to be trustworthy while we wait for the coming of the king. We are to advance God’s interests and if there are those who may oppose God’s interests and do not want Him to reign over them, rest assured, He will deal with them in His own time (Luke 19:27). Our job is to continue to advance the Kingdom of God because GOD REIGNS!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Discipleship, faith, God, Luke | Comments Off

Day 121: Luke 16:1-15 — Character doesn’t matter

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

We’ve heard that. We don’t agree with it. Neither did Jesus. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager, found only in Luke, can be confusing because it seems Jesus is commending dishonesty. He’s not, of course, but it may be difficult to grasp what exactly he is saying.

What I find most difficult about this passage is verse 9:

I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Luke 16:9

Jesus’ meaning actually isn’t all that difficult when taken in the context of the parable. What did the shrewd manager do? He made friends by means of worldly wealth. Granted, the wealth was not his own, but he used what had been entrusted to him to make friends.

Likewise, we are to use for the good of others what God has entrusted to us. By so doing, people will “see [our] good deeds and praise [our] Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Some will be brought to Christ, and these in turn will “receive [us] into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9 ESV).

We are to make the most of the time and opportunities and wealth that has been entrusted to us — however many or few they be, these riches are the Lord’s.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Discipleship, Luke, Stewardship | Comments Off

Day 114: Luke 12:22-40

Saturday, April 24th, 2010

Greetings to everyone!  When I read Luke 12:22-40 this time around, I ended up thinking about why Jesus came to earth in the first place.  Jesus chose to come down from the heavenly Father to show us how to do His will instead of our own selfish will, the will of the people, or the will of the government.  Put God’s will first and foremost, and eternity will be great, but you may find yourself doing some strange things on earth, like performing miraculous signs and wonders, teaching hungry hordes of people wandering like sheep without a shepherd, raising people from the dead, and dying painfully on a cross.

“Do not worry about your life,” Jesus says, because spiritual matters are more important than earthly issues, and your soul is more important than your flesh. God is in control, taking care of both.  If God takes care of ravens, lilies and grass, He will take care of us, too.  But there is this rebellion issue– WE of little faith!  We want good food, flavorful drinks (when water really is the best thing for us), nice clothes, large homes, and lots and lots of toys.  Now, these are all examples of my selfish will, not God’s will for my life.  The funny thing is, if we focus on God’s will and strive for His kingdom, Jesus says all these things will be given to us as well.  Note Jesus does not say I will ever earn them, but they will be given to me because it is the Father’s good pleasure to provide them in His kingdom.  But first, I must obey Him.  I must give up my rebellion, quit trying to do everything for myself and chasing after these things the nations of the world consider important.  I must submit, humbly bow to the Creator, and accept the gift He offers.

Jesus tells us not to be afraid, but I must admit I’m intimidated by the things God’s had ask others to do for Him.

Noah, build an ark on dry land. 
Abraham, sacrifice your son. 
Moses, lead my people out of Egypt. 
Joshua, march around the walls blowing trumpets. 
Samson, don’t cut your hair. 
David, kill a giant with a slingshot. 
Solomon, quit clinging to your wives in love.
Elijah, battle the prophets of Baal, only 400 to 1 odds.
Isaiah, prophecy poetically, and heal a boil with figs.
Jeremiah, do not pray for the welfare of this people, a rebellious house.
Ezekiel, eat this scroll.
Jonah, pay attention, don’t run away, now go save Nineveh.
Jesus, go down there and show them my love, and die trying.

To all of the rest of us, follow ME.

Ever noticed the difference between ‘Me’ and ‘We’ is the leading letter is turned upside down?   When we do what we want instead of what He wants, everything gets turned upside down.

Now, don’t be afraid, don’t worry about a thing.  Just have a little faith. (Gasp.)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Discipleship, faith, Grace, Humility | 1 Comment »

Day 113: Luke 12:13-21 — “Practical Atheism” and The Rich Fool

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

I have been at a lot of funerals in my life and one of the most saddening things is to see relationships torn down by covetousness.  Family members fighting over treasures or inheritances.  Someone in a crowd yelled out and told Jesus to tell his brother to divide their inheritance.  Instead, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool to show us the foolishness of building our lives on the treasures of this world over the treasures of the Kingdom of God (Luke 12:13-21).

As I look around at our world (including me), I see a preoccupation with possessions but the parable exposes the emptiness of such a materialistic life-style.  We long for security in self-sufficiency and the parable reveals a man who thinks he can do it all himself but he has forgotten about one thing, God.  Everyone is grabbing for more and more.  This greed is the moral antithesis of generosity. The thought of what we might be able to do for those in need never enters our minds. Greed has already eaten away any compassion we may once have had. Hedonism is a more accurate description of our society than any other word.  Our every waking moment is filled by imagining how we might maximize our own pleasure, leisure, recreation, freedom from the demands of work, and/or retirement.  I wonder if we are really planning for retirement.  I hear of many who retire and die.  What good did it do?  The rich fool may protest that he has always believed in God, but when it comes to managing his life, dealing with possessions and planning for the future, he lives as though there were no God.  This is called “practical atheism.” Jesus is probing our basic commitments. What difference should our faith in God make in the practical matters of life?  How do we live?  Do we live like there is a God or not? Are we the rich fool?

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Discipleship, God | 1 Comment »

Day 108: Luke 9:57-10:16 — Don’t Look Back

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Have you ever been unsure of something?  Of course you have.  Maybe it was when your parents dropped you off for your first day of school.  You walked towards the door, stopped and looked back.  Reluctance to commit to going in the door.  Fear of what would happen next.  It happens, I know.

Turn with me to Luke 9:62  - Jesus makes a very pointed comment about a reluctance to commit or being unsure of what you are doing.  When we commit to Christ it has to be all the way or not at all.  Eyes in front.  Don’t look back.  Leave the world behind.

Sounds simple doesn’t it?

You and I know it can be harder than that sometimes.  Being committed to Christ sometimes means we are on the outside.  Being committed to Christ sometimes means that the popular way of thinking isn’t for us.  Being committed to Christ means focusing on things that are not of this world.  Being committed to Christ means never looking around at what the world is doing and doubting your commitment.  In Genesis 19:26 Lot’s wife had to look at what she had left one more time…..doesn’t turn out well.

Commit to Jesus.  Put your hand to the plow and never look back.  Your reward awaits you.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Discipleship, Jesus | 1 Comment »

Day 105: Luke 9:1-17 — “Who is this about whom I hear such things?”

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

just do it“Who is this about whom I hear such things? This is the question asked by Herod (Luke 9:7-9). This section answers Herod’s question. Jesus is “the Christ [Messiah or Anointed] of God” (Luke 9:20). The question of who Jesus is, surrounded by what Jesus does. Jesus sends out the Twelve with authority to drive out demons and to cure the sick. Jesus feeds about five thousand. Jesus is proclaimed by Peter that He is “the Christ of God.” Jesus proclaims that to follow Him means we become disciples that give up our lives for His sake. Notice Herod’s question about Jesus does not evolve from what Jesus says about Himself, but out of what Jesus does and what His disciples do. I wonder if Christians should be doing a lot more than just talking about their Christianity? The world of the first century was turned upside down by Jesus and disciples that did what God said instead of just talking about it. Just Do It!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Discipleship, Jesus, Luke | 1 Comment »

Day 97: Luke 5:27-32 — Associating with Sinners

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

outcastLuke shows us that Jesus’ ministry is to reach out to outcasts of society (Luke 5:27-32). In our section for today Jesus initiates contact with sinners. The Pharisees and scribes respond negatively and reject such fellowship with the unrighteous. The contrast between the separatism of these Jewish officials and the outreach of our Savior is clear. Jesus’ example teaches us as a church community that we need to seek and associate with the outcast as a part of our mission. Those of us who might frown on contact with the outcast and sinners may need to consider repentance for it is clear that this negative attitude is not condoned by Jesus. Jesus has gone from forgiving sinners to openly associating with them and calling them to discipleship. Mission requires more than casual contact. Jesus engages with those in the culture. They sense that he cares for them and does not just preach at them. Thus, this passage exposes the personal character of his mission. It is contact with Jesus, learning of his concern, association with him (and his church), forgiveness of sins, and the call to discipleship that changes a sinner.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Discipleship, Forgiveness, Jesus, Luke, Sin | 2 Comments »

Day 91: Luke 2:41-52 — Would you want your child to be like Jesus?

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

childrenIn Luke 2:46, Jesus has been separated from his parents and is in the temple courts talking to teachers, listening, and asking questions. I have read this story hundreds of time, but this time, I was caught with a thought, would we want our children to be like Jesus? I think we would all want our kids to be like Jesus. We would want them to be at church, talking to the teachers, listening and asking questions. I think we would like Luke 2:51 especially. Can you imagine a twelve year old that obeyed his/her parents?

This whole story sounds like an April Fools joke. Then again, our modern world says that church is boring and that kids don’t like it. If you think church is boring, do you think sitting at the feet of Rabbis in the temple beats alcohol, drugs, texting, skipping school, video games, sex, etc.? You think Jesus’ Gentile contemporaries didn’t know how to have fun in the Greek world? Yet, Jesus is in the temple studying. I wonder why? Could it be because his parents took him there in the first place? Could it be that they trained him that way? I can hear it now, Randy is just an old fuddy duddy. However, I’d much rather read about Jesus in the temple than about the twelve year-old on drugs, or the ones that killed themselves, or the one who killed an older adult to get a few dollars, or the one that is pregnant — I could go on and on. I may be a fuddy duddy but you can’t tell me there is not something wrong with our families and society.

I think it is time that we teach our children to be like Jesus and to take up their cross and follow Him. Parents, it starts with us teaching through our lives, at our homes, getting involved ourselves at church, and bringing them.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Discipleship, Family, Jesus, Luke, Worship | 1 Comment »

Day 90: Luke 2:21-40 — Old Dead Limb Or A New One Sprouting?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

dead limbJoseph and Mary went about fulfilling the requirements of Jewish law. They had Jesus circumcised and named (Luke 2:21); Mary was purified (Luke 2:22); they took Jesus to Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord and offered a sacrifice (Luke 2:22-23); and they received God’s blessing at the temple (Luke 2:27-32). These rituals of commitment to God’s law appear to be a blessing for this young family. It is not the place of Jesus’ birth that seems to be important. It is not the wealth or status of the family that presents the King of Kings. Instead, there was just this ordinary couple going about doing the things of God. Here in this story of Jesus being presented at the temple is a nugget of the Gospel story. In Luke 2:34-35, we find that Jesus will be a sign. A sign of what? Later in Luke 11:29-30, we find that just as the sign of Jonah was judgment against Nineveh, the sign of Jesus will bring judgment to this generation. In Matthew 12:39-41, the sign is Jonah in the belly of the big fish for three days. As Jonah was spit out or vomited up, death will not hold Jesus and He will rise. I wonder what would happen if we were content to live our lives according to God’s Word? Would we find blessings along the way in the people we meet? Would we find the Gospel story of grace and judgment?

I was out in the yard working this past week. Clearing the old dead limbs out of tress. Some just hung there rotting away. I notice new limbs sprouting with new life. In this ordinary act of everyday work, I began to see grace and judgment. There was judgment as I cut the old limbs and threw them off in a burn pile. They had long been separated from the real live branch. I saw grace in the new life beginning to grow as spring approaches. I was left wondering which one was I?

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Discipleship, God, God's Word, Jesus, Luke | 1 Comment »

Day 82: Mark 15:22-41 – “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Roman CenturionOur Bible story for today is about the confession of a Roman centurion. I want to make the following points:

  1. Jesus chooses the way of suffering for His life. In an early church that was facing persecution this would be encouragement for them to understand that God may not save them from a life of suffering just as He did not save His own Son. However, just as His Son was glorified in the resurrection, so would Jesus’ followers.
  2. In Mark, there is confusion over who Jesus is. As an inside reader, we see Jesus’ power to command the wind, sea, and all creation. The evil spirit world recognizes Jesus and His power (e.g., Mark 1:24, Mark 3:20-27, Mark 5:9-13). To this point in Mark no mere human has recognized Jesus as the “Son of God.” Mark has carefully painted a picture of misunderstanding by the disciples, family, and the crowds. The evil spirits get it but not man.
  3. I was a centurion at one time. It was a different time and a different branch of the service; it was even a different country but I have stood guard. Let me just tell you professional soldiers take seriously their jobs. Their lives and the lives of their comrades are at stake. There were some political maneuverings going on surrounding this man Jesus and I don’t think the Romans would let some “non-hacker” (our term for a lazy Marine) guard Jesus. This is not some yahoo who is guarding Jesus on the cross. This was the best of the best. The Roman Army was no laughing stock of an outfit. So, the confession of a Roman Centurion being on guard should cause us to take stock.

Here are three basic points to share on our text. Jesus choose to suffer and die on a cross. The term “Son of God” is not used by man until Mark 15:39. And third, here is hardened soldier in the Roman Army charged to guard Jesus. The Roman soldier is at his post. He looks up at the cross and he sees something. In this most gruesome, awful, grotesque means of torture, no doubt one of hundreds he had seen, he looks up at the cross and makes the first human confession, “truly this man was the son of God!” (Mark 15:39). For the early historians there is much written about the cruelty of the Roman crucifixion, yet, of all the accounts of the crucified, there is only one empty tomb. What did the Roman soldier see as he gazed on the cross? Could it be that it is at the cross, at the place of Golgotha, at the place of severe suffering, one can come to understand who Jesus really is?

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Cross, Discipleship, Jesus, Mark | Comments Off

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »