To See Or Not To See Series

“To See or Not to See – Luke 11 14-16, 27-36”

Gladstone Baptist Church – 29/10/06 am

S1 - We often say are blessed people – but are we really. Jesus said that those who were blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it. (vs 28) OOPS

Have you ever heard people say that we are blessed people? They are normally talking all about the things that God has done for us. He created us, He sustains us, He cares for us, He died for us, He promises us eternal life, He supplies our needs, He answers our prayers – The list could go on and on. All the things God does for us - Man we are blessed.

But Jesus had another definition for those who were blessed and it had nothing to do with who got things from God.

In Jesus’ mind, blessed people were those who hear the word of God and who obey it. Now you are all here this morning hearing God’s word – so you are half way to being blessed. But how many of us always obey God’s word?

That’s the challenging part isn’t it. I think that I prefer our definition of blessed people? How about you?

S2 - Jesus where ever he went attracted crowds – but they didn’t come to hear and obey. They came to see miracles (vs 16) and enjoy the party atmosphere. Jesus condemned such people (vs 29). UGH

When we come to church and hang around Christians in order just to socialise or to enjoy the good atmosphere or the nice people or because we like hearing the teaching, then we are just like a whole group of people that Jesus condemned. You see – wherever Jesus went, he attracted large crowds. But many in the crowds didn’t come to hear and obey. They came to see miracles and to enjoy the party atmosphere. Here was a charismatic teacher with some fairly radical things to say. He was interesting and what’s more, he could do some fairly wild party tricks. And so people from all over the place gathered to see what he had in store for today. But these were exactly the people that Jesus turned around on more than one occasion and condemned. Open up your bibles to Luke 11:14 as we examine today one of these occasions …

Luke 11:14-16, 27-36

14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

A couple of weeks ago, if you were here, we looked at Jesus’ defence of himself against the accusation that he was working for Satan. Jesus had just cast out a demon – a fairly cool party trick. No one doubted that he was powerful and that the miracle was genuine, but some called into question the source of his power. Jesus went onto argue very convincingly that it could only be God at work through him. But once he had addressed this first accusation, he turned his attention to the others in the crowd, who were seeking yet more miracles. Skip down to vs 27 …

. 27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

The Sign of Jonah

29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

The Lamp of the Body

33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”