FOLLOW CHRIST IN SELF-DENIAL (Outline)
September 13, 2009 --
PENTECOST 15 --
Luke 14:1,7-14
INTRO: The childhood game “Follow the Leader” is a part of our daily lives. Unless we are the leader each one of us will be following a leader. Throughout our lives someone is in place as an authority over us in our everyday lives. The authorities that are in place exist by the will of God and for his purpose. Now, earthly leaders all too often make promises they cannot keep. They make commitments that they fail to fulfill. The believer soon realizes to follow the only Leader is the mission of Christian living. But our Leader does not promise a life of ease. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it"(MARK 8:34,35). The believer loses his life to the world in order that he or she might live his or her live for the Lord. The Christian life reveals self-denial.
FOLLOW CHRIST IN SELF-DENIAL:
I. With heavenly humility.
II. With genuine generosity.
I. FOLLOW CHRIST WITH HEAVENLY HUMILITY
A. Verse 1. The church leaders (Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes) are carefully watching Jesus.
1. They are not watching to hear, listen, or learn. They want to trip up, to trap Jesus in his words.
2. In verses 2-6 Jesus heals a man. They question Jesus if healing can be done on the Sabbath.
B. Verse 7. Jesus directs the leaders’ attention back to themselves and back to their hearts and actions.
1. Verse 8. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Parables were to teach.
a. Hearing ears, believing hearts would learn. b. Sadly, others would reject Jesus’ teachings.
2. Pharisees acted very self-important. Verse 9. Seeking honor they are sent to the least place.
3. Verse 10. Jesus’ solution is to start at the least important place. Their pride was a curse.
C. Verse 11. The proud will be brought low. God will exalt the humble. The humble seek to serve God.
D. “Pride goes before the fall”. Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world. In their pride they considered themselves better than God. In their disobedience they ate from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What did they hope to gain? They already knew everything good. They could, would, and did only learn evil. Each of us are still proud and sinful. We like to think of ourselves of being important to one degree or another. A Christian life will reveal self-denial not self-importance. "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you"(ROMANS 12:3). In humility we confess that we only deserve God’s judgment but are given grace.
E. A proud man once came to Jesus and wanted his opinion on the most important commandment. Jesus reminded him: “Love God with all your heart” and “Love your neighbor as yourself”. This was very disappointing news to one who was proud and very selfish. The Apostle Paul raises the standard of God a little bit more for the sanctified follower of Christ. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" (PHILIPPIANS 2:3). We deny ourselves as we consider our neighbor better than ourselves. This is heavenly humility that comes from faith.
F. All to often man strives to receive glory and honor and praise from man. Such is the philosophy and teaching of the world around us. The fall season of football reveals man’s glory seeking at it’s worst. All too often a team is sacrificed to satisfy the ego of one very self-important player. God’s word stands directly opposed to what the world considers normal and acceptable. "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time" (1 PETER 5:5,6).
God does oppose the proud. The Christian seeks to glorify God with actions that are heavenly minded.
FOLLOW CHRIST IN SELF-DENIAL.
The Christian life is filled with heavenly humility.
II. FOLLOW CHRIST WITH GENUINE GENEROSITY
A. Jesus first addressed the crowd gathered at this banquet. Their actions were selfish and self-centered.
1. Verse 12. Jesus now turns his attention to the host. The host is the one who invited, called.
a. The host – caller, invited – called. b. This is the same word used in calling to faith.
2. This sounds strange not to invite family and friends. Pharisees did this only to be repaid.
B. Instead of inviting because of greed in expecting repayment, the host was to be generous.
1. Verse 13. In Jesus’ time the blind, lame, and cripple were considered social outcasts.
2. There were no laws or special organizations or programs to help them cope in society.
C. Verse 14. The poor could not repay. Genuine generosity still invites them. God’s “reward” greater.
D. Our society is filled with people who seek glory. Again, all too many do all too much for the glory and honor and praise of man. Now that is fine if that is all you want. There are plenty of people around to give people the glory and honor and praise that they seek. Some wealthy people give away great amounts of money. They do it with all of the media coverage that they can drum up. They want and receive the praise of men. Others (wealthy and not so wealthy) humbly and quietly behind the scenes carry out genuine Christian charity. Not many may notice. God knows. "Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven" (MATTHEW 6:1). Genuine generosity flows freely from a Christian heart of love for God.
E. Believers follow Christ in self-denial. God has been generous to us. God has been generous with us. Our heavenly Father does not count our sins against us. Instead, God sacrificed his Son, Jesus, for our sins and for the sins of all mankind. Our heavenly Father shares with us his kingdom. We are God’s children chosen by God to share in an eternal glory. Until that time we are given a lifetime of sharing with others the generous nature of our loving Father. "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased"(HEBREWS 13:15,16). Generosity praises God.
F. By nature we are selfish and self-centered. By nature we are not born with a generous spirit. By grace the Lord God Almighty changes our lives. Therefore we do not have to stand on our own strength to do the things God would have us do. We do not need to rely on our own desire to carry out God’s mission for us in our lives. Simply look at all God has done for us always. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 CORINTHIANS 9:8). God gives believers “all grace…at all times, having all” things. God’s generosity moves us to be genuinely generous in our lives for the blessing of others.
CONC.: Follow Christ in self-denial. Self-denial today means being humble and generous. Society would disagree with such Christian virtue. Society teaches that everyone needs to “look out for number one”. Today greed drives people and businesses to serving themselves and themselves alone. We follow THE Leader, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. We follow Christ as we consider others better than ourselves. God’s voice is his promise and our assurance. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand" (JOHN 10:27,28). FOLLOW CHRIST IN SELF-DENIAL with heavenly humility. The world does not offer any humility. FOLLOW CHRIST IN SELF-DENIAL with genuine generosity. May our lives always be a blessing for those who still live in darkness today. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENTECOST 15 rdgs:
DEUTER. 4:1,2,6-8;
EPHES. 6:10-20;
MARK 7:1-8,14,15,21-23;
(PSALM 119)
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