AMATEUR HOUR: Sometimes the church can seem like a fly-by-night operation.
- We all have stories of churches behaving poorly. We all have stories of churches who were laughably bad at what they were doing.
- I remember as a young Christian being preached at by my pastor that we should bring our friends to church. I agreed with him that we were called to do that, but I also realized that my friends would think my church was ridiculous. There were a number of things that were poorly done there that would have led by friends to see it as a joke.
- The church can seem to be a fly-by-night operation.
WHAT IT REALLY IS: We have received a conferred kingdom.
- Luke 22:29.
- Conferred means that it has been handed to us by Jesus, who was handed it by God the Father.
- This is not our idea, which is of great comfort.
- This is not something we’ve come up with on our own. Rather, it’s conferred. It’s granted to us.
- If this was our idea, I would have to say that its demise would be pretty much assured. Thankfully, it’s not. This was God’s idea and it’s been conferred to us.
- Sometimes we get more church focused than kingdom focused.
- I don’t mean that we shouldn’t be concerned about our individual congregations, but we do need to keep in mind that we are part of a much bigger effort. Some churches act like they’re the only ones in the whole world. We are part of a kingdom.
MORE CONFIDENCE: This is a kingdom that will end in victory.
- Luke 22:30.
- Look at the incredible details that Jesus shares here about what is to come in the kingdom.
- We need to have a greater vision for the reality that we are part of the winning kingdom. Yes, there are setbacks, but the kingdom will win.
TAKE IT EASY THEN? That eventual victory doesn’t mean that sacrifice and perseverance isn’t needed now.
- Luke 22:28.
- Talking about the kingdom and the victory could lead you to want to kick back and relax. We’re going to win! That’s not how it works, though.
- There is sacrifice and perseverance that is required.
A TIMELY MESSAGE: Jesus told His disciples this amid uncertainty and betrayal.
- Luke 22:21-23.
- It’s easy to think of the struggles that we are going through to be particularly bad. But Jesus tells them these truths in the midst of the most terrible betrayal of all time. It’s a time of enormous stress for Jesus. Yet these truths He shares during that time.
- That points us toward remembering these truths as we go through times of uncertainty and betrayal in our own lives. It’s important to keep that larger vision in mind especially in such times.
