Lessons from one day in the life of Jesus
As I was getting ready this week I couldn’t help but see a humorous similarity to the start of one particular day in Jesus life and Black Friday.
Luke 12 – The Scripture begins:
12 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “
• It’s comforting to know that we haven’t perfected that skill.
But that’s where the similarities end: While Black Friday is a mad dash for earthly possessions, this crowd instead were clamoring to hear the words of the most profound person they had ever known.
Let me just begin by telling you a few of the things they would learn that day
1. Don’t be a hypocrite, it will all be exposed in the end.
2. Fear God, not man. Man can only do so much to you and then it ends.
3. Don’t underestimate your worth to God, He has a much higher opinion of you, than you have.
4. Don’t hide your relationship with him when around others. It will cost you eternity.
5. Trust God in the tough spots in your life.
So we begin with the first thing Jesus tells this large trampling crowd!
I DON’T BE A HYPOCRITE Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
• There is nothing that we have concealed that won’t be disclosed and made known.
• Not even what’s been done in the dark, or whispered in secrecy.
• Example proclaimed from the roof top.
• Lesson 1 – Be real, genuine, yourself.
II. DON’T BE AFRAID OF MAN 4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you fear HIM.
a. Fear is a very real thing. Stops us from doing so many things. It’s not what will really happen to us, but our perception of what will.
b. Fear of the dark, fear of heights, fear of water, fire. And here fear of man.
c. Fear of what others will think of us, or do to us if we don’t do what they say or do.
d. In our current day ISIS is the prime example of fear of man. Middle East, Paris
Prov. 29:25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
Best example of overcoming Coptic Egyptian Christians killed by ISIS in Libya months back.
NEXT JESUS GOES ON TO:
III Don’t underestimate your worth to God.
I tell you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Our culture is driven by self. Selfies, have it your way. Were consumed with our image, and beaten down when it comes short of what others have.
And yet that’s not a new problem – Because Jesus is addressing it 2,000 years ago. Billy Graham video last week, girl – parents told her she was an oops baby.
Square peg/ Round hole. My hair is frizzy, I’m to fat, to pale, to short, unattractive, unimportant, and in essence unnecessary. But Jesus is saying that’s all faulty thinking.
1. If I know every sparrow that falls, even when a man values them so cheaply.
2. If I know the number of hairs on your head.
3. If those things are in my preview how much more are you.
We don’t have to strive for man’s approval, we don’t have to match up to some worldly mark.
My T-Shirt – Jesus knows all about me but loves me anyway.
Jesus goes straight from that into:
IV. DON’T HIDE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Don’t be an Overt Christian in church on Sunday, but Covert, or closet during the week.
8 “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.
Be a light, be salt. When Jesus or His teachings become the topic, speak up.
Movie – God’s not dead. Yes it’s easy to be quiet, even Peter tried that but when we are we not only fail the one who saved us, we risk being disowned by him.
Another movie – To save a life. Kids saved his friends life and was crippled for it. In HS. Where it’s not cool to have a cripple friend, he turns his back on him. Friend eventually takes his life.
• No one likes to be thought of as an embarrassment. God doesn’t either.
By now I’m guessing that pushy crowd has settled down and is standing in silence, feeling like their lives are being played on a jumbo-tron. I’m guessing by now each could relate to one or more thing that Jesus has touched on.
But he moves on still! – And tells them.
V. TRUST GOD IN THE TOUGH SPOTS
11 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
• We could reflect back to some of the earlier ones here. Fear of Man.
I’m sure their heads were spinning. What’s he talking about. I just came out to hear what He had to say. What’s this talk of being taken before authorities? Defending myself?
Church few of us live our lives really thinking about having to defend our faith, or having to uphold who Jesus is. We do our Sunday thing, and then live the rest of the week in silence. The clerk of the Court in Kentucky thought that too. The Christian Bakers thought that to. So did the woman florist. Every day that list is growing. And you know what, it might just land on yours or my door step in the near future.
If anyone doesn’t think I’m not going to get a thousand questions on my faith running for congress let me tell you now they will come fast and furious. And that will only grow if I am actually elected.
Times are getting increasingly more hostile to Christians, you are going to need to either trust God and the Holy Spirit, or you will be silent. Jesus says TRUST HIM.
RIGHT THEN COMES A DIVINE INTERRUPTIONS – How many know God has divine interruptions.
The situation calls for SEEING THROUGH TO THE REAL PROBLEM (Discernment)
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
In this brief intermittent break all eyes are on this guy and Jesus.
• To the natural ear it sounds like his brother is mean. He is going to keep all of the family inheritance.
But Jesus clearly sees something we may not. He sees the heart of the real problem.
After first rebuffing the man with that’s not what I’m here for, he subtly calls the man out with his very next words. 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
• He doesn’t rebuke the other brother, he does just what he said earlier, and he reveals this man’s hypocrisy right before everyone’s eyes.
HE FOLLOWS THAT UP WITH A PARABLE AS HE SO OFTEN DID – JESUS WAS THE MASTER TEACHER.
• Don’t get too attached to your possessions here, they are temporary.
• Don’t be stingy with them if God has blessed you.
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Jesus has seized on the interruption and turned it into a teaching moment.
We don’t know how long we have on this earth, but we do know eternity is forever. This is not the place to be storing up wealth, and hoarding it from others. This is where we should be being good stewards of what God has given us. We have no clue how long we have in this life.
I will summarize vs. 22-31 by saying Do Not Worry
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[b]? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
In vs. 32 and 33 he wraps that thought up with these words.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
It’s about focus – focus on what really matters, don’t get entangled in a world that is not your home.
Instead Jesus calls them to be Watchful – He tells them how they should be living.
35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.
Much like when we sing the song “Even so come” where the words say All of creation
All of the earth, Make straight a highway, A path for the Lord. Jesus is coming soon, Call back the sinner, Wake up the saint, Let every nation shout of Your fame, Jesus is coming soon, Like a bride waiting for her groom We'll be a Church ready for You.
This is what Jesus tells them and us:
37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes
38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”
42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Expound on that passage Worst for the one who knew and didn’t prepare.
Not Peace but Division
49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Church that’s a much different picture than you hear so many say.
A divided house. Not a pretty close, but a truthful one. Fight for the souls of our family. Fight to keep them in the faith. Fight when they slip to bring them back.
That was a lot of lessons for one day but Jesus knew their limits.
Let’s summarize.
1. Don’t be a hypocrite – It’s all going to be known in the end. (Drying of tears)
2. Fear God not man, He holds your eternity in His hand.
3. Don’t discount your worth to God
4. Don’t be a closet Christian
5. Trust God for answers when standing in his defense.
6. Be discerning when someone brings you a problem- know the motive not just the words.
7. Understand this life is temporal, and don’t worry, Gods got your back
8. Be ready, live r
