Luke 12
READY FOR THE MASTER’S RETURN
35 “Be ready for service and have your lamps lit. 36 You are to be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. 37 Blessed will be those servants the master finds alert when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will get ready, have them recline at the table, then come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the middle of the night, or even near dawn, and finds them alert, blessed are those servants. 39 But know this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

• On a daily basis… what’s the one time you don’t want Jesus to come back… it’s gonna happen to someone.
• If you are focused on the outward appearance you’ve had to think about the fact of what you want to be doing when the Lord returns.
• People don’t really live their lives thinking about what they will be doing because they don’t believe the Lord will return in their lifetime.
• Is he talking about “the Rapture” or the Second Coming?
• We can pinpoint the Second Coming because of the 7-year tribulation and the halfway point of when the anti-Christ sits on the throne in the temple on the temple mount.
• Jesus has to be referring to what we believe to be “the Rapture.”
• If you are living from your heart… no need to worry about when Jesus returns.

 
REWARDS AND PUNISHMENT
41 “Lord,” Peter asked, “are you telling this parable to us or to everyone?”
42 The Lord said: “Who then is the faithful and sensible manager his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes.

• I wonder what I will be doing.

44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and starts to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

• Talking about the unredeemed.
• Those who rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

47 And that servant who knew his master’s will and didn’t prepare himself or do it will be severely beaten. 48 But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.

• Has much been entrusted to me?
• Has much been entrusted to us?
• How are we to be on alert?
• John 6:29 - 29 Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.”[1]
• John 17:3 - 3 This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.[2]
• Our job is to intimately know the Creator.
• Where did I get the idea that I had to be “doing” something when Christ returns?
• Get off the treadmill and enjoy Jesus.
• Trust Christ’s life in you to love others.

 
NOT PEACE BUT DIVISION
49 “I came to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how it consumes me until it is finished!

• Baptism in the Scripture does not always refer to water.
• It means to identify with your leader.
• Paul says those who followed Moses into the Red Sea were baptized as followers of Moses.
• Jesus here is referring to His crucifixion.

51 Do you think that I came here to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three.
53 They will be divided, father against son,
son against father,
mother against daughter,
daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law,
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

• Micah 7:6
• The images Jesus used—fire, baptism, division—speak of opposition and conflict.[3]

 
INTERPRETING THE TIME
54 He also said to the crowds: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does. 55 And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is.

• Meteorologists. They can predict the weather.

56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time?

• The present time – Jesus is the Messiah.
• The Prophets forecasted the coming of the Messiah.
• How tragic that men today can predict the movements of the heavenly bodies, split atoms, and even put men on the moon; but they are blind to what God is doing in the world.
• They know how to get to the stars, but they do not know how to get to heaven![4]

 
SETTLING ACCOUNTS
57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge, the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last cent.”[5]

• Most people will do whatever they can to stay out of jail.
• They will bargain with lawyers up to the last minute.
• Forgiveness of sin will have to occur for the “last cent” to be paid.
• “The last cent” – They will lose their lives by the hands of the Romans in 70 AD.

 
Luke 13
1 At that time, some people came and reported to him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

• No other report of this act in history.
• This was just another ploy (question) to trap Jesus into saying something that would take Him down.
• If he defended Pilate, then He would prove Himself to be Pro-Roman.
• If he spoke against Pilate, surely Pilate would find Him and have Him killed.

2 And he responded to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things?

• Pharisees taught that you suffered based upon the amount and degree of sin you brought on yourself.

3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well.

• Jesus is saying that if you don’t repent… in the end, you will suffer the same consequences.

4 Or those eighteen that the tower in Siloam fell on and killed—do you think they were more sinful than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well.”

• Jesus avoided the question concerning Pilate and focused the subject of eternity on the ones trying to trap Him.

 
THE PARABLE OF THE BARREN FIG TREE
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 He told the vineyard worker, ‘Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it even waste the soil?’
8 “But he replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 Perhaps it will produce fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down.’

• Leviticus 19:23-25 - 23 “When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you are to consider the fruit forbidden. It will be forbidden to you for three years; it is not to be eaten. 24 In the fourth year all its fruit must be consecrated as a praise offering to the Lord. 25 But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way its yield will increase for you; I am Yahweh your God. [6]
• So this man had actually been waiting for 7 years for fruit from this tree.
• Fig tree was the symbol for the nation of Israel
• 3 years represented Jesus’ earthly ministry
• 1 more year represented the 40 years before the destruction of Israel by the hands of the Romans in 70 AD.

 
HEALING A DAUGHTER OF ABRAHAM
10 As he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, 11 a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for over eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.

• Just because you are sick doesn’t mean that you are demonized.
• But what about the fact that this woman was still coming to the synagogue for 18 years even though she was oppressed by a demon?

12 When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, “Woman, you are free of your disability.” 13 Then he laid his hands on her, and instantly she was restored and began to glorify God.

• Jesus defeated Satan right in the house of God.
• Jesus is the only one who can set people free.

14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, “There are six days when work should be done; therefore, come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day.”

• Who was under more bondage? The lady who was oppressed for 18 years or the Pharisee who was teaching legalism?
• This is what religious people still believe and teach today.
• What does the Bible say? Don’t work at all!
• Sabbath rest… watch God do the work in you.

15 But the Lord answered him and said, “Hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you untie his ox or donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it to water? 16 Satan has bound this woman, a daughter of Abraham, for eighteen years—shouldn’t she be untied from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”

• Daughter of Abraham (Jewish) – One of your own!
• Not only was Jesus saying they did work on the Sabbath but you cared for your animals because they needed it.
• You treat your animals better than you do people!

17 When he had said these things, all his adversaries were humiliated, but the whole crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things he was doing.

• God will always humiliate religion.

 
THE PARABLES OF THE MUSTARD SEED AND OF THE LEAVEN
18 He said, therefore, “What is the kingdom of God (mystery form of the kingdom – the Church) like, and what can I compare it to? 19 It’s like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches.”

• Matthew 13 – Annoyance birds (grackles)
• The Gospel will be the foundation but it will still be infiltrated with error and lies.

20 Again he said, “What can I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It’s like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened.” [7]

• Leaven here is either negative or positive.
• If it is negative it is referring to Jewish nation which was destroyed in 70 AD.
• If it is positive, it is the Gospel that spreads until things in heaven and on earth have been restored.

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jn 6:29). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jn 17:3). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 223). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 223). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Lk 12:1–59). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Le 19:23–25). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Lk 13:1–21). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Luke 12
BEWARE OF RELIGIOUS HYPOCRISY
1 Meanwhile, a crowd of many thousands came together, so that they were trampling on one another. He began to say to his disciples first,

• He was teaching the disciples first… and actually in front of the multitude.

“Be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

• Hypocrite – one who is concerned about cleaning up the outside but doesn’t have a heart change.
• Power of sin wants to accuse me of being a hypocrite.
• People don’t come to church because they believe we are hypocrites.
• Leaven – It is the change agent in a dough product that causes it transform and rise while it is in a state of rest.
• Leaven is a neutral term until it is attached to a result.
• Good leaven or bad leaven.
• Like leaven, hypocrisy begins very small but grows quickly and quietly.
• As it grows, it infects the whole person.
• Hypocrisy does to the ego what leaven does to bread dough: it puffs it up
• Soon pride takes over and the person’s character deteriorates rapidly.[1]

2 There is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered, nothing hidden that won’t be made known. 3 Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

• Whatever your sin is in the dark… it will eventually come out into the light.
• Hollywood, politics, churches and businesses are proof of this.
• #CTPA – Countdown to Public Apology
• Baker Mayfield – Heisman Trophy Candidate – antics on the sideline.
• In the same way… The Twelve might be tempted to cover or compromise the truth so that neither the crowds nor the Pharisees would be offended[2]
• Jesus said, “Let your light shine!”

 
FEAR GOD
4 “I say to you, my friends, don’t fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. 5 But I will show you the one to fear: Fear him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the one to fear!

• If this is the only two verses to draw conclusion who God is… then this is bust!
• But Jesus is saying, “Don’t fear the Pharisees.”
• They are not the ones to be afraid of.
• The fear of God is the fear that conquers all other fears of man.
• The person who fears God… fears nothing else.

6 Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. 7 Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

• These two verses are completely opposite concerning God.
• You do your thing and God is going to take care of you.
• The men were all thanking me for their meals this week… and they were good meals.
• I thanked those who helped financially.
• The real thanks is to the Father.
• He provided all the resources to His workers this week.

 
ACKNOWLEDGING CHRIST
8 “And I say to you, anyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God, 9 but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. 10 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

• Applies to the generation of Jews who were under the leadership of the Pharisees and lawyers.
• The rejected Jesus as the Messiah and died in 70 AD

11 Whenever they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you should defend yourselves or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said.”

• Adrian prayed one of the most beautiful prayers for our meal on Friday night.

 
THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL
13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 “Friend,” he said to him, “who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you?”

• Inheritance can split families.
• Was Jesus denying Himself to be a judge?
• Was Jesus asking under whose authority was He made judge?
• Exodus 2:11-15 - 11 Years later, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 Looking all around and seeing no one, he struck the Egyptian dead and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your neighbor?”
• “Who made you a commander and judge over us?” the man replied. “Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”

Then Moses became afraid and thought, “What I did is certainly known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well.[3]

• Moses was rejected as leader of the Jewish people the 1st time he came.
• Moses came a second time and led the Jewish people out of captivity.
• Jesus was foreshadowing based upon stories they as a Jewish people treasured.
• The Jews wanted Jesus to serve them rather than save them.

15 He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”

• Pharisees based their faith upon the amount of possessions they owned.
• A judge appointed by man is concerned about earthly possessions.
• A judge appointed by God is concerned about the heart.

16 Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? 18 I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’
21 “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

• You can work harder… but just know what your end purpose is for.
• You can store up your treasure here on earth or store up your treasure in heaven.
• People who are satisfied only with the things that money can buy are in great danger of losing the things that money cannot buy.[4]
• This team that went with me to Houston finished and stood back and looked at what they had accomplished.
• I don’t believe a single one of them thought, “Look what I/we did.”
• They all looked and probably honestly said, “Wow, look at this. Look what God did this week for this family. Thanks for using us.”
• And by us… we mean the whole group… even those who stayed behind to pray and financially support the hands and feet.

 
THE CURE FOR ANXIETY
22 Then he said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear.

• Similar to Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5-7

23 For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds? 25 Can any of you add one moment to his life-span by worrying? 26 If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 28 If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he do for you—you of little faith? 29 Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. 30 For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. 32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor.

• This was totally opposite of what the Pharisees taught.

Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

• Cure for Anxiety?
• Quit worrying about “stuff”.
• Is it stuff that is causing your anxiety?
• Stuff is stuff… worrying about stuff is just another ploy to steal your joy.
• Some have made bad decisions about stuff and worry is a constant struggle.
• Learn to trust God with what you have been given.

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 219). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 219). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ex 2:11–15). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 220). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Luke 11:41-54
41 But give from what is within to the poor, and then everything is clean for you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass justice and love for God. These things you should have done without neglecting the others.

• Tithing and didn’t help those in need.

43 “Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

• Pride
• If you are worried about tithing off the gross or net; or worried about how others might view and these things are important to you… I tell you to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.
• You can try to fix your finances, try to fix your marriage, try to fix your kids, try to keep your things in order.
• Zoom out.
• There is a bigger picture.

44 “Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves; the people who walk over them don’t know it.”

• In Numbers it says that anyone touches a corpse is ceremonially unclean.
• You are causing people to fall into holes and die.
• Woe to you who are religious
• You meet a religious person and you will never be changed. You will just try to behave like them.
• You meet a person living a life by another you will be forever changed because it is Christ living in you.

• If I live my life by another… Do I make choices?
• Jesus lived His life by the Father
• I have the mind of Christ?
• 1 Corinthians 2:15-16 - 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. 16 For
• who has known the Lord’s mind,
• that he may instruct him?
• But we have the mind of Christ.[1]
• Can I think like Christ?
• Do I have the ability to live like Christ?
• Paul said, “Christ is my life”
• “For me to live is Christ”
• He wasn’t working for Christ… He was enjoying Christ.
• Do we imitate Jesus or live by Christ’s life
• Can you do any work for God?
• But God can do incredible things through you.

 

• Ephesians 5:1-2 – Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.[2]

 

• How do you become perfect imitators? By living the law perfectly… impossible.
• Christ lived His life by the Father
• We are to live our life by Christ

 

• Let’s say you are able to change your behavior.
• There are 2 ways that happens:
• 1) Out of your own discipline
• 2) Out of living your life by another source

• How do you overcome temptation?
• You can do that in your own strength
• You can wait for God to do a supernatural work in your life to remove that temptation.
• There has to be a heart change

 

• Romans 6:6-7 -  6 For we know (choice #1) that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin.[3]

• Romans 6:11 - 11 So, you too consider (choice #2) yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.[4]
• Romans 6:13 - 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer (choice #3) yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.[5]
• 1 Corinthians 10:13 - 13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it. [6]

 
45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult us too.”
46 Then he said: “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, and yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers.
47 “Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 Therefore, you are witnesses that you approve the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their monuments.

• You are in agreement with what your fathers have done.

49 Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’

• John the Baptist had just died.

50 so that this generation may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world--51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.
“Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible.
52 “Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were trying to go in.”

• Religious people will try to kill you.
• 11 years in youth ministry… I taught law
• I taught performance
• I don’t question salvation
• I’d love to reteach
• Religion will never change one’s heart.
• Religion only causes people to try to conform in their behavior and it is impossible.
• Religion will kill you.

53 When he left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely and to cross-examine him about many things; 54 they were lying in wait for him to trap him in something he said.[7]

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Co 2:15–16). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Eph 5). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ro 6:6–7). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ro 6:11). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ro 6:13). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Co 10:13). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Lk 11:1–54). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Luke 11
THE MODEL PRAYER
1 He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.”

• All the Jewish prayers (Pharisaic Judaism) were read from a Jewish prayer book.
• Jesus prayed without reading.
• Matthew 6 – May 28, 2017 - #12

2 He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say,
Father, your name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,

• Pre-cross prayer.
• Hebrews 9:22 - “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”
• How many times did that happen?
• Thanks for forgiveness
• Because this is “red Letter” it is still taught as necessary.
• Teach prayer on context

for we ourselves also forgive everyone
in debt to us.
And do not bring us into temptation.”
 
ASK, SEARCH, KNOCK

• Does God get tired of the same prayer requests?

5 He also said to them: “Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’ 7 Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend’s shameless boldness (persistence), he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.

• Keep praying.
• As a group… it intensifies.

10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

• Jesus just told the Pharisees they are quite the opposite of God.
• Ephesians 1:3 - Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.[1]

 
A HOUSE DIVIDED
14 Now he was driving out a demon that was mute.

• What is special about this miracle?

When the demon came out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds (multitude) were amazed.

• Only the Messiah could cast a demon out of a mute.
• The others casts demons out by calling on the name of the demons.
• Matthew 12 – Pharisees accused Jesus of doing this miracle under the power of Beelzebul.

15 But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”

• The crowds should have been rejoicing for the healing that took place… quite the opposite.
• Now the multitudes took on the belief system of their leaders.

16 And others, as a test, were demanding of him a sign from heaven.

• “All your miracles come from hell.”
• Now they were testing God.

17 Knowing their thoughts, he told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls.

• Same response as Matthew 12. (06/25/17)

18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?

• They were so illogical.
• If Jesus & Satan are on the same team, why would they be fighting against each other.
• Jesus just cast out a demon.

For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out?

• The Pharisees are doing very similar miracles and you are not condemning them.
• How do their works differ?

For this reason, they will be your judges. 20 If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure. 22 But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he takes from him all his weapons he trusted in, and divides up his plunder.

• Jesus has just described Himself as a hero.
• In a season of super hero movies… Jesus proves to be better than Marvel & DC combined.

23 Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.

• Can you imagine Jesus eyeballing the crowd as He makes this last statement?
• You can’t stand here in the middle of the battle and not choose a side.
• Your indecision is your choice.

 
AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT’S RETURN
24 “When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest, and not finding rest, it then says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ 25 Returning, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first.”

• Two things here: 1) The healed person could have easily made no choice to pursue God and his situation became worse than before.
• 2) Jesus could easily be foreshadowing what was to come for His Jewish nation. John the Baptist came, Jesus came and indecision ruled. Destruction came in 70 AD.
• How much history would have been impacted if Jesus would not have come?

 
TRUE BLESSEDNESS
27 As he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the one who nursed you!”
28 He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”

• It is not about His earthly ties but His heavenly ties.
• Keep the Law…

 
THE SIGN OF JONAH
29 As the crowds were increasing,

• The disciples were impressed with the numbers (Luke recorded this) but Jesus was not.

he began saying: “This generation is an evil generation. It demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh (capital of Assyria), so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

• What is the one sign they will see? Resurrection
• Lazarus
• Jesus

31 The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look—something greater than Solomon is here.

• The Queen of Sheba came all the way from the south to hear the wisdom of Solomon, yet Jesus stands right in front of them and they cannot hear it.
• The Gentiles will end up judging the Jewish nation.

32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching, and look—something greater than Jonah is here.

• Even the corrupt men of Nineveh believed and repented.

 
THE LAMP OF THE BODY
33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is also full of darkness.

• The brightest sun cannot enable a blind man to see.[2]

35 Take care, then, that the light in you is not darkness. 36 If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you.”
 
RELIGIOUS HYPOCRISY DENOUNCED
37 As he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him. So he went in and reclined at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that he did not first perform the ritual washing before dinner.

• What can you learn from this statement about the purpose of this invite/dinner?
• The Pharisee was looking for something to accuse Jesus.

39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and evil.

• Pharisees (religious people) have a tendency to draw their students to them personally.
• Therefore, they need to be perfect on the outside.
• Hollywood doesn’t want anything to do with people who “blow it”.

40 Fools! Didn’t he who made the outside make the inside too?

• the same God who created the outside also created the inside, the “inner person” that also needs cleansing (Ps. 51:6, 10).[3]


• Bob Warren taught there were 5 stages of growth:
• 1) You’re a heathen – Born spiritually dead and never had ears to hear or eyes to see and you are perfectly fine with that because it is your sinful nature. It is all about “me”.
• 2) You’re a religious person – You do all the good things to make yourself look good. You pray a prayer. You come to church, you keep the 10 commandments, etc. You realize you have a sinful nature.
• 3) You’re a new believer – You are here and waiting for God to fix all your bad behavior and change your life for you.
• 4) You understand your identity – You know you are a holy, righteous, forgiven saint but you are still waiting for God to align your behavior with who you know you are. God is going to give you the strength to fix myself (exterior).
• 5) You not only understand that you are a new creation but you also realize that it is God’s responsibility to change your behavior. “I can’t fix my behavior.” Then you trust and rest. This is real life.
• The way to clean up a dirty vocabulary is not to brush your teeth but to cleanse your heart.[4]

41 But give from what is within to the poor, and then everything is clean for you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass justice and love for God. These things you should have done without neglecting the others.

• Tithing and didn’t help those in need.

43 “Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

• Pride

44 “Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves; the people who walk over them don’t know it.”

• You are causing people to fall into holes and die.

45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult us too.”
46 Then he said: “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, and yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers.
47 “Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 Therefore, you are witnesses that you approve the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their monuments. 49 Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that this generation may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world--51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.
“Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible.
52 “Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were trying to go in.”

• Religious people will try to kill you.
• Religion will never change one’s heart.
• Religion only causes people to try to conform in their behavior and it is impossible.
• Religion will kill you.

53 When he left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely and to cross-examine him about many things; 54 they were lying in wait for him to trap him in something he said.[5]

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Eph 1:3). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 217). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 217). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 217). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Lk 11:1–54). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.