Short in stature, but long on repentance, Luke 19:1-10

If you have been with us very often during these last two years that we have been preaching through the book of Luke, then you will recall that the reoccurring theme of Jesus’ ministry was the preaching of the kingdom of God; what it means, what are the requirements and how to enter it. And one of the major components of entering the kingdom of God is that a person must be desperate. They must have reached the point of being sick of their sin, the point of mourning over their sin, and desperately hungering and thirsting for righteousness. They

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The ultimate sacrifice, Luke 18: 31-43

On the 17th of March, 2010, a SEAL team 6 squadron of special operators were attempting to take out an enemy that was barricaded inside a compound in Afghanistan. Among the special operators involved in the mission was Adam Brown, a man that had overcome tremendous obstacles in his life such as drug addiction as the result of accepting Jesus as his Savior. In the years following his conversion, he had continued an uphill battle against all sorts of difficulties and physical impairments in order to eventually be accepted as a member of one of the most elite fighting forces

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A great question, a great candidate, a great sorrow, and a great hope; Luke 18:18

The other day I was surfing through you tube and came across a compilation of television commercials from the 1970’s.  Some of them were pretty funny.  Or at least the hairstyles were funny.  But some of you that are from my generation may remember this one in particular.  There were these business men on a plane, and one man leaned across the aisle in conversation with another man and said something to the effect, “Well, my broker is EF Hutton, and EF Hutton says…”  And all the business men on the plane stop what they are doing and  lean over

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Blessed are the children, Luke 18: 15-17

There are two ways of looking at this incident which we are studying today.  There is the literal interpretation of how the kingdom of God relates to children which is expressed in vs. 16.  And there is the metaphorical application of how becoming like a child relates to entrance in the kingdom of God which is expressed in vs. 17.  Both are appropriate perspectives revealed through the text.  Jesus is obviously expressing both principles in this passage.  So we will look at them in that order; first how the kingdom of God relates to children, and secondly, how becoming like

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Two men, two prayers, two outcomes; Luke 18:9-14

As we look at this parable of Jesus today, we should remember that it comes in the context of Jesus’ teaching about the characteristics of the coming of the kingdom of God.  This is what Jesus is presenting here in chapter 18.   As I said last week, it’s not a couple of stories about how to get more results from our prayers.  Many people have taught this section that way. But this whole chapter must be looked at in the context of chapter 17 vs. 20, when Jesus responds to a question about the coming of the kingdom of God.

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Don’t lose heart; Luke 18:1-8

There is a saying among some Bible commentators when the text reveals something obvious, that the key to understanding the passage is “hanging on the door.”  That simply means that the key is right there in the text, metaphorically on the outside of the door.  In a lot of the parables that Jesus gave the meaning was obscure, and often the disciples had to ask Him privately what they meant.  But in this case Luke presents the purpose of the illustration right at the beginning, hanging on the door. The key to understanding this parable then is right there in

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Thy kingdom come; Luke 17: 20-37

The Bible says in Luke 8 that Jesus began to go about from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God.  Jesus said about His ministry in Luke 4:43 that “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.”  Now this has been the ongoing theme of Jesus’ message; “repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Up until this point, Jesus has been preaching regarding the requirements to enter the kingdom, and the characteristics of those citizens of the kingdom.  His miracles were

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The ten lepers, one saved; Luke 17: 11-19

Rather than simply presenting an historical narrative, every story, every parable that Luke records is teaching a particular facet of the gospel, or reinforcing a particular principle of the gospel, or adding another layer to the gospel.  In other words, these stories are not just a random biographical detail in the life of Christ.  They may fulfill that biographical function, but more importantly they enrich the gospel message by means of an illustration. As in the story of the prodigal son and other accounts of healing etc, this story is a real story, an actual historical event, but with allegorical

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Four hallmarks of discipleship; Luke 17:1-10

As we continue in the gospel of Luke we look now at a continuation of a message that Jesus was giving to a mixed multitude that included three types of people in attendance.  There was the self righteous, haughty Pharisees who practiced their religion  to be seen of men but whose motives were known by God to be self serving and done for men’s approval.  But they were not counted righteous by God.  And there was a second group of people who were present which was largely made up of the curious.  They were there because it was something different,

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A tale of two destinies; Luke 16:19-31

Today’s passage of scripture is one that I have found to be one of the most important in the New Testament in regards to understanding the afterlife.   However, my view is not one that is widely shared among Biblical commentators.   There is much disagreement over the proper interpretation of this passage amongst Biblical scholars.  By way of disclaimer, I do not profess in any way to be a Biblical scholar. However, I will tell you how I view Biblical interpretation.  I believe that God’s word is sufficient in and of itself through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit working

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