Two Sides of the Coin

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon Notes:

1. The Threat to Kill Jesus (v. 31-33)

2. Jesus' Lament Over Death (v. 34)

3. The Result of Killing Jesus (v. 35)

Reflection Questions:

1. What are tough circumstances in your life that God has appointed? What does Christ's certainty of his own path to the cross and after the cross say about God's appointments for you?

2. How should we react to the sin in the world? How should we treat the lost? In what ways could you reflect Jesus' attitude in v. 34?

3. In what ways does Jesus' death encapsulate both the judgment of God and the salvation of God? What attributes of God are on display at the cross?

What is the Kingdom of God Like?

Luke 13:18-30

Sermon Notes

1) The Kingdom of God Expands Outward, 18-19

2) The Kingdom of God Transforms Inward, 20-21

3) The Kingdom is Exclusive, Diverse, and Confounding, 22-30

Reflection questions:

1. When is the last time that you felt like the Kingdom of God was not growing or advancing? Read Mt 16:15-18 and 1 Peter 1:3-4. What do these verses tell you about God’s Kingdom and your place in it?

2. Read Lk 13:24, 28-29. Compare to John 3:16 and John 6:35-44. How does John (like Luke) describe the Kingdom of God as both exclusive and inclusive, exclusive and diverse?

3. Read Luke 13:30. Compare to 1 Cor. 1:18-31. How do these passages confound or confuse worldly expectations of what makes us acceptable or valuable to God?

All the Glorious Things

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon Notes:

1) Honoring the Sabbath by Showing Mercy, 10-13

2) Dishonoring the Sabbath by Misunderstanding, 14

3) Clarifying the Sabbath by Exposing Motives, 15-16

4) Rejoicing in the Lord of Sabbath Mercy, 13, 17

Reflection questions:

1. Read Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15. Have you ever wondered why God does not give a lot of detail here about what is and isn’t considered work on the Sabbath? Read Luke 13:14-16. Have you ever considered which of your actions on a typical Sunday are necessary and which ones aren’t?

2. Read Isaiah 58:13-14. What did God find dishonorable about this generation’s Sabbath practices? Also see Isaiah 58:1-10 and what God says about their fasting.

3. Read Mark 2:27. What does Jesus mean “the Sabbath was made for man”? Is the Sabbath supposed to be burden or a benefit to man?

Who's The Worst? Does It Matter?

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon Notes

1.       The Worst Sinners? vv. 1-5

2.       The Warning Shot, vv. 6-7

3.       The “One More” Solution, vv. 8-9

Questions for Reflection:

1.       Read vv. 1-5 and then read John 9:1-3. Is Jesus denying that the blind man and his parents sinned? Or is denying that their sin is the cause of his blindness? Also, how are “the works of God” displayed in this man? (See the rest of John 9, especially vv. 7, 13-16, 24-25, 30, 32-33)

2.       Martin Luther once wrote: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said ‘Repent,’ he intended that the entire life of believers should be repentance.” How do you see this idea explained in Scripture? (If you can’t think of an example, see Romans 6:19 and Romans 7:12-25.)

3.       Why doesn’t God punish all sin right now? Why does He wait so long? (First off, we should be glad He does wait. But also see Romans 2:1-4, especially v.4, regarding God’s kindness and patience.)

Divisions and Divine Decisions

Luke 12:49-59

Sermon Notes

1) The Division Christ Brings, 51-53

2) The Difficulty Christ Endures, 49-50

3) The Discernment Christ Commends, 54-59

Reflection questions:

1. Why does Christ mention the division of vv.51-53? Because He expects no new conversions to Christianity? Because He wants us to be prepared to meet opposition? See 1 Peter 2:19-23; 3:9, 13-17.

2. How does knowing the difficulty and suffering of Christ (vv.49-50) help you endure suffering? Consider the verses mention in #1, and 1 Peter 1:3-9, which talks about “joy inexpressible” and the trials that we suffer “for a little while.”

3. In what sense does Christ understand what it is like to be divided or separated from family? Some examples to consider – Matthew 27:45-46, 50 (also see Ps. 22, especially vv.1-2, 24); Mark 3:21; Luke 2:48-50.

To Whom Much Is Given

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon Notes

1) The Readiness Jesus Expects from His Servants, 35-40

2) The Reward Jesus Promises to Faithful Servants, 41-44, 37

3) The Retribution Jesus Promises to Unfaithful Servants, 45-49

Reflection questions:

1) What can you learn about the return of Jesus from the following verses: Philippians 3:20-21; Revelation 1:7; Titus 2:13; Revelation 22:20?

2) What does it mean to be “ready” for Jesus’s return? Is it some extraordinary action, or consistent, faithful, ordinary acts of Christian obedience? See Hebrews 10:24-25, another passage that speaks of Christ’s return (aka, “the Day”).

3) Can you think of a master who acts like the one in v.37? Who performed the actions of a servant? (See Phil 2:5-9; John 13:1-20) Who dressed like a servant, even a sinner? See Is 53:4-6; 2 Cor. 5:21.

Don't be Anxious, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom

Luke 12:22-34

Sermon Notes

1. We don’t have to be anxious (v.22-28a)

2. But we have a faith problem (v.28b)

3. Fear not! You have a good father (v.29-33)

4. Renewed belief results in renewed action (v.30-34)

Questions for Reflection:

1. What are some things this last week that you were worried about?

2. Imagine for a moment you lost most or all of your money. What are you most troubled about losing? Examples: Loss of provision (food/water/shelter), Loss of comfort, loss of pleasure, loss of security, loss of power or control, loss of ability to care for family, loss of relationship, loss of identity (as a successful responsible money manager), loss of approval

3. How do your answers above (what you fear losing) reveal a connection between money and having those things in your life?

4. How could you actually find all those things you fear losing in God? How is he the provider or even the source of those things?

5. The Bible says you can only serve one master, God or money. If we see that God is the certain source for all our provision we can be free from trying to find it in money. If that happens in your life, what would it look like? What kind of real tangible actions should you see from that new faith?

Don't be THAT Guy; Be Rich Towards God

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon Notes

1) That guy who thinks material poverty is his greatest problem, 13-15

2) That guy who thinks maintaining wealth is his greatest challenge, 16-18

3) That guy who thinks many possessions are his greatest comfort, 19-21

Reflection questions:

1.       Why is the timing of that guy in v.13 just as bad as his actual question? What has Jesus been talking about in Lk 12:1-12, the verse immediately before? Do you think that guy in v.13 understood and applied that previous sermon? Why or why not?

2.       What are some things that the guy in vv. 16-18 didn’t say that he could have said? What might you expect that guy to say after he received a great deal of wealth? See Acts 20:35; 1 Timothy 5:8; James 1:27; 1 Timothy. 6:6-10, 17-19.

3.       See the previous question and the references to 1 Timothy. Now read 2 Tim. 4:6-18, believed to be the final words of Scripture that Paul wrote. What did Paul have as his earthly life drew near? Money, possessions? Godliness, contentment, great gain? Should you be like that guy? See also 1 Corinthians 11:1. 

What to Fear, What Not to Fear

Luke 12:1-12

Sermon Notes

1) Why you should fear the subtle leaven of the Pharisees, 1-3

2) Why you should fear the sovereign Lord, not sinful mankind, 4-5

3) Why you should trust God’s sovereign provision, 6-12

a) Because you’re worth a lot to Him, 6-7

b) Because He’s reliable, 6-7

c) Because He has power to punish or pardon, 8-10, cf. 4-5

d) Because He will provide when you need it most, 11-12

Reflection questions:

1. Read Lk 12:1 and compare it to Matthew 13:33. What’s the similarity in both passages? What’s the encouragement about leaven (or yeast) in the Matthew passage? See also Matt 16:16.

2. Compare Jesus’s words in Lk 11:43 with his words in Lk 12:4-5. Now see Paul’s words in Galatians 1:10. How was Paul living and breathing for “an audience of one”?

3. What does Jesus say about sparrows in vv. 6-7? What about the lilies (in Lk 12:27 and Mt 6:27-34)? Why does Jesus want us to pay attention to his care of small insignificant things? Also see Lamentations 3:18-27 – Why does Jesus want us to remember how He has been faithful to us in the past?

Woes and Spiritual Warning Signs for a New Year

Luke 11:33-54

Sermon Notes:

1) Be careful lest the light in you be darkness, 33-36

2) Be careful to practice true justice from the heart, 37-42

3) Beware of loving the praise of men, v.43

4) Be careful that you’re not an unmarked grave, 44

5) Be careful that you serve others, instead of burdening others, 45-46

6) Be careful that you don’t approve of (or imitate) others’ evil, 47-51

7) Be careful that you don’t hinder others from knowing Jesus, 52

8) Beware of harming or vilifying Jesus, 53-54

Reflection questions:

1. Read v.35 and compare it to 1 Corinthians 10:12 (consider reading 1 Cor 9:24-10:13). Who is “anyone who thinks he stands”? Is God trying to scare us or encourage us by these words? Make note of the following verse (1 Cor. 10:13), as well.

2. Of v.42, Phil Ryken says, “They calculated their offerings down to the last decimal point. Somewhere in all of their obsessive arithmetic, the Pharisees had lost the joy of giving generously to God” (Phil Ryken, Luke: Reformed Expository Commentary, 1: 623-4). What’s wrong with this picture? What does Paul say about our attitude in giving in 2 Cor. 9:7? Why is Paul talking about generosity at all in 2 Corinthians 8-9? For what or whom is he trying to raise money?

3. How do the Pharisees and Scribes/Lawyers respond to Jesus’s woes and accusations? Why does the narrator’s silence tell you about their actions? Compare their response to the following verses: Job 40:8; Isaiah 6:5; Luke 18:9-14, especially v.13.