Bailey Methodist Church
3/16/2025
  • Fill This Place
  • Reckless Love
  • Fairest Lord Jesus
  • Revelation Song
  • Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow!
  • Luke 13:31–35 ESV
    31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ 
    A holy life has a clear purpose. The unfortunate reality many Christians face is that their lives often lack this sense of purpose. We go through the motions with work, family, school, and church, but none of it truly resonates with us. It becomes merely a checklist of tasks: “I prayed today. Check.” “I read my Bible today. Check.” “I accomplished tasks for my job. Check.” “I managed to keep my kids alive today. Check.” Then, we rinse and repeat. When something disrupts our checklist routine, it throws us off balance. I understand the appeal of order and routine; I like knowing what comes next and what the next steps will be. That’s where I thrive. However, God desires more for us than a checklist existence.
    Life is not simply a series of to-do lists. There are ups and downs, times when we face difficulty, and unexpected challenges. To live a life full of purpose and meaning, we must go beyond the checklist and seek a deeper relationship with God. Our spiritual lives must be rooted in Christ.
    Christians and churches need to take a step back and evaluate their purpose. Jesus has endowed our lives with meaning and purpose, yet we often choose to reject it because it doesn't align with our desires.
    Today, Jesus shows his unwavering commitment to His mission despite facing opposition. When the Pharisees warn Him that Herod wants to kill Him, Jesus remains resolute, understanding that His purpose must be fulfilled. This passage teaches us the importance of staying focused on our God-given purpose.

    1. A clear purpose requires persistence. (vs. 31-32)

    Our passage begins with Jesus and a group of friendly Pharisees who warn Him that Herod has turned his attention toward Him, just as he had with John the Baptist. Like John, Jesus caused strife for Herod through His preaching and teaching. However, Jesus’ ministry included something John’s did not—healing and casting out demons. These actions could have alarmed Herod to the point where he wanted to eliminate Jesus as well.
    Despite Herod's cunning and destructive nature, Jesus refers to Herod as a fox and shows no fear of him. Jesus is determined to continue His ministry without hesitation or fear of worldly powers. He has a clear purpose and mission and must persist in His work for it to be successful. He cannot give up at the first sign of trouble, even from the ruling authorities. Jesus is committed to His mission and will not allow threats against Him to stop Him from healing, casting out demons, and proclaiming the kingdom.
    Paul reminds the Galatians not to grow weary in doing good, for there will be a harvest in due time. The purpose of the church remains unchanged from that of Jesus. We are called to heal, cast out demons, and proclaim the good news of the kingdom. It is easy to become distracted by other issues, especially when faced with challenges or setbacks. We may look at our current circumstances and wonder if we are making a difference. I know there are times when I feel discouraged when things do not work out as I had hoped. Five years ago this week, we were thrown into chaos by COVID-19 restrictions, which devastated our church and many others. Most have never fully recovered. It can be frustrating to look back on that time. However, we must remain persistent in our proclamation. We recognize that we were struck, but this cannot deter us from the work of Christ. We must adapt and refocus, ensuring we understand what God calls us to do without wavering from that purpose in the face of opposition.

    2. A clear purpose is fulfilled in God’s timing. (vs. 33-34a)

    Jesus had a specific purpose and goal: he must go to Jerusalem. His mission would only be complete when he fulfilled what he came to do—die for the sins of humanity. Herod and all evil powers may try to stop this, but they will not succeed. Jesus must fulfill the prophecies about him. He was rejected by his own people, which led him to lament over Jerusalem. This rejection, however, was prophesied in Isaiah 53. The Jewish people would turn away from the Messiah because he was not what they expected. Yet, God had already specified who the Messiah would be and what he would accomplish. Jesus understood that his destiny was in both God’s hands and man’s. Regardless of what people believed or attempted to do, God would fulfill his purposes through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
    Herod’s efforts to eliminate Jesus were not part of God’s plan. Jesus was not in a hurry; he remained committed to God’s timing. As stated in Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” God's plans are greater than ours. When we recognize the death of Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy, we see that God's timing is perfect in this act. John the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus was the Passover lamb who would take away the sins of the world. Jesus indicated that he must go to Jerusalem to die, like other prophets, but his death was scheduled during Passover. This serves as a reminder that Passover and all Jewish feasts are shadows of Christ’s work. Just as the Passover lamb protected the people from death, Jesus’ death offers protection from death in sin. His death during Passover was in accordance with God's timing and fulfillment of prophecy.
    Jesus could have hastened the situation and acted ahead of the Father, but he chose not to. We must learn to trust in God’s timing. Even when circumstances seem urgent, we should always seek his guidance and wait for the perfect timing. God’s ways are not our ways, and his ways are always perfect.

    3. A clear purpose is rooted in compassion. (vs. 34-35)

    When Jesus looked at Jerusalem, His heart broke. He knew that He would be rejected by those He came to save. Everything He did was motivated by love and compassion. God's love for us is always more intense than our desire for Him. He is more willing to save us than we are to be saved. The image of God’s love, likened to a hen gathering her chicks, conveys great love and compassion. Jesus desires us to come to Him and be willing to receive His grace. God wishes to save all of us and does not want anyone to perish. His heart breaks over our stubbornness and sin. In mercy, God pursues us through His prevenient grace, even when we show little interest in Him. There is a longing in God to gather all lost souls to Himself.
    The beauty of God’s grace is that it is abundant for all who seek Him. The love that God has for us surpasses the sin that keeps us from truly knowing Him. His grace is a transformative power that enables us to live as Christ lived. Just as Christ looked upon Jerusalem and us with sorrow, we should have the same kind of compassion and love for the world. It should break our hearts that so many do not know Christ as their Savior. The fact that the entire world does not have a saving relationship with Him should motivate us just as it did for Christ.
    Paul tells us that the people of Christ are to embody compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. We are to bear with one another and forgive each other. In Galatians, Paul reminds us that by bearing one another’s burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ. This law emphasizes loving God and our neighbors, replacing the extensive Old Testament commandments. Love is the core principle. We are called to fulfill this law by loving God and our neighbors, living with gratitude, and being obedient to Christ, who provides us with an example of what this looks like.
    The law of Christ must drive our purpose. When we face difficulties in life, we must reflect Christ’s love. Everything we do, both individually and as a congregation, should center on loving God and our neighbors. We see others through God’s eyes, not human ones. We care for the broken and hurting. We proclaim the good news of the gospel and guide others to know Christ. We do this not to check something off a to-do list but because the love of Christ is so present in us that it compels us to respond with compassion through the power of the Holy Spirit.
    Jesus had a clear purpose: to fulfill the will of God, regardless of the obstacles. Like Him, we are called to:
    Persist despite opposition.
    Trust in God’s perfect timing.
    Live with compassion as we fulfill the law of Christ.
    A holy life is focused. We have a clear purpose: to win the world for Christ, starting here. Many people mistrust the church because we have not lived like Jesus. Sometimes, this mistrust is influenced by the world’s standards. There is a misconception that Jesus would love without addressing sin, but that is untrue. Jesus does not want us to be so legalistic that our faith becomes a random to-do list. At the same time, He does not want us to disregard what Scripture teaches us about ethics.
    Our purpose is to truthfully and boldly proclaim the gospel. Sometimes, others reject us or try to stop us, but we must wait on God’s timing in all things. We cannot become impatient; we must rely on Him and His strength. In our persistence and patience, we must also live with compassion and fulfill the law of Christ. We are called to love God and our neighbors and to bear one another’s burdens. The church must embody the outpost of the Kingdom of God that we are meant to be. We need to set an example for the world of how God calls us to live, rooted in the compassion and love of Christ. This is not achieved by our efforts but through the working of the Holy Spirit within us.
    Jesus provides us with the ultimate example, and we are called to follow Him.
  • I Am Thine O Lord (I Am Thine)
Bailey Methodist Church
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