New Hope Bible Chapel
March 18
- Holy Is The Lord
Luke 9:51–56NKJV
- This Is Amazing Grace
- Simplicity
- Give Me Jesus
- When we look into the ministry of Jesus, is it quite apparent that He made a most profound impression upon people everywhere.Crowds from all over the region, from Sidon to Idumea, followed Him by the thousands!He healed the sick!He gave sight to the blind!He cured the leper!He made the crippled to walk!He cast out demons from those tormented!He even raised up the dead!No one had ever seen anything like it, and there has never been anything like it since!Jesus was the embodiment of God!His wisdom, tenderness, comfort, and power was seen and felt by all!These were surely exciting times to be a disciple of Jesus.He even gave them power to cast out demons, and heal!So overwhelming at times was the demand upon Him, that even He the Son of God, became tired and weary, and was forced to retreat from the people, to isolated places for prayer and rest.Everywhere He went, His fame went before Him, and people, villages, cities, welcomed Him in with open arms, with only few exceptions!But now, we come to our text where we find something a bit disconcerting for Jesus’ disciples!
Luke 9:51–56 NKJV Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.Luke 9:51–56 NKJV Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.ReadLWhy this change in Jesus?And why does He have His mind set on Jerusalem?I. He came to do the will of the Father.Healing, curing, Raising the dead, are all of themselves incredible and an important part of Jesus’ earthly ministry -But they are not all that the father wanted Him to do!As it says in2 Corinthians 5:18–19 NKJV Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.2 Cor. 5:Jesus was the animal skins that God covered Adam and Eves nakedness with after they disobeyed Him and brought sin upon themselves.God, in His mercy kicked them out of the Garden of Eden, so that they would not take of the :”tree of life” and live eternally in a sinful condition.Jesus was -the tabernacle in the wilderness (the place where God dwells)the high priest who alone could offer the sacrifice for sin.the spotless lamb whose blood was poured on the alter for the forgiveness of sins.the scapegoat that was set free in the wilderness on the day of atonement carrying the sins of the people out of the camp.the Rock that followed the Israelites during their 40 years of wondering. The rock that gave water.Jesus is -The bread of lifethe water of lifethe king of kings and Lord of Lords.the Alpha ad the Omega, the beginning and the end.our Great high Priest who entered once into the Holy Place having obtained eternal redemption for us.the fulfillment of the law.the comforter, Savior, the Holy One of God.the resurrection and the life.the only intercessor between God and men.alive and seated at the right of the Father, ever living to make intercession for us.What holds the universe together.And there are many more I cannot at this time mention.All of which He completes as the Father’s will!And so in doing the Father’s will:II. He saw the Big Picture.II. He sees the Big Picture.What’s in Jerusalem?HeartacheRidicule and rejectionGolgotha and the death on the cross at Calvary.But, as we know this is not the big picture!Jesus is not looking forward to this, but what it all accomplishes.The “Big Picture” is the reconciling of the world.And the only way this will take place, is for Him to set His mind on one thing, getting to Jerusalem and letting nothing stand in the way.Not people who need help.Not good intentioned disciples.Not the pain that is part of it.Not even death!III. He gave us an example.We can take a great lesson here from Jesus’ own mind set.Since we are to be conformed into His image, we can see that ...A. The success of our appointments are measured by our persistence.We need to be as focused on our own call in the fulfillment of the Father’s will as Jesus was.What is your calling?Where has He brought you to serve Him?How does your life fit into God’s “Big Picture” ?It begins with baby steps, staying focused on the little things that cumulatively make a “Big” difference.Am I faithful in the seemingly insignificant place God has put me in now?You will not make an impact for the kingdom if you are not persistent and focused.And, you cannot chicken out because it’s a little tough!Galatians 6:9 NKJV And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.B. Regardless of the situation, we cannot lose sight of who we are.The disciples were indignant because of the Samaritan's rejection of Jesus.They wanted to call down fire and exterminate everyone!Yeah, they wanted to sit in the oval office with their own finger on the red button!But seriously, we don’t need a red button, or to call fire down from Heaven, all we need is a sharp tongue!Ridiculing people.Name calling.Unkind words.Backstabbing.Talking behind their backs.Talking negatively about them to someone else.Being two faced.Sin! Sin! Sin!And God sees right through it!Just because people don’t agree with us -or live like us -or receive us -Does not entitle us to fire off our tongues!We cannot forget who we are!We must set our face on the “Big Picture”!And bring everything else under the watchful eye of God! Luke 9:51–56NKJV
2 Corinthians 5:18–19NKJV
Galatians 6:9NKJV
- It Is Well With My Soul
New Hope Bible Chapel
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