July 24, 2007

• Pastor Don began Bible study by asking us what is the definition of a disciple of Christ?

  The answers were a follower of Christ, a sent one, one who disciples other people, one who learns from the master, one who models their life after Christ.

  Then he asked us how is it different from just being a believer?

  We can believe something is true, but that does not mean that we participate. We can come to church, listen to the Word, give mental assent to the Word, but not try to apply the Word in our life. We can listen to the Word and decide not to do anything about it.

  Luke 14 talks about disciples. At this stage, Jesus is active in the ministry, and already there are battle lines between His work and what the Scribes and Pharisees think. Jesus heals people on the Sabbath, and in the eyes of the Priesthood that is a sin, for he is not obeying the human traditions of Sabbath behavior. He is thought to be a Sabbath breaker.

  After being questioned about this, Jesus asks them, Luke 14:5-6 Then He answered them saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

  People in the world have their minds locked against the gospel, against the truth no matter what you say about it.

  The next passage is a parable about people invited to a feast.

  Luke 14:7-10  So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’

  We are to take the lowest seats.

  Luke 14:11 “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will e exalted.”

  This is not the teaching of the world. Jesus is dealing with the scribes and the pharisees who are trying to be better than another. It is better to be humble, not to elevate one’s self.

  Luke 14:12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. Not always easy to do, to invite those who are not so inviteable.

  Luke 14:13 “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind.” This is definitely not the teaching of the World, some of those in this list can be a pain in the butt, but they are the ones who need to be loved the most. Pastor Don then pointed out that the Thanksgiving feast with the Indians and the Pilgrims was done on the Feast of Tabernacles, booths. It was a harvest feast.

  Luke 14:14 “And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

  Then Jesus gave the Parable of the Great Supper.

  Luke 15-20 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.”"Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it, I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’”

  Notice they were with one accord. (Heather’s note, in Acts the people were in one accord worshipping God, here they are denying the invitation). They all found reasons not to be with the Lord. Is Jesus saying that the Father is fed up with people who keep refusing His invitation? Yes. The great feast is available to all, but many reject. The person who said that he had a piece of ground – whose ground is it? It is the Lord’s and the Lord blessed the man with the property, now he is using that property to refuse the invitation to fellowship with God. Same with the oxen, God gave the person the oxen, and now they are using that as an excuse. Even a godly wife is given by God, not a valid excuse. How does God feel when what He gives us as blessings we use as an excuse to not come and celebrate with Him.

  Luke 14:21-23 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in that my house may be filled.’

  Many people think that God is always loving. That is not true, God does get ANGRY. He gets upset, has sorrow. We have these emotions and we are created in His image. God also loves a good laugh. Remember when Moses was up on Mt. Sinai and the Israelites made a golden calf to worship. God told Moses to leave him alone so that He could work up His anger, He was ready to start over. Moses interceded for the people.  God gets disappointed and upset. He wants us to abide with the Father, to Tabernacle with Him.

  We can ask for an infilling of the Spirit of God whenever we are down and in depression. Receiving the Holy Spirit is not a one time experience, but the Spirit is within the believer, and can be stirred up so that we can walk with the joy of the Lord. We do not have to be overcome by feelings and depression. Trouble can come at us faster and faster and the Word can help us to overcome the troubles.

  Luke 14:24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.

  This is God’s response to excuses to not come to church, not come to Bible Study, to not pray, to not do the work of God, and to hide out in intellectualism. We cannot get help with depression and our problems if we do not take the time to spend time with God.

  In these end times there will be a Great Banquet, the Wedding feast of the Lord, and soon there will be Rosh Hoshanna, the feast of trumpets, when the great trumpet will blow, and the Feast of Tabernacles when God will dwell with us. John 14-15 talks about abiding in Him. To spend time with God, to acknowledge His blessings is something no one can take away from us. God in us, the hope of Glory.

  God has invited, as verse 24 says all the men on the planet. No one can say that they were not invited, if we reject Him it is our choice.

  Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said, “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”

  Notice it is in every nation. The Book of Romans lets us know that there is no excuse for not knowing the creator, for His creation is evidence of the creator. The Spirit within us gives us the knowledge to know right from wrong, to make correct choices. In all countries of the world there are laws of hospitality and moral code. Everyone is given a measure of faith. We all have the ability to believe and know God. What they choose to do with it is up to them.

  The next verses tend to cause trouble in the Body of Christ.

  Luke 14:25-35 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it– lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
  saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

  Pastor Don reminded us that the topic that Jesus was talking about was discipleship. A follower of Christ models the 10 Commandments and the teachings of Jesus. When we follow the God of the Bible and serve Him, we go out of our way to do His work. We need to ask ourselves if those in our world are more important to us than the kingdom of God. Refusing to come and get the full benefit of fellowship and abiding with Christ, refusing to come to the feast, and putting the things and the people in our lives above God is not being a Disciple. God is concerned with our hearts, not our head. We love in our heart.

  Someone brought up salt in connection with Sodom and Gomorrah, and Pastor Don answered their question.

  With Sodom and Gomorrah, God saved Lot. Lot was not living the best of life. He stayed in the gate, and at the end ended up sleeping with his daughters. His wife left with Lot, but her heart was still in Sodom and Gomorrah, so her heart was hardened, she became a pillar of salt that lost its savor. It was her love of the things of Sodom & Gomorrah that turned her to salt.

  It is a heart issue, those discipled, are invited to count the cost. When you choose to follow Jesus it will cost you something. You cannot keep your old relationships and activities. And you need the fellowship of others in Christ, for 1 will put 1000 to flight, 2 will put 10,000 to flight. We come into agreement with other disciples. We are in a battle against the World, and as such we need to fellowship with Jesus, and others. We need to put Jesus above all else in our lives. (Heather’s note, when we do that, the rest falls into place.)

  Matthew 13:13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

  Those who are in the world will not understand what has caused us to change so much, they will resent and try to unseat our faith in Christ. They cannot read the Bible with the same understanding that a believer will have. What believers do will seem to be foolishness to them.

  Matthew 13:14-15 And in them the prophesy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: “Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.”

  This is an issue of softening the heart to God. The head knowledge without heart knowledge is a problem. We need to trust in the Lord. Whenever anyone asks Jesus into their hearts, He will answer.

  Matthew 13:16-17 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to yo that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

  Then Jesus talks about how a sower sows the seed (the Word of God) and the ways the hearers receive the Word of God.

  Matthew 13:18-19 Therefore hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown.

  This is why many do not understand, they may want to open up their hearts, but the world, satan, and things of the world snatch away the words before they can take root. Doubt and unbelief replace the good seed that was sown.

  Matthew 13:20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

  Intellectualism, a stony life with lots of intellectual obstacles.

  Matthew 13:21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for awhile. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
  
  As an example, Pastor Don talked about his time as a prison minister. He would often talk with the prisoners, some would make a profession of faith, then they went back on the tier with the other heathen. Their fellow prisoners would give the prisoner a hard time, and the next time Pastor Don would come back to teach the Bible, the prisoner did not show up. There is persecution that comes from following the Word.

  Matthew 13:22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful.

  The cares of the world, if we allow them, will choke out the Word of God from us, and we become unfruitful.

  Matthew 13:23 But he who received seed on the ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces; some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

  Praise God, there is good ground for seed to fall, and that seed produces fruit in the life of the hearer. We want to be fruitful.

  We then went back to Luke 14, with this information under our belts. I will share the rest of the study tomorrow.

  Have a blessed day!

  Heather

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