Joseph's Dilemma

Matthew 1:18 Joseph, betrothed to Mary, found her pregnant. At that time, a groom typically prepared a home for his bride, which could take a year. When all was prepared, he came to collect his bride, like Christ comes for the Church. Joseph decided to cancel the wedding privately for Mary’s sake.

Jesus and Noah

Matthew 24:36-44 Jesus confirms the Noah flood narrative. Does science prove it wrong? Are we sure? If the flood is a myth, how were transcontinental sedimentary rock layers formed? How were the Grand Canyon layers formed without any evidence of erosion between layers? How are whale and possum fossils found mixed together?

Right Inclusion

Luke 14:12-14 Our society excludes the marginalized, causing poverty, crime, suicide, and drug addiction. Jesus taught the solution: social inclusion. It begins with you and me. When we include the marginalized in our circle of friends, we begin to understand them and the popular lies that have perpetuated their exclusion from society.

Hospital Hospitality

Luke 14:12-14 When we invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, we invite Jesus. Ancient Christian communities were known for hospitality (Hebrews 13:2). Hospitals were places of hospital-ity for the needy and strangers. It was an ethical and moral requirement of ancient Jewish and Christian communities. How inhospitable have we become? Our hospitals and hospitality are big business, whereby people making extravagant incomes?

The Poor, Crippled, Lame & Blind

Luke 14:12-14 Jesus gave us all a list of people that we ought NOT to invite first: our friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. His A-list included the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. How many people who are on Jesus’ guest list of invitees do we even know personally?

Bigotry

Luke 14:7-11 What can we do to overcome bigotry? How humble are we? Do we fight to take the chief seats and exclude others with silly rules? Is our participation in church and local community for self-aggrandizement or to help others? Do we monopolize the leadership and exclude others from an opportunity?

Arrogance or Humility

Luke 14:7-11 Take the lesser seat. Arrogance is humbled; humility is exalted. Arrogance is living a lie. The last will be first and the first will be last. Humility is honestly facing reality; we are only dust, humus. Those who humble themselves in obedience to God will receive chief positions in eternity.

Pushing & Shoving

Luke 14:7-11 Jesus observed the pushing and shoving for position at a Sabbath banquet. He shared a parable to teach humility. Proverbs 25:6-7 says something similar. Religious leaders had also arrogantly imposed their vain human traditions. Yet humility brings honor to a Christian leader (Proverbs 15:33; 16:18-19; 29:23).

Excluded or Included

Luke 14:1-6 Who should be excluded or included in church? Should poverty or clothing or imperfections keep a person from being welcomed? Should we exclude certain conduct from leadership? If so, what? What about condoning certain lifestyles? Should the Christian community be fair in who it includes or excludes from community activities?

Burdensome Traditions

Luke 14:1-6 The Sabbath was a day of rest. Yet, human traditions often made it a burden instead of a joy. Some traditions can become burdensome rules marginalizing people. Are church services a time of physical and spiritual healing? A weekly rest day pictures eternal rest for the poor and sick.

Rescuing People

Luke 14:1-6 During a Sabbath meal at a religious leader’s home, Jesus was watched closely. He healed a man with a swelling. Did they set a trap to see if he would heal on the Sabbath? Jesus pointed out the absurdity of rescuing animals on the Sabbath but not rescuing sick people.

Samaritan Pictures Salvation

Origen wrote that the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) is a picture of salvation. Adam is the injured man. The journey is to paradise. The robbers represent hostile powers. The priest and Levite are the law and the prophets. The Samaritan is how we treat Christ. The wounds are from disobedience. The donkey pictures Jesus carrying us to the church. The manager is the pastor, and like the Samaritan Jesus will return.

Mission Instructions

Luke 10:3-11 (NLT) Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road.

“Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay.

“If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!’ …

Jesus' mission instructions included pray for helpers, beware of wolves, don’t take money, bags, extra sandals, don’t waste time in chit-chat, bring peace and fertile ground will reveal itself by peaceful responses, stay put, eat everything, hospitality is deserved pay, heal, tell them about the kingdom and if unwelcomed move on.

Denying Jesus in Others

Luke 9:49-50 (NLT) John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.” But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”

These verses are important to include in any discussion between Christians, because they teach us not to condemn other denominations that believe in Jesus. As a lifelong Christ follower, I notice that even the best churches have major flaws, but we have the most important thing in common, a saving faith in Jesus.

Inclusion

Luke 8:38-39 The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.

Today’s generation may be insulted that not everyone is included in leadership opportunities in the church. But, Jesus excluded the former insane man from joining the disciples. Sometimes the master’s assignment for our lives is to go all through our town proclaiming the great things Jesus has done for us.

Are we Ready

Luke 5:1-11 Do we experience Jesus at work? Are we ready to put our nets in? What’s our response to miracles? Are we humble about our sinfulness in the presence of Jesus? Is a church service incomplete without confession and pardon? Are we ready for the potential for our nets to break?

Have We Left All

Luke 5:11 They forsook all for Jesus, but then for a moment after the crucifixion, returned to their fishing. After His resurrection, Jesus used a similar miracle to remind them who He is. Do we hold something in reserve, or have we left ALL our sinful life behind us to follow Jesus?

Borne out of Water

Luke 5:9-10 As fish are borne out of water, so all disciples are born from the waters of baptism. Since that experience, Christians have throughout history described themselves as little fishes, and the symbol of a fish was used to identify a safe house, a Christian home in the midst of persecution.

Amazing

Luke 5:9-10 Slowly, after the work was done, it dawned on them how amazing this blessing was. Do we meditate on God’s amazing creation from the smallest DNA, to the incredible design of our planet, to the uniqueness of our solar system and enormity of the Universe? Does God’s design amaze us?

Unworthy

Luke 5:7-8 As Peter saw the overwhelming catch, he immediately recognized the source of the miraculous blessing. Blunt and truthful, Peter realized his own unworthiness to be in Jesus’ presence. When God blesses our lives in some way, do we react in a similar manner, grateful yet also embarrassed by our sinfulness?

Miracles and Work

Luke 5:7-8 Was the hand-signal used so as not to frighten the fish, or did they not want to shout in front of Jesus? Does this teach us that sometimes when God performs a miracle in the church, there’s no time for meditation or amazement? Can a miracle signal time for work?

Almost Ruptured

Luke 5:5-6 The nets were so full that they almost ruptured. This can happen to churches too, during a sudden growth spurt. It can threaten to rupture the fabric of the local church. Most churches would probably prefer slow growth, so that newcomers can assimilate, but God doesn’t always work that way.

Jesus Boss

Luke 5:5-6 The word Peter used for master was overseer, superintendent, or in our slang “boss.” Is Jesus asking us to let down our nets? What are fishnets for? How is evangelism like letting down our nets? We provide the nets and the effort, but it is God who fills the nets.

Jesus Bless our Work

Luke 5:3-4 Perhaps the immediacy indicates Jesus’ disappointment in the response from the crowd. Humbly, Peter the expert fisherman, follows the Rabbi’s instructions. Would we be so humble as to follow directions from someone not of our profession? Jesus now wants to bless Peter’s work, as He wants to bless our weekday work.

Sitting Down to Preach

Luke 5:3-4 Notice Jesus sat down to preach, the customary teaching position for Rabbis at the time. This miracle is repeated, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and as a reminder to the disciples at the end. After teaching on this weekday, Jesus encouraged Peter to get back to work, even telling him where.

Lake of Gennesaret

Luke 5:1-2 Lake of Gennesaret was named after the town of Gennesaret on the lake’s northwest corner. It is also called the Sea of Galilee and Lake Tiberias. Today it is the largest body of freshwater in Israel and is the world’s lowest body of freshwater at 700 feet below sea level. At the time of Jesus’ ministry it was a wealthy fishing area filled with boats. Today there are few boats to be seen.

Ears

1 Corinthians 12 How could our ears evolve by accident? Sounds comes through into the outer ear which is designed to amplify sound. Behind the eardrum, three little bones amplify and transmit the sounds. Then the cochlea converts them into electrical signals for the brain, through the incredibly complex microscopic organ of Corti. And this was not designed by a good God? Who is the ignorant one!

Eyes

1 Corinthians 12 Our eyes remain the same size from birth. We blink over 4 million times a year to irrigate the eye. The vestibulo-ocular reflex is like a miraculous steadicam for the eyes. The retina is among the most complex tissues in the body, too complex for our current computers to analyze. And this is an accident of the universe? How blind are those who refuse to see!

Hands

1 Corinthians 12 Our hands are designed to strongly grasp large objects and skillfully handle small objects. Most of the fingers are actually controlled by muscles in the forearm through long tendons that pass through leverage points. Fat cells in the fingers give protection for delicate nerve cells which detect touch and heat. And this all happened by blind accident? Impossible!

Feet

1 Corinthians 12 Human feet are complex designs for walking erect. 25% of our body’s bones are in our feet, and contain three arches each for strong load bearing. But these are also dynamic arches, absorbing various shocks as the load changes. At the same time feet use leverage to propel us forward. And people say it was all an accident of evolution, that there is no God? No way!