Homeline Blog
“The Civility Of Jesus”, Part 4, “The Civility Of An Invitation”, 11/15/2020
“The Civility Of Jesus”
Part 4, “The Civility Of An Invitation”
Luke 19:1-10
Part 4, “The Civility Of An Invitation”
Luke 19:1-10
Luke 18:31-34, “Gathering the twelve disciples around him, Jesus told them, ‘As you know, we are going to Jerusalem. And when we get there, all the predictions of the ancient prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. 32 He will be handed over to the Romans to be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. 33 They will whip him and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.’ 34 But they didn’t understand a thing he said. Its significance was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.” NLT
I. The Most Hated Man In Town
Luke 19:1-2, “Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business, and he had become very rich.”
II. The Day That Changed Everything
Luke 19:3, “He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, so he could watch from there.”
Luke 19:5-6, “When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today. 6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.”
Luke 19:8, “Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
III. Lessons From A Tree Climber
A. Crowds Do Not Rule
Luke 19:7, “But the crowds were displeased. ‘He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,’ they grumbled.”
B. Jesus Came Looking For Zacchaeus
C. Jesus’ Invitation Changed Zacchaeus’ Life
Luke 19:8, “Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!’ 9 Jesus responded, ‘Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham.’”
D. Jesus Came To Seek And Save The Lost
Luke 19:10, “And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost.”
“What Did We Sign Up For?”, 9/6/2020
“What Did We Sign Up For?”
Romans 9:19-21
Romans 9:19-21
Introduction
Ephesians 1:4-6, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.” NLT
Romans 9:20-21, “But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? ‘Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, Why did you make me like this?’ 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?” NIV
I. Predestined To A Purpose
II. Having The Mind Of Christ
Philippians 2:5-8,
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with
God as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” NLT
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with
God as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” NLT
III. The Spiritual Nourishment Of Life
John 4:32, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
John 4:34, “My nourishment (that which sustains my life) comes from doing the will of God who sent me, and from finishing his work.” TLB
IV. The Holy Spirit As Coach
Nehemiah 9:7-8, “You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him…”
Conclusion
Jeremiah 18:4, “But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.”
“The Providence Of God” , 8/23/2020
The Providence Of God
I. What Is Providence?
Definition: Providence is the knowledge that God actively guides, controls, regulates, manages, and directs everything that happens in His creation.
Example: Jacob and Joseph
Gen. 45:8
Gen. 42:36
Gen. 50:20
Matt. 10:29-30
Proverbs 16:1; 21:1; 19:21; 21:30
Job 42:2
II. Who Then Is Responsible For Actions?
A. Who Took Job’s Flocks?
1. Intent
2. The Act Itself
Acts 4:27-28
III. What Then Shall We Do?
A. Our Duty Is Clear In Wisdom
B. Our Duty Is Clear In Obedience
C. Our Duty Is Clear In Prayer
Conclusion
Psalm 37:23, “The steps of a man are established by the Lord…”
“The Sacrament Of The Present Moment”, Part 3, “What If The Present Moment…Is Terrible?”, 8/2/2020
“The Sacrament Of The Present Moment”
Part 3, “What If The Present Moment…Is Terrible?”
I Kings 19
Part 3, “What If The Present Moment…Is Terrible?”
I Kings 19
I. The Hammer And Chisel Of The Lord
A. Finding God’s Presence In All Things
(Quote) Caussade, “How foolish to refuse to breathe the open air! To search for a spot on which to place the foot when there is the whole countryside before you; to be unable to find water when there is a whole deluge at your service, nor to possess and enjoy God, nor to recognize his action when it is present in all things.”
B. A Work We Cannot Produce
(Quote) Caussade, “It is obvious that a work such as this cannot be affected by cleverness,
intelligence, nor subtlety of mind, but only by the way of abandonment to, its reception, and by yielding to it like metal in a mold, or canvas under the pencil, or stone in the hands of the sculptor.”
intelligence, nor subtlety of mind, but only by the way of abandonment to, its reception, and by yielding to it like metal in a mold, or canvas under the pencil, or stone in the hands of the sculptor.”
C. Yielding To The Work Of The Sculptor
(Quote) Caussade, “…a stone that is destined to become a crucifix or a statue without knowing it, if it were asked, ‘What is happening to you?’ would reply if it could speak, ‘Do not ask me, I only know one thing, and that is, to remain immovable in the hands of my master and to endure all that comes my way.’”
D. God’s Business Is God’s Best
(Quote) Caussade, “As for the end for which I am destined, it is God’s business to understand how it is to be accomplished; I am as ignorant of what God is doing as of what I am destined to become; all I know is that God’s work is the best, and the most perfect that could be, and I receive each blow of the chisel as the most excellent thing that could happen to me…”
(Quote) Caussade, “…although, truth to tell, each blow, in my opinion, causes the idea of ruin, destruction, and disfigurement. But that is not my affair; content with the present moment I think of nothing but my duty, and I endure the work of this clever master without knowing, or occupying myself about it.”
(Quote) Caussade, “Allow God to act, and abandon yourself to God’s will and work in your life. Let the chisel perform its office, the needle do its work. Let the brush of the artist cover the canvas with many tints which only have the appearance of daubs.”
II. “I have had enough, Lord…take my life…”
1 Kings 19:1-2, “When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. 2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: ‘May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.’” NLT
1 Kings 19:3-4
1 Kings 19:5-6
1 Kings 19:7-9
1 Kings 19:9-10
1 Kings 19:11-13, “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:14
1 Kings 19:15-18
“The Sacrament Of The Present Moment”, Part 2, “Contentment In The Present Moment”, 7/26/2020
“The Sacrament Of The Present Moment”
Part 2, “Contentment In The Present Moment”
Philippians 4:4-13
Part 2, “Contentment In The Present Moment”
Philippians 4:4-13
Introduction
(Quote) Caussade, “To be satisfied with the present moment is to delight in, and to adore the divine will in all that has to be done or suffered in all that succession of events that fill, as they pass, each present moment.”
I. Pursuing Contentment In Every Moment
(Quote) Caussade, “If that which God…chooses for you does not content you, from whom do you expect to obtain what you desire?”
1 Thessalonians 4:3, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified…” NIV
Romans 8:29-30, “God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son… 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself.” NLT
(Quote) Caussade, “…I should die of thirst rushing … from one fountain to another, from one stream to another when there is a sea at hand, the waters of which encompass me on every side.”
(Quote) Caussade, “All that happens to me therefore will be food for my nourishment, water for my cleansing, fire for my purification, and a channel of grace for all my needs. That which I might endeavor to find in other ways seeks me incessantly and gives itself to me through all creatures.”
II. Contentment In The Present Moment
Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” NIV
A. Four Contentment Producing Decisions
(Number 1) Rejoice In The Lord Always – v. 4
(Number 2) Let your gentleness be evident to all – v. 5
(Word Study) Gentleness, “Epieikes”, (ep-ee-i-kace) This is one of the most untranslatable of all Greek words. Some of the best English attempts are gentle, yielding, kind, forbearing, and lenient.
(Number 3) Don’t be anxious – pray about everything – vv.6-7
Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Philippians 4:7, “…the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
(Number 4) Think On These Things – vv. 8-9
Philippians 4:8, “Finally…whatever is true, …noble, …right, …pure, …lovely, …admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
Conclusion
(Quote) Caussade, “I have run through all Your workshops and have admired all Your works, but have not as yet, by abandonment, received even the bare outlines of Your pencil.”