Category: Weekly Thoughts

The sermon is from Luke 18:35-43 – “Then the Eyes of the Blind Shall be Opened”. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Luke 18:38

Do not feel too sorry for the blind man in Luke 18:35-43! Even though he was blind physically, he saw with spiritual eyes what many with normal eyesight never see. Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of David; he is the Messianic King of Israel (See 2 Samuel 7:1-17). Kings, of course, rule over kingdoms and the kingdom of Christ is described for us in Isaiah 35:1-10. One of the key marks of that kingdom is that the eyes of the blind shall be opened (Isaiah 35:5). So, Christ fulfilled that Old Testament promise. Have you seen what the blind man saw?

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The sermon is from Luke 18:18-30 –  “Christ’s Word to the Wealthy”. “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” – Luke 18:18

How would you answer the rich ruler’s question? Jesus Christ clearly teaches that most of humanity answers the question incorrectly. A wrong answer to this question exposes one to eternal destruction. In Matthew 7:13-14 – “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” So, I must ask those of you reading this article – “How would you answer the man’s question?” (For the Biblical answer, read Romans 1:16 – 3:31).

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The sermon is from 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 – “Jehoshaphat and the Choir”. “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” – 2 Chronicles 20:12

Prosperity preachers “sell a bill of goods.” They promise their hearers peace and popularity. To those with enough “faith,” health and wealth are just around the corner. This runs totally counter to the teaching of the Apostles – “… through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:23).” Tribulations (and at times confusion) cause true disciples to look to God in newfound dependence, trust, and hope (See Romans 5:1-5; 1 Peter 5:6-11). On our knees, we pray like Jehoshaphat; and we confess with Paul – “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; …. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).”

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The sermon is from Luke 18:9-14 – “The Physicians for Pharisees”.   “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” – Luke 18:13

Is divine forgiveness and salvation from sin this easy? Does the simple recitation of these words or the repetition of a formulaic prayer usher one into the kingdom of God? No, salvation requires a work of divine grace in order to convict us and humble us. We see such a humbled man in verse 13. He stands far off from the temple; his face is to the ground; and he is beating his breast. So, hard hearts need breaking. We must be born again of the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8). Apart from such a work, we will be like the Pharisee in verses 11-12 rather than the tax collector in verse 13. We will go down to our house condemned rather than justified (Luke 18:14).

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The sermon is from Luke 16:19-31 – “Crying for Mercy from Hell”.   “… and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes …” – Luke 16:23

Christ repeatedly warned us about the reality of final judgment and of the eternal punishment which follows. He often preached about Hell; he said it is a place of “… weeping and gnashing of teeth (Luke 13:28).” He taught that its flames burn forever, “… their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48).” If you disagree with the above assertions, let me encourage you to read the Gospels. Read also the book of Acts noting the sermons of Christ’s Apostles; they too preached about the certainty of final judgment. What about your pastor or favorite radio or TV preacher? Does he address this theme Biblically and appropriately? Does he ever tell you and his other hearers to “flee from the wrath to come? (Luke 3:7)”

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The sermon is from Luke 15:11-32 – “When the Prodigal Comes Home”.    “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him ….” – Luke 15:20

How many times had the father in Christ’s parable gazed up the road leading to the far country? He probably had done this daily and longingly since his son had left home, lived recklessly, spent everything he had, and wound up in pig stye. But on one of those days, he spotted movement in the distance. Could this be the day in which his son returned home? Indeed, this was the day and the prodigal returned home to a celebration rather than a beating. The Triune God of Scripture is like the father of this parable. He showers his mercy and compassion on repentant sinners who return home.

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The sermon is from Habakkuk 1:1-4; 3:17-19 – “Misplaced Expectations and Rediscovered Faith”.  “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” – Luke 15:6

Have you ever been lost? Maybe this has occurred to you in a strange city. Or, if you are an outdoorsman, you may have been lost in the woods or on a large body of water. Thanks to GPS, Google Maps, and Waze, being lost is not so common in our modern world. Nevertheless, being lost is a frightening experience. One’s mind races; one’s heart starts to pound; and one’s palms begin to sweat. Christ uses this concept to describe sinful men and women. Without Christ, we are “lost.” We are wandering in this dark, fallen world without a compass or a GPS; we are in danger of “losing” our souls. Yet, Christ is on a mission; he is come to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).

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The sermon is from Luke 15:1-10– “This Man Receives Sinners”.  “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” – Luke 15:2

The utterance of the Pharisees and scribes was dripping with scorn, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Unknowingly, however, they preached the Gospel! They promoted the good news of the kingdom of God! As the Apostle Paul declared, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (1 Timothy 1:15). So, no one has fallen too far into sin! Paul, the foremost of sinners (See Galatians 1:11-16; Philippians 3:4-7), experienced the grace, mercy, and love of the Triune God – and so can you! (See Matthew 11:28-30).

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The sermon is from Luke 14:25-35– “Crowd Control”.  “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, ….” – Luke 14:25

Jesus, on several occasions, practiced “crowd control.” We see a record of this in Luke 14:25-35. We can also see that he does the same thing in John Chapter 6, verses 60-71. Church growth experts probably would not have him on their board of directors. But Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He “shoots straight” with his early disciples and he does the same with us. He knows that, “Fierce may be the conflict, strong may be the foe ….” He prepares us for the reality of Christian difficulty and persecution. But the hymn quoted above goes on to say, “… round his standard ranging, victory is secure; for his truth unchanging makes the triumph sure.”

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The sermon is from Luke 13:22-30 – “The Narrow Gate into the Narrow Way”.  “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” – Luke 13:23

How many people will be in heaven? Some may ask this question in a speculative sort of way. It is interesting in our passage that the preaching and teaching of Christ prompted the question. What in his preaching created such dim prospects for mankind? Notice verse 24, Christ states (and it is a commandment), “Strive to enter through the narrow door.” We are certainly reminded of Christ’s teaching in Matthew, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14). The wiser question is, “Will I be in heaven? Will YOU be in heaven?”

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