Lucas 14
Samuel Johnson · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 14
Johnson quipped that "Often the only version of the Bible the world reads is that of the believer's life, and, if that is true, in the light of the weakness of the church's testimony today surely the world could use a revised version!" Vance Havner reminds us that… We are the salt of the earth, not the sugar, and our ministry is truly to cleanse and not just to change the taste. Too many Christians live their Christian lives inside their heads; it never gets out through hands and feet and lips. Salt must be brought into close contact with whatever it is meant to affect if it is to do any good. Christians are the salt of the earth. We must be willing to be rubbed into the decaying carcass of an unregenerate society. Most of us are content to sit on Sunday in our little salt‑shakers, far removed from a needy and lost humanity. A box of garden seeds looks very attractive with its pretty colored packages but those seeds must be emptied from the pretty packages into the dirty earth to die and come up again if we are to have anything to eat. Christians look pretty enough in church on Sunday morning but "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. ." (John 12:24). George Barna alludes to another potential source of tasteless salt noting that four out of ten people who call themselves evangelical Christians don't believe there is such a thing as absolute truth. Barna concludes "That's the heart of the problem we're struggling with. Think about the implications for evangelism, personal spiritual growth, and having a church that really is the salt and the light. It's pretty frightening." Vance Havner has some salty words on how to be salty Christians (keeping in mind that the primary function of salt in Jesus' day was preservation and which undoubtedly was His main meaning, although it does not preclude some of these other nuances of significance - the danger with metaphors is that we take them further than God intended, so keep that in mind as you read this and any commentary on the meaning of "salty Christians")… It might have seemed ridiculous to a casual bystander for Jesus to say to a handful of ordinary men, "You are the salt of the earth and I am sending you out to permeate and infiltrate and season the whole world." Yet that little band, that pinch of salt, started something that has survived the centuries and changed the history of mankind. Our Lord used the simplest figures of speech. Nothing is plainer, more universal and old‑fashioned than salt. It is such a common commodity that we take it for granted, but if suddenly no salt could be had, what a difference that would make! What would life be without salt! A little boy said, "Salt is what tastes bad when you don't have it." Christians are the salt of the earth and we ought to make a difference. 1. Salt has a seasoning influence. There ought to be a flavor, a tang, a relish, and a zest about us Christians. Someone has said that our main trouble today is not that our doctrine is false, but that our experience is flat. 2. Salt preserves. Civilization has been saved from destruction by the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit in Christians. Salt prevents decay and restrains corruption. One godly person in a group will restrain evil conversation. 3. Salt purifies and cleanses. The best gargle for a sore throat is plain salt water. The church of Jesus Christ has had a purifying influence wherever it has gone. You may think that your community is in a bad state, but take out the church and you would not want to live there. 4. Salt heals. Lives are changed, souls saved, homes rescued from disaster, broken hearts mended, sorrows eased, burdens lifted, sick bodies and minds made well because of the antiseptic and therapeutic power of the Holy Spirit working through God's people, the salt of the earth. 5. Salt creates thirst. God's people should develop in the hearts of men a desire to know God. We ought so to live that others would want the peace and joy they see in us. Does anybody want to be a Christian like you? The best argument for Christianity is a Christian. 6. Salt irritates. When the salt of God's truth is rubbed into this diseased old world, sick souls may smart. When the light is turned on, some will wince. The devil hates the Gospel and fights back… We are not the sugar of the earth‑nor the vinegar‑but we are salt and we will not be welcomed by a generation full of wounds, bruises and putrefying sores. We need to get into the salt business and we must start with a few. This is God's program today. It sounds old‑fashioned, but salt is old‑fashioned, sin is old‑fashioned and so is the Gospel. We have been tickling palates with fancy flavors, spicy relishes, and clever recipes borrowed from the world. Too many pulpit gourmets and theological epicures with menus from Hollywood are trying to please the jaded appetites of a fed up humanity. We need old‑fashioned salt, and if we do not start producing more of it in our churches, we shall be good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. Albert George Butzer said "Some Christians are not only like salt that has lost its savor, but like pepper that has lost its pep." Does God Ever Restore One's Saltiness? Kent
Lucas 14
Johnson - Luke 14 has been dubbed, “Table Talks of our Lord” because our Lord teaches some great lessons around a table. 1. In Luke 14:1-6 the Table Talk deals with Hypocrisy. 2. The second Table Talk Concerns Humility in Luke 14:7-11. 3. The next Table Talk is in Luke 14:12-14 and deals with Hospitality. 4. This last Table Talk is found in Luke 14:15-24 and the lesson is on Hesitancy Pharisees (5330)(pharisaios) is transliterated from the Hebrew parash (06567 - to separate) from Aramaic word peras (06537) ("Peres" in Da 5:28+), signifying to separate, owing to a different manner of life from that of the general public. Pharisees were a strict, legalistic, religious party that arose after Jewish exiles returned from Babylon. They called for a separation from paganism and a return to a strict adherence to the Old Testament law. The Pharisees had no interest in politics (unlike the Sadducees and the Zealots), nor were they mystics (unlike the Essenes). In contrast to the Sadducees, who were mostly wealthy priests or Levites, the Pharisees were laymen, and generally came from the middle class. They were very popular and highly respected among the masses during the time of Christ. Jewish historian Josephus records that there were about 6,000 at the time of Herod the Great. Because of their popularity, the Sadducees usually had to submit to their decisions or else evoke the wrath of the people (Josephus Antiquities 18.1.4).
Lucas 14
Johnson - Jesus is going to give a lesson on humility as He talks about the problem of pride. Pride is basically the attitude that says, “I'm the center of my universe.” Let me mention two things that makes pride such a problem. A. Pride is hard to recognize in yourself. The Dutch painter, Bosh, painted a picture of each of the Seven Deadly Sins on the Catholic list. For the sin of Pride, he painted the picture of a woman looking at her face in a mirror held by the devil. To help us to determine how much pride we are carrying, I ran across a test called the P. Q. (Pride Quotient) Test. If you want to see what your P. Q. is, just answer “Yes” or “No) if any of these statements applies to you: 1. I enjoy being the center of attention. 2. I think I deserve the best. 3. Much of my conversation is filled with “I”. 4. I find it difficult to admit that I'm wrong. 5. I seldom pass a mirror without looking at myself. 6. I'm stubborn – I don't like to be corrected or challenged. 7. My feelings are easily hurt. 8. I am impatient with other people's mistakes. 9. I don't get enough appreciation for all I do. 10. I'm offended if I render a service and don't receive a “Thank You.” 11. I seldom ask for help, because I can do the job better myself. If you have one or more “Yes” answers, it reveals the presence of Pride in your life. If you don't have any “Yes” answers, it simply reveals you are lying to yourself about yourself. Pride is hard to see in ourselves, but we can easily see it in others. Another problem with Pride is: B. It leads to Ruin Proverbs 16:18: Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” The best way to guarantee you'll fall is to let pride take over your life. I heard a funny story about a frog that wanted to go South with the birds for the winter. It was too far to hop and he couldn't fly, so he thought about it and came up with a solution. He got a couple of his bird friends to hold each end of a stick in their beaks and then the little frog clamped down on the center of the stick with his mouth. The birds took off and the frog was hanging from the stick they were carrying in their mouths. They flew over a couple of farmers who observed the scene. One farmer said to the other, “What a brilliant idea! Whoever came up with that idea is a genius. I guess it was one of those birds who had the idea!” When the frog heard that, he just couldn't let the birds get the credit for his good idea, so he said, “I … I … I” as he fell to the ground. The moral of that story is: If someone else gets the credit for your good idea, just keep your mouth closed. You don't find a lot of people who are asking the question, “How can I be more humble?” IV. The Summary Luke 14:12-14 True humility is revealed by how we treat others. It is the old formula for joy. JOY which is JESUS first, OTHERS second, and YOURSELF third. It is pride that makes you want to rush to get the best seats at the table. It is pride that makes you rush to the front of the line so you can eat before anyone else. Pride keeps “I” at the center of the universe and it's constantly looking out for No. 1. Humility has replaced “I” with “Christ,” and Jesus Christ was the most humble man who ever lived. See Philippians 2:3-5. The rest of the passage tells how far Jesus humbled Himself – even to die on the cross. And what did God the Father do? See Philippians 2:5-11. May God teach us to humble ourselves and treat others with kindness and respect. We aren't Rednecks, but we are country folks and I think of our church as a country church. I read a similar list the other day. It says, “You know you go to a country church if …” 1. “The church votes not to buy a chandelier because nobody knows how to play one.” 2. “The opening day of deer season is a church holiday.” 3. “A member request to be buried in his 4-wheel drive truck because 'It ain't never been in a hole it can't get out of.'” 4. “Folks think the 'Rapture' is what you get from lifting something too heavy.” 5. “The pastor asks 'Bubba' to take up the offering and five guys and two women stand up.” Radical And Upside-Down Read: Luke 14:7-14 There are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last. —Luke 13:30 The values of the kingdom that Jesus came to establish were radically different than those of His day. The Pharisees and teachers of the law clamored for the spotlight and sought the adulation of the crowds. Many of us still do this today. In Luke 14, Jesus told a parable that taught His followers not to be like that. The parable talks about people who chose the most honored seat for themselves at a wedding feast (Lk 14:7-8). He said they would be embarrassed when the host asked them publicly to take their rightful place (Lk 14:9). Jesus went on in His story to talk about whom to invite to such dinners. He said they shouldn’t invite friends and family, but “when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you” (Lk 14:13-14). Blessed Savior, make me humble, "Take away my sinful pride; In myself I’m sure to stumble, Help me stay close by Your side. " —D. De Haan In Christ’s kingdom, humility trumps pride every time. Humility's Reward Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. —Luke 14:11 A small western college was struggling financially. The buildings were shabby, and staff salaries were meager. A stranger visited the campus one day and asked a man who was washing a wall where he could find the president. “I think you can see him at his house at noon,” was the reply. The visitor went as directed and met the president, whom he recognized as the same man who was scrubbing a wall earlier in the day, though he was now in different clothes. Later that same week, a letter came with a gift of $50,000 for the college. The spirit of service on the part of the president had made a positive impression on the visitor. Because the benefactor saw a man who was not too proud to help where needed, even though it involved what some might term a menial task, he was moved to contribute generously to the school. The lesson is clear. God rewards those who take a lowly place. The Savior Himself set the pattern by becoming man and giving His life for us (Phil. 2:3-11). God often uses lowly ones His purpose to fulfill, Because it takes a humble heart To carry out His will. —DJD True service is love in working clothes. Illustration - A man who had just been elected to the British Parliament brought his family to London and was giving them a tour of the city. When they entered Westminster Abbey, his eight-year-old daughter seemed awe-struck by the size and beauty of that magnificent structure. Her proud father, curious about what was going on in her mind, asked, "And what, my child, are you thinking about?" She replied, "Daddy, I was just thinking about how big you are in our house, but how small you look here!" Pride can creep into our lives without our awareness. From time to time it's good for us to be "cut down to size." We need to be reminded not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think (Ro 12:3-note, cf Php 2:3-5-note). It's easy to become proud when we stay in our own circles of life. But when we are thrust into larger situations, with increased demands, pressures, and competition, we come to the shocking realization that "big fish in small ponds" shrink quickly in a large ocean. One thing that stands out in the Word of God is that the Lord despises the haughty. Under inspiration the psalmist said, "One who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure" (Psalm 101:5-note) . And James said, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6-note). Mattoon - In the history of American figure skating, we find a classic example of someone who lost face in the fuss to be first. According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia, on January 6, 1994, Nancy Kerrigan was attacked during a practice session for the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. Nancy was a contender for the championship. The attack was plotted by the husband and body guard of Tonya Harding, another girl competing in the skating championship. These two men hired a man to break Nancy Kerrigan's right leg so that she would be unable to skate in the competition. Shane Stant hit Nancy with a police baton on the thigh, but did not break the leg. It was, however, seriously bruised. She was unable to compete in the championship in Detroit and Tonya ended up winning it. Tonya and Nancy were both picked for the 1994 Olympic Skating team. When Tonya's husband's connection to the attack was discovered, Tonya admitted to helping cover up the attack. Tonya Harding avoided further prosecution and a possible jail sentence by pleading guilty to conspiring to hinder prosecution of the attackers. She received three years probation, 500 hours of community service and a $160,000 fine. As part of the plea bargain, Harding was also forced to withdraw from the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships and resign from the United States Figure Skating Association. She was stripped of her 1994 title and was banned for life from participating in USFSA events as a skater or coach. In the professional skating circuit, she found that few skaters and promoters would work with her. She was totally disgraced. She lost face in the fuss to be first. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. If honor is a big deal to you, then seek the honor of God in your life. If You Seek God's Honor 1. Desire to Obey His Word 2. Determine to Honor and Glorify God in Your Life 3. Disdain Sin in Your Heart 4. Discern Your Weaknesses and God's Greatness 5. Determine to be Available to the Lord 6. Do Your Best Always 7. Dependency on the Lord should be Practiced Each Day 8. Dedicate Yourself to Serving Him Don't lose your face in the fuss to be first. (Treasures from the Scriptures) Luke 14:12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. KJV Luke 14:12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends Lk 1:53; Pr 14:20; 22:16; James 2:1-6 and that will be your repayment 6:32-36; Zech 7:5-7; Mt 5:46; 6:1-4,16-18 Luke 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 14:1-14 Jesus the Confronter - Steven Cole Luke 14:7-14 Humbling the Exalted--Exalting the Humble - John MacArthur JESUS CONTINUES TO REBUKE THEIR SINFUL PRIDE And He also went on to say to the one who had invited (kaleo) Him - Referring to His host, the leader of the Pharisees in Lk 14:1+. Warren