Category Archives: Luke

Guess Who Came To Dinner?

As Jesus prepared to eat, the Bible says “they watched him”. Jesus has walked into a trap. The Pharisees invited Jesus to eat, but they also invited a man with dropsy to the same meal. In the earlier part of His ministry, Jesus entered the synagogue,

Mark 3:1-2 …. and thee was a man which had a withered hand. 2 And “they watched him”, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath day …

They watched Jesus. In the earlier healing on the Sabbath in the synagogue, Jesus asked the man with the withered hand to “Rise up, and stand forth in the midst {of the Pharisees}” (Luke 6:8). Jesus challenged the Pharisees… Continue reading

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Spiritual Battle Needs Committed Warriors

All of these people who followed Jesus, followed for different reasons.

Some believed He was Messiah, and followed Him.
Others believed He would liberate Israel, and followed Him.
Some had infirmities they wanted healed, so they followed.
Others were just curious, and wanted to see something entertaining.

Jesus is in a position that many pastors I know would want to be in. I remember reading a book a few years ago where a certain pastor “opened for Bono”, and bragged about the large crowds. Many, many pastors and Churches would be thrilled to have packed services! But Jesus turns, and rather than encouraging the crowds throws a pitcher of cold water on it.

“If you come to Me, You must love Me much more than you love your closest relatives. You must MISEO, “Hate” those closest to you. I demand your fullest love!”

When Jesus uses the word “hate” here, He does not mean… Continue reading

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A Life Well Lived

Please turn with me in your Bibles to Luke Chapter 2.

Every Christmas we as Christians focus on the Baby Jesus in the manger, the Shepherds who came to see the Child, the Wise Men traveling to Bethlehem, a virgin named Mary and Joseph her betrothed. We think about the original Grinch, King Herod, who not only hated Jesus (though He was but a toddler), but was evil enough to order the assassination of all the children in Bethlehem. Yet God was faithful, is faithful, and will always be faithful.

While we focus on the various elements of the Christmas story, others focus on anything but that. Many contemplate and follow through on suicide, as the holiday season brings increased sadness to those who have lost loved… Continue reading

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And It Came To Pass

I have heard people describe 2020 as “a dumpster fire” … Continue reading

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What Love Is

What does love look like? Everyone wants love. The bulk of most songs we hear deal with love, and relationships. Years ago when I was young, one of the groups I listened to called Foreigner did a song entitled “I Want To Know What Love Is”. In the chorus of that song the group said:

I want to know what love is, I want you to show me
I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me

There is Someone Who can show us what love is. We all need love, and need to love. We see what love is in the true story of our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth. Let’s look at this recounting one more time. Continue reading

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You’re Only Valuable When You’re Where You’re Supposed To Be

I want to start this sermon tonight with a title God has put on my heart. The title explains the sermon, and the teaching you’ll hear and, I hope, respond to. The title of this sermon is:

You’re Only Valuable When You’re
Where You’re Supposed To Be

Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 15. When you study the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), it is helpful to have a Gospel Parallel. You can usually find them online. The Gospel Parallel will show what is in each Gospel compared to the other Gospels. For instance, in Luke 15 my Gospel Parallel shows me that – of the three parables Jesus uses in Luke – only one of these parables is found in the other Gospels. This is the Parable of the Lost Sheep. The Parable of the Lost Sheep is found in Matthew 18:12-14 and in our text of Luke 15:4-7. But Matthew doesn’t tell us WHY… Continue reading

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Jesus Is Known In The Breaking Of Bread (A Communion Message)

In the last chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Luke 24, the blessed physician tells us what happened “on the first day, very early in the morning” (Luke 24:1), on the third day following Jesus’ death and burial. The women did not find the soldiers who were guarding the Tomb of Jesus – they were not there. The women found “the stone rolled away from the grave” (Luke 24:2). Two shining Witnesses at the Tomb speak to the women:

Luke 24:5-7 Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified Continue reading

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What Shall I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?

God had put a parable on my heart to preach this week, a parable found in Luke chapter 10. This parable has often been called “The Parable Of The Good Samaritan”. That’s a bad title because of the word “Good”. Our Lord Jesus said in:

Matthew 19:17 … there is none good but One, that is, God … (see also Mark 10:18)

“Good” is a word we like to over use. When someone dies, the pastor says “He was a GOOD man” or “She was a GOOD woman”. There are none that are good when compared to God. An oft quoted text is:

Romans 3:10-12 as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Jesus never called this Samaritan “good”, though Jesus uses this Samaritan to describe what loving your neighbor is all about. Let’s look at our text. Continue reading

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First Cry From A Bloody Pulpit

They part His clothing, and cast dice for it. Jesus is on the hill of Golgotha, the hill of punishment, making payment for their sins. But the soldiers, dotted with Christ’s blood, are unconcerned. A poor man’s clothing is more to them than what Christ is doing. Oh, do not be too quick to judge these men, for many of us are the same. We love things more than God. We love stuff, more than the Creator. What shall it profit a person, if you gain the whole world… Continue reading

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Resurrection Changes Everything

Christians disagree on many different things. As we study God’s Word we often have different interpretations of different texts. Sometimes these disagreements are so severe (or so we think) that we have divided ourselves up into what we call “denominations” (and don’t fool yourself – a “non-denominational” church is still a “denomination”). Christians even disagree about the day that Christ was crucified. Many believe that the Lord was crucified on “Good Friday”. Others, like me, disagree. I do not see how Jesus could have been crucified and Friday, and resurrect on Sunday, and yet His direct statement be true … Continue reading

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