Rich or Poor (Luke 19:1-10)

Rich or Poor

• Luke 19:1
• Luke 19:2
• Luke 19:3
• Luke 19:4
• Luke 19:5
• Luke 19:6
• Luke 19:7
• Luke 19:8
• Luke 19:9
• Luke 19:10

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In the previous chapter we see the story of the rich ruler who obeyed the law yet would not obey Jesus when it came to selling everything he owned, we then heard the story of the blind beggar, who desperately cried out to Jesus and was healed, and now we have the story of a rich tax collector, Zacchaeus.

With the rich ruler Jesus described the difficulty of the rich entering the kingdom of God and the disciples asking who then can really get saved? Jesus responded what is impossible with man is possible with God. God has no limits! He can reach anyone!

The problem with the rich ruler was He was not seeking Jesus, He was seeking to be justified by His good works. Many today believe they are going to heaven because they are a good person. One seeks God because they realize they need Him! As long as one is teachable they are reachable, this is what we see with Zacchaeus. He didn't let his bad image and short-comings get in the way! The bible says "those who seek Him will find Him" and "if you draw near to God He draws near to You." There are no requirements to meet Jesus but seeking Him, no matter one's past, no matter one's background, those whom seek Him, find Him.

In my small community, growing up, the Christians were looked down as low class, hypocritical, phonies. When I got saved it was one thing to say I was a Christian but to be identified with the local church was a completely unacceptable social norm. I was ostracized by most of my "so called" friends and had to build brand new relationships with the outcasts of the community. Jesus does not care about our image all He wants is that His image be seen in us.

It takes brokenness and humility to seek God, such as Zacchaeus, and it is these that Jesus will have fellowship with and therefore transform. Zacchaeus after his encounter with Jesus, repented of his ways by getting right with God and with man, returning to each one the lawful requirement four times what he stole.

We don't look for something unless we know it is lost, until we realize we are lost without God, knowing Him personally will never be found.

Are You Desperate? (Luke 18:35-43)

Are You Desperate?

• Luke 18:35
• Luke 18:36
• Luke 18:37
• Luke 18:38
• Luke 18:39
• Luke 18:40
• Luke 18:41
• Luke 18:42
• Luke 18:43

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In my natural eye I am drawn to people whom look good, dress nice, and walk confidently. Many of these folks are often full of pride and not desperate enough to truly seek God. So ministering to them would have little to no life changing effect. Often, it is those that look a mess who are desperate enough to cry out to God. It is those who have had enough of living on their own, who are tired of being blind, that their hearts have now been opened to receive Christ, in His fullness.

Jesus here in Luke 18:35-43, heard the blind beggar shouting "have mercy on me!" "Shut up!" the people yelled at him. Though he was shunned by man, Jesus heard his plea, and responded by healing him.

It is the cry of desperation that God responds too. We must remain in a place of desperation to remain continually connected to Him. We must daily acknowledge our need for Him, like a child clings to their parents when afraid we must cling to God with holy fear of the consequence of living apart from Him.

This blind beggar became undignified before Jesus, He didn't care what others thought, He wanted Jesus attention and shouted loud enough to make sure. Why do we think we can ever arrive in a place where we are too dignified to cry out to God? Is it only when our circumstances are drastic enough, why can't we see that every day no matter our circumstances we need Him.

God is not just a rope we grab a hold of when drowning but He is our lifeline every day. Only in Him do we have life, apart from Him we are nothing. Often we are bewitched to believe our nothing is really something that our good works really matter to the world. God alone is the author of life and only when we are filled with Him do we have any good to give away.

We need to forget about pleasing man, and truly worship God, undignified, with a desperate cry for Him. It is those that come to Him hungry and thirsty that are given food (word) and drink (spirit). We must realize that we are all blind unless He allows us to see. The bible says the pure in heart see God. When we cry out to God, He comes like the rain, cleanses us from our sin and clothes us in His righteousness. Then and only then can we see as He sees and not be blind to the true reality of the spiritual world all around.

When Jesus touches us like the blind man in Luke 18:35-43 we live in a continual place of Praise because we see God in everything and therefore we can count all things as good.

Not Understood!

NOT UNDERSTOOD!

• Luke 18:31-34(NLT)

Have you ever shared your heart and not been understood? If so, like me, you probably get real frustrated. Explaining just some times makes what we're trying to say even more confusing. Well, welcome to the world of Jesus He often was misunderstood or not understood at all. Much of what He said did not make sense to His listeners, it was rather confusing. We got to remember we are just the messenger, God is suppose to be the author of what we speak.

Have you ever had dreams that don't make sense, then at sometime in life you experience something and feel like you somehow experienced it before. See some dreams are God's way of preparing us inwardly for something that is going to happen outwardly.

Knowing this, can we now understand that God may speak something to us that doesn't make sense now but will when we're going through it. That we might be used by God to prepare the heart's of others even though their mind's may not yet grasp what we are saying.

Such is the case here in Luke 18:31-34, Jesus takes his disciples to the side and predicts his death. They could not get it, they were having the time of their life, seeing miracles, signs, and wonders, their insignificant lives now had meaning. Jesus was drawing crowds of people, He was suddenly popular and they were in His "in crowd", so they were completely blinded to what He said.

In our pride we want people to understand us, we want to make sense, because we want people to hold us in high regard. Jesus had no reputation, He was an instrument of God, He did not have to understand His Father's will, or to try to explain it, He was just obedient. We must humble ourselves and follow His example and then He can use us to prepare the way.

How Good Are You Really? (Luke 18:18-30)

Good and God does not mean it is the same thing.  There are many who do good yet do not know God and their are many who do know God but their good is not God.  God's goodness is seen when we are abiding in Christ for it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.  But, we must be able to recognize that choosing good is not the same as choosing God.  We must choose God for anything to come forth that is truly good.  

We see in this passage a rich ruler referring to Jesus as "Good teacher", Jesus himself said none is good but God alone.  I expect that this ruler considered himself a really good person.  Jesus went down the list of all the commandments and this ruler claimed to have obeyed them all.  Expecting Jesus to now speak highly of his good works the rich ruler was surprised to hear Jesus say you still lack one thing.  Sell everything you have and give to the poor, then come and follow me.  This is something the ruler could not do!  

We can think we are so good compared to others, but our righteousness is as filthy rags compared to God's righteousness.  So how good are we really?  Until we can answer not really good at all, God cannot use us.  This ruler was good only to the point where he could remain comfortable.  It was not bad that he had a lot of money it was bad that the money ruled him.  That is why Jesus said "it is harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  See to commit our lives to Jesus takes surrender, we must be willing to let go of it all.  When we are in a place of being comfortable and not needy we tend to feel fine on our own.  It is in a place of brokenness that the majority of us find God.  

In a nation that embraces being comfortable and is prosperous compared to most, as verse 26 says "who than can be saved?"  Jesus replied "what is impossible with man is possible with God."  God has a way of breaking us and bringing us back to Himself, this Nation I believe is in this time as we see with the economic collapse, natural disasters, terrorist threats, moral decline, etc.  

The disciples said "that they unlike the ruler have left everything to follow Him."  Jesus responds that those whom sacrifice for the Kingdom of God will receive many times more in this life and the life to come."  For the bible says "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you."  Once we get to the point that nothing has a hold on us then God can give us anything and it won't become an attachment but we will use it for His purposes.  It is sad that much of what God has given us we take and use for our own gain.  

Can we unlike the ruler let go of anything that God asks of us, or are we bound in our own good works?

Children's Ministry

Children's Ministry

• Luke 18:15
• Luke 18:16
• Luke 18:17

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I sometimes get annoyed by children when ministering to others, they can be so distracting and such a burden. I so often just put my kids to the side during church events as if they were insignificant. It seems like many ministries emphasize every ministry above ministering to children.

At the same time I can get so frustrated with adults and their inconsistencies and hardness of heart. So much energy is spent and it seems like little to no change. 

We see here in Luke 18:15-17, "that infants were brought to Jesus to be touched and the disciples rebuked them and Jesus said to them, no, let the children come to me for such is the kingdom of God. Only those who receive the kingdom of God like a child can enter in."

The older we get without the Lord the more we lose our innocence and the harder we are to reach and even if reached the harder we are to change. Nothing though is impossible with God.

Scientifically it is understood that the beginning ages up to like six years old are the most important in shaping someone for life. Our primary ministry besides ministry to God and our spouse should be to children. If we want to change the world our hope is with children. In a culture that likes instant gratification this might not satisfy, but long term it is the only way to see true transformation. That is why revivals come and go because adults are so inconsistent but change a child and they change the world.

If we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit and not just trying to please man, we won't ignore children and put them to the side, but we will include them, celebrate them, and pour the life of Christ into them. If we are dissatisfied with the church then we need to minister to children and watch how things will change from one generation to the next, in Jesus Name.

Self Confidence/Christ Confidence (Luke 18:9-14)

Self Confidence/Christ Confidence

• Luke 18:9

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Before I was a believer life was all about constantly comparing myself with others trying to be the top dog. My worth was seen by being great at something. Being good in sports kept me somewhat in the "in crowd." Those whom were not good at the things that "mattered" were ridiculed, made fun of, and kept apart from the activities of the so called "cool."

It's so easy to forget where we came from, but as soon as we become high minded and begin judging others God quickly reminds us that we are not far away from our fallen state.

In our spiritual nature their is no pride, arrogance, envy, etc. This is our flesh, so when we are not in the spirit and yet are operating as Christians we become carnal Christians we think and act no different than the world. The sad thing is we as leaders have a higher standard yet many walk in carnal ways. We can be so full of pride and behave so judgmental.

When we are in the Spirit we are much more patient with people and we show loving kindness, we see people not as they are but who they are in Christ. We love unconditionally and go out of our way to show mercy and grace. The moment we start thinking negative about others we need to take a step back and pray in tongues, build up our spirit man, before we start tearing people down (ministry of accusation) rather than lifting people up (ministry of reconciliation).

We feel better about ourselves when in comparison we seem far ahead religiously than others. Yet, that attitude comes from a religious spirit and not the Spirit of God as seen in Luke 18:9-14 "The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector." The Pharisee like any of us who compare ourselves with others are insecure, not satisfied in whom we are individually.

God is trying to bring us to the place where we are satisfied in Christ alone, not in our works, but simply in His presence. God delights in a broken and contrite spirit as we see with the tax collector who in humility cried out for mercy rather than the Pharisee who approached God in religious pride. As it says in vs. 14 those who humble themselves will be exalted. God is exalted in our humility, we allow Him to rule and reign in us and therefore His Glory is manifested. Our pride is to be in Christ alone, not self-confidence but Christ confidence.

Breathing Through Resistance (Luke 18:1-7)

Breaking Through Resistance

• Luke 18:1

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If you are like myself you start things that you don't always finish. Being in a complex culture with all it's distractions, it's easy to lose focus and change passions.

To see a work through it takes discipline and endurance, being stedfast and unmovable which takes being in continual prayer. I am easily moved from one project to the next because of not being in the counsel of the Lord. God is faithful, what He has started He promises to complete. John 15 describes the Lord as the gardener, we must allow Him to dictate what He plants and what He prunes away. When we neglect prayer weeds grow and choke what has grown to the point of death. For a plant to grow so it can produce fruit, daily nourishment is required. All God's works are for the purpose of harvest we must not settle for less, or we have failed, and our God is not a failure. 

We are working to build God's Kingdom while the enemy is working to tear it down. There is a spiritual battle raging that can only be won in the spirit through consistent prayer. The enemy is not going to just lay down and let us walk over him, it is a fight, when we pray with faith not wavering we break through resistance. The culture dictates our actions when we are under it's cloud, we must daily wait upon the Lord, renewing our strength, maintaining a heavenly perspective, or we will be persuaded by the spirits of the world to operate as it does.

So at is says in Luke 18:1 "men always ought to pray and not lose heart."

We lose heart when things don't develop as originally planned. America is the land of instant gratification, we expect to get what we want when we want it. Well the bible does say ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. It also says we have not because we ask not or we are asking with the wrong motive. So first of all what we are asking has to be aligned with His will, then we must keep asking as we see through the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:2-7, until we have what was promised. The parable gave the example that if a judge who does not fear God responds to the continual cry of the widow how much more will God respond to us who cry night and day. Our faithfulness to prayer will determine whether a work is processed to completion or aborted along the way.

When we know our prayers are according to God's will then we know we don't have to persuade Him, for His spirit led us what to pray, therefore it is will to answer our prayer. Each time we approach God by faith we pull answered prayer nearer. Why the delay? Spiritual warfare! The enemy counters our prayers with opposition we break through the opposition by continual prayer. If we waver in faith then the wall between prayer being answered thickens. Our confession will determine our profession, what we speak is what we will have.

So I have learned that when God gives me an assignment I must continue to lift it before Him or opposition will prevail, and what was started won't be completed. Now what God starts He does continually change, things don't remain the same, as we grow, His assignments for us grow along with it. So to expect a work to look the same year after year is not God. The ball never drops when we place it in His hands and remain the vessel He carries it with. So the form of His work may change but He never leaves something that He started incomplete.