Sermon Summary

The purpose of this Ministry is to Spread the word of God to any and all that will listen. I will try very hard to plant the seed of God in your hearts, provide you with the knowledge to nurture that seed thru prayer, Bible Study and fellowship so that it can grow, so that in time that seed will mature and you will be saved and re-born so that you can have the greatest gift of God’s Love, Everlasting Life.

Let Us Pray

Lord, in Heaven, the creator of all Each and every day is a struggle against sin and temptation.

Give us the strength to overcome cruelty with grace and hatered with love.

God remind us that our actions matter.

We do not fight a physical battle, but a spiritual one and with each act of compassion

We build your kingdom.

Help us be kingdom builders today.

Thru Jesus Christ we pray

AMEN

Todays Message

The Message Nobody Wants To Hear Part 2

We have been looking at the Book of Luke

Last weeks message entitled, "The Message Nobody Wants To Hear." It is entitled this because in our text last week, which was Luke 12:49-56, and in our text this week Jesus speaks about the judgment of God i.e. the punishment for sins. This is a subject that many would rather not hear about and thus the title. Now let’s go to our text for today.

Make Peace with Your Adversary

Luke 12:57 “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?⁵⁸ When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”

Luke 13-9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.”

On May 18, 1902 a storm with devastating tornadoes ripped through Goliad, Texas taking 114 lives, 40 as they sat in a church service. Many other storms followed in the first half the century.

Things are better now because by the 1950’s, Air Force meteorologists began to understand how tornadoes were formed. Within a few years, warning systems were set up. Storm chasers, Doppler radar, television and radio crews warn us of approaching danger. Sirens blast. People have time to take cover.

Warnings are only good if they are responded too appropriately. Since the 1950’s there have been several killer tornadoes but with ample warning times, but many people have still died because they have chosen to ignore these warnings and continue life as usual, with tragic results.

Last week we saw that Jesus was very straightforward in warning us that judgment was coming. In fact this was one of the main message of Luke 12: 49-56.

I. We Need To Recognize That Judgment Is Coming.

I hope that all of us will accept and recognize that judgment is coming. It is a reality, but recognizing a warning is only the first thing that needs to be done. We must also respond to that warning appropriately if the warning is to do any good. The previous story concerning the tornadoes illustrates this truth. Warnings must be heeded to be effective! Jesus has given us a serious warning about the Judgment that is coming so now the question is, “How should we respond to this warning?” The answer to that question is what Luke 12:57 and 13:9 is about. The basic message of these verses is this:

II. We Need To Repent Because Judgment Is Coming.

In fact Jesus gives us three specific reasons why people need to repent in consideration of the coming Judgment. Before I begin to share and explain these three reasons for repentance, I need to explain what repentance is and is not.

Repent and repentance are words you find quite often in the Bible and hear in church services but not everyone understands the true meaning of repentance. Repentance just means to make an “about-face” or a U-turn. It means to stop going one way and start going another way. In biblical settings it means to stop doing wrong and start doing right. Repentance involves real change; a change in the way you think and a change in the way you live! Repentance is not just acknowledging wrongdoing or feeling remorse/sorrow and for your sins. This fall far short of genuine repentance, which is a real commitment to change and to go in another direction.

Several years ago the Peanuts comic strip had Lucy and Charlie Brown practicing football. Lucy would hold the ball for Charlie’s placekicking and then Charlie would kick the ball. But every time Lucy had ever held the ball for Charlie, he would approach the ball and kick with all his might. At the precise moment of the point of no return, Lucy would pick up the ball and Charlie would kick and his momentum unchecked by the ball, which was not there to kick, would cause him to fall flat on his back. This strip opened with Lucy holding the ball, but Charlie Brown would not kick the ball. Lucy begged him to kick the ball. But Charlie Brown said, "Every time I try to kick the ball you remove it and I fall on my back." They went back and forth for the longest time and finally Lucy broke down in tears and admitted, "Charlie Brown I have been so terrible to you over the years, picking up the football like I have. I have played so many cruel tricks on you, but I’ve seen the error of my ways! I’ve seen the hurt look in your eyes when I’ve deceived you. I’ve been wrong, so wrong. Won’t you give a poor penitent girl another chance?" Charlie Brown was moved by her display of grief and responded to her, "Of course, I’ll give you another chance." He stepped back as she held the ball, and he ran. At the last moment, Lucy picked up the ball and Charlie Brown fell flat on his back. Lucy’s last words were, "Recognizing your faults and actually changing your ways are two different things, Charlie Brown!"

Repentance isn’t just recognizing your faults; it is also changing your ways, with God’s help. This is an important distinction because Jesus said, "Unless you repent you too will perish."(Luke 13:3,5 ³ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Jesus was referring to more than sorrow or confession of wrongdoing. He was saying that there must be a commitment to change your direction or you will perish. Having established an accurate definition of repentance we can now look at the first reason Jesus gives us that we should repent of anything in our lives that is not right.

First: We Should Repent Today Because It Is A Wise Decision.

Luke 12:57-59 ⁵⁷ “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?⁵⁸ When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”

Jesus is saying here that repenting is the smart thing to do. It is the wise choice to make. He starts off by saying, "Why don’t you judge for yourself what is right?" In other words, why don’t you decide what the best and wisest course of action is? When you consider that the signs already point to the fact that Judgment is coming, doesn’t it only makes sense to get things straight with God now! Isn’t the smart thing to do to be reconciled? Wouldn’t it be prudent to make your peace with God today?

When I was in the Army I was not living as a Christian. When you are not living as a Christian you do some pretty stupid things and I was no exception. Shortly before my discharge some friends and I decided to celebrate by having a few drinks. A few drinks soon turned into many drinks and I became drunk. You tend to do stupid things when you are drunk and again I was no exception. After using the men’s room facility in the barracks, I decided that it would be a good idea to punch the bathroom wall. Who knows why? So in front of several witnesses I punched the wall and, because it was dry wall, it left a huge hole!

When I sobered up the next morning I realized that I was in huge trouble because I was guilty of damaging Government property and eventually the First Sergeant was going to see that hole. The Day of Judgment was coming for me. I had a choice to make: I could do nothing and hope for the best, I could deny my culpability but it was soon become obvious that I was guilty or I could go to my First Sergeant and confess my wrong, lay out my plans for repairing the wall and commit to never doing that again i.e. I could repent. What would be the wise choice? To repent! That’s the decision I made and because of that I was forgiven and did not need to fear the day of my Sergeant’s judgment. This is what Jesus is saying to us in regard to the real Day of Judgment that is coming.

First: We Should Repent Today Because It Is A Wise Decision.

Jesus illustrates this point further in verses 58, 59 by using the analogy of a person being sued for unpaid debts in the Court. The magistrate is the judge and the adversary is the plaintiff. In that day and time you’d be placed in a debtor’s prison for unpaid debt and you have no possibility of release until the debt was paid. So if you had a legitimate debt you owed to another person the wise decision would be to "try hard to be reconciled to him on the way (to court)." (Luke 12:58) In other words the smart thing to do was to make every effort to set things straight before it was too late and you were dragged off to the judge and to prison!

First: We Should Repent Today Because It Is A Wise Decision.

In verse 59 Jesus again emphasizes the wisdom of repenting today because if we wait until the Judgment the debt we owe God will have to be paid in full. As Jesus says, we will have to pay every last penny! The price for sin, if you have not truly repented and committed yourself to Jesus Christ, is eternal separation from God. You can never pay the debt you owe if you wait but Jesus has paid that sin debt for you. His payment of your debt only counts if you repent and place your faith in Him. Now lets look at the second reason Jesus gives us for repenting.

Second: We Should Repent Today Because It Is A Serious Decision.

We see this point emphasized in the next few verses.

Luke 13:1-5 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?³ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Now there were some in the audience that day that did not feel the personal need for repentance; so to them Jesus call to repentance and commitment to Him were not taken seriously. They felt that God looked at them differently and that He only judged those who were “serious sinners.” In fact they brought up one of the incidents in which they felt God had judged the really bad sinners. In verse 1 they brought up about how some worshippers from Galilee were killed by the Roman leader Pilate, as they were worshiping. They thought that such a terrible tragedy indicated that these Galileans must have been exceedingly guilty sinners.

Jesus knew their thoughts and so rhetorically asked, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners...?" And he answers, "I tell you, No!" He then uses another tragedy of a tower that fell in Jerusalem to express the same point in verse 4. You should not see tragedy as indicative of the sufferers being guiltier than yourself, but rather you should recognize that you are just as guilty and that these things should therefore be a wake up call to each one of us.

Every tragedy should remind us of the need to maintain a right relationship with God and to repent of our sins if we are not right with God. We should treat every tragedy as a second and maybe final chance for us to get our lives in order. Each of us should ask ourselves, "What if it had been me? Would I have been ready to stand before God?”

Jesus went on to say, "Unless you repent you too will all perish!" This is a serious issue because Judgment is not limited to those that we consider to be greater sinners and more guilty than ourselves.

Second: We Should Repent Today Because It Is A Serious Decision.

The word "perish" in verses 3 and 5 does not mean to cease to exist but rather it means to come to complete ruin. In context Jesus is saying that your whole eternity will be ruined and devastated if you do not repent. This is the most serious of issues! But you do not have to perish. One of the best-known Bible verses tells us that specifically. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes (Places their trust and commitment) in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." The choice is yours.

First: We Should Repent Today Because It Is A Wise Decision.

Second: We Should Repent Today Because It Is A Serious Decision.

Third: We Should Repent Today Because It Is An Urgent Decision.

Luke 13:6-9

⁶ He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. ⁷ Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it ^[a]use up the ground?’⁸ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ^{9 [b]}And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”

Jesus is using a parable here to illustrate that we do not have forever to make this decision. There will come a time when the words, "cut it down” (Vs. 9) will be spoken about our lives. The time of Judgment will come. Now is not the time to procrastinate or delay getting right with God. Repentance is an urgent issue!

In the parable of the fig tree planted in the vineyard, the owner of the fig tree is looking for fruit. “Fruit” in this context represents the changed life that comes about as a result of true repentance and a commitment to Jesus. John the Baptist used the same imagery when he said, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Luke 3:8) and Jesus used this same imagery in John 15:2 when He said, “ He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit.” The fig tree often represented Israel so Jesus may be specifically calling for Israel’s repentance and commitment to Him, although the principle applies to all of us.

Third: We Should Repent Today Because It Is An Urgent Decision.

The owner of the vineyard had waited patiently three years for signs of fruit and would not wait much longer. Judgment was very close at hand! God is very patient but you can wait too long even for God. Repentance is an urgent issue because you do not know how much time there is before judgment. If you have things in your life that are not right (Dishonesty, Impurity, Illicit Relationships, Thievery, etc.) then today is the day to repent and begin a changed life in God’s power. Repentance is not something you put on your list of things to do some day. Time is short!

In verse 8 the owner agreed to put some extra effort into the fig tree and to give it one more year but if there were no fruit at that time then they would "cut it down.”(Vs. 9) This is what God may be doing in your life today. He is giving you an opportunity to repent. You are in your" Grace Period " where there’s still time and God is still stirring your heart to get right with Him. He is still working on you but that “grace period” will end someday and Judgment will come if you still have not genuinely repented.

In conclusion over the last two weeks we have learned from God’s Word that …

I. We Need To Recognize That Judgment Is Coming.

II. You Need To Repent Because Judgment Is Coming.

We need to repent Today because that would be the wise choice about such a serious and urgent issue. I hope you will take God’s loving warnings seriously and respond appropriately.

I pray you have ask for God’s forgiveness Today and Everyday.

Because Tomorrow Never Comes.

If you have not yet repented, confessed your sins, and trusted in Christ to save you from God’s wrath, then you don’t know the full extent of Gods’ love yet. John 3:36 says that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” because “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18). I pray that is not you.

I encourage you to pray this prayer with me, but I caution you that saying words alone will not save you. Prayer alone doesn’t save. Only Christ can save. But prayer can be a means of reaching out to the Lord in true saving faith. If you pray these words in faith, Christ will save you. You can be sure of that.

Let Us Pray: Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door of my heart when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your word and desire the Holy Spirit to come into my heart and give me guidance to walk your path to salvation and everlasting life. In Jesus Name I Pray Amen.

Sermon Summary

The purpose of Barefoot Ministry is to Spread the word of God to any and all that will listen. I will try very hard to plant the seed of God in your hearts, provide you with the knowledge to nurture that seed thru prayer, Bible Study and fellowship so that it can grow, so that in time that seed will mature and you will be saved and re-born so that you can have the greatest gift of God’s Love, Everlasting Life.

Let Us Pray

Dear Lord, in Heaven, The creator of all

We look forward to the joys of heaven.

Where there is no more pain, No suffering, No Sickness

God remind us that our actions matter here in this world.

Our actions here on this earth will pave our way to live in your house

Here on earth Each and every day is a struggle against sin and temptation. Give us the strength to overcome cruelty with grace

and hatred with love. Remind us We do not fight a physical battle,

but a spiritual one and with each act of compassion here on earth

We build your Kingdom.

Help us be kingdom builders today and every day.

As a Kingdom builder we will try to plant the seed of the Lord in the hearts of any and all that will listen

Then we will help nourish that seed so it can grow and they too can receive your greatest gift of Love Everlasting Life

Soon We will be done with the troubles of the world

and will be walking down the path we paved with our actions

As Kingdom Builders To live in the house of the Lord forever

Thru Jesus Christ we pray

AMEN

Todays Message is From Luke 13:10-17 On Why Hurting People Can Have Hope.

We are still in the Book of Luke Chapter 13.

Luke 13:10-17

¹⁰ Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹ And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. ¹² But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” ¹³ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

¹⁴ But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

¹⁵ The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? ¹⁶ So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” ¹⁷ And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Bum Phillips, former coach of the Houston Oilers once made the comment, "There are two types of coaches in the NFL: them that have been fired, and them that are gonna be fired." His statements applies to our topic today as well. There are two types of people in the world. Those who have been hurt, and those who will be hurt. We can’t escape it. Neither can we avoid it. At some time or another, we’ll all get hurt. When you make a commitment to follow Christ, you don’t receive an exemption from getting hurt.

Even though all of us will experience hurts, sometimes very deep hurts, in life, we do not have to lose hope. Jesus offers hope to the hurting. Why is there hope for the hurting? Why can you be encouraged even if you are currently enduring a seemingly hopeless situation? This narrative text in Luke shows of three reasons there is hope for the hurting.

I. Jesus Notices And Cares for Hurting People.

II. Jesus Is Powerful Enough To Heal Hurting People.

III. Jesus Explains That Satan, Not God, Is The Cause of Hurting People.

Before I begin to explain and expound these three reasons as they are found in our Scripture text today, I want to briefly explain this woman’s condition. In verse 11 the Bible says that she was crippled, bent over and could not straighten up at all and that she had been this way for eighteen years.

Medically, this disease is probably what physician’s today would call Marie-Strümpell Disease, a fusion of the spinal bones. Early in the course of the disease, sufferers often find that the pain is relieved somewhat when they lean forward. So they often go through the day leaning slightly forward, and gradually their spine begins to fuse. The more they lean in order to relieve the pain, the greater the angle, until a patient might be bent almost double, as the lady in our story.

What a terrible disease! Wreaking havoc on every aspect of her life: physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually, etc. Her hurts and bondage is symbolic of all of our hurts and needs. The way Jesus responded to her hurts is the way we can expect Him to respond to hurting people today. There is hope for the hurting because…

I. Jesus Notices And Cares for Hurting People.

Look at Verses 10-12

¹⁰ Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

¹¹ And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.

¹² But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”

One of the first things I want you to observe in these verses is that Jesus was not indifferent to the hurt, pain and despair this woman was going through. She did not go unnoticed by Jesus. He has an eye for the hurting. He noticed and called to her even though there is no record that she ever approached him. He reached out to her in the midst of her pain because He is aware and concerned with her hurts and all of our hurts.

This was not a typical way to conduct the synagogue service! Jesus response to her was not socially expected or even accepted. Women in that culture were generally thought little of and usually ignored. Why then did Jesus take notice of her and make a point to respond to her need immediately and publicly?

Because Jesus notices and cares for hurting people! He has great compassion on those who are burdened, depressed, overwhelmed, and often ignored by people in general.

Yes, Jesus cares for all people but those who were hurting always seemed to receive special attention and responses from Him. In New Testament times women, lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, and widows were the most oppressed, ignored, hurting, and hopeless of people yet these are the very people to whom Jesus ministered most often and most powerfully.

Why?

I. Jesus Notices And Cares for Hurting People.

You do not ever need to think that Jesus is not aware of your situation or unmoved by your tears. Jesus is not indifferent to or willing to ignore your pain. Some people have an erroneous idea that God does not take personal and emotional interest in us petty humans. This just isn’t the truth. Jesus expressed compassion for the hurting on numerous occasions and He is the perfect expression of God the Father. Through His life we know that God cares deeply for hurting people. You may not understand many things that you are going through or why your prayers go unanswered but you can be confident that God notices and cares about your pain.

We have a Lord who notices the hurting and has compassion on the burdened. As His followers we have the responsibility to do the same! We should not be indifferent to the hurting or unresponsive to the sorrowful and troubled. When we gather we should take the time to give attention, help and sympathy toward those in need. When we pray we should care enough to genuinely pray for those who are hurting, confused, sick or in pain. Hurting people should not be an afterthought in our prayers or our daily lives rather they should be our first priority.

Look at Verses 14,15

¹⁴ But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

¹⁵ The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?

We will come back to verse 12 in a moment but first I want to point out that this text also teaches us that Jesus expects us to have the same attitude of compassion toward the hurting as He does. In these two verses we see that Jesus rebuked those who ignored hurting people. This religious leader was more focused on religious rules and maintaining the order of service than in ministering to hurting people. He had no joy, no praise, and no relief at this woman’s healing. Jesus was greatly angered by this uncaring, indifferent response.

There is a message for us in this text. Jesus is saying, you can have your praise and worship, teachings, and communion but never forget that hurting people matter to God. Make sure you reach out to them. This religious leader basically said to this woman and to the crowd that now is not the time or the place for healing but to comeback at another time. What hypocrisy! She has been this way for eighteen years! You wouldn’t let your animal go without water one day because of religious tradition or scruples why should this "daughter of Abraham", an Israelite, wait another moment? Jesus expects hurting people to be the priority. Jesus cares for the hurting and He insists that we do so also.

Six young men were slated to compete against one another in Seattle, Washington. The event was the hundred-yard dash. The men lined up, waited for the starting gun and took off in a sprint. About halfway down the track the man in front stumbled and fell, skinning his hands and knees. The other five men stopped and helped him up. After they brushed him off they decided to finish the race together, holding hands. None of the judges could tell who won the blue ribbon; none of them could see through their tears. No one in the stands that day would ever forget this demonstration of compassion. As the race ended the crowd stood and cheered for 10 minutes. These young men were competing in the Special Olympics; and they showed that they cared more for a hurting friend than for winning a race.

We are to have the same attitude to those who may be hurting in life. We need to stop and help, not proceed with everyday life in hypocritical indifference.

There is hope for you if you are hurting today because God does not forget you and He is not in different to your pain.

I. Jesus Notices And Cares for Hurting People.

II. Jesus Is Powerful Enough To Heal Hurting People.

Look at Verses 12,13

¹² But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”

¹³ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

Jesus compassion would be nice but of limited comfort and encouragement if that is all that He can offer us. If the only thing Jesus can do is sympathize with us then we are still hopeless. The good news is that Jesus is not only compassionate but He is also powerful! He can heal your hurts; He can undo your bondages, and He can change your situation.

As we see in this story, there is no situation, no matter how bad that is too great for Jesus. This was the worst kind of medical condition. A medical condition that to this day does not have a cure. Yet this did not pose a problem for Jesus. She had also been in this situation a long, long time but again that was not a problem for Jesus. I want you to understand that nothing you are going through or ever will go through is beyond the power of Jesus Christ to heal and restore.

You may have suffered for many years as this woman did but you can still be hopeful. There is hope because there is Jesus. He set this woman free from her infirmity and He can set you free from yours also. Never ever give up hope! No matter what type of problem, hurt, or bondage you may be facing you can be hopeful because...

II. Jesus Is Powerful Enough To Heal Hurting People.

If you are physically sick - He can heal you. If your marriage is troubled - He can restore it. If your ministry is a mess - He can repair it. There is nothing beyond the power of Jesus Christ. I know some of you may have been hurting for a long time and you have lost hope. I know some of you no longer really expect Jesus to supernaturally intervene in your situation or need. I can relate to that discouragement because I’ve been there. I know many of you have questions of God and I cannot answer every question you may have, nevertheless I do encourage you to look at this story and renew your faith and expectations. Let your faith be strengthened by God’s word. Keep your hopes up because Jesus still heals the hurting.

Psalm 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.

² He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.

³ He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear,

And will trust in the Lord.

There are Christians today who no longer pray for healing because they have lost their faith and don’t think God will heal them. There are Christians today whose marriages are failing yet they have no real expectation for Jesus to restore their marriage because they think it is too late. There are people who have quit serving in ministry out of discouragement because they think their situation is beyond God’s help. Our thinking needs to change if it is like this. We should never lose hope because…

II. Jesus Is Powerful Enough To Heal Hurting People.

So if you have a belief system that excludes God’s power from working in your life, then you need to change your belief system--because it’s based on something other than his Word. God wants to work miracles in your life.

I. Jesus Notices And Cares for Hurting People.

II. Jesus Is Powerful Enough To Heal Hurting People.

III. Jesus Explains That Satan, Not God, Is The Cause of Hurting People.

Look at Verses 15,16

¹⁵ The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?

¹⁶ So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

We all often hear when people are going through hard times:

Why is God putting me through this?

Why did God give me cancer?

Why did God take my child?

Why is God breaking apart my family?

Many times people assume that God must be behind all of our hurting and that there must be some mysterious divine plan in all of this. How can we have hope if we believe that God is the cause of our hurting?

You can’t!

Fortunately there is hope for their hurting because Jesus explains that our hurting is not God’s doing! He clearly says, “Satan (not God) has kept (this women) bound for eighteen long years.” (Vs. 16) In verse 11 Luke also explicitly notes that an evil spirit caused this woman’s physical infirmity.

It is wrong to blame God for all of the bad things in life. The Bible teaches us that Satan is the one who brought pain, suffering and sorrow into the world through sin. God created the world good!

Look at the ministry of Jesus. Much of his ministry was spent healing and easing the suffering of people. Jesus looked upon death and diseases as intruders and aliens in God’s world.

The next time something really bad happens to you, don’t be so sure to blame God for that. It might be worth asking “Could this be the work of Satan against me?”

A couple of things should be noted here to prevent misunderstandings. First, I do believe, as the Bible teaches, that God uses the hurts and pains of life for good purposes. Satan may be behind the hurting but God can take what Satan intended for evil and use it for good.

God only has good things in mind you and I

Second I want to point out that sometimes God uses the evils of this world in His punishment of sin. Miriam’s leprosy is one example of this truth.

Having said that, I want to emphasize that in the majority of cases the Bible tells us that Satan is directly or indirectly the explanation for the troubles, pains, and hurts of this world. This is good news and reason for those who are hurting to have hope because it means that God is not against us rather He is for us. There is reason to hope because Jesus is greater than Satan. There is hope for the hurting because…

III. Jesus Explains That Satan, Not God, Is The Cause of Hurting People.

I want to point out that nothing in this text indicates that this woman was demon possessed or demonized. No demon manifested itself, was rebuked or cast out for this reason. In fact in verse 14 the religious leader says that she was “healed” not delivered, and Jesus specifically says in verse 12 that she was “set free from her infirmity (sickness, disease)” I say all this to point out that while a genuine Christian cannot be possessed by a demon, they can be attacked by Satan in their bodies, marriages, ministries, finance etc. When these attacks come we need to recognize the source of them and go to Jesus for healing and strength in His mighty power.

In verse 17 it says that all Jesus opponents were humiliated but that the people were delighted with all the wonderful things He was doing. They were rejoicing because finally they had hope even though they were hurting. You also can rejoice because…

I. Jesus Notices And Cares for Hurting People.

II. Jesus Is Powerful Enough To Heal Hurting People.

III. Jesus Explains That Satan, Not God, Is The Cause of Hurting People.

If you have not yet repented, confessed your sins, and trusted in Christ to save you from God’s wrath, then you don’t know the full extent of Gods’ love yet. John 3:36 says that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” because “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18). I pray that is not you.

I encourage you to pray this prayer with me, but I caution you that saying words alone will not save you. Prayer alone doesn’t save. Only Christ can save. But prayer can be a means of reaching out to the Lord in true saving faith. If you pray these words in faith, Christ will save you. You can be sure of that.

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door of my heart when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your word and desire the Holy Spirit to come into my heart and give me guidance to walk your path to salvation and everlasting life. In Jesus Name I Pray Amen.

Sermon Summary

The purpose of this Ministry is to Spread the word of God to any and all that will listen. I will try very hard to plant the seed of God in your hearts, provide you with the knowledge to nurture that seed thru prayer, Bible Study and fellowship so that it can grow, so that in time that seed will mature and you will be saved and re-born so that you can have the greatest gift of God’s Love, Everlasting Life.

Before we start this weeks sermon I want to share with you all an explanation of what is a church.

Never forget that the church can be the gathering of 2 believers or 2000 believers.

It is not a fancy building with stain glass windows.

“Church” is the translation of the Greek term ekklesia, and is used in the New Testament to identify the community of believers in Jesus Christ. It literally means “assembly,” “congregation,” or “meeting.” A similar term was used in the Old Testament referring to experiences such as “the day of the assembly,” “the Lord’s congregation,” or “meeting before the Lord.”

Thus, when Jesus declares: (Matthew 16:18), “I will build my church” it did not come as something unfamiliar to the common listener. Shortly after, in the New Testament, the word is confined strictly to refer to the congregation of believers in Jesus Christ.

Also in the New Testament, no synagogue, temple, chapel, tabernacle, building or any other meeting place was ever called a “church.” The term always referred to the Christian assembly and, in the New Testament, it was used for both the local community of believers and the overall collection of Christians.

Let us Pray

Dear Lord, in Heaven, The creator of all

We look forward to the joys of heaven.

Where there is no more pain, No suffering, No Sickness

God remind us that our actions matter here in this world.

Our actions here on this earth will pave our way to live in your house

Here on earth Each and every day is a struggle against sin and temptation. Give us the strength to overcome cruelty with grace

and hatred with love. Remind us Lord We do not fight a physical battle,

but a spiritual one and with each act of compassion here on earth

We build your kingdom.

Help to guide us to be kingdom builders today and everyday.

As a Kingdom builder we will try to plant your seed Lord in the hearts of any and all that will listen

Then we will help nourish that seed so it can grow and they too can receive your greatest gift of Love Everlasting Life

Soon We will be done with the troubles of the world

and will be walking down the path we paved with our actions

As Kingdom Builders To live in the house of the Lord forever

Thru Jesus Christ we pray

AMEN

Today’s sermon Is Bigger Really Better? will be from a very short passage, only three verses, but do not mistake the size of the passage for the important of the passage!

Luke 13:18-20

¹⁸ Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?

¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a ^[a]large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

²⁰ And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?

Let me start out this morning with a little quiz. What is the world’s biggest mountain? (Mt. Everest) What type of tree is the tallest? (Redwood) Who is the world’s richest man? (Elon Musk) What is the longest chapter of the Bible? (Psalm 119) Well you have done very well at the quiz so far but it is not quite over.

What is the world’s smallest mountain? (Mt. Greylock) What type a tree is the shortest? (Dwarf Willow 5cm when full grown) Who is the world’s poorest man? (Jerome Kerviel has a net worth of NEGETIVE $6.7 billion) What is the shortest chapter of the Bible? (Psalm 117 with only 2 verses)

You didn’t do as well on the second half of our quiz, but I didn’t really expect you that you would. The quiz was obviously given to prove a point. The point being that people tend to recognize, respect and remember those things in life which are the largest, most grandiose, numerical, etc while we tend to give little thought to the small and seeming insignificant things.

In nearly every aspect of our lives we tend to adhere the motto: “Bigger is Better.” We now drive vehicles known as SUV’s (in the military we called them tanks) because bigger is better. We are not satisfied with Wal-Mart but look for a Super Wal-Mart because bigger is better. We can even Supersize our meal at McDonalds because bigger is better.

Is bigger always better?

No, not when it comes to spiritual things. Jesus uses these 3 verses to correct our thinking about bigger being better in spiritual things and God’s work. He does this because we tend to hold to the thinking that bigger is better in spiritual things like we hold to that thinking about worldly things. We tend to believe that more people, more money, bigger ministries and buildings, more programs, and greater talent will result in greater effectiveness at God’s work. We often think that God is doing more and can do more where there is something going on that looks grand and marvelous.

At the same time we tend to think the opposite about smaller things. We act as though God is not working or could not work though smaller churches and ministries, lesser talent, and fewer programs. “If it isn’t big, God must not be in it” would be an accurate representation of some people’s thinking and feeling.

These types of thinking affect our attitude and our actions. Our zeal, confidence, evaluation, commitment and expectations are often based on size and significance! Therefore it is vital that we understand and accept by faith the message that these two illustrations are intended to convey. The main point that Jesus is making here is that God works mightily through small things.

In verse 18 Jesus asked, “What is the Kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?” The expression “Kingdom of God” is a broad concept that is difficult to define simply. In general it refers to the rule of God and the establishment of His purposes. It may be used in a spiritual sense where God is working in the hearts of people or in some cases the expression refers to a physical kingdom that God will establish in the end times. In this context I believe we could accurately paraphrase this question like this: “How can I describe to you how God works to establish His rule and purposes in the world?” The answer is that God uses small, insignificant things but with great and far reaching results.

God Works Mightily Through Small Things. Basically one Person At A Time

In verse 19 Jesus says that God’s working is like a “mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.” The mustard seed, which produces leaves from which mustard is derived, was known for its minuteness. It is very, very small. In fact it would take 20,000 mustard seeds to weigh just one ounce. Because of its size the mustard seed was used proverbially for anything that was small and insignificant. Kids of that era probable called each other “mustard seed brain.”

Jesus proverbially used the mustard seed on another occasion when He said that if we had faith as a mustard seed we could move mountains. In this context the emphasis is not on our faith but on how God works in establishing His purposes. God works through small things. He doesn’t just work though small things – He works mightily through small things.

There is a second characteristic of the mustard seed that is important to this comparison besides its smallness. Despite its small seed size, the mustard plant actually grows to be the largest of the herbs grown in that area. It can reach 10-15 feet in height, and thus be large enough to provide a place for birds to rest in its branches as Jesus alludes to at the end of verse 19. (Some people think that the birds are allegorical and represent something. I believe that they just emphasize the large size of the tree.) The point of the comparison is that success doesn’t depend on size! Just like God can bring a significant tree out of an insignificant seed, He can do the same with you and me. We may not be a large church. We may not be the most talented people. We may not have lots of money to work with. We may not have a lot of people that the world sees as influential and important. Nevertheless we can be encouraged because…

God Works Mightily Through Small Things.

In verse 20 Jesus uses another illustration to make the same point. “Yeast”, which is also known as leaven, is sometimes used in the Bible as symbolic of sin but in this case it is used in a positive manner to show how God works mightily through small things. In that era, when a woman made bread, which was everyday since bread was a staple food, she would have to use yeast to make it rise, you know “poofy.” Now the yeast used then wasn’t like the dry yeast used today but rather it was a very small lump of dough taken from the previous days making of bread. She would take that lump of dough and kneed it in to the new flour mixture and eventually that yeast would permeate and influence the entire batch.

The most important aspect of this illustration is the amount of flour into which the small amount of yeast was mixed. In the NIV Bible it says, “a large amount” but the literal Greek Bible is more specific and says, “3 Satas” which is somewhere between 30 and 50 pounds of flour. This is a huge amount of flour! Could such a small insignificant lump of yeast leaven such a large amount of flour? It was so tiny that it just seemed impossible, but every women of that day knew that even a small lump of yeast could leaven a large amount of flour. Even though it was small it would also be significant in its influence. Again success doesn’t depend on size!

God Works Mightily Through Small Things.

Of course Jesus didn’t tell us these things to teach or encourage us about gardening or bread making. He wanted His disciples to recognize that things are not always as they appear. What men see as insignificant, unimportant and inconsequential, God would actually use to accomplish His purposes. He shared this with His disciples so that they would not evaluate their own or others accomplishments or abilities like those in the world who think bigger is better.

This was necessary because they would have looked at themselves and been looked at by others as unsuccessful and unimportant in God’s work. The disciples of Jesus were like that mustard seed, tiny and insignificant. Why would they have been thought of this way?

As hard as it is for us to conceive today, Jesus ministry was a major disappointment to many when He was on the earth. The Jewish people expected the Messiah to come like lightning! They expected that the Messiah would come and unite the people, gather a vast army, destroy the Roman enemy, and establish a kingdom of great magnificence. They were looking for something big to happen. They wanted glory and grandeur because they believed that this was the way God worked but instead they got Jesus.

Jesus who was born in a stable, raised in the no good town of Nazareth, resisted by the religious leaders and ignored by most of the political leaders. Jesus only had a small group of followers who were nothing more than uneducated fishermen, tax collectors and prostitutes. The Lowest of The Low. This didn’t look like the Kingdom of God, as they understood it. To them it looked like it was doomed to failure and for many of the disciples the temptation was to “jump ship.” After all nobody wants to be a part of something small and insignificant because that means it is not successful. God couldn’t be in it because bigger is better. Jesus wanted to correct this erroneous understanding. It is a correction we need to hear and heed today because people still tend to gravitate toward that which is bigger while disparaging that which is smaller. To avoid this error we have to remember the lesson of these parables.

God Works Mightily Through Small Things.

Jesus didn’t give any particular application to His disciples from these illustrations and spiritual truth. He left that to us since the application is rather obvious once you’ve understood the spiritual principle being taught. This being the case, I want to briefly share with you two responses I believe we should have to this truth.

First: Since God works mightily through small things we should not be judgmental.

What I mean is that we must be careful not to evaluate the success or spirituality of a ministry, church or person based on size or significance. We often evaluate and judge these things based on numbers, apparent importance and influence, prominence, or seemingly notable and powerful things happening. We tend to think that God must be in these things because they are bigger and more significant and that God must not be in what is small and insignificant by man’s standards. The lesson from the mustard seed and yeast has taught us otherwise. Things are not always as they appear!

First: Since God Works Mightily Through Small Things We Should Not Be Judgmental.

The great prophet Elijah made this mistake in 1 Kings 19.

The Bible says in 1 Kings 19:10-13

¹⁰ So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

¹¹ Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;

¹² and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire ^[a]a still small voice.

¹³ So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah was discouraged and ready to quit because from his point of view nothing of significance had come from his ministry. He was looking for a mighty moving of God but he didn’t see it because he was only looking for big things, such as many people due today.

So God gave Elijah a spiritual lesson. He had Elijah go to a cave and then there was a powerful wind, but the “Lord was not in the wind” and then there was a mighty earthquake but the “Lord was not in the earthquake” and then there was a fire, but the “Lord was not in the fire.” The Lord wasn’t in any of these big things, but then there was a “gentle whisper”, a “still small voice” and Elijah went to the entrance of the cave because the Lord was in this small, insignificant thing. God was telling Elijah “I am working mightily but you haven’t seen it because you have only looked for me in the big things.” Elijah judged his ministry wrongly because he judged it based on size and significance. Do you see the message for the church today? If you hold to the philosophy that bigger is better you will be looking for God in the extraordinary and miss Him working mightily through the small things. You will also judge other ministries on man’s criteria rather than God’s.

First: Since God Works Mightily Through Small Things We Should Not Be Judgmental.

Second: Since God Works Mightily Through Small Things We Should Not Get Discouraged.

Christians often either abandon or give less than 100% to a ministry because they don’t see it as successful or believe that God could work mightily through something so small and insignificant. Size becomes a discouragement. This was the mistake the people of Israel and Zerubbabel their leader made when rebuilding the temple in the Old Testament. The Israelites returned to the land and began to rebuild the temple but quit in discouragement because they were such a small group that it seemed impossible and because the temple they were working on was so small and insignificant compared to Solomon’s temple.

God had a word for them and us about their attitude toward small things.

Zechariah 4:6-10,

⁶ So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:

‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.

⁷ ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!

And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”

⁸ Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

⁹ “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this ^[a]temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.

¹⁰ For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to seen The ^[b]plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

Haggai 2:3,9

³ ‘Who is left among you who saw this ^[a]temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing?

⁹ ‘The glory of this latter ^[a]temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

In both of these passsages the people are rebuked for giving up because they didn’t think a small group could do anything significant and because they saw the work of God as small. God in essence says, “Do not despise the day of small things” because the “Glory of this latter house shall be greater than the glory of the former.” It may not look like much but God was working so the people should be encouraged!

God Works Mightily Through Small Things and you can do great thing in the name of the Lord.

In Closing We as Christians are not a people with great numbers but we have a great God so let us be encouraged and faithful because God is working thru each of us everyday so each of us can spread the seed of God to any and all that will listen.

If you have not yet repented, confessed your sins, and trusted in Christ to save you from God’s wrath, then you don’t know the full extent of Gods’ love yet. John 3:36 says that “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” because “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18). I pray that is not you.

I encourage you to pray this prayer with me, but I caution you that saying words alone will not save you. Prayer alone doesn’t save. Only Christ can save. But prayer can be a means of reaching out to the Lord in true saving faith. If you pray these words in faith, Christ will save you. You can be sure of that.

Let Us Pray

Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door of my heart when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your word and desire the Holy Spirit to come into my heart and give me guidance to walk your path to salvation and everlasting life. In Jesus Name I Pray Amen.