Jesus' Radical Call to Discipleship
The Terrible Tragedy of a Nominal Christian
Luke 14:34-35 Go ahead and open your Bibles to Luke chapter 14, just two verses for today. At the end of Luke 14, verses 34 and 35, two verses, but a lot to learn. As we come to the close of this great chapter, Jesus issues a warning. And the warning is for nominal disciples. That is to say, these are disciples in name only, but not in heart, not in conduct. They’re disciples in name only. They are following…
The Call to Radical Discipleship
Luke 14:25-33 What a joy it is to be back in the text with you today. You can turn in your Bibles to Luke 14:25. Luke 14:25-35 is a section that is searching and piercing. And at the same time, it is also comforting and encouraging. So, I think you’ll see what I mean as we read through the text. Let’s begin by reading this morning, Luke 14:25-35. It says this, “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and…
Responding to the Invitation, Part 2
Luke 14:15 We are picking up where we left off last week in Luke 14. So we’re coming back to Luke 14 verse 15, and the parable of the great banquet. We got into the parable last time. As you know, it’s a parable that Jesus gave to a room full of Pharisees and religious lawyers. Those who are characterized, all through Luke’s Gospel, characterized as sinfully hostile to Jesus and opposing him and his ministry in every way. Trying…
Responding to the Invitation, Part 1
Luke 14:15-20 We were in Luke 14 this morning looking at Jesus’ parable of the great banquet, which some refer to as the parable of the excluded guests. It is both of those things. It’s a parable of profound meaning of pointed significance. It’s intended to confront the falsely assured. Those in danger of rejecting God’s gracious invitation to them to come, to come. And so today, in this text, and what will cover today and next week, it will…
Associate with the Lowly
Luke 14:12-14 Well, we are back in Luke 14. Jesus teaching on the subject of humility and he’s doing that while he is sharing company with the proud, eating a meal. He’s been invited to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees on a Sabbath day. It’s after, an after-synagogue dinner, hosted by a wealthy powerful man, probably located in Jerusalem. And they, he and the guests, they are watching him carefully. They were watching because they…
Take the Lowest Place
Luke 14:7-11 Let’s turn our attention now to Luke Chapter 14. If you’re not there, you can take your Bible and turn there to Luke 14. Last week we started into the first 24 verses, at which we said is a single unit of thought, as a single theme governing that whole section where Jesus is in the home of a Pharisee, he’s exposing and confronting pride, but he’s doing so in an indirect way by teaching about humility. So…