June 13, 2004: “A Day in the Life of Jesus” by Pastor Don
Bartemus, Pastor Christian Education & Compassion Ministries. Pastor presented an expository message on
Luke 18 and divided his message into 4 components: How do speak to God (v1-14), how to live with God (v15-30), how
to hear God (v31-34) and how to exercise our faith in God (v35-43).
A. How do you speak to God? In v1-8, Jesus told his disciples the
parable of a Judge and Widow, to show them that they should pray and not give
up.
B. What
should be the attitude of our heart when we pray? To some who were confident of their own
righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told a parable of two
men going to the temple to pray, in v9-14.
By contrast their approach differed in the attitude of their heart:
|
Pharisee |
Tax Collector |
|
Self-exalting |
Humble |
|
Stands in front (for show) |
Unwilling to look up (for shame) |
|
Prayer about his own good |
Prayer about his need for God |
|
Unjustified (God displeased with
him) |
Justified (God pleased with his
contrition) |
|
Jesus promises to humble those
like him |
Jesus promises to exalt people
like him |
1.
Do you know of people
who are self righteous and look down on others? Are people drawn toward them, or away from them?
2.
What is the attitude of
your heart when you come before the Lord in prayer? Are people drawn toward you, or away from you?
3.
On what should be the
focus of our prayers?
C. How are we to live with God? In v15-17, Jesus challenges his disciples to
learn from the children who are coming to him, rather than getting frustrated
and rebuking their parents.
1.
What do you suppose Jesus wanted his disciples to learn and
apply from this passage?
2.
How does a child live?
What are the qualities that Pastor Don mentioned?
3.
How should we then live?
D. What often gets in the way of
fully realizing the benefits of a life dependent upon God? In v18-30, Jesus responds to the question of
“what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
1.
What must we do? On
whom does eternal life rest?
2.
What often gets in our way of fully depending on God?
3.
What are the benefits of following Christ? In our lives today? In the future?
E. How are we to hear God? In v31-34, Jesus took his disciples aside
and told them what was to come, but they did not understand. Pastor Don suggests that for us to hear God,
we need to hear the way he speaks, and look at things from God’s
perspective. As the serpent was lifted
up and people were healed (according to the writings of Moses), so shall the
Son of God be lifted up and through him we shall be saved.
1.
What kept the disciples from understanding what Jesus was
saying?
2.
What gets in our way of hearing/understanding the things of
God?
3.
What might we do differently to be more receptive to what
God would have us learn?
F. How are we to exercise our
faith in God? In v35-43, Jesus,
stops along the path to Jericho and heals a blind man who by faith called out
to him, even when those around him were encouraging (rebuking) him and telling
him to be quiet. But like…
o
the widow who persisted in making her desires known,
o
the tax collector in the temple who asked God, to have mercy
on him, a sinner,
o
the little ones who desired to come to Jesus in childlike
faith,
…the blind man knew all things are possible with God and as he cried out to Jesus, Son of David, to have mercy on him, he was exercising his faith by acting upon what he knew and heard about the miracles that Jesus was performing along his journey through the land.
Pastor Don, encouraged us to
exercise our faith in God and put our faith and hope in him by…
o
Keeping alert,
o
Being persistent and keep on asking,
o
Acting on faith and the facts that you know,
o
Being ready with specifics, and
o
Giving God the praise
Prayer Time: As we go to prayer, perhaps as the blind man
asked specifically what he would like Jesus to do, we should also be specific
when asking God to help us and/or others.
The blind man already believed Jesus could and would heal him, and when
it came to pass he immediately began praising God.
As you go to prayer this evening,
remember to pray for Pastor Kimber.
Specific things include his health, his mind renewal, his family, and
the people of College Park Church that he so dearly loves and cares for.