THE GOSPEL OF LUKE THE LIFE & STORIES OF JESUS

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2 THE GOSPEL OF LUKE THE LIFE & STORIES OF JESUS

3 SERMON TEXT: Luke 14:7-11 3

4 7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, Give your place to this person, and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, Friend, move up higher. Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 14:7-11 4

5 Poverty and Hope

6 Knowing God without knowing our wretchedness leads to pride. Knowing our wretchedness without knowing God leads to despair. Knowing Jesus Christ is the middle course, because in him we find both God and our wretchedness. - Blaise Pascal

7 Is it possible we have seen loss or diminishing presence of the Christ-like humility in our lives. As a result, are we inheriting the rich blessing of the Kingdom or do we need to empty ourselves in order that he might fill us up again?

8 The Pathway of Humility - Orienting the pursuit of our lives around Jesus

9 In the life of God s people, it will be seen first of all a remarkable reversal of values. The people of God will prize what the world calls pitiable, and suspect what the world thinks desirable. - Michael Wilcock

10 The Pathway of Humility - Orienting the pursuit of our lives around Jesus - Centering our lives on something other than ourselves

11 True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. - C.S. Lewis

12 The pathway of true humility leads us to cultivate a culture centered on God s love and not on our own status, security, power, or self esteem. Once our pursuits take this shape we can inherit the Kingdom and its rich, inward blessings.

13 The Posture of Poverty - Freedom from earning by accepting our acceptance

14 Grace strikes us when we are in great pain and restlessness. It strikes us when we walk through the dark valley of a meaningless and empty life. It strikes us when we feel that our separation is deeper than usual, because we have violated another life, a life which we loved, or from which we were estranged. It strikes us when our disgust for our own being, our indifference, our weakness, our hostility, and our lack of direction and composure have become intolerable to us. It strikes us when, year after year, the longed-for perfection of life does not appear, when the old compulsions reign within us as they have for decades, when despair destroys all joy and courage. Sometimes at that moment a wave of light breaks into our darkness, and it is as though a voice were saying: You are accepted.

15 You are accepted, accepted by that which is greater than you, and the name of which you do not know. Do not ask for the name now; perhaps you will find it later. Do not try to do anything now; perhaps later you will do much. Do not seek for anything; do not perform anything; do not intend anything. Simply accept the fact that you are accepted! If that happens to us, we experience grace. After such an experience we may not be better than before, and we may not believe more than before. But everything is transformed. In that moment, grace conquers sin, and reconciliation bridges the gulf of estrangement. And nothing is demanded of this experience, no religious or moral or intellectual presupposition, nothing but acceptance. - Paul Tillich, The Shaking of the Foundations

16 The Posture of Poverty - Freedom from earning by accepting our acceptance - Spiritual poverty leads to joyful thanksgiving

17 The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become - the more we realize that everything in life is a gift. The tenor of our lives becomes one of humble and joyful thanksgiving. Awareness of our poverty and ineptitude causes us to rejoice in the gift of being called out of darkness into wondrous light and translated into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son. - Brennan Manning

18 By understanding the value of our inward wealth it releases us from the grips of outward wealth. When we realize we have been saved from spiritual poverty it changes the way we approach and engage physical poverty.

19 A Passion for the Impoverished - Resting in Kingdom riches allows freedom from worldly riches

20 He made poverty a metaphor of openness towards God s gifts. It is necessary to preserve poverty of the spirit, and not join the ranks of the full, the sure, and self-assured, who are satisfied and locked within themselves. - Tomáš Halík

21 A Passion for the Impoverished - Resting in Kingdom riches allows freedom from worldly riches - Realization that the gospel message of the local church is the hope for the city

22 If we understand the Kingdom of God, it s clear that we re called to address our own poverty and also the poverty of those around us. The Gospel truth in this passage calls us to humility to place our dependence completely in God s mercy & grace and by recognizing the urgency of sharing that with others as well.

23 To impact society and culture we are called to sacrifice our lives in humility, as servants. To inherit the inward richness of the Kingdom of God, we must understand that we are inwardly destitute and dependent on something greater than ourselves.

24 THE GOSPEL OF LUKE THE LIFE & STORIES OF JESUS

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