November 3, 2013
Evening Service

As we are finishing chapter 10 and beginning 11, Jesus is continuing to teach and prepare His apostles to carry on His ministry after the cross.  He is doing the same with us.  As we read the Gospels, we need to approach His teaching as if they are directed at us.  Though a lot of what we read is history, it is so much more.  This is how Jesus has chosen to communicate His Will to us.  Always pray for the Holy Spirit in you to guide your understanding of what you are reading and He will.  Reading God’s Word is a personal, spiritual encounter that we share with our Lord and Savior. 

This morning we were taught that we are to love and care for everyone around us, without partiality.  Our compassion is not just for our loved ones.  Our neighbor includes all those we rub shoulders with.  We must be willing to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others, as we are able, following the Samaritan’s example. Sometimes we must go farther than just telling someone we will “pray for them.”  Action may be required.

Tonight Jesus is continuing His journey to Jerusalem, as we begin in Luke 10:38.

 

Luke10:38-42 And as they went, it happened that He entered into a certain village. And a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.  (39)  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  (40)  But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she came to Him and said, Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.  (41)  And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha; you are anxious and troubled about many things.  (42)  But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

• Here we are given a picture of two sisters who are alike in their love for Jesus, but have two different perspectives on what is most important.  Martha was busy serving those around her, yet Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His Words.
• Martha became frustrated with Mary’s lack of help and complained to the Lord even asking Him to rebuke her.  Jesus tenderly reproved Martha, for she was the one in the wrong.  Mary was the one seeking to hear His Word.
• Was Martha wrong in trying to serve those around her?  Absolutely not!  Her mistake came in placing her work above the Word.  We learn here that there is a danger in placing sacrifice above obedience.  No matter what the deed we are doing, it must not come before our relationship with our Savior.  “Our Lord prizes our affection above our service.”
• Martha’s attitude also needed to be adjusted, if she felt serving was her calling, she should have done it cheerfully regardless of anyone else.
• Do not ever let the work you do for the Lord, be the only time you spend with Him.  Our work should come as an overflow from our personal devotion time.  God will not be pleased is we are always “doing” and seldom listening.

 

Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God! I will be praised among the nations; I will be praised in the earth.

• Never be too busy to stop and spend time with your Savior.

 

Jesus taught the importance of the Word and now we see Him teach on prayer.

 

Luke 11:1  And it happened as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught His disciples.

• The disciples were observant enough to see that Jesus placed a huge emphasis on prayer.  Luke has mentioned it several times already. This shows the “Son of Man” side of our Savoir.  He relied heavily upon prayer to keep fuel His soul. This is the one thing that is recorded that the disciples asked Him to teach them.
• He obliges them by teaching them the “Lord’s prayer.”  It sets forth a guideline for our prayers.

 

Luke 11:2-4 And He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father, who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in Heaven, so also on the earth.  (3)  Give us day by day our daily bread,  (4)  and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

• We have discussed this many times, but let’s take notice of a few keys to Jesus’ prayer.
1. We address God as our Father.  It is our intimate relationship with Him that all NT Christians enjoy.
2. Hallowed be Your name.  We are to be in reverence and awe of our Creator seeking to magnify His position.
3. Your kingdom come, Your will be done.  It is not about me, it is about Him.  We are reminded that though we can state our desires to Him, we still yield ourselves to His will.
4. Then we are able to make known our own personal needs and desires.
5. Our forgiveness is to imitate His.  This forgiveness is one that deals with our fellowship with God not our relationship.
6. Finally we are to pray that the opportunity to sin (temptation) does not correspond with our desire to yield to it.

 

Jesus then continues His teaching on prayer with two parables and a promise.

 

 

 

 

 

Luke 11:5-8  And He said to them, which of you shall have a friend and shall go to him at midnight and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves,  (6)  for a friend of mine has come from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him?  (7)  And he answering from inside may say, Do not trouble me. The door is now shut and my children are in bed with me. I cannot rise and give to you.  (8)  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will arise and give him as many as he needs.

• As we “rightly divide” this parable, it is not teaching us to be loud and demanding in our prayer life until God finally gets tired of us and gives in to our demands.
• He is telling us to be persistent and that He will answer.  Look at the promise that follows,

 

Luke 11:9-10 And I say to you, Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you.  (10)  For everyone who asks receives. And he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks it shall be opened.

• The promise is if we ask, seek and knock we will receive, find and it will be opened.  There is no time frame mentioned or any assurance that the answer will always be “yes.”
• Along with our prayers, it must be accompanied by the faith that we believe God knows what is best for us and that is what He will grant us.

 

Luke 11:11-13 For what father of you, if the son asks for bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake for a fish?  (12)  Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion?  (13)  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

• What earthly father does not want the best for their children?  Do we as natural men try to give what is good and withhold what is harmful?
• Jesus reminds us of the infinite wisdom of God and asks us to trust Him to give us only what is best for us.
• He also emphasizes the need for the Holy Spirit’s guidance to be in our lives to enable us to truly accept God’s wisdom and knowledge in accordance to our needs. 
• “Not my will, but let Yours be done.”

 

Tonight we have seen the importance we should place on fellowship with God, over our works. We learned prayer is a very important part of our walk with God.  We should be persistent in asking, seeking and knocking.    We are to be confident that He hears us and will do what is best for us.

 

Lord, may our lives be characterized by the time we spend with You, and may our prayer life be pleasing in Your sight.