Skip to content Confession, Denial, and Heavenly Intercession: Luke 12 Jul 14 · 16 min ...more
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Treasures of the Heart and Eternal Perspective 0:09 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word as we look at Luke chapter 12 this morning. Verse 34, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Now in this chapter, as Jesus is0:21 moving closer to the cross, he becomes more direct with his critics and more candid with his disciples about what lies ahead. Now in this chapter, Jesus has a crowd as the standing room0:33 only crowd. In fact, they're trampling on each other to get to Jesus. And here's the focus of his teaching in this chapter, verses 1 through 12. He's focused on hypocrisy and cowardice. Number of chapter0:45 verses 12 through 34, the focus is focus and purpose. 35 through 48, faithfulness and preparedness. 49 through 53, the dividing nature of the truth,0:57 and then finally, verses 54 through 59, discern the times. Verse 1, in the meantime, when a numeral multitude of people had gathered together so that they trampled 1 another,1:09 he began to say to his disciples, first of all, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed nor hidden that will not be known.1:21 Therefore, whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. You know, a lot of focus recently on1:33 the Epstein files. What's what's in the Epstein files? Is information being withheld? I don't know. I don't know what's in those files. But I can guess that it would be very damaging, very damaging to1:45 some very powerful people if all that information came out. But here's something we need to know. As revealing as those Epstein files may be, they pale in comparison to the file dump1:57 that is coming. You know, all that has been done in secret will be made known. And and we see even temporarily, we see some of this stuff being released. But there is coming a point where2:09 everything is going to be released. And unlike the government documents that are heavily redacted where names are crossed out and such, there's not going to be any redactions in the information that's going to be2:21 released in that day. It'll be there for all to see. Then Jesus moves to the topic of something that paralyzes many believers. It's the issue of2:33 fear, the fear of man. Verse 4, and I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. You know, don't fear those who2:44 can, you know, dox you on social media or I mean, look. We fear we we fear people just mocking us or or saying bad2:56 things about us on social media. Jesus says, look. Don't fear those who can kill the body. He says, here's what in verse 5, but I will show you whom you should fear. Fear him who after3:08 after he has killed has the power to cast into hell. Yes. I say to you, fear him. Fear makes us subservient. It makes us a slave. You know, we can submit in3:19 reverence to god or the fear of man will force us to submit to the arbitrary demands of temporal man that those demands that are ever changing and ever increasing.3:31 Jesus fear says fear not the 1 who has only temporal power to harass you and to hurt you, but rather fear the 1 who has the control over eternity. Look at verse3:43 8. He says this. He says, also also, I say to you, whoever confesses me before men, him the son of man will also confess before the angels of God. Now3:54 remember, the Bible tells us that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the father making intercession for us as his followers, as as those who have accepted his redemptive work on the cross. He intercedes4:08 on our behalf with the father. That's what we pray in Jesus' name. We're praying because he is in agreement with us in heaven if we're praying according to his will. Look at verse 9, though.4:19 Alright? But he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And anyone who speaks a word against the son of man will be forgiven him, but to him who blasphemes against the4:31 Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. To shrink back in the fear of man from our duty to declare the truth of God is denying Jesus.4:43 And so while we we should desire and want and we need his intercession for us, going to the father on our behalf. If we deny him on earth4:56 out of fear of what others might say or do, it's right here. He says he'll deny us before the angels of God who are in heaven watching him making5:07 intercession for us. Now look at the, the next sec section. Our purpose on this earth is more than our possessions. Verse 13. Then 1 from the crowd said to him,5:19 teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. But he, that is Jesus, said to him, man, who made me a judge or an arbiter over you? Note that Jesus did not weigh in on5:31 the resolution of this temporal matter that belonged to the civil authorities, but he does address the underlying spiritual matter, and he uses this as a teaching moment. Verse 15, and he said to him, take5:43 heed and beware of of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. Then he spoke a parable to them saying the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentiful5:56 plentifully, and he thought within himself saying, what shall I do since I have no room to store my crops? So he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my6:07 crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.6:19 But God said to him, fool, this night your soul will be required of you. Then whose will those things be which you have provided?6:33 Wow. All the stuff that we work for, all the stuff, where is it going? You know, I remember after the the flood in 20 16, in in Louisiana6:45 where our house flooded and and most of our possessions were out in the ditch to be picked up, and and that was the way all across our parish, the equivalent of a county. And and it's very6:57 sobering and a reminder that all this stuff is temporal. And he says, then he said to his disciples, therefore, I say to you, do not worry about life, what you eat, nor7:09 about the body, what you will put on it. Life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Now let me go back to verse 21. Let's skip verse 21. It says, so is he who lays up treasure for7:21 himself and is not rich toward god. Right? So it's it's not the possessions we have on this earth, in this temporal life that we acquire that matter.7:34 Our purpose is bigger than that. The the meaning and the purpose of life is not found in what we possess or in what we acquire. One's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he7:46 possession possesses. John Rockefeller, some of you might remember that name. He's 1 of the wealthiest men of the twentieth century. And and he was asked, how how much money does it take to make a7:57 man happy? And he said, just 1 more dollar. Just 1 more dollar. You know, Proverbs 23 5 addresses that. It says, will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches8:09 certainly make themselves wings. They fly away like an eagle toward heaven. The, Westminster Shorter Catechism has the the first question is what is man's chief end?8:21 Well, man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. First Corinthians 10 31. Therefore, whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of god.8:33 In Philippians 1 21, it says, for me, to live as Christ and to die is gain. You know, our purpose is not to acquire things because our our our purpose and8:45 what we make our purpose, and god has given us a purpose as we come to know him, and that is to glorify him. Our purpose directs our priorities. Look at verse 31. But seek first the kingdom of god and all of8:56 these things shall be added to you. Seek. What does that mean? It means to pursue with intentionality. Christianity is not a stroll. It is a pursuit. We are to pursue God.9:09 Making God's kingdom our priority comes with this. And then the last part of that verse, it comes with the promise of provision. All these things will be added unto you. Well, all these things. What things?9:22 Well, over in Matthew where we read this before, it unpacks it a little bit more. He's talking about all the things that the Gentiles seek in Matthew 6 32. For all these things the Gentiles seek, the things that we need.9:33 Alright? He says he goes on to say this, for your heavenly father knows that you need all these things. He knows what you need. He knows you need clothes. He knows you need housing. He knows these things. And when9:45 we put our trust in god and in his provision, it help us it helps us keep the proper perspective. You see, when we're when when our purpose is9:57 aligned with him, our priorities come into place. We we begin to see god's provision, and so we have the right perspective. In verse 34, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be10:09 also. An eternal perspective provides stability in times of uncertainty, joy in the midst of sorrow and disappointment, and it enables us to make sense of this life10:21 when life doesn't make sense because we have to we have an eternal perspective. We're not anchored on the things of this life in this temporal world, but we're anchored to the things that are eternal.10:35 Less, by the way, is often more. Proverbs 15 17 says, better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted calf with hatred. You know, sometimes10:47 living simply is you know, there's this big move for, tiny houses. I don't know about that, but I do know that simplicity just you know, I I'm so grateful for a10:59 family, for for a loving wife, been married almost 40 years, 5 children, 2 grandchildren, the things that are intangible. And and to be able to sit down and have dinner and11:11 and have joy and laughter, that means a lot more than a big house and a and a fat bank account. What is that if there's no joy, no purpose, no11:23 perspective? Jesus is very clear here next that we're to make sure, we're ready for his return. Look at verse11:34 35. Let your waist be girded and your lamp burning. Now that meant your waist girded, you would when they wore those robes, they would wrap them up around their legs so that they11:46 could be able to run and move quickly and not trip and to have the lamp burning so they could see the way. And you yourselves be like men who wait for their master when he will return from the11:58 wedding that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. Right? Focused, intentional, prepared, and waiting. As I said, his message12:10 here is very clear. Whether we go to him in death or he returns before we die, 1 of the 2 is going to happen. Alright? It is going to happen.12:21 We need to to live ready to meet him. Whether it's tomorrow and he returns or we go to him, we need to be ready, living ready to give an account.12:33 Meaning that we're busy about his business. We're faithful to the 1 who has called us. Now this, next discourse will actually blow the mind of those who have created an image of Jesus12:45 that stands in contrast to the truth. An image of Jesus, it stands for nothing, basically. He's just positive, encouraging, affirming of everything. That's not Jesus. Look at verse12:57 51. Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you not at all, but rather division. For from now on, 5 and 1 house will be13:08 divided, 3 against 2 and 2 against 3. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter, against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against13:19 mother-in-law. Now that last 1 might not sound different, but, anyway, the the the the reality is that truth divides13:31 unless we yield to it. When we yield to the truth, we we find unity. There is no unity outside of truth, but that truth will often divide if we're not yielded to13:43 it. The truth of God is in fact dividing families. It's dividing communities and even our nation today. That is a clear sign, I believe, that we are rapidly13:55 moving to the end of time. And therefore, we should be watching, and we should be working ready for the lord's return. Father, we thank14:07 you for your word. And, lord, I pray that as followers of Jesus Christ, Christ, that we would understand what our purpose is is to bring glory and honor to you. And with that, lord, our14:19 priorities would be in the right alignment. That, lord, your promised provision would be there for us, and we would have the the proper perspective. We would be looking on the from an eternal14:30 perspective, not a temporal perspective. So, father, I I pray that you would guide us and direct us, continue to lead us on this journey. Help us to be prepared, ready for your return. Lord,14:42 help us to be making you known and living in such a way that we bring glory and honor to you and pointing others to the redemptive message of the cross.14:54 So, lord, I pray that you would, bless those who are part of this journey. Encourage them today. And, lord, use us. Use us to advance your truth. May we may we boldly proclaim you as15:06 you make intercession for us with the father in heaven. For we ask this in your in the name of the lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning. Until next time, keep standing on15:18 the word.15:20 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you15:32 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Treasures of the Heart and Eternal Perspective
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