Jesus continues to teach and cast out demons as He walks towards Jerusalem.
Luke 12: Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees
1 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
Have No Fear
4 "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.
5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? And not one of them is forgotten before God.
7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Acknowledge Christ Before Men
8 "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God,
9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say,
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
14 But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?"
15 And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
16 And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully,
17 and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'
18 And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'
20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
Do Not Be Anxious
22 And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.
23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.
30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
32 "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
You Must Be Ready
35 "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning,
36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.
37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.
38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!
39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.
40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
41 Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?"
42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
45 But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,
46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.
47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating.
48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
Not Peace, but Division
49 "I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!
50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.
53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Interpreting the Time
54 He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, 'A shower is coming.' And so it happens.
55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat,' and it happens.
56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
Settle with Your Accuser
57 "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
58 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.
59 I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last cent."
Luke 13: Repent or Perish
1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2 And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?
3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?
5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.
7 And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?'
8 And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.
9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"
A Woman with a Disabling Spirit
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
11 And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability."
13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.
14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day."
15 Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?
16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?"
17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.
The Mustard Seed and the Leaven
18 He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?
19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches."
20 And again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?
21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened."
The Narrow Door
22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23 And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them,
24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.'
26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'
27 But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!'
28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.
29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.
30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."
Lament over Jerusalem
31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you."
32 And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.
33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.'
34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'"
Things to think about…
1. Luke 12 is all about our focus, whether earthly or heavenly, considering whether we serve God or money. Who do you fear? Christ says not to fear anyone in this life, but to fear the One who has charge over your soul in the next life, Luke 12:4-7. Do you acknowledge Christ before those who clearly do not have a faith in Him? Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will give you the words that you will need, vs 12, even in the most dangerous of situations. What is the most fearful situation you have been in when sharing your faith? What happened? Did the other person respond? What did you learn from the experience?
2. Our society could be put into the category of ‘builders of bigger barns’, Luke12:13-21, and as such we do worry about many things, Luke 12:22-34, even though the Lord promises to provide for every need, vs 30. What do you think about Christ’s command to sell everything, vs 33? Regardless of our wealth it is all wood, hay and stubble and will be burned up in the end. The message is that nothing on this earth should have such a tight grip on us that we lose sight of Christ.
3. We are called to be ready, Luke 12:35-48 and that Christ also came to bring division, not peace, vss 49-53, we are called to discern the spiritual weather pattern, vs 54-56. This is different to John’s ministry remember, where he was reconciling ministry in the house, Mal 4:6. Jesus’ road is narrow and the way difficult compared to John’s road and his ministry, Isa 40:3-5, Mal 4:5. Who then is the accuser that we must settle accounts with in Luke 12:58? Some will be beaten more and some less, vss 47, 48. God is the one who judges. We are called to be responsible with the knowledge of the gospel, to live it out and share it with a lost world. What better time than now.
4. Pilate killed some Jews who had been sacrificing an offering to the Lord. He mixed their blood with the offering blood. A building called ‘the tower of Siloam’ had also fallen over and 18 people died. The Jews thought these people must have been worse ‘sinners’ than everyone else. They were very superstitious in this regard. Jesus says no, we must all repent Luke 13:5. God is sovereign, so why does He allow or not allow certain incidents to happen? Does He judge in these ‘accidents’ or does He not? The message of comfort for the Christian regarding these ‘accidents’ is that all things are working together for good, Rom 8:28. We of course acknowledge sorrow, loss and pain that can happen under His sovereign will. The message is still the same for humanity, we all must repent of sin and allow Christ to be the Saviour over our sin because one day the tower of life will fall for us all, only those in Christ will be spared.
5. Look at this fig tree that is not bearing fruit, Luke 13: 6-9. We are called to bear fruit in Christ. It is interesting He says the tree bore no fruit for 3 years. This had been the amount of time Jesus had been doing His ministry. Yet not much fruit from Israel was forthcoming. Some spend years serving the Lord but do not see much if any fruit in their ministries. That does not mean that there is no fruit or that a harvest will not come. Some plant, some water and some are blessed to see the harvest. All are required. Ask the Lord to give you the grace to show you the truth and to enable you to honour Him with a life that bears fruit for His glory, regardless of the part that you play.
6. Look at this poor woman who was bound up with a disabling spirit for 18 years, Luke 13:10-17. The Lord of the Sabbath released her on a ‘Sabbath Day’ and she was ‘straightened out’. The true ‘disabling spirits’ were those who, despite a miracle before their eyes, chose to harden their hearts towards grace and mercy. We see this today with people who wilfully go against the direct teaching of Christ regarding the miraculous work of the Spirit. I was once a Cessationist, one that does not believe certain gifts and expressions of the Spirit are for today, e.g. the gifts of languages (tongues), healing and prophecy. I was not convinced as I had not experienced those gifts within myself, although I have seen wonderful expressions of God’s Spirit. I was convinced by the word of God that they are indeed for every season in the life of the Christian individually and the church corporately for all generations until Christ returns. Even though they are greatly abused and counterfeited in the modern church.
7. In Luke 13:22-30 we find some of the most fearful verses in scripture. Some who thought they knew Jesus, were not actually known by Him. He says to them ‘depart’. What is the defining thing that proves our ‘rite of passage’ into the presence of God? How do we know that we have entered through the narrow door, vs 24? Only by faith, which is a gift of His grace.
8. In Luke 13:31-35 some Pharisees were concerned about Herod destroying the Lord. Jesus responds by calling Herod a fox. Herod would in fact meet Jesus as we know, but Christ is in control of both His ministry and His destiny. Jerusalem missed the hour of the Lord’s visitation, vss 34, 35. May we not miss ours. It is ironic that it was the Pharisees that had a hand in the Lord’s death.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Prayer Points
1. ‘One for Israel’ have asked for our prayers. There is another court case this month against them for proclaiming Jesus as Israel’s Messiah. The message of Yeshua is seen as anti-Israel and could have profound consequences, potentially leading to the gagging of the gospel in Israel
2. New members course – 3 week course. First 2 weeks completed. See CBC’s Youtube page if you need to see them.
3. Pray for the seats still being counted after last weekend’s election.
4. Pray for peace over the Israel/Gaza, Ukraine/Russian wars.
5. New Life group starting soon in Fernvale/Lowood after membership course
6. Those that haven’t come to church for a while to return.
7. Revival over our city.
8. Finances to cover our needs
9. Pray for PlayPatch, Kids church, Creche and Kids Hope at Karalee State school.
10. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to increase.
Praise Points
1. Mothers Day celebrations both on Saturday and Sunday. Well done Graham and Suzanne
2. New equipment in and working. Thankyou Nathan and Jonathan
3. More visitors on Sunday
4. The Lord’s grace over our lives and country
5. Café, music, kids church, admin, sound and technical team every week
6. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. 3rd and final Membership Class course 18th May after church.
2. Quarterly Members Meeting 25th May after church.
3. Ministries this week. Life groups, Kids@Church, Kids Hope - Karalee.
4. PlayPatch 1-5yos, Fridays 9:30am at church.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
6. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for May...
Q. 32. What is a change of heart called? A. Regeneration.
Bible References – Titus 3:5-7.
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” Jer 33:3
