 Scripture Reading: Psalm 146:1-10 NASB95 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! [2] I will praise the LORD while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. [3] Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. [4] His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish. [5] How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, [6] Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever; [7] Who executes justice for the oppressed; Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free. [8] The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous; [9] The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, But He thwarts the way of the wicked. [10] The LORD will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!
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 Scripture Reading: Luke 15:10-32 NASB95
[11] And He said, “A man had two sons. [12] The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. [13] And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. [14] Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. [15] So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. [16] And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. [17] But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! [18] I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; [19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ [20] So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. [21] And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ [22] But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; [23] and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; [24] for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate. [25] “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. [26] And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. [27] And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ [28] But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. [29] But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; [30] but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ [31] And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. [32] But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’” The parable of the prodigal son clearly reveals the heart of God towards people. There are a couple of things that we learn from this parable when it comes to the heart of God. Firstly, God continues to hope for the return of the lost son or daughter. Secondly, unless (by our own choices) we make separation from God inevitable, God does not give us what we deserve. When a person repents from their sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I certainly do not want what I deserve. That is why I have such a deep appreciation for God's grace. I deserve death and through the atoning work of Christ, I have received life. In the parable of the prodigal, this son lived life in the fast lane; he squandered a fortune; he lived a life that the Father would have despised. In spite of everything, the Father restored the prodigal with love and acceptance. This story should never be used as a license to sin, because all of us know the stories of the prodigals that never make the journey back home to their Father. Too many prodigals die in their sin; and often it was the life choices (the risky behavior) that lead to their own demise. We know that a man can gain the whole world and lose their soul. (There is no profit in that life choice) Heaven rejoices--the Church rejoices--the Father rejoices when the prodigal comes home! Questions to Consider:
 Scripture Reading: Luke 15:1-10 NASB95
Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. [2] Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” [3] So He told them this parable, saying, [4] “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? [5] When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. [6] And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ [7] I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. [8] “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? [9] When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ [10] In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” How wonderful is it when a sinner comes to a place of repentance and puts their faith in Jesus? I think that too often, we who grew up in the church, may not fully appreciate the salvation of a lost person as much as we should. Perhaps our attitude should be more in line with heaven where "there is joy over one sinner who repents!" Why is this important? If the church does not place a high value on the salvation of a person, then the church will not make much of an effort to reach lost people. As it is with all people, "we" will not make the necessary investments with our time and resources if evangelism is not important to us. The church needs to be energized by our high calling of reaching the lost sheep! In light of eternity, there are very few things in this life as important as winning the heart of an unbeliever to Christ. This is a central purpose to our calling as Ambassadors for Christ. We represent Christ to a world shrouded in darkness. We proclaim the Gospel to people who need what only Jesus can give. As followers of Christ, we are salt, we are the light of the world, and we are the reason that some lost sheep will be found. Questions to Consider:
 Scripture Reading: John 14:12-14 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. [13] Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
Anytime I mention this scripture, I remind people who it was that spoke these words. I want to make sure that people know that this is not my idea, this is the truth spoken by Jesus, the head of the Church. Are these verses hyperbole? Are they an exaggeration? Or did Jesus mean these words literally? The very idea of doing the works that Jesus did is intimidating. However, Jesus did not stop there, He went on to say that we (the Church) would do "greater works." So, how does this work? If you take the time to read the Book of Acts, you will discover that the Church was doing the same kind of works that Jesus did; and indeed, they went on to what can only be described as "greater works." So, how did they do it? The Church of Acts went out. They took the Gospel Message out into the world. It seems that the bulk of their efforts to engage in ministry took place in the context of the general population. After the Holy Spirit filled them with power in the Upper Room they did not stay sequestered away. They preached the Gospel and people were saved. They prayed for people and people were healed. They spoke the truth boldly and the Holy Spirit confirmed their message with signs and wonders. What can we learn from the Church of Acts? Go...Preach and Minister to the Lost...Expect God to show up in power! Questions to Consider:
 Scripture Reading: Mark 6:53-56 NASB95
When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. [54] When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, [55] and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to the place they heard He was. [56] Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the marketplaces, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured. In the early days of Jesus' ministry, He spent most of His time in the region of Galilee. Jesus fed 5,000 people near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus preached His most famous sermon on a mountain over-looking the Sea of Galilee. He called His "fishermen" disciples while they were fishing on the Sea of Galilee. By the time Jesus landed with His disciples in the land of Gennesaret, He was well-known in the villages and cities around the Sea of Galilee. When Jesus landed in Gennesaret He was immediately recognized. Word of mouth was spreading His fame in that region. Jesus was doing "things" that no-one had seen since the time of Elijah. Jesus was doing miracles. He was healing the sick. He raised a young girl from the dead. It also seemed as if He taught with a spiritual insight and authority that was missing in the teaching of the Pharisees. As Jesus traveled the dusty trails of Judea, and sailed across the Sea of Galilee, He was always advancing the Kingdom of God. In fact, part of His message was, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." Jesus was a light in the darkness; He was the Kingdom of God at hand. Jesus was establishing His Kingdom in every heart that believed in Him. Finally, Jesus was setting an example for His followers (the Church) to follow. Jesus was and is the light of the world. That is also the role of the Church in the world today. We (the Church) are the light of the world. Jesus has given us the mandate and the power to extend the Kingdom of God. We extend the Kingdom of God with every new convert who makes the decision to follow Jesus. Questions to Consider:
51Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened. Mark 6:51-52 NASB
Before this incident of Jesus walking on the water, the disciples had just experienced a stunning miracle where Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 men with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Not only did they see it happen, but they actually participated in the miracle. Their very hands were used to pass out the miraculous food. Yet, once Jesus gets into the boat from walking on the sea, Mark says that they had not gained any insight from these things because of their hardened hearts. They were participating in ministry, yet still had not gained any insight into who Jesus was or the reality of the kingdom of God. Jesus gives the “why” behind the disciples unbelief, and their lack of understanding of how Jesus could walk on water, by saying that their hearts were hardened. They didn’t understand or have any insight into who Jesus was through the miracles He was doing, which is a major problem. The revelations they were receiving were not leading to transformations in their hearts and lives. Jesus had been teaching the disciples, showing them, and even allowing them to experience the power of the kingdom. They held actual supernatural food in their very hands just hours before this scene of Jesus walking on the water took place. Yet, they still did not understand the ways of the kingdom or who Jesus was. This demonstrates the enormous, catastrophic problem of a hard heart. A hard heart prevents transformation from taking place because the soil is not ready to receive the seed being planted. There are many things in the mind of man that will never reach the heart. But there is nothing in the heart of man that did not begin with the mind. In the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:19 Jesus says that the seed that is sown beside the road is the one that the birds of the air come and snatch away. When Jesus explains the parable He says, it is those that hear the word and do not understand, that have the seed snatched away by the evil one (birds). The word for understand that Jesus uses in Matthew 13:19 means: to "put facts together", to arrive at a summary or final understanding (complete with life-applications). It means to fit everything together into a whole, complete understanding or insight. What prevented the understanding from taking place with this seed that landed on the road? A hard surface; i.e. a hard heart. There is nothing wrong with the seed; in fact, the seed possesses a life source that is is more powerful than a subatomic particle that is sitting in the mind of the hearers. The issue is the soil on which the seed resides. It is stuck in the hearing stage (mind) and never moves along because the hardness is preventing it from reaching the understanding stage (heart). In contrast, the one who hears and understands is the one that produces fruit and life. This is why Paul says in Ephesians 5:17: So then do not be foolish but understand what the will of God is. The word for "foolish" there means: properly, lacking perspective because short-sighted, i.e. lacking the "over-all picture". Understanding the will of God is prevented by foolish thinking that is short-sighted. All of us have the sinful roots of hardness from our depraved hearts that we must fight against. It is the natural course of our hearts to enter into a hardness stage. Left unchecked our hearts will drift towards hardness preventing us from gaining the insights from our Father in this life. Break up your fallow, hardened ground today so that transformation may flow from the revelations of God. Questions to Consider: 1. Are there areas in your life where you feel a coldness or hardness developing? What are some steps you can take to prevent that from happening? 2. Do you know someone today that is dealing with a hardness towards God? Will you take time to pray for them today? 48Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Mark 6:48-50 NASB
As amazing as this story is, it brings up so many questions. Why didn’t Jesus get into a boat to come to His disciples? Why didn't Jesus announce that it was Him walking on the water. Why didn't Jesus tell His disciples to calm down and He had the storm under control? There are many things that Jesus will keep as a mystery to keep us longing for Him. If Jesus would have demonstrated some sort of "formula" for His disciples to get out of the storm, we would most certainly be abiding by that same formula today instead of abiding in Christ. Jesus knows that as humans we are bent towards formulas, idols, and "programs" where we remove Him from being our constant, moment by moment inspiration and Friend that we walk with. Mystery of what was happening on the sea led the disciples to cry out. Without the mystery there would have been no cry. Without the mystery there wouldn’t have been any hunger. The mystery of how it was possible that a man could walk on the water added to their hunger which was expressed through a cry. Without the mystery they would have never received the revelation that Jesus has power over the laws of nature itself. There may be things happening in your life today that God seems to be withholding information on. You do not need an explanation as to why those things are happening; you need a Person. So, why didn't Jesus use natural means to come to His disciples? Because Jesus wanted to hear their cry, so He concealed what was happening until the proper time. It is okay to lift up a shout, a cry, a wail as we are going through trials in this life. It's okay to cry out to God for Him to intervene. He loves the sound of his people crying out to Him. The disciples knew Jesus as a great teacher, lover of the poor and hurting, and a great Healer, but not as God. Through the mystery and their cry they learned that Jesus is more than a mere man. Living in the tension of mystery and revelation is the hardest place to remain. It can feel like you are being stretched like a rubber band while you are in the "waiting". But we have a promise from Isaiah 40:31 that says: Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. The word for "wait" in that verse is a verb. It means to twist, and stretch like a strand of rope; like braiding a strand of rope together through applying tension. So, while we are "waiting", we are actively being braided together by God into His purposes. These times can become fearful as we sit in the "unknown". But before we know it, Jesus comes walking on the sea towards us, and we have a completely new perspective of who He is that we would have never obtained had we not been stuck in the "mysterious waiting". Questions to Consider: 1. What are some things that you are going through right now that you don't understand? 2. What are some situations that you are waiting on God to move in? 47When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” 51Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished,
The disciples feared the wind and the sea while they were in a boat that was being tossed about. They feared for their very lives as they could not gain control of the boat no matter how hard they tried. Yet when Jesus comes walking on the water their fear is not removed; instead it is intensified. It says they were terrified when they saw what they assumed to be a ghost walking on the water. Then when Jesus speaks to them and gets into the boat they were "utterly astonished". Not only were they in a stormy sea, they were also in a sea of emotions. To get the full scope of what the disciples were feeling in this moment it's important to look at what these words meant. Terrified when they saw Jesus (ghost): to strike one's spirit with fear or dread. Causing inner perplexity (emotional agitation) from getting too stirred up inside. Astonished: literally, "to remove from a standing (fixed) position," put out of place; i.e. "beside oneself," showing someone as flabbergasted (completely stupefied); at a total loss to explain or account for something; overwhelmed, astonished Utterly: very, exceedingly. intensifies (raises) a thought, taking it from much ("a high extent") to "very much" ("a great extent"), i.e. utterly (strongly, "to the max") What is the difference between the fear they experienced from the wind and the sea and the fear they experienced when they saw Jesus walking on water? There was no difference except for the intensity. They were struck with fear and dread by the wind and the sea, and that fear intensified when they thought a ghost was walking toward them! They must have thought: "we aren't just going to die by drowning, we're going to be haunted too! They must have remembered the previous storm in Mark 4 and what Jesus did when He was in the boat with them, rising and rebuking the wind. But they never thought it possible that Jesus could actually walk on the water. No man is capable of doing that, especially in the midst of a stormy sea. They did not fully know who Jesus was, so they assumed that it was a ghost walking on the water. This wasn't just their "buddy" walking towards them, this was the infinite Son of God doing something so divine that it caused intense fear to rise up within the disciples. What does this mean? There are many people today who are afraid of God because they do not know God. They are afraid of Him the same way that they are afraid of ghosts or natural disasters taking place. These same examples happen in a parable that Jesus gives in Matthew 25. A master had given a certain amount of talents to his slaves expecting a return on his investment once he returned. Once he returned, the one who received the five talents had five more to give. The one who received the two talents had two more to give. But the one who received the one talent said: “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ This man's view of God was so skewed that he was afraid of disappointing Him, so he didn't even try. He saw Him as a "hard man" and not a loving Father. He had not gotten close to the heart of the Father to know who He truly was. The disciples in this story did not know who Jesus truly was. So they viewed Him as a "ghost" walking on the water, not as the Son of God walking on top of the waves He had created. It seems that it is only through storms that the diamond of the character of God is turned to give us a new glimpse into who He is. But notice, they didn’t lose fear once Jesus got into the boat. Their terrifying fear of the "unknown" had morphed into reverence, astonishment, and amazement. They wanted Jesus to stay away at first because they thought He was a ghost and they were terrified. Now they wanted to keep their distance from Him because they realized their own inability, sinfulness, and inadequacies while in His presence. Yet, Jesus drew close to them. Proverbs 9:10- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We need a restoration of the fear of the Lord in our lives, and in the church again. Viewing God correctly for who He is unlocks the wisdom that He has to offer to mankind. The disciples were able to learn something new about who Jesus was because they obtained a healthy fear of Christ through this experience. Questions To Consider: 1. How would you describe the phrase: "The fear of the Lord"? 2. What is something that God has done in your life that caused you to gain a healthy fear of Him? Something so powerful that it made you realize that He truly is the Creator of all things? 47When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.”
Jesus was watching His disciples in the midst of their struggle. They were not struggling alone, even if it felt that way. Sure, Jesus wasn't in the boat like He was in Mark 4 when a different storm came upon them. But they had the eyes of the King of Glory gazing upon them. If we have His gaze and His attention, why would we ever look elsewhere? Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. Mark 6:48 Think of those words for a moment "in the night He came to them". Have you had nights like these where the struggle, the temptation, the desire to quit was so intense? Jesus sees those moments and He walks right into them. Jesus is about to step into the wind and sea without using any normal human means. Why didn’t He get into a boat or something? Jesus is defying the laws of nature and science doing what He is doing. He is demonstrating to His disciples that He is not just a good teacher, or a great healer; He is showing them that even creation submits to His will. How? Because He is God: Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea; 9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; 10Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number. 11“Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. Job 9:8-11 NASB Jesus did not remain as a spectator in the struggle of His disciples. He stepped into the actual struggle itself. The sea and the wind were going to drown the disciples. Yet, Jesus stepped into the wind and the sea. He did not stay safe on the shores screaming out instructions or rebuking them for not knowing what to do when a storm comes. He stepped into the sea, walking through the wind without any wavering, and trampling under His feet the very seas that threatened to drown His disciples. In this world of constant trials, we tend to often look for instructions on how to fix them, or explanations as to why they are happening. We do not need instructions or explanations for the trials we face; we need a Person. A Person who embodies the very thing that we desire and need. The answers you desire in the sea of wavering life are found in His presence. Jesus says in Matthew 5:4 - "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. How will they be comforted? By being given an explanation? No, but by the Comforter, who lives inside of us. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:34 Questions To Consider: 1. How can we take the comfort that we have received from God and share it with others that are in need? Pray for an opportunity this week to be able to share the same comfort that you have received. 2. Think of what Jesus has done for you in your life when he trampled under His feet your sin. Would you take a moment and offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for those things? Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray. Mark 6:45-46 NASB
If there is one thing that should jump out to us when we look at the life of Jesus, it should be how often prayer was emphasized. He would often leave the public eye to go be alone with His Father in prayer. He found more joy being in prayer than He did with being a public figure. Make no mistake about it, Jesus was extremely popular in His day. Crowds of thousands of people would follow Him and push in on Him when He would enter their town or region. Yet, in what seemed to be the most inopportune times, Jesus would slip away to be alone with His Father through prayer. The gospel of Luke has been called by some 'the gospel of prayer'. The reason being that Luke records some of the same events as the other New Testament writers, but he will include the prayer life of Jesus unlike the other authors. For instance: The other authors say that Jesus was in the Jordan River being baptized and the Spirit descended on Him as a dove – Luke says it was while He was praying that the Spirit descended on Him (Luke 3:21). The other authors say that Jesus chose His 12 disciples – Luke says it was after He spent a whole night in prayer that He chose the 12 disciples (Luke 6:12). The other authors say that Jesus died on a cross – Luke says that even when Jesus was dying He was praying for those who persecuted Him (Luke 23:34). The other authors say Jesus went on a mountain and He was transfigured – Luke says it was while He was praying that He was transfigured (Luke 9:29). Luke even says in Luke 22:39 that it 'was His custom' to withdraw and pray. What does this teach us? That even the Son of God demonstrated for us the power and need of an intimate prayer life with the Father. Some of the greatest saints of old had the greatest prayer lives. The things that we love about the saints of old like their books, messages, acts of faith etc. all flowed from an intimate, real relationship with the Father through prayer. Leonard Ravenhill is one of my personal heroes of the faith. His teaching on prayer and his lifestyle of prayer has impacted me personally in many ways. Leonard Ravenhill died in 1994 at the age of 87, but up until his last days his passion for prayer and the prayer meeting never died. He was still holding weekly and monthly prayer meeting for pastors and evangelists late into he 80's. The one thing that people remember the most about his life was his prayers. They knew that he was a man that walked with God based upon the way that he communicated with God. Leonard said: "Let the fires go out in the boiler room of the church and the place will still look smart and clean, but it will be cold. The Prayer Room is the boiler room for its spiritual life. The true church lives and moves and has its being in prayer." Questions to Consider: 1. Do you find it a struggle to be disciplined in your prayer life? What are some steps you can take today to hep you be more disciplined? 2. Think of a time that God has moved on your behalf when you asked Him in prayer. If He did it before He will do it again! What are you praying for today? |
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