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[1821.24 --> 1822.38] and that we would flourish. |
[1823.62 --> 1827.56] Lord, we want to live lives that are full of love for You and love for neighbor. |
[1827.66 --> 1829.18] So would You move in us? |
[1829.18 --> 1834.36] Would You pour Your Spirit on us so that we would display before a watching world |
[1834.36 --> 1838.86] the life that comes from following in Your ways? |
[1839.36 --> 1840.90] We pray this in Christ's name. |
[1841.46 --> 1841.68] Amen. |
• Introduction to the series "Hard Sayings of Jesus" |
• Reading and discussion of Luke 12:49-56 |
• Contrasting popular image of Jesus with biblical portrayal as one who brings fire and division |
• Explaining that Jesus' words are about judgment, purification, and salvation, not just condemnation or destruction |
• Discussing how God's invitation to salvation is often misunderstood as a call to external obedience rather than internal transformation |
• Examining the Christmas story and other passages for their portrayal of peace and division in relation to Jesus |
• Arguing that Jesus brings peace by bridging the divide between God and humanity, but this also leads to division and conflict. |
• The concept of surrendering to God's agenda and accepting Jesus as the way to peace with God |
• The reaction of people in various cultures, including Israel, Rome, Greece, and modern-day individuals, who struggle to accept God's judgment and plan for their lives |
• The statement "no one comes to the Father except through me" by Jesus and its implications |
• The contrast between light and darkness, with those who believe in Jesus being guided out of darkness |
• A personal anecdote about reading Luke 19, where Jesus weeps over Jerusalem because it has missed the opportunity for true peace |
• The relationship between judgment and love, including a parent's correction of their child as an example of loving discipline |
• The comparison of God's judgment with that of human courts, highlighting the importance of judgment in maintaining order and justice |
• Speaking truth in love as Christians |
• Jesus confronting religious leaders with truth for their own good and the good of others |
• The significance of baptism and its connection to Jesus' death on the cross |
• The phrase "from now on" indicating a change in the way things are done, with Jesus at the right hand of God |
• Divisions that can occur as people struggle with the truth of Jesus' message |
• The importance of sharing peace and good news, even if it's not always received |
• Wars and violence |
• Peace and harmony with a holy God |
• The role of fire in purification and destruction |
• Conflict avoidance vs true peace through Jesus' death and resurrection |
• Navigating relationships and communication to share the gospel and speak truth in love |
• The speaker discusses the idea that Jesus came to bring division, not a little or casual faith. |
• Many people come to church for their children's sake, rather than out of personal conviction. |
• This "little religion" doesn't lead to true surrender to Jesus' ways and can leave people without peace beyond understanding. |
• Jesus came to bring life in all its fullness, requiring total commitment. |
• The speaker notes that many people miss the significance of Jesus' presence in their lives, much like the crowd in the Bible did when Jesus referred to eating his body and drinking his blood. |
• Division and choices between light and darkness |
• Jesus' definition of peace through repentance, grace, and forgiveness |
• Salvation is through faith alone, not by human effort |
• Identity and meaning in God, not in worldly things |
• Prioritizing God's love over human relationships |
• Learning to love others out of love for God |
• Relationship with others |
• Identifying one's defining relationship |
• Choice between light and darkness, life and death |
• Prioritizing Christ above all else |
• Growth through division and surrendering to God's agenda |
• The brokenness of sin, death, and its opposite in Christ |
• Praise for God's gift of life in all its fullness |
• Request to share the gospel with love and humility |
• Prayer for wisdom and strength from God |
• Worship through song and prayer |
[0.00 --> 14.32] Good morning. It is good to be together again and to celebrate community and our common vision |
[14.32 --> 22.80] as a church. This morning we're going to continue looking at some of the words that Jesus spoke that |
[22.80 --> 29.60] are harder to deal with. We call this series Hard Sayings of Jesus. And today's passage |
[30.48 --> 36.16] certainly caused me to do some hard thinking and praying. And so, let's just get right into it. So, |
[36.16 --> 39.84] look at the passage with me. It will be up on the screen here. If you have your Bibles, |
[39.84 --> 45.12] you can open them up to Luke 12. We're going to read verses 49 through 56. |
[45.12 --> 54.40] Here's what the Word says, Jesus speaking, I have come to bring fire on earth and how I wish it were |
[54.40 --> 61.84] already kindled. But I have a baptism to undergo and what constraint I am under until it is completed. |
[63.04 --> 70.56] Do you think that I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on, |
[70.56 --> 75.20] there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two, two against three. |
[75.20 --> 79.76] There will be divided father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, |
[80.32 --> 84.56] daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. |
[84.56 --> 89.60] And he said to the crowd, when you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, |
[89.60 --> 95.28] it's going to rain. And it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, it's going to be hot. |
[95.28 --> 103.28] And it is. Hypocrites. You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it |
[103.28 --> 110.56] you don't know how to interpret this present time? Well, there you go. That's pretty straightforward. |
[111.12 --> 117.52] Let's conclude with the last song and go home. That's kind of almost how I feel, or at least how |
[117.52 --> 123.12] I felt when I first read the passage. I kind of go, oh man, there's a lot there. Jesus saying, |
[123.12 --> 131.36] I came to bring fire. I came to bring division. Like, what's going on here? This is kind of messing |
[131.36 --> 139.92] with our popular image of Jesus, right? A Jesus that anyone could like, soothing, peaceful, |
[140.72 --> 146.00] saying things that we want to hear, strolling through the meadow with a lamb across his shoulders, |
[146.00 --> 152.88] soft, cuddly Jesus, non-offensive. And I've heard people say, you know, I like Jesus, not the church too |
[152.88 --> 159.12] much. But I like Jesus. And Jesus is seen more like a life coach dispensing good advice and how to live a |
[159.12 --> 170.64] successful life. A Jesus who makes no real demands on us. And I want to tell you, that Jesus doesn't exist. |
[172.08 --> 177.20] He does give good advice. He does talk about how to live life. But there's so much more going on than |
[177.20 --> 185.52] that. And we hear Him in today's passage, I came to bring fire. I came to bring division. What does He |
[185.52 --> 193.60] mean? In Scripture, fire is often connected with judgment, sometimes with purification. But let's be |
[193.60 --> 201.36] really clear here. Jesus came to bring salvation for all people. That's why John 3, famous verse 16, |
[201.36 --> 206.32] God so loved the world, He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will be saved. |
[208.08 --> 213.04] That's just a straightforward gospel. Elsewhere in Scripture, it says God didn't send His Son |
[213.04 --> 219.84] into the world to condemn the world, right? That wasn't the point. The point was salvation. |
[220.64 --> 226.96] Love warns. Love invites. Love seeks truth. |
[226.96 --> 238.40] God's invitation to be saved and transformed and healed. |
[240.64 --> 249.44] John 11, verse 11, 12, I look at this with me. This is about Jesus. He came to that which was His own, |
[249.44 --> 258.24] His own people. But His own did not receive Him. Yet all who did receive Him, to those who believed in |
[258.24 --> 267.04] His name, He gave the right to become children of God. That is Jesus' desire that we all become children |
[267.76 --> 274.96] of God. Scripture says, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. |
[274.96 --> 284.88] God's not leaving anyone out. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In other words, all need saving, all need transforming, all need redeeming. |
[286.16 --> 299.84] Israel had been waiting for a Messiah who would solve, really, their political problems, who would restore Israel to its rightful place. That's the Messiah they were waiting for. |
[299.84 --> 307.54] They, as individuals, weren't really thinking about their need for being saved. Their hearts didn't seem to need transforming. |
[309.20 --> 313.10] And so, when we think about this, we say, so did Jesus come to bring peace or division? |
[314.20 --> 318.06] Well, you know, when we read Luke 2, we go back to the Christmas story, the angel singing, |
[318.22 --> 323.76] Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests. |
[323.76 --> 329.14] Paul writes in Philippians 4, though, he pushes that peace idea a little further here. |
[329.68 --> 335.62] He writes, don't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, we've been talking about this morning, |
[335.92 --> 339.10] with thanksgiving, present your request to God, and here we go. |
[339.50 --> 342.40] And the peace of God, what kind of peace? |
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