This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Pride; Enemy Of The Cross", 1/19/2014

PRIDE; ENEMY OF THE CROSS

 

Luke 14:7-14

 

INTRODUCTION

The day of this event is the Sabbath. The place is the home of the Chief Pharisee. The

occasion is a dinner by invitation only.

 

Jesus met the enemy on their territory. He showed up in the company of those who

hated Him and those who plotted to kill Him. Jesus was aware that He was invited to

be trapped in to saying something or doing something that could be used to condemn

Him.

 

Jesus is no stranger to danger, because danger is His opportunity to be glorified.  

Jesus showed up not to destroy His enemy, but to teach the principles of God. Jesus

showed up in the house of sick folk. He showed up with power to heal with the Word

of God.

 

If a doctor is going to heal somebody, he has to go where the sick folk are. The church

is a body of sick folk. A sure place to find a doctor is in a Hospital. The Church is a

Hospital of sick folk. A sure place to find Doctor Jesus is in the Church.  

 

If the truth be told, we all need this hospital called the Church. We got some folk that

just need a vaccination. We got some folk that need a hospital bed. We got some folk

that need major surgery. We got some folk recovering in ICU.

 

SEEKING HONOR, AN INDICATION OF PRIDE 

V:7. " And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them."

 A. Among believers, one of the enemies to the cross is pride. The Lord said, I hate

     the proud.

    1. Jesus used a common event to teach the sin of pride, a wedding.

       a. Weddings are ordained by God.

       b. Weddings are commanded by God.

       c. A wedding is the first human institution created by God.

   2. A wedding is a celebration of the union of a man and a woman.

      a. The Jewish Wedding was an invitation only event.

      b. In a Jewish Wedding, the seating is usually prearranged.

 B. It is our natural inclination to want to be honored.

     1. That inclination is driven by pride.

     2. Pride will drive us to seek out the best place to be noticed.

 C. The right hand of the host of the dinner is the most honored position.

    1. There are only so many seats at the table with the host.

    2. There would be people seated and people standing around the walls.

 D. Every believer is in the Church by invitation only.

    1. Our invitation does not give us the liberty to show up with a prideful attitude.

    2. It is not by works that we are saved, but by grace, so no one can boast.  Eph 2:8

 

THE INVITATION IS HONOR

V:8. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him."

A. The first rule of checking your pride is to not assume the position of honor.

    1. To be invited is an honor.

    2. Your invitation does not carry a rating of honor.

        a. God is no respecter of person. 

B. All believers have been invited to attend the wedding banquet of Christ and His

    bride, the Church.

  1. The Lord honored us with his presence in our lives.

  2. The Lord honored us by calling us out of the world and into the body of Christ.

C. There are certainly, some disciples that are going to be more honored than others in

     heaven.

   1. We store up treasures in heaven by the sacrifices and the work we do for the Lord.

   2. There will be some saints in heaven who did much more than you or I.

   3. Jesus told His disciples that to sit at my right hand or my left hand was not His to

       give.  Mat 20:23

   4. The Father determines the high positions in heaven.

D. If we seek the places of honor, we are seeking to be admired by others.

   1. Seeking the praise of man is a vain effort.

   2. You can be admired today by men and hated tomorrow. 

   3. What others think about you has no heavenly value.

   4. What others think about you may have no earthly value.

 

V:9.  "And he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this man,' and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. "

 A. What goes up can easily come down.

     1. You really never know what other people think of you.

     2. People may invite you out of courtesy, but really hope you don't come.

 B. Sometimes people invite you to their function to humiliate you.

    1. Jesus was invited to the home of the chief  Pharisee to trap Him into

        doing something or saying something to condemn Him.

    2. A party of like minded people are sometimes up to no good.

 C. Jesus noticed that the invited guest were competing for position at the head table.

    1. You must watch who you get close to.

    2. It may be that the closer you get to someone, the closer you get to the source of

        evil.

    3. The chief Priest was the chief sinner of the group.

         a. He should have had more knowledge of the scripture than anyone.

         b. Yet he was trying to destroy the author of the scripture.

   4. The most popular person might be the most evil person.

        a. It would be nothing for that person to push you aside for someone else.

        b. When you are asked to move aside to make room for someone else,

            you will be humiliated.

   5. Your position and status in the world has nothing to do with how God sees you.

     a. The safest position is the least position.

     b. The best attitude is a humble attitude.

     c. The best spirit is a humble spirit.

     d. One of the jobs of the Devil is to set you up to bring you down.

     e. If you derive your self worth from the people you are close to, then you

         are  setting yourself up for a fall.   

 

HOW TO MAINTAIN A HUMBLE ATTITUDE

V:10. "But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you."

 A. There is nothing wrong with being in the last place among men.

     1. Self assertion goes to far and is often dishonored.

     2. When one gets caught up in himself, he is often blinded to the realities of the

          situation.

     3. When we get caught up in self, we can't see the pit falls in front of us.

     4. When we get caught up in self, we quit listening to divine guidance and reason.

     5. When we get caught up in self, we can't see the importance of others.

     6. When we get caught up in self, we can't recognize the sin in ourselves, but the sin

          in others.

 B. The best position in life is a humble position.

     1. When we humble ourselves, we have no problem letting others go first.

     2. When we humble ourselves, position cease to be important.

     3. When we humble ourselves, we let others speak so we can learn.

     4. When we humble ourselves, we can more easily see the needs and concerns

         of others.

 C. Sometimes sitting in the back is the best place to be.

     1. When you take the back seat, you can watch the actions of others.

     2. If you are sitting in the back when trouble arises, you can get out first.

     3. If you are sitting in the least position, you can watch others rise and fall.

         a. You can learn from someone rising.

         b. You can learn from the fall of others.

 D. A humble person is a better friend than a proud person.

    1. A humble person is more likely to be helpful than a proud person.

    2. A humble person is more likely to be more dependable than a proud person.

    3. When you see others as more important than you, others are likely to see the

        importance in you.

    4. A true friend will lift you up, and not tear you down.

    5. A humble person knows the value of other people.

       a. When you value others, they will in the long run come to value you.

       b. If you have a life style of esteeming others, you will soon be esteemed.

 

THE GRACE OF GOD

11 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

A. The Lord hates the proud, but He loves a humble spirit.  James 4:6

    1. Jesus humbled himself to step down out of Glory to take on the sins of man.

    2. He who knew no sin, became sin for all mankind.

B. Jesus said if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself.   John 12:32

   1. In order for me to lift somebody up, I have to make myself low.

   2. The one who lifts others up, will draw others to himself.

   3. The one who lifts others up will be lifted up. 

C. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

   1. Would it be better to give up yourself to gain heaven?

   2. Pride is offensive to the Father and draws His condemnation.

   3. A proud person is a selfish person, and he cannot please God.

   4. We must have a sense of our own unworthiness to see the righteousness

        of God.

   5. We must have a sense of our own unworthiness to seek change in our

        lives to please God.

 

ACTIONS OF A HUMBLE SPIRIT

V:12. " And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment."

 A. The Lord is saying there is no gain in inviting those who can return your invitation.

     1. The Lord is not saying don't fellowship with your friends and relatives.

     2.  The Lord is not discouraging you from preparing a meal for friends.

          a. The Lord loves family.

          b. The Lord encourages family unity.

     3. What the Lord is saying, is that there is no heavenly gain in doing so.

 B. If everybody you invite can repay you, your reward is on earth.

    1. It does not take much to love those who love you.

    2. It does not take much to love those you know and have a relationship with.

 C. You will not store up treasures in heaven, when you help those who don't need

      your help.

    1. In addition to close family and friends, we have a higher calling.

    2. There are those who we don't know who would benefit from our fellowship.

 

13 "But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind."

 A. The higher calling of believers is to reach out to those in need.

     1. What we do for the least, we do for God.

     2. A humble spirit recognizes that if it were not for the grace of God, we would be

         the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.

 B. God blessed us so that we could extend our blessings to others in need.

    1. We have been equipped to help the needy.

    2. The poor need to be blessed with a portion of what we have and uplifted.

    3. The crippled and the lame need to be carried to a higher ground.

    4. The blind need to be brought into the light and encouraged with a Word from

        the Lord.

    5. Our role model for compassion is Jesus.

       a. When He walked this earth, He never failed to take time to heal and make whole

           those in need.

       b. He said that the things He did, we would be able to do greater things.

 C. We have this higher calling to put others before us.

     1. Each of us have a cross to bear and that cross will lead to rewards in heaven.

 

REWARD OF A HUMBLE SPIRIT

V:14.  "And you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

 A. The Lord has a repayment plan for us.

     1. Every unselfish act to help others is counted by God.

     2. We need to take on this new attitude of inviting those in need to fellowship with

         us and those who do not look like us.

     3. This new attitude of helping those in need excludes being repaid by others.

 B. We got a God in heaven that pays us for the good we do.

    1. Our God in heaven has been our help, when we were His enemy.

    2. Our God in heaven has been our help, when we didn't know we needed help.

 C. Our God in heaven has reserved a place at His table in heaven that we can't

      buy and that we don't deserve.

    1. It is our duty and responsibility to reserve a place in our hearts for the those in
       
        need.

    2. When we reach outside our comfort zone to those we don't know, the Church
       
        grows.

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "How To Be Happy", 1/12/2014

HOW TO BE HAPPY

 

Luke 6:20-31

 

THE ATTITUDE OF BELIEVERS

V:20. " And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, "Blessed are you who  are  poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."

 A. The Lord's focus is always on His disciples.

      1. Jesus is concerned about every aspect of our lives.

      2. Everything that has to do with our wholeness is the concern of Jesus.

 B. Jesus teaches us through His Word.

     1. To know Jesus , requires continuous Bible Study.

 C. Blessed= markarious= fortunate, well off, happy

     1. It is Jesus desire that His disciples be happy.

     2. He describes Happy in terms of having less now for more  in Heaven.

     3. Poor= ptochos= beggar.

     4. We beg to get an understanding of the Word.

          a. We have a longing to be close to the Lord.

          b. It should be our desire to apply the Word to our daily living.

 D. The Kingdom belongs to those who trust the Lord.

     1. Those who follow the Lord must learn to be content with what they have.

         a. Riches and fame are not the product of righteousness.

         b. Trials and tribulations are the product of following Jesus.

     2. Those who follow Jesus are fortunate because they have Jesus as their

          Lord and Savior.

         a. Jesus is their protector and provider.

         b. Jesus promised to give us that which we need but not always in excess.

     3. Those who follow Jesus are fortunate because they are promised a place in

          heaven.

         a. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness there of.

         b. We have this confidence in the Lord that whatever we ask in Jesus name

              will be done for us according to His will.  1 John 5:14

         c. We must learn that true happiness is not based on what we have in this world

             but what we have in Jesus.

 

 V: 21 "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you

 

     who weep now, for you shall laugh."

  A. Those who follow the Lord make sacrifices and often go without for the benefit of

       others.

     1. We rise early in search of the good we can do for the sake of Christ.

     2. We hunger for what is right, but evil is always present.

 B. We are blessed because whatever we do for Christ is counted in heaven and held

      in reserve for us in times of need.

    1. We are satisfied because we know in our hearts that the Grace of God is always

        sufficient for us.   2 Cor 12:9

    2. We have this testimony that the God we serve has always supplied our needs.

        a. We have this testimony that when we could not see the way, God made a way.

        b. We have this testimony that when we were sad and broken, in time God will

 

            made  us whole again.

 C. There are times when we weep because our efforts to make a difference in the lives

 

      of  families and others seem never to be enough.

     1. There are times when our trials and tribulations overwhelm us because there

 

         seem   to be no end in sight.

     2. But in the sweet "By And By" as we and our families grow and mature, God

 

        reveals  to us that our efforts have not been in vain and that we have made a

 

       difference.

     3. We find Joy in the victories that the Lord has guided us to.

     4. We find Joy when God brings an end to that which troubles us.

     5. There is joy when we look back over our lives and discover that God has used all

          that we have been through to grow us into mature and happy Christians.

 

V: 22.  "Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and cast insults at you,

 and spurn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man."

 A. To follow Jesus you have to take up a cross.

      1. The cross is the burden we bear for the sake of Christ.  

      2. Men hated Christ for all the good that He did.

          a. He was condemned and crucified because evil men despised the Lord of

              righteousness.

          b. Following Christ, we will suffer some of the same troubles and insults that

              He endured for our salvation.

 B. We are blessed because Jesus is our advocate in Heaven and the Holy Spirit is

      our advocate that indwells us.

      1. When we decide to devote ourselves to the Lord, the Devil gets busy trying to

           bring us down.

      2. The Devil is creative in his efforts to steal, kill and destroy our work for the

 

          Lord.

      3. We are strengthen and adequately equipped with gifts and talents to endure the

           wise of the devil.

      4. We will find joy in the victories we win through our faith in the Lord Jesus.

      5. We are happy because the Devil and his demons are no match for Jesus.   

 

 23 "Be glad in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven;

 

       for  in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets."

  A. We have the testimony of the Word that all the prophets of the Lord in their efforts

        to serve him were abused and mistreated by evil men as they proclaim His Word

        to the world.

      1. We also have the testimony of the Word that a place in heaven was reserved for

           them.

      2. We have the testimony of the Word that the Lord strengthen them to endure the

          trials they faced while they lived.

 B. We should be joyful because we are counted among the prophets suffering as they

 

     did  for the Lord.

      1. We should not be ashamed for our suffering because we walk in the same spirit

          and have the same cause of uplifting Jesus as the prophets of the Old and New

          Testaments.

     2. Surely as the prophets were rewarded in heaven, so will we be rewarded.

         a. God took care of His prophets and He will take care of us.

 

UNDERSTANDING THE EMENIES OF CHRIST

 V:24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full."

 A. There is a disadvantage of being rich.

      1. The rich get all their accolades on earth, but none are reserved for heaven.

      2. In heaven, the first will be last, and the last will be first. 

 B. The problem with being rich is that it causes one to be over confident and self

      centered.

     1. It is easy for the rich to forget the God who provides and assume that they made

 

         it by their own efforts.

    2. Those who have everything they need have little to drive them to their knees in

        prayer.

    3. Those who are rich and don't know the Lord have little to drive them to the

 

        Father.

        a. They are rich in stuff, but empty in the spirit.

        b. They have all of their desires here and nothing stored in heaven.

        c. They have a home on earth and a home in Hell. 

 

 V:25. "Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who

   laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep."

   A. Those who don't know the Lord have some troubling times ahead of them.

       1. From the world's point of view, they do well now.

       2. They have all the world's goods and happy times.

       3. They live as if tomorrow is promised and there will be more of the same.

       4. They are unaware that what they have come from the Lord and will soon

            return to Him.

       5. They are unaware that what they have today can be gone tomorrow.

 B. The well- to- do spend their days in glory of themselves and give no credit

      and  glory to the Lord.

     1. They are unaware that a time will come when there will be sorrow in their lives

 

         and  the  laughter will stop.

     2. Having no relationship with the Lord and no foundation in the Word, they will

 

         not  know how to find joy in troubling times.

     3. In sickness, and the prospect of death their laughter will turn to sorrow.

        a. There is a place called hell where there will be no laughter.

        b. They spend no time preparing for an eternity with the Father, so hell is their

            destination. 

 

V: 26. "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers  

  used to treat the false prophets."

 A. Preachers and teachers of the Word must be careful not to seek to please men.

     1. The world is opposed to the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

     2. When the world speaks well of your teaching perhaps you are not preaching the

         penalty of sin and the need to repent. 

 B. The job of preachers and teachers are to preach the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ.

     1. It is easy to preach for the praise of men.

     2. We can teach all the promises of God without teaching the sacrifices required

          to obtain the promises.

     3. We can teach "Ask and You Shall Receive" without teaching to ask according to

         the will of God.  John 16:23

     4. We can teach the salvation of Jesus Christ without teaching the renewal of the

 

         mind.

 C. We can teach the goodness of God without teaching the sure troubles that come

 

      from taking up the cross.

      1. We must be careful to teach Jesus and the cross required to follow Him.

      2. When the world knows that to follow Jesus is to die for Jesus, the praise will

           stop.

 

 LIVING FOR CHRIST; BLESSING OTHERS

 V:27 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you."

  A. Believers are taught to love their enemies.

      1. That is a new language that is different from the world.

      2. To love your enemies require a renewal of the mind.

      3. To love you enemies require a new attitude.

      4. To love our enemies require us to realize that we were once enemies of Christ,

          who loved us enough to give up His life for our salvation.

  B. Believers are taught to do good to those who hate them.

     1. That is a new language.

     2. To do good for our enemies requires a renewal of the mind.

     3. To do good for our enemies requires a new attitude that is different from the

          world.

 

V: 28. " Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

 A. To bless those who cruse you requires a new attitude.

      1. Bless = eulogeite = speak well of.

      2. To speak well of someone who speaks bad of you requires the love of Jesus

          Christ.

      3. A good word from a believer may be the encouragement needed for a none

 

         believer to come to Christ.

         a. It takes as much effort to say something good as it does to say something bad.

         b. It takes as much effort to build up a person as it does to tear down a person.

         c. We don't have to let the ugliness of  another person to cause us to act ugly.

 B. To pray for those who mistreat you require a new attitude.

     1. It is not normal to pray for someone whose intention is to bring you down.

     2. The old man in the believer is dead and a new man in the believer is alive in

 

         Christ .          Col 3:10

     3. Because of the newness we have in Christ Jesus, we can pray for the one who

         mistreats us with love. Col 3:13

     4. It maybe possible that the one who mistreats you have never been treated with

         love.

        a. Acts of kindness can change a person's way of thinking.

        b. Acts of kindness can open the door to changed relationships.

        c. Acts of kindness can be the light that draws people to Jesus.

     5. Hurting people say hurting things.

        a. It is possible that God allows us to face hurting people to build them up.

        b. Our job is to introduce the sick to a doctor (Jesus) who can heal them.

            Mat. 9:12

 

 V:29.  "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes   

   away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either."

 A. God is our revenge.

     1. We must never be in a hurry to get revenge for any wrong done to us.

     2. Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek.

         a. The meaning here is to pass it off. Just let it go.

         b. Do not let your anger get the best of you.

     3. By trying to get revenge, we may cause the person to be more violent towards us.

        a. God is equipped to handle our enemies better than we can.

        b. God knows how to avenge our case in ways we cannot think of.

 B. We can afford to be generous to those who take from us.

     1. God can return to us much more than that which is taken from us.

     2. We have to trust God to take care of our enemies.

 C. It is best for us not to provoke a thief, but let God get the justice. 

 

V:30. "Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back."

 A. God is generous to us everyday in ways we are not aware of.

     1. When we do acts of kindness to others, God rewards us out of his abundance.

     2. When we do not expect anything in return for our kindness, God has a return,

         greater than our imagination.

 B. We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves.

     1. There are people who have never known love.

     2. We may be the first to show them Godly love.

     3. When someone takes from us, there is the opportunity to show them the love

          of God.

     4. Love is it's own reward.

         a. The love we show our enemies is unforgettable to them because they are

             not expecting love.

         b . Love and kindness draws people to us.

         c. Through us, others can learn about Jesus Christ.

 

 31 "And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way. "

      A. People don't know your love unless you show your love.

          1. We must show ourselves friendly for others to know a true friend.

          2. We have a true friend in Jesus.

          3. If others can see Jesus in us, they may be drawn to accept Jesus as their

              Savior.

     B. We should be Christian role models to everyone; friends and enemies.

         1. When we let our light shine to someone in the dark, they can never

              go back to the point having not seen the light.

 

 

YOUR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND NOTES

 

1.

 

 

2.

 

 

3.

 

 

4.

 

 

5.

 

 

6.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Problems In The Church", 1/5/2014

 

PROBLEMS  IN THE CHURCH

 

Luke 6:1-11

 

JESUS IS THE LORD OF THE SABBATH

 V:6. " Now it happened that He was passing through some grainfields on a Sabbath; and His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating the grain." NASV

V:6 "And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands." KJV

A. The Lord identified the day of His teaching as being on the Sabbath.

    1. This second Sabbath was the Sabbath after the celebration of the Passover.

    2. This second Sabbath is the first of seven Sabbaths between the celebration of the 

         Passover and celebration of Pentecost; the giving of the Holy Spirit.

 B. The Lord challenges our religious beliefs through His teachings.

    1. Is your salvation based on works or based on Grace?

    2. Do you see keeping God's commands as the way to heaven?

        a. Do you condemn others because they don't believe what you believe?

 C. The Sabbath was set aside by God as a holy day and a day of rest.

    1. The disciples of Jesus picked corn and rubbed the corn in their hands to break

        off the cornels to eat.

    2. This was considered work by the Pharisees.

    3. Do your religion see taking care of the  needs of others as good or bad?

        a. Surly the preparation of food to eat is work.  Is it a violation of God's command

           to keep the Sabbath Holy?    

        b. If I don't keep all of God's commands, am I good or bad?

 

V:2. "But some of the Pharisees said, "Why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"

 A. When you are looking for a reason to criticize someone, you will find it.

      1. The Pharisees were interested in finding fault with Jesus teaching to condemn

          Him.

      2. They interpreted the Law of the Sabbath incorrectly to suit their interest.      

          Due 23:25

 B. The Pharisees were like the FBI, pursuing Jesus as if He was a criminal.

     1. They followed Jesus and His disciples through a corn field on a holy day 

          hoping to see a crime committed against the Law.

     2. They were not interested in being enlighten by the eternal Word, but condemning

          the eternal Word.

     3. They had an agenda to bring Jesus down.

         a. They did not understand that Jesus came down from heaven to provide the way

            to  heaven.

          b. They refused to see that they were sinners in need of the salvation that only

             Jesus could provide.

         c. They counted themselves righteous by their on standards.

         d. We need to be careful that we don't count ourselves righteous by our own

              standards.

         e. We need to be careful that we don't condemn others by our own standards.

 

THE WORD IS THE TRUTH

V:3-4 " And Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read what David did

  when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, 4 how he entered the house of

  God, and took and ate the consecrated bread which is not lawful for any to eat except

  the  priests alone, and gave it to his companions?"

 A. Jesus responded to their question with a question.

     1. He used the example of King David, who disregarded the Law to do good.

        1 Sam   21:1-6

     2. David's men were hungry, so he allowed them to eat the bread in the Temple.

     3. Jesus gave the Pharisees an example of a King disregarding the Law to do good.

 B. God gave us His laws of righteousness for our good.

     1. The Law was given not to oppress but to build up.

     2. The Law was given to draw us closer to God and not to put a distance between us

         and God.

     3. The Law is for good and not for bad.  Gal 3:21

 

V:5. " And He was saying to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

 A. Jesus established the Sabbath as a day of rest.

     1. All of Jesus' creative work was done in six days and on the seventh day He

        rested.

     2. Jesus declared that His work was good, so He rested from His work on the

         seventh  day.

     3. Jesus made the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy.

 B. The Sabbath was made for the good of man.

     1. David gave His men the bread in the temple for their good.

     2. The Sabbath was set aside as a day of rest.

     3. The spirit of the Law is for the good of man.

 C. The Pharisees used the Law to oppress and not to lift up the spirit of man.  

     1. The Pharisees used the Law as a way to control the Jewish people

         and to exercise authority over them.

     2. Jesus establish the Sabbath to give men rest from their work and as

         a day of worship.

 

GOOD IS ALWAYS IN SEASON

 V:6. " On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was
   a  man there whose right hand was withered."

 A. The Lord continues to do good on the Sabbath.

      1. You should not let anyone stop you from doing good.

      2. There is no better place than the Church to teach the Law of righteousness.

 B. One sure place to find Jesus is in the Church.

     1. One sure place to find help is in the Church.

     2. One sure place to find a word of encouragement is in the Church.

 C. The best place to be when you have a problem is the Church.

     1. God pays close attention to those who come to be taught the Word.

     2. God designs messages of encouragement for those who are hurting in the Church.

     3. Preachers and teachers of the Word should let their teaching be guided

         by the Holy Spirit.  

V:7. " The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him."

 A. The leaders of the Church, those in charge of teaching the Word, those in charge of

      the synagogue were the first to condemn Jesus.

      1. They should have been the first to recognize Jesus as Lord of Lords, but they

          sought to condemn Him.

     1. The JBI (Jewish Bureau of Investigation) had a 24 hour surveillance on Jesus to

         discover evidence for accusation.

     2. If you looking for bad, you will find it.  

         a. If what you see is not bad you can twist it so that it looks bad.

         b. Any good will be ignored and not counted, because bad is what you seek.

         c. There is none so blind as one who refuses to see.

 B. Healing is good, but because it was on the Sabbath, the Pharisees counted it as evil.

    1. The Pharisees and the scribes knew Jesus could perform miracles yet they

        attributed His works to the devil.

    2. An evil mind will find evil.

    3. An evil mind is a selfish mind.

       a. Instead of rejoicing for the one who was healed,  the Pharisees sought

          punishment  for the one doing the healing.

       b. They would rather deny their brother the opportunity to be healed if he had to

           get  the cure on the Sabbath.   

       c. An evil mind does not regard the well being of others.

       d. An evil mind is destructive.

       e. An evil mind can't see the good in others.

       f. An evil mind is irrational.

 

JESUS KNOWS YOUR THOUGHTS

 V:8. " But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the
  withered   hand, "Get up and come forward!" And he got up and came forward."

   A. God knows what you are thinking before you say a word.

        1. God knows the hearts of everyone.

        2. An evil mind can't hide in the Church.

    B. Jesus can use the thoughts and actions of an evil person to teach the truth of

         the Word.

        1. A man with  a withered hand was in the Church.

        2. The Church is a place to go get healed.

        3. A broken person ought to be made whole in the Church.

    C. If Jesus is in the house, the power to heal is in the house.

       1. The man with the withered hand was an opportunity for Jesus to show His

           power   and authority to heal any day of the week.

       2. If you got a problem, you ought to come to Jesus for help.

       3. Notice, Jesus invited the man to come to Him.

           a. We have an open invitation to Jesus.

           b. Jesus knows your problems, and He will set the time for a solution.

           c. We should trust Jesus with our problems.

       4. When Jesus calls, you ought come immediately.

          a. Procrastination delays your blessings.

          b. You never know if Jesus is using you as an encouragement to others.

          c. You never know if Jesus is using you to teach others about Himself.

  D. The text says the man had a problem with his right hand.

       1. Jesus will only do what is right.

       2. Jesus is the Father of righteousness.

       3. The man was in the right place at the right time.

       4. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father making intercessions for us.

       5. Jesus deals blessing from His right hand.  Ps 16:8

 

V:9. " And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?"

A. The Pharisees were determined to harm Jesus on the Sabbath.

      1. They were determined to destroy the Father of righteousness on the Sabbath.

      2. The Pharisees were determined to use the Law as an instrument of evil.

 B. Jesus caused the Pharisees to question their motives.

      1. There are times when we need to look into the mirror at ourselves before we

          condemn others.

      2. We should always measure ourselves the by the Law of righteousness.

          a. Without the Law there is no way for us to know what sin is.

 C. The Pharisees used  the letter of the Law to condemn, rather than the spirit of the

       Law to uplift.

 D. The Holy Day is the day to do good and to proclaim the salvation of the Lord.

     1. The Lord Jesus came to provide the way to eternal Life.

     2. Jesus came to save the lost.

     3. We draw others to Jesus by the good we do for them.

 

JESUS IS THE LORD OF RESTORATION

V:10. " After looking around at them all, He said to him, "Stretch out your hand!" And
  he  did so; and his hand was restored."

 A. Jesus knew that He was being watched by the "JBI", so He did exactly what they

      expected Him to do.

    1. Jesus gave the "JBI" the evidence they were seeking.

    2. Jesus, though His miracles showed that He is the Lord of the Sabbath.

 B. The man did not ask to be healed.

     1. Because of his faithfulness, he received the unexpected.

     2. The faithful can always expect God to do the unexpected.

 C. The miracles of God are always before us.

     1. We see God miracles everyday.

     2. The question is, do you give God the credit for what He does in your life?

     3. Life is a miracle.

        a. The devil seeks to steal, kill and destroy what God has done.

        b. There are devils all around us. We need not be afraid because God is watching.

 

THE DEVIL GETS MAD WHEN GOD BLESSES

V:11. " But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they

 might do to Jesus."

 A. Whenever God does good in your life the devil is full of rage.

     1. When you get blessed by God, someone is filled with hatred.

     2. Thieves and robbers are all around, seeking to take what God has blessed you
          with.

 B. Someone is always plotting to do evil to you.

     1. Jesus did what was good. But the Pharisees hated His good.

     2. An evil mind loves company.

 C. The text says, "they got together to do harm to Jesus".

     1. The devil has an army of demons ready to bring you down,

     2. The devil works through folk who look like you.

 D. The Good News is "with God on our side, He is more than the whole world against

      us."

    1. Trials and tribulation are opportunities for God to do miracles in our lives.

    2. The world is not for your good.

    3. With Jesus in your life, you can work for the good of others.

       a. All good comes from the Lord.

       b. The more good we do for others, the more good God does for us.