#426 The Jesus Trip, Stories Are Great

Impact Church London Podcast

#426 The Jesus Trip, Stories Are Great
By: D. Karl Thomas

(Links, Sermon notes, PowerPoint Slides and Group Discussion Questions at the bottom of the page)

Mark 3:34 “In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.”

Parable:— A placing of one thing by the side of another. A practical story, often framed as a simile, that illustrates a spiritual truth. An earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

Matthew 13:10-11 “And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ He answered and said to them, ‘Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.’’’

Mark L. Bailey — Guidelines for Interpreting Jesus’ Parables “Jesus often told parables to answer a question, meet a challenge, or invite the hearers to change their thinking. To discover the need that prompted the parableis a significant step toward unlocking its meaning within its original context.”

Mark 4:13 “Then Jesus said to them, ‘If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? …good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:’”
Heart is your hearing mechanism.

Luke 18:6-8 “Then the Lord said, ‘Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!” DON’T OVERCOME GOD WITH ASKING

Luke 10:25-37 “‘Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus replied, ‘What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?’ The man answered, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’…”

“…’Right!’ Jesus told him. ‘Do this and you will live!’ The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with a story:… Parable of The Good Samaritan:— a story where the hero was from a group Jews wouldn’t associate with.

Luke 15:1-ff “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He spoke this parable to them, saying:” Lost — sheep, coin, son.

Luke 14:1-24
14 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.

1. Attends Knowing He Is Hated
And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”[a] But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey[b] or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

2. Heals On The Sabbath
So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

3. Rebukes The Best Seat Takers
Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

4. Rebukes The Host Over Guests
Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread[c] in the kingdom of God!”

16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”

5. Don’t Miss Out On My Party! — Not sure you guys are going to make it!!!

Hyperbole:— a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect as an extravagant statement.
vs 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else …”
vs 27 “And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple …”
vs33 “So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own …”

Jesus placed celebration over religious tradition.
Religious practiced the discipleship of SEPARATION. Jesus practiced the discipleship of ASSOCIATION.
Jesus built redemptive relationships. He went to where the people were. Approached everyone!!!

Grace supplies – Law demands. Law demands righteousness Grace supplies righteousness
Law says, “I will by no means clear the guilty. I’ll visit the iniquity of the fathers to the third and fourth generation”.
Grace says, “I’ll be merciful to their iniquity and their sins and lawless deeds I remember no more”.

John 6:63-69 “‘The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.’ (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, ‘That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me. …”

“…At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

Luke 15
Jesus — He goes after the one.
Holy Spirit — Committed to bring forth the image of Christ in you.
Father — His love for you is extravagant. You don’t deserve it and never will. You are His child! U

YOU SMELL LIKE PIG … CLEAN UP AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT YOUR BEHAVIOUR … DISGUSTS ME!!!

“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.”

The Religious people new He was talking to them. Offended that God would be so God to the undeserving!!!

The Jesus Trip, Stories Are Great, sermon notes to print, PDF

The Jesus Trip, Stories Are Great, PowerPoint Slides, PDF

The Jesus Trip, Stories Are Great, Group Discussion Questions – Week #5, to print, PDF