Sunday
Morning Bible Study
February
26, 2017
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken
hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision
Is the church loved? Regular: 2900
words Communion: 2500 words Video=75wpm
Luke was a doctor and a travelling
companion of the apostle Paul.
He wrote this book while Paul was
in prison.
In writing this book about Jesus,
Luke made use of other older documents like the Gospel of Mark, as well as
extensive eyewitness accounts.
Jesus’ ministry is well under way,
and the people have been amazed not just at the things He’s been teaching, but
the things He’s been doing.
We are now on the homestretch of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus is now in Jerusalem, on His way to be crucified.
Luke has reminded us of what Jesus’ main purpose was in life:
(Luke 19:10 NKJV) for the Son
of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
We saw Jesus arrive in Jerusalem on a Sunday, to the shouts of an adoring
crowd, crying “Hosanna”.
The next morning, on Monday, Jesus came into the Temple and cleared out
those who were ripping the people off.
He then began to teach in the Temple, as He would every day until He would
be arrested.
21:5-19 Signs of His Coming pt.1
:5 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful
stones and donations, He said,
stones – lithos
– a stone
beautiful – kalos
– beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious,
useful, suitable, commendable, admirable
donations – anathema
– a gift consecrated and laid up in a temple; an offering resulting from a
vow
The “e” here is a long “e” (eta), while the word below is a short
“e” (epsilon)
similar to – anathema
– a thing set up or laid by in order to be kept; specifically, an offering
resulting from a vow, which after being consecrated to a god was hung upon the
walls or columns of the temple, or put in some other conspicuous place; a thing
devoted to God without hope of being redeemed, and if an animal, to be slain;
therefore a person or thing doomed to destruction; a man accursed, devoted to
the direst of woes
from – anatithemai
– to set forth (in words), communicate
adorned – kosmeo
– to put in order, arrange, make ready, prepare; to ornament, adore
Perfect tense
:6 “These things which you see—the days will come in which not one
stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”
:5 adorned with beautiful stones and donations
The people with Jesus were making comments as to how awesome the Temple
building was.
When the exiles returned from Babylon, they rebuilt the Temple under the
leadership of Zerubbabel.
Herod the Great began a project of expanding and refurbishing the Temple in
18 BC.
In Jesus’ day, the work was still going on.
The project wouldn’t actually be finished until AD 65, just a few years
before it would be destroyed.
you see – theoreo
– to be a spectator, look at, behold
shall be left – aphiemi
– to send away; to let go, let alone, let be; to leave, go way from one
thrown down – kataluo
– to dissolve, disunite; (what has been joined together), to destroy,
demolish
:6 not one stone shall be left upon another
Lesson
What’s really important
After Jesus dealt with the people who were trying to challenge Him, as He
began to teach, and the first thing He did was to stop and point out the poor
widow woman who put her two coins into the Temple offering.
Jesus pointed out that this woman’s two little coins were worth more to God
than all the contributions of everyone else put together.
Compared to the widow’s gift, the grand stones of the Temple didn’t seem as
important because not one of them would be left standing.
Today at the Temple Mount, you can see some of those stones lying where the
Romans had tossed them over when they destroyed the Temple in AD 70.
If I were to ask you who you would identify with the most, who would you
say?
Do you feel like the poor widow who really doesn’t have that much to give?
Or do you feel like one of the wealthy contributors who helped underwrite
the construction of a great, vast, beautiful structure?
Which one do you think is more important to God?
God doesn’t care for big glorious buildings as much as He
cares for individual people.
Look at what Peter would write thirty years later…
(1
Peter 2:5 HCSB) you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual
house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ.
The truly “beautiful stones” are you, the people, offering
your worship to God.
Don’t think that God only cares about people who do big things.
Don’t think that your “little thing” isn’t good enough for God.
God has His eye on “little things”. Including you.
Edward Kimball taught a Sunday School class of teenagers.
One of the teens he led to Christ was Dwight Moody, who would one day reach
hundreds of thousands for Jesus.
Susanna Wesley was just a mom who taught her kids about Jesus.
Yet her sons John and Charles were at the heart of a great revival, and
when John died, 135,000 people had come to Christ.
We might get discouraged because we will never be a Moody or a Wesley.
God needs a few Edwards and Susannas as well.
He loves those widows putting in their two cents.
Remember what the Master will say to the faithful when He returns:
(Matthew 25:21
NKJV) His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant;
you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.
Enter into the joy of your lord.’
Don’t despise the days of small things.
God cares about what you do, even if it’s not noticed by
others.
:7 So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And
what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?”
:7 when these things are about to take place?
sign – semeion
– a sign, mark, token; of signs portending remarkable events soon to happen
The things Jesus will share are partially fulfilled with the coming
destruction of the Temple, but completely fulfilled at His Second Coming.
Luke can make it sound as if Jesus
is talking about the things leading up to the destruction of the Temple, and
there is partial truth to that.
Some of the things Jesus will share
have a “double fulfillment” (not uncommon in prophecy), and will be a picture
of the coming destruction of this particular Temple in Jerusalem.
Yet Jesus also makes it clear that
these will be signs also of His Second Coming.
Matthew records the disciples
saying,
(Matthew 24:3 NKJV) Now as He
sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell
us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming,
and of the end of the age?”
:8 And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in
My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do
not go after them.
Take heed – blepo
– to see, discern, of the bodily eye; to discern mentally, observe,
perceive, discover, understand
be deceived – planao
– to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way
go – poreuomai
– to lead over, carry over, transfer
after – opiso
– back, behind, after, afterwards
:8 saying, ‘I am He’
Literally, “saying, ‘I am’”
When God told Moses that His name was Yahweh, God also said to tell the
people that “I Am” had sent Moses.
“Yahweh” means “the becoming one”, the eternal “I am”.
In the Greek, Jesus uses ego eimi,
which is often used by John in His gospel as a reference to God’s name Yahweh.
There will be people from time to time who will claim to be the Messiah. This is nothing new.
Jesus said to not go after people like this. When Jesus returns, He won’t have to convince
anyone who He is, it will be completely obvious.
:9 But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these
things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”
wars – polemos
– a war; a fight, a battle; a dispute, strife, quarrel
commotions – akatastasia
– instability, a state of disorder, disturbance, confusion
end – telos
– end; termination, the limit at which a thing ceases to be; (always of the
end of some act or state, but not of the end of a period of time)
:9 wars and commotions
Wars and disorder are nothing
new. Jesus said they must first come to
pass.
:9 do not be terrified
be terrified – ptoeo
– to terrify; be terrified; to agitate with fear
The study of prophecy is not meant to cause you terror, but to prepare you
for what’s up ahead.
:10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom.
:10 Nation will rise against
nation
will rise – egeiro
– to arouse, cause to rise; to raise up, stir up, against one
nation – ethnos
– a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together; a multitude of individuals
of the same nature or genus; a tribe, nation, people group; in the OT, foreign
nations not worshipping the true God, pagans, Gentiles
The word “nation” could refer to
tribes, nations, or people groups.
The word for “kingdom” is more
strictly political.
kingdom – basileia
– royal power, kingship, dominion, rule; a kingdom, the territory subject
to the rule of a king
:11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and
pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
Lots of scary things happening.
:11 great earthquakes in various
places
earthquakes – seismos
– a shaking, a commotion; a tempest; an earthquake
great – megas
– great
various places – topos
– place, any portion or space marked off, as it were from surrounding space
I have an app on my phone that
tells me about earthquakes all over the world.
Earthquakes sure seem to shake us
up and remind us that Jesus is coming back.
:11 famines and pestilences
famines – limos
– scarcity of harvest, famine
pestilences – loimos
– pestilence; a pestilent fellow, pest, plague
We have not yet solved the problems
of famine and disease in our world.
These problems will continue until Jesus returns.
:11 fearful sights and great
signs from heaven
fearful sights – phobetron
– that which strikes terror, a terror, (cause of) fright
signs – semeion
– a sign, mark, token; of signs portending remarkable events soon to happen
great – megas
– great
:12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and
persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.
You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.
:12 lay their hands on you and persecute you
they will lay – epiballo
– to cast upon, to lay upon; used of seizing one to lead him off as a
prisoner
persecute – dioko
– to make to run or flee, put to flight, drive away; to run swiftly in
order to catch a person or thing, to run after; in any way whatever to harass,
trouble, molest one; to persecute
delivering – paradidomi
– to give into the hands (of another); to deliver up one to custody, to be
judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death; to deliver up
treacherously; by betrayal to cause one to be taken
prisons – phulake
– guard, watch; of the place where captives are kept, a prison
Jesus is warning His followers of the persecution that is coming.
The church has been persecuted from the time of Jesus.
You could make a case that persecution against Christians has been picking
up, especially in Muslim countries.
:12 brought before kings and
rulers
rulers – hegemon
– a leader of any kind, a guide, ruler, prefect, president, chief, general,
commander, sovereign
:13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.
:13 an occasion for testimony
it will turn out – apobaino
– to come down from, i.e. a ship; to turn out, result, to be the outcome
an occasion for testimony – marturion
– testimony
:14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on
what you will answer;
:14 not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer
settle – tithemi
– to set, put, place
meditate – from meletao –the
practice of orators to meditate and ponder carefully before they would give a
speech.
beforehand – promeletao
– to meditate beforehand
from – meletao
–to care for, attend to carefully, practice; to meditate i.e. to devise,
contrive; used of the Greeks of the meditative pondering and the practice of
orators and rhetoricians
from – melo
– to care about
what you will answer – apologeomai
(“apologetics”) – to defend one’s self
I’ve heard preachers use this as an excuse not to study for their message
on Sunday.
Jesus is not talking about a Sunday morning message, but a defense for your
life before someone throws you into prison.
It is important to know why you believe what you believe. Peter wrote,
(1 Peter 3:15 NKJV)
…and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who
asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
Yet Jesus is talking about persecution when you don’t have the opportunity
to prepare a three-point sermon.
It’s in times like this that God may want to work through you and give you fresh
words to say.
:15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will
not be able to contradict or resist.
:15 I will give you a mouth and wisdom
mouth – stoma
– the mouth, as part of the body: of man, of animals, of fish, etc.
wisdom – sophia
– wisdom, broad and full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very
diverse matters
be able – dunamai
– to be able, have power; to be capable, strong and powerful
contradict – antilego
(“against” + “to speak”) – to speak against, gainsay, contradict
resist – antikeimai
(“against” + “to lie”) – to be set over against, opposite to; to oppose, be
adverse to, withstand
Lesson
Difficult Witness
Illustration
An atheist
A young woman teacher with obvious liberal tendencies explains to her class
of small children that she is an atheist. She asks her class if they are
atheists too. Not really knowing what atheism is but wanting to be like their
teacher, their hands explode into the air like fleshy fireworks. There is,
however, one exception. A beautiful girl named Lucy has not gone along with the
crowd. The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. “Because I’m
not an atheist.” Then, asks the teacher, what are you? “I’m a Christian.” The
teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks Lucy why she
is a Christian. “Well, I was brought up knowing and loving Jesus. My mom is a
Christian, and my dad is a Christian, so I am a Christian.” The teacher is now
angry. “That’s no reason,” she says loudly. “What if your mom was a moron, and
your dad was a moron. What would you be then?” A pause, and a smile…. “Then,”
says Lucy, “I’d be an atheist.”
Stephen was one of the first “deacons” in the early church.
His early ministry consisted of helping with the food distribution to the
widows in the church.
Stephen’s ministry went beyond waiting on tables though.
(Acts
6:8–10 NKJV) —8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs
among the people. 9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the
Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing
with Stephen. 10
And
they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
One of the people likely to have been in that Synagogue
was a man from Cilicia named Saul of Tarsus.
Stephen would be arrested and put on trial before the Sanhedrin.
His amazing defense about Jesus is recorded in Acts 7.
When he finished his defense, the religious leaders were
so angry, they had Stephen stoned to death.
A young man named Saul watched and heard the entire thing.
Stephen is famous as the first “martyr” to die for his faith.
Yet he started with helping with the food outreach at
church.
We think that Stephen’s words, and the way he died had a
lasting impact on Saul, getting him ready to meet Jesus face to face. We know Saul today as the apostle Paul.
The Scripture that says it is your
“Father” or the “Spirit” speaking?
(Mark 13:11 NKJV) But when
they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or
premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak
that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Jesus has already said something
similar earlier in His ministry.
(Luke 12:11–12 NKJV) —11 “Now when
they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry
about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you
ought to say.”
One of the strangest battles ever
took place in the time of Gideon.
God had called Gideon to rid the
nation of Israel from the marauding Midianites.
Every year the Midianites would show up at harvest time and steal all
the harvest from the hard-working Israelites.
The battle strategy that God gave
Gideon would only work if Gideon had the smallest of armies to face the 135,000
Midianites. Gideon was to only have an
army of 300 men.
The battle plan involved giving a
trumpet, a jar, and a torch to each of Gideon’s men.
They were to put their lit torches
inside the jars, and surround the vast Midianite army at night.
When the signal
was given, Gideon’s men were to blow their trumpets, break the jars, and shout “The sword of the Lord
and of Gideon!” (Judg. 7:20)
(Judges 7:20 NKJV) Then
the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the
torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for
blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the Lord
and of Gideon!”
The strategy
involved getting the enemies’ attention, broken clay pots, and a message.
When this
happened, the Midianite army thought they were surrounded by a bigger army, and
they all started killing each other.
God gave a great
victory with very little.
Paul talked about what happens in our lives when we go through difficulty,
and how God will use our difficulty to impact others.
Paul likens us to “clay pots” with a treasure inside, the treasure is the
light of God.
(2 Corinthians
4:6–12 NKJV) —6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who
has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence
of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—10 always
carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus
also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that
the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then
death is working in us, but life in you.
God gets the attention of the people around us when are clay pots are being
broken.
People don’t often see the light inside of us until our lives are broken in
difficult times.
It’s when we are trusting in Jesus in the midst of great difficulty that
the truth of the message about Jesus is heard.
We may be experiencing “death” in our difficulties, but God can use it to
work “life” in those around us.
Illustration
The date was February 23 AD 155, and the persecution against Christians
swept across the Roman Empire and came to the city of Smyrna. The governor of
Symrna put out an order that the Bishop of Symrna, Polycarp, was to be found,
arrested, and brought to the public arena for execution. They found Polycarp
and brought him before thousands of spectators screaming for blood. But the governor
had compassion on this man who was almost a hundred years old. He signaled the
crowd to silence. To Polycarp he said, “Curse the Christ and live.” The crowd
waited for the old man to answer. In an amazingly strong voice, he said, “Eighty and six years have I served him, and
he has done me no wrong. How dare I blaspheme the name of my king and Lord!”
With that, they burned him alive.
In the account of his death, it was recorded,
the whole crowd marveled that there was such
a difference between the unbelievers and the elect[1]
The difficult times you may be going through will be opportunities for
God’s light to shine through.
God may give you a word to those around you as they watch you handle your
difficulty.
:16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and
friends; and they will put some of you to death.
:16 betrayed even by parents and brothers
You will be betrayed – paradidomi
– to give into the hands (of another); to deliver up one to custody, to be
judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death; to deliver up
treacherously; by betrayal to cause one to be taken
Same word was translated
“delivering” in verse 12.
parents – goneus
– fathers, parent, the parents
relatives – suggenes
– of the same kin, akin to, related by blood; in a wider sense, of the same
nation, a fellow countryman
friends – philos
– friend, to be friendly to one, wish him well
brothers – adelphos
– a brother
put … to death – thanatoo
– to put to death
The word “betrayed” is the same
word translated “delivering” in verse 12:
(Luke 21:12 NKJV) …they will
lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to
the synagogues and prisons…
It’s one thing when a school teacher or a boss gives you grief for being a
Christian, but Jesus said that even those closest to you may at times turn
against you because you are following Jesus.
Some of you know what this is like.
When you made a choice to follow Jesus, you’ve found that some family
members weren’t all that excited.
It’s important to note that this
isn’t talking about people giving you grief because of a family dispute, or stupid
thing you did.
Peter wrote,
(1 Peter 4:14–16 NKJV) —14 If you are
reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of
glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your
part He is glorified. 15 But let
none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in
other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone
suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in
this matter.
Peter is
acknowledging that sometimes we “suffer” because we’re jerks (vs. 15). We can do things to hurt others and when we
do, there is nothing “blessed” with our suffering.
:17 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.
hated – miseo
– to hate, pursue with hatred, detest; to be hated, detested
:17 you will be hated by all for My name’s sake
I have to admit that I prefer people liking me over people hating me.
Yet sometimes as I am following Jesus, I will find certain people hating me
because of my relationship with Jesus and how Jesus is working in my life.
I’m not talking about people hating
me because I have done something stupid or something mean.
I’m talking about people hating me
because I am following Jesus.
Jesus said,
(John 15:18 NKJV) “If the
world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
:18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost.
:18 not a hair of your head shall be lost
hair – thrix
– the hair of the head; the hair of animals
shall be lost – apollumi
– to destroy; to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed
This might look like a promise of invincibility, as if following Jesus
means that bullets will bounce off you.
The promise is that this doesn’t fit the reality.
Peter would one day be crucified upside down.
Paul would one day be killed with a sword.
I think this is a promise of eternal life.
They may kill the body, but they can’t kill your soul.
In heaven, you will have all your hairs.
For some of you, that means you’ll gain some of those you’ve already lost.
:19 By your patience possess your souls.
:19 By your patience possess your souls
patience – hupomone (“under”
+ “to remain”) – steadfastness, constancy, endurance
It’s the characteristic of the person who does not stop doing what is right
despite the greatest trials and suffering.
possess – ktaomai
– to acquire, get, or procure a thing for one’s self, to possess
souls – psuche
– breath; the soul
Lesson
Keep Going
Sometimes it seems like troubles are constantly chasing you.
Sometimes there are people in your life who cause nothing but trouble.
They say one way to defeat your enemies is to simply
outlast them.
Or this.
The key to life is to keep going.
And you will need more than just an Energizer battery.
This may be a word that is
eventually intended for those who will find themselves following Jesus during
the Great Tribulation.
I believe the soon unexpected
Rapture of the Church will remove believers from the earth to be with Jesus
before the horrible time of God’s judgment known as the Tribulation.
Yet after we are gone, there will
be people who will realize that they need to follow Jesus.
There will be a
group of 144,000 Jewish evangelists raised up to preach the gospel.
When a person chooses to follow
Jesus during the Tribulation, life will be hard.
They will be
persecuted like no other time in history.
The Bible speaks
of believers during that time being beheaded for their faith.
The temptation
will be to quit following Jesus.
Though Jesus may be ultimately
addressing those who come to Christ during the Tribulation, encouraging them to
endure, the words apply to us as well.
Jesus is saying you will “possess” your soul if you endure.
In contrast, if you quit on Jesus, you will “lose” your soul.
Theologians call this doctrine the “perseverance of the saints”.
Some will choose to look at this doctrine and say, “If you
are part of God’s chosen, then you will automatically endure to the end.”
I prefer to look at it as a choice.
I don’t want to lose my soul, so I will choose to
persevere, to endure.
The early church faced this challenge to endure, to keep going.
The letter of Hebrews was written to Jewish believers who were tempted to
quit following Jesus and just hide back in Judaism.
(Hebrews 3:12–14 NKJV) —12 Beware,
brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing
from the living God; 13 but exhort
one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning
of our confidence steadfast to the end,
(Hebrews 12:1–3
NKJV) —1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was
set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against
Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Jesus had a race to run in life. His goal was to make it to the cross and lay
down His life for us.
He did this out of love for us, in order to pay for our
sins so we might be forgiven and live with Him forever in heaven.
When we keep our eyes on Jesus, we too can learn to endure
to the very end.
Sometimes we just feel like we “can’t do this” anymore.
We get discouraged when we lose sight of the bigger purpose of our lives.
What do we keep fighting for?
We too have a “great story” that we follow. The greatest story is about what Jesus has
done for us.
We have a great story or plan for our lives as well, and
it requires us to keep going.
God isn’t finished with this world yet. Jesus still has people who need to be saved.
(Luke
19:10 NKJV) for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was
lost.”
We endure in order to see God’s work continue on this
planet.