(I’m paraphrasing) (I think and hope I got most of my note back) GREAT MESSAGE!
Luke 22:24-34
There is a power in the church to overcome whatever it is that is in the world.
Jesus has announced his betrayal and his coming death. But now, here he warns them of the changes that are coming. But he still evidences no fear of the future.
The culture around us is changing.
Baptism was a Bible Belt Bar Mitzvah – you needed a Christian identity to be part of the culture. The culture has changed and we are not longer at the center.
Our temptation is to lack confidence and to embrace fear.
Fear shows up in panic, in anger, but Jesus shows us the antidote – the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
We need not fear because the kingdom reframes our future.
Just after the Lord’s Supper, the disciples have a petty dispute over who is the greatest. They were over–confident. NO! They had too LITTLE confidence! They were afraid. Seeking evidence of who is going to betray Jesus and seeking greatness.
“I’m the greatest – but it’s all of God.”
Jesus redefines greatness for them. He reframes everything. He was the greatest but he was serving them. I am not talking about my greatness – I have nothing to prove. I know what my mission is and what my future is. I am simply serving. I give you a kingdom and you will rule snad reign with me in my glorious kingdom. This argument proves you don’t understand that.
Fear and self-advancement prove you don’t understand the kingdom.
Jesus tells them not to argue about greatness because they have eternity to rule and reign with him. This world is not the ultimate. This is an internship for the kingdom.
You are acting like the Gentiles, lording it over one another. stop it!
Our fights and quarrels are about people who want attention, who want to matter, who want power. Theistic social Darwinism. The meanest eviscerate everyone else!
Relax — you’ve got trillions of years to worship Jesus. You don’t have to worry about your standing today!
Understanding this frees us to understand the culture around us.
“You are on the wrong side of history.”
We started on the wrong side of history! The Roman empire. The Cross. The Roman Empire is dead and Jesus is feeling fine!
If you feel as though you are losing and the culture is leaving you behind, you tend to become like the culture you are critiquing. Who’s up. Who’s down. Who’s winning. Who’s losing.
God may not be as interested in getting America in line iwth the church as he is in getting the church out of line with America! (WOW!)
Are we going to be the people who are going to outdo one another in loving and serving one another?
Why do you care about that down syndrome child? We say, “He’s a joint heir with Christ and a future ruler of the universe!”
We don’t fear because the gospel reframes our mission.
Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. Peter says, “I’m ready to fight.” Satan doesn’t want to kill Peter. He wants to keep him alive and away from the cross.
If you are discouraged by hard ministries or family situations. Though Satan has asked to sifted you – I have prayed for you (Jesus says). Peter thinks the answer is a better armed Peter. Jesus says the answer to Peter’s problem is JESUS!
I have prayed for you that you will remain strong!
Jesus isn’t afraid of the guards or the jury. He knows the future!
Apart from Jesus we are nothing. But with Jesus, why be afraid?
We must not pine for some day in the past.
Mayberry leads to hell as surely as Gomorrah did. Our message is not, “let’s return to a time when people behaved better.” OUr message is “you must be born again.
We have a refugee crisis coming. It is the refugee crisis from the sexual revolution. Those who simply scream at sinners without an offer of mercy through repentance and faith will not be able to minister to those people.
Jesus looked to the future and told him to strengthen those around him.
The future leaders of Christianity are likely drunks today. Paul. Augustine. CS Lewis.
We need to have the courage to engage culture without fear and handwringing and anger. When we panic in fear we are saying to God, “I deserve a better mission field than you are giving.
It does not take one bit more gospel to save those who are protesting us today than it took to save us! It is only pride and heresy to say differently.
We need a Southern Baptist Convention with more tattoos. We need tragic, dark backstories with skulls, satanic pentagrams, Isis tattoos; that demonstrate a hard, lost life in the past. This is the church.
Let’s crucify our self-righteousness.
Let’s crucify our infighting.
Don’t fear the mission field.
