Prayer – Luke 11

19 May 2010 | | Posted in Word Words1 Comment

As a church family we have experienced at least 2 births recently.  It has got me thinking that the way we grow spiritually is almost exactly opposite to the way we grow in the physical.  Physically growing up means moving increasingly towards independence from our mother and our father but growing up spiritually is actually about moving towards dependence on our heavenly father.

 Jesus teaches us how to pray – and His lesson is a lesson in moving us towards dependence.  Prayer is the conduit of this relationship – it’s the life-giving communication heaven to earth. 

 So Jesus begins by re-affirming this relationship.  The prayer starts with ABBA and not KINGDOM.  Jesus wants to remind us  that our lives consist in, revolve around, and will only have power in this relationship.  The God whose name is to be hallowed – (and He has so many amazing names depicting His power and character) –  is DADDY. 

 It is His Kingdom and He has and is bringing it.  As we pray we get to participate in heaven coming to earth.  The prayer is that all the things that are not in heaven (check out Revelation 21 and Revelation 22) are not on earth, and all things that are in heaven, are on earth.  Of course the kingdom of God now is opposed and one day Kingdom is all there will be.  But, through prayer, we still get to see breakthrough.  And as we move towards dependence, increasingly we find our prayers are prayers attuned to the heart and will of our Father, and heaven touches earth.

As we follow  this prayer through, we learn that the characteristics of this relationship are PROVISION, PURITY AND PROTECTION .. (Give us this day…. forgive us …. lead us not into temptation … )

But the core teaching, to my mind, is that this is a relationship available to us of Dependence, with a heavenly Father who loves us, wants to provide for us, wants to continue to save us and enable us to live out of that salvation, and wants to protect us from the tempter.

 So Jesus is able to close this teaching with a story and a commentary – the story about the neighbour and the bread at midnight,  and the commentary about what a wonderful, giving Father we have. 

I think we are being encouraged to live a life of Ask and Receive … a life of dependence through the Holy Spirit.  We learn to persist because we know He is this kind of Father who gives these kind of good things and we need His intervention.  Consequently mission becomes very simply a direct expression of this dependent relationship.  You have a friend who needs bread – you know a Father who has bread and gives bread. 

  •  Which areas of our lives do we find ourselves being more self-reliant rather than dependent on God? Why is this the case?
  • How can we move towards greater dependence on our Father God?
  • Are there areas of our lives where we need greater perseverance until we see our prayers answered? Spend some time praying for those things now.

- Karl

Kingdom – Luke 13

4 May 2010 | | Posted in Word Words1 Comment

Jesus sends us to show and tell the good news of his kingdom so that those who have not yet heard the word might see it and hear it, know it and receive it for themselves. ‘Show and tell’ is exactly what’s going on in Luke 13: 10-21.

Jesus takes the initiative and heals this woman, pronouncing her cured and touching her. The synagogue ruler is furious as Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day and a power struggle follows. Healing and freedom was available for the woman that very day – there was no need for her to wait. Satan is having his way in her life no longer – she’s been made by God for God and so she’s released to pursue a relationship with him.

Jesus rebukes the synagogue ruler along with those who agree with him. The people who have watched, seen one of their own healed and valued in such a way, are delighted.

Jesus then begins to teach about the Kingdom of God. Why? Because he’s just demonstrated it in the healing of the woman and the turning upside down of the way things were. And he doesn’t teach what the kingdom of God is… but instead the kingdom of God is like….

The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed which grows into the largest of garden plants. A tiny seed produces a massive tree, growing at such a mighty rate to provide a home for all the birds in the sky- all the nations of the earth.

It is also like yeast hidden in flour, seemingly insignificant and ineffectual but it doesn’t take long until the dough has risen to form a loaf. The yeast makes its presence felt – the dough is transformed. But it’s invisible – it doesn’t seem to have power. You know it’s there because you can see its impact. It’s the presence of the kingdom of God in the woman which heals her.

Elsewhere in scripture we read more about the kingdom of God:

Luke 10: 9 – Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’

Luke 17: 21 – Nor will people say ‘Here it is’ or ‘There it is’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.

Luke 21: 31 - Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

Romans 14: 17 – For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 4: 20 – For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

So what is the kingdom of God?

Literally it’s the king’s domain. It began with the arrival of Jesus and will be consummated when he returns. The kingdom of God is reality. It’s the gospel of Jesus – good news. It’s within you. It’s peace, joy and righteousness. The kingdom of God comes in power – power to save – sozo – salvation, wholeness, healing. It has power to change circumstances, people and systems. The kingdom is now and not yet – it is to come and it is here. It’s possible to live it – it’s available for us all now.

This kingdom has a king – Jesus is not just our saviour, he is a king.

Is Jesus king of every area of our lives? Where and when do we find it hard to relincuish control to Jesus in our lives?

How does what we believe about the kingdom of God impact the way we live and the way we share our faith?

Mandate – Luke 4

14 Apr 2010 | | Posted in Word Words1 Comment

Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit makes a pretty clear statement of intent at the outset of his earthly ministry … this is me, this is who I am, this is what I’m about.

After baptism by John in the Jordan with the  subsequent confirmation from his Father – “this is my son with whom I am well pleased - and immediately following his temptation by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus returns in the power of the Holy Spirit to begin his ministry. He goes home to Nazareth declaring:

“‘The spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

WOW! …. This is what I am about! The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in me!

His friends and family, his home town mates, all spoke well of him and were amazed at his words of grace. They were blown away!  Could it be that the fulfilment of all they had been waiting for – the Kingdom of God, the reign and rule and freedom of their God – was coming and was being ushered in by one of their own?  They were excited …. and amazed!

But Jesus dosen’t stop speaking there. He says “this is not just for you” and reminds them of their history. During Elijah and Elisha’s time, God showed that he was interested in blessing the outsiders, and not always the insiders….

At best, guys, this is not just for you!  And at worst, it’s just for you to give away!

This was enough to have them so mad that they wanted rid of his message, and they wanted rid of him.

As I preached on this passage recently, we asserted that not only do we have Jesus’ power and Jesus’ commission  – we are the body of Christ,  called to be Jesus,  and we are  to expect the same results ( miracles, signs and wonders, salvations and transformations) – but also the same opposition.

When word and spirit combine, supernatural transformation happens; and as transformation happens, opposition follows.

It comes most devastatingly from the people of God who have forgotten what it means to be the people of God and what they are the people of God for.

The people of Nazareth, those in the synagogue, were the good guys – not the bad guys – and yet they end up opposing the work of God.

The people of Israel, chosen to be a ‘light to the nations’, had kept whatever light they had to themselves. They therefore found the message ‘It’s not just for you’ not only disturbing, but also condeming. They found themselves in opposition to the Kingdom and, more specifically, to the Kingdom’s King.

This week, think about your missional expression.

  • How can we best be good news to the poor that we are called to reach?
  • How are we best placed to release prisoners?
  • How do we open blind eyes?
  • What does the mandate look like practically for your ME?

Have you ever found yourself in opposition to the Kingdom of God, and the mandate of the Kingdom’s King? How?

Read through the rest of Luke 4.

What are the evidences of the Kingdom commission and the Holy Spirit’s power?

- Karl