Jeff Tacklind’s message on Luke 20:41-21:4
Sermon note:
Luke 20:41-44
Whose Son Is the Christ?
41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
43 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
Psalm 110:4
“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
Genesis 14:18-20
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Hebrews 7
First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.
Beware of the Scribes
45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
“Don’t aim at success—the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue (to come as a result)…as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.”Victor Frankl
Luke 21
The Widow’s Offering
1 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
‘Compulsive’ is indeed the best adjective for the false self. It points to the need for ongoing and increasing affirmation. Who am I? I am the one who is liked, praised, admired, disliked, hated or despised. Whether I am a pianist, a businessman or a minister, what matters is how I am perceived by my world. If being busy is a good thing, then I must be busy. If having money is a sign of real freedom, then I must claim my money. If knowing many people proves my importance, I will have to make the necessary contacts. The compulsion manifests itself in the lurking fear of failure and the steady urge to prevent this by gathering more of the same – more work, more money, more friends.” Henri Nouwen
The Ruined Soul is malformed and dysfunctional in mind, feelings, body, and social relations largely due to hidden sin. The slide into pervasive soul corruption begins with the heart (or will) deflecting the mind from God and trusting in God. Dallas Willard
Will (Heart) is the executive center of the self and our likeness to God, being “in his image.” Will refers to that component’s power to initiate and create. Heart is not feelings, but refers to it’s being the center or core of the human being and the part to which every other component of the self owes its proper functioning.
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: take care of orphans and widows in their affliction, and keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27 )
Questions–Think through your daily life for a moment. Are there behaviors or possessions or affirmations that are keeping you preoccupied with this life and preventing you from investing in things that matter most? –Where are the distractions that are keeping you from paying attention? How can you redirect or renew your mind in moments of distraction? How can you take every thought captive?–Where should you instead be investing? Where is God asking you to be more generous? What would it be like to truly trust in God’s provision instead of using Him as your backup plan?