“Through the Looking Glass” The Kingdom of Heaven as seen through the parables of Jesus
“For now we see through a glass…” – I Cor. 13:12
“TAKING INVENTORY”
Memorial Day weekend… the high price of having gone to war!
The Cost of Building Towers & Going to War – Luke 14:25-35
Time for a “GUT check!”
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
What’s the “metal” of my MOTIVATION?
INFLUENCED BY others? (What made Jesus stop and tell these parables?)
The “crowd mentality” can be dangerous to the church today.
(entertainment / feel good / prosperity gospel, etc.)
“Drawn in” by or “pushed in” by another? WON’T LAST!
ENTICED BY “self?”
attraction, what you can do for ME = fickle… WON’T LAST!
INDENTURED TO Him?
LOVING HIM BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US? ETERNAL!!!
Time for a “FACT check!”
27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Is my faith a “gamble” or an undeniable experience?
Time for a “REALITY check!”
28 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
I can’t IMPRESS God into saving me.
Start “TOWER” of discipleship selfishly, not enough in my flesh… won’t finish…
I must INVITE God to redeem me.
Total surrender to Kingdom “TO COME” (no stoppin’ it)… His “terms of peace.”
Time for a “SMOG check!” (WHAT IS MY LIFE “EMITTING?”)
34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
Does my life emit INTEGRITY with God’s Word?
Salt valuable in ancient communities, most often as a preservative.
Preserve the “meat” of the Word and help it grow in the world.
Salt: rabbinic culture symbolized wisdom, losing saltiness would be living in foolishness.
Does my life emit ENRICHMENT from God’s Spirit?
Also was used in dung (“dung heap” or “manure pile”) to enrich “manure” for soil.
Fruit of the Spirit even when… especially when… life “stinks!”
“Whoever has ears, let them hear.” – #Jesus@matthew11.15