The Jesus-Centered Life

March 14, 2021   /   Hudson View Baptist Church

The Jesus-Centered Life

Luke 17:1-37

 

-The Christian life is one of Jesus-focus…Jesus is God’s plan for into the trajectory of mankind.

-Jesus is God’s plan to fix what man broke—specifically his relationship with God.

-Because sin separates man eternally from God, God sent His own Son in the form of a man, Jesus Christ, to live a sinless life and to provide a sinless sacrifice for our sin (cross, shedding His blood, rising from the dead).

-That’s the Gospel—we accept that as our only Solution for our relationship-breaking, God-separating, eternally-damning sin problem.

Once a person accepts Christ as their Savior from sin, they go from hopelessly following sin and it’s consequences in life to following Jesus Christ and His hope-filled direction for life.

-This changes our entire to life.

 

-In the Jesus-Centered Life…

I. Forgiveness is , Not Rare (Luke 17:1-10)

A. Temptation is real. (1a) Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come:

B. Don’t be the tempter. (1b-2)but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

C. Love sometimes leads to . (3) Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

D. Forgiveness has no limit. (4) And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

-1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Eph. 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

E. Forgiveness can be . (5) And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

F. Forgiveness is Christ’s work in and through us. (6) And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

G. Forgiveness deserves no . (7-10) But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

*Forgiveness is a regular, routine part of the Christian life and God empowers us to do it.  The only thing holding us pack is most often our PRIDE!

 

II. is a Pursuit (Luke 17:11-19)

A. We all have problems. (11-13) And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

B. Jesus is always the Solution. (14) And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

C. Gratitude is a . (15-16) And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

D. Ingratitude is the default. (17-19) And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

 

III. -Mindedness is the Approach (Luke 17:20-37)

(Christ-Centered Exposition commentary)

-“Kingdom of God” = generally, speaks of people who have repented of their sins and turned to Christ alone for forgiveness & reconciliation with our Holy God.

-This kingdom continues eternally under God’s reign.

-Jesus points out at least 5 things about the Kingdom of God:

A. can’t see it. (20-21) And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

B. Disciples can’t miss it. (22-25) And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

C. The world won’t it. (26-30) And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

(Christ-Centered Exposition) God’s judgement is real, and its coming. God’s salvation is free, and its for you. Through the atonement of Christ for your sin and His resurrection for your justification, God freely offers to you His escape from wrath and His invitation to His love. Repent of your sin and believe on Christ before the judgment of God comes!

D. Living comes from dying. (31-33) In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

E. Now is the time to . (34-37) I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

 

-So what’s the truth you need to consider today in light of these Jesus-centered truths?

1. Do you need to choose to allow God to help you to forgive as you have been forgiven by Him?

2. Do you need to choose gratitude in place of grumbling, worry, anger, depression, etc.?

3. Do you actually need to accept Christ as your Savior today?

 

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