Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Divisions & The Times Luke 12:49-59 It is common for people to think of Jesus as only being meek and mild and coming to bring peace and love Jesus is also portrayed as a lion bringing judgment and not just a lamb bringing reconciliation

Luke 12:35–48 It is a command to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man - rewards for the ready, punishment for others

Division Luke 12:49–53 These verses seem surprising because most people have not read the Bible or set verses in their context Jesus brings peace to men, but only those that reconcile with God and with one another

Division Luke 12:49–53 Jesus will bring peace when He brings “fire” - comes as conquering king and will judge Joel 2:30-31 Ezekiel 22:18–22 Malachi 3:2–3 Zechariah 13:8–9

Division Luke 12:49–53 Jesus will bring peace through His “baptism” - death as the atoning sacrifice (cf. Mark 10:38) The gospel brings peace with God because it is the good news of redemption

Division Luke 12:49–53 The gospel brings peace between believers because it is the good news of the unity of faith The gospel brings division between believers made righteous and unbelievers who remain unrighteous

Division Luke 12:49–53 Believing and following Christ will cause division - possibly even within your own family - Mt. 10:37-39

Signs of the Times Luke 12:54-57 Those who observe weather patterns in their area long enough usually get good at near forecasting They observe and predict obvious weather patterns, but cannot recognize obvious signs of the Messiah

Signs of the Times Luke 12:54-57 Jesus had rebuked them before for being blinded by customs, traditions, standards and personal desires Jesus was fulfilling the prophecies concerning Messiah, but they were rejecting even the obvious

Signs of the Times Luke 12:54-57 The evidence: the blind see, lame walk, lepers are cleansed, deaf hear, dead are raised, gospel is preached They could discern the weather, but not that the Messiah was standing in front of them

Judge Rightly to Be Prepared Luke 12:58-59 Jesus rebuked them for not taking individual responsibility to pursue & discern what is right - God approved While it wise to consult “experts,” the responsibility is still yours to discern the truth

Judge Rightly to Be Prepared Luke 12:58-59 Experts who contradict truth are: Irritating in science Dangerous in medicine Terrifying in religion

Judge Rightly to Be Prepared Luke 12:58-59 Beware! Don’t seek to have your “ears tickled.” Be a Berean! The warning is stern because the context points to the analogy referring to eternal condemnation

God has done the work of redemption in Christ, your part is to repent, confess, believe and follow Hell is eternal and there is no escape or means by which to be released - there is no purgatory

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ