Dear Friends,

There is a common train of thought that goes something like this, “If we can just be enough like Jesus the world will come pouring into the church.”

This is usually wrong.

Jesus was without sin, yet all the religious and political parties responded to Him alike. They hated Him and He was not surprised because He never endorsed or sided with any of them.

He told us to expect the same.

John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

Jesus taught that being good may not be enough. In fact, when you refuse to join up or declare your support of one side or the other you usually end up being hated by everyone.

Jesus calls us to be in the world but not of it. This has a cost. Some of you may find that your attempts to follow Jesus may bring family friends and fellowship to hate and criticize you.

Jesus’s own hometown and family rejected him.

Luke 4:22-24  And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23  And He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'” 24 And He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.

Luke 4:28-30  And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; 29  and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, He went His way.

This Sunday I will explain what made them so angry. One thing is sure it wasn’t because Jesus was wrong or hypocritical.

His own friends and community turned on Him. His own faith fellowship tried to kill him.

It is important that if people hate us its for the right reasons. Sometimes Christians blame people for hating them for their faith in Christ when it’s really their bad behavior, politics, dishonesty, laziness, cruelty or hypocrisy.

Make sure you don’t drag your faith into your fights. You shame the Lord and use His name in vain.

We all have to learn as we follow Jesus that popularity and power are not the Kingdoms priorities.

This Sunday we can learn what is the priority for those who learn Christ.

Blessings,

Joe

 

Preparing for Sunday-Sunday February 9, 2020

Please consider the following questions and the scriptures.

 

 

Why is it most difficult to Share Jesus with family?

Luke 4:20-25 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21  And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22  And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23  And He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'” 24 And He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.

 

 

How can following Jesus by loving your national or political or personal enemies make others hate you?

Luke 4:25-30  “But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months when a great famine came over all the land; 26  and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27  “And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28  And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; 29  and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, He went His way.

 

 

How would following Jesus in the following command change your behavior?

Luke 6:31-36 Do to others as you would have them do to you.32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them.33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Highest because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

 

 

What made Jesus’s hometown crowd so enraged at Him?

 

 

Would you have joined that crowd? Why or why not?

 

 

When do you know you are being hated for being like Jesus?

John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”

John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.