"Closer" - Closer In Our Motives - Luke 14 - Mike Maglish

LifeSpring Christian Church Sermons

Closer In Our Motives
Luke 14
Mike Maglish

Part of Closer - A Study in Luke

April 7, 2024

Setting: Social Gathering With Religious People On The Sabbath

One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. —Luke 14:1

Religious people watch and wait

2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they could not reply to these things. —Luke 14:2-6

The Kingdom changes lives
(See Luke 6 sermon - Fault Finders Finding Friendship)

AM I RELIGIOUS?

2 Questions to ask yourself:

Do I care more about what others are doing wrong than about the good that is happening around me?

Am I too focused on self to see the need around me?

7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor —Luke 14:7

Religious People want to elevate their status

24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. —Luke 22:24–2720 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee (James and John) came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “S*ay that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom*.” 22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” —Matthew 20:20-288

—Luke 14:8-11

Humility is the way of the Kingdom

12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” —Luke 14:12-14

Religious People Have Selfish Agendas

” —Luke 14:15-24

The kingdom is open to everyone

Takeaway: I stand in the way of kingdom advancement when I am religious