Suffering and Sacrifice

Big Idea: Jesus teaches that his suffering was not a tragic detour from God’s plan but the necessary path to glory that was foretold in the Old Testament. Introduction: I have a hard time on Good Friday. I don’t like to rehearse the cross. It’s painful to see images of Jesus, the only perfect and most beautiful human being to ever walk this earth, be so misunderstood, and then rejected, that fallen, sinful, guilty people horribly hurt him. If Jesus’s suffering wasn’t in the Bible, it would be beyond belief. In our text today, Luke places us on the road to Emmaus, just hours after the resurrection. A Word about Emmaus: a) Location - About 7 miles (60 stadia) from Jerusalem (Luke 24:13). The exact site is debated. It is most commonly associated with Emmaus Nicopolis, northwest of Jerusalem b) Meaning of the Name - Likely from a Hebrew root meaning “warm spring” or “hot baths.” It suggests a place of rest, retreat, or recovery and that happens in this text. c) Biblical Significance - Only mentioned explicitly in Luke 24. Where are we so far in God’s redemptive story? The tomb is empty, Jesus has risen, but The meaning of the cross is still unclear. So, these two disciples are not doubting the facts as much as They are misinterpreting them. They have heard the reports, but they don’t yet understand the story. What do they need? Well, remember Nehemiah 8. After Ezra read the Bible, he organized the people into small groups and sent “teaching priests” (KJV) into the congregation. – 8:8 - “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.” a) “Read… clearly” - They proclaimed the text publicly and distinctly. This is the act of reading the Bible itself. b) “Gave the sense” - They explained the meaning of the text. - This is interpretation, not just repetition. c) “So that the people understood” - The goal was comprehension, not mere exposure. These two disciples need “the sense” of what happened so they can “understand” it. This is also why you need to be in a CG where you can ask good questions and find important answers to life’s most important questions. But note: These two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem, away from the place where redemption has just been accomplished, because they can’t reconcile a suffering Messiah with their expectations of glory. Many people struggle with this same concept. ILL: What do we do when our experience and resulting thinking don’t match what we think the Bible says? Perhaps a better question is, “What should we do?” Here’s an example - In Acts 8, an Ethiopian official is leaving Jerusalem and reading Isaiah 53 along the way. It’s the very passage that speaks of a servant who suffers and is led like a lamb to the slaughter. He does not understand it either. Acts 8:26-35 - Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. Do you see the difference? These disciples are walking away from Jerusalem, confused and discouraged. The Ethiopian eunuch, just as confused, leans in and says, “How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?” These disciples are moving away from the very place of redemption because they can’t reconcile suffering with glory. The eunuch stays with the text until God gives him understanding. These three people share the same confusion, but not the same posture. The disciples seem to drift. The eunuch seeks answers. Don’t ask the Bible to match your experience. Ask the Bible to explain your experience. First: The Question Beneath the Question - “We had hoped…” (v. 21) Observation - The disciples recount the events with accuracy but interpret them with despair, saying, “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” Their problem is not lack of information. It is misplaced expectation. Interpretation – As many of the Jews, including the disciples, they assumed redemption would come through visible triumph, not suffering. They expected a conquering king, not a crucified Savior. Their question, though unspoken, is this: “If Jesus is the Redeemer, why did He suffer?” That’s a great question and… Correlation - This tension runs through the Bible: a) Isaiah 53 presents a suffering servant, “pierced for our transgressions” b) Psalm 22 describes a righteous sufferer surrounded and mocked. Psalm 22:16c-17 - …they have pierced my hands and feet – I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me… c) Daniel 7 presents a glorious Son of Man receiving a kingdom The Bible never separates suffering and glory. It always holds them together. APP: We often ask the same question in different language: If God is good, why is there suffering? Why am I suffering? If Christ has saved me, why is my life so hard? Like these disciples, we tend to interpret our circumstances apart from the Bible. When your expectations collapse, don’t rewrite the Bible story. Don’t reinvent God. Return to the Bible. Let God define what your redemption actually looks like. GOOD CG QUESTION: How do people reinvent God when their expectations don’t match their life? First: The Question Beneath the Question - “We had hoped…” (v. 21) Second: The Necessity of the Cross - “Was it not necessary…?” (v. 26) Observation - Jesus does not comfort them first. Instead, he corrects them. = 25 - “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” Then He asks the pivotal question: 26 - “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Interpretation – The answer is “yes,” and the word “necessary” is the key to the entire passage. It was not Plan B Ephesians 1:4-5 - …he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will So, the cross was not accidental It was unavoidable It was required. Required by what? By the plan of God – Romans 3:24-26 – [We] …are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. By the righteousness of God This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. By the justice of God It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. God’s will for you does not come apart from suffering. It comes through it. Correlation - This necessity is woven through the Bible: a) Genesis 3:15 — the serpent-crushing seed is wounded b) Exodus — redemption comes through blood c) Leviticus — atonement requires sacrifice d) Isaiah 53 — the servant suffers to justify many The entire Bible is moving toward a cross that must happen. APP: We often treat suffering as unnecessary interruption. Jesus calls it necessary participation in God’s plan for our lives. So, don’t interpret your suffering as evidence that God’s plan has failed. In Christ, suffering is not meaningless. It is often the very means God uses to accomplish His purposes in you. Suffering is not a detour. You are on a road the Bible has already mapped for Christ, others before you (think Hb 11), you, and others after you. Third: The Bible Interpreted Through Christ “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (v. 27) Observation - Jesus opens the Bible to them. He does not give them a new experience. He gives them a new understanding. Interpretation - Jesus teaches that the entire Bible points to Him. Not just predictions, but actual patterns: The Passover lamb The sacrificial system The rejected prophets The suffering righteous one All of it converges on Christ. So, the cross is not one event among many. It is the center of the story. Correlation - Later in Luke 24:44, Jesus will say that everything written in: the Law of Moses the Prophets the Psalms must be fulfilled in Him. IMP: The Bible is not a collection of disconnected stories and humans aren’t the point of those stories. The Bible is one story, with one hero, moving toward one necessary moment – the cross! APP: Many people read the Bible for guidance, inspiration, or comfort. All of those things matter, but if we miss Jesus, we miss the whole reason for the Bible and its meaning. Always read the Bible with this ultimate question: “How does this text lead me to Christ?” And… when you suffer, don’t first look for an explanation. Look at Jesus who stands at the center of the story and realize suffering is essential to our salvation. ILL: Hebrews 12:1b - …let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… Weights are our interpretation of God and his story: comfort, our way, anything that is counter to our interpretation of how our lives should go. Bottom Line: (Theological Weight) The question “Was it all really necessary?” receives a clear answer from Jesus: Yes. It was all, really necessary. It was necessary for redemption It was necessary for the fulfillment of the Bible It was necessary for the glory of Christ It was necessary for the salvation of sinners The cross was not a tragedy that interrupted God’s plan. It was the plan. Conclusion: These disciples were walking away from hope while speaking to the risen Jesus. They did not recognize Him because they misunderstood the necessity of His suffering. And we are often not that much different. You may be looking at your life, your pain, your unanswered questions, and asking: Was this necessary? Jesus does not answer that question with sentiment. He answers it with the Bible. All the Bible leads you to a Savior who suffered, not because He lost control, but because He was in control. If the cross was necessary, then your salvation is secure. If the cross was necessary, then your suffering is not wasted. If the cross was necessary, then glory is coming. So, don’t walk away from Jerusalem. And don’t walk away from the cross. Stay on the road where suffering leads to glory.

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. Big Idea: The resurrection is God’s decisive act in history, vindicating His Son, fulfilling His Word, defeating death, and inaugurating the promised new creation. Introduction: Last week’s text was shrouded in silence. This week, God shatters the silence with a rolling stone. Luke has taken us from Jesus’ life, and death on the cross to his burial. Now, on the first day of the week, God acts in human history in a decisive way. God answers the question, “What do we do now,” with an empty tomb. And that changes everything. First: God Has Acted (Again) & The Tomb Is Empty (v. 1–3) – “they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” a) The women arrive with spices. v 1 b) The stone is already rolled away. v 2 c) The body of Jesus is not there. v 3 They were not looking for an empty tomb. They were not looking for a resurrection. Their efforts to provide and take spices to the tomb proves they were looking for a dead Jesus. And yet, God offers no human explanation for what they find. At this point, no one is credited with moving the stone. Luke simply presents the fact: The tomb is empty. God has acted. Emphasis: This is not resuscitation. Everything previous to this has proven Jesus was dead. The Romans were professional executioners Joseph wrapped his body in linen cloth The women prepared and took spices for Jesus’ body What happened to Jesus is not resuscitation. It is a resurrection. Jesus is not barely alive. He has passed through death and come out the other side. Psalm 16:10 - …you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption Theological Weight: Death has been engaged and overcome The grave has lost its claim on those who repent of sin and trust Jesus as Savior Second: God Interprets His Own Work (vv. 4–7) - “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” a) The women are perplexed v 4a b) Two men in dazzling apparel appear. v 4b c) The women are frightened. v 5 d) Heaven speaks. vs 6-7 e) The difference. v 8 Emphasis: Thank God, he does not leave the resurrection unexplained. What does this mean? Theological Weight The resurrection is not random, it is planned It is not surprising to God, it is the fulfillment of His Word 6b-7 - “the Son of Man must be delivered… crucified… and on the third day rise” This is a divine necessity. It is not an accident. This is divine purpose. It is not human recovery. And in this promise and fulfilment is every promise and fulfilment – 2 Corinthians 1:20 - For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. APP: If Jesus had not been raised, all the promises of God would have been rendered void. Everything God promised in the OT would be worthless. But Jesus’ resurrection proves that God keeps his promises; that he makes, can and does keep his promises. ILL: Think about Joseph being buried in Shechem last week in your Bible reading. God keeps his word to the dead and the living because there are no dead in God’s presence. Luke 20:37-38 - But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him. Third: The Resurrection Fulfills the Whole Saving Plan of God (vv. 6–7) - “as He told you…” Luke ties the resurrection directly to prior promise. This reaches back to Luke 9:22 where Jesus said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” Emphasis: The resurrection is the hinge of redemptive history. Everything before it pointed to it. Everything after it flows from it. Theological Weight The cross is confirmed as effective Sin has been dealt a finishing blow God’s promises have not failed APP: If Jesus remains in the grave, the cross is defeat. If He rises, the cross is victory. That interpretation changes how we interact with life. Fourth: The Resurrection Begins the New Creation (v 1 - “First Day of the Week”) Luke has never been careless with details throughout the book. He notes the women came to the tomb “On the first day of the week…” because a) This is not just timing. b) This is theology. Emphasis: A new beginning has started. Just as God, in Christ, began creation, so now, God, in Christ, has begun a new creation Personally: 2 Corinthians 5:17 - …if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation Cosmically: Isaiah 43:19 - Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? Revelation 21:5 - Behold, I am making all things new. Theological Weight Death belongs to the old order Resurrection belongs to the new Romans 7:21 - …as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is the firstfruits of what is coming. 1 Corinthians 15:20-24 - But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end… What’s the order: Death Christ’s resurrection Then, at this coming, those who belong to Christ The end. ILL: Think about how our Spring flowers arrive. Yellow shrubs (Forsythia) Bulbs (Daffodils) Tiny ground flowers (Violets, Buttercups) Woodland wildflowers (Bluebells, Dutchman’s Breeches) Flowering trees (Redbud, Magnolia, Dogwoods) APP: The world around us in changing, even if it does not fully look like it yet. And there are glimpse of Spring and Winter seems to return. But the early buds and blossoms give us hope for Spring, even when it’s cold. Christ’s resurrection gives us hope in what appear to be hopeless situations. Fifth: What Will You Believe? (vv. 8–12) Some remember. v 8 Some dismiss it. v 11 Peter runs and marvels. v 12 This is another proof of the Bible’s truthfulness. If it was a tale, Luke would have had everyone believe it. He would have posed it as overwhelming evidence that everyone believed. But he reminds us that not even all of Jesus’ followers believed it. Luke includes these people, but they are not the center his comments. They simply show that God’s act does not depend on human faith. The resurrection is true whether believed or not. Emphasis: Faith does not create the resurrection. The resurrection creates the need for faith. Conclusion: There are (at least) two ways to look at this: a) Here’s what happened. You are invited to believe. b) Here’s what happened. You need to repent and believe. Acts 17:30-31 - The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. What does that mean? The resurrection does not depend on human response, but it does demand one. And no response, is a response. Luke 24 begins with divine action, not with human faith and it is, in fact, unperturbed by human faith. The tomb is empty because: God has fulfilled His Word God has vindicated His Son God has defeated death He has begun something entirely new IMP: The question is not whether the resurrection is meaningful to you. The question is whether it is true. And if it is true, then everything changes: Jesus is Lord Sin has been judged Death has been broken A new world has begun So, you and I are not being invited to create meaning out of this text. ‘Here’s what I think it means…” We are being confronted with reality. “He is not here. He has risen.” And now every life and everything about life must be reckoned in light of that fact.

Friends, In The View from my Study this Monday, I’m inviting you to watch my sermon prep in a little more detail. I began this study the week before Teana and I went to Ireland, which gave me some extra time. For that reason, it not only includes the O, I, C, A thoughts but some extra thinking on my part as well. I’ve explained this process to you before but, on this occasion, I thought I would let you see that Observation, Interpretation, Correlation and Application is not the overall scaffolding for my study, but I use each of those elements in every point of the sermon. So, what I’ve done, is leave my initial O, I, C & A in the sermon outline for you to see. What you see each Thursday is the subpoints of the outline ‘fleshed out;’ each one given substantial thought but without the O, I, C & A scaffolding (although the sermon notes do usually do highlight the APPlication point). PS. You’ll see several APP thoughts for each point. I usually just choose one. I hope this helps you in your daily study of any passage. Just as an FYI, a member recently reminded me that Dr. Howard Hendricks taught this study method for many years. He defined each point as: Observation – See it Interpretation – Understand it Correlation – Relate it Application – Live it That’s a good way of saying it, isn’t it? If you’re interested in knowing more about Dr. Hendrick’s study methodology, I have written a short article illustrating it for you and placed it at after the TRAP devotion The Sound of Silence Luke 23:50–56 The Big Idea: When God seems absent and his plan feels unfinished, faith is often demonstrated in humble obedience to what we do know. (Just do your thing, while God does his). Introduction: In our modern era, we are accustomed to a story moving from tragedy to resolution in as little as 60 minutes. But Luke’s Gospel slows us down at a surprising place, a pivotal place, perhaps the most important and most difficult place, the day between the cross and the resurrection. Of all the possible days to make us pause and wait, this one makes us anxious. Here’s what has happened. Jesus has died. The disciples are scattered. All hope seems buried. Luke tells us that Joseph of Arimathea takes Jesus’ body down and places it in a tomb. The women carefully watch where He is laid. They prepare spices for Jesus’ body and then they go home and keep the Sabbath. It’s that simple. It’s that profound. And then, the story stops. Whaaaaat? There is no resurrection yet. There are no angels in the garden delivering messages of good news. There is just awful, painful, excruciating silence. For the disciples, this moment must have felt like the end of everything they hoped for. The story of Jesus seemed unfinished, but it has come to a screeching, undeniable halt. Yet Luke is teaching us something very important in this text. Our faith doesn’t always have to look dramatic as in healing the sick, perplexing the Pharisees or raising the dead. Sometimes our faith looks like simple obedience and patient trust in God when he seems so very, very silent. What does it look like? Well… this— First: Faith Acts When Others Do Not (v50-51) A) Observation 1) Luke introduces Joseph of Arimathea as “a good and righteous man” (v. 50). 2) He had not consented to the council’s (Sanhedrin) decision to condemn Jesus (v. 51). 3) Luke notes he was “looking for the kingdom of God.” 4) In a moment when most of Jesus’ well-known disciples are absent, Joseph suddenly, yet courageously appears. 2) Interpretation 1) Joseph represents humble, but faithful discipleship. 2) His faith had existed before this moment, but now it becomes visible. 3) Waiting for the kingdom did not make him passive. It prepared him to act. 4) Sometimes the most important exercise of our faith is revealed in private moments and after the crowds disappear. 3) Correlation 1) Hebrews 11:1 - Faith trusts what cannot yet be seen. 2) John 12:42 - Some believed in Jesus but feared public identification. 3) Joseph demonstrates a faith that becomes visible at a crucial moment. 4) Application 1) Faith is often proven in moments no one else sees. Hebrews 6:10 - For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work… My worth is not in skill or name In win or lose, in pride or shame But in the blood of Christ that flowed At the cross (Neither is the value of your labor for Jesus) 2) Loyalty to Christ is sometimes expressed quietly rather than dramatically. 3) The question for us is not simply what we believe privately, but whether we will stand with Christ publicly. This is the real test of faith. Second: Faith Acts When the Future Is Uncertain (v52) A) Observation 1) Joseph goes to Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body (v. 52). – (This is a really, really big deal). 2) Roman authorities controlled crucified bodies. 3) Mark records that Joseph “took courage” before making the request (Mark 15:43). (I wonder what that looked like?) B) Interpretation 1) Joseph publicly identifies with a crucified Messiah. 2) This request risks his reputation, influence, and perhaps, most of all, his safety. 3) At the very moment when Jesus and his followers appear defeated and scattered, Joseph steps forward. C) Correlation 1) Matthew 10:32 - Whoever acknowledges Christ before others will be acknowledged by Him. 2) Proverbs 28:1 - “The righteous are bold as a lion.” 3) Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. D) Application “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree today.” - Martin Luther (attributed to him) What does that mean? We should be faithful in the only moment we have which is the present. We should hope in the future God has promised, regardless of circumstances. Our eschatology should shape our ethics. (Our belief should form our behavior) 1) Courage in the Bible often appears when faith looks least reasonable and this act did not look reasonable by any means. 2) Faith does not wait until circumstances look hopeful. That’s what faith is! 3) Christian obedience sometimes requires courage when the outcome is uncertain. 4) We are called to identify with Christ even when culture or circumstance discourages it. Third: Faith Demonstrates Devotion Simply for Jesus (v53-56) A) Observation Joseph takes down the body of Jesus (v. 53). He wraps it in linen and places it in a new tomb cut in stone. (Jesus is the only person in history to ever borrow a tomb). The women follow and observe the location of the tomb (v. 55). They prepare spices and ointments for his burial (v. 56) B) Interpretation From the disciples’ perspective, Jesus is dead and the mission is over. Yet, these actions express reverence for, faith in and love for Jesus. Their devotion is offered without any expectation of resurrection. Wow. Is this what devotion without expectation, just love for and trust in Jesus look like? C) Correlation John 12:7 – This confirms Jesus talk about being anointed for burial. Ecclesiastes 9:10 - Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. The Bible often portrays devotion to God even when His purposes are not fully understood. (More examples). D) Application Believers are called to honor God even when circumstances confuse us. Faithfulness is about a Person, not a plan. Love for Jesus expresses itself through simple acts of private, daily devotion. Apply that to marriage. Fourth: Faith Obeys What It Knows to Obey (v56b) A) Observation The women prepare burial spices (v. 56a). Yet Luke notes that they then rest on the Sabbath (v 56b). The passage ends with silence and waiting. Our 3-days can be very long. B) Interpretation The women’s grief does not cancel their obedience. Even in sorrow they continue to honor God’s commands. (This is a hard one) Even in confusion, they continue to love Jesus. C) Correlation The book of Esther doesn’t mention God by name, but he is everywhere. - The words God, Lord (YHWH), or prayer do not appear - There is no direct reference to worship, sacrifice, or the temple. - God is never addressed or spoken to. - And yet, there are a series of providential ‘accidents’ (Well glory!) Esther becomes queen at the precise moment the Jewish people are threatened. Mordecai overhears the assassination plot against the king. The king cannot sleep and reads the record of Mordecai’s loyalty. Haman is forced to honor the very man he intended to destroy. The decree against the Jews is ultimately reversed. How did this happen. Well, at one point in the book, Mordecai says, “Relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place…” (Esther 4:14) That other place is Heaven! 2. The Bible repeatedly connects faith with patient waiting. Lamentations 3:25–26 - The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.  Psalm 46:10 - Be still and know that I am God. (Bryan recently led us in a study of Psalm 46 during our staff meeting). Psalm 27:14 - Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! Psalm 37:7 - Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him… D) Application We often live between promise and fulfillment, already and not yet. In those moments, faith looks like simple obedience in ordinary things during unsteady or extraordinary times. God is often doing His deepest work when heaven seems silent. Conclusion: I took the title to Paul Simon’s song, “The Sounds of Silence,” for the sermon title. One line in that song reads, The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls And whispered in the sound of silence. Luke records what may be the most silent moment in the whole gospel story. Jesus is in the tomb. The disciples are grieving. Heaven is not only quiet. It may be stymied. Yet the silence is not God’s abandonment. It is the stillness before the great gettin’ up morning of the resurrection. Stop here and think about those moments in your life. I think we can benefit from faith of Joseph and several women whose actions demonstrate - quiet courage, simple devotion, and faithful obedience while waiting for God to finish his great work. And they have no idea what’s about to come.

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Grace that Gives 2 Cor. 8:1-15 Justin Davis

Evangelism Matthew 28:18-20

Mentoring - 2 Timothy 2:1-7

Redefining Service Mark 10:42-45

Let's Learn to Pray - Matthew 6:9-13 Friends, Good Monday morning to you. The sun is shining; the weather is going to get in the 60’s. Spring is in the air!!! But let’s turn our attention for a moment from what’s going on outside, to what’s going on inside…our hearts. This needs to be emphasized and re-emphasized. The difference between living like verses 2-4, as modeled by Janes and Jambres who have “a form of godliness (but deny its power) is Paul’s encouragement to “abide” in the Scripture; to “trace” the life of God that makes us “wise for salvation which is through Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3). That’s it, friends. To master the word until we are mastered by it. Because the more you know the Bible, the more you will know God, the more in love with him you will be and the more closely you will follow him with your heart, mind, soul and strength. You, the elders and I, as the spiritual leaders of Heritage must live this life, model it and teach our people to thrive in the Bible. Take the doctrine of prayer, our subject matter this Sunday. Had Jesus not taught the disciples how to pray, they would not have known how to pray. Had the Gospel writers not recorded Jesus’ words on prayer, we would not know how to pray. If we do not read, study, memorize, meditate on, and practice Jesus’ words, we are not praying. This text alone teaches us the Christian life cannot be lived separate from the Bible. It is not enough for us to hold the Bible in high esteem, to talk about it or to have innumerable copies of it in our homes, on our phones, etc. We must immerse ourselves in it. We are saved by the Word – 1 Peter 1:23 We are sanctified by the Word – John 15:3 We are told how to live in the Word – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 The Bible is literally the answer to everything for us. So, let me encourage you to be a person of the Word, to listen to God’s command to Joshua (1:8) and to sincerely follow it – This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth = The Word must not drift away from your speech or consciousness. but you shall meditate on it day and night = the word “meditate” = to prize the Bible like a lion growling over its prey, its food, its sustenance. so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it = continual meditation on and speaking God’s Word is intended to produce vigilant, comprehensive obedience to everything he has commanded. It’s the only way to “prosper” and have “success” (1:9) in the Christian life, friends. With that in mind, let’s prosper in our prayer lives. Let’s have “good success” in prayer. It begins with knowing what Jesus said about prayer and then living a life of prayer. Here’s a proposed outline for this Sunday – Let’s Learn to Pray Matthew 6:9–13 (cf. Luke 11:1) Big Idea : Jesus teaches us to pray by reshaping who we trust, what we want, and how we live. Introduction: The Request Behind the Prayer (Luke 11:1) - “Lord, teach us to pray.” The disciples had witnessed Jesus’ authority and power, and they traced it to communion with the Father. Prayer was not ornamental in Jesus’ life. It was foundational. When Jesus says, “Pray then like this,” he is not giving a script to recite mechanically, but a pattern to form disciples. IMP: We are never more the Christians our private prayer life and private Bible study reveal us to be. First: Prayer Recognizes a Father (Matthew 6:9a) - “Our Father in heaven…” Prayer is all about a relationship and relating to God. Second: Prayer Reorders Our Priorities - (Matthew 6:9b–10) Before Jesus allows us to ask for bread, he teaches us to long for glory. Third: Prayer Retrains Our Dependence (Matthew 6:11–13) As sinners, we strive for independence, but we are dependent creatures. Until we realize this and live like it, we won’t pray. Nor will we possess the life God intends us to have through prayer. Fourth: The Movement of the Whole Prayer a) Father — Identity b) Glory — Priority c) Kingdom — Mission d) Will — Surrender e) Bread — Dependence f) Forgiveness — Humility g) Protection — Watchfulness Jesus is not merely teaching words. He is forming the lives of disciples. Prayer reshapes: · Who we trust · What we want · How we live Conclusion: When the disciples said, “Teach us to pray,” they were not asking for things. They were asking about a relationship. Jesus answered not by giving them a formula to master, but by giving them a Father to trust, a kingdom to seek, and daily posture to embrace. Prayer begins in a relationship. It moves toward adoration. It ends in surrender. And the more we pray like this, the more our hearts begin to look like Heaven. Here’s this week’s TRAP devotion for you, to help the Scripture fill your mind and heart as you live prayerfully in Jesus and prepare to lead your CG to do the same. Monday - Teach Us to Pray (Luke 11:1) Think. Before Jesus gives the model prayer in Matthew 6, the disciples ask in Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray.” They had seen his miracles. They had heard his teaching. And they traced his life to communion with the Father. Prayer was not ornamental in his life; it was foundational. As such, they did not assume they knew how to pray. They asked to be taught. Prayer must be learned from Scripture. If Jesus had not taught them, they would not have known how to pray. If the Gospel writers had not recorded his words, we would not know how to pray. The Christian life cannot be lived separate from the Bible. Reflect. As a CG leader, learning to pray is a prerequisite to teaching others how to pray. How are you learning to pray? What are you learning to pray? Are you still asking to be taught? Apply. Read Matthew 6:9–13 aloud three times today. Slowly. Do not analyze it yet. Just listen. Let the words shape your thinking about prayer. Pray. Father, teach me to pray. Do not let me teach others what I am not living myself. Tuesday - Prayer Begins with a Father (Matthew 6:9a) Think. Prayer begins with relationship. Not performance. Not technique. Adoption. “Our” reminds us prayer is covenantal. We belong to a people who are being conformed to Jesus’ image. “Father” reminds us we already are reconciled and our approach to God is based on Jesus’ life and works, not ours. “In Heaven” reminds us he reigns over all our requests and should reign in our lives. Your view of God determines your prayer life. If he is distant, you will be formal. If he is harsh, you will be guarded. If he is Father, you will come. Reflect. Do you approach God as Father or as evaluator? Does your prayer life reveal intimacy and reverence? Apply. Before asking for anything today, spend five full minutes addressing God as Father. Thank him for saving you. Rehearse to him and yourself what it means to belong to him. Pray. Our Father in heaven, anchor my life and CG leadership in sonship, not performance. Wednesday - Prayer Reorders Our Priorities (Matthew 6:9b–10) Think. Glory comes before bread. God gave Israel manna in the wilderness to display his glory. God’s priorities shape how he provides for us. Can you trust him with that? In this prayer, Jesus trains our desires before he allows us to request anything. Otherwise, we are wasting our breath. To hallow his name means to treat it as weighty, the priority. To seek his kingdom means to want his reign extended, in us and the world. To pray for his will means surrender to that kingdom. Prayer is not aligning God with our agenda. It is aligning ourselves with his. Reflect. When you pray, what comes first: your crisis or his kingdom? Does your leadership in the CG reflect God-centered priorities? The difference will shape your life. Apply. Write down your current prayer requests under three headings: 1. God’s Name 2. God’s Kingdom 3. God’s Will Let Scripture reshape your prayer list. This will change your life!!! Pray. Father, reorder my loves. Make your glory weightier to me than my comfort. Thursday - Prayer Retrains Our Dependence (Matthew 6:11–13) Think. Daily dependence dismantles self-sufficiency. “Forgive us our debts.” – We all need mercy. “As we forgive…” Unforgiveness suffocates prayer. “Lead us not into temptation…” Prayer assumes our need for God. This prayer retrains the illusion that we are strong, sufficient, and secure on our own. Reflect. Where are you living independently instead of dependently? Is there someone you must forgive before you teach this Sunday? Apply. Confess one specific sin today before God. Name it. Receive forgiveness. Extend forgiveness if needed.  Pray. Lord, keep me humble, dependent, and vigilant. Friday - The Word Forms the Prayer (Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 3) Think. Continual meditation on and speaking God’s Word is intended to produce vigilant, comprehensive obedience to everything he has commanded. We are: · Saved by the Word (1 Peter 1:23) · Sanctified by the Word (John 15:3) · Equipped by the Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17) If we do not read, study, memorize, meditate on, and practice Jesus’ words, we are not praying. The Bible should not be a prop. It is our life. Reflect. Are you holding the Bible in high esteem? Are you daily immersing yourself in it? Are you mastering the Word to be/and being mastered by it? Apply. Work on memorizing Matthew 6:9–13 before Sunday. Speak it aloud. Don’t let it depart from your mouth and heart. This will reshape every day of your life. Pray. Father, make me a person of the Word. Let your Word form my prayer and let prayer shape my life.