Blessed Are Those Who Hear and Guard It

In one paragraph

Pastor Ray worked through the closing section of Luke 11, from the woman in the crowd who blessed Mary all the way to the six woes Jesus pronounced on the Pharisees and lawyers. He moved at a quicker pace than usual, pausing where the Greek sheds light on what Jesus was actually saying and where those words press on the church today. The sermon opened with a brief Greek question. When the woman in...

Read together

1. Luke 11 primary passage being preached through, covering prayer, Beelzebub accusation, sign of Jonah, woes to Pharisees and lawyers
2. Isaiah 64 referenced as the basis for the song Canvas and Clay, 'we are the clay and you are the potter'
3. Acts Ray's prayer referenced the disciples praying for boldness in Acts
4. Colossians 3 recap of previous week's sermon on things to put off and put on, including love binding all together in unity
5. Psalm 119:11 alluded to as 'thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against thee' in relation to guarding the word
6. Colossians 3:12 used as the benediction, clothing yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience

Talk about it

1. The pastor spent time on the Greek word translated 'on the contrary' in Luke 11, suggesting it might better read 'indeed' or 'yes, but even more so.' What difference does that translation choice make to how you hear what Jesus is saying about Mary and about those who hear and guard God's word?
2. The pastor said there is no level of sign that will convince someone who has already closed off their heart, pointing to the Pharisees demanding more after Jesus cast out a demon. Have you ever been in a season where your heart was closed to something God was saying to you, and if so, what changed?
3. Jesus told the Pharisee that cleaning the outside of the cup while the inside is full of greed and wickedness misses the point entirely. Where in your own life do you find it easiest to polish the outside while letting the inside slide?
4. The pastor summarized the six woes as hypocrisy, imbalance, ostentation, putting impossible demands on people without helping them carry the load, and intolerance and exclusiveness. Which of those six landed hardest for you personally, and why?
5. The pastor closed by saying church ought to be more like AA, where people come broken and honest rather than defensive. What would it look like practically for this congregation to be a place where someone could say, 'I'm a hypocrite, God help me,' instead of plotting to catch the preacher in something he said?