Set His Face to Go to Jerusalem
First B Jackson
2022-10-09

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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I'm glad to be here this morning. Would you stand up and we will sing whatever comes up on that screen. I think it's going to be in my heart that rings a melody. Yeah. I have a song that Jesus gave me.

That's great.

I have a song that Jesus gave me. It was sent from heaven above. There never was a sweeter melody, is a melody of love. In my heart, there rings a melody, there rings a melody with heaven's harmony. In my heart, there rings a melody.

There rings a melody of love. I love the Christ who died on Calvary for he washed my sins away. He put within my heart a melody, and I know it's there to stay. In my heart, there rings a melody. There rings a melody with heaven's harmony.

In my heart, there rings a melody. There rings a melody of love. 'Twil be my endless theme in glory. With the angels I will sing. 'Twil be a song with glorious harmony when the courts of heaven ring.

In my heart, there rings a melody. There rings a melody with heaven's harmony. In my heart, there rings a melody. There rings a melody on love. Amen.

That's a good one.

Good to start it off that way. Since Jesus when have we been singing that melody? Since Jesus came into our heart. Right? Hymn number five zero three.

Since my Jesus since Jesus came came in, in, came into my heart since Jesus came in, came into my heart. Floods of joy o'er my soul like the Sea billows row. Since Jesus came into my heart, I have ceased from my wandering and going astray since Jesus came into my heart. And my sins, which were many, are all washed away since Jesus came into my heart. Since Jesus came in, came into my heart since Jesus came in, came into my heart.

Bloods of joy or my soul like the Sea Billows Row. Since Jesus came into my heart on the last, I shall go there to dwell in that city I know since Jesus came into my heart. And I'm happy, so happy as onward I go since Jesus came into my heart. Since Jesus came in, came into my heart since Jesus came in, came into my heart. Floods of joy over my soul like the seed billows rose.

Since Jesus came into my heart.

Amen. Y'all can have a seat. That's a couple of peppy numbers to start it off this morning. We have a few announcements. Monday nights is happening.

Monday nights at first B is happening tomorrow night down the hall, 06:00. Carl is in Philippians four which is the dwell on the things or think on these things. Things that are noble and good and just and of good report. That's what he'll be doing tomorrow night. Mike is making the the meal meal music and a message every Monday night, 06:00.

Awana is back. It's happening same time but different place. Right here, we'll start out with the kids in this room. Volunteers and children getting together to pour scripture into the minds to reach the hearts of the kids and it's a good time. That's fun.

Sisters Saved by Grace Bible Study is on Thursday nights. Nancy Baxter is leading that but it's a great communal experience down there. A meal and a physical meal and then a spiritual meal of the word, and they are a great group of ladies. Down the hall on Thursday nights, there is a very well attended big study in this room, 10:00 on Wednesday mornings, ten to twelve throughout the fall. Deb Buckingham is teaching, and Lissa Hunter has been, playing the music for that.

And this week, this this particular week, there's a song. You remember the song heart heart of worship? I'm coming back to the heart of worship where it's all about you. It's all about you, Jesus. I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing.

I've made it. I heard that. I've been thinking about it for a few weeks. And then Alyssa was lee I think it was Alyssa, was leading from here. I was in my office and played that song.

I think it's the only song they played. And then when they came back around for the closing song, she played it again, and I thought, man, that's really, really powerful. So, God, help us to make it about what it's about, to pay attention to Jesus, to listen to him. Amen. Sorry.

If you are new to Firstbeat or if you have a prayer request or you wanna connect or if you wanna visit from the pastor, y'all can scribble that down. I don't think we have that box on there, but we do visit and we do love to. And I will say this, that post COVID, one of the things that kinda threw ministers off is we don't know where we are welcomed in as as readily as we used to anymore. So if you say, oh, I'd love to have the pastor come visit. Hey.

Mark that down. We'll come visit. We love that stuff. But we might just be praying from a distance until we get the open door. So if you want to, please connect and say so.

Anything else that I'm forgetting? Oh, yes. There's one more. And this one is you know, it's nice that we have a virtual thing going on so that people who can't be here in person I'm going to make you sing into that microphone.

That's great. I need to practice. So it's Jane Cranenberg's eightieth birthday this week. And we she's probably watching remotely. Jane, there's cake.

We'll bring it over to you in a little bit. But I think we should sing happy birthday. What do y'all think to Jane? Does that sound good? Good.

Ready? Here we go.

Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Jane. Happy birthday to you.

Thanks, Shane. We love you. And there's gonna be cake down the hall, two different kinds, and I'll bring some over to you soon, Shane.

Thanks a lot. Cool. Thank you, Nick. That's sweet. Great is the Lord.

Alright. Thanks. That's that's pretty awesome. Yeah. That's fun.

Don't drop. Yeah. Alright. Great is the Lord. He is holy and just by his power.

We trust in his love. We're going to sing that together but this week especially, I don't know why every week is similar to this. Every week is interesting. Every week is an adventure but this week, it feels like the Psalms. It feels like this church body has experienced the full range of human emotion.

Lucy's birthday party for being 100. I mean, she'll be 100 at the end of the month, but they had her birthday party up at the Wildlife Museum at the beginning of the week. And to see somebody that reached 100 and then to pray with a family who lost a baby in utero this week. To have loved ones in the hospital right now, Great is the Lord. I got to do a Mexican wedding at the Wedding Trees on Friday afternoon, which was fantastic.

And I did a premarital session between the services. There's like the full range of everything that we experience at once has been very evident this week here to me. And I just want to praise God for that. And at the same time, we're rejoicing with those who rejoice, but we're also mourning with those who mourn. Somebody else that watches virtually from New Hampshire, of all places, every week, every week, every week.

Her husband has been in hospice care for some time, and we were able to pray with her. And he passed during the night that night. Also, Lois, who is Irene Stieg's sister, passed during the night before last. So we're experiencing, like I said, the full range and always true. Great is the Lord.

He's holy. He's just, and he is always proving that he is love. Would you stand with me and we'll sing it together.

Great is the Lord he is holy and just by his power we trust in his love Great is the Lord. He is faithful and true. By his mercy, he proves he is love. Great is the Lord and worthy of glory. Great is the Lord and worthy of praise.

Great is the Lord. Now lift up your voice. Now lift up your voice. Great is the Lord. Great is the Lord.

Let's sing it again. Great is the Lord. He is holy and just. By his power, we trust in his love. Great is the Lord.

He is faithful and true. By his mercy, he proves he is love. Great are you, Lord, and worthy of glory. Great are you, Lord, and worthy of praise. Great are you, Lord.

I lift up my voice. I lift up my voice. Great are you, Lord. Are great are you lord Yeah. Thank you.

That was the full Sandy Patty ending up on the screen. Sorry. I just can't do that. His name is wonderful. His name is wonderful.

Amen. God, I thank you that as disciples, we are bound to make mistakes, lord, but I thank you that your name is wonderful, that we can keep on turning to you and find the love, and the forgiveness, and the direction that we need. Amen.

His name is wonderful his name is wonderful his name is wonderful Jesus my His name is wonderful. His name wonderful. Jesus, my lord. Jesus my lord. Amen.

Y'all can have a seat.

I'm a invite the ushers to come forward. And would y'all pray with me? God, thank you for this morning, this beautiful fall morning Jackson Hole. Thank you, Lord, that you are so good to us. I thank you, Lord, that throughout the range of all human experience and emotion, that you are there for us, that you are an ever present help in time of trouble, and that you are the one that rejoices with us, that you give us breath in our lungs, Lord, to breathe out praises to you.

I pray that you would heal, Lord, those among us who are sick. I pray that you would draw souls towards yourself, Lord, that you would reflect your glory in your people, that your humble and obedient servants, Lord, would just be about your business. Lord, we ask that this offering that you would use it to do your will and your way. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.

This morning, we had well, this is what we're gonna cover today. Luke nine thirty seven through 50, but I think it's funny that every week, Nick gets in touch with me at some point and says this, do you know the verses you'd like to use this week? Usually, it's on Thursday when he says this because he's about to send out the electronic bulletin, you know, to everybody. And so do you know the like verses you'd like to use this week? And I said, Luke nine fifty one.

Just like that. He goes, one verse? That's not like you at all. What's wrong? Are you sick?

What's going on? He just said, one verse question mark. And I said, yes. That's it. But that's obviously not gonna be the case.

Right? I I can't dissect that any further, but it is a huge turning point in the book of Luke. Actually, such a turning point that this guy, Darrell Bock, good guy, really good scholar. I like Darrell Bock's work, but I really like look at this. This is ridiculous, isn't it?

That's the book of Luke commentary. And so this one right here, volume one, is from Luke one one to Luke nine fifty, and this one starts with nine fifty one and goes to the end of the book. I've said often that the gospels, all of them, but the gospels are passion narratives with long introductions. Okay? The long introduction kinda ends at nine fifty.

It's still going as far as we're not to the cross yet. We've got six more months, but he splits this and almost everybody who studied the book of Luke sees a big change, not a change in what his mission is. Jesus knows his mission, but he's been training these disciples and training these disciples, and we've been in the later Galilean ministry up away from Jerusalem for a good while now. And he's been there for a good while. In the gospels, it looks like he's been there over a year, maybe closer to two.

So two and a half years the disciples have been with him. We're in a chronological study and we're walking through it together. Luke nine fifty one is a marked change and it says this, the NASB is what I usually use. Today, I've got a mix of them up there, but when the days were approaching for his ascension, he was determined to go to Jerusalem. Now that's fine.

It's a good translation, but honestly, I think it's boring. So KJV, this is what I have in mind. This is the one I memorized when I was little, you know, and it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up. Steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. Direct translation, set his face to go to Jerusalem.

New New Living translation. As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven. It's clarifying the the thought. Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. You see the determinedness about it?

NRSV. There's a guy in the first service. Loves his new revised standard version. This one says, when the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. Good translation.

Holman Christian Standard Bible. This is the most recent Southern Baptist version. When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up, he determined to journey to Jerusalem. Again, to me that's boring. I like to set his face.

That's there's something there that, yeah, you get the point, but he set his face. Actually, Young's literal translation, always a good one to go to when you're wondering exactly what it says. And it came to pass that in the completing of the days of his being taken up, that he fixed his face or set his face to go onward to Jerusalem. There's something resolute about this. Now that's nine fifty one.

We haven't covered 37 through 50 yet, so that's what we're going to do next. We have been doing a harmony of the gospel's approach and so we go with Matthew, Mark, and Luke. If you're looking at the same places, Luke's version of this is the shortest and I'm gonna cover just Luke today. Matthew and Mark include a couple of places that are just straight up teaching moments from Jesus teaching them like students. Actually, in Matthew, it goes beyond eighteen fourteen up through eighteen fifteen through the end of the chapter is that Matthew 18 principle about winning your brother.

We'll get to that though. I wanted to do those separately because they are straight up teaching moments But I think it's important, and I think Luke nails it down for us that the disciples fairly continuously missed the point. Are you with me? They keep on messing up. And honestly, if we're being completely transparent before God, we keep messing up too in a lot of the same way.

So let's watch the parallels. We're gonna cover Luke, but we're gonna use those little sections of Mark to help fill in a couple of gaps or things that I just like. I don't think anything that Luke has gapped it at all, honestly, but some things that I really just like. I like a story that I'll mention in a minute. On the next day, the next day, when was this?

The last week sermon was about the transfiguration. Actually, about transformation and transfiguration but on the next day, this is the very next day after the transfiguration on the high mountain. When they came down, so it's Jesus, Peter, James, and John. Four of them went up, four of them came down. The other disciples were left in that valley below, and it says, on the next day when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus.

This is the Transfiguration by Raphael. Raphael, not the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, but the painter, in 1516 was commissioned by a cardinal to paint a painting of the Transfiguration. He actually died, Raphael, in 1520, and that cardinal became the pope, Clement like the seventh or something. But he had commissioned to paint this for a church, and it's the transfiguration. And if you look at the top part, that's what we're used to seeing in the transfiguration.

Right? We're used to seeing Jesus lifted up, glowing, and we've got Elijah on one side, Moses on the other. We've got the disciples, Peter, James, and John bowed down. We talked about that last week because they're just over overwhelmed by it. That's what we're used to seeing in a transfiguration painting, but Raphael captures what's going on below too.

So what's happening down here below is quite the scene. You see people with this expression or this, and they're facing each other, and they're arguing, and they look like they're voguing. They've got particular things going on. It's pretty dramatic. And it is a dramatic scene actually.

The way that Mark describes it is this way, and when they came back to the other disciples, so three disciples are coming back to the other nine. They've just been on this mountaintop experience, but this is what the disciples in the valley were doing. They saw a loud large crowd around the disciples, and some scribes were arguing with them. Does that surprise anybody? No.

There's a group of people, and they're arguing. That's just what people do. But these three that had just been on the mountain with Jesus and Jesus are coming down and they're seeing what's going on. And does it take two to tango? It ain't a real good argument if only one person's arguing, is it?

So the disciples were arguing with the scribes that were arguing with them. That gives us a little light. And a man from the crowd shouted out saying, teacher, speaking to Jesus, I beg you to look at my son because he is my only son. This is the third time in the book of Luke that someone has brought to Jesus and only, you know, the widow of Nain. This is my only child.

It does sort of the the word is monogenes, which actually is what Jesus is referred to as God's one and only son. Right? And a man from the crowd shouted saying, teacher, I beg you to look at my son because he is my only son. And a spirit seizes him. Now Luke is a doctor.

He often makes the distinction between physical maladies and spiritual maladies. And Luke says flatly, a spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams and then the spirit throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth. And only with difficulty does the spirit leave him, mauling him as it leaves. This sounds like a horrible situation. Matthew and Mark both use a word that a lot of historians and scholars and even theologians see as related to epilepsy.

So its physical symptoms are like those of epilepsy. But Luke, the doctor, says this is a spirit that seizes him and does this. And the man from his own mouth says, and I beg your disciples, Jesus, these nine that were down here. I beg your disciples to cast it out and they could not. Now, that's what the scene is.

Do you see the little boy? He's standing like this, eyes rolled back in his head, beginning to convulse. His dad is very, very upset. And there are people that are pointing at the boy, and there are people who are arguing back and forth, and there are some that are muttering and scratching their heads. They don't know what to do about the situation.

But there's strong feeling going on right here. And Jesus answered and said, oh, sorry. I might have added that little sigh. You unbelieving and perverse generation. How long shall I be with you and put up with you?

Does that sound like Jesus to y'all? He is worn out with them. Actually, I think that what he's worn out about is they're just constantly arguing. They're constantly arguing and the scribes and the disciples are arguing. Now, the disciples have been out on their own by this point.

They were sent out two by two and they saw Jesus heal. And they saw that the demons that they were casting out in Jesus name were being cast out, and they saw people healed. And they saw that the message was going forward. And honestly, the disciples might have getting a little might have been getting a little too big for their britches. And the scribes were like, that's not what it says.

That's not what it says right here. And so they're arguing with him, and Jesus is like, oh, scholars argue still over who he's talking about. Who is he talking about? Is he talking to the disciples or is he talking to the scribes? I think he's talking to everybody.

Come on, people. For crying, how loud? How long do I have to put up with you unbelieving and perverse generation? That calls us back to Numbers and Deuteronomy and Exodus and even Isaiah. Unbelieving and perverse.

How long shall I be with you and show you what it's like to be godly and righteous? And yet, I'm just putting up with you. Bring your son to me. Bring your son here. Bring your son here.

Now while he was still approaching the demon so he said it was a spirit a moment ago. Now he's explicit saying this is a demon. Now while he was still approaching the demon, slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. There is, for those of you who are grammar nerds and word nerds, the slammed him to the ground, it's an ambiguous form. The word is a past tense form of two different words.

And it's either slammed him to the ground or began to tear him to pieces. Isn't that something? Either one of them is a terrible thing. Threw him into a convulsion. Let's let Mark fill in for a moment because I really like this story.

I think it's really helpful. And he asked his father, How long has this been happening to him? Actually, if we look back to Luke, Luke the doctor, when it says, Would you take a look at my son? You know, Would you take a look at him? Doctors at parties, people come up to him and say, Would you take a look at this mole right here?

Can you tell me if that's yeah. Can you take a look at him, just see what's going on? He asked his father, How long has this been happening to him? That sounds very doctoral to me. It's like, Well, tell me how long.

What's the history going on here? And his dad said, From childhood, It's always been this way. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to kill him. But if you can do anything, if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. But Jesus said, if you can.

I I hear a slight laugh there. You brought him to me. You'd heard something. There was something that brought you here. But if you can, if you can, hey, all things are possible for the one who believes.

Think about this for a minute. I'll go back to it. What did he just say in Luke? Oh, perverse generation. Perverse and unbelieving generation.

Jesus said to him, if you can, all things are possible for the one who believes. And immediately, the boy's father cried out and said, I do believe. I do believe. But he's so honest, but help me with my unbelief. You know, I do believe.

I did come because I knew you could. But at the same time, I've seen nine guys try and they were unsuccessful. And it's been a long time this way. I do believe, but help me with my unbelief. That's the most that's a very honest prayer.

Some of y'all have been praying for family members, and you've been praying for things going on for a long, long, long, long time. And you're getting to the point of going, I mean, do believe you, Jesus, but help me with my unbelief. You know, keep on handing it back to him. Cast it to on him. When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, Mark says, he rebuked the unclean spirit saying to it, you mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.

Not only was it healing, it was permanent. Don't come back into him. You are not welcome here. Luke ends it like this, but Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy. Now this is weird for Luke because usually he does separate the two where it's spiritual or it's physical, and in this case, it's both.

So he rebuked the unclean spirit and he healed him and gave him back to his father. And it says, and they were all that's including the disciples, the scribes, the onlookers, the boy, his father, and they were all amazed at the greatness of God. Amen. But while everyone was astonished at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples, this is this is in the flow, right in the same very moment where everybody's amazed and at the glory of God, the greatness of God, absolutely amazed. This is another one of those moments where people might have wanted to throw him up on their shoulders and take him to let him start this process of becoming the king that would kick the Romans out.

It says, while everybody was astonished at all that he was doing, Jesus says to his disciples, hey, as for you all, I know they're going nuts right now. I know everybody's excited. Y'all seen me heal before. But listen to this, all of this pandemonium that's going on and all that y'all saw up on the hill, Peter, James, and John. All of this stuff.

Listen to these words and let them sink into your ears. Now Peter, James, and John had just heard the the very voice of God the father say, this is my beloved son. Listen to him. Listen to him. It's important.

As for you, let these words sink into your ears. That reminds us actually of Isaiah 46, numbers 11. As for you, let these words sink into your ears for the son of man is gonna be handed over to men. This is not what they're expecting. And actually, it says that before that, from that time, this is a couple weeks ago, from that time, Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary.

He must go to Jerusalem, and he must suffer many things from the elders, the chief priests, and scribes. Hey, scribes. Maybe that's why they were arguing with the scribes. Jesus already said he's gonna suffer under them, and then they get griped about something, and they're arguing with him too. He's gonna suffer many things from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day.

That's where Peter says, God forbid it, Lord. And he says, get behind me, Satan. Says it again, actually, when they're coming down from the mountain, after they've seen this great and glorious sight of Christ transfigured and Moses and Elijah, and they talk about building the shelters, when they're coming back down. Peter, James, John, Jesus asking about Elijah. And he says, I say to you, Elijah already came.

They didn't recognize him, but they did to him whatever they wanted. And so also, in this same way, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands. He's already said it a couple of times at least. The Son of Man is going be handed over to men. There's no hint of triumphalism here.

Victory is always in the future, but he's saying there's a lot that's got to happen first. They didn't understand this statement. They didn't get it. And Luke Luke is very gracious. Matthew and Mark don't say this little line right here.

Luke is very gracious to the disciples. He's an interviewer. Right? He was not there, but he's interviewed all of the appropriate people, and he's gotten the word. And he says, it was concealed from them.

God concealed it from them. They wouldn't comprehend this. They couldn't get it. At that point, they couldn't get it. I've told y'all before about my Greek professor.

He's very foundational, and he would have us do translations and he would stand and scratch his chin and say, for what you know now, that's a really good guess. It's wrong. But it makes sense that you would go there. This says, it was concealed from them so that they would not comprehend it. They they couldn't get it at that point.

Gracious it's a gracious line from Luke towards the disciples. But he goes further than that and says, and they were afraid to ask him about it. May I stop right here, pull ourselves out of the first century and into the twenty first and say, don't be afraid to ask God about stuff. Right? There are some horribly horrible, horrific things that have happened in life this week that we need to ask Jesus to direct us on.

Right? Don't be afraid to ask him. Don't be afraid to say, help me with my unbelief, Lord. I do believe, but help me with my unbelief. I don't understand what you just did.

Can you help me understand it? He might just say, trust me. That's basically what he does over and over and over with the disciples while everybody else is pandemonium. He says, hey. Y'all listen to this.

Pay attention. It's gonna get bad, and it won't be long. We're six months out. We're six months out from the cross, and conflict is gonna go crazy. He's still gonna keep on instructing them and correcting them because they keep on so far, they failed to cast out a demon.

They they're failing in a lot of different ways in this passage. Now an argument started. Is that funny to y'all? They're afraid to ask Jesus about something that was confusing to them, and an argument started. Imagine that.

What are they? People. What do people do? They love to argue. Now, argument started.

What do you think the argument was about? Which of them was the greatest? I don't know if you all think about that, but every time it says as to which of them might be the greatest, I think of Muhammad Ali every time I get right there.

I'm the greatest fighter of all time.

An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. Now there are three of them that had a pretty good indication that they were favorites. They had just been up on the river, just been I mean, river, mountain, and had shown been shown the glory, the Shekinah glory flowing through Jesus. An argument started out among them as to which of them might be the greatest. Mark tells us where they were when this happened.

They came to Capernaum and when he was in the house, he began to question them saying, What were you discussing on the way here? What were you all talking about on the road? But they kept silent. They knew better. On the way, they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.

And sitting down, he called the 12 and he said to them, listen, if anybody wants to be first, then he shall be the last of all. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God so that he may exalt you in due time. If anyone wants to be first, he should be the last of all. He should be the servant of all. And he took a child, a little one.

Actually, one of the gospel says, and he lifted him up. So it's a smaller child. And at this time, I mean, I think that the way that we think about children probably is the other ditch. Right? And this time, children had no rights whatsoever.

Men were not supposed to even have anything to do with them at all. It was it was a common proverb at the time that for a man to spend any time with a child under 12 years old was an absolute waste. Ain't that weird? I mean, children are worshiped in the door now. But part of that is because of this, because Jesus said, receive them.

Take them in. I love Awana. I absolutely love Awana, but he took this child and he used the child for visual aid. He received them. That's not the first time we've seen Jesus receive children.

He took a child. He placed him among them. Luke says, Jesus knowing what they were thinking in their hearts, he took a child. He had him stand by his side to begin with and then he said to them, whoever receives this child in my name receives me. Now, this is kind of echoing the Matthew and Mark versions of whatsoever you do to the least of these.

Right? This is somebody that did not matter to society. It mattered to his mama, I'm sure, but he said to them, whoever receives this child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. I'm the way to the father, but honestly, the way to me is that you treat other people the way that you wanna be treated.

You treat other people however you do to the least of these you do to me. Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For the one who is least among you, this is the one who is great. That was a complete reversal for that time period. I I I think it loses a little something in our day.

It's funny because it's a rebuke. The they're arguing about who's the greatest, and Jesus is saying, put yourself last. That's how you get to be the greatest. Humble yourself. And then John, oh, one of those three that got to go up on the mountain, John answered that and said, master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name.

Is that a non sequitur or what? John just tried to change the subject. Jesus is rebuking them and he just says, oh, we saw somebody. This is something good that we did, Jesus. We saw somebody casting out demons in your name, but he's not one of us.

Luke 49 says this, so we tried to prevent him. Actually, the tried to is added in English. It says, we prevented him. We stopped him from doing it. He was casting out demons in your name, and we stopped him.

We don't want any of shenanigans going on because he does not follow along with us. He's not one of us. Man, isn't that persistent in humanity? There's arguing, and then there's arguing and then there's, we're gonna stop him from doing that. Although the the other person was casting out Jesus I mean, demons in Jesus' name.

We tried to prevent him because he doesn't follow along with us but Jesus said to him, good gracious. Y'all don't hinder him. Don't hinder him. Don't stop him. Don't stop him from doing that.

For the one who's not against you is for you. Now I know I know that denominationalism is it's what we have going on in a lot of places, but it's time for it to die. The the division in the body of Christ, it's time for it to die. And I know that there are some folks who are theologically wrong, and I know there are some folks we disagree with theologically. But this Jesus just says, don't hinder them.

Don't even worry about them. He's not you. You worry about yourself. Don't hinder him. The one who's not against you is for you.

Went to a funeral yesterday, actually. That's another one of the things in the full range of human experience. It was Clarine Laws. It was at the Center for the Arts, Pack House. Clarine's been she's owned the Antler since 1962.

Whenever we had somebody here that was in need of a room, that's usually our first call would be there, and she'd help out. You know, she's Mormon. I know. But she was helpful. She was also helpful.

Right? That's good. I know the Catholic church is right over there, and I know. I know. I know.

But don't worry about them. Don't hinder them. For the one who's not against you is for you. Let them deal with Jesus directly and we just keep on doing what he's put before us. Actually, I think that's the last slide of that section and thus ends that first volume of Darrell Bock's commentary.

This actually I mentioned it in the first service. Didn't mention it in here because she was in here a few minutes ago. But Tanya, when I was in seminary, I pick up commentaries when I have to, you know? And I had

a

lot of reading that I had to do all the time. She was in Bible study fellowship, and it was a we're gonna do an intensive study of Luke, starting out as sort of like precept, inductive study, and she said, bring me some of your commentaries. I was like, why? I've got this one and that one. She goes, what's the best one?

And I said, well, Box is pretty good. And she said, bring it home. She read both of these all the way through, front to back, front to back, both of them. And she's smart as a whip. I mean, else I hadn't read them all.

I read a little at a time, you know? But the turn is right here. The section ends and nobody disputes it. Everybody that looks at it says, man, when Jesus sets his face for Jerusalem, there's a change in tone, and it is a resolute just a pounding drum. Right?

But this section right here ends with the repeated failure of the disciples to be able to understand or to do anything well. Can I get a witness? Do you feel that way? Do you feel like I don't get it? I don't understand.

Or when you feel like you

do get it, all of a

sudden God shows you, you got a lot of learning left to do. May we walk with humility, learning from the disciples' mistakes that they are going to argue with people that disagree with them textually. They're gonna argue with people, and they're not gonna be able to perform miraculous deeds every time the way. But but God is still working. God still can and still does.

The section ends with the repeated failure of the disciples be able to understand or do anything well, but with the power of God to heal and to correct and to exhort. And then we hit Luke nine fifty one. When the days drew near, for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. Now that, the set his face, the reason I thought the others were boring and that one is so good is because that set his face calls back an image from the suffering servant passage in Isaiah 50. Now Isaiah 42 is a suffering servant passage, and Israel still thinks that the suffering service passages are about their plight as a nation.

Maybe. There's some something there, maybe. Isaiah is a suffering servant. He carried the word of the Lord and he was castigated in a lot of ways for it. Jesus absolutely fulfills it.

There's no doubt about it. If you read Isaiah 53 and you don't think of the cross, you're missing the point. Isaiah 42, Isaiah 50, Isaiah 53. I think Isaiah 61 is an additional one. There are a few.

The Lord God has given me, capital m, that's Jesus, Messiah. The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned. Do we know of any formal education that Jesus had? At 12, he's teaching the teachers. God has given him the tongue of the learned.

He understood and he taught. He didn't just teach that I should know how to speak a word in season to the one who is weary. Oh, that's good. To him who is is added, him who is. A word in season to the weary.

Think about the Samaritan woman at the well and what life giving words Jesus gave to her. Think about the people that he met along the way. The Canaanite woman fairly recently and her daughter. This man speaking a word in season to the one that is weary. He awakens me morning by morning.

He awakens my ear to hear as learned it. And early in the morning, Jesus often withdrew into the wilderness to pray. He was awakened morning by morning, and his ear was hearing as someone who's paying attention. The Lord God has opened my ear and I was not rebellious nor did I turn away. The suffering servant knows that there is joy set before him, but he recognizes that it is a via dolorosa.

It is a way of suffering. The Lord, God has opened my ear and I was not rebellious nor did I turn away. I gave my back to those who struck me. We're walking resolutely towards Jerusalem, and he will literally be fulfilling this, giving his back to those who struck him and his cheek to those who plucked out the beard. I did not hide my face from shame and spitting.

And this is the reference that I believe Luke is making. For the Lord God will help me. Therefore, I will not be disgraced. Now it is disgraceful to be hung on a cross. It is disgraceful to be beaten publicly.

It is disgraceful to be stripped down naked and bare before. But the Lord God will help me, and ultimately, I will not be disgraced. There is a way of suffering, but on the other side of that, there's joy set before it. Therefore, I have set my face like flint. It is resolute, and I know that I will not be ashamed.

The suffering servant song there goes on through verse 10, even verse 11, but I'm gonna stop right here. Jesus knew, and even in the midst of all the pandemonium where everybody's so excited, he turns to his disciples and says, let this sink in. My way requires suffering. And y'all are supposed to be followers of the way. Jesus absolutely was a suffering servant, but the body of Christ is still represented here.

We need to be listening to him. I think that's the last slide, is it Blake? Thank you. Lord, thank you. We're gonna sing Cleanse Me, I think.

The next song is six fifty seven. It's a beautiful song. I want to sing all four verses, and I think it's a process. If you listen to this and the benediction even today is going to kind of go right along with this. I've got a couple of things that in the first service that came up that the whole range of human experience, I looked back and saw Linda LaRue and Sonny Brad Yates' mom.

And when she came out here, it was five days. Sonny drove five days. She was in the back seat just horribly sick, full of cancer and horribly sick and did not think they would make it. When he arrived in Jackson, he didn't stop at Brad's house or anybody else's house, went straight to the emergency room. And she was in the hospital for eleven days straight and it was bad.

Didn't think that she was gonna pull through all along the way. But in that room, in that suffering, Linda surrendered to Christ, and he took away an an obstruction that was causing all kinds of problems and greeted her into the marvelous kingdom of light. Right? Been praying for this lady's salvation for a while. Her son had and she came here and through incredible suffering, bowed the knee.

And it made a huge effect on the family, on the church. Y'all were praying for her at the time, and they're leaving this week and going back to Dallas. We've got a young man who's been here all summer. I'm going ask him to come up for the benediction and we'll say a prayer blessing over him after the song but would you stand with me and think through each one of these stanzas as you sing them? It starts off with giving over the sin to God and then just knowing that he forgives, praising God, and then asking him to concentrate your life and then trust in his spirit to do something with you that's worthwhile.

Here we go.

Search me, oh God, and know my heart today. Try me, oh savior. Know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me. Way Cleanse me from every sin and my will, my passion, self, and pride.

I now surrender, Lord, in me, above. Holy ghost, revival comes from thee. Send a revival.

Amen. I'm going to invite Jackson and Owen and Reese for Jackson's been here all summer. Owen Reese came out to bring him home. So, their brothers are actually from Georgia. They live about 75 miles from my folks But he's been here all all summer long.

He's a they're sons of a dad who is a pastor. And I just want y'all to be praying for them this week too. Actually, Ricky and Kristen, would y'all come forward too with them? Do you mind? They're getting married tomorrow.

This is a different thing. But we're asking for a blessing on both of them. I'm thankful for the job. It's a it's a it's a high calling. I'm very very thankful.

God, I'm asking a blessing on Jackson and his brothers as they travel home, Lord. I pray for their family, for their mom, and for their dad, and for this journey, Lord, that it would be filled with joy in the journey. But Lord, that they would recognize what's going on. In Jesus' name, Lord, I ask your blessing on them and their family and on the the process going forward. I pray that you'd use them, in a mighty way, filled with all humility, Lord, and allowing your spirit to just transmit through them.

Amen. Also, Lord, pray a blessing on both Ricky and Kristen and on Emma and for their marriage, Lord, that you would bless it and that you would love and keep them, Lord, and you would bind them together with cords that cannot be broken. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. And the closing benediction is this.

Lord, restore to me the joy of your salvation. This is David's prayer. Psalm 51 is after he had sinned, but after he laid it all out, just like y'all just did in that song. Laid it all out and he says, Lord, restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit that will sustain me. In Jesus' name, Lord, I pray that we would walk in that joy.

And we know there's suffering and that's a part of it, but Lord, that we'd walk in that joy that you would sustain us in the midst of our circumstances. Amen. Amen.