Sunday Morning Podcast | The Moody Church The Moody Church

Listening to God.
Barriers to hearing from God.
Be transformed by the Word.

 

Takeaway: Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to become angry.

In the Book of Acts—which is the second part of Dr. Luke’s two-volume set of historical works—we find Jesus’ core disciples, the Apostles, turning the world upside down. They’re boldly preaching and going to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus!

 

But that’s not where they began. Before Jesus showed up, the twelve disciples were just ordinary people. But what we’re seeing, in these Gospel accounts, is Jesus training up His twelve disciples.

 

And we too have been sent out by Jesus to change our world! But every mission requires training. Today, we get to listen in on Jesus’ Masterclass as He prepares His disciples for their mission. There’s so much we can learn from The Training of the Twelve.

 

This is Jesus’ Masterclass where he gives three crucial lessons:

A Lesson in Dependency
A Lesson in Vulnerability
A Lesson in Inadequacy

 

1. A Lesson in Dependency

When you step out into the unknown, I will take care of you.
When we live on mission, Christ is our provision.

2. A Lesson in Vulnerability

When you face the fires of hostility, I will be there with you.
When we live on mission, we are never alone.

3. A Lesson in Inadequacy

When you come to the end of yourself, I will be more than enough for you.
When we live on mission, Jesus is always enough.

 

We may not be Apostles, but we are all of us sent out by Jesus.

 

Mathew 28:18-20 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

 

There’s no greater adventure in life than to be on mission with Jesus. And so, brothers and sisters, remember, you are loved, more than you know - now let’s...

 

Takeaway: “Go and Be the Church!”

Have you ever noticed that the heroes we most admire—in the books we read and in the films we watch—always combine the paradoxical traits of grit and grace?

 

And the paradox of those traits is important. It’s easy to be strong and grow hard and calloused. It’s easy to be sensitive and grow soft and battered. In other words, choosing one side of the paradox is the usual course of things. But to put both sides of the paradox together, therein lies true heroism.

 

In chapter eight of the Gospel of Luke, we find Jesus embodying this kind of paradoxical heroism. Not only is He mighty and strong, but He is also tender and compassionate, full of mercy and care.

 

Let's walk slowly through these three stories, each of them in the care of Jesus.

A Distraught Father
A Desperate Woman
A Devastated Child

 

1. A Distraught Father (Luke 8:40–42)

Jesus hears our heart’s cry.
Our Triune God is quick to respond to our heart’s cries with deep compassion.
Won’t you bring your heart’s cry to Jesus?

 

2. A Desperate Woman (Luke 8:42–48)

Jesus knows our deep pain.
Just as Jairus is concerned with his daughter, Jesus always has time for his daughters.
Won’t you bring your deep pain to Jesus?

 

3. A Devastated Child (Luke 8:48–56)

Jesus wipes away our tears.
As Jesus healed the women and raised this young girl, we’re getting a sneak preview of what Jesus will do for all who believe in Him when He returns and makes the world new again.
Won’t you bring your tears to Jesus?

 

Takeaway: Jesus is making everything sad come untrue.

Jesus is the Hero we yearn for.
He heals a precious daughter of a secret wound that is draining away her life and tenderly lifts a little girl from the clutches of death.
He’s the Hero all our other heroes are pointing to.

 

You know that moment in a superhero movie where all of a sudden the hero’s true identity is revealed, usually to a close friend? As an audience member, in that moment it’s like you’re in on the secret.

 

In the Gospel of Luke, we’ve seen Jesus revealing bits and pieces of who He is. Everyone’s asking, “Who is this Jesus?” But today marks a pivotal moment in the story because the hero’s true identity begins to be unveiled.

 

Jesus is with His closest friends and decides to let them in on the secret of His cosmic power. Jesus is lifting the veil, revealing His true identity, and we get to be part of the inner circle.

 

1. The Uncontrollable Storm

Jesus is the Commander of nature
At His Word, the wind and waves respond.

 

2. The Unassailable Captive

Jesus is the Commander of the supernatural.
Satan and his demons submit to Jesus.

 

3. The Untamable Lord

Jesus is the Commander of all.
Jesus is doing the work of God himself.

 

Takeaway: Jesus commands our attention

 

This is more than a mere man, a prophet, or even the Messiah. Jesus is the Commander of all. He’s not safe, but He’s good. He’s the King.

It's human nature to not hear as well as we think we do. Even though our ears are open, we’re not very good at listening.

 

In our marriages, parenting, friendships, or with colleagues; If we could just learn to listen well, it would transform our relationships. If that’s true when it comes to our human relationships, just imagine how true it must be when it comes to our relationship with God!

 

In this passage, Jesus is going to teach us how to listen to the Word of God using parables. He’s showing us that the Word of God is like:

A Seed in the Soil
A Light in the House
A Bond in the Family

 

1. A Seed in the Soil

God is the sower, His Word is the seed that brings life, and our hearts are the soil.

Hold fast to the Word.

 

2. A Light in the House

God’s Word is like a lamp that shines upon our lives, exposing everything.

Open up to the Light.

 

3. A Bond in the Family

When we choose to listen to the Word of God, we show ourselves to be children of God and members of His family.

Be part of the Family.

 

Takeaway: Take care then how you hear.

God’s Word is like a Seed in the Soil: What kind of soil are you?
God’s Word is like a Light in the House: How are you responding to the light?
God’s Word is like a Bond in the Family: Whose family do you belong to?

 

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

When three people from totally different worlds collide together in one space, you never know what’s going to happen!

 

Well, something like that is happening at the end of Luke 7. A Pharisee, Jesus, and a Sinner all end up at the same dinner. Who knows what’s going to happen? Whatever it is, it’s going to be crazy.

 

Throughout this passage, let's look at each of the main characters in turn...

The Sinner
The Pharisee
The Forgiver

And together we’ll discover The Grace Awakening.

 

 

1.The Sinner

When Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus over to his home, a sinful woman walked in, fell at Jesus’ feet, and washed them in perfume ointment and her tears.

 

God eagerly welcomes every repentant sinner. No one is beyond the forgiveness of God!

 

 

2. The Pharisee

For Simon, it was a risk to his religious moralism to invite Jesus over for dinner because of his reputation of eating with sinners and tax collectors.

 

God is never impressed by our religious moralism. There is no one righteous, no not one.

 

 

3. The Forgiver

The most shocking part of the story is when Jesus forgives the sinful women when they all know only God can forgive sins!

 

God saves sinners by grace through faith in Jesus. Jesus is the only hope for sinners like us.

 

 

Takeaway: We are far more sinful than we ever dared realize, and yet in Christ, we are far more loved than we ever dared hope.