Week 2 – Widows May, Widows Might (SECTION 200‪)‬ Harmony Christian Church

Your heart is more important than you could ever imagine.  We can so easily give our hearts over to things that are the wrong things, this week, Kent encourages you to give your heart over to Jesus. Jump in with us in Sections 200 of the Gospel Harmonies @ https://www.harmonychurch.cc/tracking-jesus-timeline/. IT'S EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316  to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ).



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OPENING ILLUSTRATION:



Years ago I had started working out and honestly was just trying to build up muscles.  I was a young buck and wanted to be strong.  I’m not sure it worked, lol.  I was overweight and was really hoping working out would help me.  I struck up this conversation with this guy while we were sitting there.  When you are overweight, there are always people in a gym who want to help you, and this guy was one of those guys.  He asked me what I was doing and so I proceeded to tell him what my workouts were.  He asked me if I was doing any cardio and I told him I did a little bit and he said something that has stuck with me for probably 20 years or more at this point.  He said, 



“You know, I’ve never heard of someone dying from having too small of a bicep, but I’ve heard of lots of people dying from having a weak heart…”



I don’t know who the guy was, all I know is he was a lawyer…



But that statement has stuck with me…



I was thinking lately about this statement again and how it’s not just true physically, but spiritually it’s true as well..



I know lots of people who morally look good on the outside, but their hearts are weak and corrupt.



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Today, I want us to take a look at our hearts and evaluate if we’ve bitten off on ideas the world says matter more than the ideas Jesus says matter.



Turn your bibles to Luke 20 (SECTION 200)



THE SETUP



Let me set up where we are entering into Jesus’ life as we track Him..



-He is in the last week of His life.



-This is the whole enchilada, the whole game



-He has been confronting leaders and teachers all week



-He’s being tested by them



-Word has spread that He has raised Lazarus from the dead



-Some people are believing in Him, others are not - but many are threatened by Him…  



Jesus has swept over the people of Israel like Pokemon over a 3rd-grade class…



I want to read this passage to you in a second, but I want to show you how it’s tied to the passage that follows - but we almost always miss it because of how the chapter breaks from the guy who put the chapters in…  But originally there would have been no break.



Lk 20:45-47



45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”



ILLUSTRATION:



There is this guy that I see clips of on Facebook all the time, he’s the whispering arm wrestler.  He cracks me up because he will be wrestling someone and they will be going with all their might against him.  He’ll just quietly whisper to them what they need to do to try and beat him, “bring your left shoulder forward…”  “lean with your body…” and th