FROM PASTOR TIM:
Thank you all for your patience and understanding as we changed gears very quickly on Sunday due to the pending glorious arrival of Eliott John Shedd. Praise the Lord, mother and baby are doing really well! And so is dad.
At some point, Kevin will preach the end of 2 Timothy in our Pastoral Letters Series, but until then, I’ll be preaching on some “one-off” messages that are not part of a particular series. Each Sunday will be a surprise…like this past Sunday!
Speaking of which, Sunday’s message from Luke 20 concentrated on seeing Jesus on display. Our Savior knew how to handle those who sought really hard to trip Him up and make life hard. In retrospect, one of the best features of those several exchanges was what Jesus did not do.
Jesus knew that He was going to be arrested, and He knew that He was going to suffer for the sins of the world in accordance with Isaiah 53. He just did not allow it to happen at that particular time. And until the time of His cosmic sacrifice, He used those tense exchanges to teach us, His disciples and the Jewish Scribes about the reality of His divine sovereignty.
Jesus wants us all to come to know Him as Lord, but He never forces that on us. He did not force it on the scribes, His disciples or anyone. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal that truth to us. Only the Holy Spirit can remove the scales of our spiritual eyes so that we can see the truth.
Fewer and fewer people are willing to accept that Jesus is Lord. And fewer and fewer people sense they have a sin problem. And fewer and fewer people are coming to genuinely know Jesus as Lord, Savior, Mediator and Conquering Hero.
It is a narrow gate that leads to heaven (see Matthew 7:13-14). Believing, knowing and accepting that Jesus is Lord is the key to opening that gate.
Loving Jesus more and more with you each day…
Rescued by Christ,
Pastor Tim