Luke 10:1-42 ASV, Luke 11:1-54 ASV and Luke 12:1-59 ASV

10:1-37
Christ’s message - ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’(9) - calls for our response - hearing with faith or rejecting in unbelief (16). Where does this response of faith come from? - From God: He reveals Himself to us (21). Questions: Why do we ask them? - ‘to put Jesus to the test’(25), ‘to justify ourselves’(29)? You cannot come to Christ until you stop trying to justify yourself - Are you trying to test Him or learning to trust Him? (a) What shall I do to inherit eternal life?' (25): The law cannot save. It can only show us our need of the One who does save - Jesus (Romans 8:3-4). (b) ‘Who is my neighbour?’ (29): ‘Passing by on the other side’(31-32) - This is not love. It’s nothing like the love of God for ‘sinners’(Romans 5:8). Jesus loves you. Let Him save you. Let His love change you.

10:38-11:28
Mary was ‘listening to the Lord’(39). Martha was ‘distracted’(40). ‘One thing is needful’(42): Don’t let anything distract you from this - Getting alone with God. More than anything else, Jesus wants to ‘teach us to pray’(1). The greatest gift that God gives - in answer to prayer - is the Holy Spirit (13). We are to ‘pray at all times in the Spirit’, relying completely on the Spirit to teach us to pray (Ephesians 6:18). Pray that you will be ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’(Acts 4:31). As you pray, let the Spirit be your Helper (Romans 8:26). ‘Some’ are so critical: Negative thinkers, they ‘point the finger’ at everything (15). ‘Others’ are never satisfied: They’ve made complaining a way of life (16). Let’s rise above all this: ‘Blessed... are those who hear the Word of God and keep it!’(28).

11:29-54
Christ is ‘greater than Jonah’(32). Jonah was preserved alive (Jonah 1:17-2:10). Christ ‘died... was buried’ and ‘was raised’(1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Through His resurrection, He has been ‘declared with power to be the Son of God’(Romans 1:4). We are not to be secret disciples (33): ‘Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord’(Romans 10:9). Guard against ‘the lust of the eyes’(34; 1 John 2:16; Genesis 3:6; 13:10-11; 19:26; Joshua 7:20-21; 2 Samuel 11:2-5). The Pharisees were ‘fools’(40). Clean on the outside but not in their hearts, they ‘loved the best seat in the synagogues’ but they were spiritually dead - ‘like graves’(39,43-44). Their true nature is seen in their reaction to Christ (53-54): Don’t be a ‘fool’! Don’t be a ‘Pharisee’!

12:1-34
‘Do not fear...’(4): ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’(Romans 8:31). Acknowledge Christ or deny Him (8-9): Let your choice be clear - ‘Christ means everything to me’(Philippians 1:21). Do you want to confess Christ? - Here’s a great promise for you: ‘the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say’(12). In our generation, there is a ‘gold rush’. Many are preoccupied with ‘having a lot of material possessions’(15). What does God say about this? - ‘Fool!’(20). We hear it said, ‘He’s too heavenly-minded to be any earthly good’. You can be ‘too earthly-minded to be any heavenly good’! It is better to be ‘spiritually minded’ than ‘carnally minded’(Romans 8:6). ‘Seek His Kingdom... it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom’(31-32).

12:35-59
‘Be ready’ for Christ’s Return(40): Wait on the Lord (36; Isaiah 40:31). Stay ‘awake’(37), ‘your loins girded with truth’(35; Ephesians 6:14) - be real; be true to the Word of God. Keep ‘your lamps burning’(35). Our ‘lamp’ is Christ, ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’(Revelation 21:23; John 1:29). Be faithful(41-48): There can be no fruitfulness without faithfulness. God’s blessing is given to those who are faithful (42-43). With the promise of blessing, there is also the warning of judgment. Knowing the will of God and not doing it leads to judgment (47). Going Christ's way will not be easy(49-53): We must avoid the way of the ‘hypocrites’ who have no real knowledge of God (54-56), the legalists who know nothing of the Spirit of grace (57-59). Keep close to Christ: He will keep you - faithful and ready.