Luke 17:20-37
Our life is made up of past, present and future. We have come from the past - the things that have happened to us. we are moving towards the future - the things that are still to happen to us. We live in the present - the things that are happening to us here-and-now.
(1) We are to learn from the past.
(2) We are to look toward the future.
(3) We are to live in the present.
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(1) Learning from the past
Jesus says to us, "Remember" (Luke 17:32). We are to "remember Lot's wife." We are to learn from the past. This means more than remembering the past of our own life. It also means learning from the past that takes us right back to the book of Genesis. That's where the story of Lot's wife comes from. Learning from the past, we go back beyond Lot's wife. we go back to the first words of the Bible - "In the beginning, God." Before the world was created, there was God the Creator. He is the God who loves us with an everlasting love. we remember the God of love. We also remember Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. we remember that he died for our sins. We remember that He rose again from the dead. When we remember Jesus Christ, we must think of all that He has done for us. We are to remember Him with a deep appreciation of His love. As we look back, remembering what the lord has done for us, let's lift up our hearts and voices, with praise and thanksgiving, to God.
(2) Looking toward the future
Jesus says to us, "The days are coming" (Luke 17:22). He says to us, "I will come again" (John 14:3). we do not only look ahead to the days that lie ahead for ourselves. We look forward to the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is coming - This is our great hope for the future. we must never lose sight of this glorious future. We must never lose sight of Jesus. He is our great and glorious Saviour. we must look forward, with great expectation, to the Lord's return. we must look forward, with great anticipation, to the coming of God's heavenly and eternal Kingdom.
(3) Living in the present
Our life is always more than a backward look to the past and a forward look to the future. We learn from the past, but we don't live in the past. We must live in the present. We look forward to the future, but we don't escape into daydreaming about the future. We must live in the present. Jesus says to us, "The Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). He emphasizes the importance of the Spirit of God living in our hearts. the presence of God is not simply something to be remembered from 'the good old days.' The presence of God is not merely something to which we look forward, as we think about 'the golden age' that lies ahead of us. The presence of God is to be enjoyed here-and -now.
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Jesus' disciples said to Him, "Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). This is what we must pray for - an increase of our faith. An increase of our faith will involve an increase of our appreciation of all that God has done for us in the past and an increase of our expectation of all that God is going to do for us in the future. "Increase our faith" - Let's pray for a living faith. Let's pray for a real faith. Let's pray for a faith that makes a difference - today.
(1) We are to learn from the past.
(2) We are to look toward the future.
(3) We are to live in the present.
-----
(1) Learning from the past
Jesus says to us, "Remember" (Luke 17:32). We are to "remember Lot's wife." We are to learn from the past. This means more than remembering the past of our own life. It also means learning from the past that takes us right back to the book of Genesis. That's where the story of Lot's wife comes from. Learning from the past, we go back beyond Lot's wife. we go back to the first words of the Bible - "In the beginning, God." Before the world was created, there was God the Creator. He is the God who loves us with an everlasting love. we remember the God of love. We also remember Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. we remember that he died for our sins. We remember that He rose again from the dead. When we remember Jesus Christ, we must think of all that He has done for us. We are to remember Him with a deep appreciation of His love. As we look back, remembering what the lord has done for us, let's lift up our hearts and voices, with praise and thanksgiving, to God.
(2) Looking toward the future
Jesus says to us, "The days are coming" (Luke 17:22). He says to us, "I will come again" (John 14:3). we do not only look ahead to the days that lie ahead for ourselves. We look forward to the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is coming - This is our great hope for the future. we must never lose sight of this glorious future. We must never lose sight of Jesus. He is our great and glorious Saviour. we must look forward, with great expectation, to the Lord's return. we must look forward, with great anticipation, to the coming of God's heavenly and eternal Kingdom.
(3) Living in the present
Our life is always more than a backward look to the past and a forward look to the future. We learn from the past, but we don't live in the past. We must live in the present. We look forward to the future, but we don't escape into daydreaming about the future. We must live in the present. Jesus says to us, "The Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). He emphasizes the importance of the Spirit of God living in our hearts. the presence of God is not simply something to be remembered from 'the good old days.' The presence of God is not merely something to which we look forward, as we think about 'the golden age' that lies ahead of us. The presence of God is to be enjoyed here-and -now.
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Jesus' disciples said to Him, "Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). This is what we must pray for - an increase of our faith. An increase of our faith will involve an increase of our appreciation of all that God has done for us in the past and an increase of our expectation of all that God is going to do for us in the future. "Increase our faith" - Let's pray for a living faith. Let's pray for a real faith. Let's pray for a faith that makes a difference - today.
