The Tree Church

The 72 return from their journey with stories of success and miraculous happenings. They seem almost shocked at all that God had done through them, and they are excited. Jesus confirms their excitement by rejoicing with them and yet Jesus takes the moment to remind them of something even greater than their success in ministry. That they have eternal life with Christ. Just like all good things God created, success isn’t bad...no…success is good, pleasure is good, happiness is good…but a deep, life giving, day in and day out, personal relationship with the Creator and Savior is better. This relationship is the only thing that will always last, weather any circumstance, and live up to what it promises (our eternal, joyful life).

God wants to speak through us to others to encourage them. Sometimes God speaks prophetically through you to encourage someone or He will speak through someone else to encourage you. Either way, it's all a gift of the Holy Spirit

Jesus calls each of us…not just the “professionals” (ie. pastors, missionaries, apostles) to advance the kingdom of God. And we each have been uniquely designed and uniquely placed where we are (in our jobs, families, hobby, clubs) to bring the gospel to our center of influence in order to advance the kingdom of God.

The calling on our lives to follow Christ is a calling that if we are true to, will cause our lives to look radically different than the culture we find so prevalent in today's world. Even in light of the current debate over homosexuality, the love of God compels us to reach out in truth AND love to the world around us. Those two principals don’t compete with each other but actually go hand in hand as we show the world that God has a better plan that will lead all of us into a more full life.

God gives us the tools we need to accomplish the impossible task of living for Him and making disciples of the world. This only happends through the power of the Holy Spirit as God uses His gifts to help us in supernatural ways.

The Holy Spirit works ON us so that He can also work THROUGH us. He convicts, challenges, empowers, etc. our lives so that we can be a blessing to others. Our natural bent is sin. In Galatians our spirits are described in dramatically sinful ways. The Holy Spirit wants to change that.

In the same way that when you are saved, you receive the full benefits of salvation through obedience, the baptism in the Holy Spirit also works. Once you receive Him by faith, you need to walk in obedience to experience the full benefits and power of the Holy Spirit.

God giving us His presence/Spirit was His plan all along because He is the only one who can accomplish true life in us and through us.I am talking about how giving us His presence/Spirit was His plan all along because He is the only one who can accomplish true life in us and through us.

Luke lays out all of the ways that Jesus is great: heals the sick, raises the dead, controls the weather, authority over spiritual forces, does miracles like feeding the thousands, and transfigures in front of His disciples. The differences between the realities of His greatness and submission are laid in stark contrast to the response of His disciples as they argue who is greatest amongst themselves. Their argument shows their foolishness. In comparison to Jesus, their behavior was shockingly inappropriate. What is shockingly inappropriate in our lives in comparison to Jesus?

The crowds were amazed at Jesus and were in awe of His power. They marveled at the sick healed and the demon drove out. They were astounded at His authority and His words. The temptation for Jesus was to buy into and set up an actual throne. The disciples and the crowd would have helped Him do it. They were primed and ready. But Jesus never wavered in keeping His eye on what really mattered…the Father. Jesus knew that His real power was in His connection and obedience to the Father. Jesus reminds the disciples and He reminds us that success for those that would follow Him, is always found in the ability to trust and follow the Father, whether it leads to popularity or death.

God uses the experiences of our lives to prepare us for the future. Every experience God takes us through has a present day purpose but also a future purpose. Our response to our experiences is either to worship God or to create an idol out of it. The way that we use it for worship is we submit it back to God and are willing to sacrifice all that He has given us. The way we make it an idol is for it to become our focus and we try to protect it so that we won't lose it.

Jesus clearly explains that the only way to follow Him is to deny yourself, die to yourself and then follow. He goes on to explain that if you don't follow this pattern, you are not really following Him or experiencing life. This world offers an illusion of life. Jesus offers the real thing. We must be willing to surrender our lives in order to experience the realness of His life. It's not what we HAVE to do in order to be saved...It's what we GET to do because we are saved.

Jesus asks His disciples who the crowd thinks that He is. Jesus then asks Peter, "Who do you say that I am?"  This question is being posed to men who left everything, made financial sacrifices, and risked their lives to follow.  Isn't it obvious who they think He is? Jesus wanted them to declare the fullness of who He is. When Peter says, YOU ARE THE CHRIST!  This statement goes beyond the crowd's perspective all the way to the fullness of who He is.  What Peter was saying is, "You are the one we have been waiting for since the moment of the fall.  You are our hope...our Savior...our way back to God." Is Jesus the Christ in your life? Is He your hope?  Your provider and sustainer?  Is He your Lord? Or is He just a moral teacher?  Just an influence? How you respond will determine if He is wisdom and power or foolishness and a stumbling block.

Often our steps of faith feel bigger than us and are hard because God doesn't always ask us to take steps when things are ideal (ie...we have enough money, we have enough rest, we have enough time) or easy, but rather God asks us to take steps of faith in the midst of our busy, stress filled lives. And yet this passage gives us some keys to working through whatever barriers we feel are keeping us from not taking those steps of faith. God always provides as you take steps of faith and depend more and more on Him.

Jesus asked the disciples to do something unique and seemingly illogical. He told them to go on a trip and don't do any of the things you would normally do to prepare for it. Jesus was preparing them to take a step of faith. He wanted them to go alone, trusting God would supernaturally provide for all of their needs. The reason Jesus wanted them to do this is He knew later on He would be leaving and they would physically be on their own and would once again have to trust God to provide for all of their needs in a supernatural way. Jesus was giving them bigger steps of faith so that later, they would be willing to take more steps of faith.