Divine Grit and Grace

This is another point that I don't really want to spend time tracking, but it does occur to me that there are so filled with hatred or blind of the lame intersect and that Jesus therefore why does it look back at verse 53 because his face was sent to Jerusalem. Stephen told the village leaders really need reservations for one night were on our way to Jerusalem without the villagers basically said why keep off our property Jesus might be a prophet in his 12 followers. We see men dedicated to their Lord but constantly falling short. They often miss the big picture and struggled to grasp the magnitude of the moment they were living what's encouraging about this is that we also fall short in miss the mark. Let's continue to strive after Jesus and follow his example. Stephen will teach about this from Luke nine in today's message we see an example of divine grit and divine grace. If you are somehow you had only eight months to live. And you guarantee that you be healthy. Up until the moment of your gas, what would you do with those remaining months of your life for many years ago when I was around 40 years of age, I decided to put the prayer Moses into a tangible form so that I could see it and so I got a vase.

I have it with me here you been around a while you seen this space to put marbles in there. Each marble represents a month that I have left if I live to the age of 77. There are many in their I remember when I was 40, there were a lot more than there are. There are now 164 next month. Don't send cards just chocolate that's all you need to know. I counted my face and this week just to make sure it residing if I live to be the age of 77. I should have 156 marbles in their hundred 56 months left so I counted him and I counted 144, 12 short, year there's a year missing in their site counted again to make sure and came up with the same figure either. I can tell, or somebody stealing my marbles.

One things for sure I am literally losing my marbles faster than I wanted to put a camera.

I think in my study to see who's doing.

Maybe God knows, maybe I won't make it to 77 will be eight years maybe all of the 76 he knows actually, I've been thinking of changing the formula.

You know, my mother lived 88 put a lot of marbles and that you're my dad's 92 that would almost take me back to when I first started this I decided that I believe it and each month I take a marble out and toss it and if I empty that base decided that what I want to do each month is put a marble in that of the extra time that I have the this is in the morbid exercise affect. I recommend you get your own pace.

According to the Bible leads to heart of wisdom.

Back to my question. What you do if you only had eight marbles left and you knew it eight months to go. What did you do with your life what might change what might you focus, that's exactly what Jesus knows about his own earthly life. He is eight months to live before his death, and with eight months to go, we reach a transition in his life. So turn with me to to Luke chapter 9 because this next verse marks the transition that you might do it.

I have done in and mark a line draw line between verse 50 and verse 51 of Luke's gospel chapter 9 that marks a transition in his ministry. Luke chapter 9 and verse 51 reads this, when the days grew near for him to be taken up. He set his face to go to Jerusalem. He said his face. One commentator writes the he called this steel Lee resolve. You could call it divine grit. I like that even though Jesus is going to return briefly to Galilee. From this point on, will no longer serve as his home base for ministry operations.

At this moment he sets his sights on Jerusalem always been there several times before but this time it's different. He's thinking about it differently. Peace focusing on it differently, with steely resolve. Jesus is actually going to begin his final tour of ministry. In his final visit before his death to Jerusalem and the cross that borrowed to know the next few verses the Lord is going to demonstrate what what I'd like to call to characteristics that are to be demonstrated by every believer who thinks about the brevity of their life and how short the time might be so that none of its waste your 17 or 76, first characteristic, a demonstration of divine grit verse 51 again when the days drew near, for him to be taken. He set his face to go to Jerusalem when the days drew near, you could be you could translate that literally when the days were being fulfilled like that. In other words, this is all according to plan. This is the fulfillment of his life purpose. Jesus is not wondering at this point what's going to happen. He he he wasn't going to Jerusalem. He knew by accident. He is going to Jerusalem by appointment. That's why is he rides on that mule, the text will tell us he's not laughing and smiling is weeping, he knows that this national reception will soon turn into national rejection and he weeps for the nation that will reject them they need to understand that in his mind it isn't all suffering and agony. In fact, Luke makes a point here to include everything that will happen Jerusalem.

Notice again verse 51, when the days drew near, that that's plural. There are multiple events that looks referring to here that Are Going Take Pl. in Jerusalem over the course of days, not just the crucifixion. In fact, not just the resurrection, because Luke says here that when the days drew near, for him to be taken.

That isn't necessarily just be raised up on the cross which you might immediately assume same verb to be taken is actually used by Luke and by the apostle Paul to refer to the ascension of Jesus Christ back into the glory of heaven. So all of these events are in the process of being fulfilled all with him in victory being taken back into the glory of his father to Jesus is setting his face. It's like he's made a fresh resolution. He's entirely human, as well as entirely divine, despite a fresh fresh resolution. He's not to be distracted is not to be diverted is surely not going to die that this phrase here for Jesus setting his face. It is is a is a fulfillment even that expression of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah writes with incredible precision chapter 50 in verse six listener that I gave my back to those who strike in my cheeks to those who pull out the beer I hit not my face from disgrace and spitting. Therefore, get this, I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He vindicates me is near. See, this is just the crucifixion. This is a vindication vindication is right around the corner and is not to be long before the plan of salvation is completed.

People already got understand is my EE knows fully well that there's a Stinger he's planning on removing from death and the there is a serpent. He plans on crushing when he gets to Jerusalem, so this isn't all doom and gloom.

The writer of Hebrews says it is the joy set before him. He has a joyful spirit about him as he heads into these final days, though agonizing, and he will express.

He knows this is ultimately vindication to Jesus he sets his jaw tightens his lips. He fixes his gaze now more than ever on Jerusalem is a wonderful transition here in a demonstration of divine Britain makes me think about the fact that I need more of this in my life. How about you you consider the brevity of life that it ought to create a new the sense of correct that's not you know, there may be trouble ahead. But let's stay the course spikes walking the path that we ought to be walking maybe sorrow or suffering ahead. Let's stay on track and maybe as a church ridicule and persecution I had. Let's let's stick to the plan is not being distracted.

Go to the nations of the world and make disciples.

Ultimately, the plan of God will be vindicated. Jesus here not only demonstrates divine grit, but he provides what I'll call. Secondly, a demonstration of divine grace. Verse 52.

The Bible says that he sent messengers ahead of them went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for him, but the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem now in this day most Jewish people would avoid traveling through Samaritan area they would certainly have no interest in spending a night in a Samaritan village. Jesus put the clues together is traveling here with his 12 along with a much larger group of disciples effect in the next chapter is going to commission 70 of them to go and preach as a large group and Jesus rather kindly sends an advance team.

I had to alert this large bill to alert this little village in a large group is heading our way. Make sure the restaurant seven of food and in the frames and holiday or whatever. So when they arrived they can accommodate but are turned away. Then the villagers put out signs that say no trespass, keep off the grass. Stay away. Frankly, we do understand that this rejection isn't all that surprising. There's been centuries of mutual hatred between the Jews, Samaritan. It all began when Jewish people who remained in the land. Following the Assyrian conquest intermarried with the Syrians that had been posted there their children would be considered by the Jewish nation half breeds racial half breeds.

They would: viewed them as religious apostates, which for the most part they were Samaritans rejected Judaism. They created a certain syncretistic religion they chose something some Judaism Lake chose things from Syrian paganism.

Samaritans wrote their own version of the Pentateuch, they even built a rival temple on the kerosene. All this before the birth of Christ, so that none of them would have to go to Jerusalem and worship God.

Their worship their own God that they'd sorta created on their own from their own temple about 130 years before the birth of Christ.

Jewish soldiers went over and destroyed their temple on Mount Garrison ought to say it for hundreds of years. This hatred has poisoned the relations between the Jews and the Samaritan Jewish rabbis would pray every week in the synagogue that God would not allow Samaritans into eternal life. Zephyr prayer requests Samaritan was not allowed to give testimony of the Jewish Ct., Samaritans were just as likely to attack Jewish travelers.

This hatred was deep as far as the Jews and the Samaritans were concerned life was short and had a lot to hate about each other so that a few marbles left they just throw them at each other. Now these Samaritans here in Luke chapter 9 are no doubt very aware Jesus's miracle working ministry.

This point is is famous they they know they they could correctly assume that if Jesus spent the night in their village probably healed the sick decide to blind raise the land of their feet. This is another point that I don't really want to track and spent time tracking, but it does occur to me that there are so filled with hatred that they'd rather keep their blind underlayment are safe and that Jesus therefore why why were told Luke says it would back in verse 53 because his face was set toward Jerusalem.

See that advance team and told the village leaders really need reservations for one night on her way to Jerusalem and without the villagers basically said why keep off our property Jesus might be a prophet buddies that are kind of prophet. The EEC were not interested in anybody who's interested in Jerusalem.

Now verse 54 when his disciples James and John saw some scholars believe they were actually the advanced party. They said more do you want us to tell fire come down from heaven and consume them. What do you want us to burn this place to the ground. How's that for an evangelistic strategy to be effective before.

I remember one of my sons authority years ago and is run five is playing in the playground song talking to a kid that we got in the car you so excited. Tell me the kid asked Jesus into his heart is as well that didn't take long at all to tell. So I told would you like to one day fly in heaven or burn in hell. He said what I want to fly.

So we pray to God save right then and there is about as deep as it gets with James and John. There you Samaritans you know you reject Jesus. You only need to wait for the fire Rachel bring it now, let's burn it. Let's toast them all. Keep in mind. Jesus is already told his disciples. The village rejects the gospel there to shake the dust off her sandals to ceremonial warning. Knowing what your dust going into his cruiser headed for trouble.

James and John are not interested in shaking the dust off her sandals there interested in turning this village in the dust – the authorized version and later manuscript evidence which includes the words enough evidence to me to include it reads this, Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah and the Lord turned and rebuked them, and said you do not know what manner of spirit you with the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them without they went on to another village site you can't fault the disciples further zeal, but it was seal without knowledge.

This is what you could call grit without grace. Jesus has told us as a church to be a candle set on a hill candle providing the light to our world. There's a big difference between a candle and a blowtorch possible to have zeal for Christ to be unkind to yell louder get a bigger bullhorn to show them to tell the truth teller without love or love without telling these disciples have some important things to learn over these next eight months.

See they haven't yet heard Jesus tell the story of the good Samaritan who becomes your neighbor, your fellow neighbor. They have yet to see that Samaritan leper the only one who came back to thank the Lord kneel and become their fellow worship. They have yet to see by the way, the power of the gospel is Luke will inform us later on how the gospel and the fruit of gospel preaching takes place throughout the text says the villagers of Samaria. But for now, there are also truck you are having trouble connecting the dots.

Jesus began his ministry back in Nazareth and he was rejected by his own people in the village now begins his final journey to Jerusalem and is rejected by the Samaritans.

He's ultimately going to arrive in Jerusalem if he's going to be rejected by his nation rejection is par for the course disciples to this day have to learn how to engage with a culture that effectively says stay off our property that is stay out of our lives, especially a world that is drawing as angry as what we believe these Samaritans and Jews were with each other affect our missions conference this coming weekend. As you focus on peace with the world.

It's the peace of God, the world knows nothing of how the demonstrated how you live and how do you offer well one step would be to register and show up.

Learn how you look for Christ in a world that's growing more hostile to your understanding what the Bible teaches where dissent is becoming criminalized where the writer is ramping up. I agree with Ervin, Luther's recent book the church in Babylon, where he writes this we need to no longer pretend we are a country with the moral majority that abortion, same-sex marriage, sex slavery, transgender is explicit sex education in public schools are exceptions, rather than cultural norm. The truth is, he writes our world now looks at us with neither appreciation nor respect the threats against Christians who dissent from politically correct dogma or becoming tangible.

In reality, sounds a lot like the early church to me, and its culture, and the church around the world as long as I've been alive.

Listen to what Paul describes what they were experiencing. He writes to the Corinthians that he says this up to this present our we are both hungry and thirsty and poorly closed and roughly treated and homeless, and we labor working with our hands when we are verbally abused. We bless when we are persecuted, we endure it. When we are slandered we reply as friend we become as the scum of the earth. Can you imagine that. Is that right it is it is it fair, maybe we should start calling down fire. I wonder how many Christians would if they could. That's not the spirit of Jesus instructs his disciple to the disciples aren't even fully aware of the fact that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to die for Samaritan. They want the enemy.

They were the mission field so let's be reminded here as he teaches them and teaches us. Let's not get sidetracked by the world's rejection does not respond to the world. In like manner as not forget the world is our mission field, and let's remember that were to demonstrate to our world and ultimately for the glory of Christ will be vindicated to model the spirit is determination to stay the course. I forget the mission spun like Christ respond with that kind finding any more grit than ever that I could distract and to respond to our this message is called divine grit and grace. Stephen is teaching through Luke nine in this series called into the spotlight. This is the eighth message in that series if you missed any of the previous messages, you can go to wisdom online.org to listen to each of them and get caught up will be bringing you the rest of this series. In the days ahead. While you're at that site. Be sure and look around and explore all of the free resources we have for you. Stephen has been teaching through the Bible for over 36 years. His collection of all those messages is posted online for you to access any time. Again, that's wisdom online.visit there today and join us back here next time more