Category: Bible

God-Directed Words (12:11-12)

POINT:  God was going to give them the words to say in times of inquisition

APPLICATION: we should not be deterred from confronting people or standing for Christ because we dont know what to say

APPLICATION: we should be in much prayer before and be sensitive to Spirits leading during

Disgruntled Brother (12:13-15)

0) Details

* younger brother wanted older to properly divide the inheritance

* Jesus refuses to help in the matter, but instead issues a warning

1)  Jesus Has Not Obligated Himself to Make Sure Life is Fair (12:14)

POINT: Jesus HAS obligated Himself to supply all your needs

Luke 12:22-31 God will supply your need

POINT: Jesus HAS been appointed to judge the world in the end… to right all the wrongs

Romans 12:17-21  Vengeance belongs to the Lord

2) Covetousness Can Destroy You (12:15a)

DEFINITION: greedy desire to have more

POINT:  though this passage is referring to money/possessions specifically, covetousness can involve other things like popularity, position, recognition, etc

MONEY: focus on working more, saving more, dictates your decisions

POPULARITY: mood hinges on people, compromising, fake, dictates your behavior

POSITION: willing to boast, willing to gossip, get there wrong way fast

RECOGNITION: rob people of theirs, take people’s eyes off of Christ and onto you

CHALLENGE: do you secretly yearn for things that others have? Why? Is it distracting you?

3) The Truth to Combat Covetousness (12:15b)

POINT:  a man’s life does not consist of things possessed

EXAMPLES: If you have tons of cars and homes, are beloved by all and thousands mourn your passing, or achieve the title of president of the world

POINT: you will stand before God with nothing but a stain of covetousness

Ecclesiastes 2:15-18  Wisdom and work are worthless apart from following the Lord

APPLICATION: stop estimating your worth based on job, money, possessions, reputation, and position

POINT: what God values and what will last is this:  1)  are you growing in Him?  2) are you serving Him?

POINT:  all that other stuff should be viewed as available tools for accomplishing those goals

Parable of the Rich Fool (12:16-21)

1) The Ground Brought Forth Plentifully (12:16)

APPLICATION: Every time we receive something (paycheck, gift), we need to pause and remember this is God given

POINT:  This will help us to be  1) more thankful  2) mindful of our role as stewards of God’s resources

2) The Dilemma (12:17)

POINT: God blessed the man with “too much”  (in other words, much more than he was used to receiving)

NOTE:  God does not purposely tempt any man or put them in a position where they must sin

James 1:13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

1 Corinthians 10:13 God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it

HOWEVER:  every man does have a “safe zone” where the temptations are not able to overcome an individual

Proverbs 30:8-9

GOAL:  Philippians 4:10-12  Be content in poverty AND riches

PERSONALLY:  it has been harder in my life to be content when I had more…

3) The Decision (12:18-19)

POINT1: The man looked for wisdom from within

BEWARE: the heart is deceitful above all things… and can give a feeling of peace once you have seared your conscience and made a selfish decision.

BEWARE2: the trap of living by Christian principles alone where you remain in the driver seat as you pick which principles to justify your course of action

INSTEAD: if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God  (James 1)

POINT2: The man desired to waste the bounty on himself

BEWARE: we often make the mistake of thinking Money Surplus → Vacation Time

BEWARE2: we do the responsible thing and put it into savings → Big Items, Retirement, College Fund

James 5:3  the RUST of the money will be what condemns you, not they money itself

INSTEAD: surplus should trigger… “Ok Lord, what is the need?”

4) The Conclusion (12:20-21)

NOTE: God interceded and took his life

REALIZE: Money isn’t safe just because its in a bank

Health isn’t guaranteed by having the best doctors

Position isn’t secure just because the economy is good

POINT: any/all resources hoarded from God is on shaky ground

ALTERNATIVE: if he had received that large crop and decided to give it all to missions

OPTION 1: he might not have died prematurely

OPTION 2: he would be thrilled to see the Lord (assuming he was a believer)

POINT: in dying with a barn of extra stuff… you have built a monument of covetousness

BUT: in using that extra stuff for God’s purposes… its like you are building a barn in heaven and creating a monument of praise/glory toward the Lord

TRUTH: God is freeing us up to serve Him to the point that we need Him to supply our needs

Luke 12:32-34  sell your stuff, provide for needs, God will take care of you and you will be rewarded

APPLICATION: stop holding on to your stuff or trying to provide for yourself in your own power

Welcome to the College, Careers, and Family Class!  We meet every Sunday morning at 9:30am at Calvary Baptist Church, Room 108.

As the name suggests, we are made up of a variety of believers from different walks of life.  The class size is roughly 8-10 people and consists of college students (engineering, nursing), newly wed couples with small families, and “veteran” couples with large families (4-7 children).

One thing that makes this class unique is that the members truly care for one another and spend time together outside of class.  Whether its a birthday party, sporting event, or “just because”, our group finds excuses to fellowship.    In addition, we are quick to help one another with burdens ranging from meals for one another in the face of sickness/recovery or listening and giving godly counsel when difficulties arise.

Concerning the class format, it is an exegetical (verse by verse) study through the various books of the Bible.  We have covered books such as Luke, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Hebrews, and the Minor Prophets.  Though the class is led by a teacher, the atmosphere is open for questions and contributions from everyone.  In order to encourage this, open ended questions are asked throughout the class.  To clarify, we do NOT discuss the validity of God’s Word or reinterpret its plain meaning, but rather application and connections to other portions of Scripture.

If you are in need of such a group to help in your spiritual growth, please come join us this Sunday!  If you have any further questions, feel free to call or text me at (217) 649-3718.

In Christ,

Pastor Tyson Olheiser

The Fault Lies with the Hearer (11:33-36)

1)  Jesus is not withholding truth from anybody (11:33)

POINT: light is meant to be seen by all, not hidden from some

2)  Seeing requires light and eyes (11:34-36)

ILLUSTRATION: if you had the choice of being blind or living your life in a pitch black                                                            building, which would you choose?

POINT:  You need both light and eyes to see

NOTICE: only one of these two is variable and the other is fixed

POINT:  The LIGHT is always on…. but the EYES are sometimes off

CONCLUSION: the attitude by which we approach the gospel or God’s Word makes all the difference

APPLICATION: it is so important to come to Sunday School, Church, Revival, etc. with the attitude                                   of “today could be the day where you change everything God… please help me see it”

Inside and Outside (11:37-54)

0) Details (11:37-38)

* Pharisee invited Jesus to his house to eat

* Jesus did not do ritualistic washing before eating

1) Focus was on the Outside (11:39-40)

ILLUSTRATION:  I used to work in a shop and had oil, grease, and dirt on my hands and that     filth would transfer to my coffee cup.  My criteria:  as long as the inside of that coffee cup was clean, I would use it.

POINT:  Can you imagine how disgusting it would be if I was only concerned with the                            state of the outside of the cup and had little concern for oil and grease on the inside?

POINT:  We do the same thing as the Pharisees!

If self imposed → leads to Pharisaism

If imposed on others → leads to Rebellion

NOTE: with children, you will have to impose but the heart needs to be shepherded                       simultaneously

2) Do the externals, but don’t forget the internal (11:41-42)

EXTERNALS: give alms and tithes in a meticulous fashion

POINT: under the right circumstances, that meticulous nature could reflect an earnest desire to please the Lord in every way

INTERNAL: value judgment and the love of God

POINT: but… if you leave behind the internal… it makes the externals disgusting

ILLUSTRATION: NBA players have few friends.  When a player starts making millions, many people will try to befriend them.  They will be overly nice, helpful, and be yes-men.  Then… those people will start asking for stuff.  Quickly, the player will realize that all of those deeds were not done out of friendship, but because they wanted something.

3) Self-First (11:43)

NEWSFLASH1: we naturally want to be the center…

EXAMPLE1: if someone is going to get a card for job well done, it should be me

EXAMPLE2: if someone deserves a reserved parking spot at work, it should be me

Romans 12:10 in honor, preferring one another → treat everyone like honored guest

NEWSFLASH2: it is ok to not be special as the world measures specialness

POINT: its ok if you are “just” a faithful church member that has a burden to serve others and reach out to people with the gospel without the title of Deacon or Pastor or Missionary

POINT: its ok if you hold to the plain truths of Scripture and not  feel the need to discover some new doctrine buried in the account of David and Goliath

Jeremiah 9:24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth.

4) Hidden Graves (11:44)

POINT: people were being defiled without even knowing it

5) Grievous Burden (11:45-46)

EXAMPLE: if you have a pastor that calls the church to give sacrificially and go out witnessing

BUT: he excludes himself because he is convinced that he is doing God’s work and thus everything he has is already considered “given” to the Lord or doesn’t go out witnessing because he could be more effective doing something else.

6) Prophets Killed and Reverenced (11:47-48)

Matthew 23:29-36 parallel passage

POINT: they kill the prophet, but then honor them with garnished sepulchres

OBSERVATION:  I’ve had many friends and family members that shut me down whenever I                           speak of Christ.  They mock His Word verbally and with their lives.  Yet, they have an                       oversized, ornate, prominently displayed Bible in their living rooms.

7) Blood of the Prophets will Bear Witness (11:49-51)

QUESTION: what does the blood of the prophets signify?

ANSWER: Israel’s response to God’s Word AND foreshadow of the ultimate rejection of Christ!

APPLICATION:  be willing to have godly friends that are bold/loving enough to tell you hard                                         things if you should go astray in areas of your life.

8) Hindered Others (11:52)

OBSERVATION:  I’ve seen many people make good progress for the Lord in their understanding                   and growth, but had a girl friend or family member hinder them… it’s hard to stomach

Reception of His Rebuke (11:53-54)

NOTE:  The response of the Pharisees… to keep fighting.  Their eyes were obviously closed to the light that was on display.