Counting the Cost - Nathan Rages

In Luke 14:25-35 Jesus gives some of His strongest teaching ever as He called people to weigh carefully the *cost* of being His disciple:

1. The Setting: Large crowds (v25).

2. The Demands: Christ requires absolute priority over:  Relationships (v26), Self (26-27), and Possessions (v33).

3. The Warnings: Carefully consider your commitment … lest you later suffer ridicule (v29-30), defeat (v31), and rejection (v34-35).

Having Lunch With Jesus - Nathan Rages

Luke 14:1-24 records the events during Jesus' lunch at a prominent Pharisee's house.  The passage provides us with lessons in four areas: 

1. Mercy for the suffering (v1-6).

2. Humility with our peers (v7-11). 

3. Generosity toward the needy (v12-14).

4. Responding to the Gospel invitation (v15-24).

Are Only a Few Being Saved? - Nathan Rages

In Luke 13:22-35, Jesus responds to the question of whether only a few people will obtain salvation and enter heaven.  His teaching covers five major salvation topics:

1. The difficulty and urgency of being saved (v24).

2. The miserable plight of the unsaved (v25-28).

3. The unlikely mix of saved folks in heaven (v28-30).

4. The courageous completion of Jesus’ saving mission (v31-33).

5. The Savior’s compassionate desire for sinners to be saved (v34-35). 

Giving Up Everything to Gain Christ - Nathan Rages

Matthew 13:44-46 records two more of Jesus' parables about the Kingdom: one about a man finding hidden treasure and another about a man finding a pearl of greatest value.  From these we can learn four Kingdom lessons: 

1. The Kingdom is discovered in different ways.

2. Kingdom citizenship is supremely valuable.

3. Kingdom entry requires a costly transaction.  

4. The Kingdom is entered joyfully. 

Mysteries of Kingdom Growth - Nathan Rages

Matthew 13:31-33 records two of Jesus' parables, about the mustard seed and the leaven.  Both parables about about the growth of Christ's kingdom:

 1. The mustard plant: outward growth

     a. Kingdom will start small but become surprisingly large. 

     b. Kingdom will provide benefits to non-kingdom entities.

2. The leaven: inner transformation

     a. Kingdom will spread quietly and inconspicuously through society.

     b. Kingdom will spread similarly within individuals.    

The Wheat and the Tares - Nathan Rages

Matthew 13:24-43 records Jesus' parable of the Wheat and the Tares about a farmer whose enemy sowed his wheat field with weed seeds:

 

1. Christ’s crop: His people throughout the world (v24,37-39).

2. Devil’s weeds: false Christians among the true (v25,28,38-39).

3. Frustrating mixture of the two:

    a. Discerned by fruitfulness (v26).

    b. Living together until judgment (v28-30).

4. Divergent destinies: tormenting fire or shining glory (v30-31,40-43).

Healing the Woman Bent Double - Nathan Rages

Luke 13:10-17 gives the account of Jesus healing the woman who was bent over double.  The story proceeds in five steps:  

1. Disease (v10-11).  

2. Deliverance (v12-13).

3. Disapproval (v14).  

4. Defense (v15-16).

5. Division (v17).