Questions Jesus Asked
Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 10:48PM First recorded words of Jesus were questions
Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?
Questions we’re most familiar with
- · Who do people say that I am? Who do you say that I am?
- · Who touched me?
- · Will you be made whole?
Not for answers, but thinking – to help reason, discovery & own truth
- · If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?
- · Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
- · What will it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Sometimes Jesus used Questions to expose the people’s motives
- · Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?
- · Whose image is this [on the coin], and whose inscription?
Sometimes Jesus used Questions to give New Answers
- · Who is my mother? Who are my brothers and sisters?
- · Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?
Sometimes Jesus asked Questions to make us look into the Heart – His & ours:
- · Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? (to the disciples in the storm)
Matt 11:16-17
To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,
17 'We played wedding songs, and you didn't dance,
so we played funeral songs, and you didn't mourn.'
First: Like children who are spoiled & selfish – won’t cooperate
Spoiled – only care about our own convenience & only do what we want to do
Selfish – we have so much, yet we complain & only want more
In this generation, Everybody gets a trophy
When things don’t go our way, we quit
Secondly: This generation lacks Passion & Desire
Jesus says that our lack of Passion turns His stomach – Rev 3:15-16
I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! 16 But since you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Solution vs. 19: “Be zealous and repent.”
Zeal = Passion: strong, intense feeling or conviction; driving desire
Desire motivates to action: to stretch out
David said, “One thing have I desired, and that I will seek after” – Ps 27:4
Put another way…
Passion is the fire of determination that keeps you moving forward
Here’s the thing about Fire: “Fire never says ‘Enough.’” – Prov. 30:16
Jer 20:9 LB. I can't quit! If I say I'll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones! I cannot hold it in!
Passion gives you Determination to Keep Going & not Quit
Jesus said, “Passion burns within me.” John 2:17 NLT
Luke 9:51-53
Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.
If you don’t know your destination, you will stop at the wrong place
On the way to His destination, Jesus came to Samaria – Half-way point
Samaria the place of the half-Jew, half-Gentile… the half-Christian
Too many of us settle for “half” – “Not where I used to be”
half-hearted half interested
half committed do things half the time
when you do… do them half way
half coming half worshiping
half working half giving
and living like you’re half-saved
Time for you to leave Samaria, and stop living half-way
Calling it “good enough”
It takes Passion & Determination
Even though Jesus knew highs & lows lay ahead – He was determined not to quit
He set His face for Jerusalem
Isa 50:6-7
I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
7 "For the Lord God will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced;
Therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.
Look at what happened when He got to Jerusalem – Triumphal Entry
Reception could have felt like He had arrived – Tempted by Success
People will make you want to change your plans – good enough
Warning: Other people will try to define your destination
When you are truly passionate & determined, relationships will change
Friends without passion will begin to drop off
Some friends can’t handle your Passion, your fire, your progress
Some will resent you
Sometimes the people that start with you, won’t finish with you
They don’t see what you see
Because their destination is not your destination
Jesus’ best friend sold Him
Only somebody going somewhere is worth something
Sometimes the people that love you actually discourage you
Instead of encouraging you, they only tell you the dangers
- John 11:8. The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?"
You can’t let people stop you
And you can’t quit
The next stop was the Cross
Disappointment hits Hard
It really makes you want to quit
The Cross makes you feel like a failure
Like everything you worked for came to nothing
How can I keep moving forward?
Because if God is in it, it’s not supposed to be like this
The Cross does not mean you’ve failed
The Cross is about preparation
The cross is to make me deal with my stuff – hindrances, attitudes, ways
Not just to be Where you should be… but to be Who you should be
Just when you thought you couldn’t get any lower – The Grave
Nothing says “The End” like the grave – it’s over. No place else to go
This is not the end – it’s just a stop
It may look like I came “TO” the grave,
But I’m really going “THROUGH”
The thing that killed others is not going to kill me
The thing that made others quit, won’t make me quit
It’s time for you to fire up your determination
Get back on the path to your destination
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