Family and Faith

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Then it says this. Then his mother

and his brothers came to him, but they

could not reach him because of the crowd.

And he was told your mother and your

brothers are standing outside desi to see you.

But he answered them, my mother and brothers

are those who hear the word of God

and do it.

The 22, 1 day, he got into the

boat with his disciples, and he said to

them let us go across to the other

side of the lake. So they set out.

And as they sailed, he fell asleep. And

a wind storm came down on the lake,

and they were filled with

and they were filled with water and were

in danger,

and they went and woke him saying master,

master, we were perish and he woke he

rebuked the wind and the raging waves and

they ceased,

and there was a calm.

And he said to them, where is your

faith?

And they were afraid and they marvel saying

to 1 another, who then is this,

that he commands even the winds in the

water and they

obey him. This is the word of the

lord.

Father we pray that you draw near to

us, Lord.

Voice spirit, would you show us,

the beauty of salvation? Would you show us

the kindness of the father

the greatness of our our our king, Lord,

III pray that you help us wade through

the mid section of this book with many

stories and many things that come, draw our

hearts to you. To see the beauty of

what you have done, help us not to

get lost over the summer months, but increase

our worship and our gratitude and our awe.

We pray that in your name, God. Amen.

So at the beginning of Luke, I I've

been trying to state this quite often Luke

lays,

his cards before us. Meaning, he shows us.

He tips his hand on what he's trying

to do.

He's writing this book. He says so that

we may believe.

So that our faith may strengthened he says

so that we may have certainty in what

we're putting our faith into.

And I think that that direction that he

gives us requires us to do maybe the

heavy mental and spiritual lifting to ask. Okay.

But what does that mean though?

But what does it mean for for us

to believe and have certainty,

what is Luke trying to get is that

an ether goal or does he actually mean

something that that when when he's saying he

wants our our our our faith to be

strengthened enough to believe in there. In that

question,

valuable as it is seems to maybe just

birth more questions.

And that leads us to maybe ask what

does the unfolding work of Christ do in

the life of a person that he is

saved?

Another way to put it is, what a

salvation meant to do?

What is the nitty gritty? What is it

supposed to do? Does it polish off

a couple of rough edges in our life

that that aren't so,

Christian or godly.

Does it clean up the mouth of the

loose lip person. Does it reform a couple

of bad habits? Does it curve some pro

of of yours in in mind that are

maybe unfavorable or

does it in light of maybe the book

of ephesians, take what is dead and bring

it into new life?

Does it make a brand new creation a

different person even. The person before isn't even

alive

anymore. They have a a new name, a

new inheritance, a hope, a mind, a way

of life that's

completely brand new and it didn't exist before.

What what is it?

And this is a difficult part of Christianity

to maybe describe or or convey or wrestle

with at the work of Christ is not

only

in the realm of external behavior

modification instead.

The work of Christ changes a person from

the inside,

and then that work flows out and changes

everything about their life. A change brought through

the grace of God and his kindness through

Jesus and by the holy spirit giving us

faith, there rewire the soul. Do we believe

that.

Gives us a new mind and therefore our

bodies actually live differently because of this comprehensive

work that God has done. And what what

we need to understand is, yes. Yes. Salvation

affect and changes our external behaviors, but it

does way more than just change a couple

things that you do in your life? Are

you with me still?

Okay.

That's why Jesus described it this way, I've

come to seek and save the loss. And

not I've come to adjust a couple of

things that aren't the greatest.

Come for those who are sick in need

and shattered. I I came to do what

man and woman can do on their own.

In chapter 15 of Luke actually tells 3

stories to further this case about a a

lost sheep

and a lost coin

and a lost son. To to point out,

I've come to rescue what was lost without

me.

I've come to say what could not be

saved without me. I I didn't come to

just make nice people

or better citizens,

or a couple small tweaks to the way

that you live to enhance some things, the

work of Christ is a miracle.

It's thorough. It's complete. It's eternal. It's profound.

It's not basic, and it's not simple. It's

beautiful and sometimes we get low to sleep

where we can't see that.

We keep going back to this point because

we're in this mid section of the the

gospel of of Luke. And in this section,

we get several parable stories.

And and we get miracles and other events

that that come at us pretty quickly,

but there helped to lay a foundation

for us about a a teaching of what

a fuller view of,

of salvation and its magnitude looks like. In

other words, these parable stories and miracles aren't

just kinda neat wisdom and they're not just

fun details. Like, 0II think you should know

this too. Their puzzle pieces to show us

the beauty of God's work through Jesus to

bring salvation to what was broken. I'm gonna

paint a picture 1 after another after another

and each is maybe showing us an angle

at the beauty of God's work that we

need to be behold.

Remember with me, if if if if that

is true,

but remember the pieces that have come as

of late in,

the the gospel of of luke. We'll start

back with with with a woman who anointed

the the feet of Jesus. So was a

beautiful story of what full repentance looks like.

Right? We've seen stories of faith, the Roman

soldier who believe Jesus didn't even have to

come to his house to heal somebody that's

incredible faith. This is the first picture of

incredible

repentance.

Of a change of of a life, a

change of ways. This woman who once used

her body for sinful monetary gain. She was

a prostitute.

All of a sudden has found out that

Jesus is the greatest treasure in all the

world. And now she models repentance by using

her body to worship instead of do what

she did before.

This is a change. This is profound. This

is different, And she didn't just change her

mind. A lot of people try and sell

repentance is a change of mind that maybe

doesn't affect your behavior. That's not that's not

repentance at all.

Jesus changed her heart. He cleansed her sin

and her shame and her guilt and and

her former desires, all in 1 fail swoop,

and now this beautiful...

Gift of Grace changed her whole life.

It's a picture of the fullness of salvation

as a miracle and a big change.

It changes motives and identities and pursuits and

worship and behavior change everything.

About this woman. Then at the beginning of

chapter 8, Luke begins talking more about several

other women, Mary Mag is 1 of these

who was demon possessed a terrifying love.

Lost in sin.

Her life looks like it's crushed, lost,

destroyed,

unfavorable

too far gone. She is now because of

the work of Jesus,

accompanying Jesus

for his mission with his disciples, her in

a handful

of other woman at as Luke puts it

are now providing out of their own means

so that the ministry of Christ can move

forward. What does that mean? It doesn't mean

that they're just tagging along and helping out

with a couple side things and it's insignificant.

Luke is making a big deal to women

are providing out of what they have and

it's actually making big difference for the ministry

of God to move forward.

Another 1 of the ladies Joanna was a

wife of of Heritage household manager. She was

a lady who was best known for what

her husband did. That's what she was known

for. And now she was being giving a,

a calling as a woman is helping the

ministry of Jesus move forward. She went from

being just associated with evil. What, what do

you think about, Joanna? I don't know. Just

like some weird situations of who they work

for where they get their money. And now

she's a valuable,

generous aid to the ministry of Jesus.

This is a large scale transformation. All the

3 of these ladies faith didn't have just

a minor tweak. It wasn't just a couple

things that weren't so good about your life.

Gotta change them completely and now following King

Jesus,

changed everything about how they live to gave

him a new identity, a new purpose, a

new way of life.

Luke then shifts into the parable of the

soils

and the parable the lamps stand. That's the

text that we hit last week. Where Jesus

presented to all who would hear that the

word of God was always working it never

yields no effect.

Sitting in that is quite heavy. That means

when we preach the word and hear the

word and read the word, it is always

doing something, whether you're busy or distract it.

No no matter what the case every time

we hear the word of God, it does

something at either harden your heart

or it produces fruit.

Always.

There's a massive harvest in some

in a rejection in others. When the word

get... Of God gets planted in good soil,

and it saves a person, it gets penetrated

into their core, and then it comes out

of their life, like a crop comes out

of the soil. Again, showing salvation does something

huge.

It changes

them. It changes the people

so much so than in the lamps stand

that it can't be hidden. The light of

God, like

a lamp shines from that life and it's

visible and you cannot cover it or hide

it even if you try.

All of this is to show,

Again, that god's work and the heart does

something. It produces fruit.

It produces light.

It shines. It cannot be contained

and now we find ourselves.

It just 6 verses 2 smaller stories, 1

feels

awkward and out of place,

and the other is a miracle, yet both

of them and up pushing

forward to show us the fullness of salvation

what it does in a life.

Now we're leaning hard into this theme of

a fuller picture of salvation so that we

may grow in our all of the work

of God that he does through Jesus.

But also so that we could hold to

these texts

well.

But talk to some of the other elders

and some other friends about this text and

just the interesting of of preaching it often

these stories in these miracles in these parable

in this mid section

of Luke. They get taught in a way

that misses the bigger picture of salvation and

so that the teacher ends up back in

a corner where all they can convey is

a do better try harder story to you

or something that is neat, but not relevant

to you at all.

Both of those scenarios are complete misses

on what we're supposed to have. Yes, The

text may press on some areas that we

need to to to be challenged in the

way that we live. But first and foremost,

all of these stories are meant to highlight

the progressive, comprehensive beautiful work of salvation from

Jesus. It's a miracle. Yeah. I may change

some of your behaviors.

The first your you're you're meant to see

the the beauty of salvation, not just... Hey,

we weed your garden and make sure you

don't have any thorn from the good soil.

That's not what's meant there.

As we open the verses from today,

This is just the the first couple verses.

Jesus mother and brother come looking for him.

Remember, there's a whole lot of crowd Right?

There's there's probably thousands of of people all

around. There's a whole lot happening. I imagine

that Jesus day is is is crazy, busy.

He's having conversations.

He's praying. He's teaching. He's healing. He's fielding

questions. He's kinda battling out with affairs sees

over what faith really does. That the days

must have been chaotic

and quite long, tons of people. They all

want something from him and they're all gathered

then they're all

around.

In the middle of all the commotion as

family shows up,

but they couldn't get to them because there's

too many people in the way. Again, there's

a great crowd. They came to see, but

yet there's a great crowd.

So they have someone pass the word along.

Right? That that they are there and that

they're wanting to speak to him or pull

him to to the side, who knows exactly

what they wanted maybe mom was doing mom's

stuff.

I just wanna to check if you're eating.

I I wanna make sure that you're getting

some sleep. I I wanna to make sure

that you weren't over extending yourself, who who

knows exactly, but Mama is trying to get

to him.

And we get this feeling,

that even though they couldn't get to them

because of the crowd, the the the mom

in in in the brother, they begin to

pull the family card if you will.

Say, hey, we're his family, so go get

him for us.

Right?

I know lots of people are around. I

know I know there's lots of meetings and

a lot of stuff and a lot of

things that he needs to do, but we're

not just anyone we are his family.

We're his kin. We are related to the

king, And this is a type of claiming

of privilege.

We get special act I I know a

lot of people need him, and I know

you say he's busy, but we're, like, we

get special access.

To him. Because of our closer

relationships. So just go past the word, Go

go get him tell him mom and is

to talk to him, and, I'm not just

anybody.

It's likely you're... They're using the blood is

thicker than water outage here.

I think you get the idea of family

tie.

Is generally looked at a stronger than just

some general connection and they're pressing on that.

And Jesus family is is leveraging this idea

so they can get close to Jesus so

they get a a priority

with him.

So this gets to Jesus. Hey, your your

family is here, and and, like, they couldn't

get to you and their press, and they're

like, hey, like, with a family, we we

we we we... You better come

and it gives a troubling to some response.

My mother and brother are those who hear

the words of God,

and they do it.

It's assumed my many that Jesus is laying

out this heavy

rebuke honest his family here that he maybe

wasn't happy with their actions? Or they weren't

following the will of God.

And so he gives a very public,

heavy, hard here,

kinda put them on blast statement back dropping

the hammer cha them for it.

While we do know in the gospel of

Mark that his brothers some point thought he

was crazy and tried to get him to

stop doing ministry. We don't actually hear that

that is what's going on at this point.

Jesus family.

Shows up,

tries to get to Jesus.

They can't,

and there's an under undertone of priority. Yeah,

yeah, but we're his family.

To which Jesus says my family are the

ones who hear the word of god and

do it.

We we rush to maybe look at it

from 1 way as if

he he was slamming his... His given family,

his mother and his brothers. And and maybe

he was re

them.

Over something that we cannot see,

but what it seems like Luke is highlighting

is not necessarily a slam on mom and

the brothers is, but an eye opening statement

about those who hear the word of God

and their found relationship to God.

See those who hear the word of God

and obey it,

thereby definition of the earlier parable good soil.

Jesus told us good soil isn't just a

person who produces for me,

Good soil is the 1 who hears the

word of God and does it and they're

my very own family.

They aren't just followers

They're not just tenders.

They're not just my buddies. They are my

family.

Hear it from this angle. A person rushes

up to Jesus and says, your mom needs

you. You need to stop what you're doing,

pay attention to to to her, stop focusing

on all the other people, and you need

to focus on her, because she's your family

and Jesus says, don't you get it? People

who who've god who... The people who hear

the word of God and, my family as

well.

They're not just moral people. They're my brothers

and sisters. They are my family. They have

that type of access, that type of relationship,

that type of privilege. We are united and

the very family of God.

I know you're claiming they get this privilege,

but

What you see these people are now do

as well?

For ages, we've been misinformed

on the way that we view God in

relation to

the family of God.

There... There's a general sense that since God

is the creator of all,

that everything comes from him that that he

is the the father of all creation in

that way. And people take that idea of

the the the father is in the origin

of all creation, and they use it to

say that every man will be child, they're

all the children of God. They're all his

family.

If the bible says that's not true at

all.

The the Bible reserves the title of the

family of God for the people who are

actually his,

not everyone

his.

We we get this crossed up as well

likely through the idea of the Ama ama

day. Yes, every man woman and child is

made in the image of God.

All were meant to reflect him. Each and

every 1 of us because we are made

in the image of God, that's why we

have value and dignity and worth. But just

because Someone is made in the image of

God doesn't mean that they're part of the

family of God. Those are different things.

Jesus laid out to a group of people

who were surely Jew and Gentile.

Keep in mind, gentile would have no access

they would think. No ability to be a

car part of the family of God. In

this type of always outsiders,

and they hear that the ones who obey

the go, the word of God are now

adopted into the actual family of God. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. So so so your family name

is so and so, but you're actually in

the family of God. Now.

This is a really big deal, those who

hear

and obey the word of God,

our family

to the most high God,

Again, salvation is either a big deal or

it's nonsense,

where there are once people who are slave

to sin

Now they're called sons and daughters of God.

The family of Jesus is adopted in their

given an inheritance.

A promise

love that'll will never be let go of.

Again, how big is the deal of salvation?

What exactly does it do? It brings a

person into the very family of God.

We need our all brought back to that.

There's a natural pivot here

into the next story or miracle where Jesus

calms the raging storm

in an instant.

1 day, it says we don't know how

much time, but Luke is trying to say,

hey it's a little bit later.

Jesus in his disciples. Got into a boat

and he said them, hey, we need to

go to the other sock.

I have a plan. We need to get

over there. I I need you to get

in, and we're gonna go

sailing is much quicker than walking. So so

hop in the boat and and let's go,

and they set off Jesus plan, get in

the boat going across,

Let's go.

The lake mentioned in this is actually what

they call the sea of galilee.

So about 12 miles in length in about

6 miles

wide. So

it's not as big as the ocean, but

but it's bigger in the the, wider in

the lake the Oz.

And this lake sits as the second lowest

lake in all the world's 700 feet

below sea level.

This low altitude of this lake paired with

there's these mountain ranges kind of around it,

and it flows into the center, make it

the perfect place for really, really massive and

dangerous storms to pop up. It goes a

little bit like this. Cold air comes off

of the mountain

flows down into the valley and hits the

warm water of this super low lake,

and they're all of a sudden, massive scary

storm comes really

really quickly.

It's not that it always would happen, but

where it sits geographically is the perfect,

space for a nasty storm to be able

to be produced.

Appears on that day when Jesus went to

cross the water, this type of storm

is what blew up there.

The context is important here. Right?

In this boat

isn't some wimp boys who have never been

on the water before.

These are fishermen. By by trade, many of

them our fishermen. They grew up on this

lake. They they they knew it like the

back of their hand. They probably fished it

hundreds of times. They probably made the journey

from 1 side to the other who knows

how many times.

This was a routine endeavor for them.

Not an odd deal. The... This is not

guys you're like, man. I don't know if

I can swim them scared of the water.

This This regular stuff for them.

So it likely didn't make the disciples think

twice when Jesus says get in, we gotta

go to the other side.

And it also didn't make him think twice

when Jesus says I am on taken app

real quick.

It's showing us, Luca showing us a little

glimpse of the humanity of Jesus.

You've been administering the crowds for who knows

how long.

Finally, just gets a moment.

Just a little shot.

For a moment, then we'll get to the

other side, and we'll keep going.

While, he's asleep

says the winds storm came up and was

upon them.

How bad was it? Well it's bad enough

that the the the boat is being filled

with water at a level that they're thinking

this thing's going down,

we're all gonna die.

You have to imagine a calm body of

water is now our rage filled body of

water. The the waves grew

in size.

The the the front and but the bow

of the boat is is is going up

and down crashing so hard that water is

coming over, what seam maybe

It's some storm clouds. That's interesting. A little

worrisome at first is now terrifying the disciples.

The men used to sailing.

The men used to being a water, used

to boating

are now grip with fear. They thought that

they're gonna die.

Things went bad suddenly

and unexpectedly.

We need to see that that's a perfect

scenario for our faith really to get messed

with.

Really quick,

and I did not see it

fear.

And they begin to lose it. They're coming

undone with fear, so they wake up Jesus

in the grips of their tear,

and they yell this out. Master master we

are dying.

Hear the words there.

Jesus is sleeping,

I need to wake you and tell you

we're all gonna die.

They didn't say master save us? They didn't

say hey, man. I I've...

I I've seen you do some neat things.

Can you can you try and fix the

storm. They didn't say master deliver us,

good father. You're you're trying to go to

the other side, save us,

the fear of the situation short circuit

their faith in Jesus to the point that

they were certain they were gonna die, and

it's all they could see.

Jesus wake up, we're all gonna die. Look

what you've done.

1 theologian said it well, when he wrote,

the boat wasn't the only thing getting swamped

and overwhelmed that day. So was their faith?

All of a sudden it was syncing. It

was undone. It was coming apart.

For them, it was...

Fear had came

of death.

In the situation though we're not on a

boat in the middle of a crazy storm

is probably more

relatable than than what we would think. See,

our faith personally can be a really strong

until 1 day we hit a fear that

is quick and unexpected in the 1 that

terri us for them it was literally drowning

It was losing their life, but for us

it could be something else.

Losing a family member or a relationship or

a job or a financial crisis that comes

you your way or an a common

economy that you don't feel stable. And who

knows what it is, It it could be

many things, but it likely isn't hard to

imagine

something coming at you with the quick that

you didn't see

and it affects your faith.

There may be something that if it hits

us,

a certain fear.

And I have a hard time believing as

well.

And we start yelling, Jesus. Don't you care

we're dying?

Let you get up and fix this.

Jesus woke up, these are very short versus.

This says he rebuked the wind and the

waves,

which means he yells out something to the

effect, peace be still.

Imagine having that card in your back pocket?

Be still.

I would use that for humidity. Go away.

Any day all day. Hoodie do weather forever.

Not in the notes. I'm sorry.

Let yourself see the situation.

They're on a boat,

The clouds come in, all of a sudden,

darkness from the clouds, howling winds. The the

the rain is unleashing. The boat is slamming

down the waters coming over, it's loud. It's

chaotic. It's terrifying

until it wasn't anymore.

In an instant, the wind and the waves

stopped

and they were calm. It's not like it

just chilled out enough that they could get

to the shore.

Call.

They went from aging to lay low the

The storm went from loud to silent from

chaotic to to calm at the command of

Jesus in an instant. This had to be

amazing to be behold.

Notice though Jesus response to his disciples with

a secondary

rebuke.

Yes, he started with a rebuke to the

wind in the waves,

But he followed it with the the rebuke

to those closest him, and he said to

them

where is

your faith?

These words are deep and heavy.

It's as if Jesus looks at And goes.

What was that, guys?

How did you go from full of faith?

To empty of faith that fast?

How come your faith you hear this? How

come your faith didn't apply to that fear

at all?

It didn't even come under view. It wasn't

even like a a 10 percent part of

a way to see it.

Where's your faith in that situation?

Kit hughes said it this way? The irony

of the situation is the storm did not

wake Jesus, but the un unbelievable of his

disciples sure did.

We need to press a little bit at

what bothered Jesus,

by that moment of fear. Because, again, I

think a lot of people preach this in

just a weird way as if to follow

Jesus means nothing scares you, and that is

not at all the point.

It wasn't that the disciples had fear in

general or got scared in some way.

It was that they didn't even take into

consideration that he was with them.

Do you hear that? It didn't even come

into their mind.

They'd seen his miracles,

and him heal and newest power and his

faithfulness and his goodness, and they already knew

it was his plan to get to the

other side.

And yet something happened quickly and unexpectedly

to where they forgot all about it.

To the point of even thinking Jesus didn't

care about them.

And then look at his kindness,

Notice Jesus doesn't say,

forget you. Right? You're un idiots.

I'm done with you.

He doesn't say because you didn't believe in

me. I don't believe you in in in

you anymore. Get away from me.

He just said to them calmly me. Where

is your faith?

As if your face should have filtered into

this? Where where is it at? Where did

it go?

Me being with you should have played into

how you saw this unfold at least to

some degree.

Yes, This is a heavy statement, and it

cuts deep because if any of us are

emotionally honest to go,

man there's times in my face has gone

away real world real fast too.

Yes. It's hard to hear, but this is

also an invitation from him on what will

come later. I believe Jesus is saying Lisa

says, where is your faith? Next time when

you remember him with you.

Even light of Matthew 28 with some of

the last stuff you wanna say to us,

I have all power and authority from our

father.

I will never leave your for sake. Remember

who I am and all things bad stuffs

coming. And I'm not gonna make it All

I'll go away, but I'm with you.

We stand back

and look at the miracle

as a whole.

Men and women have done some cool stuff.

Right?

Back in their,

time and roman and culture, like the Aqua

ducks, that's a big deal.

I mean, the wonders of the world, some

of the things that we have done.

We've conquered. We've achieved feat of greatness.

We've built really cool things.

But who else can tell the wind to

stop and it does?

Who else can tell the raging waters to

sit down and and they do.

The disciples were amazed at this at a

deep level. Remember, they've seen a lot of

cool stuff, but

who is it that

controls nature?

So they ask who is this?

Who can command the winds and the water

and have them

obey him like that and then the text

just ends.

Many believe Luke ends us text this way

with the question of who is this.

He's actually laying the question on our feet

as well.

We all have to decide who is Jesus

of Nazareth.

So 1 of the biggest questions

anyone will ever face in life what will

you make of him?

If he really did command the winds in

the waves,

if he really did heal and forgive sins

and die and raise

again,

And he's worthy of our devotion and our

worship and our submission.

He is a emmanuel, God with us.

He is God inca. The God who put

on flesh to come and seek the and

save and lost,

pay the penalty that they should have paid

and offer them a righteousness that they should

never get.

The disciples again had to decide who is

this Jesus tu.

And it ends that way because so do

we thousands of years later,

I'm I'm trying to be careful of not

giving a million points of application, but there

is just a fresh need who is eat

to you.

What does this power mean to? It's either

relevant or it's not he's either king or

he's not, What does it mean?

Remember, I said that these verses before transitioned

will

into this text.

If those who hear the word of God

and Obey our Jesus family. Right? That's what

we heard in the first part.

You're not just a follower,

your family.

And if you or those who listen and

obey,

you or Jesus family as well.

Again, that is not the gift that all

are given. It's given to those hear the

word of God and obeyed. If that is

you, Luke reminding you,

hey remember when things go nuts that your

family align has in its our and all

the calming of the winds,

the stopping of aging storms and the smashing

down of waves,

and

just keep that in mind.

How does that apply to anything or what

difference does it make? I I've I've told

a version of these stories,

multiple times over

the years. But there was a, a couple

years when I was pretty young that we

lived in Saint. Louis in type of a

a rough neighborhood. And

in this rough neighborhood, I would get chased

home,

by older, bigger kids pretty often.

Often me and 2 2 of my best

friends, we would get chase together.

And,

It was not awesome. It wasn't awesome. It

was was pretty awful. I was never the

fastest runner. So, hopefully, my bike was there.

I a pedal pretty good. And so I

get on that thing in pedal for all

I could to to 1 of their house.

My buddy's zach house or my house, whoever

house was closest and we tried to rush

into the garage and shut the door and

On 1 day, this Chase sequence happened, but

I was by myself.

None of them were with me. I was

alone.

That I was terrified.

Right? So I I hu that bike as

fast as a husky boy could.

And I remember coming down road, and there's

a a right hand turn, and my house

was was 3 houses down. And I I

remember hitting as fast as I could and

making the right curve,

And as I turned right, I saw my

dad in the lawn

is doing long work and immediately,

my terror was pressed back,

and I was relieved, why

daddy will whoop those fools.

Right. So III got to the edge of

my yard,

biking at full speed.

I may have been going a little so

I don't know but it fell fast.

And I jumped off the bike

in in a radical change

events,

I went from terrified and upset to yelling.

My dad is going kick your butt.

I don't know what I said exactly, but

is

something with a lot of Bra.

My fear was gone.

So much so that I started talking mess

to him.

Again, what what's the point? The realization that

my big bad dad was there changed the

way I interacted with the situation?

Part of what Luke is likely telling us

is something a little bit similar to this.

Look at your family.

Look at your dad, look at your savior.

Yes. Storms are coming.

Because your dad is who he is, doesn't

mean everything battle go away. They're coming. And

they're not gonna be fun, and you're not

gonna get all of them, but

the faith doesn't mean

You better not ever ever be scared.

But a call to faith. Hey Where's your

faith? There's a call to remember

who your family is when the wheels come

off, the waves get big and you get

really scared.

Does your faith

who your father is, your eternal in inheritance?

The power of king Jesus. Does it interplay

with your deepest fears or not?

Where's your faith?

Salvation gives you a new family, 1 that

is eternal.

Salvation gives us the ability to trust your

heavenly father

more.

If By I no means it's just a

modification of a couple little

behavior tweaks that you and I needed. It

changes everything. I think Luke is just pressing

hard. Do you believe that.

The salvation beautiful in a gift is just

kinda me?

This seems to be what Luke is pushing

hard for us to see. Salvation gives you

a new family.

What does that mean?

If you think back in your with us,

you have a new privilege and access to

god that you never had before.

You aren't just another body. You aren't just

another face, you're part of God's family.

You aren't just a person trying to be

good, You're part of the very family of

God.

And there are blessings

bestowed on you through your new family. That

you will reap the of benefits for all

of eternity.

It's an invitation to believe do you know

who you are. Do you remember

Oh your father, God and the savior king,

keep in mind, all power and authority theirs.

So why should you fear and not consider

their strength?

Even when you feel powerless and scared and

out of control this too is an invitation

to believe hey your salvation is really big.

Oh, sorry that hurts.

Sometimes remember the story of John the Baptist

some things. Are gonna come at you and

there be hard and difficult in your 1

out and you're not gonna get out of

it and still your faith plays into those

things.

Salvation has massive

implications over and above just behavior,

modification. All of this is through Jesus and

his life and his death. And his resurrection

and the promise of God over your life

if you hear the word of God and

obey it.

Again, I think the hope for us is

those who have ears to hear,

be careful how you hear and Lord give

us the ability to believe.

I've tried to be really careful with these

texts.

They may have implications into your life and

how you live.

But a lot of this is elevating the

person of Jesus and the work of salvation.

So I'm gonna be careful and and as

we play and there's some time to pray.

You may ask the lord, hey help revive

my view of the beauty of salvation.

Help awaken my soul to the reality of

who you are and what you've done that

I'm invited into the family of God. And

there's real power

being in your family and trusting in you.

III don't know what you need to do

there, but I don't wanna be careful to

not try and give you 18 behavior modification

points if I said salvation is bigger than

behavior modification.

Maybe we just ask the lord, would you

give me more faith to believe that your

salvation is big and live in light of

the big of the gift of grace that

I've been given.

Band you guys can come back up. We'll

take comm

as we do each week.

And first, Corinthians 11:23

through 26.

It says this for I received from the

Lord what I also delivered to you.

The lord jesus on the night when he

is betrayed, he took Bread, and when he

had given thanks. He broke. And he said

this is my body,

just for you.

Do this in remembrance of me in the

same way, in the same way, also, he

took the cup after supper saying this cup

is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this as often as you drink it

and remember it's of me for as often

as you eat the bread and drink the

cup, you claim the Lord's death until he

comes. Each and every weak friends. We gather

around the word.

We ask for the spirit to show the

beauty of god and and

salvation and a remind that is only the

work of Jesus that gets us into any

of that. So we come to the table

again, going it's your body in your blood,

The only thing that gets me into the

family of god. It's the only thing that

pays for my sins. It's the only thing

that that that doesn't make my life only

about what I can manufacture and do it

is you and you alone and we take,

again, and again, and again, each week to

remind ourselves, so that our faith may strengthen.

You And I pray that yours would,

be today as we worship that we take.

Again, we'll have some moments

to just allow us to pray? I think

maybe a wise thing to do is just

ask the whole. Hey what what are you

trying to show me through some of this.

What are you trying to increase my vision

in relation to to to to.

What do you want to do and then

come and take and gratitude asking that your

faith would be strengthened

that god will be glorified.

Would you stand in pray with me?