Awake Us Now

Luke 12:13-21, Psalm 19:7ff.

It's not what you posses that matters, but what possesses you. Our treasures are destined for a garage sale or a dumpster. What has enduring value?

It's not what you possess that matters, it's rather Who possesses you. That is at the heart of what Jesus is talking about today in the story we are going to examine together. It is recorded in the gospel of Luke chapter 12 verse 13. "Someone in the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.'"

Apparently the issue here is that this is a younger brother. The tradition in Jesus day is the oldest brother got a double inheritance. The younger brother here apparently wants more. Jesus sees into the man's soul. He understands that this is a question not about fairness, this is a question of greed.

And so Jesus replies, verse 14, "'who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?' Then he said, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.' This is a powerful truth. You can have it all, but if your heart's not right with God you've got nothing. Jesus seeing right into the heart of this young man says, "Be on guard about greed."

I have to believe those words apply to you and me as well, don't you? The Lord understands how easily we can begin focusing on stuff instead of Him. So then Jesus taught the Parable Of The Rich Man. A man focused on himself and all that he had, but the end of this parable shares God saying, "You fool, this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have stored up for yourself?" And now is the realization that it's not me, me, me, it's God, God, God. We are to be rich in God.

God is not saying it's wrong to have stuff. God's not saying things are evil. What God is saying is that you can have everything the world has to offer, but if you do not have a relationship with the Living God, you have nothing that lasts. He wants us to seek the riches that really matter. We are to seek His kingdom because with Him we have everything! Without Him we have nothing.

No matter what our circumstances, when we know the living God we are spiritually rich!! Where do we find spiritual wealth, where do we find riches that last, where do we store up riches in heaven, Where do we find true riches.

The answer: in Jesus, the Living God!

What are the truths about spiritual riches: 1. His Word (it brings true wealth and genuine riches). 2. His Presence (God knows what we are going through. He is near to us, close at hand and when we live with that knowledge, we are rich). We are rich when we know the Living God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are created to live in relationship with God. 3. His Son (a richness that comes through the Son). Paul wrote about this from prison. He knew what it was like to suffer, but he also knew what it is like to have abundant joy and true riches. In Philippians 4:19, he says the following, "My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." In the Lord Jesus Christ there are genuine riches. In the Lord Jesus Christ there is true wealth. In the Lord Jesus Christ no matter the circumstances of your life or mine, there is abundance, abundant life. That's what Jesus gives.

Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life and have it in abundance. In Christ there is true richness. There is real wealth. There is wealth that lasts. Your stock portfolio may be doing well but tomorrow it could take a hit. Your bank account may be fine right now, but tomorrow the bank could collapse. There is only one thing that endures no matter what is going on in the world around us, and that is the very Word and Presence, the very Son of the living God. That is where real wealth is found.

There is nothing in this world more important than knowing the living God through Jesus, our Savior. It's true for me. It's true for you. Don't run the risk of being a fool. Don't persist in foolishness. Hear the voice of the Son of the living God, and understand that those who are rich in Him have something that truly lasts.

God is good. He is faithful and He keeps His promises. It's just that simple, but it's also that profound.

https://www.awakeusnow.com

The Parables of Jesus is part two of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. Jesus is known for telling some of the greatest stories ever told. In telling these stories He uses the form of a parable which is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus' parables resonate in every culture and in every generation around the world.

This study is great for large group. small group or home group Bible study.

On the day Jesus returns, we want to be among those who hear Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Those who know the Lord Jesus will want to live out His love, mercy, and forgiveness in their daily lives; they will celebrate, not fear, His return!

"Follow the leader..." Who is the leader? Human leadership is always flawed and always disappoints. But there is a leader who is flawless, always in control, and upon whose Word and leadership we can rely - the Living God!

We may think, "I'll start obeying God when my faith is strong enough," but God says: "Follow me TODAY, and watch what I will do tomorrow." Obedience flows from faith, and then faith grows from obedience.

The word "peace" means far more than "no war or conflict." It means everything being right and in harmony with God. It is a word God desires to make real in each one of our lives today!

Luke 11:5-13, John 7:38.

When asked about prayer, Jesus told his listeners to ask God boldly - even "audaciously" - for the fulfillment of His promises.

In this parable, The Friend at Midnight," Jesus takes a humorous story and converts it into a dramatic promise and powerful pledge. Because the friend at midnight, knocking on a neighbor's door asking for food, would not relent until the friend finally got up and gave him all that he had need of. This parable is not just a funny story.... It's a promise and pledge from God to give the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, "If anyone believes in me, out of his innermost being will flow streams of living water." We are told in the gospel of John chapter 7 that when Jesus said that he was talking about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes like streams of living water flow out of every believer. It is a promise and a pledge not just to a select few, but to all, because Jesus is the one who brings abundant blessings into the lives of all those who know Him, trust Him, and follow Him.

Jesus says that if a friend will do something he doesn't really want to get up to do, but does so because the one at his door keeps asking and knocking, just think how much more the Father in Heaven will offer to His children because they asked and kept on asking, were seeking and kept on seeking, were knocking and kept on knocking. He promises to listen and He will respond.

What God yearns for is that you and I experience all that He desires to bring into our lives. It is a joy to be guided by the Spirit of God. It is a joy to hear the Lord speaking to us in His Word, and whispering in our soul as He brings to light the teachings of Jesus and brings to mind the ways that you and I may serve and glorify Him. That's what Jesus is offering, and he tells a funny story to get to a profound point.

So for each of us the question is: will we heed His voice? Will we listen to Him? Will we keep on asking? Will we keep on seeking? Will we keep on knocking? That is not a burden. That is not something that we say, "Ah yeh, I guess I've got to do this." Instead it is the privilege of every individual who has been washed in the blood of the Lamb, redeemed by the sacrifice on the cross, renewed in hope by His resurrection from the grave, and filled with the promise of the Father for the Holy Spirit. It is not simply for believers 2000 years ago. It is for us today.

Dear friends, if ever in our nation's history there was a time when we needed a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit this is the time. In my lifetime I've seen dramatic changes in the face of our nation and in our culture. So have you. Those of you who are older you've seen a lot, but those of you who are young you've seen much as well. It's become almost a weekly phenomenon. We are shocked by what is taking place. Many people are saying, "What in the world is going on?" It has caused great debate, but at the heart is that we have wandered from the living God in this land.

In a nation that formerly was built on the values of the Bible, we have upended everything. We have chased God out of our schools. We've chased Him out of the public square. We have determined that those things which have been true for generations, for thousands of years, are now subject to the whim of the day and we can discard what God said in the very beginning. We have watched as families disintegrate, as moms are desperately trying to raise kids on their own while juggling a couple of jobs, abandoned by the one who gave them that child. We see young men who are basically floating on the water with every wind of teaching and belief, looking for meaning, but finding little that matters. We see a society that is filled with violent video and pornography that is simply oozing out of the woodwork and we wonder, "Why is all of this coming undone? "What can be done?"

The answer is found when people listen to the living God. It changes their attitudes, it changes their culture, and it changes even a nation. I believe we need to be asking God like never before. I believe we need to be seeking God like never before. I believe we need to be knocking like never before.

The Scripture is very clear when it says that judgment begins with the household of God, and unless and until the people of God are humble and repentant before Him, seeking the fullness of His Holy Spirit, the rest of the world will never listen. Jesus is telling us through a humorous story, but through a powerful promise, that if ever there were a day when we need to be asking and seeking and knocking, THIS IS THE DAY!

We do not look to our culture and our country for that change. We look up instead and say, "Only in the living God is there deliverance from the hell that we are making. Only in the power of the Holy Spirit is there the supernatural resource to truly change." That is what Jesus offers. I believe that's what we ought to be seeking, because His desire is clearly stated in Scripture, He wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.

Our God is a God who yearns and longs to bless, and to bring joy, and He does that at an incredible personal cost. The cost of His own Son. It is the Son who says to you and me, "Ask, seek, knock."

Our God desires to pour out His Holy Spirit in power!! The Father desires to pour out the fullness of the Holy Spirit. THIS IS THE DAY TO ASK! SEEK! AND KNOCK!!

https://www.awakeusnow.com

The Parables of Jesus is part two of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. Jesus is known for telling some of the greatest stories ever told. In telling these stories He uses the form of a parable which is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus' parables resonate in every culture and in every generation around the world.

This study is great for large group. small group or home group Bible study.

Luke 10:25-37.

Jesus often answered a question with a question. But when asked "Who is my neighbor?," He answered by telling a story - a story that asks the same question of us.

Today's study is The Good Samaritan, a 2000 year old parable from Jesus that still speak into our culture today.

This story starts with an expert of Jewish law asking Jesus a question. Jesus answered the question with a question. A tactic Jesus used frequently. Why? Because He knows questions are how one gets to a person's heart. Questions force one to think things through.

Jesus answers the first few questions from the expert with questions but then He answers the "who is my neighbor" question with a parable (but it ends with a question as well.)

The Parable Jesus tells is about a man that is beaten, robbed and left for dead on the road side and the reactions of three by-passers.

1. Priest - a religious person who just ignored the beaten man and just kept on walking 2. Levite - a church worker, stops to look at the man but decides to walk away without helping 3. A Samaritan - a person not liked by the jewish community, considered the low of the low. The Samaritan cared for the injured man and took him where he received additional help and paid for it all.

Jesus ends the telling of this parable with the question, "Which of the three was a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?"

The answer is the Samaritan - the one who knew the heart of God and acted on that - the one who had mercy on the robbed and beaten man.

Jesus said to the expert, "Go and do likewise." It's not that we earn our way into heaven by doing nice things. There's only one way to heaven and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Only One way into eternal life and that is the Lord Jesus Christ - through the willingly shed blood of the Lamb of God who laid down His life the sins of the world - for each of us. And when we know and understand that - it changes us from the inside out, because when the change happens we look at people differently and we're looking at ourselves differently.

We tend to think we're "better than so and so," but what God is saying is - we all desperately need what only He can provide; mercy, kindness, forgiveness and life. These He offer us, not because of what WE do but because of what JESUS has done.

There's a realization: - God is good - so so good - We can no longer look at ourselves as better than others - We want to be more and more like Jesus

We put our faith into practice by the things that we do. Fatih is shown by our behavior. It is not a matter of religion. Instead, faith tells us that because of what God has done, we want to do whatever He would have us do.

Jesus is still asking us the question today: "Which of the three was a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?" Do we, like the Samaritan, understand the heart of God and love others as we have first been loved by God. Do we hear Jesus saying today, "Go and do likewise."

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

https://www.awakeusnow.com

The Parables of Jesus is part two of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. Jesus is known for telling some of the greatest stories ever told. In telling these stories He uses the form of a parable which is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus' parables resonate in every culture and in every generation around the world.

This study is great for large group. small group or home group Bible study.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus compares the Word of God to seed falling on four different kinds of soil - hardened, shallow, thorny, and productive. Which soil does God's Word find in you?

Pastor shows us a picture of a wheat field in Israel that is actually a battlefield, in the Valley of Elah, where David battled Goliath. It's an amazing battle in which God won the victory. The picture of this field reminds us that as Jesus tells the story of The Sower, He is speaking about warfare, spiritual warfare. God desires to bring every man, woman and child into His loving presence, but there is a battle raging over the human heart and in the human soul and it is a life or death matter.

Seed has power and that's how it is with God's Word. His word that does not change is a powerful word. It is a life-changing word. God's word is a Living Word, and a word for us today.

Seed= God's Word

Four kinds of Soil. Which soil are you? 1. Pathway soil - hardened - where God's Word (seed) cannot grow. God pleads, "break up the hard ground" Jeremiah 4:3 2. Rocky soil - shallow - where the God's word - the Seed - sprouts and starts to grow but the roots cannot go down deep - shallow faith without deep roots cannot continue to mature. God desires we have deep roots and are firmly planted. 3. Thorny soil - divided - thorny soil is a picture of those who have divided loyalties in their lives. They know the Lord, but are also into this or that, or are enamored with things or stuck in worries about riches, paying the bills, the worries about health, the worries about how is it all going to turn out in the end, etc. These things can so quickly divert your attention from God and His Word and from the only thing that endures, and that is the living God. So He is telling us to weed out all of the thorn bushes in our lives, to make sure that those things are not choking out our faith, or driving us away from Him. 4. Good soil - produces fruit - God's desire is that we allow His Word to penetrate and permeate our lives, that we are people of prayer, people who practice our faith, that we be faithful, trustworthy, dedicated disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that we produce much fruit. That means that our lives show more and more the power of God at work in us. It means that others can see in us, living examples of what it means to walk by faith in every situation, in the good days and in the difficult times as well. Jesus is calling us to be good soil.

When Jesus told this story, The Parable of the Sower, He wasn't simply telling a story that people could recount generation after generation. He was speaking profound divine truth. God's Word has power. It's transforming. In His word we have the death and resurrection of Jesus, Who gives life to all who repent and believe. His promise is that He will bring forth incredible fruit in our lives as we walk by faith, as we cling to His Word, as we trust Him in every circumstance, as we show His love to others, as we call on God in prayer, and experience daily the joy of His presence and the power His Holy Spirit.

I Peter 1:23, "You have been born again." You been reborn. You have a new birth. How? Not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God." It is a powerful Word. Seed does amazing things. It imparts life and God's Word is life. Jesus Christ, the living Word of God is life. In Him there is life and hope and joy and peace.

Scripture sources: - Luke 8:4-9; 11-15; Jeremiah 4:3; 1 Peter 1:23; John 8:31-32

https://www.awakeusnow.com

The Parables of Jesus is part two of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. Jesus is known for telling some of the greatest stories ever told. In telling these stories He uses the form of a parable which is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus' parables resonate in every culture and in every generation around the world.

This study is great for large group. small group or home group Bible study.

Luke 6:47-49, John 3:16, 1 John 3. Is your life built on a solid foundation, or on a shifting, unstable one? What did Jesus say was a solid foundation? In our continued Two Year Study of the Gospels, we now move from the Gospel of Mark into the Gospel of Luke, specifically taking a look at the Parables of Jesus. The first parable Pastor Dodge examines is the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders. Where we build, how we build and what we build with are important and the foundation makes all the difference. A solid foundation can withstand the storms that a house built on sand cannot. Today's parable demonstrates this profound truth: Jesus tells us if we come to Him and hear His Word and put those words into practice, it is like a wise man who dug down deep to get a solid foundation on the rock and when the storms of life came - that house stood strong. But the person who built quickly without a strong foundation, when the storms came that house was totally destroyed. We want to make sure our lives are anchored and founded on something that can never be shaken, that something is a Person, the Person is Jesus. We can't just hear the word of God we need to put it into practice, that's what it means to build on a solid foundation. What does a solid foundation look like? What is it build with? What does it mean to build on a solid foundation? 1. Humble heart - Is where the solid foundation starts 2. Father's love - The foundation is anchored in the Love of the Father. 3. Son's Lordship - Jesus wants to be Lord of our lives - meaning He leads, guides and directs us. 4. Spirit's power - The Spirit of God dwells within us so we are to live in the power and strength the Holy Spirit provides. 5. Grace and mercy - We are to reflect to others the same grace and mercy we have received from God in our own lives. 6. Willing obedience - We are called to listen to the Word and follow. God's Word determines truth. Let His truth guide our lives, let His scripture speak into the now, irrespective of what the world around us may be saying. These six building blocks build a solid foundation which will not crumble. Unless our lives are anchored on a solid foundation - The Foundation of the Living God - our lives will crumble. Which are you, a wise builder or a foolish builder? And what are you going to do about it? Additionally, Pastor shares excavation information under the Synagogue of Capernaum which is centuries old. This synagogue was built on the foundation stones of another synagogue named, "The Synagogue of Jesus," which dates back 2000 years based on artifacts found in the excavation. https://www.awakeusnow.com The Parables of Jesus is part two of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. Jesus is known for telling some of the greatest stories ever told. In telling these stories He uses the form of a parable which is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus' parables resonate in every culture and in every generation around the world. This study is great for large group. small group or home group Bible study.

Week 30 - Mark 15:40 - 16:8 (including 9-20). Death and burial of Jesus; The Resurrection; Women, the first witnesses to the Resurrection. In this study we finish the final chapter of Mark by taking a closer look at the women at the foot of Jesus' cross when he dies and the women who were on their way to anoint Jesus on Sunday morning and find Him gone and also a look at the woman who was the first to talk with Jesus after His resurrection. This look at these women brings some great insight into who these women were and takes a specific look at Mary of Bethany (Lazarus' sister) and Mary Magdalene with some exploration into them possibly being the same person. Pastor puts out the lay of the land, where specific houses were located and where the tomb was along with the look at the women and puts together the resurrection story using the accounts of all 4 gospels and unites them into one cohesive reconstruction of the events of Resurrection Sunday. Here's how Pastor takes Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and puts the pieces together: Scene 1: Very Early Sunday morning 1. Mary Magdalene, Mary (Clopas' wife) and Salome head to the tomb. 2. They see the open tomb and Mary Magdalene returns to town to tell Peter and John. Scene 2: Early Sunday morning 1. Joanna (& Susanna?) leave Hasmonean Palace for the tomb 2. Meeting Mary (Clopas' wife) and Salome, they enter tomb and see 2 angels 3. They return to town to tell the others Scene 3: Early Sunday morning 1. Peter and John run to the tomb. Mary Magdalene follows shortly thereafter. 2. Peter & John return home. Mary Magdalene lingers. Sees 2 angels. 3. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. (The first eyewitness to see Jesus after His resurrection). Scene 4: Sunday morning 1. Salome and Mary (Clopas' wife) and others head to tell the other disciples. 2. Jesus meets them on the way. Scene 5: Sunday afternoon/evening 1. Cleopas/Clopas and companion head to Emmaus. 2. Jesus meets them on the way 3. They return to upper room to meet disciples 4. Jesus shows up! The teaching time continues with the story of "Doubting" Thomas. And His words, "My Lord and My God!" Thomas understood that because Jesus was alive, He is who He claimed Himself to be AND He is the One whom the Scriptures claim Him to be: The Son of the Living God come to earth. Pastor ends with the story of Peter being asked 3 times by Jesus if he loves Him, and Peter being commissioned 3 times by Jesus to feed His sheep. Peter willingly committed his heart to Jesus and would willingly go to his death for his faith in Jesus some 30 years later. Peter was sold out for Christ. Will we too be sold out to Christ and follow Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength? Will we love Him with everything we are? We close out this first of the 4 gospels with Jesus ascending to the Father and letting us know that He is with us always, even until the end of the age. The summary of Mark: God is amazing, He is an amazing Savior, and He does everything He says He's going to do! https://www.awakeusnow.com The Gospel of Mark is the first of the 4 Gospels we are studying. The book of Mark highlights and applies the fundamental teachings of the Biblical faith as encountered through the life and teachings of Jesus as written by Mark. This study is great for large group. small group or home group Bible study.