The Luke Blog, Ch 9
The Values
One: Find Awesome People
Jesus recruited twelve men. None of them were awesome, but he had high hopes. He even sent them out to preach, unsupervised. They did okay. They didn’t know that within two years he would send them out to the world. They caught up to awesome.
Two: Serve Others
One day Jesus was teaching and by evening the people were hungry. The less than awesome apostles wanted to send everybody home. But Jesus fed them. People will follow if you help them, at least most will.
Three: Embrace Sacrifice
Jesus asked, “Who do you think I am?” Peter replied,”The Christ of God.” He was right. He challenged them to self denial, to take up their cross, and follow him. He called them to the highest sacrifice, embracing the cross of death.
Four: Elevate Truth
Jesus was on a mountain with some disciples; and suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared. God’s voice, “This is my son, listen to him.” Jesus was not a source of truth, he was the truth. His message was higher the Moses’s Law and greater than Elijah’s prophecies.
Five: Understand Evil
Jesus drove out a spirit that had placed the essence of hell inside the possessed. Then he used the miracle to teach his followers about evil. Evil wants only to destroy and it would attempt to destroy him. People are used by evil.
Six: Overcome Pride
The disciples became minor celebrities. As such, they enjoyed arguing about their celebrity status. But Jesus said that the servant of servants was the highest person in his kingdom. Pride will never do.
Seven: Respond to Opposition
Some Samaritans rejected Jesus. The disciples wanted to call down fire to incinerate the village. But that wasn’t the way of humility, they were still thinking and acting out of arrogance. We are to love and pray for our enemies.
Eight: Leadership Costs
Jesus demanded that his leaders put his kingdom first, above self, family, and possessions. It’s a costly demand and not everyone embraced it. But we must.
Winning the world isn’t about power and prestige. Gaining the world but losing our soul is to gain nothing. Implying that conquering the world forfeits the soul. Winning is bringing the world to the Messiah. The values for winning are rooted in Messiah’s message.
The question: Is Messiah’s message rooted in you?
Shalom
