August 13, 2010
Abandon it all for the sake of his call
Luke 9:46-62
Kelsey Kaigler
Central Truth
Instead of trying to highlight our own greatness, we should point to our truly great Savior. Our only job on earth is to make the Word of God known and to declare His greatness, no matter the sacrifice.
Key Verse | Luke 9:60
But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:60)
Luke 9:46-62
Who Is the Greatest?
46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
Anyone Not Against Us Is For Us
49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”
A Samaritan Village Rejects Jesus
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 1 9:54 Some manuscripts add as Elijah did 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 2 9:55 Some manuscripts add And he said, You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; 56for the Son of Man came not to destroy people's lives but to save them 56 And they went on to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus 3 9:60 Greek he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Dive Deeper | Luke 9:46-62
In the beginning of this passage, the disciples argue about which one of them is the greatest. In our own lives, we, too, strive for greatness. Whether it's scoring the winning goal, getting the best grade, making the most money, or trying to look religious, we all want to make ourselves look better than everyone else. In doing this, we are forgetting that we are sinners and are actually the opposite of great. Jesus tells His disciples that "the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great." (Luke 9:48) If we truly wanted to be great, we would put others before ourselves and live to glorify God, making His greatness known through our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) When we look at our weaknesses, we realize how mighty God is. He is the perfect Father, deserving of our praise.
Jesus tells us to "go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:60) Jesus is calling you to follow Him without hesitation. He wants you to abandon everything and devote your life completely to following Him. Jesus didn't even wait for a man to bury his father or say goodbye to his family when He called him. Jesus wants to be your number one priority, and it doesn't matter what you have to give up to follow Him.
Steven Curtis Chapman sings a song called "For the Sake of the Call," which says, "We will abandon it all for the sake of the call." Our "call" is to "proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:60) and abandon everything else. Jesus and His followers sacrificed having a home and depended daily on God to provide a place for them to stay. You might have to sacrifice your reputation, money, relationships, or even family to make God's Word known. God is calling you to proclaim His kingdom, so abandon it all for the sake of His glorious call.
Discussion Questions
1. We often praise ourselves when we do something great, but God is the only One who is truly great. He does great things for us every day, and we don't even realize it. What are some things He has done for you recently that declare His greatness? Praise Him for them!
2. Think about the situations you encounter daily. What are a few ways in which you can proclaim the kingdom of God? Opportunities present themselves every day, whether you see them or not. Ask God to open your eyes to everyday opportunities to share His Word.
3. What areas in your life are keeping you from proclaiming God's Word? How can you "abandon" them and make God your first priority?
4. "Proclaim" means "to announce or declare in an open or ostentatious way." What are some reasons you avoid sharing God's Word, when you should really be openly declaring it?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever made excuses about why you couldn’t obey your mom or dad right away?
2. What did each of the people do when Jesus said, "Follow Me"? What did they want to do before they followed?
3. What excuses do you make that keep you from obeying/following what God has called you to do?