February 19, 2020
Want To Preserve Your Life? No Mason Jars Needed!
Luke 17:20-37
Paul Flesher
Central Truth
It's easy to find comfort in our earthly desires and possessions; but if we can "count them as rubbish, in order [to] gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8), God has much better in store for us!
Key Verse | Luke 17:33
"Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it."
Luke 17:20-37
The Coming of the Kingdom
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” 1 17:21 Or within you, or within your grasp
22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 2 17:24 Some manuscripts omit in his day 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” 3 17:35 Some manuscripts add verse 36: Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse 4 17:37 Greek body is, there the vultures 5 17:37 Or eagles will gather.”
Dive Deeper | Luke 17:20-37
Have you ever lost something valuable? Whether it was misplaced or even physically destroyed, how did you feel? Sad? Angry? Frustrated? Me, too. During the devastating storm that hit Dallas last year, my wife and I lost a vehicle in the flash flooding. I was initially angry, then frustrated. And having a new baby only added to the already stressful idea of shopping for a replacement.
But let's take a step back. What if the thing I had lost was hope for eternal salvation? Suddenly, the family car doesn't seem so important anymore.
Enter one of the most well-known paradoxes of the Bible! When the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come, His answer was that it would come in an instant and that they shouldn't turn back to retrieve their belongings when it did. (Luke 17:24-32) Then He dropped the bombshell: "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it." (Luke 17:33)
While the Pharisees may not have understood this seemingly contradictory statement, we know Jesus wasn't referring to the physical body alone. He warned that if we cling to earthly desires or possessions as idols, we have no room for Him as Lord of our eternal lives. Rather, if we seek to claim the free gift of eternal life in Jesus (Romans 6:23) and to pursue Him, we should deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. (Matthew 16:24)
This is much easier said than done! In my own life, I fail by putting my desires ahead of the needs of my family. Worse, I choose to sacrifice time in the Word or prayer to spend more time in my hobbies. But in trying to preserve my old life of selfishness, I lose out on the better life God has for me. It's only through daily abiding in Christ that I can put my flesh to death and follow Him. And when I do, the blessings are abundant! Don't let your own flesh hold you back any longer; nail it to the cross and walk in faith!
Discussion Questions
1. Have you made the choice to follow Jesus wholeheartedly? If not, what is holding you back?
2. Can you think of a time when you have chosen to put your trust in God instead of what your flesh was telling you? Did God have something better in store for you on the other side? How did that help you put your faith in Him going forward?
3. Do you have a tendency to cling to the things of the world? What does that look like in your life?
If you consistently struggle with a particular sin pattern or addiction, please consider attending re:generation, Watermark's biblical 12-step recovery program. It's a great resource for overcoming your "hurts, habits, and hang-ups"!