Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional, where we continue in our series: Luke Exploring Who Jesus is. Please share this devotional with anyone you think would find it helpful.
‘'(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptised by John. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptised by John.) Jesus went on to say, ‘To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling out to each other: ‘ “We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.” For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, “He has a demon.” The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”’Luke 7:29-35)
Lesson: Wisdom for salvation and life are found in Christ and people often judge Christ by the outcome of our way of life!
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I. Wisdom for salvation and life are found in Christ
What is wisdom? Wisdom, in essence, is knowing the right things and doing the right things; it’s right living based upon right believing. If you were to ask many people, ‘what is wise living’, you would find that their answers will be cobbled together from many sources and will reflect their belief system and what they believe will lead to the best outcomes. Too often, the best outcomes for many are immediate gratification without real consideration for long-term outcomes.
For Christians, wisdom is from God; it’s believing that what God says and doing what God says will lead to the best outcomes. In today’s text Jesus tells us:
‘But wisdom is proved right by all her children.’
We follow Jesus because He is proved right by His life. In this gospel, for example, we see Jesus’ teaching, compassion, power and, ultimately His death and resurrection as proving Him to be God and Saviour. However, too many, like these religious leaders, don’t want God’s wisdom but they want their own. He likens them to spoilt and unappeasable children to show that many, like these leaders, will find fault with Christ and with Christians whatever they do because they don’t want to believe - they want to follow their own preferential wisdom.
II. People often judge Christ by the outcome of our way of life!
Like John and Jesus, we should have the fruit of wisdom in our lives on display. Many will criticise us no matter what - if we are serious or joyful - but we must try to avoid needless dishonouring of Christ through unwise living.
Response
Wisdom for salvation and life are found in Christ and people often judge Christ by the outcome of our way of life!
Are you seeking wisdom from God in His Word and from mature and fruitful people, or are we more interested in listening to hype and nonsense and foolish people?
Are you unwise? Do you make bad choices as shown by the mess and chaos in your life? In our relationships, finances, work, rest and play, are we being wise?
How do you need to respond to this?
COMMUNITY GROUP NOTES AND STUDY
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
Please ensure that the members of your group are aware and familiar with using the daily devotionals.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
This week in our devotionals and in this CG study, we will be learning from the account of John's doubts and how we can deal with our, and help others with their, temptation to doubt Jesus.
Please read Luke 7:18-35 (We will be focussing on verses 18-21)
Note: Firstly, encourage the group to use the devotionals so as to cover more aspects of this text.
Why do you think that John is doubting his conviction about Jesus being the promised Messiah/Christ?
Have you ever experienced doubts in your faith?
If, like John, you, or someone you know is being tempted to doubt Jesus, what lessons does this text teach us about how to be restored in faith?
SIV - What does this text teach us about how we can help unbelievers or 'prodigals' to come to faith?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ this week?
SIV - Lets now pray together that, this week, we will have opportunities to SIV.
Let's pray for one another our friends whom we know to be tempted to doubt or who have fallen away from faith.