The Moody Church Sunday Morning Podcast

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The King’s Business
Friends, for the last 10 chapters of Luke, we've journeyed with Jesus toward Jerusalem, where he'll lay down his life—crucified, buried, and resurrected. At the end of Luke 19, just before his triumphal entry, Jesus tells a parable based on a historical event: the scramble for Herod the Great's throne after his death in 4 B.C. His son, Archelaus, raced to Rome for Caesar's approval, facing opposition from his brother and Jewish leaders. Jesus uses this familiar story to teach his disciples, tweaking details to avoid political controversy while still making his point clear. This parable, found in Luke 19:11-27, tells of a nobleman going to a far country to receive a kingdom and then returning. He entrusts his servants with minas, instructing them to engage in business until he comes back. Upon his return, he assesses their stewardship. Some multiplied their minas, receiving authority over cities. One servant, however, hid his mina, fearing the nobleman's harshness. This servant's mina was taken and given to the one who had earned the most. Jesus uses this to illustrate the importance of faithful stewardship during his absence. Jesus is doing three things in this parable: calibrating expectations, clarifying allegiances, and compelling investments. He's reminding his disciples that the kingdom won't appear immediately as they expect. Like Archelaus, Jesus will depart and return. He's also clarifying allegiances, asking where our loyalties lie. Are we with him or against him? True loyalty is demonstrated before he returns in power, not afterward. Finally, he's compelling investments. The minas represent the time, talent, and treasure God entrusts to us. How we steward these resources reveals our faithfulness and readiness for greater responsibilities in the kingdom to come. The parable's ending leaves us with a question: what about the other seven servants? Jesus brilliantly places us within the story, challenging us to consider our own stewardship. Are we antagonists, bold loyalists, private loyalists, secretly doubtful, or faithful servants? And if faithful, how are we investing what God has given us? This life is the proving ground for future assignments in God's kingdom. We are called to get on with the King's business. So, friends, who are you living for? Is this life about you or about the kingdom? King Jesus has departed and will return. Get on the kingdom timeline. Decide where your loyalties lie. Invest wisely in the King's business. Remember C.T. Studd's words: "Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last." Don't waste this precious life. Invest it for the sake of the kingdom. Surrender to God's will and say, "Here I am, Lord, send me."
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The Joy of a Changed Life
Friends, today we dove into Luke 19, exploring Zacchaeus's encounter with Jesus—a case study in gospel transformation, a journey from greediness to generosity. Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector and a rich man, was in spiritual peril, trapped by his wealth. His name, ironically meaning "pure" or "clear," contrasted sharply with his corrupt practices. Like the rich man building bigger barns or the rich young ruler clinging to his possessions, Zacchaeus was in danger of losing everything for his love of money. Yet, something remarkable happened. He humbled himself, climbing a tree in desperation to see Jesus, breaking social conventions and risking public ridicule. This act of humility foreshadowed the transformation to come. Jesus, seeing Zacchaeus, invited himself over, extending grace to this unlikely recipient. Zacchaeus's response was astonishing: he gave away half his wealth to the poor and pledged fourfold restitution to anyone he'd defrauded. This radical generosity wasn't about earning salvation; it was the fruit of salvation already received. Like the tax collector in Jesus's parable, Zacchaeus recognized his sinfulness and received God's mercy. This transformed his relationship with money. He no longer sought significance, security, or satisfaction in wealth; Jesus had become his treasure. He let go of earthly riches to grab hold of the true riches found in Christ. This transformation happened through the gospel. Jesus declared, "Today salvation has come to this house." This salvation preceded Zacchaeus's generosity, demonstrating that grace, not works, is the source of true change. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and Zacchaeus, the bullseye of God's grace, exemplified this truth. No one is beyond God's reach. Grace transforms. Paul's words in 2 Corinthians illuminate this further: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." Meditating on Christ's sacrifice—leaving heavenly riches to become poor for us—motivates us to make him our treasure. And when Jesus is our treasure, radical generosity naturally follows. So, where do we go from here? We can cultivate generosity by climbing the ladder of giving. Start with an initial gift, a step of faith. Then, move towards intentional, disciplined giving, aiming for the biblical standard of 10%. From there, consider missional giving, going above and beyond out of love for God and others. Finally, embrace legacy generosity, making giving a part of your life's story. God wants to be your greatest treasure, freeing you from the grip of material possessions and offering an abundant life in His kingdom. He offers significance, security, and satisfaction that can never be taken away. Let the gospel transform your heart, leading to a life of radical generosity, a life that testifies to the joy of a changed life, a life that even an atheist can't deny. Let's pray that God loosens our grip on worldly things and fills our hearts with the magnitude of His treasure.
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Eyes Wide Open
Friends, in Luke 18, Jesus reveals to his disciples his impending suffering and death in Jerusalem. They struggle to grasp this, blinded by their expectations of a glorious Messiah. Yet, Jesus, nearing Jericho, encounters a blind beggar who recognizes him as the Son of David. This juxtaposition is key: the disciples' blindness to Jesus' true identity and mission is contrasted with the blind man's clear-sighted faith. Jesus heals the man, demonstrating his messianic power and foreshadowing the deeper spiritual sight he offers. This miracle serves as a divine calling card, echoing Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah opening the eyes of the blind. It's a powerful reminder that Jesus is both the glorious king and the suffering servant. The disciples' struggle to accept Jesus' suffering mirrors our own difficulty in understanding pain. We crave immediate glory and healing, questioning why the cross is necessary. But Jesus' path to redemption leads through suffering. He enters into the darkness to bring us light, mirroring the ancient story of Job. Job, facing immense suffering, found hope in his Redeemer, envisioning him standing on the ash heap of his pain. This image of the Redeemer amidst suffering resonates deeply with Jesus' own journey to the cross. Job's eventual restoration foreshadows the ultimate redemption offered through Christ. Just as Job's hope rested on seeing his Redeemer, our hope lies in fixing our eyes on Jesus. He is both the messianic healer, restoring physical sight, and the suffering servant, enduring the cross for our redemption. He is the lion and the lamb, the crucified and risen Lord. We cannot have the crown without the cross, the resurrection without the crucifixion. Jesus' willingness to enter into our darkness and suffering is the very essence of his redemptive work. This truth has profound practical implications for us. In a broken and hurting world, we will inevitably face suffering. How can we endure? By fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Redeemer, who stands with us on our own ash heaps of pain. He has conquered death itself, transforming it from an executioner into a gardener. Because of Jesus, even death becomes a pathway to greater life. So, friends, let us live with eyes wide open, embracing the full spectrum of who Jesus is: the glorious king, the suffering servant, and the risen Redeemer. Let us face the darkness of this world with unwavering hope, knowing that the light of Christ will never be overcome. He is with us always, offering us his light and life, even in the midst of our deepest pain. May we fix our eyes on him, the author and perfecter of our faith, and follow him wherever he leads.
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How Good Is Good Enough
Friends, this passage about the rich young ruler is brilliant! Jesus masterfully draws out the depths of this man's heart with three deft moves: deconstructing religion, diagnosing disease, and detailing hope. This rich young ruler, seemingly the perfect disciple candidate, approaches Jesus with a question: "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" But Jesus immediately challenges his assumptions about "goodness" and earning salvation through works. He exposes the ruler's belief that eternal life can be inherited by doing, that doing is within his power, and that God's standard is within reach. This is the problem with religion – it can never bridge the gap between our efforts and God's holy standard. Jesus then diagnoses the rich young ruler's disease: idolatry. He commands him to sell all his possessions and follow Him, a personalized prescription targeting the ruler's love of wealth above God. This command wasn't a blanket requirement for discipleship, but a specific remedy for this man's heart ailment. Like Peter laying down his nets and Nicodemus his status, the rich young ruler was called to surrender his idol. The core issue is always the same: will we give God our full allegiance, making Him our ultimate treasure? Sadly, the ruler's wealth had him, and he walked away grieved. This reminds us that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and we cannot serve both God and money. But there's hope! What's impossible for us is possible with God. Even the rich young ruler, with all his advantages, couldn't save himself. We are all dead in our transgressions, needing the impossible intervention of God. Jesus specializes in raising dead things to life! His grace begins where we fail, and our hopelessness is the birthplace of His hope. Imagine if the ruler had approached Jesus with humility, acknowledging his inability to keep the commandments and begging for mercy. He would have experienced grace through faith, making Jesus his treasure. This leads us to the heart of the matter: Jesus is worth everything we must give up. Peter's example of leaving everything to follow Jesus, and Jesus' promise of abundant return, underscores this truth. Coming to Jesus always involves confronting our idols, laying down something to grasp hold of Him. For Paul, it was his religious pedigree and accomplishments, which he counted as rubbish compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. He understood that true righteousness comes through faith, not works. So, friends, what idols are captivating your heart? What must you lay down to truly grasp hold of Jesus? Does your relationship with wealth reflect that Jesus is your greatest treasure? Following Jesus requires radical obedience and faith, surrendering everything to make Him first in our lives. This is hard, and we can't do it on our own. We need God to change our hearts, and that's precisely what Jesus does. He lived the perfect life we couldn't, offering Himself as a sacrifice so we could have His righteousness. Let's give our all to Him, holding nothing back, and experience the abundant life He promises.
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Never A Nuisance
We often hesitate to approach God with our needs because we've learned not to bother important people. But that's a mistake! Jesus assures us that we are never a nuisance to God. He longs to hear our prayers and bless us. In Luke 18, Jesus teaches us that pining for justice, pleading for mercy, and pestering for attention never bother God. He tells the parable of a persistent widow who finally receives justice from an unjust judge, highlighting God's willingness to answer our cries for justice. He then contrasts a self-righteous Pharisee with a humble tax collector, emphasizing that God delights in our pleas for mercy, not our boasts of righteousness. Finally, Jesus welcomes little children, who naturally pester and interrupt, showing us that God cherishes our childlike faith and desire to spend time with Him. Just like the widow who wouldn't give up, we should persistently bring our requests to God, trusting in His goodness and justice. Like the tax collector, we should approach God with humility, acknowledging our need for His mercy. And like little children, we should come to God with open hearts, eager to share our lives and receive His love. God is not bothered by our needs, but rather, He is honored when we entrust them to Him. He delights in our vulnerability and welcomes our persistent prayers. Let us, therefore, approach His throne of grace with confidence, knowing that we are always welcome in His presence. Remember, God wants to waste time with you! He desires your presence and delights in your company. Don't let the busyness of life or the fear of being a nuisance keep you from experiencing the joy of His presence.
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