Luke 11: 27-33 Show me a Sign

The Bible declares that in the Last days People will not endure truth

A) Listen to Paul’s words in 1 TIM. 4 :1,2 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

B) Also in 2 Tim. 4 :2-5 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

  1. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

NLT

3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear.

4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things,

C) YOU BE WATCHFUL – BE ALERT – watch out for such things

 

UNFORTUNATELY PAUL’S EXHORTATION HAS NOT BEEN HEEDED IN THE LIVES MANY CHRISTIANS & CHURCHES

  1. For the time in which we live is a perfect description of what Paul was ADDRESSING in 1 & 2 Tim.
  2. A time where people have turned aside from the truth to be deceived by fables & Doctrines of Demons .
  3. PASSAGE TODAY – JESUS EXHORTATION TO HEED TRUTH
  4. In this passage Jesus speaks of the Blessedness of heeding the truth / and also Pronounces Judgement against those who don’t

WE LEFT OFF W/ JESUS DEMONSTRATING HIS POWER OVER DEMONIC FORCES - ( Demon ….. MUTE )

  1. REACTION : Some AFFECTED – Crowd Marveled

    2. B) Some were OFFENDED - Deny the Source

  2. Jesus gives a discussion on the Source of His Power & why it was obviously from God - They need to deal w/ that .
  1. V.23 For me or against me

C) pick up today – v. 27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You

Notice This was the 1st attempt to VENERATE Mary / to EXALT HER

A) In pagan religions, they often worshipped goddesses

B) Ex. / In ancient Babylonian religions, they worshipped NIMROD

BUT - Equally worshipped with him was Simeramus / MOTHER

1) She was given the title queen of heaven and mother of god

  1. Prayers would be made to her that she might intercede for a person to

her son

NOW THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS DONE A SIMILAR THING W/ MARY

A) NOTE: In the Catholic prayer: "The Hail Mary"... Mary is called the very same thing that Simeramus was called

"Hail Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen"

 

NOTE: There is NO scriptural basis to pray to Mary

A) In fact On another occasion, Mary came to Jesus in Capernaum and when she could NOT get into the house, she sent word to Jesus saying that she was there.

Mt 12:47-48 Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You." 48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"

49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

B) Now IF I were trying to get to Jesus THROUGH Mary, these words would trouble me

1) On this particular occasion she couldn’t get in to Jesus

What is even more worse is that There has been a move in the Roman Catholic church to make Mary a CO-REDEMPTRESS with Jesus

A) In the city of Rome, the church that is near the main rail depot in Rome

has on the side of it a large cross

  1. On one side of it is a statue of Jesus/ On the other side of it is a statue

of Mary

B) This was a move to elevate Mary to the place of CO- REDEMPTRESS

Such attempts to VENERATE MARY & EXALT her ABOVE all women & put her on an equal place w/ JESUS

  1. Are a good example of a Doctrine of Demons that Paul spoke of in Writing to Timothy. No Scriptural BASIS ( Favored among …..)

  2. Now the Focus of all such Deception is to get peoples eyes off of the Person & sufficiency of Christ & on to someone or something else .

    3. 1) Common CHARATERISTIC of such false DOCTRINE/

  3. So The FIRST attempt to elevate Mary is seen right here/ notice How Jesus RESPONDS

28 But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

 

NOW JESUS LOVED HIS MOTHER – But He knew that Man’s tendency would be to exalt her / DEIFY HER / What does He do?

  1. Challenges People to hear the Truth – implies knowing what it is /

    2. And KEEP THE TRUTH

  2. How do we keep from going astray – Hear & KEEP
  1. Problem today - NATION BECOMING BIBLICALLY ILLITERATE

A pastor ended one Sunday morning service by instructing his people, "I would like all of you to read the 17th chapter of Mark's Gospel before next Sunday."

The following Sunday, true to his word, he asked the congregation, "How many of you actually read the 17th chapter of Mark's Gospel this past week?" Almost everyone in the pews raised their hands to signify they had indeed read that 17th chapter.

Then The pastor then stunned his people by announcing, "Ladies and gentlemen, there is no 17th chapter of Mark." Then he proceeded to preach his Sunday morning sermon, which happened to be on lying.

KNOW IT & KEEP IT - James him who knows & doesn’t keep sin

  1. Not enough to just know it – need to keep it !

YOU WANT TO BE BLESSED BY GOD / MORE BLESSED THAN MARY HEAR THE WORD – KNOW IT – AND KEEP IT !!!!!!!!

So Some are Deceived today by Doctrines of Demons because they don’t know the truth or they ignore the truth

  1. And others are DISTRACTED from the truth because they want their senses tickled – show me a sign . v.29

29 And while the crowds were thickly gathered together,( JESUS ALWAYS DRAWING A CROWD – SEE HERE SOME FOR WRONG REASONS) He began to say, "This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

  1. "For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

Now Jesus obviously didn’t read N. V. Peal’s book how to make friends & influence people - Addresses Crowd - Evil Gen. SEEKS A SIGN

  1. It amazes me today how easy it is to DRAW A CROWD

Aa) Example 1000’s gather in an arena – pay decent money to watch some

guys PRETEND to wrestle - Amazing

    1. Amazing that they don’t have better things to do w/ their time & money
  1. That is amazing / HUGE CROWDS / - What is tragic however is that 100’s & even 1000’s will travel great distances to a Church –
  1. Where in the name of God & supposedly by the working of the Spirit they will see people falling on the ground laughing uncontrollably
  1. Others running around the room / some barking like a dog / others roaring like a Lion / still more pretending to fly like Eagles

1) People flocking to experience some new sign or wonder

Well it is that MENTALITY THAT JESUS ADDRESSES HERE

  1. NOW V. 29 takes us back to v. 16 where after seeing a Demon possessed

man the religious leaders said show us a sign .

1) Matt. Gospel puts these two verses together . Turn Matt. 12:38

Matt. 12: 38 38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

  1. "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Notice Jesus’ description of that type of mentality that says – show me a sign – those who would seek to follow after signs & wonders / HEAVY

  1. EVIL & ADULTEROUS GEN. THAT SEEKS FOR A SIGN

B) EVIL speaks of that attitude that says I will not take God at His Word /

C)That SHOW ME kind of attitude "I will not believe until I can COMPREHEND it or SEE it with my own eyes..touch it w/ my own hands"

  1. Guy in Hungary – GUITAR

Many people say I will believe it when I see it – God says Believe it & then you will see it / Joshua at Jericho .

  1. Abe w/ Isaac – Abram – Blessed father to Abraham – Father of Multitudes / How old 90 – how many kids – 0

  2. But I am believing God – that is faith .

  3. Great Blessing for those who live by faith – Pleases God –

  1. Remember Thomas said I won’t believe it until see it

D) Jesus appears - And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen & yet have believed."

  1. That is us !!!!!!!!! There is a great Blessedness in the eyes of God for Believing simply because God said it was so !!!!

1) God loves that heart that says God said it I believe it & that settles it

EVIL & ADULTEROUS

A) ADULTEROUS speaks of unfaithfulness – in worst sense /

  1. 1) It speaks of one who is not content or satisfied w/ their spouse it
  2. speaks of one who allows his/ her heart to be won by another
  1. Often times in marriage – this type of thing happens because those

" feelings" of Being In love have diminished .

  1. So people want to feel that again – look else where
  1. It happens for similar reasons in peoples walks w/ the Lord !
  2. Most of us have experienced those times when the Presence of God was so sweet / moved emotionally
  1. Cried – because broken / tears of Joy / God’s Love
  1. Stirred in your heart at a message / warm sensation / Excitement in Worship – sense of wonder at amazement touches core of being
  1. Leaves you speechless / blown away
  1. Devotions – Awestruck – God’s word - Most of us have had such experiences – felt such emotions
  1. Ok God made us emotional beings / the Problem is when we seek after such emotions / feelings / sensations / Make them our pursuit!

 

Because those times can be so sweet there is a temptation to do that because each one of us have also experience times God seems distance

  1. Times when the Word seems dry / times when the feelings are just not there / times when worship not penetrating the ceiling
  2. And it is in those times that we are vulnerable to seek for a sign – God show me that you are there / Lord let me feel your touch
  1. But it is in those times especially that we need to walk by faith & not by sight or by feelings
  1. David declared Psalm 23 4 Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
  2. David is expressing that heart that says even though I can’t see you – even though the situation looks bleak – I will not fear because I know you are here
  3. You said that you would never leave me or forsake me / You said you would not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able

Listen Feelings will come & go in your Christian walk – but you must not base your walk on feelings

A) 2 Corinthians 5 We walk by faith & not by sight

  1. Faith Comes by hearing ….. word ! Faith is a trust in the truth
  2. See if my walk w/ the Lord becomes experience & emotion centered – I will be one who is prone to follow signs & wonders

Jesus said that signs & wonders would follow those who believe -/ today many " believers" are following after signs & wonders in order to believe

  1. My life – 11/2 yrs no feelings ( Raul Reis )
  2. 1st frustrated – took God at his word - believed – follow the word – never used more – God did so much !!!!!

Jesus said "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
  1. Jesus says remember what happened to Jonah – Rebelled – swallowed by a great big fish / 3 days later barfed up on the beach – that is the sign
  1. WHAT IS THE SIGN OF JONAH ?

B) A 3rd grade Sunday School teacher asked her students, "What can we learn from the story of Jonah and the whale?"

One child raised a hand and responded: "People make whales sick?"

  1. Not the sign – the sign is the death / burial & Resurrection / Jesus makes it clear 40 "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
  2. Jesus saying the one sign that I will give this Gen. & every Gen. To follow is the REZ. / that will be the proof positive of my claim to DIETY
  3. A sign that God would do the INCREDIBLE / UN THINKABLE / IMPOSSIBLE / God would become a man/ Die on a cross
  1. 3 days Later Rise from the Dead
  1. A SIGN FOR ALL TIMES

So that when I am in that place where the feelings are missing / absent I can say I know that my redeemer lives / EMPTY TOMB

Job Declared 19:2525 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;

26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God,

  1. Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

1JN. 3:2 See Him we will be like Him

So OUR FAITH IS not W/ OUT FACT & PROOF / Empty tomb / REZ IS THE KEY – Any sharing / preaching Resurrection

  1. My Search – saved 11 / sophomore Year / Jesus went from being a part of my life to being focus of my life – why ?
  2. Proof of Resurrection Theories / Wrong tomb / Jews moved body – wrong against Christianity
  1. Romans did / Christianity divided Empire /

C) Swoon Theory - Understand Crucifixion / ALL FOR YOU

  1. Disciples stole the Body – Died
  1. James beheaded / some sawn in two / Thomas lit. brains beat out / Peter Crucified upside down / John Boiled in oil
  1. 11 guys & countless others – Lions for a Lie ! ABSURD – someone would have cracked !!!!!

FAITH ANCHORED IN THIS EMPTY TOMB – RISEN LORD

  1. Buddha / Gahandi / Mohammed / Joseph Smith / Bawgh Wagn

 

Back to Luke rap up

30 "For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

31 "The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

32"The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

Hebrews 9:27 It is appointed unto man once to die ….. JUDGEMENT

Jesus says that at the Judgement the Lord is going to call upon two gentiles who are going to testify against Israel

  1. The Men of Nineveh will rise up & say God sent us a white washed Prophet – a guy who stunk of whale barf
  2. Guy who’s skin was bleached white from the days he spent in the belly of the fish – a guy who seemed angry when spoke / not friendly
  1. But his message burned in our hearts & we repented – we heeded his word & believed
  1. And God sends you His beloved Son – came full of grace & truth – who died for you on a cross – 3 days later rose again / you rejected him
  1. What is wrong w/ you foolish people

 

And the Q. OF SHEBA – I was seeking wisdom & enlightenment & so I traveled 1500 miles / traveling for 75 days to meet Solomon

  1. He was indeed the wisest man in the World – after hearing him my heart was stirred that Jehovah was indeed God

B) But You had JESUS –Now it is true that Solomon was a wonderful counselor – but Jesus is the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

1) The one in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom & Knowledge

C)The one who declared He was God & the only way to Heaven & then proved it by dying on the cross & raising from the dead

    1. BUT YOU DIDN’T HEED HIM

D) There is NO indication that the men of that generation would have ANOTHER chance at eternal life

1) On the day of judgement they will be judged for their failure to accept the light that God gave to them

REZ – MUST DEAL W/ IT –ONLY SIGN NEEDED – IF HE IS ALIVE THEN THAT MEANS HE IS LORD – MY LORD ? Romans 10: 9

if you confess w/ …mouth .. Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

  1. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

A) Means he is the Way – Is He my way – Is He who I am trusting in!!!