December 22, 2024 • Pastor Phil Burggraff • Luke 12:32
Theme: Our Father’s Gift
Passage: Luke 12:32d
The Father’s Giving:
1. God gives so that His people may know His salvation (1:73, 77; 8:10).
2. God gives in abundance to those who take what He has given and use it for His glory (8:18, 12:48, 19:26).
3. God gives to those who ask (11:9, 13).
Kingdom in Luke:
· Future Realm (22:16–18, 29–30)
· Present Reality (17:20–21)
· Received as a little child (18:15–17)
· Incredibly difficult for the rich to enter it (18:18–25)
· Requires our allegiance (18:29–30)
Progression of God’s giving in relation to the Kingdom:
· The Father will give the Son the throne of His Father David (1:32, 33).
· The Son gave His body for His followers (22:19).
· Therefore, receive it as a little child takes a gift given (18:16–25).
Main Idea: God gladly offers us the kingdom which is received today by serving alongside Jesus’ followers.
Application Questions:
· How does God’s giving counteract our self-sufficiency?
· In what ways do you struggle to receive the gifts that God is pleased to give to you?
· How can the kingdom be both a future realm and a present reality? Why is it important for us to maintain both aspects in our understanding of what Jesus is doing for and through His church?
· In Luke 18:15–25, Jesus taught that the kingdom could only be received like a little child receives. What did He mean by this? How does this apply to your life today?
· Jesus’ giving of His body in Luke 22:19 calls us to model Jesus’ sacrifice. How are we to mirror this work of Christ in our lives and service?
December 15, 2024
December 15, 2024 • Pastor Phil Burggraff • Luke 12:32
Theme: Pleasing to our Heavenly Father
Passage: Luke 12:32
The Progression of God’s pleasure in Luke:
· Luke 2:14: God’s pleasure with us stems from His salvific work to glorify Himself and establish peace for humanity
· Luke 3:22: God the Father declares His pleasure in His beloved Son.
· 10:21: God takes pleasure in making salvation something to be simply received by knowing and receiving Jesus as Savior.
Key Truth: God is pleased with us because He is pleased with His Son.
Further, God is pleased when we ...
1. Recognize his authority over our lives and properly fear Him (4–7)
2. Publicly acknowledge Jesus and submit to His Holy Spirit (8–10)
3. Are rich toward Him (21)
4. Prioritize His kingdom over the material stuff of this world (31)
5. Are ready for Jesus’ return (37–38)
Key Truth Restated: God is fully pleased with those of us who have trusted in His Son.
Application Questions:
· How can we err in our understanding of God’s pleasure, especially towards us? Why do we do this?
· How is the Father pleased with Jesus? How do we benefit from this? Is there anything that we need to do to receive these benefits? Why or why not?
· Why is it important to understand that God is fully pleased with us because we are in Jesus Christ? How have you struggled with believing this truth?
· If God is fully pleased with us already, what role does obedience play in our relationship with God? How does the analogy of parent (Father) and children clarify this?
