Book of Luke - Ch. 11, Vs. 29-44 (10/05/2003)

The Sign of Jonah and the Demand for Miracles

Were gathered together to think, he began to say, this is an evil generation. They see the sign, and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonas, the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of Man be to this generation.

He called the generation an evil generation. Evil because they were seeking a sign. Today, even in the church, books are seeking after signs. Where is a sign? Well, I think in this case, a sign is something visually you can justify or to accurately help prove something's occurred.

So they're looking for some physical evidence that Jesus is who he says he is in some kind of worldly manner. That's right. If you listen to radio and television preachers, which we don't at our house, one in particular is seeking a sign, and he preaches it.

He preaches that if you are doing the right things, you'll get wealthy. They want and expect material financial growth because they ask God for it. They ask God. And he spent quite a time this morning asking God, Bill, does it do any good?

Yes. Does not. He cannot respond to man. What will be will be. If God should do so, then he would be a respecter. God does not make decisions. Prayer changes nothing except you, Russell. Yes, sir. Absolutely.

Jesus said the queen of the south should rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them. For she came from the upmost part of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

What was he talking about? That Jesus Christ is greater than Solomon. Jesus the Christ is here. This was the queen of Egypt that he was referring to. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it.

For they repented at the preaching of Jonas. And behold, a greater than Jonas is here. Jonah cast into the sea to save many lives. You remember the story of Jonah and the whale. Jesus was crucified to save many lives.

Jonah in the belly of the whale. Jesus in the belly of the earth. Jonah cast down on the earth. Jesus was resurrected. The sign of what the Pharisees here desired of our Savior was a miracle brought by him.

Now, when it comes to miracles, Jesus was willing and able to authenticate his purpose for being here by a miracle, affirm the faith in individuals by a miracle. But he would not perform a miracle to satisfy the unbelieving Pharisees' curiosity.

Accordingly, he tells them they should have no other sign than that of his resurrection, which Jonah was entitled to. 33, no man, when he hath lighted a candle, put it in a secret place, neither under a bushel but on a candlestick, that all which come in may see the light.

The light of the body is the eye. Therefore, when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light. But when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Their light is darkness, is to the soul what the eye is to the body.

Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness. Or as it is said, the light that is in you is darkness. If thy whole body, therefore, be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give the light.

Altogether, enlightened is what he means. When the eye is perfect, it enlightens the whole body. Every object within the reach of the eye is as completely seen as if there was an eye in every part. Think about that.

So the eye is to every part of the body what the lamp is to the house. He's talking about the eye. And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him. And he went in and sat down to eat.

Now, a rather normal invitation, I suppose. He asked Jesus to go with him and have a meal. What that evil generation could not comprehend was that the spirit was the same spirit that once moved upon the waters.

That there be light and there was light. They had no light within themselves. The Pharisee saw it. He marveled that he had not first voiced before dinner. Now, David? Yes. They had made a lot given. What that was, they had made a part of their religion, therefore had nothing to do with it.

The Pharisees, the Cup, and the Heart

And the Lord said unto them, now the Pharisees may clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not that same, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

Did God make the outside of you the same as he made the inside? He made it all. Religion is not a matter of externals. It's an affair of the heart. It has to be. But rather give alms of such things as are clean unto you.

Whatever it is that we have is not now owned to you unless God has his share also. Then we can expect God to bless it and all things are clean in his sight. If our conscience is right with the Holy Spirit, that's true.

But woe unto you, Pharisees, for you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs and pass over judgment and the love of God of what these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone in this church.

But there are churches, I suppose, in this town that someone makes a great show of giving. We have this church, if I put my name on a few, a church in this country, an old man, a foreigner, that said they made a great show of that.

By this they gain a reputation of good and can expect favors from the peacemakers, from the preachers. Today, he who gives most and makes it known seems to be favored also. But it makes it all just, and just an experience in sin when you do that.

They had false values. He's not saying that it was wrong to tithe, but their wrong was in what they had left undone. Giving of your substance will not make you Christian. If you love Jesus Christ, you will give of your substance.

You Pharisees, for ye love the utmost seats in the synagogues and greatness in the markets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are as graves which appear not and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

Prayer, Salvation, and the Fixity of God's Will

He calls others to what they do, start with 11 and 45. Brother Lewis, I understand you're saying you shouldn't pray to God for things, for guidance and so forth. You talk about prayer at the very beginning.

I misunderstand what you said. No. We pray to God in the name of his Son, Jesus. I'm not saying you are, but every person seeks worldly goods. He's promised to give us everything. Prayer is for the person.

It changes you. It does not change God. That's right. Everything has been fixed. Everything has been fixed in God's plan. Pray. If you pray in your prayer life, you will grow beyond praying for things.

For things. Yeah. Pray. The Lord tells us to pray. Yes. It's funny. He tells us that a lot of times we pray a myth for the wrong reasons. Right. That's right. Salvation comes by prayer. Now, that's one of the parts of salvation.

Just as you're hearing the word, it's part of salvation. Anything else? The grace of heaven, Father, we thank you for this day that you've given us to have the opportunity to come out and worship you, the house of the Lord, and that we've heard your word being told and expounded upon and clarified so we can understand more and walk closer with you.

Pray for each and every one of us as we go about our ways this week and our work and whatever we're doing in your will that we'll glorify your name as we now pray for the sick, that you'll be with them, comfort them, and heal them if it's thy will.

Knowing full well that your will will be done in all things, but through prayer we grow closer to you and it strengthens us. We ask in Jesus' precious name, amen.