Called to Serve – Sermons, Outlines and Bible Studies

By: Pastor Daniel Brito

TITLE: Called to Serve

TEXT: Luke 9:61-62

“Another said: —I will follow you, Lord; but first let me say goodbye to my family. 62 Jesus replied, “No one who looks back after putting his hand to the plow is fit for the kingdom of God.”

THEME: How we should serve in the Church

INTRODUCTION:

Tonight we continue with the theme of HOW WE SHOULD SERVE IN THE CHURCH. In our last lesson, we were talking about the believer being like LIVING STONES, that is, every believer is part of the BODY OF CHRIST. Now we continue on how ALL of us, as members of the BODY OF CHRIST, are called to SERVE. May GOD bless his preached Word tonight.

LESSON:

1. background. – The end of our chapter in Luke tells us that the LORD JESUS ​​was passing through the land of the Samaritans on his way to Jerusalem. For that same reason, the Text in Luke 9:51 says that he was not well received by the Samaritans, since the Samaritans did not consider that Jerusalem was the place to WORSHIP GOD. So now we have the story of THREE men who receive the call from the LORD.

2. The Test of Discipleship. – (Luke 9:57-62) «They were on the road when someone said to him: —I will follow you wherever you go. 58 “Foxes have burrows and birds have nests,” Jesus replied, “but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. 59 To another he said, “Follow me. “Lord,” he replied, “first let me go and bury my father.” 60 “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God,” Jesus replied. 61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me say goodbye to my family. 62 Jesus replied, “No one who looks back after putting his hand to the plow is fit for the kingdom of God.”

1. On the way to Jerusalem, someone told the LORD that he would follow the LORD wherever He went. I think we all like to hear something similar from believers about following the LORD, but, there was something in that person, since only GOD knows hearts, or maybe the LORD wanted to give a LESSON on this very subject.

   1. The LORD tells him that the animals have their dens to sleep in, but the SON OF MAN had no place to sleep.

2. We have a great teaching here on the COST of DISCIPLESHIP. In other words, what it costs to FOLLOW the LORD JESUS.

3. So in this case we see that there is no promise of RICHES for the believer as some teach in our day.

2. It is important to note that in our last lesson, we were talking about how the believer is LIKE living stones, since JESUS ​​CHRIST is LIVING STONE and CORNERSTONE.

1. So the believer as a LIVING STONE, takes his place in the BODY OF CHRIST.

2. It is not a place occupied by just anyone, since to be part of the BODY OF CHRIST, you have to REPENT and RECEIVE the LORD JESUS ​​as your personal Savior.

1. That is not just a nod, or an occasional attendance at church, or a home service.

3. To be part of the BODY OF CHRIST you have to BE BORN AGAIN.

3. So whoever comes to the LORD JESUS ​​must understand that He DEMANDS EVERYTHING OR NOTHING.

3. For later. – (Luke 9: 59-60) «To another he said: —Follow me. “Lord,” he replied, “first let me go and bury my father.” 60 “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God,” Jesus replied. »

1. This is one of the Texts in the Bible that so many have “stumbled” upon reading, or simply misunderstood.

1. This man asks something very normal and even ORDERED in the Bible by GOD, saying: “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER.”

1. In the Jewish tradition, the burial of a dead relative was a great religious duty, and in this case it was the death of his parents, whose responsibility fell on the son of the family.i

1. But the explanation, although it seems strange and difficult, seems to be easy. As J. Vernon McGee says in his commentary, this verse has been greatly misunderstood. JESUS ​​was not forbidding this boy from attending his father’s funeral. Rather, what the boy is saying is that he had to take care of his father until he died. After his father had died, he would be free to follow JESUS.ii

1. Now, DISCIPLESHIP requires that human affections take a SECOND place after the LORD JESUS.

1. You cannot leave FOLLOWING the LORD JESUS ​​when it is “convenient” to do so.

3. The response of the LORD JESUS ​​was also very strange, since He says in verse 60: “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God,” Jesus replied.

1. It is obvious that the physically dead cannot bury another dead, since they are dead.

2. So what the LORD surely meant was to let the (spiritually) dead bury the (physical) dead.iii

3. To follow the LORD JESUS ​​we repeat again, we must give him ALL or NOTHING.

4. A divided heart. – (Luke 9:61-62) «Another said: —I will follow you, Lord; but first let me say goodbye to my family. Jesus replied, “No one who looks back after putting his hand to the plow is fit for the kingdom of God.”

1. The latter seems to tell us something so common for a human being, and it is saying goodbye to a family member or their parents when they embark on a trip.

1. But like this one, many excuses have come up about when I will be able to SERVE the LORD.

1. We must understand that this is what many do as they EXPECT TO REPENT and receive CHRIST into their lives for another day.

2. There are those who make excuses to leave it for another day, but there are also those MOCKERS who simply say they almost converted.

1. (Acts 26:28) “A little longer and you convince me to become a Christian,” Agrippa told him.

3. King Agrippa’s mockery is evident in what he says.

2. So wanting to SAY GOODBYE first shows, as JC Ryle says in his 19th century commentary, that we learn from these words that it is impossible to serve Christ with a divided heart. If we are looking back to see anything in the world, we are not fit to be disciples.iv

1. The LORD JESUS ​​also left us the example of Lot’s wife, when speaking of His Second Coming in Glory.

1. (Luke 17:32) “Remember Lot’s wife!”

2. That warning shows us that the example that Lot’s wife set when the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah is an example that we must take seriously.

1. No one can think that they can be looking BACK, without consequences.

5. Taking things seriously. – These examples are important, as they show us how easy it is to leave EXCUSES. But in SERVICE to GOD, there can be no excuses. When I speak of SERVICE to GOD, you have to understand that this is for everyone who has been BORN AGAIN. So SALVATION is the first thing to VALUE when one comes to REPENTANCE.

1. So in the Epistle to the Hebrews we are warned and at the same time we are ANNOUNCED of how great is the SALVATION that we have received.

1. (Hebrews 2:3) «How can we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation was first announced by the Lord, and those who heard it confirmed it to us.”

2. Note that it is not only a WARNING, it is also reminding us that what we have in CHRIST is TRUE, given by the LORD JESUS ​​Himself. In other words, it is a GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.

3. So let’s pay attention to what we have learned and it is that through the NEW BIRTH, we have entrance to the BODY OF CHRIST, and thus we are part of that BUILDING, in which JESUS ​​CHRIST is the CORNERSTONE.

1. So too we are called to SERVE the LORD.

2. Each part of the BODY OF CHRIST has its place and function for the good of the KINGDOM OF GOD.

conclusion

Let’s pray…

*All Biblical references have been taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Grades:

i John Nolland, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 35b (Dallas, Texas: Word Books, Publisher) 1998.

ii J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible, Vol. IV, p. 290, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

iii Craig A. Evans, NIBC, Luke, p. 165, Hendrickson Publishers.

iv JC Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, vol. 2 P. 341, Baker Book House.