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This week’s theme: “Making God’s Word Active”
This week we take a look at God’s Word. Often we hear scripture used to defend or criticize situations. When the words are used and we disagree, they are dismissed as a poor interpretation or other means of justification. The words of scripture are meant to bring us guidance, but also to be alive in our body, in our ways, in our living. These ancient writings are for us to be the Word of God in this place.
This week’s Gospel passages are taken from The Message, an interpretation of the Bible in everyday English by Eugene Peterson:
Luke 13:10-17
He was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath. There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn’t even look up. She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years. When Jesus saw her, he called her over. “Woman, you’re free!” He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God.
The meeting-place president, furious because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the congregation, “Six days have been defined as work days. Come on one of the six if you want to be healed, but not on the seventh, the Sabbath.”
But Jesus shot back, “You frauds! Each Sabbath every one of you regularly unties your cow or donkey from its stall, leads it out for water, and thinks nothing of it. So why isn’t it all right for me to untie this daughter of Abraham and lead her from the stall where Satan has had her tied these eighteen years?”
When he put it that way, his critics were left looking quite silly and red-faced. The congregation was delighted and cheered him on.
Hebrews 12:18-29
Unlike your ancestors, you didn’t come to Mount Sinai—all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble—to hear God speak. The ear-splitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop. When they heard the words – “If an animal touches the Mountain, it’s as good as dead” – they were afraid to move. Even Moses was terrified.
No, that’s not your experience at all. You’ve come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just. You’ve come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel’s—a homicide that cried out for vengeance—became a proclamation of grace.
So don’t turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn’t get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings? His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time—he’s told us this quite plainly—he’ll also rock the heavens: “One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern.” The phrase “one last shaking” means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered.
Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God himself is Fire!
Questions to help guide your reading:
- What is the difference between good habits or practices and legalistic ones?
- In what ways does God see you, call you, free you, and defend you? How does this look practically in your life?
- How do these 2 passages relate to each other?
- Why is it important to understand that God does not change, but our ability to approach Him changed because of Christ? How do you take advantage of this opportunity to approach Him?
- What would you say to someone who believes that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are different? What does Hebrews 12 teach us about God? How does Hebrews 12 equip us to show people that God has not changed?
- What are ways that we refuse to listen to God’s voice? How can we encourage one another to listen and obey God this week?
Sunday’s Bulletin