Here is Luke’s version of the Lord’s prayer that Matthew also records. You will notice Luke’s prayer records less than Matthew. Jesus continues to teach and cast out demons as He walks towards Jerusalem.
Luke 11: The Lord's Prayer
1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."
2 And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation."
5 And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves,
6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';
7 and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'?
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;
12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Jesus and Beelzebul
14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marvelled.
15 But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,"
16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven.
17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.
18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.
19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe;
22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armour in which he trusted and divides his spoil.
23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Return of an Unclean Spirit
24 "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'
25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order.
26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first."
True Blessedness
27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!"
28 But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"
The Sign of Jonah
29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.
30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
31 The queen of the South will rise up at 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 behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
The Light in You
33 "No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.
34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.
35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.
36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light."
Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers
37 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table.
38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner.
39 And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?
41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.
42 "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it."
45 One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also."
46 And he said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed.
48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs.
49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,'
50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation,
51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.
52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering."
53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things,
54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.
Luke 12: Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees
1 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
Have No Fear
4 "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.
5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? And not one of them is forgotten before God.
7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Acknowledge Christ Before Men
8 "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God,
9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say,
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
14 But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?"
15 And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
16 And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully,
17 and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'
18 And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'
20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
Do Not Be Anxious
22 And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.
23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.
30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
32 "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
You Must Be Ready
35 "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning,
36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.
37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.
38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!
39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.
40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
41 Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?"
42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.
45 But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,
46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.
47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating.
48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
Not Peace, but Division
49 "I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!
50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.
53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Interpreting the Time
54 He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, 'A shower is coming.' And so it happens.
55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat,' and it happens.
56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
Settle with Your Accuser
57 "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
58 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.
59 I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last cent."
Things to think about…
1. In Luke 11:1-13 we see a few elements of the Lord’s prayer that are missing from the one described in Matt 6. The key point is that you will get what you are praying for if you are persistent and desire that the Lord’s kingdom will break through this world and overcome it.
2. The words of Jesus in Luke 11:8-13 really impacted me this morning. If these words are not true for those who are praying for the Heavenly Father to break through and answer then what must we do with this text? God either keeps His Word and His promises otherwise His Word is not true and He is a liar. What is on your heart that you are asking God to hear and answer? Be bold, you are promised to be heard and an answer to come.
3. In Luke 11:14-26 we see Jesus saying His authority is not from Satan because a kingdom cannot stand if it is divided. If he were in Satan’s kingdom and casting out demons, his kingdom would be divided. Jesus casts out demons because He is not of Satan’s kingdom, a fact that was missed by those whose eyes were spiritually blind. What do you think about Jesus saying that seven more demons, worse than before, entering in after the ‘house has been swept clean’. If the Holy Spirit does not possess a person after a spiritual encounter, what generally happens to that person regarding their future attitude towards Christ is that they become hard and conceited. Encourage yourself and others to listen to the Spirit.
4. In Luke 11:27, 28 Jesus again shows the higher order of His ministry and message over any family ties. This flies in the face of the Roman Catholic teaching of Mary being the Mother of God and intercession occurring through her. Jesus says the more blessed thing is to hear the Word of God, then obey.
5. Jesus has a stern word for the Lawyers and the Pharisees, Luke 11:37-54, saying they are hypocrites waiting for judgement to be heaped upon their generation, vs 51. These words were literally fulfilled in AD70 when the armies of Titus had broken through the walls of Jerusalem after a 3 year siege.
6. Luke 12 is all about our focus, whether earthly or heavenly, considering whether we serve God or money. Who do you fear? Christ says not to fear anyone in this life, but to fear the One who has charge over your soul in the next life, Luke 12:4-7. Do you acknowledge Christ before those who clearly do not have a faith in Him? Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will give you the words that you will need, vs 12, even in the most dangerous of situations. What is the most fearful situation you have been in when sharing your faith? What happened? Did the other person respond? What did you learn from the experience?
7. Our society could be put imto the category of ‘builders of bigger barns’, Luke12:13-21, and as such we do worry about many things, Luke 12:22-34, even though the Lord promises to provide, vs 30. What do you think about Christ’s command to sell everything, vs 33. Regardless of our wealth it is all wood, hay and stubble and will be burned up in the end. The message is that nothing on this earth has such a tight grip that we lose sight of Christ.
8. We are called to be ready, Luke 12:35-48 and that Christ also came to bring division, not peace, vss 49-53, we are called to discern the spiritual weather pattern, vs 54-56. This is different to John’s ministry remember, where he was reconciling ministry in the house, Mal 4:6. Jesus’ road is narrow and the way difficult compared to John’s road and his ministry, Isa 40:3-5, Mal 4:5. Who then is the accuser that we must settle accounts with in Luke 12:58? Some will be beaten more and some less, vss 47, 48. God is the one who judges. We are called to be responsible with the knowledge of the gospel, to live it out and share it with a lost world. What better time than now.
Vision Point
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Prayer Points
1. Pray for wisdom and clarity with some restrictions are being lifted in June.
2. Continue to pray for doctors and nurses on the front line of this pandemic across the globe.
3. Pray that as restrictions are lifted that businesses may return and people who have lost their jobs may return to gainful employment..
4. Sunday’s fb live messages for Kids church and – “The greatest ever – John the Baptist” Psalm 32Luke 3, 7, Ps Jay.
5. Our online Chuwar Kids at church program – that our kids still feel connected to church and love worshipping Him.
6. Pastoral care. Pray people feel connected in this isolation period. Been great catching up with people at the Bean Redeemed café.
7. Church finances to meet our expenses and to put a roof over our café.
8. Our City and Country – Pray for revival over our city and the leadership of our country even through these challenging times. Pray especially for people to be stable with respect to mental health.
Praise Points.
1. Zac’s partner Bec committed her life to Christ recently during a fb live altar call. Praise the Lord He is working during this season.
2. Finances being maintained and donation to Café roof. Thankyou!
5. Streaming and fb live being done very well by Dan and the technical team. Thanks Doug, Dan, Jesse and Peter. Thanks worship team.
6. Infection curve continues to drop below 1% infection levels. as a response to the virus in Australia
7. Praise the Lord churches are functioning well in this environment and the gospel is going out in the media.
8. Encouraging online comments – the church is still functioning well and people are being cared for.
Announcements
1. Pray about offerings to help with putting a roof over the café. Our temporary white shade is coming to the end of its life. $6k required for a new roof. $2k has been donated.
2. No members meeting for May – but an update of ministries and finances etc.
3. New church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
4. Kids Church now streamed live at 9:00am every Sunday morning via CBC’s fb page.
