Luke 16:14-18 - The Inability of the Word of God to Fail
14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.
15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
16 “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.
17 “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.
18 “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.
Main Topics/Questions
Please consider the following topics/questions as you listen to the sermon:1. How does today's text relate to last week's sermon about the Parable of the Unjust Steward?
2. How have some states been jockeying for position when it comes to the issue of abortion? How have the responses to pro-life legislation of some people shown that abortion has become their god? How is this like the Pharisees of 2,000 years ago?
3. If we were to prioritize all the greatest problems of the world today, what would be near the top according to Christ?
4. How do many get off track in understanding the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament? What is the most important issue?
5. The Old Testament contains three different kinds of laws. Which two kinds are no longer in effect? Why? Which one law code in the Old Testament is unchanging and still in effect? How can you tell which is which?
6. Where are we now when it comes to ethics and morality? What "truths" have we come up with on our own? What are some examples from Bible times?
Related Texts
Matthew 19:3-9:
3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?"
4 And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’
5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."
7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"
8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."
1 Corinthians 7:15: "But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace."
Questions Continued:
7. So what is Jesus teaching us? About marriage? About divorce? About repentance and reconciliation? About abandonment?8. Southern Baptists believe that divorce is only allowed Biblically for two reasons: sexual immorality and abandonment. But beyond that each Southern Baptist Church has some additional stances that will vary from local church to local church. What are some of these stands and what are some held by JBC?
Conclusion:
We don’t take stands just to take stands. We take our stand upon God’s Word, because as Psalm 119:160 says, “The entirety of Your word is truth.” It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of one letter in this entire Bible to fail. The Word of God truly is both a guide and a gift.
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Do you feel an emptiness in your life? Are you seeking answers but don't know where to look? Have you ever wondered if you are good enough? Please read the summary of the gospel message, "Four Things You Need to Know About God"
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