Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20100217.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Luke: Jesus, The Son Of Man For All Mankind
Part LXIV: Christ's Identity As God's Savior Seen In Reimbursing His Servants' Ministry Losses
(Luke 18:28-30)
  1. Introduction
    1. Serving the Lord at times comes with a high price in the loss of relationships and/or even possessions.
    2. Thus, if Jesus Christ is a righteous God's Savior of the world, we should expect Him to address this issue with edifying insight for His followers who pay such a price, and this actually occurred in Luke 18:28-30.
    3. We view that passage in its context for edifying applications as follows:
  2. Christ's Identity As God's Savior Seen In Reimbursing His Servants' Ministry Losses, Lk. 18:28-30.
    1. Jesus' Luke 18:28-30 interaction with His disciples is connected to His conversation with the rich man and others in Luke 18:18-27 by way of Peter's statement in Luke 18:28 as follows:
      1. When the rich man had asked Jesus what he could do to inherit eternal life, Jesus revealed to him his inability to do anything for salvation, for salvation was entirely by God's grace, Luke 18:18, 26-27.
      2. In so doing, He told the man he needed to heed the tenth of the Old Testament Ten Commandments on covetousness, selling all he had to give to the poor only then to follow Him, Luke 18:22; Exodus 20:17.
      3. The rich man was too covetous to obey Jesus, and Christ remarked how impossible it was for man to save himself, Luke 18:23-27.
      4. This revelation doubtless caused Jesus' listening disciples to feel uneasy about their own eternal future, so Peter, as a spokesman for the rest of them, said, "Lo, we have left all, and followed thee," Luke 18:28; Norval Geldenhuys, The Gospel of Luke (NICNT), 1979, p. 460.
    2. Jesus realized His disciples were not yet tuned to the doctrine of justification by grace, although they were saved as they trusted in Him. Thus, in His GREAT GRACE, the Lord worked to settle the disciples about their salvation, proclaiming the truth of His blessing for having followed Him at great cost:
      1. Making one of His authoritative statements with the introduction of "Verily, I say unto you," Jesus taught that every one of His followers who had left possessions or lost relationships even with family members for the sake of God's kingdom in God's will, would receive many more such possessions and relationships in this life, and eternal life in the life to come, Luke 18:29-30; Ibid.
      2. Note: Jesus did not confirm Peter's implication that salvation came by giving up possessions: Christ was merely settling His disciples' fear about their destinies that had been errantly raised. They had already trusted in Christ, so their destiny was sure, but in having given up much in possessions and relationships to follow Jesus, God would see that they were reimbursed to continue their course of life, which fact was applied as Jesus here promised reimbursement to settle and encourage His disciples.
      3. The fulfillment of this promise occurred in the Early Church according to Acts 2:44-47 and 4:32-35:
        1. The Early Church was marked by believers selling much of their holdings and bringing the proceeds to the Apostles that they might be distributed to other needy believers, Acts 2:44-45; 4:32, 34-35.
        2. However, not only did the Apostles enjoy material supply this way, but there was great unity in the body, a deep fulfillment in Christian relationships with one another, Acts 2:42, 46-47; 4:33.
      4. Then, when the Church spread out from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, Jesus' original disciples enjoyed a similar great expansion of fellowship with other believers throughout the Roman Empire according to 1 Peter 1:1 (for Peter) and 1 John 1:1-4, 2 John 1, 4, 13 and 3 John 1-8 (for John).
Lesson: (1) Jesus revealed He is the true God's true Savior of the world in revealing His adequate, just reimbursement to His servants for costs incurred in serving Him. (2) We believers must thus not fail to follow Christ even if doing so costs us possessions and relationships; God reimburses what we need in this life through His people so we can keep heeding Him, and He will reward us much more in heaven!

Application: (1) May we believe that Jesus is the true and righteous God's righteous Savior. (2) May we obey the Lord regardless of the immediate costs involved in possessions and relationships, for GOD will REIMBURSE what we NEED through HIS GODLY PEOPLE so we can KEEP FUNCTIONING, and will reward us even more forevermore in His coming Kingdom!