Jesus Came Not To Destroy, But To Save
This morning we had a great study in Luke 9 with our men. We focused on how Jesus had to correct his disciples when they were disoriented to how they should do things. They wanted to stop other believers from casting out demons in Jesus name, and they wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans who would not receive Jesus on His way to Jerusalem. Jesus stopped them and rebuked them to let them know they were being led by the wrong spirit. It was the spirit of Satan, not the Holy Spirit.
He went on to explain that He had not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Their indignation led them to a wrong conclusion. We must never think we are special, and God can only work through us or our group. We must never get frustrated with people and desire their destruction. We are here to work together with other believers and to love those around us who don't know Christ yet, so we can see them saved from their sins. It is not for us to punish them. It is for us to love them and to show them Christ through our attitudes and actions. We must not give them the idea that Christians are hateful people who desire to exclude people from their group. We must show them that we have the love of Christ, and we are here to include everyone who comes to trust Jesus as Lord. As one man put it this morning, "We can win more people with honey than with vinegar." Jesus could be strict, but for the most part He was loving and understanding toward those He met, and we should be the same way.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 39-41.
He went on to explain that He had not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Their indignation led them to a wrong conclusion. We must never think we are special, and God can only work through us or our group. We must never get frustrated with people and desire their destruction. We are here to work together with other believers and to love those around us who don't know Christ yet, so we can see them saved from their sins. It is not for us to punish them. It is for us to love them and to show them Christ through our attitudes and actions. We must not give them the idea that Christians are hateful people who desire to exclude people from their group. We must show them that we have the love of Christ, and we are here to include everyone who comes to trust Jesus as Lord. As one man put it this morning, "We can win more people with honey than with vinegar." Jesus could be strict, but for the most part He was loving and understanding toward those He met, and we should be the same way.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 39-41.