Family Bible Church weekly message

* You can get the sermon note sheet at: http://family-bible-church.org/2025Messages/25May04.pdf * As Jesus came to Jerusalem, the people began to sing the Psalms of the Hallel and to call out the Messiah praise contained in them. * As we considered that portion of Luke three weeks ago, we looked at the Messianic declarations from Psalm 118. chiefly: v. 22-23 22 "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes." * In today's passage, we see Jesus refer back to this Messianic passage and clearly infer that He was the fulfillment this "cornerstone." Additionally, He reiterates His prophetic declaration that Israel would be punished for it's rejection of Him. * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on May 4, 2025 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

Due to technical difficulties video is unavailable this week. * Two weeks ago we considered the proclamations of the people regarding the Messianic fulfillment of Jesus as He journeyed to Jerusalem. We saw, as well, how Jesus confirmed those proclamations by declaring to the Pharisees that if the people would be quiet then the stones would immediately cry out! * In the Old Testament, the book of Lamentations contains the sorrowful account of Jeremiah as he looks upon the destruction of Jerusalem after Nebuchadnezzar's conquest. Chapters 1 and 2 declare how YHWH handed over Jerusalem, and His Temple, to the atrocities of Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon as punishment for treating His Temple with disdain and for bringing idolatrous practices into the Temple - in His presence - before Him. * In similar manner, Jesus - being omniscient - sees the destruction which will come upon Jerusalem within 40 years because they, as well, did not know the day of their visitation! They returned to treating YHWH's house with disdai

* In the beginning, God made man in His own image and likeness. He then placed man in the garden and made him a helpmeet. In that garden, God placed two special trees, along with the other various trees. These two trees were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (otherwise known as the Tree of Death - for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.) * God made man with the Privilege of Choice. Man, in the garden, had a choice to make. God told man that he could eat of any tree (including the Tree of Life), but he was forbidden from eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Sadly, man chose to disobey God, and death entered into the world. * This choice has been the primary choice which man needs to make. To choose obedience to God is to choose life. To choose disobedience to God is to choose death. Romans 6:23 states, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." * The apex of that choice was displayed 400

* Jesus has passed through Jericho and has now made it to Jerusalem. * Luke records that on the journey to Jerusalem, Jesus had healed the ten lepers and Bar-Timaeus. Throughout Jesus' earthly ministry, He had performed many mighty acts which required great power. These wonderful works had not escaped the notice of the populace. * The anticipation of the crowds begins to raise to a crescendo as Jesus now enters the city. Jesus adds to this Messianic feel with His preparations and His confirmation of the crowd's proclamation of praise. * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on April 13, 2025 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

* Jesus is on His final trip from Galilee to Jerusalem. * Last week, we saw Him invite Himself to the house of Zacchaeus as He passed through the city of Jericho. After his conversation with Jesus, Zacchaeus bore fruits of repentance and Jesus declared that salvation had come to that house! * Today, we examine "The Parable of the Ten Minas" which Jesus shared while sitting at the house of Zacchaeus. * Through this Parable, Jesus is once again seeking to prepare His Disciples for the days ahead. * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on March 30, 2025 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

* Jesus is on His final trip from Galilee to Jerusalem. He has made His way down the Jordan River in order to pass through Jericho. In Jericho, we see that He had two divine appointments with those who would have been considered outcasts of society. * Last week, we saw His interaction with Bar-Timaeus, a blind beggar. * Today, we consider the well known encounter with a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus - a wee little man who climbed a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see! * Again today, we will consider how Jesus provides the opportunity for one who was inquisitive to find the truth - and for the truth to set them free! * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on March 23, 2025 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

* Jesus is on His final trip from Galilee to Jerusalem. He has made His way down the Jordan River in order to pass through Jericho. * In our study of the Gospel according to Luke, we have seen that Jesus clearly will go out of His way in order to "coincidentally" have an encounter with specific individuals. In many of those occasions, those individuals would have been considered outcasts of society - lepers, demoniacs, gentiles, Roman centurions, tax collectors, prostitutes, etc. * Today, we see Jesus engage another "outcast." Yet, as we have seen in many of those other encounters, Jesus sets up the opportunity for them to engage Him! * In today's passage, we also see a juxtaposition of two accounts in which God keeps blinded the "eyes" of those who can see (the Apostles) and opens the eyes of one who cannot see (Bar-Timaeus)! * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on March 16, 2025 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

* Jesus is on His final trip from Galilee to Jerusalem. He has been ministering to, and teaching, the multitudes as He traveled. He took a side trip through Samaria and then is making His way back down toward the Jordan River in order to pass through Jericho. * Over the past two weeks, we have seen Jesus begin to address the question of the Pharisees regarding when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus told them that the Kingdom of God ultimately does not come with observation but rather God reigns in the hearts of individuals. He then to present instruction to His disciples regarding some of the details of His return. * Last week, we saw Jesus begin to address how the spiritual Kingdom would be apparent in those in which He reigned. He encouraged His disciples to not lose heart in presenting their petitions to God but to always remember that He would judge justly. * In today's passage, we see Jesus teach further into this Kingdom mindset. "What does it look like to have Christ reigning in your heart?"

* Jesus is on His final trip from Galilee to Jerusalem. He has been ministering to, and teaching, the multitudes as He traveled. He took a side trip through Samaria and then is making His way back down toward the Jordan River in order to pass through Jericho. * Last week, we saw Jesus address the question of the Pharisees regarding when the Kingdom of God would come. He told them that the Kingdom of God ultimately does not come with observation but rather God reigns in the hearts of individuals. Jesus then turned to present instruction to His disciples regarding some of the details of His return. * It is good to remember that there were no chapter breaks when Luke wrote. This parable of "The Persistent Widow" is given by Jesus to His disciples directly following this instruction regarding His Spiritual Reign in the hearts of individuals and His Return to Physically Reign on the earth over the nations. * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on March 2, 2025 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

* Jesus has been teaching and interacting with those who are following Him - the multitude, the disciples, the apostles, and even those who are looking for reasons to accuse - the Scribes and the Pharisees. Today, we see this as well. * Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem and has just past through Samaria. Yet, topically, this section ties back to 16:14-17 when Jesus responded to the derision of the Pharisees and declared that since John the Baptist "the Kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it." * Jesus fields a question from the Pharisees regarding the Kingdom of God, addresses their unbelieving hearts, and then provides additional information to His disciples regarding God's Kingdom plan. * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on February 23, 2025 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

* Dan Nave is the Executive Director of Southeast Church Extension whose mission is to help struggling churches get healthy and healthy churches reproduce. * There are only two paths that are open to you, either to follow God or to reject God. A stable person is the person who follows God; this is individual is blessed. * Whether we are entering a new stage in our life, or are simply realizing where we are, this is THE question we need to ask - will we be blessed of God? * This message was presented by Dan Nave on February 16, 2025 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

* While Jesus has been teaching the multitudes, we have seen Him addressing the faithlessness of the Pharisees, scribes and lawyers. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus revealed the callousness of the Jewish religious leaders towards the revival that was going on amongst the "common people." * Two weeks ago, we saw Jesus address this again with the Pharisees while presenting the Parable of the unjust, or unrighteous, steward to His disciples. The Pharisees understood that Jesus was referring to Him and responded with derision. * Last week, we continued that interaction with Jesus' response to the Pharisees - showing them the contrast between their hypocrisy and the fervent desire of the "sinners" to repent and enter into the Kingdom of God. Jesus revealed their hypocrisy and failure to live according to the dictates of the Law, regarding treatment of the poor, through the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. * Today, we see Jesus build on this moment by providing instruction to His "disciples" that cau

* Over the past month, we have been studying Luke 14 through 16. In this portion of Luke, we have seen Jesus teaching various people groups that were following Him. In this section, we have seen Jesus' use of parables - or word pictures - to help illustrate, or portray, the point which He was conveying. Additionally, Jesus tended to teach into a moment by addressing a question, or statement, from those following Him. * Last week, at the beginning of chapter 16, Jesus specifically turned his teaching toward His disciples - sharing with them a parable regarding an unjust, or unrighteous, steward who is at first condemned and then commended by his master. At the conclusion of the parable, we saw that there were "others" (specifically, the pharisees) who were listening in, and who understood that the parable was addressing them. * Today, we want to pick up with that understanding of the Pharisees and consider Jesus' instruction to them after their derision of Him. In this portion, we saw Jesus first quickly

* Last week, we saw Jesus share the value of a repentant sinner and the situation of a repentant sinner to the Pharisees and the multitudes in general. The first two parables that he spoke were about a man who had lost a sheep and a woman who had lost a coin. Then he shared the parable regarding the Prodigal Son. * Today, we see that Jesus turns his teaching specifically toward His disciples - sharing with them a parable regarding an unjust, or unrighteous, steward who is at first condemned and then commended by his master. At the conclusion of the parable, we see that there were "others" listening in. Jesus' teaching regarding the actions of this steward and His subsequent applicational principles regarding our faithfulness and allegiance are points to which we ought to give somber consideration in our walk with Christ. * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on January 26, 2025 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

* Last week, we saw Jesus again telling the multitude the expectations and costs of being His disciple. Jesus declared that being his disciple requires a full commitment - you must be "All In!" The Messiah expected that those who would be His disciples would be fully committed - forsaking everything including family and self! * In today's passage, we see that this teaching got the attention of the multitude. In fact, those who we would think would be repelled by the teaching actually drew closer. Those who should have been open to the instruction, became more repulsed. Jesus addresses the interests of the Pharisees and the multitudes through two sections of parable - the first addressing the value of a repentant sinner and the second addressing the situation of the repentant sinner. * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on January 19, 2025 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

* Last week, we took a one week break from Luke to examine ourselves as new creations in Christ. Paul declared, "If any one be in Christ he is a new creation." Indeed, he continued by stating that "old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." If you are a disciple of Christ, then you cannot be the same as you were before Jesus came into your life. While you used to live for the things of this world, now you are a minister of reconciliation, an ambassador of Christ, and are becoming the righteousness of God. * Today, as we return to our study in the gospel of account of Luke, we see Jesus giving the multitude a reiteration of the foundational teaching for what Paul declared. Being a TRUE disciple of Jesus Christ is not something that I can turn on and off. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ requires a full commitment - you must be "All In!" On September 13th, when we were studying Luke 9:18-36 we considered the expectation of the Messiah - He expected that those who would be His discipl

* As we enter into a new year, it is generally a time to consider the past and the future, and the changes which we have experienced. It is a time, for many, to institute new "positive" changes, or habits. * Additionally, it is also the first Sunday of the month. As an assembly we traditionally hold our commemoration of the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday of the month. The weeks preceding these commemorations are also good times to assess my relationship with Christ. We are told in 1 Corinthians 11 to examine ourselves to determine whether we are participating in this sacred event in an "unworthy manner." In fact, Paul declares that some were sick and even dieing as a result of not treating the commemoration in a sacred manner. * As I pondered the convergence of these two opportunities to examine myself, I thought it would be good for us to relook at who we are - and/or should be - in Christ. It is easy to begin to take the gift that God has given us for granted and be distracted by the world. It is g

* The Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke report how Jesus performed many miracles on the Sabbath. Two weeks ago, we saw that Jesus healed a woman - in the synagogue - who was bent over and had been bound by Satan for eighteen years. These acts of grace and kindness put Him at odds with the Scribes, Lawyers and Pharisees who viewed healing as "work" which was unlawful to perform on the Sabbath Day - the day of rest. * Yet, the Jewish Leaders continued to listen to His teaching. Some, as we see again today, are doing so to find ways to accuse Him. However, the Word of God does not come back void, but accomplishes what YHWH pleases (Isaiah 55:11). * Today, we once again see Jesus' interactions with the Pharisees in connection to another healing on the Sabbath. This time in the home of one of the Synagogue Rulers. * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on December 29, 2024 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

* Jesus began His ministry by declaring that the Kingdom of God had drawn near. As a result, people were going to need to change the way they thought. * We have seen that Kingdom awareness and Kingdom teaching has been an important part of Jesus' interaction with His disciples and with the crowds. * As He is making His final trip to Jerusalem, Jesus begins to prepare the people for life after His presence on the earth. He begins to teach them more regarding the Kingdom of God. Jesus will be referring to, and teaching regarding, the Kingdom of God much in the next 11 chapters. He will reference the Kingdom of God 19 times in 18 verses in that span. Today, we will be considering four of those occurrences. * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on December 22, 2024 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.

* Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen how Jesus taught while answering questions from the multitude. In the passage which we plan to consider today, we see that Jesus again is asked one question and then responds with an apparent non-corresponding answer. The Master knew where the hearts of the people were and addressed the core issues. * In today's passage, we see Jesus address the topic of sin dealing with the judgmental nature of people in assessing the sinfulness of individuals and God's desire to see people repent (change the way they think and become productive) and be released from the bondage that has held them captive! * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on December 15, 2024 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.