30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 20 19-26 THE FOOLISHNESS OF THE CRAFTY LEADERS 03 Luke 20 19-20 Living under scrutiny
📖 Luke 20:19-26
06Mar2021 - *Living under scrutiny* - _Luke 20:19-26_ - THE FOOLISHNESS OF THE CRAFTY LEADERS 3 - _I Peter 3:15-16_
The church must confront the evil of our times and we must pray for boldness as the early church prayed.
_Luke 20:19-20 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them. (20) So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor._
We consider now the wickedness of these leaders. They were not able to seize Jesus immediately, though that was what they desperately wanted to do.
What prevented them from seizing Jesus? They feared that the people would turn against them and their position of authority, power and religious awe with which the people looked at them, would be lost.
*They watched Jesus*
Why were they watching Jesus? They had no intention to learn anything from Him but to seize Him and destroy Him. We must realise that as we take up our position as the representatives of our Lord Jesus, with boldness, the world too will watch us closely to destroy us.
_Psalm 37:32 The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him._
Jeremiah underwent this experience repeatedly in his ministry. _Jeremiah 11:19 But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that *they had devised schemes against me*, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more."_
Knowing that this is the reality, what should be our preparation in such an aggressive and hostile context?
_I Peter 3:15-16 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (16) having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed._
The significance of our lives being sanctified before the Lord cannot be overemphasised. Isn’t this where, very sadly, so many of our, highly visible, Christian leaders have taken a plunge? Among many other consequences of their decadence, they have given an opportunity to those who are against the church to be even more belligerent in their attack.
Our conduct, our good conscience, our sanctification are the non-negotiable elements of our lives as the body of Christ, in order to be bold against the enemy. If we fail here, the enemy will pounce on us.
We must be prepared to give a defence when we are examined by our antagonists but with meekness and in the fear of God, not men.
_I Peter 2:11-12 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, (12) having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation._
We must see and live our lives, here on earth, as a pilgrimage and as those who are passing through. If we, on the one hand, intend to confront the enemy of the evil that is happening but on the other, we are busy feathering our own nests, then we will never be bold for Jesus. We must live our lives here with a loose grasp over our material belongings.
The other area of our life that we must pay much attention to is the lusts of the flesh. This is a favourite haunt of the devil. Yielding to the lusts of the flesh will kill us internally, …_abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul_
We, who are here to be bold for Jesus, are under heavy scrutiny.
*Thought to ponder*
```Our lives, under intense scrutiny, must prove to be as precious gold.```