February 16, 2025
Fear of Man is a Snare
- Matt Nickoson
Sermon Notes
Luke 9:21-22 NIV
Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
Luke 20:1 NIV
One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him.
Luke 20:2 NIV
“Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”
Matthew 28:18 NIV
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Jesus is the only “begotten” son of God, Who is the Creator, and sustainer of all things.
Luke20:3-4 NIV
He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
A well-timed and well-worded question is sometimes the most helpful thing you can offer.
Luke 20:5-6 NIV
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
Luke 20:7-8 NIV
So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”
Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Prayer is your starter fluid when things get stalled!
Colossians 4:2-4 NIV
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
Colossians 4:5-6 NIV
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
“Oh God, help me know how to answer right now!”
Talking about Jesus often requires loving confrontation.
Luke20:9-12 NIV
He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.”
Luke 20:13 NIV
“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
What we do with Jesus is the most important question we must all answer!
Luke 20:14-15 NIV
“But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?”
Even in this difficult confrontation, Jesus is lovingly warning them of what is to come.
Luke 20:16 NIV
He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "God forbid!"
Luke 20:17a NIV
Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:”
Luke 20:17-18 NIV
“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
Luke 20:19 NIV
The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
Matthew 10:32-33 NIV
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.”
Romans 10:9-11NIV
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
The best place for Christians to work out their faith is in community with other Christians!