Parson to Person - What a mighty God we serve

There?s a wonderful little chorus that says: ?What a mighty God we serve.?

While preparing for Sunday ? studying Luke 11, Warren Wiersbe offers three points that helps us appreciate our Lord.

One ? His Generosity - Jesus teaches on prayer, helping us understand that the Father not only wants us to ask Him for what we need, but for us to find out what He needs of us. Wiersbe says, ?If Jesus, John the Baptist and the twelve disciples all needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray! We must put God?s concerns first because prayer is based on sonship, not friendship.

When we come to know Christ as Savior, we are family. We come to the Father asking, seeking and knocking. Not only do we ask, we also talk and listen to Him. We are children talking with our father. Fathers are generous with their children.

Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened. (Luke 11:9-10)

Two ? His Authority ? How important it is to come under the Lordship of Christ.

Jesus teaches in Luke 11:14-36, that when a house is empty, someone or something will move in. People who do not give themselves to the Lordship of Christ will adhere to other things. Perhaps other beliefs, idols, or even spiritual things that are not of God.

?Obey Satan and you let in darkness rather than light, and soon you will not be able to distinguish between them.?(Luke 11:35)

What we need to do is recognize the Lordship of Christ and come under his authority.

Verses 29-32 talks of the sign of Jonah, which has often puzzled me. Think about it. Jonah was in the belly of a great fish for three days and three nights.

Who was in the grave three days and three nights? Jonah was spit out of the fish and Jesus was resurrected. ?For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.? (Luke 11:30)

Three ? His Honesty- Jesus speaks in the last part of the chapter harshly and honestly. Six times He rebukes the Pharisees about certain things. Of course, they didn?t like it.

If we will be still and listen to the Lord, He will tell it to us straight. In this politically correct generation, we are afraid to call a spade a spade and to call sin what it is.

If we could be honest before God, He would reveal the truth to us.

Sometimes we need to see our true reflections. If our hearts or our relationship is not where it should be, would you want the Lord to just gloss over it and make you feel good, or tell you the truth.

Let us be thankful for the Lord?s generosity, His authority and His honesty.