Luke 9:18-22

Luke 9:18-22

1. Let us notice the variety of opinions about our Lord Jesus Christ, which prevailed during His earthly ministry.
2. Let us notice the singular knowledge and faith displayed by the Apostle Peter.
3. Let us notice our Lord's prediction of His own coming death.

"Year rolls on after year, and finds them in the same state--talking, criticizing, fault-finding, speculating, but never getting any further--hovering like the moth round religion, but never settling down like the bee, to feed on its treasures."

"Honest, practical obedience, is one of the keys of the gate of knowledge."

"Knowledge, no doubt, is an excellent thing; but knowledge without zeal and warmth will never do much for the world."

"Let us beware of allowing traditions, old preconceived notions, unsound interpretations, baseless theories in religion, to find root in our hearts. There is but one test of truth "What says the Scripture?" Before this let every prejudice go down."

Questions:

1. The goal of knowing God is loving Him more deeply. Does our study and meditation of Scripture and sermons have this effect or are we content to speculate without, as Ryle says, “settling down like the bee, to feed on its treasures?”

2. Ryle says that although knowledge is excellent, it will never do much for the world without zeal and warmth. To what degree would we say our zeal and warmth meet our knowledge?

3. The gospel can become negatively familiar to us, but what does hearing of the willingness of Christ’s going to the cross, His being very God of very God do to our hearts as we hear this good news again?