God’s Mission
Luke 18:9-14
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
~ Jesus, Luke 18:14
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
• In Christ, I go home justified before God, rejoicing that He exalts all who humble themselves before Him, including me.
Pondering Point
While Jesus originally oriented this parable around our righteousness before God, it can cast light on our heart’s desires as well. When we exalt our desires above the Lord’s we can expect to be humbled by Him. When we submit the desires of our hearts under Him, seeking His kingdom and His righteousness first, He will "give us the desires of our heart" (Psalm 37:4). The heart can be a wonderful home to honorable and godly desires, just as it is home to God Himself.
Tuesday’s Immersion (today) always reflects back to the mission of God. As followers of God, we want to make sure that our heart’s desires, hopes, and dreams don’t conflict with His heart’s desires, hopes, and dreams -- for us and others. Ideally, our heart’s desires will align with God’s. Our goals will connect with His and our plans will submit to His.
That being said, the bible has likened us to sheep who go astray, whose hearts can be found far from God.
Journal Prompt:
Which desires of your heart…
Align with or submit to God? | Ignore or conflict with God?
God’s overall mission for His disciples is to make other disciples (see Matthew 28:16-20). That mission should always include the hallmark principles of God’s kingdom: Love for God at the heart, mind, soul and body levels and love for our neighbors as ourselves.
That mission drives us as a church and preschool. The vision before us is making disciples of Jesus who make disciples. As you begin to craft a personal discipleship prayer, ask a personal question or two:
- Do you view yourself as a disciple of Jesus? This is specifically what Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19: Make disciples.
- In your desire (hopefully) to be who God wants you to be, how are you fitting God into your life? How are you fitting His mission into your life and into the local church’s vision to make disciples? Dive into 1 Corinthians 12 for insight about the Body of Christ and consider journaling about your role in it.
This doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a pastor or joining some foreign mission field. Daily discipleship happens in the local mission field where you live your daily life; be the body of Christ in local context. It is time to rewrite today’s prayer in your own words.
Prayer For The Day
Father God, help me take to heart the vision and mission of the church that I'm connected with locally – Your body. Show me how to personally participate in their vision and mission, which is really Your vision and mission for us. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Journal Prompt: What is your personal
re-write of the above prayer?
Luke 5:1-11
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
The
Great Sending
Word of the Day
Luke 5:1-11
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.