Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke J.C. Ryle Luke 15:11-24 “We see, firstly, in this parable — a man following the natural bent of his own heart. Our Lord shows us a ‘younger son’ making haste to go far away from a kind father’s house, and ‘wasting his substance in riotous living.’ We have in these words, a faithful portrait of the mind with which we are all born. This is our likeness. We are all naturally proud and self-willed. We have no pleasure in fellowship with God. We long to depart, and go afar away from Him. We…
Sunday Morning Calls to Worship
Call to Worship July 22 2018
Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke, J.C. Ryle – Luke 15:1-10 “We should first observe in these verses — the striking testimony which was borne to our Lord by His enemies. We read that when ‘all the publicans and sinners drew near to hear Him, the Scribes and Pharisees murmured, saying: This man receives sinners, and eats with them!’ These words were evidently spoken with surprise and scorn — and not with pleasure and admiration. These ignorant guides of the Jews could not understand a religious preacher having anything to do with wicked people! Yet their words worked for…
Call to Worship July 15 2018
Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke J.C. Ryle Luke 14:25-35 “We learn, firstly, from this passage — that true Christians must be ready, if need be, to give up everything for Christ’s sake. This is a lesson which is taught in very remarkable language. Our Lord says, ‘If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be My disciple!’ This expression must doubtless be interpreted with some qualification. We must never explain any text of Scripture in such…
Call to Worship July 8 2018
Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke J.C. Ryle Luke 14:7-24 “Let us first learn from these verses — the value of humility. This is a lesson which our Lord teaches in two ways. Firstly, He advises those who are bidden to a wedding to ‘sit down in the lowest place. ‘ Secondly, He backs up His advice by declaring a great principle, which frequently fell from His lips, ‘Whoever exalts himself — shall be abased; and he who humbles himself — shall be exalted. ‘ Humility may well be called the queen of the Christian graces. To know our…
Call To Worship June 24 2018
Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke J.C. Ryle Luke 13:31-35 “Let us learn from these verses — how entirely our times are in God’s hands. Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us this lesson by His reply to those who bade Him to depart, because Herod would kill Him. He said, ‘I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow.’ His time was not yet come for leaving the world. His work was not yet finished. Until that time came — it was not in the power of Herod to hurt Him. Until that work was finished —…
Call To Worship June 17 2018
Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke J.C. Ryle Luke 13:22-30 “We see in these verses — a remarkable question asked. We are told that a certain man said to Jesus, ‘Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?’ We do not know who this enquirer was. He may have been a self-righteous Jew, trained to believe that there was no hope for the Gentile, and no salvation for any but the children of Abraham. He may have been an idle trifler with religion, who was ever wasting his time on curious and speculative questions. In any case,…
Call To Worship June 10 2018
Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke J.C. Ryle Luke 13:18-21 “The parable of the leaven — is intended to show the progress of the Gospel in the heart of a believer. The first beginnings of the work of grace in a sinner are generally exceedingly small. It is like the mixture of leaven with a lump of dough. A single sentence of a sermon, or a single verse of Holy Scripture — a word of rebuke from a friend, or a casual religious remark overheard — a tract given by a stranger, or a trifling act of kindness received…
Call To Worship June 3 2018
Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke, J.C. Ryle – Luke 13:10-17 “We see in these verses — a striking example of diligence in the use of means of grace. We are told of a ‘woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed down, and could not straiten up.’ We do not know who this woman was. Our Lord’s saying that she was ‘a daughter of Abraham’ — would lead us to infer that she was a true believer. But her name and history are hidden from us. This alone we know — that when Jesus…
Call to Worship May 27 2018
Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke J.C. Ryle Luke 13:6-9 “We learn first from this passage — that where God gives spiritual privileges, He expects proportionate returns. Our Lord teaches this lesson, by comparing the Jewish Church of His day to a ‘fig tree planted in a vineyard.’ This was exactly the position of Israel in the world. They were separated from other nations by the Mosaic laws and ordinances, no less than by the situation of their land. They were favored with revelations of God, which were granted to no other people. Things were done for them, which…
Call To Worship May 20 2018
Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke, J.C. Ryle – Luke 13:1-5 “Let us observe, for one thing, in these verses — how much more ready people are to talk of the deaths of others, than their own deaths. The death of the Galileans, mentioned here, was probably a common subject of conversation in Jerusalem and all Judea. We can well believe that all the circumstances and particulars belonging to it, were continually discussed by thousands who never thought of their own latter end! It is just the same in the present day. A murder, a sudden death, a shipwreck,…