WEEK 3 | THE HEART
THE HEART
The heart is a powerful tool. It is the source of everything that is glorifying to God and, at the same time, the source of everything that is destructive in this world (Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21). From it flows love and hate. It doesn’t matter how disciplined you are if your heart isn’t in a thing, it just doesn’t matter. We can talk about sharing the gospel all that we want, but until God gives us his heart for people, training in disciple-making will profit us nothing (1 Corinthians 13: 1-4). Let’s look at the heart of Jesus.
HOW DID JESUS LOVE THE LOST?
HE GOES TO THEM
Read Luke 15:4-7
In this passage, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. What is the shepherd’s reaction to losing just one sheep?
What are the potential risks or real losses associated with the shepherd losing the sheep in this story? What are the potential risks associated with going after the single lost sheep?
Describe how the reaction of the shepherd in searching for and finding the sheep indicates the value he places on it.
HE SEARCHES FOR THEM
Read Luke 15:8-10
This passage tells the story of a woman who has lost a coin. What is she willing to sacrifice in order to find the coin that she lost? How is that significant?
Why do you think the woman focuses on the one lost coin instead of the nine that she still has?
What real loss does this woman face if she’s unable to find the coin? Does this explain her attitude while looking for it?
What is her reaction to finding the coin? Does this surprise you? Why or why not?
HE WAITS FOR THEM
Read Luke 15:11-24
What is the father at risk of losing in this story? Why do you think he is willing to let his son leave?
What does the reaction of the father to the son’s request communicate about his love for his son?
Do you think the father ever stopped looking for his son? Why or why not?
How are the actions of the father in this story different than the shepherd and the woman in the previous two? How are they the same?
What are the common elements in these three stories? List as many as you can find.
If the main character in each story represents God, and the lost objects represent us, what does this say about how he views those who are separated from him?
What does God’s reaction to the lost tell you about his character? What does this tell you about the value of the lost person?
What does the fact that God sent Christ into the world tell you about the urgency and importance of the mission? What does it tell you about the value of humanity in God’s eyes?
THE EXCUSE : JUSTIFIED INACTION
“They are getting what they deserve”
“I would love them if I had time”
“I would love them if they were more like me”
The elder brother in the prodigal son story justifies his lack of concern for his lost brother by telling himself that his brother deserves the consequences of unfaithful lifestyle. How do you do the same thing?
If it is clear that God desperately searches for his lost children because he values them so dearly and we deeply desire to be like Jesus, why is there such a disconnect between our hearts and our heads? What traps do we fall into and how do we remedy it?
Luke 10:29 (ESV) — But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In this passage, what do you think the lawyer is really asking?
Responding to the call of Christ to love our neighbors, the lawyer immediately begins trying to justify himself, and we often do the same. Whether it’s motivated by fear or something else, we often look for reasons why we need not love those around us.
How do you think your attitude and actions toward people reflect this attempt of justified inaction?
THE HOPE: GOD CAN CHANGE OUR HEARTS
I had a woman say to me, “I could never love a stranger the way I love my family.” I feel the same way a lot of times. But when I think about all the things that I didn’t think God could do in me along my journey of faith, I am humbled by the truly transformative power of the gospel. The combination of God’s relentless love and kindness paired with the persistence and power of the Holy Spirit is formidable force. If I am faithful to offer myself to him, he will be faithful to transform and renew my heart and mind.
Romans 12:1–2 (ESV) — 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Take a minute to record some of the ways that God has already transformed your heart to love in ways you previously never would have had you never met Christ. Do you think he can and will complete the work he began?
What are some of the things God used to bring about change in your heart? How did that change happen?
Philippians 1:6 (ESV) — And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Often times, a change in heart is preceded by a change in the way we act. If we truly pursue God’s heart in prayer and show compassion to those around us, God will continue to mold and shape our hearts to be more like His.
THROUGH PRAYER
Jesus gives us another insight into how we might deal with hard and unloving hearts in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7).
Matthew 5:44 (ESV) — But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Could it be that Jesus tells the disciples to pray for those who persecute them because as they pray, God reshapes their heart? Do you think praying for those who are lost may in fact have a similar effect?
Prayer is the antidote to hate and the catalyst for love.
This is why when Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray, he teaches them to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” and “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Prayer is our way to petition the Father that the work he has begun will come to fruition. You want the heart of God? Pray the heart of God and do the works of God and you may be shocked at the radical work that God can do with even the most stubborn and selfish individuals, like myself.
THROUGH ACTS OF COMPASSION
Luke 10:30–37 (ESV) — 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Jesus’ response to the lawyer’s question is to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan. How do you think this answers the question regarding the identity of our neighbors? How do you think it describes the way in which we can love them?
THE CHALLENGE: PURSUE PEOPLE
As we pray for others and serve them with compassion, God will transform our hearts to be more like His. It is then that we begin to see the true value in the lives of others, the value that drives us to genuinely seek after them. Without our hearts being transformed by God, our acts of evangelism are often motivated out of a desire to be right, or to prove someone else wrong, rather than being motivated by our love and concern for those around us.
When we begin to understand the value that people have, we begin to feel the need to reach them the way that Jesus does. Using his examples in Luke 15, Jesus calls us to GO, SEARCH, and even WAIT for the sake of the people around us.
GO TO THEM
Like the shepherd who left his sheep for the sake of the one lost sheep, we are also called to go after those who need the good news of the gospel in their lives. This may be a physical call to go, but more likely it’s simply to leave the comfort of our religious insulation to be sent into the lives of those around us.
This act of going is less about location, and more about intention. How can you intentionally put yourself in a position to be an influence to those around you?
What do you think going looks like in your life? Do you think that you can GO without leaving your job, life or neighborhood?
How do you think prayer and acts of compassion can help you as you GO to those around you?
SEARCH FOR THEM
Like the woman looking for the lost coin, we are called to search for those who need the healing message of the gospel in their lives. Sometimes this means that we have to put down other things in our lives so we have the ability to pursue those around us. This search also means that we actively look for opportunities to influence people around us as we interact with them.
This search is an active pursuit, meaning that we are to actively seek after those that need to be found. Do you think that you have enough room in your life to really pursue those around you? If not, why?
What does the nature of the woman’s pursuit in Luke 15 tell you about your pursuit?
What do you think has to be put down in order to pursue those who need the gospel in your life?
How do you think prayer and acts of compassion can guide you as you SEARCH for people in your life?
WAIT FOR THEM
In this story, the father does something different than the others. Instead of going to his son, or actively seeking him, he stays home waiting patiently. In the same way, we are also called to wait for the Spirit to work in the hearts of those around us, watching and waiting to embrace them when he does.
This act of waiting, while done patiently, does not indicate passivity. The father did not simply wait without expecting his son to come home, but was watching and waiting for the change to take place. When it did, he sprung up and celebrated it.
Similarly, we are to be watching and waiting for transformation to take place in the lives of those around us. As we do that, we will begin to see where that is taking place and celebrate together as the Spirit is moving.
How do you think your own life could be characterized by waiting for those around you?
Do you think that you can be patient as the Spirit works, but also be actively looking for the signs of change?
What do you think the father’s reaction as the son returns tells you about our role in the lives of others as the Spirit works in their lives?
How do you think prayer or acts of compassion could help you as you wait for those around you?
THE ASSIGNMENT
Pray
Each day this week read, meditate and pray through the Parables in Luke 15. Carry your journal with you this week and as often as you can keep a log of the people that you encounter each day, paying particular attention to those whom you listed last week. These people can be school teachers, co-workers, baristas, kids, your own children, or your neighbors.
On at least two nights near the end of the week, take some time to pick a few of the people you encountered that day and spend some focused time asking the Lord to search your heart and show you his. Write down how you genuinely feel about these particular people. The good, bad, judgmental or indifferent thoughts, be as brutally honest with yourself as possible.
Now write down how God feels about them, how He sees them, ask him for his perspective. In what different ways are each of these people ‘lost’. Finally, what would it look like if you were to ‘seek’ these people, pursue them, care for them? What would it look like to go to them like Jesus went to ‘the lost’ while He walked the earth?
Act
After prayerfully processing through how God feels about the people you see and encounter, think about a simple act of compassion that you can do to love this person. It may be as simple as watching their kids for an evening so that a couple could go on
a date night. It may be intentionally scheduling a meeting with your kid’s teacher to see how you may serve her. It may just be a kind note of appreciation. It doesn’t matter what the act is, just choose one person that you see on your prayer list and do something unexpected to communicate your care and compassion for them and their situation.
MY LIVING ON MISSION LIST:
(In your notes, brainstorm a tangible act of love you could do for each of the following people)