Look inside this book.Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]

Tag: Luke 22
The One Who Serves

The One Who Serves

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For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  

Luke 22:27 

Where did Christ invest His time and labor? He invested it in people. If we recall His remarks from the Sermon on the Mount, we remember His counsel, ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.’ How can anyone lay up treasures in heaven? At the bare minimum it involves attention to the welfare of our own soul. He remarked elsewhere, ‘For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?’ Having said that, we would not really grasp the whole of the example Christ gave us if we attend solely to ourselves. All Christ did was for the sake of others. His incarnation, perfect life, public ministry, and substitutionary sacrifice were all for the benefit of others. His resurrection, perpetual intercession, and return, all benefit others. In every way, under all circumstances and conditions, Christ has been among us as the One Who served. Therefore, by His example, He has invested wholly in what is eternal. All His earthly time and labor went to the larger purpose of preparing for eternity. If we are to understand the essence of the well-invested life, we must look to Christ. He has lived that life before us. He has, in word and deed, shown us the way. If we are the imitators of Christ, we will be among others as the one who serves. Every day, in all circumstances and conditions, we will encounter others in every context, whom we may serve in one way or another. In following Christ’s example, we lay up treasures in heaven with a well-invested life.  

Our Gracious Master and our God, 
we rejoice that You lead by example. 
We praise You that in every way You practice what You preach, 
and we learn to imitate You.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
The One Who Serves

The One Who Serves

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For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  

Luke 22:27 

Where did Christ invest His time and labor? He invested it in people. If we recall His remarks from the Sermon on the Mount, we remember His counsel, ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.’ How can anyone lay up treasures in heaven? At the bare minimum it involves attention to the welfare of our own soul. He remarked elsewhere, ‘For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?’ Having said that, we would not really grasp the whole of the example Christ gave us if we attend solely to ourselves. All Christ did was for the sake of others. His incarnation, perfect life, public ministry, and substitutionary sacrifice were all for the benefit of others. His resurrection, perpetual intercession, and return, all benefit others. In every way, under all circumstances and conditions, Christ has been among us as the One Who served. Therefore, by His example, He has invested wholly in what is eternal. All His earthly time and labor went to the larger purpose of preparing for eternity. If we are to understand the essence of the well-invested life, we must look to Christ. He has lived that life before us. He has, in word and deed, shown us the way. If we are the imitators of Christ, we will be among others as the one who serves. Every day, in all circumstances and conditions, we will encounter others in every context, whom we may serve in one way or another. In following Christ’s example, we lay up treasures in heaven with a well-invested life.  

Our Gracious Master and our God, 
we rejoice that You lead by example. 
We praise You that in every way You practice what You preach, 
and we learn to imitate You.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Shed For You

Shed For You

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Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Luke 22:20

The blood of Christ is inseparable from our redemption.  It is of critical importance that we both understand this and proclaim it.  When the Apostle Paul wrote, ‘Christ Our Passover, was sacrificed for us,’ he was making direct reference to the Old Testament Passover in Exodus.  On that occasion, God said explicitly, ‘When I see the blood, I will pass over you.’  The writer of Hebrews reiterates the same truth when he says of Christ, ‘with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption for us.’  If we are to faithfully proclaim the whole counsel of God, the Gospel, and the message of Christ Himself, we must, of necessity lay emphasis upon the saving blood of Christ.  When Christ instituted the communion feast, He declared to His disciples, ‘this cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’  This brings us to consider the substitutionary nature of the atoning work of Christ and causes us great joy.  Apart from the substitutionary work of Christ, which involves His blood-shedding, we cannot have forgiveness of sins.  Because of the shedding of His blood, we do have forgiveness of all our sins.  If we would make much of Christ, we will make much of the blood of Christ.

Our Glorious Saving God,
we rejoice in the sacrifice of Christ.
We praise You that with His stripes we are healed.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Broken For You

Broken For You

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And he took bread, and gave thanks and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Luke 22:19; I Corinthians 11:24

It is of paramount importance that we remember the substitutionary nature of the sacrifice of Christ.  The two verses which serve as our text for today point to this very discussion.  As Luke quotes Christ he speaks of Christ’s body as being ‘given for you.’  As Paul quotes Christ, he speaks of the body of Christ as being ‘broken for you.’  There are two parts of this discussion upon which we want to dwell.  We want to dwell upon the nature and extent of the breaking, as well as the purpose of it with regard to us.  This was a thorough breaking of the body of Christ.  Not one portion of His body remained unscathed.  He endured such abuse and ill treatment that He was unrecognizable as a human being.  The catalogue of His wounding included the piercings of the crown of thorns; the lacerations from the Roman whip; the nails through hands and feet; and the excruciating experience of hanging hour after hour from the cross.  All of these physical breakings He endured for our sake.  Christ suffered not one single indignity of His Own account.  The breaking of the body of Christ was entirely substitutionary. As He said, it was, ‘for you.’  Today, we dwell upon the greatness of this breaking, and His grace Who endured it for us.

Our Gracious Master and Our God,
We rejoice that You have endured so much for us.
We praise You that by Your stripes we are healed.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
Preparing for Worship

Preparing for Worship

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Morning Worship – 9:30 am

650 Kennedy Drive

Northglenn, CO

Scripture:  Luke 22:39-46

Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”

Sermon:  ‘Not My Will….’ – Tomm Tice

  1. Christ displays truly human emotion.

  2. Christ utters a very earnest petition.

  3. Christ triumphs by His total submission.

Catechism:  Westminster Shorter Catechism Question #75

What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?

The eight commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may, unjustly hinder our own, or our neighbor’s wealth or outward estate.
1 Proverbs 28:19 ff. He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent…. He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him…. Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer…. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. Ephesians 4:28a. Let him that stole steal no more. 2 Thessalonians 3:10. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 1 Timothy 5:8. But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Worship:

Before the Throne of God Above

There is a Redeemer

He is King

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