MISSED OPPORTUNITY - Ken Smith 4/2/23
The Missed Opportunity
Luke 19:41-44
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“If you had known…”
IT WAS NOT THAT THEY HAD NOT HEARD
Rather:
They did not believe
They did not care
They did not respond
Past tense, reflecting willful ignorance.
Jesus had been teaching and preaching throughout the region for three years.
It was not that they did not have the information.
It was that they did not feel the need to receive, believe, accept and embrace the truth!
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“the things which make for peace”
Our sin has made us enemies of God.
Our greatest need is to have peace with God.
Their willful obstinance and disregard for the message of Christ forfeited the chance for peace with God.
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“but now they are hidden from you.”
THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND HAD PASSED.
On that day, God hid His revelation.
Everything was being orchestrated to lead to the crucifixion of Jesus.
Luke 19:45-48 Jesus went on to cause a ruckus in the Temple.
20:1-8 He refused to answer the questioning of the priests.
20:9-18 He taught about vine-growers killing the owner’s son.
20:19-26 He did not fall for the trap of advocating treason against Caesar.
20:27-44 He handled the objections of the Sadducees regarding the
resurrection.
20:45-47 He criticized the scribes and warned the people to beware of
them.
19:45-48 Jesus went on to cause a ruckus in the Temple.
20:1-8 He refused to answer the question of the priests.
20:9-18 He taught about vine-growers killing the owner’s son.
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“for the days will come…”
The Consequences of Missing the Opportunity
The city will come under siege.
The city will be leveled.
The children will be crushed.
Not one stone will be left upon another
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“ because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
Throughout history God has been “visiting” His creation and His people.
In a God encounter,
HE VISITS HIS PEOPLE TO REDIRECT THEIR LIVES.
Sometimes His visitation is for testing
Sometimes His visitation is for punishment
Sometimes His visitation is for blessing
Sometimes His visitation is for assignment
Abraham encountered God when He visited him and made promises to him to make of him a great people and give him a great land.
Jacob encountered God and even wrestled with Him on his journey back to Canaan.
Moses encountered God and the burning bush, at the mountain of God, and the tabernacle of God.
Gideon encountered God on the floor of a wine press.
Ruth returned to Canaan because she heard God had visited the land again.
Hannah had a visitation from God and he promised to open her womb.
David proclaims his experience of God’s visitation in Psalm 17. “You visited me by night.”
Israel experienced a visitation of God in Judges 2, where they were rebuked for not removing the heathens from the land.
Philip received a visitation of God directing him to leave Jerusalem and go to the road that leads to Gaza.
Luke 1:68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
Testing - Like with Job (Job 7)
Punishment - Visiting the punishment for idolatry in the generations to follow.
(Ex 20:5)
Blessing - Luke 1:68 - as Zacharias proclaimed at the birth of John the Baptist
Assignment - Judges 6:1 Gideon.
The city of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel were destroyed and scattered because they did not respond rightly to the time of God’s visitation.
Do not make the same mistake.
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Psalm 106:4
Remember me, O Lord,
In Your favor toward Your people;
Visit me with Your salvation.
Do you recognize the activity of God in and around your life?
Do not ignore God’s activity in your life.
How has God spoken to you in the past?
How have you responded to His voice?
How is God speaking to you today?
How will you respond to Him?