Luke 11:45-54We learn how great is the sin of professing to teach others what we do not practice ourselves.We learn how much more easy it is to admire dead saints than living ones. We learn how surely a reckoning day for persecution will come upon the persecutors.We learn how great is the wickedness of keeping back others from religious knowledge."One thing at all events is very certain. No lessons produce such effects on men as those which the teacher illustrates by his own daily life.""When a man can see no beauty in living saints, but much in dead ones, his soul is in a very rotten state.""The great white throne and the books of God shall put all things in their right places. The tangled maze of God's providence shall be unraveled. All shall be proved to a wondering world to have been "well done.""Whatever we are ourselves in religion, let us dread discouraging others, if they have the least serious concern about their souls."Questions:1. Jesus charges the pharisees with telling others to do things they themselves do not do. Ryle encourages us that perfection is not possible, but that the goal should be that our teaching and practice are closer than further apart. Are their any areas in our lives in which there is no match between the two? What are other areas in which it could be closer?2. Ryle’s test is insightful, and maybe has a different but helpful application to us today. Where it is easier to admire dead saints instead of living ones because they don’t know our lives and can rebuke us if necessary, isn’t that the same with loving online preachers instead of our own pastors? If we find it easier to listen to online preaching, the question we should ask ourselves is: why?3. How often do we think of our daily actions in light of the great judgment day? What does recollection of this day do in our hearts? Why?4. Jesus warns against keeping the key of knowledge from others. Instead of just asking if we have ever discouraged someone, maybe we should also ask, how many do we encourage in the things of God?

Luke 11:37-44Let us notice our Lord Jesus Christ's readiness, when needful, to go into the company of the unconverted. Let us notice the foolishness which accompanies hypocrisy in religion. Let us notice the gross inconsistency which is often exhibited by hypocrites in religion.Let us notice the falseness and hollowness which characterize the 'religious hypocrite'"If we feel that we dare not imitate Christ in the company which we, are invited to join, we may be sure that we had better stay at home.""External devoutness of conduct, a grave face, and a bowed head, and a solemn countenance, and a loud amen, are all abominable in God's sight, so long as our hearts are not washed from their wickedness, and renewed by the Holy Spirit. Let this caution never be forgotten.""Let us beware of putting the second things out of their place, and so by degrees losing sight of the first entirely."Questions:1. The first point here is a call for integrity: are we one way with fellow Christians but then another with unbelievers?2. This passage warns us against an outward appearance of godliness. Ryle’s question before drawing near to God, whether in public or in private, is worth making a regular practice: “where is my heart in this moment?”3. Ryle warns against putting secondary things before the things of first importance, which reminds me of the church in Ephesus as recorded in Revelation 2, where although they were good in many respects, they had lost their first love. Are there things in our lives in which secondary things are eclipsing the first things?4. Brothers and sisters, the only opinion we need to care about is that of our Heavenly Father. Even if we are weak, erring, and frail, will we make it our aim to be true and to come again and again to the cross of our Savior?

Luke 11:33-36We learn the importance of making a good use of religious light and privileges.We learn the value of a single and undivided heart in religion. "A man's religion may well be suspected, when he is content to go to heaven alone.""It is a heart which abhors all compromises, all luke-warmness, all halting between two opinions in religion. It sees one mighty object--the love of Christ dying for sinners. It has one mighty aim--to glorify God and do His will. It has one mighty desire, to please God and be commended by Him."Questions:1. In what ways are the truths of God’s Word shining forth from our lives? Do our lives commend the gospel we love to our family members, friends, and colleagues?2. Ryle points out the value of being single-hearted and thorough in religion. How single-hearted are we? What are areas the Holy Spirit might be pointing out that need to be under His control?

Luke 11:27-32We should observe how great are the privileges of those who hear and keep God's word.We should observe the desperate unbelief of the Jews in our Lord's time. We should observe how our Lord Jesus Christ testifies to the truth of a resurrection, and a life to come. "No man can be nearer and dearer to Jesus than the man who simply believes.""Let it never surprise us to see unbelief abounding, both in the church and in the world. So far from wondering that there have been men like Hobbes, and Paine, and Rousseau, and Voltaire, we ought rather to wonder that such men have been so few.""Let the truth of the resurrection be often before our minds. Let the life to come be frequently before our thoughts."Questions:1. It is our human nature that inclines us to think that having any kind of connection to Christ, whether it be through His mother or other saints, that we have some special privileges that others do not have. Yet, as Ryle says, no one can be nearer or dearer to him than the one who simply believes. Does that offend us in any way? If so, why? 2. Have you ever thought to be surprised, not that people believe, but that anyone believes at all? Have we ever been surprised, rather, that there is not more wicked men and women in the world?3. How often do we think of the resurrection? When is the last time you went to a funeral and discovered the biblical truth: it is better to go to the house of mourning, than the house of feasting?

Luke 11:21-26Let us observe what a fearful picture our Lord draws of Satan's power. Let us observe how strongly our Lord teaches the impossibility of neutrality. Let us observe how dangerous it is to be content with any change in religion short of thorough conversion to God."A prisoner must be a very hardened man who jests about the executioner and the gallows. The heart must be in a very bad state, when a man can talk with levity about hell and the devil.""He that follows Jesus most fully, will always follow Him most comfortably.""The devil must not only be cast out. The Holy Spirit must take his place. Christ must dwell in our hearts by faith. We must not only be moralized, but spiritualized. We must not only be reformed, but born again."Questions:1. It has been said that the two dangers, when it comes to understanding Satan, is either to overemphasize his work or to underemphasize. Do we know Satan as a powerful foe, and does it cause us to run to Christ to rest in the strength of His might?2. Ryle says that “he who follows Jesus most fully, will always follow Him most comfortably.” Are we following Jesus ‘most fully?’ Can we say we have joy in the Lord in the areas in which we are not? 3. Are we content with a heart that is growing in love for God, or in just looking good and acceptable on the outside? Are we just stopping obvious sins, or do we actually have a growing hatred for them? Has the Holy Spirit come to take residence or is it just a new, better looking devil?

Luke 11:14-20Let us notice the variety of ways in which Satan exhibits his desire to injure man.Let us notice the amazing power of prejudice over the hearts of unconverted men. Let us notice the great evil of religious divisions. "The prayerless man is dead while he lives.""Let us strive to be of a fair, and honest, and candid spirit in our judgment of men and things in religion. Let us be ready to give up old and cherished opinions the moment that any one can show us a "more excellent way."""What are the best remedies against needless divisions? A humble spirit, a readiness to make concessions, and an enlightened acquaintance with holy Scripture."Questions:1. Ryle connects the mute spirit with a lack of praise and prayer to God in our day. He calls moralism and avoiding open sin as ‘negative goodness,’ but prayer and praise the result of true Christianity. How does this change the way we see the world around us? How about our own hearts?2. Ryle warns against a prejudiced spirit towards men and religion, and that, if someone can show us a more excellent way, we need to be open to it. When is the last time someone showed us a ‘more excellent way’ and we listened?3. 1 Corinthians 15 tells us that there are things – like the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus – that are of first importance. Dr. Mohler of the SBTS has coined the term ‘theological triage.’ Have we ever thought through different doctrines in this light or do we tend to push people away who disagree on anything with us?

Luke 11:5-13We learn the importance of perseverance in prayer.We learn how wide and encouraging are the promises which the Lord Jesus holds out to prayer."The application of the parable is clear and plain. If importunity succeeds so well, between man and man, how much more may we expect it to obtain mercies when used in prayer to God.""A man's state before God may always be measured by his prayers. Whenever we begin to feel careless about our private prayers, we may depend upon it, there is something very wrong in the condition of our souls."Questions:1. It is probably safe to say that those words “it is no use to pray” is the reason we struggle so much to pray. Will we resolve, here and now, to continue in prayer in faith that God not only hears but delights to hear our prayers and answer our requests and give the Holy Spirit?2. If prayer is an indicator of the condition of our souls, what is it saying in our lives right now? That things are well in our souls, or that they are in imminent danger?

Luke 11:1-4The first division of the Lord's Prayer respects the God whom we worship. The second division of the Lord's Prayer respects our own daily needs.The third division of the Lord's Prayer respects our daily dangers."Blessed indeed are those Christians who have learned that God's name is far more honorable than that of any earthly ruler; God's kingdom the only kingdom that shall stand forever--and God's law the rule to which all laws ought to be conformed!""The child of God, no doubt, is fully justified before God, and all things are working for his good. But it is the life of true faith to apply daily for fresh supplies for all our needs.""We include under the word evil, everything that can hurt us, either in body or soul, and especially every weapon of that great author of evil, the devil."Questions:1. It is amazing that our Lord Jesus Christ did not write an entire book on prayer when asked how to pray. He made it simple, yet highlighting the things most important for us. These are the things the Lord is doing and working in our lives, and which, when we pray for, are praying according to God’s will. So, only one question is needed: is this prayer simply a repetition for us, or, as Ryle says, do we feel our need for these requests? Would we not start praying, today, for these very things?

Luke 10:38-42Let us observe how different the characters and temperaments of true Christians may be.Let us observe what a snare to our souls the cares of the world may be, if allowed to take up too much attention. Let us observe the solemn rebuke our Lord Jesus Christ gave to His servant MarthaLet us observe what high commendation our Lord Jesus Christ pronounced on Mary's choice."We must not expect all believers in Christ to be exactly like one another.""If we love life, we must hold the things of this world with a very loose hand, and beware of allowing anything to have the first place in our hearts, excepting God. Let us write 'poison' on all temporal good things.""Health, and money, and lands, and rank, and honors, and prosperity, are all well in their way. But they cannot be called needful."Questions:First, Ryle points out that Christians have different temperaments. Are their certain temperaments that we value and others we despise? What are they? Second, this passage warns us of good things becoming bad things when they become god things. Lawful things are good, says Ryle, but permitted to fill our minds they become positive curses. Are there any good things in our lives that are taking the place of first importance?Third, Jesus tells Martha that one thing is needful. Do our lives give evidence that this is true? If so, how? Fourth, as Ryle points out how grace - the one thing needful - is good in life and death, now and for eternity, doesn't this cause our hearts to value the Lord Jesus?

Luke 10:29-37We are taught how rare and uncommon is true brotherly love. We are taught who they are to whom we should show kindness, and whom we are to love as neighbors. We are taught after what manner, and to what extent we are to show kindness and love to others. "That cheap charity which costs nothing more than a trifling subscription or contribution, is common enough. But that self-sacrificing kindness of heart, which cares not what trouble is entailed, so long as good can be done, is a grace which is rarely met with.""We should regard the whole world as our parish, and the whole race of mankind as our neighbors...To be friendly to all men in this way, is to show something of the mind that was in Christ.""He should think it no misspent time to work as hard in doing good to those who need help, as others work in trying to get money. He should not be ashamed to toil as much to make the misery of this world rather smaller, as those toil who hunt or shoot all day long. He should have a ready ear for every tale of sorrow, and a ready hand to help every one in affliction, so long as he has the power."Questions:1. I don’t know about you, but I can easily read the command to love God and neighbor, or read that love is fruit produced by the Spirit, and it not hit me that I fall so short of this calling! Does Ryle saying that this love is rare and uncommon humble us or make us proud?2. The answer to who our neighbor is, is the person we see in need and can help. Is this our practical response to those around us? Are we quick to meet needs that we see, or run away from them?3. As Ryle asks, “what are we doing, each in our own station, to prove that this mighty parable is one of the rules of our daily life? What are we doing for the heathen, at home and abroad? What are we doing to help those who are troubled in mind, body, or estate? There are many such in this world. There are always some near our own door. What are we doing for them? Anything, or nothing at all?”