A Lofty Sermon From a Level Place pt.4

Introduction

Today marks sermon number 26 in our series “The Son: From the Manger to the Cross.” We are in a bit of a mini-series within the series looking at Lukes account of Jesus famous “Sermon on the Mount” or as we’ve called it “A Lofty Sermon From a Level Place.”

This sermon is all about what a genuine disciple of Christ looks like. Not in physical appearance but in action and behavior. Jesus began his sermon by distinguishing between those who have genuine faith and those who do not by saying that a genuine believer is marked by a spirit of repentance instead of pride. (v.20-26) He then continued in v.27-36 by noting that there is one overarching ethic that all true believers possess and that is “deliberate love” for their enemies. We most look like our Father in Heaven when we love those who do not love us. We demonstrate that love through our deeds, words and prayers to and for them. Then in v.37-42 he addressed the disposition of the genuine believer. Saying that a genuine believer is not judgmental but instead forgiving and generous to his enemies.

Now he is moving on to a third aspect genuine discipleship and that is that genuine disciples are themselves disciple makers.

We have a desire to see others come to faith in Christ and then to grow into maturity in Christ and then repeat the process.

Jesus here makes his point by using negative metaphors that involve “blind guides, big planks, and bad fruit.”

These metaphors all teach us important aspects of being disciple makers and caution us to be on guard of certain things in our own lives.

Through these metAphors Jesus cautions us to:

BEWARE OF BLINDNESS. (V.39-40)

BEWARE OF HYPOCRISY. (V.41-42)

BEWARE OF BAD CHARACTER (V.43-45)

1.) Beware of blindness. (v.39-40)

As Jesus pivots to his next point he does so by using the teaching method of parable.

Parable- often refers to an extended analogy but also is a term that refers to a simple proverb. Thats what it does here.

The proverbial warning of the “blind leading the blind” was a very commonly used metaphor in Jesus day. Particularly because it made a lot of cultural sense given that Palestine of Jesus day was full of two things: blind people and cisterns.

Overland travel could be very perilous becuase the landscape was often pockmarked with pits and cisterns from people searching for water. Because of this even people who had their sight would not travel at night for fear of taking a wrong step and falling into one of these cisterns. Now imagine someone who is blind trying to guide someone else who is blind on a safe journey and the parable becomes clear.

Blindness is a metaphor for someone who can not see the truth and lacks spiritual insight.

A.) Who are the blind?

In this statement by Jesus their are two blind people:

1.) The Leaders- these are people like pastors, teachers, parents anyone who holds influence or responsibility over another person.

2.) The follower- the student, learner, child etc.

It is entirely possible for anyone who is blind to lead someone else down the same path of blindness.

B.) Causes of blindness

There are a lot of reasons why a person can become blind.

Born blind- someone who has never been exposed to the light of the gospel.

Blind because of injury- These are those who have been exposed to the gospel but are now blind because they injured themselves due to a sinful act, someone else hurt them.

Blind by choice- This is the person who loves the darkness. They enjoy their sin and have no desire to ever come into the light.

Blind because their eyes are closed- this is the person who is exposed to the gospel but closes his eyes or turns away from it because they don’t want to see it. They simply refuse.

C.) The results of blindness.

We cannot effectively make disciples if we ourselves are blind. Any attempt to do this will end in disaster. If i myself as a leader have become blind to my own sin, the person who I am leading will also become blind.

If I cant see clearly myself, how in the world can I lead someone else to see clearly?

Here is the issue with a blind man trying to lead others, you will both fall into the pit.

If I am ignorant of the light, i can’t lead others to the light.

I can’t lead someone to follow Jesus if I am not busy following Jesus.

False teachers, those walking in unrepentant sin etc.

1 Timothy 6:3–5 NKJV

3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

2 Peter 1:5–9 NKJV

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Application: The remedy for blindness is found in v.40

Luke 6:40 NKJV

40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

Keeping our eyes on Jesus is the only way to combat blindness. We will never rise to the point that we don’t need to keep Jesus in view.

In Jesus time, your teacher was everything. To claim to be above your teacher is the absolute height of ignorance. But, for many, this is how we often behave.

The false teacher thinks he is above Jesus.

The unrepentant sinner ignores Jesus.

When we keep our eyes on Jesus he says that we will become “perfectly (completely) trained.” That simply means we will become like our Master. When we keep Jesus in his proper place in our life we become conformed to his image. We can only properly lead others to be disciples of Christ when we ourselves are his disciples.

1 Corinthians 11:1 NKJV

1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

2.) Beware of hypocrisy. (v.41-42)

As disciple makers, we cannot be blind to our own condition. We must be able to see it clearly before we can help others.

When you are leading someone in a discipleship (spiritual mentor) relationship, one of your responsibilities is to help them to see the sin in their lives. But, we cant do this if we are blind to what is askew in our own lives at the same time.

Let me put it another way, before we can be extrospective, we must first be introspective

Jesus illustrates this humorously.

Luke 6:41–42 NKJV

41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

This reminds me of a Marx Bros. sketch.

Once again, both people in view have a problem. Neither is able to see properly. However, I can’t get close enough to help my brother if I have my own sin issue.

That is called hypocrisy. When I point out the sins of others while ignoring my own.

Before I can help my brother with his issue, i need to deal with my own sin first. I must judge my own heart so that I can see clearly..

Being a hypocrite isn't helpful. We are only helpful when we have submitted ourselves to God and his word first.

In fact, one way to examine ourselves for self-righteousness is to consider how often we are interested in correcting others rather than correcting our own attitudes and actions.

3.) Beware of bad character. (v.43-45)

Luke 6:43–45 NKJV

43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

The third step in being an effective disciple maker is keeping an eye on my own character.

Living in an area that is known for apple production, this analogy should make a lot of since. It is possible for a good tree to occasionally produce rotten fruit. As well it is possible for a bad tree to occasionally produce good fruit. Our life isn’t measured by a few instances of sin, but by the overarching fruit it produces over time.

In order to be an effective disciple maker I must be sure my life is producing the right kind of fruit. If I’m producing rotten fruit, there is something in my life that needs to be pruned.

My words and actions come from the overflow of my heart. They expose what is going on deep inside.

Galatians 5:19–23 NKJV

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

I cannot effectively lead others to follow Jesus if I’m producing bad fruit in my life.

Conclusion

A mark of genuine discipleship is a desire to lead others to follow Jesus. But we can’t do that if we’re not right.

Do as I say and not as I do isn't effective. We must be on constant guard that we don’t become spiritually blind, full of hypocrisy and producing bad fruit.

When I’m blind to my own spiritual condition, I become a hypocrite. Constantly pointing out the sin of others but incapable of seeing my own.Hypocrisy will eventually give way to rotten fruit. When a tree produces enough rotten fruit, it’s not good for anything but destruction.

The next text will reveal that there are many who are not actually in Christ who think they are. Let’s do a little introspection this morning.