Temptations to Sin
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
A young driver was in a hurry to get to an appointment and illegally parked his car.
He left this note under the windshield wiper of his auto:
So sorry, but I have circled the block for twenty minutes.
I am late for an appointment and if I don't park here, I'll lose my job!
“FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES.”
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When the driver of the car came back, he was shocked when he found a parking ticket on his windshield with the following note:
I've circled this block for twenty years as a police officer....if I don't give you a ticket, I will lose my job!
“LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION!”
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Well, Beloved, today we will be talking about both temptation and forgiveness...
Along with the subject of rebuking.
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So, please turn your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke.
We will conduct our study in Chapter 17 and focus on verses 1 through 4.
Our message this morning is titled “Temptations to Sin.”
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As you are turning to our passage today please keep in mind this fact...
Jesus is addressing this teaching first and foremost to His followers...
So, as a Christian, we must learn how to forgive and rebuke biblically...
All while guarding ourselves from the temptation to sin.
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So, this morning we will cover three main points:
1) The Danger of Sin
2) The Call to Rebuke
And...
3) The Call to Forgive
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Heavenly Father...
You are the Author of all created beings and truly of all creation...
You are the Author of every moment in our lives...
You are the Sovereign One and no one is like you our Holy God.
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Help us understand the text that we will be studying today...
Help us to stay vigilant and protect us from the temptations to sin...
Help us to rebuke others in love and boldness...
And help us to forgive all sins committed against us.
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Thank You for Your patience...
Thank You for not leaving us were You found us...
Thank You for not giving us the things we wanted that would harm us...
And thank You for being our source of all saving truth.
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And it is in Jesus’ name we pray all these things...
Amen.
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,
4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) The Danger of Sin
1) The Danger of Sin
Verses 1-2: And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
So, Luke records that the following statements by Jesus where directed to His own followers...
You see Beloved, Jesus has been addressing the Pharisees since Luke 16:14...
And over the course of many Sundays we have covered those teachings...
Now however, Jesus shifts His main audience to His own disciples.
As the New International Commentary on the New Testament on Luke says:
“Luke designates the immediate recipients of Jesus’ teaching as ‘his disciples.’
This stands in contrast to the audience of Luke 16:14–31, the Pharisees.
The effect of such a contrast is mitigated by the fact that, in this section of the Third Gospel, Jesus seems to have made a practice of speaking to one audience in the presence of another.”
So, Jesus is talking primarily to His followers...
However, Jesus is also talking to his followers in the presence of the Pharisees and religious elite...
Jesus is also talking to his followers in the presence of the crowds that have gathered...
This way The Pharisees and the crowds see what it is like to be a follower of Christ...
And so hearing Jesus teach His followers, some will also be repent and believe and become followers of Christ one day.
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Now the first thing Jesus says is that, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!”
To properly understand this statement fully, we need to clearly define a few key words.
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The first word we will look at is the word “temptation,” which can also be rendered as “stumbling blocks” and literally means “snares,” “trap,” or “offense.”
So, the Greek word originally designated the bait stick in a trap and later the trap itself...
Then, in time, it came to mean anything that trips or traps people...
Basically, it was something that causes one’s downfall.
That is why we are warned in passages like Matthew 26:41, which says:
41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
So, Beloved, the reality is that there will be many temptations in our life...
As born-again believers our mind has been renewed...
However, our flesh is still waiting to be renewed...
And that will not happen until we reach glorification...
So, our spirit and our flesh will be at odds...
But we must fight any and all temptations we encounter...
For our sins will not only harm us but they can also act as a stumbling block for others...
And Jesus gives us a strong warning on how destructive it is to lead others to sin.
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You see, Beloved, our Lord and Savior says, “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.”
The word “millstone,” in our passage means “stone of a mill” and the use of the word “millstone” in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, in parallel passages, literally means “the millstone of a donkey” and refers to a stone used for grinding and pulverizing grain in a mill.
In fact, the stone weighed hundreds of pounds and was so large it took a donkey to propel it by walking in circles on a track.
So, this was a huge stone.
Imagine that hung from a person’s neck and then thrown into the sea...
As the expression goes, they will be sleeping with the fishes.
So, Jesus is saying that it is better to die in this horrific manner than to mislead one of His “little ones” to sin.
Or as the New American Commentary on Luke puts it:
“It is better to die prematurely (described as drowning by having a millstone tied to one’s neck) than to be a scandal to God’s ‘little ones.’”
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So, you may be asking, who are these “little ones?”
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The term “little ones” refers to true believers as they are God’s children who are under His care.
Although, these believers are either new believers who only recently converted...
Or they are just immature believers...
That is believers who have been following Jesus for a long time but have not sat under solid teaching or have been mislead...
Some people can be genuine believers for most of their life and although they will show some signs of growth...
The growth may be very small and they may not understand the more difficult parts of Scripture...
In biblical terms...
They know and believe in the Gospel, which is the milk...
But they struggle with solid food like meat, which is the deeper theological truths found in the Word of God.
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So, we can conclude rightly, that this does not speak of literal children, but children in the sense described in Matthew 18:3-4, which says:
3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
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All believers must become like a child in their trust and dependence on the Lord...
To follow Christ we must be humble...
But it is at that early stage...
When a believer is a new convert or if a believer is just immature, that is when they are at danger to be mislead by false doctrines and false teachers...
They are in danger to be mislead by the sinful acts of others...
And Jesus made it clear...
It is better to die a violent death...
Like drowning with a milestone wrapped around one’s neck....
Than to lead others into sin.
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Jesus put it this way in Matthew 18:6–9, which says:
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
Jesus is not holding back at all, Beloved.
Sin is a cancer!
If something in your life is leading you to habitually sin, then you need to cut it out!
One can’t follow the Lord and make a practice of sin!
A life of sin lead to an eternal life of Hellfire.
That is why Jesus warns t us not only of the danger of sin...
But the danger of leading other to sin.
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So, Beloved, we must be on guard...
We must guard against the temptation to sin...
And we must guard against the temptation to lead others into sin...
And a good way of doing that is to be humble...
As the MacArthur New Testament Commentary on Luke says:
“Humble believers consider others first out of love and unselfish good will.
They passionately pursue the truth of God’s Word so that they might not offer false teaching that would put an obstacle or hindrance in someone’s spiritual life.
For the same reason, they live godly lives, setting an example for others to follow.
They also do not abuse their liberty in Christ so as not to cause weaker believers to be offended.”
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That is another point that we must consider...
As believers of Christ....
As His genuine followers...
It is more than just not sinning.
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Some actions are not necessarily sinful...
However, they can still act as a stumbling block to the new and immature believers...
So, just because we have the right to participate in an act, does not mean it is wise or for the good of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
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Beloved, I would like you to consider 1 Corinthians 8:1–13:
1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.
2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.
3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”
5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—
6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.
9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?
11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.
12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
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I love how Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, puts it...
“Take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”
Here is a very common example of this in our day...
Take drinking alcohol for example.
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Based on the Word of God, drinking alcohol is not a sin...
In fact, Jesus and His apostles drank wine...
The actual sin is getting drunk.
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However, we must use wisdom in what we practice in our day today.
You see, a common meal in the 1st century, in Jesus’ Day was bread and wine...
Wine was necessary in that day due to the challenges in getting fresh water...
Also, wine was used to treat medical challenges...
People obviously got drunk from wine but even the alcohol content was no where near the amount of alcohol in modern versions of wine.
In fact, some wine was made by boiling it to become a jelly that in the future would have water added to it to serve as a drink.
That version of wine, due to the boiling process, barely had any alcohol in it...
In fact, it was very similar to the process of making grape juice.
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I our day today...
With the advancement of medicine and water treatment...
Wine does not have the same need in our daily lives...
Additionally, modern day wine is equivalent to hard liquor in the 1st century...
So, do we have the right to drink alcohol today?
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Yes, we have the right to.
No one can say it is a sin to drink alcohol.
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However, is it wise to drink alcohol?
One can’t get drunk if they don’t drink alcohol, right?
If one decides to drink alcohol, even if they never get drunk, will it be a stumbling block for someone in their lives?
Will drinking alcohol be a stumbling block for a weaker or immature brother or sister in Christ?
How about the people we love who are former alcoholics...
They have overcome a great sin...
But would our drinking of alcohol hurt them?
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Every believer must ask these questions to themselves and decide what to do...
Some believers drink alcohol and see no problem with it.
Some believers drink alcohol but only do so privately in order to not act as a stumbling block to others.
Some believers will not drink alcohol at all...
For they see that even the drinking of alcohol in private can be a stumbling block to others.
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Beloved, I love you all so very much...
I don’t say the following to boast...
In my life, in the past, I have had a beer or glass of wine on several occasions...
I never got drunk...
That was just not the sin I personally struggles with...
Anger or pride...
That was another story...
But getting drunk was not something I had to deal with...
However, when the Lord lead me into ministry I decided to voluntarily give up my right to rich to drink alcohol...
I understand that, in my position, my right, which again is no sin at all, can lead others to sin...
And I love my fellow brothers and sisters too much to take that risk.
That is my personal story and my decision on the matter.
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Each and every one of you has to ask God for wisdom and discernment on this matter in your own lives...
If drinking alcohol leads you to getting drunk then it is better to cut it out of your life...
If you have a family member or friend who struggles with drinking it would be unwise to drink in front of them...
Maybe even unwise to drink at all.
Again, with our Christian liberty...
We have many rights...
We just have to ask ourselves is this wise.
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Drinking alcohol is just one topic...
There are many more issues like this we will come across...
In those situations, pray for wisdom and discernment...
I am always here if you are struggling in any area to decide how is best o proceed.
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Next, Jesus instructs us what we are supposed to do if one of our fellow brothers or sisters in Christ falls into sin...
And that takes us to our next point.
2) The Call to Rebuke
2) The Call to Rebuke
Verse 3(a): Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him,
So, envisioned here are individual acts of sin of one brother or sister in Christ against another.
Now, the phrase, “rebuke him” refers to a loving admonition in which a believer tells an offending Christian of the wrong that they have done.
Furthermore, the aim of this biblical rebuke is for persuasion rather than condemnation.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary on Luke puts it this way:
“The word for “rebuke”...means to warn or reprove in order to prevent or end an action.
Its purpose here is not to humiliate, defeat, or drive out sinners, but to correct and restore them.
It is often easier to turn a blind eye to sin in the community.
The admonition of fellow believers requires the church to function as a body in the costly work of reconciliation:
‘If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it’
Verses 3–4 make forgiveness conditional upon repentance, but when confession is made, forgiveness must be unconditional, given freely and without limit, even ‘seven times in a day,’”
So, the goal of rebuking a fellow believer it that the one in sin will repent...
In our next point, we will dive deep into repenting and forgiving...
But right now I would like us to focus on the command to rebuke others...
You see, Beloved, this command by God is not optional...
It is the Christian’s duty to deal straightforwardly with any brother or sister in Christ who is in sin.
The reality of the matter is that sin cannot be overlooked but must be rebuked so that repentance and restoration can occur.
To not rebuke a fellow brother or sister in sin is to disobey God and allow our brothers and sisters to suffer with the consequences of that sin.
It is not nice to be silent...
It is not nice to just ignore the very clear sin in someone’s life...
As theologian James R. Edwards says:
“The New Testament does not teach or expect Christians to eradicate evil in the world, but it admonishes Christians, as does Jesus here, to contend earnestly against evil, and above all, not to be a cause of sin to others.”
So, we are called to both rebuke sin and watch over ourselves so we do not sin and mislead others...
Beloved, we have a great responsibility.
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True love for others means we must be active...
True love is action!
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True love for others means we must risk offending others and being misunderstood...
True love is sacrifice!
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Just look at how the life of the church is described in Colossians 3:16:
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Along with hearing and obeying the Word of God...
Along with singing the psalms and hymns...
Along with singing spiritual songs...
We are to admonish one another...
We are called to hold each other accountable!
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As 1 Thessalonians 5:14 says:
14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
So, again...
Along with encouraging others...
Along with helping the weak...
Along with being patient with all...
We are to admonish one another...
We are called to hold each other accountable!
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Beloved, take a look at the truth found in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which says:
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
So, along with using the Word of God to train others...
Along with using the Bible t teach others...
Along with using the Scriptures to lead others to be equipped for every good work...
We are to admonish one another...
We are called to hold each other accountable!
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So, why is rebuking, correcting, and admonishing someone so important?
Well, just look at James 5:19–20 for a very clear answer:
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
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In fact, there is a whole process for church disciple laid out in Scripture...
Do you want to know why it is vital it be an official member of a Bible believing church?
Just turn to Matthew 18:15–20 and see how God has instructed us to deal with sin in our community of believers:
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
So, if someone is in sin against you, it is right, proper, and our duty to at first privately come to this fellow brother or sister in Christ and lovingly and firmly rebuke them.
We are to show them from Scripture why they are in error.
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If that does not stop the person from being in sin...
Then we are to take one or two others from the local church to show that individual why they are in sin according to the Word of God.
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If that does not stop the person from being in sin...
Then we are to bring that individual in front of the whole church and again...
With love and firmness rebuke that individual in sin.
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If that does not stop the person from being in sin...
Then we to treat that person like an unbeliever..
They can still come and attend church...
However, they are no longer allowed to serve if they are serving in the church...
They are not longer allowed to participate in communion...
They are seen as a friend but they are no longer treated as a brother or sister in Christ.
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Now, this process of church discipline is impossible to do unless one is an official member of a church...
So, yes, being an official member of a local church is not just a suggestion...
It is commanded in Scripture...
And the purpose of an official membership at a Bible-believing local church is to be held accountable and to hold others accountable.
The Lord truly gave us an amazing system to have a healthy church...
The fact that many modern churches today have no process of church discipline is a sad reality which has lead to so much unfaithfulness.
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Now, if the person under church discipline repents, they they should immediately be allowed back into the assembly of believers.
Based on the nature of the sin, they may or may not be able to return to their area of service.
So, we must have the heart of Galatians 6:1-2, which says:
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
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So, Beloved, we are called not only to be on guard of temptation...
We are called not only to rebuke...
We are also called to forgive any brother or sister in Christ who repents...
And that takes us to our third and final point.
3) The Call to Forgive
3) The Call to Forgive
Verse 3(b)-4: And if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Beloved, let me be crystal clear...
If you claim to follow Jesus Christ...
Forgiveness is not optional...
Anyone who comes to you who repents must be forgiven...
No matter the original offense...
No matter who often the same person sins against you.
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For a deeper look at forgiveness...
Look with me at what Matthew records in his Gospel account...
Look with me at Matthew 18:21–35, which says:
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’
27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’
29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’
30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.
32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’
34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.
35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Peter thought he was being magnanimous because in Judaism it was considered honorable to forgive three times...
However, as disciples of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we are to exceed that man-made standard.
You see, the rabbis in the 1st century taught that since God forgave Israel’s enemies only three times, as recorded in Amos, it was presumptuous and unnecessary to forgive anyone more than three times.
However, the religious elite had no right to make this conclusion.
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Jesus clarifies that we are to forgive others an innumerable umber of times times.
You see, Beloved, the number seven was not to set a limit on the number of times to forgive...
Instead, it was precisely the opposite.
Christ meant that forgiveness should be granted unendingly.
So, no matter how many times one sins, we are to forgive all those who repent.
We must understand that the obligation for us to forgive even when a brother sins repeatedly is based in the reality that God has forgiven us a massive debt that we could never repay.
This is the only right response for those who have themselves been forgiven.
As Colossians 3:13 says:
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Likewise, take a look at the truth found in Ephesians 4:32, which says:
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
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Even in the Lord’s Prayer...
That temple prayer we are to model all our prayers after...
We are to pray to have our sins forgiven as we forgive others for sinning against us as it says in Luke 11:4:
4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”
In fact, Mark 11:25 puts it this way:
25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
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So, if you want to be in fellowship with Christ...
Forgiving other is not a option but is the standard behavior of a follower of Jesus.
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
So, as this message comes to a close...
I would like you to consider this:
Two little brothers, Harry and James, had finished supper and were playing until bedtime.
Somehow, Harry hit James with a stick, and tears and bitter words followed.
Charges and accusations were still being exchanged as their mother prepared them for bed.
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She said,
“Now boys, what would happen if either of you died tonight and you never had the opportunity again for forgive one another?”
James spoke up,
“Well, OK, I’ll forgive him tonight, but if we’re both alive in the morning, he’d better look out.”
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How often do we hold onto our grudges…and choose not to forgive.
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Beloved, any grudge you are holding on to right now...
Just let it go...
You are truly harming yourself...
Just forgive, Beloved...
You will never regret following the commands of our Lord and Savior...
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords...
Jesus Christ!
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
Let’s pray...
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Heavenly Father...
If anyone hearing this message right now does not know You in a saving way...
Then soften their hearts to hear Your wonderful truth...
And turn them into a brand-new creation.
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I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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For those hearing this message who already know You...
Remind us that we are to be on guard from the various temptations that will come our way...
Embolden us to rebuke our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with love and truth...
And give us a heart like Your that forgives all those who repent.
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Again, I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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It is in Jesus’ name we pray all these things...
To God be all the glory.
Amen.
