Woe!
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Need: We naturally live inward and look outward. What do I mean? Two things:
We want to self-diagnose and think deeper about the things wrong with us so that it is all explainable. Then we scoff at anyone who tells us otherwise.
We live so deeply in our own feelings that we make our feelings universal. Everyone must be feeling this way or are struggling with this.
Jesus is going to show us a different way to live.
Luke 11:37-54
Main Idea: Look inward, live outward
Jesus was asked to eat with the Pharisee. Verses 37-41. He hasn’t even gotten to the woes yet. Sitting at the table meant things were good. Jesus didn’t wash before dinner. No OT law demanded this except for priests. Oral law. Jesus says they cleanse the outside of the cup, but are full of greed and wickedness.
Ill. Coffee mug. Never wash. Wipe off outside. Refill the inside.
Exp. Greed and wickedness. Pharisees are known as lovers of money. Care more about an outward behavior than a clean heart. Six total woes.
Imperative #1: Do not simply tithe and neglect the needy (42)
Exp. First woe. You tithe over the top. Which is not the part being condemned. It’s neglecting justice and the love of God. Pharisees count and measure what they give, so that have a ledger. But something immeasurable, like caring for the needy is dismissed.
Ill. Don sharing Christ with group from Maryland. Immeasurable. Could have counted the houses they fixed. Families back in homes.
Christ - Jesus came for the poor and needy. He didn’t come to count our tithes. He came to save sinners. To bring into the fold those who were outcasts.
Imperative #2: Do not live for applause (43)
Exp. Look at what he says in verse 43. First woe = neglect the poor. Second woe = public recognition. Synagogues were for prayer and studying God’s word, but they used it for prestige. Greetings in the marketplace like they are a celebrity in a parade. Walking past the poor to be recognized by others.
Arg. Paul writes in Romans 12:3
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
Exp. We are to be careful about what others say about us.
Christ - Jesus humbles himself and is exalted later. He is the standard for humility.
Imperative #3: Do not lead others to be unclean (44)
Exp. Final woe to Pharisees. Verse 44. Seems like a weird metaphor. Touching a grave was considered unclean. Pharisees are spiritually dead like graves. Others touch them inadvertently and become unclean. These people think they are doing the right thing, but are being made unclean.
Arg. Jesus illustrates it’s not external was makes someone unclean. It’s on the inside. Mark 7:15
15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
Christ - Jesus fully cleanses us from the inside. Washing us and cleansing us.
App. Woe to Pharisees: Do not ignore your heart.
Tithe, and care for those in need.
Think rightly of yourself.
Lead others to the only one who can clean us.
**Things change**
Verse 45. Lawyers don’t like this, but Jesus responds to them next. Verse 46.
Imperative #4: Do not make obedience impossible to reach (46)
Exp. Jesus is calling everybody out. Burdens = rules. Added traditions not found in the Law. You have set the standard so high that nobody can reach it and you won’t help people. Obedience is attainable. The Law shows us our sin, but obedience can occur. The lawyers made obedience impossible.
Ill. Rules for kids. No running, no toys, can’t be loud. At times, these are important. If they are rules for all the time, obedience is impossible. Lawyers did this.
Exp. Jesus calls them out for pushing rules that are unattainable and then neglect the help to achieve them.
Christ - Jesus fulfills the law so we don’t have to. Nullifies the oral law that has no authority and fulfills God’s Law so we are not condemned.
Imperative #5: Do not reject the prophetic message (47)
Exp. Still talking to lawyers. Verse 47. Still a picture of death like the Pharisees. Agreeing with their fathers who killed the prophets. Explains in verse 48. You are seeing what it was like and you agree with it. Verse 49-51. Wisdom of God. All the prophets from the beginning. In verse 51, Abel to Zechariah. First and last OT martyrs. This generation is charged with the blood of the prophets, but OT calls God the avenger of bloodshed. Deuteronomy 32:43
43 “Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people’s land.”
7 And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord.
Christ - Jesus is the prophet being rejected. He is the prophet that will ultimately be killed. Judgment will come on those who reject him. Jesus said, the Ninevites will judge you, the queen of the south will judge you, and now, God will. The good news is that those who accept him receive salvation.
Imperative #6: Do not hide the gospel (52)
Exp. He will give his final woe. Verse 52. Taken away knowledge. Given false interpretation of Scripture, therefore people can’t believe God’s plan of salvation. What was intended to lead became a stumbling block. By adding more laws, they have made the gospel inaccessible.
Ill. Bulgaria. Eastern Orthodox Church. Gorgeous. Ceiling gospel message. Walls consisted of saints of the Orthodox church. Painting of Mary that had ribbons on it. Won awards for how many people it healed. 3 or 4 people came and prayed to the painting. Another pastor said, it feels like they’ve made the gospel out of reach because they’ve distracted themselves with all these other things.
Christ - Jesus brings the gospel and extends its reach to Gentiles. The gospel is not unattainable or inaccessible. It is not some far away idea of a stoic God who does not care. It is from a loving God who sent his son to bring it to us.
App. Woe to lawyers: Do not reject the gospel.
Do not add rules laws that make obedience impossible. Be wise in leading yourself away from sin and to obedience.
Listen to Christ. Do not reject his message.
Cling to the gospel. The lawyers would not enter.
Conclusion
Let us be a people who follow Christ’s example of bringing the gospel to people in need.
