Untitled Sermon (8)

Certain Truth in an Uncertain World

Greatness, Partnerships, Judgment, and Discipleship

Luke 9:46-62

I once heard a pastor share how, in the gospels, Jesus could sometimes be incredibly tender, and at other times, unbelievably tough. This so impacted him that he started writing in the margin of his Bible the words “tough” when Jesus was tough, and “tender” when Jesus was tender.

But this raises an important question. How can Jesus sometimes be so tough, and at other times so tender? The reason is because everything Jesus did was from love. Perfect love.

When someone needed to be comforted, Jesus was lovingly, perfectly, tender. And when someone needed to be confronted, Jesus was lovingly, perfectly tough.

And in today’s passage we are going to see Jesus be lovingly, perfectly, tough. Let’s turn to Luke 9. In vv.46-48, Jesus answers the question:

What makes someone great?

Luke 9:46-48:

Luke 9:46–48 ESV

An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.

It seems likely that they were talking about whose ministry was greatest. Maybe Andrew talked about how he had healed a blind man. But them Peter countered that he had preached to a couple hundred people. But Matthew said that he had cast out three demons. “I’m greater.” “No, I’m greater.” “No, I’m greater!” It was not pretty.

But Jesus loves these men. And he’s going to be perfectly, lovingly tough with them. Verse 47:

47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side

48 and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great."

So what is Jesus saying? The disciples had been talking about whose ministry was greatest. And Jesus wants them to see what it is that makes someone great in ministry.

So he gives them a picture of a lowly ministry. He puts a child by his side. He wants them to think about ministering to a child, receiving a child in Jesus’ name. He wants them to think about getting down on a child’s level, listening to them. Loving them. Telling them about Jesus. One little child.

And notice what Jesus says:

“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”

So if you do this lowly ministry of receiving a child in Jesus’ name, you will receive Jesus, and if you receive Jesus, then you will receive the one who sent Jesus – God the Father.

How does receiving a child mean receiving Jesus? That’s puzzling. But I found the answer in Matthew 10:40-42. Jesus is talking to his disciples, and says:

Matthew 10:40–42 ESV

“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

40 "Whoever receives you [that is, welcomes you, ministers to you, houses you disciples] receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet [encourages a prophet, feeds a prophet] because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward [that is, will receive Jesus and his Father], and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

Notice that three times Jesus uses the word “reward.” So when Jesus talks about receiving him and the Father, he’s talking about the reward of incomparable joy in knowing Jesus, the reward of heart-filling pleasure in the Father’s presence.

And since Jesus uses the exact same language in, that’s what he means in . Let’s read v. Luke 9:48 again:

Luke 9:48 ESV

and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

“Whoever receives this child in my name [that is, loves this child, prays for this child] receives me [the reward of joy in my presence], and whoever receives me receives him who sent me [the reward of pleasure in knowing God]. For he who is least among you all [that is, the one of you disciples who ministers in the lowliest way] is the one who is great [because he has Jesus and the Father].”

What makes someone who ministers great is not numbers of people or having a big building. What makes someone who ministers great is that as they minister, whether it’s to a crowd, or to one child, they receive more of Jesus and the Father.

So don’t seek a big ministry. And don’t shun small ministry. Love however you can, and you will be great, because you will receive more of Jesus and the Father.

Then in the next two verses Jesus answers the question:

What about those who are not part of our group?

Luke 9:49-50:

Luke 9:49–50 ESV

John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

49 John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us."

Picture it: the disciples see someone who is terribly oppressed by a demon, and someone else is laying hands on them, praying for the, casting out that demon in Jesus’ name. And the demon comes out, and this person is restored. But because the one who cast out the demon was not traveling with them, they tried to stop him:

Disciples: “Excuse me, sir. What are you doing?”

Man: “I’m casting our demons in Jesus’ name.”

Disciples: “You can’t do that. Stop that!”

Man: “Why? I love Jesus. I’m freeing people in Jesus’ name. Why should I stop?”

Disciples: “Because you are not part of our group.”

So what does Jesus do? He is perfectly, lovingly tough with John, in v.50:

50 But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you."

How does Jesus know this person is not against them? It’s because he’s casting out demons in Jesus’ name. So he knows Jesus, loves Jesus, trusts Jesus. So even though he’s not part of their group, he is for them. He’s on the same team with them. So Jesus says: “Do not stop him.” Which would mean something like pray for him, love him, encourage him.

So what does this mean for us? Here’s one application. At Grace Church we believe and preach what’s clear and black-and-white in the Bible, like the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. That’s what we believe.

And praise God that there are other churches in Abu Dhabi who also believe and preach what’s clear and black-and-white in the Bible. So how should we feel about those churches. They are not Grace Church; what should we think about them?

Jesus would say that we are on the same team as any church that believes and preaches what’s clear and black-and-white in the Bible. But what if we differ on things that are not clear and black-and-white in the Bible? As long as we agree on what’s main and plain, which means we preach and lift up Jesus, we are on the same team.

So we should love them. Encourage them. Honor them. And pray for them.

And in the next section, Jesus answers another question:

When is the time for fiery judgment?

Luke 9:51-56:

Luke 9:51–56 ESV

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.

51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.

Jesus knows that the time is coming when, in Jerusalem, he will be arrested, beaten, crowned with thorns, scourged with 39 lashes, and nailed to a cross to suffer for hours, and worst of all, endure God’s wrath and judgment against the sins, and pay for the sins, of all who trust him.

So he knows: that’s what is coming in Jerusalem. So what does he do? He sets his face to go to Jerusalem. This is one of those phrases in the Bible that would be good to memorize, as it will fuel your worship, and strengthen your faith. “Jesus, you set your face to go to Jerusalem. You chose Jerusalem because you love me. You did not let anything keep you from suffering for me.”

Then v.52:

52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him.

53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.

Why did the Samaritans care that his face was set toward Jerusalem? It’s because there was racial hatred between Samaritans and Jews. So when these Samaritans heard that Jesus was going to Jerusalem, they knew he was Jewish, and so they did not welcome him.

And look at how James and John respond, in v.54:

54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"

James and John are furious. “How dare they not welcome Jesus! That’s horrible! They deserve God’s judgment!” But look at how Jesus answers them in v.55:

55 But he turned and rebuked them.

56 And they went on to another village.

We don’t know what Jesus said. But since he rebuked them, we know he said they were wrong. And earlier Jesus had told them what to do when a town rejected them. They should shake the dust of that town off their feet as a witness to them that unless something changes, they will face God’s judgment (). And in chapter 6 Jesus called them to love their enemies, and do good to those who hate them ().

So clearly, James and John were wrong. This was not the time for God’s fiery judgment. That time would come at the end of history. But God is waiting because he wants more to be saved. He’s being patient with this village of Samaritans.

So how should we respond to those who do not believe? Understand that this is not the time for fiery wrath. This is the time for us to preach the gospel. To endure rejection. To suffer persecution. So don’t get mad. Instead, love. Weep. Pray. Share the good news.

Then starting in v.57 Jesus answers the question:

What must I do to follow Jesus?

Jesus gives three answers. The first is that

We must count the cost of following Jesus

Luke 9:57-58:

Luke 9:57–58 ESV

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

Can you feel this person’s enthusiasm? This person has heard about Jesus, and seems to have seen Jesus’ glory, and been persuaded by Jesus that he should follow Jesus. So how does Jesus respond to him? Does he say: “Great, join in!” or: “Glad to have you! Meet Andrew and Peter and Matthew.”

But that’s not what Jesus does. He responds with words that are loving, and tough. Read v.58:

58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

What is Jesus doing? He’s making sure that this person understands the cost of following him. We know we are saved by faith alone – trusting Jesus to forgive us, change us, and satisfy us. But to trust Jesus there is cost – we must turn from whatever we were trusting to satisfy us.

And here Jesus gets specific: “To follow me on my travels, you have to turn from the comforts of home. We sleep and wash and eat where and when we can.”

So notice that Jesus goes out of his way to spell out the cost. He does not focus just on the benefits. He is very clear about the costs. And throughout the gospels Jesus spells out the costs for all of us --

You might be persecuted.

Your family might turn against you.

You might be arrested.

You might be killed.

But Jesus also spells out the gains:

You will be forgiven for all your sins.

You will know God.

Your heart will overflow with living water.

You will live forever.

So ask yourself. Have you counted the cost? And when you share the gospel, do you spell out the cost? That’s important, because if someone doesn’t count the cost, then they won’t understand what it means to be saved. And because, if we do count the cost, we will be strong when the cost comes.

So the first truth is that we must count the cost of following Jesus. The second truth is that we must

Feel the urgency of evangelism

Luke 9:59-60:

Luke 9:59–60 ESV

To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

59 To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."

Here Jesus calls someone to follow him. But first this person wants to go and bury his father. Some people say this man’s father had not yet died, which means this man is just making an excuse and is not really interested in following Jesus. But there’s nothing in the context that points us in that direction. So this seems to be a reasonable request. But Jesus responds with some loving, tough words:

60 And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

This sounds harsh. Jesus is saying: “Do not go home to bury your father. Instead, go out and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Now why would Jesus do that? Jesus does call us to honor our fathers and mothers. So why does he call this man to leave immediately and start proclaiming the gospel?

I think the answer is in the words “leave the dead to bury their own dead.” Jesus wants this man to understand that while his father has died physically, everyone else is dead spiritually. Apart from faith in Jesus Christ, everyone else in the whole world is spiritually dead. They are the walking dead, all walking toward eternal judgment. So Jesus wants to wake him up to the urgency of evangelism.

And Jesus wants to wake us up as well. Satan works overtime to make us forget that everyone in Abu Dhabi who is not trusting Jesus is dead spiritually and walking toward eternal judgment. Everyone. They will only be saved by trusting Jesus. And we have the good news of Jesus that can save them.

So Jesus wants us to feel the urgency of evangelism. Look at your life. Does your life show that evangelism is urgent? Hudson Taylor was one of the first missionaries to inland China. Here’s what he preached in a sermon in which he was trying to stir people to feel more urgency –

Do you believe that each of these lost people has an immortal soul, and that there is no other name but the name of Jesus, by which they must be saved? If so, think of their condition, and examine yourself in the sight of God to see if you are doing all you can to make Him known to them. -- Hudson Taylor

Third,

Keep your joy set on Jesus

Luke 9:61-62 --

Luke 9:61–62 ESV

Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

61 Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home."

So this man had decided to follow Jesus. But first he wants to say goodbye to his family. And Jesus does not tell him No. But he does give him a perfectly loving and tough warning, in v.62:

62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Following Jesus is like putting your hand to the plow. You see that Jesus is your all-satisfying treasure, and so you turn from whatever else you were trusting to satisfy you, and you devote yourself to pursuing him. So you put your hand to the plow, and move ahead toward Jesus.

And as we seek our joy in Jesus, he gives us times when we are overflowing with joy in him. But that’s not all. He also gives us the joy of family. Conversations with friends. Sunsets. Apple pie with vanilla ice cream. None of those will satisfy us. But they show us his goodness, which gives us even more joy in him.

So we keep our hand to the plow, seeking our joy in Jesus, and enjoying other blessings like family on the way. But what’s going on in our hearts if we

stop and look back? What if we let family, or any other joy, make us turn back from Jesus? That would mean we are no longer trusting Jesus as our Treasure. And if that continues, with no change, then we are not fit for God’s kingdom.

So Jesus wants this man, and us, to search our hearts. Is Jesus your greatest joy? Or are you starting to turn from Jesus to seek your joy in other things?

Here’s another quote from Hudson Taylor –

Nothing can ever substitute for the presence of Christ. A real Christian will be miserable without him. He must be all in all, the highest object of our affections, or we cannot be happy ourselves, or make others happy around us. -- Hudson Taylor

So, set your hand to the plow, keep seeking your joy in Jesus, and don’t look back.