2016-07-03 Luke 17:1-4 Scandalized (1): Giving Offense by Taking Offense

SCANDALIZED (1): GIVING OFFENSE BY TAKING OFFENSE (Luke 17:1-4) July 3, 2016 Intro – Sometimes lack of humility is easy to spot. Like the guy who wrote, Humility and How I Achieved It.” More often it’s hidden just below the surface – like here. Commentators have often had trouble seeing the connection in Lu 17:1-10, but I think Jesus is showing us 3 devastating effects of lack of humility. Lack of humility I. Scandalizes Others (1-4); II. Scandalizes God (5-6); and Scandalizes Self (7-10). The key to this passage is in v. 3: “Pay attention to yourselves!” Students question, does it go with the warning against causing others to stumble – or does it go with the warning to forgive. I think Jesus put it right in the middle for a reason. His followers could easily err by giving offense or by taking offense. In either case His advice is, the same: “Pay attention to yourselves!” “Watch out how you respond. Don’t let lack of humility bring scandal into your life. That’s the key phrase. So, let’s examine the first point. I. Lack of Humility Scandalizes Others (1-4) A. What is scandal? Jesus has just warned the Pharisees that hell is filled with people well-off in this life who reject the plain teaching Scripture, seeking more exotic signs. Now, He turns to His disciples pointing to another way they must not be like the Pharisees – leading others astray! He starts with a strong statement: “Temptations to sin are sure to come.” Usually “temptation” translates πειραζω. But here Jesus uses σκανδαλον, from which we get our word scandal. It originally referred to bait in a trap – an attractive enticement to destruction. Thus it came to mean stumbling block – something others tripped over. That’s its meaning here – stumbling block. Life is full of occasions that lead people into sin. Scandal leads other to stumble. But note the next phrase. “But woe to the one through whom they come!” So, people can be stumbling blocks! We can trip others up. And Jesus pronounces a curse on those who do so. That takes the subject to a whole new level. We’ll not only answer for our own sin -- bad enough, right? But we are also responsible when we’ve caused others to sin. That’s a heavy thought. We’ll answer for tripping others up – leading them astray. 1 Jesus goes on: “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 (literally scandalized, caused to stumble).” Got your attention yet? A millstone was a large stone used for grinding grain with a hole in the middle. So imagine having a rope strung through that hole and tied around your neck. Now imagine being tossed into the lake! That’d be a bad day. And Jesus says it would be better for you if that happened to you than what is coming your way if you cause others to stumble – if you lead others to sin. Jesus warned the Pharisees in Mt 23:15 that by their hypocrisy they were not only in danger of hell themselves, but were leading others there as well. And the hypocrisy of a true believer could have the same effect on others as well. That ought to cause all of us to stop and think very, very hard. But Jesus has something different in mind here. First, He addresses disciples – true followers -- not unbelievers. Second, the others who are caused to stumble here are “these little ones.” That could be children, but not here.This is clarified in Mark 9:42: 42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” He is referring to immature believers – who have had little teaching. This is believers leading other believers astray. They will not face hell, but they will suffer severe penalty. I trust I now have your attention. He’s talking to us, Beloved. We will answer for our own misdeeds – as well as anyone else who stumbles over us! B. How do we scandalize? So how does one believer stumble another? A million ways. How about False teaching. There’s an obvious big one, right? The Pharisees legalism led people straight away from Jesus instead of to Him. But we can do the same! Peter warns in II Pet 2:1, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” Now, in context, those false teachers are probably unbelievers. But well-intentioned believers can do the same by misinterpretation and lack of study. That’s why you must check out everything anyone says, including me. Is it true to Scripture? That’s why James 3:1, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” It is an awesome responsibility to teach God’s Word. Any error we make could lead someone astray. It should drive us to our knees to get it right! 2 An example. Rob Bell’s a believer, but one who is so anxious to avoid the stigma of hell that in his book Love Wins, he hints forcefully that everyone will eventually be saved. Certainly they will have second chances after death. Would you like to believe that? I’d love to believe that. But the Bible says: “It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment” (Heb 10:27). So who knows how many have been caused to stumble by Bell’s blatant placement of personal preference over Bible truth. A book just crossed my desk the other day which taught that hell is not eternal. People just go there to be annihilated. I’d like to think that, too. But Jesus describes hell as a place where “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mrk 9:48). Rev 14:11 says: “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever.” To teach differently will cause many to stumble, some right into hell. To believer differently is to be victimized. Not knowing the Word makes you a sitting duck, easily scandalized by those who should know better. How else might we cause others to stumble? By violating their conscience – Rom 14: 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance (σκανδαλον) in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.” You may love that cheap steak, but if it’s offending your brother, leave it be. If that drink of wine is offending your sister, leave it be. If that trip to a questionable movie is scandalizing someone you influence, better let it go. How else can we cause others to stumble? Failure to fellowship. Heb 10:2425: “24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some (church skippers in ancient times), but encouraging one another.” We lose out when we skip regular fellowship with other believers. But not just us. Someone else is not being stirred up to love and good works by our giftedness when we skip regular fellowship with believers. We are therefore a cause of stumbling. This is getting meddlesome, isn’t it? Well, hang on. The best is yet to come! Look at this one from Mt 16. Jesus tells the disciples He’s headed to Jerusalem to suffer, die and rise again. Peter says, “Not while I’m around!” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance (σκανδαλον) to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” There’s Peter scandalizing Jesus. Amazing. And how does he do it? By setting his mind on things of man instead of things 3 of God. Man would say, “Don’t die. That’s the worst thing that can happen.” But from God’s perspective, the worst thing that could happen was that Jesus not die which would result in no payment for sin and no redemption. See God’s ways are always best. Obedience is always best. Caring for God’s concerns more than ours is always best. And we’re very weak at that, aren’t we? How does it look when we have all kinds of time for our favorite hobby or TV programs, but we have no time to join a service team in Christ’s name to care for our widows and elderly or help our community? What does it say to our “little ones” when we can have the latest and greatest cars and appliances and furniture and do-dads while great mission minded young people like Jason and Nicole Spears or Kurt and Melissa Adams or our own Jesse and Kelly go with minimal support needs unmet? I’m just asking, Folks. If you have children, what does your selection of how you spend Sunday mornings say to them about whether your mind is on the things of God or the things of man? There are a million ways to scandalize kids. When was the last time your children heard you pray for our missionaries and for persecuted saints around the world? When was the last time they heard you pray, period? When was the last time they saw you give up something you wanted to give to someone who needed something more? Eph 6:4 says, “Do not provoke your children to anger.” Done that lately? Then you’ve scandalized them – put a stumbling block right in their path. And young people – every act of disobedience and disrespect is, guess what? That’s right. A scandal. A stumbling block to your parents and siblings. Sexual misconduct – physical or mental? I Thess 4:4-6: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality . . . 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter.” How many young Xn men have led Xn young ladies into temptation instead of honoring them? They’ve become a stumbling block. And the same is true of the innocent flirtations and lascivious thought life of married people. Some partner is being scandalized, robbed of their dignity and encouraged to sin in their own right. How about insisting on one’s rights. Phil 2:3-4: “3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” When we insist on our own way on something that is not morally wrong or theologically blasphemous, guess what? Yep – scandal, provoking others to sin. This is tough, isn’t it? Challenging? And we’ve only scratched the surface. We need to dig deep to see where we’re guilty. 4 Refusal to forgive – The biggest of all. 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.” We give offense by taking offense. We foster sin by failure to forgive. We harden hearts by harboring grudges. We violate Christ’s rights by defending our own. That’s a serious charge. No. 1 on Jesus’ list of ways we stumble others – refusing to forgive! Many of us are there right now! Jesus’ bar is high. Seven times in one day is a lot to forgive someone for the same offense. We’d likely say, “The repentance is fake. I’m done with this.” And Jesus says, “You must forgive. I’ll sort out the genuineness of the other person’s heart. You -- forgive. Wipe the slate clean. Forgive the debt. You must forgive.” Are you asking my question. Isn’t this sermon over yet? Well, not quite because I know some of you have spotted the loophole, right? “If he repents, forgive him.” But if he doesn’t, all bets are off, right? There’s an “if” condition here. So I’m out from under if he doesn’t repent, right? Well, not quite. That loophole isn’t as big as you think. Let me show you why. Note Jesus says, “If your brother sins, rebuke him.” Now, Beloved, that does not mean for every little irritation. Irritations call for something else. They call for forbearance. That’s another exercise in humility. Eph 4:1-3, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” To bear with means to overlook. Sure they walked right past you without saying, Hello. Yes, they spoke in a sharp tone. Right – they cut you off just as you got to the main point. So – overlook it. Forbear. Maybe they’re having a bad day; maybe their husband or wife hollered at them on the way in. It doesn’t matter. It’s an irritation. Forget it. But if you’ve truly been wronged, Jesus says, “Rebuke them.” And you’re thinking, “Right on. Let me at them. I’ll set them straight.” Which is exactly what you must not do – what rebuke does not mean! So, what does it mean? Gal 6:1, “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.” Rebuke requires humility. It confronts with the objective of restoration, not with the objective of setting them straight. Do you see that? We’re never instructed to do that? Restoration’s the goal. And I’ll tell you something else. That requires forgiveness. That requires that already in your heart you have canceled the debt. You’re suffering the pain 5 yourself. You’re not charging it to their account anymore. You say, “But Jesus says, ‘if he repents, [then] forgive him.” And that is what Jesus says. But think of it this way, Beloved. There are two sides to forgiveness. Full reconciliation requires the cooperation of both sides – both the one wronged, and the one who did the wrong. When Jesus says, “if he repents, forgive him” he is simply saying, “If he repents, full reconciliation can now take place.” Don’t pull back. Let the forgiveness that’s already happened in your heart – or you couldn’t rebuke with the proper attitude – let that forgiveness come to full bloom by accepting his or her repentance. If you refuse to accept their repentance, genuine or not, you scandalize them – lead them into further sin. Remember Jesus on the cross. Destroyed without cause, right? And what did He say, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Had they repented? No. Did he forgive? Yes. Was reconciliation accomplished? Only for those who repented later, but his action were redemptive, not scandalous – inviting, not a stumbling block. The same was true with Stephen. The same was true with David when he was wronged by Saul. And the same must be true of us. Forgiveness cannot come to full bloom until both parties come together. But we are never given license to hold a grudge until someone else repents. To do so is one of the worst ways we cause others to sin. Conc – Jesus’ hard message challenges us to ask, who are we taking into danger along with ourselves? We seldom sin in isolation. So who are we scandalizing? Who are we exposing to danger by our care for the things of this world instead of God – by protecting our own rights instead of His? During WWII, as D-Day, June 6, 1944, approached, 70-year-old PM Winston Churchill was determined he was going to accompany the expeditionary force and watch from a battleship. DDE, of course, was equally desperate to stop him from putting himself in that danger. Problem was – Churchill outranked Eisenhower! So Ike did an end-around. He appealed to King George VI. The king didn’t order Churchill down. Instead he told him if it was the PM’s duty to watch the invasion, it surely must be the king’s duty as well, and asked him to make arrangements for the king to join him. Churchill very reluctantly backed down – unwillingly to expose the king to such danger. So who are we exposing to danger? Kids, friends, husbands, wives, parents? Who are we scandalizing? For we do not sin in isolation! So to personalize Jesus’ warning: “It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around [your] neck and [you] were cast into the sea than that [you] should cause one of these little ones to sin.” “Pay attention to yourself.” Let’s pray. 6