Have You Heard?

Service Notes

AWANA Ceremony Tonight

Next week we will be in NYC with two church plants

Reading Introduction

Big Picture

Luke 11

Jesus condemned the Pharisees (11:37-53), letting them hold his fury at their hypocrisy.

Luke 12,

Jesus turns to warning his disciples about sin (12:1-3).

He warns against greed (12:13-20)

worry/fear (12:22-34)

then warns believers to be prepared for His Second Coming (12:35-48) and for trials (12:49-53).

Why was Jesus so urgent in his warnings? Because common sense demonstrates the urgency of the time (12:54-56) and the urgency to repent of our sins (12:57-59).

Some present at that season

There were present at the time..

Luke 13:1–5 (KJV 1900)

1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?

3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 13:6–9 (KJV 1900)

6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Sermon Introduction

Have you heard? The shooting in Buffalo. Cases of monkey pox in PA. Latest news in the Ukraine.

There is no shortage of bad news in this world.

Sam Paxin said he didn’t like reading the newspaper “because it would make your hands and mind dirty”

As believers, we need to understand the world the way the Lord wants us to understand it. We need a biblical view.

We want to discuss “why did this happen to them?”, Jesus leads us to ask “what am I to learn?”

Temple Atrocity

Luke 13:1-2 “1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?”

Little information about this horrific event.

Possibly trying to trap Jesus. . If he condemned the Galileans, he would be applauding the cold bloodshed of his own people by the Roman oppressor. If he defended the Galileans, he could be reported to Pilate for sedition and treason to Rome.

“I wonder what they did for that to happen to them?”

Tower Accident

Luke 13:4 “4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?”

Terrible (Serious) Actuality

There are two kinds of tragedies in the text:

those caused by evil people; and, those caused by accidents or natural disasters.

But the worst tragedy, as Jesus shows, will be the final judgment (“perish”), which involves not only physical death, but also spiritual death or eternal separation from God in hell

Jesus brings it to us personally

Jesus’s answer is identical to both stories Luke 13:3 “3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:5 “5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

Title of Sermon: Have you heard? That is what Jesus asks them to help bring it from a story to reality.

Police training for a school shooting in Shelby, NC. I felt more real than I could expected. It led me to a point of facing a harsh reality that the news does not do.

News wants you to watch for the entertainment value. They do not want you to turn them off and contemplate on a deep, meaningful level.

Jesus moves the discussion from their sin and temporary suffering to our sin and our eternal suffering.

Tragedies should teach us that since death and judgment are imminent, we need to be ready through true repentance.

We want to discuss current event, Jesus wants us to consider our life with regard to eternity.

Surely not us

Only the really, sinful die in accidents or in atrocities. Job 4:7-8 “7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, And sow wickedness, reap the same.”

Their deduction, that "The tower of Siloam has not fallen upon us, therefore we are not great sinners."

Sin is a common denominator with all men everywhere  Acts 10:34 “34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:”

We have a few of you involved in the insurance industry. You might be able to tell the likelihood of dying in a homicide or dying in a building falling on me. Everyone of us in here can tell us of the certainty of us standing before God one day.

Not the first time Jesus angered the religious leaders with this thought.

Jesus’ mention of Gentiles rather than Jews having God’s blessing caused the people to be furious

And He said, Luke 4:27 “27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.”

Luke 4:28 “28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,”

We want to be different and not allow this to have any applications to me.

Matthew 3:7-10 “7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

We like to see ourselves as special, indestrucable.

We have Abraham as our Father - We are american - I am a good person - I am faithful to go to church.

Spurgeon sermon following a train crash that took place on Sunday

It has been most absurdly stated that those who travel on the first day of the week and meet with an accident, ought to regard that accident as being a judgment from God upon them on account of their violating the Christian's day of worship. It has been stated even by godly ministers, that the late deplorable collision should be looked upon as an exceedingly wonderful and remarkable visitation of the wrath of God against those unhappy persons who happened to be in the Clayton tunnel. Now I enter my solemn protest against such an inference as that, not in my own name, but in the name of Him who is the Christian's Master and the Christian's Teacher. I say of those who were crushed in that tunnel, think ye that they were sinners above all the sinners "I tell you, all: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

In commenting on the fall of the tower of Siloam, Jesus negates four assumptions that people often make: 1) Suffering is proportional to sinfulness. 2) Tragedy is a sure sign of God’s judgment. 3) Bad things happen only to bad people. 4) We have the right to make such judgments.

Jesus says, no. "I tell you, all: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Perish means more than just physical death

All

Romans 3:23 “23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Likewise

The horror of their end took them by surprise.

It was a horrible end and they did not expect it to happen.

Unless you repent your end will be the same.

Perish

To see physical death as Jesus’ point is decidedly misleading, since they will all die physically eventually anyway.

Jesus’ point is to challenge the audience to think about deeper issues.

He is referring to something beyond death. The Judgement (the one we have been talking about the last few verses)

The one we learned to avoid in John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal monsters or everlasting splendors. (The Weight of Glory, pp. 14f.)

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.

Speaking about eternity and people perishing is not unloving. It is Christlike and He is the definition of love.

In light of all this, Jesus calls them to repentance.

eternity illustration

We want to look at the sin of others, Jesus calls us to repentance for our sins.

Everyone is called to repentance

Jesus deflects the question about the degree of sin because it distracts from the real question, the presence of sin.

Message preached throughout the Bible

John the Baptist Mark 1:15 “15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Simon Peter Acts 2:38 “38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Now Jesus Luke 13:5 “5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

There is no salvation apart from repentance.  You cannot be saved unless first you repent of your sins. 

With repentance comes a change of mind that effects a change of direction, since one’s orientation of life is directed in faith to God.

What is repentance?

What is He saving us from? Our sins.

What is sin? Disobedeince to God

What is the penalty of sin? We would perish

Who is the only one who can save us from our sins? Romans 10:9-10 “9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

That turning to God is repentance.

Faith is impossible without repentance. 

You cannot receive Christ unless you repent, confess your sins, asking God to forgive you. 

Repentance makes possible faith.  Matthew 21:32 “32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”

Jesus gives a clear illustration of this from the Old Testament.

Jesus said to Nicodemus. John 3:14-15 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Look and live. Numbers 21:6-9 “6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”

Less could not have required and more could not have been offered!

Look and live! And the man, almost dying, raises his head in expectation and in hope and in forgiveness that God will keep His word.

Repentance produces life in us.

Luke 13:6-9 “6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”

Jesus accomplishes so much with His words. Have you ever been talking to your kids and the other one over hear and say “are you talking to me” and you say “yes you as well”

Parable for nation of Israel

The parable primarily applied to the nation Israel, which was about to reject her Messiah and come under national judgment.

The three years of the parable may refer to the three years of Christ’s ministry in their midst, or it may just be a way of saying, “There has been sufficient time for the nation to bear the fruits of repentance. If they don’t bear fruit soon, they will be cut down.”

Parable should also speak to us individually

The fig tree wasn’t a wild one that sprouted up along the road where someone threw a fig seed.

This tree was planted by the owner within the walls of his vineyard

Thus, fruitfulness is Christ-likeness in our character and in our conduct.

The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) is a succinct list to begin to work on.

Which points to the special privileges of those who sit in church and hear the Word of God. If such people do not respond to the message of God’s grace by repenting of their sins and seeking to be fruitful in God’s kingdom, they are not just neutral. They are destructive to the owner’s purpose, in that they are just using up ground that otherwise could be fruitful. They are endangering their own souls and harming others as well.

Conclusion

Beautiful picture of God’s patience and longsuffering

Luke 13:8 “8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:”

God has been longsuffering toward us. 2 Peter 3:9 “9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

People have been coming by the church this week for early voting. It is not offered here. We have walked them through their four options of places to vote if they wanted to vote early.

1. Stop living consumed by the sins of this nation or others and ask God to search your heart for areas in which you need to repent.

2. Recognize every human life is living on borrowed time. Let your understanding of eternity influence your life and discussions this week.

3. Come to an understanding “all will likewise perish.” Today is the day of salvation.