Sermon Tone Analysis

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.