So Watch Yourselves [1 of 2]

Service Notes

Give out Missions Conference Booklets

Coffee Event

Review Missionaries in our Conference

Ask Travis Snode to come pray and give an announcement about BCWE work day.

Introduction to Bible Reading

Title comes from vs 3. Take Heed to Yourselves - alternative title “Check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self”

If someone was to tell you I have the most wonderful story. Why would you not want to know all of it instead just 1/3? - Dylan Moore

Luke 17 runs together together and such a way that it is going to be hard to stop. This why church is set right before lunch because you know I will be forced to stop at some point.

In Luke 17:11 “11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.” Luke reminds us that Jesus and his disciples are still on the journey to Jerusalem.

Much of the journey narrative (9:51–19:44) consists of teaching given to the disciples.

Today we look four units of teaching (17:1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–10),

They are followed brief exemplary story of 10 lepers (vs. 11-19)

Luke 17:1–6 (KJV 1900)

1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!

2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

Sermon Introduction

Hold on as “we’ve a long way to go and a short time to get there.”

We have a contrast between the classic, manifestly obvious bad conduct of the Pharisees and what Jesus wants out of His disciples.

Do not make the Gospel difficult to understand?

Offenses are going to come

Luke 17:1 “1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!”

Do not let the offenses come from you

Luke 17:1 “1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!”

“Don't lead My sheep, don't lead the sheep that I'm entrusting into your care, don't lead the little ones whose faith that I've given you to cultivate, don't lead them into temptation by your teaching and your behavior.

Jesus clearly has in His mind the Pharisees, who by their teaching and their lives are doing what?

They’re leading the little ones astray.

They’re claiming to be godly men while in fact they are lovers of money.

They claim to love God while in fact they love mammon more than anything else.

Little ones we know from Matthew 18 aren’t just young people. It is young believes. So thankful we have some in our church. Over the last few weeks we have seen Austin, Hayden, and Kinsley come to Christ.

How you treat other believers is a very important thing to God.

We have heard of Pharisees causing stumbling

Luke 7:22- 23 “22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. 23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”

In their message that Jesus is not the Messiah

In their hypocrisy

In their perversion of Scripture

In their disdain for the people.

They caused people to be offended by the work of Christ.

The Pharisees were just heaping up stumbling blocks in front of everybody they could who was moving in the direction of Christ.

Warning to us all

Paul to Timothy 1 Tim 4:16 “16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

Half brother of Jesus James 3:1 “1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”

Story of watching a person write in the margins of their Bible. Sobering.

Have you ever thought that what you chose to do and say and how you live could actually lead someone astray, eternally astray?

The seriousness of the matter [slide]

Luke 17:2 “2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”

We make a big deal about teaching the “little ones” around here.

Many volunteers, background checks, training and time are designated for it each week.

We always sharing a next step for people to get involved in helping kids know, love, and serve Jesus.

I never explain the program that is offered for those who want to keep the little ones from knowing the truth about God.

This does not only apply to children.

Pat attention to what you are doing

Luke 17:3 “3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”

It's the disciples looking out for one another's souls.

Pay attention to yourselves. Pay attention to one another's souls.

Transitional Statement: Now two very difficult areas will be covered. From experience we know they are hard but we will see from the disciples response they know they are hard.

Be willing to lovingly, rebuke and forgive often.

Rebuke Him

Luke 17:3 “3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.”

We don't lead people into sin. We lead them out of it.  And that starts with rebuke.

Luke gives a principle, "If your brother sins, rebuke him."  Matthew gives the process.

Process

If your brother sins you go to him. 

If he repents, you gain your brother.  It's over. 

If he doesn't repent, you take two or three with you so that you can confront his sin again and confirm his response. 

If he still doesn't repent, you tell the church and the whole church goes to call that person back.

We don't sit by and watch some sinner go off into a pattern of sin without caring.

Call to repentance

The question always comes up: Is it necessary for someone to repent to be forgiven?

This kind of sin is the kind of sin that reaches a level where it is regular, where it becomes a pattern, where it becomes a direction. As seen in Matthew 18

From the heart you may forgive, but there will never be restoration and reconciliation until there is repentance.

Discernment needed

There are a whole multitude of sins that love just blankets, hides, doesn't bring up, doesn't confront. 1 Peter 4:8 “8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

There are just some things that are done that you just forgive.  You cover them.  Covering another's transgression is the essence of forgiveness.

There are times people fall into sin and it is not a pattern. Galatians 6:1 “1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

There are some patterns of sin and directional sins and sinful choices that must be dealt with openly with a rebuke.

Forgive him

Luke 17:3-4 “3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”

Admittedly very difficult

Luke 17:5 “5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.”

Disciples knew where the real issue of Christian obedience is found. Faith.

By trusting God, you can do these things and He can do these things in you.

Transitional Statement: This should be always be our request when we are faced with a command of Christ we do not think is possible. Increase our faith.

Faith Enabled Devotion

Luke 17:6 “6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.”

We may often hear about “faith that moves mountains” that comes from the parallel passage. But how often have you literally needed to move a mountain? Maybe traffic but not mountain. But you will in life be faced with the need to forgive that seems impossible.

Without a doubt lack of faith will cause us to be unable to do what God has called us to do.

Jesus answers a question in short order when the disciples asked why they could not cast out demons. Matthew 17:20 “20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

We must ask at times what the disciples asked “Why could we not _________?” Fill in the blank. - for them caste out demons for us in this passage; forgive.

It is faith that you need in order to receive God's grace and power to do these things.

The needed faith is on full display in Eph 2:8-9 “8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Paul is emphasizing faith enabled, faith dependent discipleship and devotion.

We will see this next time in the story of the 10 Lepers

Nothing shall be impossible unto you?

Obviously this is in regards to living out what God has called you to do.

Faith can cause you to walk on water if Jesus calls upon you to walk on water. If he hasn’t I would recommend taking bridge.

Encouragement by Jesus

The crucial issue in accomplishing great things is not the quantity of our faith, but the power of God.

When they have done all they are commanded to do, they are still radically dependent on grace. v.7-10

By many of by few

We should have the faith of Jonathan in 1 Samuel 14:6 “6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.”

A small amount of faith is sufficient because the focus is not on our faith but its object.

Our faith makes a difference not because it is so great but because God is so great.

Faith is not abstract

Faith isn’t abstract; we put our faith in the promises of God

Faith is not adrenaline. Faith is not warm feelings.

Faith is Hebrews 11:1 “1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith is looking to God’s promises and acting upon them.

Back to Jonathan. What promise did he act upon? Possibly Leviticus 26:8 which is section of Scripture about the blessings of obedience. “8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.”

God told me to forgive in Luke 17. Which means I can forgive. I will believe his Words are true and my emotions are

So how do you live the Christian life?

Is it by dependence or devotion? Yes. Faith dependent devotion.

It doesn't justify you, it does not contribute to your justification, but it is the product of and the expression of God's work in you.

It is the Lord’s work through you. Phil 2:12-13 “12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” [Heads bowed]

Conclusion

(1) So when the disciples say, “How can we do this? You’re telling us that we can lead people astray by our lives and by our lips and You’re telling us to forgive in places that it's hard, how can we do this?”

You may be thinking right now, “I just don't think I can forgive in the situation that I'm in.” And Jesus is saying to you, “Do you trust Me? Do you really want to do and be what God has called you to do and be? Ask Me. Ask and it will be given to you. Trust Me.”

Do you have a mountain that needs moving today?

Claim the promises of God for your life.

(2) Could you take a moment and consider the question we first saw in this chapter? Are you an offense to unbelievers of new believers?