An Encouraging Response
Luke 13:10-21
October 20, 2019

Well, if you were with us over the last several months
As we worked through that sermon of Jesus to the massive crowd.
You know that it had to be a frustrating time for Jesus.

This giant crowd showed basically no interest in the truths of salvation or the kingdom.
• Instead they had ignored the testimony of the Holy Spirit
• At least some were only concerned with money
• At the same time they seemed oblivious to the coming judgment
• And they were totally undiscerning concerning their own sin and danger

I’ve preached enough sermons to know that
Jesus must have left that event
Feeling like He was beating His head against a wall.

MINISTRY IS TOUGH
If you’ve ever embarked on it at any level then you know that.
• If you’ve ever taught a Sunday school class…
• If you’ve ever been a small group leader…
• If you’ve ever witnessed on the street…
• If you’ve ever preached…

You know that ministry is hard.
The challenge at hand is daunting.

Paul certainly voiced his frustrations at times.
1 Corinthians 4:10-13 “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-11 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

2 Corinthians 11:2-3 “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

2 Corinthians 12:20-21 “For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances; I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.”

Or even in his letter to the Galatians:
Galatians 4:8-11 “However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”

And we even learn that at the end of Paul’s life
This faithful apostle was basically rejected by everyone.

In his last letter he wrote:
2 Timothy 4:16 “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.”

MINISTRY IS TOUGH.

Certainly we can see this as well IN THE LIFE OF JESUS.
Just looking at Luke’s gospel we remember things like:

• Luke 4 when His own home town tried to throw Him off a cliff.
• Or in Luke 5 when He was accused of blasphemy because He forgave the paralytic.
• Or in Luke 5:30 when they accused Him of being an immoral man because He ate with tax collectors and sinners.
• Or in Luke 6 when He restored the withered hand of the man in the synagogue and they began plotting His death.

Ministry is frustrating.
It’s no wonder we read statements like this:
Luke 7:31-35 “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? “They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

• In Luke 7:36 we remember Jesus being invited to a Pharisees house where He was offered no kiss, no anointing, or no water to wash His feet, but only to be trapped and accused.
• In Luke 8:10 He lamented a crowd who must be taught in parables because while they had ears, they could not hear.
• In Luke 8:52 He was actually laughed at for claiming that Jairus’ daughter was only sleeping.

It’s no wonder we see incidents like that of the demon possessed boy:
Luke 9:41 “And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

Later in Luke 9 we realize that even His disciples don’t get it.
Luke 9:44-45 “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.”

• In Luke 9:57 He is confronted by half-hearted followers who only want to follow if there is comfort, or if they can first bury their father, or if they can first get the approval of their friends.
• In Luke 11:14 He was accused of casting out demons by the power of Beezebul

It’s no wonder Jesus exposed the crowd:
Luke 11:29-32 “As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. “For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. “The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. “The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

• In Luke 11:37 another Pharisee would invite Him to eat and seek to condemn Him for not ceremonially washing.

And it all ends up in one of the most frustrating laments of all time.
Luke 19:41-44 “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

And that is just accounts we read in Luke’s gospel.
• The gospel of John records even more frustrating conversations.

Or we haven’t even covered all of Luke’s gospel yet.
• Still to come are things like the hypocritical praise at the triumphal entry,
• Betrayal of Judas,
• The desertion of all the disciples,
• The denial of Peter,
• The corrupt trial,
• The crowd yelling crucify…

Ministry is tough.
Ministry can be frustrating.

We are those who have been commissioned
To take words of life to those who are dead.
We are called to speak the truth to those who cannot hear.

And we realize the battle we are fighting when we do this.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

MINISTRY IS HARD
And at times it is human nature to just want to throw in the towel.

This is why it is also important that we learn
Where to find encouragement to continue on.

It is important that we learn what to look at
To give us the boost we need to push forward and keep going forward.

Our text this morning provides one such encouragement.

It is a somewhat routine story for the work of Jesus,
But it is the response of Jesus to what occurs that teaches us
Also to be encouraged even when ministry is frustrating.

LET’S LOOK AT THE TEXT TOGETHER.
The text begins with another ROUTINE MINISTRY STORY from Jesus.

You may remember that early on in the book of Luke we established a definite ministry pattern from Jesus.
• He would enter a city, and ultimately synagogue.
• He would preach a sermon on salvation.

We saw one of those sermons in Luke 4
Luke 4:17-21 “And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

• He would preach a message about man’s need for salvation and how He was that Savior.
• He would then work a miracle of give a sign of some sort to authenticate His message.
• And then He would move on to another synagogue or another city.

In fact we read:
Luke 4:42-43 “When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.”

That was really the ministry pattern of Jesus.
He was just trying to spread the gospel throughout Israel.

This story in Luke 13 really fits along that mold.

He starts by preaching.
(10) “And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.”

• It’s not uncommon.
• It’s rather routine.
• Jesus is just doing what He came to do.

And after the sermon, an opportunity presents itself
To validate His message with a miraculous sign.

(11-13) “And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.”

Not a lot is given to us about this woman except that
• We have here a woman who was bent over and could not straighten up.
• We find that she had been in that condition for 18 years.
• And we find that in her case it was caused by “a spirit”. (later Jesus will say that it was Satan who had bound her)

Now certainly we don’t believe that all sickness or disease
Is a result of demonic affliction, BUT HERS WAS.

• We aren’t told how she came to be in that condition.
• We aren’t told anything about her past or her lifestyle.
• We aren’t even told if she had faith or if she repented or asked or anything.

All we read is that “When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.”

Jesus simply made a sovereign decision
That on this day that woman would be set free.

Again, He mentioned nothing about her faith or repentance
Or really anything regarding the behavior of the woman.
It’s just that on this day Jesus decided to validate His sermon.

He routinely preached that he came “to proclaim release to the captives”
And on this day this woman became “Exhibit A”.

Jesus put His money where His mouth was.

(13) “He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.”

Honestly for Jesus, it was ministry as usual.
Preach about the kingdom, and show the power of the kingdom.

• We see again Jesus’ power over sin and sickness and Satan.
• We see again that Jesus is the One who has power to reverse the curse.
• We see again that Jesus is the One who can save.

Certainly this woman becomes yet another analogy of salvation.
• She was bound in sin, she was unable to be free.
• Jesus was the One capable of setting her free.

She was a living picture of the salvation that Jesus came to bring.
• He is the One who can overcome the power of the enemy.
• He is the One who can save from sin.
• He is the One who can reverse Adam’s curse.

And honestly, it happened so much in the gospel accounts,
That this story isn’t even considered one of His more famous ones.

Jesus did this sort of thing all the time.
He is the Savior.
It is ministry as usual.

UNFORTUNATELY there is another thing
That has also become quite common
And that is the frustrating response of the synagogue official.

(14) “But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”

Nothing like a kill-joy to throw a wet blanket
On what was clearly meant to be a day of rejoicing.

The Son of God, clothed in human flesh, just entered that synagogue.

(When Carrie and I lived in Crawford the President of the United States would at times visit one of the local congregations in the area. You can only imagine the mood if that happened)

Well here God in human flesh entered this synagogue.
• He then offered salvation to everyone in that room.
• And He put His power on destroying the work of Satan in the life of a woman.

That is a good day…

Unfortunately we find that
The woman was not the only one Satan had a grip on.
Apparently he had a handle on the synagogue official too.

Because this man immediately rebukes the crowd.
“There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”

Now that is interesting.
Where does it say that this woman came to be healed?
• She didn’t approach Jesus, Jesus called her over.

Furthermore, where is the evidence that “work” was done?
• I read that Jesus “called her over”
• And I read that Jesus “laid His hands on her”
• But show me where the work was.

It is obvious that this man is just another of those frustrating types that Jesus had encountered His entire ministry.
• Those with eyes that refuse to see.
• Those with ears that refuse to hear.
• Those with hearts so hard that they can’t see God at work.

Men who would rather see a person suffer in sin
Than to see Jesus be glorified.

And yet again we see the FRUSTRATION OF JESUS come forth.
(15-16) “But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? “And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

You can feel His frustration again can’t you?
What this man says is nonsense.

And Jesus immediately exposes him.
“You hypocrites”

Again, it is HUPOCRATES the word for an actor or a phony.
• Jesus calls this synagogue ruler out in front of everyone that he is a sham and a phony and an imposter and a pretender.
• He is not a true child of God, nor a servant of God.

And his thought process and belief system is absolutely absurd.

“does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him?”

Of course they did,
• The traditions of the elders did not prohibit leading your animals to drink so long as they didn’t carry a burden when you took them.
• They all would do that.
• They had all probably already done that on that very day.

And the implication is:
HOW MUCH MORE IMPORTANT IS THIS WOMAN THAN A DONKEY?

“And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

Wow, what a question!
So it’s ok for a donkey to be untied on the Sabbath,
But not for a child of God to be untied?

This is not the first time Jesus has had to confront such foolishness.

Luke 6:6-11 “On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him. But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” And he got up and came forward. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?” After looking around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did so; and his hand was restored. But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.”

In Matthew’s gospel we read:
Matthew 12:11-12 “And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? “How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

In John 5 we read about Jesus healing the man at the Bethesda pool, and we learn that He did that on a Sabbath.
John 5:16-17 “For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

The point I am making is that this fight must have gotten old by now.

• One can only imagine how many synagogues Jesus had preached in.
• One can only imagine how many people had been healed on the Sabbath.
• One can only imagine how many times Jesus has had to deal with hypocrisy
like this from the religious leaders.

A day that should have been pure rejoicing and certain revival
And it turns into an argument with a hard-hearted synagogue ruler.
MINISTRY IS FRUSTRATING

HOWEVER, ON THIS DAY THE STORY CONTINUES.

Here Luke includes one more thing.
(17) “As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.”

At this occasion Luke includes THE FINAL VERDICT of the conversation.
• We don’t always see that.
• We don’t always see how the debate or the rebuke turns out.

But here Luke shows it to us.

And on this day, after the rebuke we find that Jesus won this crowd.
“all His opponents were being humiliated”
“and the entire crowd was rejoicing”

On this day, and in this synagogue, the crowd saw, heard, and believed.
• They rejoiced.
• Their eyes were opened.
• Their ears were opened.
• Their hearts were softened.

Satan didn’t just lose the battle for the woman,
He also lost the battle for this synagogue.

Certainly it didn’t always happen like this.
• We saw in Nazareth how they tried to throw Him off a cliff.

But on this day, there was a victory.
On this day it ended as intended.

And that brings us to the response of Jesus.
• This is what I want you to see.
• I want you to see that ON THIS DAY JESUS WAS ENCOURAGED.

After so many days of frustration,
On this Sabbath Jesus was encouraged.

A very important word is given in verse 18, “So”

It is the Greek word OUN, (oon)
Most of the time it is translated “therefore”.

The point being, the truths Jesus gives in verses 18-21
Are in direct response to the event He just encountered.

• It is because of the humiliation of the synagogue ruler…
• It is because of the rejoicing of the crowd…
That Jesus gave this statement.

And I tend to think it is meant to be a message for His disciples
And one that is intended to encourage them.

The Lord gives two analogies here, and really, though they differ slightly, THEY REALLY TEACH THE SAME TRUTH.

(18-21) “So He was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? “It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and THE BIRDS OF THE AIR NESTED IN ITS BRANCHES.” And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? “It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”

• The first is regarding a mustard seed.
• The second is regarding leaven.

Matthew’s gospel gives a bit more detail,
But the point is clearly seen here in Luke’s gospel.

What both of these parables have in common is the FINAL RESULT

You have a mustard seed (Matthew reminds us that it is the smallest seed)
• But you have a seed that is thrown into the ground, but the key phrase is “and it grew”

Then you have leaven (think yeast)
• Which a woman hid and then we read the key phrase “it was all leavened”

So in both cases you have what begins a seemingly insignificant,
But which eventually grows and spreads and affects everything.

If we wanted to split hairs and reveal the differences in the two,

With the mustard seed we could talk about THE GLORY OF THE KINGDOM
• Since it begins small, but becomes the largest garden plant so much so that
other nations (birds) rest in it’s branches.

We could look at the leaven and talk about THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM
• Since it doesn’t grow by military conquest or booming event, but by influence
and a gentle spreading.

But really here the parables are simply meant to have the same meaning
That what was small, and hidden,
Was working and would produce the desired effect.

• A farmer takes a seed and hides it in the ground and hopes it is growing.
• A woman takes leaven and hides it in flower and hopes it is spreading.

And there may be some frustration involved but:
• How wonderful it is on the day when you see the plant sprout through the ground!
• How wonderful it is on the day when you see the dough begin to rise!

Now a plant pushing through the soil is NOT A FINAL CROP,
BUT IT IS an encouraging sight that the harvest is coming.

And dough beginning to rise is NOT A FINISHED MEAL,
BUT IT IS an encouraging sight that the feast is on its way.

That is what just happened here for Jesus
And that is what He is pointing out to His disciples.

• They had followed Jesus in hopes of finding the kingdom.
• They were looking for the day when Israel would once again be the premiere
nation of the world.
• They were looking for David’s descendant who would reign on the throne.

And in Jesus, they believed they had found that Messiah.
• He certainly talked right…
• He certainly had power…

BUT LET’S BE HONEST,
Currently His kingdom in the world is unimpressive at best.

• Most of the time the people want to kill Him.
• Most of the time the people fail to believe.
• Most of the time they just want to use Him to satisfy their own carnal desires.

Even Jesus at times was frustrated with the stubbornness of the people.

THE DISCIPLES MUST HAVE WONDERED

But on this day they saw a small plant break through the soil…
On this day they saw the dough begin to rise…

And Jesus stopped to make sure that we saw
That even though it was small the kingdom was growing.

And then He reminded us of the harvest that is coming.
• One day this tiny seed will be the largest of all plants.
• One day this tiny lump of leaven will spread across the world.

THAT IS THE ENCOURAGEMENT.

One day this kingdom will dwell on the earth
And it will be the premiere kingdom and no one will dare rebel against it.

Just as Gabriel told Mary
Luke 1:31-33 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

Just as Isaiah saw:
Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

Perhaps you remember that statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of all the kingdoms.
• You may also remember that there was a stone that was not cut with hands that struck the statue on its feet and crushed it.

Daniel 2:44 “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.”

Those promises have not been forgotten.
• At times they may seem impossible.
• At times ministry may be way too frustrating.

But Jesus was encouraged when He saw
This simple response in this random synagogue.

It was a reminder to Him that the kingdom will endure.
It was a reminder to Him that the kingdom is coming.

TURN TO: REVELATION 11:15-18

During the timeline of the end, this is just before the end.
• The seventh angel is sounding which is unleashing 7 bowl judgments that culminate with the return of the Lord and the setting up of His earthly kingdom.

And when that final trumpet sounds, listen to the response of heaven.
(READ 15-18)

IT’S COMING.

The kingdom of God may seem small now.
Ministry may be frustrating now.
But the kingdom is coming.

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”

The kingdom will come.

And of course Paul ends that chapter by saying:
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

And this morning I simply remind you that

Jesus looked at this tiny victory in this synagogue
And allowed Himself to be reminded that despite the opposition,
The kingdom is coming and it will be glorious.

That is a good encouragement for you and me.
• Ministry is frustrating.
• It seems like we deal with way more frustration than we do victory.
• But keep sowing the seed.
• Keep spreading the leaven.

Thank God for the small glimpses He gives,
Like a youth being baptized, or a door opened for a spiritual conversation.

Physical farming is hard work. So is spiritual farming.
• Learn to be encouraged when you see a small plant break through.
• Learn to be encouraged when you see the dough begin to rise,
• It is all a reminder of the great harvest and the great feast that is coming.

Keep pressing on.
Keep doing the work of the Lord.
Keep enduring.

The Kingdom is coming and it will cover the earth.
Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.”

Our Disciple Now weekend is in the books! What a wonderful weekend we had! If you want to relive it or perhaps check out what was taught, here are the sermons from the weekend.

THE INFAMOUS RULES VIDEO

https://youtu.be/R8U0aspLzbM

THE HIGHLIGHT VIDEO

https://youtu.be/zclz6xq-DT8

Sticks and Stones
Psalms 52
October 6, 2019

We were all taught the phrase as kids,
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”

It was our parent’s way of teaching us to be tough,
To not wear our feelings on our sleeves and to not be overly sensitive.

I certainly grew up in that type of atmosphere.
• Ridicule and sarcasm and joking and humiliation were love languages in our
house growing up.
• You learned to develop thick skin quickly or else you didn’t survive.

And yet, I have been forced to learn many times over upon being grown
That not everyone was raised to be as resilient in that area as I was.
Many times Carrie has had to remind me,
“Rory, not everyone was raised with Bryan Mosley.”

You’ve certainly noticed it, but it seems that in recent years there has been a rise in sensitivity in regard to words that are spoken.

ON ONE HAND we’ve got the false teachers who have embraced the “Word Faith” movement who ascribe all sorts of power to our speech.

• Their warped mentality is based upon the fact that since God spoke the world into existence that we too now have the power to create our own destinies with our words.

• This is the theological basis behind ministries like that of Joel Olsteen who has fully embraced the secular beliefs of the power of positive thinking and the power of positive speech.

Certainly the world has taken a notice of things like that.

Even reading about African cultures
• I’ve learned that in many parts of Africa losing your temper or getting angry is considered a very terrible sin because in your anger you might say something negative about a person and thus bring a curse upon them.

We are starting to see that type of mentality in our day.

OF COURSE WE ARE ALSO BOMBARDED NOW WITH what we might call the “Words Hurt” movement.

• It is our hyper-sensitive culture to anything that might be deemed offensive or hurtful or racist or sexist or homo-phobic or controversial or whatever.

• A culture with thin skin that needs a safe space or a cry room when people say “mean things” to them. And anymore things that I never thought of as mean are even being added to those categories.

That is where all the hate-speech laws are beginning to come from.

But you can see that we have a culture that has become
Overly sensitive both to the power and to the pain of our words.

Now I don’t want to downplay the importance of our words.
• Certainly even the gospel message of God has been ordained to be spread through the use of words.
• Certainly Jesus even reminded that every careless word we speak we will give an account for it on the day of judgment.
• Certainly many a false prophet is responsible for much innocent blood because of their false words.

So we are not downplaying the importance of words.

But at the same time we do recognize that perhaps our culture
Might have become a little hyper-sensitive.

Well, if you are one who is easily offended by what people say…
Or if you are one who is easily hurt by mean words…
Or if you are one who lives in fear of reckless curses being cast…

Tonight it might do you some good
To tune in to David’s message of Psalms 52.

It, like the previous Psalm, is one that comes to us with a context.
“For the choir director. A Maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

Well, before we dive into the text, let’s check out this context.
TURN TO: 1 Samuel 21

Now as you turn, I would bring to your mind the events of 1 Samuel 20.
• It was in 1 Samuel 20 that David suspected that Saul was out to get him and Jonathon did not quite believe it.
• So they concocted a plan where David would skip supper and Jonathon would attend and find out Saul’s true intentions.
• Jonathon learned that Saul did indeed want to kill David
• And we got that story about Jonathon shooting an arrow and telling the lad to run further which was a hint to David to flee for Saul wanted to kill him.
• So David fled.

And then we come to 1 Samuel 21.
(READ 1-7)

So you see now understand at least part of the setting.
• David has fled
• He fled to Nob
• He ate the consecrated bread
• And there we see he was discovered by a man named Doeg the Edomite.

If you go on in the chapter you find that David took Goliath’s sword and fled Gath where he had to feign insanity just to escape.
(Incidentally that incident inspired both Psalms 34 and Psalms 56)

Now look at 1 Samuel 22

(Read 1-10)
• There is the incident regarding Doeg.
• In an attempt to gain favor with Saul and no doubt profit from the news Doeg actually ratted out David and slandered Ahimelech the priest.

The result?
(Read 11-19)
• And so for Doeg it wasn’t just slander, but also murder as he had destruction in his heart all along.

(Read 20-23)

And there we have the setting now for the writing of the 52nd Psalm.
David has just received word about this new executioner for Saul
Who is breathing out threats and attacking the people of God.

I’m sure Abiathar was distressed.
I’m sure David’s men are concerned.
David was clearly angry about it.
AND TO THAT DAVID WRITES THIS PSALM.

It is a Psalm that deals with the lies and threats
And destructive plots of the enemy.

So, if anyone has ever
• Said “mean things” to you
• Or given you “threats”
• Or “hurt your feelings”,

Pay attention to Psalms 52
Where we learn how God’s children handle such things.

There are 3 points here.
#1 DAVID’S REBUKE
Psalms 52:1-4

The rebuke here is simple.
It is a rebuke of anyone and everyone who would “boast in evil”

It is against anyone who supposes themselves to be a “mighty man”
And who would let their mouth run loose.

Certainly Doeg was on David’s mind,
But the Psalm would certainly reach farther than just him.

And to this man David has a question:
“Why do you boast in evil, O might man?”

The insinuation of David is that it is a foolish thing.
• Perhaps Doeg was uttering more threats…
• Perhaps Doeg was bragging about slaughtering the priests…
• Perhaps Doeg was lying about what actually happened when he saw David…

It doesn’t matter.
THE POINT IS that David questions the wisdom in such a boast.

Because: “The lovingkindness of God endures all day long.”

There is that favorite word CHECED again which speaks of God’s loyalty.

It’s foolish to attack God’s people
When God remains loyal to them at all times.
It’s foolish to run your mouth about the people God loves
When God maintains loyalty to them.

That is David’s point.
Doeg, you’re not making a very wise decision here.

Doeg was bosting in evil.
David then goes on to describe what he means.

This is what boasting in evil looks like.
1) IT IS TO DEVISE DESTRUCTION (2)
“Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.”

It speaks of using the tongue to bring about the destruction of a person.
Was this not what Doeg did regarding Abiathar?

Surely Doeg would eventually kill him,
But first Doeg used his tongue to get Saul to give the order.

It was his slander, it was his testimony that first condemned Abiathar
Before he was allowed to kill him.

That is what slander does.
• It sets out to destroy.
• It certainly sets out to destroy the reputation of another if not their life in total.

And David says that is what it means to “boast in evil”

2) IT IS TO DESIRE DECEPTION (3)
“You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right.”

This person just enjoys lying.
• It doesn’t matter if it is about something important or something little.
• They just enjoy the art of deception.

It can be outright lying to someone’s face
Or it can just be the subtle art of exaggeration.
The truth is too boring so the story is embellished to make it even better.

And when you take a person like that
Who is also bent on destruction
Then the condemning evidence is hard to overcome.
(Just look at our political world for an example)

3) IT IS TO DEVOUR THE INNOCENT (4)
“You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue”

They just use their words to swallow up the innocent.
They conquer their victims through their deceptive words.
It is slander in its most intense form.

And David says this is what it is to “boast in evil”

This made Doeg feel like a “mighty man”
When he could lie and deceive and consume the priests of God
Through his slanderous lies.

And of course we are reminded that
This sort of mindset and behavior is nothing at all like God.

We studied a couple of Sunday nights ago in Psalms 50
Psalms 50:20-21 “You sit and speak against your brother; You slander your own mother’s son. “These things you have done and I kept silence; You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.”

Clearly such behavior is not like God, and we would not defend it.

The New Testament even reminds believers
That such speech must not be a part of the Christian life.

Colossians 3:8-10 “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him”

Ephesians 4:29 “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

Ephesians 5:3-5 “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

James 3:5-12 “So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.”

Clearly we understand that such boasting in evil is not a trait of godliness.

What you should also realize is that it is actually a trait of Satan.

SATAN DEVISES DESTRUCTION
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

• Or we could read about the temptation of Jesus where Satan actually tried to get Jesus to throw Himself off the temple or even bow down and worship him.

• Or we could go to Eve in the garden and listen to Satan give Eve counsel only meant to destroy her.

SATAN DESIRES DECEPTION
John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

• Jesus said you can’t listen to anything that comes out of his mouth. He prefers lying to truth.

SATAN DEVOURS THE INNOCENT
Revelation 12:10 “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.”

• He constantly accuses and seeks to turn God against the innocent.

That is what Doeg was doing and David tells him it is foolish
Because all the reckless boasting and lies and slander
Will not change the loyal love of God.

Remember Romans 8?
Romans 8:33 “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;”

It’s hard to condemn someone with slander to God
When God was the One who justified them when they were a sinner.

It’s just a foolish effort.
And that is what David says first.

It is a rebuke of Doeg and anyone who would use their tongue
To try to destroy or deceive or devour someone else.

And that is not all.
First was David’s Rebuke
#2 DAVID’S REVELATION
Psalms 52:5-7

David wants Doeg and anyone like him
To understand where this is headed.

David pulls no punches when he says, “But God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, And uproot you from the land of the living.”

I even like that David puts “Selah” at the end as if to say,
“meditate on that!”

In other words, God will kill you.
I don’t care how smooth your tongue is, you won’t survive this.

It does us good to remember that on the day of judgment
Our tongue will not be enough to save us
Though it will definitely be enough to condemn us.

How many do we see promised that on the day of judgment they will start begging and pleading and making excuses but none of them work.
Matthew 7:22-23 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”

Their words won’t save them, but their words might condemn them.
Matthew 12:36-37 “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Revelation speaks of those excluded from heaven as:
Revelation 22:15 “Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.”

And David wants Doeg and all those who are like him
To know that their fate is a dark one.

(6-7) “The righteous will see and fear, And will laugh at him, saying, “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire.”

What a remarkable reality.
Not only will you be judged, but the righteous will see it, be in awe of it, laugh at it, and even mock you on that day.

Is that not remarkable?

We see this other places.
Psalms 2:1-6 “Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

Psalms 37:12-13 “The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming.”

God reserves the last laugh.
God reserves the last boast.

Beyond that, I remind you that our final words have been ordained.
Philippians 2:10-11 “so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

God has already ordained the speech of your tongue.

Did you know that even Satan will be mocked for his deceptive ways?
When you read Isaiah 14 we get there a picture of the work of Satan who has controlled numerous if not all world governments.

Isaiah 14 pronounces judgment on him.
Isaiah 14:12-20 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. “Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’ “All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb. “But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit Like a trampled corpse. “You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever.”

Did you catch the mocking?
Even Satan, the chief slanderer and liar
Will be mocked on the day of his judgment.

And certainly we can learn here of the dangers of being a liar
Or slanderer of one who devours others with our tongue.

Far from being like God, it makes us like Satan,
Far from being the victors it sets us up to be the one who is ultimately mocked.

And so we could (and should) certainly stop and give a little thought
To the foolishness of using our tongues for evil.

This is not how God would have us live.

Psalms 34:11-14 “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.”

But, even as important as that personal application is,
That is not really the thrust of this Psalm for us.

For David DOESN’T write this Psalm lamenting his own tongue
(he does in other Psalms like 39:1-6)

David writes this Psalm
• As a warning to his enemy who is doing all the talking.
• For the benefit of men like Abiathar who barely escaped from the slaughter of Doeg and who no doubt threatened them all.
• To show his faithful followers that they should not fear the slander and destructive threats of the enemy.
• For the benefit of those who have been mocked and slandered and threatened and lied about.

He wants the faithful to know that
The threats of the enemy cannot overcome the loyalty of God.

• Just because the enemy says he’s going to do it does not mean he can.
• Just because the enemy is lying about you does not mean he will succeed.
• Just because the enemy is laughing now he will not be laughing last.

God is loyal to His own.
God will destroy the liars and slanderers and gossips.

And it is that truth that catapults David into this final stanza.

David’s Rebuke David’s Revelation
#3 DAVID’S RESOLUTION
Psalms 52:8-9

What you will notice here are four commitments David makes
In the midst of this onslaught.

• David is being slandered.
• David is being lied about.
• David is being mocked and laughed at.

But David could almost say,
“Sticks and Stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”

And in that confidence we see David’s resolution.

There is four of them.
1) I WILL THRIVE (8a)
“But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;”

This analogy of a thriving tree is often used to speak of God’s people.

Speaking of the righteous we read:
Psalms 1:3 “He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”

Jeremiah said:
Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.”

This is David’s mentality.
There is a difference between the enemy’s threat
And God’s promise.

David stands up in this cave in the midst of his men,
Having received news of all the threats of the enemy
And David boldly proclaims to all that the abuses of the enemy
Cannot nullify the promises of God.

• God has promised that I will endure.
• God has promised that I will be fruitful.
• God has promised that He will care for me.

Why would I be discouraged or upset at the verbal attacks of the enemy?
If God is for us, who can be against us?

2) I WILL TRUST (8b)
“I trust in the lovingkindess of God forever and ever.”

Again, it is a reference to God’s CHECED or loyalty.
David reminded his people that God is loyal to them.

It is more than just being faithful, it is being loyal.
• Faithful indicates the guarantee that promises will be kept.
• Loyal indicates the assurance that promises on my behalf will be made.

You don’t just know that God will always do what He says,
You also know that God will always work for what is good on your behalf.
HE IS LOYAL TO HIS OWN.

David’s companions may say in this cave, “But David, God has made no promises regarding Doeg to us. God is not bound at all to deliver us from him.”

And David could say, “True, but God is for us, and He is loyal to us, and I have the utmost confidence that He will show up for our victory.”

That is David’s way of saying that
He is not going to get all disturbed by the threats of the enemy,
He’s just going to keep trusting God.

Sound like anyone else?
1 Peter 2:23 “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

Remember Psalms 3?
Psalms 3 “O LORD, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, “There is no deliverance for him in God.” Selah. But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.”

David also reveals
3) I WILL THANK GOD (9a)
“I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it,”

When David wrote this Psalm deliverance was still in the future,
But David was so confident that it was coming
That he was already singing about how thankful he was going to be.

He knew God was going to deliver.

Remember this example in Scripture?
Acts 9:1-2 “Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”

Do you remember what happened next?
The Lord confronted him from heaven and totally changed him.

God has the ability to win every battle
According to His sovereign prerogative.
Focus on that coming victory.

4) I WILL TESTIFY (9b)
“And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.”

David was going to do his thriving and his trusting
And his thanking in the presence of God’s people
So that they may also be encouraged.

He wanted God’s people to be strengthened by his example.

And think about that for a moment.
• In our hyper-sensitive world where people are so easily hurt.
• In a day when people get so easily offended.
• And they either lose their temper…
• Or they get emotionally wounded and need a safe space…
• Or they pout or whine or whatever…

David gives God’s people and different example.
• When the enemy verbally assaults and attacks…
• When the enemy lies and slanders…
• When the enemy laughs and threatens and humiliates…

Don’t get angry
Don’t get weepy
Don’t pout and whine
TRUST GOD

Focus on His loyalty to you and not the enemies threats.
When the enemy makes his assaults please understand:
THEY ARE JUST WORDS.

Be an encouragement to God’s people.
• No one ever heard someone whining or saw someone complaining and
said, “Wow, what great faith they have!”
• No one ever heard someone whining or saw someone complaining and
said, “Wow, they serve an awesome God!”

BE AN ENCOURAGEMENT.

I want to close with one more story.
TURN TO: ACTS 4
• The scene in Acts 4 is set up by the fact that in Acts 3 Peter and John healed a cripple in Jesus’ name.
• They were then preaching about Jesus in the temple and it irritated the priests and the Sadducees so they surrounded Peter and John and tried to intimidate them.
• The intimidation didn’t work, Peter kept right on preaching.

Let’s pick up down in verse 15.
(READ 15-22)

So Peter and John are certainly resolute,
But you’ll notice that it did not come without a threat.
(18) “they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus”

The church had been warned and threatened.

Now look at how Peter and John handle this.
(READ 23-31)

That’s how you handle the threats of the enemy.
(29) “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence…”

I fear that today in the church that story might often read differently.

It might say something like:
• Peter and John got on social media and told everybody about what happened.
• Peter and John went back to the church and asked for therapy as their feelings were hurt.
• Peter and John decided to quit talking about Jesus because the danger was real and they just decided to only do good works and let that be their ministry.

The fact is, we can at times
Give way too much credit to the words of the enemy.
Don’t let his accusations and lies and slanders rattle your ministry.

God’s church is going to thrive regardless of the threats.
Trust God and give Him thanks.
And be faithful to continue to testify.

That is what David said,
That is what the early church did.
That is what we are commanded to do as well.

1 Peter 3:14-16 “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.”

Discerning God’s Displeasure
Luke 13:1-9
October 6, 2019

This morning we come to the conclusion of a sermon
That Jesus started back in chapter 12:1.
It is “The Sermon on the Crowd”

And as we saw last week, here at the end He has now
Started giving His invitation for salvation to the crowd.

He has most recently discussed His return and the coming judgment
And is now confronting men for their need to settle
Before they ever stand before the Judge.

Luke 12:58-59 “For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. “I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the very last cent.”

The idea is that if you are on your way to meet the Judge (we all are)
AND YOU KNOW YOU ARE GUILTY
Then you should do everything within your power to settle out of court.

You should “make an effort to settle” with the magistrate
Before he takes you before the judge.

Because once that judge condemns you,
You will not escape until you pay the full sentence.

But that brings up a new reality to the crowd.
HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE’RE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE JUDGE?

Or more practically asked:
“How can we discern God’s displeasure?”

What we will see here is that the common mindset in Jesus’ day
Was that in order to discern God’s displeasure
They most commonly looked at circumstances.

In a way similar to the modern day prosperity gospel,
People viewed prosperity as a sign of God’s favor
And they viewed suffering as a sign of God’s displeasure.

Take the book of Job for an example.
• You have Job who suffered intently at the hand of God.
• He lost his livestock
• He lost his children
• He lost his health

And when his friends arrived they immediately assumed that
Job was on the wrong side of God’s displeasure.

Eliphaz said:
Job 4:7-9 “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright destroyed? “According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity And those who sow trouble harvest it. “By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of His anger they come to an end.”

Again:
Job 15:20-25 “The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, And numbered are the years stored up for the ruthless. “Sounds of terror are in his ears; While at peace the destroyer comes upon him. “He does not believe that he will return from darkness, And he is destined for the sword. “He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is at hand. “Distress and anguish terrify him, They overpower him like a king ready for the attack, Because he has stretched out his hand against God And conducts himself arrogantly against the Almighty.”

Again:
Job 22:4-5 “Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, That He enters into judgment against you? “Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquities without end?”

Now there is a lot wrong with their theology,
But the main point to be realized there is that Eliphaz clearly believed
That you discerned God’s displeasure by looking at your circumstances.

If God is giving you prosperity then you are clearly acceptable to Him.
If you God is giving you suffering then you are in danger.

SUCH A MINDSET clearly overlooks the reality of the prosperity of the wicked
Psalms 73:3-9 “For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of their heart run riot. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth.”

It also clearly overlooks the reality of the discipline of the Lord used to make the righteous more like Christ.

But it is the common mindset none the less.

There are many in our day who hold to a prosperity gospel that believes along those same lines.
• Namely that we know God’s pleasure or displeasure by looking at our circumstances.

Well, here in our text someone brings this theology to Jesus
And His answer is so important.

There are 2 main points we see in this text:
#1 A COMMON SUPPOSITION
Luke 13:1-5

We first recognize the words “Now on the same occasion”
• Indicating that the chapter break here is somewhat unfortunate.
• We are still at the same setting with the same crowd.

And then we read “there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.”

This is now the 3rd interruption Jesus has received during this sermon.

• First was the man who wanted Jesus to force his brother to share his inheritance.
• Second was Peter who wanted to know who this teaching of being ready for the second coming was primarily for.

And now here.

Jesus had just given the invitation.
• He had just told men to judge what was right.
• He had just told them to recognize the present time.
• And He had told them to settle before the stand before the Judge.

So on people’s mind was clearly the judgment
And how awful it would be to be a guilty person, under God’s displeasure,
All at once taken to stand before Him for judgment.

AND AT THIS POINT SOMEONE INTERJECTS AGAIN.
And they remind Jesus of a group of men who were slaughtered by Pilate.

We don’t really know the history behind the story,
But it does fit the reputation of Pilate.

Pilate was not a wise man, nor was he a friend of the Jews.
• Even upon his appointment as the Roman authority in this region Pilate
entered Jerusalem with a full army bearing standards with idolatrous images
meant to sort of put the Jews in their place and forcing them to accept what
they saw to be graven images.
• The people protested.
• Pilate ordered them upon pain of death to stop the protest.
• The Jews called his bluff and Pilate was forced to back down instead of
massacring an entire group of people.

Also frustrating to the Jews was
• The fact that Pilate took money from the temple treasury to build an aqueduct
in the city.
• When people protested and rioted Pilate ordered his solders to beat and
slaughter several of the protestors.
(MacArthur, John [The MacArthur New Testament Commentary; Luke 11-17; Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 2013] pg. 185)

Pilate was no friend of the Jews, nor was he a believer in their God.

And here the story is apparently that
• While some Galilean Jews were in the middle of worship and sacrificing to God
• Pilate slaughtered them and then defiled them and their worship site by intermingling their blood with the blood of their sacrifices.

It was clearly an awful and disturbing scene for any Jew.

Now the purpose of bringing this story to Jesus now seems to be that
THE CROWD IS LOOKING FOR A REFERENCE POINT.

The crowd is looking to find some sort of standard
By which they can measure their own personal danger before God.

Jesus just said that if you are guilty and on the way to see the Judge
That you should try to settle out of court.

The question then is “How do we know if we are guilty?” or “What sort of people need to hear this?”

And someone in the crowd brings up this story.
As if to say: “You’re talking about people like those Galileans that Pilate killed, aren’t You?”

In the mind of the people
• These Galileans clearly must have been people who were unacceptable to
God for why else would God have allowed such a violent and defiling
judgment upon them?

• Clearly (they thought) those men must have been men under God’s
displeasure or He would have never allowed that.

So then Jesus must be talking about really bad people
Who are experiencing terribly suffering in life.

Surely those are the types of people Jesus is referring to,
And if that is you, then you had better make things right with God
Before you stand before Him.

To state their theology more clearly: If God is allowing circumstantial misfortune in your life then that is a clear indicator of God’s displeasure and that means that you need to settle out of court before you stand before Him.

THAT IS THE INTERRUPTION.
It is simply people trying to figure out how to tell
If they are among those who are in danger before God.

And they toss Jesus this theology very similar to that of Job’s friends.

Here Jesus responds.
(2) “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate?”

• That is precisely what they supposed.
• They supposed that their circumstances revealed God’s displeasure.

But Jesus is about to crush their theology.
(3) “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Jesus just removed all their faulty standards for judgment.

We like to think that as long as
I can stay ahead of the human curve then I’ll likely be ok.

You know, as long as I can point out that I’m better than most
Then surely at the judgment I’ll be fine.
That is the thinking here.

It was just like Job’s friends.
• Job was a righteous man, who had appeared righteous to all, and then he
suffered terribly.
• The reason Job’s friends arrived, was not to comfort Job, but rather to find out
what Job did wrong so they could not make the same mistakes he made.

But Jesus just revealed that everyone in this crowd
Was in just as much danger before God as those Galileans.

In fact those Galileans WERE NOT “greater sinners” than anyone else.

And to drive the point home Jesus brings up another illustration.
(4) “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?”

Another peculiar incident had apparently occurred at the outskirts of Jerusalem when a tower fell and randomly killed 18 people.

The mindset of the day was that those 18 people
Must have been really sinful for God killed them with a freak judgment.

Do you remember when Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta?
Acts 28:3-4 “But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.”

Do you see the mindset?
• If he wasn’t a really bad guy then justice would not have allowed this.

For them it was some sort of form of pagan karma.

The Jews were just as superstitious,
They just attributed it to the just judgment of God.

You also see it in John 9
John 9:1-2 “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”

The reason for the question was because
It was a mysterious case for the people to rationalize.

You had a baby who was born blind.
• This blindness was seen as a clear judgment from and God and a clear
indication of God’s displeasure.

But the problem was figuring out who caused it.
• Was it the parent’s sin that caused this? (So why did God make the baby
blind instead of the parents?)
• Or was it the baby’s sin that caused this? (Wondering what a baby could
have done in the womb to so offend God?)

But you see how their common supposition ruled their theology.

And here is the second account of this.
• SURELY these 18 that were killed by the tower were the type of people Jesus was talking about.
• SURELY they were really bad and that is why God killed them with a tower and so we had better not be like them.

But again Jesus overturns their judgments.
“do you suppose…[they] were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?”

(5) “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Jesus answer is clear:
DO NOT SUPPOSE THAT
ONLY THOSE WHO SUFFER IN LIFE ARE IN DANGER.
EVERY MAN IS IN DANGER BEFORE GOD.

It is human nature to try and narrow the scope of God’s judgment,
BUT JESUS CONTINUALLY WIDENS IT.

Every man is need of repentance.
Every man is under the threat of judgment.

How often we have discussed this.
Romans 3:10-18 “as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”; “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.” “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”

Acts 17:30-31 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

• No one is good enough.
• No one is acceptable.
• Not one single person can stand before that Judge.
EVERYONE NEEDS TO SETTLE OUT OF COURT

Because if any human stands before God they will “likewise perish”

It is Jesus who gave us instruction on how not to perish.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Only through Christ can we stand before God and “not perish”.
Otherwise, on our own we are all in grave danger.

• DO NOT view your prosperity as a sign of God’s favor.
• DO NOT view other’s suffering as a sign of God’s displeasure.

See the righteous standard revealed in God’s word
And listen to the warning of Jesus.
“Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

The clear admonition is stop justifying yourself!
• Repent of your sin.
• Repent of your rebellion against God.
• Repent of your pride and arrogance.
• Repent of your hypocritical religion.
• Repent of your self-sufficiency.
• Repent of your worldliness.
• Repent of your vile language and gossip and slander
• Repent or your sexual immorality and bitterness and covetousness and discontentment, and lack of gratitude, and lying and cheating and hatred and anger.

And the list goes on and on and on.
REPENT!
Or “you will all likewise perish.”

So Jesus simply exploded their common supposition.
#2 A CRITICAL SITUATION
Luke 13:6-9

The question of the crowd was such a tragic indicator
Of their lack of discernment regarding their own danger before God.

It is clear that this crowd had totally failed to apply the sermon.
• They heard the Lord’s warning about His imminent return.
• They heard the Lord’s warning about the coming judgment.

And all they did was apply it to someone else.
• Surely the Lord wasn’t talking about them.
• Surely they weren’t in danger before God.
• Surely they didn’t need repentance.
• Surely they didn’t need to settle out of court.

Indeed they did, but they had failed to discern that.
SO NOW JESUS CLOSES HIS SERMON WITH A PARABLE.

And might I remind you again that parables were often used by our Lord to conceal truth from those who wouldn’t listen.

Remember Matthew 13 after the parable of the sower was given?
Matthew 13:10-15 “And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING,BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’”

What a tragedy that this stubborn crowd now has driven Jesus
From straightforward preaching into yet another parable.

But here it is. It is the parable of the fig tree.

When it begins we see a vineyard owner and we see:
1) HIS DESIRE (6)
“And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.”

The scene is clear.
• A man had planted a fig tree and he had done it for the reason that anyone would plant a fig tree…he wanted figs.
• And like an eager farmer, he routinely approached the fig tree during fig season hoping to harvest some figs off of his tree.

But he never got any.

2) HIS DISPLEASURE (7a)
“And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any.’”

His displeasure is clear.
• He wanted figs.
• He had returned 3 years in a row looking for figs and had yet to eat one.

Now, let me just make sure that you grasp something at this point.
For 3 years this tree had been enjoying ease of life.
• It had been planted, it enjoyed the safety of the vineyard, it received water, it
was cared for by the vineyard-keeper.

This tree had for 3 years lived in relative ease and prosperity
Totally oblivious of any hardship of any kind.

But this tree had failed to yield any fruit.
And unbeknownst to the tree the vineyard owner was displeased.
The owner of the tree is not happy, but the tree is oblivious.

3) HIS DECISION (7b)
“Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?”

Notice the swift, sudden, and almost unexpected judgment.
• In a moment, in a flash, the frustration of the vineyard owner boiled over and he ordered that tree to be cut down.

Yesterday that tree thought all was fine and good.
Today that tree faces judgment.

4) HIS DEMAND (8-9)
“And he [vineyard-keeper] answered and said to him [vineyard owner], ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”

The vineyard-keeper interceded on behalf of the tree
And asked for one more year to groom that tree.

The expectation is that this tree will bear fruit next year,
And if not then it rightly deserves to be destroyed.

Now, let the parable sink in.
• The vineyard owner is obviously God
• The fig tree is obviously Israel
• The vineyard-keeper is Christ
• The expected fruit is righteousness

And now the parable comes to life.
• God has planted Israel in their land with the expectation of righteousness.
• He routinely looked for it and never found it.
• And for 3 years Christ has been working in Israel.
• But Israel has refused to listen or refused to repent and produce righteousness.
• So God determines it is time to Judge.
• And Jesus intercedes for one more chance.
• Let Me warn them again, let Me tell them again. Let Me instruct them of the necessity to produce fruit.
• And next year if there is no fruit, then fine, judge them.

So let me ask you…what happened?

Interestingly enough THE VERDICT IS NOT REVEALED in the parable.
This is what you call a cliff-hanger.

• We are not told what the verdict is.
• We are not told how the vineyard owner responded to the request of the
vineyard-worker.

Jesus purposely left the parable open ended
Because it is meant to produce urgency.

If you were that tree, AND YOU HEARD the argument going on about whether or not you should be chopped down…
WOULDN’T YOU BE TRYING TO POP OUT A FIG ALL OF A SUDDEN?

That’s the point, you are in danger!
“Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

• Judgment is imminent!
• You are being dragged before the Judge.

Now, history allows us to finish this parable.
If you want to know how it ends, we know that answer.

Here is the ending to the parable.

“The vineyard owner agreed and went his way. The next day as the vineyard-keeper dug around the plant in order to fertilize, the fig tree grabbed up the vineyard-keeper and killed him and hung his body from a limb displaying him to the world. When the vineyard owner returned he was enraged at the tree and chopped it down and burned it with fire.”

That’s how the parable ends because that’s what actually happened.
• Israel will reject the warnings of Christ,
• Will crucify Him on a tree,
• And God will come and judge those Jews
• By breaking them off and burning their city with fire.

That is why we read this statement from Jesus later:
Luke 19:41-44 “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Because you were a fruitless tree unwilling to repent.

Do you see the tragedy?
Do you see this tree thinking all was fine until suddenly judgment swept upon it?

• Do you understand now why Jesus warns about the suddenness of His return?
• Do you understand now why Jesus warns about the wicked slave being cut in
pieces?
• Do you understand now why Jesus says you should try and settle out of court?
• Do you understand now why Jesus say, “unless you repent, you will all
likewise perish?”

Because God wants the fruit of righteousness and man isn’t giving it!

Now I want to close with one more illustration from Scripture because I want to clarify even more for you what is expected from you.

TURN TO: ISAIAH 5
• You may be familiar with this story, we’ve seen it before,
• The youth should certainly be familiar as we recently looked at it.

(Read 1-2)
• We have there a vineyard owner who obviously wanted grapes and wine from his vineyard.
• And he did everything necessary for that vine that it should produce good grapes.
• But it did not.

He wasn’t lazy, he wasn’t cheap, he wasn’t negligent.
He was a model farmer, it just didn’t work.

So then comes the question for us:
(Read 3-4)
• The question is posed to us: “What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done it?” (nothing)
• “Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?” (must have been a bad vine)

(Read 5-6)
• That makes sense to us because it was a bad vine.
• Why in the world would you keep pouring resources into a vine that refuses to produce?

Or as the vineyard owner in our story asked,
“Why does it even use up the ground?”

And so the vineyard is destroyed.
(You see the same application here)

And then the story is explained.
(Read 7)

There it is spelled out.
Because Israel failed to give God the righteousness He demanded they were judged.

God gave them every opportunity to be righteous.
Romans 9:4-5 “who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”

They had every privilege that could be afforded and they refused.
And so God judged them.

If you don’t bring God righteousness then you get judged.
And it doesn’t matter if you’ve been given every benefit or not.

Remember the slave with many benefits received many lashes, the slave with few benefits received few lashes,
BUT THEY ALL WERE FLOGGED; THEY ALL WERE JUDGED.

Every slave is required to produce righteousness.
Every tree is required to produce fruit.

And so you see another story of the same point.
Fruitlessness brings judgment and if you are not righteous before God you will be judged.

THAT IS FACT.

But you need to see one more verse.
TURN TO: JOHN 15

(Read 1-4)

Did you catch that?
“I am the true vine”

That is to say, “I am the fruitful vine. I am the righteous vine. I am the vine that is pleasing. I am the fig tree that produces figs.”

And not only that,
But the explanation is given as to how we can become fruitful.

How do we become fruitful?
When we are grafted in to the true vine.

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”

When we abide in Him.

Here is the good news!
• We are all fruitless trees.
• We are all fruitless vines.
• There is none good, not even one.
• And we are headed for a certain judgment.

Jesus Himself said that we are all going to perish.

Our only hope is to be righteous
And that righteousness comes through Jesus Christ.
We are grafted into Him. We are clothed in His righteousness.

I read you the familiar John 3:16 earlier:
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

Let me show you something interesting.
• We read in verse 16, “believes in Him” The Greek word for “in” is EIS
• We read in verse 17, “God did not send the son into the world” The Greek
word for “into” is also EIS

My point is that EIS can easily be translated “into” not just “in”

Now read John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes into Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

How are we saved?
• We repent of our sin and our sinfulness.
• We see our need for a Savior.
• And we place our faith in Jesus by which we are grafted into Him.
• We are then clothed in His righteousness and we begin to bear fruit for God.

That is the point of the sermon.
WE NEED JESUS!

That fig tree should not have killed Him,
That fig tree should have tapped into Him.

THAT IS THE INVITATION.
• The return of the Lord is imminent
• The judgment of God is certain
• Your guilt is already proven

Our only hope is to run to the only One
Who produced the righteous fruit that God desires
And that is Christ.

• Confess your sin and your sinfulness.
• Repent before God and run to Jesus,
• Place your faith in Him and be clothed in His righteousness.

Because Jesus could not have been more clear, “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”