Loosing Friends and Influencing People

So losing friends and influencing people, Jesus has already begun to arouse

the suspicion and even the hostility, if you remember, of the religious leadership in Galilee.

We studied that back in Luke chapter 5, verses 21, verse 30.

Luke 5:21

But now Luke actually records two incidents where the actions of Jesus and his

disciples bring him into further conflict with the Pharisees,

it says, and teachers of the law.

We read that in verse 11 of Luke chapter 6 earlier.

Luke 6 · chapter mention

Well, the first incident, and

we read about it, that takes place on an unspecified Sabbath day, right?

After Jesus, you know, disciples were walking through the grain fields,

if you remember, as someone walking along a trail, you can think today,

maybe hiking a trail or something like that, or walking through the woods to

get somewhere on a trail.

And so they're walking through, they're walking through that trail and they

grab a handful of raspberries, maybe down that trail.

Maybe today you're walking through. Well, they were in the grain field and they

were actually just snacking on some of the kernels like that little snack going

through. Right. They were hungry.

And so basically they just took it. In fact, Scripture said that,

you know, pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands is what it said,

what we read earlier to get those kernels out.

Right. And although that behavior was sanctioned, by the way,

by the Old Testament law, Deuteronomy 23.

I believe around verse 25 in there, the fact that they were doing so on the

Sabbath was enough to catch the attention of who?

The Pharisees, right? Who seemed to be looking closely for opportunities to

confront or rebuke Jesus.

We saw that in verse 7, but some of them actually accused the disciples in verse

2 that we read of doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.

Well, that's the first incident. In the second incident, verses six through

11, the question of what is lawful on the Sabbath comes to really the forefront in the passage, right?

The scene is tense from the outset.

We saw that with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Look back at verse

seven. They were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, right?

And Jesus, thank the Lord, knowing their thoughts, verse eight,

he seems to almost initiate the conflict intentionally in order to provoke a confrontation, right?

In fact, having the man stand in front of the synagogue, Jesus actually challenges his opponents.

In verse nine, what does he say? He says, which is lawful on the Sabbath,

to do good or to do evil or harm, to save life or to destroy it?

That was his question to them.

And the question of what was lawful on the Sabbath is raised,

if you didn't notice, both in verse 2 and verse 9 of what we read.

It was not easily answered.

The Old Testament did prescribe what? Rest and really stop in labor,

right? Exodus 28 through 11.

And on the last day of the week. But the law did not give many specific examples

of really what actions constituted labor that was forbidden on the Sabbath.

But as we see in this next slide, religious practice doesn't tolerate that ambiguity

very well. It's not happy about it, right?

And so the traditions of the Jewish teachers here address the silence of the

law, in other words, by listing out their own rules, right?

How many of you remember how many specific activities were forbidden on the Sabbath? Anybody?

They came up with a list. 39!

39 specific activities forbidden on the Sabbath.

Four, by the way, of which the disciples here in this passage have violated

by their actions in the grain field.

And while Jewish custom permitted, for example, medical work on the Sabbath,

let's say in case of an emergency like childbirth,

you know, somebody needed to give birth or, but nothing about the situation

of the man with a shriveled hand demanded that it be addressed on the Sabbath.

Because after all, he's had his hand for a long time, right, this way.

So why couldn't Jesus wait till the next day?

And so in order to address the issue of lawfulness, Jesus here actually appeals

to an event from the Old Testament.

You remember this event probably where hunger actually drove David and his men

to eat bread that was meant to be consumed by only the priest, right?

As we look at that back in 1 Samuel 21, you'll be reminded of that.

Jesus puts the Pharisees in a position here where they must either condemn David,

which would be an unpopular position, by the way, or admit that the application

of the law, as we see in this next slide, must be tempered by urgent necessity, right?

So the point is clear. Here's what I want you to get. The point is clear.

The law was never intended to keep hungry people from food.

That's not what it's for, is it?

In fact, that doesn't quite explain his actions in the synagogue, though.

Like I mentioned earlier, the man with a shriveled right hand was not in any

life-threatening danger.

Presumably, like I said, his hand had been withered for some time,

and surely there was no reason, I should say, why he could not wait one more day. to be healed.

But Jesus's question, if you look back here in verse 9 of Luke chapter 6,

Luke 6 · chapter mention

it really appeals, I think, beyond the mere details of this situation.

It almost goes to a broader question

here of what constitutes the kind of law-keeping that pleases God.

Is the law best kept when someone does what is good and saves on the Sabbath,

like Jesus did in the case of this man we're about to see and we've seen in

Scripture, or is the law fulfilled when someone does evil and postpone someone healing?

As the Pharisees were doing with their, what should we call it,

a suspicious attitude, right?

Well, guess what? I can only see this in Scripture. I know you see it too,

but Jesus actually registers his answer in verse 10 by healing the man.

He heals the man. And verse 5, if you look back, makes clear that bigger issue

that lies behind these incidents that are taking place here.

Jesus, look at that verse, referring to himself here as the Son of Man. He explains what?

That he is Lord of the Sabbath.

Amen? He is Lord of the Sabbath. And the word order of the original Greek actually stresses the word Lord.

In the thaw, right? It's authority over God's Sabbath that is under discussion.

And Jesus is letting them know, I'm the Lord of the Sabbath.

Now, I don't know about you, but I think the Lord of the Sabbath,

he can do and say how he wants to do it on the Sabbath, right?

And he said to do good, that's what we should do, not evil, right?

And so basically, in fact, one scholar, I forget his name, I think it was Bach

that actually said with that remark that Jesus argues that he is the authoritative

representative of this new way, right? The way.

And that he has authority over the understanding and administration of the Sabbath.

So because Jesus is the one with authority over it, with authority over the

Sabbath, whatever he permits in terms of observing that day is by definition,

you guessed it, what is lawful?

What is lawful? The Pharisees, though, their angry response,

or I should say their rage-filled response in verse 11, actually shows that

they actually did understand what Jesus is claiming.

And guess what? They hate it. They hate it.

Well, let's take a look at another example as we flow on in this passage.

What about the choosing of the 12 here, as we see on the next slide, the choosing of the 12.

At some point, church, in the midst of all this controversy and opposition,

Jesus actually spent a night praying on an unidentified mountainside.

It tells us that in verse 12.

We didn't read that today, but you can look at that as we go through, as was his habit.

We learned that in verse 16 of the same passage.

And when morning came, the reason for Jesus's prayer became very obvious.

Guess what he did? He called his circle of disciples to him.

And from that group, look at verse 13 of chapter six.

He chose how many of them? 12 of them.

Basically designating these 12 as apostles or sent ones.

And while the list of apostles' names, verses 14 through 16,

they don't contain many details about these men at this time,

but I think several points that jumped out at me, really, I think they're worth noting.

First, while no specific comment is made in this passage.

Later in Luke's gospel here, it becomes clear that the number 12,

actually in chapter 22 of Luke verses 28 through 30 tells us this,

that number 12 intentionally mirrors the 12 tribes of Israel.

And so, and then second, and we've already seen this group was not made up of

men whose backgrounds and training would make them obvious candidates for the task at hand.

Don't y'all just love it when God chooses to use ordinary people and do extraordinary

things with them as they're available to him.

Y'all, that gives me hope, right? I hope it gives you hope. You know,

you don't have to have it all together. You don't have to have this, that, and the other.

God can use you if you're just available. If you say, yes, Lord, I want to be used.

But it's unlikely that many rabbis in first century Palestine were,

you know, intentionally recruiting a band of fishermen and tax collectors,

right, to be their inner circle.

That just didn't make sense in that day, right?

But Jesus has already told us that he hasn't come for those the world considers

righteous and important, has he?

Well, third, I don't know if you noticed this in this passage,

you probably have read ahead just a little bit.

I think it's very most significant is the presence of Judas Iscariot in that group.

Iscariot most likely indicates that Judas came from the town of Kerioth,

which would have made him the only non-Galilean, by the way, in that group.

More important here is the meaning of Judas' name here, the naming of him,

the meaning there, foreshadowing the end right here of what's going to happen, right?

In verse 16, which remind us that Judas is the one who became a traitor.

But some of you probably already thought of this. Why?

Why did Jesus select Judas to start with? I mean, it says here he spent all

night in prayer about all this, right? About who he was going to choose, right?

Luke has shown us that Jesus chose these 12 men after careful prayer.

It was no rash decision. Jesus didn't just say, you know, let's flip a coin

for each one, you know, but one made with the guidance of who? the Father.

Jesus' church was well aware that Judas would betray him. We see that in John chapter 6 verse 64.

John 6:64

And so even here at the outset of his ministry, the cross is looming in the distance.

God had his purposes for this, right? God had his purposes, even though he knew Judas would betray.

He had his purposes for choosing him as one of the disciples.

Well, and then we come to the point today where we have a choice.

Are we going to be happy now or then? Happy now or then?

And Jesus' next significant teaching, I think, here in this passage,

it occurs in a level place, it says, in the place the apostles,

them in verse 17 there, a large crowd of his disciples there,

a great number of people from all over the region surrounded Jesus.

And the presence of people there from Tyre, from Sidon, in verse 17, it shows us there.

I think it indicates that there were Gentiles in the crowds too, right?

Luke tells us that all of these various people desired to hear him,

desired to hear Jesus in verse 18, and also really receive relief from their afflictions.

We see that in Verses 18 and 19, as you read ahead, the power of the Lord continued

to be with Jesus so that he could heal and he could cure the multitudes.

Jesus teaching church in this context, I think it really presses us further

to the theme of the division here that we see.

This section of Jesus' so-called Sermon on the Plain, I want y'all to get this.

It's best to understand this message as separate from the Sermon on the Mount, right?

It's a distinct difference from that in Matthew 5-7 that we see.

It's about the distinction between two kinds of people here on his Sermon on

the Plain. Two kinds of people.

The first group, look at verse 22, you'll probably see this.

The first group of people, the type of people is the ones that are blessed.

How many of you want to be blessed? Happy, blessed, right?

Blessed. They identify with the Son of Man, we see in verse 22.

And the ancient prophets can anticipate a great reward in heaven, right?

That will more than compensate for their personal sufferings, their personal trials.

But the second group is the recipient of a declaration of woe.

Yeah, those type of declarations, so common in the ministry,

you can probably remember Isaiah, right?

And others, Jeremiah, right? And they're identified also here with the false

prophets, the one who this declaration is declared upon, right?

Have already received it. All the good that's coming to them in this world, they've already got.

So you have the blessed who are following Jesus. Then you have those that have

that declaration of woe on them.

So I think Jesus's sermon is fairly structured here.

Verses 20 through 22, Jesus actually declares four categories.

I want y'all to get this this morning of people to be blessed.

Look at what they are there. And take a look at this verse 28 through 22.

The first one, the poor, the poor, the hungry, those who weep,

and those who are insulted and reviled.

And then in verses 24 through 26 there, woe is actually declared to four opposite

categories of people. Who are they?

Who's the first one? The rich, the well-fed, those who laugh,

and the highly regarded.

The teaching here, I think, is so blunt, church, so startling.

It's turning our normal assumptions that we have about life on its head, right?

It's that life upside down in God's kingdom, right?

Jesus begins by speaking to the poor.

He declares them to be blessed. What does he say in verse 20?

Why? Now, verse 20 of chapter 6 of Luke, yours is the kingdom of God.

It's important not to read Jesus' words like, you know, in a flat sense here.

He's not declaring that every single poor person in the world is the recipient of God's favor.

That's not what he's saying, no matter what their character or way of life is.

But instead, church, we should see that a person's economic condition has the

potential to help or to hinder that person when it comes to having the spiritual

characteristics that God values and rewards.

In other words, those who are poor in spirit, right?

That's what Jesus calls these kinds of people, Matthew 5, 3,

poor in spirit, who can be said to possess the kingdom of God.

The rich though, in contrast, have already, what does it say in verse 24 of

Luke 6, receive their comfort.

Though in reality, I want y'all to get this today. Don't miss this point, church.

In reality, the rich are every bit as spiritually helpless as the poor.

Their material wealth can serve, though, to insulate them from the things that

the world, all those things in the world that would make them aware of their spiritual neediness.

All those things in the world can help insulate them sometimes.

They don't realize, They think, hey, I've got this wealth, I'll be okay.

They don't see their need. They think, hey, I've done it all.

I've accomplished all this.

And as a result, many rich people miss out on the blessings of Jesus's kingdom.

And they should expect no further rewards, he says, beyond those meager and

temporary pleasures that they receive from their earthly wealth.

And therefore, there is woe to them.

Woe to them. But in verse 21 here of Luke chapter 6, Jesus declares,

Luke 6 · chapter mention

take a look at it, that those who hunger now are blessed forever.

Because they'll be satisfied if they hunger and thirst after righteousness, right?

He calls out a woe, though, on those who are well-fed, for they will go hungry, in verse 25.

Again, y'all, don't understand Jesus' words so simplistically here, okay?

As if he is just simply referring, you know, a preference for people who either

don't have enough to eat or who choose not to eat or anything like that.

Instead, we look in this scripture passage here with the concept of poverty

in verse 20, Hunger has both material and spiritual overtones, don't it?

Those who lack, in other words, physical comforts in this life are most likely

to turn to God's promise of help.

They're most likely to see their need.

And y'all, it is so important that we all realize this morning as we look through

this passage that we all need Jesus, right?

That we all are in need, as I said earlier. But I think sometimes the comforts of this world,

according to this passage, can help to blind us or insulate us from seeing really

how bad it is, really how desperate we are in need of a Savior.

Those who are full are experiencing now all of the comfort they'll ever enjoy, Jesus says.

They'll go hungry, though, on that future day when God finally sets all things

right. Amen. when he brings it all into account, justice to everyone.

But the third pairing here, I think, church, considers the state of those who

weep now. Look at verse 21.

Those who laugh now, verse 25.

In an unjust and broken world, which how many of you agree we live in an unjust

and broken world, right?

God's people are often persecuted and alienated. And for that reason,

there is in the Bible a long tradition of godly sorrow from the Psalms of complaint

in Psalm 88, for example, to the prophet Jeremiah, I mentioned him earlier,

to the book of Lamentations even,

the book of the Bible whose very name speaks of grief.

And so Jesus pronounces a blessing here over those who weep now,

whether because they're being persecuted for their godliness and live in a Christian

life, or they're just simply brokenhearted and distraught at the wicked state of the world.

Y'all, when is the last time that we shed tears for the fate of the ungodly?

The last time that our heart was really broken when we saw evil on display for those people?

Where we had compassion for the lost. When's the last time we wept over that?

Because there will come a day when righteousness is established and God's people

will be able to rejoice over the way that things are.

But those who are able to delight and laugh in a world of rebellion like this,

that we live in even, right?

Will find themselves weeping in the world to come.

In other words, church, Church, I think we need to shed a few more tears, amen?

I think we need to realize, hey, the fate of the ungodly is real.

And before I have anger towards someone's actions, I really ought to have compassion

for their lost soul, right?

Now, I'm not saying we shouldn't be angry over sin and we shouldn't be upset

about things that are not just and right.

But sometimes I think we lose the fact that there is a soul who is made in the

image of God that we would weep over and say, pray, Lord, please open their eyes to truth.

Open their eyes to your gospel. Open their eyes to their need for a savior.

Because y'all, I'm just telling you, I mean, look at old Paul, for example.

I mean, Paul actually hunted down Christians and murdered them.

I mean, come on. But yet Paul met Jesus on what road, where?

To Damascus, right? And his life was transformed.

I mean, literally, God hid him where he lived, right?

As we said before, he was knocked off his eye horse, right? And his life was changed.

And this guy, actually, God used to write half of the New Testament.

Wow. I mean, come on, y'all. There is no one that is beyond the mercy and grace of God.

Y'all, is our hearts broken for the lost?

That includes those in authority around us, right? All of it.

And finally here, I'm moving along, fixing to wrap up, but Jesus proclaims that

you are blessed when people hate, exclude, insult, and reject your name as evil because of him.

Not because you're rude, okay?

But because of him, because you are spreading his gospel, you're following his words.

That's when you'll really be happy and blessed, when you know you're obeying

your master, when you're doing what God has said.

Amen. Experience that kind of persecution.

It puts one in the company of, guess who? The godly prophets of old,

who themselves, by the way, were despised and killed, by the way,

because of their work for God.

And so if everyone speaks well of you, it talks about this in verse 26 of Luke

6, you're in company of who?

The false prophets whose message

of peace and complacency church found a

warm reception in a world there that really is consistent with their rebellion

against god y'all this should be a warning to us even in this passage each wood

i mean i know we all want people to think well of us right how many of you want

people not to speak well of you probably not just on the surface.

But the warning here is if everyone including

those who don't know the lord those who are far

from god you know those who are lost and

blind and spiritually dead if everybody's patting you on the back all the time

and thinking well of you that should be a red flag a red flag that you are not

in the company that you need to be in right because jesus just basically seems

to indicate to us when you're serving him, when you're living for the king of kings,

you're going to have tribulation.

You're going to have trials. You're going to have people speaking evil of you because of him.

So that can be eye-opening, right? I mean, are you on the devil's hit list?

You ever thought about it?

The favor of man will have to suffice for such a person will never know the

favor of God, if they're that type of person.

Well, this is just where we wrap up today. Y'all, we're going to have to have a recalibration. Amen?

Have you ever recalibrated something?

Had to recalibrate it, reset, whatever you want to look at it as.

But Jesus' words here call us to radically, church, recalibrate the way we think

about what it means to live well here and now.

The default state of the human heart, how many of you human? I know you are.

The default state of the human heart, church, is to treasure whatever comfort,

prosperity, and ease is available in this life.

That's the default setting. But Jesus warns, and we got to listen, church,

that those who make themselves at home in this world will face disastrous consequences

when the kingdom of God comes in its fullness.

Jesus here, he does not imagine, church, a situation where a person can enjoy

both the present pleasures of this world and also the joys of the next one.

We got to choose. We must choose our allegiance and the location of our ultimate joy.

And I just got to say this today, y'all. The American dream.

You heard about it, right?

American dream. We all think this is what it means to be successful.

Guess what? It's all upside down to the kingdom of God, every bit of it.

And yet we strive and strive and strive for the American dream because that's

the default setting of our hearts,

instead of striving after God's kingdom first and his righteousness.

And then all the things that we actually need, he's promised he's going to add to us.

A Christian reading Jesus's words here should be reminded to examine his or her heart closely.

That's all of us, y'all, if you know the Lord, and I hope all of you do.

It's easy to grow comfortable, Eastwood, in our sin and at ease with the wickedness

of the world around us, is it not?

It's very easy to do. This world system church has made some of us wealthy and full.

Right there's probably some people that that feel that out

there today there's a very real danger if

that's you that you might be spiritually anesthetized by

your position by your possessions even because our

stomachs are full we may not

hunger as we should for a different kind of life in

a different kind of world don't let that

blind you don't let the blessings that you have in

this life blind you to the fate of those

around you and what's really important what god has called

us to here god did not call us to

have you know the biggest bank account in

the land you know he didn't call us to have the ultimate 401k although those

things are yes go to the ant thou slugger consider her ways and be wise yes

we should plan for the future yes we should plan we should work to meet the

needs that we have as God's blessed us.

But when that becomes our all-consuming passion, the American dream, we lose our focus.

We lose the fact that we are not of this world.

We long for a better country, Eastwood. This world is not our home.

It's not our home. And by the way, if you know the Lord, your match is being

worked on right now. It's being prepared for you.

It's going to be better than anything we can build here, by the way.

But in the end, y'all, I want you to get this today. This is the only kind of

discipleship that Jesus is offering.

Follow after Jesus means that comfort and wealth and ease in this life are no

longer our controlling passions.

It also means that when we find ourselves deeply dissatisfied with this world,

when we see the condition of this world and the hopelessness of those who are

lost, our hearts are broken and we pray for those that there is hope. There is hope, church.

God has made us a promise that we can actually cling to when we find ourselves

longing to actually be finally free from the allure of sin, right?

From physical illness and from the weariness that comes from living in a world

where we're never quite at home.

I don't know about you, but I know the older people get, the more you long for that country, right?

But you know what? Every one of us should be longing for that country and have

our eyes on that, have our eyes on that prize.

Because we can rejoice in these present sufferings. Luke tells us in Luke 6,

Luke 6:23

verse 23, because Jesus told us, by the way, to expect them.

And because he has promised that we will be blessed because of him, right?

All the way to the end. And in the end, we are going to receive that in its fullness.

I hope that excites you today. I hope that gives you real hope,

real security, real comfort in what our God offers us.

I want to invite you, if you would, just to stand for a moment,

if you're able, and just to bow your heads in prayer for a moment.

And I'm not going to belabor it, but I want you to thank this morning Where do you stand in this?

I think really as we wrap up and do that recalibration on these stories that Luke has shared with us,

is my home in this world? Or is my home in the kingdom?

My focus today. You know, we wrapped up a series last week, Made for Mission. Y'all, this is it.

We're not made to live the American dream.

Y'all, that's not our controlling passion. We got to be careful. Don't lose focus.

Don't put your eyes on things that are temporary. Don't strive after things

with all your might that are going to fade away.

But strive after things that are going to be forever. Forever.

They're never going to decay. They're never going to rot.

Y'all, what am I talking about? I'm talking about souls that are saved.

Souls that are set free from their sin.

People who were spiritually dead who are now alive. Y'all, that's the kind of

trophies of grace I'm talking about.

That's the kind of rewards as you know that you've lived to the glory of God.

God, that your life has meant something in this world. It wasn't just about,

you know, comfort and ease.

It was about seeing people saved, seeing people brought into God's kingdom.

Now, that's our challenge as we wrap up today. Father God, right now,

I just pray as you move in our midst, Lord, God, that you'll convict all of our hearts, Lord.

God, maybe we need a recalibration, a reset today to where we say,

Lord, I know my default has been this. But God, help me, Lord,

to reset, to recalibrate to your word, to your kingdom, Lord.

To seek your kingdom first and your righteousness.

Lord, help me put everything under your control, Lord. Help me not to strive

after things of this world with all I've got.

But my controlling passion should be for you and for your kingdom.

In Jesus' mighty name.