Repent, Receive, Reach-out Luke 13v1-35

Are those 18 who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them, do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?

I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

Then he told this parable.

A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit in it, but he did not find any.

So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard,

For three years now, I have been coming to look for fruit in this fig tree and haven't found any.

Cut it down. Why should it use up the soil?

Sir, the man replied, leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig round it and fertilize it.

If it bears fruit next year, fine. If not, then cut it down.

On the Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues.

And a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years.

She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.

When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her,

Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.

Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Indignant, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath,

the synagogue ruler said to the people,

There are six days for work, so come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.

The Lord answered him,

You hypocrites!

Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?

Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for 18 long years,

be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?

When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated,

but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

Thank you, Sam, and thank you for handing out the pens and notes there.

We're looking at our series through Luke's Gospel.

Today we reach chapter 13.

We're going to be touching on all of it.

We didn't read all of it, but that's okay.

We are going to look at all of it.

And if you've missed any of the talks along the way,

you can always go back and listen.

You can find them on the church website.

And if you have any comments about the church website,

we'd love to have your feedback on those sorts of things as well.

And because we're covering such a large section this morning,

there'll be bits that we don't touch on,

and you might have questions about that,

so please feel free to ask afterwards.

Come and have a chat about it.

We'd love to talk to you further.

Thank you very much, Sam, for doing that.

Well, let's pray and ask for God's help.

Father, as we gather together to hear your word,

we want to hear it carefully and clearly.

We want to hear the seriousness of what you are saying

and the implications that it has upon our lives today

and as we go about our life this coming week.

Father, would you reach into our hearts

and grab a hold of us

and change us and conform us

so that we are people who live by your agenda

and according to your will and purpose.

Father, we come before you

and ask that you would help us

to put aside what we think is important

and listen afresh to you

to what is truly important.

Help us then, we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

What's the time?

How many times do we ask that in a day?

Our whole day is ordered, isn't it?

And structured by time.

7 a.m.

Time to get up

or turn off the alarm and roll back to sleep

if you're like me.

12.30.

Lunchtime.

Time to pick up the kids.

Time to go to the shops.

8 p.m.

Time for that meeting.

Time to go out.

Time to go to bed.

Time reminds us what needs to be done.

In fact, the closer we get to that time,

the more urgent things become.

Well, Luke wants us to keep an eye on the time.

Before we get stuck into chapter 13,

there are two times that we need to adjust our life to.

Two times that will help us understand chapter 13.

The first time that we've got to be focused on

is cross time.

Go back to chapter 9.

Just a few pages to chapter 9.

Chapter 9 is a turning point in Luke's Gospel.

Jesus has just identified himself to be the Messiah.

That is God's anointed king, God's saving king.

And here's what he says about himself in chapter 9, verse 22.

And Jesus said,

The Son of Man,

his favourite title for referring to himself,

he says,

The Son of Man must suffer many things,

be rejected by the elders,

the chief priests,

the teachers of the law,

and that he must be killed,

and on the third day be raised to life.

So here, for the first time,

Jesus is making it crystal clear to us.

He's telling us that he must die.

He must go to the cross.

And from this point forward,

everything in Luke is heading towards Jerusalem,

where Jesus will die.

So, if you look at verse 51 of chapter 9,

it reads,

As the time approached for Jesus to be taken up into heaven,

Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is the place of execution.

In Jerusalem, Jesus will die.

And from this point onwards,

time and time again,

Luke keeps telling us that

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem.

Because, at the cross,

salvation comes.

So the first timing that we need to be adjusted to is

cross time.

The second timing is judgment time.

Have a look at chapter 12.

Chapter 12 obviously comes before chapter 13,

and in chapter 12,

Jesus has been telling a parable,

a story about his return in judgment.

So chapter 12, verse 40.

And he's telling us there,

Jesus says,

You also must be ready,

because the Son of Man,

again, that same title that he gives to himself,

will come at an hour or at a time

when you do not expect him.

One day,

the risen Lord Jesus is going to return in judgment.

And he's saying,

we've got to be ready for this.

And to help us to understand how we need to be ready,

he tells another short story.

Verse 57.

It's like a little illustration.

Have a look at chapter 12,

verse 57.

Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?

As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate,

so he's saying,

look, put yourself in this situation.

As you're going with your adversary to the magistrate,

try hard to be reconciled on the way,

or your adversary may drag you off to the judge,

and the judge turn you over to the officer,

and the officer throw you into prison.

In other words,

time is running out.

There is an urgency.

We've got to sort things out with God.

You see,

cross time prepares us

for the coming of Jesus.

And that's the time frame we're in right now.

The cross has happened.

But judgment is yet to come.

This is the time frame we're in.

Salvation is here today.

Judgment is coming.

And this is the time by which we're to adjust our life to.

This is the time that our clock should be altered to.

And Luke wants us to take these two timings with us

as we head into chapter 13.

So three things we need to deal with urgently

while we have time.

First, time to repent.

Into chapter 13 we go.

Jesus impresses us with the need to repent.

Look at verse 3.

But unless you repent,

you too will all perish.

And in case we haven't got it,

the end of verse 5.

But unless you repent,

you too will all perish.

To perish is to face that judgment of God.

A fearful and eternal separation from God

for all eternity.

Hell itself.

So there is this pressing urgency

to repent.

And repentance implies two things.

It implies turning from something.

So you're going in this direction.

And you've got to turn around 180

and go this direction.

Turn from something.

And turn to something.

So turn from your own desires and dreams.

And turn to Jesus

and pursue His will for your life.

Repentance isn't just a one-off event.

It is a daily action

where we repent continually.

It means dying to self.

Dying to living my way

and turning and saying,

I am living for Christ.

And we continually need to alter ourselves

and repent.

His glory.

Not my glory.

His agenda.

My agenda.

And the reason we need to repent.

Well, there's two reasons

in this little section.

First,

the reason to repent

is because life

is fragile.

We don't know

when life will end.

You see,

Jesus' call for repentance

comes in the context

of sudden

and surprising death.

Look at verse 1.

Now,

there were some present

at that time

who told Jesus

about the Galileans

whose blood

Pilate had mixed

with their sacrifices.

It sounds horrific,

doesn't it?

It was a horrific murder

that took place.

Pilate, of course,

was the Roman prefect,

the one who was in charge.

He was in charge

of military and security.

And from history,

history tells us

he was quite a brutal man.

And to remind the people

who was in charge,

he would just often

have them killed.

And here we're reading

in chapter 13, verse 1,

he has people from Galilee

knocked off.

One minute they're on their way

to the temple

and the next minute

they're dead.

Or look at verse 4.

Jesus says,

what about those 18 people

who died

when the tower in Siloam

fell on them?

One minute they're out

looking at all the views

around them,

perhaps looking down

at their friends

down below.

The next minute

the tower collapses

and they're dead.

And the presumption

behind both of these

sudden and surprising deaths

is that they must have been

involved in some terrible sin.

God must be punishing them.

But look what it says

in verse 5.

I tell you,

no.

But unless you repent,

you too

will all perish.

No, they're not worse sinners

than you or I.

They are not more guilty

than you or I.

In fact,

I could be

a worse sinner.

You could be more guilty

than these people

that's been talked about here.

The point is,

life is

fragile.

We will all die

and we do not know when.

There is no guarantee

that we're going to grow old.

Sometimes death

is sudden

and surprising.

An accident

in a car.

An untreatable disease.

Caught in an act

of terrorism.

One minute

enjoying life.

The next minute

we're dead.

Life is fragile.

we need to repent.

Well,

the second reason

we need to repent

is,

well,

mercy

will cease.

God longs

for people

to repent.

And the fact

that we are still

alive today

is a sign

of God's mercy.

Look at verse 6.

Then Jesus

told this parable.

A man had a fig tree

growing in his vineyard.

Now,

we kind of

associate vineyards

with grapes,

but they did

sow fig trees

there too,

apparently.

And he went

to look for fruit

on it,

but he didn't

find any.

So he said

to the man

who took care

of the vineyard,

look,

for three years

now I've been

coming to look

for fruit

off this fig tree

and I haven't

found any.

So just cut it down.

Why should it

use up the soil?

Why should it

waste space

if it's not

producing fruit?

Well, the point

is simple,

isn't it?

God looks

for repentant

lives.

He looks

for fruit.

He looks

for change

and transformation.

And if there's

no fruit,

there will be

judgment.

But,

let's not

miss this.

He is

merciful

and gracious.

He gives

people more

time.

So look at

verse 8.

Sir,

the man replied,

leave it

alone

one more

year.

Give the fig tree

another year,

another season.

I'll dig

round it,

I'll fertilise it.

If it bears

fruit next year,

fine,

then it will

have been

worth it.

If not,

if there's

no fruit,

cut it down.

every day

we live

is a day

of mercy.

God is

giving

opportunity

to each

one of us.

But a day

will come

when we

look for

mercy

and it

will be

too late

for judgment

will have

come.

So he

says,

repent

because life

is fragile

and mercy

will

cease.

But not

only is it

a time

to repent,

so let's

get our

timings

right again.

We've got

the time

of the

cross,

the time

of judgment

that shapes

and affects

how we

live today.

And the

first timing

is,

well,

it means

that we

are to

be people

of repentance.

Second,

a time

to receive.

Look at

verse 10.

On the

Sabbath,

Jesus was

teaching in

one of the

synagogues.

And while

he's there,

as we read,

he heals

this woman.

And it

has quite

an impact,

verse 14.

Indignant

because Jesus

had healed

on the

Sabbath,

the synagogue

leader said

to the

people,

there are

six days

for work,

so come

and be

healed on

those days,

not on

the Sabbath.

You see,

the Sabbath

was,

according to

the law,

a time

of rest.

No work

was to

be done,

even if

somebody

was in

desperate

need,

even if

there was

a terrible

situation,

no work,

especially

for this

woman.

But for

Jesus,

there is

an urgency.

No,

it can't

wait.

This

woman is

in need.

She needs

to be

healed

now.

You see,

Jesus is

saying,

look,

I am

the one

who has

come to

bring

rest,

true rest.

I am

the one

who has

come to

bring

redemption.

My work

is to

restore

people.

No,

it can't

wait.

Now

is the

time

to heal.

And the

healing is

seen in

two ways.

First,

free from

slavery.

Look at

how this

woman's

illness is

described in

verse 11.

A woman

was there

who had

been

crippled

by a

spirit

for 18

years.

That's a

significant

amount of

time for

anybody.

She was

bent over

and could

not straighten

up at

all.

And then

Jesus

explains the

reason.

Jump down

to verse

16.

The middle

of verse

16.

It tells

us there

that

Satan

has kept

her bound

for 18

long

years.

She's

been kept

bound

by Satan.

It's

like a

spiritual

slavery.

And her

physical

condition

is even

a picture

of her

slavery.

She's

weighed

down.

She's

bent

over.

And

Jesus

has come

into the

midst

of her

life

to free

her

from her

slavery.

But it

is so

much more

than just

physical.

Think

back to

how God's

people

were slaves

in Egypt.

Listen

to how

God

describes

his

rescue

of them.

Here's

a quote

from

Leviticus.

It's a

summary of

all that

God

did.

He

says,

I am

the Lord

your God

who

brought

you out

of

Egypt

so that

you would

no longer

be slaves

to the

Egyptians.

I

broke

the bars

of your

yoke

and

enabled

you

to walk

with

your

heads

held

high.

You

see,

the imagery,

the picture,

as Jesus

comes to

this woman,

he's saying,

this is what

I've come

to do

for you.

Through

my death,

I am

going to

free you

from a

greater

slavery,

slavery to

sin and

to Satan.

I have

come to

take the

burden of

sin from

you,

the weight

of judgment

that you

carry upon

your backs.

I am

going to

release you

from it.

Go back

to verse

12.

When Jesus

saw her,

he called

her forward

and said

to her,

woman,

you are

set free

from your

infirmity.

then he

put his

hands on

her and

immediately

she

straightened

up and

praised

God.

You

see,

Jesus

sets us

free so

that we

can walk

with our

heads held

high,

no longer

burdened in

guilt and

shame,

no longer

having to

look down

and hide.

We've been

released.

we've been

set free

from slavery

so now

is the

time to

receive

Jesus.

Second

reason to

receive

slavery,

free from

slavery and

a new

relationship.

Look at

how Jesus

refers to

this woman

back in

verse 12.

When Jesus

saw her,

he called

her forward

and said

to her,

woman,

he doesn't

even ask,

sorry,

what's your

name there?

And then

call her

out.

It's just

woman.

But then

look how

she's referred

to after

the healing.

Down in

verse 16.

Then should

not this

woman,

a daughter

of Abraham,

whom Satan

has kept

bound for

18 long

years,

be set free

in the

Sabbath day

from what

bound her?

daughter

of Abraham.

Abraham,

of course,

was the

great father

figure for

all God's

children.

He was

the great

example for

all people,

an example

of faith.

He was a

man who

believed

God's promises

and trusted

God's promises.

So all who

have faith

in God,

all who

trust and

believe in

him,

become

children

of Abraham,

become

children

of God.

And now

Jesus turns

to her,

he called

her woman

and now

he calls

her daughter

because there's

been faith.

And this is

what we can

enjoy when we

receive Jesus

in faith,

this personal

and intimate

relationship with

God from

no name

to God's

child,

my daughter.

my son.

Now is

the time

to receive

Jesus.

So,

let's get

our timings

right.

It's cross

time,

salvation

has come,

the time

of judgment

is yet to

come,

we do not

know when,

and that

impresses

upon us

an urgency,

a time

to repent,

a time

to receive,

and the

implication

out of all

of this

and the

big application

for us

today

is it

implies a

time to

reach out.

Look at

verse 22.

Then Jesus

went through

the towns

and villages

teaching

as he

made his

way to

Jerusalem.

There's the

indication

again,

Jesus is

going to

Jerusalem.

Why?

I'm going

to die.

This is

why I'm

here.

It's a

time of

salvation.

Verse 23,

someone asked

him,

Lord,

are only a

few people

going to be

saved?

What an

excellent

question.

And I

know it's

a question

that lots

of us

have asked

many,

many times.

Are only

a few

people going

to be

saved?

Who's

going to

repent?

Who is

going to

receive

Jesus?

How many,

Lord,

how many

of my

friends,

how many

of my

family,

how many

are going

to follow

Jesus?

How many

in

Carragalline

are going

to follow

Jesus?

Well,

Jesus answers

the question

in two

parts.

First,

he tells

us,

look,

the door

is open.

look at the

rest of

verse 23.

He said

to them,

make every

effort to

enter through

the narrow

door,

because many,

I tell you,

will try to

enter and

will not be

able to do

so.

There's only

one way,

and that's

through

Christ.

Verse 25,

once the

owner of the

house gets

up and

closes the

door,

you will

stand outside

knocking and

pleading,

Sir,

open the

door for

us.

But he

will answer,

I don't

know you

or where

you come

from.

Today,

the door

is open.

Right now,

the door

is open.

Every day

is an

opportunity

to repent

and receive.

Every day

that the

door is

open is

a day

of God's

immense

grace and

mercy that

flows towards

us and

to our

community and

to our

world.

But one

day,

a day is

going to

come when

that door

will close.

End of

verse 25,

and you

will stand

outside knocking

and pleading,

Sir,

open the

door for

us.

But he

will answer,

I don't

know you

or where

you've come

from.

The time

of salvation

will be

over,

and the

time of

judgment

will have

come.

come.

Now

is the

time.

Today,

reach out

with the

good news

of Jesus

Christ.

His

second

answer

is not

only is

the door

open,

but he

wants us

to know

that the

nations

will come.

While

there will

be people

who refuse

to repent

and refuse

to receive,

look what

he says,

verse 29.

Look,

people

will come

from east

and west

and north

and south

and will

take their

places at

the feast

in the

kingdom of

God.

What a

picture,

what a

sight.

People

from every

nation

across this

world,

people of

all languages

and races

gathering

together for

the ultimate

feast in

the kingdom

of God.

People

from throughout

all time

and all

ages,

people who

have repented

and received

will enjoy

God's salvation

in all its

fullness.

People

will come,

Jesus tells

us.

People from

all kinds

of places

that we

never thought

possible.

now is

the time.

The

nations

will

come.

Reach

out with

the good

news of

Jesus.

And the

implication is

crystal clear.

It's just

not easy

to miss,

is it?

if the

door is

open today,

if the

nations are

going to

come,

then we

have a

responsibility,

a

responsibility

with this

good news.

How are

people going

to repent?

How are

people going

to receive?

unless they

hear the

good news

about Christ.

So how

do we

respond to

that?

Well,

two things,

I haven't

got it on

the screen,

but you

can remember

them.

The first

thing is

pray.

Pray for

our community.

Pray for

our friends.

Pray for

our family.

Pray for

the people

we're going

to meet

tomorrow at

work.

And if

we're in

any doubt

about God's

heart for

his people,

look at

what Jesus

says,

verse 34.

Verse 34,

Jerusalem,

Jerusalem,

you who

kill the

prophets and

stone those

sent to

you, how

often I

have longed

to gather

your children

together as

a hen

gathers her

chicks under

her wings and

you were not

willing.

Pleading.

Jesus

longs to

gather his

people, to

come under

the safety

and security

of the cross.

That is his

heart's desire

that people

would come.

come.

So this

Wednesday, in

our home

groups, you'll

see it in the

news sheet,

there's a

little note

there, that

we're going to

simply meet

together in our

home groups to

pray for our

community.

As we think

about Christmas

coming, we

want to pray

for our

community.

community.

So if you

have people

that you

want to

pray for,

people in

your family,

your friends,

we're simply

just going to

pray.

Pray because I

can't change

anyone and you

can't change

anyone.

Pray that God

would work in

people's lives,

that they will

repent and that

they will receive

Jesus.

So come, I

encourage you,

join with us,

if at all

possible, come

and pray.

Pray for our

community.

The second

thing we can

do is to

share the good

news about

Jesus.

As part of

outreach for

us as a

church, we're

going to be

doing two

things.

We're going

to be giving

out calendars,

bringing them

round to some

of the homes in

Carragalline,

knocking on the

door, wishing

people a happy

Christmas,

presenting them

with a gift,

or if you

can't do that,

just simply

putting it

through the

letterbox.

What impact

will it have?

I don't know.

But I do

know that just

the other week,

very recently,

I had a

phone call,

and it was

about a lady,

rang her up.

She had got a

calendar last

year, and had

been looking at

it, and had

seen the little

note about

further information,

and asked would

we send out

some stuff to

her to read.

That's one

lady.

Is it worth

it?

Absolutely.

share the

good news of

Jesus with

others in a

very simple

way.

Join with us

on those two

Wednesdays as

our home

groups gather

with us, if

at all

possible.

And the

other one is

to hand out

the invite to

our carol

service.

I'm not

sure where

mine is

here.

there's

bunches of

them at the

table.

Thank you.

Yeah,

one.

Thanks,

Joy.

And take

them with

you.

You can

simply give

them out to

your friend,

to a

neighbour,

somebody who

you know.

They

mightn't

come,

that's

okay.

But they're

not going to

come if they

don't get

invited.

To come and

hear songs

about the

Saviour,

about the

Lord Jesus,

to hear the

good news,

of what

he has

done.

Luke wants

us to keep

an eye on

the time,

the time of

the cross.

That's the

time we're

living in

right now.

Judgment

will come.

It

impresses upon

us an

urgency,

time to

repent,

time to

receive,

and time

reach out,

time to

pray,

to ask

our Father

to do a

work in

people's

lives,

and a

time to

share.

Let's just

take a

moment in

the quietness

to respond

ourselves to

that.

moment in

the quietness.

Maybe it's

you who

need to

repent and

receive.

Maybe we

need to

think about

how I'm

going to

pray for

the

community,

and how

I can

put this

into

action.

Just take

a moment to

think those

things through

and respond

to God

in the

quietness.