Luke 17:1-10 "Extraordinary Ordinary Christianity"

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

Our passion is to experience and express grace.

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Such a fun song.

Thank you all.

It's a lot to rejoice in this morning.

Thank you to the one of you who texted me during the song to say you wanted to dance,

but I needed to start it.

I felt that, but you want me to dance in my heart, and that's where you want it to stop.

We'll keep it there.

Part of the beauty in that song is that it tells our story, doesn't it?

It's a story that Scotty Smith talked about last week in terms of desperation and delight.

Did you hear that in there?

I know you heard the delight, but in the words, the desperation of where we found ourselves,

that's at the heart of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, isn't it?

To be so desperately dependent on Him and delighted in what He has done for us.

It's at the heart of what it means to be a community of people who gather together to celebrate Jesus.

That's what we're doing this morning.

We delight in welcoming people into a church family.

Even as they do so, they begin by acknowledging their desperation, right?

They're sinners without hope, except in God's mercy rescuing them.

So on this day where we consider young people and older people trusting Jesus,

promising to follow Jesus as a part of this church,

it's appropriate that in our study of Luke,

we come to a passage where Jesus is telling us what it looks like

to be a part of His community, to follow Him.

I want you to notice this morning as Jesus tells us what His community looks like,

the honesty of it.

The reality that sin and struggle will still be present in this community is not a surprise to Jesus.

In fact, it's where Jesus begins when He's talking about it.

He's going to tell us some really important things that are,

on the one hand, very basic to following Jesus.

Normal, everyday stuff.

And on the other hand, those same things are also so difficult

that it's not an exaggeration to call them supernatural.

Let's listen to Jesus tell about this extraordinary, ordinary Christian community.

And we'll talk about it for a few minutes after we read.

Picking up Jesus' conversation at Luke 17, verse 1.

Luke 17:1

He's talking now to His disciples.

This is God's holy, inerrant, infallible Word that He gives to us

so that we can know how to have relationship with Him

and that that relationship would transform all our other relationships.

Wow. Let's listen.

He said to His disciples,

Temptations to sin are sure to come,

but woe to the one through whom they come.

It would be better for Him if a millstone were hung around His neck

and He were cast into the sea than that He should cause one of these little ones to sin.

Pay attention to yourselves.

If your brother sins, rebuke him.

And if he repents, forgive him.

And if he sins against you seven times in the day

and turns to you seven times saying,

I repent, you must forgive him.

The apostles said to the Lord,

Increase our faith.

And the Lord said,

If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed,

you could say to this mulberry tree,

Be uprooted and planted in the sea,

and it would obey you.

Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep

say to him when he has come in from the field,

Come at once and sit down at table?

Will he not rather say to him,

Prepare supper for me and dress properly

and serve me while I eat and drink

and afterward you will eat and drink?

Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?

So you also,

when you have done all that you were commanded,

say,

We are unworthy servants.

We have only done what was our duty.

Let's pray.

Father, thank You for this,

Your word.

In some ways,

they are hard words for us.

And we ask Your help.

We acknowledge again our need for You,

every one of us.

Come by Your Spirit and teach us,

but also mold us and shape us,

even in ways that are painful,

that help us.

We might know You,

love You,

and live as You've called us to.

We ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Before we jump in this morning

to what Jesus tells us

about being a part of His community,

a couple of words to those of you

who don't follow Jesus,

or who maybe aren't sure

that you would really want to.

As we go into this,

as we talk through this passage,

I'm going to point out things

that Christians must take seriously.

And you may well think to yourself

when I say some of them,

well, that's not what I've seen

or experienced

from the Christians I know.

Sounds like a lot of talk to me.

That's fair enough.

You can probably help us see

some blind spots

that we have in these areas

where we don't actually live

like the type of community

that God has called us to.

And I'd welcome that input.

I'd love to hear

where you see that

from me, from us.

We need to know.

But I'd also encourage you

as you listen this morning

to consider

not just other Christians

you've seen,

but Jesus Himself.

What He both calls for

and what He creates

in a community.

Because that's the kind of community

that He is making us into

even if we're not there yet.

So it's the kind of church,

the kind of family

that you too could be a part of.

And notice how essential Jesus is

to sustaining relationships like this.

Notice Jesus as we talk this morning.

First thing in this passage that we see

biblical Christianity takes sin seriously.

And you may be saying,

well, yeah,

that's what Christians are known for, right?

They got that one down.

They're pointing out

everybody else's sin.

That's all I ever hear from them.

That's not what I'm talking about.

It's not what this means.

It's quite the opposite, in fact.

When I say we take sin seriously,

I mean first and foremost

our own sin

within the community of believers

in Jesus.

Jesus begins

by saying

temptations to sin

are sure to come.

It's certain.

I love how Jesus recognizes

that we will struggle.

It's a repeated theme

in the Gospel of Luke

when Jesus talks about

His followers

and that community.

Commentator Dane Ortland

says it this way,

the fundamental distinction

between churches

is not that some of them

have sinners

and others do not.

The fundamental distinction

is that some churches

have honest sinners

and other churches

have self-protecting sinners.

The question is not

whether we are sinful or not,

but whether or not

we are honest about it.

But,

even though those things

are certain,

what's Jesus saying here?

Woe to the one

through whom they come.

It would be better for Him

if a millstone

were hung around His neck

and He were cast into the sea

than that He should cause

one of these little ones

to sin.

We hear it a little more clearly

now at the end

of what Jesus is saying.

That's a pretty clear warning,

isn't it?

We understand what that means,

but what's got Jesus so worked up?

What's He warning against?

Jesus is strongly condemning,

leading someone else

towards sin

and away from Him.

Like,

how, Will?

How would someone do that

that Jesus would be condemning?

Well,

I think it's hard for us

to understand

because when I read the phrase

temptations to sin,

I picture in my mind

like a drug dealer

or something

who's kind of tempting

little kids over here

to get involved

with bad stuff,

to make a bad decision

and a bad choice.

And that's not wrong,

but it's not really

the picture here.

The word that's translated

temptations to sin

has in mind

more than a single bad choice

or action,

but rather a heart

being bent towards sin

away from Jesus,

a direction

that is away from Jesus,

a stumbling block

that leads someone

towards sin

which is always away

from Jesus.

The little ones

could be kids,

but really it's anyone

who's young in faith,

who's little in the community,

an outsider

to spiritual things.

don't dare lead them

or keep them

away from Jesus.

That's what he's saying.

So the warning

is for those

in the Christian community,

perhaps especially

for leaders,

teachers,

don't teach someone

by your words

that self-righteousness

and good behavior

is the way to Jesus.

That actually leads

away from him

as Jesus so often

told the Pharisees.

don't lead someone

away from Jesus

on the other hand

by your flagrant

and unrepentant sin

that says there's another story

that's truer

than what I preach.

Don't through hypocrisy

or pride

or favoritism

keep someone

away from Jesus

whom you've been charged

to lead to Jesus.

It will not go well

with you,

Jesus says,

if you find yourself

doing those things.

Taking sin seriously

certainly means

not trifling

with what God's word

tells us is dangerous.

But it doesn't mean

merely avoiding sin

which you're never

going to do perfectly.

Does your defensiveness

or your lack of repentance

say to your kids

that the only safe place

is in successful,

obedient living?

On the other end

of the spectrum,

does your sacrificial

following of Jesus

communicate to those

around you

that He really is worth

giving up everything for?

Or do those who are

newer, younger,

potential Christians

in your life,

do they watch you

and get the impression

that as much as you say

Jesus is worth everything,

really,

the true path to pleasure

is indulging self

and what you need.

That's where life

is really found.

You just have to say

this other thing

about Jesus.

I can tell by watching you

He's not worth it.

See, the opposite

of temptations to sin,

stumbling blocks

to lead them away

from Jesus

is helping them

to stand firm

in the Lord,

to trust His strength,

to find their hope

only in Him.

So if it's woe

to those who lead

away from Jesus,

then blessed are those

who anchor others

in Jesus,

be they kids

in your home

or friends

that you have.

That's what taking sin

seriously does

for little ones

in our community.

It anchors them

to Jesus.

Then,

verse 3,

pay attention

to yourselves.

In other words,

watch out for each other.

Look out for each other.

Not just yourself.

If your brother sins,

rebuke him.

How seriously

must we take sin?

So seriously

that whenever we see

a brother or sister

in sin,

we must rebuke them.

Jesus clearly

commands us

to confront sin

in each other.

I'll be honest.

There is very little

in all of God's Word

that my heart

runs away from

faster than those

couple of words

right there.

I don't enjoy this.

There's all sorts

of things in me

that come up

with reasons

to avoid it.

There's my desire

to be loved.

My aversion

to conflict.

My idol

of peace

and comfort

that would like

just a nice,

easy conversation,

nothing really hard.

lots of reasons

not to confront

people.

In fact,

it's easier for me

to stand up here

and hide behind

this pulpit

and rebuke

your sins

than it is to sit

across the lunch table

one-on-one

and have that conversation.

And some of us

hide behind

social media,

hide behind

busy schedules,

or any number

of other things

when Jesus says

quite simply,

we must address

sin personally

and consistently.

And we're failing

to love

a brother or sister

just as grievously

as if we didn't

tell our toddler

to take his finger

out of the electrical

outlet when we saw him.

And we knew

there was danger there

and we didn't say anything.

That's how,

you know how unloving

that would be

for a parent?

It would be equally

or more

unloving for us.

Do we really believe

sin is what drags

us away from Jesus?

Is it really

that serious,

that dangerous

to us?

Of course,

there are other places

where we're told

to do this gently,

graciously,

and humbly

because we sin too,

so don't get too excited

about running off

to tell people off.

But here,

we're simply told

to do it.

The reason we can,

what actually enables us

to rebuke sin

in a brother or sister

is the rest

of the sentence.

We can do this

because if he repents,

forgive him.

As seriously

as we take sin,

we must also

take forgiveness

seriously,

perhaps even more so.

See,

if you think about it

for a second,

if I take forgiveness

seriously,

then work backwards

a little bit.

then I'm actually able,

it's a bit easier,

to rebuke sin

graciously

because I've got a salve

for the wound

I may be creating.

If sin is a problem

in the community,

forgiveness

is the solution

to it.

Imagine,

if you will,

a friend

in your small group

who's been complaining

to you about her husband

and she's been talking

glowingly

about this guy

at work

who's so wonderful

and it feels easier

for you to avoid

having the conversation

that Jesus tells you

you must have.

But if you remember

first your own sin,

if you are eager

to forgive,

then it actually

makes the conversation

a more hopeful one

to enter into.

You're not coming

to scold

or condemn,

right?

Rather,

you're coming

to bring hope

and restoration.

Sin may be

different for you.

It may be pride

or anger,

racism,

selfishness,

alcohol abuse,

whatever that sin is

that you need

to confront.

But regardless,

forgiveness

must be

the immediate

response

to repentance.

If he repents,

forgive him.

For some of us,

that's harder

than confrontation.

It doesn't seem

just

or fair,

right?

It doesn't seem

to account

for all the pain

I've endured.

And sometimes

it just doesn't work

to change things.

That doesn't get us

anywhere.

Where?

Jesus says,

forgive him.

Is there someone

you need to

forgive

this morning?

Better take the chance

right now.

Write the name down.

It's only getting harder.

Verse 4.

And if he sins

against you

seven times

in the day

and turns to you

seven times

saying,

I repent,

you must

forgive him.

Forgive

not just

immediately

but repeatedly.

Forgiveness

must be

the persistent

response

to repentance.

Now listen,

I know where

some of you

are going

right now.

I know

there's two sides

to this.

There are two

people involved

and you've got

a theology

of repentance

that you want

to pull out

right now

and say,

this is what

gospel repentance

looks like

and it has fruit

and can I just

encourage you

with something?

That's true.

It's not what

Jesus is talking

about right here.

Right now

you are the

forgiver.

You're not worried

about the

repenter.

You're the

forgiver

that Jesus

is talking

to.

And he's

saying to you

seven times

in one day

someone repents.

You forgive.

For reference,

three times

was considered

magnanimous

by the religious

leaders of

Jesus'

day.

They thought

that was

very gracious

and forgiving.

Jesus says

seven

implying

full,

free,

persistent

forgiveness

even against

repeat offenders.

Oh,

they frustrate

us,

don't they?

The same

thing you

just did.

Let me ask

you to think

about something.

How many

times a day

do you think

God forgives

you?

I want an

actual number

to go in your

head.

It's okay

if it's not

exactly right

but just

kind of

an estimate.

You know,

back to

math class.

How many

times a day

do you think

God forgives

you?

Did you

remember to

include the

thoughts and

attitudes of

your heart,

not just the

actions and

bad decisions

that you

include?

Don't leave

those out.

Did you

remember to

count the

sins of

omission,

the duties

that you

neglected to

do?

You could

have done,

should have

done,

but just

didn't?

Number

getting a

little bit

bigger.

I don't

know how many

zeros yours

has,

but just pick a

round number.

And as we

start to

contemplate that

for just a

minute,

it's where the

beauty of

Jesus'

community actually

comes into

this.

Because,

listen,

I totally

relate to the

difficulty that

we feel in

following some

of these things

Jesus said.

I mean,

just imagine

those situations.

He disrespected

you again.

She hurt your

kids' feelings

again.

they let you

down,

left you

out again.

And nothing

about you

wants to

forgive,

does it?

You don't

feel that

way.

You don't

have any

forgiveness to

give,

do you?

Have you

been there?

Are you

there today,

maybe?

I don't have

any forgiveness

to give there.

It doesn't

make sense.

See,

forgiveness is

costly,

isn't it?

There is a

debt that

must be

paid.

And forgiveness

is painful.

There is a

wound that

needs to be

mended.

And so it

hurts and it

costs to think

about this.

And if you have

been hurt enough,

and some of you

have been,

if they owe you

enough,

and some people

owe you,

moralism will

never compel

you to forgive.

A preacher

yelling loudly

at you will not

compel you to

forgive if you

hurt enough.

You need

Jesus.

He's absolutely

essential.

There's no

other way it

works.

You actually

have to stare

at your own

debt before

the face of

God to have

that number

start piling

up, to

consider who

is it that

we've sinned

against.

You have to

cry out to

Him to

feel again

the tidal

wave of

His grace

rushing over

you in

Jesus Christ.

To feel

His forgiveness

that has to

wash you

clean every

day.

And then,

then you

have the

resources to

forgive someone

else.

Then you have

rivers of

grace flowing

out from you

because the

ocean, the

tidal wave of

God's grace

has poured

over you.

God's grace

will

have you

ever wondered

why God

left His

people as

sinners in

the world?

God, why is

sin just still

a part of

life when

You've forgiven

us for all

those sins and

You know God

better than we

do how sin

divides and

devastates and

destroys?

Why did You

leave us still

sinners?

You ever thought

about that

before?

I think it

must be at

least partially

that it is even

more important to

God than

eliminating sin

is and that's

really important.

That we delight

in Jesus.

That we remain

aware of our

desperate need

of Him.

That we learn

to live in

relationship with

Him where He

is glorious to

us.

That's important

to God.

Really important.

Important enough

to leave us

battling against

sin.

Did you know,

by the way,

that's why we

talk about sin

so much?

Some of you

probably think,

what a crazy

church,

they talk about

sin all the

time.

In fact,

you could get

the impression

in a service

like this one

that we're

almost proud

of our sin.

May it

never be.

May that

never be

true,

that we

would be

proud of

our sin.

We talk

about sin

a lot

because it

is so

important

that we

remember

how much

we need

our Savior.

Because we

must never

forget

how great

a Savior

Jesus is

and how

much we

need Him.

That's the

reason we

try to be

honest about

our sin.

Part of it

is just

honesty,

but part

of it

is how

important

it is

for our

hearts

to cling

to Jesus

and the

temptation

to forget

that we

need Him

if we

minimize

our sin.

If it's

important to

take sin

seriously

and more

important to

take forgiveness

seriously,

it's most

important to

take Jesus

seriously.

When we

see our

sin,

we see the

requirement of

forgiveness,

we need a

great Savior.

Not just a

decent teacher,

not just a

guy who's a

good life

coach,

we need a

great Savior

who alone

can rescue

us and

provide the

resources for

us to be the

community that

He commands

us to be.

we don't

just need

the path,

we need

the power

to live

like this

and only

Jesus gives

it.

He's the

only one.

Jesus,

the object

of our

faith,

gives

supernatural

power for

things naturally

beyond us.

It's the

point of the

next couple

of verses.

Verse 5,

the apostles

say to

Jesus,

increase our

faith.

The Lord

said,

if you had

faith like a

grain of

mustard seed,

you could

say to

this mulberry

tree,

be uprooted

and planted

in the sea

and it

would obey

you.

Do you

relate with

the disciples?

They take

to heart

what Jesus

is saying

about forgiveness,

don't they?

Jesus,

increase our

faith.

How could

we ever

do that?

Help!

We can't

do it.

We need

more faith.

And Jesus

says,

well,

not exactly.

it's the

object of

the faith

that's the

source of

power.

So that

even the

smallest

amount of

faith can

uproot even

the strongest

tree in

their world

and heave it

into the

ocean.

We all know

days where our

faith feels

small,

don't we?

Jesus says

on those

days,

you get the

same strong

Savior,

the same

tidal wave

of forgiveness,

the same

supernatural

Holy Spirit

empowerment

for life

and living

in a sin

stained world

that you

would get

on the

days you

think you're

strong.

It's not

that people

need to be

more like

us,

great in

faith.

It's that

they,

like us,

need a

great Savior.

If someone

comes to you,

someone may

have said to

you before,

I just

need your

faith.

say,

no,

you need

my Jesus.

He sustains

me.

He holds

on to me.

He empowers

me in my

weakest

hour.

Then Jesus

concludes with

a parable

to remind us

that He has

done so much

for us

that no matter

how much we

serve Him,

He will

never be

in our

debt.

Verse 7,

will any

one of you

who has a

servant plowing

or keeping

sheep say

to him

when he's

come in

from the

field,

come at

once and

recline

at table?

No.

Will he

not rather

say to

him,

prepare supper

for me

and dress

properly

and serve

me while

I eat

and drink

and afterward

you will

eat and

drink?

Yes,

that is what

they would

say.

Does he

thank the

servant

because he

did what

was commanded?

No.

So you

also,

when you

have done

all that

you were

commanded,

say,

we are

unworthy

servants,

we have

only done

what was

our duty.

The point

here in

saying

unworthy

servants

here at

the end,

it's not

that we're

insignificant,

worthless,

that's not

what the

word means,

it's not

that we

should treat

others as

though they

are worthless,

rather it

means that

we never

merit a

change in

places with

God.

We don't

become

creditor

master

and him

debtor.

We don't

become

master

and him

servant.

The servant

works hard

all day

but still

fixes

dinner

rather than

earning the

right to

be fed

by the

master.

That's how

great the

gift of

Jesus is

to us,

that we

remain

dependent

on him,

that we

never stop

needing

him,

we never

become the

source of

his

forgiveness.

It's the

other way

around,

right?

This is

the spirit

of humility

many see

as the

thread of

the whole

passage.

Seeing sin,

extending

gracious

forgiveness,

grasping

for more

of Jesus

by faith,

serving

his kingdom

rather than

my own.

Humility

is essential

in Jesus'

community

because while

we are

significant in

his story,

the story is

not ultimately

about us.

We're not

the heroes.

While we are

meaningful servants

in the kingdom,

we are not

the king.

Imagine you

come up to

me after the

service and

say,

what a great

sermon,

pastor.

I know,

I said,

imagine,

imagine that

you did.

And if I

responded by

saying,

well,

yes,

I am quite

fantastic.

In fact,

I hope you'll

tell many

others about

me and this

morning is

after all,

all about

me,

so thank

you for

noticing.

I hope you

would slap

me.

Jesus says

you have to

rebuke me,

so there.

hopefully,

what I would

not just say

but actually

feel is what

a joy it is

to do something

God has called

me to do.

What a privilege

it is to share

such good news

about Jesus

that I need

so desperately

myself.

And I hope

you'll tell

others about

Jesus too.

Similarly,

when you

gently rebuke

a brother

or sister,

when you

forgive the

seventh time

even though

it hurts,

when you

trust Jesus

in a hard

situation

where you

would more

likely grasp

for control,

you have

merely done

ordinary

Christianity.

But it

required

an extraordinary

Jesus.

You may say

what a joy to

reflect the

heart of

Jesus to

me by

forgiving

someone else.

And that

pointing someone

else to

Jesus,

that confronting

a fellow

sinner,

that forgiving

a repeat

offender

was

supernatural.

Basic

Christianity,

yes,

Jesus says,

but absolutely

supernatural,

only possible

through the

grace of

Jesus.

It's why

those of us

who have

taken vows

of membership

here promise

to live as

followers of

Jesus only

in humble

reliance upon

the grace

of the Holy

Spirit.

Are you

clinging

desperately to

Him today?

Is that the

posture in

which you

live?

Are you

drawing strength

from His

Spirit?

We've said

it's the only

way we can

live.

I don't have

those resources

to live like

that in

myself,

but I

have a

great Savior

and He

gives them

an abundance

far beyond

what I

deserve to

enable me

to live

for Him.

See,

this table

says exactly

that to us.

It says,

first of all,

that sin is

serious.

So serious

Jesus had to

die for it.

It says

forgiveness is

serious.

So serious

we should

celebrate it

often because

we need it.

And it

says Jesus

is most

serious.

We cling

to Him

as our

great Savior.

The only

way

that we

can live

with God.

The only

food we

need

to empower

us and

strengthen

us for

living as

He has

called us

to.

He owes

us nothing,

does He?

He's the

Master.

But you

may remember

in Luke

Luke 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12

a few

weeks ago,

when He

comes back

as the

Master

returning

to unworthy

servants

who have

done only

their duty

and often

done very

poorly at

that.

Remember

what He

does,

Luke 12?

He serves

us.

Verse 37,

blessed are

those servants

whom the

Master finds

awake when

He comes.

Truly I

say to

you,

He will

dress

Himself

for service

and have

them recline

at table

and He

will come

and serve

them.

He's

just

established

this morning

there's no

reason for

that to

happen.

There's

nothing that

we deserve

for Him

to come

to us

and yet

that's

how He

loves us.

That's

what He

does this

morning in

setting this

table before

us and

every day

throughout

eternity

He sets

it,

He invites

you to

dine with

Him and

He serves

you beyond

what you

could ever

repay.

Right after

He took

off His

outer garment

and washed

His disciples

feet,

serving

them,

He served

them the

Passover meal

1 Corinthians

reminds us

that He took

bread

and He

broke it

and He

gave it to

them saying

this is

my body

broken for

you,

do this

in remembrance

of me.

In the same

way after

supper He

took the

cup and

said this

cup is

the new

covenant

in my

blood,

shed for

many for

the forgiveness

of sins,

drink from

it,

all of

you.

Young

people,

some of

you are

coming to

partake of

this table

for the

first time

this morning

and we're

so excited

to celebrate

Jesus in

this way

with you.

Hopefully it's

the first

time of

many,

many times

in your

life that

you will

come to

the Lord's

table,

that Jesus

will invite

you to

sit down

with Him

and here's

what I want

you to hear

when you

come.

I want

you every

time to

hear Jesus

whispering in

your ear,

I love

you so

much.

I died

for you

so you

could live

with me.

Every time

you come,

it's a chance

to remember

that sin

is serious

and confess

sin.

It's a chance

to remember

forgiveness

is serious

and think

is there

someone I

need to

forgive

and need

to be

made right

with before

I come

and most

importantly

kids,

when you

come it's a

chance to

remember at

this table

Jesus

and remember

how much

He loves

you,

that He

would hang

on a cross

so that you

wouldn't have

to,

so that He

would be there

in your

place so that

you could live

with Him

forever.

That's how

much He

loves you.

Let's pray

and then we'll

come and celebrate

this together.

Jesus,

we're so grateful

for what You

have done for us.

And You didn't

just do it once

upon a time,

but You come

to meet with us

and feed us

now,

so use these

elements,

not only to

remind us

of what You

have done,

but to strengthen

us afresh

for loving

and serving.

We ask it in

Your name.

Amen.

Amen.

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