Worship Gathering 6/28/2020
If you have your copy of God's word on ask you to turn to the New Testament book of Luke chapter 17 and when you find it. Take your time when you find it. I'd ask you to stand out of respect and reverence. for the inerrant word of our God
Luke chapter 17
Let's begin verse 1.
He said to his disciples offences will certainly 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 you were thrown into the sea then for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble be on your guard. If your brother sins rebuke him.
And if he repents forgive him. And if he stands against you seven times in a day and comes back to you seven times saying I Repent you must forgive him. The apostles said to the Lord increase our faith. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed in the Lord, the Lord said you can say to the Mulberry Tree be uprooted and planted in the sea and it will obey you. Which one of you having a servant tending sheep or plowing will say to him when he comes in from the field come at once and sit down to eat instead. Will he not tell him prepare something for me to eat get ready and serve me while I eat and drink later you can eat and drink. Does he think the servant because he did what was commanded? In the same way when you have done all that you were commanded. You should say we are unworthy servants. We've only done our duty. Let's pray. Father what we have not give us and what we know not teach us. May this time be a time father where you mold us and make us into the image of your son. May we leave here changed people? Not by some kind of speech or some kind of eloquence. Solely by the power of God.
We ask you father by your spirit. the changes today In your son's name we pray. Amen.
Larry and I were having a discussion before church started before our worship service started about how scripture is tied into scripture and how it's dangerous to coming in to grab ahold of a verse or a passage of scripture and lifted up out of it. But listen, it's also dangerous just to lift a paragraph a paragraph out of the Texas scripture in and run with it and then the age and the day we we live in we listen to 28 Minute Podcast. We listen to sermons on the the radio on our way to work. We we we see and experience these things and sound bites now, we we experiencing and Twitter quotes 144 characters or less and our minds are programmed that way. But that listen. Luke says very clearly in the first chapter that he was his intention to was to write an orderly account. An orderly account always has together.
He was riding to see off. Listen to the young Church. And he writes a two-volume set. He first writes Luke and then he writes ask. I don't know if you can have Luke without having EX. I'm going to leave it at that and you can see where we're going to probably going once we leave Luke. Volume said and the people that were listening or reading this for the first time where the new church?
Here in our texts of scripture today. We we went through 15 chapter 15 and the parable of the the coins. sheep and the boy remember? And then we go into 16 about the shrewd manager and then he talks about the rich man and Lazarus this parable of what happens after we die. He spoke to his disciples and he spoke to Pharisees. And now again, he looks back to his disciples and he said something that would probably seem to me that would not fit in with what's going on.
Originally, I was going to preach the first four verses. And then I understood them to be connected into verse 10. And as I sit down and read the book of Luke. Right here in chapter 17 we see. Jesus talking to his disciples about the church.
Jesus knows exactly what we need a man. It's all right here buried in the middle of the Gospel Jesus encouraged his disciples to look out for each other at all cost. because of their relationship with him As I was studying this week and as I Was preparing the sermon it came to me multiple times.
But if this text of scripture was obeyed. We would have less Church houses. and stronger churches
Listen to what Charles Spurgeon said. You that are members of the church have not found it. Perfect. And I hope that you feel almost glad that you have not. If I had never joined the church till I found one. That was perfect. I should never Join one at all. And the moment I did join it. If I had found one. I should have spoiled it for an ottoman perfect church after I become a member of it still in perfect as it is. It is the dearest place on Earth to us.
My question today to you. What role does the church play in your life?
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The people of God are to make every effort to maintain Fellowship. with each other
you say in the society in which we live. We've been taught that you have to do you. We've been taught it's my four and no more. You have to protect your family, right? And then outside of that then everybody else is kind of on their way Beloved the gospel does not teach us that the gospel teaches us that no matter what happens to you. No matter what happens to your family no matter what someone says to your child. You are to make every effort to maintain Fellowship within the body of Believers that you have been planted in. You should not Church hop.
You should not Church shop.
But you should maintain. And Be steady and unmovable where God has placed you.
You make every effort no matter what it takes to maintain fellowship with the church that God has you in you mean to tell me Chris that that here. Only a short few months before his death. Jesus Takes the time to talk about this. Yes, it's that important. Someone posted questions to you. How important is your church to you? How important is the fellowship of other believers to you? Are you a part of a small group? Are you apart of Sunday School?
How important is it?
Are you a member? And if you're not what kind of sand is in your life that you would not want to be a member of church.
We probably should have took out the offering first.
This is a very short sermon. This is very simple sermon. This is God's word. This is God speaking to us about how we are to live with each other. Notice I said with each other you and I are to live our lives with each other not for an hour and a half on Sunday mornings and then separate weights. Look with man verse 1 will see you verse 1 and 2 the warning. Let me give you the heading that way. You'll know where we're going before we ever get their number one the warning versus one and two. the number to the directions in three and four Let's look at the warning.
Remember the people of God or to make every effort to keep other brothers and sisters United in fellowship with God and with each other how by protecting each other me tell you against the people of God or to make every effort to keep the brothers and sisters United in fellowship with God and with each other by protecting each other. Look what it says. He said to his disciples. This is the audience. He's talkin to Believers. He's talkin to the church. Offenses will certainly 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 thrown into the sea then for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble first thing. We notice offenses will certainly come now depending on what translation you're using. My csb says offenses at The Net Bible says stumbling block the ESV says sin.
No matter what though. Something will happen. It's inevitable. If you live your life with other believers someone around you will send. I didn't hear you. It's inevitable. It's going to happen. There's going to be a scandal. There's going to be a problem there going to be a sin. There's going to be a rising up. There's going to be a storm of some sort is going to be something happen.
Plan on it.
And look what he said certainly it's inevitable. It will happen its promise but low and when you see whoa in the gospels, you should Circle that in your Bible because that is a flashing sign that says warning warning warning. But warning woe to the one through whom they come. A scandal going to happen people are going to send people are going to get into it. People are going to have problems people are going to fall out. But woe to you if you were the one causing it.
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the people of God to make every effort to keep other brothers and sisters that we've been station with beer in fellowship with God and with each other. How you do that Chris you do it by protecting one another? Jesus tells his disciples here. Film and offences will come but you shouldn't be the one that comes through. Why is that cuz he be better for you. If a millstone were hung around your neck and your thrown into the sea.
What does millstone it's a it's a big huge Rock? That's been Hyun into like a a semicircle with a hole in it. And the donkey would take it and it roll around it would crush that grain going to several hundred pound piece of rock. It would be better for you to go on here and tie a car to your neck and go off the bridge then it would be to a friend or make one of your brothers and sisters. Send.
It'll be better for you. Jesus said
you say weird protect one another. I think that goes back to love your neighbor as yourself.
You say with Chris. You don't know. You don't have no idea what's been done to me. You don't have any idea. What she said to me.
blood We should look out and protect one another. McCall's we have been brought into the fellowship of Christ. Listen to what I'm telling you. There's going to be skirmishes. There's going to be problems, but it shouldn't come through you believer. Look what it says. It's better to be thrown in the sea with a millstone around your neck then to cause one of these little ones to stumble about children. What about Christians? You say I know you I know you as your pastor and so some of you have been Christians for a long long time, but but but you're really babies.
and baby Zach bad If you don't believe me come to my house sometime. I don't handle this morning dress the babies in the living room by myself. I mean if I could have lost my salvation I would have lost it at least twice. And there I mean, they're just always like fighting a bear with a bologna sandwich in your pocket. They're everywhere. They're screaming or crying and some of us are like that. Some of us are louder than others and it's all because your spiritual babies. The Chris I don't want to be a spiritual baby anymore read your Bible. commit yourself to the church come to Sunday school and to church. Jordan small group pray for your brothers and sisters get connected. Did I mention read your Bible?
even if some of you that are growing but you're still babes were all little ones and he says here. You cannot offend them. Now. Look at that word stumble right there. You see that the last word in the verse to you can Circle that word and then go back up and circle the word offenses and it's a play on words offenses and stumble in The Net Bible. It's stumbling block and send in the ESV the same word, sin and sin in The New International Version. It's things that cause people to stumble and stumbling you see they're connected. You cannot be offensive to your brothers and your sisters because it makes them stumble. And you are supposed to be protecting the people that God has placed around you. Oh, oh.
What does it look like? What does it mean to protect the people around us? Turn with me over to Acts chapter 15.
Acts chapter 15 Luke records for us a time when that very thing happened.
Acts chapter 15 look at verse 1 some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers unless you're circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses. You cannot be saved. What are they doing these men come down from Judy and we have some young Christians the arrow young Church Plant and they go in and say listen, unless you're circumcised circumcised. You cannot be saved that we know that's false. Don't lie because what does it take for you to be saved one word?
Come on. What faith alone? Not Facebook. Circumcision. Larry was right. You're right. It's faith in who? Okay, Miss North Face plus circumcision is not face plus church membership. It's not Faith + baptism.
It's FEI the one that saves you. And these men were coming in to say no. No, no, no. No. No you had to be circumcised to Well if you read on through the account. The boys in Jerusalem, we're not going to have it. And what I do. Look at verse 22 than the apostles in the elders with the whole church decided selectman who were among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas Judas called Barse avacyn and Silas both Leading Men among the brothers. They wrote from the apostles the elders our brothers to the brothers and sisters among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cecilia greetings, since we've heard that sun without our authorization went out from us and trouble you with their words and unseld your heart. We have unanimously decided to Selectmen send them to you along with our dearly beloved Barnabas and Paul who have risked their lives for the set for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas will personally report the same things by word-of-mouth for it was the holy spirit's decision and ours not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements that you abstain from food offered to Idols from blood from eating anything that has been strangled and from sexual immorality. You will do well if you'll keep yourself from these things farewell.
You see this group of people came and they had these people all tore up. They were the stumbling block to these people. And what does the New Testament Church do they send men to go straighten it out. I listen you and I have the whole can of scripture at our disposal. If you have a problem with a brother of her brother has a problem with you. You should protect him enough to say we're not doing this because the Bible tells me so and you should not put something on your brother that the scripture does not put on him.
It's a Chris. I don't like that kind of music. I don't care. Yeah, but not not now. He's got tattoos. I don't care. Yeah, but but but he he wears shorts to church service. I don't care.
They say bad words. Don't dress the same way. We do they talk bad and
You cannot put your personal preferences on someone else and make them the gospel. That's legalism and you're causing people to stumble by saying that everyone has to line up just like you just because you're a calvinist. What a big Thief doesn't mean everybody has to be a homeless with a Big C. Maybe they are going to have a little sleep.
Do you understand what I'm saying?
you cannot calls another brother or sister to stumble. And if you think it's okay to do that. You'd be better off. Turn yourself to the car and going off the bridge.
so with make every effort to maintain Fellowship a protecting each other
we read you a couple passages as you're back in Luke 17. You Romans Chapter 14 verse 13 Therefore let us no longer judge one another and said decide never to put a stumbling block or a pitfall in the way of your brother and sister.
Let me read you another one. 1st John chapter 2 in verse 10 says this the one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light and there's no cause for stumbling in him.
That's not all all through the New Testament littered. Don't be a stumbling block to the people around you.
1st Corinthians chapter 8 verse 13 says this therefore is food causes my brother or sister to fall. I will never again eat meat so that I won't cause my brother or sister to fall.
What about Timothy and his young companion? He wasn't circumcised didn't need to be saved. But he went ahead and done it. So he wouldn't be a stumbling block to the people around him.
You say protecting the people around you. Is a selfless Act? That God calls you to do through the gospel what I mean by that is what I mean. Jesus came and he gave himself freely falling. Therefore I should give myself freely as well. Okay, let's move on first the warning the people of God heard make every effort to keep other brothers and sisters United in fellowship with God and with each other by protecting each other. I know a man that had a deathbed experience he had cancer. They gave him just a short time to live a man came over and share the gospel with him. He prayed and set the Christ as his Savior and he started to make a recovery. He came all the way out of the cancer situation and he was home one day and I took him a Bible is a New Living Translation and I gave it to him. I told you just to devour it and you know, he did he start wearing it out.
And then his father-in-law come to him and told him that. He was wrong for reading that translation.
And sometimes I passed that man on the way to church.
He doesn't go.
over Bible translation But how many times have we offended people with far less than a Bible translation?
We're going to be going through a construction phase here in a little while. And there's going to be playing on the walls of some of you don't like don't matter. There's going to be things it's done that I don't really care for it. And that's okay.
We must protect each other through this, okay?
Not only that though looking look 17 Again.
Not only does he give us a warning but he also gives us some directions. Listen to me just a sin can keep others from fellowship. If you sin against someone they get mad and it knocks them out of fellowship with the church, but sometimes it even knocks him out of fellowship with God I listened. Just to see and can keep others from fellowship. So also the sin of unforgiveness can keep you from fellowship. So not only do we need to protect the people around us, but we need to forgive people as well because if you don't forgive people that's a sin and sin will keep you from fellowship with God and I can prove it to you in scripture. He said Chris. You said that nothing Separates Me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. That's exactly right, but I didn't say that it wouldn't be times that there is static on the line. You want your prayer answered. Jesus said forgive your brother.
The warning now the directions listen close the people of God are to make every effort to keep themselves United in fellowship with God and each other by doing what by forgiving each other.
Look with me and verse 3. Be on your guard. Everyone knows how important it is be on your guard to protect the people around you do not be a stumbling block to them. Be on your guard because it's in all of us. Amen.
And then he says if your brother sins and it's going to happen rebuke him and if he repents forgive him right here, we see kind of a paradigm for how we're supposed to deal with conflict in church right here in the middle of gospel. Oh you mean Chris look what it says if your brother sins What you're supposed to do number one rebuke him? I listen if you're not man enough to rebuking or woman enough, you're not man enough to be offended. I can hear you.
People in your life that are that are mad at you and you have no idea why. Do you have people like that?
if if someone sends I guess you. You go to them. Probably and rebuke him and let someone says and if he repents was repent mean turn from his self turn to God if he says he's sorry any changes forgive him end of story. Polly and I had this conversation not too long ago. Someone tried to tell her husband that you have to forgive and forget that's not in the Bible. But you have to forgive but you can't forget. I've loved it. I don't need to forget.
need to forget cuz I'm far greater sooner than you are. And if I remember that Jamie has done something to me and and I forgiven for it. I forgive you because God in Christ has forgiven Jamie for it. But if I hold it against Jamie I'm saying that I am far more offended than God is because my feelings matter more than Gods does. Are you you're not going to forget but you must forgive?
So what's what's the prescription review Kim? And if he repents forgive him and look what it says and if he stands against you seven times in a day and comes back to you seven times saying I Repent you must forgive him and what you're thinking areas 7 x okay. So so they've got seven times. I keep a note on my phone. Okay. This is the seventh time no more than what he's saying is is it doesn't matter the amount amount of completion. It it's it's it's an infinite number as many times as he offend you and as many times as he comes back and says I am sorry you should forgive him. It's not really exciting stuff. Yeah, I know. That's why the church has ignored it. And that's my church people act the way they do.
You should protect one another say Amen. But I'mma tell you what else you should do. You should forgive one another before you leave the parking lot today. Somebody's going to smart off to you.
forgive them anyway
the warning and the directions
So pretty much protecting others. And forgiving others is impossible, right? When you say that.
I think Martin may have stole the show.
If I tell you that you should protect those around you and think of them far more than you think of yourself and then you should forgive people and they do you wrong you can at least shake your head and affirmation that I am telling you the impossible right has any of you got this down? Have you heard any of us done this perfectly? No. So this is impossible, right? But that's exactly what God calls us to do the impossible don't ever think that this lie that God never puts more on you than you can handle does it all the time and then he shows you he's God by doing it. He does with the man with the withered hand. Reach out your hand. He can't reach out his hand if he could have did that. He wouldn't have it with an n and what's he do in the command. He gives the power to do it and Lazarus. He says rise up and come on. The dead man comes out of the Tomb. He doesn't have the power to do that. He calls you to repent of your sins and you don't have the power to do it without his help. And here he's calling you to protect those around you and to think of them more than you think of yourself and to forgive people and in your hard heart just like mine we're saying that there is no way I can do there is no way.
And in the command to do it beloved, he gives you the power to do it. The boys felt the same way looking verse 5 the apostles said to the Lord increase our faith.
They knew they were in trouble. I knew they were head. And this is the challenge beloved.
We're going to say is if you have faith the size of a mustard seed we all know what that must receive till I cry just a little tiny thing. You can say this mulberry tree be uprooted and planted in the sea and it will obey you. Now the Prosperity Gospel is took this verse and ripped it screaming and crying out of context what this means is this this is the command that God has given you and you trust God for it. Does it talk about money? Just talkin about what's Randall sake cash Cadillacs and something that to talk about those things. Jesus has gave a command to specific commands to look out for the people around you and forgive them and you don't have the power to do it. But if you'll believe God for it and you'll trust him for it. He'll do it through you. Primo berry tree had this big old root system. And just a little tiny bit of faith that tree just be uprooted and planted in the sea you see with god without God. This is impossible. But With God all things are possible so you don't have to leave here discouraged today like
And I have I'm not I'm not good at that. I don't really I don't really like to be around people. I don't really like to share my life with people. I just rather just be just me. I'm a Loner When you know they did that one girl. She said that to me at one time and it it just hasn't set with me the right way.
Call Beloved. Trust and Obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus. But to trust and Obey this is what God's calling you to do. He's calling you to look out for those around you in the confines of the church membership and then he's calling you to forgive them no matter what they do to you.
Let's the challenge. God gives you the power to do it. The look with me now in verse 7. He begins a parable. Which one of you having a servant tanning sheet for plowing will say to him when he comes in from the field come at once and sit down to eat instead. We not tell him prepare something for me to eat get ready and serve me while I eat and drink later. You can eat and drink with here. Does he think that servant because he did what was commanded? In the same way when you've done all that you were commanded protecting forgive. You should say we are unworthy servants. We've only done our duty. Guess what? This is an extra credit for the Christian Life. I got my class right now, and I wish they would give me some extra credit. It's not extra credit. This is called being a follower of Jesus.
Being a follower of Jesus means that you are connected with the body of Christ. There is no Lone Ranger's in Christendom and it means that we look out for each other and we forgive one another and this isn't because like an addition to being a disciple. This is your duty as a servant of Christ.
So what do we do?
By the power of God, the people of God will make every effort to maintain fellowship with each other.
No matter what.
It's so important for you to be tied into a community group. It's so important for you to be tied into a Sunday school group. It's so important for you to do these things to make every effort to do them. You say he's just promoting some kind of program the church know I'm promoting what the Bible promotes. It's so important for you to be here consistently and Faithfully.
It's important for you to live your life with other Christians that you have been yoked up with and that's going to take you looking out for them and protecting them and forgiving them when they do you wrong?
What we started with Spurgeon we might as well in with him and we sit up straight. We're almost done.
The church is faulty. But that's no excuse for you. Not joining it.
If you are the Lords. Do you want to fit? There's no excuse for you not to join the church. If you are the Lord's nor need your own faults keep you back for the church is not an institution for Perfect People. But a sanctuary for Sinners saved by grace who though they are saved are still Sinners and need all the help. They can derive from the sympathy and guidance of their fellow believers.
Listen to me. I need you.
And you need me.
Let's protect one another. Let's forgive one another. And let's go serve our King.
Our Father we have been confronted today with a subject that
grossly ignored by our own self
How could David not hold a grudge against all?
How can you protect saw?
How can you do these things?
How could you be on the cross? I crapped your father father forgive them for they know not what they do.
This is the power of God. So what we asked for today? Is the power to do the impossible? To look for other people's look out for other people more than herself and to forgive them.
Father I ask you to strengthen this church and you not this church. That whatever storms we go through we go through them together.
That we hold tight to the gospel.
And we put all of our trust in you. May we obey you? We keep your command not because this is extra. Because we are your servants. It's in your son's name. We pray. Amen.