Luke 17:1-10 "The Marks of the Disciple vs The Marks of a Pharisee" (Carlton 6:30pm)

G', day, everyone. It's great to see you all. That psalm we read at the start, Psalm 40. I was going to say it's my favorite psalm. That would probably be an exaggeration.

My favorite psalm tends to be whichever one I've read most recently. But I love. I can say I love Psalm 40 and I love Psalm 40, verse 8, because I think it shows you the attitude when I'm preaching that I'm trying to share with you. So. So when I'm preaching, I'm trying to do lots of things, but one of the things I am trying to do is share my love of God's Word and encourage you to love God's Word.

And I hope, as we've been looking at Luke's gospel, turn to Luke's gospel now, because that's what we're looking at, not Psalm 40. I hope, as we've been looking at Luke's gospel over the last few months, you have been enjoying it. You've been enjoying this part of Luke's gospel. You've been loving this teaching of Jesus. Because I really do think these last few chapters we've been looking at have some of the great moments of the teaching of Jesus, certainly some of his greatest parables, some of the great stories that he told.

And so if you think about it, perhaps his greatest parable we saw a few weeks ago the Parable of the Lost Son, even though I said that's not a very good name for that parable, but that's what they call it. So the Parable of the Lost Son, where perhaps I think Jesus sets out the gospel as clearly as at any point in his stories, where he talks about the fact that we are lost without him, but that God wants us to be found. And that when we repent and when we turn back to God, when we trust in Jesus, God delights, God rejoices. God is not sort of sitting there wanting a reason to judge us. He wants every person to come and find his forgiveness.

As I say, some of the greatest moments of Jesus teaching, we've also seen, I think, some of the hardest moments of Jesus teaching, like last week with the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus, where Jesus talked as clearly as he ever does about the reality of heaven and hell. And in particular, he gave us that great challenge. I hope you remember Troy's sermon from last week, that great challenge. Will we listen to God's Word, or will we be like the Pharisees who ignore it and refuse to repent and believe God's Word? And we Saw in particular in that story, Jesus made it clear you cannot put that decision off.

This life is your chance. This life decides heaven and hell for every person. It's not something you can put off. Now you need to make a decision about Jesus now. You need to decide to listen to his word.

So a much harder word, but again, some of the greatest, most famous teaching of Jesus. This next little part that we're looking at now, so come with me, this is chapter 17, verses 1 to 10 is not one of Jesus most famous parables. It's not some of his most famous teaching. A lot of people say this little part here is like Luke just couldn't find anywhere else to put these four little sayings of Jesus, so he plumped them here as if there's no reason to it. I think that misses what's going on here.

And I want to help you see that tonight. You see who has Jesus spent the last couple of chapters talking to? Who's he spent the last couple. I thought someone was answering me there. But anyway, who has Jesus spent the last couple of chapters talking to?

The Pharisees. So Jesus greatest enemies. Not that Jesus treats them as his enemies, if you like, they treat Jesus as their enemy. But Jesus has been dealing with these people who are opposed to him, the Pharisees. Now Jesus turns to talks to his disciples, and Luke captures these four points or these four warnings Jesus is giving to his disciples.

But it's because of what he's been saying to the Pharisees. You see, if you want to capture what he's trying, why he says these things now to the disciples, it's like he's saying, if you want to know what it is to be my disciple, do the opposite of what the Pharisees do. Whatever you see the Pharisees do, do the opposite and you'll capture pretty well what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. So let's turn to them. Now, let's turn to these four words of Jesus, these snippets of teaching for disciples of Jesus about how to be different to the Pharisees.

So point one is a warning. It's very simple. Don't get led astray. And especially, whatever you do, don't lead other people astray. So look from verse one, he said to his disciples, offences will certainly come.

Jesus can never be accused of sugarcoating the truth. Jesus never hides the cost of what it is to be his disciple. He said so many times in Luke's gospel, the way following me is coming through the narrow door following me is coming on the narrow path. Following me is coming on the hard road. And again, as he says here, I can guarantee you, if you want to follow me, you are going to come across offences.

By offences, he means stumbling blocks to your faith. That's what he's talking about. So you will be tempted to sin. This path is not easy. You will have people who try to discourage you.

You will have people who try to lead you away from following Jesus. You will be tempted to give up your faith. That is the reality of walking the narrow road of following Jesus. Don't think you will be immune. These things will happen to you.

Jesus promises it. And so, as he says down in verse three, go to verse three. Be on your guard. In other parts of God's Word, we're told how to be on our guard. Here Jesus is just giving us little snippets, but in other places he expands on it.

How do we be on our guard? This is why we need to know God's Word. This is why we need to immerse ourselves in the word of God so that we're not led astray. In other places, we're warned about wolves in sheep's clothing, false teachers who will come and try to lead us astray. They'll tell you that sin is good and good is sin.

They'll tell you God's word doesn't say what you think it says. It says the opposite of what you think it says. Frankly, this is many parts of the modern church, and frankly, it's been many parts of the church for 2,000 years. We're not any different at the moment. It's in particular in areas of gender and human sexuality.

But that's just the latest fad. At other times, it's questioning whether Jesus really rose from the dead or the authority of God's Word. Whatever the issues of the day, Jesus says, be on your guard. Test what you hear. How do you do that?

Use the gifts I've given you. Use the gifts of my word. Use the gift of prayer. Use the gift in particular of fellowship, of meeting with your brothers and sisters in Christ. But be on your guard, because these offenses will certainly come.

But just because they are certain and just because it's inevitable that every Christian will face them, doesn't mean that that God excuses a person who brings them. God has an awful judgment in store for anyone who puts a stumbling block in front of one of his children, who leads one of his children astray. So look with me at verse one again. Come with me to verse one, he says Offences will certainly come, but woe to the one through whom they come. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

A millstone was a massive stone that they used to crush the wheat, to get the grain out, to make bread and that sort of thing. It would have weighed something like 300 kilos. That's what he's talking about here. And Jesus says, what God will do to people who lead one of his little ones astray. What God will do to people who lead someone away from Jesus.

You would have been better off having one of those having like the equivalent of one of those two door fridges tied around your neck and being thrown into the ocean. You would be better off having that happen to you than what God will do to those who cause one of his little ones to stumble. Human beings do awful things to one another. You only have to read the newspapers to see that. But the worst thing we could do to someone is to lead them into sin and to lead them away from Jesus.

To lead someone away from salvation. To lead someone, as Jesus talked about last week in that parable, into hell. That is what the Pharisees were doing. They were meant to be leading God's people and moving them to God, taking them to God. They were leading people away from salvation.

And so Jesus is saying to his disciples, and now he's saying it to us tonight. First of all, don't let that happen to you. Don't ever let yourself be led astray. Don't let it happen. But also don't be that person yourself.

Hear this word of warning. Don't be someone who encourages other people into sin. Don't be that person who encourages your brothers and sisters in Christ into sin. Don't be that person who. Who leads people away from faith in Jesus.

And especially don't be that person who encourages people to walk away from their salvation. Which leads us to point two. Come to point two, which is treat sin seriously in yourself and in others. See, rather than leading our brothers and sisters astray, rather than leading them away from Jesus, Jesus do the opposite. Be someone who loves your brothers and sisters, these people around you here.

Be someone who loves them enough to challenge them if they are heading into sin, if they are heading away from Jesus. So look at verse three. He says, be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him. Godliness matters.

Jesus died for your sin and now he wants you to put off your sin. And live for him. That is what it is to be a disciple of Jesus. And as he just said, offences are gonna come. There's gonna be stumbling blocks.

You're gonna be tempted to sin every day. That is reality. So be on your guard yourself, watch yourself. But also love these brothers and sisters enough to challenge them when they are falling into sin. Can I say most Christians balk at this?

Most Christians think, no, no, no. That's why we pay you the big bucks, Phil. That's your job. That was a joke, by the way. But most Christians say, I'm not doing it.

I don't want to be the person who. Why? Why do we balk at this? One reason is fear, because most of us, sadly, care more what other people think about us than what God thinks about us. The biggest reason we won't challenge a brother or sister is fear.

We're worried they might react badly, they might not like us anymore. So that's one reason. But also they. The sort of more noble reason is we think, isn't that what the Pharisees did? I don't want to be a Pharisee.

I'm not meant to not be a Pharisee. I don't want to be like that. Can I say, I think most modern Christians are in little to no danger of being Pharisees in this way. There's other ways we're in danger of being Pharisees. I'll come to that later.

But we are far more in danger of not treating sin seriously enough than we are of being like the Pharisees. The Pharisees were not rebuking their brothers and sisters out of concern or out of love. They weren't actually rebuking their brothers and sisters at all. They were just standing in judgment and condemning them. They were saying, look at them.

Sinners, not like us. And this isn't talking about going around with a, you know, a microscope sort of trying to look into other people's lives and being busy bodies. That's not what it's talking about. This is talking about, as you are a part of the people of God, when a person sins against us, first of all. So when a person sins against us directly, instead, then of doing what we often do, what our world does, and, sadly, what Christians too often do, and then just giving them the cold shoulder and sort of just turning our back on them, and instead of doing, sadly, what we also often do, which is just gossiping about them, can you believe what that person did?

Can you believe the way they acted? Can you believe Jesus says No, what I want you to do is to gently and graciously raise it with them with the hope of repentance and forgiveness and restoration of relationship. Well, perhaps it's not actually sin against us, but we see a brother or sister making decisions that are ungodly. It's not directly impinging us, but we see this brother or sister in Christ making decisions that are ungodly, that go against God's word. This is not talking about when a person has a one off failing.

When we. Because we sin all the time, don't we? We always. It's not talking about when a person recognizes themselves and repents of it. This is talking about when a person is continuing in sin and not repenting of it.

They know it's wrong and they're just continuing to do it. Do we love them enough to gently warn them and challenge them? This week, as I've been thinking about this sermon, I almost didn't want to give examples in case people think I'm talking about them. But I think it's helpful to give examples. You know, perhaps if there is someone who is just consistently gossiping, if there is someone who is just the person who's always talking about other people, well, do you love them enough to challenge them and say that is not honouring to God and that that is unhelpful.

Or perhaps someone is consistently speaking in a way that's ungodly, swearing or slandering other people. Do you love them enough to challenge them? Perhaps you're seeing the way that person drinks to excess. Do you love them enough to challenge them and say that is dishonoring to God. Perhaps they're entering an ungodly relationship or they're in an ungodly relationship.

Do you love them enough to challenge them? You see, perhaps they're failing to meet together with God's people like God's word commands. Do you love them enough to challenge them? Whatever it is, if you love them, you will gently and graciously, very aware of the logs in your own eye, challenge them. Because unrepentant sin matters.

It's not a matter of indifference. Jesus died to pay the price for it. It leads people away from salvation in him. And. And if we are happy to just let a brother or sister in Christ keep sinning, then perhaps we don't love them.

So treat sin seriously in yourself and in others. But. And the second part of this point, and so ensuring we're not like Pharisees, is be a forgiver, not a judger. See, the Pharisees Loved to point out the sin in other people's lives, but they loved to do it, to judge, to belittle, to show that they were better. We do it because we want there to be a restored relationship.

And in particular, we do it because we want the person to find forgiveness from God and from us. So look again at verse three. He says, if your brother or your sister sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. This is so important. If a person repents, then we forgive.

We put it behind us and we let it go. That is what it is to be a Christian. It really is as simple as that. Except the Pharisee in us loves to think of caveats to that, Loves to think of reasons when I don't have to. Other people have to do that, but not me.

And I think many of us. I like that. Many of us, you've probably been thinking it as I've been saying it. There's a Pharisee in us that loves to come up with reasons why this doesn't apply. You don't understand what they did to me, though, Phil.

You don't understand how much they hurt me. You don't understand the depths of their sin. And some situations are very hard and very complicated, though, truth be told, nowhere near as many as we like to say that are that hard and complicated. So Jesus deals with one type of Pharisee straight away. He deals with the person who says, yeah, I'll forgive, but what if they sin against me again and again and again.

Well, look at verse four. And if he sins against you seven times in a day and comes back to you seven times saying, I repent, you must forgive him, Please see how massive this is. Because again, the Pharisee in most of us says, oh, but that's outlandish. If they're sinning seven times a day, their repentance isn't real. Jesus says, no, not up to you to work that out.

They've repented, you forgive. Simple as that. Now, yes, it is complicated when we're dealing with serious situations, in particular situations of abuse and things of that nature. And if you want to think some more about the bigger question here, Jesus just has this as one sentence here. If you want to think some more about what Jesus teaches on this, I did some talks a few years ago at the big Day out on the whole question of forgiveness and reconciliation and repentance and all those issues.

And if you want to think some more about it, you could write that on your feedback slip and I can send you the Link to those talks. They're still there on the website, I think. It's just that I can't find anything on anyway. But Troy will get them to you. But understand here, Jesus is just making this fundamental point, so please don't be a Pharisee and jump to the ah, but what about this?

But, but what about that? Jesus is saying, don't try to minimize it. Hear the weight of it. Jesus is saying, are you a forgiver or are you a judger? Are you someone who is quick to forgive?

Or are you someone who actually quite likes holding onto hurt? Are you someone who wants to forgive other people? Or are you someone who actually quite likes standing in judgment over other people? And do you like to rationalize why what Jesus is saying doesn't quite apply to you and your relationship with that person you're thinking of right now who you have not forgiven? Jesus doesn't expand on it here, but what he makes very clear is if you are not willing to forgive, that is a very, very dangerous place to be.

If you are not willing to forgive other people, it is a very, very dangerous place to be. Because if you are unwilling to forgive others, that suggests you have not grasped the depths of your own sin and you have not actually understood God's forgiveness of you. And you are like one of those Pharisees who he's been warning are outside the kingdom of God. You see, you know, when you pray the Lord's Prayer, it's one of the great sadnesses that in many denominations, including sometimes in our own, the Lord's Prayer becomes something people just say off by rote. You know, when you pray the Lord's Prayer, you know that line where you pray, father, forgive us our sins, as in the same way as we forgive those who sin against us.

I hope you pause before you pray that line every time, because that is the most dangerous prayer you can ever pray. Do you understand what you're praying when you say that? And Jesus said that's what we should pray. It's saying, father, forgive me to the extent that I am willing to forgive other people. Do you see how serious that is?

They are scary words. People who are judges, not forgivers, need to ask themselves some hard questions. They need to ask, am I actually a disciple of Jesus or am I a Pharisee? Have I actually understood my sin and what it cost God to forgive me if I am not willing to forgive others? That's a hard word, I think, possibly Jesus hardest word.

And I think it was realizing how hard it is that led the Disciples to ask the question, they say next. So go to point three, which is about faith. Faith is what you need. How can anyone forgive like that? I think that's what the disciples were thinking at this point.

So it's natural they then ask the question in verse five. Look there. The apostles said to the Lord, increase our faith. I think they're saying, jesus, I don't think we're up for this. I don't think anyone can manage it.

We don't know if we've got enough faith to live the way you're calling on us to live, especially to forgive like that. Give us more faith than we might be able to do it. What does Jesus say? Look there. He says, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and plant it in the sea and it will obey you.

The mustard seed was the smallest thing they could think of for us. It would be like if you have a dust, a particle of dust of faith. That's the equivalent. I think he then looked around and thought, what's the biggest thing near me? And he saw a big mulberry tree with its big roots.

And he said, that's the thing that's immovable that, that you could cast into the sea. At other times he says very similar things. He talks about a mountain. I don't think he's making a different point. He's just got a different example standing in front of him.

So what's Jesus point? His point is even the tiniest bit of faith is powerful to do incredible things. And that's because it is not the amount of faith that is the question. It's what is the faith in? Or in particular, who is the faith in?

Is your faith in someone who is able to do these incredible things, like move a mulberry tree and plant it in the sea? See, the question is not how much faith do you have, it's is your faith in Jesus? That's the question. The question is, do you believe Jesus or not? Do you trust Jesus or not?

It's not a how much question, it's a yes or no question. Am I trusting Jesus or am I not? And if you do have faith in Jesus, God will do incredible things. Firstly, by faith, God forgives you and moves you from death to life. That's the first incredible thing.

And that's actually the most amazing, impossible thing. That God wipes away your sin and adopts you to be his child by faith in Jesus. Have faith in Jesus and he will keep you and he will help you face all those obstacles he's just told us are inevitable. And by faith he will change you and make you a person who is a forgiver, not a judger. Let me tell you, for many of us here, for me at least, and I think for about 150 other people, that is actually the biggest work of God of all.

That's bigger than moving a mountain actually. Making people like us, who by inclination are Pharisees, who love to stand in judgment, who love to hold on hurts, making us able to forgive others is a miraculous work of God by his spirit. But it is possible through faith in Jesus. Even a mustard seed of faith in Jesus is the most powerful thing in the world. So whatever you do, have faith, trust in Jesus.

And that was the heart of the Pharisees problem, wasn't it? They would not trust in Jesus. Well that brings us to Jesus final point. To make his last point. Jesus tells a really surprising story.

So I'm going to read it again. Come with me to verse 7. I'll read from there. It says, 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 thank that servant because he did what was commanded? Now I call this a surprising story because this really doesn't sound like Jesus. If you're listening Kevin, you think, hang on, that is not Jesus. I mean, didn't Jesus say I came to serve, not be served?

Jesus actually came in and what did he do for his disciples? He washed his disciples feet to make the point, the master is the servant. If you want to be great in the kingdom of heaven, the first shall be last. All of that sort of stuff. We expect Jesus to take this story in a very, very different direction to where he takes it.

We expect the story to say, well actually this master, he will welcome you in and he'll say, actually, even though you should be cooking me a meal, I'll cook you a meal. You sit down, put your feet up, I might even wash them for you and then I'll eat. Later on we expect Jesus will say that because that's what he normally says. And in every other story where he talks about servants and masters, that's what he says. That's not what he says here.

There are many other places where Jesus tells us to be servants. There are many other Places where Jesus says the essence of being a disciple is not standing on your rights, but giving them up to serve other people. The first. That was the point last week. Who was it that ends up in heaven in last week's story?

The poor man, the beggar? Who was it who ends up in hell? The rich man who had everything in life. In every other story, Jesus does the opposite to this. But here Jesus is doing something different.

And this is such an important point. I think Jesus tells this confounding story to make this incredibly important point. Because I think this is the point every one of us needs to hear most out of this whole sermon. See, Jesus is addressing that attitude every Christian falls into at different points. Where we act like God should be thankful to us for being godly, where we act like God owes us something, like we're doing God a favor by doing good works.

Where we act like God owes me for something, for. For doing what I should just do. Loving him, worshiping him, loving my neighbour, serving God's people, being a part of the people of God. Like God should be thankful to me for the way I serve him. That was the way the Pharisees thought, look at me, I'm better than those other people.

God should be so thankful I'm one of his disciples. Cause look at me, I don't sin like that person. Look at how godly I am. Look at the way I give more, I serve more. Look at me.

But here is the thing. Even if you or I lived a life of perfect righteousness, which none of us have, and even if you obeyed every commandment God ever gave, which you haven't, but if we did, and if you forgave people not just seven times a day, but 70 times seven, to quote Jesus at another point. Even if you poured out your whole life in his service and you gave up your job and lived as a pauper, and you taught scripture in 67 lessons a week, and you serve on every roster there is, and you teach kids church and then you come back on Friday night and lead at youth, and then you go overseas as a missionary. I don't know. I'm trying to think of what is the most you would do.

God does not owe you anything for doing that. Because you are just doing what we're all meant to do anyway, which is give God the glory and serve him. We would just be doing what we should be joyfully doing anyway. It's funny how as Christians, we know that we are saved by grace. You do know that, don't you?

Please. Affirm me at that point. You know we are not saved by works. You know it is grace alone. That is the great truth of the Reformation, when they rediscovered the Bible.

We are saved by grace alone, the free gift of God alone. And how do we receive that gift? Through faith alone. That's one way. You meant to answer my question.

How do we receive that gift? Through faith in Christ alone. Grace alone. Faith alone, In Christ alone. We know that.

I hope you know that. That's what it is to be a Christian. But then, as saved people seeking to do the good works that we now do in response to our salvation. It is amazing how we can forget that and become Pharisees. It is amazing how we can forget that and become Pharisees, not disciples.

And we can start to think that somehow God owes me something for the good works I do as a Christian, and especially the good works that that person doesn't do and that I do. The truth is there in verse 10. Look at verse 10. 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.

Now, of course, the wonder of it is God is not like the master in this story. That's the wonder of it. God could be, has every right to be. That's Jesus point. God is not like the master in this story.

Even though God doesn't owe us anything, God gives us everything. Even though God doesn't owe us anything, he welcomes us into his family. If we trust in Jesus, he wipes away our sin and adopts us as his children, not his servants. Our Savior, as I keep saying, came to serve, not be served, and give his life a ransom for our sin. And God then amazingly loves and honors the good works we do in his service.

So that when Christ returns and we stand before that judgment seat, he will say those things you did through faith. Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and join in my heavenly banquet. Come and receive the blessings I have to give you. But if he didn't do that, we would have no right to complain because he doesn't owe us anything.

And until you get that, you haven't understood grace. See, Jesus wants us to know the wonderful grace of God, but he doesn't want us to be people who presume on God's grace like the Pharisees. He doesn't want us to be people who start to think, actually, I've done some pretty good stuff and God owes me something. So, yes, marvel at the wonderful grace of God and marvel at at the Incredible love of God, that he loves sinners like you and me. But never forget he doesn't owe us anything.

The Pharisees forgot that. And so they started to be proud of what they did. They started to be proud of their service. And they started to think that that made them a level above other people. As if God owed them something.

That is not what a disciple of Jesus does. We love to serve our Master. And whatever we do, big or small, tiny or world changing, we do it knowing it's far less than our Lord ever deserves from us. So let's not be Pharisees. That's the message from tonight.

Let's not be Pharisees. Let's be disciples. Offences will come, so be on your guard. Don't get led astray. And whatever you do, do not lead other people astray.

Treat sin seriously in yourself and in others. But be forgivers, not judges. Have faith, because God can do amazing things through people who trust in Jesus and serve God with everything. But remember, whatever you do, God doesn't owe you anything. Anything we do is far less than our Lord deserves.

Those are the marks of someone who is not a Pharisee, but is a real disciple of Jesus. Let me pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for these challenging words of our Saviour. And we pray that we would not be Pharisees, but instead we would be disciples. Help us to be people who never turn away from following Jesus.

Help us especially to be people who do not lead others astray. Help us to be people of faith. Help us to be people who treat sin seriously, but who are forgivers, not judgers. And in particular, help us to give our lives in your service. But always remember that whatever we do, it is far less than you deserve.

In Jesus name, amen.