SERIES: 42 Luke MESSAGE: Luke 16:19-17:37 SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig SCRIPTURE: Luke 16:19-17:37

Transcription

1 SERIES: 42 Luke MESSAGE: Luke 16:19-17:37 SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig SCRIPTURE: Luke 16:19-17:37 MESSAGE SUMMARY As Jesus continued to talk to His disciples and the nearby Pharisees, He told them stories about the kingdom of heaven and warned those listening about their eternal fate. He also shared four basic things expected of those who follow Him. In this message, we're challenged to forgive freely, serve faithfully, live thankfully, and be prepared for Jesus' second coming. DETAILED NOTES I. Introduction A. On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus prepared His disciples for future ministry B. He told them a story about an unjust manager 1. A worldly boss commended a worldly manager for using worldly wisdom 2. He used it by way of contrast: "If you were as devoted spiritually as these bad people are physically, how much greater the kingdom of God would be" C. The Pharisees, who loved money, listened in and derided Jesus 1. Jesus gave a story, a parable to the Pharisees 2. Two lives, two deaths, two hereafters D. Some people think this is a historical account rather than a parable: 1. Because Jesus didn't say, "Now hear a parable" but He didn't always say this 2. Because a name appears in it but there's no law of parables 3. It could be either II. Luke 16:19-31 A. We can presume this was a very rich Jewish man 1. The Pharisees loved money 2. Faith theology: the evidence of God's blessing is wealth 3. A beggar was considered cursed by God because of sinful behavior B. Notice how easily Jesus passed from one world to the next 1. We cannot peer beyond the veil 2. If you wonder about life after death, go to the source, the authority C. No Pharisee would think a rich man like this would be in hell D. The rich man represents the Pharisees E. This story disproves the doctrine of soul sleep 1. Soul sleep: from the moment of death until the resurrection, there is no consciousness; your soul just goes to sleep 2. According to Jesus, once you die, you are conscious of your surroundings and can feel either pleasure or pain in the afterlife F. Abraham's side, or bosom Page 1

2 1. Place of bliss; heaven 2. Every Jewish person had this hope of a future banquet with Abraham 3. Genesis 15:6 G. Hades, sometimes translated hell 1. The New Testament Greek equivalent of the Old Testament word sheol a. The place of the departed dead b. Often in the Old Testament, both the good and the bad were in this place, also called the grave 2. Here, Hades is the place of the unrighteous departed souls H. There's no indication the rich man did anything heinous 1. A lot of people think all they have to do to get to heaven is die 2. And hell is reserved for Hitler and others like him I. "A great gulf fixed" (v. 26) 1. There's no passageway in eternity where a person can go from hell, purgatory, or limbo to heaven this is not in the Bible at all 2. 2 Corinthians 5:8 3. If you died tonight, your body would eventually turn to dust 4. But immediately, the real you would be in the presence of the Lord J. Heaven and hell are real, and Jesus spoke freely about both K. If an unbeliever who has died could return today, they would preach the gospel L. Verse 30: even the resurrection of the one talking wouldn't be enough to persuade them to believe M. The reason the rich man was in hell: he didn't listen to the testimony of Scripture N. This was all an absolute shock to the Pharisees; Luke 16:14 III. Luke 17:1-37 A. Jesus then taught His disciples about four basic things: forgiveness, faithfulness, thankfulness, preparedness B. Forgiveness (vv. 1-6) 1. Millstones weigh several hundred pounds 2. Offend is the Greek word skandalon a. Literally means a bait stick b. Used to attract an animal into a trap to capture it 3. Jesus was probably referring to the group in Luke 15:1 a. Publicans and sinners who were attracted to Jesus b. Perhaps the Pharisees' interruption and derision of Jesus caused them to stumble c. There's something worse than going to hell: taking others with you 4. Typical reactions if somebody sins against you: a. Run away from the conflict b. Antagonize the person c. Neither of these are appropriate 5. Rather, approach them and let them know a. Matthew 18:15 b. Go privately and rebuke lovingly 6. Verse 4: the point isn't the number of times a. Rabbis used to say, "If someone sins against you, forgive them three times" Page 2

3 b. 1 Corinthians 13:5 c. This takes an enormous amount of spirituality, faith 7. A mustard seed is small, but it has life and power within it 8. Verse 6: Jesus was not speaking literally here a. We have no record of the disciples or anyone in church history doing this b. Matthew 21:21 c. William Barclay: in ancient times, somebody who could explain truth and unravel spiritual mysteries was called the remover of mountains or uprooter d. Probably a reference to that ideology C. Faithfulness (vv. 7-10) 1. Who ever heard of a pampered servant? 2. "We are unprofitable servants" (v. 10) a. The servant Jesus used for analogy was very profitable: jack-of-all-trades b. Unprofitable: a servant without need or an unmeritorious servant; the master doesn't owe him anything c. If you serve the Lord with all your heart, you'll never come to a place where you can say, "You, God, owe me something" d. If the Lord tells you to jump, you simply ask Him how high 3. Attitudes we must never have when we serve the Lord a. A selfish attitude: "I do it so that I get something out of it" b. Doing your work slavishly: "I hate doing this, but I'll do it anyway" c. The Lord loves a cheerful giver (see 2 Corinthians 9:7), one who does it from the heart D. Thankfulness (vv ) 1. Verse 12: the Law required lepers to stand afar off a. A leper must shout out, "Unclean!" (see Leviticus 13:45) b. Jewish records say he must stand at least fifty yards downwind 2. Lepers were ostracized from society a. Synagogues had a special room for lepers: the mechitza b. Mycobacterium leprae: one of the most feared conditions of the ancient world 3. We don't expect Jesus to say, "Go" 4. The healing miracles of Jesus a. No formula or method; unique b. Spit in a man's eye; Mark 8: Verse 14: it was a step of faith for them to obey this command and go 6. Jesus healed people during His ministry, but not everyone; Acts 3:2 7. One-tenth of the people who were healed thanked Jesus a. Is the ratio the same today? b. How many of us stop and thank God for the blessings in our lives? c. So many of us complain about what we don't have instead of thanking and glorifying God for what we do have 8. As the lepers went, they were healed 9. 2 Kings 5 E. Preparedness (vv ) Page 3

4 IV. 1. The kingdom of God will one day come with outward display; John 14:3 2. Verse 21 has been mistranslated a. The kingdom of God was not in the Pharisees, nor did Jesus mean it was b. "The kingdom of God is within you" literally means, "The kingdom of God among you is in your midst" c. In other words, "The kingdom of God is standing right in front of you; all you have to do is believe in the King of that kingdom" 3. Believers in Him will long for Him to come back 4. When the outward demonstration part of the kingdom comes, everyone will see it 5. People will be totally oblivious to the spiritual realities and future judgment 6. What was going on in the days of Noah? a. An increase in population; Genesis 6:1 b. An increase in depravity; Genesis 6:2-3 c. An increase in wickedness; Genesis 6:5 d. An increase in callousness; Noah preached for 120 years, and no one repented 7. In the tribulation period, the Antichrist will oppress the earth, especially those who live in Jerusalem a. Zechariah 13:8 b. Revelation Verses a. Not the rapture; the context is the tribulation period b. Taken away in judgment: verse The second coming will be unmistakable Closing A. "Innocent until proven guilty" is not the way it is with God B. Because of the fall, we are all guilty until proclaimed innocent 1. The righteousness of religion never cuts it 2. Trusting in Jesus does Figures referenced: William Barclay Greek/Hebrew words: sheol, skandalon, mechitza Cross references: Genesis 6:1-3, 5; 15:6; Leviticus 13:45; 2 Kings 5; Zechariah 13:8; Matthew 18:15; 21:21; Mark 8:23-25; Luke 15:1; 16:14, 19-17:37; John 14:3; Acts 3:2; 1 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Corinthians 5:8; 9:7; Revelation 12 Topic: Jesus' Ministry Keywords: disciples, parable, story, money, wealth, poor, heaven, hell, forgiveness, stumble, sin, conflict, faith, faithfulness, servant, service, attitude, thankfulness, leper, leprosy, miracle, healing, Jesus' ministry, preparedness, kingdom of God, second coming, judgment, tribulation, religion, righteousness Page 4

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