Forgiven Series

OCT. 15, 2006

LUKE 17;1-4 1Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. 2It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3So watch yourselves.

“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

SEVERAL YEARS AGO, A BASEBALL PLAYER GOT BEANED IN A GAME. HE ENDED UP INJURED, SERIOUSLY, MISSED THE REST OF THE SEASON, AND WHEN HE CAME BACK THE FOLLOWING YEAR, HE WAS NOT THE SAME PLAYER AS HE WAS BEFORE. HE ENDED UP TRADED TO THE DETROIT TIGERS, AND PLAYED FOR THEM. IN ONE OF THEIR GAMES, THE PITCHER WHO BEANED HIM, WAS SCHEDULED TO PITCH FOR THE OPPOSING TEAM. CHET LEMON WENT TO BAT, THE PITCHER THREW THE PITCH, AND CHET HIT A GROUND BALL. INSTEAD OF RUNNING TO FIRST BASE, HE WENT STRAIGHT TO THE PITCHERS MOUND, AND PROCEEDED TO FIGHT THE SAME PITCHER WHO HAD BEANED HIM. ALL THAT WAS ON CHET’S MIND THAT DAY WAS REVENGE.

JESUS SPEAKS TO US ABOUT THIS IN OUR TEXT THIS MORNING. LETS EXAMINE HIS TEACHING TOGETHER. LETS SEE WHAT OUR RESPONSE IS SUPPOSED TO BE.

JESUS BEGINS THIS TEACHING, IN LUKE 17, BY SAYING THINGS HAPPEN. THIS IS A GIVEN. TEMPTATION HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES WE MAKE IS TELLING THE NEW CHRISTIAN, NOW THAT YOU HAVE MADE THIS DECISION YOU WONT BE TEMPTED. THE TRUTH IS, FOR THE NEW CHRISTIAN, SATAN WILL PUT YOU TO EVEN GREATER TESTS. HE DOESN’T WANT TO LOSE ANYONE. THE BIBLE SAYS, HE IS LIKE A ROARING LION, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR. YOU MAY THINK, WELL IF THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN, THEN WHY WOULD I MAKE THE DECISION. HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS, ONCE YOU HAVE ACCEPTED CHRIST, HE GIVES YOU EXTRA HELP TO RESIST SATAN.

YOU NOW HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT, INDWELLING IN YOU. YOU NOW HAVE THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD TO PROTECT YOU.

JESUS SAYS, THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO COME. THEN HE ADDS A WARNING, WOE TO THE PERSON THRU WHOM THEY COME. WHAT HE IS SAYING HERE IS, DON’T CAUSE SOMEONE ELSE TO SIN, OR TO STUMBLE.

WHAT WE MUST REALIZE IS, THAT AS A CHRISTIAN, I HAVE FREEDOM, BUT MY FREEDOM DOES NOT GIVE ME LICENSE TO HARM ANOTHER, OR CAUSE ANOTHER TO SIN.

HE IS SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING TO THOSE WHO WOULD CAUSE A CHILD, OR A NEW BABE IN CHRIST, TO SIN. AS MATURE ADULT CHRISTIANS WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO NURTURE AND ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO ARE NEW IN THE FAITH. WE NEED TO GENTLY BRING THEM ALONG TO GROWTH.

ANNE AND I HAD A GUEST IN OUR HOME ON THURSDAY NITE. HE WAS A PAIN FOR PART OF THE EVENING. HE SCREAMED. HE DEMANDED. HE HAD NO PATIENCE. BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE PUT UP WITH LITTLE ZACHARY, OUR GRANDSON. WE HAVE NO CHOICE IN THIS. WE PUT UP WITH INTERRUPTIONS, AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT A BABY DOES. WHY? B/C HE IS A BABY, HE DOESN’T KNOW OR UNDERSTAND.

JESUS THEN SAYS, IF ANYONE HARMS ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE A MILLSTONE AROUND HIS NECK AND THROWN INTO THE DEEPEST SEA. THAT IS HOW SERIOUS WE ARE TO BE AS WE DEAL WITH CHILDREN.

NOW AS WE THINK ON THIS, HE ADDS A LITTLE MORE TO IT. IF A BROTHER SINS AGAINST YOU. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A SPIRITUAL BROTHER HERE. ANOTHER BELIEVER.

THIS SHOULDN’T HAPPEN, BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT IT DOES. I LOVE MY PHYSICAL BROTHERS DEARLY, I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR THEM, BUT, WE HAVE HAD OUR DIFFERENCES IN THE PAST. I BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE BIG REASONS FOR THIS IS, B/C WE ARE SO MUCH ALIKE.

JUST AS THIS IS TRUE IN THE PHYSICAL REALM, IT IS TRUE IN THE SPIRITUAL AS WELL. WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING. WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM. BUT WE DON’T ALWAYS AGREE ON HOW WE ARE GOING TO GET WHAT WE WANT. OFTEN ITS NOT A CASE OF RIGHT OR WRONG, IT IS SIMPLY METHOD. WE BOTH WANT TO WORSHIP. I WANT TO DO IT WITH LOUD MUSIC AND EMOTION. YOU WANT TO DO IT SOFTLY AND TENDERLY.

SO, JESUS SAYS, YOUR BROTHER SINS AGAINST YOU. THERE IS A THREE STEP PROCESS TO BE FOLLOWED. REBUKE. REPENT. RESTORE.

REBUKE. I HATE CONFRONTATION. I WOULD RATHER DO ALMOST ANYTHING IN THE WORLD OTHER THAN BE IN A CONFRONTATION. BUT JESUS SAYS, THIS BROTHER HAS SINNED, THE FIRST STEP IS TO REBUKE HIM. WHAT THAT MEANS IS, SPEAK TO THAT PERSON, IN LOVE, AND POINT OUT THE SIN. WHILE WE WERE RAISING OUR CHILDREN, AS MUCH AS WE DIDN’T LIKE TO DO IT, THERE WERE OCCASIONS THAT WE HAD TO DISCIPLINE THEM. CORRECT THEM. THE BIBLE SAYS, THAT IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT OUR CHILDREN KNOW THAT WE LOVE THEM. REBUKE.