"Your Response Matters"
Luke 11:24-36
A sermon for 7/10/22 – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Pastor John Bright
Luke 11 “33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. 34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”
Pause right there. Those words I just read; they were “Breathed by God”! God wants you to hear His Word right now! So, what is your response? Do you want to transformed by that Word or do you want to be informed about the words? You have to choose.
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I hate to be the bearer of bad news… but there is a deep divide in this sanctuary. No – it’s not what you think. It’s not political parties. It’s not hot-button social justice issues. Nope, it’s our view of “What is truth?” Here’s a way to view our divide from Os Guiness:
“Three baseball umpires debate their different philosophies of umpiring…
“There’s balls and there’s strikes.” Says the first, “and I call them the way they are.”
“No!” exclaims the second umpire. “That’s arrogant. There’s balls and strikes and I call them the way I see them.”
“That’s no better,” says the third. “Why beat around the bush? Why not be realistic about what we do? There’s balls and strikes and they ain’t nothing till I call them.”
The first umpire represents the traditional view of truth—objective, independent of the mind of the knower, and there to be discovered. The second umpire speaks for moderate relativism—truth “as each person sees it” according to his or her perspective and interpretation. And the third umpire bluntly expresses the radically relativist, or postmodern, “truth” is not there to be discovered; it is for each of us to create for ourselves. (Time for Truth: Living Free in a World of Lies, Hype, and Spin, 2000, pg. 12)
Now that we live in a world where people claim “there is no absolute truth” we have to think about how people view the Bible because God’s Word has always been understood to make absolute claims on the life of the Believer. That will NEVER change!
In today’s reading, we see Jesus expects a response from those who are confronted with His teaching and His ministry. The same is true today, so I gave this sermon the title – “Your Response Matters.”
Your response to spiritual freedom, v. 24-26
“24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. 26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
In this illustration, Jesus shows us that when a person is set free and saved, she or he is like a house that has been cleaned out. We know that the blood of Jesus washes us clean at the moment of salvation. Amen? When there is a new Believer, that life/house must be filled with the things of God.
I have often heard that John Wesley had to deal with folks who were saved and then went right back to a life in the pubs filled with drunkenness. His response – they were not saved.
Is there a difference between the folks in here and the folks out there? Are we like them with a little religion thrown into the mix? We should be different – radically different.
The response of obedience, v. 27-28
“27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”
28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Jesus’ response to this woman is in the form of a “beatitude.” It reminds me of James 1 “22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
I think we live in a day when “obedience” is a dirty word. I think most of would like to have a say or have some input into which parts of God’s Word we will obey and which parts we will ignore. Was that too blunt? Good! We all have “selective hearing” when it comes to the Bible. We do it in here on Sunday morning. We do it in Sunday School and Bible Study. We do it when we read the Word at home. It’s so easy for me to read something and think – “Lynn should read that.” Long ago, someone taught me that’s a red flag that means I am trying to avoid that part of God’s Word. So, I go back and seek God’s help with those words I don’t want to see bear fruit in my walk.
Your response to what Jesus offered, v.29-32
“29 And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.”
Jesus gives them a little history lesson here. Jonah was sent by God to the mortal enemies of his people – the Ninevites. The worst part for Jonah was their response – repentance. Then, from the time of King Solomon, Jesus speaks about the Queen of Sheba coming to Jerusalem. (1 Kings 10) She came to see if the reports of Solomon’s wisdom were true. After he answered all her questions, the Queen gave extravagant gifts to Israel. Both the queen and the Ninevites believed!
What the crowd heard that day – “This is an evil generation.” Why? They have one greater than Jonah and Solomon right in front of them. Last week we read v. 16 “Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.” This seems to still be on the table because Jesus tells them they are seeking a sign.
They saw miracle after miracle. They saw healing after healing. They saw a multitude of demons cast out and people set free. Jesus spoke to them and touched them. They had the Son of God in their midst and still wanted some kind of proof. They had the evidence in His words and actions – so do we, but many today question His teaching and deny His miracles.
Worse than that, today I hear over and over “Well, Jesus never said anything about _______.” HAHA! We just don’t like what He tells us!
Mark 7 “20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
Your response to the light, v. 33-36
“33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. 34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”
From that passage in Mark 7 – can you see that there is darkness in each of us?
What dispels the darkness? Light – that’s what Jesus’ teaching is compared to in this closing exhortation of our reading. Do you see the truth in His words and allow them into your thinking? If you have not been taking God’s Word as the TRUTH and the standard by which you view your thoughts, words and actions – let me suggest to you how you got to this point. One lie gets repeated until is part of you and you turn from the truth of God’s Word.
In Isaiah 5, the Lord is showing the prophet why He will bring judgement upon the people. God describes them as a vineyard and He is warning that a time in coming when the walls that protect them will be removed. Here is some of God’s complaint against them:
“20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!”
It’s the same image of light and dark. You can’t substitute one for the other, but that’s what they had done. The people of Ancient Israel had begun to worship other gods again as their ancestors had done – 1 Samuel 7.
So what did God say? Did He say – “That’s ok, you can do whatever you think is right”? NOPE!
Isaiah 5 “24 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble,
And the flame consumes the chaff,
So their root will be as rottenness,
And their blossom will ascend like dust;
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
25 Therefore the anger of the Lord is aroused against His people;
He has stretched out His hand against them
And stricken them,
And the hills trembled.
Their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the streets.”
I know what some of you might be thinking – “That’s the Old Testament God – Jesus would never be like that.” In Revelation 19, Jesus is riding a horse to make war – “19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.”
There are some many lies today that are being repeated to the point we accept them as the truth. It happens so often it seems normal to us. Jesus is still the Light of the World. We have the Holy Spirit to help us find the truth. Maybe we all need to admit – “I got that wrong” and go back to God’s Word as the Absolute Truth for the past, present and future. Amen.
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Teaching Sheet
"Your Response Matters"
Luke 11:24-36
7/10/22
“Three baseball umpires debate their different philosophies of umpiring - “There’s balls and there’s strikes.” Says the first, “and I call them the way they are.”
“No!” exclaims the second umpire. “That’s arrogant. There’s balls and strikes and I call them the way I see them.”
“That’s no better,” says the third. “Why beat around the bush? Why not be realistic about what we do? There’s balls and strikes and they ain’t nothing till I call them.”
The first umpire represents the traditional view of truth—objective, independent of the mind of the knower, and there to be discovered. The second umpire speaks for moderate relativism—truth “as each person sees it” according to his or her perspective and interpretation. And the third umpire bluntly expresses the radically relativist, or postmodern, “truth” is not there to be discovered; it is for each of us to create for ourselves. (Time for Truth: Living Free in a World of Lies, Hype, and Spin, 2000, pg. 12)
Your response to spiritual freedom, v. 24-26
A person is set free and saved, is like a house that has been cleaned out. As a new Believer, that life/house must be filled with the things of God.
Is there a difference between the folks in here and the folks out there? Are we like them with a little religion thrown into the mix? We should be different – radically different.
The response of obedience, v. 27-28
James 1:22-25
I think we live in a day when “obedience” is a dirty word. I think most of would like to have a say or have some input into which parts of God’s Word we will obey and which parts we will ignore. Was that too blunt? Good!
Your response to what Jesus offered, v.29-32
Have you ever heard this? “Well, Jesus never said anything about _______.” We just don’t like what He tells us! Mark 7 “20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
Your response to the light, v. 33-36
Isaiah 5:20-21 & 24-25
Here’s what people think - “That’s the Old Testament God – Jesus would never be like that.” In Revelation 19, Jesus is riding a horse to make war – “19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.”
Maybe we all need to admit – “I got that wrong” and go back to God’s Word as the Absolute Truth for the past, present and future. Amen.
