Sermon for 9/23/2001
Luke 13:1-5
Preaching from the Newspaper
Introduction:
B. Change gears this morning. I must discuss what is happening in this world. Apply the Word to life.
C. Some preachers talk too much about life and not enough about the Word, some talk too much about the Word and not enough about life.
1. Preacher who came in and preached from the morning newspaper. He talked about life but little about the Word.
2. Preachers who do not refer to any events. If they do so old that outdated. One time there was an Elderly interim preacher who preached about the evils of the President. The crowd began to realize that he was Not talking President Clinton; He was talking about President Nixon.
D. We need a good balance. Must relate the Word to life.
E. "This year will have a notoriety among its fellows as the year of calamities. Just as that season when man goes forth to reap the fruit of his labors, when the harvest of the earth is ripe, and the barns are beginning to burst with the new wheat, Death too, the mighty reaper, has come forth to down his harvest; full sheaves have been gathered- the tomb, and terrible have been the wailing which compose the harvest hymn of death. In reading the newspapers during the last two weeks, even the most stoic must have been the subject of very painful feelings. Not only have there been catastrophes so alarming that the blood chills at their remembrance, but column after column of the paper has been devoted to calamities of a minor degree of horror, but which, when added together, are enough to astound the mind with the fearful amount of sudden death which has of late fallen on the sons of men. We have not simply been stunned with the alarming noise of one terrific clash, but another, and another, and another, have followed upon each other’s heels, like Job’s messengers, till we have needed Job’s patience and resignation to hear the dreadful tale of woes."
F. This is not the word of an older preacher in our day. The year was 1861 and the preacher was Charles Spurgeon. On August 25 of that year, a nightmarish train crash in the Clayton Tunnel (a 1.5-mile long tunnel between London and Brighton) had claimed 23 lives. Another train wreck in Kentish Town Fields (in North London) on September 2 of that year claimed 15 more lives.
G. Such things as these have always happened in all ages of the world.
H. Think about the Crusades. If a soldier went on the Christian Crusades, he was guaranteed heaven by the Pope if he died in battle.
I. Many people are saying that this age is a harsh and evil one. If the truth were known, every age since the fall of men has been a harsh and evil one.
J. God’s Providence, the universal rule of God, has become lax. No, there have always been seasons when death was handed many victims. Not until the Lord returns will death be done. In the meantime, death will have many festivals, and eat on the flesh of men.
K. Some are saying that God has thrown away the reigns of the world. No, he is still in control.
L. The world and nations go through times of peace and prosperity, and through times of war and poverty. It is the way of this old, evil world.
WBTU:
A. In Jesus’ preaching, teaching, he had a balance between talking about life and teaching the living Word of God.
1. Jesus did make some political comments about his day.
a. The Pharisees.
b. Because Jerusalem rejected him, Jerusalem would be destroyed and the whole nation.
c. When Jesus was told something about Herod Antipas- Go tell that fox.
d. However, mostly Jesus stayed out of commenting on political, foreign, or domestic policies.
2. Most of the time Jesus spoke of everyday things and applied spiritual heavenly meaning to them.
3. I am sure that the Jews wanted the Messiah to speak against the Romans, against taxation and be a great military and political leader. This was not Jesus’ mission.
B. Events of last Tuesday.
1. Why? Why did God allow this to occur?
2. These people in New York and the World Trade Center were wicked people so God judged them.
3. We live in a wicked nation like Israel so people punished as a warning to this nation.
C. Newspaper that day.
1. Galileans.
a. During religious feasts in Jerusalem, the Military governor was to keep order.
b. Many revolutionaries came to the feasts to cause rebellion among the people.
c. Pilate and his soldiers went right into the temple area. A no-no.
d. The Zealots flourished in Galilee.
2. Tower of Siloam.
a. The Tower of Siloam was in the city of Jerusalem.
b. It fell because of engineering flaws.
c. It fell because of a storm.
d. It fell because of terrorists. Arabs to the south, Parthian to the East.
e. 18 men died while working, doing business or simply going to the temple to pray.
Thesis: How did Jesus respond to these newspaper stories of his day? What did he teach about terrible events? What does it all mean?
For instances:
I. Foolish, ignorant conclusions.
Two possible explanations that are ignorant, foolish.
A. These people were sinning so God judged them.
1. Jesus says no.
2. We have heard of instances of people who have cursed God and defied Him to destroy them, who have suddenly fallen dead. Can perceive the hand of God in it. The person asked for the judgement of God, his prayer was heard and judgement came.
3. Natural judgements- AIDS, liver damage, poverty, starving, and people make fun of, consequences to sin. The judgement of God is upon notoriously, ungodly people.
4. However, we shouldn’t go too far with this. The godly person who has AIDS, the godly person who has liver damage, the godly person who through misfortune must live in poverty, the godly person who through misfortune goes hungry, the godly person who society persecutes because of their stands. We better not say that these people are being judged.
5. Experience and observation teaches us that one event happens to both the righteous and the wicked.
6. The circumstances of earth do not discriminate.
7. In the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Christian, godly people suffered as well.
8. Because of our faith we know that it will all work out for good, because bad things happen to the good and the evil.
9. The sword of war does not discriminate between the godly and the wicked.
10. Why?
11. God’s ways are not our ways. Many people are simpletons and claim to know why God allowed everything happened. It is like a person who sees the last 5 minutes of a movie and knows all about it.
12. We have been on this earth for a very short time and we claim to know all of God’s ways. Only God knows everything from beginning to end. Only God understands all the results. The ways of God are deep.
13. This view that good things happen to the good and bad things happen to the bad encourages Phariseeism.
14. If we have an easy, comfortable life with no problems we are God’s children. If we have a hard, difficult life full of trouble we are not God’s children. Don’t we see the problem in that?
15. This thought is a very cruel and unkind one. Children who are born into bad families. Babies who suffer. Children before the age of accountability. It doesn’t make sense.
16. This idea robs Christianity of one of its noblest arguments for the immortality of the soul.
17. Some have been dealt a very poor hand of cards while other are born with a silver spoon in their mouth.
18. In the next world all things will be righted. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. God will punish sin in the next life; man will receive the due reward for his works.
19. This world is not the reaping place. If we think that, then we have taken the sting out of sin. Wicked who are rewarded, righteous who are punished? It will be righted in the end.
B. The nation is being punished for their sin.
1. When Jesus was talking about the city of Jerusalem he said that it would be destroyed because their refused to recognize their Messiah. In this case the nation was punished for their sin.
2. When a calamity has befallen a nation, many times the nation thinks that God is judging them. This is not altogether bad.
3. When something bad happens to people our natural reflex is to assume it’s God’s judgment.
4. However, we should not take this too far either. If a nation suffers from several tragedies, then we would assume that nation is full of evil. May not necessarily be the case?
5. Bad things have happened to very godly nations. Roman Empire. England. United States.
6. Jesus does not discuss this issue. However, he does give us a meaning for all tragedy.
II. Jesus’ point. What does it mean? What is the purpose?
A. Instead of thinking of their sins, or of the nation sins, we should we thinking about our own sins.
B. This message is for the next guy. No, it is for all of us. The whole world.
C. Have I repented of my sin?
D. Since we might meet the same fate, am I prepared to meet it?
E. Do I know of the depravity and blackness of my own heart?
F. Have I been lead to confess God before men?
G. Have I been made a new creature?
H. Have I been baptized for the forgiveness of sins? Am I washed in the blood?
I. Am I becoming more and more like Christ?
J. The question should not be "Why did this happen to those people?" "Why didn’t this happen to me?"
K. The whole world is under judgement. We all deserve death. God’s grace that we live on.
L. How much better to focus on our own destiny and our own state!
1. A greater FBI, CIA will not protect us
2. Better airport security will not protect us
3. Stronger military will not protect us
4. Jesus gave the only warning he could give: "I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
5. C.S. Lewis- Pain insists upon being attended to, God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
6. Evil while horrible, this shakes us from our complacency to look to God for our answers and to cast ourselves before His mercy! Pain is trying to tell us something is wrong!
7. Man isn’t basically good. He is basically evil.
8. John Donne was sick and facing death. Daily the plague took another life. Each time another individual died the bell would ring. Night after night he listened to this. Finally he found relief and made the following conclusion! "No man is an island… Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." September 11 was a wake up call for me! Tuesday was a wake up call for you! Tuesday was a wake up call for our Church! Tuesday was a wake up call for the World!
M. Am I prepared to die?
N. It may happen suddenly. In the span of a few seconds, minutes.
O. I am strong and in good health. So were they.
P. It will happen surely. "It is appointed unto all men once to die, and after death the judgement.
Q. Death came upon them suddenly. What could they do?
R. They are going to work, at their desks, they are talking, a scream is heard and then another, and soon it is over.
S. None of us can resist death when it comes calling. Cannot cheat death.
T. No postponing when our number is called. Death will have no delay; the time is up, the clock has struck, the sand has run out, and as certainly as they died when their time was come, so certainly must we.
U. The terrors of those who did not know Christ. If we be not in Christ, are not ready, to die is an awful and tremendous thing.
V. It is awful work at any time for a man to die unprepared.
W. We are dying creatures, not living creatures, and we shall soon be gone.
X. How are you doing? I am dying.
Y. When that day comes, may I:
1. be in meditation
2. Doing works of mercy
3. Helping the poor and weary
4. Preaching
5. I shall not fear death!
Z. (1 Cor 15:55 NIV) "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"(1 Cor 15:56 NIV) The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.(1 Cor 15:57 NIV) But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Conclusion:
A. Why? To wake us up.
B. Plan of salvation.
C. Repentance. Repent and be baptized.
D. Notice how Jesus takes the judgement off those that died and brings it back to us. Jesus makes it clear that their deaths should serve as a wake up call to us.
E. Serious soul searching.
F. I have known people who have gone through the plan of salvation, but no change. Repent before it is too late!
G. America is not invincible and we’re all mortals. None of us have a guarantee of tomorrow. So we need to take a spiritual inventory today and ask God to show us where we stand with Him.
H. How is it between You and me?
