Luke's Gospel

We're gonna be reading Luke chapter 12, verse 1 to 12 on page 1 0 4 4, if you'd like to grab a Bible on your table. Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered so that they were trampling on 1 another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying be on your guard against the yeast of the pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight. And what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear, fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not 5 sparrows sold for 2 pennies? Yet not 1 of them is forgotten by god.

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. I tell you whoever publicly acknowledges me from before others, the son of man will also acknowledge before the angels of god. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of god.

And everyone who speaks a word against the son of man will be forgiven, but anyone who plus themes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say. Thanks, Ben. My name is Tom Sweeman. I'm this and pastor here and, a very warm welcome to you.

It's great to have some new faces amongst us. We've got a new student joining us this evening, Amelia. Where's Amelia? Amilia is there. She's come all the way from Florida, managed to escape hurricane Dorian, didn't you?

Yeah. And, even had to rearrange your flight order to make it here safely, didn't you? But welcome to you. It's great to have you and, others who are visiting with us. Let's pray and, turn back to god's word in Luke chapter 12.

Let's pray together. Father we thank you that the unfolding of your word gives light. And we pray that as we unfold it together this evening that you would speak to us and give us light. We pray that you would show us the lord Jesus Christ. We want to see him to understand him.

We want to love him more. We pray that by your Holy Spirit, you would, expose and reveal our sin to us. And enable us to repent again and to come to you for fresh forgiveness and faith. We pray that each 1 of us might leave this place more resolved to boldly proclaim the gospel of the lord Jesus. And we ask it in his name.

Now, last week, if you were here Chris Tilly was, preaching from the end of Luke chapter 11, and he was opening up this stinging dinner party sermon. It began in chapter 11 verse 39 with these words. Now then you pharisees. You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside, you are full of greed and wickedness. And from then on, just like the prophets of the Old Testament, Isaiah and ezekiel, He went on to pronounce these prophetic woes upon the religious leaders, these judgments upon them for their religious hypocrisy.

And by the end of the chapter, when dinner and dessert was finished, I think it's fair to say that the relationship between those leaders and the lord Jesus Christ had reached boiling point. If they didn't before, they now hate his methods and his teaching. And they hate him. Verse 53 of chapter 11. When Jesus went outside the pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions.

Waiting to catch him in something he might say. So this section of Luke's gospel, which started in chapter 9 verse 51, where Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem has been full of rejection and is now really really serious. And so that is the context for today as we come to Luke chapter 12. The dinner party is over. The leaders are angry.

Jerusalem is still coming the crowds are still growing. What will Jesus say now to his disciples? What lessons has he learned? If you like. From that recent dinner party, which he wants to apply to his followers.

The first 1 in verse 1 is this and it's the first point Hopefully, up on the screen there beware, hypocrisy. Verse 1. Meanwhile, while all of that was going on, while Jesus was having dinner, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on 1 another. Jesus began to speak first to his disciples. So we begin this passage face to face with this unenormous, unruly crowd.

There is thousands of them The word actually refers to tens of thousands. It is busy. It is dangerous. There are people everywhere. But weirdly, they are kind of ignored until verse 13.

I mean, obviously, they are here, and they're about to, in some sense, listen in to what Jesus is going to say but they are not the focus of this passage. In light of the dinner party, Jesus goes first to his disciples. He speaks first of all to them. Be on your guard, he says, against the yeast of the pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Now again, as we saw last week, and it was very clear, wasn't it?

That the hypocrisy of their of the pharisees was their religion. They went on and on and on about their washing and their giving and their fasting and who sat where in the synagogue and why that was good. But Jesus showed it for what it was. A skin deep, heartless, horrible thing. And yet despite how horrible it is, the disciples must be very careful because there is something attractive, something addictive about the silent killer.

Hypocrisy. The recognition, the education, the best seats in the house, No need to concern yourself with people and their problems. Just enjoy the favor of men. And when you think about it, now more than ever, that would be attractive to the disciples, wouldn't it? The road to Jerusalem is a road to the cross.

It is 1 of weakness and not power It is 1 of suffering and not strength. It is 1 that will magnify God's glory and not the glory of man. But the pharisees and their hypocritical religion is the opposite. The road is power and not weakness. It is strength and not suffering.

It delights to glorify man and not god. Religion has its rewards in this life, doesn't it? If it didn't, no 1 would go for it. But beware the yeast, it it cannot be squared with the Jerusalem mission. So the first lesson comes directly from that dinner party beware beware hypocrisy.

Think you're immune to it. Think that judgment was just for them? I tell you beware, the east of the pharisees. But the second point he makes and it really is the major concern of this passage is this. They are not to fear men They are to press on with proclamation.

That's the second point to press on with proclamation. Here's a picture of a new a new book written by a chap called Michael Palin, and, the book is called the story of a ship. And, it's an interesting book. It's about this ship called the Airbus that was built in the 18 hundreds, and, originally, was constructed in South Wales for for war. I think, but ended up not being involved in combat, but instead became a research vessel, that went out on numerous trips to the Antarctica Antarctica and the Arctic and other places in order to, look at nature and to explore the world.

And as well as being quite an citing adventure story, it also gives you a really clear insight into what life was like for a sailor in the 18 hundreds. Which to put it mildly, was was difficult and dangerous. And therefore, captains of these boats faced a big problem. It was not unusual when a ship like the Arab stopped to rest in a harbor. To lose your sailors.

They would pull up in order for a bit of rest and relaxation the sailors would get off the ship after 4 months on board and if they like the look of the place, they simply would not return. And of course, the more dangerous an expedition became, the more common that was. Apparently, it was not unusual at this time when journeys were getting very difficult to lose 10, 15, 20 even up to half of your crew. A disaster for the expedition, but you can see the logic, can't you? When the going was tough, it was tempting to abandon ship.

And in light of chapter 11, verse 53, the hatred of the leaders. I reckon the disciples might have been feeling something like those sailors were feeling. Now more than ever before, it is dangerous to be associated with Jesus. If you were gonna abandon ship, and get off while you could. This would be the time to do it, frankly.

And so what they need now is they continue on this Jerusalem Road, with leaders hot on their tail, is both warnings and encouragement not to be afraid. But to keep going. This is not the time to abandon ship This is the time to stick with the captain and to press on with a big, bold, public. Gospel proclamation. Verse 2, there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed.

Or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. Now, this could mean that 1 day every 1 of us is going to be seen for what we are. And therefore, hypocrisy is a waste of time because we are all gonna be found out by Jesus 1 day, and that would be a perfectly fine true interpretation, but this language is also used in another way by Jesus, which might help us to understand what this particular passage is about. Have a look at this parallel passage in Matthew chapter 10 verse 24 to 20 seventh on the screen.

If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household? So do not be afraid of them for there is nothing sealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark speak in the daylight? What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the rooftops. So you see, in this case, it has less to do with being unmasked on judgment day and more to do with proclaiming Jesus even when they call the members of the household evil.

And don't you think that fits well with the rest of this passage. This is about what in verse 8 acknowledging son of man in public. It's about what in verse 12 speaking by the spirit in public. It's all about proclamation. And if that is the case, then what Jesus says here is frankly shocking.

Because I think at this point, most of us would be saying to Jesus, can we just pause and see the big picture here? The leaders now hate you and by association they hate us. All of this crowd in front of us now know my face. That's not good. I am now publicly associated you with you in a very serious way.

We're in the middle of a stampede Jesus, the gospel is too hot right now. Now is not the time to preach on the rooftops. Let us get below deck or abandoned ship entirely. But Jesus says, this is not the time to hide away. This is the time to stand publicly with the son of man.

These treasures which we have spoken of in secret The things that you said from house to house and village to village now up to the rooftops with it. We go bigger and we go bolder. No strategist in this world would recommend that. The people are hostile. The crowds are gathering.

The culture is wearing them down. What do we do? We go bigger and bolder with the message of the kingdom. And it's obviously an important point because he continues in verse 4 to say a very similar thing. So firstly, we've had beware hypocrisy.

Secondly, we've had, don't fear man, press on with proclamation, but thirdly, Third point is this, don't fear them, fear him, and don't be afraid. Don't fear them, fear him, and don't be afraid. Verse 4. I tell you my friends do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear.

Fear him who after your body has been killed has the authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not 5 sparrows sold for 2 pennies, and yet not 1 of them is forgotten by god. Indeed, and this will be of more comfort to some than others. The very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Don't be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. Don't fear them. Fear him, and don't be afraid. Sounds confusing.

Doesn't it? You wonder whether Luke has accidentally remembered 2 bits of 2 separate sermons and sort of spliced them together to make 1. Sounds a bit confusing to read it that way. But when you think about it, these truths side by side are the perfect remedy for the fear of man. Jesus says my friends, It's very tender with them, isn't it?

My my friends, you're my friends. God is in heaven, and he has the keys to the underworld. He is the 1 with authority to throw you into the fire of hell. Why would you fear men when a god like that sits on the throne? And you see, although it's easy for me to say, the point is he's making that even if we are brought authorities and councils verse 11, or in our day if we're brought before parent governor boards, equalities and diversity panels, HR committees.

The worst they can do, the absolute worst is destroy the body. And comparatively, that's not so bad. There is 1 in heaven who has authority to cast both soul and body into hell forever. Yes. I tell you.

Fear him. Last week, myself and Laura went to a a 1 year reunion of our NCT class, and, we went for a picnic on the Fairfield Sunday afternoon. And, while we were chatting in the park, 1 of the dads asked to me, how the church was going and, what I was doing at the moment in the church and what I was working on. And, it was quite quite an exciting moment because most of the conversation up into that point would be the kind that would bore most of you to death. About nappies and teething and baby clothing, but here he was, and he'd asked me a bit about the church.

And I have to say in that moment on reflection, I completely bottled it. I spoke about the numbers of the church and the buildings that we own, the size of our footprint here. In fact, we've got a couple of garages to our name. I spoke about the practical details of the church. But truth be told there was definitely an opportunity to say something about Jesus, to bring it from business to gospel.

He had brought it up. But on a sunny afternoon in the park surrounded by dads and feeling rather comfortable, I wasn't up for it. I wanted to keep Jesus slightly away from the conversation. And why? Because I'd forgotten my judge in heaven.

Would those dads have destroyed my body? No. Would they even have laughed at me? I actually doubt it. Would it have been uncomfortable for a moment?

It might have been, but I'll never know because I feared them and not him. So for me, it was other dads in the park. But what about you? If disciples of the lord Jesus spent more time considering the holiness of their judge, They would have less trouble speaking about him before men. But that's not the only thing to bear in mind.

Have a look what he says in verse 6. Are not 5 sparrows sold for 2 pennies Yet not 1 of them is forgotten by god. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.

1 author says that 1 of the main reasons we failed to confess Christ in public is because we forget our immense worth and the promise of god to care for us as we proclaim him. This same god who can throw sinners into the lake of fire forever. Knows how many hairs are on your head. You are very precious to him. He loves you.

My friends Jesus says, in heaven, you have a loving father. He knows what you need. You are worth more to him than many, many sparrows. So even in the face of this rising hostility, do not be afraid. You are precious to him.

There is this special promise here that the lord will care for his people as they go about the work of proclamation. So you see these verses which seem strange together to start with actually belong together in the most beautiful way. In the face of rising hostility, when there is a temptation to hypocrisy and the fear of men, Jesus says, be future focused and god centered. Be future focused and god remember your god. He is the lord of heaven and hell, and he is not to be messed with.

But he is a father who tenderly cares for his children as they speak. For Jesus. Don't fear men, fear him, and don't be afraid. That's the third thing. Lastly, and all the same ideas are combined again.

Ignore the sun and trust the spirit. Don't fear men. Ignore the sun. And trust the spirit. Let's start in verse 8.

I tell you whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the son of man will also acknowledge before the angels of god. But whoever disowns me before others, will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the son of man will be forgiven But anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And I'm sure I'm not the only Christian who has been rattled by that verse. We cannot help but wonder, can we, whether at some stage, we might have been guilty of this sin.

At some stage, we said something or did something which disqualified us from the promises of the gospel. But the chances are if you felt like that, you're probably not guilty of it. Jesus says that anyone who speaks a word against the son of man, I e himself will be forgiven. In other words, if you've ever backslidden or you've thought wrong things about Jesus or you've spoken about him in a dishonorable way or you have betrayed him with your actions and your choices as we all have and yet at root at base level you trust him as your lord and your savior. There is forgiveness.

This is not somebody who is battling. Somebody who who loves Jesus, but from time to time they keep quiet when they should speak. This is someone who has a settled belief that Jesus is not lord. They will not trust in him In fact, and to do that is to say that he is of satan, if you've read the previous verses, and to think like that about Jesus, is to blaspheme and oppose the work of the Holy Spirit who wants to draw people to the lord Jesus. That is who he is talking about, and that is the person who will be disowned before the angels of god in verse 9.

And for a second, can you just picture what that would be like? Before the throne of god. With thousands of his angels, standing before you and to see the son of man and for him to look at you, and to deny you. Could anything? Could anything?

Be more awful than that. If you are here and you're not a Christian, don't die without coming to Jesus. Because those are not the words that you want to hear from him before the angels of God. But then again, could anything be sweeter? Than opening your eyes to see the son of man surrounded by 10000 times 10000 angels and for him to say, let all of heaven know.

This is my brother. This is my sister I love them. I died for them. I am not ashamed to acknowledge you now. I am proud to acknowledge you now.

As my child, before the whole company of heaven, you are forgiven. And now is the time to enter into the joy of your master. To be acknowledged publicly like that before the lord Jesus. What a sweet what a sweet moment. And so the point is when we remember as disciples of the lord Jesus, that a day is coming when we will see the son of man face to face before the angels of god.

When we reflect on the issues in these passages, eternal issues of heaven and hell, It should chase away hypocrisy, chase away the fear of man. What does it matter? And free us to acknowledge Jesus publicly and gladly in this life. It's not to say that we won't battle. And it's not to say that when and if some of us are dragged before councils and committees that it won't be scary course it will.

It would be unreal to say anything else. But how to fight it and how to keep speaking? See Jesus in his glory as judge and savior, be future focused, and god centered. 1 author summarizes like this on the screen. These words were meant to bring a sobering shock to the hearts of those who had been toning down their confession in hopes of escaping trouble.

Those with true faith would hear the wake up call and continue their good confession. And that is true. There is no doubt that this is sobering, but it is here to help us to keep proclaiming Christ. In a hostile world. And if you've ever been like me in that park, then that is exactly what you need, isn't it help?

I imagine that every Christian in this room at some stage has been like the apostle Peter. We have all said in private, haven't we? Lord, even if all others deny you, I never will, Lord. Not me, lord. I never will, but then when tough times come, when opposition is in our face, when our reputation is on the line, I tell you I do not know the man.

Why? Because we have feared god more than men. And so that is why we must come back and revisit the cross of the lord Jesus Christ this evening as we are about to do in communion. Because remember, this whole section of Luke is in the shadow of the cross, so nothing is separate from his cross work, from his salvation work. And it is there we remember that Jesus, the son of man, as he hung on a cross, was pleased to acknowledge us in his suffering.

He was pleased to stand with us and to die for us. To be thrown into hell itself as it were by the judge of all as he took god's wrath. For the words that we have spoken against Christ, for the times that we have failed to acknowledge him For the times when we have feared men, more than god, he was not ashamed to acknowledge us on that cross and to die for us so that we could be forgiven and welcomed into his glory. The cross tells us that there is grace for hypocrites There is grace for Jesus deniers. There is grace for man pleasers.

And in light of that, we are helped to put to death the fear of man and to press on with a big, bold, proclamation, of Jesus Christ. These are the warnings and the encouragement that we need. Fear the judge Rest in the father. Stand with the son. Trust the spirit verse 11.

And then go to the rooftops. This is a hostile world And I'm sure many of us have felt worn down by the culture, but this is not the time to abandon ship. This is not the time to keep quiet. This is the time by god's grace to stand with the captain and to go to the rooftops and to keep proclaiming his word. A moment of quiet and then I'll lead us in a prayer.

Father, we are sorry for when we have been attracted to the yeast of the pharisees, which is pocrisy. For the times when we have thought more about how we look, how we sound, what we do, what we say, what people think of us, have we come across well? If not, why not? For the times we've obsessed about ourselves and our religion, and we have been in truth living hypocritical lives. We pray that you would forgive us and that you would help us to be sincere followers of the lord jesus who don't use people to gain a reputation, but love them.

We pray that you would help us in this world, which is increasingly hostile in a culture which marches on in its rebellion against you in a culture where we can feel worn down. In a culture where riches and possessions have crowded out any need for you. We pray that you would help us not in these days to go quieter, but to go more and more up to the rooftops. And to proclaim that Jesus is the king and the Savior. We pray that you would help us not to fear men, but to think more of you on the throne with the authority to cast people into hell.

We pray that we would be sobered by that thought and would therefore keep proclaiming Jesus. We pray that you would help us to remember that you are our father and we are precious to you. And therefore, we would trust you and not be afraid to keep speaking about Jesus. We pray that you would help us in in that situation perhaps when we are drawn before authorities, drawn before councils, committees, that we would trust the Holy Spirit to speak and to help us acknowledge Jesus even in those hard times. Please, we pray help us as a church and as individuals to keep speaking for Jesus.

And we ask it in his name. Oh, man.