Reality Check

Sermon Delivered September 25^th, 2011 by Pastor Eric Ellis

Luke 12:49-59

B. Clayton Bell relates the following story:

Are your priorities straight? A couple I heard about in Atlanta read that My Fair Lady was still playing on Broadway in New York City. They wanted to go so badly, so they bought their tickets months ahead of time and planned their vacation.

The long-awaited day came and they flew to New York City. They presented their tickets, walked in, and sat down in wonderful seats, seven rows from the front, near the orchestra.

To the man's amazement, the entire place filled up except the seat right next to him. He was curious about that. At the intermission, he leaned over in conversation with the lady in the second seat away from him and commented how they had to wait so many months to get tickets to a performance. When there was such a demand for seats, why would someone not come. Did she have any idea? She said, “Yes, as a matter of fact, these two seats are mine. This one and that one.” She explained further, “You see, that seat belonged to my husband, and he died.” The man said, “I'm...I'm terribly sorry. But couldn't you have invited a friend to come with you?” Her answer was classic. She said, “No, they're all at the funeral home right now.” (Quoted in Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Word 1998, p. 468).

So again, are your priorities straight? Perhaps such a story isn't a great way to start off a sermon on the issue of commitment to Christ? However, the text that we are working through this morning is made up of very weighty and antagonistic words from our Savior, Christ Jesus, and a bit of levity perhaps is helpful before we dig into this passage. I mentioned a few weeks ago that one of the editors of Christianity Today, Mark Galli, has written a book called Jesus Mean and Wild. In this book, Galli deals with all the passages in the Gospel of Mark where Jesus says some very direct and harsh statements. And those of who have read the gospels know that direct and harsh statements from the Lord are not uncommon.

This passage in Luke is another one. We are in the Travelogue section of this gospel where Jesus is moving from His ministry in Galilee to Jerusalem to face His unjust trial and then crucifixion. This section begins in chapter 9:51 where Luke records these words, “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,...” This section ends in Luke 19 with Jesus' Triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of the Passion week. In the previous section of Luke, many miracles are recorded and some teaching. In this section, the miracles take a back-seat to the teaching ministry of the Lord. And much of this teaching is given in confrontation with the religious leaders as well as the non-committed multitudes. The religious leaders were opposed to Christ and His ministry because it took away their authority and influence. Many of the multitudes were simply there to see this man who caused such an uproar. Neither group was truly interested in learning and submitting to Christ.

Christ approached these folks with very direct calls to get a grip on reality and start living in the truth of Who He was...the very incarnate, eternal God. He challenged His disciples to take Him very seriously and to embrace the reality of what it meant to follow Him. And this same call and approach is needed for us today. Perhaps there are several folks here today who are opposed to Christ? You need to hear these words and wrestle with the reality of Who He is and what He came to do. Maybe there are several here who are ambivalent to the reality of Christ and His call? You need to put aside that ambivalence and decide what to do with Him. My hope and prayer is that most here are committed Christians who desire to follow Christ with heart, soul, mind and strength. Might this passage reinforce your single-minded commitment to live in the reality of our Savior and His work and call upon our lives.

Luke 12:49-59...

“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?

“Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”

From this passage, let us see that...

Because ultimate reality is based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ, we must live in the reality of His call to salvation and commitment.

Four Realities About Christ that We Must Embrace:

1. Reality: Christ came to set things right.

As we look as this passage, the first reality that we must embrace is that Jesus Christ came to set things right. This, of course, means that something is wrong. And we needn't look to deeply into this world and the happenings therein to see that this world is a very messed-up place. There are wars, famines, robberies, immoralities, rebelliousness, etc. Pick up the paper or go to your favorite news website and scan the topics. This place is a disaster through-in-through. The messed-up aspect of this place entails nature where we see earthquakes and floods and storms and whatnot. Paul writes to the Romans that even the creation groans and labors because of the corruption of sin (Romans 8:20-22).

But the primary problem with this place is men...people. Because of Adam's and Eve's decision to take of the forbidden fruit, the whole of humanity has been thrust into sin and death. And this fact is abundantly manifest in what we see day-in and day-out. This is a characteristic of the entire species of men as it shows up in each one of us. The Psalmist describes men in Psalm 14:2 and 3 with these words, which are repeated by Paul in Romans 1, “The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, No, not one.” If you are living in reality today, you understand and agree with this assessment of the character of men. You see it in your own life and it makes sense of what we see in the world today and throughout history.

The Savior Jesus came to this place to rectify this situation and He uses the picture of fire in verse 49 to proclaim this. He states that He came to bring fire on the earth and that His desire is that it would start up...be kindled. Fire is very often associated with God's judgment upon wicked sinners. Hell is where the worm does not die and fire does not go out (Mk. 9:44, 46, 48). Unbelievers will cast, along with Satan, into the Lake of Fire which burns for all eternity (Rev. 20:10 and 15). But also, fire can be association with purification and growth. Peter writes of the fiery trial that will come upon believers because of their love for Christ and how blessed one is who undergoes such trials (1 Peter 4:12). Thus, there is discussion amongst scholars as to whether this “fire” is a fire of purification or of judgment. Possibly both are indicated here, but it seem that contextually, the Lord is speaking of the fire of judgment. In all of Luke 12, the Lord is dealing with attitudes which, if not repented of, will lead to condemnation. He is actively confronting people with bad thinking about priorities and realities. And this passage continues on with that emphasis.

The text itself indicates that this fire is a fire of judgment. Note the chronological aspect of verses 49 and 50. The Lord declares His desire that this fire would be kindled now. However, in verse 50, there is a contrasting conjunction “but”. Christ is stating here that before this fire is kindled, something else has to take place. And that event is His death, burial and resurrection. And this fits with the Biblical emphases of Christ's First and Second Comings. He comes the first time not to judge sin, but rather to provide a means of being saved from sin. By this baptism that He will undergo, He will provide the means by which men can be saved from the fire of judgment which will arrive at His Second Coming. That Second Coming will be marked by the pouring out of God's full wrath upon mankind because of the fore-mentioned sin and rebellion. This is the fire that Jesus wished was already kindled. Years after the resurrection and ascension of Christ, Paul writes these words to the Colossian Christians concerning this wrathful fire, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,...” (3:5-6). So the First Coming of Christ was so that He might make provision for forgiveness and grace. The Second Coming will be for judgment and the establishment of righteousness.

But note also the Lord's great desire in both cases. He strongly wished that the fire of judgment was already upon the earth. Jesus sees the sin, wickedness and rebellion of His day and desires and aches for all of this to be set right. We, too, as we see the sin, wickedness and rebellion of our day, if we are living in reality, should be aching for Christ's righteousness and kingdom. We should be dressed in readiness and desire for that very day. This past week I read of horrible abuse of infants, leading to their death and great injury by wicked people. And this is just one example of literally thousands of acts of depravity that we can see around us daily. With the Lord, let us desire that things be set right.

Let us not be like the multitudes of Christ's day and even ours who don't take Jesus all the seriously. If people think of Jesus much today, they think that He was simply a good moral teacher or some irrelevant historical figure. I have a couple of friends who even question His existence. But, dear friends, Jesus lived and died and now He is alive forevermore. And He is coming back to set things right...to send fire on the earth. Theologian D.L. Tiede made this statement, “Those who would reduce Jesus to a sentimental savior of a doting God have not come to terms with the depth of the divine passion, of the wrath and love of God which is revealed in Jesus' word, will, and obedience even unto death.” (Quoted in Bock, D., Luke, Baker 1996, p. 1196). Dear friends, please come to terms with the facts and reality that Jesus came to set things right.

2. Reality: Christ will divide the closest of relations.

As we continue on with this examination of Christ's rather divisive words, we learn in verses 52 and 53 that not everyone agrees with Christ's method of setting things right. In fact, as anyone who has engaged in philosophical and theological discussion with someone of opposing views, the disagreements about the person and work of Christ can be quite explosive and intense. And, as sober-minded Christians, we have to realize that the claims of Christ are perhaps the most divisive claims that can be had.

Fortunately for us, this is a reality that Jesus Himself is well-aware of and He does us the service of preparing us for this reality. In verse 51, Jesus makes this very clear, unequivocal statement, “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.” Many of that day wanted a personally favorable peace. Recall from verse 13 of this chapter that a man wanted peace with his brother. But that peace involved Jesus acting on his behalf and settling a dispute between the two. Recall the militaristic attitude of many of the Jews who desired that Jesus would throw off the Roman occupiers. Those who are following Jesus are realizing that the kingdom He is talking about isn't to be found on earth. They wanted peace, but peace according to their own definitions. So Jesus straight up deals with this false sense of reality and He tells His listeners very clearly that following him will divide the closest of relations. In verses 52-53, the most intimate relations...those of parent and child...are torn asunder by Jesus Christ. The point that Christ is making here is that if following Him jeopardizes even the most intimate of relationships, don't be surprised if there are issues in the not so intimate relationships.

Friends, following Christ may cost you your job, your friendships, a promotion, grades at school, etc. I have previously shared about a young friend of mine who was the starting quarterback on his high school football team but had made a commitment in following Christ that would mean he would miss a game mid-way through the season. He informed the coach of that commitment before the season and, although the coach okay'ed the absense, he didn't really think the young man would follow through with it. When he did follow through, the coach gave the starting job to another and my friend didn't get it back. Dr. James White, who was with us in June, spoke of his daughter receiving a lesser grade on a English paper in which she articulated her Christian beliefs on a divisive social issue. Several years ago, I was visiting with a friend whose family was being ripped apart due to His commitment to Christ. His heart was rightfully broken and he was deeply grieved. He kept saying, “This is not what I signed up for!” I gently but firmed stated that no where in the Bible does God or Jesus quarantee that by following Him all of our problems, including family difficulties, will be fixed. In fact, in the passage before us here and in others, we see that by following Jesus someone may lose their family.

Dear friends, the gospel is divisive. It speaks to the inner core issues of man, many of whom have no desire to explore and wrestle through. Thus, when confronted with God's perfect nature, their own perfect wickedness, and Christ's perfect sacrifice, many will be repulsed and offended. 1 Corinthians 1:18 states this, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” The individual who is being saved by God absolutely loves the gospel. The unbeliever considers it foolishness and stupidity. Jesus knows this and warns His children that following Him may render asunder a family and other relationships.

R. Kent Hughes makes this comment on these words, “Jesus did not come to tell people that all paths lead to God. He did not come to tell people that what you believe does not matter. Jesus did not believe that all people are good, or espouse the perfectability of humanity. Jesus did not say you can do whatever you want as long as you do not hurt anyone else. His ethics are radical. He demands careful obedience and costly loyalty. And not everyone is willing to pay the price or to accept those who do....'everyone who wants to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted' (2 Tim. 4:12). And sometimes the division and persecution come from those we love the most. That is a fact.” (Luke: Vol. 2, Crossway 1998, p. 71).

Beloved, we must live in light of the reality that Christ will divide the closest of relations.

3. Reality: Christ's message is clear and present.

A third reality that we must embrace is that Christ's message is clear and present. In verses 54 and 55, Jesus uses two examples from nature to make this point. As we, too, can ascertain what is going to happen with the weather by looking to the west, so the Jews living in Israel could, and still can, tell what is going to happen by looking around. In Israel, rain storms form over the Mediterranean Sea to the west and then come over the land. Winds coming from the south pass over the Negev Desert and are exceedingly warm. As in the day of Christ, no one needs to have a college degree, work at NCAR or NOAA to be able to see what's coming regarding the weather. For those of us who have spent years in Colorado, we all have warm sweaters, gloves, hats and jackets ready to go because we know that in another few weeks, it is going to start getting pretty cold. And, sarcastically, Jesus is saying this makes you a genius!

The Lord is making a couple of points here. First of all, anyone who was attentive to spiritual things would recognize that Christ was fulfilling prophecy concerning the nature and work of the Messiah. The most helpful statement of this fact is found in Luke 7 where the imprisoned John the Baptist sends messengers to Jesus asking if He is really the Messiah. In verse 19 of that chapter, John asks, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” When the messengers of John come to Jesus, verses 21 and 22 describe the scene and the response of Jesus to this inquiry:

And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.

The implication of Jesus in this passage is that prophecy is being fulfilled and that Jesus is meeting completely such prophetic descriptions. In the above words to John, He is alluding to Isaiah 49 and 61. Although it is not stated, this satisfied John's concerns. And, in the passage we are looking at today, Jesus' point is the same. He is meeting the Old Testament descriptions of the Messiah and the thoughtful, biblically aware Jew would see this. As they can read the weather, they can read the Bible. And as they do so, they will see that the Messiah is present and the Kingdom of God is being announced and inaugurated. It is that clear.

We, too, have very clear and present indications that God is present and will judge. In Romans 1, we are told that God's power and divine nature are clearly seen through what has been made. Psalm 19 states that the heavens declare the glory of God. But man in his sin supresses this understanding. Not only does creation attest to God, but our understanding of right and wrong does also. There is a universal right and wrong and that points to a universal Law-giver. Lastly, the person and work of Christ, specifically the gospel...His death, burial and literal resurrection...declares the fact the God is here and engaged in the world. Paul declares to the Athenians as recorded Acts 17 that God “...has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (17:31). Not only do we have these obvious indicators, we have the words of Christ in the previous verses in Luke 12 telling us that we must be ready for His return. We also have passages such as Matthew 24 declaring what things will be like as the day of judgment approaches. Therefore, we should be ready for Christ's fire to come.

Another point that Jesus is making with these words is that we often focus on things that are ultimately irrelevant...like the weather...and we become experts in such trivialities. On the contrary, we should become experts in the person and work of Jesus and put everything else in its proper place. Being able to read the weather is not sin nor is much of what we pursue in our daily lives. But if that which we pursue and spend time understanding is not in its proper place, then we need to put it in it's proper place. Warren Wiersbe wrote these words, “How tragic that men today can predict the movements of the heavenly bodies, split atoms, and even put men on the moon; but they are blind to what God is doing in the world. They know how to get to the stars, but they do not know how to get to heaven! Our educated world possesses a great deal of scientific knowledge but not much spiritual wisdom.” ( The Bible Exposition Commentary, Victor 1996, Luke 12:54). Whatever else we pursue as a career or for entertainment or whatever, all of us should be theologians...all of us should strive to understand the person and work of Christ. Reality is that Christ's message is clear and present.

4. Reality: Rejecting Christ has eternal and horrible consequences.

The forth reality that we must embrace from this passage is that to reject Christ has eternal and horrible consequences. Upon initial reading, verses 57 through 59 seem to be a change of pace. Christ moves away from discussing the reality of His person and work and begins to offer free legal advice. But within the context of the entire chapter of Luke 12 and even moving into Luke 13, we can readily see that this parable-like statement fits right in with the flow and argument of the text. In these verses, Jesus is declaring that every single one of us has a court date set. And even now, everyone is on their way to the courthouse to have our cases decided. And, dear friends, we want to avoid that court date by whatever means are available. Settle out of court, Jesus says. Appease your accuser, Jesus says.

Of course, the accuser in this case is God. And as we have looked at numerous times over these past weeks that we have spend in Luke 12, we really don't want to go to court against God. He is perfect and His justice is perfect. And, dear friends, even if we have only done one thing wrong (a ridiculous possibility), that sin is against an infinitely holy and perfect God. Therefore, the smallest sin is worthy of eternal condemnation in hell. But just in case we want to compare ourselves to others and perhaps think that God won't judge us because we not Adolph Hitler or Jeffrey Dahmer, hear the words of the Apostle James as he wrote in his epistle, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. (2:10). Thus, every single one of us is guilty of breaking the entire law of God. And, if we don't settle the account before the court date, as Jesus indicates, we will be thrown into prison and stay there until the entire debt is paid. Verse 59 states that the payment must be made to “...the very last mite.” A mite is 1/8 of a penny.

But the problem is this. It is impossible to satisfy a debt against infinite holiness because that holiness never stops. Each and every sin we commit is against an infinitely holy God and it cannot be paid back except by an infinitely perfect sacrifice. Thus, dear friends, if we enter into God's holy court hoping to settle accounts with Him by something we do, we will find ourselves in hell forever because there is no way to pay back what we owe...it is impossible for a finite, sinful man to in any way satisfy infinite, perfect and holy wrath. Thus, friends, reality is this...if we go to God either through death or the judgment of the Second Coming with nothing but our own ability or perceived righteousness, the consequences will be eternal and horrible.

But God, knowing that it is impossible for wicked sinners to save themselves, sent His Son Jesus to go to the cross and bear completely and totally God's wrath against our sin. 1 John 4:10 states that Jesus propitiates our sin. Jesus satisfies God's wrath towards our sin through His death on the cross. Jerry Bridges, in his great book The Gospel for Real Life, states that by propitiating our sins, Jesus' work on the cross exhausts God's wrath toward those who believe in Jesus (Navpress 2003, p. 54). Thus, for the one believing in Jesus, God has no more wrath to give. Jesus took it all.

Friends, beloved, we don't want to go to court against God. There is no way to win and the consequences are eternal and horrible. But Jesus bore in His body our sins on the cross and completely satisfied God's wrath toward those who believe in Him. In verse 57, Jesus says to “...judge what it right.” Beloved, run to the shelter of the cross and find refuge and rest there. Don't go to court against God because to reject Jesus has eternal and horrible consequences.

Those of you who are friends with Mike DeVries on Facebook know that he is quite the quote-monger. He posts a new one almost daily. Early this week, he posted one of profound depth and insight, “If at first you don't succeed, don't try sky-diving.” Along those same lines, an army parachute instructor was preparing some new soldiers for their first jump from a plane. One of the soldiers asked the instructor, “Sir, if my main parachute doesn't deploy, how much time will I have to release the reserve chute?” The instructor approached the soldier, looked him closely in the eye and said, “You will have the rest of your life, son...the rest of your life.”

Dear friends, if you have not embraced the saving work of Jesus on your behalf, you have the rest of your life to do so. Please don't take comfort in that because you are not guaranteed your next breathe nor tomorrow. The Apostle James again asks this question, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (4:14). In light of this fact, recognize that, apart from saving faith in Christ, you have a court date set with God that you want to settle before that date. Settle it now...believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life.

For those of you who are saved, are you fully aware of Christ's demands upon your life and are you willing to not only accept but also embrace that fact that following Jesus may cause division and difficulty in your life? Do you see salvation in Christ as so awesome and worthy that you count everything else as a pile of dung comparatively? (Phil. 3:8) Is Jesus your everything? If God were to call you to do so, would you joyfully and peacefully sacrifice promotions, athletic achievement, friendships, grades, and even family harmony because you love God and are so very concerned about the eternal souls of men that you will value Jesus and His message above all of that? You know your own heart and God will deal with you in just the way you need? Will you submit to His purification with joy?

Also, are you pursuing deepening love and understanding of the person and work of Christ above everything else? Are you becoming a more thoughtful Christian/theologian...one who is able to see the sign of the times and live appropriately. What have you been reading lately that deepens your love and understanding of Jesus? How are you considering and applying what you hear from this pulpit and other teaching ministries of this church? Don't be a hypocrite who is an expert in only worldly pursuits without being an expert in Christ.

Beloved, to all of us, are we living in reality?

Because ultimate reality is based upon the person and work of Jesus Christ, we must live in the reality of His call to salvation and commitment.

Discussion Questions:

· Why is the theme of judgment a vital and necessary aspect of the gospel?

· Family harmony is rather sacrosanct in many households. How might the gospel interfere with family harmony and what should be a believer's response?

· How can we make sure that when someone is inevitably offended in our gospel discussions with them that it is the gospel and not us who are doing the offending?

· Besides vital and necessary church attendance and participation, what are some ways we can become deeper and more loving and thoughtful Christians?

· How do we balance the urgent call on believers to repent with God's total sovereignty over a person's salvation?