We'll be in Luke 6 at page 862 of the Church Bibles.
A number of years ago, I read a really moving account of a couple that adopted two little
! Russian boys from an orphanage out there. And the way they tell the story, it's incredibly
moving. But they describe at the start about how their first visit, the orphanage was overcrowded
and filthy. And there was this awful smell in the air. And I guess if you were to imagine
what an orphanage would be like, those things are no real surprise. The thing that they said
though that surprised them was the silence. All of these little children, the whole place
was absolutely jam-packed and there was not a peep of noise. It was so unnatural.
The reality is if no one ever comes when you cry, why would you bother? You learn pretty
quickly that it's a waste of time. Physically and emotionally, these boys had an awful life.
The most moving part of the book, however, for me was when they told the story of how they
brought the boys home for the first time. And they went in and they cleaned them up and
dressed them in nice new clothes and brought them out. And they went to get into the car to take them
to the airport. And as the car drove away from the orphanage, the boys fell apart, started screaming,
trying to get out the door. They wanted to go back to the orphanage.
There was a whole new life available to them. There was a whole vast array of opportunities open before them.
But because it was unknown, it was too much for them. It was frightening and it terrified them and they wanted to go back.
They wanted what was familiar, even if it was awful. They wanted that rather than stepping into the unknown.
We have our own versions of the same thing.
Maybe we're in a rut and we're unhappy, but we won't step out of the rut because the rut is familiar and we know it and we know how to operate in that system.
And the thought of stepping out of it into any alternative,
well, we're fearful of the unknown.
And this can especially be the case when it comes to following the Lord Jesus.
Perhaps we have experienced the struggles that our sin brings in life.
We know that we don't have all the answers.
We know that we aren't in control of our life.
Our appetites seem to always get the better of us.
We know that we need help.
We may even believe that Jesus is God's son and that we can be reconciled to God through his death and resurrection.
Perhaps we even know intellectually that that would be the answer to many of our problems.
But we won't take the step to put our faith in him because we're scared of what that will mean for our lives.
That's what Jesus requires of us.
It is that we let go of the control that we want to have of our lives.
It's like we say we take our hands off the steering wheel of our lives and we allow him into the driver's seat so he can take it wherever it goes.
And that's too much for us.
And so we don't take the step.
And it's not just in coming into the Christian faith.
Many of us profess faith in Christ but we still kind of keep him at arm's length.
We fit him in around the rest of our lives.
We look back or hold on to our old life because it's familiar.
Sure it was destructive.
We know that it wasn't the right way to live.
We know that it didn't honor God and it was rebellious in the world that he has created.
But our old life is familiar.
We knew how to operate back there.
And we aren't sure if we give ourselves fully to Christ.
If we surrender every single corner of our lives to him.
Well will that actually do us any good?
The truth is we're afraid to be truly Christian.
So what do we need in these situations?
What do we need when that is the case?
What do those newly adopted boys need when fear took hold in their hearts?
They needed to know that they were being given a new life.
They needed to know that they were in the hands of parents who would protect them.
And they needed to know that those parents would care for them no matter what lay ahead in their lives.
And that is what is happening in our section of Luke 6 this evening.
For two weeks if you've been here on these Sunday evenings we've seen the reluctance of the religious establishment of the day to accept that Jesus is God's King who is bringing in his kingdom.
The old religious order, old Israel has rejected Jesus and the new era of joy and blessing that he has brought in.
And this evening as we come to verse 12 in Luke chapter 6 Jesus shows us what he will do about this.
And what this new thing will mean for those who follow him.
I have come to do a new thing, you remember, new wine, old wineskins, all that kind of thing.
I've come to bring the kingdom of joy and blessing.
And there's this group that keep resisting, that keep trying to trip him up, that keep trying to resist him.
And he says, well, here's what's going to happen.
And it starts first of all, point number one, with renewal.
Renewal.
He chooses his new people.
Verse 12.
Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Now these men aren't simply a dozen of Jesus' closest friends.
Nor, as verse 17 tells us, are they the only people who were following Jesus at this early stage.
No.
Out of this large crowd, men and women, who had resolved that they are going to follow Jesus,
he chooses these 12 to be apostles.
Apostle means sent one.
That is, one who has been sent with the authority to speak and act for someone else.
Like an ambassador.
The authority to speak and act on behalf of their country.
That kind of thing.
But the fact that there are 12 is key to what Jesus is doing here.
Some people have pointed out that there are differences in the list of names across the gospel writers.
But that is because the number is more important than the names.
By ordaining 12, Jesus is making a really emphatic statement that he is establishing a new people of God.
In fact, the emphasis that Luke puts on Jesus' prayer, that is his wholehearted dependence on the Father before he makes this choice,
makes clear that this is God's work.
It is God establishing a new Israel.
So just as the old Israel was founded on 12 sons of Jacob, 12 tribes,
here the new Israel, the new people of God in Christ, will be founded on these 12 apostles.
There is, of course, continuity between old and new.
And the New Testament church is often referred to in the language of Old Testament Israel.
Think of the 12 tribes of Israel.
He uses that language in Luke 22.
Peter talks about a holy nation and a royal priesthood.
Those are Old Testament categories.
But there is also discontinuity with the broken, stiff-necked old Israel.
And these men will be the founders of the new people of God.
This is a foundational moment.
The last words we heard last time, if you look at verse 11,
they were the Pharisees plotting to get rid of Jesus.
And these men are going to carry on his mission after his death.
The church in every generation stands on the shoulders of these men.
Every gospel-preaching church in the world is built on this foundation.
The International Presbyterian Church, you and me here this evening,
we are here because Christ chose this group and built his church on their ministry.
So it's really important.
We're reading the Gospels and we see the opposition of the old Israel.
We recognize that that does not bring about the end of God's plan.
Jesus here is bringing renewal.
So he calls forth a new Israel, the church that will triumph in history
as the gospel spreads to every corner of the earth.
But, as we said at the start,
leaving the rotten orphanage for the promise of a new life
was distressing for those boys.
And being called to the new life that these men have been given here
would have been equally unsettling.
I can imagine that as Jesus called them to him,
as he called them together and he said,
you're going to be my apostles,
that there was more than a little bit of uncertainty.
Is he sure he's picked the right people?
I imagine that there was fear.
I imagine as they looked into the future with all of the unknown
that was ahead of them, that they were fearful.
So what do they need?
Well, first of all, they need to be reminded exactly who it is
that is calling them.
That's our second point.
If he starts with renewal, he then moves to reminder.
Reminder, he shows his power.
So in verses 12 to 16, we see again the humanity of Jesus.
He's laboring in prayer with his father.
He's choosing the 12.
But in 17 to 19, we see the compassion and power of the great king
as he moves among the people.
Verse 18,
And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.
And all the crowd sought to touch him,
for power came out of him and healed them all.
Since the start of chapter 5, this is a familiar picture.
We've consistently seen Jesus demonstrate his power and authority.
From the beginning of chapter 5, there was calling, cleansing, healing,
forgiving, providing, healing.
The Son of Man is unmistakably in the midst of these people.
But he has just called and commissioned this group of 12 men
to be the foundation of the new people of God.
And so what he's doing here is he moves among the vast crowds,
continuing to show compassion and to heal the broken and the sick.
He gives them a tangible reminder,
a very tangible reminder of who it is that has called them to be apostles.
The one who has chosen them is the one with the power to push back the powers of darkness.
The one who has chosen them has all authority in heaven and on earth,
and he can be trusted.
He's calling them to do something radical,
and he's giving them a demonstration of his power
so that they can know that he will be with them.
Again, I think this is very important,
because we feel the weakness of the church in our day.
We can easily ask the question,
is God's plan really on track?
He has promised that he will disciple the nations,
that the gospel will advance,
that the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Well, we're not really seeing that.
Is his plan really on track
when we live in a nation
that treats the weakest in society the way we do?
Is he really building his church
where the state church embraces all kinds of things
that are contrary to his word?
Well, if we belong to the people of God through faith in Christ,
we belong to the one who has all power and authority,
and he can be trusted.
There are circumstances in our lives
where I think we wonder whether the Lord knows
or whether the Lord cares about what is happening to us.
And if you were to push us
and we were to be dead honest,
we would say,
I don't really think I can trust the Lord with this situation.
The reason that I know that's the case
is because we so often take matters into our own hands.
When things are difficult,
when opposition comes our way,
when we don't get what we want in life,
so often we try and manipulate the situation
so that we do.
And what does that say except that we don't trust the Lord?
When our mental health is deteriorating,
when our bodies are breaking,
when our lives are in turmoil,
and we wonder,
is this maybe a bit beyond him?
Now, of course, if we were asked that question,
we would say,
no, of course, God is almighty.
He's sovereign.
But in our heart of hearts,
we wonder,
is our situation beyond him
or has he forgotten us?
Well, look again.
Verse 18,
those who were troubled with unclean spirits,
those who were emotionally tormented,
all the crowd,
power came out from him,
healed them all.
Do you need this reminder this evening?
You know, don't you,
that the Jesus of the Gospels
is the same Jesus
who is exalted to the Father's right hand in heaven,
and he is the same Jesus
who is present with us here
by his Holy Spirit.
This Jesus is building his church.
He has compassion on his people.
He has the power to change your life.
So whatever is going on,
here's the reminder
that you need to trust him.
You can trust him.
So Christ is making all things new
through his church,
and he is the son of man
who has the power to carry out this plan.
But Jesus doesn't stop there.
He doesn't just remind his apostles of his power.
He also offers reassurance
for the life that they have chosen.
That's our third point,
and that's the main thrust
of what we're looking at.
He starts with renewal.
He moves to reminder.
And then thirdly,
we have reassurance.
He makes his promise.
Luke's Beatitudes here,
when we come to verse 20,
they seem to be more specific
to the immediate context than Matthew.
So Matthew says,
blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
It's a general truth,
but these statements here
are addressed to this group
that are standing right in front of Jesus.
So verse 20,
blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
These men and women
have left everything to follow Jesus.
We saw in chapter 5
how some of these apostles
literally walked away
from their family fishing business
to follow Jesus in faith.
And what he does here
is assure them
that they've made the right call.
You don't think that there were times
when the radical nature
of the call on their lives
that Jesus gives,
there weren't times
when they went,
you know,
the fishing business
was pretty tidy.
It's a fair bit easier than this.
We knew what we were doing back there.
Jesus says,
you are poor
because you have left
everything to follow me.
And I want to reassure you
that you possess
the kingdom of God
as a result.
He'll move to reassurance
about the future
with his next breath,
but he starts with the fact
that even in the midst
of their struggles,
they are full citizens
of the kingdom of God.
Again,
do you need to hear that this evening?
The sacrifices
that you have made
to follow Jesus,
whatever they have cost you
in material terms
are worth it
because you have gained
the kingdom of God
which is beyond price.
Some people preach this
as an exhortation
to material poverty.
Only the poor receive the kingdom,
but it's actually a reassurance
that the cost
of following Jesus
is worth it.
It's worth it.
He calls us to take up
our cross and follow him.
He calls us, yes,
to give up everything,
to lay all that we have
at his feet.
All that I have is yours,
Lord Jesus.
My time,
my money,
my family,
my life,
my health,
everything.
It is yours.
Do with it what you will.
And whatever that costs us
in material terms,
he says here,
you can gladly let it go
because you have been given
one thing that ultimately matters
and that is the kingdom of God
and you cannot lose that
and it is worth
far more than anything
that you can have here.
It is a great reassurance.
And it is a great reassurance
that actually liberates us
to sit loose
to whatever we have
in material terms,
to live with open hands
and to be generous.
We're going to get to more
of that next week,
Lord willing.
Here's the thing.
Life is gained
in God's kingdom
by giving it away.
Blessed are you
who are poor
for yours is the kingdom of God.
But this reassurance
isn't just in the present.
It reaches forward as well.
Look at verse 21.
Blessed are you
who are hungry now
for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you
who weep now
for you shall laugh.
Blessed are you
when people hate you
and when they exclude you
and revile you
and spurn your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
You're hungry now
because you've considered
following me
to be of greater value
and worth
than your basic needs.
You're weeping now
because you have heeded
the call to follow me
and life as a follower
of Jesus is cross-shaped
so it inevitably
is marked by hardship
and grief.
You are hated,
you are rejected,
you are repulsive
to some people
and your good name
is maligned
all because you have chosen
to leave everything
to follow me
and I want to reassure you
that you are not just
blessed now
because of this.
It's not just
that you're a citizen
of the kingdom of God
but a day is coming
when your hunger
will turn to satisfaction.
A day is coming
when your tears
will become tears
of laughter
and all the hatred
that people have directed
at you
will give way
to vindication
and you will rejoice.
Do you hear this?
Are you hungry
because you lost everything
when you came to Christ?
I know that's true
for some of us.
Are things tight for you
because obedience to Christ
caused you to lose your job?
Do you have little
available to you
because you've chosen
to be so generous
to others
for the sake
of the gospel?
God sees it
and a day is coming
when you will be satisfied.
Weeping
verse 21
weeping over our sin
weeping over the sins
of our nation
weeping for the unborn
and the trafficked
weeping over the lost
weeping over those
members of our family
who face nothing
but a lost eternity
weeping because of disease
in our world
and divorce
and death
and all of these
awful things
there have been times
in my life
when I've wondered
if I would ever laugh again.
God sees it all
and a day is coming
when all of that sorrow
will turn to joy.
One author has said
the people
who laugh loudest
and longest
will be the ones
who suffered most
for their faith.
Eternity
will be full
of the laughter
and joy
of Christian martyrs.
Opposition
22
when people hate you
and when they exclude you
and revile you
and spurn your name
as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
When you are maligned
for your Christian faith
you took a stand
because God's word
required you
to take a stand
and
it destroyed your reputation.
It torpedoed you
professionally.
However personal
however nasty
however destructive
that gets
Jesus says
rejoice.
Really rejoice
actually
verse 23
leap for joy
kind of rejoicing.
You have to be a very strange person
to act like this.
People turning on you
people sullying your name
people telling the world
through social media
that you aren't just annoying
but you're actually wicked.
Who rejoices at that?
We were all told
from childhood
sticks and stones
may break my bones
but names will never hurt me.
That's nonsense
and we all know that.
We all remember
things that people
have said to us
many years ago
that have stayed with us.
I certainly feel that way.
I can't remember
there's loads of
punches on the nose
I don't remember at all.
That's why it's so big.
But it's true isn't it?
Sticks and stones
could break our bones
but names
particularly when it's lies
particularly when we've done
the right thing
devastates us.
So how do you rejoice?
Well you're either
a sociopath
where you know
that God sees it all
and he is keeping score.
and one day
it will end
and you will receive
a heavenly reward
that you couldn't ever
imagine
when you were going
through it all.
When you were going
through it all.
After all
if you're reviled
for following Jesus
for being obedient
to his word
you're on the right track
because as it was
for him
so it is
for his followers
and all of that
opposition
is on the clock
and one day
it will all cease.
So
we're reassured
in the present
we're reassured
about the future
but we're also reassured
about those who have not
made the sacrifices
that we've made.
This often plays out
again if we're honest
this plays out
in our minds.
I can get it
that the future
is going to be great
but
is it possible
that it could be great
now
as well as in the future?
Is it possible
to have the good life
now
and the good life
then?
Well Jesus is clear
verse 24
but woe to you
who are rich
for you have received
your consolation.
Woe to you
who are full now
for you shall be hungry.
Woe to you
who laugh now
for you shall mourn
and weep.
Woe to you
when all people
speak well of you
for so their fathers
did to the false prophets.
The sense of the word
woe here
is like
alas
or
how awful
to you
who are full now.
Jesus is pointing here
to those
who have chosen
present comfort
and prosperity
who have chosen
the good life
according
to this world
over the kingdom
of God.
And it's a reassurance
to the disciples
because as they
look at those
who haven't chosen
to follow Christ
but whose lives
seem much better
than theirs
they don't go hungry.
They don't weep
over the brokenness
of the world
because they never
have to experience
any of it.
And they're always laughing
and they're always
having people
tell them
how great they are.
And we hear that.
We hear that description
and we think
oh that would be nice.
But Jesus says
no
actually
it would be tragic.
And reassuring
these disciples
there is a warning
for those
who think
that that is
the right path
for life.
he says
how awful
it would be
to live that way
because it is
the worst trade
that you can possibly make
because it is so
short sighted.
The fleeting pleasures
that this life offers
even in their most
extravagant forms
are precisely that.
They're fleeting.
So
you better enjoy
whatever it is now
because the pleasure
in the moment
is all there is.
But know
that the hunger
and the weeping
they are coming.
That's what Jesus says.
Not only that
I think worst of all
the sense of profound
regret over rejecting
Jesus' offer of life
in him
the life that is
truly life
that will haunt you
for eternity
which is a very long time.
How awful indeed.
I suppose the obvious
thing to say is
so don't go there.
Don't go there.
Choose Christ instead.
Put your faith
in Christ.
Give your life
up to him
and you will receive
the kingdom
and you will receive
the blessing of new life
that changes
your present experience
because it reassures you
about a glorious future.
It changes your
present experience
because it assures you
of a glorious future.
Well in their fear
and uncertainty
those little boys
needed to know
that they had a new life
that they were in safe hands
and that their future
was secure
and Jesus shows us here
that it is the same for us.
If you've put your faith in him
he has called you
into his new people.
We have received the kingdom.
We are citizens
of God's kingdom
now.
and he has the power
to care for us
and we can live with joy
in the midst
of all of the trials
because our future
is secure
and that future
will be
unimaginably wonderful.
Let's pray.