Thanks very much, Neil. Good afternoon, everyone. Great to have you with us today.
If you were here last week, you'll remember that we were listening to some pretty challenging words
that the Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees, lots of woes as he went through.
This morning, we're in the same kind of area, just fairly shortly afterwards,
and the Lord Jesus is again saying some very challenging words, but this time it's to his disciples.
So the audience is different, and the emphasis is a bit different as well.
Because alongside the challenge, as Neil helpfully pointed out, there is encouragement
and the knowledge that whatever difficult times we go through, that God is with us if we really fear him.
So let's read together from Luke chapter 12. We're going to read the first 12 verses.
Luke chapter 12, reading from verse 1.
Here's what it says.
Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so they were trampling on one 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 the killing of the body has power to throw you into hell.
Yes, I tell you, fear him.
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?
Yet not one 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 acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.
But he who disowns me before men 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.
When you are brought before synagogue through as an 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.
And pray that God will help us to understand his word and to apply it to our hearts today.
I was 13 years old when Arthur Blessett came to Edinburgh.
Arthur Blessett is an American evangelist.
He's best known because he goes everywhere carrying a cross.
He's in the Guinness Book of Records.
He's been to 324 countries and territories around the world.
And everywhere he goes, he has a cross with him.
There he is in Edinburgh with it many years ago.
Arthur Blessett first came to Edinburgh in 1971.
He preached his first sermon at the foot of the mound to an audience of two.
There was Ian Leach, a well-known evangelist in the city,
and a teenage girl who he'd met when she was running away from home.
I heard him a year later.
And he came back.
And by that time, he was really well-known in Edinburgh.
And I can well remember standing outside a city centre church
in a crowd that may well have numbered thousands,
certainly a huge number of people, mostly young people.
And there was a real, real excitement and buzz about it.
At one point, a window upstairs in the church opened.
Arthur Blessett poked his head out and waved to us.
And everyone went absolutely mad.
And I thought of this at the beginning of the week,
as I read the beginning of this passage,
where it talks about the crowd of many thousands who had gathered,
so they were trampling on one another.
That's the only crowd of that kind of sort
that I can ever remember being in
and experiencing the excitement of.
Then we had the bomb in Manchester on Monday.
And I thought about another crowd,
a crowd of young people, mainly.
And they were probably falling over themselves
as they tried to escape.
And what was there in their minds
was not excitement at that point.
It was fear, it was terror
about what was going to happen to them.
A very different kind of crowd
and a very different kind of response.
And I thought, as I thought about the disciples
in this passage,
they may have had both of these emotions
as they saw the crowd there.
There was excitement.
The people were excited about Jesus.
Now, when we think about this crowd,
we have to remember Jesus is no longer
on the hills and plains of Galilee,
preaching in the open air to lots of people.
He's moved to Judea
and he's in the streets of the city.
And still there's a huge crowd,
a different crowd.
Still there's a huge crowd with him.
And they're listening to him
and they're engaged by what he has to say
because what he has to say
is radically different.
And for them it's quite exciting
as he tears into the religious leaders
and exposes their hypocrisy.
And I could see the disciples
being really excited
that the message that they were bringing
and that they were giving,
that the Lord Jesus was giving to the people,
was hitting home
and it was attracting so many to him.
But alongside that,
as we thought about last week,
there were the religious leaders
and they were so upset
by what the Lord Jesus was doing
that they were really out to get him
and potentially anyone who followed him.
And so the disciples may well have been feeling,
yes, this is in one way,
it's very exciting,
but in another way,
actually, this is pretty dangerous for us.
It's quite possible
that we could go through times of persecution,
that we could be dragged before the judges
and religious courts
because we are followers of Jesus.
And so Jesus, in this passage,
he is trying both to challenge the disciples,
not to get too excited
and to get dragged into some of the things
that would feature in the Pharisees
and others in this world.
He is also trying to encourage them
and to say, be brave.
Think of the things that really matter
and don't get caught up in things
which ultimately,
although they're important,
although they're difficult,
although they would naturally make you afraid,
ultimately, they're not the things
that are really important.
And I think he really,
in the first verse,
he brings out what is going to be
the key message of the whole passage
when he says,
be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees,
which is hypocrisy.
The Lord Jesus is very aware
that the religious establishment of his day,
although they appeared good,
although they appeared to be living lives
that some would say,
well, they're lives that are obedient to God.
They try to obey all the things in the law
going beyond what the Old Testament
would have to their own laws.
They appeared to be good,
but actually they were hypocrites.
A hypocrite is someone who wears a mask,
someone who's something in one place
and something totally different somewhere else.
So the Pharisees in public,
they were religious,
they were holy people,
they liked your parade,
their goodness before others.
In private,
their hearts and their minds,
their attitudes and their actions
as well were wrong.
They were wearing a mask
and what you saw
was not necessarily what they really were.
And Jesus said,
even for my true followers,
for my disciples,
there is the danger
that we could get into that as well.
A picture of yeast
is in bread making,
obviously.
It's the yeast that is used in the bread
to raise it
and the bacteria of the yeast
go throughout the whole dough.
Everything gets infected by it
in the words of Jesus.
And Jesus says,
if you're not very careful
the kind of attitudes
the Pharisees and others have,
they could infect you
and you could become like them,
you could become hypocrites.
The real challenge for us,
I think,
is what I am on a Sunday
in church.
What I am when I go home
or what I am when I go into work tomorrow
or when I go to my sports club
or to the other situations
I have during the week.
Jesus says, I think,
four things
as we go down through the passage
and I've used words
that look quite similar
to try and help us
to remember them.
Four key things
that he says
as he goes through.
And the first thing he says
is there is something
unforeseen
that is going to happen.
The Pharisees,
the religious leaders,
hypocrites down through the ages,
they think,
I'm okay,
I can keep up
my outward appearance,
I can make everyone think
that I'm good
and I'm living
a life for God
and what I do
behind the scenes,
what I do
in the privacy
of my own home,
nobody really knows about.
And Jesus says,
hypocrites
will be exposed.
The picture he uses here
is of a typical Jewish house.
So a typical Jewish house
wouldn't be built
with bricks and mortar
the way ours are,
be built with clay
and it wouldn't
in many senses
be that secure
on the outside.
It wouldn't be that difficult
if someone was really determined
to break in
to get through
that outer wall
and to take something
maybe even when
the household
was sleeping.
So what they used to do
was they would have
a room right in the middle
of the house.
A room with no
external walls
or windows.
And that was the most
private place
in the house.
It was where you'd keep
your most valuable things.
It's where they were safest.
And it's where if you wanted
to have a really
confidential conversation,
you might go
because no one
outside the house
could hear it.
You are protected
from everything.
So Jesus says,
it's a bit like
going into that dark room.
That room with no windows
waiting.
Nothing can be seen
or nothing can be heard.
It's a bit like that.
That you are trying
to hide what you really are.
And yet,
what you have said
in that dark room,
it will be seen
in the daylight
and it will be proclaimed,
he says,
from the rooftops.
Now exactly what
or when
the Lord Jesus means
it will be proclaimed
isn't entirely clear.
Sometimes hypocrisy
is exposed
in this world
and the hypocrite
is held up
as someone
who really hasn't
been doing
what they should have been.
Perhaps sometimes
we'll never be found out
if there's hypocrisy
but God knows
and God sees
and what we have done
in the hidden place
it will be seen
in public.
Now that needn't necessarily
just be something
to challenge us.
It's something also
I think that can be
an encouragement.
Because I'm aware
of many Christians,
Christians in this church
and one I'm not aware of,
who the work they do
for Jesus
and the prayers
that they bring
before him
and the encouragement
that they give
to others
is unseen.
Most of us
know nothing
about it
and yet we can be sure
that God knows
and that God
will reward
appropriately.
The things that we have done
in the hidden place,
God will,
Christ will give us,
a credit
will give us reward
for in public
because we have been
faithful servants.
So there is a challenge here.
There is also,
I think,
an encouragement
for us.
But a real warning
against hypocrisy.
So there is something,
says Jesus,
unforeseen
that is going to happen.
Jesus then says
there is something
that is
unforgotten.
And he is thinking
now of the fact
that he
and his disciples
are going to go
through times
of persecution.
And as the disciples
are looking around,
they may quite
legitimately
be afraid
as they see
the way things
are going
and the treatment
that they are getting
from the religious leaders.
And Jesus says
it is natural
to be afraid.
It is human
to be afraid.
that actually
you don't really
need to fear
what man
might do to you.
What's really important
is not the worst
that men can do
that you can imagine.
What's really important
is that you are
right before God
and that when you
stand before him
you can stand there
with the assurance
that your sins
are forgiven
and that you are
not going to be
condemned.
Men can kill
the body,
says the Lord Jesus.
The one we should
really fear,
the one we should
really respect
is the one
who ultimately
is going to be
the judge
of our souls
and who is going
to judge us
on what we have
done with the Lord Jesus.
Have we taken him
as our saviour
or have we
rejected him?
And again,
along with the challenge
there is
an encouragement.
Two examples
the Lord Jesus gives
which are illustrated
in the pictures here.
the sparrow.
The sparrow
was a very basic
foodstuff
in Jesus' day.
If you wanted
cheap meat
you could go along
to the market
and buy sparrow.
And the normal price
for sparrow
was two a penny.
That's referred to
elsewhere
in the New Testament.
Sparrows were sold
for two a penny.
But a bit like
some of the offers
that you get
in supermarkets today
if you decided
to buy four sparrows
they throw another one
in for nothing.
So you get
two sparrows
for a penny
or you get
four sparrows
for tuppence.
Not literally pennies
in our terms
and probably
about an hour's wages
would be equivalent
to what we called
a penny.
And that fifth sparrow
you might think
was utterly worthless.
It's something
that can just be
thrown in as an extra
that costs the vendor
almost nothing
and is almost
just a kind of
goodwill gesture
to you.
But Jesus says
God knows
and God cares
for that sparrow.
When he says
think about the hairs
in your head
can you count the hairs
in your head?
No of course you can't.
Even those of us
who are losing the hair
on our head
we still can't
begin to count
how many hairs
we've got.
But yes
says Jesus
God has
even your hairs
numbered.
That's how much
he cares
about you.
And don't think
that if things
get difficult
in this world
if it seems
that the going
is hard
and you're
struggling with it
don't think
in any sense
that God
has forgotten
about you.
God cares
about the sparrow
cares even
about the number
of hairs
on your head.
How much more
does he care
for you
if you are
seeking to follow
him
and to live
for him
and because of
that you get
into a time
of difficulty.
God loves
you.
You are of
great value
to him.
And if you are
trusting in him
you can rely
on him
absolutely.
It's really
coming back
to what Peter
was saying
isn't it
in the children's
talk.
We can rely
on God
we know
he won't
forget us
we know
he won't
abandon us
even in the
time of trial
the time
of difficulty
he'll be
there with
us.
And even
if the worst
happens
and very
unlikely
in this
country
even if
the worst
happens
and someone
is martyred
for their
faith
they can
have the
confidence
that their
soul is
secure
that they
will get
the reward
from the
one who
truly judges
and the
only one
whom we
should
really
fear.
We are
unforgotten.
Third word
is unforgiven
and this
is the
most difficult
and perhaps
the most
solemn
part
of our
passage.
Look at
half a dozen
commentaries
you get
at least
half a dozen
different
answers
for exactly
what it
means.
But this
is something
that a lot
of Christians
have found
really difficult
and a real
struggle with.
Some of the
older folks
here will be
aware of a
book written
by a man
called Edwin
Goss
which is
called
Father and
Son.
It's actually
still in print
but I suspect
not so much
read by younger
people these
days.
Edwin Goss
grew up
as his
mother died
fairly early
he was brought
up by his
father who
was a
brilliant
academic
a very
devout
Christian
but very
very strict
with his
children.
And Goss's
book is
essentially
about that
with I
think a
little bit
of exaggeration
in places.
One of the
characters that
Edwin Goss
presents to
us is a
man called
Mr.
Padgett.
And Mr.
Padgett is
utterly convinced
that he's
committed
the
unforgivable
sin.
Now no one
actually knows
what sin it is
he thinks he's
committed.
He never
tells anybody
but he goes
around saying
I've committed
the unforgivable
sin.
My soul
is utterly
damned.
And sadly
he's not alone.
There have been
a lot of people
who have felt
I've committed
the unforgivable
sin.
There's no way
that God
can forgive me
for what
I've done.
Well can I
say this
this kind
of God
is not
the God
I know.
The God
I know
is best
characterized
in the parable
of the
prodigal son.
This son
who says
effectively
to his
father
I don't
want you
I want
your money.
He takes
his money
and he
goes away
and he
wastes it
on wild
living
and at the
end when he's
right down
to his last
penny or beyond
that
he decides
he'll have
to go back
to his
father
expecting
nothing.
Expecting at
best that his
father might
take him in
as a servant.
What happens?
As he's
coming his
father rushes
out
flings his
arm around
him and
throws a
huge party
to welcome
him back.
The father
is not
looking for
reasons to
condemn
his son.
He's looking
for opportunities
to show
his love
and his
forgiveness
to the
one who's
done him
wrong.
That's my
God.
That's my
father.
That is the
one I know
and many
others here
know.
Not someone
who wants
to condemn
and to
punish us
for our
sins but
who wants
us to
accept the
offer of
salvation he
has given
us who
sent his
son to
die on
the cross
for us
so that
everyone who
trusts in
him can be
forgiven for
the sins
they have
done.
And verses
like this
must be
read in
the context
of that
understanding.
We mustn't
look at them
in isolation
and worry
about them.
Quite often
the comments
of quite a
few of them
have read
said if
you're worried
about having
committed the
unforgivable
sin you
haven't.
Because if
you had
committed it
you wouldn't
be worried
about it.
So what is
the Lord
Jesus talking
about?
Well let's
look at it a
bit more in
the context
of the
passage.
Because in
verse 8
and verse
9 he's
talking about
people who
own him
acknowledge
him or
who disown
him before
others.
Of those
who are
willing to
stand up
and say
I belong
to Jesus
I know
him I
love him
and of
those if
they do
know him
who would
not want
anyone else
to know
who would
keep it
a secret
and would
worry about
other people
finding out.
And Jesus
says as he
said earlier
when he's
talking about
hypocrisy
there is a
reckoning
in these
things.
Now it's
not that if
we are truly
trusting in
the Lord
Jesus and
we don't
tell others
about it
that we
lose our
salvation
through that.
The scripture
is very
clear that's
not the
case and
you only
have to
look at
Peter and
the way he
denied the
Lord Jesus
and got
forgiveness
to understand
that.
But Jesus
said it is
really important
that you
don't try
to pretend
that you
don't belong
to me
if you
really do.
And again
I think
that's going
a bit beyond
just not
saying things
to our
friends or
colleagues.
We really
should be
witnessing
about our
love of the
Lord Jesus
and all he's
done for us.
But if we
keep quiet
don't say
anything
I don't
think that
is especially
what the
Lord Jesus
is talking
about here
but it is
more saying
I don't
know him
and I don't
want anything
to do with
him in the
kind of way
that Peter
did.
So Lord
Jesus says
in these
kind of
situations
there is
a reckoning
it will
be taken
into account
if we are
truly believing
in the
Lord Jesus
it doesn't
mean we're
not saved
and don't
belong to
him though.
He then
says verse
10
everyone who
speaks a
word against
the son
of man
will be
forgiven.
Now the
son of man
is Jesus
I think
it's fairly
clear from
the way
he talks
about it
through the
gospels
that he
is talking
about himself
here.
He says
even those
who speak
against me
and who
condemn me
there is
the possibility
of forgiveness.
Example of
that the
apostle Paul
Saul of
Tarsus
Saul who
was so
instrumental in
the stoning
of Stephen
and who
was going
around saying
really terrible
things about
the Lord
Jesus and
about Christians
and seeking to
persecute them
and Jesus
meets him on the
Damascus road
and his life
is turned
round.
very clearly
what Paul
had been
doing
wasn't
unforgivable.
It was
terrible
that he
was
persecuting
the
Christians
it wasn't
unforgivable.
Jesus
says
that can
be
forgiven.
But he
says
whoever
blasphemes
against the
Holy Spirit
will not
be forgiven.
Now let's
get to the
number of it.
What does
that mean?
Two things
which I think
I found
reasonably
persuasive
in what
I've looked
at
about
this.
In the
other
Gospels
where the
Lord
Jesus
says
a similar
kind
of
thing
is in
the
context
of people
looking at
him
and looking
at all
he's done
through the
power of
the Holy
Spirit
and saying
that's the
work of
the devil.
That's not
God's work
that's the
devil's work.
And Jesus
may be saying
if someone
gets to that
kind of stage
where they
see goodness
and they
see God
at work
helping
people
healing
them
teaching
them
doing
everything
that is
good
and they
say
that's
from
the
devil
then
they're
never
going
to
be
able
to
change
in
their
attitude.
So that's
one possible
interpretation.
The other
which I think
I find
probably the
most persuasive
is that the
work of the
Holy Spirit
is to lead
people to
Jesus.
And when
we hear
God's word
or when we
read from
the Bible
it is the
Holy Spirit
who works
in our
hearts
who
convicts
us that
we are
sinners
that we
need
God's
help
and that
we need
to come
to trust
and to
follow
Jesus
and who
leads us
to him.
And if
the Holy Spirit
again and
again convicts
us of this
and seeks to
bring our
sins before
us
and we
say no
I'm not
interested
I don't
need
Jesus
I'm not
a sinner
then there
comes a
point
when we're
no longer
in this
world
when we
said I
don't
need
Jesus
and we've
rejected
the work
of the
Holy Spirit
seeking to
lead us
to him
there is
then no
way of
escape
from that.
If we
persistently
don't allow
the Spirit
to speak
to us
and to
lead us
to Christ
then perhaps
that is what
the Lord
Jesus calls
blasphemy
against
the Spirit.
Now please
don't take
that away
being the
thing that
you really
remember of
what I've
said today.
I think it's
important that
we try to
understand these
verses but
there are
other things
which from
a practical
day-to-day
viewpoint I
think are
much more
important to
us.
One more
thing the
last couple
of verses
of the
chapter.
And again
Jesus is
talking to
his disciples
and he's
thinking about
the fact
there's going
to be
difficulties
for them.
And he
says you
will be
unforsaken.
In other
words when
you come
to the
point of
trial,
when you're
up before
the Sanhedrin
or the
secular judges
of this
world and
they're trying
to condemn
you because
you're a
Christian and
because you're
following me,
you will not
be on your
own.
Don't worry
that you're
going to have
to stand in
front of
these judges
and you can't
think what to
say and you're
terrified because
the Holy Spirit
will be with
you.
And the Holy
Spirit will give
you the words
that you
need.
And that's the
context of
these verses.
This verse
is sometimes
or has been
used in the
past as an
excuse for
lazy preachers
not to prepare
their sermons
and to say
well God
will tell me
what to say
when I get
there.
That is not
what it's
about.
Nor is it
an excuse
for any of
us not to
read the
Bible and
try to
understand and
remember what
it says.
When we
come to the
point of
difficulty,
our understanding,
our memory of
scripture is
absolutely vital.
Remember the
Lord Jesus and
his temptation
again and
again he
repeated the
words of
scripture.
So let's
not get lazy
and think I
don't need to
read the
Bible because
God will
show me at
each stage
what I
need to
do.
But when
we're in
the heat
of the
moment,
when everything
is against
us and in
this case when
the people
were on
trial,
the disciples
were on
trial,
Jesus says
don't worry,
don't fail you
on your own
because you
will never be
forsaken,
my Holy
Spirit will
be there
with you.
Those of
us who
were at
the prayer
meeting on
Thursday,
were thinking
of some
verses in
John 15
which in
many ways
are a
parallel to
this.
Jesus is
talking to
the disciples
about the
trials and
the persecution
that they'll
face.
And he
says that
when the
advocate,
that's the
Holy Spirit
comes,
whom I will
send to you
from the
Father,
the Spirit of
truth who
goes out from
the Father,
he will
testify about
me,
and you
also must
testify for
you have
been with
me from
the beginning.
You must
testify,
we are
God's
mouthpieces
in this
earth,
that is
what we
are here
to do,
to tell
others about
the Lord
Jesus.
But we're
not doing
it on our
own,
we're doing
it through
the power
of the
Holy Spirit
and he
ultimately
is the
one who
gives us
the words
to say
even when
we feel
weak and
inadequate
and perhaps
when we
feel under
a great
deal of
pressure,
we can
trust in
him because
he is
there to
help us
and to
give us
courage and
to give us
the right
words.
So a
difficult
passion,
undoubtedly
a difficult
passion,
I haven't
tried to
cover in
any detail
all the
difficult
interpretations
within it.
But let's
take away
from it
just one
key thing.
and that
key thing
is that
what really
really matters
is my
relationship
with God
not what
other people
think about
me.
We shouldn't
be going
around all
the time
looking over
our shoulders
and thinking
well we need
to look good
before others,
I need to
avoid getting
into trouble
in this world,
I need to
keep an
appearance up,
keep the
mask up
if you
like.
What really
matters says
Jesus is
how you
are before
God.
You might
appear totally
insignificant and
forgotten in
this world,
but God
values you
and God
sees what
you do
and what
is in
your heart.
You may
face times
of trial
and of
persecution
and of
trouble
in this
world,
but God
is there
with you
and God
will make
sure that
you are
rewarded
for your
faithfulness
to him.
Let's just
make sure
that we
know God
as our
loving
heavenly
father,
that we
know him
as the
one who
wants to
have a
living
relationship
with us
and if
we have
sinned,
if we have
done things
that we
think are
absolutely
terrible,
is still
willing to
forgive
and to
see us
restored to
him.
And if
we're in
that position,
let's be
bold and
let's be
willing to
go and
to talk to
others about
him and
not to
be ashamed
of our
Lord Jesus,
but to
present him
before men
and to
recognize
whatever
happens,
whatever the
response is,
he will be
with us
and will
help us.
Let's pray
together.
Father, we
thank you for
your word.
We thank you
for these
verses which
are difficult
to understand
and yet
which present
to us
great
encouragement
as well.
we thank
you that
we are
so valued
by you,
that you
who value
even the
smallest
sparrow,
how much
more you
value and
love and
care for
us.
Help us
to rejoice
in the
love and
the care
you have
for us.
We thank
you are
the Father
who wants
to forgive
us and
to restore
us to
yourself.
We pray
for any
here who
are far
from you
this morning,
whether
far from
you,
as have
never
come to
know the
Lord
Jesus,
perhaps
far spiritually,
having fallen
away from
love for
him.
Help them
to understand
that you
are the
loving
Father
who will
welcome
them as
they come
through the
Lord Jesus
with their
trust in
him.
Help those
of us
who know
and who
love the
Lord to
make that
evident all
around us
that we
won't be
afraid of
men,
that we
will recognise
that our
God is
great,
our God
is with
us,
our God
sees
everything.
And help
us to
have lives
of openness
and honesty
and not
to fall
into this
trap of
hypocrisy
that the
Pharisees
had incited
others into.
Thank you
for our
time together.
We commit
ourselves to
you.
We want to
pray again
for those
who have
been affected
by the
bombing in
Manchester
and for
your comfort
and your
strength for
them.
We give
you our
thanks and
commit
ourselves to
you.
In Jesus'
name.
Amen.