Luke 12:3-7

The gospel, according to Luke, chapter 12, I want to read the first seven verses this morning. We’ll be looking at verses 3 through 7. In the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people in so much that they trod one upon another, he began to say to disciples, first of all, beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. But there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known. Therefore, whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light, that which ye have spoken in the ear and closets shall be proclaimed upon the house-tops. And I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that they have no more that they can do, but I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear. Fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell, yea, I say unto you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farlings? And not one of them is for, forgotten before God, but even the very hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not, therefore, ye are more value than many sparrows. May God bless to us His sacred and holy word this morning. Jesus has warned you as you go through this life, that you are going to be persecuted for righteousness. The world hates the Christian and everything for which the Christian stands. Godliness of life, proclamation of God’s word, rebuke of sins. Often, persecution is for the purpose of silencing the one who’s speaking God’s word. You don’t want to hear the word of God. So you persecute the one who’s doing. Look at Paul. He’s arrested. He’s beaten. He’s imprisoned. He’s stoned. All because he’s preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. We see Peter and John, who are beaten by the Sanhedron among the Jews, the leadership. And they’re told not to speak any more in the name of Jesus. Christ. There’s John, the Apostle. As we saw the book of Revelation, he’s on the island of Patmos, for what? For the Word of God, for preaching, proclaiming God’s truth. And so the problem that comes up because we get persecuted for righteousness’s sake is the fear of men. And we become timid then about perhaps speaking. The truth. Jesus has just warned you about hypocrisy in religion, as we looked at here in the first verse. Apocrisy like Levin affects all a person’s life and corrupts everything about him. The scribes and the Pharisees were notorious for hypocrisy, but Jesus will not tolerate that in any of his disciples. disciples. People are always concerned about the outside of the cup and the platter and not what’s inside, the inner being of man, and that corruption and that defunement. But Christ’s disciples must carefully avoid being like the scribes and the Pharisees. Jesus has also pointed out in verse 2 that the hypocrisy is going to be exposed. If it’s not exposed in this life, it certainly will, at the last judgment, be brought up. out and made clear. At this point, Jesus now begins to warn about what we’ve been talking about, the fear of man. Christians may be silenced, and then the gospel would be held back. And so Christ encourages you to trust in God’s providence and not be fearful in verse 6 and 7. And so I want to talk about the fear of man from this passage of Scripture. Now you’re giving a warning here in verses 3 to 5 about the fear of man. A charge to be faithful to the trust granted to you is found in verse 3. Therefore, whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be spoken in the light, and that which he have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the house tops. Now, it is very tempting to lump verse 3 and with verse 2 and throw it all into the last judgment, but it seems to me that verse 3 is addressing the conversation here of Christ’s messengers. The phrase, ye have. spoken is mentioned twice here. This corresponds best, I think, with what we read in Matthew’s Gospel that Russell read this morning in Chapter 10 of Matthew, 26 and 27. Let me read it again for you. Fear them not, therefore, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed and hid that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that’s speak ye in the light, and what ye hear in the ear that preach ye upon the house tops. It would be hypocritical to conceal those things which have been revealed to them by Christ to be preached publicly before the world. And so the 70 and the 12 were set to preach the gospel of the king, kingdom and they must not shirk their duty in this regard. They should proclaim it publicly and loudly the truth. No whether men will hear or whether they will forbear doesn’t matter. That’s not our department. That’s God’s department. They must proclaim the truth. That’s what we are charged to do. What you’ve talked about privately in darkness and the clause. closet and secret. That is what you are expected to proclaim publicly at the house on the house stops. We had another passage before this and we talked about those things that Jesus revealed to the disciples after his resurrection they would be proclaiming those truths very publicly before the world, before his people of the nation. Jesus has told us not to hide our light under the bush or the abyss. or a basket or a bushel when we have knowledge of God’s truth. He recalled that at one point Jeremiah the prophet became discouraged because the people refused to listen to God’s message. And so he basically said, well, what’s the use? I’m going to give up. There’s just no use in me being a prophet anymore. It’s a waste of my time. then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name. Jeremiah 20 verse 9. The difficulty was, as he tells us in the second part of that verse 9, but his word was in my heart as a burning fire, shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay. He couldn’t hold it back. God’s people have a command to give out the word. And there’s an urgency and a necessary necessity, I should say, to giving it out. So Jeremiah feels compelled to speak not keep back God’s message, and that’s the way we should feel. We’ve got a duty laid upon us and we ought to proclaim it. So a charge to be faithful to trust that is granted to you. Then he tells us here that the power of the enemy is a limited power in verse 4. Again, I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body. After that, have no more that they can do. Your witness could be hindered by the fear of men. It’s a very common problem. You get intimidated. and you fail then to teach what God has said and speak for Christ. Jesus calls his servants his friends. For he has a compassion upon them. He knows the problem they’re going to face. He knows the strain that they’re going to be under and the persecution that they will bear. And he’s sympathetic to their cause. He encourages you in order that you may overcome the fear of men. That’s what he’s going to talk about. You’re worried about what people will say about you. You’re worried about what people think about you. Perhaps even more seriously what they will do to you. It’s hard to be faithful to Christ when you face rejection, ridicule, cruel words, and downright prayers. persecution where you’re imprisoned or beaten or face of violent death. All these things the Lord Jesus Christ knew well, and yet he says, be not afraid. Let them do their worst. He says, for you know what? The most they can do is kill the body. And he says, after that, there’s nothing more they can do. And what happens when your body, is killed. You go out of this life, you enter into heaven the place of eternal rest. And as Paul put it, to die is gain. Do you recall Stephen in Acts 7 when he was stoned to death? What did he cry out? Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Because he expected to go directly into Christ’s presence and into paradise when he died. here’s where your faith has to overcome man’s worst. We need to be confident that if we are absent from the body, we will be present with the Lord. So the power of your enemies is a limited power. Now, you are to fear God rather than man, as he says in verse 5. But I will forewarn you, home you shall fear, fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say unto you fear him. What’s the best remedy against the fear of man? A true fear of God. Moses conquered his fear of the wrath of King Pharaoh by looking with the eye of faith to him that is invisible, the Bible says, in Hebrews 11. Being faithful to Christ, you might face the wrath of men, and indeed, the time will come when they may put us to death. We happen to be living in a country right now where we’re not being put to death, but it’s getting more hostile every year. There are other countries, you could be slaughtered for your faith in Christ. But by denying Christ, you’re going to be cast into hell. and the wrath of God would be upon us. So look away from those who only hurt the body, and they can do so during this life, to the one who can condemn you to eternal misery and cast you into hellfire. That’s the message that Jesus leaves us here. So knowing this, he says, in a sense, don’t play the coward. Be faithful to Christ. even under death. There was a noble response given by the martyred minister, Bishop Hooper, when a Roman Catholic urged him to deny his life and recant at the state that he might be spared. And Bishop Hooper said this. Life is sweet and death is bitter, but eternal life is sweeter. and eternal death is more bitter. I’m reminded of the story in the book of Daniel of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, who once created this huge golden image on the plains of Dura. And the image was 90 feet tall, nine feet wide. And he sent out a royal proclamation regarding all people, nations, languages, when you hear the royal band play, fall down and worship the golden image. Now, as is often common with false worship, there’s a threat involved. If you don’t, I’m going to throw you into my fiery furnace and burn you up. Now, everyone, fearing the wrath of the king, bowed down. Even though this was a new god that had been called. created. Except for three Hebrew men, Shadrach, Nishak, and Evendigo. They would not do it. And so they are hauled before the king who wants an explanation as to why they did not bow down before his new image. And they explained that they worshipped Jehovah God and were not going to worship this false God that had and erected. And they didn’t fear the king’s threats. They said, our God is able to deliver us from the fire furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar, if he was mad before, he was furious now, he says, well, stoke the fire. What on more would? Get that thing seven times harder than is right now. So hot that it killed the men that threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo into the flames. But what happened? The Son of God, Jesus Christ, appeared, and spared them so that they weren’t burnt by the fire. The same fire to kill the soldiers that threw them in didn’t harm them at all. In fact, when they came out, they didn’t even smell like smoke, because he preserved them in the fiery furnace. They were rewarded for fearing God rather than fearing man. That’s a good, good story for us to remember. so you’re given a warning here against the fear of men. And then secondly here, Christ provides encouragement for you as a persecuted believer in verses 6 and 7. He says, are not five sparrows sold for two farlings and not one of them is forgotten before God, but even the very hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not, therefore, ye are more value than sparrows. Now, our Lord says here that God’s providence watches over even the smallest creatures on this earth. These little birds that fly around, the sparrows. Jesus reminds you here of God’s providential care of the world. which you and I live. It extends to everything in this world, that he provides for all his creatures, food to eat, and the necessary things that they need. And it’s a firm belief in the doctrine of God’s universal providence that will aid you during a time of danger, during a time of persecution, by the world. It is a reason to fear God rather than man, and it will encourage you to trust God as you seek to serve him in this life. Because if God is watching over the least of the creatures on this earth, surely he watches over his own children who are on this earth. Christ reminds you here of God’s providential care over the sparrow. Now sparrows were caught, skinned, roasted, and eaten. They were considered a delicacy by many, and they’re still eaten today in places of this world. Now, it’s interesting. The Bible says the Roman farling was about one tenth of a pen. A penny. A penny was a day’s wage in Matthew 10 or 20 verse 2. Here we’re told in Luke’s Gospel that five sparrows are sold for two farlings. So for one hour’s work, if you were working at 10 days, 10, 10 hour day, you did one hour of work, why you could get five sparrows. sparrows to eat with one hours of work. They’re not very valuable, are they? They’re not very significant. And yet not one of them is forgotten before God. These small birds are cared for and they’re provided for while they live by God. He provides food for every one of his creatures, as I said. Nor are they forgotten in death. It’s interesting that Matthew’s Gospel tells us this. One of them, of them shall not fall on the ground without your father, Matthew 1029. Not one of them dies or is killed without God’s appointment. Now think about this. These are seemingly insignificant events in the life of this little bird. And yet, they’re not overlooked while God’s attention is focused on the concerns of men. He’s taken care of the sparrows. Even a simple sparrow’s life is in the eternal purpose of God and under the control of God’s providence. Now, God would have you carefully ponder that amazing fact and access it, you know, think about your own circumstance in light of it. So you find God’s providence. So you find God’s providence, watch it. over his smallest creatures. Now God’s providence watches over the smallest interest then of believers. I read a story about a little Spanish boy in Virgo who became a devout Christian. And he was asked by an Englishman, what influenced him the most to become a believer? And the boy replied, it’s all because of the odd sparrow. And the Englishman said, I don’t understand. what odd sparrow. And the boy said, well, Senor, it’s like this. A gentleman gave me a New Testament. I read in one of the Gospels that two sparrows were sold for a farling. And again in Luke, I saw, or not five sparrows, sold for two farlings. And I said to myself, our Lord Jesus Christ knows something about the way we sell birds. Because he used to trap birds and sell them himself. And we trap birds and we get one chico, he says, for two, and for two chicos, we throw in an extra sparrow. He said, that extra sparrow was only to make weight and it’s really of much, much significance, to throw in the extra bird. And he says, now I think that my myself that I am so insignificant, so poor, so small, that no one would think of counting me. I’m like the fifth sparrow. And yet, oh marvelous, our Lord says, not one of them is forgotten before God. Not one of them. Even the fifth one that gets thrown in. I have never heard anything like that, sir. No one, but he could ever ever. have thought of not forgetting me. And that had an impact upon him. Such as God’s care over the insignificant, the sparrow. Surely, the certainty of his care over immortal beings, his people, is confirmed. You is a believer of much more value than many sparrows. One human soul is more valuable than the whole earth, together. Our Lord illustrates this principle by declaring that even the very hairs of your head are numbered. Now think about this. One of the most insignificant things is probably the hair on her head. I guess if you’re bald, you might think, boy, it is significant if I had more hair. But even when you brush your hair or comb your hair, hairs follicles will be lost. But they’re insignificant. You don’t worry about a few hair particles being lost or follicles. But yet we see that this is all noted by God. He knows how many hairs are on your head. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to have to number the hairs on my head. I guess if I was getting hair implants and they were, you know, putting hair plugs in, you could count up some of your hair. I guess if your hair gets thin enough, maybe you could count it. But, uh, The Bible says there shall not a hair of their head fall to the ground. Acts 27, 24. This was spoken by Paul to those aboard the Stormtoff’s ship, assuring the passengers that God was going to spare their lives. And not one hair of their head would be lost in the process, for God would protect them. Now, you would miss many hairs falling from your head. It’s insignificant. And yet God has them all numbered. Not one falls without him. It’s harder to conceive of a stronger declaration of God’s care of his people. For if the hairs are numbered, surely he’s watching over your life, and especially your soul. The most important concerns you have are your spiritual welfare. Then, of course, your health and your basic necessities. Job says, thou numbers my steps. Well, that means God watches over and observes how many steps we’re taken, where we’re taking. He knows all about that. God is well aware of all your sorrows. Put thou my tears into thy bottle, are they not in thy book? Psalm 56A. Does God keep track of your tears? Yeah. Friends, all is arranged and appointed by God. are no accidents or lucky in the Christian journey. Seek to have an abiding sense of God’s care, watching over you, as you’re one of God’s people. God so carefully measures the hardships and trials that he brings into your life that the Bible says you’ll not be tested above that which you’re able to bear. I’m watching out. I know how much you can handle. A daily practical faith in this truth is the secret to being happy and bearing all things with good patience and not fearing men. And I think that’s what the main thrust of this passage is talking about this morning. You can be, expect to be persecuted for righteousness sake. That’s going to happen. It’s common. There’s always the danger that we might be fearful being persecuted. And then we’d be silent. And we fail to testify of Jesus Christ. But Christ would encourage you here. Don’t fear men. All they can do is harm your body. They can’t touch your eternal soul. And don’t you think God cares about you? If you’re caring about these little birds, he cares about you too. And your own? more precious than all these birds put together. Let that strengthen you resolve to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Wherever you go. Let’s close with a word of God is.