Luke 17:1-4

This morning I direct your attention to the book of Luke, chapter 17 this morning. I want to look at the first four verses. It’s 17, and we’ll be looking at the first four verses here of this chapter. Then said he, unto his disciples, it is impossible, but the offenses will come. But woe unto him through whom they come. It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves, thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him, and if he repent, forgive him, and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him. And God blessed to us, is sacred and holy word this morning. You know, driving on the highway would be a pleasant experience if everybody was a good. considerate driver but alas they are not some drivers greatly offend they are reckless they cut you off by crossing over into your lane they steal your parking space that you’ve been waiting for they rush up and dart into it they drive right on your bumper honk the horn for you to get out of their way They run red lights and stop signs. They fail to yield the right away. They drive right behind you at night with their high beams on. And we could go on and on. It’s enough to make you give up driving altogether. It’s very dangerous, and sometimes it causes accidents when people drive like this. Our text talks, Jesus is talking. talking about spiritual offenses, which turn people away from the true faith. Previously, Christ was particularly addressing the Pharisees, as he told the story of the rich man and Lazarus, in the whole issue of covetousness he addressed. Our Lord may have had in mind the stumbling block that of that conduct like the rich man towards Lazarus being put in the way of weak believers and he meant to I think warn his disciples here as you notice verse one he addresses particularly disciples at this point to be careful that they wouldn’t discourage and mistreat anyone themselves. It’s also possible that our Lord may have been referring to what he had spoken about earlier in their past chapter about faithfulness in little things. And in the parable, the unjust steward, that that principle came out. And this would be a, you. you know, warning to his disciples not to give an occasion offense to the enemy either that they might blaspheme the name of the Lord. I want to talk about stumbling blocks and forgiveness from this passage this morning. I’ll begin by saying this from verses 1 and 2. It’s a great sin for you to put stumbling blocks in the ways of us. Now what is meant by an offense? Offenses here refer to stumbling blocks. In other words, an occasion to fall. As Romans 1413 says, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. In the law, you find this precept. Thou shalt not put a stumbling block before the blind in Leviticus 196. That would be a very cruel thing to, you know, put something in front of the blind person just to have them trip and to fall and to be harmed. And so we must not put anything in the path of a blind person that would cause him to stumble. Figuratively here offenses are all those ways in which we would speak or act which would prejudice someone against the faith or cause a brother to be tripped up. Something that leads a person to be disgusted perhaps with the true faith and renounce it. It causes, you know, someone to stumble and fall into sin and even perhaps the spiritual ruin. Now, some examples of stumbling blocks, we find, of course, with David, who broke the Sixth and the Tenth Commandments about adultery and coveting your neighbor’s wife and so forth. We saw the beautiful Bashiba, and he wanted her. And this led to an adulterous relationship with her. It also led to him. plotting the death of Eury or her husband. And when the prophet Nathan confronted David about this great sin, he said this, this, thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. Think about the Moabites and the Philistines and the Ammonites and the Syrians and the Ammonites and the Syrians and so forth. They could cast them. ridicule upon David, upon his faith, the cause of the way he acted. Terrible way to act. And it was hypocritical. It was a fraudulent way to act as a Christian. The Jews were charged with this sin by the Apostle Paul. The Jews had this high opinion of themselves that they were keepers of God’s holy law, as he tells us in Romans 219 and 20, and are confident that thou thyself are to guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish. And so they harshly judged the heathen Gentiles as chief violators of God’s law. But Paul declares that Paul declares that. the hypocritical behavior of the Jews is such that it was a disgrace. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judges them which do such things and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God. The name of God is blasphing among the Gentiles through you, Romans 24. And so again, we see this. idea of people turned away from the true faith by the behavior of those who say they’re following God. Christians are warned here about the sin by Paul as well. Give heed, give none offense, neither to the Jews or to the Gentiles or to the Church of God, 1 Corinthians 1030. These are some examples. So the question comes up, are you doing good or harm to those around you? To others. It’s impossible, but that offenses will come. This indicates a very common problem. Jesus pointing out, you know, this is not something it’s easily escaped. Considering the depravity of the human heart and the temptations that you find in the world, and by saying, and by you can expect it to occur. You know, open enemies will oppose the true gospel. And supposed friends will undermine it by their inconsistency. The guilt of throwing any such stumbling blocks in someone’s way is very great, according to verse 2. You know, in ancient times, capital punishment was often inflicted by drowning. Sometimes they would tie a stone around the neck of a person and just dumped them in the water. And sometimes they would roll their bodies in sheets of lead and throw them in the water. Our Lord declares that it would be better for a man if he put to death by drowning. than to incur the guilt and the punishment of such an offense as causing someone to stumble. Jesus causes disciples little ones here because they are his children. Cause one of his people to stumble as a very serious offense. It suggests the idea here of lowliness and weakness. when he calls them little ones. Well, this indicates that Christ has in mind, and in particular, the world throwing stumbling blocks in the way of God’s people who are trying to serve the Lord. But the inconsistencies of professing Christians to often cause a brother or sister to stumble in their Christian walk as well. Let us often ask ourselves, whether we are doing good or harm in the world, whether we are causing anybody to stumble by our behavior. Beware of occasioning such offenses by unchristian conduct. According to Paul’s exhortation, let no man put a stumbling block for an occasion to fall in his brother’s wife. For the sake of others, you should be eminently holy in order to make your faith beautiful in the eyes of others. Strive daily to lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily beset you that you may not be a stomach of God. The natural man cannot be expected to love the gospel. But let us not disgust him by the way we behave ourselves in the ring. consistency. I remember my first year in seminary and I was in the boys dorm and I was at a gas station near the boys dorm in the seminary there. I was getting oil changed in my car and I was waiting in the office and I started reading the bulletin board that was there in the office and I saw a bounced check. And as I looked at it, I knew the person who wrote to check because they lived in the boy’s dorm. There was a note attached which said, do not accept any checks from this person. I thought a sense of great shame when I read that. That someone studying for the ministry could do such a thing. What a terrible testimony that was. What a poor testimony for Christ. What a stumbling block to this station owner and workers. Christians who are hypocrites cannot be trusted. So how could a man studying for the ministry be like this? It was a great evil. A great evil. It’s very easy to cause people to stumble. So be careful. Don’t be guilty of them. this kind of behave. So it’s a great sin for you to put stumbling blocks in the way of others. Also, we should say, this morning, the second point is this. It’s a great duty for you to have a forgiving spirit, verses three and four. You must be careful not to cause offense. They keep yourselves. There is often a lack of love in professing Christians so that they carelessly do things that offend others. He that loveeth his brother abideth in light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. 1 John 2.10. Repeatedly in the Scriptures, you are warned against causing your brother to stumble. How quickly professing Christians get fired up, lose their temper, what the least perceived provocation, and then mistreat a brother or sister in Christ that happens. The scripture says in Romans 1421, it’s good neither to eat flesh, nor drink wine nor anything whereby thy brother stumblet or is offended or is made weak 1413 no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way so we have to learn to not cause offense perhaps by being so sensitive ourselves or by being calloused to the feelings of others love suffers long love is not easily provoked but the anger of some flares up it leads to harsh retaliation now you are to rebuke the offender if my brother trespass against the rebuke him if your brother trespass against the rebuked him if your brother injures you in any way he trespasses against you. You are to point out his fault. You were required and it is very likely to prove useful to calmly tell the person his offense. Perhaps he doesn’t see it. Rebuke him call out his offense in a serious manner. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor and not suffer sin upon him Leviticus 1917. Our Lord gives here some detailed instructions on how to do this in Matthew 18 you’ll recall. First you’re to go to your brother and tell him this fault. If he doesn’t repent you’re to take someone with you. you next time so that in the there’ll be two witnesses to it. If he doesn’t listen to the two of you, you have to take it to the church. And eventually a church may have to act in discipline upon this person. Often Christians fail to rebuke their brother or sister and they hold resentment against him or her. And Jesus would have you resolve resolve matters so that you can maintain a normal and loving relationship with your brother or sister in Christ. So you were to rebuke the offender. And then he says here, or at least he tells us how you are to treat the offender who repents. If he repent, forgive him. Now, you are commanded by the Lord. Upon repent, to forgive this person. Leave completely reconciled them. Now, there are occasions when people are offended, and even if you repent, they won’t forgive you. Believe it or not. That happens. But Jesus said you are to forgive them. You are to forget their wrong and never bring it up again to upbraid them with it. If, uh, He does not ask or acknowledge for, you know, his wrongdoing and ask for forgiveness. You can’t treat him exactly the same as you did before. Something has to be done. So you must not cherish any hatred of him or meditate upon revenge. You’re still to love him even if he doesn’t forgive you as he should. You’re to follow the person. procedure laid out in Matthew 18 by Christ. Depending on the seriousness of the offense, you may choose to overlook the fault where love covers a multitude of sins. It depends on how big the fault is and what you need to do about it. However, it may be necessary to pursue church discipline. So you’re to treat an offender who repents in this manner. Now how you, he talks about how you should deal with a repeat offender. In verse four. Now notice that repetition of an offense does not put you beyond the pale of forgiveness. That’s a good thing because God often has to forgive us of the same sins repeatedly. Even if this person foolishly repeats his offense and then sincerely repents, you are to forgive them again and again. The number seven here is not definitive. It just means it speaks for completeness of forgiveness. Or you’ll notice in Matthew’s Gospel 18, 21, and 22, Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how off shall my brother sin against me? And I forgive him. Until seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until 70 times seven. I think Jesus is making it clear that we have to repeatedly forgive a brother or sister in Christ. This is very clear. in scripture. Now, the question we have to ask ourselves as we close out this verse, these two verses, is this, do you have a forgiving spirit? Do you have a forgiving spirit? Let this be a solemn test of your conversion. Because if Christ has forgiven you, you have a forgiving spirit, you have a solemn test of your conversion. to learn to forgive others. Carefully search your own heart in light of the words of our Lord here in this text. God’s law is this. Whatever you sow, you reap. If you don’t sow forgiveness, how can you hope to reap it? James 213 says, for he shall have judgment without mercy that have showed no mercy. Ask yourself, do I have a forgiving nature? Can I forgive others? Are you honestly prepared to forgive others when they seek a pardon from you? Do you secretly rejoice when disaster strikes someone who has wronged you? Displays a vengeful spirit, not a forgiving one. When a person has repented, are you willing and anxious to? do whatever you can to restore the unity between you and your brother or sister in Christ. It should be abundantly clear that God’s pardon of your sins and the restoration of your character go hand and hand with this. True forgiveness of others is not always easy. Yet it’s what a Christian is required to do. do. Don’t put stumbling blocks in others’ way, and then be a forgiving person. Jesus says. These are the messages that he gives his disciples in Christ. Let’s close with a word of prayer this morning. Heavenly Father, we are thankful for your word. It’s bluntness, its straightforwardness. We pray that it would be a blessing to us this morning as we ponder it. Help us in our Christian walk, Father. For in many things, we offend all. We ask these things in Jesus precious man. Let’s stand for the benediction. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.