Pay Attention to Yourselves
The church need not fight the moral battles of it's present generation. Our job is to worry about the ones the Lord adds to the church.
In Luke 17, after teaching a frustrating bunch of Pharisees about living in the light of eternity, Jesus turns to his disciples. He gives them great advice.
Luke 17:3–4 (ESV) Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
We talk a lot about forgiveness. But what about the first part? "If your brother sins, rebuke him?" I don't find many Christians doing this. We want to be "nice" to everyone. Sometimes nice isn't the appropriate game plan in the Lord's house.
Jesus cares about the purity of his house. The word for "rebuke" is a powerful word in the Greek. It's the same word used by Mark when Jesus calms the sea, and the same used by Luke in regards to Peter's mother-in-law's fever in chapter 4. It's not a delicate word. Something is wrong and it needs to be sorted out.
Interestingly, Pastors have an especially important job to rebuke. 2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
In Luke 17, after teaching a frustrating bunch of Pharisees about living in the light of eternity, Jesus turns to his disciples. He gives them great advice.
Luke 17:3–4 (ESV) Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
We talk a lot about forgiveness. But what about the first part? "If your brother sins, rebuke him?" I don't find many Christians doing this. We want to be "nice" to everyone. Sometimes nice isn't the appropriate game plan in the Lord's house.
Jesus cares about the purity of his house. The word for "rebuke" is a powerful word in the Greek. It's the same word used by Mark when Jesus calms the sea, and the same used by Luke in regards to Peter's mother-in-law's fever in chapter 4. It's not a delicate word. Something is wrong and it needs to be sorted out.
Interestingly, Pastors have an especially important job to rebuke. 2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Christians are not called to police society. Let society be society. Fishers fish, hunters hunt, golfers golf and sinners sin. Jesus tells us plainly, PAY ATTENTION TO YOURSELVES. You can't just be nice when your brother is walking in sin. You cannot just pray for them. You have to be forthright and honest to speak the truth in love! I don't think we have a clue about how much Jesus wants us to keep each other accountable.
On the flip side, we have to be the most forgiving community imaginable. Imagine someone sinning against us in the same way 7 times ON THE SAME day! What a powerful community Christ longs for us to be. Totally upfront and totally forgiving. How we need this in churches that split over the smallest issue or ostracize a Pastor who slid morally. How grace should be the most powerful weapon in the church!
It is no wonder after the admonitions to the disciples in Luke 17:1-4, the disciple immediately ask for more faith! They comprehended the severity of this mission... and so should we!
PRAYER:
Father, hallowed by Your Name! We carry that name with great responsibility to those outside. May they find a body of believers who are totally forgiving and totally upfront with sin. Help me to be a part of that community. Help me to lead the way. For the glory of Jesus!
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