Introduction:
Last year, we studied the Gospel of Luke up to chapter 16. To serve the messages related to Christmas and the direction for the new year in the church, we temporarily paused the teaching of the Gospel of Luke. In the new year, we intend to resume learning the Gospel of Luke from chapter 17 to the end.
Jesus taught His disciples in Berea on His way to Jerusalem to take up the cross (Luke 14:1-19:27), giving them crucial instructions and teachings. Today, in Luke 17:1-4, He teaches about the purity of the church, guiding on how the church, as the bride of Christ, can maintain its purity. Therefore, the title of today's message:
The Purity of the ChurchMain Points:
Firstly, the Attacked Church:
Jesus' Time of Heresy
The term "at that time" refers to the time when Jesus began speaking of the Pharisees from Luke 14. In Luke 14, Jesus entered the home of a Pharisee leader, healed a man with dropsy on the Sabbath, and spoke various parables about the Pharisees.
The Meaning of Stumbling: The term "stumbling" is like a bait attached to a fishing rod, implying something tempting in a trap. Or it means setting a trap and making it appear as if it were flat ground, deceiving someone into falling into an inescapable situation.
The Stumbling Blockers: In the context, the stumbling blockers are the Pharisees. They are meticulous in keeping the law and believe that by keeping the law, they can obtain salvation. In Luke 16:14, Jesus, through parables, exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Although they appeared holy on the outside, they were, in reality, greedy individuals. The Pharisees' teachings are stumbling blocks, leading people not to eternal life but into pain and despair.
One of These Little Ones: "Little ones" refers to believers in Jesus (John 13:33, 1 John 2:12-13). It does not mean physically young children but spiritually young, weak, and Gentile believers. Jesus preached the Gospel to the "little ones." He ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners, whom the Pharisees ignored and rejected. He healed the sick and cast out demons on the Sabbath. He stood by and helped those the Pharisees despised.
Apostle Paul's Warning:
In Acts 20:29, Apostle Paul warned the Ephesian elders that fierce wolves would come among them, not sparing the flock.
John's Time of Heresy:
In 1 John 4:1, John warns against false spirits, urging believers to test them to see if they are from God. In the early church, people emerged who denied Jesus' incarnation. They claimed that Jesus, as a holy being, could not take on a defiled physical body and that he only appeared to have a physical body.
Various stumbling blockers appeared in the history of the church. Some denied Jesus' incarnation, others denied His divinity, and some even denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Attacks on the triune nature of God were in vain. Subsequently, attacks on the doctrine of salvation emerged, such as the Pelagian and Arminian heresies. With the rapid development of science and industry through the Renaissance, higher criticism of the Bible, and the theory of evolution, emerged. These movements denied that the Bible was inspired by God and rejected the idea that God created humanity.
Today, the church faces challenges from media and societal pressures. The church, once protected by biblical values, is now under attack due to challenges to moral standards and pressure for cultural diversity. People are legalizing "same-sex marriage," acknowledging alternative paths to salvation, and pursuing religious integration.
Secondly, the Church That Disciplines:
"Rebuke Him": "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him." (3).
The church must be vigilant not to fall into the teachings of heresy. It must make an effort to discern heretical teachings. If a brother strays from the right path, he should be rebuked. The meaning of "rebuke" is to 'value.' It means valuing what is appropriate, respecting what is worthy. Rebuking involves turning someone back onto the right path through proper teaching.
"Rebuke Him" in Matthew 18:15-17:
Discreetly, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault when you and he are alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother.
But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Excommunication is the strongest measure in the church's rebuke. Excommunication gives the one who has sinned an opportunity to repent. It helps him reflect outside the church and return with a repentant heart.
Jesus warned against heretical doctrines and commanded rebuking within the church to maintain its purity.
The church needs continuous vigilance for the security of faith, and it must establish a robust defense system against the temptation of heresy.
Finally, the Forgiving Church:
If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him (4).
We pray for a church that forgives, not seven times but an infinite number of times, and for believers who practice the power of forgiveness. It is not easy for the church to accept those who have caused pain and hurt. Jesus teaches us to forgive someone who sins against us seven times in a day. Moreover, Jesus showed the church the model of forgiveness on the cross. He forgave those who reviled and killed Him. We must learn from this love of Jesus' forgiveness. Based on the love of Jesus' forgiveness, we must forgive and accept repentant brothers who have momentarily strayed from the right path.
Conclusion:
Today, we learned how the church can maintain purity. Jesus taught us about the challenges the church will face in the future and how to maintain purity in the church. It involves teaching sound doctrine thoroughly based on the Word, discerning heretical thoughts, advising souls who have been misled by false teachings, and welcoming with love those who repent after temporarily losing their way. This is how the church can maintain purity in this world. May our church engrave this teaching of Jesus, firmly stand as a pure church in this world, and remain steadfast.