Pay Attention!
Jeremy Bell
Luke 17:1-4
September 20, 2020
Sermon Audio & Video
I. Beware of the Ongoing Temptation of Sin (verse 1a)
“And He said to His disciples, ‘Temptations to sin are sure to come” (verse 1a)
“We are too apt to forget that temptation to sin will rarely present itself in its true colors. Never when we are tempted will we hear sin say to us, “I am your deadly enemy. . . I want to ruin your life.” That’s not how it works. Sin, instead, comes to us like Judas with a kiss. . . Sin, in its beginnings, seems harmless enough — like David walking idly on his palace roof which happened to overlook the bedroom of a woman. You and I may give wickedness smooth-sounding names, but we cannot alter its offensive nature and character in the sight of God.” JC Ryle, Holiness
“Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8
II. Your Example Matters (verse 1b-2)
“…temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.” – (verse 1b-2)
III. Be Willing to Rebuke (verse 3a)
“Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him” – v.3a
“True friends put enough trust in you to tell you openly of your faults. Give me for a friend the man who will speak honestly of me before my face; who will not tell first one neighbor, and then another, but who will come straight to my house, and say, “Sir, I feel there is such-and-such a thing in you, which, as my brother, I must tell you of.” That man is a true friend; he has proved himself to be so.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” — Proverbs 27:5-6
IV. Radically and Repeatedly Forgive (verse 3b-4)
“…if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turn to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent’, you must forgive him (verse 3b-4).”
- How can we do this?
- We can radically forgive when we keep our eyes on Jesus!
- Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit
V. Application: Pay Attention to Your Soul
- Are there any areas of temptation presently that you are regularly encountering and yielding yourself to?
- Would there be any patterns in your life that could lead others into sin?
- Is there anyone in your life with whom you may need to have a hard conversation and potentially bring a rebuke?
- Is there anyone from whom you are withholding forgiveness?
- When is the last time you looked to Christ and His Spirit for help with these things?
- LOOK TO HIM!
Questions For Discussion/Application:
- Re-read the text, Luke 17:1-4. What initial observations and insights do you have from reading this text?
- Review application questions Jeremy gave at the end of the sermon.
- Pray that God would by His Holy Spirit help you to put to death sin and put on godliness.
- Book Recommendation: The Enemy Within: Straight Talk about the Power and Defeat of Sin