What Is Your Response To Tragedy? - [Luke 13:1-9]

Sometime back. I was reading Reuters newest service and in South Korea. They have something that's interesting and they have funerals. Free funerals offered, but those funerals aren't for dead people.

They're for living people. More than 25 ,000 people have participated in mass living Funeral services and what happens is they have a funeral for themselves because they want to learn how to live better.

75 year old man there said once you become conscious of death and experience it you undertake a new approach to life and so you can go to South Korea and have a funeral for yourself while you're alive and.

Sometimes it's teenagers. Sometimes it's retirees. But they don shrouds take funeral portraits pen their last Testaments and often lie in a closed coffin for about 10 minutes. I Don't know if I would like that last one very well and based on the five people who are sitting here.

They don't like it either. One professor in South Korea said it's important to learn and prepare for death even at a young age and That part is right, especially when you look at South Korea and all the suicide rates.

They're trying to figure out. How can we? Understand the importance of life knowing that one day will die. One writer said in South Korea, we don't have forever. That's why I think this experience is so important.

We can apologize and reconcile sooner and live the rest of our lives happily. Now with the news today that we're dealing with in March 2020. Most people are thinking about life. Most people are thinking about sickness.

Most people are thinking about Death. I think people are actually thinking now. Instead of the diversions that are okay, of course with sports and entertainment and going out to eat. I think maybe a byproduct of what's going on with this virus is that people are thinking and today?

I want people to think about their own mortality and What the Lord Jesus says about it? Most people don't want to think about death. They can't even say the word dead. Most people can't go to a funeral of somebody else because they don't want to think about death.

And really I don't blame people because death is ugly and painful. It's grim and it is the enemy Paul calls it the last enemy in 1st Corinthians chapter 15. Yes, so it's Johnson called it the king of terrors.

And I think both of those men are right and here's the thing a 150 ,000 people die across the world every single day. 150 ,000 people this day will stop breathing. And they will go through what we don't want to talk about very often.

They will go through power mortis and their body will become pale after about 15 minutes. They will go through liver mortis. That is LIV or and the blood begins to settle in the lower parts of the body.

They will go through algor mortis the temperature of their bodies will become Matching the ambient room temperature and then they will go through rigor mortis and their bodies will become Stiff and whether it is from heart disease or cancer or respiratory diseases or suicide.

Everyone is going to die not just those 150 ,000 people today, but you will die and I will die and the ultimate cause is we know Sin the wages of sin is death. But today I want to talk about something that the Lord Jesus discussed in Luke 12 and Luke 13.

There's something worse than death. There's something worse than all the mortises that I described. And that is standing before God without your sins forgiven. John Owen said Satan's greatest success is in making people think they have plenty of time before they die to consider their eternal welfare.

So today I'd like you to take your Bibles and turn to Luke chapter 13. I had Hebrews 11 ready, but I've been thinking a lot about Luke 12 and 13 and I want to preach Something that Jesus said because I think it's going to make us think rightly.

Now if you're from Bethlehem Bible Church, or you're a Christian you're watching. I want you to watch this passage and watch how Jesus deals with people. And I think it'll help you evangelize your friends as you meet unbelievers and deal with people.

I just got an email from Evan Burns, and he was talking to a lady in Taiwan or someplace overseas in Thailand and She's afraid of death. People are talking about life and death and she was afraid of death.

How do we as a church? How do we individually as Christians? Evangelize you're gonna get great insight here from the Lord Jesus when there's a catastrophe. How do we respond? Is it politically is it socially is it economically?

I mean those all have their places. But what do you the church do when there's this big? Dramatic Catastrophe where the world is on hold as it seems so if you're a Christian. This is good evangelism. Strategy and you say well, I can't go around people to evangelize them.

Well, I still see people taking walks, and I still see people in grocery stores and other places. Walking around Lowe's and other places like that so you have opportunities and even with Skype and other things.

If you're not a Christian, and you're watching. Then this is going to be very poignant because you are going to die one day and stand before God. And I want you to be like Jim Elliot that great missionary martyr to the Akka Indians.

He said when it's time to die make sure the only thing you have left to do is to die. That is make sure you're at peace with God and you're reconciled to God and that you're forgiven. Everybody's going to die and the thing about it is you can't have somebody die for you.

I mean we have health care proxies. But you can't have a proxy for your own death. Your parents can't die for you your friends can't die for you. You have to die and then stand before God and then what and so Luke 13 is a great passage that helps us See Jesus deal with the crisis, and then what's the response?

Everybody wants to say why is this happening? Why is the crisis going on why World War one World War two the virus all these other things? And I think the question really is so what? Not why but so what how do we respond to this crisis.

So we come to Luke chapter 13 this great passage. From the physician Luke he was the human author and Imagine physician Luke would put things in a very orderly fashion so that you might believe and he says that in chapter 1 of Luke.

And we come here to chapter 13 About Jesus, and I think you're gonna have lots of questions answered. People say well Why would a loving God allow this tragedy to happen? Why would an all-powerful good God allow tragedy and viruses?

I think those why questions about suffering are going to turn into what's the point? God is trying to get people's attention. What's the point not? Why does God allow suffering in this world? Now two weeks ago We looked at give us this day our daily bread last week the Lord is my shepherd and now how does Jesus deal with?

Tragedies in this world. There were Some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Luke 13 verse 1 so you can tell right away. Can't you congregation that there's a tie-in there were some present at that very time who told them so these people who had heard?

Luke 12 and Prior to that have some questions for Jesus now remember in Luke 12, and I just read it verse 4 I tell you friends do not fear those who kill the body and after that have nothing more they can do.

But I will warn you whom to fear fear him who after he has killed has authority to cast into hell. Yes I tell you fear him remember Jesus. I just said that to the people. That's the backdrop by the way.

There's this kind of theology that's going around the world now. And it's kind of this Tim Keller CS Lewis theology where if you don't want God He'll let you not have him and that's what hell is. Hell's gates are locked on the inside.

But no no you see the language here while that might be true if you don't want God. You're not going to get him, but here. This is throwing casting. Tossing into hell you don't want to be tossed into hell.

So somebody who had heard this message from Jesus says well, what about those Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices? And I think you're gonna see Jesus respond in such a way where you think there's nobody who preaches like him nobody who talks like him.

You will Marlboro you were easy for me to say you will marvel at his words. There's gonna be a disaster and this author Luke ties in 12 to 13. There were some present at that very time. That there's a massacre now.

We don't know anything in the Bible about this massacre except. What's here the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices now? You can imagine the Roman people are occupying Jerusalem and Israel.

And there's a lot of bad things that happen. I've read in church history that Some Jews were massacred in connection with building of an aqueduct. That's what Josephus the historian said some Samaritans were attacked at Mount Gerizim according to Josephus Archelaus slew 3 ,000 Jews in 4 BC.

6 ,000 Jews were murdered by Alexander Janius who had been pelted with citrons during the Feast of Tabernacles. I don't know about you when I first hear citrons. I think of a car, but a citron is like a lemon with a thicker Rind on it.

What's my point? There's lots of activity between the Roman people and the Jewish people and the Romans have the swords the Romans have the armies the Roman has has the legions and they're doing bad things to the people and Now we have this case where some people Probably were going to the temple or who were in the temple and now you have the henchmen of Pilate who go in and kill The people who are sacrificing animals most likely for Passover.

And then now the blood of the sacrificers is mixed with the blood of the sacrificers sacrifices. And everything about this is awful because it's murder. It's a massacre. You've got the the henchmen Roman soldiers going into the temple precincts where no Gentiles allowed to go.

Everything about this is awful and of course now it's going to be a perfect time for Jesus to talk about politics and Oppression of the government and social issues and economic issues and and why this is is happening.

Of course Jesus isn't going to do that because something more important is going on here. Not just for these listeners not just for any readers, but for us as well. Watch Jesus's strategy. It's not wrong to talk politics.

It's not wrong to talk about social issues, but those aren't the issues. Pilate so cruel. No, that's not what Jesus says or does here when you watch him respond when you listen to him. You'll think this is the priority of life.

Tragedies are supposed to show us that life is so fragile and it's a vapor and we're gonna meet God one day. That's the point verse 2 and He answered them. Do you think? By the way, he wants you to think.

He wants you to ponder. He wants you to not just just feel or emote or go with the flow or what do the polls say you? What do you particularly think? That these Galileans Were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way.

Hey, everybody's sinful, but these Galileans were more sinful. By the way, how many sins does it take to damn anyone? James chapter 1. James chapter 2 says whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point has become guilty of what?

All Galatians chapter 3. Quoting Deuteronomy cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and to perform them. I Read this last week that because of the virus they're not making certain things.

They're redirecting energies and resources and I heard they're not making any Marshmallow peeps this year for Easter. I don't know if that's true or not, but I think that's a very sad thing not because I like peeps.

I would not eat a peep. Maybe if I was a grandpa, I would be forced to do it. But I like the word peep because it's a good acronym when I think about how do I meet God? And so how do I meet God? I've got two ways to meet God without going to hell.

Option one is and I think of that acronym peep that I need to obey God. Perfectly entirely. Exactly and perpetually. P EEP perfectly entirely exactly and perpetually I have to always obey. I'm looking at the faces in the congregation.

That's all right. And so how can I do that? I mean, it's impossibility because Adam sin was credited in my account. He was a federal head. Yes, and consequently I'm sinful but that that can't even work.

I know I've sinned and if I've sinned even one time I could never do that. How could I perfectly entirely exactly perpetually personally obey. I could never do that. It's what we call the covenant of works.

It's it's a covenant that says, you know what if you want to obey me. All right, you must obey me because I'm your creator and you're the creature. R .c. Sproul said man's relationship to God in creation was based on works.

What Adam failed to achieve. Christ the second Adam succeeded in achieving. Ultimately, the only way one can be justified is by works. So God the Creator creates us and we are to obey him. But we of course can't obey him and we've sinned so now we need the last Adam the Lord Jesus to obey in our place.

Now what's going on here in this particular case in Luke? It's kind of like the Job's friends deal. Hey, everybody sins, but these people sin more. Job you've sinned more and God's displeased with their sin.

And it's gonna punish you. It's kind of like evangelical karma. Where you know what these Galileans? Yeah, we're all sinful, but they were worse sinners and so therefore God is going to use pilot like he used Nebuchadnezzar or Belshazzar or Cyrus and he's going to use these Unbelieving people as an instrument of his own vengeance and take it out on these people who were worse sinners.

Is that what's happening? How can you read Providence? How can you understand what God's doing if you don't have revelation? Job 4 Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said Remember who was that who was innocent that ever perished or were the upright cut off?

Hey, they got what was coming to them. It was kind of like that attitude in John chapter 9 with the man born blind his disciples asked him rabbi who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind.

Jesus answered it was not that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God may be displayed in him. All this kind of thought about how sinful they were and what they did and the ranking of sin were they were sinners.

Jesus won't allow that because what's the point? The point isn't them and their sin. The point is you we're talking about you when there's a national tragedy. Let's talk about you put your own house in order.

You say well sometimes though in the Bible specific sins were judged by God. Sodom and Gomorrah. Judgment of God. Herod who said, you know I'm a god and everybody's worshiping me and they're singing to me and praising me and God killed him and gave him worms.

Yes, those are true. But that's not what's going on here. What does Jesus say verse 3? No, I tell you. I mean can you imagine just no that's emphatic by the way in the original and I wish I could see the faces of these people.

They thought they had all their theology figured out but it was wrong theology. I mean everybody's a theologian, but they were aberrant theologians. They wanted to hear Jesus say yes, and Jesus says the exact opposite.

No, I tell you. But unless you repent you will all likewise perish. I Mean you might not have been one of those people who were Sacrificing around Passover and got killed by the henchmen of Pilate, but you were gonna die as well.

What's the lesson? The lesson is make sure you're ready. What's the difference. You die of a heart attack a plane crash a car wreck you choke on food old age a virus. There's no difference because you have to all stand before God.

So do I. And of course maybe Jesus was alluding to soon Titus from Rome would crush Jerusalem in 70 AD, but I think he's talking about the ultimate final judgment. Jesus has said in Luke 9 whoever shall save his life will lose it.

But whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses our forfeits himself? Jesus has said in Luke 17 later on just as it was in the days of Noah.

So will it be in the days of the Son of Man? There was eating and drinking and marrying and given in marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed Them all. Likewise just as it was in the days of Lot.

They're eating drinking buying selling planting building. But on the day that when Lot went out from Sodom fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. So Jesus said will it be on the day when the Son of Man is?

Revealed. The ends coming for all of us short of the Lord's return and wouldn't that be wonderful but short of that We're all going to die. And what does Jesus say there? No, I tell you unless you what?

Repent. Jesus has said in Luke 5. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners. To what? Repentance. He said in Luke 15. So I tell you there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance.

He in Luke 24 with the Great Commission said that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead and that Repentance and forgiveness of sins sins should be proclaimed in his name. So you think okay, there's a national disaster.

There's a worldwide disaster. What do I do? The answer is make sure you're ready. Make sure you've repented. Every sinner faces the same fate. How you die in one sense is irrelevant. This is kind of a good thing for me because we all live our lives and all of a sudden there's like the speed bump I don't know if you've ever I mean, I think I do it all too often.

I'm driving and that probably says speed bump or school zone or something and then the next thing, you know, it's this massive bump. I'm going way too fast and it gets your attention. Maybe you're driving down the freeway and You kind of veer off a little bit and there's those little divots that make those sounds to kind of make you wake up to say Oh, yeah, that's right.

I am NOT going to live forever. I will stand before God one day disaster is going to strike me one way shape or form whether I die in my bed or I Am killed in a massacre. Well, what about this though verse 4 or those 18 in whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them.

Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? Yeah, they had it coming to. I mean those other people were sinful. But these people were really sinful. The tower in Siloam I mean one was a massacre and this is just kind of an accident.

And by the way, both places were in a place of safety. Don't you think you'd be safe in the temple and the temple precincts? And don't you think you'd be safe by a tower by definition a tower a fortress where you've got guards?

These are two places that are very very protected. I mean if you're gonna be safe someplace wouldn't it be in those places. Now when I think of tower I think of what Tower of Babel Tower of London Tower of Pisa.

Radio show I did yesterday on the Tower of Pisa. It's a it's a fascinating place. I've been there one time. I remember I was a Uriel pass and like I don't know 1991 or something and layover in Pisa and I said to the taxi driver how much Time does it take to get to Pisa and back because I think I had a 45 minute layover.

And he said well probably 48 minutes. I said there's extra money for you. If you can get me there and back and I catch the train got there took a picture got back in made the train. But the tower itself, what does that have to do with anything?

It has nothing to do with anything just tower language. Tower is supposed to be strong supposed to be fortified. And all of a sudden instead of having people just go kill and massacre. These people are just minding their own business and was like this an accident this tower falls down.

What's Jesus response. It's the same thing. No. You want me to say yes, but no I tell you and by the way He's not quoting the Old Testament, although he could and has done it. Jesus with the authority the eternal Son of God I tell you but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

He does it two times. Everybody should be getting the point of Repetition and the emphasis here two times. Everyone here should ask themselves the question. Everyone listening should ask this themselves the question am I converted.

Am I a Christian? Because if I'm not and I die in a state of unbelief I will Perish. You ought to be careful. You ought to watch out. You need to make sure you're forgiven and trusting in the Lord Jesus.

You need to make sure you're trusting in this God who freely grants Repentance and faith in the beloved Lord Jesus who's victorious over the grave. Both these groups died. You're gonna die. I'm gonna die.

Both these groups died quickly. I could die quickly so could you both these groups died tragically. Your death will be tragic so will mine. Both these groups thought everything's fine. I'm safe. I'm doing religious things.

I'm at a safe place. But what they viewed as their salvation deafened boss says was their destruction and The Lord Jesus calls people today, and if you're a Christian, and you're meeting certain people that are afraid this is what you call them to repentance.

Repentance this is a bad word today in our circles. The n-word is tolerance, but the biblical word is repentance. Did you know I studied this week a man in France? Southern France a minister of Reformed Church and one time he preached 50 sermons in a row on the one text repent.

One of these sermons Allegedly lasted four and one half hours. I Guess we could do that with this Livestream because then you could get up and have a snack or have a soda or whatever you want to go do.

People don't want to talk about repentance today, but what does Jesus do. There's a national tragedy, and what's his response? His response is make sure you're ready. It's like a speed bump make sure you're ready and Jesus doesn't come along and make up a word.

Ezekiel preached repentance. John the Baptist preached repentance. Jesus had Paul preached repentance. Peter preached repentance. What is repentance. And repentance is simple. It means to change your mind.

The way you think about sin? The way you think about Who you're sinning against you change your mind and of course that will lead to fruits of repentance and a life. That's changed. There are deeds in keeping with repentance.

Certainly acts 26. Westminster Confession says what's the definition of repentance. Quote a sinner out of the sight and sense not only of danger but also the filthiness and odiousness of his sin as Contrary to the holy nature and of the righteous law of God and upon the apprehension of his mercy in Christ Jesus to such as are Penitent so grieves for and hates his sin as to turn from them all unto God.

Purposing and endeavoring to walk with him in all ways of his Commandments. Repentance basically says the way I think about sin was wrong and now I have to think about it rightly. Now if you say repentance means stop sinning so you can come to Christ.

That's not repentance. Repentance is I know I can't save myself. I know I can't come to Christ on my own, and I know I can't deliver myself, but for the grace of God. And I'm thinking differently. That's what repentance is now.

You say well. What's the difference between faith and repentance? Why didn't Jesus say here believe? Why didn't he say repent and believe? Sometimes in the Bible People say believe and that's all they say right.

Rich the Jailer in Philippi believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. Is that okay to say of course. It's okay to say sometimes like Jesus. He just says repent. He doesn't say believe.

Sometimes in the Bible both are talked about Acts chapter 20 Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Is there a contradiction? If you hear people preach, and they never say repent, or they don't say believe.

Sometimes Peter preaches in Acts 2. He doesn't say repent or believe and they say what do we do? Sometimes in Acts chapter 17 he preaches Paul preaches repentance and the Bible says they believed. What are we to make of this?

Well if you think of a coin on one side of the coin is faith and another side of the coin is repentance. I think that's fair enough. Faith and repentance are joined. Can somebody have a Repentant. Unbelief are an unbelieving repentance.

Of course not. Chronologically they happen at the same time. God grants repentance and faith. It's a simultaneous thing, but some have asked the question and I think Sinclair Ferguson in his marrow controversy book the whole Christ.

Which one comes first logically? Now you could say they're simultaneous logically. You could say repentance comes first. You could say Faith comes first or you could say like John Murray. It doesn't matter quit arguing about these things.

The condition for salvation is clear sola fide. The ground is the work of Christ Jesus and the instrument is faith. But they go together. I don't know if you like kind of strange grammar words, but there's a word called synecdoche.

And synecdoche just means if you say a part of something you mean the whole. It's a synecdoche SYN and that's what Sinclair Ferguson says when you say repent or you say Believe, but you don't say repent and believe.

You're just giving a part when you say repent. You're meaning think differently about your sins so that you'll think rightly about Jesus. Faith has to do with who Jesus is and who God is. Repentance has to do with sin and so if I say repent Yes.

Think rightly about your sin so you can believe rightly about who Jesus is or if I say believe only on the Lord Jesus Christ. Think about him rightly and of course you then will see your sins rightly.

My whole point is when Jesus says repent think rightly about your sins. So that you'll think Believingly about the Lord Jesus Christ. Why. Because judgment is near verse 6. Why should we repent. Why should we think rightly about our sins?

Why should we trust believingly in the Lord Jesus? Because judgment is near you see the first word in verse 6 and He told this parable a Man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. And he came seeking fruit on it and found none and you should probably be thinking the vineyard analogies and allegories in Isaiah 5 about Israel is the vineyard and.

And he said to the vine dresser look for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none cut it down. Why should it use up the ground and he answered him sir let it alone this year also until I dig around it and put on manure.

Then if it should bear fruit next year well and good, but if not you can cut it down. What's the point? Well, Jesus has just said repent repent two times now. Here's what he's saying. God is gracious, but don't presume on his graciousness.

God is patient, but don't put off repenting. Judgment is nearer than you think you say well I know people that they didn't believe until they're 85 years old, and I'm only 20 now and so I'll put it off.

That's not the point at all. Jesus is trying to saying be converted now. You don't don't stop don't pass go be converted now now back to the death idea and Fearing death. I Actually think in one sense it's right for the unbeliever to fear death.

Because they know something else is coming. I mean does not Romans chapter 1 say that unbelievers know there's a God does not their conscience bear witness to their actions. I read this week that There's something called death anxiety and it's called Thanatophobia death.

Thanatos Phobia fear and it is quote the morbid abnormal or persistent fear of one's own death feeling the dread apprehension our Solicitude anxiety when one thinks of the process of dying. And of course how do we describe this Freud would say well?

You've got deeper issues that are gonna have to come out in counseling. You've got daddy wounds. You've got unresolved childhood conflicts. People in psychological research have something called terror management and It's how do you get over the anxiety of death?

Knowing that it invented in inevitably will come. There are tests for this. There's the DASC the death anxiety scale for children. There's the fear survey schedule for children. I thought it was interesting.

One of the things they are trying to do now with children four years old or so when they're gonna try to give them this fear of death questionnaire and Anxiety scale they call it the koala fear questionnaire.

And so they they have pictures of koalas and all this stuff back and forth the KFQ Koala fear questionnaire, sorry I can't read KFQ without thinking about KFC, but I think they're closed. Never had a Popeye's.

There's all this fear of death. How can this be is it right is it good? So here's what I think if you're an unbeliever you should fear death. You should be afraid of death. You should run from death under the Lord Jesus.

I mean here's what typically happens. He'll here's Bill Maher's quotes on HBO show. Several years ago if you believe in Judgment Day I have to seriously question your judgment. If you believe you're in a long-term relationship with an all-powerful Space daddy who after you die will party with your ghost forever.

There is an electrical fire going on in your head at the end of the day is Magic underwear really that much crazier than giant arcs. Virgin births are talking bushes. You're either a rationalist or you're not Margo's on and the good news is a recent poll found 20 of adults under 30 say they are Rationalist and have figured out that Santa Claus and Jesus are really the same guy.

Now 20 is hardly a majority, but it's a bigger minority than blacks Jews homosexuals NRA members teachers are seniors, and it's certainly enough to stop being shy about expressing the opinion that we're not the crazy ones and Then what do we hear in the last week you've got a bunch of movie stars singing.

Imagine on some kind of what is it called tik-tok? Something like that some kind of video. I even heard Joe Rogan say What are we doing having a bunch of unbelievers whose grandmothers are dying talking about we're sure glad there's no heaven.