Repentance and tragedies - part 1

Welcome to NOCO Radio. Welcome to No Compromise Radio Ministry. This is Mike Abendroth, and it is May 8th, Friday, 2026 in real time. In NOCO time, I think it is the end of June. But we're back to daily radio.

I know you can write me, Mike, at NoCompromiseRadio .com. We've got the new Church Center app at the church, so that's kind of fun. Working on websites, etc. I don't know about you, but I've listened to sermons before, and I've thought, I sure wish my wife was here to hear this.

Or I've preached sermons, and I've thought, oh, I can't believe so-and-so is not here. They really needed that sermon. Insert elbow into the person's ribs who are sitting next to you. Today we're going to talk about sermons that preach.

Sermons that preach. But they're not necessarily audible sermons. You're like, what in the world? Is he going liberal? Well, let me give you some illustrations. Not technical sermons, but things that happen in life that preach.

Maybe a newborn baby, a little Evelyn. Love Abendroth was born to Luke and Hannah just a couple weeks ago. Maybe just a week ago, and you think, wow. Amazing. God is so good. Music, taste buds. Oh, God is so good.

Gave me taste buds to taste salt and sweet and bitter, etc. And so there are sermons that preach, you know, inaudible sermons, non-audible sermons. But also, on the darker side, on the negative side, tragedies also preach.

Calamities preach. Bad news in the world preaches. And what do they preach? What do tragedies preach? Answer, that there's a latter. There's a later. Can't even read my own writing. There's a later, not a ladder.

Ladder. Ladders preach. One day you'll stand before God. Other people have just died. We read it in the news. 9 -11, shootings, roofs cave in, grizzly bear maulings, and those all preach. James chapter 4, it says, yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.

You're just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. I need that message. You need that message. We presume on the future, but time is fleeting. Life is fleeting. We are one day closer to either the Lord's return—well, the Lord will return, we're one day closer to that—and one day closer to our certain death.

It's appointed for men once to die, and after this comes judgment. The wages of sin is death. And we know that God is holy and righteous, and one day we'll stand before him, either as judge or as Savior, standing confidently in the presence of God.

Tragedies Preach Repentance and the Reality of Judgment

Now, Luke chapter 13, Jesus is going to say, tragedies preach. You should be ready. So it's not Mike Ebendroth's radio show that says this, it's Jesus himself. And so we need to make sure that when we see tragedies, we are, yes, empathetic, sympathetic when possible, kind, compassionate, understanding, having remorse, weep with those who weep.

But in addition to all those things, when you see a tragedy, you ought to take a line and trace it from that tragedy to your own eternity. Drawing a line from somebody else's suffering to our sin, to quote a theologian.

What do I need to learn from this tragedy? And that learning must include, one day I'll stand before God. So for Christians, we can be thankful that when we stand before God, we're not going to be judged.

Jesus on the cross, te telestai, it is finished, paid in full, sin dead has been taken care of. Our obligations to God, to love him and to love neighbor, are fulfilled in Christ Jesus as he loved God and loved neighbor, and the penalty side of us breaking those laws, that's also been paid for as Jesus made atonement for us on the cross.

And we know it's true because he's alive, he was raised from the dead. When there's tragedy, we need to be reminded we could be next. We are also sinful. And so if you're a Christian, you're safe and secure, you can just see a tragedy and weep with those who weep, and then be thankful that your day of reckoning has already happened at Calvary.

If you're an unbeliever though, you need to see a tragedy and then draw a line right to you and say, you know what, I'm gonna die one day. Right, we live in a world where we don't talk about death much, we don't talk about the finality of death, the certainty of death, it's just something we don't really talk about.

I mean, it's illegal to bury an animal in your backyard. Well, at least it's illegal to bury a dog, maybe it's not illegal to bury a chicken or something, a sparrow. John Owen said, Satan's greatest success is in making people think that they have plenty of time before they die to consider their eternal welfare.

So when you see a tragedy, it's supposed to preach, and it's supposed to preach to you, not someone you're elbowing who's sitting next to you. I wish they could hear that sermon. No, no, it's for you.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has a fixed day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

Paul said that on Mars Hill, the Areopagus. So my question for you today is, are you ready? Now, maybe you're a regular listener, and some of your children are listening. Are you children ready? Maybe you're listening because your spouse is a Christian, and you're just forced to listen in the car.

Are you ready? Luke chapter 13. Life is frail, life is fleeting, and we are debtors to God, and therefore, like the last section of Luke, it said, settle out of court. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 12?

As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer puts you in prison.

I tell you, you will never get out until you've paid the very last penny. And so the language there is, settle out of court with God now, because on Judgment Day, it's too late, and you're never going to get out.

You can't even earn a penny in eternal torment, so you're never going to get out, contra Roman Catholicism. So when you see the news in your neighborhood, in the world, in the nation, I want you to think, repentance.

One writer said, every time tragedy strikes, one of the things we ought to do is to recognize that there is a message of repentance in that tragedy, not to them, but to us. And you can be thankful if you're a Christian, because you could be thinking, that's what I deserved, and I didn't deserve to be saved first.

What if that happened to me before I got saved? Wow, that could have happened to me. One of the things I think will be fascinating, I don't know if heaven will reveal it or not, but all the different times we could have died, or maybe from a human perspective, should have died before we came to faith.

But God keeps the unregenerate elect alive long enough to believe, right? I'm going to die one day, I should be ready. People watch a tragedy and they say, why? They say, how could a good God allow that?

They say, how could a loving, all-powerful God let that happen? Why do good things, why do bad things happen to good people? And Jesus wants us to know that question, not why did it happen, but what should I do about it?

And that is, be thankful that God saved you if you're a Christian. If you're not a Christian, to repent. George Barna used to do all kinds of stats, took opinion polls, National Survey years ago. If you could ask God one question, Barna asked these people, what would you ask?

Top response. Why is there pain and suffering in the world? Is this the Achilles heel of Christianity? God is all-powerful, He is all good, then how could there be suffering? So you see a tragedy and you think, okay, now what do I do?

What goes through my mind? Earthquake, somebody dies. Fires, viruses, tsunamis. Every time that happens, again, show compassion, show, you know, give help when you can. But what should go through your mind is, hmm, what about me?

You're next. I'm next. It should be a sermon given to self. You should see a tragedy and preach a sermon to yourself. That's where this is going. You see a tragedy, preach a sermon to yourself. If you're a Christian, preach the good news to yourself, that thankfully you're safe and secure when you stand before God.

And if you're an unbeliever, you preach, I must repent. God, grant me repentance. Otherwise, there's eternal punishment. I tell you, Jesus said, my friends, in Luke 12, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do.

But I warn you whom to fear. Fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. There's Jesus who comes. He wants you to interpret the signs, and remember what he said.

You see a cloud rising, you go, hmm, see there's a cloud there in the west? There's going to be rain. Or the south wind's blowing, you're like, hmm, it's going to be hot. And then Jesus says, you hypocrites, you know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

You need to read Providence properly. You need to understand what's going on, not just with that situation, but with you. You need to repent. It's a non-negotiable, and repent quickly because judgment is near.

Interpreting the Galilean Tragedy in Luke 13

So let's look at the passage, very fascinating. I preach this passage, I think in the middle of COVID, and I also preach this Sunday after 9 -11. I don't usually change things as I'm preaching through sequential verses, preaching sequentially through books of the Bible, Lectio Continuum.

But sometimes, I mean, Incarnation emphasis during Christmas time, or Resurrection emphasis during Easter. Maybe you're out of town, and then you come back, and there's a one-off. But nine times out of ten, verse by verse, just preaching through Luke.

But once in a while, like 9 -11, I deviated. I deviated to this passage. As bad as the tragedy is on earth, there's something worse if you're not safe and secure and forgiven. And if you are forgiven, you are safe and secure.

There were some present at that very time, Luke 13, who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Hey, what's going on? One thing I will tell you, this is not a great chapter break, because we are continuing to see what's happening now on the same occasion, right?

That's how chapter 13, verse 1 starts. And you've got these Galileans, they're in the temple, they're sacrificing, and they're doing religious things. Very safe place. And you've got Pilate's henchmen, who are Gentiles, who should be killed themselves for going into the place where the Gentiles were not allowed, and kills these people in religious service.

Hey, Jesus, what about this guy who's really bad? Maybe you could give us a little commentary about how much blasphemy this is in the temple, religious services, services unto God, and here Pilate. Maybe this is even happening at Passover, God forbid.

All kinds of problems between Rome, the government of Rome, and Jerusalem, the cauldron of just friction and trouble. Jews massacred when they were building an aqueduct, that had happened in the past.

Archelaus killed 3 ,000 Jews in 4 BC. 6 ,000 Jews were murdered by Alexander Janius during the Feast of the Tabernacle in the 1st century BC. A lot of stuff going on, and maybe, Jesus, you could give us a little bit of insight into politics.

Maybe you could give us a reflection on social commentary. What about protesting? What about emancipation? What about, maybe, how do we think about this? And the way that people were thinking about this was, the Galileans were sinful.

That if you do something wrong, God is going to get you. There's secret sins that these men were doing, and God used Pilate and his men and their cruelty to exact divine displeasure. But what does Jesus do?

What does the Lord Jesus do? Well, there are spiritual things that are much more important than non-spiritual things, like politics. And here, Jesus, the best preacher, is going to preach. This is Jesus, of whom in Luke 4 it is said that they marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.

And they said, is this not Joseph's son? This is the Jesus of whom they said in Luke 8. They marveled, saying to one another, who then is this that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?

This is Jesus, who were astonished at the majesty of God. The Jews were astonished, but while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus began to talk to his disciples. So, were these people worse?

Did Jesus all of a sudden say, let me just give you a discussion of politics, why there's evil, philosophical issues of why there's problems solving evil? He says in verse 2, do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way?

That's what they were thinking. They were thinking that, in fact, that was the case. Yes, they were greater sinners. And Jesus says immediately, no, I tell you, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Strong words. You can just see it all happening, can't you? Jesus says you can't even know the times, and you should be understanding that I, the Messiah, am right here, fulfillment of the Old Testament types and shadows and prophecies, and you won't repent.

There's a cloud, and you know enough to know it's going to rain. There's going to be this wind, and you know the heat's going to come. But you don't understand anything else, and this guy says, or somebody says, a group of these guys say, well, we know how to read the times.

These people were killed in a religious service, and they must have deserved it. They must have deserved it, because how would they die like that, doing those things? Of course, we know everyone's a sinner.

God punishes sinners. We know God is holy, and he's a creator, and only one sin is needed to damn people, for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point has become guilty of all. James 2.

Galatians 3. Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and perform them are to do them. We know that our relationship to God is based on works, that is to say, a sinner's relationship, an unbeliever's relationship, and what Adam failed to achieve, Christ achieved for us by works, and we receive that by grace alone, through faith alone.

Did these things happen because God was judging them? Is that what you guys think? Now, it is fair to say that in the Bible, we do see God's displeasure meted out on people when they do bad things. Noah's day, there was a flood.

Sodom and Gomorrah, fire and brimstone. Ahab's family. Korah's family. Korah and his family. Achan. I remember Achan stole something, because Achan just steals something. But not every time, right? Stephen died for godliness, right?

So it's not just, well, something bad happened because they did something wrong. That's not how you read Providence. Don't be like Job's friends. Eliphaz said in Job 4, remember, who that was innocent ever perished, or where were the upright cut off?

Or in John chapter 9, as he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth, and 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 might be displayed in him.

The Call to Repentance and Read Providence Rightly

Let's take another look at it. I wonder if these Galileans walked into that temple service thinking, you know what? I could die today. I could stand before God today. I don't think they thought that. I don't really think if I come to church service on Sunday, Lord's Day worship, I'm thinking I could die today.

Now, I have thought it, but I don't think about it as often as I should. Today is a good day. Yes, this is the day that the Lord has made. But it could be my destined day. It could be destiny day. And the Lord actually is using this aortic aneurysm that I have.

That's two years ago, grew a little. Last year, didn't grow any. If it gets much bigger, you have to have surgery, or if it got bigger and just popped, you're gone. So, that's just a little reminder that I have.

I don't think about it every day. I did for a while. Okay, could this be the day? Could this be the day? And again, there are times when something bad happens, and it's because the person did some bad things.

Remember, on the appointed day, Herod put on his royal robes, Acts 12, took his seat upon the throne, delivered an oration. People were shouting, the voice of a God and not a man. And the angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give God the glory.

And he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. But the word of God increased and multiplied. Jesus says, in this particular case, you shouldn't suppose that these people were greater sinners. What you should do is, they died unexpectedly in a tragedy, doing religious things in a place where they thought they were safe, doing God's will.

But I tell you, don't think that way, that somehow they were sinners. I want you to think that unless you repent, you'll all likewise perish. They were thinking Jesus was going to say, yes, that's right.

They were worse sinners. That's why they died in such a way. But that's wrong theology. I wonder what they looked like when he said, no, front-loaded, with emphasis in the Greek language, no, they were not greater sinners than the other Galileans.

You might escape calamity one day, but you're not going to escape standing before God, being judged, unless you have an advocate, unless you have Jesus as Savior. What about your life? You see a tragedy and you're like, hmm, what about me?

I deserve that. I'm next. I could be next. One day I will be next. And whether you die from a heart attack, plane wreck, car, you choke on food, old age, there's still eternity. It's a long, long time.

And of course, we know, looking back, a lot of Jewish people who did experience calamity just 40-some years after Jesus. Can you imagine 15, 20, 30-year-olds who would hear Jesus and then live long enough for Titus to come and sack Jerusalem?

And they perished. So settle out of court now, to use the language of Luke chapter 12. I read online reasons to settle out of court on earth. It's faster, it's cheaper, more control of the outcome, less stress, and less risk.

Trials are unpredictable. Even a strong case can lose. Settling gives you a guaranteed outcome instead of gambling on a. So why gamble with your eternal soul? Settle out of court now. Much less risk. Much less.

The missing element of tragedies is, what about me? The sermon that preaches. I just read about some bears that mauled two people in Yellowstone. I have some friends that live near Yellowstone, and they give tours, and you think, I wonder if either of them thought, today I could die.

Today is the day I could die. I don't know what the news has said, but I'm not sure one of those people will make it. There's a crisis in the world. Somebody dies. Well, what do we do? Well, we have diversions and sports, and we have entertainment and going out to eat, and we should be thinking death and judgment.

We should be thinking eternal things. That's really the best way to think about it. Am I thinking eternal truths? Death, yes, is an enemy. Yes, it's the last enemy. It's the king of terrors, and 150 ,000 people will die each day around the world.

They'll stop breathing. They'll go through rigor mortis. One account said the leading causes of death, heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, accidents, Alzheimer's, diabetes, influenza, self-harm.

In Adam's fall, we send all. But there's something worse than death. That's eternal death. People running around trying to extend their lives and do all kinds of biomedical stuff, cryogenics, but we need to think rightly.

We need to think rightly. I can't stand before God by proxy. I have to stand before God. We all have to die, short of the Lord's return. Every person in here, short of the Lord's return. For whoever will 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 or forfeits himself? Warning, warning, warning. This is God's goodness, isn't it? How kind and compassionate Jesus is to say, don't forget.

Had a friend driving down the street, 55 years old, went for a walk, came back, heart attack, car hit a tree. He was dead before the car even hit the tree. Lives three houses down the street. Paul was his name.

We have to be ready. Thankfully, Paul was a believer, so he was ready. I've not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, Luke chapter 5. John the Baptist proclaiming repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus opened their mind to understand the scriptures, Luke 24, after his resurrection, and said to them, thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer on the third day, rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sin should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.

So have you repented? Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus? Disaster is on its way, even if you live to be 95 and die in your old age with all kinds of great grandchildren around. Psalm 7, God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation every day.

If a man does not repent, God will wet his sword. He has bent and readied his bow. He has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. There's going to be disaster one day for sure, again, short of the Lord's return.

Make sure you're ready. Make sure you're ready, and you haven't been converted unless there's repentance. Thinking rightly about sin, thinking rightly about God, just because your parents are believers, just because you're in this church, just because these people were sons of Abraham, they've been circumcised, they need to have their mind changed.

Trusting in the Messiah, repentance is a non-negotiable. Jesus gives another illustration that we'll look at next time. My name is Mike Abendroth, this is No Compromise Radio Ministry. Are you ready?

How do you read Providence? One of the ways you read Providence is you take a line from that tragedy and run it straight to yourself, saying, am I ready? And if you're a believer, you're ready. You're safe, secure, everything's fine.

So go evangelize. Live with great joy. And if you're not a believer, today's the day.