Prioritizing Others

Introduction

If you have your Bibles this morning, please take them and find Luke 17:1.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “Prioritizing Others.”

 

In 2002, California pastor and author, Rick Warren, wrote his best-selling work, “Purpose Driven Life.”  It was written as a forty-day devotional.  If you’ve never read it, I highly encourage it.

 

The very first sentence of Day 1 says, “It’s not about you.”  Wow!  You know what?  He’s right.

 

Turn to your right and say to your neighbor, “It’s not about you.”  Turn to the neighbor on your left and say, “It’s not about you.”  Look this way and say about yourself, “It’s not about me.”

 

We’re continuing our study of Luke’s gospel this morning, and today’s message is about this profound truth.  Following Jesus is a call to prioritize others above or before self.

 

17:1-10 points out three specific ways we can prioritize others.  Consider others sacrificially.  Forgive others completely, and serve others dutifully.

 

 

1. Consider others sacrificially, Luke 17:1-2.

1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

 

Verse 1 tells us that Jesus is talking to us.  He’s talking to disciples, followers, believers, Christians.

 

1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!

 

He then said that it is impossible to avoid offending everyone.  However, do your best not to offend or be a stumbling block to younger Christians. That’s who is in sight when He said “little ones” at the end of verse 2.

 

2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

 

If you do offend younger Christians or cause them to stumble or sin, it would be better for you to die than to have to answer to God for that.  That’s what it means to have a millstone or cinder block tied around your neck and thrown into the sea.

 

In Jesus’ day, just like our day, there were controversial issues.  We have even seen some in our study such as healing on the Sabbath.

 

 

We have controversial issues today.  Sometimes, we call them “gray areas.”  Is it ok for a Christian to drink alcohol?  Is it ok for a Christian to gamble?

 

There were also controversial issues in Paul’s day.  A well-known one was eating meat sacrificed to idols.

 

Was it ok for Christians to eat meat that from an animal that was sacrificed to a pagan idol?  Paul gives us some counsel in Romans 15:1-3, and it mirrors Jesus’ counsel here in Luke 17.

 

1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”

 

Paul’s counsel was to not please ourselves, but please our neighbor first like Jesus.  In other words, consider others sacrificially.  Sacrifice your liberty for your neighbor’s good.

 

 

2. Forgive others completely, Luke 17:3-4.

3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” 

 

The second way we can prioritize others is by forgiving them completely when they hurt us.  Look at verse 3.

 

3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

 

The family titles here are our spiritual family.  If our brother or sister sins against us, rebuke them and forgive them when they repent.

 

Did you read that?  Jesus gives us the responsibility to call out the behavior of spiritual family members. 

 

When that family member repents, we are to forgive regardless of the hurt. We are even to forgive again and again and again.

4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” 

 

However, if they sin an eighth time, we don’t have to forgive.  No, that is not what Jesus said or meant.

 

When He said forgive seven times in a day, He used seven as the perfect number.  It means completely.  Don’t hold any of your forgiveness back.

 

Again, we can turn to the Paul in his letter to the Ephesian Christians and find similar instruction.  See Ephesians 4:32.

 

32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

 

Paul also calls us to forgive our spiritual family, but notice our standard.  Our standard is not others, but God. 

 

Forgive as God forgave you.  Forgive others completely.

 

 

3. Serve others dutifully, Luke 17:7-10.

7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”

 

Verses 7-10 encourage us to prioritize others by serving them dutifully or because that’s our duty.  Notice the rhetorical question in verse 7.

 

7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?

The implied answer is no one.  No one would invite a servant in from the field to sit down and eat.

 

You would tell your servant to come in and prepare the meal. When you had finished eating, they could eat. 

 

You wouldn’t thank your servant for doing his or her job.  That’s simply their job.

 

In a similar way, we are servants of God.  Therefore, our duty is to serve Him by serving others.

 

For a third time, Jesus is our example.  Remember Hebrews 12:2.

 

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

Jesus endured the cross for His Father and for us.  It was His duty, and He did well.

 

It is our duty to serve God by serving others.  We shouldn’t need an “attaboy” for doing what were supposed to do.

 

 

Key

5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”  6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

 

You might be saying right now, “Bro. Richard, This is so hard.”  You’re in good company. 

 

Look at verse 5.  The disciples thought the same thing, and said to the Lord, this is so hard we need more faith. 

 

Jesus said you don’t more faith.  You just need the faith of the mustard seed.

 

This is not the only time Jesus said this.  See Matthew 17:20, 21:21, and Mark 11:23.

 

20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

 

21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.

 

23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

 

If we are going to prioritize others as followers of Jesus, the key is not more faith but refocusing the object of our faith.  Your faith must be in the mountain mover rather than the mountain.  You faith must be in the mover of the tree rather than the mulberry tree.

 

Everything Jesus said for us to do in today’s text, He said that He is object of our faith.  He is the source of action.  He is the reason for our behavior.

 

How do consider others sacrificially?  Like Jesus considered us sacrificially.

 

How do we forgive others completely?  Like Jesus forgave us completely.

 

How do we serve others dutifully?  Like Jesus served us dutifully by going to the cross.

 

 

Conclusion

Scott Drew is the head men’s basketball coach at Baylor University.  Several years ago, he received a lot of national attention because of his team’s success and their mantra.

 

Their mantra was “Choose J.O.Y.”  Notice that choose is an active verb.  It takes intentionality. 

 

JOY is both an object and a result.  He encouraged his players to choose JOY.  That acronym stands for Jesus, Others, You…J. O. Y.  Their success as a team was based on their choosing JOY.

 

I would say the same about us.  When we choose JOY in that order, we can consider others and forgive others and serve others even when its hard.

 

And you know what we’ll receive in return?  Our result will be joy.

 

Today, have you chosen Jesus?  Today, will prioritize others.  Following Jesus is not about you!