Sound Doctrine and Sincere Faith

Luke 20:41-21:4

• This week was kind of dark for many of us following the news.
• I was reminded of sin, the fall, and the curse that has spread upon all humanity.
• Many wonder what the solution to these problems are.
• What can we do? What is the need of the hour?

Here in the end of Luke 20 and into 21 we see the worthless religion of the Pharisees contrasted with the sincere worship of the widow.

• Many thought the Pharisees, Scribes, Chief Priests, or Sadducees were the examples of sincere faith.
• No, this widow who will give two coins will be an example of sincere faith.
• She is the example we will be pointed to.
• The character we are called to replicate.
• Lets read starting in Luke 20:41- 21:4

So we are going to contrast the worthless religion of the Pharisees with the sincere faith of the widow.

• As we have moved through Luke 20 we see the master at work discussing the scriptures, addressing questions, and dealing with scrutiny.
• There was mastery to such a degree that the people marveled at his response
• He dealt with questions, he taught the teachers- he instructed the leader
• It had gotten to the point that the Scribes, Chief Priests, Pharisees, and Sadducees no longer wanted to ask anything of Jesus.
• In this passage Jesus will be back on the offensive warning against the religious leaders.
• The very behaviour of the religious in chapter 20 is what has sealed the fate of Jerusalem in chapter 21.
• Jesus will condemn the false religious leaders and commend the sincerity and sacrifice of a widow.   – It's quite the turn of events for the Jews of that day.
• They demonstrate their religion is worthless
• So if the answer of the hour is to live as authentic followers of Christ.
• How does this passage propose we do that.

Here are 5 ways we can live as authentic follower of Christ. 

2 Things to watch out for and 3 things to pursue.

Watch out for False Teaching (41-44).

1. The first issue Jesus addresses with the scribes revolves around the Messiah
2. The statements here are causing the people to re-examine what they think of this Messiah.
3. The religious rightly understood Jesus as the son of David.

Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7  Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom,  to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

1. They saw this Messiah as the coming ruler from the house and lineage of David.
2. Seeing the Messiah only this way really meant that they were looking for a political king.
3. “How can they say that the Christ is David's son?“
4. Notice that Christ “God’s authoritative son” appealed to Scripture for his points.
5. The Pharisees' misconception of the Messiah was intensely practical though it may not have seemed it at the time.
6. False Teaching is
7. Destructive
8. Deceitful
9. Sound teaching
10. Makes sense of scripture.
11. Is practical in nature.
12. Is life-giving to the soul.
13. Many failures of Christians today come back to issues of poor doctrine.

Watch out for Attention Seeking (45-47).

1. What they Love
2. Long Robes-
3. Special Greetings-
4. The Best Seats-
5. Power, Position, and Praise.
6. Attention Seeking had become their idol - their god.
7. What are they willing to do to get what they love? (47a)
8. Devour widows houses-
9. Make pretense of long prayers-
10. Result- (47b)
11. They will receive greater condemnation.
12. Attention Seeking- Approval chasing- people pleasing will destroy you if you let it run your life.
13. If you want to have an authentic faith that stands out in a dark world live for the glory of God
14. Put your desire for his honor above every other thing
15. Whether around people or by ourselves we live for God’s glory.

Pursue Sincerity (21:1-2).

1. This Widow was not doing what she was for notoriety or name
2. People don't often brag about their giving of 2 coins
3. Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
4. It was her heart of sincerity that spoke to Jesus.
5. In a social media world many have lost the sincerity of worship.
6. Why do you worship? Why do you give? Why do you serve?
7. People pleasing, attention seeking, or curating your image can be complex but sincerity is simple.

We worship, serve, or give out of sincere obedience to God and his word.

1. If we are not serving or obeying for  God's glory then even our good deeds become tainted.
2. The poor widow got this-
3. There is something about how hard circumstances prepare us to worship God out of sincerity.
4. The pharisees had other motivations
5. To get rich
6. Get praise
7. Get positions
8. The widow acted not to get but to give.
9. Our faith shines like a light in the world when we live to give not to get.

Pursue Sacrifice (21:3-4).

1. Contributing out of your abundance is nice- but she gave beyond what she had.
2. These coins were all that she had- She gave everything.
3. She gave out of her poverty
4. I think we are so often adverse to sacrifice in our christian walk.
5. We like the picture of God that makes us walk on water or be untouched by the fire.
6. There is a popular song about Jesus turning the lemons of life into lemonade.er
7. Sacrifice for the Christian shouldn’t be something that we are dragged to kicking and screaming but rather something that we willingly submit to in our life.

Pursue Stewardship

1. The  widow couldn’t control all of the wrongs in the world
2. She could control her two coins

Christian, I think we spend more time worrying about what's not in our control than we do committing to what we can control.

Our goal is not to right every wrong in the World- Its impossible- Though we try

Our goal is to be faithful-