Luke 10:17-20
Truths About Life
All of us have been wrong and most of us have been wrong about some
pretty important topics. Being wrong is part of being a fallen human
being, but some things have higher consequences.
1. You can be wrong about matching your socks and most people
won’t ever know it.
2. But if you are wrong about the speed limit, you might find the
fines to be pretty hefty.
3. Even more serious, you can be wrong in your selection of a
mate and have a hard life.
But all of these errors are nothing compared to what Jesus taught His
disciples on His journey to Jerusalem. On that journey, Jesus took
the time to teach them some truths about life. Some truths that some
still need to learn.
Tonight, let’s look at some life truths.
I. \\#17-20\\ What’s true joy?
A. Last week, we set up the time for this section of Scripture.
1. \\#Luke 9:51\\ Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem to die.
While we do not know how long the journey will take,
Jesus does know what will happen to Him when He gets
there.
2. \\#Luke 10:1\\ Jesus sent disciples ahead to every city He
would pass through, giving the cities the opportunity to
greet Him or reject Him.
B. \\#Luke 17:10\\ The seventy returned, no doubt having a place
and time where they were to rendezvous.
1. These disciples had preached, healed, and even cast out
demons while they were gone.
2. They were overjoyed at their new found power.
C. \\#20\\ Jesus did not rebuke them for their excitement.
1. Instead He used the opportunity to teach them what true
joy was.
2. True joy does not come in abilities, position, wealth,
comfort, or power.
a. I remember watching the host of a late night show
interview a well-known actor.
(1) The host acknowledged the actor’s popularity and
wealth and then asked him what the thought about
the statement, "Money can’t buy happiness."
(2) The actor’s response was, "No it can’t buy
happiness but it is a pretty close second."
(3) Money, power, position: I don’t even know if they
are a close second, but they do seem to be the
things that most people sacrifice joy, peace,
family, and happiness for.
b. \\#18\\ Notice how Jesus taught that truth.
(1) Jesus said that He watched Satan fall from
heaven.
(2) That’s only part of it.
(3) Jesus was also the One doing the casting out for
Jesus is God.
(4) The point being that if anyone knew anything
about power, it was Jesus.
(5) But Jesus, the omnipotent One, was saying power
is not what we ought to rejoice about.
3. True joy should come from having your name written in
heaven!
a. That is a reference to the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Re 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into
it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever
worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they
which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
(1) How do you get your name in that Book?
(2) By repenting and believing on Jesus Christ.
b. It is that Book that determines who goes to heaven
and who is cast into hell.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written
in the book of life was cast into the lake of
fire.
4. So Jesus was saying that real joy is being saved.
D. There is a second truth we can gather from the first.
1. If salvation is the source of our joy, then there will
never be a day when a believer is not joyful, at least
down in their soul!
2. Life is full of tragedy and sorrow. It comes in sets, in
groups, and in downpours.
3. But our salvation is eternal.
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand.
4. Because salvation is eternal, our joy should be
continuous, unbroken, always present.
1Th 5:16 Rejoice evermore.
Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I
say, Rejoice.
Ps 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath
made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
5. This does not mean that it is wrong to sorrow, grieve, or
just be sad from time to time.
a. However, it does mean that as Christians we should not
make sorrow, grief, and sadness a permanent dwelling
place.
(1) These, like all others, are legitimate emotions.
(2) As human beings, we will feel them.
(3) But our emotions are not to control us.
(4) They are to help us.
(a) Love is the emotion that God gives to
motivate us to care and be loyal to another.
(b) Loneliness is the emotion that God gives to
motivate us to interact with other people.
(c) Grief is the emotion that God gives to help
us to appreciate the gifts we have had.
(d) Sorrow is the emotion that God gives to help
us recognize wrong and loss.
(4) But hope is the emotion that God has given to
motivate us to continue moving forward.
(5) And joy is the emotion that God has given to
motivate us to appreciate all of the gifts
that God has given to us.
(a) The gift of our life
(b) The gift of help
(c) The gift of family and friends
(d) The gift of food, clothing, and comfort
(e) And especially the gift of eternal life!
b. At some point, it becomes sinful to dwell in and be
controlled by emotions that stop us from doing the
will of God.
(1) I cannot and will not attempt to tell you where
that point us.
(2) But it is for certain life is a gift given to us
by God to serve Him.
(3) We must continue that mission.
II. \\#21-22\\ What is true wisdom?
Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in
spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these
things from the wise and prudent, and hast
revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for
so it seemed good in thy sight.
22 All things are delivered to me of my Father:
and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the
Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and
he to whom the Son will reveal him.
A. \\#21\\ Jesus was thankful for the babes who were wiser than
the wise and the prudent.
1. Who are these babes?
a. He was speaking of His disciples and followers.
b. Those who had believed on Jesus as the Christ.
2. Who were the wise and the prudent?
a. He was speaking of those the world considered wise.
b. That would be the educated, the experienced, the
intelligent, the knowledgeable.
B. So Jesus was teaching that true wisdom does not come from
education, experience, or knowledge. How is that possible?
C. \\#22\\ Wisdom comes from God.
1. Wisdom is a gift from God.
Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask
of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
2. My definition of wisdom is the ability to see things as
God sees things.
a. Wisdom is the ability to see the things that God
reveals.
b. Notice that word is used twice, once in each verse.
D. How do you know if someone is wise or not?
1. Do they see things as God sees them?
a. They may be smart and intelligent but that is not the
same as wise.
b. There will be a lot of smart people in hell.
2. Wise people are the ones going to heaven.
a. In the end it boils down to two fact.
b. If you are going to hell, you are not wise, smart, or
intelligent.
c. If you are going to heaven but can’t figure out how
to boil water, you are very wise.
III. \\#23-24\\ What is a true blessing?
Luke 10:23 And he turned him unto his disciples,
and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which
see the things that ye see:
24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings
have desired to see those things which ye see,
and have not seen them; and to hear those things
which ye hear, and have not heard them.
A. \\#23\\ Notice that Jesus told the disciples this alone.
1. Jesus then revealed a blessing which was strictly theirs.
2. They got to see God in flesh!
B. This is not a blessing you and I can have.
1. It was a limited-time and limited-opportunity blessing.
3. They got to see something that no other generation would
get to see.
C. But even though you and I cannot have that blessing, God
gives to every age its own blessing.
1. You can worship and serve Jesus Christ in ways that no
other generation ever could.
2. While today is a day of growing evils, it is still a day
when you stand on one continent and preach and teach to
lost souls in another.
3. You can do it from you cell phone!
D. The key to the true blessing is not in what it is but in you
recognizing and stepping in line with it.
1. The world is before everyone today!
2. Ask God how you can use the blessings of our day to impact
the world for Jesus.
IV. \\#25-37\\ Who is a true neighbor?
A. This is a long and important text but I preached from it not
too long ago so I will not even read it tonight.
B. It is the story of a man being robbed, beaten, and left for
dead.
1. A priest came by and walked on the far side of the man.
2. So did a Levite.
3. But the Samaritan, a person who usually hated the Jews
and the Jews hated them, stopped, picked the man up, took
him to a hotel, tended him, and paid for what the man
needed.
C. \\#29\\ Who was the wounded man’s neighbor?
1. It was not the priest.
a. That is a shame.
b. Priests were those who offered the sacrifices for the
sinners.
c. They were a key part in helping the Jews to worship
God and stay right with Him, but this fellow walked
along on the far side.
2. It was not the Levite.
a. The Levites taught the people about God, cared for the
temple, and helped to lead in worship.
b. But this man was no neighbor to the wounded man for he
also left him there to die.
3. Of all people to be a neighbor, it was the Samaritan.
a. He was not an Israeli. He was not Jewish in religion.
He was not a friend. He did not even live in the
same country.
b. But he cared and he helped.
4. Remember to whom Jesus was speaking.
a. It was to His disciples, the Twelve if not the
Seventy.
b. One would think this would be those who would carry on
when He left this world.
c. But Jesus’ message is that just serving God or even
teaching the Word does not automatically make you a
neighbor.
d. Loving and caring for others does.
5. Maybe this is what Paul meant when he said:
1Cor 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of
men and of angels, and have not charity, I am
become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
Truths about life. It seems that Jesus did not want His people to
get these facts wrong.
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