Sermon THE FALLEN TOWER Introduction

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on 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? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1-5 ESV)

ALL OF LIFE MUST BE MET WITH REPENTANCE “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, "Repent" (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Martin Luther

How NOT to respond to tragedy The Religious / Moralist way : Live a good life and God will bless you. If you live a bad life you’ll be punished

“…somewhere in my youth or childhood, I……”

Irreligious, skeptical approach – blame life, the universe or God One approach makes you smug and the other despondent If God gives us what we deserve, we’d all be crushed by a tower or much worse.

“Shortcomings” Valley of Vision “Keep me always understanding that saints mourn more for sin than other men, for when they see how great is Your wrath against sin, and how Christ’s death alone pacifies that wrath, that makes them mourn all the more.”

Forgiveness is completely rooted in the perfect obedience and death of Christ. The consistent hard core secular/ irreligious view is that there is no sin.

The typical secular/ irreligious but moral view is that ‘we all make mistakes’ but you must forgive yourself and promise yourself to try harder. RIFLEMAN THEOLOGY

“You admit to yourself that you were wrong and promise yourself not to do it again.”

Another secular approach is to absolve your faults or mistakes by making up for them – balance out the scales. “… If you don’t believe in a God who forgives, you are damned to unrelenting goodness.”

”Lent is that time when we all- too-worldly ones learn and relearn the great scandal that lies at the heart of the Christian faith — Christ came to save sinners, only sinners.”

Grace gives us freedom to admit our sin without being devastated. Christ speaks to those for whom all is going well. Unless you repent you will likewise perish

When life is smooth watch out. This is a dangerous place to be. A great trial is to have no trials. In times of real success – REPENT Repentance isn’t simply about times that we “break the rules” We don’t get what we deserve because Jesus didn’t get what He deserved.

ALL OF LIFE MUST BE MET WITH REPENTANCE