The Dangers in the "Art of Living"
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Learning to discern the dangers in one of the most subtle of idols-- the "art of living".
Text: Luke 17:26-30
Date: 09/29/2024, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 167
Description:
Having established Himself as the preeminent King of the Kingdom of God, Jesus now turns His attention to the "days to come". He refers to two intense periods of history-- the days just before the great flood and the days just before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In both cases, rather than emphasizing the egregious sinfulness of the people living in those days, (which was certainly epic), He emphasized the everyday trivial pursuits that consumed them and lead to frivolous living and complacency; causing them to ignore the warnings of impending doom. Jesus will compare those intense periods of time to the "days of the Son of Man", which we have already established as the days from the first Advent up to and including the Second Coming-- the days in which we live. We will analyze the way these warnings were ignored by the people in Jesus' day and then fervently apply the same principle to our day-- realizing how easy it is to elevate the very act of living to a polished, all-consuming "art form". And in doing so, we will learn to discern the dangers in one of the most subtle of idols-- the "art of living".
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 17:26-30.
A. Content
B. When "living" becomes an idol.
1. The days of Noah, v. 26-27.
a. Defining the times, vs. 26a.
i. The days prior to the flood, 1Pet. 3:20; Gen. 6:3.
ii. Ignoring the warning, 2Pet. 2:5; 1Pet. 3:20.
b. Days of triviality, vs. 27a.
i. Days when "living" was an "art".
1) The art of eating, Phil. 3:19.
2) The art of drinking.
3) The art of marriage.
ii. Days of evil.
1) The wickedness of the culture, Gen. 6:5-6, 12-13.
2) A different kind of "evil".
3) Ignoring the warning.
c. Days of judgment, vs. 27b, Gen. 7:11-12, 22-23.
d. Days of grace, Gen. 7:16.
2. The days of Lot, vs. 28-29.
a. Defining the times, vs. 28a, Gen. 18:32, 19:1; 2Pet. 2:7-8.
b. Days of triviality, vs 28b.
i. Days when "living" was an "art".
1) The art of commerce.
2) The art of agriculture.
3) The art of construction, Dan. 4:27,30.
ii. Days of evil.
1) The wickedness of the culture, Gen. 19:13; 2Pet. 2:6; Jude 7.
2) A different kind of "evil", Ezek. 16:48-50; Luke 12:19.
3) Ignoring the warning.
c. Days of judgment, vs. 29, Gen. 19:24-25.
d. Days of grace, Gen. 19:29,16; 2Pet. 2:9.
3. The day of the Son of Man, vs. 26b, 30.
a. Redefining the "days of the Son of Man", Luke 17:22.
b. Days of triviality.
i. Days when living was an "art", Luke 11:38-40, 14:11, 15:2.
ii. Days of evil.
1) The wickedness of the culture.
2) A different kind of evil, Psa. 14:2-3; Rom. 3:10-11; Mark 7:20-23.
3) Ignoring all warnings.
c. Days of judgment, Matt. 11:23-24; Luke 19:42-44.
d. Days of grace, John 1:14-17, 3:14-20.
III. Application
A. Modern evidence of the "art of living".
B. Recognizing the subtle danger, Lk. 11:24-26.
IV. Conclusion
