Repent or Perish: Two Alternatives from Jesus

In one paragraph

The pastor walked through Luke 12:1 through 13:9 as a single conversation Jesus had with His disciples in the middle of a massive crowd. The passage contains five warnings and closes with two alternatives, and the sermon traced each one in order, noting that every warning carries an encouragement tucked inside it. Jesus opens by telling His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which...

Read together

1. Psalm 34 sung as an opening worship song, Taste and See
2. Psalm 23 read to encourage the congregation that God is with them as the good shepherd
3. 1 Chronicles 16 sung during the offering, Give thanks to the Lord for He is good
4. Luke 12:1 - 13:9 the primary sermon text, one conversation of Jesus containing five warnings and two alternatives
5. John 3:16 referenced as the fruit of Jesus speaking with Nicodemus in the dark, held up on signs at football games
6. John 15 Jesus calls his disciples friends, compared to the single Synoptic use in Luke 12
7. Matthew 6 seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, paralleled with Luke 12 on not worrying
8. Acts 7 Stephen's sermon cited as an example of the Holy Spirit teaching a disciple what to say in that very hour
9. 2 Peter 3:9 the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, patient not wanting anyone to perish but wanting all to come to repentance

Talk about it

1. Pastor Carl warned that it does not take much hypocrisy to do a lot of damage, comparing it to leaven working through a whole lump of dough. Where do you think the temptation toward religious play-acting is hardest to resist, and why?
2. Jesus told his disciples not to fear what people could do to them, but to have a right relationship with God who holds ultimate authority. What does it look like practically to live with that kind of God-centered courage rather than people-pleasing fear?
3. The sermon drew a contrast between greed, which can never get enough, and worry, which is afraid it may not have enough. Which of those two do you find yourself more prone to, and how does seeking God's kingdom first push back against it?
4. Pastor Carl said he is concerned that as the church we can be more focused on what we get than on what others get, using the image of the vineyard keeper asking for more time to tend the unfruitful fig tree. What would it look like for your group or this church to lean more toward that patient, tending posture toward people who do not yet know Jesus?
5. The sermon closed with two alternatives Jesus presents: repent or perish. How do you hold together the urgency of that message with the patience God shows, not wanting anyone to perish, in the way you talk about faith with people around you?