Latest / HBCWestminster / 8.15.21 Luke 17:1-10 Pastor Danny Gardner

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8.15.21 Luke 17:1-10 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  Good morning, church. Thank you for joining us this morning. As you're turning in your Bibles to Luke chapter 17, allow me just to touch on something that occurred to me this last week and a kind of a conviction that I felt in my heart and that I felt like I needed to share with you before we get to the preaching of God's Word. I preached a sermon last week, as you'll recall, on hell from Jesus's parable about the rich man and Lazarus. And although I believe my sermon was probably doctrinally sound, there's nothing that I said that was
• 0:26
  heresy or inaccurate. And although I do believe that the theology of hell and specifically the preaching of hell has fallen on hard times, there are very few, I think, pastors who will give any time from the pulpit to discuss things like hell, like our eternal souls and like sin. I nevertheless believe that I conveyed that message last week.
• 0:51
  in less than a pastoral manner. And what I mean by that is I don't think that I probably came across with the compassion that I actually feel. I was, I think, accurate and responsible with the handling of God's word and what I neglected to say.
• 1:07
  was that I know that many of us, as we think about heaven and hell, although we rejoice over heaven, probably our hearts break over hell because we have, including me, I have family members and friends who I believe have died outside of the Lord's grace and are therefore enduring that very pain and suffering. And so I don't think I conveyed it that way. I think it was doctrinal and yet not pastoral. And so I wanted to apologize for that. Just understanding that...
• 1:32
  We really are walking through this life together, and we mourn with those who mourn. And so if that was in your thinking or in your heart as you were listening to last week's message, I just want to apologize for that. If I came across as calloused or uncaring, it was certainly not my intention to do so.
• 1:51
  Really my desire is just to reflect accurately the heart of our Lord and really his heart is that none should perish and all come to repentance That's what second Peter 3 9 says and so I just remind it just remind you that I love you And I'm sorry if I came across that way last week Well Luke chapter 17 verses 1 to 10 is our text and I'm gonna read our text if you're able to stand in honor of God's Word allow me to read these 10 verses and then we'll pray and begin Chapter 17 in verse 1 and he said to his disciples
• 2:19
  Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.
• 2:36
  And if he sins against you seven times in the day and turns to you seven times saying, I repent, you must forgive him. The apostle said to the Lord, increase our faith. And the Lord said, if you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea and it would obey you. Will any of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him, say to him when he has come in from the field, come at once and recline at table? Will he not rather say to him, prepare supper for me and dress properly and serve me while I eat and drink and afterward you will eat and drink?
• 3:07
  Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, we are unworthy servants. We have only done what was our duty. And Lord, your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. And so with our Bibles and our hearts open, we ask, Holy Spirit, that you would enlighten our way. Shower us in your grace. And Lord, yes, increase our faith.
• 3:34
  And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you, church. Don't you get excited when things work like they're supposed to work? Sports fans will often get excited when their favorite baseball player or basketball player performs as expected, as promised. Those athletes are heralded often as dependable or as clutch players. We appreciate when things work like they're supposed to. We get irritated when they don't.
• 4:00
  The alarm clock sometimes doesn't go off and we wake up in a frenzied panic. The toaster is sometimes unplugged and it takes us several minutes to realize that we are watching bread just be bread without turning into toast. And we cry out to the Lord, why oh Lord, why do bad things happen to good people?
• 4:21
  You know, honestly, that's kind of a trivial example. There are heavier and more important ones. My faith at times in our justice system sometimes wanes as I listen to judgments from across the country. I know that the vast majority of judgments made are inconsequential because they probably align with traditional values and so they don't get any press.
• 4:46
  but what a delight it is when every now and again i hear about one of these inconsequential judgments that warms my heart and restores my faith it was probably about five or six years ago when i and another elder from our church accompanied a woman that used to attend our church many years ago like i said she no longer does she has long since moved away but she was beloved to us nevertheless when she attended here and so she asked if i would
• 5:15
  be willing to accompany her, I and another elder be willing to accompany her to the county courtroom for a hearing to determine if somebody that was giving her a hard time should have a restraining order enforced against him. He had been badgering her, bothering her.
• 5:32
  And so she was filing for this restraining order. And so she was going before the judge. The judge was going to hear why she believed she needed a restraining order. She didn't have anybody to go with her. And so she asked if I and one of the elders would come. And we gladly did. She sat at the table, kind of in the front of the courtroom. This man that she was filing the restraining order against sat on the opposite table. Now, he was a wealthy man, could afford a very large legal team. He had multiple lawyers with him. She was not wealthy and so could afford no one. In fact, she even chose to represent herself.
• 6:01
  to the judge. It was only I and this elder who we were with her, but we didn't sit at the table with her. We sat in those kind of benches in the back of the courtroom and we were the only ones there. It was very quick for the judge to determine that her case was indeed legitimate and that she should be granted this restraining order. He didn't actually have to hear very much. His heart very quickly went out toward her. He realized the truth of her claims and his heart very quickly turned against this.
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  Man, in fact, he looked at this man and I was shocked in the moment. I was shocked at how much authority this judge.
• 6:35
  could wield within his own courtroom, he looked at this man and full-on threatened him. He said, not only am I granting this restraining order, but he said, you need to understand, look me in the eye, you know, you need to understand that if you even so much as show up at a place where she happens to be, if you guys cross each other on the street and she believes it was not a coincidence, he says, I have the authority to make your life miserable. Do you understand that, sir?
• 6:59
  You know, we were kind of sitting in the back eyeing this other guy like, whoa, you know, that was a pretty awesome display of authority to which the man said, yes. And then he looked at me and he said, now you, I'm sitting in the very back. And I said, me? And he said, yes, you. Did you come with her? I said, yes, sir, I did. We escorted her here. And then he looked at me and he said, I'd like for you now to take her home.
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  Please make sure that she gets to her car safely. You are dismissed. Go right now. Take her to her car. Make sure that she gets all the way home safely. Can you do that? I said, yes, sir. That's what I'll do. As I was packing up my things to leave, she was packing up her things, then we were going to take her home. That man began packing up his things. His legal team began packing up their things, to which the judge then looked at him and said, I did not tell you you could go. You are not yet dismissed.
• 7:53
  The man stopped. He sat there for a moment. His lawyers then said, judge, you don't have the authority to tell us when we can leave. And the judge replied with, you don't think I have the authority? Let's see if I have the authority. Bailiff, the bailiff said, yes, judge. He starts walking toward the lawyers. At that point, they shut up in a hurry. Can you imagine? And I just, in kind of my heart, because I was a little bit afraid, to be honest with you, I was certainly humbled.
• 8:21
  I was a little bit afraid, a little bit in fear, but also a little bit rejoicing. Like, that was awesome. Justice was done. Justice was served. Justice worked. It worked like it was supposed to work. I love it when things work like they are supposed to work. Now, the fulcrum upon which our text this morning pivots is verse 5, where the apostle said to the Lord, increase.
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  our faith and our hearts may even echo yes lord give us a faith which will not falter in this passage christ challenges his hearers and even us to some of the most difficult tasks in christianity
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  Honestly, he sets the bar so high this morning that it would require faith. We do not have the ability in our own power. We do not have the ability to live up to the standard that the Lord sets for us. He calls us to four things which are almost impossible, nearly impossible in the Christian life, like taking responsibility for ourselves, for our own actions and words. That's hard. Forgiving others, that's hard.
• 9:28
  Living supernaturally is hard. Walking in humble obedience, that is hard. And church, if we're honest, all of these require an increase of faith. All of these require, I think, a faith which works as expected. A faith which is dependable. A faith which we would call clutch, like that baseball player who comes through.
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  as advertised now consider for a moment church the importance of faith in your life jc ryle has said faith is the root of saving religion in other words you can't be saved without faith and we know that that's true but listen to what he says it is the hand by which the soul lays hold on jesus christ
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  If we would reach up to Jesus and grab hold of him and be saved, that hand is the hand of faith. It is united to him. It is the secret. Faith is the secret of all Christian comfort and spiritual prosperity. J.C. Ryle continues, according to a man's faith will be his peace, his hope, his strength, his courage, his decision, and his victory over the world. That's how important faith is. Apparently, it's pretty important. 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 7 even says that we walk.
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  by faith and not by sight and if it's true that we on this side of eternity must live by faith then shouldn't we desire more faith shouldn't we desire a faith that won't fail and a faith that will not falter four questions this morning the lord puts to us
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  And that we all must grapple with if we would live by faith. Four questions that Christ poses in our text, which all of us must eventually grapple with if we are to live by faith. First, am I, by my inconsistent testimony, causing others to sin? Am I causing others to sin because I am walking in sin? Second, am I willing to forgive those who sinned against me? Third, am I keeping in step?
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  with the spirit? Am I living supernaturally forth? Am I walking in humble obedience? So let's notice first that taking responsibility for our words and actions requires faith. Taking responsibility for our words and actions requires faith. And look at verse one. It says, and he said to his disciples, temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one
• 12:01
  through whom they come it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea then that he should cause one of these little ones or little disciples to sin and now these statements i believe address a number of questions like when have i ever caused another person to sin or when have i ever kept another from walking in righteousness
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  Another, how important is my personal righteousness to me? And does my holiness, my personal holiness, even matter to me? Again, one commentator has said, we cause others to sin whenever we persecute believers or endeavor to deter them from serving Christ. And you may say, well, I've never done that.
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  Whew, you know, like I'm not guilty of those things. I've never persecuted the church. I've never endeavored to deter them from serving Christ. I've never done that. But listen, he continues. But this unhappily, he says, is not all. Professing Christians cause others to sin.
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  whenever they bring discredit on their religion by inconsistencies of temper or word or deed in other words when we profess faith in christ but then we don't walk according to that profession he says we cause others to sin our inconsistent walk
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  causes others to sin our profession of faith and an inconsistent walk. He says, we do it whenever we make out Christianity unlovely in the eyes of the world by conduct not in keeping with our profession of faith. The world may not understand our doctrines and principles, that is certainly true, but they are very keen-sighted about our practice. You know what he just said? The world will notice every time you mess up.
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  The world is watching. And listen, they don't care about your righteous acts. They will completely disregard your right living in all other areas. And over the course of many years, they will completely disregard that. And yet they will pounce like cats on a mouse at the first sign of hypocrisy.
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  The first time you say something you shouldn't have the first time you joke about something You shouldn't have the first time you swear in front of them the first time right if you even just a little one I mean, let me ask you how many swear words does it take to ruin your testimony?
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  You can live righteously in your words for many, many, many years. And yet one word comes out and all of those years that testimony is destroyed. They will pounce like a cat on a mouse. Listen to Ecclesiastes chapter 10 in verse 1. Solomon speaking. He says something like this. He says, Ecclesiastes 10, dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench. You ever heard there's a fly in the ointment? It comes from the Bible.
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  It's Solomon, Ecclesiastes 10. Dead flies in the ointment. Dead flies wreck the perfume, he says. And he continues, so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor. You can live a life of wisdom and honor and yet one little thing, one little yelling match, I mean, honestly, one little bout of anger, one temper tantrum, and all of those years of right living can be torn down. Turn with me if you would.
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  long to the left, a long way to the left. Go to 2 Samuel. 2 Samuel. I want you guys to see it in your own Bibles. 2 Samuel in chapter 12. 2 Samuel chapter 12. And when David had sinned so flagrantly against the Lord, right? This was a man after his own heart. This was a good and righteous king. And yet we all know about his trappings, his failures. We all know about his sin with Bathsheba. And when he had sinned so flagrantly against the Lord,
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  and against his own trusted ally uriah this was one of his mighty men by stealing uriah's wife and then eventually causing uriah's death the prophet nathan gave a speech which the veggie tales movie helped to make famous when grandpa grape comes in and says there once was a man a very rich man
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  And he had a lot of sheep and he had a lot of land and he threw a lot of parties and he was dapper and he was tan. There once was a very rich man. And then he goes on to describe the poor man. The rich man had all these sheep. The poor man only had one. And yet the rich man stole the one sheep of the poor man to feed his guests. Now, whether you enjoyed the VeggieTales version or not, you'll remember how enraged King David became.
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  How he vowed. Do you remember this? He vowed to punish the rich man.
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  He even looks at Nathan at one point and says, tell me, is this a story or is this an actual event? Is there a man in my kingdom who is guilty of such a thing? And he says, oh no, there is a man guilty of such a thing. Now, David in the moment doesn't know he's talking about him. And David becomes so mad. He says, I will put him in my dungeon. He will repay. I will put him in my dungeon. I'm putting him in jail for the rest of his life. And then Nathan in verse 7 of 2 Samuel 12, Nathan says to King David, you are.
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  that man. It's you, King David. You're the one who stole the man's wife. You're the one. Now notice, you go down to verse 14, Nathan starts into a speech, right, rebuking the king. And he says in verse 14, nevertheless, because by this deed, that sin with Bathsheba, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who was born to you shall die.
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  And they did indeed. Bathsheba conceived and lost that child. That indeed came true. But notice here, there's a little translator's note. It says, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord. Now, if you notice in your Bibles, there's probably a little number two, a little translator's note. If you go down to the number two, it says, the enemies, the enemies of the Lord.
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  The enemies of the Lord, he says, now scorn the Lord because of your deed. Because of your deed, the enemies of the Lord now scorn the Lord. In fact, the old school King James even translates it that way, saying something like, because of your actions, the enemies of the Lord now have the excuse they've been waiting for to blaspheme his name.
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  The enemies of God, because of your actions, King David, the enemies of God now have the excuse they've always been waiting for to blaspheme his name. And it's funny that the VeggieTales version kind of stopped short on that part. Romans chapter 2 and verse 24 says something similar. The Apostle Paul rebuking the Jews in the church at Rome.
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  Because of their inconsistent testimonies. They were saying one thing and yet living another way. They were living in hypocrisy. And listen to what he says. Chapter 2, verse 24 of Romans. The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. Because of your actions. Because of your unfaithful living. Because of your inconsistent testimony. He says the name of God is being blasphemed because of you. And church, what a convicting thought it is that my righteousness affects more than just me.
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  The world will observe how we act, and they will make judgments not only about us, but about our God based on our behavior. Again, J.C. Ryle has said it this way, and we'll go back to Luke's gospel now, but J.C. Ryle says the inconsistencies of professing Christians too often supply the men of the world with an excuse for neglecting religion altogether.
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  An inconsistent believer, whether he knows it or not, is daily doing harm to souls. His life is a positive injury to the gospel of Christ. And church, may it never be said of us. Can you imagine that my profession of faith combined with my unfaithful actions is causing daily injury to the gospel? So look what Jesus says in verse 3. So pay attention, he says.
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  Luke 17 verse 3, so pay attention to yourselves. Pay attention to yourselves. Pay attention to your walk. Pay attention to your righteousness. Your holiness must matter. Pay attention to yourselves. In other words, he's saying don't try to blame someone else for your inconsistency. It has since the beginning of time been easier to spot the failures of others than to confess our own. From the Garden of Eden.
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  Mankind has been quick to point to the fallacies of others, nitpicking, criticizing, tearing down, rather than just admitting that we were wrong. We take after our father Adam, who you'll recall, was quick to blame his wife. You consider how many times you may have been sitting in churches, and I've certainly done this, listening to a sermon and thought, boy, I wish so-and-so were here. They really need to hear this sermon. But Howard Hendricks, in speaking to pastors one time, said, what your congregation needs from you, more than anything else,
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  is your personal righteousness. Can you imagine what Howard Hendricks, I mean, this guy was, if we have a modern day prince of preachers, it was him. What your congregation needs the most from you, pastor, more than anything else, is your personal holiness. Not your gifts, not your intelligence, not your counsel, not your preaching, your personal holiness. And church, may I commend you in the same way. What your neighbor needs more than anything else. What your spouse needs more than anything else.
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  What your kids and grandkids need more than anything else, what your personal mission field needs more than anything else from you is your personal righteousness. May we not, by our sinful or selfish actions, bring injury to our witness and thereby injury to the gospel. That's what he's saying in those first three verses. However,
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  This strong stance against personal sin must also be balanced by a gracious and forgiving attitude toward others. We see second in our text that forgiving others also requires faith. Not only taking responsibility for our own words and actions, but forgiving others also requires faith. In other words, genuine believers must not give offense and they must not take offense.
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  We are the people among whom grudges cannot survive because we suffocate grudges with attitudes of forgiveness. And like the lack of oxygen at the summit of a high mountain, so should be the sanctuary of the church to all grudges. Grudges cannot survive among the people of God. Why? Because of what he continues to say in verse 3. He says, if your brother sins, rebuke him. And if he repents, forgive him.
• 23:12
  If he sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. And that's not to say that we tolerate sin in the lives of others, right? Because he says, rebuke him. If he sins, rebuke him. He says just that we're not offended by it. And I have often heard it said that to tell others that what they're doing is wrong is itself a sin. I mean, if there is one statement that characterizes 2021 America, it could be that one. To tell others that what they're doing is wrong.
• 23:41
  is itself a sin that is the only thing that our culture will not tolerate is intolerance right people will say well who am i to judge the acts of another some others might say well we just live and let live you know i just want to love people and whatever but christ is clear when he says that we must rebuke a brother who is in sin he just flat says it i mean to not rebuke him is the wrong thing to do if your brother sins he says rebuke him
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  So it says in other places as well, 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16, all scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, listen, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. We are to use the word of God to reprove and correct. It's to rebuke. Matthew 18 verse 15, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault. Go tell him.
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  He's in sin. Go and tell him his fault. And you may say, well, it's so awkward. I mean, it's so awkward to confront others' sins. Can't I just ignore it? Can't I just ignore it? Listen to how that same text, Matthew 18, 15 finishes. It starts with, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault. Listen to how the same verse ends. If he listens to you, you have gained or won. You have won your brother. You have won your brother. Can I just ignore it?
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  No. Why? Because your brother, if he's in sin, is lost and he needs to be won. But notice also Jesus says, if your brother sins, rebuke him. But then he says, if he repents, forgive him. And you say, well, it's so hard to forgive. I mean, do I really have to forgive? Why can't I just ignore him? Why can't I just ignore him?
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  You know, many years ago now, I and my wife Hallie were having lunch with her grandma, Grandma Betty, on her 75th birthday. Actually, it might have been her 70th birthday. Her 70th birthday, I think. And as we were talking, and listen, her Grandma Betty is just stellar. What a phenomenal human being. She loves the Lord. She loves her family. She has endured hard things and just is so gracious and kind. And just as a worshiper of Jesus, I could not think any more highly of her.
• 25:50
  But as we're sitting there at lunch, and you know, she's got all these one-liners. She's very sharp. She's very witty. She's very funny. And so she's just cracking me up the whole time we're eating lunch together over our club sandwiches and whatever, you know. And then she said this, you know, Danny, it occurs to me that there are a lot of people that I need to forgive. You know, she's reflecting back over the course of her life. And she just said, and this kind of out of nowhere, you know, it occurs to me that there are a lot of people that I think I probably need to forgive. And then she said this.
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  Not for their sake, but for mine. Because most of them are already dead. That's pretty funny. I think that's probably more profound than I even realized in the moment. I don't need to forgive them for their sake. They're already dead. Doesn't matter to them whether I forgive them or not. I need to forgive them for my sake. Listen to Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 14. Strive for peace with everyone, it says.
• 26:46
  and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble." See to it that no root of bitterness springs up in your own heart and causes trouble. That's what happens if we refuse to forgive our brother, if we just hold on to that grudge, right?
• 27:13
  refuse to handle it, refuse to have that conversation, even though it's awkward. If we just refuse, if we ignore the problem, it does not go away. Rather, what happens is it begins to grow and a root of bitterness grows up in our hearts. And church, honestly, there are bitter people within the church. Bitter people. And most of the time, only the Lord really knows whether that bitterness resides in your heart. You know, we, I think, rebuke our brother for their sake.
• 27:43
  but we forgive our brother for our sake. Let me say that again. We rebuke our brother for their sake, but we forgive our brother for our sake. And you say, okay, fine. I will forgive them just this once, just this once. But then look what Jesus says in verse four. And if he sins against you seven times in the day and turns to you seven times saying, I repent, you must forgive him. Most of us probably think we're pretty good at forgiveness, but even the best of us,
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  The most magnanimous, the most gracious, the most patient can grow weary with repeated offenses. Do I really have to forgive them again? Again? The apostle Peter probably assumed that he was being overly kind when he, in Matthew 18, offered to forgive his brother seven times. Do you remember? Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother? Seven times? To which the Lord Jesus replied, no, Peter, 70 times seven. 70 times seven.
• 28:44
  Hundreds, hundreds of times. And then Colossians, the apostle Paul ups the ante even more when he says in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 13, as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive. You want to know how many times we must forgive? As many times as the Lord has forgiven you. In church, just imagine how many sins you've committed against the Lord, how many times you've wronged him, and how many times he's offered forgiveness and grace in return. Seven times?
• 29:11
  You're like, no, seven times an hour, maybe. Yeah. Seventy times seven, maybe a day. I don't know, hundreds of sins a day. You know, we pray that over the course of our lives, we'll become sanctified more and more righteous. But man, church, how many times has the Lord forgiven me? Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands. I don't know. Only the Lord knows that number.
• 29:35
  And so if my brother sins against me 10,000 times, should I offer forgiveness again? And the answer is yes. As the Lord forgave you, so also you must forgive. And this requires faith. Notice third, beginning of verse five, that living supernatural requires faith. Living supernatural lives.
• 29:56
  requires faith. Verse five, the apostle said to the Lord, increase our faith. And the Lord said, if you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, remember we talked about mustard seeds, how small they are, the smallest of all garden seeds. He said, if it was that small, even you could say to this mulberry tree, which were very large, had complex root systems. You could say to the mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea.
• 30:17
  and it would obey you and sometimes i read biblical stories and i wonder why my own life doesn't reflect that same type of faith why doesn't my own life reflect those same types of miracles the same type of power i don't i don't have the faith to move a tree i mean the answer seems to be because of a lack of faith and if i would just live a life filled with the spirit and keeping in step with the spirit then i would have the kind of faith to uproot
• 30:47
  trees, but church more, more even than faith that would have the power to move trees. Because honestly, I can't think of the practical application of that. Like if I could just have the faith to move trees, I don't, what would I even do with that? There are probably some things I believe that are offered to us supernaturally, which are a little more relevant and yet require the same amount of supernatural faith. You say like what?
• 31:18
  Well, the Lord provides us with supernatural faith to endure rejection, to endure rejection. And church, that rejection may come. We see that kind of tidal wave of animosity toward the faith, animosity toward Christian values, animosity toward biblical values. We see that tidal wave kind of rising. I think it may come where we will be rejected openly for our faith and the Lord will provide us the supernatural power to endure.
• 31:48
  He will also, by faith, give us the power to trust him when our resources are thin. Sometimes in our lives we've had plenty to eat. Sometimes other times we may not have enough. Sometimes we've had plenty of money. Sometimes we may not have enough. And we, like the Apostle Paul, can say in Philippians chapter 4,
• 32:07
  That I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I've learned to be content in whatever circumstances, abundance or need, he says, in all of those things. I can do all of those things through Christ, faith in Christ who strengthens me. He may give us the supernatural power by our faith for delivering us from persecution or for believing that God has a plan for his people and actually is working in all things for the good of those who love him. That we don't need to despair at troubling news reports.
• 32:37
  Because God really is working in all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. And so church, as we look at supernatural faith, don't get hung up on the moving trees part. I don't think that was Jesus's point. Because honestly, I don't know what we would do with that anyway. Right? Power over the moving of trees.
• 32:57
  I believe the thrust of Jesus' statement and what should be our focus is an increase of faith so that we can remain faithful. And that's what he describes in this final point. You see, finally, in verses 7 to 10, that humble obedience requires faith.
• 33:15
  We increase our faith so that we can remain faithful by humble obedience. Look at verse 7. Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, come at once and recline at table? So in other words, if you are the master and he is the servant, and he's been working, doing his job, and he comes in, are you then going to say, well, now you sit down and I'll be your servant? You're like, no. I mean, I'm the master, you're the servant, right? So continue to work. Work, and when I'm done eating, then you can eat, is what he says. Look at verse 8.
• 33:43
  will he not rather say to him prepare supper for me and dress properly and serve me while i eat and drink and afterward you will eat and drink does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded so you also okay so now he's drawing this parallel that doesn't happen with earthly masters and servants why would it happen with our heavenly master because we are his servants we are the servants of god he is not our servant we are his servant so you also he says in verse 10
• 34:09
  When you have done all that you were commanded, say, we are unworthy servants. We've only done what was our duty. We should expect to serve and not to be served. Because no servant is above his master, right? No servant is above his master. And even Jesus said in Mark chapter 10 that he came to serve and not to be served and to offer his life as a ransom for many.
• 34:33
  We, as servants of God, should expect to serve with no strings attached. In other words, we would, by faith, understand that we are the servants and not the master. And that is hard for us to swallow. That's a hard calling. The universe is not about us. Our lives are not about us. Our churches are not about us. Our families aren't even about us. They are about the Lord. He is the master. We are merely servants.
• 34:56
  And a servant, the Greek word doulos, a servant, bondservant, other translations even translate it slave. A slave responds to God without question because it is his duty without thought of reward. We're not employees, we're servants. Listen to what Sammy Tippett has said about being a servant of God. He said, if I manage much for the king, I'm happy. If I manage little for the king, I'm happy. If I die on the battlefield for the king, I'm happy.
• 35:27
  I'm happy, he says, because I am a servant of the king. I believe that Philemon is one such example of this kind of humble obedience. If you want to turn there in your Bibles, you can. The one-page letter of Philemon. Right before Hebrews, one-page letter where the apostle Paul is sending this letter with Onesimus, the runaway slave who had gotten saved and was now returning to his master Philemon. And he just says in verse 21, confident.
• 35:57
  Confident of your obedience, I write to you knowing that you will do even more than I say. I love that phrase. The Apostle Paul telling his friend Philemon, confident, he's saying, receive Onesimus back, not as a slave, but rather as a brother. He knows Christ, not as your servant, but rather as a son. Receive him back. And he says, confident of your obedience. And I wonder if the same phrase could be said of me. Oh yeah, I know Pastor Danny. I know Danny.
• 36:26
  I am confident that he will obey. Confident. I am absolutely sure that he will obey. Lord, I would ask that you would increase our faith. And where we have failed, Lord, and where we have perhaps by our inconsistency caused others to fail, Lord, increase our faith. And where we have been prone to hold on to grudges and to allow a bitter root to grow in our hearts, and when we have withheld forgiveness, Lord, increase our faith.
• 36:58
  And when we lack spiritual strength to trust your plan, Lord, increase our faith. And when our hearts lack humility and desire recognition, Lord, increase our faith. Lord, give us a faith which will not falter. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.