Introduction

Good morning, beloved family of God. I'm thrilled to be here with you, standing on the shoulders of the saints who have gone before us, and looking out on a sea of faces eager to engage with the Word of God. We gather here today, united in purpose and heart, to unwrap the treasures found in the gospel of Luke.

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "Faith goes up the stairs that love has built and looks out the windows which hope has opened." Isn't that a beautiful image? Faith, love, and hope, intertwined and inseparable, guiding us to a higher vantage point. Today, we'll be looking through those windows of hope, guided by love, and powered by faith.

Our focus will be Luke 17:5-10, which reads:

"The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' He replied, 'If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Won't he rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"

In this passage, Jesus is teaching us about faith, a faith so small yet so powerful, it can uproot trees and throw them into the sea. He is calling us to see that even the tiniest seed of faith, when nurtured and cared for, can grow into something extraordinary.

Let us pray.

Father God, we thank You for this day, for Your love that surrounds us, and for Your Word that guides us. As we turn our hearts and minds to Your Scripture today, we ask for Your Holy Spirit to illuminate our understanding. Help us to grasp the profound truth of the mustard seed faith. May we not only comprehend it, but may it also take root in our hearts, transforming us from the inside out. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Today, we will be focusing on three main points: the manifestation of mustard seed faith, its maintenance, and the miracles it can produce. Let's embark on this spiritual quest together, dear friends, with open hearts and receptive spirits. Let's discover how small beginnings can lead to great endings, and how a mustard seed of faith can change our lives and the world around us.

Manifestation

As we open our hearts to the teachings of Jesus, we find ourselves standing at the edge of a profound truth. A truth that is as simple as it is profound. It's about faith. Not a faith that is grand, showy, or ostentatious, but a faith that is small, humble, and seemingly insignificant. It's about mustard seed faith.

The context: Jesus tells us that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can command a mulberry tree to uproot itself and plant itself in the sea. Now, that's an image that grabs our attention! It's a bit startling, isn't it? But it's meant to be. Jesus is using hyperbole to make a point. He's saying that even the tiniest amount of faith, when placed in the hands of a mighty God, can accomplish great things.

A mustard seed: It's tiny, isn't it? You can hold it in the palm of your hand. You can even lose it if you're not careful. But when you plant that tiny seed in the ground, it grows into a large tree. It's a living parable of potential. It's a reminder that small beginnings can lead to great endings.

Faith starts small: It's not about having a big faith right from the start. It's about having a small faith and allowing it to grow. It's about taking that tiny seed of faith and planting it in the fertile soil of our hearts. It's about watering it with the Word of God, nurturing it with prayer, and allowing the Holy Spirit to make it grow.

About action: Jesus tells us that if we have faith, we can command a mulberry tree to uproot itself and plant itself in the sea. Now, that's not a literal command. Jesus is not telling us to go out and start talking to trees. He's using a metaphor to make a point. He's saying that faith is not passive. It's active. It's about taking action. It's about stepping out in faith, even when we're not sure of the outcome.

Faith is active: It's not about sitting back and waiting for God to do everything for us. It's about stepping out in faith, taking risks, and trusting God to work in and through us. It's about being willing to look foolish in the eyes of the world, because we know that God's ways are not our ways.

About obedience: Jesus tells us a parable about a servant who does his duty without expecting any thanks. He's not looking for a pat on the back or a word of praise. He's just doing his duty. And Jesus says that's how we should be. We should do our duty without expecting any thanks or praise.

Faith is obedient: It's not about doing what we want to do. It's about doing what God wants us to do. It's about obeying God's commands, even when they don't make sense to us. It's about trusting God's wisdom, even when it goes against our own wisdom.

About humility: Jesus tells us that when we've done everything we were told to do, we should say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty." Now, that's a humbling statement, isn't it? It's a reminder that we're not the center of the universe. We're not the stars of the show. We're just servants, doing our duty.

Faith is humble: It's not about puffing ourselves up. It's about humbling ourselves before God. It's about recognizing our unworthiness and our dependence on God. It's about giving God the glory for everything we do.

It's this kind of faith that Jesus is calling us to have.

Maintenance

The mustard seed faith, as we've seen, is not just about the size ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO