Sunday, September 1st 2002
Grace Christian Center
Message: THE FAITH FILLED SERVANT
Text: Luke 17:5-10
Worship, Walk, Work the result will be – obedience out of adoration for the Lord!
The result of the faith that we talked about last week was found in Abraham. Complete and total obedience to what “THE MASTER” told him to do. Romans 1:5 refers to this as “obedience that comes from faith.
THE ESSENCE OF THE MESSAGE!
I understand that it takes faith for salvation: Ephesians 2:8,9
I understand that we are justified by faith: Romans 5:1
I understand that it takes faith to live and lead a fruitful life: Habakkuk 2:4
I understand that we walk by faith not by sight: 2nd Corinthians 5:7
I understand that it takes faith to please God: Hebrews 11:6
I understand that it is by faith that we stand firm: 2nd Corinthians 1:24
I understand that faith is a manifestational gift of the Holy Spirit: 1st Corinthians 12:9
I understand that faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God: Romans 10:17
So I hope that you all understand that I understand how important faith is. I realize that it is the essence of Christianity. But I also understand that many Christians do not have the right perspective or knowledge about what faith really is. The Bible says “my people perish for a lack of knowledge” not faith. Hosea 4:6
Being a Pentecostal church believing in the gifts and the power of God we often get caught up in the mindset of “if by faith I can name it, then I can claim it.” ANYBODY? Just blab it and grab it. If we can wease it we can cease it.
I am suggesting that it doesn’t matter what we say that is going to get things done.
We hear about it and talk about it but do we really understand what we are saying. God doesn’t require great faith in order to serve Him. You heard me correctly – serving God shouldn’t and doesn’t require great faith. The text said that it only takes the faith the size of a mustard seed and the impossible can come to pass in your life – that explains faith is limitless and the focus is no longer about faith, but about doing what God has already told you to do.
V Sing in the choir
V Teach a Sunday School class
V Lead a small group
V Step into a position of leadership
V Get involved more
V Tithe and give regularly
Whatever you know God is asking you to do – You had better get those thoughts of kickin back for a while and take your towel and serve your master. Now is not the time to get complacent, for the hour is late, the bubble bath can wait, there will always be entertainment, things to occupy our time, but God is saying to us that the end of all things is drawing near, and for those of you in here this morning who do not know for sure about your eternity, get that settled. The Bible says that today is the day of salvation. Don’t put of till tomorrow what needs to be done today, rekindle those passions, desires – O God would you put a holy unsatisfaction in us a restlessness that can only be bridled by your love, your presence, your anointing, you rself!!!!!!!!
Luke 17:5 The cry of the disciples is to increase our faith.
Are we under the same assumption that if God asks us to do something or better yet that if He gives us a command that we will need more faith to do whatever it is he asks. Let me illustrate:
V When God told Noah to build the ark – Noah didn’t have faith in the ark, he had faith in the One who told him to build the ark.
V Moses didn’t have faith in the stick in his hand – He had faith in the One who told him to take that stick, stretch it out over the Red Sea so that a few Israelites could cross over on dry land.
V David didn’t have faith in the rock or the sling shot - he had faith in the One who told him that if I be for you who can be against you. Let God arise and His enemies be scattered.
V Peter didn’t have faith in the water, his sandals, or his water walking ability - he had faith solely in the One who told him to come. By the way, don’t worry about what the other people in the boat are doing the call might not go out to them, you are the one responsible to obey the command and call of God!
Or are we under the assumption that if we do something for God, then somehow He owes us something in return. I believe that many of us fall under this assumption largely in part due to the fact that we have a very limited or distorted view of the relationship between a Master and a servant, a King and His bondservants.
We would like to think that we have a vote as to what goes on in the Kingdom – We don’t understand to just do it without asking questions. We live in a world that punches a time clock and in return we get something. We go to our boss let him know how much we have worked, including overtime so this is what you owe me.
This mentality has trickled over into the church and into the mindset of Christians where we think that all we need to do is punch our spiritual time cards and somehow think that God owes us something.
V Prayed for 15 minutes
V Read my bible for 30 minutes
V I gave 20 bucks at church
V Oh yeah I went to church
Okay God this is what I believe you owe me!
We aren’t doing God any favors by doing what He has already told us to do! It shouldn’t take great faith to tithe. God said we need to give 10% so we should do what God is telling us to do. Now going out to dinner 5 nights a week takes faith.
V God isn’t the one who profits from us giving
V God doesn’t profit from us serving
V God doesn’t profit from us praying
V God doesn’t profit from us reading and studying
WE ARE THE ONES WHO BECOME THE BENEFACTOR FOR DOING WHAT GOD TELLS US TO DO!
I have been caught up in this mindset before – God it seems as though I have been so faithful, don’t you need to do something for me. God said in the text that He owes us nothing. My thinking is that I can somehow manipulate the operation of the Kingdom, a faith filled servant’s thinking is I am only doing what I have been told to do. My thinking is that I will only do something if I can get something, a faith filled servant’s thinking that I will do it anything and expect nothing.
Acts 17:24-25 – The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25) And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
He is God all by Himself, He is doing just fine as far as governing the universe is concerned, He does not need our opinion nor is our work for Him any profit to Him. So what is Jesus talking about when He says “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain.” and then goes on to tell this parable of being a servant?
Luke 7: 6b-10
Matthew 8:5 – 10
V It doesn’t matter who the servant is rather what the master says
V Centurion knew about authority and he also knew that if only the master would speak it then it would get done.
V As long as the Word is there, as long as the command is given it shouldn’t matter if the master is there or not when we’ve got His Word we’ve got Him.
John 14:8 - Philip asked to see God, “show us the Father…” Jesus says anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.
So when you are obedient to do what God has told you to do then you can say it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me, the life I live I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.
V Illustration of donkey
You see it doesn’t matter how much faith we have if we’ve got His Word that takes all excuses away.
Where’s the GRACE?
John 15:15-16 - “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
