INTRO: This past week I was skimming the news and I noticed there seems to be so much turmoil in the news and I noticed a lot of it revolved around rights, our rights.
: Whether it was:
-NFL owners fighting with NFL players over their rights on revenue sharing.
-Women picketing outside the place of the South Dakota governor, demanding a woman’s right to choose.
-Iran threatening the United Nations about their right to build nuclear energy facilities.
: Listen to this one. Some 4th graders felt their rights were infringed on. Listen to what they did.
Chicago (AP)—When some fourth-graders decided they didn’t like their substitute teacher, they didn’t bother with childish pranks like putting thumbtacks on his chair. Instead, one girl offered her classmates $1 bribes to falsely accuse the teacher of sexual abuse, authorities said.
A police investigation eventually uncovered the plot, and school officials are trying to decide what punishment the children should get.
The teacher, Albert Thompson, hasn’t gotten another teaching assignment.
“We’re in a society where you’re guilty until proven innocent,” Thompson said Tuesday. Political correctness and children’s rights “overrode my rights,” he said.
Thompson told police his fourth-grade class at Fuller Elementary School on Chicago’s South Side became unruly during his May 9 assignment. He said some children ran out of the classroom, and he had to stand by the door to keep other pupils inside.
When Thompson threatened to report their misbehavior, a 9-year-old girl offered to 10 of her classmates $1 each if they falsely accused that Thompson fondled them, police said.
Thompson, 43, was never charged. Police cleared him after some of the 10 children – nine girls and one boy – made inconsistent statements.
“One of the children finally admitted they concocted the story to get the substitute teacher in trouble,” said Lt. Robert Hargesheimer of the police department’s youth division.
The 9-year-old girl also recanted, he said.
“What’s so scary – and so sad – is that you’ve got 9-year-old kids sophisticated enough to know they can get a teacher by saying he fondled them,” said Jackie Gallagher, Chicago Teachers Union spokeswoman.
“You just don’t want to think that our little kids who you’re still reading nursery rhymes to are figuring they’re going to stick it to their teacher.”
-Remember when I mentioned last week that we are making a mistake when we are teaching our children about rights without responsibilities.
Today we are going to look at some spiritual truths that will greatly bless or curse our lives depending on our decision.
TITLE: Blessed or Cursed – It’s Your Decision
TEXT: Luke 17:1-10
I. Truth about the kingdom of God – vv. 7-10. These passages always bothered me.
A. Servant is working hard – plowing the field, tending the sheep. He is working hard.
1. As he gets off work, what is expected of him? The servant is to prepare a meal for the master.
-Listen to these words, “Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink.”
2. Place yourself in this position. You work all day, after being out in a desert region you’re spent and the master demands that you prepare his supper and serve him.
-And to top it all off the master didn’t even say “Thank you.” There is no appreciation.
3. This is hard to understand in our western mindset because we don’t have slavery and we live in a democracy and we’ve been taught about our rights.
-But the truth stills stands in this passage what the Lord is teaching us and it’s this:
B. The master’s needs are more important than my needs.
1. This is one of those heart-piercing truths that is hard to swallow but you know it’s the truth.
Example. A little girl experienced a major breakthrough in life when she learned to tie her own shoes. Instead of excitement, she was overcome by tears. Her father asked, “Why are you crying?” “I have to tie my shoes,” she said. “You just learned how. It isn’t that hard, is it?” “I know,” she wailed, “but I’m going to have to do it for the rest of my life.”
2. If I am brutally honest with myself I have trouble with these passages because I view myself as the master and not the servant.
-It’s hard to see ourselves as servants, at best Christians generally see themselves as servants with rights.
a. You can always see this when things don’t go your way. Watch how you will respond.
-The stronger you respond just shows you that you believe you have more rights.
Example. I smile to myself when someone steps up in ministry for the first time. They all hit this barrier about rights. Often people mistakenly view when they’re leading something that others should be listening and serve them. It’s a shock to people to realize the closer I get to Jesus the more I’ll serve others. The more I lead the more I have to serve.
D.L. Moody said: The reward of service is more service.
Truth: There is only one master, that is Christ.
3. Might view Christ as being a bit unfair.
a. Understand something - he showed us exactly how to do it. (Read Philippians 2:5-8)
-Christ is not going to ask us to do something he didn’t do.
TS: Another principle this story shows us:
C. My obedience is more important than my rights.
1. The servant is to serve, not worry about rights.
-When I’m overly concerned about my rights, don’t be surprised when you look up to find a harvest of ungodliness and destruction standing before you.
2. May have a question – well when do I stand up for my rights when I’m being wronged?
-I’ll give you what I believe is true.
: Let God defend your rights and you defend others’ rights.
Example. Nowhere can I find Jesus defending his personal rights, but he does defend others’ rights.
Thought: Christians spend far too much energy trying to defend their rights when they should let God be their defender.
TS: With this being the truth, we’re kind of like the disciples – Lord, increase our faith.
II. The truth about faith.
A. Faith is the greatest force in the world, according to William Barclay.
1. The disciples were compelled to ask for greater faith. They were moved by the challenge of Christ and in order to meet this challenge they needed a stronger faith which would supply them with sufficient strength and grace to carry out the present task.
2. What the Lord is expressing in this story of the mustard seed and mulberry tree is “that which looks completely impossible becomes possible, if it is approached with faith.”
B. Faith is like a mustard seed. This small seed has life in it, as it grows it turns into something very large.
1. Genuine faith is needed, not great faith.
-G.K. Chesterton, in What’s Wrong with the World, wrote: The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult, and left untried.
2. If we approach a thing saying, “It can’t be done,” it will not; if we approach it saying, “It must be done,” chances are that it will.
Point: We need to understand when God calls us to do something he is going to provide. If he calls us to serve he will give us the ability to, if we listen to him.
TS: We need to be careful in our Christian walk:
III. That we don’t cause others to stumble.
A. They are bound to happen – but woe to the person through whom they come.
1. We must be careful not to tempt others to sin, we must live in a way as to not snare others into sin.
-Sin is going to come, but woe to the person who brings it.
2. Jesus said you’d be better to have a millstone tied around your neck and thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
Point: Harsh judgment will come on those who teach others to sin.
B. Moms and dads, with much blessing comes much responsibility.
1. Teach your children.
-The master’s needs are more important than their needs.
-That their obedience is more important than their rights.
: Otherwise the world will teach them they are the masters and will view everyone as their servants and treat them accordingly.
C. The Lord also gives us instruction of what to do when someone sins against us.
1. We are to forgive those who sin against us.
-Matthew 6:5, “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
2. C.S. Lewis: We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea until we have to practice it.
-Erwin Lutzer: You must choose to forgive whoever has wronged you. Forgiveness is not an emotion; it is a decision of the will. Furthermore, it’s an act of obedience.
3. Our obedience in forgiving others shows that we are trusting God to take care of the consequences, handle the possible misunderstandings, and work everything out for our good and his glory.
Question: Christians, are we teaching the little ones to forgive?
In Conclusion
If we live by the Lord’s way we will be blessed. In the text this morning the Lord is clearly laying out what he wants for his children.
-That is to serve and forgive.
*These are two areas many Christians fail at, and as a result their Christian walk is fruitless and barren.
-Simply put, they do not live a blessed life.
Ask yourself questions:
-Are my needs more important than the master’s?
-Am I more concerned about my rights than my obedience?
-Do I have any unforgiveness in my life?
-Do I see and expect things from a master’s view or a servant’s view?
