Radical Faith

TITLE: RADICAL FAITH

The turkey shot out of the oven

and rocketed into the air,

it knocked every plate off the table

and partly demolished a chair.

It ricocheted into a corner and

burst with a deafening boom,

then splattered all over the kitchen,

completely obscuring the room.

It stuck to the walls and the windows,

it totally coated the floor,

there was turkey attached to the ceiling,

where there’d never been turkey before.

It blanketed every appliance,

it smeared every saucer and bowl,

there wasn’t a way I could stop it,

that turkey was out of control.

I scraped and I scrubbed with displeasure,

and thought with chagrin as I mopped,

that I’d never again stuff a turkey

with popcorn that hadn’t been popped

Now that’s a radical Thanks Giving!

Everything about Jesus is Radical

His birth, life and death were all Radical

He was not conceived in a usual way

The events of His life were certainly not usual

His resurrection from the dead is certainly not usual

Radical does not mean weird

Radical means - a departure form the usual.

Jesus was RADICAL.

So it is no accident that the life we are called to live will be a departure from the usual.

If we are going to Follow Jesus our life will look just as RAICAL as His.

The world offers the path of the usual and many take that path

But God has called the believer to make the foundation of their walk

Radical Faith

……………..

This morning you are going to be presented with a choice

The Holy Spirit is saying to the church “So what’s it going to be “

-are you going to live for God or follow your own path

………………

We are looking at A parable known as “THE SERVANT AT HIS DUTY”

Luke 17:7-10

"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ’Come along now and sit down to eat’?

[8] Would he not rather say, ’Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’?

[9] Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?

[10] 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.’ "

Prayer….

In order to get to the parable and see the message of radical faith

we are going to follow along with Jesus and his disciples as they walk down the road on their way to Jerusalem

Beginning with verse 1

They are walking along when Jesus declares to His disciples

1. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE TRAPPED BY SIN

Luke 17:1 (NIV)

Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.

Luke 17:1 (KJV)

Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!

There will be offences

Notice that Things that cause people to sin - come through people

The word translated offences is very picturesque –

When I was a little kid we would take my moms laundry baskets and a stick – tie a rope to the stick and lay out some bait to try and catch birds or a squirrel.

The word translated offenses refers to the stick that holds the trap open… It has to be set by someone

The same word is used in the NT 3 other times the verses give us an idea of what kinds of OFFENSES Jesus was referring to…

A. FALSE COUNSEL

Matthew 16:23

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

B. LEADING A BROTHER INTO SIN BY YOUR "LIBERTY"

Romans 14:13

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

C. DIVISION AND FALSE TEACHING

Romans 16:17

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

Notice that in context each of these snares is laid by a BROTHER

We like to blame Satan for all our problems….

The Bible is clear that certain BROTHERS are the source of the problem

(Transition)

Jesus then makes a judgment statement about brothers who cause others to stumble…

Verse [2] It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. [3] So watch yourselves.