New Year 2020
Text: Luke 17:1-10
New Year’s Resolutions:
1. ---
2. What will YOU do in 2020?
3. --- 4.. ---
Jesus was teaching the disciples
Lesson 1: About Obstacles
Lesson 2: About Accountability
Lesson 3: About Forgiveness
The Disciples plead, “Increase our faith”
Lesson 4: About Faith
Footnotes:
Lesson 1: Obstacles
There will always be obstacles to living out the life of faith
Many of the greatest obstacles come in the form of other people
(even other Christians)
Live carefully that you will never be a stumbling block to others
It would be better that a person die
before they become an obstacle
to less mature Christians.
Lesson 2: Accountability
Be alert to your own conduct, and the actions of others.
Rebuke one another for sins
Lesson 3: Forgiveness
If a believer offends you and repents, forgive them.
If they repeatedly sin against you over and over, but they repent, then forgive them every time.
The Disiciples Plea: Increase our faith
The disciples recognizing the difficulty of the Lord’s command to repeatedly forgive, earnestly reply “Increase our faith”
A recognition that they are not presently inclined to forgive much
An admission that without the Lord’s help they will likely fail to forgive
Jesus teaches that the AMOUNT of faith is NOT the issue.
With even the least amount of faith miraculous feats can be accomplished
The Parable of Simple Obedience
A man has a slave who works in the fields of his master. When the day is done, he arrives at home and is expected to prepare a meal, clean himself up, and serve the meal to his master.
Afterward he may get food for himself.
Note that the master does not thank the slave for doing what is expected.
Jesus was teaching His disciples
Lesson 5: About Obedience
As servants of God we ought to do as we are commanded
Even when we have been obedient, we gain no merit
We are still unworthy of the Master’s grace and mercy
We have only done that which we ought to have done
Application
Our need is NOT for more faith!
OUR NEED IS FOR THE FAITH
THAT LEADS TO OBEDIENCE
Failure to obey is always a lack of the faith!
THE PROVISION OF GOD
His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (see 2 Peter 1:3)