Tests of the Heart - Luke 17:1-19

We are going to continue our journey to the cross that will

culminate on Good Friday and that is shockingly not long

away. And we'll, we'll celebrate,

remember? The historical reality that

Jesus. Died on the cross for our sins

and and we will continue to. Use the Gospel of Luke.

As a road map. To get us there.

And week by week, we've been looking at Jesus taking the

journey with His. Disciples towards the Cross.

And we'll do that again this week in Luke chapter 17.

Luke 17 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 17. We'll look at the 1st.

Luke 17 · chapter mention

Part of this chapter. Together as you're turning

there, I will continue our series long tradition of asking

you essentially A rhetorical question.

And this morning I have maybe the mother of all rhetorical

questions, a question that is meant to.

To really just. Get the conversation started,

but not to. At.

All give actual time for dialogue or deep discussion and

that question. That you've probably already

heard. This morning maybe already asked

someone is how are you doing? Is it not the question we ask in

some ways not hoping for a response?

I mean, how many of? Us have asked how you.

Doing And then there's that rare person that's like, I'm so.

Glad you asked. You have a.

Minute I want to actually tell you and we're like, no, we

don't. We're only saying that in place

of saying hello and how are you or or or good day and and in

some ways that's, you know, just know the social graces in the

etiquette of that. Phrase.

And and yet I bring it up this morning because it can sometimes

create in our hearts and our minds an aversion to the

question when the question actually is going to be asked.

Of your life. How are you doing?

We all too. Often are like, well, that's not

a question I'm actually even thinking about when we.

Study the words of. Jesus, and specifically this

morning as we look at. This particular passage.

In the teachings of Jesus, so often he is holding up his

teachings like a mirror to our. Soul to ask us how we're

actually. Doing when it comes when it

comes to what it means to be His disciple for a number of our

sermons in this series. We have.

Looked at the teachings of. Jesus as directed to those who

would be His. Opponents.

To the religious people who were.

Really just listening to his teachings.

As a way to disqualify. Him watching his ministry.

As a way to distrust. Him.

But this morning, he will do what he has done before on this

journey he's going to. Look at his disciples.

And offer them specific teachings and as you read.

This as we go through this together.

What you'll notice. It's as though Jesus.

Is holding up a mirror to our. Hearts and our lives.

In following him. To ask us the question.

Through his teachings. How are we actually?

Doing when it comes to following Jesus.

So the majority of this morning I hope would want to find

ourselves in the category of disciple and not Pharisee.

So we're going to ask. Through a a series of four

specific. Moments in the teachings of

Jesus. How are you doing?

Others of you no doubt wouldn't put yourself in either.

Pharisee or disciple? You may put yourself in the

interested category or just visiting category.

This is a great sermon for you as well so you would understand.

What Jesus is actually looking? For which is often times

something that people who are on the outside looking in.

Actually have all sorts. Of wrong assumptions about.

So this morning as we look at these teachings, I'm going to

continually ask the question, how are you doing?

How are we doing and following Jesus?

This is the fundamental and primary question and my hope.

Is that we would look to. Jesus in the measures he's.

After. And not, as we often do, just

give kind of the run-of-the-mill answer.

How is your soul? How is your heart before God?

How is your renewed mind in? Christ, how is your your desire

to. Mature and to grow in the

stature and nature of the person of.

Jesus Christ as your Lord. And Savior and as you think

about those challenges to help answer the questions we're going

to. Look at Jesus.

Offering the challenge. So how are you doing?

Let's really talk. About it.

Let's actually take some time to think about this.

We're in. The Gospel of Luke chapter. 17

We'll start in verse one then, he said.

To the disciples the. Previous chapter and many

chapters before this, he's been directing his teaching as though

at those who are essentially missing the whole point of the

journey to the cross. The cost of discipleship giving.

Jesus. All of your love and.

Devotion now as he's on the journey he's going to.

Look at his. Disciples and offer them some.

Very helpful. Teaching on what it means to

follow Him, to be his disciple, to live in his Kingdom.

To have a Christ like culture, he looks at his disciples.

And he says this, It is impossible that no offenses

should come, but woe to him through whom they do come.

And then verse. Two, it would be better.

For him, if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were

thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these

little ones. We'll start in the first section

of his teachings. He's going to give his disciples

A essentially a short teaching on sin.

When he says it's impossible for offenses to come, other

translations say it's impossible that temptations to sin won't

come. In other words, sin is going.

To happen this. Already on the onset is

important that we are. Allowing Jesus to speak for.

Himself, and not the assumptions that we want.

Jesus to be. Or the reductionist culture.

Of who Jesus is speaking. For him, Jesus is saying that

even to his disciples, sin is going to be.

Part of the. Journey don't be surprised that

sin happens. I I would liken this to another

warning of Jesus in the in the Gospel of John chapter 16 verse

John 16:33

33, when he says in this world you'll have much trouble.

It's good to remember that just following Jesus doesn't mean you

get a free pass against the everyday trials of living on

fallen earth. Now, in the same way, and maybe

more importantly for our specific day and age in the

Christian Church, Jesus is also helping us all not be surprised

by another category that is unavoidable on fallen earth.

Sin happens. Offense happens.

And he is saying this to disciples.

He's not saying you know you guys.

Are going to be perfect the outside world.

Is going to be hard. He's giving them the reminder

that sin is going to be something they have to be so

mindful not to. Be the.

Source of in other people. 'S life.

I like how. All of the different

translations get at the main Greek.

Word for this? Which is scandal on and you

don't have to. Be a Greek scholar to hear the

Greek. Word scandal on and how we get

our word scandal, Jesus says don't be surprised when scandal

happens. Disciples this morning, the

church, the community of believers, the Christian home

that you are overseeing or that you're being raised in, don't be

surprised when sin enters in. Jesus is going to give us a

response to when sin happens. But there are.

Far too many people that are probably not here this morning

because they saw the scandal, the headline fallen leader.

Hypocrisy of the Church the. Person they were sitting next to

in, in, in, in the sanctuary and they look over and they think,

wait, this person's a Sinner just like the.

People at the bar. Well, not just like them, but

they have their own issues. Don't be surprised when the

scandal comes. And for those of you who are

here, no doubt you didn't need me to tell you that scandal will

sometimes test your discipleship in Christ.

Anyone who's been around the church longer than a couple

minutes knows. That the the church has.

Headlines that can be very startling.

It's heartbreaking when you hear of.

The. Pastor.

Author. Worship leader.

Neighbor. Who?

Was bearing the name of Christ and fell and I just want to

encourage you this morning that when those times come, don't be

surprised and look to. Jesus, because Jesus is very.

Serious about the consequences that befall the person.

Who is? Playing hard and fast.

With the people of God, I'll read it to you.

Once again for double emphasis. He says of that.

Person It would be better if a millstone was tied around his

neck and he was thrown into the sea.

Maybe for our context, this would be a person who had a a

giant rock tied to their neck and thrown into the lucky peak.

Reservoir just to give it. A more geographical image of it

once again. Jesus.

Speaking for himself is not the. Hippie flower power.

Do whatever you want, go forth, be nice, and choose your own

adventure. Jesus.

Time and time again only makes sense in so much as you

understand that He is on a mission to eradicate sin in your

life and in His Kingdom. When?

You are upset that the Church shows itself to be.

Part of the fallen nature of the world still being cleansed by

the power of the Holy Spirit. Know that.

Jesus is just as serious. And more so.

About what the? Consequences should be when

someone bearing the name of Christ causes someone else to

stumble, and so lest we only think of.

Those who have stumbled. Before us in the headline News

of the 21st century. Church, he says.

Woe to yourselves. Part of this message and holding

up the mirror to our hearts and our minds.

Jesus says woe to you. Any one of you?

Who would play with the Gray area?

Of what would be considered righteousness in the eyes of the

Lord. To love God and.

Love your neighbors yourself to have an understanding of the

way. That God has.

Designed man and woman and family and single person.

How we're designed to live as light bearers in this world.

Woe to anyone who would say. Did God really say that?

Why don't me and you just come up with another plan?

And so often one person's sin can drag other people in.

Jesus says careful. When you play around with sin,

lest you 'cause someone else to stumble and then.

He says he's extremely serious about the justice of.

Sin extremely serious of the consequences.

That are placed. Upon the person who is

responsible for that atomic nature of sin, and as extreme as

he is in his justice, he is now going to challenge all of us

again. Because he is just as.

Extreme in his forgiveness. Look what it says in.

Verse. Three, take heed to yourselves.

If your brother sins against you now, you are the one reading the

headline. You are the one getting the the

bad news or watching the sin unfold and it is affecting you

personally. It has shaken your faith, It has

broken your heart. It has hurt your mind.

Sin has damaging effects not just between you and God, but

between you and others. And when it hits you, Jesus

says, here's the mirror. How are you doing in the way you

respond when you're the one offended?

Oh, that we might be different than the culture of offense that

we live in. We live in a culture that if

you've been offended against, if you are the victim, if you are

the person who has can rightfully say you wronged me,

all of a sudden you become, you know, the master of everyone's

fate. But not so in Jesus Kingdom, he

said. Take heed if your brother.

Sins against you rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him in

other. Words.

Disciples of Christ. Are going to look markedly

different because of not how they are.

Perfect, but how they? Respond to imperfections and

here's. The goal?

Some of you are like, Pastor, you're finally preaching on my

favorite. Verse of the Bible I have always

loved the call to rebuke others the.

Children of faith are no different than the children of

the household and I've got enough kids where I I can see

all the demographics playing out.

I have a child who absolutely loves to rebuke and report of

other people. 'S sin comes very naturally to

her. This is not a verse that I want.

To use for our church to. Set up the sin police.

Because right out the gate. Jesus is making it very narrow.

He said take heed yourselves if your brother.

Sins against you, meaning there is a relationship within the

family of Christ that is 1 to 1. This is helping us remove sin

turning into gossip about someone else.

This is helping us remove into remove the heresy hounds that

are always pointing against people they don't really know

and it doesn't affect them but they love to talk about the sin

of others. This says if someone sins

against you, you go to them and you rebuke them.

And this once again I remind you Jesus never contradicts himself.

He wants us to radically love one another and rebuke is one of

the. Ways that we radically love.

One another we we encourage one another to.

See the fault to see the hurt. And the.

Goal of all of this. Is not the.

Rebuke. It's the.

Repentance and the forgiveness, the end of all.

Of this is that. Someone would see what they've

done and they would turn as to not have sin and bitterness

grow, and then forgiveness would happen.

And when that happens, love keeps no record of wrong.

When forgiveness happens, we get to remove it and move on.

And this is the great challenge of following Jesus.

This is the most fundamental message.

Of the gospel is that God offers.

Forgiveness, and he offers it, often times through you.

This is. Christianity one O 1, and it is

in fact Christianity four O 1. This is your doctorate.

Program as well. Because you enter.

The Kingdom in the radical forgiveness of God and he says

if you want to be forgiven, you must forgive and then you spend

the. Rest of your life practicing.

This and allowing this to be one of the measures of how you're

doing, CS Lewis says. No man knows.

How bad he is till he tries very hard to be good.

If you want to humble yourself and see exactly how much you

need the grace of God in your life, try.

Very hard to be good. Try very hard to be a just an

extra forgiving person. I thought I was one of the most

chill and laid back person ever until I got married.

Because we all do pretty good. When it's just a self inventory

of how we're doing. But when you add people into the

mix, namely someone you have to spend the rest of your life with

and work out every problem towards forgiveness, you realize

I'm going to need some help in this regard.

And this is another challenge in the.

Discipleship of Christ is that. If any of you have gotten this

far in the message and thought, I love this, I'm good at this, I

can't wait to practice this, I want you to know that Jesus is

not trying to give any of us just a encouragement to what

you're already doing. Because as always, look for this

as you're. Studying the teachings of Jesus,

He wants you to. Take a bar that.

You can agree would be good. Forgiveness is a a a moral value

that all of us probably want to celebrate.

And then he wants to raise the SO.

The bar so. High that you could never.

Be a self-righteous. Person who thinks you can do it

on your own, look what he says in the next verse.

And if he sins against you, this is the person that has offended

you, who's stumbled your faith. Who has caused?

Temptation to enter. Your Life, verse 4.

If he sins against you 7 times in a day and seven times in a

day returns to you saying I repent, you shall tell him his

repentance wasn't real. It's actually not what it says.

That's what we want it to say. Because that's what we say.

Hey brother, you've done this six times already today and the

7th time I think I'm running out of the the understanding of how

this whole thing works. Remember, this number is

recalling another moment where Peter, in thinking through

forgiveness, trying his. Best to offer his best.

Version of his own. Power to forgive says.

How often shall I forgive my brother, Lord?

Up to seven. He says 770 * 7 and that isn't

to say 490. That's to say lose count.

That's to say, stop. Thinking there's a limit to

forgiveness and I have to admit. To you as I was.

Reading this last challenge that there's someone in my life that

might sin against me 7 times in one single day and continually

come back and my answer is not I think you need professional

help. Let's talk when you get out.

The answer is let's keep going. Let's you, you're, you're,

you're sinning, but you're, you're, you're repenting and I'm

going to keep forgiving. In my mind I was thinking of

some serial Sinner. Who?

Is just taking advantage of the system and isn't really trying

to get better. And then I realized that this is

describing me if we understand that the source of forgiveness

is not you, but. God.

Who among you this morning read this and thought not of your

crazy uncle at Thanksgiving, but.

You thought of yourself. Who among you think you're gonna

sin less than 7 times today? If you actually were honest with

yourself, I think 7 would be a pretty good number.

I actually would have taken 7 if it was offered.

To. To to sum up sin, it is the

violation of the perfect love of God, loving Him with every ounce

of your being and every intention of your heart, and

loving your neighbor as yourself and.

We all. Feel at that all the time Jesus

is showing us a portrait of. Where this all starts for.

Us to understand the power of how.

We could possibly forgive. Seven someone 7 times we must.

First, start with our. Own need to be forgiven all day

long I wake up and I'm so glad for the verse that his mercies

are new everyday standing under the.

Grace of God. Knowing that where my sin

abounds and all of my imperfections that will haunt me

from AM to PM, His grace abounds more.

And if I'm being challenged to forgive others, I'm also being

challenged to receive the forgiveness that comes from the

infinite. Source of God's.

Grace in my life. So we asked the question, how

are you doing? Not by your church attendance

and how often you're listening to Christian radio and not

secular music. How often you leave the

sanctuary and go to the volunteer meeting to do all of

the great things that come. As the overflow of your.

Devotion to God, but how are you actually doing if the measure

of. Your discipleship with Christ

is. How much you understand the need

you have for forgiveness and how?

Freely you give it. How are we doing with love

measured by forgiveness? That's the first Test, and the

response that we now look at should be the natural response

of anyone who's listening thus far in the very next.

Verse Verse 5 The apostles. Respond to such a teaching and

say increase our faith anyone who.

Hears Jesus actually teach. On what he is requiring of you.

To live as a disciple. In community with one another.

To forgive. And repent and confess all the

time, and you take it. To your heart you would.

Realize the only way. I could ever do this.

Is if God grants me the. Faith to do this.

And when we think about. The way this whole.

Conversation started. Don't be surprised when the

scandal comes. I can't help but think of.

The Church age we. Live in, you know, 15 years.

Ago there was what was. Called the new atheism movement

and there were the four horsemen of the atheist movement that

were challenging all the intellectual positions of theism

and the Christian faith and what it meant to.

Follow Jesus. And there was, you know.

A A A a big. Fear that somehow the

intellectual attacks on the church we're going to cause all

of these people to eventually. Lose their faith.

And the reality is no doubt some people have been challenged in

that way, but for the most part the the New Atheists have died

out most. People are still longing for.

What is known to to be the? The reality of.

Being made by. A creator to have a.

Relationship with him if we actually wanted to find the.

Real. Source of why so many people

have been shipwrecked in the faith.

It would be. That scandal hit their hearts

that someone did fail them in the name of Christianity and

they were so heartbroken. That it shattered their faith.

And This is why in the conversation of offering

forgiveness and overcoming this pain, this this valid pain, a

pain that is so real from the offense of.

Others that Jesus. Deals with it with a millstone

it's. Real.

But the only way to overcome it is to say, Lord, I need faith.

The leadership has failed me. The church seems foggy and murky

and and rather than just throw my hands up in the air and say

it was all alive, the the only hope the reason you're still

here. Is because there's a measure.

Of faith that looks beyond the system on to the Savior.

The apostles heard this. Message and they said we're

going to need more faith if we're going to have the.

Power to forgive. And the Lord in the good news

and the grace of God this morning and in that moment.

Said you got it. It is faith that will.

Keep you following Jesus and it is faith that is freely given

for anyone who asks. Look what?

Jesus says if you have. Faith as a mustard seed.

You can say to this Mulberry. Tree be pulled up by the.

Roots and be planted into the sea and it.

Will obey you. Jesus is giving imagery of a

Mulberry tree, which in that day, in that, in that region, we

wouldn't know this, but it was one of those invasive plants

that had a root system that just dug deep, and they were.

So hard to get out, he said. With just a little bit of.

Faith you can uproot that tree and get all of those.

Roots out. And throw it into the sea.

And I want you to think about that when it comes to the image

of sin. Sin is like an invasive plant

that goes into the community of Christ and has root systems that

seem. Impossible to pull out.

And it feels like it can never be dealt with but in the same

way. That that tree can be.

Thrown out. Look what the the word says

about sin says in Micah Chapter 7.

Micah 7 · chapter mention

He will have compassion on us. He will subdue our iniquities.

God will cast out our. Sins into the.

Depths of the sea. Jesus is using imagery.

To give the this beautiful picture that if you have a

little bit of. Faith in God's power to forgive.

There's no offense too big that can't be thrown out.

There's nothing that a little bit of faith can't uproot and

cleanse your heart and renew your mind and God can heal you

and so. Here's the the picture we've.

Seen the? Picture before he says faith.

As a mustard seed and there are two things that that help us

understand what kind of faith Jesus is requiring for us.

To. Have the kind of.

Faith that pursues Jesus. In spite of all the offense

first. He says this in Matthew 17.

A mustard. Seed it.

It starts so. Small.

It it it is rightfully. A seed.

It's tiny. You you don't need today.

To have faith that would. You know.

Have you pick up? Couple stones and defeat a

giant. Often times we think of faith as

you know, I'm going to sell everything and move across the

country. I'm going to.

I'm going to trust. God that with the power that

Jesus rose, people. From the grave I can heal an

infirmity and all those things are are are real and God

glorifying uses of faith but. Jesus says if you just have a

little. Faith.

Like a mustard seed. You have enough to uproot the

Mulberry tree, and that's an encouragement to me because I

know that my faith at times is so small.

But one commentary. Said it's better to have.

Small faith on thick ice than big faith on thin ice.

If you can get enough little faith on the sturdy foundation

of Christ, you have enough to survive.

And so, you know, let's think about how that would look in,

in, in everything we've discussed.

To have a a little. Faith in the power of Jesus to

overcome the grave, and he's coming again.

Just a little faith in that. That's so much better than big

faith in pastors and worship leaders in church.

You know, I think we sadly have gotten it backwards at times as

the scandal comes and the pastor falls.

And we thought I kind of went all in on that guy.

Go all in on. Jesus with a little faith.

And it's a foundation that will never be broken.

Have a a little bit of faith. In the power of prayer that God

can do more in just a few moments of genuine confession

before Him than you can do entire lifetime is better than

having a lot of faith in your own plans and maybe the.

Purposes of this. This analogy for those who are

trying to forgive and to love and to live in.

Discipleship have a little. Bit of faith in the grace of

God. It is so much better than a lot

of faith in your own goodness. Just a little.

Faith. I don't know.

Fully as your pastor I. Spent my my life studying the

Bible. I don't know.

Exactly how the cross works. I know that he who knew no sin

hung on the cross for my sin, and I get the righteousness of

God and the exact mechanics of that.

I cannot wait to see when I get to eternity, but right now I

just. Say Lord, I believe.

Help my unbelief. A little bit of faith in God's

power to forgive your sins will give you so much.

Power to love others. And and down the line in in this

whole. Workshop of of.

Forgiveness and rebuke and confession just put a.

Little bit of. Faith in your good standing with

God this morning. I know there's so many people

that struggle. Does God still love?

Me. Does he even like me?

The Bible says there's no condemnation for those who are

in Christ. Jesus, you take that Bible verse

and you hold. It in your heart.

You say, Lord, I don't. Fully understand it but I

believe it and you will have enough faith to move mountains

in following Jesus with all of these things.

Jesus once again says this is the mirror we we have lived in a

church age that has made so many things the answer to how you

doing if you have. A little bit of faith.

That is growing. Well done If you come here, not

just listen to a sermon and say I went to church and now I get

to live my life, but just a. Little bit of faith that God has

brought you here to speak. To you as a plan for your life

and. Jesus is your Good Shepherd.

And the Holy Spirit will empower you to do everything He's called

you. To a little bit of.

Faith in that is worth 1000 Sundays.

So how are we doing when it comes to living faith?

The seed is small and the seed spreads.

And now we'll come to just. Very quickly, two stories that I

I hope will give us. Another measure.

Of what Jesus is really. After in our hearts and minds.

The 1st is in verse 7. He says.

Which of you? Having a servant plowing or

tending. Sheep will say to.

Him, when he has come in from the field, come at once, sit

down and eat. Now this.

Is supposed to be absurd. On its first read, there's

someone who who has an estate and there's someone who's a

shepherd working for him. Or he's there's a farmer that

works for him. He says, if the person out in

the field is done with his work, would the master of the estate

actually say, I've been waiting for you to come in, let me feed

you? No.

Verse 8. But will the master not rather

say to him, the servant, prepare something for my supper and gird

yourself up and serve me till I've eaten and drunk?

And afterward you can go ahead and eat and drink and go to bed.

Anyone listening to Jesus in the 1st century?

Would have had a clear. Reference point to the Master

servant relationship. That was everywhere.

Present in the Roman Empire that the master is the person that

the servant works for and anything he does.

Is his job to do this? Is.

You know, as we continue our series and in looking for the

hard sayings of Jesus, let me. Assure you that Jesus.

Will cut the grain against the grain because one of the great

metaphors. He uses for discipleship is.

Master Servant. He is the Lord.

And you are the servant. And this analogy is him trying

to help all of us understand what we're actually do by

serving him says, if you know how masters and servants work,

the master tells him what to do and the servant does it.

And that's that in verse 9. Again, watch the the teachings

escalate. Verse 9, does he thank that

servant because he did the things that were commanded him?

I think not. OK, I can again, let's appeal to

the parents, children, appeal to your own parents.

There are certain household duties.

That are just part of. Living in the household, my kids

have to make their beds. And when they make their beds, I

don't say. Thank you so much.

You really saved me. I had that on my list of things

to do and I'm so glad you took it off my list.

I owe you big time. Thank you.

No. I say.

You have to make your. Bed because you live.

Here and you're learning responsibility and someday

you're going to have a lot of your own things and you need to

know how to take care of them. Now, you're welcome to encourage

your kids and and help them along their way.

But don't get it out of order. Kids are not supposed to.

Be. Thanked by their parents.

It's the other way around. And this is what Jesus.

Is describing you all are servants.

He's speaking to disciples, so I've already clarified.

Not all of you are disciples. Some of you are churchgoers.

And some of you are just interested but.

Those of you who have. Given your life to Christ, you

are a servant and he is your Lord.

So when he says you need to. Forgive people.

And when he says you, you need to forgive way beyond what

you're comfortable with. You don't get to come back and

say. Lord, that was a very.

Challenging sermon, but I. Did you a solid?

There was a couple of enemies of mine and I, I forgave them in

your name. I think they're going to,

really. Like you later, but yeah.

Just give me an extra blessing for that one.

It's not how it works, he says in verse 10.

So likewise when you've done all those things which you are

commanded. Here's what you should actually.

Say we are unprofitable servants and we have done what I was our.

Duty to do, disciples. Forgive people.

It's your job, disciples. You radically love people.

It's just your job, disciples. That are in the.

Offices of life that God. Gives husbands lay down your.

Wives lives. For your wife, wife.

Honor him. Children obey your parents love

your neighbor, give radically. Put all your.

Treasures in heaven and stop obsessing over.

The wealth of Earth. And that's just your job.

Don't do any of. That as a way to reverse the

praise where? Someday you hope that Jesus

would praise you and you would say, don't worry about it.

To take this to the ultimate. Extreme within earshot, no

doubt. Our Pharisees who have built

their life. Presenting themselves as

self-righteous and this series as a consequence of studying the

hard teachings of Jesus is meant to destroy any self

righteousness that can exist in the human heart.

There's no self righteousness in being a disciple.

So even if you did everything perfectly, which you won't, but

I'll grant you this hypothetical.

You love God perfectly with every ounce of you.

Being you love your neighbor as yourself without end and never

failing. You completely forgive and you

don't have any bitterness in your heart, ever.

And you're always the first to welcome.

People in and there's no sin of you for you to repent of.

You might be tempted to say, look at this.

Look what I'm doing. Am I not righteous?

You're doing what you were made. To do.

You were made to love God, and you were made to love your

neighbor, and you were made to be a reflection of His light in

The Dark World. And even if you do it perfectly,

you are still under the grace of God that you're just living out

your design. Trees are planted into the

ground and by sunlight and water.

They grow up. That's what they're made to do.

The moon reflects the sun. Don't go outside and applaud.

It's just doing what it was made to do.

The animal Kingdom and the oceans, tide and the stars and

the night sky are all. Pictures of God's perfect.

Design on display and so are you on your best day.

So the question for the mirror is.

How are? You doing when it comes to your

posture? Before the Lord Jesus says

blessed. Are the humble Paul says grace

has been given so that no one would think of themselves too

highly. What Jesus is doing is utterly

bringing us all to the same playing field that forgiveness

is not some great feat for some of us to write books about and

and tell everyone how amazing we are in our discipleship journey.

And and having amazing faith is not some way for us to stand on

stage and say, look at the faith of this guy.

He's saying every single one of you are serving the master,

unprofitable servant, and by God's grace at the end of it

all, if we. Do it to his glory, he will say

to. Us on the day we enter eternity

well done he doesn't owe us anything and he gives us

everything and so finally I'm going to add this because I

think this is the measure that defines everything else so I'll.

Quickly read a story of Jesus. That's often called the

ungrateful lepers, starting in verse 11.

And this will give us our last measure, the mirror that Jesus

hold, loving forgiveness, living faith, humble servants.

Verse 11. Now what happened as He went to

Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and

Galilee. Then, as He entered a certain

village, there met him 10 men who were lepers.

Who stood afar off? And they?

Lifted up their voices. And said Jesus Master have mercy

on us. And so when he saw them, he said

to them, go. Show yourselves to the priests.

And so it was that as they went. They.

Were cleansed, often times leprosy.

Is used, yes, as a real disease, but also as a.

Living parable of all of us who are unclean by the nature of

sin. Lepers are untouchable, outside

unclean, and Jesus comes and time and time again brings them

healing to. Show that he takes outsiders.

And brings them in that he takes the unclean and makes them clean

every. Story you read about leprosy.

You can think of your own sin being healed by the power of

God's forgiveness. But this is also a story that

helps us identify. All of those competing means to

an end that actually become your measurement for how you're doing

when I said how are you doing? And we're going to.

Look at the the pursuit of. Jesus and and what it looks

like. For the health of your life,

there are. So many different answers than

the ones we look at today and these men are going to give an

answer. They weren't doing great and

they needed Jesus to intervene and they got.

That what they were after. Look what it says.

And one of them, when he saw he was healed, returned and with a

loud voice. Glorified God.

And fell down on his. Face at his feet.

Giving him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

So Jesus answered and said, Were there not ten cleansed?

But where are the nine? Were there not any found who

returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?

And he said to him, Arise. Go your way, your faith.

Has made you well again we see the theme of outsiders coming

in. Only the foreigner came back.

But it's also such a clear picture.

Of the danger of having Jesus be some sort of means to an

alternative end that isn't just Jesus.

How many of us have come to church with our life on the

brink? How many of us have said, Lord,

if you can Get Me Out of this one, I will?

Serve you forever. Some of you are at church right

now because you hit rock bottom and said.

OK, I'll go to church if you'll please.

Fix the relationship, heal the marriage, bring the kids home,

Give me some way to beat my legal troubles.

I'll go to church. And Jesus will, in fact.

Care for you and. He will heal your life and

anything you offer to Jesus. He has the power to.

Cleanse and to heal, and the question will be to you.

Do you go on your merry way once the bill gets paid and the

marriage gets healed and the kid comes home and and you're out of

rock bottom and and jail is no longer something you got to?

Worry about you just. Go on your way because you were

actually measuring how you're doing by things you want.

Or are we people who look to. Jesus as Lord and Master in

source of mercy so that we can worship Him.

There was one. It's a narrow way. 90% go on

their way and one comes back and worships Jesus.

And this is the actual measure of how you're doing.

I'll end with this as referenced.

Earlier there was a a. Worry that the New Atheists were

going to dismantle the Church with their intellectual answers

against theism. And one of them was named

Christopher Hitchens, and he had a challenge as he would debate.

Religious leaders, he said. To them, what is 1 moral act

that you can do as a person who believes in God that I can't

also? Do.

I don't need your God. I don't need the power of God.

I don't even need a belief in God to to do anything moral that

you could do. You can be kind, you can be

loving, you can forgive. So can I.

And the answer to that challenge is very simple.

There is one thing that you can do that an atheist can, and that

is worship. God.

And that is the thing by which everything else flows.

There's a saying that says. The Chief.

Aim of man is. To glorify God.

And enjoy him forever. Your ultimate how are you doing?

Is worship is falling at the feet of the God of mercy and

grace and forgiveness and love, who has saved?

You at the cost. Of his son and saying.

I live for you, I worship you, I praise you.

Everything I do is pointing people to do everything I have

is because of you. I'm thankful today and tomorrow

and forever. Because of you and.

If we're not careful when I say how you doing in regards?

To worship, you say? I'm singing the songs.

I'm here for the three songs in the beginning and the one at the

end every Sunday. I got the radio.

Blasting. Proceed.

Be blessed. But worship.

Is your response to Jesus as your Lord worship is looking at

the. Survey of your life every good.

Thing you have and saying God I owe it.

All to you. I'm glad that worship is songs,

but I'm glad that worship isn't only songs.

How are you doing when it comes to measuring?

Your life by worshipping. Jesus.

And if you're like me, all of these present me with a

challenge. That is a burden too.

Heavy to lift these all. Remind me that the whole

operation of this teaching of Jesus is to remind His.

Disciples that discipleship only works if you.

Radically depend on Jesus every one of these teachings.

Should have brought all of us to a place where we're like the

apostles that say. Lord, I need your help.

If it wasn't for your forgiveness, I wouldn't forgive

anybody if it wasn't for faith in you.

I'd have faith in nothing if it wasn't for you as my master.

I would be a prideful. Arrogant.

Self-righteous person who misses out on all of the blessings and

because of. You.

I worship you with. Everything thanks for joining us

today. If you would like to watch the

full service, check out the link in the description.

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