"Increase Our Faith"
Luke 17:5-10
Sunday, November 25, 2012

Introduction: Illus. There is a story of three large men on Harley Davidson motorcycles pulling up to a café one day, and as they entered they saw this little man perched on a stool quietly eating his lunch. Feeling a little bored, they decided to harass the man. So they grabbed his food away from him and laughed in his face. The man, saying nothing, got up, paid for his lunch and left. One of the three bikers looked at the waitress and said: “Boy, he sure wasn’t much of a man, was he?” The waitress answered, “I guess not.” Then looking out the window she continued, “I guess he’s not much of a truck driver either…. He just ran over 3 motorcycles.” (1001 Humorous Illustrations, p. 87, #193, “True Clout.”)

            All too often in life, our response to conflict is to take revenge; to do unto others as they do unto us. Today is the Sunday immediately after Thanksgiving. It is a reminder to us that God calls us to be thankful of what we do have, and seek to bring peace and love into a troubled and conflictual world. I want us to remember, as we prepare for the Advent Season, which starts next Sunday, to have a different attitude than the world has. We will see this morning that this all stems from our faith being exercised daily.

I.                   Faith: The Greatest Force- (Luke 17:5-6; Philippians 4:13)

a.      The disciples request- In our passage this morning we see the disciples

come to Jesus and make a request of him: “Lord, increase our faith.” The disciples recognize the need to have more faith; the disciples recognize the need to have a stronger faith. The disciples recognize that it is their faith which controls their thinking, and their actions.

They probably didn’t know it, but the first place to start in the process of increasing faith is to admit that we have a deficiency in our faith, and to see that it is Christ who can strengthen it. We admit our deficiency, when we, like the disciples, ask the Lord to increase our faith.

            This section in Luke 17 then proceeds to talk about faith. This passage talks about not causing others to stumble, about confronting others in their sin, and about forgiving others whenever they ask for forgiveness. With this in mind, the disciples say to Jesus: “Lord, increase our faith.” They realized that these were things that would not be easy to do on a regular basis and by their own power. It would take the help of the Lord. And this help could only happen through increased faith.

            “The Same Kind of Folks,” Stories for the Journey, p. 46. A traveler is walking along a road one day when he meets a farmer. The traveler asks: “What kind of folks live here?” The farmer asks: “What kind of folks lived where you just came from?” The traveler answers: “Oh, they were terrible: rude, unkind, unhospitable.” The farmer says: “I’m sorry to say that is what you’ll find here too.” The traveler walks on towards another town. Later that day another traveler happens by and  asks the same question. The farmer proceeds to ask him: “What kind of folds lived where you just came from?” “Oh, they were wonderful, kind, giving, thoughtful.” The farmer smiles and says: “That’s what you’ll find here too!”

            Faith allows us to respond to others with kindness. Faith allows us to forgive others when they sin against us, or just when they sin in general. Faith allows us to love others the way God loves us, and the way God loves them. Faith changes our perspective on how we see and experience the world around us!

b.      Jesus’ response- For some, whey they read Jesus’ response to the

request (“If you had faith the size of a mustard seed…”), it might seem like a rebuke; it might seem like Jesus was criticizing them for not having any faith. But what Jesus is really doing here is teaching them of the power of faith. Jesus is helping them to understand that it only takes a small amount of faith to access the great power that God has for you. WITH FAITH, nothing is too hard. As the apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:13- “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” As long as we know where our faith is to be placed, in Jesus Christ, and in the God who has created this world, then we can do anything.

            You might remember, in another passage in one of the other gospels, Jesus talks about gaining salvation. He says that it is impossible to do it on our own, “… but with God, all things are possible.” Faith in itself is not powerful unless that faith is placed in the right source, GOD! With the power of God working through us, which is does when we exercise faith, then we can avoid causing others to stumble; we can support others when they fall; we can keep others accountable so that they can stay faithful to God; we can have an endless amount of forgiveness; we can love others as God does; and we can and will do great things!!

II.                Faith: The Greatest Service- (Luke 17:7-10; Philippians 2:5-8)

a.      The duty of a servant- In this next section of the passage (verses 7-10),

we see Jesus continue the teaching about faith by making reference to the role of a servant. He says, “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? ⁸ Won’t he 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 Will 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.’”

The duty of a servant, Jesus says, is to do what the master asks. If the master says “come and do this,” then the servant goes and does what is asked. A servant does not occupy the same place at the table as the master. A servant does the work that is given by the master until that work is completed. A servant understands his or her place, and is humble in their position. If a servant tries to be like the master, then the servant is not able to fulfill their responsibilities; they are unfaithful.

            Jesus was trying to help them understand that faith leads us to serve God not for a reward, but because that is our duty. While God promises to reward us, and bless us, our attitude should be that of a servant. Even Jesus had this attitude, as we are told in Philippians 2:5-8, “…have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

            One of the amazing aspects of Jesus’ teaching is that He lived out what He taught! Jesus gave us an example of how He wants us to live: by faith, in humility, as a servant.

b.      We are God’s servants- Someone once said: “God did not save you to

be a sensation; He saved you to be a servant.” (Illus. Unlimited, p. 452, #2) We are God’s servants. Our whole strength and all the time we have on this earth is to be used to serve God. And to serve God, you need to serve others. Jesus, Himself, said: “I have come not to be served, but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many.” I have heard people say: “I have already done my duty, it is time for someone else to do it now.” NO!/  Jesus says, “… later you will eat and drink…” Meaning, that our work is never done for the Lord, until our life has ended. Whatever we can do with our minds, our energy, our bodies, our prayers, and our resources, we must do!

            Now this is where faith comes in, because without faith in God, we might lose the desire to serve, or lose the hope that our service is worth anything, or doubt that we have the gifts and abilities to serve. Faith is what leads us to continue to do the greatest service; the service we were created to do: the service of faithfully serving God in this world. Those who through faith have this servant’s attitude, and who live this servant lifestyle, are the ones who are most fulfilled and who will make the greatest impact with their lives for in the kingdom of God.

            Faith also breaks our pride, and humbles us to understand that God is the creator/master, and that we are the creatures/servants. We do not serve to merit favor or even to receive thanks, but as Jesus says in Luke 17:10- “…We have done only what we ought to have done.” If God were to gain from our service, then that would make God indebted to us. So we serve in faith, and through faith we do the greatest service!

III.             Faith: The Greatest Peacemaker- (Matthew 5:9; Philippians 4:6-7; John 14:27)

a.      The call to be a peacemaker- Each of us is on a journey, growing in

our faith, growing in our faithfulness, witnessing to the mercy and love granted to us by God through Jesus Christ. Jesus has called us to be His disciples as we seek to be faithful to God’s will. As we live out our faith, we begin to live as children of God. Matthew 5:9 says- “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” Being a peacemaker is one of the important callings that we have as we seek to live out our faith as servants of the Lord. Being a peacemaker is not easy, but that is where the power of faith again comes in; we need this power to be peacemakers. As Romans 12:18 tells us, “If possible, as far as it depends on you, be at peace with all.” Senator Hubert Humphrey once said in regards to being a peacemaker: “Negotiating between conflicting parties is like crossing a river by walking on slippery rocks…It’s risky, but it’s the only way to get across.” (The Be-Happy Attitudes, by Robert Schuller, p. 169).

            We are called to be peacemakers. Along with it being one of the duties we have as servants/children of the Lord, being a peacemaker is also very rewarding. When we can bring peace where there is tension, conflict, and strife, we experience a healthy feeling of satisfaction, self-esteem, and self-worth. This world truly needs more peacemakers, because the world has become so contentious.

b.      How to be a peacemaker- So how are we to be peacemakers? A

peacemaker is one who has a peaceable disposition. A peacemaker loves peace, desires peace, and delights in peace. So we must first have peace within ourselves and have a desire to see peace around us, if we are to bring peace elsewhere. Someone who is stressed, angry, confrontational, is not at peace with themselves and therefore cannot be a peacemaker. We find peace in God in the faith we have and in the One who can give us peace. Looking back to the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul tells us in 4:6-7- “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be make known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

            In John 4:27, Jesus says- “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

1.      Jesus says, only in me can you have this peace. It is only in faith that we

can seek out this peace by giving up all things to God, and let Him fill us with His peace; the kind of peace that comes from trusting, and hoping, and relying on God.

2.      Secondly, a peacemaker is one who has peaceful conversations. In our

conversations, through the words we use, we try to preserve the peace. If  the peace is broken by our words, or the words of another/ then by our words we try again to establish peace.

3.      Thirdly, a peacemaker is one who follows the example of Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to this world to proclaim peace on earth. It is at the core of who we are to be as disciples of Christ; to seek to bring peace in our relationships, and in this world. To truly bring peace into this world, we must take those who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and challenge them to grow deeper in their faith. For those who do not know Jesus Christ, we must introduce them to Jesus, so that they too can be followers of the Lord of Peace.

            When we have faith, we should be more at peace with our lives, and with others around us.

Conclusion: This morning I want us to be more committed to being faithful servants of the Lord. I want us to be thankful for the faith we have, and the impact our faith makes in our lives. This is a wonderful day (the Sunday between Thanksgiving and Advent) where we can reflect on how we are one in Christ with all who believe in Christ around the world. We have a common Lord, a common faith, a common purpose.

In this time of worship we should be reminded that Jesus Christ, showed His faith by being obedient to the Father, by humbling Himself as a servant and by His sacrifice on the cross. As we have faith in Jesus, we will receive a greater faith, and a greater peace with the Father by the removing of our sins; the removing of the barriers that cause conflict.  It is not easy, and like the disciples, we must regularly ask: “Lord, increase our faith.” May you leave here today with a desire to increase your faith, and with that increased faith, the desire and means to be a peacemaker. Praise be to God who not only desires for us to have faith, but helps our faith to be strong and constant. Let us give this faith over to God. Amen.