Faith Matters (6) - Maturing Faith - Luke 17:1-10 - February 25, 2024

 

Faith Matters (6) – Maturing Faith – Luke 17:1-10 – February 25, 2024

Faith matures as we humbly obey GOD.

Our focus scripture is Luke 17:1-10.

This is our final lesson in this series of Bible Study for this quarter. LORD willing, we will begin a new series, “It’s All About Jesus” next week.

Luke 17:1 (Amplified Translation) -17 Jesus said to His disciples, “Stumbling blocks [temptations and traps set to lure one to sin] are sure to come, but woe (judgment is coming) to him through whom they come!

Maturing faith includes being aware of the spirit world which encompasses our physical world. GOD and JESUS want us to be aware of it but not ruled by it. JESUS conquered Satan, the ruler of the spirit world. As Spirit-born believers, the shed blood of JESUS protects us as long as we remain under the canopy of HIS protection.  

We know that the evil one, Satan, roams earth seeking whom he can devour. As Spirit-born believers, we know in 1 John 4:1-6, we read,

4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

² This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not confess Jesus^[a] is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.

⁴ You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world. Therefore, what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.

1 Peter 5:8 - ⁸ Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

A roaring lion is a hungry lion. Satan is eager to prey upon anyone who takes his/her eyes off of JESUS. The spirit world is real. JESUS is the protection of all Spirit-born Christians. Speak out loud the name of JESUS, when you confront evil.

A Spirit-born person must confess his/her sins, even as Spirit-born, to remain in fellowship with JESUS. The Spirit-born person never looses his/her status as GOD’S Son or Daughter, but his/her fellowship is compromised by unconfessed sin.

The person who has never received JESUS as his/her Savior is more vulnerable to the leading of Satan and his minions. Do you want to be protected? Then ask JESUS to forgive you for your sins and for HIM to come into your heart. Your heart is your inner most secret place where truth resides. Keep in mind that GOD looks upon a person’s heart. You will not fool GOD. So, be honest with HIM.

Once a person becomes Spirit-born, he/she must still be careful not to step out from under the protective canopy of GOD by embracing the things GOD reveals that are evil. Spirit-born Christians have the Holy Spirit to protect them, but they also have freewill.

Have you ever wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with JESUS and/or GOD? I have. A few years ago, a church staff person asked if I had ever been through Dr. Blackaby’s study “Experiencing GOD.” I said, No. So, my wife and I went through the study together. At the beginning of the study, I told GOD that I had questions and would not go from lesson one to lesson two with unanswered questions. It was one of the most profound studies in my journey as a Christian. Being honest with GOD is a huge starting point for a person’s journey with JESUS and a Spiritual maturing process.

JESUS said it well in HIS teaching on prayer as recorded in Mark 9: Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit – JESUS and Peter, James and John were descending the Mount of Transfiguration.

¹⁴ When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. ¹⁵ As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

¹⁶ “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸ Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

¹⁹ “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

(Notice, JESUS does not back off. But this gives those who know the truth to recognize that this is the evil realm’s defense mechanism to prevent deliverance. But caution to anyone dealing with the spirit realm – must have no unconfessed sin, must have a group praying for those approaching the person needing deliverance and be armed with GOD’S Word.)

²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. ²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us, and help us.”

²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

²⁵ When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

Caution here. Knowing how to deal with a spirit in the spirit world is vital. JESUS called the name of the spirit that had invaded the child’s body. Acts 19 gives us some insight:

In Acts 19, we read: ¹³ Now some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ When this became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, they became afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high esteem.

¹⁸ And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, ¹⁹ while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So, they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰ In this way the word of the Lord spread and prevailed.

In Matthew 12 JESUS was teaching:

⁴³ “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. ⁴⁴ Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Back to our scripture in Mark 9 ----- JESUS delivering the young boy.

²⁶ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

²⁸ After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁹ He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.^[a]”

When dealing with the spirit world, prayer is vital. Prayer is vital for Christians and Christian institutions, which includes the Church, which is built upon the solid foundation of JESUS The CHRIST. Prayer was vital to JESUS during HIS earthly ministry and even as HE sits upon HIS throne in Heaven prayer is vital.

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time -

³⁰ They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, ³¹ because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” ³² But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

JESUS was teaching HIS disciples. Keep in mind that we who have asked JESUS into our hearts are also HIS disciples. The teaching of JESUS applies to us, as we read on -----

Let’s read Luke 17:1-4:

Warnings from Jesus

17 He said to his disciples, “Offenses will certainly come,^[a] but woe to the one through whom they come! ² It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble. ³ Be on your guard. If your brother sins,^[b] rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Life brings issues with which all of us have to deal. JESUS was teaching HIS disciples, be careful how you walk, what you say and do because you represent JESUS and GOD.

It takes humility to ask for forgiveness, to give forgiveness to those who ask and also for those who do not ask. When we verbally forgive, it removes an issue from our minds which Satan can use to rob us of time that we could be praising our LORD or seeking HIS leadership and growing Spiritually.

Many things on earth can be time robbers. As followers of JESUS, we must be careful how we walk and talk because our life is a witness and testimony of JESUS in us to others. The key is to be genuine and not fake. i.e., walk the talk! That comes by being in right relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS. Why and how? Faith in JESUS is the only way a person can receive the Holy Spirit to indwell him/her. The Holy Spirit is a person’s teacher, guide, revealer, assurance, and guarantee of eternal life.

Let’s read Luke 17:5-6: Faith and Duty

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” ⁶ “If you have faith the size of^[c] a mustard seed,” the Lord said, “you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

As Children of GOD through faith in JESUS, often we desire to do more.

Are we willing to “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

But when GOD calls us, are we willing to go or to do more? Most of us have willing hearts to go where GOD calls us to go. But when GOD calls what is our response?

The only way for anyone to know GOD is through faith in JESUS. Doing so gives any human the wonderful privilege of being born by the Holy Spirit into the family of GOD. A person’s new spiritual birth eternally makes him/her a child of GOD. When a person has the Holy Spirit within him/her it is GOD’S guarantee of eternal life. The Holy Spirit teaches us, guides us, and helps us to grow stronger in our faith.

How much faith does a person have to have? JESUS tells us. It takes the faith the size of a “mustard seed.” JESUS was teaching HIS disciple then and today. Often, it takes but just a step in the right direction and HE will lead and guide us.

Remember, John 3. JESUS told Nicodemus that a person must be “born-again.” Being “born-again” is not a Baptist statement. JESUS said it.

Let’s read Luke 17:7-10:

⁷ “Which one of you having a servant tending sheep or plowing will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? ⁸ Instead, will he not tell him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink’? ⁹ Does he thank that servant because he did what was commanded?^[d] 10 In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we’ve only done our duty.’”

JESUS was teaching and asked those HE was teaching to consider themselves as owners of a working farm or vineyard. They had hired a worker to do specific jobs on the farm including preparation of meals. When that worker completed the farm work and came into the main house, you, being in charge of the servant, would not prepare the evening meal and have the servant to sit and eat before you ate. That would be a thoughtful thing to do but the farm hand was hired to do specific jobs, which included meal preparation.

So, what was JESUS teaching? It was about being obedient to GOD. JESUS was the example. After an exhausting day preaching, teaching, healing, and doing the work of HIS FATHER, GOD, in the Kingdom of GOD, JESUS prayed.

Many of us have jobs or duties to do each day and we need to do them, but we also must take time to meet with our FATHER, GOD. We must not let our earthly duties rob us of the time we need to go to GOD, our FATHER and have alone time with HIM. Prayer is a wonderful time to be alone with GOD and JESUS to review the day, pray for the day and the day to come. Prayer is a two-way conversation - us speaking to GOD and listening as GOD speaks to us.

Blessings!!!