This Week\’s Sunday School Lesson, \”Living As A Disciple Of Christ\”, Luke 17:1-10, 2/23/2020

LIVING AS A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST

Luke 17:1-10

GET YOURSELF RIGHT BEFORE GOD

V:1. Jesus said to his disciples: \”Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. 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.
A. Disciples are those who are ready to learn from Jesus.
1. Every Christian will not be a disciple.
2. Some Christians would rather rest on the bench with Jesus
as Savior, but not Lord over their lives.
B Everyday living as a disciple of Jesus requires constant
evaluation of your deeds and actions

1. Sin and temptations are always knocking at our door ready
   to come in.
2. The good news is that we control our doors.
3. Every day we have to continually make decisions to keep
   Satan
   out of our daily activities.
4. We sin knowingly and unknowingly.
   a. Unless someone tells us we may never know if our
   statements or acts are hurtful to others.
   b. it is not possible for us to live without sinning. Rom 3:23-24 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. c. When we know our sin, just ask for God forgiveness.
5. The problem comes when we knowingly lead people into sin or
   try to entrap others into sin.
   a. God becomes upset with our sinful actions,
   especially when it comes to the spiritually immature. b. The spiritually immature, the little ones, are the babes in
   Christ.
6. I suggest that you don’t want to be in the hands of an angry
   God.
7. Notice Jesus is talking to His disciples,
   He said watch yourself.
8. Our actions can get us out of fellowship with God.
9. Since Jesus was speaking to His disciples, there must be
   a severe penalty before you die for deceiving or leading
   astray those in Christ.
10. You can be a disciple without Christian behavior.
11. Let me suggest that Jesus left us with an example of Judas. He was among the disciples but because of his sin he became
    So distraught after betraying Jesus that he hung himself.
    a. You can claim discipleship without being a Christian.
    b. In Judas three years of walking with Jesus, he never
    believed in Him. John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

SEE YOUR NEIGHBOR IN THE EYES OF GOD
V:3 B. \”If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, \’I repent,\’ forgive him.\”
A. Once you recognize your sins and deal with them, then you

You have the power to forgive others.

1. When we consider, that God is constantly forgiving us, we
   change our mindset to one on constantly forgiving others.
2. Notice, if someone does you wrong, YOU have the
   responsibility to tell them.
   B. There is no limit on God’s forgiveness.
   1. There should be no limit on your forgiveness.
   2. People don\’t change overnight.
   3. Therefore, you have to be tolerant, continue to forgive
      until they change.

TAP INTO THE POWER OF YOUR FAITH
V:5. The apostles said to the Lord, \”Increase our faith!\”
6 He replied, \”If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, \’Be uprooted and planted in the sea,\’ and it will obey you.
A. One of the key problems with our prayers is the lack of faith that
God will do what we ask.

1. Jesus reminds us that we don’t need more faith.
2. We need to exercise the faith we have.
   B. God gives us a definition of faith Heb 11:1 (NIV) 11 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we
   do not see.
   1. We have to develop confidence in the God we serve and
      confidence that He will provide the desires of our hearts,
   2. Doubt is the sin that hinders our faith. James 1:6
      But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who
      doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
   3. What is the cause of our doubt?
      a. Let me suggest a few reasons.
      b. Lack of knowledge of the promises of God.
      c. Lack of constant prayer.
      d. Lack of patience with God’s timing
      f. Past experience of not having some prayers answered.
   SERVE FAITHFULLY WITH A HUMBLE HEART

V:7. \”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.\’\”
A. When we became disciples of Christ, there were certain responsibilities
Given to us based on God’s plan for our lives.

1. Jesus uses this illustration to make it plain to us that we deserve no
   special recognition when we do the job God has assigned to us.
2. Every believer in the body of Christ has jobs assigned by Christ.
   B. The real question is, are we fulfilling the duties and responsibilities God
   has assigned to us?
3. Before we ask God for more, are we faithful servants?
4. When we ask God for help, are we asking with the right motives?
   James 4:3
   When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives,
   that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
   C. We deserve no special recognition for doing what we were called
   To do.
5. God has gifted us for His call on our lives.
6. By serving God, we are not doing Him a favor.
7. All favor comes from God
8. We don’t deserve to go to heaven, but His Grace and
   Mercy set us apart from the world to be with Him.
   D. In verse 17:3, Jesus commands us to watch ourselves.
   1. We are instructed to be cautious.
   2. Every day we have to make decisions about how we treat others.
   3. The way others treat us, good or bad, should not change
      our Christian behavior toward them.

Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst. Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West Sam Houston Parkway North
Houston, Texas, 77041

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