Faith in a Great God

In one paragraph

Pastor Mark opened Luke 17:1-10 as four sayings Jesus gave specifically to His disciples, on false teaching, forgiveness, faith, and service. He argued that rather than being disconnected proverbs, these four things belong together under one roof: discipleship. The thread running through all of them is what it actually looks like to follow Jesus in the day-to-day. Jesus says stumbling blocks are...

Read together

1. Romans 8:1-2 opening encouragement read before worship: no condemnation for those in Christ, the life-giving Spirit has freed us from sin
2. Romans 8:38-39 read before the offering: nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God revealed in Christ Jesus
3. Luke 17:1-10 the main passage for the sermon, covering false teaching, forgiveness, faith, and service
4. Proverbs 22:6 quoted during baby dedication: train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it
5. James 3:1 referenced in connection with false teaching: not many should be teachers
6. 1 John 1:9 cited on forgiveness: if you confess your sins God is faithful and just to forgive
7. Matthew 18:21-22 referenced when Peter asks how many times to forgive and Jesus answers seventy times seven
8. Matthew 11:28 quoted in the forgiveness section: come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest
9. Matthew 28:19-20 referenced twice as the great commission: go and teach them to obey all that I have commanded you
10. John 13:34-35 read as closing commission: a new command to love one another as Christ loved, so all will know we are his disciples

Talk about it

1. Pastor Matt warned that false teachers who lead others astray face serious consequences, and said it is tempting over time to soften what the Bible says in order to keep people engaged. Have you ever felt that pull, either in your own life or in something you heard taught? How do you guard against it?
2. Pastor Matt said that if a brother sins, we are called to rebuke him, and he described that rebuke not as harshness but as a loving warning to prevent someone from going further wrong. What makes it hard to do that, and what would help you do it well?
3. On forgiveness, Pastor Matt said that if someone sins against you seven times in a day and returns saying they repent, you shall forgive them, and he compared that to the way God forgives us. Where do you find that hardest to actually believe and practice?
4. Pastor Matt said the issue is not having great faith in God but having faith in a great God, and that when we place our faith in Him He puts solid ground under our feet even when we feel like we are stepping into the ether. Can you think of a time when that was true for you?
5. The parable of the servant at the end of the passage led Pastor Matt to say that our acts of service, our forgiveness, our guarding against false teaching, these are simply what we ought to do, with no expectation of earthly recognition. How does that sit with you, and what would it look like to live that way more consistently?