Sermon Central
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Radical Faith
Contributed by George Rennau on Nov 23, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: If we are going to Follow Jesus our life will look just as RADICAL as His
TITLE: RADICAL FAITH
The turkey shot out of the oven
and rocketed into the air,
it knocked every plate off the table
and partly demolished a chair.
It ricocheted into a corner and
burst with a deafening boom,
then splattered all over the kitchen,
completely obscuring the room.
It stuck to the walls and the windows,
it totally coated the floor,
there was turkey attached to the ceiling,
where there’d never been turkey before.
It blanketed every appliance,
it smeared every saucer and bowl,
there wasn’t a way I could stop it,
that turkey was out of control.
I scraped and I scrubbed with displeasure,
and thought with chagrin as I mopped,
that I’d never again stuff a turkey
with popcorn that hadn’t been popped
Now that’s a radical Thanks Giving!
Everything about Jesus is Radical
His birth, life and death were all Radical
He was not conceived in a usual way
The events of His life were certainly not usual
His resurrection from the dead is certainly not usual
Radical does not mean weird
Radical means - a departure form the usual.
Jesus was RADICAL.
So it is no accident that the life we are called to live will be a departure from the usual.
If we are going to Follow Jesus our life will look just as RAICAL as His.
The world offers the path of the usual and many take that path
But God has called the believer to make the foundation of their walk
Radical Faith
……………..
This morning you are going to be presented with a choice
The Holy Spirit is saying to the church “So what’s it going to be “
-are you going to live for God or follow your own path
………………
We are looking at A parable known as “THE SERVANT AT HIS DUTY”
"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.’ "
Prayer….
In order to get to the parable and see the message of radical faith
we are going to follow along with Jesus and his disciples as they walk down the road on their way to Jerusalem
Beginning with verse 1
They are walking along when Jesus declares to His disciples
1. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE TRAPPED BY SIN
Luke 17:1 (NIV)
Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.
Luke 17:1 (KJV)
Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
There will be offences
Notice that Things that cause people to sin - come through people
The word translated offences is very picturesque –
When I was a little kid we would take my moms laundry baskets and a stick – tie a rope to the stick and lay out some bait to try and catch birds or a squirrel.
The word translated offenses refers to the stick that holds the trap open… It has to be set by someone
The same word is used in the NT 3 other times the verses give us an idea of what kinds of OFFENSES Jesus was referring to…
A. FALSE COUNSEL
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
B. LEADING A BROTHER INTO SIN BY YOUR "LIBERTY"
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
C. DIVISION AND FALSE TEACHING
I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
Notice that in context each of these snares is laid by a BROTHER
We like to blame Satan for all our problems….
The Bible is clear that certain BROTHERS are the source of the problem
(Transition)
Jesus then makes a judgment statement about brothers who cause others to stumble…
Verse [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.
