Luke 17 Notes

Having trouble with forgiveness?

Put the cross in the equation

exodus 15 water bitter
For three days the Israelites traveled through the desert - finally found water
ran to get a drink and yuck (Marah!) bitter
Moses put the tree in the water and it became sweet
God showed Moses the tree
the tree - the cross
the cross changes our biterness

murmuring and grudges - insert the cross
we have been forgiven so much, though we have turned our back on the Lord
been willful

God never gets tired of us
arms open wide - i love you, I forgive you
if the Lord is willing to forgive us over and over how dare we not forgive each other

faithfulness
verse 7 - "and" indicates Jesus is going to balance one lesson with another
it's good to have faith to attempt impossible tasks
takes just as much faith to accomplish mundane everyday tasks
faith even for the most mundane tasks our faith needs to tranlate into =faithful service
is the fact that God has called you enough fro you to be faithful?
everyday was not pentecost for the disciples
that's the only standard God uses to judge what I am doing
1st cor 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful

chuck smith
"I cannot generate faith; I cannot produce faith. Faith is a gift of God. It is listed in I Corinthians chapter 12 as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Now it is glorious when God plants that faith in your heart, but if He doesn't I don't know what you can do about it. So I think it's proper with the disciples just say, "Lord, increase my faith.""

charles spurgeon
1. We ought; my friends, to be extremely careful of our faith—both of its rightness and of its strength, First of all: when we consider the position which faith occupies in salvation. Faith is the salvation-grace. We are not saved by love; but we are saved by grace, and we are saved by faith. We are not saved by courage, we are not saved by patience; but we are saved by faith. That is to say, God gives his salvation to faith and not to any other virtue. It is nowhere written—he that loveth shall be saved. It is nowhere recorded—that a patient sinner shall be saved. But it is said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Faith is the vital part of salvation. If a man lacks faith he lacks everything. "Without faith it is impossible to please God."

"Faith is the silver thread upon which the pearls of the graces are to be strung. Break that, and you have broken the string—the pearls lie scattered on the ground, nor can you wear them for your own adornment"
Faith is the foot of the soul by which it can march along the road of the commandments. Love can make the feet move more swiftly; but faith is the foot which carries the soul."

are you faithful to what God has called you to do? not always joyful

obedient

thankful

we cry out in trials for a friend but very little time thanking the Lord when things work out. Keep a journal of your prayer requests.
Being thankful helps you to remember that God has been faithful to answer and will continue to be faithful to work in yoiur life. Being thankful increases your faith!!!

forgiving, faithful thankful ready

Ready -
prepared
the kingdom of God is within or among you -
The kingdom's presence is related to one's ability to repent (Beasley-Murray 1986:102-3)