Lord, Increase Our Faith

Would you open your Bibles this morning to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 17? Then said He, Jesus, unto His disciples, "It is impossible, but the offenses will come. But woe unto him through whom they come. It were better for him that a millstone be hanged around his neck and that he be cast into the sea than that he should offend one of these little ones. If your brother trespass against thee, rebuke him. And if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespasses against thee seven times in a day, seven times in a day turns again unto you and says, 'I repent,' then you shall forgive."

The apostles said unto Him, "Lord, increase our faith." It is impossible, we read here in this verse, verse 1, but the offenses should come. This may not be one of the most motivating teachings that Jesus gives, as He says here that it's impossible to avoid temptation and difficulty. The snare, what He calls their offenses in the King James Version, can be translated as snares, temptations, and trials.

Every single one of us goes through these things. In fact, the Scriptures tell us, as Paul does in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, that no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. Those words "common to man" mean that we all suffer those things, don't we? Every one of us, every day, every week, every year, suffers trials, tribulations, and snares—these things that come against us. We have an enemy.

In fact, we're told as we read through the Scriptures that we have three things that we as Christians battle: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The devil uses the world to get at our flesh. He's very good at it. In fact, he's had a lot of practice. He's been doing it for quite some time now. He knows exactly what to use for different people, but a lot of times he tests the bait. He kind of tries to figure out what might lure you.

He'll throw a shiny lure to some, and oh, that gets them. For others, he's got to use a stinky lure. There are all kinds of different lures the enemy uses. He's good at it. The lure that attracts you is probably not the same lure that attracts me, but it's impossible to avoid these snares. All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We battle on three fronts: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Apart from the Spirit's power, we have no ability to stand. Our flesh is strong, and it can easily overpower the desire that you have from the new heart to obey God. When God gave you a new heart, as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, that new heart came with the desire to obey and follow Him.

Every single one of us in this room does not do it perfectly every day, do we? No, we understand very well the words of Paul in Romans chapter 7: "The good that I want to do, I don't do, and the bad things that I don't want to do, that I practice." I find that in my flesh dwells no good thing. The heart of man, as Jeremiah said over 2,500 years ago, is deceitful and wicked. He knew something that even psychologists of this day haven't figured out: the heart of man is desperately wicked.

Our flesh is wicked; it's cunning, and it desires the things of this world. The enemy knows that, and he will use those things to try and set a snare, to set a trap. Jesus informs His disciples that it is impossible to avoid the defenses that will come. You will not be able to avoid them. This may be a discouragement to some because notice He is speaking to His disciples. If we are followers of Christ today, we are His disciples, and so the Lord is speaking to us.

He tells us that when you've come to Him and received Him as Lord, it doesn't mean that instantly everything is going to be easy. You are not on the highway to heaven without any rest areas or slight detours. The enemy is seeking to trip us up, and we should not be ignorant of his devices. We should understand that he orders our world, the things around us, to try and pull us to the side.

There are great big billboards, so to speak, with bright, shiny Las Vegas lights all along that highway. The enemy is trying to get you off the narrow way to heaven and onto the wide way to destruction. It is impossible to avoid the things that he sets up. You will never find that they are not there anymore. There will never be a time in your life here on earth where you don't have temptation.

The person who says to you or says to me, "Well, I don't have any temptations coming," is the person who is bound in sin. They are stuck in it. They are not tempted to go after it; they are right there, lured all the way.

They're stuck to the line, and the enemy's got them. This is an unfortunate truth, but a truth nonetheless: it is impossible to avoid these snares, these temptations that come. But notice what Jesus says: "Woe unto him through whom they come." That word "woe" expresses great grief. In the Old Testament, it could also be translated as "certain destruction," but it's a certain destruction accompanied by terrible grief and sorrow. You don't want someone to suffer this kind of destruction.

"Woe unto them," Jesus says, expressing that grief and sorrow because they will be judged. It appears from this passage that the judgment coming upon the offender, the judgment upon the tempter, is very great and grave, as the Scripture declares. It is not a good position to be in as the cunning deceiver. Although it seems more and more in our society that we look up to those who are cunning and shrewd, "woe unto that person through whom these snares come."

The person who sets the trap, the person who casts the bait—woe unto that person, Jesus says. It would be better for them, as noted in verse 2. Notice that and underline it in your Bibles: it would be better for them to die a horrible death. It would be better for them to have a millstone hanged around their neck and to be cast into the sea than that they should offend one of these little ones.

From this passage, it appears that there were some children or younger people around as Jesus spoke this to His disciples. He says that it would be better for this person to have a millstone hanged around their neck than to offend or trip up one of these little ones. It's a sad fact that the enemy seeks to attach people to that lure at a very young age.

You look around and see that tobacco companies and alcohol companies really do focus a lot of their marketing on younger children. The government has talked extensively about this, particularly regarding how they market products like Camel cigarettes, using the little picture of the camel to try and attract kids and get them hooked for life.

At a young age, the word "snares," or "offenses," doesn't only speak of tripping someone up in that area or trying to grab them towards sin. This word is also used in other places in the New Testament to speak of false counsel. You can trip somebody up with false counsel when you don't use the Word of God. When someone comes to you and says, "I've got this problem, I've got this issue, what do you think?" it is important to remember that while advice from family, like a grandmother, may be wise, we need to base our counsel on the Scriptures.

Jesus says here, "Woe to that person who offers false counsel that ensnares someone and causes them to go in the wrong direction." Woe unto them! It would be better for them if they had a millstone hung about their neck and were cast into the sea than that they should cause one of these little ones to stumble, or cause anyone, for that matter, to stumble.

Not just false counsel, but also a bad example is addressed in the New Testament. This refers to someone who gives a bad example, which we would call a hypocrite. A hypocrite is someone who claims to be a Christian, yet their life does not reflect that belief. People begin to look at their life and think, "Well, look, he's a Christian, and he cheats, he steals, he does these things, so it must be okay for me to do these things." They may believe that God must wink at that behavior because this person who claims to be a Christian does not live accordingly. No, that is a stumbling block.

Jesus tells us here that there is a judgment, a great and severe judgment, that will come upon that person. Not just for bad counsel or false counsel, but also for a bad example and false teaching. The Scripture speaks extensively, especially in the New Testament, about false teachers and the judgment that shall come upon those who teach man's wisdom or doctrines of demons. The enemy is very good at infiltrating the church. In fact, I think Satan loves to be in the church. He enjoys binding people up in legalism and foolish heresies. Those things will be judged.

The tempter, the one who offends, the one who lays the snare—whether by directly setting up signs to attract people towards sin or through false counsel, a bad example, or false teaching—Jesus says it would be better for that person to have a millstone hung about their neck.

And to be cast into the sea. Why would it be better for that person to have that? Well, judgment is coming, and judgment is certain.

If you would turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, we've been studying through the book of 2 Thessalonians. We started it last night on Saturday nights. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, Paul the Apostle, speaking to this small young church in the city of Thessalonica, speaks about the judgment that is going to come at the last day, the day when the Lord Jesus returns. Judgment will come with Him.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 6, Paul writes, "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the truth of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power."

Notice what Paul is saying here. He says it is a right, just, and perfect thing for God to recompense tribulation or to pour out trouble upon the troubler. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, those that seek to ensnare you, those that come along to tear you down, to trouble you. God tells us through the Apostle Paul that He will pour out trouble on them in the next life.

It is appointed unto all men to die once, and then comes judgment, as Hebrews 9:27 says. There is a day soon coming when man will be judged before God. Those who die not knowing the Lord, not following the Lord, currently are in a place called Hades. The scripture spoke of it last week in Luke chapter 16. In the last half of Luke chapter 16, it talked about the rich man who knew not God, and he was carried away to Hades, this place of torment.

But there is a second death coming, which Revelation chapter 19 speaks of. That second death is the time when all of those people who have not known God, have not followed God, and have troubled God's people will be brought before the judgment seat of God.

He will recompense them. He will pour out upon them judgment, and they will be cast into a thing called the lake that burns with fire, or Gehenna, what we would consider hell. We are told here that it is a righteous thing. Sometimes we look at God and wonder, how could You do that? That’s not entirely fair. It seems like You should give them another chance. But no, that’s not what the scripture declares. When God judges man, His judgment will be right. His judgment will be just.

While our justice system here on earth sometimes appears to be corrupt, the justice in heaven is perfect justice. Abraham questioned God when He was preparing to judge the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis chapter 18. Abraham asked, shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? He was expressing that the Judge who is going to judge all the earth must be righteous in His judgment. What we see from the scripture is that God is righteous in His judgment.

When He pours out wrath and judgment upon those who have not obeyed the gospel, as stated in 2 Thessalonians 1:8, He will be righteous in His judgment. We are told in verse 6 that He will recompense or give to them trouble for their trouble—tribulation for their trouble. The scripture speaks in verse 9 of 2 Thessalonians 1, stating that the unbeliever, or the person who has troubled mankind, shall be punished with everlasting destruction, which can also be translated as eternal death.

This eternal death is defined for us in verse 9 when it says they will be separated from the presence of the Lord. They will be separated from the glory and the power of God eternally. They will be cast into what the scripture calls outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now you can see why Jesus expresses grief when He says, woe unto this person.

What should we learn from this? Well, back to Luke. Jesus gives us the answer here in Luke chapter 17. In verse 3, He says to His disciples, take heed to yourselves.

Underline the word "yourselves" there. We are very good at looking at the sin of other people, pointing out their sin, and challenging them because their lives don't measure up to, well, my life, of course. But He says to take heed to yourselves. Watch out. Consider yourself.

In considering yourself, He also says that if your brother trespasses against you, rebuke him. If your brother comes and trespasses against you, maybe he is a bad example. Perhaps he has given false counsel or stumbled into sin. He transgresses against you. Jesus says to take heed to yourselves and watch out for yourself first. However, we are also our brother's keeper. If we see a brother sinning, Ezekiel chapter 3 speaks to this. It says that if we see a righteous person turn towards sin, then we are to go and rebuke them.

Now, we don't really like rebuke, especially when it's aimed at us. But we need to understand what exactly rebuke is. Rebuke is an important aspect; it's that admonishing sharply, coming alongside and challenging someone, saying, "Listen, your life doesn't measure up—not to my life, but to the Scripture." I don't need to be perfect before I reprove or rebuke someone. If that were the case, then we would never grow. We might think, "Well, I have to be perfect before I can tell someone else, 'Hey, you shouldn't say that. You shouldn't do that. You shouldn't walk in that direction.'"

No, listen, there is a judgment coming upon those who do not follow God. It's a heavy thing. What we're told is that it's eternal death—separation from the power, the glory, and the presence of God. We should not want anybody to go down that path. Because of that, we should take heed to ourselves. When we see someone in sin walking on the wide path to destruction, we are told that we need to rebuke them and reprove them.

Paul spoke to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4. In verse 1, he says, "God's going to judge the quick and the dead at His appearing."

In light of that, verse 2 of 2 Timothy 4 states, "Preach the Word. Be ready in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." We need to be ready as the people of God to reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine those who are not following the Lord, those who are walking contrary to His doctrine.

Why? Because there is coming a day when God is going to judge the quick and the dead at His appearing. In light of that judgment, we should be ready to come alongside someone and say, "What you're doing is the wide path to destruction. Follow the Lord. Repent. Turn to the Lord."

Jesus says to take heed to yourselves. If your brother trespasses against you, if he stumbles into sin and begins to walk that wide path toward destruction, rebuke him. Admonish him sharply. The word "rebuke" could also be translated as "raise the price or value of." It means to come alongside and say, "Listen, what you're doing is devaluing what God has given to you." Lift them up. Set their eyes on high. Chide them. Reprove them. Censure them sharply. Tell them not to do this. The scripture says you are not to do this; you are in opposition to God's Word.

But notice what He says: If he repents, what is to be our reaction? We are to forgive. If he repents. Now, repentance is not merely tearing up and saying, "Sorry." It involves a change of heart that results in a change of direction.

So, you are to rebuke the one who is in sin, understanding that judgment is coming. In light of the coming judgment, we should stir one another up to love and good deeds because that day will come, and no one will be able to stand there on that day and say, "I didn't know."

Take heed to yourselves. If your brother trespasses against you, rebuke him. If he repents, if he changes his heart and his actions, then forgive him. No questions asked, forgive him. You don't have to try and figure out if his repentance is genuine. You don't have to try and determine if he is going to do what you are telling him to do.

And follow the scripture. What you are commanded, what I am commanded to do, is forgive the sinning brother who repents. That's our call. That's our commission. In fact, if you notice at the end of verse 4, it is even a command: if he trespasses against you seven times in a day and seven times in a day turns again to you and says, "I repent," you shall forgive him.

Now, sometimes we think there has to be a limit to our forgiveness. There has to be some sort of line. Peter thought this in Matthew chapter 18. It would appear that Peter spoke this after Jesus talked about forgiveness. He comes to Jesus and says, "What if my brother sins against me seven times? What am I to do?" The Lord replies, "You shall forgive him up to seventy times seven."

Now, that doesn't mean 490 times. It’s not about counting. Your brother, your friend Scott, has sinned against you 482 times, and now you're thinking, "Boy, eight more, and you're really getting close, buddy." The scripture says if your brother sins against you and you rebuke him, we are called to rebuke him.

Here’s the important thing: there are people in this room today who are angry at a brother or sister who did something to them, but that brother or sister doesn’t even know they did anything. You know what I'm talking about. I've experienced this; you've all experienced this. I hear it through another person: "So-and-so's really mad at you. You didn't say hi to them the other day, and they're really angry." But I would never know. Their bitterness and anger only hurt them.

I'm commanded in the scripture to go and rebuke them. If they've done something wrong to you, go tell them they are wrong. Then, if they repent, forgive them—no questions asked. "Up to seven times, Lord?" No, even seventy times seven.

Oh, it's 490 times? All right, okay. He's done it 482 times. I get to take out vengeance upon him here, maybe in another 20 minutes if he's not a good guy. But the scripture says, rebuke that brother, and if he repents, forgive him. Don't try to test if it's genuine.

Now, at the hearing of this, you very likely are like me and the rest of the disciples. What was the response?

Of the disciples, one exclaimed, "Lord, increase our faith!" That's a tough one. Forgive him seven times in a day if he just keeps coming and doing the same thing? This bullheaded friend of mine says the same stupid thing over and over. He’s always saying, "I'm sorry, I repent, I'll stop doing this." But man, is it getting old. You mean you want me to keep forgiving him? No questions asked, just forgive him? Yes, absolutely.

In fact, the scripture says, Paul writes to the Ephesians in Ephesians chapter four, verse 32: "And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you." Who's our example in this? In Colossians chapter three, verse 13, the Apostle Paul says, "Forbearing one another, forgiving one another. If any man has a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also shall you do."

How many of us have received forgiveness from the Lord? Has there ever been a time when He came to you, or you went to Him for forgiveness, and He said, "You know, this is the 489th time you've done this"? You see, after Peter asked the Lord in Matthew 18 how many times he should forgive his brother—seven times? He looked around at the disciples, expecting affirmation. Jesus replied, "Up to seventy times seven."

Then Jesus tells them a story about a landowner, a king, who had a debtor who owed him millions. This debtor came before him and said, "You must pay me all." The debtor bowed down and cried out, "Have mercy on me, and I'll pay you everything." The master, the king of that servant, said to him, "Your debt is forgiven."

But what did that servant do? He went out to his friend who owed him fifty bucks and demanded, "Give me the money you owe me." His friend pleaded, "Have mercy on me, I'll pay you everything. I don't have it right now, but I will pay you." Instead of showing mercy, he began to beat that servant.

What did the king do to this wicked servant who beat the other? He threw him in prison until he paid every part. Why? Because that servant had learned nothing from the example of his king. The scriptures are clear that we are to understand the example of our king. At the same time, you and I have become sons and daughters of God through adoption.

God takes on His characteristics. What does God look like? In Exodus chapter 34, Moses calls out to God and says, "Lord, show me your glory." God responds, "I can't show you my glory because you wouldn't be able to stand; you wouldn't be able to live, but I'll pass by you." As God passes by, He declares His name to Moses in Exodus chapter 34, verse 6. The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeps His mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children to the third and fourth generation."

What is the character of God? What is the very first thing that He used to describe Himself? The Lord God is merciful and gracious, holding mercy for thousands and forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. We are to take on the characteristics of our Father in our forgiveness towards other people. Is it difficult? Well, obviously, the disciples expressed that difficulty by saying, "Lord, increase our faith." This is heavy.

In light of certain and coming destruction, we need to take heed to ourselves, as the scripture says, and rebuke the person who is walking and continuing to walk in sin. Why? Because if they continue on the wide path, where are they going? To destruction. We are to forgive that person if they come and repent, in the same way that the Lord God has forgiven us as we have come to Him and repented, even when we have sinned over and over again.

You see, every one of us in this room today has a sin that so easily ensnares us. It's different for each one of us; it's a different lure that the enemy uses, a different bait that the enemy employs. But it seems to trip you up every time. You feel like you go to the Lord a hundred times a day saying, "God, forgive me for this." And He forgives.

In His forgiveness, there is a cleansing work. How so? John tells us in 1 John chapter 1, verse 9, that if we have sinned, we are to confess our sin to the Lord, and He is faithful and just to forgive us.

Forgive us and cleanse us. The forgiveness and the cleansing go hand in hand, and God is sanctifying us this morning. When Jesus told the disciples this, they responded, "Lord, whoa, increase our faith." This is heavy. What did Jesus say? He now gives them two teachings on their statement, "Increase our faith."

In verse 6, the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say unto this mulberry tree, 'Be thou plucked up by the root and be thou planted in the sea,' and it should obey you." The first thing that Jesus says to His disciples is that if they even had a mustard seed of faith, they could say to this mulberry tree, "Be plucked up by the roots and planted in the sea," and it would obey them.

There have been many teachings on the concept of the mustard seed of faith, and you hear all kinds of different interpretations from time to time. Some people say that the mustard seed was a very pure seed, but it has nothing to do with that. When the plain sense makes sense, seek no other sense. What is the plain sense about this? A mustard seed is very small, and Jesus says that even small faith can accomplish big things.

That small mustard seed, when planted, would grow into a tree-like bush, a very large bush, maybe 10 to 12 feet high. Just this little small seed has a great impact. Even if you have a mulberry tree of unforgiveness with roots all through it, if you have just a mustard seed of faith—just a little bit of faith in God—then you'll be able to forgive.

The disciples say, "Whoa, this is heavy for us, Lord. Increase our faith. We need big faith to handle this thing that you're telling us to do." Jesus responds, "No, you don't. Just a little bit of faith will accomplish great things."

Faith has an awesome way of growing as it is exercised. I've counseled people before—maybe you've met people who come to you and say, "You know, this family member of mine, this brother, this sister, this father, whatever it may be, they were such a bad example. They hurt me, they wronged me, and I just can't forgive them. I just can't get over it."

They hurt me badly. I have talked with people in that position and shared with them what the Scripture has to say about forgiveness, particularly in Matthew chapter 18 and Luke chapter 17, among various passages. I remind them that the Lord commands us to forgive. Oh, Lord, increase my faith! I just don't know if I can do this; it's just so great.

In the Gospels, there are several instances that illustrate this. In Mark chapter 2, there was a man brought to Jesus who was paralyzed. You remember this story. His friends, four of them, lowered him through the roof down to Jesus. As he came down, Jesus said to him, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Those present, especially the Pharisees, thought within themselves, "Who is this man that he thinks he can forgive sin?"

Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, asked them, "Is it more difficult for me to say, 'Son, your sins are forgiven,' or 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'?" He continued, "But so that you may believe that the Son of Man has power to forgive sin on earth, son, rise, take up your bed and walk." And what did that man do? He rose, stood up, took his bed, and walked.

Another beautiful story is found in John chapter 5. There was a man who had been lame for 38 years, longer than Jesus had been alive. He was at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, right near the Sheep Gate and the temple. Jesus came to Jerusalem during one of the feasts and went to that place surrounded by sick people. If ever there was a pitiful sight, it was the Pool of Bethesda.

We sometimes imagine a beautiful oasis-like pool, but it was more like an emergency room. It was gross. There were lepers, lame people, and all kinds of sick and maimed individuals gathered around this pool. Why? Because they had a desperate hope, a legend that every now and then, an angel would come down from heaven and stir the water. Whoever was the first person to get in the water would be cleansed.

What kind of sick story is that? Seriously, imagine the scene: everyone watching the water, waiting for the stirring. "Oh no, it's just the wind!" And then all these lame people rushing into the water, throwing their paralyzed friends in as well.

Jesus approached one of these individuals, a lame man who had been there for 38 years, and asked him, "Would you like to be made whole?" Now, rewind. Think about it. Put yourself in the position of the lame man. You've been there for 38 years.

Well, maybe not there, but you've been there for a long time. You've been lame for 38 years. You've sought every doctor you could, every physician. Maybe even you saw Luke the physician; who knows? But there he is by the pool, hoping to be healed.

Jesus comes to him and says, "Would you like to be healed?" What do you think I'm sitting here for? Do you think I just like the view or the smell? Why do you think I'm here? He didn't say that. He said to him, "I have no one to help me to the water." And Jesus commanded him there in that story, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." What did he do? Did he say, "You mock me. Why didn't you help me? If you really want to be a help to me, then sit here and help me get to the water"? No. He rose, took up his bed, and walked.

All three of the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—tell us the story of the man with the withered hand. There in the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus came to him. His hand was withered. No doubt he had sought healing many times, but he couldn't stretch forth his hand, and nothing seemed to work. But Jesus, there among the Pharisees and all these different people in the synagogue, knowing that it was the Sabbath and that they had rules against this, went to this man and asked him if he'd like to be made whole. He told him, "Stretch forth your withered hand."

What did the man do? He stretched forth his withered hand. You see, Jesus gave him a command, but with the command came the enabling power to accomplish the command. Every single one of these people that Jesus healed, when he told them, "Rise, take up your bed and walk," or "Stretch forth your withered hand," he wasn't mocking them. And when he tells you to forgive the person who sinned against you, it's a command; he's not mocking you. He's given you the power to do so, and you don't need great faith to do it. He says just the faith of a mustard seed will accomplish great things if you obey.

That man with the withered hand could have said, "You mock me, get out of here, man." Or he could have listened to the command of Jesus and resolved in his heart, "I'm going to try it." You see, when you listen to the command of Jesus and resolve in your heart today, "I'm going to try this," you're going to find something amazing. God has given you the power to forgive, and when you forgive, it releases you.

Most of you know Pastor Eric Bulldog. I love to use him as an example because he hates it so much. You know, he was in the...

During the first Gulf War, Eric returned home with pretty severe PTSD. I remember talking with him several years ago about how some of the things he experienced as a result of his PTSD lined up with what we were seeing in the Family Resource Center's book on unforgiveness. Unforgiveness manifests in very similar ways and has the same effects as post-traumatic stress disorder. As God began to reveal this to Eric, he started to yield his will to the Lord in the area of forgiveness. In many ways, God has miraculously healed Eric. Those of you who have known Eric for a while can attest to the work God has done in his life.

This should be the case for every single one of us; we should be able to see the evidence of God's hand and His work in our lives. I am telling you that the issue of forgiveness will release you. If you are seeking life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, forgiveness is essential. Holding onto unforgiveness only binds you. God desires for you to be loosed from that prison.

His disciples said, "Lord, increase our faith." He responded by saying that even a small amount of faith can accomplish great things. The second lesson He teaches them, found in verse 7, is rather convicting. He asks, "Which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say to him, 'By and by, when he has come in from the field, go, sit down to a meal,' and will not rather say to him, 'Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, serve me till I have eaten and drunken. Afterward, then you shall eat and drink'?"

Does he thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. Jesus uses this illustration to teach His disciples about faith and His command to forgive. He asks them a question: Which of you, having a servant? The word "servant" here, "doulos" in Greek, actually means "slave." He poses the scenario: Which of you, having a slave who has worked a full day's labor in the field, would call him in and say, "Oh, man, you've worked so hard for me today. Please, sit down here"?

In fact, the words in verse 7 when He talks about sitting down to a meal really mean, "Please, recline, put your feet up, let me serve you." How many of you, He asks His disciples, would do that for your slave? Would you say, "Oh, you've worked so hard today; please, let me take care of you"?

In our hearts, we might be saying, "Yeah, that'd be the nice, generous thing to do," but come on. Let's put ourselves 2,000 years ago in Israel, where they still had slavery—a different kind of slavery than we might understand here in America. They had these servants, and how many would actually see themselves in this situation?

Imagine calling the servant in after he has put in a hard day's work. He is your servant, and you say, "Oh, let me tend to you, let me take care of you." No, that's not going to happen. Will you not rather say to that servant, after he has come in from the field, "Listen, fix my dinner, take care of me, and when you're done serving, then you can eat"? His disciples are probably nodding, "Yeah, it makes sense, we understand that." Do you think that the master would go to that servant and offer thanks for the things that were commanded of him? Jesus says, "I think not."

Now, let's switch perspectives for a moment. Imagine you were contracted with someone to come to their house and take care of it. I'm going to pay you $200 to come and take care of my yard tomorrow. You put in a full eight-hour day. At the end of the day, you walk out to your car, and there's a check for $200 underneath the windshield wiper. Would you run up to the owner of that house and get down on your knees, saying, "Oh, thank you so much for this check. This is such a great thing"? No, those are your wages. You'd say, "This is what he owed me." You wouldn't offer some great thanks to him and say, "Let me cut you a check and give you a gift for this. Thanks so much." No.

Jesus now teaches from that story in verse 10 and says, "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done that which was our duty to do.'"

In counseling with people, I've talked with individuals who come to you and say, "After years of bitterness towards this person, I finally forgave them." They are almost looking for you to praise them, like, "Oh, that's such a good job, good work, right on." But Jesus tells us here, "No, that's the minimum requirement. You're my servant. You're my child. You are required. I have commanded you to forgive, and I'm not going to give you some high praise for doing that which was commanded of you."

Now, God does bless us. God does reward us. But understand, this is what it means to be a Christian, a follower of Christ—that we become Christ-like and do those things that He has commanded us.

Whether it be forgiving someone who's wronged you or witnessing to your neighbor, whatever it may be, you may think in your eyes and your mind that it requires such great faith. You might say, "I couldn't do that street witnessing thing." Josh, oh man, he's a man of faith, but he couldn't do it. Not that he's not a man of faith, but it's just a small amount of faith, a mustard seed of faith, that accomplishes great things. God has commanded us to do these things; it is our duty to do them. We have really just done the minimum requirement when we have accomplished them.

There is a judgment coming, and God will judge those, as 1 Thessalonians 2:6 says. He will judge those in verse 8 who know not God and do not obey the gospel. In light of that, we need to take heed to ourselves. Am I obeying the gospel? Am I following the command of the Lord Jesus Christ to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand? When we see someone who is in opposition, walking contrary to the doctrine and against what God has commanded, we are to go to them and rebuke them.

With all longsuffering and doctrine, it's not about punching them out and saying, "Listen, man, serve the Lord." No, it's about coming alongside them and teaching them the good and the right way. Even if someone sins against you a dozen times before noon, if they come to you and repent, whether you think it's genuine or not, the Scripture says to forgive them. Why? Because you are offering them an example of your Father who has forgiven you.

If you say, "Whoa, that's heavy. I don't know if I can do that," He says, "Just try it." A little bit of faith will accomplish great things, and this is your duty to do so. Since it is a command and since it is our duty, we can know for certain that in the same way that Jesus gave the paralytic in Mark chapter 2, the man lame for 38 years in John chapter 5, and the man with the withered hand in Matthew, Mark, and Luke the power to do what He commanded, God will also give you and me the power to accomplish and perform that which He has called us to do.

God wants you and I to be successful. He's not up in heaven thinking, "Well, let's see if they can get over this hurdle." He is not waiting for us to trip again. No, God is seeking for us to succeed. Amen.

Let's stand together and pray. Father, we do thank you for the truth of your Word. Lord, I understand that the teachings of Jesus can be heavy at times. However, I thank you that you have also given us the Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth and to teach us all things. Lord, direct us in righteousness.

I ask, Lord, that you would enable us by the power of your Spirit to be willing to step out by faith and do what you've commanded us, whether it's witnessing to our neighbor or forgiving the person who has hurt us so much. May we find life, liberty, and happiness in you. For we ask it in Jesus' name, amen.