Title: Growing up
Contents
2009.11.1 Sunday Morning Worship Growing Faith
Text: Luke 17:5-6
The disciples are begging Jesus to increase their faith.
Today's text It is not only the disciples, but also the urgent request of us now.
The disciples realized that their faith was weak. So I humbly asked Jesus.
The present age is too dangerous to live foolishly without losing your mind.
This is because Satan is using all kinds of tactics to dominate our mental world, and is enchanting our bodies and minds in the name of culture.
In times like these, what is required of us is faith like a mustard seed in the text.
It is a world that desperately needs pure faith and perfect faith.
Living in this world without faith in God means living in the world with a soulless body.
it's nothing like that.
So, Christians desperately need God's protection to survive in this harsh world. I want to feel God's hand better.
If I too have such earnestness, I need to pay more attention to the text.
So, today, we look at the reasons why we need mustard seed faith and pray for sharing grace together.
First, let's look at why the disciples cried out, "Lord, give us more faith."
Why did you ask me to increase my faith?
The disciples did not ask for faith to perform a miracle.
Nor was it to gain the strength to endure their present trials and future trials to come.
And it wasn't for the mystical experience of faith either.
They felt the need to meet their ordinary daily duties as believers,
I was surprised that the disciples recognized that they needed greater faith because of it.
The rationale for this can be seen in the previous section.
Jesus said to his disciples, “Take care of yourselves. If your brother sins, warn him; if he repents, forgive him.”
This is because, as soon as they hear these words, “If I sin against you even seven times in a day and I come back to you seven times and say, ‘I repent,’ forgive you.”
Looking more closely at this,
If your brother sins, warn him; if he repents, forgive him. Then it is the common mind of Christless people to seek revenge for tooth for tooth, eye for eye, and even more, for lack of faith despite the need for forgiveness.
It seems that the background of that evil heart was no exception to the disciples.
So, if you treat your brothers and sisters like this, you may be offended. Verses 1 and 2 warn anyone who causes even the smallest of children to stumble, that it would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and thrown into the sea.
So, as in verses 1 and 2, the disciples must have imagined the terrible wrath of God, like being thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their necks.
It is not a small millstone that is turned by human hands, but a millstone that is turned by the power of an animal. …
Just thinking about it, I thought it would be terrifying.
Have any of you ever attacked a brother with his foolish words or caused a brother to stumble because he did not forgive him?
A soft millstone, splashing~ Aww, that's terrible~
So, the disciples must have been so excited to beg, “Lord, give us more faith.”
But if the attitude of the saints towards forgiveness is to be this level, what should be the moral standard of living as Christians in all things?
Can we be perfect like Jesus?
If I don't reach that level, I can't go to heaven, and if it's 'splash at a millstone~'
He would have given up believing in Jesus from the very beginning.
Who can live up to these standards? So, what does this mean?
So we need to look carefully at the situation in which the disciples, in fear, asked, “Lord, give us more faith.”
Maybe we can get to that level with better faith? And the disciples seem to have judged.
But Jesus gives an unexpected answer in verse 6.
“If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you would have told this mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would have obeyed you.”
In the biblical text parallel to this text, in Matthew 17:20 and Mark 11:23, 'mulberry tree' is expressed as 'mountain' instead. It doesn't matter if it's a mountain or a mulberry tree.
The problem is that it emphasizes that amazing miracles happen as a result of belief.
But, why did Jesus emphasize the mustard seed as an example rather than a faith that is the size of a grain of sand or a faith that is like dust?
The ‘mustard seed’ is not the smallest of the seeds. However, the Jews quoted ‘mustard seed’ as referring to the smallest thing.
Why did you quote this mustard seed? A mustard seed is a living being.
In addition, the appearance of a mustard seed when it is grown is quite different from how it first appeared, and it grows into a large tree.
The Lord wants our faith to be living faith like this.
A living faith, no matter how small, has vitality, so it can exert its power.
So what about dead faith?
A dead faith is a faith that is known in the head but has no movement, that is, faith without works.
No matter how small the task, when you put it into action with faith, amazing things happen.
Suddenly, I change myself.
Then, naturally, the family will change, and please believe that the church will also change.
A young man named Steve from Alaska, USA, went to church for the first time.
But that day, the pastor read Matthew 17:20 as the main text.
He preached a sermon that said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can climb a mountain.
In the mountains behind Steve's house, there were avalanches every winter, so it wasn't a pain in the ass. Then, hearing this sermon, Steve's eyes widened.
He decided that he should try that kind of prayer.
And I started praying to gain that faith.
The pastor said he was very worried.
There was a sermon because it was in the Bible, but after that, there was no record of anyone moving the mountain by prayer, so it was not uneasy.
Now, I thought that Steve's prayer would not be answered.
And since it was obvious that he would be discouraged about his prayers, the pastor prayed for Steve to ask God to take care of it.
Steve's prayers did not retreat even after ten or twenty days passed.
It was said that they had come to see the mountains disappearing almost entirely because they needed soil on a new highway nearby, so big trucks came and kept carrying the soil.
This is the 21st century.
In the 21st century, I am looking forward to what kind of mountain God will move in the 21st century method.
Even if it is the size of a mustard seed, who among us has the right faith to move mountains?
I do not feel the need to move the mountain now, and I feel the need to move the church. That's why I'm continuing this prayer... … .
But the problem in the church today is that there are Christians who shake the mountain and shake the church only because they do not have faith as big as a mustard seed.
A church with such a person is a bit dizzy because the church is shaken. These days, it is difficult to find people with true faith.
So will the Lord see faith when the Son of Man comes back into the world in Luke 18:8? He seems to have said it in a sad tone.
And one thing we often forget is
I hope you do not try to work hard on your own in your own way of living your life of faith.
Please do not forget that the life of faith is with God. We must meditate on God and live in dialogue with God.
Don't be too concerned with religious zeal.
Maybe because the world's honor and material are too few, "God, if you give me those things first, will I know?" I don't know if you want to pray.
But the Bible makes us think once more. He tells us to become mature believers who seek faith in their physical prayer life, where they were seeking honor and material things.
In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”
“Then all these things will be added to you.” You did.
Fame and wealth are a bonus. It will come together.
Let's not live too occupied with such things. Let us first seek His righteousness in the kingdom of God.
Why don't you decide whether he really takes care of it or not and give it a try?
Faith is not the idea of believing. You have to know that it's an action.
Moses was able to cross the Red Sea like land by faith.
Even Joshua was able to destroy Jericho, a strong fortress, through faith.
Daniel was able to survive even in the lions' den by faith.
When we have faith in the mustard seed that is alive, the way we can escape from the crisis of reality is also alive
Please believe that it is possible.
When we have faith in a living mustard seed, please believe that there is no Red Sea that can stand in our way.
The mustard seed is sown in the ground and sprouts after a certain period of time.
As it grows, the bird can build a nest there and find rest. Likewise, our faith must become a faith that grows over time.
It's cute when a newborn baby starts crawling and nagging.
And just by smiling a little, a rainbow blooms in Mom's and Dad's hearts.
But if you turn 30 or forty, just think about it for a moment, crawling on all fours and saying “Ahhh”. With a face with a beard squishy... … , Eh, do you think it will be pretty?
Perhaps, the mother will be in a state of collapse.
When you are a baby, you start with your mother's milk, eat baby food, and when you grow up, you can eat solid foods well. Likewise, our souls need to know how to discern what kind of God's Word we should eat and what attitude we should have toward the Word as our faith experience deepens.
Christians who have grown in faith need to partly accept God's Word and break free from the eating disorder they used to understand.
Weak faith easily stumbles into temptation. Even if you make a decision, you will soon give up.
We cannot help but be helpless in spiritual warfare. Now, our faith must become a growing believer, reaching the full stature of Christ in the Lord.
Eating solid food requires decisive faith. You must be humble before God.
At that very moment, through me, through my mustard seed faith, God will do wonderful things.
Wouldn't you like to experience God's amazing miracles?
Only living faith and growing faith can please God.
Only living faith, growing faith can bring about God's miracles.
For now, let's quietly close our eyes and ask this question. ‘Do I have faith in a mustard seed in me?’
If not, let us make a earnest request like the disciples.
“Lord, give us more faith.”
I will pray with all my heart as I think of your words.