"And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" And the Lord said, "If you have faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.
"But which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and, clothing yourself properly, serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? Is he grateful to the slave because he did the things which were commanded? In this way, you also, when you do all the things which are commanded of you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’"
Good Morning my beloved brothers and sister,
As we found in our last message, our Lord was warning His disciples not to become like the Pharisees and the scribes, who were the pervasive religious influence in Jerusalem. Though their theology reigned supreme, it was deadly, producing only sons of hell because of their heresy and their hypocrisy, a deadly and damning combination. They were indifferent their own spiritual fallenness, self-righteous pride had been cultivated in them from the time of their youth, was mistaken as virtuous. In fact, if there was one attribute that characterized them, and for that matter all false religious leaders, it is the characteristic of pride. I believe this is also true of all sinners. The Pharisees had developed spiritual pride into sort of a form of art. They had become experts at it. Having been the religious teachers, they should have recognized that pride was the sin that God hates most. They should have known that pride was the original sin, the sin that caused Lucifer to be thrown out of heaven, along with the one-third of the angels who joined in his rebellion against God.
Pride is the dominant sin, the motivational sin that is behind all kinds of sins. I suppose if you lived fifty years or a hundred years ago, you might not understand how utterly defiled the world we live in is, how defiled the human race really is. Because you were typically limited to the people in your own little corner of the world and you would have only experience extraordinary evil when it happened, within in the circle of your friends, or within the framework of your community. But living in the world as we do today, through the glorious invention of television and the internet, the ubiquitous cameras that exist everywhere, it’s become really difficult to hide just how wretched the human heart is. Over the years, I have learned to exercise wisdom and discernment in my choices, either ignoring many people who have tried to bait me into an online debate, or turning away from others midstream, because I do not have an infinite amount of time, not everyone is worth chasing, there are some who simply aren't interested in changing. As the old adage goes, you have to choose the hill you die on. Since you cannot defend every hill, sometimes you must simply have the courage to stand firm on only the ones that truly matter. Though I may not always succeed, I must allow my efforts be sufficient, respecting a person's current choices.
Some Christian people are like spiritual corpses, at first glance, because their all dressed up, and there is a lot of activity going on, they initially have the outward appearance of being alive. But, upon closer examination you realize there’s no heartbeat, no life for Christ, they’re spiritually dead. It’s just a façade. Looking back, there literally isn’t even one that I now pleased with myself for having engaged in. Defending myself and my beliefs against my critics, was nothing more than a fruitless waste of time. Ministry is challenging enough. We must learn to selectively engage in conflicts, discerning between trivial disputes and core values that can cause significant loss of integrity if compromised. We live in a culture that has lost all respect for people and for themselves. It's the kind of environment that convinces people they're already good and blinds them to their own faults. It's the kind of environment that prevents repentance, and promotes self-worship, where people are the center of the their own universe, prone to narcissism, fostering an attitude of self-love rather than community due to I believe cultural conditioning by encouraging individuals to value themselves above others, training people to no longer respond in kindness or with self-restraint that previously contributed to communal well-being for which humility is required. The question, is no longer whether or not evil exists in the world, I believe that we've become well acquainted with the fact that seemingly normal people can commit acts that are horrendously evil. So, the only question that remains, is where does the unsettling evil, that has become so pervasive in our society originate from. In Jeremiah 17:9 he says, "The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." Since evil resides in the heart of men, we are capable of committing sinful acts without any outside influences. However, we live in a society that refuses to admit that. There certainly is no shortage of people who claim to have a criminal behavior problem because of they were unloved or bullied as a child. I've even recently heard one story that blamed his overly social behavior on his parents and was the result of living in a toxic environment and being denied the privilege of socialization as a youth. Scripture is clear, all evil that defiles a man, whether in thought or deed, proceeds from within. That's why Paul can confidently say in Romans 3, "There is none righteous, not even one. There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; There is none who does good, there is not even one." Because sin works itself from the inside out, it is our sinful thoughts and attitudes that become sinful, and often even deadly acts. Jesus Himself taught that true spiritual defilement originates from within a person's heart rather than from an external source. The human heart is naturally dominated by pride, it is the default condition, making men a relentless worshiper of self rather than God. It is no wonder that the Lord framed His teaching as a sharp rebuke, striking constant blows at the self-righteous pride and the corrupting influence of the scribes and Pharisees. A hardened heart opposes God’s authority.
Humility is neither weakness nor self-effacement, as many believe today; it is an accurate appraisal of self, a willingness to embrace constructive criticism, admit mistakes and apologizing when necessary involves valuing others’ perspectives by pursuing an other-oriented relational stance, these are not just personal virtues—they are socially stabilizing forces, essential for building trust and reducing conflict. The kingdom of God operates according to the divine purposes of God and the divine hand of God and is not subject to the whimsical shifts that exist in human cultures or any form of government that exists. It does, however, have an indirect impact on the Church insofar as the way we as Christians respond to it. And, that is my concern. I believe that it is absolutely crucial for churches to remain deeply rooted in the infallible Word of God, the virtues and values upon which this nation was built, "In God is our trust," rather than succumbing to the evil principalities that are obviously at work in not only our societies, but many churches as well, which frankly have become more program oriented and focused on methods and the people in the pew rather than boldly and unashamedly proclaiming the Word of God.
How easily we tend to forget what God has done on our behalf through Christ Jesus, failing to return the praise and gratitude He deserves? Each of us needs to understand that there is a Hell to avoid and a Heaven to pursue. Satan wants us to forget. In Galatians 5:16, our beloved apostle Paul offers a practical solution to the internal conflict between our sinful human nature and divine guidance, "But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." The Christian life is not about achieving perfection, but a moment-by-moment reliance on the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength, by keeping one's focus on Christ. Forgetting is extremely dangerous because it leads to a lack of reliance on His power and can result in spiritual complacency. So, to counter all of this forgetfulness, communion serves as a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice, ensuring that the gravity of sin and the magnitude of grace are not forgotten amidst the daily distractions of life. God’s grace and strength are sufficient for every situation that we will ever encounter.
It's really sad that there are so many Christians today are living under the same illusion, as the Pharisee in Luke 18, who prayed to himself, "I thank you that I am not like other people, like that wicked tax collector. I tithe, I fast, and I perform all the right ceremonies and rituals," believing that because everything appeared good on the outside, they obviously were right with God, an ideology that is explicitly rejected in Scripture, while man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. In Matthew 23, Jesus issues a series woes as a strong indictment against the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy and superficial approach to religion saying "In this way, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.... Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.....You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?" They were self-deceived, believing they were good, that is until Jesus came along. In John 15:22, He said "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin."
Some have mistakenly concluded that these little sections are some how disconnected from Jesus' broader teachings, making them difficult to reconcile, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is nothing to indicate anything other than Luke recorded what Jesus said sequentially as it appears in the text. And in typical fashion, as Luke often does, he presents Jesus speaking to His disciples interrupted by a question which momentarily diverts His attention to provide an answer. This entire section consists of lessons about humility, though the word isn't even explicitly mentioned, His teaching is set against the backdrop of the evident manifest pride and hypocrisy of the ever-present scribes and Pharisees, who held contempt for sinners and offered no forgiveness. Humble people do not create stumbling blocks, flaunt their Christian liberties, or live hypocritically, but rather are eager to confront sin, call others to repentance, and forgive their offenders relentlessly. God actively opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time is a theme that consistently runs throughout Scripture, and is explicitly quoted in the New Testament in James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5. Pride, which is biblically viewed as self-exaltation and is rebellion against God’s authority. I'm so thankful Scripture outlines some key traits of humility, since there aren't really any good role models of this today. Jesus calls us to live a life of spiritual integrity for the sake of others, to teach what is true, to live what is right, a life that causes no offense, traps no one, and seduces no one into error or evil. Humble people don't do any of those things, they understand they have a responsibility to forgive, even those who repeatedly sin against them again and again and again. Why? Because that's what humble people do. And, there is not a single one of who isn't grateful that Christ is faithful to forgive us again and again and again, if we will only confess our sin, isn't that true?
So, let's review what we've already discussed and then, we'll get to our text. Humble people don't flaunt their Christian freedoms and liberties, hindering others spiritual journey by putting stumbling block in front of them. Humble people understand it's a very dangerous thing to cause the people of God to fall into sin, so they don't proclaim one thing and then set a bad example by living hypocritical lives. Secondly, humble people are gracious and merciful, known for their eagerness to ask for forgiveness and to forgive others again and again and again. As followers of Christ, the growth and development of spiritual character and integrity is not merely a personal goal but a divine calling—as stated in Romans 8:29, "For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." Every follower of Christ, is to reflect His image in thought, word, and deed, a reflection, I might add, that is not merely an external mimicry but a deep, inward transformation of character and will, enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. And thirdly, humble people recognize their own weakness. But, before we get into that, let's pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, words cannot express how thankful we are for Your Word. We are in awe of You. In the many times that we have wandered, our hearts tremble at the weight of our transgressions, yet, we are overwhelmed by the reality that You welcome us home, not with condemnation, but with open arms, eager to forgive all our transgressions, over and over again and again. We are humbled by Your mercy, still we often struggle to express how deeply thankful we are. Lord, we confess, though You call us to freely forgive others, just as You have forgiven us, we often find it difficult to lay aside our selfish, self-righteous pride and humble ourselves. Help us to recognize that the problem is in us, and it can only be remedied by an internal transformation. O' Father, we pray that some among us may recognize even this today and open their hearts to the transformation that comes to those who trust in Christ and surrender their will to His. Father, we ask that many will be delivered from the bondage of sin this day for your glory and their eternal blessing. In Christ's precious name we ask and pray these things.
Amen.
Today's Message: When Faith Feels Small
We live in a world that constantly measures things by size. The bigger the better. The more the merrier. We have a vanity metric obsession: follower count, post likes, and page views. I often see pastors on social media obsessing over reaching a specific number of followers or subscribers, even if only very small percentage of that number engage meaningfully with their content. On platforms, like X, Instagram, TikTok, these numbers are publicly visible, easy to track and socially validated, which I believe, is what makes them so dangerously seductive. These metrics provide ego boosts but in reality, fail to answer what action was taken next.
For example, a single social media post might go viral, generating millions of views, but in reality, might generate no engagements, no conversions, no life changes. While a post that stops someone mid-scroll but prompts the reader on the other end to seriously considering what you are saying, causing them to deeply reflect on its personal impact—causing them to ask, "How does this apply to me?"—is, I believe, unmistakably far more powerful.
And unfortunately, like most everything else, that mindset has made its way into the church ministry and undermined the credibility of our leadership. For example, something you posted last Sunday that you were genuinely proud of, certain it would generate a powerful response, but by Thursday, it struggled to gain attraction, with zero likes and zero comments. You told yourself it wasn't important, it didn't matter, that it didn’t bother you. But, the truth is, it did. And, that feeling of disappointment was carried into your understanding of faith. Our society says reach without response is just noise, rendering it a waste of effort. "If I just had more faith… if I could believe harder… then, I would see God would move in my life." Suddenly, you find yourself exhausted, wondering if all the sacrifice and struggles of the last twenty years was worth it.
I believe that long-term impact is more important than just maximizing views or clicks. Luke 15 states there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents, indicating that the entire heavenly community participates in this glorious celebration. One small, seemingly insignificant, almost invisible post—can cause the entire heavenly community to rejoice. What could possibly be more fulfilling than that?
Its not the size of our faith that determine its effectiveness—but the object of our faith. In fact, in Matthew 17, Jesus makes it clear, God does not reject fragile faith; He responds to it with compassion and uses it as a starting point for growth. "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you.... you can move mountains." The author of Hebrews 12:2 exhorts us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. That means He is both the starting point, the finisher and the sustaining power of our faith. In fact, even our ability to believe is anchored in Him. So the real question is not, "Do I have enough faith? But have I put my faith in the right place?"
Open your Bibles with me and please keep them open, and follow along with me as I read, so that you can see that this message comes directly from the inspired Word of God, particularly the Gospel of Luke chapter 17, verses five through ten, and not from human philosophy or the thoughts and opinions of fallible man. I pray that you will hear the voice of our Lord with an open heart and an open mind. Luke 17:5-10.
"And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" And the Lord said, "If you have faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.
"But which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and, clothing yourself properly, serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? Is he grateful to the slave because he did the things which were commanded? In this way, you also, when you do all the things which are commanded of you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’"
Let's begin by looking at verse 5, "And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" There's something deeply human, almost alarmingly honest, about their request, "Lord, "Increase our faith!" While this verse is often interpreted as a general plea for spiritual growth, true children of God are humble enough to submit themselves to Scripture, the Authoritative Word of God and are quick to recognize their personal limitations, and confront their inadequacies. To put it another way, the apostles are grappling with the immense pressure of their spiritual duties, the tremendously heavy weight of their responsibilities, all while honestly acknowledging their own personal inadequacies. Bear in mind, that our Lord had just called upon them to teach the Gospel truthfully, to live it out faithfully and to graciously forgive those who wound them and to do it humbly, repeatedly, as often as necessary. Quite frankly, He asks the same of all of us today. They're not denying that they have faith, they're merely questioning whether or not they're ever going to be able to handle all of this. I mean, who can live with the weight of knowing that your life, your actions, your influence can either lead to someone's exaltation or compound someone's damnation? If we're being brutally honest, that's a lot for anyone to handle, that's why we're called to preach the Truth in love and with compassion. Ultimately, while we cannot control the actions of others or their responses, we are accountable for our own integrity and the accuracy of Truth we present to the world, resting in the reality that the final outcome is in the hands of God, allowing us to focus on our own faithful conduct rather the results of our influence.
Verse 6, " And the Lord said, "If you have faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you." He is affirming their question, it is true, you do need a stronger faith. I believe the way to best understand Jesus' answer is to get rid of our human misconceptions about faith, as if having "more faith" in quantity will do the trick and grasp the kind of faith Jesus and the Father require. Rather than faith in Christ, we must learn to think of it as faith by Christ, only then will our faith be glorifying to God. After all, it is His faith that counts for God's righteousness, because we have no righteousness of our own. Which is why God imputes Christ’s perfect righteousness as our trust in Him, giving us a right standing before Him, despite our inherent sinfulness. It is certainly not because of our own merit or works. We don’t have the capacity to obey God. That's why in John 15, He says apart from Me, you can do nothing, using the vine and branches metaphor. We cannot achieve living a life pleasing to God through our own power, it requires the Holy Spirit, which comes only through a genuine relationship with Jesus. That is why proclaiming the Gospel in truth is so crucial; a superficial relationship with Christ, as found in counterfeit Christianity, cannot produce a life pleasing to God. It has to be the faith that is gifted to us by God. If you have the kind of fruit-bearing faith that is absolutely supernatural, "you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you." When you surrender your own will, entrusting yourself to the power of God, He does His work through you.
It's essentially the same thing that Paul is saying to us in 2 Corinthians 12:10, "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions and hardships, for the sake of Christ, for when I am weak, then I am strong." Paul is not saying that he enjoys suffering for the sake of suffering, but in suffering he finds contentment because it aligns him with Christ's sufferings and demonstrates God's sufficiency. It doesn't matter how you were born, you must be born again, our new identity and strength are found in Jesus alone rather than in our own self-sufficiency. Previously closed-up deaf "spiritual ears" must be opened by the power of the Holy Spirit in order for those who have the Word of God proclaimed to them to hear, only then will true saving faith come. Physical hearing is insufficient for spiritual understanding, because the inability to understand is not merely intellectual, it requires the Holy Spirit's illumination. (1 Corinthians 2:14) —which is why many professing Christians cannot discern Scriptural Truths having continued to live lives in "darkness" or hostile to God. Rather than presenting their bodies as living sacrifices, living lives conformed by the Holy Spirit to fit God's character to align with God's will, which is a reasonable response to God's mercy, they attempt to intellectually make God's Word fit their sinful lives in self-denial. The physical body is a primary source of temptation and must be presented to God as a living sacrifice, not treated as separate from spiritual salvation. The only way you can live a life pleasing to God is by walking in the Spirit, a legalistic rule-keeping cannot produce spiritual fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, found in Galatians 5:22-23. In fact, without the Spirit's constant enablement, we cannot do anything pleasing to God. Isn't that what the Christian life is all about, entrusting our lives fully to the power of God and the indwelling Spirit to do His will? God-given faith is evidenced by obedience to God's Word.
Verse 7, "But which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’?" Here, Jesus uses the analogy of a servant to teach His disciples about humility and the proper attitude toward service. He is correcting a dangerous misunderstanding about what it means to follow Him. In case you weren't aware of it, the Pharisees loved to be honored. They love the place of honor at banquets, they loved the chief seats in the synagogue, they loved to walk around in long robes with lengthened tassels to display their outward prominence and piety, in order to receive respectful greetings in the marketplace. These deceptive outward practices were used to conceal their ego-driven motives to gain public acclaim. I believe that most of us would look at ourselves and we would say we're faithful, that we possess a fair amount of biblical knowledgeable, and we are, by doing good deeds, having some form of impact for the kingdom of God. I believe that nearly all of us would say that regardless of our circumstances that we are blessed.
While I am convinced that we would all agree, there's nothing more invidiously offensive, more resentment-Inducing than spiritual pride, I also believe we can now acknowledge that it's easy to see how we can become at least a little arrogant about our spiritual progress. And, while we're being honest, many of us tirelessly serve God with some form expectation attached to our labor, such as hearing "Well done, My good and faithful servant." That my beloved friends is what makes spiritual pride so deceptive, so dangerous and so damning. It silently attaches itself to "genuinely good spiritual deeds" but shifts the center of focus from God to self, even if our intentions are good, deceptively convincing us, that somewhere in our hearts, we are the author of our own spiritual success. Jesus is dismantling the idea that obedience is to be viewed as something exceptional.
Verse 8, "Is he grateful to the slave because he did the things which were commanded?" Why is Jesus saying this and what does it mean for the church today? In today’s "country club" Christian culture, we tend to celebrate basic discipleship, congratulating ourselves just for showing up, patting ourselves on the back for voluntarily serving, and tithing, some literally prying the bills from a tightly held grip and don't get me wrong, those things are not inherently bad, but they aren't they are considered "reasonable service," not to be viewed as extraordinary performance, as our "membership dues" that entitle us to a life of spiritual leisure and preferential treatment, as if our faithful obedience somehow places God in our debt? No matter how extensive our service, it can in no way come close to the value of our salvation, which by the way was freely offered to us, however it demands our functioning servanthood.
How frequently we neglect to recognize that we are all unworthy slaves, it's the Greek word "doulos," bought with a price, classified as property belonging to God, our autonomy has been entirely set aside in favor of His will; that demands our functioning servanthood, by offering our lives in gratitude, worship, and service, we have only done what was our duty in response to an unmerited gift. Giving God anything less than our best is considered an act of derision, demonstrating contempt, a reflection of one's attitude toward God Himself. Jesus made it clear in Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, and Luke 9:23, "If you want to come after Me, you deny yourself. To deny yourself is to say no to all of those sinful desires and cravings of the flesh Scripture calls sin.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh, along with its passions and desires. In Galatians 5:17, Paul explains that the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh; for the two are diametrically opposed to one another, so that you do not do the things that you want. In Romans 12:2, he exhorts us not to "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect." We have only done what was our duty, a slave or bondservant, totally devoted to Christ for life, loved by the Master, is expected to keep serving, it is the highest honor we can pay. God owes us nothing, He is under no obligation to anyone, but He willingly offers us all that belongs to Him, our worship, service and faithful obedience flows from a humble heart of gratitude in response to His generosity, and a heart fully surrendered to His will. Jesus is getting right to the heart of the issue. What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? What does it mean to become a Christian? What does it mean to abide in His presence, obey His commands, sacrificially love others, and act as His agents of transformation in the watching world. What does it mean to be saved? The call to salvation, in the words of our Lord, is the polar opposite of the way people in our culture think, often viewed as a broad, inclusive, with minimal demands. A critical divergence from modern theology is the requirement of repentance and submission to Christ’s Lordship. In Luke 6:46, He said "Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?" According to 1 John 2:15, "All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." If you want the world, you can't have God. What does it matter if all you have is this world, it’s all going to perish anyway?
Verse 9, "Is he grateful to the slave because he did the things which were commanded?" This cuts deep, it confronts our pride, because deep down, we don’t want to obey—and when we do, we want to be noticed for it. In fact, we tend to feel more righteous when our moral superiority is propped up by the perceived failings of others. Never do the humble imagine that they have served God so well as to somehow have impressed Him with their good deeds. That's living according to the flesh, which is ludicrous! Does not Proverbs 16:18 warn, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling"? True humility starts when we stop comparing ourselves to others and instead embrace an identity securely rooted in God's grace rather than human performance. Today's church rarely confronts sin or encourages obedience and when it does, it often teaches obedience as long as it’s comfortable. I've even heard of churches teaching a lie right out of Hell, saying, "Jesus loves you. He would never want you to suffer." Scripture explicitly teaches in Hebrews 5:8 suffering is a necessary component of learning obedience, stating "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered."
I even heard of some churches that are teaching there is a prayer to "release the souls from hades for those who have passed" which contradicts what Scripture clearly states in Luke 16:19-31, when Jesus taught the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the unbridgeable divide, known as a "great chasm" between eternal destinations, is "fixed," indicating permanence, that the state of the soul immediately after death is irreversible, unable to be altered, underscoring the necessity of repentance and urgency of living in obedience to God's Word now, since we have only one life, one opportunity, to align with God’s will before facing eternal judgment.
This principal is clearly understood by "everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them" in His teaching in Matthew 7:26-29, about the "wise and the foolish builders," contrasting the wise build their "spiritual house" on the rock, which is the teaching of Christ, a life grounded in obedience to His authority rather than a spiritual house built on sand, the damning teaching of false religious teachers. While both may outwardly appear to be built same, only the one build on the right foundation will withstand the coming storm, clearly indicating the Day of Judgment, which is the reason this teaching immediately follows verses 21-23, which states "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" The point Jesus is making, is that no one can ever cross from the place of torment to the place of comfort, regardless of their desire or what false teachers may claim. This is at the very core of the Gospel message, Heaven and Hell are both eternal. Hell is where the unrighteous undergo conscious torment forever, proportional, just retribution for sin, an offense committed against an infinitely Holy God, whom the sinner has offended, rejecting every opportunity for reconciliation. Hebrews 9:27-28 affirms that true believers in Jesus Christ, live eagerly anticipating His Second Coming. This is where the humble live. The Greek verb "apekdechomenois" is used to describe those "who eagerly await," in an active, hopeful anticipation and watchful posture, laboring to the point of sweat and exhaustion. This is in stark contrast to those who merely passively wait, going about their "normal" daily life, representing the devastating consequences of ignoring His teachings of the Coming Judgment, referred to "as in the days of Noah" who knew not until the flood came.
The Kingdom of God is all about humility, yet I see many today touting a list of accolades, certificates, academic degrees, honors and awards and let's not forget the post-nominal letters. That's stuff is fine for the secular world, but I do not believe Christians are called to stand around gloating, patting each other on the back. Every one of us is an unworthy servant. Humble people have a mindset of an "unworthy servant" which counters pride and reject honor. Humble people always submit to Scripture in doctrine and practice, continually strive to never lead anyone into error or sin.
That brings us to verse 10, "In this way, you also, when you do all the things which are commanded of you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done." Jesus is dismantling our desire for acknowledgment, recognition and validation along the way at its root, pointing out that humble people understand they're still living under grace. This is not rebuke for unbelievers, this is correction for His committed followers. Rewards are not for now, everything we give to God was first given to us. We'll be rewarded for our labors, based on our faithful and devoted service at the Bema Seat. In Heaven, humble servants waiting for His return will be rewarded when He sits us down and He serves us at the heavenly banquet as we eat. The greatest heavenly reward, by far, is being eternally in the presence of our Great King, our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, in everlasting fellowship that is the supreme reward. Whatever service we offer to God at best is inferior. If you demonstrate that you are truly a humble child of God and one day He will exalt you. God does not owe us anything for doing what He's already commanded us to do.
Christians are not exempt from the constant onslaught of temptation that can easily lead us into sin, especially the sin of pride. He is our hiding place when those temptations come. This is what it means to abide in Christ. We had ought to be fervently praying for one another in a collective prayer, "Lord, lead us not into temptation," because temptations happen in everybody's life. Believe me, it would be a wrong assumption to imagine yourself humanly strong enough to withstand wily ways of a defeated Satan. Peter found that out the hard way, when he denied Christ three times because he relied on his own will rather than divine grace. Jesus knew what Peter was going to do, He even warned him, but his pride got in the way. not unlike many of us today. Humility connotes experience, wisdom, maturity, counsel, knowledge, instruction – characteristics that are associated not with age, but with spiritual maturity.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Copyright © 2019-2026 All Rights Reserved