September 15, 2010
Savior, he can move the mountains
Luke 17:1-10
Meredith McCown
Central Truth
God can do miraculous things, even if you have the smallest amount of faith.
Key Verse | Luke 17:6
And the Lord said, "If you had 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." (Luke 17:6)
Luke 17:1-10
Temptations to Sin
1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin 1 17:1 Greek Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 2 17:2 Greek stumble 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Increase Our Faith
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Unworthy Servants
7 Will any one of you who has a servant 3 17:7 Or bondservant; also verse 9 plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, 4 17:8 Greek gird yourself and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; 5 17:10 Or bondservants we have only done what was our duty.’”
Dive Deeper | Luke 17:1-10
Faith. It is only a five-letter-word, but it has so much meaning. Did you know that the mustard seed is the smallest seed there is? But when it is full-grown into a tree, it grows up to 10 or 12 feet! Jesus is comparing our faith to a mustard seed, and even if we only have that tiny amount of faith, He still can work miracles.
Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Even though we cannot see God, He is there. All we have to do is have faith in Him. At Watermark, we sing a song called "Mighty to Save." The chorus proclaims our Savior who can move mountains. This verse reminds me of that song because just as Jesus can make the mulberry tree be planted in the sea, He also can move mountains in our lives.
The Bible is filled with examples of people who had faith in God, and He did miraculous things for them. For example, Noah built an ark because God told him there was going to be a flood. (Genesis 6-7; Hebrews 11:7) Could Noah tell the future and know, for sure, that the earth would be flooded? Of course not! He had complete faith in God, and sure enough, the earth filled with water. But Noah and his family had a huge boat to save them.
When I read this passage in Luke 17, I wondered why only a small amount of faith is required to move mountains because a mustard seed is so small. I realized that, when we begin our relationship with Christ, our faith is small like a mustard seed. But it can grow every day and soon become a really tall tree. Reading your Bible, praying, worshiping, or just spending time with Jesus are all ways to grow in faith in Him. God can work miracles in your life. You just have to have faith in Him.
Discussion Questions
1. How far are you in your faith? As small as a mustard seed or a full grown tree?
2. What are some ways that you can grow in your faith?
3. How has God shown you He is faithful?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What does it mean to rebuke another follower of Christ if they have sinned?
2. What does it mean to repent? (Answer: to acknowledge our sin and turn from it.) What is our response when they repent?
3. How many times are you called to forgive? Is there anyone in your life that you need to forgive?