1. LUKE 17:1-19 Things That Really Matter

2. Luke 17:1-2 1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

3. Are you a stumbling block? Something Worse Than Sin!  When I was a lad,” the old man confessed to loved ones gathered during his last hours, “I often played on a wide common. Near its center two roads met and crossed, and, standing at the crossroads, was an old rickety sign post.”  A troubled frown clouded his face - “I remember one day twisting it round in its socket, moving the arms and making them point in the wrong direction; and I’ve been wondering ever since how many travelers I sent on the wrong road.”’

4. Are you a stumbling block? Something Worse Than Sin!  Committing sin is a terrible thing, but leading others to sin is even more terrible!  The Lord was speaking to His disciples  Sin is inevitable  The exact words of Jesus, “It is impossible that no offences should come.”  We must all guard against this serious sin!  We are always subject to temptation, and if we yield, we are going to mislead others  No sin will be condemned any more than the sin of misleading others into sin!  Each of us, if we’re not careful, can become a stumbling block

5. How We Become Stumbling Blocks We can become stumbling blocks by what we say  James 3:1-2  “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.”  Since we all know that no one but Christ is perfect, we also know we’re bound to stumble in what we say  By inaccurately or carelessly teaching God’s truth, we can trip up many people who genuinely yearn to follow Christ

6. How We Become Stumbling Blocks We can become stumbling blocks by what we say We can become stumbling blocks by the way we live  Paul, for example, cautions us not to flaunt our freedom in Christ:  1 Corinthians 8:9 Take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak  Our actions can confuse weaker Christians  This leads them to violate their consciences and return to their former sins

7. How We Become Stumbling Blocks We can become stumbling blocks by what we say We can become stumbling blocks by the way we live We can become stumbling blocks by the way we think  Our judgmental attitudes can feel like quicksand to others, smothering their joy and excitement in Christ  Romans 14:13 “Therefore, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this ‑ not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way”  God’s message is clear: Don’t be a stumbling block!

8. A Stumbling Block What it means  skandalon = stumbling blocks = “the bait stick of a trap”  Jesus is saying that people are bound to wander into temptation  The consequence of sin is like steel jaws snapping shut on their lives  But woe to the one who sets the trap!  For those who cause others to stumble, Jesus says,  “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble” (v. 2)

9. A Stumbling Block What it means  Have you ever seen a millstone?  It’s a large circular stone that rests flat on top of another  An axle is fitted through it, and an ox pulls it in a circle to crush raw grain into fine flour

10. A Stumbling Block What it means  Have you ever seen a millstone?  Since it is much too heavy to lift, the stone would be rolled into the sea, and down you’d go with it!  Our Lord Jesus says that this horrible death would be a better end than the judgment for causing someone to stumble and sin!

11. What Really Matters What really matters is keeping ourselves from becoming a stumbling block for others!  Jesus’ message in these verses may seem to jump from point to point, like a rock skipping across water  But if we look closely, the points are all tied together  There is great depth and power beneath the surface of each subject  These are the things that really matter in keeping us from becoming a stumbling block for others

12. What Really Matters about Forgiveness 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” We all need forgiveness  Note the words, “Take heed to yourselves”  We are all sinners! (Romans 3:23)  We must never forget that each one of us needs forgiveness by Jesus and by others!  This is absolutely critical!

13. What Really Matters about Forgiveness 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” We all need forgiveness  The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:12; Luke 11:4)  Luke 11:4 4 And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one."  How we forgive others really matters in our own forgiveness!

14. What Really Matters about Forgiveness We all need to forgive others  If a person sins against us, we are to rebuke him; but if he repents, we are to forgive him  We do things this way because that is the way God deals with us!  It makes no sense for there to be unforgiveness among God’s people!  No matter how serious the sin against us, we should forgive because we are totally forgiven by God!  Jesus has paid the price for all of our sins and the sins of others, too  When people sin repeatedly, giving up on them is easy – but we must forgive them and trust God to work in their lives – the same way God forgives us!

15. What Really Matters about Forgiveness We all need to forgive others  The “rebuke” part comes more naturally to us than the “forgive” part, doesn’t it?  We feel a sense of satisfaction in hooking a sinner with a well ‑ cast rebuke and reeling them in!  Its like “catch and release” fishing  The hard part is letting the sinner go when he or she repents  And not just once, but again and again!

16. What Really Matters about Forgiveness We all need to forgive others  Forgiving is not excusing the sinner’s guilt - it is releasing the person into God’s grace  This frees you to live without the pain and grief of un-forgiveness in your life  It’s as much for our benefit as the other person’s!  When we unhook and release the one who offends us, we unhook ourselves from the bitterness and anger that can sour our lives  The bitterness of un-forgiveness is what turns us into stumbling blocks to the people around us

17. What Really Matters about Forgiveness We all need to forgive others  Our forgiveness gives people a sweet taste of Christ’s forgiveness  That sweet taste will draw them to Him rather than turn them away  So we all need to forgive others, just as God has forgiven us!

18. What Really Matters about Faith 5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” 6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

19. What Really Matters about Faith We have all the faith we need  Forgive 7 times in a single day?  That’s not humanly possible, and the disciples pick up on that right away: And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (v. 5)  Jesus, however, shows us that the amount of faith is not the issue  Genuine faith is what is needed, not great faith

20. What Really Matters about Faith We have all the faith we need  Jesus says it is not on how much faith a person has  It is not a matter of increasing faith  It is a matter of possessing and having real faith  It is a matter of genuine faith  The very smallest amount of genuine faith, real faith, faith as small as a mustard seed, can do the impossible

21. What Really Matters about Faith We have all the faith we need  Mark 9:23-24 23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”  It is not how much faith we have that matters, what matters is that we believe!  What we need help with is our unbelief!  Nothing is impossible to the person who has a faith that is genuine

22. What Really Matters about Faith We need to act on our faith  Faith is like a seed:  It seems small and weak, but it has life in it  If it is cultivated, it will grow and release Power  When “What if’s” and “Be careful’s” and “Watch out’s” start pouring out of our mouths, we become stumbling blocks to ourselves and to others!  What we need to do is to act on the faith we have and to not discourage the faith of others by discouraging them from acting on their faith  When we do discourage them, by either word or deed, we become a stumbling block to them!

23. What Really Matters about Faith We need to humbly obey  We need faith for many areas of life  It takes faith to do your duty, whether working or going to school or shepherding a flock or preparing a meal or raising a family  It takes faith to do the extraordinary, like moving a mountain  But once God begins to work in our lives and we begin to see the results of faith, there is another danger that occurs  That danger is that we will become full of pride and puffed up because of the gifts and power God gives us  This is especially true if you begin to live victoriously in faith

24. What Really Matters about Faith We need to humbly obey  Put Jesus’ illustration in military terms to better understand it  Suppose a drill sergeant commands a private, “Make your bunk, and shine your shoes,” and the private immediately obeys  Does the drill sergeant now owe the private a thank ‑ you and a favor?  Not in any army we’ve heard of!  The soldier was simply fulfilling his duty

25. What Really Matters about Faith We need to humbly obey  True servants of Christ should not expect favors from God when they do what they’re supposed to do  God does not owe us gratitude - we owe Him!  He is not our servant - we are His servants!  We are to be humble in serving the Lord  No matter what we do for Christ, it is our duty to do it!  We are unworthy of the privilege to serve Him  Pride is definitely be a stumbling block for others  But humility helps others understand that God works in their lives, too

26. What Really Matters about Thankfulness 11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

27. What Really Matters about Thankfulness 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

28. What Really Matters about Thankfulness We all need to be thankful  All 10 lepers believed that Jesus could help them, and He did!  All 10 lepers were blessed by Christ  All 10 lepers should have been thankful  This was true of the 10 lepers, and it should be true of every one of us!  All 10 should have turned back and given thanks, just like every person on the face of this earth should turn back to Jesus and give thanks  Jesus died for the sins of all men and women and children

29. What Really Matters about Thankfulness We all need to come back to Jesus and thank Him!  One did come back to Jesus and give thanks  He glorified God immediately He shouted at the top of his lungs with the loudest voice possible He witnessed of what God had done in his life God had cleansed him and he wanted everyone to know of the great mercy and love of God  He worshipped Jesus He fell down on his face at the feet of Jesus This was both humility and recognition of the power of God in Christ

30. What Really Matters about Thankfulness We all need to come back to Jesus and thank Him!  Most people do not give thanks when God answers their prayers!  They keep right on going about their business  They do not stop what they were doing nor return to the Lord to give thanks  They return to their former world and live the lives they used to live

31. What Really Matters about Thankfulness We all need to come back to Jesus and thank Him!  Most people do not give thanks when God answers their prayers!  Is this the way you live your life?  When God cleanses you and forgives you, do you simply return to the sinful life you have lived before?  If you do, then you are a stumbling block to others!  When God answers your prayers, be sure to tell Him “thank You!”  Glorify God!  Worship Jesus!

32. Remember! 2 things worth remembering  None of us wake up in the morning and say, “Today, I’m going to trip someone and make them fall”  Most of the time, it happens unintentionally  That’s why we need to remember these two points

33. Remember! 2 things worth remembering  It’s usually not the big things that cause others to stumble, but the little things  Jokes can be taken the wrong way  Facial expressions can be misunderstood  We can easily offend someone and not even realize it  That’s why it’s important for us to pay attention to the small things!  It’s the small things that really matter!

34. Remember! 2 things worth remembering  It’s usually not the big things that cause others to stumble, but the little things  It’s usually not what we do that offends people, it’s what we don’t do  When we never really forgive someone  When we hold back an encouraging word  When we don’t volunteer to serve  When we forget to say thank you  When we don’t do these things, we can be a stumbling block!