Obedient Faith

When the disciples ask Jesus to “increase our faith,” He replies, “If you even had faith…” (Luke 17:5–10). In this episode, Pastor Marshall explores why faith’s object matters more than its size, how Habakkuk models honest lament in unjust times, and why Jesus’ servant parable invites a posture of humble obedience. We don’t work to earn grace; we work because we’ve received it. If your life currently feels like a messy construction site, be encouraged: God alone holds the blueprint.

Transcript

Gospel according to Luke. You should know this by now. The Gospel according to Luke, chapter 17. Notice these words here, as we're kind of moving right along, journeying with Jesus, as we've been called. As we've been calling it, as he's moving to the cross.

He has some very strong teachings for his disciples. And of course, we are his disciples, and so these teachings are for us. And while you're finding that, I want to say this too. Don't you just love being in the house of God where we can pray and we can share and we can hear of the goodness of God? This is a sanctuary for his healing.

And. And I don't just mean physical. We all need his spiritual healing. We all come in here, you can imagine, spiritually speaking, coughing and aching and everything else that you do physically. Think of that as spiritually coming in here and being renewed week by week together and then moving out in mission with him.

I think that's exactly what we're doing. So once you found Luke 17, go ahead and stand with me for the reading of our gospel text this morning.

Notice these words in 17 and then verse 5. The apostles said to the Lord, increase our faith. The Lord replied, if you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea. It would obey you. Who among you would say to your slave, who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, come here at once and take your place at the table?

Would you not rather say to him, prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink? Later you may eat and drink. Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, we are worthless slaves. We have done only what we ought to have done.

So, Jesus, thank you for your strong, holy, challenging word to us. And may we today mine from these words, what you would say to us as we look to you, Lord, would you speak? We need your voice above all others, perhaps most of all above our own. We pray in your name. Amen.

And you can be seated.

Well, what a text. Here's Jesus again, doing his thing, which is to challenge us. And I don't. You know, maybe you've missed it the past few weeks, but as we've looked at some of these texts, have they not been challenging to us? As we first read a parable or hear a parable of Jesus, it often is challenging to us.

And I think one of the reasons he says it in this way is so that if you're just sort of casually listening, you have to say, I'm sorry, what did you just say? And this one's no different, is it? I mean, in fact, I was in India and distinctly remember being served by one of the Indian students that was there. And what he did was he. He placed my food before me and, like, put my utensils there, got me something to drink, and then just stood at attention waiting.

And as soon as I got low on something, he would just immediately. And I said, hey, man, you're really making me uncomfortable. Because, like, that is not an American sort of thing to do unless I'm pulling out my wallet to pay you to do it, right? I mean, like, we get that experience sometimes, but we pay for it. Okay?

This was something very uncomfortable for me, and I finally just said, listen, you. You got to sit down, okay? Like, sit down. Eat with me. Let me serve you.

Because, you know, it's just. I was very uncomfortable, okay? And when we read this, when we hear this, even you're thinking, boy, how do you go from the disciples having the faith of a mustard seed, and Jesus saying, like, if you had this kind of faith, you could throw a mulberry tree in the ocean. And what does that even mean? You know?

And then all of a sudden, jumping now to this odd story of the unworthy servant, which we don't even like any of that language doing. Like, all of that language disrupts us, doesn't it? But there is, in fact, a message here for us, and it may be a difficult one, in fact, to swallow. It may be a difficult one to grasp. And oftentimes Jesus teachings are that sort of way to disrupt us so that we will listen.

If we think we know, we ain't even listening anymore, are we? You know, when somebody starts going into something, you say, I already know that. I don't know why. It's a waste of my. But all of a sudden, you.

You read something like this, you're like, whoa, whoa. What is Jesus meaning by that? That's the question, isn't it? That's the question. Now, it's interesting that our.

All of our readings, by the way, today really are aimed at the same thing, but oftentimes in subtle ways that if we're not paying attention or studying them ahead of time, we might miss. I mean, I understand you're hearing it read, you know, from. From the lectern over here, and it's oftentimes difficult. But our Habakkuk reading and our psalm reading and that long reading and the readings from Paul have been long. Our epistle readings the past couple of weeks all match up to say something here.

All right, now, here's the indicator that of what we're talking about. And really to sort of spill the beans here. It's right there in the beginning. Notice in verse five, the apostles say to the Lord, increase our faith.

And then Jesus says, if you had the faith of a mustard seed. You see what he did just there? It's subtle, but he doesn't agree that they have faith. They do. They think they've got faith that can be built upon.

They think they've got faith that's, you know, a little better than so and so. After all, I mean, we're following Jesus and he's not following so well.

Little comparison, a little competitiveness to it. You know, if you've ever read the Gospels, you'll know that there's a little bit of competitiveness to the disciples, right? You know, trying to get elbow. You can almost see them, like elbowing to get the front row, you know, the best seat or perhaps the honor from among the others.

Yeah, increase our faith. And Jesus, if you even had faith the size of a little bitty seed, like you see it, and you're like, no, not yet. Let me get closer. Yeah, that's the point. We think we've got great faith because we're looking at so and so.

But guess what? So and so, right? Our neighbor, family member, another church member. They're not the measure of our life, are they?

It's a little subtle pride here, perhaps, that sneaking in and we're saying, if you could increase my faith. And Jesus said, if you even had faith that somebody could see and redirect them, that faith is not about necessarily the size or the quantity because they're, you know, increase. Like I need some more of. It's about substance. It's about what it is.

We trust. And oftentimes we get off onto trusting other things, perhaps the wrong things. Even our life. I mean, it's been said that if the devil can't get you to sin, he'll get you busy.

If you're busy, you're not focused on God or other people. In fact, they kind of get in the way of you getting your work done. You ever been there before?

It's who our faith is in that matters most. That's kind of Jesus point, isn't it? Even little faith is big faith when it's in me. But great faith in other things. Whether it's science or politics or education or voices on the Internet, listen.

Big faith in those things is worthless in comparison.

So if you had even faith. You see that? If I missed that for so long, like, I was so excited. Like, when I was studying this, I was actually mowing the grass. Remember I told you I was like, I'm going to study my sermon while I'm mowing my grass.

And I did. And it came to light. If you even have faith of a mustard seed. And then the Lord's like, you know, you do that too. You often think you have way more faith because you're comparing it to somebody else, but that's not the comparison.

So faith then becomes the antidote, if you will, to pride. You say, why? Well, because faith is directed to God and not to others. God and not ourself. You know, because you can.

You can even, like the Pharisees, have faith in the faith that you have, if that makes sense. In other words, look, I've chosen correctly the one and true and only God. Those stupid idiots haven't. And God says, whoa, buh, buh. You sure it's faith in me and not some imaginary idolatrous God that you've made up in your mind?

If you ever read Mere Christianity, you get where I get that from. I say that. It's not the first time I've ever said that. But now you're like, oh, man, he's just cheating. And we all do preaching.

That's okay because it's a shared faith. By the way, I'm not trying to say something new. I'm trying to remind you of the truth.

And the truth is this. When we direct our trust, our intellect, our desires to who is highest, which is God, who is greatest, which is God, what is most good, which is God. Then all the other things seem to fade away, and everything else seems to begin to make sense. You might not always be able to explain it, but it just makes sense. Because now we're placing our trust in the architect himself, in the Creator and the Maker, all things.

Remember, we just said it, both seen and unseen, and so that we're pursuing good things in all kinds of ways. And I just saw. I literally sit on my porch this morning. I had this thought. I'm, like, looking at a beautiful sunrise, okay?

And then these birds, like, fly, you know, and there's a bunch of birds right now in Alabama because they're migrating, get off track. But it's crazy right now. And these birds, like, flew. And I just thought to myself, everything according to its kind, you know, like they're doing what they do because of the Creator. Any.

And flying across that beautiful landscape of a sunset highlighted little clouds in the air was just remarkable. And I don't think nature for that. What is that? I don't think that universe for that. What is that?

I think the Maker, the Creator of all. So us to our faith must rest. Think about it. Our faith must rest in him. That's where it belongs.

Our highest amount of trust, our highest efforts of what it is we rely upon must be God. Otherwise, you're only going to live in regret. You're only going to live in disappointment. People will always disappoint you. Things will always disappoint.

Never God. Never God. But that's hard for us. And in fact, sometimes we just. It's hard for us to think it.

We don't see the sunrise because it's obstructed with so many other things that are wrong in the world. And you know, we're right there with Habakkuk, aren't we? You remember he's a minor prophet. He's only three chapters long. Minor just being shorter.

Okay. And major prophets, remember, being longer. Not. It doesn't have to do with significance. You're not saying like, yeah, Habakkuk is a minor prophet.

He's insignificant. Don't worry about him. No, no, no, he's significant. He's just shorter. Some of you are like, I know some preachers like that, right?

Some major preachers, longer ones, and some minor preachers, shorter ones. Right? Not in height, but in length of sermon. Well, Habakkuk, you might like to know, is very brief in his prophecy and yet very powerful. In fact, we don't have time to go into it.

But. But he uses a lament style to talk to God. You know, in fact, our. Our reading actually begins this way. And some of you have studied the psalms in one of our small groups.

By the way, oh Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will not listen. Boom. Immediately. That ought to trigger you to say that is a lament. Like he's.

He's crying out to God in this particular way, which is to say there's something wrong. God, why are you not responding? You ever been there before? Like, Lord, there's some people are doing bad stuff, like not just in the world, but to me. Where are you?

I thought you were supposed to be our help in a present time. You ever felt like that? Because I sure have. But notice, notice, Habakkuk is not speaking out to the universe. As if the universe can help in some way.

He's not speaking to other people like, oh, yeah, I hope the King comes and helps me. King doesn't care about Habakkuk.

No, he's giving his lament to God. And so even when we're upset, even when we don't feel like God is there, tell God that that's what faith is. You see, it's. I don't even hear you. I don't.

I feel like I can't even get above the ceiling right now with my words and where are you, God? But notice directed to God, you got anger toward God, okay? Tell him you're sad. Tell him you're lonely. Tell him he is there whether we can see him or not.

And notice the eye of faith can see even when we can't see around the next bend. The other morning, I was headed about to get on 565, well, to come here for some meetings I had, and there was fog over to my left. It was very interesting. It was only in the, like, crop field, so I guess the plants were. I don't know, who knows?

But the interstate was. Was clear. But I'm telling you, you'd been in that field, you would not have been able to see 20 yards in front of you. It's very crazy sometimes life is like that, isn't it? We get foggy with the things of this world.

Sometimes it's our own sin that fogs up the lens because we're pursuing things that are not good and things get foggy and we say. Then we start complaining. Well, I can't see anything. But it doesn't mean things aren't there. There was actually an overpass that you couldn't even see anymore because of the fog.

But it doesn't mean the overpass is gone just because you can't see it. You understand what I'm saying here? Sometimes we get foggy in our head or things disrupt us. I mean, if you've ever been in an accident, you kind of are disoriented for a minute. If you have crisis in your life, you're disoriented.

Like, don't trust all of your senses during that time. We've all seen some football player get hit and start walking to the other side. And they're like, hey, buddy, you're over this way. You don't trust yourself when you're going through crisis. Some of us might be in crisis.

And I'm telling you, do not trust yourself. Ask somebody. Like, ask for help. Say, like, Hey, I think I'm supposed to go this way, but I don't know. I can't really see very well right now.

I'm kind of fuzzy in my head. It's okay. Like, we all need help from time to time, right? We need help all the time.

Okay, so here's Habakkuk. And Habakkuk asked these questions. And if you know anything about three chapters, I mean, listen, we could park here for a long time. I'm going to be very quick with this. Here's God's answer to Habakkuk.

He says, I will do. I'm going to do something about the injustice, Habakkuk. And by the way, the injustice that Habakkuk was complaining about was from his own people. Israel. Assyria was falling apart at this point.

Babylon was on the rise.

And his own nation, remember, the kind of ten tribes above Israel had already been taken away by the Assyrians. But now the Assyrians were falling apart and Judah was still there. But they were doing injustice their own. Like the unrighteous were prospering. You ever seen that happen before?

And we're like, what? Like, that shouldn't be. And that's what he said. So God says, I got you. And, you know, you can hear Habakkuk, like, good, finally we get some relief here.

And he's like, here's what I'm going to do, Habakkuk. I'm going to send Babylon.

Well, no, that's not what I was asking for. Know. I didn't ask you.

Hold on, God, you're going to send a pagan king to judge your holy people? Yes, and then if they do it wrong, I will judge them too. But I'm sending Nebuchadnezzar. I mean, eventually, right, Habakkuz, a little before that time. But you don't understand how shocking that is.

It's shocking.

It'd be something like this. God forbid that it happened. But like, you know, God telling us today, like, hey, by the way, I'm sending China to judge America for their sins. They've killed too many innocents.

You'd be like, oh, hold on, hold on. I don't know that they're any better. Yeah, it's my plan, not yours. I'm telling you, you don't understand how disrupting this would have been to Habakkuk, how disrupting it should be to us, that we don't always know the plan. But he does.

He's the architect. And, you know, I had this illustration. I kind of. That helps me you ever been to a job site before? Like a construction site?

There's just stuff. I mean, I dropped, you know, because there's a lot of construction around here, right? The place is growing. It's like stuff just everywhere. Like, I mean, there's trailers that have stuff in them, and then they're kind of spilling out, tools everywhere, skid steers, cranes, parts.

And it's just like, if I walk up to something like that, I don't. I'm just like, uh, right. I don't know where to begin. People are doing stuff over here. It doesn't even look like it helps.

I'm like, well, they surely aren't working today. It doesn't look like, to me, looks like they're standing on a shovel or something. But you know who it does make sense to? The architect, the one with the blueprints. He sees it all coming together, even when it looks like an absolute mess.

Even when sometimes it looks like you started something good, but now it looks like you're messing it up.

You know, I've said that to God. Like, hey, God, I think. I don't think this is going so well. He's like, by the way, it's going exactly like I want it to.

Because it's not my plan, and it's not your plan. It's God's providence. When we talk about God's providence, we're talking about the blueprint. And guess what? No one has access to that blueprint but him.

So when evil happens, he promises to even do good with that.

Isn't that our greatest example? What could be more evil than getting rid of the greatest good ever?

And we tried, and it was a dark day. And yet now, what do we call it? Good Friday.

How only God could turn something so evil and wicked into something good. Only God. So, dear brothers and sisters, in a time not unlike Habakkuk's, where evil things are afoot, where injustice is rampant, okay? Where confusion is the name of the game. We need to look up, not down, not down at our phones.

Up. Up to the one who has the plan. And we need to trust his providence. That's what real faith is. That's why Habakkuk is kind of the real living example of someone who, in really bad times and unsure times, trusted God's plan anyway, even when he didn't understand it.

Because, trust me, he even tells God, like, I don't know that that's going to be so good.

But here's what he ends up saying. You remember? But the righteous live by Faith.

But the righteous live by their faith.

Do we? In times of trouble, in times of confusion, in times of wickedness and injustice, what do we turn to? If it's not God, it's not enough.

There are other things that are good, but he's the highest good. So if it's not God, you're not high enough yet. Keep going.

Let's trust his providence. Because here's the thing. He promises good for those who love Him.

If you love him, trust him even when you don't see. Trust him even when it's confusing. Trust that he knows best.

He's a good, good father. Right? We just said it. Do you believe it, though? You see, that's where faith meets action.

Now, here's the other thing about faith is it takes perseverance. Notice. Write the vision, Habakkuk. For there is still a vision for the appointed time. Do you know that all of us right now, like, this is where it really gets grounded.

We have our own appointed time right now. Like, you were born for such a time as this, Habakkuk had his own thing. And we look back and we say, good job, Habakkuk. You made it, man. And now all of the saints that have gone before us are looking on to see if we will stand up and praise his name, worship him, and call out evil in our own time.

That's not easy. It's not easy when the cultural tide is against us.

It's not easy when there is literal peer pressure. You thought peer pressure was over in junior high. Nope. Social media is a whole new type of peer pressure, isn't it? And it weighs on us.

And that's why we've got to disconnect and actually get grounded with one another. You know, that's like a term now, even, right? Grounded. Like, get your feet in the grass, right? Look up at a sunset instead of looking down.

I mean, we're. It's a cancer, it really is, that will suck our very soul to death and consume our time. We've got to turn to His Word. His Word is the only word that will last forever. We're told not one jot or tittle will go away.

Not one. We've got to persevere our faith. Now notice you get back and increase our faith. If you had the faith, right? But then what's going on with the whole servant thing?

Like, let's. Right, because it's like, who among you, Jesus say, like, who among you would. Would. After your servant plows the field and tends the sheep, would come in and Say, hey, have a seat. You've worked enough.

Let me serve you. Now, we'd be saying, oh, that'd be a nice thing to do. But we're missing the point here. Typically, parables have one big point, and this one has to do with faith and works. We think we have faith.

Jesus says, if you had faith, even a little bit of faith, you'd be seeing some big things. Now the disciples are thinking, we have a lot of work. You know, like, we left everything, Lord, to follow you. You ever relied on your works like that? Like, look at what all I've done, you know, I mean, I did this and that and gave that and this.

And you know what God has to say with that kind of touting that Again, subtle pride through our works. You've just done what was asked.

I mean, if I was God and I'm not, I would just say it this way. You want a cookie? You know, like, that's what I say to my people, right? Like, if I tell them to clean their room and they clean it, it's like, yeah, okay, you know, right? You just done what was asked.

We want a pat on the back. We want recognition. But work in the kingdom, Jesus is teaching. Just doing your duty.

You owe it all to him.

So why do you then get pompous and say, well, this is my table. The king should be serving me. We've got that all wrong. The master here is God himself, and we demand, though, look how much work I've done. God, what are you going to give me?

Buddy, we just entered into something that doesn't have a bottom.

It's a pit. It's the same sort of pride that Satan himself had.

I can do it better than God, he deserves, or I deserve something from him because of what I did. No, it is no merit of our own, brothers. That's like a core understanding of grace. We don't work and God gives us grace. He gives us grace, and we get to work, come into the house, say, yeah, I've been.

Whoo. You know, like, I do, right? I mean, I actually do this, right? I'm like, bev, do you see how clean that kitchen was? I mean, like, I don't know, but I believe that deserves an award, you know, like, you see that?

You see those lines in the grass? Dang, man. Somebody did good, and that somebody was me, you know, and that might be all right. Like, within a family to be proud of your work 100% like you did. God created us to make things beautiful.

That's what it means to Cultivate the ground. Right? Okay. But in his kingdom, that is not the attitude. When we're dealing with each other, that might be the attitude.

We might say, hey, great, like the other sermon the other week. I mean, I'm like, that was awesome, Emily. That's great. Listen. But to God, that is nothing.

He doesn't respond to us in that way. Right. Like you might respond to me because of something I've done or you've done for me. And we kind of do this mutual thing. We're not on the same playing field as God.

He doesn't need anything.

Here's the thing, is he wants us before creation. He knew what it would cost. Remember, he's the lamb slain before the creation of the world. He signed up for it before anything ever got started. Said, I'm coming after you.

I know what's going to happen. I know. I know what it's going to cost. And I'm up for it. Let's go.

Let's go. You're worth it. You're worth it. Like every single one of you and somebody like me. We're worth it to him.

What a God. You see, that's the kind of providence. That's the kind of plan we can trust. He's already. Here's what Paul says.

Proven his love toward us. He doesn't have to prove anything else to us, which is why it's just simply our duty to work in his kingdom. In fact, it's an honor to work at his table and to serve. Think about it. He we're serving the Master.

Think about that. When we're serving, we're serving King Jesus. It's my highest honor to serve him. I don't then demand. No, let's switch seats.

I deserve the Master's seat. Brothers and sisters, let's get real. Jesus Point here.

You've done what you were ordered to do. Instead of saying, I deserve something, here's what we're supposed to say. I like the NRSV translation. We are worthless slaves. That's what I am.

In other words, unmerited. Like I don't have any merit for being able to serve at this table today, be able to stand here. I have zero merit of my own. He asked me to do it, and that's why I'm doing it. And at times, I've wanted to quit, but I didn't because he asked me to do it.

Sometimes it was hard, but he asked me to do it. What does he ask you to do? Are you doing it? Did you stop along the way because it was hard. Let's get back to work.

The way we wait for the king is in ready position, ready to move at his behest. Just like that awesome servant hearted Indian fella, Abhikanth was the first one that did it. His other name was Moses.

He. It was a joy for him to serve me that day and it was so uncomfortable for me, but I could tell it was a joy he wanted to serve. And you've done it before. You fix a meal, you cut the grass or do something. I bring out Justin, say, look, what do you think?

I'm doing it for our family. I want you to know that we have a beautiful yard because I love you, right? Like that's why I don't get out there and say, just go, gotta cut the grass for you again, right? What kind of attitude? You see what I'm saying?

Like, what kind of attitude? No, no, no, no, no. We serve the Lord and we don't expect anything in return. It's hard. It's hard.

It comes out of the grace that he's already given us. Like that's the thing. He's already given us so many good things and now we just respond to that. Goodness in good works, you say, pastor, I didn't think we really mixed faith and works. I mean, Jesus does.

And in fact, our psalm reading specifically tells us, notice this, put your trust in the Lord and do good. Not just put your trust in the Lord and go do whatever you want good.

What good have you done this past week? I'm sure it's there. What good for the kingdom have you done this past week? Or were you too busy? Were we too busy building our own kingdom?

It's a danger for all of us. Let's get back to work for the right reasons. Let's find joy in our work for the Lord.

You see, the faith that he talks about perseveres through all kinds of hardships and works not to prove itself, but out of a response of grace, out of the work that Christ did. You see, he's already done the work and now we get to enjoy serving him.

So if we return to that construction site, right, you say, man, I feel like I'm there. Like I just, I can't make from heads to tail right now with, with everything. Listen, don't worry about understanding at all. We just need to do the next right thing for him. We just look at the next plan he asked for us.

Okay, that's enough. That's enough for the day. Remember, the word of God is a light, a Lamp to what? Spotlight? No, a lamp to our feet.

Why? It's the next step. It's just the next step. We don't get step 538. We want it.

We don't get it. It's the next step. What's the next step for you? What's the next step for you and your relationship with God? Your faith in God.

I know faith gets tested, and that's the point. It strengthens us. He doesn't test us for him. He's the teacher who knows it all. He tests us for us.

It strengthens our faith.

Do you have faith in Christ today? Do you have faith in his plan for your life? That it's good that his thoughts toward you? As Jeremiah, another prophet. Major prophet.

Right? It's good and not evil. Do you believe that? Then trust that Lord. And then let's get to work.

Let's get to work. Not because we have to. Because we get to serve Him. We get to serve him in his name. We get to hold his name in honor as we serve him and as we serve others.

Because that's the crazy thing. Once we serve the King. Guess what he said. All right. Now turn around and take this out of these walls.

Let's go. Let's take it out to those who are poor. Poor in spirit, poverty stricken in their soul. And there's many.

So trust in the Lord and do good. Maybe we could end it this way. And I've ended a lot of sermons this way. Trust and obey. For there is no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Total Duration 00:38:45