The Rev. Kenneth H. Saunders III
Christ Church
Cleveland, NC
RCL Year C (Proper 22) - October 3, 2010
Lamentations 1:1-6
Lamentations 3:19-26
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:5-10
When we come to church, we hear a lot talk about faith. We read about faith in the Bible and we even sing songs about faith… But what is Faith?
I have often heard people mistakenly say that faith is a type of reasoning that is the opposite of doubt. But we know that the opposite of doubt is certainty… So, what is Faith?…
In today’s gospel story, Jesus’ disciples made what would seem to be a logical and obvious request… “Increase our faith!” We can picture them on the road… all prepared for discipleship… equipped with all the stuff they needed to build up the kingdom of God…
They were pumped up and ready for mission, and they have packed wisely for the journey… They were welcoming the stranger in their midst, and had even started eating with tax collectors and sinners… Jesus taught them well…
He taught them how to be steadfast followers, and how to use all their money and stuff that they were entrusted with to glorify God and build up the kingdom…
I get the image of some young rookie football player, all suited up in a new uniform, helmet on… looking right in the coaches eyes… We all expect him to say “put me in coach, I can do this… I am ready to play.”
But instead, the young player is saying… “help me... please… what if I get hurt?, what if the others don’t block for me?... What do I do if… ???” and his worries go on and on and on…
The disciples are prepared… and Jesus knows they are, because he has prepared them… But with all the preparation, the disciples still don’t get it, they still don’t trust that God will be with them… So they ask Jesus for an increase in their faith… Like they can top off their tank with “faith” and be ready to continue the journey. Sort of like a “fill-er up” with super high holy octane!
But, Jesus’ response to his disciples relates directly to the power of faith itself… Explaining to them, that the power of faith is so strong that even the smallest bit of it could prove to be a tremendous force…
Then Jesus takes the discussion an unexpected level. He basically says, to do the Job I have given you to do… to be my disciple… it isn’t going to require very much faith at all. All you need to do is obey God and do our duty… Jesus then depicts each of the disciples as a humble servant, who’s duty is to be hardworking, not expecting to be thanked. He says that this is what faith is… It is our duty within the relationship to God…
I think, most simply, when we say that we have faith, it means that we trust God… to be God.
Sometimes, most often where people are ill, folks will say, “if you have faith, you will be healed.” Or worse yet, “your faith isn’t strong enough.” We assume that if Jesus says that our faith can move trees… when if we had any faith at all, we would certainly be healed…
I think that we fail to realize that this means we would be manipulating God… trying to get God to conform to our image... instead of us being and living in His image… In other words, we get hung up in the world of, “If I have enough faith, then God has to do exactly what I want God to do!” That’s not what Jesus is saying at all!
Jesus makes it clear that we are expected to have faith… it is part of being Christian, just like serving is part of being a servant… Our faith doesn’t require God to do anything. God does not heal us because we have faith. God heals us because God is God. God loves us simply because God chooses to love us…
God is active and present in our everyday lives, and gives us more than we could ever ask for or imagine… Neither our level of faith nor our actions can earn us God’s favor or salvation! (which is another misconception - and another sermon in its entirety)…
So - How much faith is enough? Do we need to have a lot of faith, or will just a little bit do? The answers may surprise you.
The followers of Jesus said to him, "Increase our faith." Jesus answered them, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."
When we have faith in God, our faith isn’t quantitative… it isn't a question of how big or small our faith is, it is qualitative… it is a question of how powerful our God is, and with God all things are possible!
Some of you know that today is World Communion Sunday. It is a Sunday when all of the denominations in Christendom that are part of the National Council of Churches have agreed to have a celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
As we know some of our brothers and sisters in Christ, do not celebrate The Lords Supper but once per quarter, or once per month. Unlike us who celebrate every Sunday. But today everyone is gathered around the Lords Table breaking bread and sharing the cup.
As we approach the holy table this morning we receive by faith the body and blood of the Lord our Savior Jesus Christ. My prayer is not to ask God to give us more faith. But, it is simply to ask God to help us use the faith that we have, and to help us do tremendous things to His glory and then trust that God will do the rest.
Christ Church
Cleveland, NC
RCL Year C (Proper 22) - October 3, 2010
Lamentations 1:1-6
Lamentations 3:19-26
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:5-10
When we come to church, we hear a lot talk about faith. We read about faith in the Bible and we even sing songs about faith… But what is Faith?
I have often heard people mistakenly say that faith is a type of reasoning that is the opposite of doubt. But we know that the opposite of doubt is certainty… So, what is Faith?…
In today’s gospel story, Jesus’ disciples made what would seem to be a logical and obvious request… “Increase our faith!” We can picture them on the road… all prepared for discipleship… equipped with all the stuff they needed to build up the kingdom of God…
They were pumped up and ready for mission, and they have packed wisely for the journey… They were welcoming the stranger in their midst, and had even started eating with tax collectors and sinners… Jesus taught them well…
He taught them how to be steadfast followers, and how to use all their money and stuff that they were entrusted with to glorify God and build up the kingdom…
I get the image of some young rookie football player, all suited up in a new uniform, helmet on… looking right in the coaches eyes… We all expect him to say “put me in coach, I can do this… I am ready to play.”
But instead, the young player is saying… “help me... please… what if I get hurt?, what if the others don’t block for me?... What do I do if… ???” and his worries go on and on and on…
The disciples are prepared… and Jesus knows they are, because he has prepared them… But with all the preparation, the disciples still don’t get it, they still don’t trust that God will be with them… So they ask Jesus for an increase in their faith… Like they can top off their tank with “faith” and be ready to continue the journey. Sort of like a “fill-er up” with super high holy octane!
But, Jesus’ response to his disciples relates directly to the power of faith itself… Explaining to them, that the power of faith is so strong that even the smallest bit of it could prove to be a tremendous force…
Then Jesus takes the discussion an unexpected level. He basically says, to do the Job I have given you to do… to be my disciple… it isn’t going to require very much faith at all. All you need to do is obey God and do our duty… Jesus then depicts each of the disciples as a humble servant, who’s duty is to be hardworking, not expecting to be thanked. He says that this is what faith is… It is our duty within the relationship to God…
I think, most simply, when we say that we have faith, it means that we trust God… to be God.
Sometimes, most often where people are ill, folks will say, “if you have faith, you will be healed.” Or worse yet, “your faith isn’t strong enough.” We assume that if Jesus says that our faith can move trees… when if we had any faith at all, we would certainly be healed…
I think that we fail to realize that this means we would be manipulating God… trying to get God to conform to our image... instead of us being and living in His image… In other words, we get hung up in the world of, “If I have enough faith, then God has to do exactly what I want God to do!” That’s not what Jesus is saying at all!
Jesus makes it clear that we are expected to have faith… it is part of being Christian, just like serving is part of being a servant… Our faith doesn’t require God to do anything. God does not heal us because we have faith. God heals us because God is God. God loves us simply because God chooses to love us…
God is active and present in our everyday lives, and gives us more than we could ever ask for or imagine… Neither our level of faith nor our actions can earn us God’s favor or salvation! (which is another misconception - and another sermon in its entirety)…
So - How much faith is enough? Do we need to have a lot of faith, or will just a little bit do? The answers may surprise you.
The followers of Jesus said to him, "Increase our faith." Jesus answered them, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."
When we have faith in God, our faith isn’t quantitative… it isn't a question of how big or small our faith is, it is qualitative… it is a question of how powerful our God is, and with God all things are possible!
Some of you know that today is World Communion Sunday. It is a Sunday when all of the denominations in Christendom that are part of the National Council of Churches have agreed to have a celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
As we know some of our brothers and sisters in Christ, do not celebrate The Lords Supper but once per quarter, or once per month. Unlike us who celebrate every Sunday. But today everyone is gathered around the Lords Table breaking bread and sharing the cup.
As we approach the holy table this morning we receive by faith the body and blood of the Lord our Savior Jesus Christ. My prayer is not to ask God to give us more faith. But, it is simply to ask God to help us use the faith that we have, and to help us do tremendous things to His glory and then trust that God will do the rest.
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