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Sermon Audio: Learning To Be Thankful
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 17:11-19
Duration: 19:03
Size: 8.72 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Learning To Be Thankful
Luke 17:11-19

From these ten lepers we can learn some valuable lessons about being thankful.

1. We learn to be thankful when…we think about the fact of how desperate our situation is before we met Jesus.

They were thought to be unclean, and incapable of having a right relationship with God.

2. We learn to be thankful when…we think about the fact of what we have gained.

By obediently making their way to the priest, the lepers were demonstrating that they had faith in the words of Jesus.

3. We learn to be thankful when…we think about the fact that what was done for us could not have been done by us.

This one leper was different than the others. He did three things; he turned back, he began praising God and he fell on his face at the feet of Jesus thanking him.

The more you train yourself to be one who praises, the less mistakes you’re going to make and the less regrets you’re going to have.

4. We Learn To Be Thankful When…We Think About How Much Our Ingratitude Grieves The Heart Of God

There should not be any doubt that when we are not thankful, it grieves the Lord.

While all ten lepers had received physical healing, only this Samaritan had the faith for spiritual healing as well.

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Sermon Audio: What Does God Owe Me
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 17:7-10
Duration: 24:26
Size: 11.1 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
What Does God Owe Me
Luke 17:7-10

In America, we have gotten our work ethic a little twisted we don’t just work to make a living; we work for perks.

Even worse, this attitude begins to affect how we look at God; He is just not blessing us like we deserve.

Jesus explodes such thinking with a mini-parable The Parable of the Unworthy Servant in verses 7 through 10.

1. We are Called to Faithfulness in Ordinary Tasks.

We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there.

2. Our Service is Only the Humble Fulfillment of Our Lord’s Legitimate Expectation.

The slave received and deserved no special treatment or thanks for doing his assigned task; they were his duties.

3. We Must Never Have The Attitude That God Owes Us Or Be Upset That God Did Not Do Something We Asked.

God owns us through the right of creation and through the price he paid to redeem us from sin, he thus owns us twice.

Jesus is telling us that we have nothing to get puffed up about, when we actually do as He has asked, this is the way we are supposed to live.

4. God Rewards Faithfulness Not Because He Has To But Because He Wants Too.

It was almost as though I could hear the voice, he leaned down and said, “But you’re not home yet.”

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Sermon Audio: Don’t Be A Stumbling Block
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 17:1-6
Duration: 26:38
Size: 12.1 MB

Luke-The Investigative Gospel
Don’t Be A Stumbling Block
Luke 17:1-6

What I choose to do is my business!

First, be careful that you’re not a negative spiritual influence.

Our first responsibility is to make sure that we do not negatively influence other Christians in their walk with God.

Every one of us will influence other Christians so as Jesus said in verse 3, “So watch yourselves…”

Second, be willing to forgive those who have hurt you but have repented.

Closely linked to the responsibility of not causing others to stumble into sin is the responsibility to help them when they do fall.

By being willing to lovingly confront the person who sinned against you.

Jesus is clearly talking about personal hurts done to you by another Christian as the phrase; “sins against you” makes clear.

By extending forgiveness immediately to the person who hurt you, if they repent.

We need to recognize that forgiveness is as much for our benefit as it is for the offender,

By being ready to forgive repeated failures.

So regardless of the personal nature of the offense or even in the event of the repetition of the offense, if the other person repents, you are to forgive them.

The problem was not the size of their faith but their willingness to forgive.

By Recognizing that forgiveness is not a matter of ability but of willingness.

The disciples are right in understanding that the kind of forgiveness that Jesus is calling for cannot happen apart from a work of the Holy Spirit, but they are wrong in their understanding of the nature of faith.

1. Be careful that you’re not a negative spiritual influence.
2. Be forgiving of those who have hurt you but have repented.

• By Being willing to lovingly confront the person who sinned against you.
• By Extending forgiveness to those who have hurt you but have repented.
• By Being ready to forgive repeated failures.
• By Recognizing that forgiveness is not a matter of ability but of willingness.