30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 17 3-6 Faith and relationships 11 Do all for the glory of God
📖 Luke 17:3-6
07Jul2020 - *Do all for the glory of God* - _Luke 17:3-6_ - FAITH AND RELATIONSHIPS 11 – Bible reading: _Matthew 6:30-33_
_Luke 17:5 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._
The disciples had to have an answer from Jesus as to why they had failed to drive the evil spirit out. _Matthew 17:19-20 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"_ The Lord comes to the mustard seed of faith once again but He added an alarming preamble. _(20) So Jesus said to them, "*Because of your unbelief*; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you._
We will now examine, what causes unbelief in us and prevents us from walking by faith in our relationship with God.
The disciples were part of the feeding of the five thousand and feeding of the four thousand and yet they were thinking about bread, which they had not taken with them for the journey. _Matthew 16:5-12 Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. (6) Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." (7) And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread." (8) But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "*O you of little faith*, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? (9) Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? (10) Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? (11) How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." (12) Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees._
What is the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees that we must guard against? To the Pharisees and to the Jews in general, life needed to be lived by doing all that is necessary to provide for the essentials of life. God has given us wisdom in order that ‘we’ provide for our daily needs. Worship of God or serving God, are by works that we do or religious or spiritual activities that we engage in, which was separate from our life of living for bread.
_Romans 9:31-33 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. (32) Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. (33) As it is written: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STUMBLING STONE AND ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME."_
Isn’t this how the majority of us conduct our lives? We ensure to take care of the bread needs of life. So, our studies and our careers are all about providing for the bread needs of life. This is how we live and this is how we motivate and persuade our children towards their goals and ambitions in life. We also encourage our children to make sure to have room for God in their lives by being engaged in spiritual activities.
God sees us and He knows that we do not believe Him. What does the word of God teach us? _Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.' "_ Yes, our work does meet our bread needs but we live for the word or the will of God.
_Matthew 6:30-33 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, *O you of little faith*? (31) "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you._
God does not want us to be living to meet the bread needs of life. That is the priority and concern of the people of the world. Our heavenly Father knows that we need bread but our pursuit in life has to be God’s kingdom and His righteousness.
We do not work or study or do whatever we do for bread but for the glory of God. _I Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God._ Our studies and our careers are places, where we glorify God, we manifest His kingdom, we do everything in the name of Jesus. We will, therefore, be men and women of excellence in every field but we live on the basis that it is God, who meets our bread needs.
Since the disciples, were bothered about their bread needs, they were still in unbelief. Can you testify that you are no more living from bread but for every word that proceeds from the mouth of God? If you can’t, then you are still in a state of unbelief.
*Thought to ponder*
```John 3:18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.```