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It's good to be with you. Today we are

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looking at Luke chapter 17 verses 1 to 10.

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And here we find the Jesus code of ethics refresher

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for his disciples.

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He challenges his disciples about their personal

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responsibility to live a holy life.

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An example and actions mustn't cause

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hurt or tend to another person to

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sin.

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Church leadership is a serious calling.

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If another disciple sins they're to

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call that person to account.

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They are to repeatedly forgive those who

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wrong them. So in light

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of these instructions, we can understand why the disciples

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cry make our faith greater.

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How will more faith help?

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Well faith in this God tells me that I'm

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accountable for my actions toward others.

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By faith when I Repent, I'm forgiven

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because God is gracious and merciful.

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In faith, I can forgive others because Faith tells

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me God is just and that God

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will bring ultimate judgment.

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Jesus tells a story about a master and

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servant.

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This little story of Jesus is a tough one.

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We live in a society where fairness and

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justice are paramount.  Trade unions and others have fought

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long and hard for a 40-hour week and for

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workplace safety.

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Surely everyone who works hard all day as the

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servant does is entitled to some time off and some

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words of appreciation.

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But this story is not about industrial relations

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and what Masters should expect of their servants.

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It's a story about the disciple and his

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or her Lord.

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We may be employed 40 hours a week and hopefully receive a

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just payment for our labor and a weekend off.

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Jesus however, is reminding his disciples that following

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him is not a 40 hour

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a week business clocking on and then clocking off.

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Our life is to be consistent.

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Discipleship requires the whole of our life

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24 hours a day and seven

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days a week.

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So what do we make of this story that describes our

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response to Jesus as that of a dutiful servant?

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Duties - not a popular word these days.

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It sounds old-fashioned. It reminds us of other

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words, like dogged and dull and drudgery and

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discipline and determination.

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Someone has cynically commented -

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A duty is a task we look forward to

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with distaste, perform with reluctance and

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brag about afterwards.

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William Williman writes -

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today the main moral energy seem to be sensitivity, feelings,

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spontaneity and doing

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what comes naturally.

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Who does anything out of Duty anymore?

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It suggests blind obedience, mindless reaction,

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ethics that are more a habit

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than a heroic choice.

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Well, I suspect something has been changing significantly in

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these last few years.

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A worldwide pandemic has made

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us take steps necessary for our own and other

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safety.  Responsible people

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choose to wear masks, work from home,

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observe social distancing and they get

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vaccinated.

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We may not feel like doing these things.

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These changes are are not ones that we would otherwise have

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chosen.

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And people who refuse these safeguards are called

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to account if not by authorities then by friends

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and neighbors.

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Whether followers of Jesus or not, the principle

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in this my example and actions are

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not only for my benefit, but so that

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others are protected as well.

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But there's more.

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Doctors, nurses, paramedics and other medical staff have

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put their well being at risk.

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Some becoming ill so they can serve the needs

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of others.

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Overworked and stressed. This is

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not what they or their loved ones would do for fun.

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They have a sense of

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Duty

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Recent disasters fire and

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flood have revealed the willingness of

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volunteers to make the choice to serve their

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neighbors and complete strangers while in some

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cases their own homes and loved ones were at risk.

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Faith is exercised by these people

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as they do what they know they must

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do.

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When the servants in our story say

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we're unworthy servants who have only done our

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duty.

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Slaves are not pretending to be humble.

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They are stating what they know is true.

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They are indeed in service to the master.

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Humility comes to those who find themselves,

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their lives and projects caught up

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in something, someone far greater

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than themselves.

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Their self-interest is overcome by

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what they love, what they're called to

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do.

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Once a famous writer was asked by a student about her

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work.

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How do you get in the mood to write she asked?

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In the mood? she replied. Well, I have

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breakfast and I sit down at my typewriter and

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then I write.

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I'm a writer.

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That's what I do.

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I write.

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Firefighters rush to defend communities

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threatened with the destruction

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Frontline medical workers work to exhaustion

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to bring comfort and healing to others.

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They're there because,

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well, that's what they do.

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They fight fires and save lives, whatever the

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personal cost.

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So that brings us back to us - those of us who are disciples,

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24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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We claim to follow Jesus.

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We're in his service.

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No, but Jesus says must.

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Three times in two verses - you must rebuke

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the offender.

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You must forgive.

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And you must repeatedly forgive.

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So that's why we need more faith.

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We are to have faith that God not us is

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ultimately in charge of the eventual outcomes.

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Will you forgive that person who has wronged you?

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And will you do it seven times?

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Why should you?

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Well - because you follow Jesus and that's what followers of

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Jesus do.

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Will I be diligent in my attendance at worship?

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My regular giving to God's work? My service to

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others that God brings to me?

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What should I do that?

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Because I follow Jesus and that's what followers of

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Jesus do.

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When you observe behavior that is unjust and

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exploitative

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Will you speak up?

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Write a letter?

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intervene?

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Why should you?

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Because you follow Jesus and that's

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what followers of Jesus are called to do.

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How will you serve Jesus this week?

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Are you in the mood and ready to be a disciple again?

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I hope that being here today helps you feel that.

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However, whether you feel blessed or broken,

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whole or helpless

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well or weak -

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We follow Jesus.

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That's what you and I do.

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We follow Jesus.

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The hymn writer sums it up well -

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For the whole realm of nature mine.

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That were an offering far too small.

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Love so amazing so divine.

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Demands my soul, my life,

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my all

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I'd like to lead us in a prayer by William Willerman on

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this thing. Let's pray.

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Lord we don't always feel like Christians.

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Nor do we always act like Christians.

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But you've called us to be your disciples.

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Sometimes we want to follow you, walking your

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ways and pay the price and sometimes we don't.ww

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We're fickle.

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As changeable as the wind.

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Lord instill in each of us today a

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sense of duty -

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absorbers so fully in you

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and Your will that we might lose some of our dreadful

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self-absorption.

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Set us on fire for You.

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Make us restless till we rest in Your word and

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Your way.

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Lord give us the grace to be faithful servants

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of the Good News

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and if we can't do that at least help us to do our duty.

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Amen.