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                       NO NEED FOR THANKS

                 LUKE 17:7-10     VOL. 3  NO. 3



INTRO--Recently the auto workers of Canada reached a new agreement
with Ford Motor Company for a new labor contract.  According to
industry leaders that contract will set the pace for negotiations
at the auto assembly plants in the USA when the current contracts
expire.

     Labor unions have become highly organized in our century.
Legislation such as the Wagner Act of 1935, which gave workers the
right of collective bargaining and the Fair Labor Standards Act of
1938, which established minimum wage limits and overtime payments,
have led to an emphasis on the rights of workers.  Employers, as a
result of these laws have certain responsibilities to their
employees that are enforced at the threat of penalty to the
employer.  Because of the abuses that led to the establishment of
labor laws and labor unions, the emphasis of this century has been
on rights.  Workers have rights.

     Against the backdrop of this century the story of the farmer
and his servant seems out of place.  The slave had no rights, no
labor contract and no union to file a grievance on his behalf.  He
was owned "lock, stock, and barrel" by the farmer.  The emphasis of
this parable is not on rights but on duty.  The servant would never
be able to demand shorter hours, better working conditions or an
increase in pay.  But he had a duty to his owner that required him
to work hard, not complain, and know that his needs would be met.
This parable is about:

DEBT AND DUTY,

PROMISE AND PROVISION, and

ATTITUDE AND GRATITUDE



                          DEBT AND DUTY


v.7--servant plowing or feeding...--In the ancient world, the
servant was the possession of his master.  He worked when he was
told and did exactly as he was told.  If his master told him to
work in the fields all day and then prepare the master's meal, the
servant simply obeyed.  That was his duty.  He owed a debt to his
master that he would never satisfy.  He was the exclusive property
of his master.

--Go sit down to meat--The servant's had a duty to their masters
that went beyond their work in the field.  They had household
responsibilities that they had to discharge regardless of how hard
they worked in the field.  No servant would think just because he
worked hard that he would be excused from further service.

v.8--rather...make ready--First the servant would see that the
master was served.  Does the master have a right to expect his
servant to perform his duty?  The slave was owned by the master.
He had a responsibility to do what his master required.

     Does Christ have the right to expect certain things from His
children?  Without question!  I Cor. 7:22-24 says, "For he that is
called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman:
likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.
Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with
God."  I Cor. 6:20 says, "For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
All that we are, all that we have belongs to God.

--gird thyself--When a servant belted his flowing robe around his
waist he was getting it out of the way so that he could serve the
master.

     [ill--When slavery was finally outlawed in our country an era
of injustice and inhuman conduct ended.  People are not meant to be
owned by other people.]

     [app--But our Lord presents this parable because it has a
timeless message to us.  We are not slaves to each other and we
need not be slaves to sin.  But we are to be servants of the
Master.  Jesus gave us this parable because He wanted us to learn
what it means to be servants.  When He called us to discipleship He
was calling us to servanthood!  He expects us to follow Him and to
give ourselves in devotion to Him.  His cause is our cause.  His
desire is our command.  Our Lord expects us to stand ready to serve
Him at all times!]



                      PROMISE AND PROVISION


--afterward thou shalt eat--The servant knew that the master would
see after his needs and provide food for him.  The parable does not
stress the provision of the master for his slave, it just presents
it as understood that while the slave goes about the performance of
his duties that the master will provide for him.  He doesn't worry
about food, shelter or clothing.  All of the things that we get
concerned about were not part of the servants concern.  His master
took care of his needs.

     [ill--Some of the people here today have great concern about
a specific need.  Perhaps you are concerned about a debt that you
have incurred.  Maybe you have had some unforseen expenses that
will force you to make some changes in your lifestyle.  Or perhaps
you are concerned about your job--whether it will continue or
whether you will be able continue working.  But a slave did not
have to be concerned about any of those things.  He knew that his
master had the responsibility to see after each of his needs.]

     [app--Are you concerned about something the Lord has promised
to provide for you?  Have you tried to regain control of your life
and focus on your needs rather than the duty that you have to the
Lord?  (Read Mat. 6:25-29.)]



                     ATTITUDE AND GRATITUDE


v.9--doth he thank...not--Don't impose your culture and manners on
this story and conclude that the Bible is teaching rude behavior.
The point is that there was no obligation to express thanks for the
job the servant did.  He was simply fulfilling his responsibility.
He was the purchased possession of the master and had
responsibility to do whatever the master wanted.  There are two
attitudes that we can have concerning our relationship with the
Lord.  We can have the attitude of a creditor or that of a debtor.
If we have the attitude of a creditor we have the perspective that
"God owes me."  If we have the attitude of a debtor we have the
opinion that "I owe God."  The person with the creditor attitude is
continually wanting the Lord to "renegotiate his contract."  They
see themselves as an employee that performs a service and earns
payment for that service.  The person with the debtor attitude sees
himself as a servant who has no rights.  They have the duty to
serve the master.

v.10--so likewise...you say...we have done...our duty--What do we
expect from the Lord when we do what He has told us to do?  Do we
expect to hear Him say, "Atta boy!"  We should rather have the
attitude, "We are not worthy of any commendation for we have only
done what was expected of us."  When we have done all that the Lord
requires of us we must agree that we are His servants and we are
only doing our duty.  We have a number of attributes, but attitude
(a good one) may be the most important.  If a person is a hard
worker but has a lousy attitude we soon forget how hard he works
but remember his attitude.  One may be creative yet cancel the
benefits of his creativity because of a poor attitude.  It is
possible for Christians to be caring and sensitive but nullify the
those positive qualities with the wrong attitude.

     An attitude problem that Christians must guard against is that
of feeling that we are doing the Lord a favor when we work for Him.

It is the attitude that we expect some kind of reward for our
service--at least a word of "thanks."  But the Scripture says that
when a servant does what is required thanks are unnecessary.  As
servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have the duty to serve Him
100% every day--whether we are ever recognized for our service or
not.  We should give unselfishly of our time and our resources for
His service without feeling that we deserve a pat on the back from
Him.  What does the Lord expect of us?

      What is our duty toward Him?  We are responsible to:
Be good stewards.  Does that mean tithe?  What about my talents and
gifts?  Certainly these are included but good stewardship is much
more.  Faithful stewardship is not figuring out what is the minimum
that God will accept of our money or our time and talent.

     [ill--If you use a credit card you are used to reading two
different amounts on your statement.  One column will tell you the
total amount owed and another will tell you the minimum payment
they will accept.  You can pay either amount or anything in between
the two amounts.]

     [app--If the Lord issued statements, they would have the same
thing written in both columns--total owed and minimum payment
accepted would be the same.]

     Good stewardship includes our finances but is not limited to
our finances.  Good stewardship demands that if we have the ability
to teach, that we teach for the glory of God.  If we have the
ability to sing, that we sing for the glory of God....

     What was the limit of what the master could ask of his
servant?  There was no limit.  What is the limit of what Christ
might ask of us?  Again, there is no limit.  When we accept Him as
our Savior, He does not save part of us but He saves all of us.  He
does not ask for part of our time or our lives but for all that we
have and all that we are.  He does not save us in installments.  He
does not add some new life to the deadness that we experience
without Him.  Christ gives us new life in Him.

Be Faithful Witnesses.  A witness is one who can give eye witness
testimony about an event.  If we have received Christ as Savior we
can give an eye witness account of what happened in our life.  We
can tell how we received Christ as Savior, how life changed and
what life is like for us at the present.  That is a testimony.  As
servants of the Master, He expects us to be faithful witnesses for
Him.

     We could continue with a long list of what is expected of us
from the Lord.  But we can sum it up to say that we have a duty and
a debt to Him that we can never repay; He wants us to trust Him to
provide for our needs; and we should give to Him and serve Him with
the attitude of a servant.


CONC--Does someone owe a debt to you?  When we are owed a debt we
have a pretty good memory.  We want to collect.  In West Palm Beach
Fl, (Dallas Morning News, 6-21-89)  Tomontra Mangrum felt that she
was owed a debt by Marlon Shadd because he failed to take her to
the senior prom as he promised.  She felt so strongly about it that
she sued him in small claims court for $81.28 and won.  The boy
claimed he hurt his ankle and could not take her on the date.  The
girl said that she had spent money on new shoes and a new hairdo
and was due some restitution.

     What is your attitude toward the Lord?  Does He owe you
because of the faithful service you have rendered to Him?  Do you
feel that He should thank you for extra effort that you give for
His work?  Or do you see yourself as His servant?

     We have an obligation to Him that can never be met.  He paid
for our lives what we could not pay.  But when Christ gathered His
disciples around Him in the upper room just prior to His
crucifixion He repeated the responsibility that applies to His
followers but he changed the obligation from slavery to love.  John
15:12-16 says, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another,
as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are my friends, if ye do
whatsoever I command you.  Henceforth I call you not servants; for
the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you
friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made
known unto you.  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that]
your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in my name, he may give it you."

     The responsibility is the same but the obligation is changed
from slavery to love.  Why do we serve Him?  Not because we have to
but because He loves us and we love Him.  Have you received Him as
your Savior?  Do you know the joy that comes from being a servant
of the King of Kings?  Would you like to give yourself today in
complete surrender to Him?  As we sing the invitation hymn you make
public your decision for the Lord....



    Children's Sermon:  YOU CAN MAKE ME BUT I WON'T LIKE IT!

                          LUKE 17:7-10


 OBJECT:  Dish brush or a pot scraper.

PURPOSE:  Teach the importance of having the proper attitude.


     Can anyone tell me what this is?  (Hold up the dish brush.)
What do you do with it?  Do you like to wash dishes?   This morning
I want you to pretend that you do not like to wash dishes but you
have been told that you have to wash them before you can go outside
to play.  Show me what kind of face you would make....
     Have you ever seen someone pout because they had to do
something that they did not want to do?  Perhaps their folks tell
them to take out the trash but they don't want to?  They ask, "Why
do I have to take out the trash?  Why doesn't my brother have to do
it?  Maybe they say, "I'll do what you asked me to do but I won't
like it!"  That is not the way they should act is it?  Do you ever
pout?  Has there ever been a time when you were told to do
something but you didn't want to so you made faces and whined and
stomped out of the house?  When someone acts like that we would say
they have an attitude problem.

     We need to watch our attitudes.  When we obey our parents, we
should do so because we love them not because we are afraid that we
will get in trouble if we disobey.  When we do something in service
for the Lord we should watch our attitude as well.  What would you
think of someone who came to Sunday School but thought "I'll go
because God expects me to but I would rather be at home."  Or what
would you think about the person who gives their offering to the
Lord but thinks, "I wish I could keep that for myself!"

     Remember your attitude is important.  Whether we are doing
what our parents or our teachers expect us to do or if we are doing
what we know God wants us to do--attitudes are important.  Let's
bow our heads and ask God to help us have the right attitude.

     MILTON S. MAGNESS, 317 MEADOWGLEN, CEDAR HILL TX  75104
              ■ COPYRIGHT 1991; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED