|
Unworthy
Servants: The Joy of Doing Our Duty
Text: Luke 17:7–10
Opening: The
Sentence That Straightens the Soul
Jesus offers a picture that dismantles pride and builds
perseverance. A servant comes in from the field and then prepares
his master’s supper. When the work is done, no speech of
self-congratulation follows. The servant says, “We are unprofitable
servants. We have done what was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10). That
single sentence steadies motives, quiets comparison, and frees us to
keep going when applause is absent. It trains the heart to honor God
for who He is and to treat obedience as our reasonable service.
Understanding
the Parable
In the first-century household, a servant’s day often moved from
outdoor labor to indoor service. Duty flowed into duty. Jesus uses
that ordinary rhythm to shape the disciple’s outlook. The Master in
the story deserves full devotion; the servant finds his place by
embracing the next task. No bargaining, no ledger, no angle for
credit. The point is not harshness; the point is perspective: God is
worthy, and obedience answers His worth. This is how faith takes
shape in daily life.
Why
“Unprofitable”?
“We are unprofitable servants” does not mean useless or unwanted. It
means our service never places God in our debt. The debt that stood
against us because of sin could never be paid by human effort
(Romans 3:23; 6:23). Salvation is God’s gift (Ephesians 2:8–9). He
acted at immeasurable cost to provide forgiveness and hope. No task
list can settle that account. When we confess, “unprofitable,” we
tell the truth about the price of our redemption and the place we
gladly take before Him.
Duty in the
Hidden Places
The servant in Jesus’ picture finishes the fieldwork and then serves
at the table. Duty does not end when one task ends; duty greets the
next one. Much of Christian service works this way. Parents train
children when they are tired. Deacons complete the unglamorous
repair and then look for another need. Teachers prepare when few
notice. Elders watch for souls when the hour is late. The sentence
“We have done what was our duty to do” attracts no spotlight and
pleases the Master. This posture also acknowledges our place in
God’s redeeming work. By taking the next task for His sake, we honor
Him and give Him glory in the ordinary. We obey with sincere love,
fully embracing our duty. Love and duty travel together; quiet
faithfulness becomes worship, and the Master is pleased.
Romans 12:1
in Work Clothes
Romans 12:1 made visible—present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God; this is
your reasonable service. Taking the next task for His sake
gives Him glory in the everyday. We obey with sincere love and
embrace our duty. Love and duty belong together; steady faithfulness
becomes our joy, the Master is pleased, and we “grow in the grace
and knowledge of our Lord” (2 Peter 3:18).
Obedience
According to the Lord’s Pattern
Jesus ties entrance to the kingdom to submission: “He who does the
will of My Father” (Matthew 7:21). Scripture speaks the same way: He
is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews
5:9). The disciple treats every word from the Lord as load-bearing
and measures by the pattern God revealed (Colossians 3:17; 2 John
9). This guards us from two dangers:
-
Adding
burdens the Lord did not give.
Human traditions presented as law empty worship of substance
(Matthew 15:1–9; Mark 7:1–13; 1 Corinthians 4:6).
-
Subtracting commands the Lord did give.
Selective obedience builds on sand (Luke 6:46–49; Revelation
22:19).
What This
Confession Forms in Us
“We are unprofitable servants” cures pride and fuels perseverance.
It keeps us from counting hours or rehearsing sacrifices. It
protects speech from self-promotion and keeps the heart open to
further assignment. It creates readiness to forgive, to yield
preferences, to serve again. It stabilizes joy because the outcome
we seek is the Master’s pleasure, not man’s praise (Matthew 6:1–4).
Practices
of Profitable Faithfulness
-
Hear,
understand, and do (Luke 6:47–48;
James 1:22–25).
-
Start
where the Lord starts: believe,
repent, confess, and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins
(Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3–4; 1 Peter 3:21).
-
Continue in the Lord’s teaching—truthful
speech, reconciled relationships, purity, integrity, love for
enemies, quiet generosity, sincere prayer, trust in the Father
(Matthew 5–7).
-
Serve
without the scoreboard—do the
next right thing because it is right (Galatians 6:9–10).
-
Guard
the pattern—neither add to nor
take from the Lord’s word (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation
22:18–19).
-
Keep
eternity in view—the Master will
settle accounts, and humble obedience will stand (Romans
14:10–12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Conclusion:
The Happy Freedom of Duty
The servant’s confession does not crush joy; it clears space for it.
We belong to a worthy Master. He has spoken. We hear and do. The
field calls, then the kitchen, then another need. This is Romans
12:1 in motion. This is a life that honors God. When the day closes,
we can say with clean conscience, “We have done what was our duty to
do,” and rest in the Master’s smile.
Exhaustive
Sermon Outline
Text & Aim
Luke 17:7–10—learn the disciple’s posture: humble duty and steady
obedience.
Setting &
Image
First-century servant moves from field to table; duty follows duty;
the Master’s worth directs the day.
Key
Sentence
“We are unprofitable servants” — no claim on God, no leverage, no
ledger; only honest devotion.
Why
“Unprofitable”
Our service never pays the debt of sin; salvation is God’s gift
(Romans 3:23; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8–9).
Confession honors the cost of redemption and keeps pride from the
heart.
Duty in the
Hidden Places
Examples: parents, deacons, teachers, elders.
Ordinary obedience glorifies God; love and duty walk together.
Romans 12:1
Applied
Living sacrifice; reasonable service; daily tasks become offerings;
growth follows (2 Peter 3:18).
Obedience
by the Pattern
Matthew 7:21; Hebrews 5:9; Colossians 3:17; 2 John 9.
Two ditches: additions (Matthew 15; 1 Corinthians 4:6) and
subtractions (Luke 6:46; Revelation 22:19).
Practices
of Faithfulness
Hear/Do (James 1:22–25).
Respond to the gospel (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3–4; 1
Peter 3:21).
Live the Sermon on the Mount.
Serve without scoreboard (Galatians 6:9–10).
Guard the pattern (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18–19).
Keep judgment in view (Romans 14:10–12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Appeal
Embrace the joy of duty; take the next task; confess Christ; obey
the gospel; continue steadfastly.
Call to
Action
Take this sentence into your week: “We have done what was our duty
to do.” Put it to work at home, at your job, and in the
congregation. If you have delayed obedience to the gospel, delay
ends today—believe Jesus, repent of sin, confess His name, and be
baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16). If
you have grown weary, renew your service as a living sacrifice
(Romans 12:1). The Master is worthy, and His people are ready.
Scripture
Reference List (with brief notes)
Luke 17:7–10 —
Core parable; the servant’s posture of humble duty.
Romans 3:23; 6:23
— Sin’s universality and wage; why we cannot place God in our debt.
Ephesians 2:8–9 —
Salvation as gift; eliminates boasting.
Romans 12:1 —
Reasonable service; daily obedience as sacrifice.
2 Peter 3:18 —
Growth in grace and knowledge; steady progress.
Matthew 7:21 —
Entrance tied to doing the Father’s will.
Hebrews 5:9 —
Salvation described for those who obey Christ.
Colossians 3:17 —
Do all in the name of the Lord; the pattern principle.
2 John 9 —
Abiding in the doctrine of Christ.
Matthew 15:1–9; Mark
7:1–13 — Traditions that displace God’s word.
1 Corinthians 4:6
— Do not go beyond what is written.
Deuteronomy 4:2;
Revelation 22:18–19 — Neither add to nor take from God’s
word.
Luke 6:46–49 —
Hearing without doing collapses; hearing with doing stands.
James 1:22–25 —
Doers, not hearers only.
Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38;
22:16; Romans 6:3–4; 1 Peter 3:21 — The appointed response
to the gospel: faith, repentance, confession, baptism.
Galatians 6:9–10
— Do good without losing heart.
Romans 14:10–12; 2
Corinthians 5:10 — Personal accountability before God.
Prepared by David Hersey of the church of Christ at
Granby, MO |
The
church of Christ
