Luke 9:37-50, "Failures in Ministry"

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to the Nov. 1 sermon from Clifford Baptist Church, 6:35 Fletcher's Level Road in Amherst. Today's scripture is Luke, chapter 9, verses 37 through 50. And the sermon is entitled Failures in Ministry, delivered today by Pastor Jeffrey Campbell. [00:00:15] Speaker B: Thank you for being here today. Grab your Bibles. Luke, chapter nine. I look back this week and when we began this study in Luke, and we have been going through Luke on and off for about a year now, we've only made it through nine chapters. Here's what I want to tell you. We've. Before Christmas, we will finish chapter 10, okay. And then we're gonna take a little break for Christmas. Okay? So hold on. We're gonna get through 10 chapters before Christmas. I'm thankful today. And I'm gonna ask you a question that's gonna kind of set where we are going today. When was the last time you failed in ministry? I'm not asking you when's the last time you failed a test or when you failed at home. I'm asking when you were serving Jesus, when's the last time you failed? Now, I don't want to tell all my business while I'm up here today, but my personal opinion is this. If you haven't failed, you probably have not been in ministry very long. Because ministry and serving the Lord has its failures. But what I want you to understand today, that even though we fail, failure does not have to be final. Failures are lessons that God gives us to continue to teach us and to lead us as we serve Him. Now, when we think of failures in the church, maybe in your mind, you have those big failures, those big moral failures that we see. Maybe you think of a pastor that has fallen, and maybe you understand that moral failure is a major failure in the church. Maybe people have misused finances. That is a major failure in ministry. But most of the time when we talk about failures in ministry, they're not major failures. They are are challenges in everyday ministry. And they seem like they get the upper hand. And so today, as we read scripture together, I want you to understand in the back of your mind, these are some failures by the disciples. But ultimately they are lessons that Jesus is trying to teach them, that they can grow through failure, that their faith may increase in the Lord. I know as we finished last week, we talked about the transfiguration of the Lord, and he has his attention on the cross. And I want you to understand this, that every time there's a mountaintop experience, we eventually have to come down off of that mountain and there are services. Maybe you had them? I've had them as I've preached and been a part of. They are very good services. And then you've got to go back to work on Monday after a good Sunday worshiping the Lord. Where's ministry happen? Ministry from God to us definitely happens on the mountaintop. But ministry through us happens many times when we're off of that mountain. So today as we open Scripture, Jesus, three of his disciples have come down off of that mountain. And guess what? They've got to get to work. Ministry awaits. Let's see what awaits them as they come down off of that mountain. Look in verses 30, starting with verse 37 through 43 of Luke chapter number nine. And it came to pass that on the next day when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. And behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, master, I beseech thee, look upon my son, for he is mine only child. And lo, a spirit taketh him. And he suddenly crieth out and teareth him, that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not. And Jesus answering said, o faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you bring thy son hither. And as he was yet coming, the devil threw him down and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the child and delivered him again to his father. The beginning of verse number 43. And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. Point number one today that we see in the failures of ministry or the lessons of ministry is probably the most important one, or the one that I see most often, is a lack of faith. A lack of faith. Luke tells us that the very next day they come off of that mountain after experiencing God's glory, they are right back dealing with people. Now, I don't want you to answer this question out loud with a facial expression or with a hand expression. You just sit there. Sit on your hands. Okay? How many of you are people? People. Just think about that. And how many of you don't like people? Well, let me tell you something. A big part of ministry is ministering to people. And deep down in my heart, I think that you cannot be a good pastor if you can't deal with people. And some of us sitting here today say, I don't really like people. Well, there are times I really don't like people either. But you gotta put the preacher, you gotta put the ministry Pants on and go be with people. Listen as they come off the mountain. I Love verse number 37, much people. There were many people that were waiting for Jesus. He could not get a break from ministry. And so Jesus and his disciples are leaving this mountaintop experience where they have seen the glory of God. They have talked about what Jesus plan was. And the disciples have been a witness to that. And now a man approaches Jesus and simply says this. Can you look at my son, my one and only son, my begotten son? Jesus can relate to that. And as you look at my son, there's something going on in his life. He is controlled by a spirit, a demon. Sometimes that demon just has control over his body. I want to say this ministry involves people. But many times when we think about ministry and things are going really good, good things of God are often followed by opposition of Satan, of the enemy. And so when things are going good, you better hold on. Cause Satan is ready to turn your world upside down in just a jiffy. And so what we see from scripture, coming down from the mountain, you've got to deal with people and you also have to deal with Satan. Maybe you have worked hard and you prayed for a job and you got that job and you put in the time and you've learned it and you're ready and you got extended an offer. You accept the job, you get the job that you've always wanted, that you worked hard for, that you prayed for. And guess what? Those people you work with and that boss you work for, you're ready to quit. Hold on. Just because you're met by opposition doesn't mean that it's not God's will. Maybe you have a family member you've prayed for. You've longed for them to sit beside you in church. And guess what? They show up. And then somebody makes some comment that runs them away and they don't come back. Have you ever experienced that? I have, man. That's opposition. Maybe you make a commitment to the Lord at the altar on a Sunday morning. And Monday rolls around and guess what? Work hits you in the face and we're met by opposition. You see, where the Lord is at work, the enemy lingers. And as the enemy is lingering, this father describes what we would consider an epileptic seizure. Epileptic seizure. Excuse me. He cries out, he convulses, he foams at the mouth. This spirit torments him relentlessly all the time. And in desperation, a father brings his son to Jesus. You would do the same thing. Why? Why? Why do they bring him to Jesus. Well, here's the answer to that question. Because he's already asked the disciples and they couldn't do it. If you read in verse number 40, he says, I besought thy disciples to cast him out. And they could not. And so this father is waiting, longing, can't wait to see Jesus and ask Jesus to take care of his only son. You know what frustrates me? If you turn back over or turn back over a page in my Bible, it may be the same page. Look at Luke, chapter nine, verse number one. Then he called his 12 disciples together and gave them power and authority over all devils and cure diseases. The devil, excuse me. The disciples had the ability to help this man out. And in frustration listen to Jesus words in verse number 41. O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you bring thy son hither. As Jesus had given the disciples power and authority over the devils and all diseases. They could not do it because of their lack of faith. I hope you see the disappointment. I hope you hear the disappointment and the irritation and the frustration of Jesus because of the disciples lack of faith. Now I believe verse number 41 was a general statement, a faithless and perverse generation. But I also think it was very particular to the disciples that they should have been able to take care of this. Because here's what he says. How long will I be with you? I'm not going to be with you much longer. You're going to have to take care of these things. But what is the issue here? What is the failure in ministry by these disciples as Jesus rebukes the devil and heals the young boy? We're told that all were amazed at the power of God. Peter and James and John are part of those that were amazed at what God was doing. They had the mountaintop moment, but now they're still amazed at what God is doing. Let me ask you a question. When we think about the failure here, the lack of faith from the disciples, I want to tell you this. Hebrews 11, chapter 6 says this. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Without faith it's impossible. Mark's account says this could not be done except by prayer and fasting. And here's what I want you to know. The faithful depend on God. It's not that we can do it in our own strength. It's that we look to God to help us, to give us what we need in these situations. And so the disciples, their lack of faith, they failed to pray, they failed to seek God's. Help and what they needed to do in this moment. And so as we look at this first failure, I want you to understand that God wants to work through you today. If you are his child, God wants to work through you, no questions asked. And as we do ministry, we're going to have to deal with people. And as we do ministry, you're gonna have to deal with the enemy. You're gonna have to deal with Satan himself. But faith trusts and looks to Jesus no matter what stands in your way. And so church, here's a warning. We need to look to Jesus. We need to be faithful as we serve him day by day. There's a second failure. Look at verses 43 through 45. And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered everyone at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, let these things sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them that they perceived it not. And they feared to ask him of that saying. The second failure is selective hearing. Ladies, take that elbow right now and just chunk that man sitting beside you. Okay? Guys get a bad rap for selective hearing, right? People are amazed what Jesus is doing. Jesus has a direct message for his disciples. And he says this. You need to listen closely to the words that I'm telling you right now. You need to listen closely to what I am saying. The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. Can I tell you this? That was Jesus mission. That's the sole reason he came to earth. He came to heal. He came to do great things. He came to reveal his glory. But ultimately, Jesus came to die on a cross for the sin of the world. And as he conveys that mission, he doesn't want his disciples to miss the mission. And we can be guilty of sitting in church all of our life and missing the mission because we have selective hearing. We hear what we want to hear earlier a couple verses back in verse number 22 of chapter 9. If you want to look there, you can. Jesus already has told them that the Son of Man is going to suffer many things, be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain and raised on the third day. He's told them one time that I'm going to die. But this second time, he needs them to understand that his life will be laid down. You need to hear this. Listen to Jesus words. Let these sayings sink down in your ears. Has your parent Ever grabbed you and made you look them in the eye and maybe held you by the cheeks to make sure you were looking at them, to make sure you heard what they were saying. You didn't have the same mama I did, I guess, huh? When Mama wanted me to hear something, she made sure she had my undivided attention. Now I think when I go home, Terry might start doing that. So y' all better pray for me. Let me ask you a question. What does God have to do in your life to get you to understand? For some of us, God has to shake up our world before we will listen. But here, here Jesus is telling his disciples, you need to understand what my mission is. There've been times in school or on the job or learning a trade and even in ministry, and I stand before you and before God today to say this. I fully didn't understand what I should be doing. And instead of opening my mouth and asking a question, I thought I would look like a fool. And so I just remained quiet. And you know what I learned remaining quiet? I still look like a fool eventually, because I really didn't know what I was doing. Listen, there are times where you may have questions and you don't understand. And maybe your mind is telling you, just keep quiet. Keep your mouth shut. The disciples wanted to ask Jesus a question here. But look at verse 45. It says this. They understood not the saying it was hid from them, that they perceived it not. And they feared to ask him of that saying. They feared fear stood in their way of asking Jesus, what in the world does this mean? Today, what I call selective hearing results in failure in ministry. These disciples would continue to struggle with who Jesus truly is, what his mission was for the rest of his time on earth. And they could have asked him here to explain it, and they didn't. You and I have the privilege to look at God's Word freely, to study it anytime we want to. We can know God. We can learn about God. We can see God through his Word. We can live out God's Word with our lives. But many Christians don't even read God's Word. You know why? Number one reason why people don't read God's Word? Cause they don't understand it. I don't understand it. And so for the rest of my life, because I don't understand, I'm not gonna read it. Well, I wanna say this one day when I stand before God and have to give an account for my life. And so, friends, we cannot have selective hearing when it comes to God's word. Maybe today, maybe at this moment, some of you are trying to work out, or God's trying to work in your life and you're tuning that out. You know, without a shadow of a doubt the Holy Spirit wants you to do something and you're saying, no, no, no, no, no, not yet. Or maybe you're saying, it's not time. Listen, if you are trying to squelch what God is doing in your life, that's selective hearing. If you think you can offer a better time or a better moment or a better opportunity than what God is currently trying to give you, then you're trying to be God. So when we say God, not now, you're trying to tell God, I know better than you. And so today, some of you in this room need to surrender your life to him as Savior and you've let the enemy win and say, not now, not today. Later on, when I get it all together and you're bowing to the enemy instead of to God. And so today, selective hearing, doing what God has asked you to do will cause failure in ministry. I want to charge you today that we need to listen and to obey God's word, but we also need to listen and obey to what the Holy Spirit is leading as the children of God. Now note, and I'm not going to skip over this, in verse number 45, you see that it says they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them that they perceived it not. Does God have control of giving us information a little bit at a time? I think absolutely he does. And when he seen the disciples lack of faith, he withheld that information. He withheld his plan. Some of us are not getting the full blessing of God because we're not obediently following him in faith. And sometimes God only gives you certain things as you faithfully follow. And so today, selective hearing, when it comes to God, be in tune with what the Lord is trying to teach you and how he's trying to lead you. There is a third failure. Look at verses 46 through 48. Then arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest? And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child and set him by him and said unto them, whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me. And whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me. For he that is least among you, all the same shall be great. The third failure today that we see is the absence of humility. We are shown just a brief picture of the disciples trying to have a Discussion amongst themselves of who is the greatest. Can you imagine what that discussion looks like? I want to say this. I personally don't believe it is wrong to try to be good at something or even great at something. But the desire here is not to be good. It is to be the greatest in the kingdom of God. I desire to be good as a pastor. I desire to be a good husband. I desire to be a good dad. And I know that there's no good bone within me outside of Jesus Christ. I understand. I could not do any of that apart from the Lord. I long. I long to hear the words, well done, thy good and faithful servant. So I don't think it's wrong that we try to give our best, recognizing that we need the Lord to help and to interject in so many ways in order for those things to happen. But the desire to be the best in the kingdom, that's like me standing here today to tell you that I'm the best pastor that ever walked this earth. Y' all go ahead and laugh at that. It's okay. That's far from the truth. And that's not something that I'm even trying to attain. Can you imagine the discussion as these disciples are going back and forth internally fighting the internal jealousy, the internal struggle that that brings this iron who is going to be the greatest in God's kingdom? And Jesus, knowing what they're talking about, brings a child and sets it before them. And he says, whoever receives this child in my name receives me. And whoever receives me receives him who sent me. We are to be children, childlike in our faith, trusting God as a father. We need to trust our Heavenly Father at His word. How many of you know that you could trust your parents at their word, and just like a father or mother, you trust them. We are to be childlike, to trust our Heavenly Father and His Word. We are to trust his leading in our life. There are questions, abound God, what does this look like? How am I going to do this? When I left B and W and came to ministry, I had hundreds of questions, and I still have many. But you got to trust his leading in your life. You got to trust the good things that God has for you in his word. And you also have to trust the things that God said that aren't good for you in his word. As a child, we need to trust Jesus with everything within ourselves. And the absence of humility is telling God, I know better than you. I can't depend on you. I can't trust you. I can't have faith that you will take care of me if I go my own direction today. Failure in ministry is when we go our own way. Go a way that's different from where the Lord has you. A way that desires to be great in our own minds or in our own world and. And leaves the Lord out. Here's some other failures in ministry. When people desire credit, when people want the platform, when we refuse to apologize, when we get jealous for others, when we need to be in control, when correction is not taken. And here's the barn burner for me. If you're talking to somebody and you hear I and me more than anything in that conversation, you better watch out. Because it's about you and not about lifting others up and lifting the Lord up. Today, can we be more humble? I'll be the first to raise my hand. Say, lord, let it start with me. There's one more failure in scripture today. We see it in verses 49 through 50. John answered and said, master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name. And we forbade him because he followed not with us. And Jesus said unto him, forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us. The fourth failure that I want to bring before you today is competition. Notice what John says. What did John see somebody else doing casting out devils in your name? What should they have been doing as disciples? Casting that devil out of that little boy. That's what they should have been doing. But they look down the road and they see somebody else casting out devils or demons in Jesus name. And John says, this. Make them stop. And what does Jesus say? Jesus words are, he who is not against us is for us. We try to turn that around our world. And we try to make that statement say, he who is not for us is against us. That's not what Jesus says. Jesus says, if they're not against you, they're for you. They're on the same team. I want us to, in this moment, look at Clifford Baptist Church. I've been here now 20 years of my life, serving in some way. Some of you been here a lot longer, have given a lot more. God bless you. But when we began to look at other churches. Listen to me, even other denominations. Competition. Shame on us. When we make everyone else to be the enemy. Shame on us. Listen. The primary mission of a church of Christians that come together should be the gospel of Jesus Christ. Learning more, becoming more Christlike, discipling one another, growing together as the people of God. And then taking that message to the world. That's the job of the church and the primary issue is the gospel of Jesus Christ. But what happens is when somebody does it a little bit different than us, we begin to criticize their way or their thinking. Now, listen, I know other denominations have their issues, and I want to say this. Baptists have their issues as well. But as a church, we're not in competition with any other church or any other body of believers, we whatsoever. We are not called to build the kingdom at Clifford. We're called to build the kingdom of God. And so how do we do that? If another denomination is doing the Lord's work, I don't have time to worry about what they're doing. I got my hand full of what I'm trying to do, what I'm trying to lead Clifford to do. They may do it a little different. There may be churches that are more charismatic than us. Well, if they want to get a little happy worshiping Jesus, let them get a little happy. There are more churches that are reserved. If they want to be reserved, God bless them. But here's what I want you to see. We cannot compare attendance and programs and buildings to say, okay, we're doing God's work. You know the number one question I get asked as your pastor? How many people y' all got coming out there? Now, you know what I tell them? It don't matter if 100 people faithfully follow Jesus at Clifford Baptist Church. God bless Clifford Baptist Church today when we understand that other churches, other denominations, other Christians, if they're not against us, they're on the same team. And so when Johnny Eagle goes to Amherst Baptist Church, I jump with joy because God's kingdom is being built. God bless us. God bless us. But here's also where I am convicted. You may not think exactly like I think on the second and third tier issues. Listen to me. That's okay. That's okay. I made an announcement this morning that might have ruffled some of your feathers about a gambling place in the county. You may not agree with me. I believe where I stand. We can still worship together. Don't leave the church. Cause you don't agree with me. And here's what I'm gonna tell you. I'm not gonna leave you because we disagree either. Those second and third tier issues don't make a hill of beans when you stand before God. If you want to play contemporary music, by all means to God be the glory. If you want to sing from your hymnal, listen to me. To God be the glory. If you want to jump around and be charismatic, so long, God's getting the glory. I'm okay with that. If you want to use a different translation, to God be the glory, we're not going to argue about those things. But now if you look at me and say, you're not preaching the word of God, now you're against me. These aren't fighting fists. Okay? Just so you know. Listen, church in America, we've tried to become bigger and better than any other place. And I want to say from this pulpit, I'm just trying to be a better Christian. I'm just trying to be a better leader. And we're not in competition with one another. As we close today, what are these lessons? What do these failures teach us? Listen, don't pack up yet because don't you dare tune out the Holy Spirit right now. Here's what I'm praying for. I'm praying for people to come to the altar, because right now I know in this room there are people whose faith is lacking. And because your faith is lacking, God can't do what he needs to do in your life. I know this morning, as we think about selective hearing, God is gently knocking on somebody's heart, calling you to do something, go somewhere, make a visit. Surrender your life to ministry, and you are saying, God, not now. The easiest, the best thing that you can do is come and bow before a holy God and say, God, I hear you, and here I am. Maybe today somebody needs to be humble. It's not about being the best, knowing it all, having it all memorized. It's about God getting the glory. Today. If you're sitting here and say, I'm better than somebody else, you really need the Lord to work in your heart and your life. I searched the Bible this week, and here's what I've found. Over and over and over, men and women have failed God. But here's the one thing I found from Deuteronomy 31, verse number eight, it says, the Lord will not fail or forsake you. No matter how many times we fail God, he has never failed us. And so today, maybe you need to come in this moment of invitation and simply say, lord, yes, I have failed you. But I bow in a moment of repentance and say, God, it has been me, not you. And I'm turning back to you with my life. Maybe today you need to come because you need Jesus as your your Savior. Don't fail to see Jesus for who he truly is. Don't fail to surrender your life today to serving for the rest of your life. Today, somebody might need a Savior in this room, don't you dare say, lord, I'll wait. I'll wait. I'll wait. You may never get that second chance today. If you need Jesus as your savior, you come today, bow before him, admitting that you're a sinner, that turning to him in faith and follow him with your life, he will save you. Today, Church, can we look inside and say, God, help me to learn these lessons? Don't start with somebody else. Let it begin with me. Let's pray, Father. Today we give you these most important moments of invitation. God, I pray all over this room, Lord, that your Holy Spirit is doing a work that we understand, that we recognize that without you, we are nothing. So, Lord, we need you. We need you to open our eyes physically. We need you to open the eyes of our heart. That we see you for who you truly are, Lord, for the one that needs you as Savior. God, I pray that you open the eyes of that one. That they will see their sin. They will see Jesus going to a cross, dying for that sin, being buried in a tomb, taking death, rising on the third day to give life and a future to those that will believe in a resurrected Savior. Lord, for the Christians in the room, may we not miss this opportunity to bow a knee before a holy God. Say, God, start with me, start in my heart, fix my failures, that you may get the glory from my life. Lord, we give you these moments of invitation and we pray you lead in Jesus. [00:39:10] Speaker C: Clifford Baptist Church invites you to join us for worship every Sunday morning at 11am for more information about our church, please call our church office at 434-946-0555.