What Do You Do With Failure?

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This morning we find ourselves at week 4 of our Is Your Life Balanced? sermon series. If you will recall week one we discussed repentance, week 2 we talked about living in the world not of the world, last week was Godly attitude and this morning we arrive at failure

What do you do with failure? As a Christian, a son or daughter of God it is important that you and I hand failure in a biblical manner

God has clear expectations and if we are to call ourselves balanced......remember balanced in terms of God is God first and foremost. A balanced Christian gives all that they have and all that they are to Jesus because Jesus gave all that He had and all that He was to us on the cross

24/7/365 lifestyle of commitment, surrender, sacrifice and obedience

That is a balanced Christian life......a life focused on IT salvation and discipleship

Sure you work

Sure you have a family

Sure you have hobbies

Sure you have ministries but those are all way down the list compared to Jesus

You do those things in and through Jesus with the goal of salvation and discipleship

If not you are out of balance as a Christian.

Modern Christians

Western Christians get caught up in keeping score

I did this many things for Jesus today or this week or month

I cannot possibly do anything else for God.......if He calls you to it you have a choice....make an excuse and reject Him and His calling or go

Now we will look at time and how to honor God with your time and service in the near future

This series is about perspective.......Is your perspective balanced according to God

Failure

How to you see failure

How do you respond to failure

What do you do with failure?

That is the question we will look at this morning

First perspective and understanding you must have when dealing with failure is

Romans 3:23

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“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

All have sinned

all have failed

as long as you are here on earth and Jesus is in heaven you will continue to sin

you will continue to fail

Stop trying to deny it and learn how to give it to God and handle it and overcome it in Jesus!!!!

You will fail

every day

multiple times a day

others will fail you

every day

multiple times a day

The question is not will you experience failure both as the one failing and the one being failed against but what do you do with failure

how do you handle it in a God honoring way

When you fail

When you fall

God expects you to get up

He will raise you up

He will give you strength to get up but you must get up

dont take my word for it

Proverbs 24:16

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“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: But the wicked shall fall into mischief.”

You will fail

i will fail

we will fail both ourselves and each other and those around us

We are not to stay down when we fall and fail however

So what in the world are we to do with failure

How are we to see failure in our lives

Have no fear God tells you

Philippians 4:4–13

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4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are shonest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

There is a lot going on here and I won’t even pretend to say we are going to touch it all this morning

What I want us to look at is what God brought to me as I was diving into His Word looking at failure

I believe this passage is a beautiful example of how to see and handle failure

This morning we are going to pull several truths and/or perspectives and lessons from this passage

As always if you do not have a note sheet please go get one at this time.....if we are out see me after and I will get you one printed

The first perspective in dealing with failure that I wants us to pull from Philippians deals with

Outward Circumstances vs 4

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Outward circumstances do not determine your joy nor do they define failure

Look no further than our text this morning

Paul is writing with joy and about joy from prison

I don’t know of too many people who count prison as a success.........most people count prison as a failure

they don’t put you in jail because you are doing things well or correct

they put you in jail when you break the law

Now, this is important as a time will come where my sermons will land me in jail and a time will come where truly witnessing and praying with and over someone will land you in jail.....that is success as you are standing on God’s Word not mans law

But for the most part prison = failure

Even if you are there, like Paul because of Jesus that outward circumstance of prison tends to hamper and harm most people and again most count it as failure

Think about the circumstances Paul was facing as he was writing

in prison

chained to a wall or another person

very little food

horrible conditions

again something most would look at as a failure but Paul rejoices

He writes

Philippians 4:4

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“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”

How many of us can honestly say that would be us

that we would rejoice in the Lord alway even in prison

Some of you have some outward circumstances that are causing you to feel like a failure

that are causing you pain

that are causing you to suffer

I am not belittling the feelings and emotions but I am telling you what God through Paul told you

Rejoice

Not rejoice in the pain and suffering but rejoice because you are right where you need to be and God is working in your life!

it is a mindset

it is a heart issue

Paul knew suffering

Paul was not in physical comfort in jail but he rejoiced

Why

How

Paul had a proper balance in life

Paul had a proper perspective

Paul knew Jesus and God intimately

James 1:2–4

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“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations

When you fail count it all joy not because of the failure....more than likely you have repenting and confessing and apologizing and amending to do as a result of the failure

No you count it joy because you know God and He will use that failure to bring Him glory and to grow you spiritually if you seek Him

Count it all joy

Failure produces patience

Patience produces maturity…being perfect and entire…wanting nothing

count it all joy

Perspective

are you focused on the failure or God?

Being able to rejoice in all things

being able to count it all joy

being able to see failure as something God will use to bring Him glory and grow you comes down to trust

Proverbs 3:5–8

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“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, And marrow to thy bones.”

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart

Die to self

give God complete control

That is really what God is telling you

This is what trust in the Lord with all thine heart truly means

lean not unto you own understanding

You don’t matter if you trust in the Lord with all thine heart

Regardless of how you arrived at failure

your sin

someone else’s sin

a fallen and broken world

temptation

trials

persecution

it doesnt matter when you trust God with all your heart you lean not on your understanding but His Truth!

He’s got you

Get out of the way and let Him have it

Some of you need to hear that again

it doesn’t matter when you trust God with all your heart you lean not on your understanding but His Truth

Stop trying to defend yourself

stop trying to explain yourself

stop trying to justify yourself

stop trying to keep score and seek revenge

stop expecting one thing of others......them to never fail you.......when you sent Jesus to the cross!

How you handle failure matters.......

if you are frustrated

if you are angry

if you get bent out of shape that is YOUR understanding not God

Lean on His understanding not yours

Failure doesn’t define you vs 6-7

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So many today in the world and unfortunately many Christians live enslaved to anxiety and fear

So many claim to be saved

claim to be a child of God

claim to be redeemed but are anxious about everything

that anxiousness is not from God my friends

Paul is very clear here

Be careful for nothing....in other words be anxious about nothing

let nothing cause you anxiety

so many today....even many here at CCC justify and defend their evil anxiety

Stop

Be anxious for nothing

As a Christian there is nothing that hsould make you anxious

nothing

not sin

not failure

not sickness

not death

nothing has the power to make you anxious as a Christian

Nothing!!!!!

The modern church has failed in so many areas but here is a major failure

accepting anxiety as normal

if you are anxious you lack trust

if you are anxious you lack faith

if you are anxious you lack Jesus!!!!!!

If you are offended....good…I pray that the Holy Spirit uses that offense to lead you to repentance

if you are anxious you are living of the world not in the world

Period

God said be careful for nothing!

Now does that mean you will never feel anxiety.....nope

does that mean you will never be tempted by anxiety.......nope

When anxiety comes you have a choice

trust God and turn away from the anxiety and to Him in prayer or allow that anxiety to take root in your heart and lead you to sin and misery

Pastor Josh I do that and anxiety still runs rampant

You lack trust

God never lies

He says be careful for nothing but in all things pray

You get this concept of giving it to God in prayer

Most don’t like to admit it but we do understand it

You do this with things and people all the time

Here is an example

If I have a prayer request....something that I need urgent, fervent prayer for there are a few people I reach out to and know they are praying

I am not anxious worrying if they are doing what they said they would do......no I know them and I know they are praying because they are prayer warriors....I trust them

i dont ask them and then sit around waiting anxiously for them to pray.......I know they are praying because I trust them

God says be careful for nothing but in everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God

pray dont be anxious

Now listen.....God may lead you to a doctor in response to your prayer to remove anxiety....sometimes you have a chemical imbalance.....some wires crossed that medicine can help....Seek God and then trust His guidance

Be careful for nothing

Trust destroys the power of failure

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Philippians 4:8–9

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“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

To develop trust you must have your evil, selfish, worldly mind renewed

how do you do that

how do you build trust in Jesus

you change what you think about

Here is the deal i guarantee you

there is now way to be anxious when you are thinking about things that are

true

honest

just

pure

lovely

good report

virtuous

praiseworthy

If you are thinking on these things you are thinking on God and He will drive that anxiety from you.......do you see it.....you must trust Him enough to obey!!!!!!

2 Corinthians 10:5

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Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

Take your thought life captive and make it obey Jesus

sin all sin starts as a thought

When you have temptation in your life

when you have an attack in your thoughts

when anxiety attacks you it begins in the mind

what you think about is what happens

think about anxiety......why is it so bad....because it consumes your thoughts.......take those thoughts captive and make them obey Jesus and see how fast that anxiety will run from you

Trust destroys the power of failure

Lets go further

Isaiah 41:10

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“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

God just told you to trust Him

Fear not....why fear not because God is bigger than whatever it is you are fearing!

God is with you......listen He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground and you are so special to Him that 1 He sent Jesus to die in your place and 2 God knows the number of hairs on your head......He is with you because He loves you He has you

Listen He will strengthen you

your strength and my strength will fail us

God’s never will fail He will help you

your help

my help comes from God

you and I will always come up short…God never comes up short

When anxiety comes

When failure comes instead of dwelling on the anxiety and failure dwell upon the Lord

Think about these things

Put your mind in the hands of Jesus and rest

Stand on God’s Word

You see what you do with failure comes down to your heart and who you truly trust

Failure means nothing to us as Christians because the world means nothing to us as Christians

we freely and quickly and completely forgive because we have been forgiven

we fear nothing because God has overcome everything

Nothing can pluck you from Gods hand so your failures don’t matter

repent of them

confess them

seek forgiveness for them

make restitution or amends for them and let them be as far as the east is from the west to you because that is what they are to God

Church you have a choice

You always have a choice

trust and obey

or

sin and fail

Who do you turn to

who do you believe

who do you trust when failure comes

God

or satan

those are the only two choice

Your fruits determine the answer

God created you to love Him

God created you to trust Him

God created you to put your full faith in Him

Do you?

What you do when failure comes clearly demonstrates you heart

Where are you this morning?