Luke #25: When Faith is Uncertain
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What and who you listen to will influence what you do.
A Power Failure
A Power Failure
37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.
38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.
39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.
40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.
43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples,
Disciples often fail to rely on our spiritual resources
Disciples often fail to rely on our spiritual resources
Down the mountain - from GREAT to UGH
While Jesus away - remaining disciples were unsure
Had been sent with power, but now unable to perform.
The Dad thought Jesus might be able to help…if you can help...
23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Later the disciples would ask why couldn’t we do this…
29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
They had failed to perform when needed… they didn’t have this guilt about it though, they wanted to learn and what they learned is that
Our discipleship fails when we do not rely upon heavenly resources.
Our abilities vs His power
Our abilities vs His power
Things are so bad I think we should pray...
I don’t know what to do… let me pray...
This didn’t end with Jesus
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,
19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength
20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Because of Jesus, we are powerful people… Say it with me… because of Jesus I have power
Imminent Betrayal
Imminent Betrayal
After Jesus healed the boy, the crowd was amazed at the miracle, but Jesus drew away with his disciples to tell them again what was to come.
44 “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”
45 But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
The people were amazed… they probably cheered when the boy stood up.
But don’t be confused Jesus said, things are not as they seem.
Wanted Jesus the KING… they got “Jesus the sacrifice”
Even tho the disciples didn’t fully understand it, they kept going
That’s what we do right...
Disciples often act without fully understanding
Disciples often act without fully understanding
They were willing to go ahead without understanding.
Sometimes we call it faith… but sometimes it’s foolishness. especially when his word tells us what we need to know, but we decide it couldn’t be like that really?
Our discipleship fails when we act without seeking to understand.
The reality is:
His ways are greater than our ways
His ways are greater than our ways
We don’t understand fully…
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
Our options are to move ahead in faith… Doing what he has called and equipped us to do, looking to see God’s leading - opening and closing doors or not move at all.
Which is the best thing to do? Sit and wait or get busy?
Even when we get to doing the things of God… it’s easy for our devotion to turn into ambition.
Self Centered Ambition
Self Centered Ambition
It sort of sneaks up on us. We start out wanting to be used by God and then before you know it, you want to be recognized for your service.
That’s where we see the disciples next...
46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.
47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him.
48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
It sounds ridiculous to us. Don’t the disciples get it… Jesus is the greatest everyone else doesn’t even register.
We serve to lift Him up, and as we get closer to Jesus, we lift ourselves up too.
But we tend to allow our part in ministry to elevate ourselves.
Disciples often elevate themselves
Disciples often elevate themselves
But that’s how it works out so often.
Let’s say you hang around today after church and after everyone leaves, you notice the bathrooms are a bit of a mess, so you clean them. As you do, you find yourself singing and praying. It’s great. You decide that it’s a great way to serve and no one notices...
Let me say that we have someone who does this now, so I’m not asking anyone to do this....
Anyway, after a while your way of serving that became an act of worship becomes something you love to do. Then the church one day decides they are going to pay someone to clean the bathrooms… your response… get mad because someone took away your ministry… who’s ministry?
The ministry has become about me.
Our discipleship fails when we elevate self.
Jesus saw this in his disciples which is why he taught them:
Surrender is the path to true greatness
Surrender is the path to true greatness
This was something we read just last week:
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
We know this… and we are learning this at the same time.
What makes your life great, what makes my life great is investing it in something that greater.
The greatest is the Kingdom
So for us, when we start to hear ourselves or someone we love start to talk as though life, ministry, vocation is about me… is to remind us that it’s about God… who we are called to surrender our lives to.
That's how we love one another.
Continuing Opposition
Continuing Opposition
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him;
53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.
54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”
55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them.
56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.
Defenders of truth
Disciples often judge others wrongly
Disciples often judge others wrongly
An “Against” church
Our discipleship fails when we withhold grace.
Unbelievers “Deserve” Grace
Unbelievers “Deserve” Grace
Grace is unmerited - unearned favor … how can anyone deserve it?
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.
48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.
49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous
50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
God says he will judge… do we believe that? Since I do, what do I need to be about doing? Loving people, telling them that God will judge our lives… but there is a way to be found acceptable… Jesus.
My job is to love people into accepting Jesus. Sometimes that Love will feel like judgement, but as a follower of Jesus we should be working hard to avoid that.
Our discipleship fails when we do not rely upon heavenly resources.
Our discipleship fails when we act without seeking to understand.
Our discipleship fails when we elevate self.
Our discipleship fails when we withhold grace.
What and who you listen to will influence what you do.
What and who you listen to will influence what you do.
Our discipleship fails when we fail to hear the voice of Jesus.
How do we do this?
“How long shall I stay with you and put up with you?” How long will we need Jesus? When will we get to the point that we no longer need Jesus? When will we get to the point where we can be faithful without him showing us, empowering us, teaching us?
Never.
WE need Jesus more today than we did yesterday.