Far from Perfect Followers

Trent Cornwell

Vision Baptist Church

Book of Luke • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

Luke 9:37–56

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Every Sunday is Vision Sunday - when the vision is living lives in obedience to God’s Word so we are the church this community and world so desperately needs

Next Sunday is Orange Sunday (offering, lunch, workshops in evening)

3 Weeks our from Wellness Weekend (Saturday session w/ a free lunch)

Introduction

Today we will come to the end of the Galilean ministry.

Overshadowing this passage is Luke 9:22, now echoed in Luke 9:44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

We are really blessed to watch these followers of Jesus respond.

I give you this lesson in a controlled environment (cold in the summers and cold in the winters)

They were standing in the road. They were responding in real time.

They like us were far from perfect followers.

Almost feel the need to apologize to them for how much I enjoyed and was helped by seeing how far from perfect they were. Because I am somewhat of a mess.

Before God calls us to lead anything or anyone we are called to be followers.

We often use the word follower as if it is a negative word.

Representatives that have much to learn

Remember their new God, given positions

Luke 9:1–2 (KJV 1900)

1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

As with the disciples we have a great responsibility in life

2 Corinthians 5:20 (KJV 1900)

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Our life should reflect the citizenship of another world.

1 Peter 2:11 (KJV 1900)

11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

We will see the disciples as the far from perfect followers the are in this text.

Luke Historical and Cultural Background

■ Jesus succeeds in exorcism where his disciples have failed.

■ The disciples do not yet understand Jesus’s messianic mission.

■ They need to learn that human ideas of greatness do not belong in the kingdom of God.

■ The boundaries of God’s work and grace are wider than the disciples suppose.

■ Jesus now leaves Galilee and takes the road to Jerusalem.

■ He rebukes the disciples’ desire to retaliate.

Luke 9:37–56 (KJV 1900)

37 And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.

38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.

39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.

40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

42 And as he was yet a 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.

43 And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,

44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

45 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.

46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.

47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,

48 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.

49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.

50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

Lack of Faith

How helpless they are without Jesus becomes very clear.

Luke 9:40 (KJV 1900)

40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

Down the hill to the normal, messy life.

Luke 9:37 (KJV 1900)

37 And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.

Luke leads you right from the Mount of Transfiguration right back down into the trouble of every day life.

This was a problem or power or resources but of trust.

They were not believing His Word

Luke 9:35 (KJV 1900)

35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

You and I can point our fingers to the disciples and say, “Well, you know Jesus did give you authority over all demons. Why didn't you believe Him?

Matthew 17:19–21 (KJV 1900)

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

False Understanding: Word of Faith movement. If the sick had enough faith they would be healed.

We are told that God works all things together for good.

We know His Word will not return void.

Our lack of believing our Word shapes our lives as well.

It is easier to hear and obey the Word on the mountain. It is in real time on the street that is becomes so difficult.

Lack of spiritual discernment

It was not a problem of intellectual comprehension but a problem in a radical shift to their worldview

Luke 9:44–45 (KJV 1900)

44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

45 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.

Bigger than not believing they had power over demons is their problem of not believing that Jesus has power over death.

Discernment doesn’t just come with proximity.

Self-Centered Attitudes

Luke 9:46 (KJV 1900)

46 Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.

We love talk about this in America

Sports

It was the twenty-fifth of February, 1964, a twenty-two year old boxer had just defeated the world heavyweight champion and a microphone was thrust into his face as he left the ring. And he declared, “I am the greatest! I am the greatest thing that ever lived! I've just turned twenty-two years old and I've upset the heavyweight champion of the world! I must be the greatest! I've showed the world! I've shook up the world! I'm the king of the world! Listen to me, I'm the greatest! I can't be beat!” His name then was Cassius Clay.

In our our lives

Best selling book called The Secret by Rhonda Burns ““The earth turns on its orbit for you. The oceans ebb and flow for you. The birds sing for you. The sun rises and sets for you. The stars come out for you. Every beautiful thing you see, every wondrous thing you experience, is all there for you. Take a look around. None of it can exist without you. No matter who you thought you were, now you know the truth of who you really are. You are the master of the universe. You are the heir to the kingdom. You are the perfection of life.” And now you know the secret.” I think that maybe even Muhammad Ali would blush at that.

Territorial

John’s instinct was to protect the distinctiveness of the Jesus “brand,” but this too was a worldly motivation, defending the group’s own interests.

Luke 9:49 (KJV 1900)

49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.

Compare Moses’s similarly generous reaction to “unauthorized” prophecy in Numbers 11:26–29 26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. 27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. 29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!+

a disease that plagues ministry is the belief that we are indispensable, that only we can perform it. But ministry is not a franchise with an exclusive license.

Resisted Jesus on His mission

Luke 9:51 (KJV 1900)

51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

Peter had tried to stop Him

Luke 4:8 (KJV 1900)

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Driven by emotion that are not tethered to truth

Luke 9:53–55 (KJV 1900)

53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

Jesus’ mission in the incarnation was not to call down fire upon sinners to consume them, His mission in the incarnation was to be consumed by God's fire in the place of sinners.

Jesus gives them a nickname Mark 3:17 “And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:”

As we see, being a follower of Jesus is no guarantee of spiritual maturity.

Disciples will grow as they obediently follow God.

People are ignorant of what it means to follow Christ

1 Corinthians 6:9 (KJV 1900)

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

Daniel Coopers testimony after David shared this verse

Believers can be immature

Danger of unkind, perfectionism

Colossians 3:13 (KJV 1900)

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Dangers of carelessness about sin

Hebrews 12:14 (KJV 1900)

14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

We are to be patient with one another.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 (KJV 1900)

14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Easy to quickly judge one another for silly things like church chairs (Babylon Bee)

Hard wooden pews - Generally speaking, the harder the pew, the stronger the theology. So this church is either really strong theologically or else Catholic.

Firmly cushioned pews - You're probably at an old fundamental Baptist church, especially if the pews are the classic avocado color that was so popular 50 years ago. Your church's theology is strong and unchanging, just like the Bible.

Modern interlocking chairs - This is where we start to get to some bad theology. The chairs interlock with one another much like this church interlocks with the sinful ways of the world. Tell your pastor you want to go back to pews. Return to the old paths!

Folding chairs - You're likely at a church plant held at an elementary school. Probably OK theology but watch out because they'll immediately recruit you to help with the children's ministry.

Stumps in the woods - Oh no! You're not at church -- you're part of an ancient druidic cult! RUUUUUN!!!

Movie theatre seating - Soft, reclining chairs to match the soft, malleable theology of your celebrity pastor. Not good!

Not a chair in sight - If they've cleared the chairs away, be careful. You're at a Pentecostal revival night. Get ready to dodge people rolling around the floor like steamrollers. And watch out for the snakes - why'd it have to be snakes? (You could also be at a Russian Orthodox church -- the way to tell the difference is to look out for the smell of borscht.)

Golden thrones - You're on TBN.

Your couch at home - Oh no! You're not at church -- you're just watching a preacher online. Go to church, you heathen!

What does it mean to mature?

Philippians 3:15–16 (KJV 1900)

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

Perfect means whole

1 Corinthians 13:9–11 (KJV 1900)

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Contrast between a man and a child

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Think as an adult as opposed to a child

Not children

Not inexperienced in the Christian life

Our faculties of discernment have grown up

Disciples will grow in the area of discernment

In Hebrews everything they had been taught and believed was under attack and people were confused.

False teachers claimed that Jesus was an angelic being rather God; the Creator of the universe (Hebrews 1–2).

Some questioned Jesus truly was a greater prophet than Moses (3:1–6).

Some were tempted to give up, disillusioned by continual opposition and persecution, and needed reminding that the Hebrews of Moses’s day had forfeited the Promised Land by giving up (3:7–4:13).

Some were tempted to go back to life under the law. (4:14–10:18).

Some had lost sight of the fact that God had always only been pleased when his people followed him by faith (10:19–12:2).

Hebrews 5:14 (KJV 1900)

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The pathway to maturity and to solid biblical food is not first becoming an intelligent person, but becoming an obedient person.

We are prone to think that education is the key to maturity. (Sidenote: Means we should be meeting together for many reasons not just Bible study)

Want to understand and fully appreciate the passage you are reading? Then obey the ones you have already read and understood.

Biblically speaking, to hear is not just to listen but also to understand and obey.

Our heads learn faster than our hearts, and that is dangerous.

We can be very biblically knowledgeable but spiritually immature.

Disciples will grow in their faith

They will just come out and ask for it soon

Luke 17:5 (KJV 1900)

5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

How does Jesus answer.

God himself and not the quantity of our faith is the decisive factor in removing trees or anything else

Luke 17:6 (KJV 1900)

6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

2. Know even when you do all you can you still are completely dependent on Him and a debtor to His grace

Luke 17:7–10 (KJV 1900)

7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?

8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

The owner of a slave does not become a debtor to the slave no matter how much work the slave does.

No matter what we do we remain debtors to His abundant grace.

They will grow in their understanding of greatness

“Ambition in this life for greatness in this life will end up stealing your life.”

Mark 9:33–37 (KJV 1900)

33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

They knew they shouldn’t be talking about it.

Jesus came in a manger to die on a cross. What more do we need to know.

True greatness isn’t the kind that appears in bold letters on your favorite website or newspaper. No, it shows up in the details of other people’s lives.

Sons of Thunder mature through the years

Sons of Thunder mature through the years Luke 9:54 “54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?”

James was the first apostle to be martyred.

John became known as the apostle of love. He was the author of the Gospel of John as well as the epistles of 1, 2, and 3 John.

God made James and John into different people than they were before—and He can do the same for us.

These disciples have many things to learn and even more to obey. So do we?

With age comes wisdom. But sometimes age comes alone.

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