Today, on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. The reality is, if we're honest, that all of us who follow Jesus Christ, However, sincere our intentions are, isn't it true that there are times. I've doubts. Times of failure, times of frustration. Yes.
Times of defeat. I've called this message failure and Faith. Welcome to The Verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe, senior pastor of Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Sometimes in our spiritual journey, our faith can be shaken.
So when our faith falters and we become discouraged, what should we do? Today we're walking the path from failure to faith. as we continue in the Gospel of Matthew. To get us started, here's Pastor John Monroe. Today, we find the disciples at the bottom of the mountain.
That's a tough place to be. Peter, James, and John have experienced something of the glory of the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration, but now life is very different. Isn't this true to life?
sometimes we're on the mountain top, and then the next day we're in the valley. Last time, we learned that those who follow Jesus encounter spiritual opposition. And although we may have had spiritual successes in the past, That's no guarantee for future victory. But we are discovering That these times of testing are an opportunity for us to grow in our faith. As always, keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus.
Don't allow the devil to throw you into doubt and despair. If you have your Bible. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 17. Verse 14, and when he came to the crowd, a man came up to him, as to Jesus, and kneeling before him said, Lord, have mercy on my Son. For he has seizures and he suffers terribly.
For often he falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him. And Jesus answered, O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me. And Jesus rebuked the demon.
And it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, Why could we not cast him out? He said to them, Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, You will say to this mountain, move from here to there. And it will move.
And nothing. will be impossible. For you. Isn't that an intriguing Passage. You are disciples, followers of Jesus.
And the encounter Spiritual opposition. All who follow Jesus encounter opposition. Encounter problems, yes. And like the disciples here, sometimes encounter. Failures.
And haven't you found this to be true? That sometimes you're on a spiritual high, on the spiritual mountaintop, as it were, and you feel so strong. And yet just A day or two.
Sometimes even the next day.
Sometimes even the next hour. And you are in the valley. of despair. Notice what we read in verse 22. As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him.
And he will be raised on the third day, and they were greatly distressed. A reminder. that as we follow Jesus Christ, there is hardship, there is suffering. That our Lord Jesus Christ Himself In the humanity, he is prophesying that he himself is going to be killed by evil men that are going to nail him to a cross. That as the Kingdom of God is advancing.
It's being attacked viciously. unremittingly by our enemy, Satan himself.
Now this spiritual opposition that we all experience is an opportunity. I want you to get this, to grow in our faith. That difficult time. That event in your life, that disappointment. That tragedy.
That difficult person that you work with. That situation, you think, you know, if that were removed from my life, life would be so much easier. I want you to think of this. That difficulty, that difficult person, that situation. is an opportunity.
for you and me to grow in our faith. You see, in following Jesus, Faith. is essential. Writer of Hebrews says, Without faith it is impossible to please God. God is pleased with you when you have faith in Him, when you trust Him.
Those of us who are married, can you imagine if Goodney, my wife, thinks I don't trust her. Uh that's sad, that's heartbreaking, no. The very fact that I trust her, I know her, I rely on her, that gives her joy. Is that Increases the joy and the fellowship of our marriage, and God is well pleased with you. When you turn from your own efforts And say, Lord, I I need you.
I need your. I need your help. See, faith sees the invisible. Faith takes God at His word. Faith takes the word of God and says, I believe it and I claim it.
Faith is the bridge, as it were, between God and our needs. Faith is the bridge between the almighty power of God and our helplessness. This man could do nothing to help his boy. It's a very wise man that he was. He brings his boy.
to Jesus. and says, I need you. And you say, how are we going to deal with the opposition? Paul, in describing spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6, tells us to hold up the shield of faith. The shield which is Faith.
He says the the enemy is going to fire. Darts at you. And uh They're going to be extinguished. By faith, by the shield. of faith.
So it was your phone with Jesus. Don't focus on your doubts. Don't focus on your past failures. Don't focus so much on your state of mind. And don't even focus so much on the difficult circumstances.
No, I'm not asking you to be Pollyanna, I'm asking you to be realistic, but I'm saying that the emphasis is not on the difficult circumstances, but the emphasis is on claiming the promises of God who is faithful. God will never ever let you down. He's a god who made you. We said that with his children. Psalm 139, we are fearfully and wonderfully made that God superintended our creation right from the moment of conception.
God is there. God knows you, He loves you, He cares for you, He's watching over you. And he has Control. of every every circumstance of your life. He sends his son to die for us.
The sun rises from The dead. And now I am to trust God. You say, John, my faith is weak.
So is mine sometimes What's going to make it strong? By looking at Christ. By focusing on Christ, not by looking down all the time, not by focusing on the difficulties, by looking up to remind myself of how powerful God is, how great God is, of how God cares for us. And in that way, our faith grows as you use it, as you claim the promises of God. If you know someone, supposing you're in business with someone.
And uh you invest a lot of money in the company. And initially, you're wondering, you know, I think I trust him, but I'm not too sure. But after five years, This person is reliable. Time and time again, you see how reliable they are. And what happens?
Your trust in them, your faith in them grows. The more you know them, the more you realize how reliable they are. And the more you know God. The more you search the scriptures. The more you understand of the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ in this way, Our faith Grows.
And our faith is expressed in trusting God. Our faith is expressed in obeying God even when it's difficult for us, particularly when it's difficult for us. And can I say? Because I think there's confusion sometimes with us here. Having some doubts.
is not a denial of faith. The great men and women of Scripture are people who had doubts. And some people would say, and wrongly so, that if you have doubts, if you have some failure, that that is evidence that you're not a true believer at all.
Well, that rules out everyone in the Bible, doesn't it? Because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No, the Gospels are telling us something very, very important. Discipleship And failure Faith and doubt are not mutually exclusive. As you follow Jesus Christ, there's going to be times of failure.
As you follow Jesus Christ, there's going to be some times of doubt.
Some of you who are raised in Christian homes, as I was, you get to a certain age and you begin to rethink your faith, at least I hope you do. to examine your faith. And so doubt can be destructive, that is true. But doubt can also be helpful. There is a positive side to doubt because it helps us to examine our faith.
It can stimulate our faith. It can drive us back to the great truths of the Christian faith rather than superficially and trifly mouthing some religious platitudes. But here is ownership. Yes, it can be difficult. As we deal with our doubts, as we deal with our concerns, as we deal with questions.
But to come through Yeah. And to understand that God's with us. Mark tells us, Matthew doesn't in his account, Mark tells us in his same account. that when this man speaks to Jesus, Now remember, he brings His son to the disciples. who can't help.
And then Jesus comes. And Jesus heals the boy. And the man says this. Don't you love this? He says, I believe.
Help my unbelief. You say, well, that's a contradiction. No, it's not. He's saying, I believe. Of course, he believes.
He brings his boy to Jesus if he didn't. He would have stayed at home. He would have gone to the doctors or whatever. No, he says, I believe. Ah, but he also says, help.
My Um belief. Isn't that where Sometimes we are. We believe, but we still have questions. Because the Christian faith is seeing the invisible. I can see the tangible.
I can see My car, my my home, my friends, my wife. My grandchildren, but they're There are things I can't see. I can't see Jesus. Peter says, no, whom having not seen you love. Faith is seeing the Invisible.
And that's difficult for us sometimes, isn't it? But as we come Those who are instructed by the Word of God. Our faith grows, and yes, there is a big difference between doubt and unbelief. Doubt, as I say, can have a very positive effect if it leads us to examine our faith and if it stimulates our faith. The beautiful words of Jesus I read in verse 20.
A little faith. and a great God results in victory. Jesus casts out the demon, no problem there. He's greater, he's more powerful than any demon, any forces of darkness. There will never be a circumstance in your situation which is too powerful, too great for God.
No. We see the glory of Jesus on the mountaintop. We see his humility. in the valley. as he heals this little Boy.
I love this man. He brings his boy to Jesus. Oh, yes, his faith was not perfect. There was still some unbelief, but there was a little faith there. There was a faith of a mustard seed.
And he brings His boy. to the disciples of Jesus. And what he couldn't do, and what the disciples couldn't do, Jesus does. And Jesus says, your lack of faith Your lack of power is directly attributable to your lack of faith. Because of your little faith, that's why you couldn't cast them out, because your faith was too small.
This man in a sense had more faith than you had. 'Cause he brings his boy. To us. Faith, like a grain of mustard seed, can move mountains.
Now, moving mountains was proverbial for accomplishing something difficult. Don't you find this encouraging? Any mountains in your life? Anything that you think of in your life Yeah. seem impossible to accomplish.
But this man has a little faith. I believe. Help. My un belief. See, as you follow Jesus, I repeat.
The focus is not so much on your frail wavering, inconsistent faith. The focus is on the greatness. of God. We have an illustration here. Goliath, this huge man, he's a monster of a man.
Over nine feet. And he's there, and the seasoned soldiers of Israel look at him and say, We're not going to fight him. He's so big, we could never kill him. Ah, but a young man, David. Who knows God?
Who has a little faith in a great God. As he looks at Goliath, he says, He's so big I couldn't miss him. One thing he's so big we can't kill him. David is saying no. My trust is in God.
And he's so big I couldn't. Miss them. Can you say can I say to you Some of your Giants. in your life are very big.
Some of these circumstances are very difficult. Don't focus on the size of your circumstances. Don't even focus so much on the size of your faith. That's not what it is. Focus on the size of your God.
of your gods. And as you do that, I found my faith grows and grows. The more I look down, the weaker I become. The more I focus on the circumstance and the mountain, as it were, and saying there is no possibility that I can ever get through that mountain. the more depressing it is.
But to look up. And to be still. And to know that I am God. Can I say to you? Brothers, sisters, don't limit the power of God.
Jesus is saying here, nothing will be impossible For you. We face impossible situations, fierce temptations, tasks which are completely beyond our natural ability. And you say, why would God choose me to do this? There's no way I can do that. Listen to Jesus, nothing.
will be impossible. For you. Verse twenty-four? Here's an example. When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two drachma tax went up to Peter and said, Does your teacher not pay the tax?
He said yes. When he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax from their sons or from others. And when he said from others, Jesus said to him, then the sons are free.
However, Not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up. And when you open its mouth, you'll find a shackle. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself. And you say, Well, that would be nice if I pay my taxes, I just go to to Lake Norman and uh All the money is right there. That's not the point.
Yeah. The point is this. And it's an important one. As you trust God, As you put your trust in God. All of your needs.
We'll be met by him. Do you believe that? Do you believe that? God is able to pay tax from The shekel in the fish's mouth. Did he need a fish to deliver the tax?
Of course not. That's not the point. That's showing in a kind of a bizarre way, isn't it, the power of Almighty God. Why are you worrying? Why are you fretting?
Why are you fearful? Why are you not trusting me? I can even pay your taxes from the mouth of a fish with a shekel in it. God is sovereign over the sea. God is sovereign over the fish.
and therefore t will take care of all of your needs. Don't put limits. on what God can do. Don't focus on the problem. Don't say the situation can't get better.
This is why it is so important to have a vision of God, to worship God, to glorify God. And when we pray, we're acknowledging our own insufficiency.
So you have to humble yourself. You afraid of a problem? You're afraid of a situation? God is your helper. God is on your side.
And if God is for us, who can be against us? Yes, the enemy is there. Yes, the valley is deep. Yes, the mountain seems huge. But keep your eyes on God.
John Bunyan, in his amazing Pilgrim's Progress, tells the story of Christian. Making his way to Celestial City. And he comes to a very Pass narrow passage to go to the post the Porter's Lodge. He's about to go through the passage and he sees these two enormous lions on either side of him. And they're they're they're chained.
Ah, but Christian only sees the lions. And he's afraid and he's about to turn back. Because he thinks the lions are going to devour him. And the porter, whose name Bunyan calls watchful, calls to him and says, Fear not the lions. For they are chained.
And they're placed there for trial of faith where it is, and for discovery of those that have none. Keep in the middle of the path, and no hurt shall come unto you. The And so what does Christian do? He presses on. He keeps his eyes on watchful, and he keeps on the straight path.
Bunyan says, the lions roared. But did no harm to Christian. That's it. I want you to look up. We need to look to God.
I want you to live your life straight according to the Word of God. And I'm asking you today. Will you do it? If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, to open your heart. The Christ.
To ask him come to come and save you. Will you do that? And if you are a follower of Christ, can I ask you afresh? to place your faith. Yeah.
Yes, saying like the the man I believe helped my On Belief. Yes, I sometimes doubt his love. I doubt his power to do the impossible, Lord. I sometimes doubt. Your goodness.
I sometimes get afraid. But don't allow these doubts to harden. into unbelief. Trust the Lord. with all of your heart.
And in following Jesus, isn't it the case that we're often driven to our knees? And say, I believe, but help my unbelief. We have but little faith. Ah, yes, but that little faith is in a great God who still says. Nothing.
will be impossible. For you. Father, we confess our doubts. To confess our failures or sins. That often we take you for granted.
Forgive us. And I pray for those who don't know Christ personally that they will Trust him that they'll call on the name of the Lord and be saved. For many who are following Christ. Strengthen their faith, Father. Help them to look up to Christ.
To see him, to listen to him, to obey him. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us.
From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at the verdict.
org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry. Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam. It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website.
Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? Could it be that you've been limiting the power of God? Perhaps life is very different at the moment and you're at the foot of the mountain. But isn't it the case that you're trying to resolve matters with your own wisdom, your own power, your own abilities? The more you listen and look to Jesus, the greater your faith will be.
Remember. He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. our enemy attacks. but we're safe and secure in our Saviour. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict.
I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
