Frustrations Of Spiritual Leadership-Part 4 Series

FRUSTRATION OF SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP-IV—Luke 9:37-45

Jesus’ frustration with unbelief was manifest in His healing of a demon possessed boy.

Spiritual Leaders face frustrations arising from unbelief.

Ministry produces frustrations for the minister.

Where do spiritual leaders encounter frustrations?

14 places where frustrations arise in spiritual leadership.

Frustration for spiritual leaders arises out of...

1. DESCENT Encounters(:37a)—from Mountaintop

2. SOCIAL Encounters(:37b)—People engaged

3. ANONYMOUS Encounters(:38a)—Unknown people

4. FORCED Encounters(:38)—Demanded

5. FELT NEED Encounters(:38)—Personal Perception

6. IDENTIFICATION Encounters(:39)—Empathy

7. DESPERATE Encounters(:40)—Nothing works!

8. DISAPPOINTMENT Encounters(:40)—

Powerless Christians

9. GENERATIONAL Encounters(:41)—Common to all

10. MERCIFUL Encounters(:41)—

God’s mercy to the faithless

11. DEMONSTRATION Encounters(:42)—

Real Power exhibited

12—Frustration for spiritual leaders arises out of

GREATNESS ENCOUNTERS(:43)

—Explanation::43)

:43—“And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing...”

“Amazed”—ekplhssw—struck with terror, of a sudden & startling alarm; but like our "astonish" in popular use, often employed on comparatively slight occasions

“Greatness”—Magnificence, Splendor, Majesty, Grandeur, Excellence.

—This miracle brought everyone to recognize God’s working in Jesus. They knew the demon to be evil. They knew Jesus to be good.

—Though God is great, He chooses to work within the prameters of human will.

*?How Great is God?

“Marveling”—Wondering, Admiring.

—The multitude’s marveling is not confined to the single event of the demon being cast out because they marveled at “all He was doing”. This past event simply brought another facet of Jesus’ ministry to light.

Getting others to experience God’s GREATNESS demands a demonstration of God’s power thru/in us personally!

—Argumentation:

Ex. 15:6-7—“Thy right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power, Thy right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. “And in the greatness of Thine excellence Thou dost overthrow those who rise up against Thee; Thou dost send forth Thy burning anger, and it consumes them as chaff.”

Jer. 10:6—“There is none like Thee, O LORD; Thou art great, and great is Thy name in might.”

Mat. 3:11-12—“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. “And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

—Illustration:

Driving thru countryside/Variation in Geography , Flora & Fauna, People, Society, etc.

Book ‘Earth From Above’/Aerial photos/Helps one gain an understanding of God’s greatness

—Application:

?GREATNESS ENCOUNTERS leave you frustrated?

?You willing to accept the frustrations of spiritual leadership?

13—Frustration for spiritual leaders arises out of

CONTRAST ENCOUNTERS(:44)

—Explanation:(:44) Willful Surrender/Weakness

:43-:44—But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”

CONTRASTS:

—Those amazed & marveling would soon destroy Jesus!

—Jesus, who could drive demons away would Himself be subdued by men.

Jesus would have to die for them—A peek into the fleshly fickleness of humanity needing forgiveness thru their Christ.

—Argumentation:

Isa. 53:4-5, 8, 10, 12—“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.”....“By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living, For the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due?”....“But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.”....“...He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”

—Illustration:

SBC Missionaries in Yemen killed by gunman who smuggled a rifle into the hospital disguised as a baby/CONTRAST ENCOUNTERS

Polar Bear in Brazil/Out of place/CONTRAST ENCOUNTERS

Overhead projector transparency/Brightness of the light is not the focus/Light highlights the light-preventing words/ CONTRAST ENCOUNTERS

Written Document/Black on white/CONTRAST ENCOUNTERS

—Application:

?CONTRAST ENCOUNTERS leave you frustrated?

?You willing to accept the frustrations of spiritual leadership?

14—Frustration for spiritual leaders arises out of

PERCEPTION ENCOUNTERS(:45)

—Explanation/Argumentation:(:45)

:45—“But they did not understand this statement, & it was concealed from them so that they might not perceive it; & they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.”

“Concealed from them”—

—Hidden by the absence of the Holy Spirit who illuminates God’s truth. Their confidence was not yet what it would be.