IT IS SAFE TO SAY THAT NOBODY WANTS TO DELIBERATELY FAIL AT ANYTHING. THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT "FAILING" IS THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE BASICS OF FAILURE ITSELF.
THE GREATEST NEWS ABOUT FAILURE IS THAT FAILURE IN AND OF ITSELF IS NEVER FINAL. YOU CAN LEARN GREAT LESSONS FROM FAILURE IF YOU ARE WILLING TO DO SO.
INSTEAD OF WALLOWING IN SELF-PITY OR GETTING WOUND UP IN ANGER, WE CAN TAKE THOSE LESSONS FROM FAILURE AND MAKE OURSELVES EVEN BETTER AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE.
WHEN IT COMES TO FAILURE, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT FAILURE IS NOT IN FALLING DOWN, BUT IN OUR REFUSAL TO GET BACK UP TO TRY AGAIN. TOO MANY PEOPLE STAY "DOWN FOR THE COUNT" AND NEVER GET UP TO TRY AGAIN. HOW SAD!
WE SEE COUNTLESS STORIES OF FAILURE FROM PEOPLE SUCH AS MOSES, KING DAVID, PETER THE APOSTLE, AND THE DISCIPLES WHO FAILED TO CAST OUT DEMONS IN JESUS NAME.
EVEN JESUS HIMSELF DID NOT REACH SUCCESS, BY HUMAN STANDARDS, 100% OF THE TIME. AFTER HEALING THE 10 LEPERS ONLY ONE CAME BACK TO SAY “THANK YOU.” WHEN DISCUSSING ISSUES OF ETERNITY, ONE MAN TURNED AND WALKED AWAY FROM JESUS BECAUSE HE HAD GREAT WEALTH AND COULD NOT GIVE UP ALL HE HAD TO THE POOR.
EVEN THE FACT REMAINS THAT JESUS NEVER CONVERTED OR WON OVER EVERY SINGLE PERSON HE MET. ALTHOUGH JESUS MAY NEVER HAVE REACHED A SUCCESS RATE OF 100% HUMANLY SPEAKING, HE NEVER ALLOWED THAT STATISTICAL FACT TO BE CONSIDERED AS AN ACCOUNT OF FAILURE BY ANY MEANS.
NEITHER DID THE OTHERS I MENTIONED. MOSES CONQUERED HIS ANGER, DAVID REBOUNDED FROM HIS ADULTERY AND MURDER, PETER MASTERED THE RESULTS OF HIS MISGUIDED PREDICTIONS, AND THE DISCIPLES BECAME GREAT APOSTLES OF THE FAITH REGARDLESS OF ALL THEIR MENTAL BLUNDERS.
THE SITUATION WAS NO DIFFERENT FOR EZEKIEL WHEN DEALING WITH THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH. THE PEOPLE WERE TAKEN INTO CAPTIVITY IN BABYLON, AND THOUGHTS OF BEING DISMAL FAILURES BECAME PREVALENT WITHIN THE PEOPLE. GOD’S SERVANT EZEKIEL COMES FORWARD TO GIVE HOPE AND REDIRECTION TO THE SHORTCOMINGS OF JUDAH.
THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL SO POWERFUL AS IT DEALS WITH THE CHALLENGING AFFECTS OF FAILURE.
EZEKIEL PERSONALLY STEPS FORWARD TO WARN THE WAYWARD PEOPLE AND TO CALL THEM BACK TO INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL AS NATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY.
EACH ISRAELITE HAD TO TURN BACK TO THE LORD. THE NATION AS A WHOLE HAD TO ULTIMATELY RETURN TO HIM AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DIDN’T DO THAT AND THEIR FAILURE COST THEM MANY YEARS IN CAPTIVITY.
IT ALSO COST THEM THEIR BELOVED CITY IN THE YEAR 586, WHEN JERUSALEM WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THE BABYLONIAN ARMY. THEY EVEN LOST THEIR KING AS ZEDEKIAH WAS CAPTURED AND BLINDED AFTER WITNESSING THE EXECUTION OF HIS SONS.
THE REMAINING INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM WERE EITHER MURDERED OR DEPORTED TO BABYLONIA. NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL FAILURE! IT ALL SOUNDS LIKE A HEFTY PENALTY TO PAY FOR DISOBEDIENCE. BUT, WE MUST UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH GOD LOVES HIS PEOPLE.
THE LORD LOVES ISRAEL AND CHOSE HER AS HIS VERY OWN PEOPLE TO BLESS THE WORLD. SO, SINCE SHE STRAYED FROM HIS RIGHTEOUS WAYS, THE LORD BROUGHT JUDGMENT ON HER TO MAKE HER CONSCIOUS OF HER WAYWARDNESS SO THAT SHE COULD RETURN TO HIM.
THAT IS WHY THE CRY OF EZEKIEL WAS TO DECLARE THE REASON FOR THE LORD’S JUDGMENT SO THAT ISRAEL WOULD “KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.” A DECREE THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT THAT IT IS REPEATED OVER SIXTY-FIVE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL.
BY NOW, WE’RE PROBABLY ASKING WHAT WAS IT THAT GOT THE NATION OF ISRAEL IN SO MUCH TROUBLE. THE ANSWER IS A COMMON THREAD IN THE TAPESTRY OF ISRAEL’S HISTORY.
THE NATION OF ISRAEL HAD STAINED THEMSELVES WITH DISOBEDIENCE TOWARDS GOD’S COVENANT. AS BEFORE, THEY ONCE AGAIN STRAYED FROM GOD AND FOLLOWED THE OTHER GODS OF THE PEOPLES AROUND HER. THAT’S RIGHT! IT WAS IDOLATRY!
THE SAD HISTORY OF THAT FACT IS THAT IT WASN’T JUST A “ONE TIME” SLIP. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF KING MANASSEH AND HIS GRANDSON AMON, ISRAEL NOT ONLY REJECTED THE WAYS OF THE LORD, BUT FOR 55 YEARS, THEY HELPED TURN THE PEOPLE TO ALL KINDS OF IDOLATRY AND WICKEDNESS.
THEIR LEADERSHIP WAS SO BAD AND THE PEOPLE SO GULLIBLE THAT IT PERVERTED THE NATION TO THE POINT THAT THEY REJECTED THE LAW OF GOD AND EVENTUALLY FORGOT THAT THE LAW EVEN EXISTED.
IF WE PUT THAT IN TODAY’S PERSPECTIVE IT WOULD BE LIKE TRYING TO IMAGINE BILLY GRAHAM CONVERTING TO ISLAM AND HEARING HIM PREACH FROM THE QU’RAN.
IT WOULD BE LIKE EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES, CHRISTIANS INCLUDED, BECOMING SO VILE THAT THEY WOULD NOT ONLY FORGET GOD, BUT THEY WOULD TOTALLY FORGET THAT THERE WAS EVEN SUCH A BOOK AS THE BIBLE.
THE SAD THING ABOUT THE IDOLATRY OF THE NATION AND HER SPIRITUAL LEADERS IS THAT IT WAS AN INTERNAL PROBLEM RATHER THAN EXTERNAL. THAT MEANS IT WAS A MUCH DEEPER PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS A HEART ISSUE.
THE ISSUES OF THEIR HEART CONFESSED A TWO-FOLD ALLEGIANCE TOWARDS GOD THAT WAS FICKLE AT BEST. THAT’S WHAT THE LORD MEANT WHEN HE SAID THESE ELDERS HAD A “WICKED STUMBLING BLOCK BEFORE THEIR FACES.” THE STUMBLING BLOCK EZEKIEL REFERRED TO WAS ANYTHING THAT WOULD JUSTIFY HAVING THE IDOL HIDDEN AWAY IN THEIR HEARTS.
EZEKIEL CONFRONTED THE PEOPLE WITH THE FACT THAT THEY WERE COMING TO GOD AS IF THEY WERE TRULY SEEKING AFTER HIM, BUT THEY WERE REALLY HIDING IDOLS DEEP IN THEIR HEARTS. NO WONDER GOD RESPONDED, “WHY SHOULD I ANSWER YOU?”
AN IDOL IS MORE THAN JUST THOSE THINGS THAT COME BETWEEN GOD’S PEOPLE AND HIMSELF. IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST THOSE THINGS THAT DRAW US AWAY FROM GOD. AS I SAID BEFORE, IT HAS TO DO WITH A MUCH DEEPER ISSUE OF THE HEART.
BECAUSE WE CAN SO EASILY BE SWAYED BY OUR HEARTS, WE CAN BE ASSURED THAT IT WILL ALWAYS BE THE CALL OF GOD TO RECAPTURE THE HEARTS OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WOULD TURN TO IDOLATRY AND AWAY FROM HIM.
THE MESSAGE ISRAEL NEEDED TO HEAR WAS NOT ABOUT THE FALL OF THEIR BELOVED JERUSALEM OR THE SITUATION THAT SURROUNDED THEIR CAPTIVITY IN BABYLONIA, BUT SIMPLY AN URGENT MESSAGE TO REPENT AND COME AWAY FROM THEIR IDOLS. THEY HAD TO RENOUNCE ALL THEIR HIDDEN, DEEP-HEARTED PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH IDOLATRY.
WE STILL NEED TO HEAR SUCH A MESSAGE TODAY. THAT IS WHY I WOULD LIKE US TO THINK IN A NEW DIRECTION TODAY, BECAUSE I HONESTLY BELIEVE THIS SUBJECT IS ONE OF OUR ISSUES FACING OUR CHURCHES TODAY WHICH IS IDOLATRY.
I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT STATUES, BAD THEOLOGY, OR ANY OTHER SOCIAL ILL. THE IDOL I SPEAK OF IS IN REGARDS TO A MUCH MORE POWERFUL FORCE. THE IDOL OF WHICH WE MUST FACE UP TO IS THE DRIVING AMBITION TO SUCCEED WHICH IS MOTIVATED BY OUR FEAR OF FAILURE.
I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN GET SO CAUGHT UP IN TRYING NOT TO FAIL THAT WE UNINTENTIONALLY SET UP AN IDOL OF AMBITION IN OUR HEARTS OUT OF THE FEAR THAT WE MAY BE, FOREVER, A STRUGGLING MINISTRY THAT ALWAYS JUST “BREAKS EVEN.”
BECAUSE OF THE FEAR, WE SET UP THE IDOL OF AMBITION TO STRIVE SO HARD TO BE FINANCIALLY STABLE, TO WORK HARD TO KEEP THE BILLS PAID AND TO INCREASE OUR MEMBERSHIP. THE IDOL OF FEAR SOON WELCOMES IN THE IDOL OF AMBITION.
WE CAN EVEN GET SO AMBITIOUS IN TRYING TO SUCCEED THAT WE COMPROMISE THE GOSPEL BY “TONING DOWN” OR “WATERING DOWN” THE GOSPEL BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO “OFFEND” ANYONE AND CAUSE THEM TO LEAVE OUR CHURCH.
BY ALLOWING THE IDOLS OF AMBITION TO REIGN IN OUR HEARTS WE WILL SOON SEE THAT IT IS NO LONGER JESUS CHRIST IN WHOM WE FIND SELF-WORTH, BUT IT WILL BE BY THE WORLD’S STANDARDS OF CAREERS, POSSESSIONS, AND SOCIAL STATUS.
BY ALLOWING THE IDOLS OF AMBITION TO REIGN IN THE CHURCH, WE BECOME A MINISTERIAL MACHINE THAT IS NOTHING MORE THAN A FLESH-DRIVEN INSTITUTION.
BECAUSE OF THE IDOLATRY OF AMBITION, DRIVEN BY FEAR, WE HAVE ALLOWED THE WORLD TO CONVINCE US THAT BEING “SUCCESSFUL” IS DETERMINED BY MASSIVE ATTENDANCE, LARGE BUILDINGS, PUBLIC NOTORIETY, AND A BIG BUDGET.
I CAN TELL YOU, THIS ISN’T THE DESCRIPTION I FIND IN THE BIBLE OF THE CHURCH THAT JESUS CHRIST IS COMING BACK TO TAKE AS HIS BRIDE. SO, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR CHURCH TODAY: WHAT IS OUR AMBITION? WILL OUR AMBITION BE TO SIMPLY MAINTAIN AND HOLD STEADY OUT OF FEAR THAT WE MAY DO SOMETHING WRONG? WILL OUR AMBITION BE TO TAKE SOME SACRIFICIAL STEPS OF FAITH TO MOVE FORWARD?
IS IT TO LOVE GOD MORE, OUR NEIGHBOR MORE, OR EVEN OURSELVES MORE? IF SO, THEN LET US KEEP HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.
LET’S STAY FOCUSED ON THE CENTRALITY OF JESUS THE CHRIST AND SEEKING GOD’S FACE IN TRUE INTIMACY. LET US KEEP HUNGERING FOR THE TRUTH.
LET’S LOOK TO GOD WHO IS THE SOURCE OF OUR FUTURE. THE GOD WHO WILL FILL US WITH HIS GLORIOUS HOPE AND HIS WONDERFUL WORKS.
LET US ALWAYS BE FOUND SINGING A NEW SONG UNTO THE LORD EACH DAY. MAY OUR HEARTS BE FILLED WITH PRAISE TO GOD FOR THE NEW THINGS HE WILL DO THROUGH US.
LET US LIFT UP OUR VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS, SHOUT FROM THE TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS AND SING AND GIVE GLORY TO GOD IN THE VALLEYS. WHEREVER WE MAY BE, WE WILL SAY, “JESUS CHRIST IS LORD AND WE INTEND TO LIVE THAT WAY!” LET OUR AMBITION BE NOTHING OTHER THAN JESUS.
