July 15, 2018 "Church Hurt", Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley

[Music] together for these few moments that are left in this hour power worship service and desire to hear what the Lord would teach and preach and speak into our lives today I invite you to hear a reading from the Gospel of Mark the Gospel of Mark in the ninth chapter there is a portion of Scripture beginning at verse number 14 that I want to read out of the New King James Version this morning mark chapter 9 beginning verse 14 if you have a Bible on your smart device or a real Bible in your hand we invite you if you're physically able to stand with us that together we might eat and hear the reading of the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Mark beginning in verse number fourteen and when Jesus came to the disciples he saw a great multitude around them and scribes disputing with him immediately when they saw Jesus all the people were greatly amazed and running to him greeted him and Jesus asked the scribes what are you discussing with them then when the crowd answered and said teacher I brought you my son who has a mute spirit and whenever it seizes him it throws him down he foams at the mouth gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid so I spoke to your disciples that they should cast it out but they could not Jesus asked the man and said old faithless generation how long shall I be with you how long shall I bear with you bring him to me then they brought the boy to Jesus and when the boys saw Jesus immediately the spirit convulsed and he fell on the ground and wallowed foaming at the mouth so Jesus asked his father how long has this been happening to him and the father answered from childhood and often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him but if you can do anything have compassion on us and help us jesus said to the man if you can believe all things are possible to him who believes immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears lord I believe help my unbelief when Jesus saw that the people came running together he rebuked the unclean spirit saying to a deaf and dumb spirit I command you come out of him and enter him no more then the spirit cried out convulsed him greatly and he came out of him and the boy became as one dead so that many said the boy is dead but Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up and he arose and when he came into the house his disciples asked him privately saying why could we not cast it out and Jesus said to them this kind can come out by nothing other than prayer and fasting you-you-you-you you may be surprised to know what I feel like preaching about this morning today I want to talk about church hurt you may be seated in the presence of the Lord in this ninth chapter the Gospel of Mark we once again are introduced to a nameless anonymous person who's about to have a healing interactive experience with Jesus Christ anonymous like the woman with issue of blood in mark 5 anonymous like the man at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5 here in mark 9 we are once again come face to face with a brother whose name we do not know now suggest to you that one of the reasons God allows some of those we encounter in Scripture to remain anonymous is God's way of using the author to remind us that this person could be anybody and if you are hard-pressed to know his name fill in the blank with your own because of the truth be told everybody in here is going to have a mark 9 experience at some moment in your walk with Jesus can I take my time to argue my case this morning um notice the similarity between this brother and your world Bible tells us right off the front that he's a father who's got a problem before we even know the diagnosis of the condition before we deal with what demonic spirit were wrestling with before you even know what the issue is here's what you got to know he's a brother that's got a problem and that means he's a lot like you and a lot like me because I came by early this Sunday morning to remind you what the grown folk in church already know and that is that problems are on all of our agendas trouble is on your itinerary you don't get a pass from going through the storms of life and care how big your Bible is I don't care how many seed offerings you so I don't care how many ministries have your name on it I don't care how many generations sat in the seat you sit in and how many of your Grandmama's prayers you heard lifted up I don't care how many hymns you can sing the reality is is that all of us will go through some problems as a matter of fact if you old enough to know that in this life it ain't one if it ain't one thing it's another you ought to just weaken a man right there if you know that if when you got one thing solved another thing just seems to break down if if it rates of money is your health if it ain't your health it's your marriage of range of marriage it's your kids if you got two kids the minute you get one right the other starts acting a fool there's always some problems y'all and the problem watch this is not his own it's his son it's come by to tell you that if you live long enough sooner or later somebody you love is gonna have some problems that affect you oh preach pastor the grown folk know when you live long enough there and sooner or later the problem is gonna be in the life of somebody you care about if you live long enough somebody you love is gonna get a bad diagnosis if you live long enough that child that you used to feed is gonna be the problem if you live long enough mama gonna get old if you live long enough somebody you love is gonna die he's got a problem that affects someone he loves and here's the worst thing it's a chronic problem Jesus asks the father how long has your son been like this the man's responses he's been like this since the day he was born beloved cuz there's some problems you don't ask for there's some problems you don't acquire there's some problems you didn't even bring on yourself there's some problems you inherited there's some problems they were genetically made in you some problems you've been dealing with for a long time and somebody in the sanctuary today knows what it's like to have an issue that haunts you from the day you were born you didn't ask for it you didn't desire it but you've been wrestling with it for a long time some problems don't go away overnight some problems one prayer doesn't bring it into it some problems weekend week out day in day out month in month out year in year out this is something you've got to learn to live with because no matter how much you pray no matter how many Sundays you come to church this is something you've got to deal with and like all of us who've got problems that are chronic that affect the loved ones this man comes the conclusion that what he needs is Jesus I could stop right there if this was a Baptist Church that that he comes to the mindset that was all that's going on in my life what I need is to get in the presence of the Lord then if I can just get in a place where the Lord is being worshiped in the Lord's presence is that somehow someway being in the presence of the Lord makes a difference as a matter of fact that's what gets you up at 6 o'clock to get dressed to leave the house at 6:30 to get to church by 7:15 because somebody came today saying I need to be in the presence of the Lord if you know that you know the names up don't mess with me today don't play with me right here I didn't come to play with the Lord I because I need the Lord to touch my life hi hi I came to get in his presence and notice what he says when he gets in the Lord's presence I feel like preaching says Lord if you can do anything do you hear the doubt there if you can do anything brother this is Jesus hey ain't know if his prayer ought to be Lord since you can do everything but he says if you can do anything Jesus must sense that something is faulty with the man's faith because notice how Jesus responds he said look brother the issue ain't whether I can do it the issue is do you believe Jesus one of the little of look if you got faith we'd work this thing out if you know that I'm able you walk away with what you need if you can trust in me I can turn this thing around if you hold on to me I'll make certain that we get through this thing I need to know do you believe the sun's healing is directly connected to the father's faith all he's got to do is say I believe but listen at the transparency of his life when he says to the Lord I believe but I need you to help my unbelief beloved this is where this brother is more like you and me than we ever want to confess because he's got to learn to navigate between belief and unbelief listen listen I'm not talking about you I'm just a mother person sitting in your seat this morning if all of us including your pastor have moments when we can say definitively I believe but Quietus kept there's some unbelief there's some areas where I trust God instinctively in some moments what I wonder what in the world God is doing there sometimes my faith is rooted strong in the Lord and there's some moments I've got some doubts and uncertainties I don't bring them to the pulpit I don't share them openly with some Saints cuz that's not expedient for them but if you followed me at home at night you'll find that sometimes my prayer goes like this lord I believe but help my unbelief listen there areas where it is easy to believe God and then there areas where it's difficult it's hard to trust and believe in God when you've got an issue that's just been recurring it keeps coming up listen listen it's easy to trust God but you got to trust God too long I mean it's easy to pray until you didn't prayed over the same thing a hundred times it's easy to hold on to God she got to hold on too long my dad used to put it like this when he was talking to church folk he said listen ain't nothing wrong with getting sick just don't be sick too long because after a while folks start praying for you folks stop calling folks stop visiting that when you've been sick too long a visi you're naming on that prayer list too long and doubt creeps in when you have to wait doubt creeps in when you're expecting God to do what you've never seen God do for anyone else it's easy to believe God for what you saw God do with your neighbor but it's hard to believe God for something you need God to do that you've never witnessed in your own life so this man decides I I've got to do something and and he comes to where he thinks Jesus is now I need to teach Bible for a moment you need to know that when the brother shows up with his six son Jesus is not where the man comes according to the beginning of Mark chapter nine Jesus is on the Mount of Transfiguration that is Mount Hermon that is where Jesus glory is revealed he's got Peter James and John on the mountain he reveals his glory and Moses and Elijah show up they are having worship on top of the mountain and the disciples are at the base of the mountain and Jesus while he's up top the disciples are down low and the man brings his son not to Jesus who's up high but he brings them to the disciples who are down low and when he recognizes that Jesus is not there he still makes the request for the disciples to heal his son because in his mind is the expectation that if I can't get to Jesus if I can get to his disciples his disciples aren't be able to do what Jesus can do the expectation is that the folk who follow Jesus are to be able to act like Jesus are the ones that been walking with him ought to be able to perform some of his works that while he's up on high the disciples who were left down low are to be able to do the same thing that Jesus has done his mindset is that if I can get around the disciples of Jesus my son ought to be healed my situation ought to be turned around my stuff ought to be made better because the disciples are to do what Jesus does gets the disciples he asked them to cast the demon out and it's where the Bible says they could not Earl the disciples have failed to do what Jesus can do he's now got to deal with the fact that disciples don't always do what they should do that this gathering of folk who say they follow Jesus have let me down I walked in your gathering believing that things would change when I got around y'all and I'm as broken in your midst as I was outside your doors these disciples have failed him and I would argue to you that some of the doubt he brings to Jesus is because he's had to deal with some disciples who have failed to mimic the Ministry of Jesus oh I feel like preaching right there y'all the world is filled with men and women who have struggle with God because they've had to deal with some failed disciples the expectation that the world has is that when I get in the gathering of disciples and when I'm with the Saints on Sunday when I step in the doors of your church if there's a cross on your steeple and some Hypno's on yo pew and some Bibles in your hand and there's some Shelton's going on that in that midst my life ought to be made better in that presence things are to change that I ought to be stronger and better ha ha there's the expectation that when I get around saints I'll get some smiles that in the presence of saints ought to be some hugs they will get around saints I will find some folk that don't mind if I'm not dressed like they're dressed then when I get around Saints I will get to the sanctuary end and the sister angle mind putting her purse on the floor and scooting over so I can sit on the Pew and worship God together the thirst is go smile at me that my neighbor won't get mad if I stand up and shout and say God's been good to me that somehow there's the expectation that in the presence of the disciples healing will happen but more often than not people get in the presence of disciples and are wounded hurt by harsh words rejected by judgmentalism in the church offended by hypocrisy and immature leadership and double standards and nasty folk listen don't don't look at nobody look look look at me look at me look at me but I want you to know in case you ain't experienced it yet and you may ain't nothing like church hurt have have you ever been hurt in church have you ever had stuff go down with disciples that made you realize they ain't following Jesus have you ever had experiences where folks says something to you out the side of their neck and then turned around and have the nerve to sing amazing grace [Applause] ain't no hurt like Church hurt ain't no ugly like Church ugly and some of the meanest don't tell nobody this outside of church but some of the meanest the nastiest the ugliest the cutting up is the Custis folk Judah never want to meet our folk they gather in church on Sunday somebody whisper I know that's right and this brother has to come to grips with something all of us will deal with and that's that every now and then Church mayor what's a word of encouragement to those who deal with Church hurt to those who've been wounded on holy ground those who've been injured by words from folk with Bibles in their hands well if I were there with the brother one of the first things I would have told him that I'm gonna pass on to you is that wanting him to understand that those disciples he was dealing with at the base of the mountain they fail all the time don't have an unrealistic expectation of those disciples yes they follow Jesus yes they gave up a whole lot yes they wear clothes that look like they ought to be disciples but I come back to tell you that group failed all the time you remember that group that that was the group when Jesus was on his way to Calvary and he's beginning to preach about the kingdom of God trying to get them to understand his death he turned around to find out them Joker's were arguing about who's gonna be President and vice-president of the ministry after he was gone [Applause] that group elected Peter to be their leader you remember Peter don't you the one that cut a guard the one that cussed out a girl the one that denied he knew Jesus that group failed all the time when Jesus was dying on the cross wasn't but one of them they're all the rest of them were all hiding because that group failed all the time that group was sailing in a boat with Jesus in the back a storm came and they got scared even though Jesus was still with them that group failed all the time and one thing you ought to remind yourself anytime you come to the doors of the church is that disciples can fail all the time so I don't want to discourage you about coming to church I just want you to have some realistic understanding that folk can be safe and not be changed everyone who walks with Jesus don't always act like Jesus and every now and then you got to learn how to call out folk who claim to be what they ain't you got know how to handle folk that pretend to be from where they are not okay I'm gonna help you you ain't caught me you don't help you um I need to see the hands of everyone in the sanctuary that was raised in a major urban environment if you've used raised in the city I'm talking about skyscrapers highways byways are you raised in the city that had different sides of town you know not just one Main Street you you had different sides of town if you raised in a major city wave your hand wait hand okay okay now now some of y'all are lying and info core from real major cities have issue and folk there live watches I must say I'm from Chicago right I know I'm in Chicago I'm from the south side of Chicago you know you from seeing we talk about where your eyes raised offer off outs raise offer 79th and stony up I'm from Chicago right right and and and tea every now and then when I'm on the road and people hearing from ska go they come up to me and they shake my hand say oh I'm from Chicago and I asked them what part of town and some folk have the audacity to name a suburb I'm from Chicago they talking about I I'm from Maywood I'm from Calumet City I'm I'm from kinky you are from Chicago and folk that a race in major urban cities have issue with folk that perpetrate to be from where you are not now you may not be from you may be near it but you ain't from it you may be in the outskirt but you ain't from it you you may be in the suburbs but you ain't from it and every now and then when you run upon some mean and ugly and gossiping and nasty Christians you need to call them out and let me know now you ain't from Christ you may be around you you may be from a suburb that you may be from the outskirt but you ain't from Jesus do me a favor uh uh know somebody that can wake you from where you from where you from where you from way from [Applause] because if you don't know how to love you ain't from Christ if you judge you ain't from Christ if you got a bad attitude every week you ain't from Christ if you say let me stuff out of your mouth you don't know how to bite your tongue you ain't from Christ because if you were from Christ you would act differently you would walk differently you would have seen differently there's some folk that are claiming to be something named what are you from can I teach this text I feel like preaching well I get out to Six Flags y'all pray for thee you'll make me get on one of them are ahead Samir we're gonna have altar call before churches over amen the man comes to the disciples disciples fail what sin I want to make sure you can't says Jesus is not down there Jesus is up there and he's up there with Peter James and John Moses and Elijah show up for cameo and when they're gone Jesus comes back down with Peter James and John and there's an argument going on between the scribes and the disciples say with me I know where I'm going the scribes and the disciples are arguing Jesus stops the argument and says what y'all fussing about the dad steps up and says I brought my son to your disciples and your disciples one where's nothing your followers couldn't do a thing now here's the amazing thing y'all he's already experienced the failure of the disciples but he's still there when Jesus comes back he hadn't left he didn't quit he didn't pack up and go to another Church [Applause] the disciples have already failed and he's still standing around you all them today are so important because in the world we live in the generation we walk in with Minister and Christianity is filled with folk that the minute they experience the failure of disciples they quit you go looking for another Church where you gonna find some more failed disciples you want like Alpha Street you going down the greater alpha Street if that don't work you go to second outfits treatment you do know if you're ever in a city and there's a church and another Church name greater that church that was a group that dealt with some failed disciples and went and start their own thing people leave why is this brother still there well to understand why I believe he hasn't left you've got to know what's happening he stays because after the disciples have failed the scribes and the disciples start arguing come here you got nowhere described is a scribe was a sub sect sec T of the Pharisees and the scribes had one job the scribes read the law they transcribed the law they passed the law on and they taught the law these are the folk that would open up the scrolls of Isaiah they would make copies of the scrolls of Isaiah they would pass the scrolls off to the synagogue and then they would teach the scroll to those in the synagogue the scribes were those who dealt with the word they read the word they transcribed the word they passed the word along and they taught the word the scribes only dealt with the Word of God which means you can infer that the debate the disciples are having with the scribes is about the word and could it be that this man who's experienced the failure of the disciples has not left because even though the disciples have failed somehow some way they're now talking about the Word of God they are debating the Word of God they are teaching the Word of God they are digging into the Word of God and he decides that even if the disciples have failed me since the word is being taught and the word is being proclaimed and the word is being lifted up I'm not going nowhere because I didn't come to see the disciples I came to get a word from the Lord can I preach right here as long as the word is being proclaimed and you are receiving the Word of God you ought to be able to deal with some disciples the real question is what did you come for if you came to see disciples you gonna quit if you came to get a title you're gonna quit if you came cuz you want to sing the solo and show them your gift you're gonna quit if you came to find your next booth [Music] [Applause] ah you go quit but if you get up on Sunday morning and went through all you went through to get to the house of the Lord for one reason because I need a word from the Lord is there anybody here that says I came to get a word and as long as the word is going out I can deal with some disciples he stays because the word is there I want him to know that disciples feel all the time don't have unrealistic expectations what's the third thing I'm done down we got to go he stays around even though disciples have failed and here's the miracle and Jesus showed up if he had left he would not have seen that Christ shows up in the midst of failed disciples and didn't Curtis here's the amazing thing when Jesus comes he comes back with some focus remember he was not on the mountain by himself see if he's paying attention pop quiz who was on the mountain with Jesus Peter James and John now you barber reads no Peter James and John that's Jesus in a circle then the disciples that got it right then the ones he loved only ones to stay close Peter James and John were on the mountain with Jesus which meant that the other nine at the bottom were the ones that didn't qualify to go [Applause] that that that was Thomas and and that eosin and Judas and Bartholomew and and Matthew that was the ones they left down there and when Jesus comes back he comes back with three others and so now the man has to come to this realization that all the disciples didn't fail only some of them but that the Lord has some Peters and some James and some Jobs who don't act like that he is and Thomas and Bartholomew but there are some good Saints who love the Lord have been walking with the Lord have been talking with the Lord and what's this if you're tired of Matthew go find a Peter if you get sick of Thomas there's a John somewhere then all the disciples ain't bad yes there are some failed disciples on every pew but I've been in church long enough now to tell you that there are some good sisters and some good brothers and some praying Saints and some worshiping Saints who gather in this place and the worst thing you can do is lump all the disciples into one category yeah there's some folk that fail but in every church there's some folk that walk with Jesus there's some folk that love the Lord with all their heart there's some folk that join cuz they just want to serve just want to be used by God and don't ever let a few run you out when God's got some good ones around this is a mighty good place to extend an invitation but before I do so because I know Alfred Street I need to let you know nothing is going on in church Tasha somewhat someone's gonna hear this sermon and wonder what happened this week with all the stuff that those who know that happened with me Andrea Johnson and the discussions online is made aware of how many people deal with church hurt how many people have been wounded by failed disciples and I just want you to know what I wish the world will and that is that church has never proclaimed to be a place of perfect people it's not a museum it's a hospital and that you ought to come not for the disciples but to get the word and then even when you deal with some failed disciples that's not everybody and there are some good people in the house of the Lord and I just want you to be one of them so maybe today if you're here as our deacons come if you have experienced Church hurt now's a good time to experience something better this what we say it Alfred Street if you go to a restaurant and you're not treated right you don't stop eating you just find another restaurant to go to if your beautician messes up your hair you don't start doing it yourself [Applause] you find another mutation to go to alpha Street is not a perfect place but I want you to know that what you've heard is just about true we're a place that believes we are to love one another and then we are to live out our love in the world and change the world with the love of Jesus Christ

Channel: Alfred Street Baptist Church

Views: 70,429

Rating: 4.7288136 out of 5

Keywords: 2018, Alfred Street Baptist Church, ASBC, Church Hurt, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley

Id: 9C7uLXIqOp4

Length: 38min 48sec (2328 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 17 2018