Success Not Promised

Luke 10:1-20; John 6

Everyone wants to be a success. Some young people may not know what they want to do in life, but they know that they want to be a success. When asked what their ambition in life is five of my high school classmates answer “to be a success.” What is success and how do we measure success? If a baseball player goes to bat ten times and he gets a hit three out of ten he has a batting average of 300 (30 percent) and he is considered a very good hitter. On the other hand, if a basketball player goes to the free throw line ten times and hits three of his/her free throws they make thirty percents. He or she is considered to be a very poor free throw shooter. When it comes to ministry how do we measure success? Another question is: Does God require us to be successful? If God intends for us to be successful, how do we determine if we are successful? Does God measure success the same way that people do? This article finds it genesis in two recent encounters with men that I highly respect. Let’s begin.

The first incident takes place a week ago. My financial planner, Frank, calls me in to talk about some insurance policies. After taking care of the business Frank and I begin to catch ups with what has been taking place in our lives. In the conversation we talk about my ministry. I tell Frank that I have not had the results that I had hoped for. Frank can relate to this. He too has not always gotten the results that he hoped for. Yet, Frank has a good business. Whether or not Frank and I have been successful is a matter of perspectives. During the conversation we talk about the ministry of the Old Testament Prophets and the ministry of Jesus. Later, I remember the passage found in Luke 10:1-20.

In Luke 9 Jesus calls twelve disciples. “And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over demons and to heal diseases. And he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing” (Lk. 9:1-2, NASB). Later, in chapter ten, Jesus sends an additional seventy. In His instructions to both groups Jesus informs them that they will not be received by all people. He says to the twelve: ‘“And as for those who do not receive you, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them”’ (9.5). He says to the seventy, ‘“But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near” (10:10-11, NASB).

The seventy return with joy because they have had great success. Jesus commends them for their success (vv. 17-19). Then Jesus tells them that their success in healing and casting out demons is not the reason that they are to rejoice. He says, ‘“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven” (v.20). Apparently these seventy are satisfied with the success that they have experienced in their ministry. Can we say the same about the prophets and Jesus?

According to the standards of the world we might say that the prophets and Jesus are not successful. The prophets were unable to get the people to repent. As a result Israel, the northern kingdom is taken into captivity by Assyria in 721 B.C. The southern kingdom, Judah is taken into captivity by Babylon in 605 B.C.

Large crowds follow Jesus but only a few are committed to Him. The gospel of John records this example: “A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick” (Jn. 6:2, NASB). Jesus sees the crowds and He feeds the five thousand with a lad’s lunch of five barley loaves and two small fish. The people like this and they try to make Jesus their king. When Jesus tells them His purpose and what God requires of them the people reject Him. They do not believe what He says. “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore” (6:66). After the disciples leave, Jesus is left with only the twelve. Jesus starts out with over 5000 people following Him. He ends up with only twelve disciples. Is Jesus a success? We will return to this later.

At the beginning of this article I mentioned two encounters. Let me tell us about the second encounter. A high school schoolmate sells and repairs monuments for graves. I hire him to do some work for me. I have not seen Boyd since year 2002. We talk about our ministries. Boyd is a preacher and the son of a preacher/pastor. We talk about how many people in the church do not consider a preacher a success unless he/she becomes a senior pastor. People have a limited perspective on what it means to be called to preach and teach. Boyd and I have not been pastors, but we consider our ministry to be very important to the kingdom of God. Boyd is a close assistant to a very prominent pastor and he leads a prayer ministry. I have written numerous Sunday school quarterlies and I have been a leader in the Christian Education ministries in the church. Have we been successful preachers? Again, it is a matter of perspectives. Here are two things that I think that we should consider.

First, I do not believe that we can measure success by worldly standards. The world basically measures success by numbers and profits. A business person is successful only if the business gains growth in volume of business and financial profits. Churches are considered successful if they increase in its numbers of members and if they increase in the numbers of their ministries. I have read the biography of many pastors. Pastors are lauded for all the work that they have accomplished. What new ministries did they start? How did they improve the facilities or build new facilities? How much is he/she involved in the community and what have they accomplished? However, none of these things really say anything about the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20. I do not recall reading in any pastor’s biography how many persons that they led to salvation through Jesus Christ.

Secondly, I believe that God never promised His ministers success in terms of our accomplishments according to world standards. When we look at the seventy that Jesus sends out we learn that Jesus recognizes their success, but He tells them that their names are written in heaven and that is what is really important. The prophets are not successful in getting the people to repent. They are not convincing communicators. They are not great leaders and motivators. Yet, according to God’s call on their life they are successful. They faithfully proclaim the message that God sends them to deliver to the people. We still read their message today in the bible.

Jesus is not successful when we read what takes place in John 6. His message is rejected. The people do not believe that He is the Messiah. They turn back and follow Him no more. Keep this in mind. The Father does not send the Son to gather a great following. The Father sends the Son to make the Father known to those who believe in Jesus and the message that He brings. Yes, Jesus is a success. He comes to die for the sins of the world. He is despised and rejected of men. On the cross Jesus declares His success. As He hangs on the cross dying He says “It is finished!” (Jn. 19:30). He completes the work that He is sent to do. Although thousands reject Him during His days of ministry while here on earth, thousands; even millions come to salvation because of His faithfulness to the ministry that the Father sends Him to do.

In conclusion, we can say that from the perspective of what men consider to be a success, ministers who are ambassadors for Jesus Christ are never promised success. However, we are successful in the kingdom if we faithfully do what God calls us to do. Like the seventy in Luke 10 we will accomplish what He sends us out to do. If you want to be successful do what God calls you to do and rejoice not in worldly success and accolades but in knowing that your name is recorded in heaven.