Calvary Church
Faith & Failure - Dustan Bell
‘We see a growing church, meeting in many locations around the world, helping people to know Jesus, find community and make a difference.’
Locations & Times
Calvary Port Moresby
7 Mile, Jacksons Parade, Port Moresby 121 National Capital District, Papua New Guinea
Sunday 10:00 AM
Faith & Failure
26 January 2025
Genesis 12:1-9
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
This scene so significant it shapes the book of Genesis, the entire Bible, and indeed much of human history. Further on, the Bible points to Abraham’s faith in Genesis 12 as an example to emulate.
Hebrews 11:8
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”
Following God’s promise to Abraham in the first half of Genesis 12 is a scene that seems at odds.
Genesis 12:10-20
Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.”
When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.
The same Abraham who five minutes ago believes God for his future, now doesn’t believe God can protect him in Egypt.
The first nine verses of Genesis 12 are full of exclamation marks. The next ten verses are full of questions marks. Extraordinary faith, followed by embarrassing failure.
What are we to make of the inconsistencies in Abraham’s behaviour? What are we to make of the inconsistencies in our own behaviour?
Likely, we all know what it is to experience moments when we feel inspired, courageous, full of vision.Then moments when we feel flat, deflated, discouraged, full of self-loathing and defeat. We experience these contrasts within the same person.
Mark 9:24
“I believe; help my unbelief!”
Romans 7:22-23
For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
The reality of unbelief and failure makes us question our legitimacy as believers, dial back our faith, and even excuse ourselves out of the purposes of God.
On top of our own self-doubt, the Bible is clear we have a spiritual enemy, Satan, who loves to underscore our worst moments and use them as ammunition to accuse us.
Revelation 12:10 calls Satan “the accuser … who accuses them day and night”
Jon Tyson
Satan knows if he can’t take out your life by getting you to commit a moral failure, he will take out your mind so you withdraw and disqualify yourself – if he can get you to do that, the battle is for the most part won.
Three truths to help reconcile our faith and our failures.
1. Despite our failure, God walks with us (don’t discount yourself)
When God called Abraham, he already knew Abraham had flaws and faults. Knowing his faults and flaws, he still called Him.
The Bible is not an honour roll of perfect people who got it right all the time. Even those who are commended for their faith, are not held up as problem free perfect examples.
· Noah more righteous than any in his generation, AND had a drinking problem.
· Moses a once-in-a-generation courageous leader AND had anger problems that complicated his path.
· Gideon used lead God’s people into victory AND later led them into idolatry.
· Hezekiah was a reformer AND became materialistic and proud.
· Elijah was bold and could hear God AND knew valleys of fear, holes of depression and the reality of suicidal thoughts.
· Peter was sometimes bold AND other times played the hypocrite because he was afraid of the opinions of his fellow Jews.
These are not justifications to sin, but do give hope to sinners - God is willing to walk with imperfect people like us.
2. Despite our failure, God works through us (don’t delay your contribution)
It’s tempting to think God gave Abraham a one-time reprieve for his lapse in Egypt and Abraham never made that mistake again, so God tolerated him and worked with him.
However, eight chapters later in Genesis 20, Abraham spins the same lie to Abimelech King of Gerar and again creates a mess.
Yet, despite Abraham’s flaws, God was still advancing His purposes through Abraham.
Don’t buy into the perfection myth which says God can use us only once we’re perfect in every way. This side of heaven, no such person exists.
Mark Varughese
God can use you while He changes you.
3. Despite our failure, God waits for us (don’t despair over your future)
Abraham’s story doesn’t end in Egypt in Genesis 12.
In the next chapter, God is still there speaking, guiding and directing.
Kevin DeYoung
… the story is a word of hope. It’s a firm reminder that nothing and no one can fully and finally derail the promises of God. You may look at your sin and stupidity and think that you’ve forfeited all of God’s blessing for you. But you haven’t. We may corporately look at the failures of God’s people—worldly compromise, theological error, fallen leaders, hypocrisy, duplicity, sin, and scandal—and wonder how the church will ever accomplish the purposes God has for her. But don’t forget: Jesus himself promises to build his church. This is not an excuse for us to be lazy, let alone to be disobedient, but it is reason for hope.
Proverbs 24:16
the righteous falls seven times and rises again …
Our hope for the future is built upon the fact that God will keep His promises in spite of our best and worst days.
26 January 2025
Genesis 12:1-9
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
This scene so significant it shapes the book of Genesis, the entire Bible, and indeed much of human history. Further on, the Bible points to Abraham’s faith in Genesis 12 as an example to emulate.
Hebrews 11:8
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”
Following God’s promise to Abraham in the first half of Genesis 12 is a scene that seems at odds.
Genesis 12:10-20
Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.”
When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.
The same Abraham who five minutes ago believes God for his future, now doesn’t believe God can protect him in Egypt.
The first nine verses of Genesis 12 are full of exclamation marks. The next ten verses are full of questions marks. Extraordinary faith, followed by embarrassing failure.
What are we to make of the inconsistencies in Abraham’s behaviour? What are we to make of the inconsistencies in our own behaviour?
Likely, we all know what it is to experience moments when we feel inspired, courageous, full of vision.Then moments when we feel flat, deflated, discouraged, full of self-loathing and defeat. We experience these contrasts within the same person.
Mark 9:24
“I believe; help my unbelief!”
Romans 7:22-23
For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
The reality of unbelief and failure makes us question our legitimacy as believers, dial back our faith, and even excuse ourselves out of the purposes of God.
On top of our own self-doubt, the Bible is clear we have a spiritual enemy, Satan, who loves to underscore our worst moments and use them as ammunition to accuse us.
Revelation 12:10 calls Satan “the accuser … who accuses them day and night”
Jon Tyson
Satan knows if he can’t take out your life by getting you to commit a moral failure, he will take out your mind so you withdraw and disqualify yourself – if he can get you to do that, the battle is for the most part won.
Three truths to help reconcile our faith and our failures.
1. Despite our failure, God walks with us (don’t discount yourself)
When God called Abraham, he already knew Abraham had flaws and faults. Knowing his faults and flaws, he still called Him.
The Bible is not an honour roll of perfect people who got it right all the time. Even those who are commended for their faith, are not held up as problem free perfect examples.
· Noah more righteous than any in his generation, AND had a drinking problem.
· Moses a once-in-a-generation courageous leader AND had anger problems that complicated his path.
· Gideon used lead God’s people into victory AND later led them into idolatry.
· Hezekiah was a reformer AND became materialistic and proud.
· Elijah was bold and could hear God AND knew valleys of fear, holes of depression and the reality of suicidal thoughts.
· Peter was sometimes bold AND other times played the hypocrite because he was afraid of the opinions of his fellow Jews.
These are not justifications to sin, but do give hope to sinners - God is willing to walk with imperfect people like us.
2. Despite our failure, God works through us (don’t delay your contribution)
It’s tempting to think God gave Abraham a one-time reprieve for his lapse in Egypt and Abraham never made that mistake again, so God tolerated him and worked with him.
However, eight chapters later in Genesis 20, Abraham spins the same lie to Abimelech King of Gerar and again creates a mess.
Yet, despite Abraham’s flaws, God was still advancing His purposes through Abraham.
Don’t buy into the perfection myth which says God can use us only once we’re perfect in every way. This side of heaven, no such person exists.
Mark Varughese
God can use you while He changes you.
3. Despite our failure, God waits for us (don’t despair over your future)
Abraham’s story doesn’t end in Egypt in Genesis 12.
In the next chapter, God is still there speaking, guiding and directing.
Kevin DeYoung
… the story is a word of hope. It’s a firm reminder that nothing and no one can fully and finally derail the promises of God. You may look at your sin and stupidity and think that you’ve forfeited all of God’s blessing for you. But you haven’t. We may corporately look at the failures of God’s people—worldly compromise, theological error, fallen leaders, hypocrisy, duplicity, sin, and scandal—and wonder how the church will ever accomplish the purposes God has for her. But don’t forget: Jesus himself promises to build his church. This is not an excuse for us to be lazy, let alone to be disobedient, but it is reason for hope.
Proverbs 24:16
the righteous falls seven times and rises again …
Our hope for the future is built upon the fact that God will keep His promises in spite of our best and worst days.
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