Sunday, October 9, 2011 Message to the Winston-Salem Church of God of Prophecy

AND THEY COULD NOT

(Mark 9:14-17) And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?" Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. (NKJV)

(Mark 9:18-19) "And wherever 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." He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." (NKJV)

(Mark 9:20-21) Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. (NKJV)

(Mark 9:22-23) "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 him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (NKJV)

(Mark 9:24-25) 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 it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" (NKJV)

(Mark 9:26-27) Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. (NKJV)

(Mark 9:28-29) And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." (NKJV)

Introduction: Ill. Thomas Aquinas - Roman Catholic scholar who lived between 1225 and 1274. He was a brilliant thinker who left an indelible imprint on the fabric of his time. He visited the Vatican and met with the Pope. The Pope is said to have looked at Thomas Aquinas and said, "Behold, Master Thomas, the church can no longer say, as St. Peter, 'Silver and gold have I none!'"

Aquinas was quick to reply, "Alas, neither can we say what follows, 'but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.'" Thomas Aquinas understood a truth that many people never grasp.

How would the world measure the success of a church? Most likely the church that is the largest, the richest, the most influential, etc. would be considered the most successful churches. However,
God has a very different standard for determining what constitutes a successful church or ministry and that is whether or not they operate in the power of God so that people's lives are changed!

In this passage, the Lord Jesus teaches us about the most important ingredient of a successful ministry. The disciples lacked that ingredient and they failed miserably.

We are told in verse 18 of this text that the disciples of Jesus failed in their attempt to cast out a demon from a boy. The boy's father summed up their efforts by saying "…and they could not."

He was right! He came to these men hoping to find some help for his son, but he found that these men had no help to offer. They could not! Why did they fail?

They failed because they lacked spiritual power. They lacked spiritual power because they were missing the one ingredient that assures spiritual power.

I would like for us to look into these verses today because we need the message they teach us. The church is here to carry out the Lord's business in these dark, sinful days and too many times people walk away from our churches saying, "…and they could not." Our problem is the same as that of the Lord's disciples. Often, we lack the necessary ingredient required for spiritual success.

By God's help, I want to unpack these verses today. I want to preach on the phrase this father used to sum up the ability of the disciples, when he said, "…And They Could Not". I want to point out The Lack Of Spiritual Power; The Lord of Spiritual Power and The Lessons Of Spiritual Power.

Let's listen carefully to what the Lord has to say to us today, both as individuals and as a church. I pray that we will hear the truth and heed the truth so that it will never be said of this Church, "And They Could Not!"

I. v. 14-19
THE LACK OF SPIRITUAL POWER

Let's set the stage for these verses. In verses 1-13 of this chapter, Jesus had taken Peter, James and John up into Mount Hermon and He was transfigured before them. The glory of His heavenly state became visible on the mountain top. These three disciples see Jesus in His glory. They saw Moses and Elijah and listened to them talk to Jesus about His impending death on the cross. They even heard the voice of God the Father as He declared that Jesus Christ is His Son and commanded the disciples to hear Him!

These men had seen The Midnight Son and they must have been floating with excitement as they came down from that mountain. But, when they arrived back in the valley below, they came face to face with a world struggling under demonic force.

That's why I told you last Sunday to enjoy those mountain tops for all they are worth. There is a valley just ahead and you will need the blessings and glories of the mountain top experience to sustain you through the valleys.

When Jesus and the three disciples come down from the mountain, they find the other nine disciples engaged in an argument with some scribes, v. 14. It seems that a distraught father had brought his demon possessed son to Jesus for healing. Jesus was up on the mountain when he arrived, so the father asked the disciples to heal his son. They could not cast out the demon and most likely the scribes are mocking them for their inability.

Jesus arrives on this scene and asks for an explanation, v. 16. The father, in agonizing detail, describes the pitiful condition of his son. Every verb the father uses in verse 18 is in the "present tense". The father's language describes a horrible, ongoing situation of demonic torment.

It is a sad state of affairs and when Jesus hears the details, He voices His Own dismay over the all that He has heard. The word "O" in verse 19
is a word of deep anguish. It was usually reserved for a time of burdened prayer. People would come before God and cry out of their hearts and lift their "O's" to the Lord.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever had a time when your heart was breaking and your soul vented its pain and cried "O" unto the Lord?

Jesus is expressing His disappointment toward everyone assembled there that day. He is dismayed that no one seems to be able to believe. The disciples, who have seen His power first hand, don't have needed faith. The religious leaders don't have faith. The gathered crowds lack faith. Even this broken hearted father does not have the faith necessary to see his son delivered from this demon. Jesus sees this lack of faith and He cries out, "How much longer am I going to have to put up with you?" It was a heartbreaking moment from Jesus, following as it did immediately after the transfiguration and His Father's affirmation.

The saddest aspect of this whole scene is not the condition of the boy; the spirit of the scribes, or the anguish of the father. The saddest part of this whole account is the powerlessness of the disciples.

These men had seen Jesus perform countless amazing miracles, yet they still lacked the needed faith. These men had even cast out demons in the past, Mark 6:7; 12-13. These men had seen the miracles and they had performed the miracles themselves, but now it is said of them "and they could not."

In many ways these nine disciples are a picture of the modern church.

Like them, we have the reputation that we have power. This father thought the disciples could help his son, v. 18. But, they lacked the power to make a difference. As a result, they have lost face with the father, the crowds and with the scribes, who are mocking them for their lack of power and ability.

Many churches have nice facilities, skilled people preaching and organizing the work of the church; money on which to operate, etc. Too many churches lack what they need most: The power of God.

This building here, beside South Main Street, is making a promise to the world. This building tells every person who passes by that this is the place God meets with His people. This church house promises a needy world that they can find help when they come here.

• This church says, "If you need God, we can help you get to Him.
  
• If your life is broken, we can show you how God can fix it.
  
• If your family is coming apart, we can show you how God can put it back together again.
  
• If you are lost, we can show you how to be saved."
  
• This church makes a promise to the world that we have the answer to their needs; that we are able to help them; and that we care about them.
  

We Are a Church—the word "church" comes from a Greek word that means "a called out assembly". That word tells the world that we have been called out from among them to be different. It tells the world that we gather here to assemble ourselves before God to worship and honor Him.

• We are a church! We are not a social club.
  
• We are a church! We are not an entertainment organization.
  
• We are a church! We are to be like Jesus.
  
• We are a church! His power should be in us. His truth should be within us. His way should be before us. His Word should guide us.

Too many churches in our day lack genuine spiritual power. There is no touch of God. There is no power of God. The world comes in and there is no help in the church for their condition. What does the world do? It stands around us and it mocks our weakness. May it never be said of this church "…and they could not."

II. v. 19b-27 THE LORD OF SPIRITUAL POWER

Jesus hears the father's story and commands the boy be brought to Him. When he arrives, the demon in the child recognizes Jesus and attacks the boy again. The child is gripped by convulsions, and he wallows on the ground, foaming at the mouth, v. 20. It is a pitiful scene.

As the child writhes on the ground, Jesus asks him about how long the child has been this way, v. 21. The father's answer is graphic and telling. He tells Jesus that things have been this way since the boy was little. He also tells Jesus that the demon has attacked the boy repeatedly, trying to burn him to death or drown him in the water, v. 22.

Then, the father bears the true condition of his faith. He looks at Jesus and he says, But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." It is a plea from a desperate Father.

This father trusted that the disciples of Jesus could heal his son. When they failed, he now wonders if Jesus and His abilities are able to cast out the demon. In verse 17, this father had brought the son believing Jesus could deliver him. Now, this father's faith has been reduced to "if you can do anything…"

When Jesus hears this man's words, He responds immediately! The force of the Lord's words in verse 23 does not really come through in our English Bibles. Remember there were no punctuation in the original manuscripts of the Bible—punctuation was latter added. Here is what Jesus was saying, "What do you mean, if I can? Believe! All things are possible to him that believes!"

Jesus commands the father to place his faith in Jesus for the deliverance his son desperately needs. When the father hears this, he makes one of the most honest and transparent prayers in the entire Bible. He looks at Jesus and says, "Lord I believe; help my unbelief." He is saying, "Lord, I do believe in You and in Your power. But, my faith is weak! Help me to grow my faith."

Then Jesus commands the spirit to leave the boy and to never return, v. 25. The demon attacks the child one more time and comes out. The child becomes so quiet and so still that the onlookers assume that he is dead, v. 26. Then, Jesus does what He does best; He takes the child by the hand and He lifts him up. The child rises and he is free, v. 27.

There are some spiritual lessons we need to glean here before we move to our final thought today. Let me share them with you.

• A powerless church portrays Jesus Christ in a bad light –

Because the disciples lacked power, the father assumed Jesus lacked power too. The same is true around the house of God. When a lost world walks into a church building and it sees deadness, coldness and apathy; the lost assume that Jesus is just as lifeless, just as powerless and just as dead. Too many churches are guilty of false advertising! They claim to have something to offer the world, but they have nothing but cold, dead religion and that helps no one!

It's time the church told the truth about Jesus! He changes lives! Knowing Him is exciting! His church is alive and active in the world. His Gospel has power to save and deliver.

• Weak faith is better than no faith at all –

This father was filled with doubt, but there was still a kernel of faith in his heart. As a result, he got what he desired from the Lord. God is not put off by our doubts, but total unbelief slams the door on His power in our lives. We need to remember that it isn't large faith that receives big answers from the Lord. It is simply genuine faith that sees Him move in great power. Mustard seed faith can move mountains, Matt. 17:20

• Jesus is still in the "lifting up business" –

Just as Jesus took this poor, seemingly dead boy by the hand and lifted him up into a new life, Jesus can do the same for all who come to Him by faith.

• He can lift the dead sinner out of his sins and into a new life in Christ, 2 Cor. 5:17.
  
• He can lift the cold, apathetic church member out of his complacency and into a new life of joy and blessing, Rev. 3:20.
  
• He can lift the burdened believer out of his fears and give him peace that passes all understanding, Phil. 4:6-7.

III. v. 28-29 THE LESSONS OF SPIRITUAL POWER

When this episode is over and the disciples are alone with Jesus, the nine who failed to deliver the child ask Jesus about why they failed, v. 28. These men were concerned about their spiritual failure, and they should have been!

The answer Jesus gave them is both simple and telling. His answer is that these men failed because their unbelief. Let me read a parallel account in (Matthew 17:20-21) So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." (NKJV)

• Prayer is a state of close communion with the Lord.
  
• Fasting speaks of a lifestyle of total submission and surrender to the Lord.
  

These men were not communing with God as they should have been. Neither were they as surrendered to God as they should have been. As a result, they lacked the power of God on their lives and they could not cast out this devil.

The disciples failed because they did not have the ongoing relationship of prayer with the Father and a lifestyle of total submission and surrender to the Lord. It is this ongoing, growing relationship that produces the needed faith.

We fail in the Lord's work and we lack His power for the very same reasons. We lack the power of God in the modern church because we lack spiritual discipline! We must be a praying people and a surrendered people. We must walk in total dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

The modern church have become like the Jews in Acts 19:13-17 who were trying to cast out a demon in Jesus' name. They had the formula and they had the ritual, but they lacked the power of God to get the job done. That is the state of the modern church!

We need to pray – I am referring to prayer that seeks the face and the will of God. I am referring to prayer assaults on the throne room of God, refusing to be silenced until the answer comes. I am talking about the church returning to the days of lying on the altars, seeking God and His power.

• We are commanded to pray,
  1 Thes. 5:17; Luke 18:1.
  
• He has promised to hear our prayers, Jer. 33:3; Isa. 65:24.
  
• He has promised to answer our prayers, Matt. 7:7-11; Mark 11:24; John 14:13-14; 15:7.
  
• Genuine, faith-filled praying is the key that will open the door of revival and power for this modern age!

• We must be surrendered – God cannot bless and use a church that is not separated from the world, 2 Cor. 6:17-7:1. It is God's will that we place everything we have, are and ever hope to have or be on the altar for His glory, Rom. 12:1-2.
  
• We need to become totally dependent on the Lord for everything – Until we reach the place where we understand that the power of God does not come because of our preaching, our singing, our working or our manipulation of people and things. The power of God rests on us as we learn to rest in Jesus, John 15:5. The cure for what ails the modern church is found in our Lord's words to the church in Ephesus; we need to fall in love with Jesus once again, Rev. 2:1-7.

What we need above everything else is the power of God.
That power will come when God's people get serious about seeking His face; walking in His ways and leaning on Him for all we need. It will come then and only then, 2 Chron. 7:14.

Conclusion: "And they could not!" What a tragic statement! When people come to this church and worship with us, what is their thought when they leave?

Do they say, "The power of God is in that place; they serve a mighty, wonderful Lord"? Or do they leave here saying, "I went there for help; I went there for fellowship; I went there for love; I went there for hope; I went there for peace; I went there for acceptance; I went there for Jesus, and they could not"?

Has God spoken to you about what you need to do to make this church the church He wants it to be?

• Has He spoken to you about your faith?
  
• Has He spoken to you about your prayer life?
  
• Has He spoken to you about your level of surrender?
  
• Has He spoken to you about how much you depend on Him? If He has spoken, you need to hear His voice and do what He is telling you to do.
  
• Has He spoken to you about your salvation? If so, you need to come and be saved.

We will either be a people who could or a people who could not. Which kind of people we are depends on us.