Text: Matthew 17 :14-21
And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Introduction :
We want to look at tonight what Jesus said is a necessary commodity in order to have REAL DELIVERANCE in our lives.
Let me say at the outset:
That if we think that because we are free from the vices of sin and demonic spirits – that we have no fear of bondage - that we are not correct.
It is very possible to be free from the sins of alcohol, cigarettes, gambling and as on and so forth ….
and still be bound by DOUBT, FEAR, PRIDE, MATERIALISM, COMPLACENY and so on and so forth.
For you and I, it may not be the bondage from WITHOUT that we need to be delivered from.
It is more likely that it is the bondage from WITHIN!
I have known good Christian people who live good clean lives, yet they were bound by anger and resentment, because of wrong done against them.
I have know people who wouldn’t think of drinking a drop of alcohol or putting a cigarette to their mouth, but are very quick to light the match of gossip and contention.
It is the will of God that we be delivered from BOTH within and without!
To be totally delivered from the sins of the flesh and spirit!
I - In our text we find a man who had a son who was
possessed with a demonic spirit !
The father first took his son to the disciples who ( he
thought) they would be able to help his son !
Of course, when you read this passage you find that the disciples were not able to cast out the demonic spirit!
The man then brings his son to Jesus and He very quickly and easily delivers the man.
Later in the privacy of the house the disciples asked Jesus,
“ Why is it that we could not cast out the demonic spirit “
It is very possible and perhaps probable that the disciples thought that just because they were walking with Jesus that the power of deliverance was automatic.
If I were to assume, I would guess that they just took it for granted that they to could do the works of God, just because they were with Him and walking with Him.
( We can not just assume or take it for granted that we have
have power with God just because we are walking with God)
When it come to the power of deliverance you can not suppose –or- just think you have it !
You have to really have it and possess it!
The disciples thought they had the power of deliverance,
And when they tried to exercise what they thought they had, They could not do what they thought they could do!
Which lead to Discouragement and Frustration !
Because they thought they had failed!
We tried so hard and we were not able to do what we thought we could do .
( let me put it another way)
How many times have we been discouraged and frustrated, because we thought we had the power of deliverance in us.
But then we were not able to resist temptation when it came!
We thought we had the power to resist, but instead we found our self submitting to the temptation!
Jesus could resist temptation, because He knew He had the power of deliverance ( He was fasting and praying for 40 days)
When it comes to the power of deliverance you can not assume you have it. We better know we have it!
II – The second thing I see here with the disciples is that
( because they were only assuming that they had the
power of deliverance )
They were operating in their own ability !!!
They were trying to bring about deliverance by their our ability, strength and power!
Real deliverance will never come by the Flesh!
It is always by the Spirit!
Zachariah 4:6 says “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Do you know what that means :
It means that in your flesh you can not make it happen–or- force it to happen!
IT IS BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD!
We are wise to know that if we want real deliverance and to be used in the power of deliverance –
THEN we need to get in the FLOW of THE SPIRIT!!
The Apostle Paul told the Galatians that they were foolish to think they could begin in the Spirit and finish in their flesh!
Paul was telling them their foolishness was in the fact that they depended on the Spirit in the beginning, but now they have come to a place where they no longer depend on the Spirit!
They have come to a place where they become dependent and reliant on their flesh!
They were not the first to feel that way, nor are they the last!
SAMSON – relied on the Spirit of God, but grew to a place where he took it for granted and when that happens you always depend on your flesh! He got in big trouble !!
I had an Assembly of God pastor tell me 3 weeks ago that if the Spirit lifted from most of their churches.
MOST of their churches would never know it!
In his own words “ We have become to self dependent”
The revival we need in America will never come from the Flesh!
It is silly to think the flesh can deliver the flesh!
It STILL takes the Spirit to bring REAL REVIVAL and REAL DELIVERANCE!
III – Jesus answer the question that he was asked of His
disciples by saying
“…this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting”
He was saying to them and ( now to us) that it takes Prayer and fasting to bring true deliverance!
Many people struggle with deliverance, because they fail to pray and fast!
1- We know according to scripture that prayer wasn’t #1 on the disciples list ( Probably because Jesus was with them and they saw no real need to pray)
2-We know that when Jesus prayed and desired for them to pray with Him – They found it hard to pray
They found it hard to stay awake!
Jesus said “ Could not you pray one hour?”
3- We also know, that according to the scripture that the disciples of Jesus at this time DID NOT FAST!
Matthew 9:14
” Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?”
Jesus reply to them was:
“Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.”
In other words –
They felt no need to pray and fast!
This the Key – We must have a constant awareness
That we need the deliverance of God,
that comes only through the ability of God,
and the ability of God comes through Prayer
Bro Daniel spoke on the Dangers of Pride last Sunday morning!
Let me tell you that Proud people will not pray because they will not humble themselves to pray!
Or … else If they do pray it is often to boast of their righteousness, as was evident with the Pharisee in the temple praying:
“I thank God I am not as this publican
I pray
I fast twice a week”
He was boasting as if his prayers and fasting qualified him to receive anything from God’
Luke 18 : 11-12
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
We need to understand that prayer and fasting does not QUALIFY us to receive from God!
Prayer and Fasting PREPARES us to receive from God.
Jesus is telling us that the gateway to prayer is a HUMBLE SPIRIT!
In other words ‘ We do not DESERVE anything from God’
It is a myth to think that we have we EARNED –or- DESERVE anything from God !
We do not pray and fast to earn a right to receive from God!
We Pray and fast to PREPARE our hearts to receive from God!
In order to pray to be humble, you have to humble yourself to pray!
Notice 2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
The Lord said Humility would proceed Prayer
Humble themselves and pray! ( and turn from their wicked ways)
Fasting and Prayer prepares our hearts and lives to receive from God!
Let me say it this way – God works through humble people!
God works through praying people !
God works through righteous people!
III - If we pray only to receive what God can provide we are
doing nothing more than Seeking His HAND!
The Hand of God that GIVES to us !
The Hand of God that WORKS for us !
Question that I would ask you tonight:
If God told you that he would NEVER again give you anything that you prayed for – WOULD YOU STILL PRAY TO HIM ?
Interesting question, because if I only pray for my needs and NOT because I want to just talk with God!
Why would I pray!
Truth is (many people) – outside of praying for their petitions, have very little to say to God!
Ever wonder how God feels about our prayer time!
“ Here they come again with their long list of wants and needs”
then they are son gone
“ Here comes Sis so & so…. She wants to spend time with me !”
IV - The Prayer ( that we should desire) is to seek the FACE of God !
God’s Face reflects his glory!
Have you ever seen someone come out of prayer and you could tell they have been with the Lord! ??
Their countenance has a glow and you know that they have conversed with God !
Exodus 34 : 28 -29 says of Moses:
And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
I wonder if Our hands are full, but our face is empty!
We should not be long faced, looking like we lost our best friend!
We should reflect the glory of God and that in is presence is fullness of joy!
Even Jesus said when you FAST - wash your face and put on a happy countenance.
There are too many long faced, sad Christians!
I feel it is because they never have found the glory of God face and the joy of His prensence.
IV- Fasting is not the newest diet program for Christians!
It’s purpose and motive is always - Self Denial!
To deny our flesh – making us more sensitive to the God spirit!
Fasting in scripture was away of expressing a persons need and dependence on God !
It was a way of expressing a dependence on God!
When you fast you saying through your actions that I do not depend or need what the flesh can offer me!
I am depending on God – I need God!
Interesting that when Israel was in TROUBLE that they would call a fast!
Why?
Because in their PRIDE – they got in trouble!
So they would call for a fast and humble themselves!
As to say “ God we need your help” !!!!
The king of Nineveh when he heard “ 40 days and Nineveh will be overthrown” said:
“ Ok – time to call a fast – everybody put on sackcloth and ashes”
We should not fast just when we are in trouble, we should fast to keep us out of getting in trouble!
We should never only pray and fast because we are in trouble!
Prayer & fasting are what produce our Relationship and Dependence on God !
Closing
You have heard me say it in recent weeks
Two things we MUST do:
Pray – Seek Gods FACE
Fast – Deny Our FLESH!
If we can consistently do those two things with a proper motive - We Will Have The POWER of DELIVERANCE !
