The Disciples Lack Of Power Series

The Great Commission

Part 14 – The Disciples lack of Power

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith – www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

ANNOUNCEMENTS

6:00PM Evening Service at the church –

“Seminary Students will be preaching”

April 13th – Lynnette Higgins

April 20th – Walker Spriggs

April 27th – Deacon Kurt Ulman

May 4th – Grace Steadman

May 11th – Lori Ulman

WHERE WE ARE AT

† Jesus foretells His death to the Apostles

† Peter tells Jesus He can not go! (he doesn’t understand Jesus’ Kingdom is Spiritual and mankind NEEDS saving through sacrifice)

† Jesus is Transfigured on the mountain

INTRODUCTION

If you remember, Jesus had just taken the Disciples Peter, James and John up to the mountain with Him.

When they arrived, Jesus had shown His Glory, what we call the transfiguration.

Moses and Elijah then appeared and spoke with Jesus about what was coming, the Crucifixion.

Peter then wanted to build Tabernacles for the three of them.

It is at this time that the Holy Spirit was present, and the Voice of the Father spoke and said, “THIS is my Son, in whom I am well pleased. LISTEN TO HIM!”

God will not allow the spotlight to be taken away from Jesus and the Cross, or even shared with the greatest of Saints!

No other name but Jesus is to be called upon, prayed to or worshipped.

God makes this clear in this scripture.

Christ alone!

This is where we are picking up today, just as the Disciples and Jesus are coming back from the mountain.

SCRIPTURE READING

Matthew 17:14-18

“14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."

17 "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.”

PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT

They came down from the mountain and immediately met with a crowd.

I. They came to a crowd

a. A man approached Jesus (His action - He drew close to Jesus)

Jesus made Himself available by going to where the crowd was.

But the man APPROACHED JESUS.

Jesus is where the need is…are you approaching Him? Are you drawing close to Him?

He is there. Waiting. Calling.

Revelation 3:20

“20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Jesus is waiting for you to answer…

We must respond to Christ and His invitation.

This is FAITH in ACTION!

This is our DOING part of Faith!

The scriptures tell us that we must be DOERS of the Word.

James 1:22 ~ Be Doers

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

2 Timothy 2:22-23 ~ Call on the Lord

“22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.”

Romans 10:13 ~ Call on the Lord

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

See…you must DO, if you do not call on the name of the Lord…you are not saved.

Or, if you call on anything else, you will not be saved.

Or if you do nothing…you will not be saved.

James 4:4-12 ~ Come close to the Lord and He will come close to you

“4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Do you know people who go along with this world and what it teaches?

Are you that person?

Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

"God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble."

If you are prideful, you are in opposition to God.

If you want to be in God’s Grace, you must humble yourself as this father in our scripture today did, he humbled himself to Jesus.

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.