The Powerless Disciple

When we think about Jesus, we think about is ability to do what no one else has ever been able to do.

The uniqueness of His ministry, or what made Him different from other “so called” prophets is not only was he a great teacher, preacher and evangelist,

But along with is teaching and preaching came the demonstration of Power and Authority!

Power is the ability to cause things to happen.

Jesus did the impossible, turn water into wine, raise the dead, walk on water. Jesus was able to do things that went against the laws of nature.(we call that a miracle)

But the point is that when it really mattered, When things were desperate, when things had gone to far, for too long, Jesus knew what to do, when and how to do it, and most importantly He had the power to do it!

Jesus did not have to convince anyone of His authority. You either believed He was

who He said He was or you didn’t.

If you look closely at the life of Jesus you will see the following pattern in His ministry.

Jesus Taught,

Jesus Demonstrated’

& The People Believed

He did not spend time trying to prove that He was right! He taught them the ways of God, He demonstrated His power and as a result the people believed.

Jesus Told them and then Showed them !

Jesus said on one occasion, to His disciples that “greater works than these shall you do” and if you read the book of Acts, you will see that the Disciple and Apostles of Jesus did exactly that!

But in this scripture text we find that there is a problem!

The disciples, those who sat under the feet of Jesus, heard His teachings and followed

Him everywhere He went, were expected to perform as He did.

But we see that they were not able to do as Jesus did!

Before you are quick to judge the disciples, Can you imagine the frustration and embarrassment the disciples must have felt when they were not able to cast out one

demon,

Notice: It was not a legion or many demons, it was one demon! and they could not cast it out of the man!

There is nothing more frustrating than to know what to do, you do it, and nothing happens.

If you are trained to do something, you are expected to do it. Here the disciples find themselves to be powerless!

They are not able to do what they were called and trained, even anointed to do.

What an indictment agants the church it is when:

there are people around us that are demon possed, sick and in need of deliverance, and we are completely powerless to do anything to help them.

In the scripture we see a man, who has a sick child, demon possessed, some sickness are a result of sin, others are the result of demonic oppression, there are many reasons why a person will become sick.

But is should not matter what the cause or source of the sickness, the disciples of Jesus Christ should be able to do something about it.

The man in this scripture had enough sense to believe that if anyone could help him the disciple of Jesus can

Notice: His faith was so strong that he believe that it was not necessary to go straight to Jesus for help, but if he could get to people you are close to Jesus, than his needs would be supplies !

But, when he went to the disciples first and they could not help him!

Look at what the man said to Jesus , he said “I went to your disciples, but they could not help me.”

(Lord have mercy)

The response that Jesus gives to this man, gives you an indication that Jesus was disappointed and a little irritated at His disciples

He called them “faithless and perverse”

How long do you think I am going to be here with you?

(In other words, I am eventually going to leave you and you are going to have to do this

by yourself)

Then he said “bring him to me.” Jesus cast out the demon!

The disciples wanted to know why they could not do the work?

Jesus gives them three why?

You don’t believe

You don’t pray

You don’t fast

Jesus said “if you believe Nothing shall be impossible for you!”

If we don’t want to find ourselves were the disciple were on that day we must, seek the face of God!

It is easy to say just have faith and believe God.

However, we must understand that Faith is a spiritual muscle, and in order for it to be strong it must be development!

You have to grow in faith!

It has been said that prayer is the key and faith unlocks the door! He must work hard at being intune with the spirit of the Lord! so that we are plugged in to the power source.