Freeing the Five Faith Builders Number Five: Persistence Matthew 17:14-21

Freeing The Five Faith Builders Number Five: Persistence Matthew 17:14-21

ONE THING

Proper positioning leads to powerful petitioning. I want to be a man of GREAT FAITH!

I want to MOVE MOUNTAINS

I want to experience the SUPERNATURAL

Proper POSITIONING leads to Powerful PETITIONING

There are FIVE different times the Lord accuses His disciples of “LITTLE FAITH”.

We are going to look at Faith Blockers and then Faith Builders

1. Provision

Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 6:30 (ESV) 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Faith Blocker

Anxiety over the cares of this life

Faith Builder

Trust the Lord’s Provision

2. Promises

Crossing the Sea and Jesus falls asleep

Matthew 8:24–26 (ESV) 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Faith Blocker

Doubting God’s Goodness Faith Builder

3. Presence

Peter walking on the Water

Before Jesus will calm the STORM that is causing your FEAR He will calm the FEAR that is storming your HEART.

Before Jesus will calm the storm that is causing your fear He will calm the fear that is keeping your storm.

Faith Blocker

Focusing on our Problems

Matthew 14:28–31 (ESV) 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

When we begin focusing on the problem…

FEAR will begin to RISE and FAITH will begin to SINK!

Is your storm bigger than your Jesus or is your Jesus bigger than your storm?

Faith Builder

Focus on the Lord’s Presence

Don’t tell Jesus about the size of your storm; tell your storm about the size of your Jesus!

4. Precepts

Jesus’ warning regarding the yeast of the Pharisees

Matthew 16:5–12 (ESV) 5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Faith Blocker

Living from a Worldly Perspective

Settling for immediate gratification – Lust of the flesh – Appetites

Setting your sights on making a name for yourself – Lust of the eyes - Ambitions

Self-imposed religion – Pride in possessions – Affections

Faith Builder

Seeing from the Lord’s Perspective

“The Transfiguration” is from the Italian painter, Raphael. This was his last painting.

5. Persistence

Demonized Boy the Disciples couldn’t heal

Matthew 17:14–20 (ESV) 14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” 21[But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting]

BACKGROUND

When Jesus sent out the 12 disciples 2X2 He said to them…

Matthew 10:7–8 (ESV) 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

When Jesus sent out the 72 other followers 2X2 He said to them… Luke 10:8–9 (ESV) 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

Luke 10:17–19 (ESV) 17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

Faith Blocker

Matthew 17:19–21 (ESV) 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. 21[But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting]

Spiritual Immaturity

Faith Builder

Pray for Spiritual Maturity

Mark 9:29 (ESV) 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Mountain VIEWING Faith See JESUS in GOD’S complete GLORY

The Transfiguration!

Matthew 17:5–6 (ESV) 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.

Do you see Jesus as the God of the Universe or as a free pass to heaven?

Jesus is God!

Colossians 1:15–20 (ESV) 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Back to our story… Jesus asks the Father…

Mark 9:22b–24 (ESV) 22… But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Mountain DESCENDING Faith See PEOPLE in SATAN’S corrupting GRASP

Peter wanted to stay up on the mountaintop!

We all love mountaintop experiences, but our faith never grows unless it is tested.

And it is never tested except in the valleys of a fallen world.

Judges 3:1–2 (ESV) 1 Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. 2 It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before.

Think about this father…

Matthew 17:14–15 (ESV) 14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.

Mark 9:16–18a (ESV) 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.

Luke 9:38–39 (ESV) 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him.

This father loved his son and was desperate for help

He knew that if only Jesus could touch him he would be delivered and healed

 There are people all around us hurting and wounded.

 They are looking for someone who can help

Mountain MOVING Faith See YOURSELF as GOD’S conduit of GRACE

Matthew 17:16 (ESV) 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.”

Mark 9:18b (ESV) 18… So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”

Luke 9:40 (ESV) 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”

The disciples were bewildered because they had been casting out demons for sometime.

What is mustard seed faith?

Jesus is NOT cutting His disciples down

He is attempting to raise them up!

Jesus told them they had little faith, but little faith planted into the right soil will grow and grow and grow!

Plant your faith fully in Jesus

1 John 5:4–5 (ESV) 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Water your faith with the Word of God

Romans 10:17 (ESV) 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Nourish your faith through Persistent Prayer

Luke 18:1 (ESV) 1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Persistent Prayer releases Perpetual Power