Introduction In Luke s gospel we got a sneak-peak preview of the future Kingdom (vv.28-36). We saw a glorified Jesus with Moses and Elijah and God the Father bearing witness to Jesus Messianic Mission, to suffer and die and rise from the dead. Years later Peter wrote; 2 Peter 1:16-18 (NLT); For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. We have seen his majestic splendor with our own eyes.17 And he received honor and glory from God the Father when God s glorious, majestic voice called down from heaven, This is my beloved Son; I am fully pleased with him. 18 We ourselves heard the voice when we were there with him on the holy mountain. Those of us who are Christians know and believe we will participate in a future Kingdom with Jesus Christ the Lord. But what about the world we live in right now? Nine disciples are at the bottom of the mountain powerless! Jesus brings them face to face with their problem! They are powerless because their hearts are filled with unbelief! They lack power because they lack faith! And so it is with us! We sometimes feel powerless in our walk with Jesus Christ. Faith is a funny word in our culture and society. It means many different things to many different people. People speak of faith in terms of denominational loyalty. I m a Baptist, or I m Full Gospel, or I m Catholic. Others think of faith as an invisible power, a secret power that gives them the will to go on press forward to right injustice in the sixties we would close our fists and say, keep the faith brother! Faith in the Bible is related to confidence, trust, and assurance. Faith in the Bible is believing not simply in God but in everything God reveals about Himself and His Son Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus is believing everything Jesus has said about Himself, His identity, His mission, His destiny. His identity, He is Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God (v.20); his mission He will go to Jerusalem and die on a Roman cross for the sins of the whole world(v.22a) His destiny He will be raised the third day (v.22b), ascend into heaven, return in glory. The Bible gives us example after example of faith. Hebrews chapter 11 tells us by faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain (v.4). Noah by faith built an Ark and became an heir of righteousness which is according to faith (v.7); and by faith Abraham, when he was called...went out and lived as an alien in the land of promise...for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (vv.8-10). In each of these examples of faith, faith was in God, a sacrifice for God, obedience to God which resulted in rescue, and confidence in God which determined a destiny for a man, for his family, for a nation who would provide a Savior, who would give hope to an otherwise doomed world. A Defenseless Dad (vv.37-39) Luke 9:37 (NKJV); Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him. Luke 9:38 (NKJV); Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child. 1
When Jesus, Peter, James and John come down from the mountain they are met by a large crowd and a desperate dad. The father is on his knees; Matthew 17:14 (NKJV); And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, Mark s gospel also helps us fill in the blanks; Mark 9:17-18 (NKJV);17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. The expression in Luke 9:38; I implore You, look on my son is medical term; epiblepsai-it means a careful examination, to look with mercy or pity. Luke 9:38 (KJV) 38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. In the Old King James Version it translates the Greek words; cried out and beseech ; both strong words mean he begged and shouted. Luke 9:39 (NKJV); And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him....the son s illness seemed to have been both physical and spiritual. The description in Mark points toward what is known today as epilepsy and demon possession (Mt. 17:15; Mk. 9:17-18). The demon possession seems to have heightened and aggravated the condition, perhaps causing suicidal tendencies...throughout the gospels this seems to be one of the major works of evil spirits: to heighten and aggravate existing conditions (Luke; The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible; p.182). The symptoms described in the various gospels include, seizures, convulsions, foaming at the mouth, rigidity, and self-destructive behavior. Matthew s gospel records he often falls into the fire and often in water (Matt.17:15b). The boy repeatedly put himself in harm s way. The boy was trying to kill himself. The boy s self destructive behavior was motivated in part by a demonic presence. What a nightmare! The demon seizes the boy, the boy screams! The spirit throws the boy to the ground, he foams at the mouth and becomes stiff as a board! He is covered by ugly burns from failed suicide attempts. The boy cannot speak and appears to hear nothing! The father is sick with grief! The statistics are terrifying! In Colorado in any given year 600 people will kill themselves. On average, more than 2800 Coloradans are hospitalized because of suicide attempts. Men are three times more likely to kill themselves than women, but women are twice as likely to attempt suicide. About 6700 patients considered to be suicidal seek 2
treatment in Colorado s public health system. Colorado has the 12 th highest suicide rate in the country, 36% higher than the national average. Suicide is a real problem. There are social factors, emotional factors, physical factors and spiritual factors. Demons are real. They are committed to the destruction of human beings. They cooperate with people s fears, insecurities and sense of hopelessness. Man is a prisoner who has no right to open the door of his prison and run away. Plato (C. 428-348 B.C.) My work is done, why wait? -Suicide note left by Eastman Kodak founder George Eastman (1854-1932) Demons unite with pain and problems and offer self-destructive solutions. We live in a world that glorifies Satan. Our young people are given a steady diet of music that glorifies demons and darkness, werewolves and vampires, Satanic jewelry. Some kids dress like vampires to shock their family and friends. Others are tasteing the forbidden fruit of occult powers. What are you willing to accept as evidence that our children are in trouble? Suicide is more than a social problem, it is a spiritual problem and a personal disaster. Razors pain you, Rivers are damp, Acids stain you, And drugs cause cramp. Guns aren't lawful, Nooses give, Gas smells awful- You might as well live. Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) A Powerless Band of Defeated Disciples (v.40) Luke 9:40 (NKJV); So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not. This was a tragic circumstance for a number of reasons. The disciples were powerless to help. Why? The power of God had left them. They had demonstrated the power to cast out demons on their preaching tour (chapter 9:1-6). Now they have no power. What was the reason? Was there something wrong in their lives? Had sin, unbelief, hindered their preaching and their power? What was blocking the power of God? Jesus later said to them; Matthew 17:21 (NKJV); However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. 3
Prayer and fasting is not a magic formula for casting out particularly pernicious demons, rather real power comes from dependence on God in prayer and sacrifice as we understand and exercise the power of God. I am sure this father was at the end of his rope. He knew his boy was in trouble and he sought help! Did you know it is O.K. to ask for help? Are you struggling right now with depression and self-destructive thoughts? Get help. Are you or someone you love entertaining thoughts of suicide and making plans to go through with it? Get help. The disciples could not help him. Why? Jesus called His generation faithless and perverse (v.41). I suspect he was speaking to everyone present. Jesus explains the problems are in part, issues of unbelief and lack of spiritual disciplines. Why weren t the disciples exercising spiritual disciplines? We are not told. Jesus was up on the mountain with Peter, James and John. Are they jealous? Are they feeling left out? Did they let the disciplines of personal prayer and devotion slip away? Why bother to pray? Jesus isn t here? What we do doesn t matter! Jesus obviously has his favorites and we are not included! Maybe you feel the same way. Maybe you think, God, why aren t you using me? How come I never get to lead worship, start a home fellowship, teach in the church? How come I never get to go overseas, teach at conferences, cast out demons, write books, launch crusades! God why do you use everyone but me? So you stop going to church, you stop praying, you stop reading your Bible, and you become useless, powerless, ineffective and someone shows up and they need your help! You have to admire this father. He does not give up. In the multitude (v.37) there were religious leaders, counselors, experts. No one could help the boy. Perhaps the religious leaders began to taunt and jeer the disciples; You are a fake! You are a fraud! Just like your phony Master from Nazareth! So much for Christian counseling! Many people exhaust their resources and give up. We talk to ministers, counselors, therapists, social workers, doctors. Some people are sincere and supportive. Some are expensive. Some complicate the situation. Some aggravate the situation. But they fail to bring Jesus into the situation. The father s persistence is about to pay off He brought his boy to Jesus! A Powerless Generation (v.41) Luke 9:41 (NKJV); Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here. Jesus had given his disciples power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease (Luke 9:1-2; see also Mark 3:14-15). Jesus declares them faithless and perverse (twisted). After only a week s absence from Jesus they were powerless! They failed but not because they hadn t tried. Their problem was unbelief (Hughes p.23). They believed in the process (of exorcism) they believed in themselves because they had done it previously, but they were not resting their faith on Him. 4
...how long shall I be with you (will you ever learn, how long am I going to put up with you?). What an indictment against the church. Never in the history of the world have we had so many Bibles! We have access to the Word of God. We have radio and TV but rarely are they used to communicate the gospel clearly and biblically. We have more teaching tools in the English language than ever before. We are so rich, so well equipped then why in the stinking world are we so powerless? We cannot and dare not duck the master s diagnosis. For if we accept it, we must carefully listen, with his disciples, to what Jesus now said and did for in a few moments he would raise the boy s father s faith to a level requisite with the miracle to take place (Hughes p.24). We are powerless when we fail to appropriate the power God has given us through Jesus Christ and though His Holy Spirit. Bring your son here. We have a responsibility to bring our children to Jesus. Parents, grandparents is that what you have done? Are you praying for your children? Do you have a Christ centered home or a child centered home? Do you let the children make their own decisions or do you make the decision to bring them to Jesus? Do you talk to your children? Do you know what s going on their lives? Bring them to Jesus. Are you aware of how dark and desperate and wicked and evil the world really is? Are we going to solve the problem of teen suicide with clean rock lyrics, more government, less illegal drugs and more legal drugs?; more education? If we destroyed every ounce of Cocaine, marijuana, Ecxtasy, if we imprisoned every drug lord, if we banned all music that glorified pemiscuious sex, drugs and rock and roll we would still have a gigantic problem! The human heart is wicked, and demonic forces are at work. The problem is still sin. The solution is still Jesus. People need hope. A Powerless Demon (v.42a) Luke 9:42 (NKJV); And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father. This is no contest. The demon has no choice but to respond to Jesus. Demons are no match for Jesus. Demons are created beings. Jesus is the powerful God of the universe! As he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Do you understand what is happening? The demon is making one last attempt on his life! Mark s gospel tells us the demon did not leave without making one last attempt to destroy the young man s life. Mark 9:26 (NKJV); 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. Can you imagine? The boy s father cries out in fear, terror, anger, confusion! What has happened? Has Jesus failed? The demon is gone, but the boy is dead! Mark 9:27; But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. The boy is alive and free. He can play with kids his own age! He can be a normal little boy! 5
Long ago Chuck Smith taught me, teach what Bible teaches. Emphasize what the Bible emphasizes. Be silent where the Bible is silent. The Bible is not silent about demonic forces. Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV); For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. The Bible condemns the occult, divination, spirit communication and seeking access to information through the dead. Devil: the strongest fiercest spirit that fought in heaven, now fiercer by despair (John Milton). The devil is a bully, but when we stand in the armor of God, he cannot harm us; if we tackle him in our own strength, we are soon done for; but if we stand with the strength and courage of God, he cannot gain one inch of way at all (Oswald Sanders). A Powerful Savior (vv.42b-45) Conclusion These only come out through prayer and fasting. Jesus is calling for a lifestyle of prayer and fasting not an emergency session. The disciples should have been praying and fasting all along. We have to prepare before the crises occurs. Our prayers, our fastings, our disciplines, our faith are like boot camp for the soldier, or physical conditioning for the athlete. Do you remember Job? He had seven sons and three daughters. On occasions through out the year, he would offer a sacrifice of an oxen for each of his children; ten oxen at each sacrifice. Cows weren t cheap. Job prayed for his children, and sacrificed for his children. In his heart he said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. Thus Job did regularly (Job 1:5). It is not good enough to hope our kids don t get into trouble, use drugs, or get swept into some kind of Satanic seduction. We must seek God now, pray now, sacrifice now, pay attention now. We must bring them to Jesus now. What does this mean to you? What do you do when your children are in trouble, your grandchildren are in trouble, your friends and neighbors are in trouble? We are fighting a war against the powers of darkness and evil. People are fighting a war against disease, and organic depression. People are fighting to stay alive. Someone you know is in God awful pain. You may be thinking, Thank God my family s fine. Thank God my children are fine. I pray God will give you wisdom. I pray you are not naïve. I pray you are not smug. Our children are at risk. Is yours a lifestyle of prayer and fasting? Are you talking to God and listening? Are you denying your flesh so your spirit can be strong? Do you understand the strategy of the enemy, being plotted in the boardroom of hell, for the lives of our children? A California woman wrote; No matter how bad the pain is, it s never so bad that suicide is the only answer. Suicide doesn t end pain. It only lays it on the broken shoulders of the survivors. And she ends her story: By the way: to all the doctors, nurses and psychiatrists who forced me to live when I didn t want to thank you 6
for keeping breath in my lungs and my heart beating and encouraging hope in me when I didn t have any hope (Newsweek, Feb.7, 1983, p.13). If you are in trouble get help. If you are not in trouble, give hope. If you care about people in pain and want to give hope, why not start a suicide prevention help line and prayer line? Have you ever thought about going to hospitals and praying for people in need? Have you ever thought about inviting a lonely person to church? Perhaps someone you know needs to here this message. 7