The Great Commission
Part 14 – The Disciples lack of Power
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
Bible Study
WHERE WE
† 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
SCRIPTURE
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.”
I. The Man approached Jesus & knelt before Him
a. Jesus is King of Kings & Lord of Lords
John the Apostle in the book of Revelation gives description of the Lamb who was slain. All of heaven and earth proclaim Him as worthy. Over 100,000,000 angels circling the throne where Jesus sits, as well as all the inhabitants of earth singing praise to the Lamb who was slain…
Revelation 5:11-14
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" 14 The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Luke shows us in Acts exactly how God has exalted Jesus to this position.
Acts
29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
" 'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet." '
36 "Therefore let all
b. The Authority of Christ
John 12:48
[Jesus says] He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
Hebrews 1:1, 2
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
John 5:26, 27
"For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of
c. Benefits & blessings of the Kingdom
Matthew 28:18 – 19
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"
Our authority depends on our position with the Lord.
We must belong to the Kingdom; we must have the Holy Spirit.
d. The steps to approaching the Lord
Jesus gives us an example in how He taught the Disciples to pray.
Or Father, who is in heaven
(Shows acknowledgement of God’s Throne and Kingdom)
Hollowed be thy name
(Holy is your name!)
Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
(May your will be done on earth by your children until the physical Kingdom arrives – we already have the
Give us this day our daily bread
(Not food…Spiritual Food, manna from heaven – Jesus)
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us
(Forgive our sins AS WE FORGIVE OTHERS)
Lead us not into temptation but deliverance from evil
(Guide us spiritually to walk rightly in your Spirit)
For yours is the Kingdom power and Glory forever, AMEN!
There is a pattern here of approaching the Lord
Acknowledge He is God and Holy.
Ask for God’s Will.
Ask for Jesus and the Word of God daily!
Forgive others and you will be forgiven. (Examine yourself!)
Mark
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
Ask for Holy Spirit to guide you.
Praise God.
We must humbly approach the throne of God.
BUT, with assurance that He hears us and will respond!
Luke 11:9 - 13
9 I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
II. Petitioning the Lord
a. What can we ask for?
2 Timothy 2:21, 22
21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
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.
1 Timothy 6:9
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.
Habakkuk 2:4
"See, he is puffed up (prideful); his desires are not upright— but the righteous will live by his faith -
Mark
but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
When we pray, we must ask for that which is righteous and good expecting righteousness and goodness from God.
If we desire evil, and we do not turn from that evil, God will give us over to the sinful desires of our minds.
Romans
28 since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
We who have faith are credited with righteousness
Romans 4:4, 5
4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
From that righteousness we make requests.
b. What is God’s answer?
Yes…..No….Wait
Yes for righteous requests from His children.
No…if the request is from unsaved, or unrighteous, not good for us.
Wait…because sometimes it’s all about timing.
III. Men who fail
a. Representatives of God
The Sadducees and Pharisees failed…
David failed
Peter failed.
Psalm 146:3
Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortal men, who cannot save.
Acts
Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.
b. Why men fail
Because only God is perfect!
We are to live an imitation of Christ’s life, but we will NEVER measure up to that!
c. Restoration after the fall
David was restored after his fall, Peter was restored, and you can be restored as well!
When we fail, or fall short of God’s Glory, we need to confess it, and repent.
We need to ask the Lord for forgiveness, and be restored to a right relationship with the Father in heaven.
1 Peter 5:7 – 11
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Galatians 6:1 – 3
1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
IV. Trusting in the power of Jesus
a. His authority
b. His ability
c. His Grace
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