Luke 9:37-43 (a) Work in Faith

Introduction:

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for this day. I think you for allowing us to follow you and to have access to the word of God. Lord Jesus I pray that we would dwell on your work. I pray that we would take it and apply it to our lives. That as we are in your word that you would show us what you would have for us today. I pray that we would humbly apply the word of God to ourself and that we would love you more because of it. Father I pray that as we go from this place tonight that you would help us to recognize ways to work in faith to meet the needs of those around us. Father I pray that we would go from this place astonished by your power and compassion. Thank you lord for how you love us and how you are working in this church to further your kingdom.

Introduce myself

Introduce text: Luke 9:37-43.

Just previous to this passage we see the transfiguration take place. Luke 9 28-36 . Jesus displays his glory and majesty in front of Peter John and James, on the mountain. Here he converses with Moses and Elijah. God speaks to the disciples from above and says this is my son, the chosen one, listen to him… Then, on the next day, Jesus and the disciples come down from the mountain to find a large crowd. This is when we pick up our text for today:

read text:

Luke 9:37–43 ESV

37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 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. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples,

explain setting and background (37)

Luke’s goal in writing this book:

Luke 1:3–4 ESV

3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Luke is writing this so that we may have certainty about the things we have been taught.

Here in following passage Luke writes this narrative in three movements that display three truths:

Choose one:

The need for works in faith, the insufficiency of faithless works, and the work of Jesus in the midst of faithlessness

There is a great need for works in faith, faithless works are insufficient to meet needs, Jesus works in the midst of faithlessness

void failure in ministry…..Understand the desperate situation.

Truth 1:There is a great need for works in faith

Understand results of the problem… or understand the depth of the problem. (38-39)

Explanation

The man’s request: 38

The crowd meets Jesus with the anticipation that their =needs may be met

While Jesus is and the three disciples are approaching the crowd, a man steps out from the crowd crying out. He has a clear problem he needs jesus to heal his son. The man’s son is a demonically possessed and has severe health issues because of this. The man needs Jesus to heal his only son.

The man cries our to Jesus and Jesus listens as the man describes the sons condition

The Boy’s condition 39

Read 39: Spirit seizes him, convulses him, foams at the mouth, shatters him, hardly leaves him (this is very often).

The boy is obviously in a terrible condition. Jesus does something i think can often be overlook. He recognizes the man’s need not only for a work, but a work of God.

Jesus recognizes that the man’s son would need supernatural intervention

The results:

doubt

frustration

continuation of problem

There is a need for works that are done in faith.

The lord calls us a church to look around and not only see our needs but also the needs of others

How many of us would not have had time for this man or his son. We say perhaps that would not have been the case but it is the case very often even today for the church.

We often can forget to look at difficult situations as opportunities for gospel advancement

How often can we be program led church that think about how we are to organize programs for our self rather then meet the physical and spiritual needs of those around us.

Illustrations: The good samaritan? Recognized needs and stepped out in faith to do good works…( Luke 10:25-37.

A man asks how may I inherit eternal life.

Love the lord your god with all your heart soul and Strength and mind and your neighbor as yourself…

Who is my Neighbor?

A man is in need and there are many religious leaders that pass by and recognize the need of the robbed and broken man left on the side of the rode. Rather a samaritan recognizes the needs of the man and picks him up, took him to an inn and took care of him. Now this parable’s purpose is helping a man see who his neighbor is…. Showing mercy to all requires us first to recognize the needs around us….

Application:

What does this look like today?

Can we see this happen in other places?

Ministry failure…

how to recognize these..

severity of these situations..

Recognize needs that can be met by works of faith.

Or

Recognize the need for faith..

Poverty, sickness, there are so many needs that we need to recognize. These are opportunities for Gospel advancement.

Are we too busy with our religious affairs that we miss the opportunities around us to engage in meeting needs.

Matthew 17:20 ESV

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.”

Transition 1

In order to engage in the works God has for us we also need to have a believing faith that God is the one doing the works through us. (faith)

Which brings us to the second truth of our narrative today:

Truth 2: Faithless works are insufficient to meet needs. Understand the root cause of the problem (40-41).

The faithlessness and perversion are a roadblock to God responding to the disciples ministry

Explanation

The next section verses 40-41 show us the insufficiency of faithless works……

40 shows us the faithlessness of the disciples

Here the man submits a formal complaint to Jesus’s HR department.

Read 40.

The disciples could not cast out the demon despite having authority to do so as seen in Luke 9:1

Luke 9:1 ESV

1 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,

Why could they not cast out the demon and cure the boy?

Jesus answers this in the next section:

41 shows us Jesus’s response to the man’s complaint.

Read 41

Here Jesus calls this generation faithless and twisted

Because they twisted they do faithless works, and because they are faithless, this contributes to their faithlessness.

Maybe they tried some sort of incantation to heal the boy, or some ritual, while we do not know, what we do know is that their faith was not set in the Almighty God but in their own authority.

What we should see here in this section is that Faithless works don’t work!

When we try to do works in our own strength, we are not only unable to do the works God has for us, but we also are not able to meet the needs that God wants us to meet.

Illustration: Computer without power story.

Moses- Duet passage 32:5

Application:

When the world tries to do things that are the privilege of the church

The faithlessness and perversion are a roadblock to God responding to the disciples ministry (application)

How to work in faith?

Mark 9:29 ESV

29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Prayer

these show a dependence upon God, not on our own authority!

Once we have a dependence upon our God, a faith in him, we then are able to do the good works he has prepared for us:

Galatians 5:6 ESV

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

James 2:14 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

Our faith should be ath foundation of our life. And from this foundation should spring forth a selfless love to meet the physical needs of those around us.

Are we trying to meet the needs of others in faith or in our own strength?

Transition 2

But, what happens when we are faithless and fail in our attempts at good works? Can God still work?

This brings us to our third and final truth:

Truth 3: Understanding the solution to the problem. (Jesus gets involved). (41b-42)

Faithful and righteous ministry brings Jesus into a situation

Explanation

His compassion and authority in a faithless situation

His compassionate work

“How long am I to bear with you, bring your son here”

How many of us would have been tired of all the needs that needed to be met. But Jesus here displays compassion for the father and son.

Not only this, but he also shows his patience towards his disciples.

When we do indeed try to do works in our own strength, Jesus is patiently calling us to return to a dependence upon him

His powerful work

Rebukes demon and heals the son

What a picture, as the son is still walking towards him, the demon within the son tries one last attempt to keep the boy, and throws him to the ground. But Jesus rebukes the demon, shows his power and heals the boy. What an amazing thing to have seen.

Then Jesus gives the boy back to his father in an act of powerful compassion.

When Jesus is faced with a situation filled with faithlessness, disbelief, sin, Dominic possession, and bodily injury, He shows compassion, displays his power and authority over the situation and works to bring about healing and and salvation.

Conclusion/ Application: 1. Our response (astonished by the works of Jesus) 43(a)

When people see things that only God can do, through normal human beings God is glorified.

So I end today as the same way our passage ends, in verse 43: Be astonished by Jesus!

Luke 9:43 ESV

43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples,

I want to close today asking us this, do we forget how powerful our god is sometimes? Do we forget his compassion in the midst of trials, authority over the evil in this world?

Well when we do forget these things, we loose faith in our God, and to try to do things in our own strength

God is calling us however to faithful works, dependent upon his power. And astonished by his majesty.

Illustration: being astonished by the great pyramid of Giza…

I think this passage is calling us to be astonished by our God, and have faith that he will use us in the works he has prepared for us.

Faithless works don’t work, but a work done in faith and astonishment in how we know God can work, God will use that to further his kingdom and his glory