Faith Must Rise to Prayer

Introduction

Proposition: We can have spiritual victory, but it costs something.

Introduction

J.K. Rowling had just gotten a divorce, was on government aid, and could barely afford to feed her baby in 1994, just three years before the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, was published. When she was shopping it out, she was so poor she couldn’t afford a computer or even the cost of photocopying the 90,000-word novel, so she manually typed out each version to send to publishers. It was rejected dozens of times until finally Bloomsbury, a small London publisher, gave it a second chance after the CEO’s eight year-old daughter fell in love with it.

She now is worth an estimated $1B.

Mountaintop Experiences Don’t Last

We know from that this event happened the day after Jesus was transfigured.

Jesus (and the inner circle) went from the ecstasy of transfiguration to the chaos of failure and arguing.

Principle: Enjoy your mountaintop experiences, but don’t expect them to last.

Spurgeon: “We may be the servants of God, and yet we may be occasionally defeated.”

Why does God allow us to be defeated?

To establish that faith is the victory.

To remind us of Christ’s superiority.

To drive us to prayer.

Dealing with the Devil

This poor father had a boy who suffered greatly. What were his symptoms?

Mute

Seizures

Foam at the mouth

Seizures

Grind teeth

What nefarious source lay behind his symptoms?

Principles

The Devil is real, active, and dangerous.

Sickness may or may not be the result of demon possession.

We should never assume someone has suffered due to a demonic attack.

Small Faith in a Big God

When Jesus said, “O faithless generation...” who was He addressing?

Jesus had already given the disciples authority to cast out demons (). Why then could they not cast it out (cf, ).

Consider the areas in which Jesus has given us authority. How do we similarly lack faith to accomplish God’s mission?

The size of your faith is insignificant compared to the size of your God.

Though Satan is strong, Jesus is stronger.

Illustration: Electrical circuit

6. Faith must rise to prayer.