This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting

Glen Aros Christian Fellowship
Sunday 16th March 2008

Let’s look at

Mark 9:1-29

Mr 9:1 And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."
2 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.
3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.
4 And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
5 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" --
6 because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid
7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"
8 Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.
11 And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
12 Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
13 "But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."
14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.
15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.
16 And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"
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. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."
19 He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."
20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
21 So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood.
22 "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"
26 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."
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"
29 So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

Look at verse 17

17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.

Here is a father who brings his son to Jesus

• Teacher, I brought You my son.

Notice he is bringing his son to Jesus.

Jesus was up the mountain when he arrived with his son.

Look at verse 18

18 "And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."

• I spoke to your disciples
• That they should cast it out
• But they could not

Here is a father speaking to Jesus about his son.

The boy has a mute spirit.

Whenever it seizes his son, this mute spirit, throws him down, he foams at the mouth, gashes his teeth, and becomes rigid!

Wow!

Notice that the problems being encountered by the son are not part of his make up.

No! They are the direct result of a mute spirit with needs to be cast out; otherwise the son will continue to manifest these problems.

Seeing you were not here I spoke with your disciples, and asked them to cast out this mute spirit.

The result – they could not cast it out!

Here is a father in need for his son to have a spirit cast out of him, and the disciples of Jesus could not cast it out.

Because they were known as the disciples of Jesus, the father rightly thought that his son would be delivered by those who are followers of Jesus. Not so!

Jesus replies to this Father

19 He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."

• O faithless generation
• How long shall I bear with you?
• How long shall I bear with you?
• Bring him to Me

Look at verse 18

…I spoke to Your disciples…

Well says the father I spoke to Your disciples!

Look at verse 28

28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"

• His disciples asked Him privately
• Why could we not cast it out?

Wonderful, the disciples were not content with failure; they kept on asking Jesus the reason for their failure.

What a great position to be in!

In the midst of failure, Jesus is with them, full of answers to all their questions.

What a glorious position to be in.

Look at verse 29

So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

• He said to them
• This kind can come out by nothing
• But prayer
• And fasting

The glorious, and compassionate ministry of Jesus to his Disciples even when they fail to perform what is required.

Even when they act like the faithless generation around them

Jesus answers every question they ask.

How long must I bear with you.

Don’t you see, don’t you understand

This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting

The tone of Jesus words here is this:

Nothing but lots and lots and lots of prayer and fasting will shift these things!

It’s not about unbelief

It’s not about having faith

Yes, you must not be in Unbelief.

Yes, you must have faith!

But in essence it’s all about your relationship with Jesus.

Jesus has to be at the centre of your doing.

If the fathers of this land, who are burdened for their sons, are to see deliverance from your hands, you need to be in much prayer and fasting.

Setting the sons of this land free, is more involved that you think.

It is an intimate, and time consuming relationship between Jesus and you.

It will require your very life.

Let’s look at James 5:12 -20

Jas 5:12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes," be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Look at verse 16

16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

• Confess your trespasses to one another
• Pray for one another
• That you may be healed
• The effective
• Fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much

Confession and praying for one another

The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much

Effective fervent prayer …avails much!

What is a righteous man like?

Here is a small glimpse

Ps 37:30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice.

• His mouth speaks wisdom
• His tongue talks of justice


Pr 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

• His mouth is a well of life

Pr 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

• She opens her mouth with wisdom
• On her tongue is the law of kindness


Mal 2:6 The law of truth was in his mouth, And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, And turned many away from iniquity.

• His mouth is full of the law of truth
• Injustice is not found on his lips
• He walks with God in peace and equity

Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.

• He is not forsaken
• His descendants never beg for bread

Are you a righteous man?

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Let’s look at Matthew 22:23-33

Mt 22:23 The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,
24 saying: "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
25 "Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother.
26 "Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh.
27 "Last of all the woman died also.
28 "Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her."
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.
30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.
31 "But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,
32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
33 And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

Look at verse 24

24 saying: "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

• Moses said that if a man dies
• Having no children
• His brother shall marry his wife
• And raise up offspring for his brother

This is amazing!

The work of a brother is stopped in its tracks because of the death of his brother.

He has to put his own life on hold while he tends to the wife of his brother.

The righteous man is one who pleases his neighbour for his good

The righteous man is one who pursues things by which one may edify another.

The righteous man is one who bears with the scruples of the weak and does not please himself

Let’s look at Romans 15:1-6

Ro 15:1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification.
3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."
4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,
6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Look at verse 1+2

We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification.

• We then who are strong
• Ought to bear with the scruples of the weak
• And not please ourselves
• Let each one please his neighbour
• For his good
• Leading to edification

Let’s look at Romans 14:1-23

Ro 14:1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
4 Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God."
12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.
14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.
16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Look at verse 19

19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

• Let us pursue the things which make for peace
• And the things by which one may edify another

Look at verse 21

21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

• It is good neither to eat meat
• Nor drink wine
• Nor do anything
• By which your brother stumbles
• Or is offended or is made weak

Here we are again.

My meat eating, my wine drinking, in fact anything I want to do is put on hold in order that my brother does not stumble, or is offended, or is made weak!

My liberty restricted for the sake of my bother.

Look at verse 22

Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

• Do you have faith?
• Have it to yourself before God
• Happy is he who does not condemn himself
• In what he approves

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Let’s look at Deuteronomy 20:1

De 20:1 "When you go out to battle against your enemies

Here we have laws concerning readiness to go into battle

Look at verse 6

De 20:6 'Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it.

• What man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it?
• Let him go and return to his house
• Least he die in the battle
• And another man eats of it.
1 Corinthians 9:7

7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

This idea of planting a vineyard and not eating of its fruit

I know that some of you desire to be in the forefront of the fight.

But do remember that a righteous man is content to go from the battle and enjoy the fruits of his own vineyard.

Let’s look at Exodus 31:12-18

Ex 31:12 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.
14 'You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.
15 'Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
16 'Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.
17 'It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'"
18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Look at verse 17

17 'It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'"

• On the seventh day
• He rested
• And was refreshed

This is amazing

God rested, and God was refreshed

You do not always have to be working, you also need your rest, in order that you are refreshed.

You help the war effort of the kingdom, by resting, by going home to your vineyard, by being a righteous man who walks in peace and righteousness.

Let’s look at Mark 3:13-21

Mr 3:13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.
14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,
15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter;
17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder";
18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite;
19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.
20 Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."

Look at verse 13

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.

• He went up on the mountain
• He called to him those he himself wanted
• And they came to him

Has Jesus called you?

Then come to him now!

Don’t come to me as an elder
Don’t come to John as pastor
Don’t come to John Fisher as worship leader
Don’t come to George as elder

Don’t bring your problem son to the disciples

Bring them to Jesus

When you come to Jesus you will be supported by those appointed to you, but you must come to Jesus first.

Jesus is the one who works through us

Jesus speaks with authority, and as disciples we too should do the same. Sometimes we don’t produce the goods.

Recently I was at an understanding abuse class. In our discussions about what is abuse, most people were talking of the need for an authority to guide and direct them in their decisions making.

We all wanted to have a point of reference.

As believers our point of reference is Jesus.

Mark 6:2 says this

Mr 6:2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!
3 "Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him.
4 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honour except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."
5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6 And He marvelled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Look at verse 6

6 And He marvelled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

• He marvelled because of their unbelief

Does Jesus marvel at your unbelief today?

Do fathers bring their sons to you for deliverance?

Jesus said to the father who brought his son…

23… "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

What was the response of the father?

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

In your failure to do the works of Jesus……Go to the father in fervent prayer, even with fasting…

Jas 5:16 confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.


Allow the Holy Spirit to cry out with tears, through you:

Ga 4:6 …because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Ro 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Have the courage to allow the Spirit of Jesus to cry out in your heart - Abba Father!

God bless you as you do so!