"How to stay on the mountain"?
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>In this message I hope to give an answer to the question, "Why the Church seems so powerless at times"?
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>Look at this verse:
>(Mat 17:16 KJV) And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
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>After the revival?
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>Our Church has just experienced a wonderful revival with God. We have been on the mountain top. In our text, the disciples, too, had seen Christ glorified on the mountain. Now it was time to come down from the mountain. Read with me...
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>(Mat 17:9 KJV) And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
>(Mat 17:10 KJV) And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
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>(Mat 17:11 KJV) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
>(Mat 17:12 KJV) But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
>(Mat 17:13 KJV) Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
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>The first reason why people do not stay in revival with God, and also why the Church is powerless at times is:
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>1. Because we do not understand the Power of God.
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>Note in our text that the disciples were taking about "temples and thrones." Jesus had been talking with Moses and Elijah about the death that he should die in Jerusalem. We cannot bypass the cross if we are to stay in revival. We must preach and live the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
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>The true Church business is not about Church potlucks and good time holidays. Although, I love living the abundant life!
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>The great commission of the Church is take up the cross and to follow Christ into spiritual warfare. We are to be on a mission of winning the lost to Christ!
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>Now let us continue to read the text:
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>(Mat 17:14 KJV) And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
>(Mat 17:15 KJV) Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is a lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
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>The second reason why the Church is so powerless is:
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>2. Because we do not understand the Power of the Devil.
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>Note that the man brought his son to the disciples to the disciples and that they could not cure him. Why does the Church seem to lack power to save and set free those who are bound by sin?
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>Again, notice that the Fther said that his son was a lunatic, and that he was vexed.
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>I wonder if he had been to a local psychologist? We like to give "names" to everything. We feel better about ourselves if we can label everything as a psychological disorder or a latin desease!
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>Jesus knew what the problem was, the lad was demon possessed.
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>If a person is not being controlled by God, Satan has that person under his control.
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>Do we, as a Church, realize the greatness of the power of darkness? When we underestimate the power of the Devil, we fail to utilize the greatness of the power of God.
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>Continue to read:
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>(Mat 17:16 KJV) And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
>(Mat 17:17 KJV) Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
>(Mat 17:18 KJV) And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
>(Mat 17:19 KJV) Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
>(Mat 17:20 KJV) And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
>(Mat 17:21 KJV) Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
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>If this lad was to be set free from the power of darkness, sometime more than a brief prayer was needed. Note that Christ said, "This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."
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>What ever happened to old fashioned Church discipline. Those who are coming into the family of God, need to know that they are coming into a family of holiness. We are to be disciplined disciples for Christ.
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>Many times our prayers for those who are in the bondage of sinful addiction is nothing more than the insincere prayer that we read in the Book of James, "be ye warmed and filled." And those who are naked and hungry are sent away without food and clothing.
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>Those who suffer from the addictions of sin, need to be taught "fasting and prayer."
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>I wonder how many people that I have led through the sinner?s prayer understood the trues of the message that I laid out for you today? Do they really understand the message of the cross? Do they really understand the peril of their lost condition? Do they really understand the Lordship of Christ and the call to holiness in their lives?
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>Therefore, the final point of today’s challenge is:
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>3. Because we do not understand the Power of Human Spirit.
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>If a person is going to experience true deliverance from sin, and if the Church is to have the prevailing power of God upon it, we must understand:
>1. The power of the Cross.
>2. The power of the Prince of Darkness.
>3. The power of submission to the will of God for our lives!
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>Conclusion: Do you want your life back? Are you experiencing the power of God in your life?
