I. CONDITION OF MAN
A. PRAYERFUL FATHER
Matthew 17:14-15a And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son.”
1. SCENE
2. FATHER
B. POSSESSED SON
Matthew 17:15b “for he is epileptic and suffers miserably. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.”
1. SON
2. DEMONS
II. CONSEQUENCE OF THE MIRACLE
A. POWERLESS DISCIPLES
Matthew 17:16 “And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.”
1. POWERS
2. LESSONS
B. PERVERSITY OF THEIR GENERATION
Matthew 17:17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.”
1. CROWD
2. DISCIPLES
C. PROVISION OF THE SAVIOR
Matthew 17:18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.
1. MASTERY
2. MIRACLE
III. CULMINATION OF THE MESSAGE
A. PRINCIPLE
Matthew 17:19-20 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 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.”
1. QUESTION – Why not?
2. ANSWER – Small Faith
3. ILLUSTRATION – Ancient Proverb
B. PROMISE
Matthew 17:21 “But this kind [of faith] never proceeds except in prayer and fasting.”
1. DEMONSTRATION
2. OVERCOMING