A Community of Persevering Faith

Have you ever faced a situation that seemed hopeless? Maybe the task is too great or the conflict is too big for you. Maybe the illness hasn't improved. Maybe your hopeless situation has gone on so long you have even stopped praying about it and have begun to think, "this is just the way things are." What do we do with the hopeless sitatutions in our lives? In Matthew 17:14-23 we see a story that shows us how Jesus feels about hopeless situations and what He wants us to do about them. If you have ever felt like your faith is just too small to make a difference, this sermon is for you.

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

- Matthew 17:14-23