Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / The Power of Intercessory Prayer - 5/17/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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The Power of Intercessory Prayer - 5/17/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

• 0:02
  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
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  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  >> He is worthy of our thanks. Amen.
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  Praise. Praise the Lord. We appreciate
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  that tonight. If you have a Bible,
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  invite you to turn with me back to the
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  book of Mark this evening. Mark, chapter
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  number nine. When you find your place,
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  if you can and able, if you would stand
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  on reverence to the reading of God's
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  word, Mark, chapter number nine,
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  Mark chapter number nine. We'll begin
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  reading uh in verse number verse number
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  20. Mark chapter number nine
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  verse number 20 the Bible says and they
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  brought him brought him unto him. When
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  he saw him straightway the spirit tear
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  him and he fell on the ground and
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  wallowed foaming and he asked his father
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  how long is it ago since this came unto
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  him? And he said of a child and of times
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  it have cast him into the fire and into
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  the waters to destroy him. Notice this.
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  But if thou can't do anything, have
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  compassion on us and help us. I'll be
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  honest with you, you don't have to go
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  too far in this life to get to that
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  point.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> Was thinking about that today. You know,
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  you say, "Preacher, where's their faith?
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  Where where is their faith?" Well, you
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  just get in a bad place.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> You'll be asking the same question.
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  Amen.
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  >> Notice the text. The Bible said in verse
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  23, Jesus said unto him, "If thou can't
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  believe, all things are possible to him
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  that believeth." And straightway the
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  father of the child cried out and said
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  with tears, "Lord, I believe, help thou
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  mine unbelief." When Jesus saw that the
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  people came running together, he rebuked
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  the foul spirit, saying unto him, "Thou
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  dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee,
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  come out of him, and enter no more into
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  him." And the spirit cried and ren him
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  sore and came out of him and he was as
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  one dead in so much that many said, "He
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  is dead." But Jesus took him up by the
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  hand and lifted him up and he arose.
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  When he was come into the house, his
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  disciples asked him privately, "Why
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  could not we cast him out?" Notice Jesus
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  response. And he said unto them, "This
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  kind can come forth by nothing, but by
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  prayer and fasting." Our Father, I come
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  before you tonight and I ask humbly,
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  Lord, that you would help us. But I
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  realize, Father, we're nothing without
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  thee. And Lord, in myself, God, tonight
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  I have no hope. But Lord, my hope is
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  anchored in the blood. And Lord, I thank
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  you for the fact tonight, God, that I'm
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  not going to heaven based upon my own
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  works or my own merits, but Lord, my
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  faith and trust in the finished work at
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  Calvary. That is the gospel that you
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  came, you died, you rose again, that you
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  live forever more. And I trust that.
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  Thank you for that fact tonight. And
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  each person in this building who is
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  saved by the grace of God, that's how
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  they'll make it into heaven. And Lord,
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  we all bless your name tonight for that
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  promise. God, we ask humbly that you
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  would help us, Lord, as we deal with
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  these verses tonight. Give us wisdom and
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  discernment, Lord, to know what to say
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  and what not to say. And I pray that you
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  would speak to us and through us tonight
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  and get all glory unto yourself and for
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  what you do. Well, thank you for it
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  because we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.
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  And amen, you can be seated. Thank you
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  for standing this evening. Now, of
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  course, we dealt with the beginning
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  portion of this text this morning
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  concerning this young man possessed with
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  a demon. And we left off really with
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  verse number 19 of the text. And I
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  didn't really say a whole lot else about
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  that, but I I want to lay this out to
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  you once again concerning this instance.
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  Now we realize the state of this young
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  man, the position that he is currently
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  in, the possession of the spirit that he
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  has in this text and the pain that he is
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  experiencing. We laid that out this
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  morning and talked about how that this
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  demon had brought this young man to a
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  place of confusion. He was under
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  complete control. He had been corrupted
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  and ultimately was going to be consumed.
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  And the fact of the matter is, I didn't
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  say much about it this morning, but that
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  was you and I before we got saved. Amen.
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  We were under the control of the devil.
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  We are we were corrupt by nature. David
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  said in sin did my mother conceive me.
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  And so we are corrupt by nature. And out
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  of that we were left to be consumed
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  because the wrath of God abides upon
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  those who are lost. And I notice in this
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  this text, we notice this young man
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  Jesus response here in the text to this
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  whole crowd that's around him is this in
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  verse 19. Notice his answer. The Bible
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  says he answered him and said, "Oh
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  faithless generation, how long shall I
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  be with you? How long shall I suffer
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  you? Bring him unto me." Now, there's a
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  lot of conjecture in the text about who
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  he was talking to. Some say that he was
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  talking to the scribes that were
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  mentioned there earlier in the text in
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  verse 14 that they were they're arguing
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  with the disciples. And we know tonight
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  that the scribes did not believe
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  anything Jesus had to say. They just sat
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  around and wasted time arguing about
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  things that really they didn't even know
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  about anyway. And you know what? That's
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  what I've come to find. People that want
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  to argue most of the time don't really
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  know what they're talking about. Amen.
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  And so there is they're arguing here. We
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  could say that he was talking to them
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  because indeed they were faithless. We
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  also could say that he was talking to
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  the disciples in the text because we
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  know the Bible literally tells us that
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  this man brought this boy to his
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  disciples. And what did he say? They
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  could not cast him out. Well, you
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  understand that Jesus has just given
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  them power over all unclean spirits and
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  over devils and serpents. Amen. And he
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  has given them power over this very
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  instance. And for some reason, this one,
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  they could not cast him out. And so, we
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  could say that he was talking to the
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  disciples. But I've noticed this in the
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  text. Now, you may disagree with me this
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  evening, but that's okay. I want you to
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  stay with me and notice what's what the
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  terminology is used in verse number 19.
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  Notice the first three words of verse
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  number 19. Say them with me, church.
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  What's your Bible say? He answerth him.
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  And so, you know who he's talking to?
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  He's talking directly to this father in
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  the text. The Bible says in verse number
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  17 and 18 is the plea of this father in
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  the text recognizing that his son is in
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  a bad way. He re reveals the fleshly
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  pain. He reveals the family problems and
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  he re reveals what he feels like is
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  going to be the future position of this
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  boy for the rest of his life. He is
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  looking at spending the rest of his life
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  in a place of complete and total
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  possession by this demon. And Jesus says
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  this in verse 19. He answerth him and
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  saith, oh faithless generation, how long
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  shall I be with you? How long shall I
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  suffer you? And then he says this, bring
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  him unto me. And so we can make the
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  argument this evening that he is talking
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  to the father in this text. But this is
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  what we can agree on tonight. There is a
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  problem of unbelief in all three
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  parties.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> Amen. The father in the text, we're
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  going to deal with that in just a
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  minute. He's having trouble believing.
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  The disciples obviously are having
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  trouble with their faith because when
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  they came to this young boy, they wanted
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  to cast him out. But you know what? They
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  weren't able to. And so, you know what
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  that brought to them? That brought a
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  problem of unbelief. And we know the
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  scribes did not believe. Amen. And so we
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  would agree tonight Jesus really is
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  dealing with the entire amount of people
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  around him. And the Bible says this that
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  the young man is brought to him in the
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  text. And we consider his harm, how it
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  was it was described. It was displayed
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  and it was unto destruction in the text.
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  But I want you to notice the hope here
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  in the text of this father that's
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  mentioned. Look what your Bible says in
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  verse number 22. He's describing there
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  the destruction of times it has cast him
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  into the fire and into the waters to
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  destroy him. But notice that next
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  phrase. But if thou can't do anything,
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  have compassion on us and help us. You
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  see this man in the text, we know he
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  doesn't have much faith in this text.
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  But I'll say this, he had enough faith
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  that when the disciples couldn't cast
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  him out and the scribes were murmuring
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  against him and his son there was
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  wallowing on the ground in pain and
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  misery, his problem was big enough and
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  his faith was bold enough that he stayed
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  around long enough for Jesus to come by.
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  Amen. AND LET ME JUST SAY THIS TO YOU
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  TONIGHT. BOY, I FEEL SOMETHING ON THAT.
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  HEY FRIEND, WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO
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  DO AND EVERYTHING'S FALLING DOWN AROUND
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  YOU, YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL JESUS COMES BY.
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  AND WHEN HE DOES, BUSINESS WILL PICK UP.
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  AMEN. I notice in the text, the Bible
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  says the hope of this man number one is
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  seen in the request for his ability.
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  Look what he says. If thou can't do
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  anything, he looks at Jesus. And we know
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  his faith is weak according to the text
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  because he's just watched the disciples
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  try and fail. And these disciples are
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  disciples of who? They weren't just
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  disciples of John, but these were Jesus
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  disciples. Amen. And they couldn't come
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  through in the text. And so he looks at
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  Jesus and he says, "If you can do
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  anything, let me just say this.
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  >> He can do anything."
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  >> Amen. He's calling on the ability. And
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  we know it's in doubt, but he's still
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  asking his for his ability. Not only is
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  he asking for the ability of the Lord to
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  show up, but he's asking for the
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  affection from the Lord. Notice that in
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  the text, if thou can't do anything,
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  look what your Bible says. Have
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  compassion on us,
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  >> Lord. Would you please, Lord, if you're
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  able to do anything, would you just have
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  some mercy? Would you just have some
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  grace? Would you just have some
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  compassion on us? Why is that this man
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  recognized that why this boy, the reason
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  this boy was in this shape was because
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  of sin? Amen. And it may not have been
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  his sin, but you understand it was
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  because of sin that this boy was in this
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  shape. And you understand if God does
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  anything for us, IF GOD HELPS ANYBODY
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  TONIGHT, WHETHER OR NOT you've got
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  cancer or whatever else it is, it's
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  going to be his compassion, if he
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  REACHES DOWN AND TOUCHES YOUR LIFE.
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  AMEN. He's asking for the ability, but
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  he's also asking for the affection of
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  God. Look what he says. If thou can't do
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  anything, have compassion on us and help
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  us. You know what? Sometimes that's all
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  you're going to be able to pray. That's
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  >> right.
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  >> Matter of fact, it's a prayer I pray
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  quite often. Lord, would you just help
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  me?
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  >> Right?
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  >> You know what he's asking for? He's
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  asking for aid,
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  >> right?
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  >> Lord, I can't do it. And you know what?
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  In all of that unbelief and all of that
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  doubt, we're going to deal with it in
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  the text here. You know what? This man
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  does something that many of us in our
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  life have failed to do. Come on.
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  >> And that's intercede,
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  >> right?
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  >> On behalf of his son. I notice this in
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  the text. We notice this man's hope here
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  in the text. But notice the help that
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  comes. And I want to preach for just a
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  little while on that subject on the
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  power of intercessory prayer. Notice
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  what happens in this text. This man's
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  faith here is failing. It's fleeting.
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  And really, if we want to talk about it,
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  it's very fleshly at this point in time.
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  He is looking at Jesus and he's just not
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  seeing much hope, but he knows what he's
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  heard and he's just going to trust what
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  he's heard because he's not seen Jesus
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  do anything at this point. Amen. But
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  Jesus has a word for that. Amen. And let
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  me just say this. If you're waiting on
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  something, you need to be waiting on a
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  word from God. Amen. If you're waiting
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  for an answer, your faith is weak. It's
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  fleeting. And really, at best, sometimes
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  it's just a fleshly hope that you have.
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  You just hold on because help's on the
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  way. Amen. Notice what he says here in
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  the text that Jesus looks at him in
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  verse 23 and Jesus said unto him, "If
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  thou cast believe, all things are
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  possible to him that believeth." AND YOU
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  SAY, "PREACHER, HOW IS IT THAT THIS man
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  intercedes on his behalf?" Well, notice
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  Jesus first of all points out to him the
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  possibilities that are present. Look
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  what he says. He says, "If."
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  >> You know what if means? There's a
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  possibility. Right?
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  >> But what's the if hinging on? Look what
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  he says. If thou can't believe,
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  >> right?
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  >> Come on.
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  >> You know what he didn't say? He didn't
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  say, "Well, if I can do it this time,
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  >> right?
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  >> If I can handle this one, this one might
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  be too bad."
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  >> Yeah.
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  >> If I can take care of it, let me see if
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  I can get all my ducks in a row. HAS
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  ANYBODY HEARD THAT? IF I CAN TAKE NO, he
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  said if you can believe.
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  >> That man looked at him and said, "If you
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  can do anything, Jesus said, don't worry
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  about that. Can you believe? Amen. Can
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  you believe? If you can believe, what
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  does he point out in the text? HE SAYS,
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  "WHAT, CHURCH?" ALL THINGS. You're
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  >> right.
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  >> All things. You know, ALL THINGS MEANS
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  means everything. Amen. It means all
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  things. Jesus said, "If you can believe,
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  ALL THINGS ARE WHAT, CHURCH?" POSSIBLE.
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  AMEN. POSSIBLE. THE POSSIBILITIES
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  LITERALLY IN THE TEXT ARE ENDLESS. Jesus
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  says, "IF YOU CAN BELIEVE, YOU
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  UNDERSTAND." AND HEY, THE PROBLEM'S not
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  with my ability, BUT THE PROBLEM IS WITH
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  YOUR ABILITY TO BELIEVE. AMEN. AND
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  HERE'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IN YOUR
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  LIFE AND MINE. IT'S NOT A PROBLEM OF
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  GOD'S ABILITY, BUT IT IS A PROBLEM OF
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  WHETHER OR NOT we will believe him.
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  Amen.
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  >> We've got to believe. He points out the
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  possibilities. And you say, "Preacher, I
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  still don't see the intercession." Well,
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  note not only the possibilities in the
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  help, but note the prayer in the help.
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  Notice the verse again in the text.
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  Verse 24. And straightway the father of
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  the child, what you Bible say? Cried
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  out. Notice this. And said with tears,
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  Lord, I believe.
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  >> You know what I don't see in this
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  prayer. He's not saying, Lord, would you
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  help my son?
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  >> He's not saying, "Lord, would you fix
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  this problem?" You know what he's doing?
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  He's putting his faith,
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  >> you're right,
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  >> in the Lord himself
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  >> personally, positionally, and
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  singularly,
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  >> right?
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  >> Think about this. All right. He says,
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  "Lord, I believe." What's he believing
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  in? He's not so much concerned about the
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  healing
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  >> as he is concerned about the man that's
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  standing in front of him.
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  >> What's he believing in? He's not
• 14:55
  believing in the healing possibility,
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  but he is believing in the holy power of
• 15:01
  the Lord Jesus Christ. And his prayer
• 15:03
  expresses his faith. He said, "Lord, I
• 15:06
  BELIEVE. LORD, I TRUST YOU." BUT NOTICE
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  WHAT HE SAYS. "HELP thou my unbelief."
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  And this is the bottom line with every
• 15:14
  intercessory prayer. You don't miss what
• 15:16
  I'm going to say. The bottom line with
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  every intercessory prayer is that phrase
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  right there. We are willing to believe,
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  but we're only willing to believe so
• 15:25
  far.
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  >> Right?
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  >> You say, "Preacher, I believe to the
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  end." No. What you'll find is you, if
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  you travel that thing far enough, you're
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  going to find a doubt somewhere. All
• 15:34
  right.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Every word belief is, unbelief is going
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  to be accompanied somewhere.
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  >> You say, "Preacher, but I thought that
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  I'm supposed to fully believe and fully
• 15:44
  trust in the Lord." Well, you understand
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  your flesh.
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  >> Amen. And you are. Amen. You're to trust
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  in the Lord with all your heart and lean
• 15:52
  not to your own understanding. But at
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  your very best, you cannot. You will
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  never completely, FULLY, 100%, TOTALLY
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  PLACE IT ALL ON GOD UNTIL you get to
• 16:02
  heaven.
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  >> That's right. Amen.
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  >> What your job is to do is to place every
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  bit of it that you can on him.
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  >> Right.
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  >> Amen. What does he say? Lord, I believe.
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  You're going to have to help me though
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  with what's lacking.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> And so this intercession here begins.
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  What does he recognize? He says, Lord, I
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  believe. Help thou mine unbelief. Well,
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  he recognizes the power of God is
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  greater than his unbelief.
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  Think about what he's saying. Lord, I
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  believe you can do it. Just not sure if
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  you will.
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  >> Right.
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  Lord, I I believe that you can handle
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  it, but I'm just not sure if it's going
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  to happen the way I want it to. See,
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  here's here's where those unbeliefs come
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  in. You're
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  >> right.
• 16:42
  >> Every one of us have got situations in
• 16:44
  here. Things that we're praying about,
• 16:47
  people we're interceding for. I hope you
• 16:49
  do. Amen. If you don't, you're not
• 16:50
  living by the book. Amen.
• 16:53
  >> But if you do tonight, here's what
• 16:54
  you're going to find. Every one of those
• 16:56
  situations, there's going to be a a a
• 16:58
  skiff of unbelief.
• 16:59
  >> You're right. traces of unbelief found
• 17:01
  throughout that. You know what you got
• 17:02
  to do? You got to get rid of those
• 17:04
  things
• 17:06
  >> one by one because you know what the
• 17:07
  stronger belief is. It doesn't change
• 17:09
  the power of God, but it makes the
• 17:11
  effectiveness of of it a lot greater.
• 17:13
  Amen. You can't you don't affect the
• 17:15
  power of God. But I'll say this, if I
• 17:17
  you give me five people who really will
• 17:19
  believe and trust the Lord and do their
• 17:21
  best to get the unbelief out of the way
• 17:23
  and the doubts and the fears and the
• 17:24
  failures and all that out of the way,
• 17:26
  we'll have five people that'll turn the
• 17:27
  turn Stokes County upside down. Because
• 17:29
  here's what'll happen. You'll forget
• 17:31
  about everything else in life.
• 17:32
  >> You're right.
• 17:33
  >> You won't be concerned about the people
• 17:35
  around you. Cuz here's what happens.
• 17:37
  Faith is affected by everything that
• 17:39
  surrounds you. The people, the places,
• 17:40
  the problems, everything. And the more
• 17:43
  that you get out of that, get out of
• 17:45
  that your get that out of your life, the
• 17:47
  more effective you will be.
• 17:48
  >> You're right.
• 17:50
  >> And pray. And this young man, this man
• 17:51
  in the text, he gets help because Jesus
• 17:54
  reveals to him the possibilities. He
• 17:56
  makes his prayer and is founding his
• 17:58
  faith upon the power of God. Notice the
• 18:01
  text in verse 25. We see the hope. We
• 18:04
  see the help. Notice the holy. You
• 18:07
  understand your prayer is worth nothing
• 18:10
  if it's not done to the Lord. Right?
• 18:12
  >> There's people that pray every day, but
• 18:15
  you understand that if their prayer is
• 18:17
  not made to God,
• 18:19
  >> their prayer is not made upon proper
• 18:21
  terms. Because you know, David said, "If
• 18:22
  I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord
• 18:24
  will not hear me."
• 18:25
  >> Right?
• 18:26
  >> So, if you come to him on his terms, and
• 18:28
  you pray his way, amen, show me now thy
• 18:30
  way, his will first. Amen. Thy will, thy
• 18:34
  will be done on earth as it is in
• 18:35
  heaven. Then that's a prayer that God
• 18:37
  will hear. But I notice in this text,
• 18:40
  look what's mentioned here. I'm
• 18:42
  butchering this, but it's all right. The
• 18:44
  holy here, what does the Bible say about
• 18:46
  him? Well, there's a charge that's
• 18:48
  given. This man simply believes and he
• 18:50
  makes his prayer upon the possibilities
• 18:53
  of what God can do based upon the power
• 18:55
  that he has expressed to him. And Jesus
• 18:58
  gives a charge in verse 25. What's the
• 19:00
  charge to? It's a charge to this dumb
• 19:02
  spirit. Look what the Bible says. When
• 19:03
  Jesus saw that the people came running
• 19:05
  together, he rebuked the foul spirit,
• 19:08
  saying unto him, thou dumb and deaf
• 19:09
  spirit, I charge thee, come out of him,
• 19:12
  and enter no more into him. You know
• 19:13
  what this what Jesus has done in a
• 19:15
  moment, he has brought deliverance to
• 19:17
  this young boy.
• 19:18
  >> Right?
• 19:18
  >> What nine disciples could not do, what a
• 19:20
  whole multitude and a father could not
• 19:22
  do, Jesus did it in one word. And what
• 19:25
  does that represent to us? It represents
• 19:27
  his power over this spirit. Now, I want
• 19:30
  you to I want you to get this. I'm going
• 19:31
  to move through this quickly, but I
• 19:32
  don't want you to miss this. All right.
• 19:34
  Jesus charges this spirit. The spirit is
• 19:37
  commanded to exit, but he's also
• 19:39
  commanded that he's never to enter
• 19:41
  again. Notice that. Enter no more into
• 19:43
  him. So, he has been changed eternally.
• 19:46
  You're
• 19:46
  >> right.
• 19:46
  >> Amen. As long as eternity stands, that
• 19:49
  spirit will never enter into this young
• 19:50
  man again. Is anybody in the building
• 19:52
  tonight? Note, not only the the charge,
• 19:55
  but notice the change in verse 27. Bible
• 19:57
  said in verse 26, "And the spirit cried
• 19:59
  and ran him sore and came out of him and
• 20:02
  he was as one dead in so much that many
• 20:03
  said he is dead. But Jesus took him up
• 20:06
  by the hand and lifted him up and he
• 20:09
  arose." This boy got delivered. But you
• 20:11
  understand he got restored.
• 20:13
  >> You're right.
• 20:13
  >> Amen.
• 20:14
  >> This spirit's destroyed him.
• 20:16
  >> But when Jesus grabbed him by the hand,
• 20:18
  you know what he did when he raised him
• 20:19
  up? The Bible says he arose. And that
• 20:21
  implies more than him just standing up.
• 20:22
  >> You're right.
• 20:23
  >> There was perfect healing here.
• 20:25
  >> That's right. You see, Jesus was able to
• 20:27
  charge the spirit. He was able to change
• 20:29
  the sun. But you know what? He he didn't
• 20:31
  he didn't miss in this opportunity.
• 20:33
  He gives a challenge. Notice the text.
• 20:37
  Verse 27, Jesus took him up by the hand
• 20:40
  and took him by the hand, lifted him up,
• 20:42
  and he arose. Verse 28, when he was
• 20:44
  coming to the house, his disciples asked
• 20:46
  him privately, look at this, why could
• 20:48
  not we cast him out?
• 20:50
  >> Now, doesn't that sound a whole lot like
• 20:52
  the confusion that was present in the
• 20:54
  text before? Right. Amen.
• 20:56
  >> This young boy, his whole family's
• 20:57
  confused. Now there's deliverance. He's
• 20:59
  took taken care of the spirit. He's
• 21:01
  taken care of the son. And so the
• 21:03
  father's prayer has been answered in the
• 21:05
  text. But there's still people here that
• 21:07
  have unrest.
• 21:10
  >> You ever been like that?
• 21:12
  >> You ever watch somebody get saved or
• 21:14
  watch somebody get help and you stand
• 21:16
  back and look at that and you're
• 21:17
  scratching your head.
• 21:19
  Jesus did that, but what did I have to
• 21:22
  do with it?
• 21:24
  You say, "What do you mean, preacher?"
• 21:25
  Well, have you ever prayed for somebody
• 21:28
  for a long time? This ain't selfish,
• 21:31
  okay? It's just the way the flesh is.
• 21:32
  Have you ever prayed for somebody for a
• 21:34
  long time? You want to see them get
• 21:36
  saved and you're praying that God will
• 21:37
  give you the opportunity to lead them to
• 21:38
  the Lord. The next time you see them,
• 21:40
  somebody else has led them to the Lord.
• 21:43
  >> And in your flesh, your first response
• 21:46
  is, "Well, wonder if that was my prayer
• 21:48
  or not."
• 21:50
  You say, "Preacher, what does that have
• 21:51
  to do with the text?" Well, these boys
• 21:53
  realized they didn't do anything.
• 21:55
  >> You're right.
• 21:57
  >> But let me give you this.
• 21:59
  If these boys had cast this devil out,
• 22:02
  you know what? They hadn't really done
• 22:03
  anything either.
• 22:04
  >> You're right.
• 22:05
  >> Amen.
• 22:06
  >> Come on.
• 22:06
  >> Think about this with me. Every other
• 22:08
  devil that they cast out, you know what?
• 22:10
  What name they did it in?
• 22:12
  >> The name of Jesus.
• 22:14
  >> But they asked Lord in the text, look
• 22:16
  what the Bible says. Why could not we
• 22:17
  cast them out? You know what the problem
• 22:19
  is? They're confused because of their
• 22:21
  what? their pride.
• 22:22
  >> That's right.
• 22:23
  >> They don't understand it. Look what
• 22:25
  Jesus, he gives them their clarity in
• 22:27
  verse 29. Boy, there's a lot in this
• 22:30
  verse. Look what he says. And he said
• 22:32
  unto them, "This kind can come forth by
• 22:34
  nothing but by prayer and fasting." Now,
• 22:39
  there's a million questions that flood
• 22:40
  my mind when that when I read that
• 22:42
  verse. Was it the intercessory prayer of
• 22:44
  the father that allowed this son? Was
• 22:46
  was God waiting until the father
• 22:48
  believed for this son to be healed? was
• 22:50
  God. Why did God not allow the disciples
• 22:52
  to do that in this text? Why did it take
• 22:54
  Jesus here in the text? I'll say this
• 22:56
  tonight, and this is the conclusion I
• 22:58
  came to in studying this. I don't, you
• 23:00
  know, we we would think, you know, is it
• 23:02
  a specific demon? Look what he says.
• 23:04
  This kind can come forth by nothing but
• 23:06
  by prayer and fasting. Is this demon
• 23:08
  just worse than all the rest? I really
• 23:09
  don't think so. Amen. Jesus fended off
• 23:13
  the devil with the word of God.
• 23:15
  >> He didn't employ no supernatural
• 23:16
  methods. So, I don't believe it was a
• 23:18
  specific demon. I don't believe it was
• 23:20
  the level of the son's defilement. I
• 23:22
  don't think that it had so much to do
• 23:24
  with this son was just so far gone. He
• 23:26
  was so young and he'd been in it so
• 23:28
  long. I don't think that's what it does.
• 23:29
  You understand? It takes the same effort
• 23:31
  to save any sinner that gets saved.
• 23:33
  >> You're right.
• 23:34
  >> It takes the same blood. It takes the
• 23:36
  same sacrifice. It takes the same
• 23:38
  effort. It's by grace through faith. And
• 23:41
  every sinner, young or old, rich or
• 23:42
  poor, bad or good, has to GET SAVED THE
• 23:45
  SAME WAY. AMEN.
• 23:47
  >> So I don't believe it was the level of
• 23:49
  the son's defilement. I don't believe
• 23:50
  his specific demon. But I really believe
• 23:52
  in the text when Jesus points out it
• 23:55
  goes back to what I dealt with first in
• 23:57
  the text. I think it goes back to the
• 23:59
  lack of their spiritual devotion.
• 24:03
  And you know what I believe tonight? I
• 24:05
  believe what the great preacher said
• 24:06
  days gone by. He said this. Every
• 24:08
  failure is a prayer failure.
• 24:15
  Every failure in your life, every
• 24:18
  failure in my life,
• 24:19
  >> every time we fall, every time we
• 24:21
  stumble, every preacher, every teacher,
• 24:23
  every husband, every wife that falls
• 24:25
  into sin, you know why they do that?
• 24:27
  Because they failed in prayer.
• 24:32
  >> Now notice this in the text. What does
• 24:34
  Jesus say to them? He said unto them,
• 24:35
  "This kind can come forth by nothing but
• 24:37
  by prayer and fasting." Now is that is
• 24:41
  that question is that personal to them?
• 24:43
  I think when we step back and look at
• 24:45
  this as a whole, I think there's an
• 24:47
  application we need to understand. The
• 24:49
  clarity that Jesus give number one is
• 24:52
  based upon their devotion. Look what he
• 24:54
  says. This kind can come forth by
• 24:56
  nothing but by prayer and fasting. Now
• 24:59
  what is prayer and fasting? Prayer is
• 25:00
  communication with God.
• 25:02
  >> And fasting is loosing things from your
• 25:05
  flesh so that you can communicate with
• 25:07
  God. So what is that telling us? Jesus
• 25:10
  is basically saying this. This is only a
• 25:13
  problem God could solve.
• 25:14
  >> Right?
• 25:16
  >> Basically what I believe is Jesus had
• 25:20
  given his disciples this power to cast
• 25:22
  out demons. But you know what? They'd
• 25:24
  become prideful in that.
• 25:25
  >> You're right.
• 25:26
  >> They'd done it so many times. They'd
• 25:28
  seen God bless. They'd seen God help.
• 25:30
  Jesus had to let them fall flat on their
• 25:32
  face one time so they could realize it
• 25:34
  ain't got nothing to do with them.
• 25:35
  >> You're right. You know what will happen
• 25:36
  to you? You'll sing the same song 25
• 25:39
  times. Amen. And you'll do it good every
• 25:41
  single time. But if you get lifted up in
• 25:44
  pride, God will let you get up, forget
• 25:45
  the words, forget how to play it, forget
• 25:47
  how to do all of that just to keep you
• 25:49
  humble.
• 25:51
  >> I can preach a sermon 10 times and God
• 25:54
  bless it all 10 times I preach. But you
• 25:56
  know what? If I get confident in my
• 25:58
  ability and not his anointing, Amen. You
• 26:01
  know what he'll do? He'll let me get up
• 26:02
  here and stumble all over myself because
• 26:05
  the desire is founded upon my pride and
• 26:07
  not the furtherance of the gospel. You
• 26:10
  see these disciples in the text, they
• 26:12
  couldn't cast them out because maybe
• 26:13
  they were too busy strutting around
• 26:15
  sticking their chest out.
• 26:16
  >> That's right.
• 26:17
  >> Amen.
• 26:18
  >> You know what it did? It cut them down
• 26:19
  the sides.
• 26:20
  >> Amen.
• 26:20
  >> You say, "Preacher, what does that have
• 26:22
  to do with intercessory prayer?" You
• 26:23
  know what the number one Listen to me.
• 26:25
  You know what the number one reason why
• 26:28
  people do not intercede for others is?
• 26:31
  It's pride.
• 26:33
  >> It's pride. You say, "How is that,
• 26:35
  preacher?" Well, let me just say this.
• 26:37
  Okay. You think because everything's all
• 26:39
  right in your life that God will just
• 26:41
  bless them just because you're all
• 26:42
  right.
• 26:43
  >> You said, "Preacher, I don't really
• 26:44
  think that, but you do it."
• 26:46
  >> Come on.
• 26:47
  >> Isn't that interesting? Why is it that
• 26:50
  we can go days and not pray for people?
• 26:52
  >> You're right.
• 26:53
  >> Well, everything's okay in my life. You
• 26:54
  know what that is? That's pride.
• 26:56
  >> That's selfishness. And Jesus says to
• 26:58
  them in the text, look what the Bible
• 27:00
  said. This kind can come forth by
• 27:01
  nothing but by prayer and fasting. It
• 27:03
  has to do with our devotion. Let me ask
• 27:06
  you, how's your devotional life?
• 27:07
  >> Come on.
• 27:08
  >> I'll be be fair with you tonight. Mine
• 27:10
  needs growth.
• 27:11
  >> You know what? If you're honest, yours
• 27:13
  does, too.
• 27:14
  >> Amen. It needs growth. It needs work.
• 27:16
  But I noticed this. This devotion life
• 27:19
  comes by one thing. And I feel like all
• 27:21
  my messages are so redundant. But I just
• 27:23
  believe that's because it's the Bible.
• 27:24
  Amen.
• 27:25
  >> Amen.
• 27:25
  >> You know what it comes back to? Comes
• 27:27
  back to a decision.
• 27:28
  Notice the text. He said, "This kind can
• 27:31
  come forward by nothing but by prayer
• 27:33
  and fasting." You know what prayer and
• 27:34
  fasting require?
• 27:37
  A choice,
• 27:38
  >> right?
• 27:39
  >> A choice for you to find a place where
• 27:41
  you can talk to God.
• 27:42
  >> You're right.
• 27:42
  >> And a choice for you to refrain from
• 27:44
  things that would hinder you from
• 27:46
  talking to God.
• 27:51
  >> And I'll say this tonight, and I've
• 27:53
  already pointed it out. When Jesus said
• 27:55
  it can come forth by nothing by nothing
• 27:57
  but by prayer and fasting, it has to do
• 27:59
  with our devotion to the Lord. It has to
• 28:01
  do with our decision to turn to the
• 28:03
  Lord. But it ultimately has to do with
• 28:04
  the fact that he is the only one that
• 28:07
  can do it.
• 28:08
  >> You're right.
• 28:09
  >> You see, here's the thing about it.
• 28:10
  There's some things in our life that
• 28:12
  we're not going to be able to fix.
• 28:14
  Matter of fact, most things in our life
• 28:15
  we're not going to be able to fix.
• 28:17
  >> But there's also things in your life
• 28:19
  that God could fix.
• 28:21
  >> That's right. But it's not his will for
• 28:23
  you to know whether he wants to fix it
• 28:24
  or not.
• 28:25
  >> You're right.
• 28:26
  >> And you know what? That's the hardest
• 28:28
  thing for us to come to grips with.
• 28:29
  >> Amen.
• 28:30
  >> The unbelief of that man when he was
• 28:32
  concerned about his son. You know what
• 28:34
  his unbelief was? Whether or not it
• 28:36
  would really happen.
• 28:37
  >> You're right.
• 28:39
  >> And here's what it comes down to in our
• 28:40
  life. All right. Intercessory prayer is
• 28:43
  going to come back to this one truth.
• 28:45
  It's it's us deciding to be devoted
• 28:48
  to the Lord regardless of the outcome.
• 28:51
  >> You're right.
• 28:52
  >> That's good.
• 28:53
  >> As long as you have an effect in mind,
• 28:55
  as long as you have an outcome in mind,
• 28:57
  as long as you have some preset method,
• 29:00
  preset ending to the problem, the
• 29:02
  situation in your life, you will never
• 29:05
  intercede for somebody else.
• 29:06
  >> You're right.
• 29:07
  >> True intercession sounds like this.
• 29:09
  Lord, I don't know what you can. I don't
• 29:11
  know what you're going to do in this
• 29:12
  situation, but I know whatever needs to
• 29:15
  be done, you can do it, and you will do
• 29:16
  it in your time if you want to.
• 29:18
  >> Right?
• 29:20
  >> But Lord, here's what I'm going to trust
• 29:21
  in. Not the situation,
• 29:24
  not even your ability, but I'm going to
• 29:26
  trust in the fact that you know best,
• 29:28
  >> right?
• 29:29
  >> And that at the end of the day, the
• 29:31
  choice is up to you, but I'm going to do
• 29:32
  what I can. You're
• 29:33
  >> right.
• 29:34
  >> And you know what you can do? You can go
• 29:36
  to God each and every day
• 29:38
  >> and say, "Lord, I don't know what they
• 29:40
  need,
• 29:41
  >> but Lord, you do."
• 29:42
  >> And Lord, the outcome is up to you.
• 29:44
  Whatever you want for them,
• 29:46
  >> I want you to get the most glory.
• 29:48
  >> And you know what you'll find is when
• 29:50
  you pray that way for somebody else,
• 29:51
  you'll start living that way yourself.
• 29:53
  >> Right?
• 29:54
  >> You'll do things that you never did
• 29:55
  before. Let me say this. You'll have a
• 29:57
  hard time talking about people that
• 29:59
  you're interceding for.
• 30:01
  >> That's right. You'll have a hard time
• 30:02
  getting in disgruntled arguments with
• 30:04
  people that you're praying for. You're
• 30:06
  going to have a hard time fussing and
• 30:08
  fighting with people that you are
• 30:09
  interceding for on their behalf. And you
• 30:12
  know what it comes back to? It comes
• 30:14
  back to a decision to be devoted.
• 30:17
  >> And you know what happened in this text?
• 30:20
  This father made a decision and God
• 30:21
  blessed it. And the disciples, they
• 30:23
  didn't even get to see that personally.
• 30:26
  This father prayed for his son. God
• 30:28
  answered his prayer in one moment. You
• 30:31
  know what? I don't know what those
• 30:32
  disciples did, but I'm going to say they
• 30:34
  probably said something.
• 30:35
  >> You're right.
• 30:36
  >> But you know what is we can pray. We can
• 30:39
  pray. We can spend days, weeks, and
• 30:41
  hours in prayer, but if a motive's
• 30:43
  wrong,
• 30:43
  >> you're right.
• 30:45
  >> If if if we go about it with an idea
• 30:47
  that we're going to get some kind of
• 30:48
  glory out of it.
• 30:49
  >> Come on, preacher.
• 30:51
  >> You might as well just mark her down.
• 30:52
  God's not going to operate in that
• 30:54
  reality.
• 30:54
  >> You're right.
• 30:55
  >> Why?
• 30:56
  >> He don't work to suit your fancy.
• 30:58
  >> You're right.
• 30:58
  >> He don't work to suit my fancy. Amen.
• 31:00
  >> And you got to live your life in such a
• 31:03
  way that says, "Lord, I'll do whatever
• 31:05
  you ask."
• 31:08
  >> You say, "Peach, I got people in my life
• 31:10
  that I'm trying to intercede for, but
• 31:12
  what I'm finding about them is is when I
• 31:14
  pray for them, God's showing me things."
• 31:16
  Well, you just keep praying for them.
• 31:17
  You keep letting God show you things,
• 31:19
  and one of these days, he'll get
• 31:20
  everything out of you so you really can
• 31:22
  pray for them. That's
• 31:22
  >> right. Come on.
• 31:24
  >> You start praying for other people that
• 31:26
  God would help them stay humble. You
• 31:27
  know what? You might find you might need
• 31:29
  a good dose of humility yourself. Amen.
• 31:31
  You start praying for other people that
• 31:33
  they be pure and they dress right and
• 31:35
  act right and live right. What you'll
• 31:36
  find is that God will show up in your
• 31:38
  life and say and put your put his finger
• 31:40
  on some things in your heart that's not
• 31:42
  exactly right. I'M SAYING FRIEND THAT'S
• 31:45
  THE WAY IT WORKS. WHEN WE INTERCEDE FOR
• 31:47
  OTHERS, GOD THE FATHER, HIS SON is
• 31:50
  interceding for us and the HOLY GHOST OF
• 31:52
  GOD WILL SPEAK TO OUR heart even about
• 31:54
  things in our own life.
• 31:56
  >> That's right. But here's what we do. A
• 31:58
  lot of times we say, "I I don't know
• 32:01
  about that.
• 32:04
  I I I'm not like that."
• 32:07
  >> We'll pray for it because we see it in
• 32:08
  them.
• 32:09
  >> Come on.
• 32:09
  >> It's like Jesus said, we we want to deal
• 32:11
  with the moat that's in our brother's
• 32:14
  eye.
• 32:14
  >> Yeah.
• 32:15
  >> When we're trying to look around the
• 32:16
  beam,
• 32:18
  >> we want to deal with the thorn that
• 32:20
  they've got in their eye when we've got
• 32:21
  a 2 by six.
• 32:24
  You know, I think if we had a revival of
• 32:27
  oldtime repentance,
• 32:30
  >> forgiveness, repentance, and just church
• 32:33
  people getting right with one another.
• 32:34
  That's
• 32:34
  >> right.
• 32:35
  >> It ain't no telling.
• 32:36
  >> You're right.
• 32:37
  >> What God will do.
• 32:39
  >> There's no telling. You say, "What does
• 32:40
  it start with?" It starts with
• 32:42
  intercessory prayer.
• 32:44
  You're not going to be able to pray for
• 32:46
  somebody that you ain't forgiven.
• 32:47
  >> You're right. This is super practical
• 32:49
  and super simple and I feel really
• 32:51
  stupid for saying all of it, but the
• 32:52
  truth is it's what we need more than
• 32:54
  anything else. It's what I need and it's
• 32:56
  what you need. And if we'll live it out,
• 32:58
  God would do there's no telling what.
• 33:00
  >> You're right.
• 33:02
  >> If you've not forgiven somebody, you'll
• 33:04
  find yourself not being able to pray for
• 33:06
  them.
• 33:06
  >> You're right.
• 33:07
  >> If you're bitter at somebody, you'll
• 33:09
  find yourself not being able to pray for
• 33:10
  them. And God will say, "Look, you going
• 33:12
  to have to fix that.
• 33:14
  >> You have to fix that. You may think your
• 33:16
  devotion life's all right. go to spend a
• 33:18
  little more time in and what you might
• 33:19
  find is it needs some work.
• 33:21
  >> Right.
• 33:23
  >> I'll be the first to say tonight, oh me,
• 33:28
  we need it.
• 33:29
  >> You're right.
• 33:30
  >> God, help us. Father, every head bowed
• 33:32
  and every eye closed tonight, Lord, as
• 33:34
  we come to you tonight, I pray, God,
• 33:36
  that you would help us. Lord, I realize,
• 33:39
  Father, this is a place that all of us
• 33:40
  fail.
• 33:42
  But God, I see that this man
• 33:45
  when he got to a desperate place,
• 33:48
  his only hope was you.
• 33:51
  And Lord, I'm thankful, Father, that
• 33:52
  when his only hope was you, you were
• 33:55
  there to help him. And God, I thank you
• 33:58
  tonight, Lord, that we can trust you.
• 34:02
  We can have confidence in who you are,
• 34:06
  Lord, because you'll always do right.
• 34:08
  But God, I pray, Father, you'd forgive
• 34:10
  me tonight.
• 34:13
  Lord, cleanse me, Lord, of the times
• 34:15
  that I have failed to pray for others,
• 34:18
  Lord, for the days, God, that you've
• 34:20
  impressed my heart, Lord, and because of
• 34:22
  busyness, Lord, I've failed to get to
• 34:24
  that prayer place and intercede on their
• 34:26
  behalf.
• 34:27
  Lord, because of, Lord, many times my
• 34:30
  own selfishness, Father, we miss the
• 34:32
  mark. Lord, I've asked you to cleanse me
• 34:34
  of that today. I ask you to cleanse me
• 34:35
  again. But God, would you help us to get
• 34:38
  in a mindset in these days, Lord, to
• 34:41
  pray for each other,
• 34:43
  God? I don't want to see anybody else
• 34:45
  get picked off by the devil. I don't
• 34:48
  want to see anybody else, Father, fall
• 34:49
  by the wayside. I don't want to see
• 34:52
  anybody else get out because of
• 34:53
  decisions of their flesh and the enemy
• 34:55
  influencing them. God, would you help us
• 34:58
  to intercede for each other? Lord, would
• 35:01
  you help me as the pastor to pray more
• 35:03
  than I've ever prayed before, Lord, for
• 35:04
  this church, for these families? And
• 35:07
  God, for those that are lost as they
• 35:08
  come through those doors, God, I pray
• 35:10
  that you would deal with their heart in
• 35:12
  such a way, God, that they're not able
• 35:13
  to leave. Lord, I realize, Father, Lord,
• 35:16
  that many of them, Lord, they don't come
• 35:18
  back, Father, because the conviction is
• 35:19
  so strong. But Lord, I pray, Father,
• 35:22
  somehow someway, Father, that when they
• 35:24
  are here, God, that you would help us,
• 35:26
  Lord, to be who we're supposed to be
• 35:28
  always. God, I realize at best we're
• 35:30
  going to fail and stumble, Lord, but we
• 35:32
  can do better, Father, tomorrow than we
• 35:34
  did today. And Lord, would you help us
• 35:36
  to be who you've called us to be?
• 35:39
  These are praying tonight.
• 35:44
  I tell you what, I know without a shadow
• 35:46
  of a doubt,
• 35:50
  that if we all prayed the way that we
• 35:52
  should,
• 35:56
  if we prayed the way that we should, as
• 35:58
  much as we should,
• 36:01
  I know what would happen.
• 36:04
  I don't know how much, but I know what
• 36:06
  would happen.
• 36:07
  It ain't necessarily a full church, but
• 36:09
  I know when we come through those doors,
• 36:11
  I tell you, the glory of God will be
• 36:12
  dripping off of our face,
• 36:15
  the presence of God would be on
• 36:19
  on our complexion and in our eyes.
• 36:23
  You say, "Preacher, I just don't know
• 36:24
  how I can have that." Well, you just
• 36:26
  keep praying.
• 36:28
  You get on your knees and you pray until
• 36:30
  the Lord's cleansed you all out. And you
• 36:32
  know what you do? You get up and you do
• 36:34
  it again the next day.
• 36:36
  You pray until the Lord's cleansed you
• 36:37
  out and then you pray for others. And
• 36:40
  then sometimes while you're praying for
• 36:41
  others, God brings you back to yourself
• 36:43
  and you ask for some more cleansing and
• 36:45
  then you start praying for others. You
• 36:47
  say, "Preacher, that's a cycle." You're
• 36:49
  exactly right. It is.
• 36:52
  If you want life,
• 36:54
  hey Dad, if you want life for your
• 36:56
  children, life for your wife,
• 36:59
  you'll pray for them.
• 37:02
  You'll not just live it in front of
• 37:04
  them, but you'll pray for them.
• 37:07
  You'll intercede on their behalf
• 37:10
  because there's some things you're not
• 37:11
  going to be able to protect them from.
• 37:12
  But God can protect them from all
• 37:14
  things. Because all things are possible
• 37:18
  if you can believe. And I tell you,
• 37:23
  I can tell you how much you believe by
• 37:24
  how much you pray.
• 37:27
  You know, I think that's my failure.
• 37:28
  Many times we have a lack of faith. You
• 37:31
  know where it's manifested? It's
• 37:32
  manifested in a lack of prayer.
• 37:36
  God, help us to pray.
• 37:39
  Be a praying people more than we've ever
• 37:40
  been.
• 37:43
  Lord, once again,
• 37:45
  thank you for the opportunity to come to
• 37:47
  you in prayer.
• 37:50
  And Lord, I believe the power of
• 37:51
  intercessory prayer is still present in
• 37:53
  this day and time.
• 37:56
  Lord, we say lots of things. Lord, we
• 37:58
  say God that, you know, people say that,
• 38:01
  you know, you're just not working like
• 38:02
  you used to. Father, I really believe
• 38:04
  it's your people are not praying like
• 38:06
  they used to. God, would you help us to
• 38:08
  have a revival of prayer? Help me to
• 38:11
  have a revival of prayer.
• 38:14
  God, I need this message, Lord. Would
• 38:15
  you help me, Lord, because there's
• 38:18
  people in my life, Father, that I know
• 38:19
  they're just like that young man.
• 38:22
  And Lord, I don't want to be your
• 38:24
  disciple standing around asking why.
• 38:27
  Lord, I want to be asking why that when
• 38:30
  I preach, people don't get saved. Lord,
• 38:34
  God forbid there ever be a time in my
• 38:35
  life where my life hinders people from
• 38:37
  getting saved. God, would you please
• 38:39
  never allow that?
• 38:41
  And Lord, I pray, Father, for the others
• 38:43
  in this church. Lord, may we all
• 38:45
  realize, Father, that our life affects
• 38:46
  those around us and it affects the
• 38:49
  services in this church. God, help us to
• 38:51
  stay clean and stay close to you. Lord,
• 38:54
  I love you and thank you for loving me.
• 38:56
  Thank you for this church. Pray you
• 38:57
  bless us and help us in the days ahead.
• 38:59
  We give you thanks for what you do
• 39:01
  because we ask it in Jesus name. Amen.
• 39:05
  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
• 39:07
  We'd love it if you join us in person
• 39:09
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 39:12
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 39:15
  2988
• 39:16
  Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 39:19
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 39:22
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 39:24
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 39:26
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 39:29
  evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
• 39:32
  information, visit us at
• 39:34
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 39:36
  Thanks again for tuning in.