We'll now be reading from Matthew chapter 17, and we'll be starting at verse 14.
And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him, and kneeling before him said,
Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly.
For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.
And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.
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.
And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, Why could we not 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.
As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them,
The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men,
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.
And they were greatly distressed.
When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two drachma tax went up to Peter and said,
Does your teacher not pay the tax?
He said, Yes.
And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying,
What do you think, Simon?
From whom do kings of the earth take their toll, or tax?
From their sons, or from others?
And when he said, From others, Jesus said to him,
Then the sons are free.
However, not to give offence to them, go to the sea and cast a hook,
and take the first fish that comes up,
and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel.
Take that and give it to them, for me and for yourself.
Well, my name's Dave.
I'm one of the pastors here.
A warm welcome to you if you're visiting this morning.
Well, I would love to have a manual for parenting.
A recipe.
I'm pretty hopeless at cooking.
I need Emma to give me, like, a step-by-step instruction on what to do.
Just a recipe for parenting would be wonderful.
How and when to discipline.
Oh, gee, that's tough to work out.
Like, we're coming up with seeing, like, private schooling, public schooling,
home schooling.
Like, that's just a confusing question.
To know exactly what to do in every moment.
How to respond.
To ensure that my children will grow up as whole persons knowing the Lord.
I want a recipe.
I'd love a recipe for lots of things.
Like, what on earth am I meant to do as a pastor and say to people?
What am I meant to do?
I'd love a recipe for this sermon, to be honest with you.
I want a recipe.
Just give me a step-by-step instructions to follow.
There's a more obvious form of living the Christian life based on a recipe.
And I came across it again this week watching the recent SBS documentary,
The Kingdom.
I don't know if you've seen it yet.
A guy named Dave is interviewed after being burnt by the church.
And he says this.
All the things that people promised would happen, a great life, happiness,
great relationships, being quote-unquote blessed, owning a house,
being in a great position, all happened after I left the church.
After years of devoting his time and his money, genuinely believing that life would work out,
and it didn't, and the recipe failed him, and he was disillusioned.
So there's the obvious form of recipe theology.
If you put in this, this, this, God will bless.
I think there's a more subtle form of recipe theology.
Recipe faith.
That while taking into account that life is hard and that the great reward is future primarily,
there's still this lurking expectation that if only you follow the steps that Jesus commands,
life and ministry will basically work.
Things will basically work out.
What we've got in our passage today, I think, is a really strong contrast to what we saw last week.
Last week, three of the disciples are up the mountain and they are blown away by the divinity of Jesus.
His light shining through.
But down the mountain, presumably happening around the same time,
the other nine disciples are confronted with failure.
Peter.
And then Peter, he thinks he knows the recipe.
He thinks he knows the law to follow, to pay the temple tax, which we'll come to,
but Jesus blows that recipe thinking away.
So we've got this contrast.
Having seen the all-sufficiency of Jesus up the mountain,
we've seen in the gospel so far that Jesus is the glorious son of God
and it's confirmed to us in the transfiguration.
Then we've got down the mountain, any superficial idea of faith that it's about following steps
and it will work.
That superficial idea of faith is not faith.
We don't trust in a recipe.
We trust in a person.
So I want to ask the question,
what does it mean to have faith in the all-sufficiency of Jesus
as we've seen him on the mountain?
Well, first in our passage,
we're going to be confronted with the biggest problem we've got
and that's our unbelief.
Then we're going to see three ways that we are to trust that he is all that we need.
In facing overwhelming obstacles, he is all we need.
In dealing with our failure to trust him, he is all we need.
And he is our obedience.
So let's get into the story.
What does it mean to have faith in the all-sufficiency of Jesus?
This story about the demon-oppressed child, it's confronting, isn't it?
I think it's confronting on a number of levels.
It's confronting because it challenges our Western worldview of a materialistic,
there's no such thing as a spiritual realm kind of culture we live in.
It's confronting at that level.
It's confronting because it's just a horrible situation.
This child is suffering terribly.
But it's most confronting because of Jesus' response.
He rebukes.
Mark's account of this episode puts the focus on the father of the child.
It's quite a famous phrase, he says.
I believe, help my unbelief.
I think every Christian can resonate with that.
I believe, but help my unbelief.
But Matthew leaves that out, which suggests that his focus is on the disciples' failure,
the nine disciples' failure.
To feel the shock of Jesus' response, put yourself in the shoes of this distraught father.
Like, your child, your son is tormented.
This is beyond epilepsy, as hard and dangerous as epilepsy can be.
This is something beyond that.
Mark and Luke add the detail that he's mute.
He can't communicate properly.
When he does, he cries out.
And it's trying to kill him.
Every opportunity, fire or water, any opportunity.
There is no peace in this family, no freedom, no hope.
And then when they hear about hope, that others have been healed of this very thing,
he brings his son to the disciples and they fail.
His hopes are dashed.
How would we expect Jesus to respond?
I want him to respond with sympathy.
I want him to respond with instantly removing the pain that this family is going through.
But isn't his response shocking?
Oh, 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.
Notice he is full of mercy.
He does bring peace to this child and to the family.
He does rebuke the spirit and restore this family.
He does bring peace.
He is full of mercy.
And in chapter 18, he loves children.
Make no mistake.
He wants all his people to have the attitude of a child.
He is very protective of his children.
He loves children.
Let's not make any mistake there.
So why such a strong rebuke?
Notice his answer revolves around himself.
How long am I to bear with you?
His disciples' lack of faith, it's painful to him.
He's got to endure it.
How long am I to be with you?
I think that's similar to the question when Philip asked in John 14,
Jesus just show us the Father and his response, how long have I been with you?
Don't you know me yet?
I think it's similar to that.
How long am I to be revealing who I am to you?
The problem, the offence to God is a willful neglect of the evidence of who Jesus is.
It's not having faith in the evidence of who he is, who he's shown himself to be.
It's twisted.
He uses the word twisted, which I think might be picking up Moses' words in Deuteronomy 32.
After all the powerful signs that the first generation saw in being set free from Egypt,
after all of that, after seeing God's glory on the mountain,
after all he provided for them in the wilderness,
he says they are no longer his children because they are blemished.
They are crooked and twisted generation.
Someone greater than Moses is here, a greater revelation.
I think the twisted is saying the evidence is plain.
The response of trust should be obvious.
But there's a willful forgetting of who he has revealed himself to be.
There's a willful distortion of who he is and what he said.
Our greatest problem is not seeing God for who he is as he has clearly shown himself to be in his son.
So why such a strong rebuke?
Because the disciples' failure was not their incompetence.
It wasn't incompetence.
It was unbelief.
It was a willful forgetting of who Jesus is,
not putting their confidence in him that he is all they need.
Now, if like me, you can relate to the disciples' failure to have faith,
you should want to know what true faith is.
And in the very next section, that's what we get.
We get an explanation of true faith.
The disciples ask him privately,
why could we not cast it out?
In chapter 10, they've been given authority to cast out demons.
They've done it plenty of times before.
Why couldn't we do it?
And his response, because of your little faith.
And when you hear that, doesn't your stomach just drop?
It's like, I knew it.
It's because I don't produce enough faith.
But it's not what we bring to the table.
It's not how much faith we have.
If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed,
the smallest seed known in that area.
He's picking an illustration here.
The smallest thing you can think of,
it's not about how much faith.
It's about having any faith.
It's the smallest faith in me.
You will say to this mountain,
move from here to there, and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.
Any amount of faith is enough.
Any.
Because he is enough.
It's not the amount of faith that we bring to Jesus.
Any faith.
That he is enough.
He is enough.
At a superficial level,
the disciples did have a kind of faith,
but something was superficial about it.
They expected to be able to cast out the demon,
but they failed.
So they expected it to work.
Maybe they treated the power as somehow residing in themselves.
Maybe they were treating it as some kind of,
if we say the right words,
then the result will occur.
We can't be sure.
Something is going on
where they have forgotten that Jesus is the source of their power.
To focus on what you can do,
even to ask the question,
how much faith I can bring,
is to focus on self.
The focus is on what he can do.
Even the smallest,
and he will accept even the smallest faith.
It's about our orientation.
Is it on self or on him?
A personal reliance and relationship to him is all we need.
I think faith comes from seeing him.
So it's not looking at yourself,
working out,
do I have enough faith?
It's looking at him.
That's when faith comes.
It's hearing his promises
that produces the faith.
And moving mountains.
Obviously,
that's a figure of speech.
It's used in the Old Testament.
I think at one level,
it contrasts the smallness of the faith.
Like you're facing a mountain.
She's just mustard seed.
That's what you need.
Because it's not about you
and what you can bring to the mountain.
It's about who you've got the faith in.
It's his strength.
Now this promise,
we shouldn't start by asking,
what do I want to happen in this situation?
I'm facing this mountain.
What do I want to happen?
That's not where we start.
This isn't a blank check.
The promise,
I'm going to use Don Carson's phrase,
it's not limited by,
it's limited by context,
not by unbelief.
So we should believe this promise.
This promise is for us.
You will move mountains.
But the context here
is the disciples
are given authority
to serve in Jesus' kingdom.
They can confront anything
that is getting in the way
of serving Jesus.
This promise
doesn't let us decide
how or when
the obstacle
will be removed.
Because the very next verse
tells us that
the Son of Man
will achieve
his mission
not by strength
but by loss.
It's his powerlessness
that he overcomes
the greatest mountains.
So let's not
reduce God's idea
of success,
God's power
to our idea
of success.
We might have
expectations
of what moving
mountains
looks like
but
let's not limit God.
It could feel
like absolute
failure
for a long time
but we could be
if it's done
in trust
we can trust
that Jesus
is with us
in confronting
those obstacles.
I think this promise
is exactly
what we need
to begin
facing the obstacles
for serving Jesus.
Like even
as I start
even parenting
it's confusing
it's overwhelming
and that's just
the day-to-day
stuff
let alone
the crisis.
How do I
enter that
with confidence?
I enter it
because
not of what
I can bring
to the table
but because
Jesus is promising
here
look at me
and I'm with you.
Step into it
it's confronting
but
I'm with you.
He's not giving
us a formula
to follow
do this
say this
and it will
work.
I don't think
he's even
giving a guarantee
of quick success
because Jesus
lost everything
before
the success
came.
But he is
promising
that even
the smallest
focus on me
that I am
enough
is what
you need
because I am
with you.
You are
personally
presently
connected
to me
the one
whose face
shines like
the sun
I am
with you.
So he's
all sufficient
to serve
him because
he can face
the obstacles
not us.
But what
if
what if
you do
fail to
trust
him
even
as
small
as
a
mustard
seed
which
I'm
just
going
to
assume
that
we all
fail
if you're
like me
we fail
to
regularly
well we
get assurance
here as
well that
he's
sufficient
to deal
with our
unbelief
as well
we get
another
prediction
of his
mission
the
son of
man
is about
to be
delivered
into the
hands of
men
and they
will kill
him
and he
will be
raised
on the
third
day
the new
detail in
this prediction
is that he's
going to be
delivered
into the
hands of
men
now it's
not quite
clear who's
doing the
delivering
but this is
a passive
verb
he's being
delivered
like this
is the guy
up on the
mountain
whose face
is shining
like the
sun
is going
to be
delivered
like who
can do
that
what's
going
it's not
clear who's
doing this
it's not
even clear
how strong
that word
is
is it
handing
over
or is it
being
betrayed
it could
mean that
so is it
the father
handing the
son over
to men
is it
this
faithless
generation
of Israel
handing
Jesus over
to the
Romans
to be
killed
is it
Judas
his close
friend
betraying
him
I'm not
sure
I don't
think we
can be
sure
perhaps
all of
them
were in
Jesus
mind
what we
can be
sure of
is that
he's
choosing
to be
delivered
he's
telling
his
disciples
ahead
of
time
so that
they
understand
so that
we
understand
what
his
mission
is
about
no one
could
given his
glory as
the son of
God
he must
be choosing
to be
delivered
over
because
it's in
being
delivered
that he
is removing
the greatest
mountains
you and I
could never
face
our unbelief
the lies
of Satan
and the
judgment
of God
that that
deserves
I can't
bear my
failure
to trust
him
I can't
bear that
I can't
bear the
consequences
of that
I can't
bear the
shame
of that
but he
can
and he
chose
to
he
can
bear
our
failure
to
trust
him
I
was
talking
to
someone
about
the
ashes
going on
at the
moment
the
cricket
I
shouldn't
have to
explain
which
sport
it
is
should
I
you
should
know
what
the
ashes
is
now
this
was an
Australian
okay
but they
were
just
praising
the
English
mindset
recently
because
under
this
new
coach
they're
not
worried
about
whether
they'll
lose
their
batter
when
they're
batting
whether
they'll
get
out
they're
just
encouraged
to
go
for
it
and
he
was
just
like
his
face
was
lighting
up
but
they
weren't
it
doesn't
matter
you
won't
get
in
trouble
you
won't
get
kicked
off
the
team
if
you
lose
your
wicket
go
for
it
I
think
I
think
that's
the
freedom
we
get
when
we
believe
that
Jesus
can
bear
our
failure
yes
our
sin
is
serious
and
acknowledging
it
actually
makes
us
worship
him
that
he
bore
it
but
we
can
just
go
for
it
we
are
not
going
to
be
kicked
off
the
team
we
don't
have
to
worry
about
how
much
faith
we're
producing
or
when
we
don't
have
faith
because
he
bears
it
we
can
just
okay
I
failed
again
let's
go
let's
go
again
he
he's
all
we
need
to
face
every
situation
as
we
seek
to
live
him
and
he's
all
we
need
for
our
failure
to
trust
him
he
absorbs
the
offence
himself
and
I
think
the
final
section
helps
us
see
that
he
is
all
we
need
for
our
obedience
too
he
is
our
acceptance
to
the
father
we
can't
add
to
it
so
this
tax
verses
24
to
the
end
this
tax
don't
confuse
it
with
the
tax
to
the
Romans
this
wasn't
tax
collectors
betraying
their own
people
to the
Romans
this
isn't
a
tax
made
up
by
the
traditions
of
men
this
is
God's
law
this
is
in
Exodus
this
tax
is
for
the
support
of
the
temple
and
its
services
so
when
the
collectors
ask
Peter
does
your
teacher
pay
the
tax
they're
saying
does
he
support
all
that
the
temple
stands
for
acceptance
with
God
access
to
God
through
the
priesthood
the
sacrifice
for
sin
the
place
for
which
he
rules
by
his
law
and
so
on
and
so
on
is
he
for
it
and
Peter
says
yes
but
and
you can
understand why
Peter says
yes
of course
Jesus
obeys
the law
of God
but
Jesus
uses this
as a
teaching
moment
this passage
is not
saying
anything
about
whether
to pay
taxes
to
civil
authorities
if you
want an
answer
to that
give to
Caesar
what is
Caesar's
read
Romans 13
the
issue
here
is
about
the
temple
where
the
question
about
kings
and
their
taxes
is
treat
it
as
a
parable
from
who
do
kings
of
the
earth
take
toll
and
tax
from
their
sons
or
from
others
and
of
course
the
obvious
answer
is
it's
from
others
and
Jesus
conclusion
is
then
the
sons
are
free
he's
making
a
he's
making
a
statement
about
himself
when
the
father
collects
his
taxes
for
his
temple
I
am
a
son
Jesus
is
free
from
the
tax
and
he
might
be
playing
on
that
word
freedom
Jesus
is
free
from
the
obligation
of
the
law
of
God
to
be
in
right
covenant
relationship
because
that
law
was
created
for
sinful
man
to
know
God
he
is
the
eternal
son
who
has
never
sinned
he
has
a
status
with
God
much
higher
much
closer
than
the
law
can
give
incredibly
he
uses
a
plural
sons
the
sons
are
free
and
when
he
does
provide
the
coin
it
pays
for
him
and
Peter
I
think
this
is
implicitly
teaching
Peter
that
his
what
his
death
and
resurrection
is
about
to
achieve
that
Peter
and all
who belong
to Jesus
by faith
will share
in the status
of son
that Jesus
has
and all
the privileges
to go
with it
you don't
need the
temple to
access the
father
Peter
you want
to worship
bow down
right here
you want
access to the
father
through me
I
I'm
your
sacrifice
I'm
your
dwelling
place
with
God
but
how
does
Jesus
use
his
high
status
now
picture
again
this
Jesus
up
on
the
mountain
face
shining
he
does
not
need
to
pay
this
tax
as
the
unique
son
of
God
but
what
does
he
do
he
chooses
to
lower
himself
and
pay
the
tax
why
does
he
do
that
to
not
give
offense
now
Jesus
is
not
afraid
of
confronting
he
confronts
sin
lovingly
the
gospel
is
offensive
to
people
who
want
to
love
their
sin
it
is
offensive
but
he
wants
to
remove
any
stumbling
block
to
people
coming
to
him
for
these
Jews
it
would
have
been
a
huge
stumbling
block
to
not
support
the
temple
if
that
gets
in
the
way
of
seeing
who
he
is
he
will
humble
himself
and
do
it
and
pay
the
tax
and
then
he
gives
a
private
miracle
to
Peter
to
demonstrate
just
how
free
Jesus
is
how
free
all
who
belong
to
him
is
now
I
think
this
miracle
is
just
as
glorious
as
calming
the
storm
just
think
of
the
detail
involved
in
this
and
I
think
it's
really
comforting
because
most
of
life
is
lived
in
minutia
in
the
detail
there
had
to
be
the
right
amount
the
value
of the
coin
dropped
in
the
sea
at
some
point
whether
way
long
ago
or
while
Jesus
is
speaking
I
don't
know
who
knows
it
had
to
not
get
lost
at
the
bottom
of
the
sea
but
a
fish
had
to
grab
it
and
then
not
swallow
it
but
just
hold
it
in
its
mouth
and
then
it
had
to
be
swimming
at
the
exact
place
where
Peter
would
be
and
put
his
line
in
and
take
the
hook
and
be
the
first
to
take
the
hook
that's
detail
isn't
it
that's
how much
control
this
son
has
over
the
world
like
just
imagine
Peter
holding
that
coin
after
catching
that
fish
hopefully
it
sunk
in
he
is
the
temple
he's
where
I
meet
God
hopefully
it
sunk
in
he's
calling
me
a
son
as
well
not
because
of
my
obedience
but
his
and
yet
he
lowers
himself
to
remove
stumbling
blocks
for
people
to
come
to
know
him
and
then
he
provides
exactly
what
is
needed
I
wonder
if
do
you
know
your
freedom
in
Jesus
that
Jesus
is
all
sufficient
for
your
obedience
acceptance
with
God
you
are
free
from
obligation
you
are
free
from
following
a
recipe
from
following
rules
for
how
the
Christian
life
should
work
what
does
that
freedom
look
like
well
we
see
it
in
the
apostle
Paul
one
moment
he's
saying
if
you
get
circumcised
to
be
right
with
God
you
have
you
have
fallen
away
from
Christ
and
then
the
next
moment
he
gets
Timothy
circumcised
because
he
wants
to
bring
him
on
a
missionary
trip
among
Jews
where's
the
rule
where's
the
recipe
where's
the
law
Jesus
is
our
obedience
to
God
so
there's
a new
question
it's
not
what
must
I
do
it's
how
do
I
love
Christ
in
this
situation
how
do
I
help
others
see
that
Jesus
is
all
that
you
need
must
you
give
money
to
the
church
shall
we
go
there
your
sons
and
daughters
in
him
you're
free
there's
no
rule
what
but
there is
a
new
passion
a
new
question
what
will
help
others
see
the
all
sufficiency
of
Jesus
you
might
give
way
more
than
10%
or
not
I
don't
want
to
stray
into
rules
here
must
you
go
to
small
group
your
sons
and
daughters
you
don't
have
to
do
it
for
obedience
to
God
for
your
acceptance
but
a new
question
is
in
you
what's
going
to
help
others
see
the
all
sufficiency
of
Jesus
do you
drink
alcohol
or not
I could
raise lots
of questions
there's
just a
new
question
now
what will
help
others
see
the
all
sufficiency
of
Jesus
there's
no
recipe
there's
no
law
so
if
you
see
faith
in
Jesus
as
following
a
recipe
he
sets
out
to
make
life
and
ministry
work
that
kind
of
view
of
faith
makes
you
feel
proud
and
entitled
when
you
think
you're
following
the
recipe
or
it
just
paralyzes
you
and
just
brings
you
to
despair
when
you
think
you're
failing
the
steps
that's
not
that's
not
following
Jesus
faith
is being
vitally
personally
presently
connected
to the
one
whose
face
shines
like
the
sun
knowing
that
he
died
for
my
lack
of
faith
he
is
alive
to
share
with
me
his
status
as
son
and
he
is
with
me
facing
whatever
situation
he
has
me
in
to
help
me
live
for
him
and
to
help
show
others
that
he
is
all
that
we
need
even
the
smallest
focus
on
who
he
is
the
smallest
focus
on
who
he
is
what
he
has
done
what
he's
promised
to
do
is
all
we
need
all
we
need
to
do
now
is
ask
the
question
well
what's
going
to
help
others
see
that
he
is
all
we
need
let's
pray
Father
again
and again
I pray
that you
would
lift
our
eyes
away
from
ourselves
even
away
from
asking
the
question
of
whether
we're
trusting
enough
again
and
again
help
us
lift
our
eyes
to
your
son
and
who
you've
revealed
him
to
be
Lord
I pray
that
whatever
each of
us
is
facing
that
we
would
move
into
it
for
your
sake
not
just
to
make
things
smooth
in
life
but
seeking
to
serve
you
and
your
interest
knowing
that
your
power
is
at
work
Lord
help
us
to
know
your
forgiveness
and
restoration
when we
fail
when we
sin
Lord
help us
rejoice
that you
are enough
even in
our
failure
and Lord
help us
to do
everything
with a
new
passion
of
wanting
others
to see
Jesus
through
the choices
we make
Lord
I pray
this
in
Jesus
name
Amen