Young People's Group

FAITH LIKE A MUSTARD SEED

by Pastor Mitch
May 15, 2011

The Unbelief Of The Disciples

Young people, do you struggle with unbelief? It is possible for a person to come to Church every weekend, study the Scriptures for some time, gain knowledge from it, and yet unbelief can still plague his heart. When the disciples of Jesus were asked by a father to cast out a demon from a boy, they could not do so. When the Lord Jesus found out about this, He said:

“O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?” 
Matthew 17:17

Instead of just rebuking the disciples, He rebuked the whole generation of the people in Israel. Unbelief was indeed a problem for many generations of Israel. The nation of Israel was truly without faith, stubborn and rebellious. They were constantly turning away from the Lord. The Lord Jesus expected the disciples to have faith but instead, He found none. When asked about why they could not cast out the demon, the Lord Jesus gave a frank analysis. It was because of their unbelief … their lack of faith that they were unable to perform this request (Matthew 17:20). The Lord Jesus had to rebuke His disciples too. Sometimes, young people, we too need to be rebuked for our lack of faith.

The Lord’s Encouragement To Exercise Faith

After the Lord cast out the demon from the son, He sought to instruct His disciples further.

1. Seeing The Potential Power Of Faith

“For assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” 
Matthew 17:20

The seed of faith has great potential power. If a person possesses a genuine seed of faith, it has the potential power to move “mountains”. What seems like an impossible task would cease to be so. Just like a tiny mustard seed can grow into a big tree, this seed of faith can grow into a big tree of faith. The person with such a faith in God can overcome any “mountain” that stands in his way. Nothing according to the will of God would be impossible for him to do. Let’s overcome our unbelief by seeking to possess a “mountain moving” faith as we pray. Prayer can move any “mountain”.

2. Exercising Greater Faith In Prayer

“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” 
Matthew 17:21

This demon, which most probably was a much stronger one than others, would not be easily cast out. In times like this, Jesus taught His disciples about the need for greater prayer effort. Unless there is continuous effort in setting aside time and even meals to be in communion with God, such “mountains” would not be overcome easily. The Lord daily woke up early in the morning to pray. In the night, He would also set aside time to pray again. He made prayer an integral part of His life and ministry. Obviously, this was most lacking in the disciples. Young people, if we want to overcome the “mountains” before us, let’s learn to pray even more. Let’s exercise greater faith in prayer.

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