Are We Listening?

Money, like I said, I just said my name is Caleb and I am a part of the team here at Hope City and I'm really excited that you will hear this morning. I realized I just blocked my pages of notes. So right so we are going to be in the Book of Luke which is a book in the Bible, which is for accounting the life of Jesus. Today. We're going to be in chapter 9 page 30 vs. 37 plus a big 9 little 37. The page number is 1040. So are you turning to that like to share a bit of a story for my life and I want you to think really quick of a time when you talk to someone to look over mid-conversation to realize that they are absolutely not listening to you whatsoever. It's so if you were to talk to my wife about situations like this, she would work out many tales of conversations with me of how she would be telling me about her day or her job or something and just to say what do you think about that and I go I don't know what we talked about. I don't know. It's really frustrating thing that happens when you're talking to someone just to find out that they're thinking about something else. They're not paying attention that they really weren't invested in the conversation. And so we're going to read a Bible story which on the surface doesn't quite look like that, but we're going to see if it of Jesus's reaction to finding out that people actually really aren't listening to what he's been saying. We're going to see his reaction in that so imma bring up Rachel to read the passage.

The next day when they came down from the mountain a large crowd Matson a man in the crowd School's Out teacher I beg you to look at my son that he is my only child a Spritzee does him and he suddenly screams and throws him into convulsions so that he Foams at the mouth is scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged her disciples to drive it out, but they could not unbelieving and perverse generation. Jesus replied. How long should I stay with you and puts up with you bring your son here even while the boy was coming the Dimond Center grounds in a convulsion. The Jesus rebuked the evil spirit heal the boy and gave him back to his father and they were roommates with the greatness of God. tri-racial

so we will take this kind of head-on is what I'm going to go for here. Now, maybe I'll just hold my notes. So I look weird passage. This is weird. I'm not going to stand up here and tell you this is completely normal and this happens every day to me. I an account or a demon possession that it doesn't happen for me didn't have psychiatrists. And then maybe I say something back to you will actually demon possession has been diagnosed with mental disease looks like looks at it as find someone who has encountered something that is clearly not a mental disease. And so it's weird we can sit here and say well this isn't true. This can't be true and what Jesus said and did Isn't true, but if we could just pause for a moment before we get into whether this was actually factually happening or not. And thanks for just a moment. What if it was true if we could suspend our skepticism and if we could just think this boy was actually demon-possessed that Jesus Christ actually was the son of God and the Jesus Christ delivered this boy from a possession and we could find out together what that would mean for us today if we could walk through it with just entertaining the thought the idea that this actually happened and what the Bible is saying is actually true. Suicide in mind I'd like to dive into this passage. I will try and clarifying try and see what's going on. And firstly I'd like to clarify those a we see in verse 37. Do you want with us last week? You have no idea who they are the four people Jesus and three of his disciples Peter James and John they're the ones who have been coming down the mountain. Jesus has three has 12 main disciples that are mentioned throughout the books that work on his life in the Bible. And these are just three of them and we're going to presume that the other nine were down at the service-level encountering with these crowds.

So then you ask a question. Why were they up on the mountain? It's a little trickier to answer why they're up on the mountain and last week. Once again, we really got to dive into what happened on the mountain and I'm just going to give you a brief explanation of what happened. It'll make very little sense to you. I'm sorry in advance. But they go up to the mountain to pray with Jesus and what they experience this amazing on credible sites to behold and although it is slightly odd. If you make it to the top of this mountain and they pray and Jesus his clothes begin to shine really bright like lightning and his face changes. Into something else. We're not really given much in for the info on that two men from thousands of years ago in history heroes in the judaism's rich history name Moses and Elijah are now they're in what's called Glory. We're not sure what that means either and they're having a conversation. And Peter James and John just witnessed this incredible thing and it's things just stick it a little bit weird or a cloud comes in the voice of God says, this is my son listen to him in reference to Jesus.

Basically, I tell you all this just so you have a frame of reference of where the they are coming down from what they've just experienced this incredible powerful thing. They have this wonderful moment. Jesus has just been really confirmed by God that I he is his son that this they should be listening to him and they come down the mountain and what do they find but a challenge they did the group of people surrounding this demon possessed the hubbub in the buzz about what's going on here Jesus. His other disciples weren't able to cast out the demon. They weren't really sure what was happening why they couldn't do it and we'll get to that in a minute why the disciples couldn't cast out the demon. But let's just take into account everyone who's there? with the crowds These are the people who have come see the show. I'm going to tell you right now that the crowds they're not in fact yearning to follow Christ. They're not here to be disciples. They're here to see the show you want to experience this before you walk down the fridge and you go around me see a street performer. He said I really hope he's real close to his 30 minutes set and then he does his trick cuz I actually don't care too much about what he saying. What discounts are like we have the father of the demon-possessed boy who's come to Jesus disciples. He's begging you come to a place of utter desperation and Powerless powerlessness said he feels that his son is demon possessed that he can't do anything to Kira. And he comes to Jesus hoping that Jesus can do something that if Jesus could just do something that would be splendid. And lastly we have the disciples themselves and I want to split them into kind of two groups here as we chatting about the disciples. Like I said, there's kind of the 12 main once the three that were up on the mountain and the other nine that were down and able to cast out the the demon-possessed boy. And we're going to kind of when I refer to disciples for most of talking to be talking primarily about the nine the three you're kind of on the Shelf. They just get to watch it unfold much like you and I do.

So they just set.

Jesus arrived. The man has come to Jesus disciples. The disciples have failed. Everything is set up for Jesus to come in and save the day to make a big display of his power. And if you've been tracking with us from week-to-week familiar with the Book of Luke at all, you'll see that several times up to this point. Jesus has been asked for people to be healed by people many people said Jesus, please heal me and we seen Jesus respond in various different. The lovely noise I really like the noise of the rain. Anyway, we see Jesus respond in many different ways he comes and he says he compliments their face. He says

says Mr. Faith in in Luke Chapter 5. We see him Reach Out And Touch and Untouchable leper to heal him give him the first form of human contact in years. He has compassion. He's in the middle of a teaching in the house and the roof cracks open and a man is lower down. And what does he do? He forgives the man sins and make and heals him so that he can walk. Each time we see Jesus respond graciously compassionately lovingly to these people and then we see this man just pleading for the life of his son. And what do we get? We have Jesus respond you unbelieving and perverse generation. How long do I have to put up with you?

Nobody is really sure what's happening here. Even as you read through the Bible you trying to login to go that's weird, this whole passage the theme of it. It's weird.

This the crowds are like what the father of the Sun what the disciples what?

And for starters when Jesus is saying you perverse and unbelieving generation. He's talking to all present.

And he's you see just a little bit of disappointments or annoyance at their lack of belief. You see Jesus. This isn't the beginning of Jesus's story. This isn't the first time these people are meeting Jesus. Maybe the first time seeing him in person, but certainly not the first time hearing about who he is. They won't come for a healing to come to see the show. They know that Jesus has power. You see Jesus going from town to town for claiming the message of the kingdom of God for claiming that he is the Son of God in that. all these people come and yes, it's amazing experience on the top of a mountain is God saying this is my son listen to him when he comes down. He finds a group of people a generation of people not listening not believing to what he saying.

He's talking to the father. He's talking to the crowds. He's talking to the disciples.

Jesus performs Miracle after Miracle to back up that he is a true that he is what he saying.

Man doesn't actually believe he can heal. Jesus can heal his son. This is just the last resort. You see the stories recorded in another book that workouts. The life of Jesus is Book of Mark. We see the man comes to Jesus when he asked for the healing from Jesus. He says if you can do anything. if you can Betraying the man's actions if we see his mindset that actually his words show us he's just here because there's nothing else to go to. if you save me from this the maybe I'll believe if you deliver my boys and maybe I'll believe but if you can he doesn't he's not fully there.

He's talking to the crowds. Like I mentioned earlier the crowds really aren't there to believe? If they're there for the show. They want to see the trick. They want to see Jesus cast out the demon and they'll all praise God it say God is amazing and be amazed and be amazed just like you are at The Fringe when the guy does the trick for the girl does there trick you're almost but you're not going to go up to the performer and say oh my gosh. I want to follow you just like these people are coming up to the Jesus and saying I want to follow, you know, you want to walk down the aisle a little further and find the next trick. That's what they're looking for it. They're looking to find the next maybe it's Jesus again. Maybe it's someone else the disciples Do you like the cycle surely the disciples? They believe right? They have to then they tried to cast out the demon they believe. They're giving up things to follow Jesus. I have to believe right to have to.

And truly maybe they believe that he's the son of God, but they certainly don't believe everything. He's been teaching them. I still have their doubts about what he's saying because he see at the beginning of this chapter. We're not even out of the chapter yet at the beginning of chapter 9. Jesus says to them you have the authority to cast out all demons. He says it point-blank here. They are demon can't cast it out. What? But Jesus is already told them that they can. He's already given them that ability to do so but yet the disciples can't do it. They haven't grasped but they haven't understood they don't fully believe that Jesus is the son of God. Holy believe you don't fully believe everything. He's taught them.

and we just Right after this amazing moment. Jesus has on top of the mountain. We see that Jesus's response is a little mix little bit more sense now. Do you unbelieving and perverse generation?

That they come and they're not listening. It's frustrating, you know, the feeling to be saying something to someone and not have them listen and it's a frustrating thing and then I want to show something important here because I don't want to misconstrue the character of Jesus. He still heals the boy.

He doesn't say you aren't believing in for first generation. I'm out later. Good luck. He doesn't say that you don't say I am giving up.

In the midst of all the generations disbelief in hand and a lack of face. He still has his compassion this Mercy this love for these people to heal this father-son to still show the still do the trick even though he knows the people won't be believing.

And now the famous question is so what?

We sit here and we can save ourselves. Jesus wasn't talking to me. I am not the generation he's talking about I am not the unbelieving and perverse generation. Why does this apply to me? That's true. Jesus wasn't talking to you and your generation specifically.

But Jesus still is speaking. Jesus still has said things.

And the question for us today is do we believe the things that Jesus said about himself do we believe he's the son of God?

Look, I'm not trying to say that and all that great stuff.

but really though we're trying to see if Jesus if we believe Jesus is the son of God that he cares about us.

It's saying to the father that of the demon-possessed boy that even though you don't believe still care about you and your son. I'm healing. Set to the crowds that even though you view me as just a show. I'll continue to display my power in the hope that you come to believe in me. He says his disciples though you lack much face. I will continue to teach you and show you who I am. I will continue to reveal more of myself to you. I still continue to love. He saying to ask today, I am the son of the Living God believe in me and have everlasting life.

You see what will it take for us to believe what Jesus is saying?

Is it the miracle before our very eyes? Do we need to see the demon cast out? Do we need to see the lame man walk? what we see that and believe or would we see that in chalk it up as some sort of Illusion or magic trick as So Many Crowns before us did Do we need to have the strong a logical argument presented to us? Do we need someone to just really show us the reasonableness of Christianity in the reasonableness of the Bible and then that we can believe that rationally or would we hear something like that? And then just look for the holes and look for the critiques to poke into argument?

and so I wanted to share a few stories with you of people who came and decided to believe in Jesus and I was going to share some stories about an atheist about my own walk-in to come in Too Faced about my friend who's following Jesus and what that means for his life and I was going to share those stories with you, but actually I'm not because there's a lot of circumstances that can come to you to decide and you want to believe what Jesus is saying to you will believe it will believe what Jesus saying right now. But ultimately, it doesn't matter what the circumstances are it doesn't matter the external factors cuz it's what's happening internally It's a personal decision to believe it. The follow Jesus to say that I want to be a part of the believing generation and instead of the unbelieving. It's a personal decision to say that in realizing that when you say those things at the has real life consequences. Everything about your life will change.

I'm not saying it'll change for the better. I'm not saying it'll change and you'll get the Maserati you wanted. I'm not saying you're going to get the job promotion. I'm not saying any of those things and just saying everything about your life will change when you decide to believe what Jesus the son of God is saying.

Can I change your priorities?

Can you change your attitude?

Going to change everything.

the real question here is not whether or not you're in the generation of unbelievers or whether or not you should be casting out demons. The real question is do you want to believe what Jesus is saying? Do you want to do you want to believe that he cares about you that he loves you?

Do you care that even though you show a lack of faith that he still wants to have a relationship with you? But he's still going to be who he says he is whether we believe him or not.

Imma, take a moment for us to pray.

Father God we thank you for sending your son Jesus to Earth then thank you for revealing more of Who You Are.

Father we love you and thank you for that. We want to ask that you would show us more Who You Are. We pray that you would give us the courage to believe in you and will you give us the face to follow you Lord? Pray that we would continue to follow you this week and figuring out what that means for our lives. Friendly things in Jesus name amen. Now I'm going to kind of transition this into a bit of a discussion time here at the church. Like we said we have the pigeon hole. But before we get to that we're doing I'll answer some questions as I prepared some questions for us to go out and interact with some of the stuff on the screen now and I missed a cue.