And They Could Not - The Price of Losing Spiritual Power!

Mark places a desperate father and his suffering son before disciples who could not help. Jesus comes down from the glory of the Mount of Transfiguration into crying, confusion, and discouragement. The words “and they could not” expose a lack of spiritual power. A church may have silver and gold, a fine building, and plenty of activity, yet lack what hurting people actually need. The real measure is not the offering or the crowd, but lives changed, believers living above sin, and disciples made for Christ.

The disciples’ failure also shakes the father’s confidence. He came expecting deliverance, but now he wonders whether Jesus can do anything. Weak faith affects other people. A powerless church casts Christ in a bad light, making his strength appear no greater than the weakness of his followers. Jesus turns the question back toward believing. His power has not failed because the disciples have failed.

Spiritual power cannot be borrowed from somebody else’s walk with God. Entertainment cannot supply it, and copying another person’s words or movements cannot produce it. Believers need their own connection to Jesus. That means turning off distractions, reading the Bible, praying, and seeking God before rushing into another plan to fix everything. The bottle may numb trouble for a little while, but it cannot give the help that comes from trusting Christ.

Jesus’ answer about prayer and fasting calls the disciples deeper, not merely into another religious routine. Prayer belongs to a surrendered life that waits on the Lord and lets him give direction. The church needs more than lights, fog, and programs. It needs God’s power to reach a lost and dying world. Failure need not end in humiliation. Christ calls discouraged believers to get up, draw closer, and depend on the One who still changes lives.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Success Requires More Than Silver And Gold. A church can gain wealth and still lose sight of its need for God’s power. Buildings, offerings, and influence cannot replace disciples who grow in Christ and live above sin. The searching question is whether the church has something from God to offer when a hurting person comes for help. [33:12]
• 2. Weak Faith Can Deepen Another’s Doubt. The father arrived seeking deliverance, but the disciples’ failure left him questioning whether Jesus could help at all. Spiritual weakness does not remain a private matter when others depend on the church for help. Christ’s strength must not be measured by the failure of his followers. [43:10]
• 3. Personal Communion Cannot Be Borrowed. Another believer’s experience with Jesus cannot substitute for a living connection to him. Familiar words, gestures, and religious habits may look convincing while leaving the heart dependent on imitation rather than God. Prayer and fasting call believers closer to Christ, not toward a technique that makes spiritual power automatic. [55:40]
• 4. Prayer Must Come Before The Scramble. Trouble can send a believer running toward loans, extra work, or anybody willing to help before seeking God. Waiting on the Lord interrupts that rush and makes room for his direction. Dependence means bringing the actual problem before Christ and allowing him to guide the response rather than merely asking him to bless a plan already chosen. [57:12]
• 5. Failure Need Not Become Permanent Discouragement. The disciples’ humiliation was not a reason to remain defeated. Their need was to draw closer to Jesus and receive what their own efforts could not supply. Honest correction can become an invitation to renewed prayer, deeper trust, and a life more fully surrendered to God. [1:11:24]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [30:00] - The Disciples Could Not
• [32:08] - Silver, Gold, and Spiritual Power
• [36:13] - From Mountain Glory to Street-Level Need
• [38:12] - A Personal Connection to Jesus
• [42:20] - When Failure Feeds Doubt
• [46:50] - Putting Prayer Before Distractions
• [48:56] - Trusting God Instead of the Bottle
• [54:51] - Prayer and Fasting Call Believers Deeper
• [59:29] - Prayer Rather Than Religious Production
• [1:00:42] - The Authority That Demons Recognize
• [1:02:21] - Seeking God’s Power in Prayer
• [1:11:24] - Rising From Discouragement Into Trust

Bible Reading

Mark 9:17-29
“And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” [30:00]

Acts 3:6
“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” [32:38]

Matthew 17:20-21
“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” [55:40]

Observation questions

1. In Mark 9:17–23, what details show the seriousness of the boy’s suffering and the father’s uncertainty about whether Jesus can help? [43:57]
2. What contrast does Acts 3:6 highlight between material resources and what Peter could offer in Jesus’ name? What signs of a fruitful church were identified beyond money, buildings, and attendance? [33:22]
3. How does the father respond to Jesus in Mark 9:24, and what two realities does he acknowledge about his faith? [48:50]
4. In Mark 9:28–29, what do the disciples ask Jesus privately, and where does his answer direct their attention? [55:30]

Interpretation questions

1. How could the disciples’ failure lead the father to question Jesus’ ability? Why is it important for someone disappointed by Christians to distinguish their weakness from Christ’s power? [43:10]
2. What does the father’s honest admission of mixed faith and doubt reveal about coming to Jesus for help? How is that different from pretending to have complete confidence? [48:50]
3. Why should Jesus’ answer about prayer—and the emphasis on prayer and fasting—be understood as a call to deeper dependence rather than a technique that guarantees results? [55:40]
4. What is the difference between a believer seeking God’s direction before making a plan and simply asking God to bless a plan already chosen? How might that difference affect a response to financial pressure or family trouble? [57:12]

Application questions

1. When you think about your own spiritual growth, what do you tend to measure: attendance, activity, comfort, or a changed life? Where would you like to see Christ shape your daily choices more deeply? [33:22]
2. Has disappointment with another Christian ever made it harder for you to trust Jesus? What might help you bring that hurt to him without treating someone else’s failure as the limit of his power? [43:10]
3. What distraction most often crowds out your time with God? What small, realistic change could help you make room for prayer and Bible reading this week? [47:33]
4. What problem are you currently trying to solve mostly through your own effort? What would it look like to seek God’s direction before taking your next practical step? [58:01]
5. When stress builds, where do you turn for quick relief? If you are comfortable sharing, how could you bring that pressure to Christ and seek support rather than simply numb it for a while? [49:39]
6. Is there a failure or disappointment that has left you feeling spiritually discouraged? What might drawing closer to Jesus look like this week, and how could this group walk alongside you? [01:11:34]