Services | Help My Unbelief

Bulletin

Hymn # 35 “How Great Thou Art”

SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 8
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate

Praise and Worship
“House of the Lord”
“Echo Holy”
“This Is Amazing Grace”

Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Help My Unbelief”

PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“How Great Is Your Love”

Sermon Notes
Mark 9:14 & 15 Jesus and 3 of His disciples return to the others. There is a large crowd that runs up to meet Jesus
Mark 9:16 Jesus asks His disciples what they are discussing with the crowd
Mark 9:17 & 18 A father answers and says that he “told” the disciples to cast out the demon from his son, but they could not
Mark 9:19 Jesus is disgusted with them
Mark 9:20 The boy is brought to Jesus and the demon causes physical reactions in the boy
Mark 9:21 & 22 Jesus asks how long this has been happening. The father says since he was a child and says to Jesus “If You can do anything have pity
Mark 9:23 Jesus says “If You can ... all things are possible to him who believes
Mark 9:24 The father cries out I believe help my Unbelief
Mark 9:24 – 27 Jesus commands the demon to come out, there is a violent reaction and the boy appears dead, but Jesus raises him up
Mark 9:28 Disciples ask why they couldn’t do it. Jesus says this kind needs prayer

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Scritpures

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Transcript of Service

The context of today's message is that Jesus, with three of his disciples. Peter, James and John went up to the mountain. And Jesus was transfigured before them, having met with Elijah and Moses. And now the context is that. Jesus and the three disciples are coming down to the mountain and meeting up again with the disciples. The remaining disciples, and there's a large crowd of among them.

And so if you have your Bibles and you should turn to the gospel of Mark, Chapter 9, I'm going to start with verse 14. This is this, and when David being Jesus and the three disciples came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd among them around them, and some scribes arguing with them. And so there's this contention that's happening while Jesus has been gone. And immediately when the entire crowd saw him being Jesus, they were amazed and began running to greet him because they hadn't expected necessarily to see him because Jesus had been been away. And he asked them what are you discussing with them? So. He's asking his disciples. What's the reason for the discussion? Why are you arguing with the scribe? But the disciples aren't the ones who answer. And one of the crowd answered him teacher. I brought you my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him a mute. And whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth and he grinds his teeth and stiffens out. And then it's interesting, he goes. And I told your disciples to cast it out. He didn't ask the disciples to cast him out.

He told the disciples to cast it out. I find that. Of great hubris. When you not only are asking for something to happen for this, if you will miracle that this. His son has been tormented by a demon. And rather than saying, please cast them out, he tells them. Now I'm pretty sure that one of the reasons he's able to speak so boldly is that Jesus had given his disciples authority to preach. And to heal and to cast out demons. And so they had been giving them that authority. And when they had done so and came back, they reported the successes that they had in doing these things. And so it's not something that the disciples themselves. Weren't accustomed to doing because God Jesus had given them that authority and they had accomplished it. Who says? But I told your disciples to cast it out and they could not do it.

Right.

So there's some reason that the disciples are unable to do what they had been given authority to do in the past. Jesus kind of gives us a hint at the end of this. Passage. The reason, and I'm going to give you my I think Jesus is being very kind here, so I'm going to give you my my thought and that and with 5 bucks you can go to. Get some coffee. But so at the end, I'll tell you what I think the disciples messed up.

And he answered them and said, oh, unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? And how long shall I put up with you? Bring him to me now. I think Jesus rifles is. Frustrated. I think he's frustrated at his disciples. I think he's frustrated at the crowd. I think he's frustrated at the one who just said I told your disciples the cast him out and couldn't, and I think he's. Frustrated with the scribes? The whole group, it's that generation, he goes. What am I doing here? You guys are just thick headed, thick hearted, hard hearted. I've been with you and it doesn't seem that there's been a change. So he goes. I'll take direct. Response to this situation bring him to me. And they brought the boy to him. And when he saw him immediately, the spirit threw him into a convulsion and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. So there's this immediate response to this violent response that's happening, because if you will, this demon is coming in contact with the sun.

God.

And he being Jesus, asked his father. How long has this been happening to him? And he said from childhood. So apparently this young man had gone from being a child to. Either a teenager or a young adult, and he's had this affliction his entire life. Now there are those who are going to say they think this like epilepsy or something because whatever. The symptoms may be the same, but the disease is different. Jesus isn't going to cure him of epilepsy. He's going to cast out a demon. And so. That's what's going to happen. And it often throws him and thrown him into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you can't do anything, take pity on us and help us. Now I want you to notice I can identify and I think if you are a parent or you have somebody who's a loved 1, you understand that when your loved one has some affliction or some difficulty. It affects you. It's it's not just the sons problem. It's the dad's. Because the dad I'm sure loves his son and wants his son cured and whatever. And so he's saying if you can help us, if you can take pity on us, not just on my son, but take pity on me because I'm having to deal with the consequence of what's happening. To my son and it is. A great emotional upheaval.

And so he's saying. Curing him? Help me. So take pity on us. But notice the question is, but if you can do anything. You see. The father has forgotten who he speaking to. Yes, this the request may seem to be exceptionally difficult. The disciples, who had been given authority to cast out demons and had cast out demons, couldn't do this. So maybe it is so difficult. And so he goes. If you can do anything. If you have the power to do it, and again he's forgot who he's speaking to, he's speaking to the son of God. And Jesus said to him. If you can, it's like wait. A minute. What do you? Who's that you're talking to? What do you mean if you can? I can speak. And to think that we're not are. I can speak, and the world's come into existence. I can speak. And the birds of the air fly. I can do things and so then, he says. All things are possible. To him. Who believes? The scriptures tell us in Hebrews. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Apparently faith is very important to God that we might believe, and that we might understand who it is that we're asking. Who it is that we're communicating with that that the person that we're speaking to in our request? Can accomplish the matters that we're asking for. It doesn't matter how difficult the situation is. Our God has control and authority to do all things, and Jesus is saying all things are possible to him who believes. Now.

Unfortunately. There are people who kind of take these types of things out of context in the sense of. I can believe. With every fiber of my beanie being that after church today, I'll go to a liquor store and buy a lottery ticket and I will win. And I can believe that with every fiber of my being. But that's not faith. That is assumption. Now, if God were to say, and I doubt he would, but if God were to say, hey, Joe, after the service today, I want you to go to the liquor store and I want you to buy a lottery ticket and you're going to win. Then if I did that, that would be in response to faith because God told me to do it. Now the way God seems to operate, he seems to not trust me with a lot of money. Because that way I'm able to rely on him rather than all the money, and so I doubt he's going to say hey after that. But a lot of times we equate assumption with faith. So when God says something so, for instance, when God told Abraham that I'm going to, even though you have no children, that I'm going to make you so plentiful that the whole world is going to be feeling and that if you could count the the stars in the sky, you can count your descendants and you're going to do all these things. I'm going to give you the land and all these times. They said Abraham believed God and was accounted to him as righteousness.

Because he believed what God told him, he didn't say. Well, you know, God's going to do this, he responded in faith because God said so. So. Nothing is impossible for God when God tells you something. And the boys response, the father's responses, and immediately the boys father cried out and said. I do believe. Help my unbelief. I think this statement is so consequential. And we should remember it almost every time we pray. Because let's face it. Satan and the enemy likes to confuse us and cause us to doubt and cause us that well, maybe this and that. We need to constantly say, Lord, I'm making my petition. I want this. And your word says that. And I believe. But sometimes there's this struggle. So Lord help my unbelief because I know that I cannot please you unless I have faith. And so this man learns really quickly. When Jesus says. Having faith means nothing's impossible. He goes. OK, I believe you. I believe who I'm speaking to. But in the case of those doubts, help my own belief.

Now I tend to. I kind of tend to take generally a different tack in the sense of when I pray, I usually believe. Almost 100 percent time. I can never say 1. 100. Percent time that God can do it. My doubt is not doubt, my uncertainty is. Not that God can answer, but that he will answer because maybe something's better for me. Maybe I have to go through the fire. I mean, I want to go through the fire, but maybe he's determined that it's best for me to go through the fire and so the lack of response is not because God can't do it, but because God has something better for me. Maybe it's going to refine my faith. Maybe it will make me a better passer. Maybe I make a better believer. Maybe it's just whatever. And and I used to have great difficulty as being a pastor to pray for peoples healing when they were in my hearing. Because I was so worried because as the pastor, I have a Direct Line to God and God. Certainly cares about what I have to say.

So when I ask God for healing, and if God doesn't heal, then I'm afraid that I affect their faith because, well, the pastor prayed. So, you know, maybe God can't do it. So I I had these. Problems with praying for people out loud for their healing. And so, you know, that's my fault and problem, whatever. But again, I believe God can do what God says he can do. I have a very high estimation of who God is. Because God has never failed. Anywhere of any believer throughout the scriptures. Or me. And so we so often should be in our prayer life should be Lord. I believe. Help. My own belief. And when Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it you deaf and mute spirit. Notice it and say you epilepsy, you deaf and mute spirit. I command you come out of him and do not enter him again. So not only does Jesus answer the request. Of. Casting out the demon, he goes beyond that request and says and not let him ever go back into this boy. So that the cure is permanent. The father wanted a cure. Jesus went beyond it and it is amazing how much God will go far beyond what we ask, or even conceive of because of who he is. And so sometimes we ask for this, and God gives us that. And after crying out and throwing them into a terrible convulsions, it came out and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said he's dead. So this cure seemed to make it worse, because before he was demon possessed. Now he's dead.

At least they think. And sometimes. In our prayer life. When we ask God to do something, it may. Appear that the situation is worse than it started. It's only because God is not finished with his work yet. And so the boy appears to be dead. He only appears to be dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him. And he got up. So not only was Jesus able to cast out the demon. He was able to restore him to health, to strength, so he stands up. Doesn't. And when he when Jesus came into the house, his disciples began questioning him privately. Why could we not drive it out? Jesus will tell them. In the scriptures. I think he's being kind. Because he'll say to them. Well, this kind takes. Prayer. And there are other times he'll take this requires prayer and fasting. I think he's being kind.

Because the reason I think they couldn't cast them out. Because they there try to do it on their own efforts. Because that's what they had done before. And the reason I think this is because I've been around pastors. Who think that their ministry is awesome because they are. That they think they have this great ability to preach and people respond. And if people do generally respond, it's not because they're a great. Preacher. But because we have a great Holy Spirit who draws all men to them.

And so the reason he says, well, this kite requires prayer because he's saying guys. It's not by your might. It's not by your strength. It's not by your will, but the power of God. And you are to never forget that. So prayer reminds you that it is not. We do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but we fight of spiritual wickedness in high places. It is always a spiritual battle. And we do not have. Spiritual equipment other than the word of God. And we need to take that attack with that spirit, not with our own abilities. And so I think again, the reason they weren't able to do it, even though they were able to do it before is for that and I and in my own life, I know because there'll be times. When I'll have this great expectation of the message that I'm going to bring, this is going to be. Also. Not necessarily because of the the passage and whatever. And so I think that and then when I'm finished, I'm going, I I feel. It it wasn't, didn't come out the way I had wanted it to.

It wasn't as powerful. I was expecting it wasn't whatever. And and so there's a time when I'm. I'm a little down because I was having this great expectation and I whatever. And it. Seems like almost every time that ad happens. After the service, one or more people will come up and say I needed that message. You spoke to me. That sermon was for me. Then I remember.

It's not my great ability to communicate. It's God's great ability to communicate to your soul. And you could stumble and mumble. And people can respond because it's not by our power, but by his. And I think they have lost that sense that they could they they've done it before. We can do it again. When you did it before because it was God's power that did it. And so we should always remember this. That we fight. Spiritual battles. With spiritual weapons and we need to understand where our power and our strength come from. It comes from him. And having done that. Then we also understand.

That is not the difficulty of our request. But his power? It's who we're talking to. It's who we're seeking to glorify and honor. By our own methods. We could never fill this building. But if God decided. After getting a hold of our hearts to fill this building. There would be not only standing room only, but the people be in the parking lot. And so maybe. Just maybe it's when we ask for God. To increase. Our people. Maybe as a part of that prayer request, we say, Lord, I believe because it's your will that none should perish, but all come to your knowledge, to your grace.

So I believe that and I believe who you are. Help my own belief. Because it's not about me. It's not about you. It's about him and how much he loves you and me. In the world. So. I pray. As a part of my prayer life. And a part of your prayer life. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief

And all God's people said.


Tags: Jesus Transfiguration, Gospel of Mark, Faith and Prayer, Spiritual Battles, Healing Miracles, Christian Teachings, Bible Study, Overcoming Doubt, Strengthening Faith, Disciples of Jesus