A Disciples Downfall

A Disciples Downfall

Mark 9:25-35

Eric A. Snyder, Minister

Farwell Church of Christ

September 22, 2001

One day God was looking over creation and He decided that He wasn’t really happy with the way things turned out. So He called the 3 most powerful men on earth, George Bush, Vladamir Putin and Bill Gates, to come and see Him. He told them that in 3 days He was going to end world. So basically they had 3 days to prepare their people.

So Putin convenes an emergency meeting of the Russian Parliament and says:

"I have bad news, and really bad news. First of all, there is a God. Secondly everything we have worked for since the revolution will be totally destroyed in 3 days."

George Bush makes a State of the Union address to the American people on TV and says:

"I have good news and bad news. First of all, there is a God. Secondly, everything we have worked for since the revolution will be destroyed in 3 days."

Bill Gates convenes a meeting of the board of directors and says:

"I have good news, and really good news. First of all, there is a God, and He spoke to me personally. Secondly, in 3 days, IBM will be destroyed."

Have you ever met someone who just Thought they were God’s Gift to the world. In Mark 9:25-35 That’s where the disciples were. They had let the concept of power wear on them. So they eventually began believing that they were something spectacular.

A Texas farmer was touring England. He happened to meet an English farmer and asked him, "What size farm do you have?"

The Englishman proudly announced, "Thirty-five acres!"

"Thirty-five acres?" the Texan scoffed. "Why, I can get in my truck at 8:00 AM and start driving and at noon, I am still on my farm. I can eat lunch and start driving again and at 5:00 PM I am still on my farm.

"Ah, yes," the Englishman nodded in understanding. "I had a truck like that once."

In Mark 9 Jesus’ disciples are boasting

Jesus keeps them in check

Read

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He’s dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn’t we drive it out?" 29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer." 30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. 33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

Prayer

Two geese were about to start on their annual migration when they met a frog who begged to be taken along. The geese said, "OK, if you can think of a way that we can manage it.

The frog produced a long stalk of grass and suggested that each goose hold it at opposite ends and that he could cling to it by his mouth, in the middle.

In this manner, the three were heading south when they were noticed by a man below. The observer expressed admiration for this clever maneuver and shouted, "Who thought of such an unusual mode of transportation?"

The frog was so puffed up over the compliment that he opened his mouth to say, "The idea was mine!" Of course he lost his hold, fell to the earth and was killed on impact.

The moral of the story is this: When you have a good thing going, don’t be so eager to take credit. It’s best to keep your mouth shut.

The disciples were

1. Egotistical

They were so full of themselves it must have been driving Jesus crazy.

He comes down from the mountain and finds them. They are fighting with the religious establishment. I can just see him smacking himself on the forehead and saying. “These are the guys that are going to change the world”