HELP MY UNBELIEF by George Crumbly
Humphrey UMC 10/26/2008AM
Mark 9: 24
We have been discussing APPLYING God’s word to our lives. Satan attacks us in many ways – physically, financially, emotionally & spiritually. Today I want to share with you about our faith. Yes you can believe Satan will attack our faith.
Faith: A belief in our confident attitude toward God, involving commitment to His will for one’s life.
In our text today a man brings his son to Jesus to be healed. He explains to Jesus what his son goes thru. “He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak, and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid”.
When you read this chapter you will see where this man first brought his son to the disciples and they were unable to help him. Jesus told the father “If you are able all things can be donefor the one who believes”.
If you can believe – he can be healed.
Mark 9: verse 24 “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and he said with tears, Lord, I believe; help me with mine unbelief”.
It was a person’s faith in God that caused them to be healed. It was people’s lack of faith that caused them to fail. When the disciple were unable to help the man’s son they at least went to Jesus and asked Him what happened. Look what Jesus said in verse 19 “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me”.
How interesting? The man BELIEVES but in the same breath he cries out help my UNBELIEF!! Faith involves COMMITMENT! It takes more than just saying “I believe” or “I’m a believer”. The bible says that Satan believes!! When we doubt then we go to the faith chapter Hebrews 11.
Turn to Hebrews 11
Verses 1-3 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear”.
Faith is when we step out into the dark knowing the Lord is there. Especially when we don’t know for sure what is out there. The faith chapter is where we turn to when we struggle with unbelief.
Verse 4 “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh”.
Abel did not offer a sacrifice to God that was better, he offered him a sacrifice that was more acceptable because by faith Abel gave God his BEST!! Not something good, or better but his BEST. I’ve pastored folks over the years that were more interested in “one-upping” others rather than giving God their BEST!! God gave us His best & He expects us to do the same.
Verse 5 “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God”.
What is our testimony today? What would God say about you and me today? Enoch did not die. He was translated…why? Because of his faith he pleased God. Does your life today please God? Ask yourself, DO I PLEASE GOD?
Verse 7 “By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith”.
God told Noah what he needed Noah to do. Noah did exactly what God told him to do. The things that were going to happen were all unseen. It was going to rain, they had never seen rain, it was going to flood something they had never seen. But by faith Noah moved. Because of faith Noah obeyed God.
Verse 8 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and went out, not knowing whither he went”.
God told Abraham in which direction to go…he had no idea where he was going…he just went. I remember an evangelist said many years ago that if a preacher felt it was time to leave he would call the District Superintendent and tell him and they would both pray and the preacher would go wherever God led them. Today a preacher looks for a bigger church, more money, better opportunities.
(When I met the congregation at the Humphrey UMC I was their pastor. God opened the door and by faith we moved trusting and believing in God)
Because of his faith….Abraham just went!!
Verse 17 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son”.
Abraham was ready to offer up his son as a sacrifice as God had instructed him. He didn’t ask questions he just went. It was Abrahams faith that caused him to obey God. How many of us today trust God with our children?
Verse 24-25 “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season”.
Moses chose to suffer with God’s people when he could have enjoyed the pleasures of sin for a season…(I tell those that chose to not serve God to have all the fun they can because it will be over soon) because sin only last for a season. By faith Moses could suffer with God’s people.
Can you image today the faith Moses had to have as he faced Pharaoh? We can go on and on listing examples of faith.
When you feel like the father in our text “Lord I believe….help me with my unbelief”. We need to turn to God’s word.
Being in the Church of the Nazarene 22 years & then now in the Methodist Church I have studied John Wesley and it was interesting to find out that there were times he doubted. We are human beings. We have to exercise our faith.
Jesus to the disciples to “Have faith in God” and the disciples prayed to God asking Him to “increase our faith”.
I want to challenge you today when you struggle to HAVE FAITH IN GOD.
