GOSPEL OF MARK: GOD’S SERVANT IN ACTION
HELP MY UNBELIEF
A. Mark 9:14-27 (READ)
COMMENT:
A DESPERATE father! . . . a father who deeply LOVES his son. . . . a father who has tried EVERYTHING to help his BOY. Undoubtedly, he heard stories about Jesus—how He has helped people who were DEMON POSSESSED. He BRINGS his son to the DISCIPLES of Jesus hoping
they can help. For some reason, they are UNABLE to CAST the DEMON out.
The father’s only HOPE was that Jesus could HELP his troubled SON. “If you can do anything,” the father pleads with Jesus, “take pity on us and help us.” “If you can!” Jesus answered
astonishingly. “All things are possible to him who believes.”
“I do believe!” the father cries. “Help me overcome my unbelief.”
1. What an honest answer! An answer that says, “I want more than anything to BELIEVE, but I have
this DOUBT!”
a. Even so, after reading this some Christians probably ask, “What could that father possibly mean when he said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief’? You are either a believer or you’re not! Make up
your mind!”
b. We Christians strongly affirm, “I BELIEVE!”
COMMENT:
Often, however, when confronted with TRAGEDY or HARDSHIP we begin to QUESTION our FAITH in God and in His PROMISES.
2. Maybe, like the father, during times of difficulty we should honestly and humbly cry out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
B. Have you ever faced a TRAGEDY that has caused you to QUESTION God—to question your FAITH?
1. I have been a preacher for over 3 DECADES, and during this time I have sat at BEDSIDES, held HANDS, PRAYED for, and PREACHED FUNERALS of people who have faced some of the most
TRYING of CIRCUMSTANCES.
a. Some remained FAITHFUL, some did not.
ILLUSTRATION:
One of the very first funerals I had to preach was that of an 18-year-old girl who DIED from complications after SURGERY. She was 60 to 70 pounds OVERWEIGHT. She didn’t have many FRIENDS. Her mother constantly BELITTLED her because of her WEIGHT. So, her mother insisted that her daughter get her STOMACH STAPLED; a relatively new PROCEDURE back in the early
80’s. Two days after SURGERY, she was DEAD.
At the girl’s funeral her mother told me with TEARS in her eyes, “I much rather have her FAT than DEAD.” A year later, the mother committed SUICIDE.
b. I have preached several FUNERALS of people who lost HOPE and FAITH, and took their own LIVES. I preached a funeral of a dear, sweet lady who was MURDERED—STRANGLED TO DEATH—by her next-door neighbor. I preached the funeral of a 3-month-old baby that died from SIDS.
2. The FAMILIES that are left behind are DEVASTATED. They don’t understand “WHY!” And no doubt many CRY OUT, “Lord, I believe; HELP my UNBELIEF.”
MESSAGE:
I. “IF YOU DO ANYTHING?”- vv. 14-22
A. Peter, James and John are returning from the MOUNTAIN on which Jesus had been GLORIFIED and
VISITED by Moses and Elijah from heaven.
1. It was as close to an “OTHER-WORLD” experience one gets, and now they descend to “THE
REAL WORLD” where yet another CONTROVERSY is taking place.
a. As they come closer, they hear a HEATED-ARGUMENT between Christ’s DISCIPLES and the
TEACHERS of the LAW.
b. Jesus INTERRUPTS and asks the Teachers of the Law, “What are you arguing with them
about?”- v. 16.
COMMENT:
Apparently, the ARGUMENT started when a man brought his SON to Christ’s DISCIPLES to be HEALED of DEMON POSSESSION, but they couldn’t do it. So, the TEACHERS of the LAW rushed in to take ADVANTAGE of the situation, by, undoubtedly, TRIVIALIZING the disciples’ FAILURE to CAST OUT the DEMON.
2. While this SHOUTING back and forth is going on between these RELIGIOUS MEN, there is a
DAD standing there who DESPERATELY wants somebody to HELP his BOY.
a. Matthew records that when Jesus came on the scene “the man fell to his knees before Him and
said, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son.’”- Matthew 17:14.
COMMENT:
It’s APPALLING to admit, but there have been too many times (and one time is too many) when we have allowed DISAGREEMENTS and QUARRELS within the church to overshadow the
HURTS and NEEDS of people.
While we are trying to PROVE our point—the LOST remain UNSAVED, NEEDS remain
UNMET, HURTING MEMBERS leave the CHURCH. And we don’t even NOTICE!
b. Whatever HOPE and FAITH this father had in bringing his SON to Christ’s DISCIPLES for help is gradually being CHIPPED AWAY by the CONTROVERSY that him being there has caused.
B. But then comes Jesus!
1. The father DESCRIBES to Jesus what his SON has been going through- vv. 17b-18a (READ).
a. Everything that this Dad has tried to HELP his SON has not WORKED.
COMMENT:
A DEMONIC FORCE has taken over his SON causing violent EPILEPTIC-LIKE FITS. On more than one occasion he has seen how this EVIL SPIRIT has tried to DESTROY his SON. His
LAST HOPE was Jesus, but since He was GONE the next best thing was His DISCIPLES.
b. He says to Jesus, “I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they couldn’t.”
COMMENT:
They could before. Jesus had already sent the DISCIPLES out on at least one MISSION where “They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them”-
Mark 6:13.
They accomplished that when they were in pairs of TWO; surely it shouldn’t be a problem when NINE of them are together! And, yet, they FAILED, to the DELIGHT of the Teachers of the Law.
2. Listen to Jesus’ response to the DISCIPLES’ inability to CAST out this DEMON- v. 19 (READ)
a. Jesus described His disciples, among others, as an “unbelieving generation”!
b. Not only does this FATHER have an “UNBELIEF” problem, so do the DISCIPLES.
COMMENT:
How many times had Jesus rebuked the DISCIPLES for their “LITTLE FAITH”? I can
picture Jesus just shaking His head when he said, “How long do I have to PUT UP with you?”
Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that He still does, because I DO some STUPID things sometimes (I know that’s a SHOCK!). There are LESSONS that I still need to LEARN.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
c. Jesus was PATIENT with His FOLLOWERS, and I’m GLAD that He still IS!
C. “Immediately after the father brought his SON to Jesus, the DEMON sees the Lord and throws the
BOY into a violent CONVULSION”- v. 20.
1. But as we have seen on several occasions throughout the Gospel of Mark, this is what DEMONS
typically do when CONFRONTED by Jesus.
a. When they come face-to-face with the Son of God, they know that their reign of TERROR is
coming to an abrupt END.
b. When Jesus asked how long had this been going on, the FATHER said, “Since childhood. It often throws him into the fire or water to kill him”- vv. 21-22a.
COMMENT:
We don’t know how OLD the boy is—at this time he could be a TEENAGER. The DEMON POSSESSION started when the boy was just a LITTLE CHILD—most of his LIFE. And it certainly wasn’t because the CHILD was a SINNER. Remember, Jesus said that the “kingdom of
God belongs to little children”- Mark 10:15.
Friends, SATAN and his DEMONIC FORCES do not CARE who they HURT. They are out to cause as much HAVOC and HEARTACHE as possible, sowing SEEDS of HOPELESSNESS and DOUBT wherever they can. No one is EXEMPT from Satan’s ATTACKS!
2. All the PAIN and DESPERATION that has been BUILDING UP in this FATHER while helplessly watching his SON go through this for all these years, come bursting out when he PLEADS with
Jesus, “…if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us”- v. 22b.
a. Have you ever been there?
COMMENT:
Have you ever been in a SITUATION in your life where you feel HELPLESS and HOPELESS? Everything that you’ve TRIED TO “FIX IT” hasn’t WORKED. You sought HELP
from others, but their ADVICE didn’t CHANGE anything.
And although you’ve PRAYED about it, you really haven’t BEGGED God . . . until now,
“Lord, if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”
b. This father is at the END of his ROPE. And he’s not sure that even Jesus can HELP his BOY.
II. EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD- vv. 23-27
A. Jesus answered the father, “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes”- v. 23.
1. The desperate father replies, “I do believe; help me OVERCOME my UNBELIEF”- v. 24.
a. Frankly, many of us have SAID or THOUGHT this at one time or another.
b. We hit a CRISIS OF FAITH in which we WAVER in our BELIEF and CONFIDENCE in
God’s ABILITY to come to our AID.
ILLUSTRATION:
A PASTOR in his late 40s diagnosed with advanced PANCREATIC CANCER writes these words: “When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I was full of FAITH and HOPE that God would HEAL me. I had SURGERY and underwent hours of chemo and radiation treatments, but instead of going into REMISSION the cancer SPREAD. I found my FAITH in God being joined with DOUBT. Like the father with the demon-possessed son, I prayed fervently, ‘Lord
I believe; help my unbelief.’
“I have since come to realize that FAITH is not necessarily the absence of all DOUBT. Jesus continued to work with His disciples although he rebuked them on many occasions for their lack of FAITH. We can still pray even when uncertainties assail us. Prayer opens up the possibility of a miracle, even for those who struggle with DOUBT. I may not find HEALING on this earth, but I have FAITH that a NEW BODY is waiting for me in heaven.”
2. Although the FATHER expressed DOUBT, Jesus didn’t say, “Okay. Well, come BACK when you
have more FAITH.” Or, “Get rid of your DOUBT, and then we’ll TALK.”
a. Now, obviously God wants us to place our COMPLETE trust and faith in His WORKING in our
LIVES, but He doesn’t turn us AWAY during those moments of DOUBT.
b. He patiently REMINDS of WHO He is and WHAT He can do.
B. Jesus said, “All things are possible for him who believes.”
1. Jesus takes whatever LITTLE FAITH that this FATHER has and does what everybody else has
found IMPOSSIBLE- vv. 25-27 (READ and COMMENT).
a. I’m sure that whatever DOUBT this father had . . . is NO MORE!
b. He has WITNESSED Jesus doing the IMPOSSIBLE. He has his SON back!
2. God can WORK through some of the DARKEST of TRAGEDIES, if we only keep the FAITH.
a. The FATHER had his DOUBTS, but he was open to the POSSIBILITY that Jesus could DO the
IMPOSSIBLE.
b. When we feel the PRESSURE of the IMPOSSIBILITY resting on our SHOULDERS is when
God asks, “Do you BELIEVE?” (Ask that question to the one sitting next to you.)
3. WHAT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO YOU RIGHT NOW?
ILLUSTRATION:
Your IMPOSSIBLE situation might be an ADDICTION or a terrible HABIT that you cannot CONQUER. It might be severe FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. Maybe your MARRIAGE isn’t WORKING. It could be your WORK or your CAREER. Or, much WORSE—you’ve been told
that you have CANCER.
a. It is never EASY. It is not easy to SURVIVE tragedy and hardship.
b. But FAITH remains your BEST CHOICE. God is TRUSTWORTHY.
COMMENT:
While you may have to face times of DOUBT, ANGER, FEAR, and UNCERTAINTY, your
FAITH can help you find your way through to the God who specializes in doing the IMPOSSIBLE.
So, if it seems IMPOSSIBLE to you, TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF! Ask God, in FAITH, to TAKE OVER.
CONCLUSION:
