December 29, 2002
Morning Service
Text: Mark 9:14-29
Subject: Prayer
Title: All Things Are Possible
I have been praying a lot about what it is going to take to see this church grow to where it should be, and then keep growing. You see I don’t want to go off on some tangent that seems right to me without knowing for sure that God is behind it. So I spend a lot of time trying to discern God’s will for this church and for my ministry here. God has really been speaking two things to me specifically. One is to preach the word. Continue to study and prepare and know the word of God so that I can present it in a logical and understandable fashion that the church would be edified by it.
The other thing the Lord is speaking to me is the need for prayer. On Thursday mornings we have women’s prayer and on the first and third Fridays of every month we have Prayer Alive. These are great times and I encourage you all to be a part of them if possible. That’s just part of what the Lord is saying to me about prayer. We need to pray more as individuals. Our prayer lives are lacking, often because we can’t find the time to pray. But our spiritual authority is lacking because we fail to find the time to increase our faith by praying. Classic Christian writer John Bunyon wrote, "You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed."
Now this is what God is speaking is to me as a pastor and, I believe, all other pastors, and also to all who are active in churches everywhere.
Today we see a story of a boy with an evil spirit and the circumstances surrounding the healing of this boy. In this passage, as in many others, there are many players and many sub-plots.
Leading up to this episode, Jesus had been on the Mount of Transfiguration with three of His disciples. When they came down they found the other nine in a heated discussion in the middle of a large crowd.
I. The argument. What was it about? Look at the whole passage. The apostles, the scribes, the crowd was involved. What do we know about the scribes? They were the teachers of the Law - Jewish lawyers. They did not have any authority of their own. Matt 7:28, "When Jesus had finished saying these tings, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He spoke with authority and not as their teachers of the law." Jesus often rebuked them. Luke 11:46-53 "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. Woe to you experts in the law, because have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, waiting to catch him in something he might say." This gives us some indication as to what was going on.
The apostles. Mark 3:14-15, "He appointed twelve - designating them apostles - that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons." Jesus had given them authority over demons but now here they were arguing with the scribes instead of performing miracles. What happened? The scribes were looking to catch Jesus in a mistake. The nine couldn’t do what Jesus had given them authority to do. The scribes began to argue. The one time that the apostles were unable to bring a cure and the scribes were taking full advantage of it. They simply wanted to discredit Jesus. After all He is the one who supposedly gave them authority. He was their leader. If they were frauds, then Jesus must be one also. Ever have that happen to you? The world is watching you to see if you will make a mistake. They really are watching ministers. Jesus called them (apostles) an "unbelieving generation" for their weakness.
"Unbelieving" indicates a real lack of faith to heal. When they were apart from Jesus, they lost something.
"How long shall I stay with you? How long do I have to be around you? What is it going to take before you get it? But Jesus never gave upon them. He wasn’t condemning them. He was teaching them. J. K. Johnston tells a story of a small town that prided itself in being a "dry" community. But an out of town businessman comes in and decides to open a tavern. He goes through all the proper channels and gets it ready to open. Then the church gathers together to pray that the Lord would not let this bar open. One day before the tavern was to open, while the church was at prayer, a violent thunderstorm arose, and lightening struck the bar burning it to the ground. The businessman sued the church. The church hired a lawyer to argue they had nothing to do with it. After reviewing the case the judge made a preliminary statement, "What ever the out come of this case is, one thing has been established. The tavern owner believes that prayer works. The church doesn’t."
It looks like the apostles were starting to doubt.
The crowd In the midst of a crowd, emotions are brought to a boiling point. Part of the crowd, wanting to see a miracle, sides with the disciples. Part of the crowd, disappointed, sides with the scribes.
The result is noise and confusion. Verse 15, "As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him." How is it that this man always seems to be at the right place at the right time? Jesus always arrives at the right time to solve problems. He’s never early or late. Had he arrived earlier, the nine apostles would not have learned a lesson. Had he arrived any later, the apostles’ credibility may have been ruined. God is concerned about people more than their works.
II. Jesus goes right to the heart of the dilemma.
What are you arguing with them about? A man steps out of the crowd and tells Jesus what is going on.
My sonon is demon possessed. It has robbed him of his speech; Throws him on the ground ; He foams at the mouth; Gnashes his teeth; He becomes rigid. It had tried to kill the boy by throwing him into water or fire. When the disciples couldn’t do anything this man could have gone home with his boy. But he wanted to see Jesus. I expect the demons were feeling just a little cocky about this time. Verse 20, " When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth." The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus comes that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Look at the compassion Jesus has for humanity. "How long has he been like this?" Apparently, when the man had brought his son to the nine apostles, he was expecting him to be healed.
Now he isn’t so sure. "I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." Verse 22, "But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us."
III. The answer. Now we get to the whole point of the sermon. Verse 23, "If you can?" Jesus emphasis here is not on his power but on the man’s faith.
"Everything is possible for him who believes." You must have faith to receive. There is also on emphasis on the disciples faith. Faith is an active force in the accomplishment of healing. We all believe that Jesus is the healer. But we don’t see everyone healed.
But Jesus said everything is possible for him who believes. "I do believe; help me in my unbelief." Who has never experienced faith mixed with doubt? The good news is that Jesus is our High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses. If we confess our weakness to Him and ask for the faith that is required to accomplish what we ask for. Matthew 17:20, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
What is this faith Jesus speaks of? It is an effective faith that brings results."The fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much." Faith is not belief in faith itself as the power source but trusting in God’s power to accomplish what He said he would do. Faith/belief is being fully persuaded that the things God has promised, He is able to accomplish.
Hebrews 12:2 says, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." Only by drawing nearer to Christ can our faith increase and be perfected. Jesus demonstrated His power. "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." Jesus’ power source was the Holy Spirit working through Him activated by His unwavering faith in the authority He had over demons.
Matthew 16:19, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Binding the power of Satan and his demons. Loosing the power of God through His Holy Spirit working in us over all things. The apostles question, "Why couldn’t we drive it out?" "This kind can only come out by prayer (and fasting)" Common misunderstanding of this verse is that before we can cast out some kinds of demons, we must spend an extended period of time in prayer (and fasting) about that situation. Jesus didn’t. But He was God! John 14:12-14, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
The kind of prayer that Jesus is talking about is that daily time with God, getting to know Him. Building a real relationship with him. Not a shallow surfacy kind of relationship that doesn’t last. One that will stand the test of time. One that gives us authority over demons. Biblical principal - the law of the harvest - Where much prayer is sown there will be much faith. Had the disciples maintained this kind of prayer life while Jesus was away from them they could have dealt with the demon themselves.
Conclusion:
In the courts of Alexander the Great there was a philosopher who had outstanding ability but little money. He went to Alexander and asked for financial help and the emperor told him that he could go directly to the treasury and withdraw whatever amount he needed. When he requested from the treasurer an amount that would equal $50,000 toady, the treasurer refused - he would first have to verify that such a large amount had been authorized. When he went to Alexander with the request he was told, "Give him the money. This man has done me a great honor. By the largeness of the request he has shown that he understands both my wealth and my generosity." (Today in the Word, August, 91)
If today we have faith but need more, ask for more. Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."
All we have to do is ask and we shall receive. But then we need to maintain. That is the challenge. Anyone can ask. But those who are sincere will do all they can do to maintain that faith given by spending more time with the Lord in prayer. Don’t do all the talking. Let the Lord speak to you. Increase your faith and remember, "All things are possible."
