A STRIKE AT WHAT WE LACK FOR HIM
Mark 9:14-26 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16"What are you arguing with them about?" he asked. 17A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
Matthew 17:17 "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me."
Mark 9:20-26 20So they brought him. 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. 21Jesus asked the boy’s father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. 22"It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." 23" ’If you can’?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." 24Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" 25When 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." 26The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He’s dead."
Matthew 17:20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. 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."
Mark 9:29-30 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer." 30They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were,
Luke 9:44-45 "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men." 45But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
INTRODUCTION: Last week we began a three part series, entitled “Three Strikes and He’s Out”. We are looking at three instances in which Jesus speaks openly about His death. Three opportunities for His disciples to “hit one out of the park” so to speak, concerning their relationship with Him. Last week Jesus encouraged His disciples to understand who He is, and then to do something about it! He accepted the declaration of Peter, who, speaking for the disciples called him the Messiah. We also saw that Jesus dealt with both the opportunity of the devil to divert his message, and also the tendency to only get part of the info needed. That’s why Jesus told them to keep what they knew to themselves – They only knew half the story. Finally, last week, Jesus encouraged us to do something with what we know about Him – Be A Disciple! That involved three things: 1. Not giving in to our desire to indulge ourselves, 2. Acknowledge by our life that Jesus is right, and 3. To follow Him, and in doing so we attain what we value the most – our lives, for what we cannot have – the world.
So now, Jesus again offers the disciples a pitch, right over the plate. One they could hit out of the park.
I WE SHOULD HAVE FAITH TO ACCOMPLISH MORE THAN WE CAN – MARK 9:14-32
A This incident come right after the Mount of Transfiguration
1 The Transfiguration was a picture of the world with Christ
2 Demon Possession is a picture of the world without Christ
B We have a vivid picture of the influence of Jesus
1 “as soon as”
2 “overwhelmed with wonder”
a The crowd has sensed Christ’s ability to solve the problem
b In some way the people understood the power of Christ
THERE IS ALSO SOMEONE ELSE WHO UNDERSTOOD – THE DEMON
3 The demon understood the power of Christ
a He is quiet – the demon says nothing
b Mark 1:23-26 -- Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" 25"Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" 26The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
1) This demon spoke – “What do you want with us?”
2) Hebrew idiom – Meaning the incompatibility of opposing forces
3) Jesus is incompatible with what the devil wants to do
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE DEVIL WOULD HAVE YOU BE TODAY – IGNORANT OF WHAT JESUS IS DOING, WHAT JESUS IS GOING TO DO, AND WHAT YOU CAN DO IN JESUS!
C The disciples should have been able to deal with this demon -- Mark 6:7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
1 The Father had every reason to expect what the disciples should have been able to do.
2 The disciples are not able to do what they should be able to do
WHAT KEEPS US FROM DOING WHAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO? – I DO!
II A LITTLE FAITH GOES A LONG WAY
Matthew 17:17-20 "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. 19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn’t we drive it out?"
20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. 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."
A Faithlessness keeps us from the blessings we might have
B Faithlessness keeps us from doing the works we could do
C Jesus wants us to have what is ours!
GET READY FOR IT – HERE COMES ANOTHER ONE TO HIT OUT OF THE BALL PARK ……..
D The problem is we have twisted what we have!
1 The word perverse means “to twist”
2 We have twisted Jesus – through doubt
a Doubting His strength to accomplish anything
b Doubting the veracity of His desire
3 We have twisted our relationship with Him – doubting our standing in Him
a Is He really close enough to hear?
b Am I really close enough to Jesus for Him to give me the Power I need
4 We have twisted our own faith
a Do I have the faith?
DOUBT IS HUMAN – DOUBT IS NORMAL
ü YOU CAN SIT HERE TODAY AND DOUBT WHO JESUS IS
o BE REALLY HAPPY WHERE YOU ARE
o UNDERSTAND – YOUR HAPPINESS WHERE YOU ARE WILL NOT LAST
ü YOU AN DOUBT THAT YOU COULD EVER HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
o GOD’S WORD SAYS DIFFERENT – IT WAS WRITTEN SO YOU COULD KNOW FOR SURE HOW TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
ü YOU CAN DOUBT ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO COME TO CHRIST
ILLUSTRATION: I used to teach swimming to children when I was in High School – back in the dark ages! One of the hardest things to teach these kids was to float, especially the skinny ones like Charles, all skin and bones. You see, they wanted to thrash around in the water to stay floating. That was the wrong thing to do. The more they thrashed, the quicker they sank! They need to do the opposite – nothing! You see, when they would simple relax and look up, stop trying to float by their own power, the water would hold them up. If they did nothing accept look up, they would float.
You see we cannot come to Christ on our own. We can only do nothing, and let Jesus do it all for us. That is what He did on the cross. Just like accepting the water in order to float, we have to accept what Jesus did in order to have a relationship with Him!
E Jesus gives us the answer – “if you have faith”
a The meaning of the phrase is that there is the potential of faith in us waiting to come out
b Stresses realizing our faith
c Stresses Jesus’ desire that we do
d If the little faith we have comes out – we can move mountains
e The Lord is not condemning our lack of faith, but encouraging the emerging OF OUR FAITH
III WHERE OUR FAITH CAN REST TODAY
Mark 9:30-32 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31because 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." 32But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
A Our faith can rest in the certainty of what Jesus would do (…is going to )
1 Jesus would be betrayed
2 Jesus would die
3 Jesus would rise from the dead
B Our faith can rest in the certainty of what Jesus would accomplish (…rise)
1 Romans 6:8-10 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
a Christ conquered death
b With Him – I conquer death too
2 Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
a Trust in Him
b Salvation is ours
HERE’S THE PITCH –
-- JESUS SAID – YOU HAVE THE FAITH
-- JESUS WANTS TO KNOW:
-- WILL YOU USE THE FAITH
- DON’T KNOW CHRIST – ARE YOU READY TO PUT YOUR TRUST IN WHAT JESUS DID FOR YOU
- KNOW CHRIST – ARE YOU READY TO EXERCISE THE FAITH YOU HAVE TO DO FOR JESUS
ITS WAITING RIGHT THERE FOR YOU – USE IT
EMAIL FOR POWER POINT
