The Struggle To Believe

“THE STRUGGLE TO BELIEVE” Mark 9:24

FBCF – 8/31/22 REFRESH

Jon Daniels

Phone call w/ Mama this AM – She needed some white-out (Liquid Paper). Kroger – Walgreens – Dollar store. Decided to go to Walmart Sat AM. Doesn’t normally shop at Walmart. Washed her hair & everything. Tons of people – tax-free weekend. Asked employee about office supplies – directed to back of store – walked down 3 aisles – couldn’t find it – hard on 83 yr.-old woman – Got on 4th aisle – Prayed that God would help her find it “can’t keep on walking like this” – stopped another employee – asked about a little bottle of white out – employee opened her hand & said, “You mean this?” – “Where is it?” – “I love you. Where in the world did you find it?” “Look down.” Right at her ankles. – Mama decided to buy another bottle just in case God had run out of miracles – Got home & got under conviction – God had provided the first bottle & would provide more if she needed it. She said it reminded her of the man who said, “Lord, I do believe. Help my unbelief!”

Mark 9:14-24 –

How do we handle it when we struggle to believe?

TAKE YOUR PROBLEMS TO JESUS – “Teacher, I brought my son to you…”

Problem w/ car – mechanic. Problem w/ body – doctor. Problem w/ marriage – counselor.

Problem w/ your faith – JESUS!

Not saying pastors & other Christians aren’t important. Definitely are. But they are there to point to the ONE who can truly bring real solutions to your problems.

Some translations – “LORD, I believe…” – “Lord” means “Master.” Jesus is the Master over all of our problems.

- Calmed the storm – Mark 4:35-41

- “Peace! Be still! – “rebuked” the storm – “denounced, commanded, expressed strong disapproval, gave a warning implying a threat” – Lit – “Shut up!”

- Rebuked a demon – Luke 4:31-36

- Rebuked the fever in Peter’s mother-in-law – Luke 4:38-39

- Rebuked this demon – v. 25

YOU GO TO HIM – “I”

You don’t have to go through a priest or anybody else. You don’t have to have anyone else b/c, as a child of God, you’ve got everything you need to go to Jesus w/ your problems.

- Don’t need a human priest b/c Jesus is our High Priest – Heb. 4:14-16

Quit selling yourself short. Quit letting the enemy win the battle in your mind. Quit living in defeat & discouragement. Quit thinking that you’re not as good a Christian as someone else, so your prayers aren’t going to be as good as theirs.

Think about all the people who came to Jesus during His earthly ministry. You think they were all super spiritual people who had it all together? NO! The ones who came to Him were the ones who were the most desperate, the most beat down & beaten up, the ones who were the most despised & outcasts, the most sinful people around.

EXERCISE WHATEVER FAITH YOU HAVE – “believe”

This man had SOME faith. Spurgeon: “Here was faith, even though it was mixed w/ unbelief. It was a faith that made him pray, & the Lord Jesus found that faith.”

“I don’t have much faith!” You don’t need much!

- Matt. 17:20 - 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.”

- “The mustard seed is one of the tiniest seeds found in the Middle East, so the conclusion is that the amount of faith needed to do great things is very small indeed… the tiniest bit of faith, when it is true faith from God, grow to immense proportions in the lives of believers and spreading out to influence all they come into contact with.” (https://www.gotquestions.org/mustard-seed-faith.html)

Stop waiting until you think you’ve arrived as some supposed perfect level of spiritual maturity – “THAT’S when I will have REAL faith.” No, you have REAL FAITH RIGHT NOW! USE IT!

ASK FOR HELP – “help”

Pride is a terrible thing. Keeps us from reaching out for help in our times of need.

But the Lord allows us to get to a point of desperation & need – even fear – to bring us to our knees when we will finally cry out to Him for help. He’s waiting to help. So ask Him for His help. And trust Him to help in the way that is best for us.

- 2 Chron 14:11 - 11 Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.”