Amazing Jesus | March 26
Amazing Jesus: Faith, Party of 3
Mark 9
March 26th, 2023
“Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It's a journey of discovery - there are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep valleys of despair.” Pastor Rick Warren
Life Advantages for Christ Followers
Our choices create less self-inflicted wounds.
We aren’t alone in our ups and downs.
We don’t have to navigate the ups and downs in our own strength and wisdom.
Text Deliverables
An amazing deliverance
A liberating understanding
A bold challenge
Mark 9:14-29 (NIV) 14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As 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. 17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever 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.” 19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So 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. 21 Jesus 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 one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
3 Faith Parties
a boy delivered
a father’s faith liberated
disciples challenged
Faith Party #1 A Boy Delivered
Jesus IS THE ruling force.
Colossians 2:6-15 (NIV) 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self-ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Party #2 The Father’s Faith Liberated
21 Jesus 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 one who believes.”
Our faith is Satan’s target.
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
The presence of doubt with our faith isn’t the problem, what we do with the doubt is. Don’t let doubt stop your movement, bring it along for the ride!
Doubt comes with the gravity of the situation and the longevity of the situation. God’s grace and strength are sufficient to sustain you to the end.
2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
God dependent = Strong.
Self-dependent = Weak.
Abiding and overcoming strength will not be found in our own power but in leaning into Christ’s power.
All movement towards Jesus is faith.
Every prayer/petition is a faith move.
Every surrender is faith move.
Every obedient act is a faith move.
Go ahead, bring your doubt along for the ride, your faith has room for doubt, it just doesn’t have room for quitting.
Party #3 The Disciples Challenged
19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
Complacency impacts Connection. Presence impacts Power.
When I am connected to God in prayer, I am connected to God in power.