Mark 9_ 9__31 sermon

Mark 9:9-31“The Valley’s of Life”

Intro: In the last Church we pastored, there was a Gentleman named Billy Wayne Cinnamon who suffered from black lung. He always sat on the second rows. His favorite song was Bill and Gloria Gaither’s “God on the Mountain.” About every other week Bill would turn to Elmer Jeffers who sat behind him and say, “sing me my song Elmer.”

Elmer would sing “Life is easy, when you're up on the mountain. And you've got peace of mind, like you've never known. But things change, when you're down in the valley. Don't lose faith, for you're never alone.”

I would wager that if asked “where is your favorite place in all world?” Peter, James, and John would answer on top of the mountain. Peter did not want to leave it, “lets build tabernacales,” He referred to it just before His death (2 Peter 1:16-18). It was a place where God manifested Himself to them.

My favorite place is my shower, it is a place of many Mountain Top Experiences, a place where I have heard the voice of God speak, a place of worship and prayer. There are days that I don’t want to leave my. I don’t want to go out and face the things which await me, the difficult circumstances, the sorrows, and the temptations. I don’t know of anyone who would prefer to leave the mountain and go into the deep dark valley. But, we live in this world and there will be valley’s that we will enter into. When we find ourselves in the valley’s of life must move forward in faith and prayer knowing that Jesus is the same in the valleys as He is on the mountain!

We find an Inclusio, {literary device used for emphasis (it’s like saying PAY ATTENTION)} in 8:31 and 9:31, each text tells us that Jesus will suffer at the hands of man, be killed and on the third day rise again. It comes before the mountain of transfiguration and after the descent into the valley. The Jesus before the mountaintop was the same Jesus during the mountain top and the same Jesus after the mountain top. Jesus doesn’t change; Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

CPS: Jesus is the same glorious God in the valley that He is on the mountain. Times in the valley may be trying but we remain prayerful and faithful.

In the valleys of life we are must exercise faith!

As Peter, James, and John were on the mountain they experienced the glory of God but as they descended from the mountain they saw the frailty of sin fallen humanity. They were face to face with the glory of Jesus now they are facing the despair of man.

*{ Main Idea} It’s impossible to maintain mountain top experiences we will descend down into the valley. It is important that we walk by faith not by sight least we be doubtful. Peter, James, and John became doubtful when Jesus spoke again about His resurrection from the dead, nothing had changed he was still going to die. The other disciples became doubtful and perplexed because they could not heal the demon possessed boy as they had many times before (6:7-13.) The disciples were still walking by sight. The Father was also walking by sight, he had faith enough to bring the boy to Jesus but when His disciples couldn’t heal his son he doubted Jesus’ ability to heal him. Jesus told the man to have complete faith, the father asked Jesus to heal him 1st. (remove all that is with me that does not believe or wants to believe!)

ILL: “Believe” John Patton

Walking by sight in the midst of the valleys lead to doubt and doubt leads to despair, instead of finding ourselves hopeless we should find ourselves hopeful like the little boy on the Little League Baseball team

ILL: We haven’t even got up to bat yet.

Through faith we find ourselves this hopeful and more, because like the Psalmist we know Jesus is with us even in the darkest and scariest valleys of life (Ps. 23). This Jesus is the unchanging Jesus; the Jesus on the Mountain is the same Jesus in the Valley. Though His glory is hard to see during these times but as Jesus told Martha during her deepest valley, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:40)*

[It is near impossible to spiritually live upon the mountain top; we often descend into the valley below. In the valleys of life we face despair when we walk by sight that is why Jesus emphases the need to walk by faith.

Peter, James, and John

Verse nine tells us they came down from the mountain. They physically walked down it but as they walked they got despairing news. Nothing has changed, Jesus must die and be despised by man. If the world despised Jesus then it will despise His saints. The mountain top experience didn’t change the reality of Jesus’ purpose. Though Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus about His exodus they still didn’t understand. There was still a little doubt so they began discuss among themselves and ask questions of Jesus. They would not understand until after His resurrection perhaps that is why Jesus told them not to say anything about what they saw.

To add to the despair, when they came off the mountain they saw a defeated group of disciples

The Nine Below

A crowd had gathered and Scribes were arguing with the 9 disciples left in the valley, they could not cast a demon out of a boy brought to them. In Mark 6:7 Jesus had sent the disciples out with the authority to cast out demons, Mark 6:13 tells us they cast out many demons and healed the sick, but now they could not do so. This was a time of despair. These valleys of life are like that. Now imagine what the disciples were going through, once they were powerful against demons now they are powerless.

There is a domino effect of despair, things are looking more and more hopeless as the disciples see a desperate father

The Father Below

Jesus asked what was going on and a man from the crowd explained. He has a son whom is possessed by a violent demon, who causes the boy to have seizures; often it casts him into fire or water in attempts to kill the boy. We have an enemy in this world who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy the things which God loves. When we are on the mountain tops we are scarcely reminded of Satan’s activity, but down in the valleys below we are confronted with the effects of sin; rampant evil, sickness, and even death. All this is an effect of sin, sin has marred creation and man’s likeness to God’s image.

There is so much despair in the valley; we find hurt for loved ones lost, sick loved ones, astray loved ones. We see despair after despair and we begin to doubts God’s goodness and care for us. Have you ever asked “where are you God?” or “why me God?”

The disciples had professed faith in Jesus; it took faith to bring the boy to Jesus however we see doubt in the disciples and the father. Jesus tells the Father, “bring him to me.” The father doubted Jesus saying “if you can do anything.” The disciples could not heal his son why would it be any different if Jesus tried. Jesus rebukes him, stating rhetorically “if you can?” All things are possible to him who believes. Believe is the Greek verb pisteuō, it means believe to complete trust.

ILL: John Patton always wanted to be missionary, after mediacal school and seminary he was assigned to Tanna an island in the north pacific, three weeks later his young wife died followed by their 5 week old son. For more than three years Patton struggled to make Christ known to the hostile islanders, he finally fled the island. Later he returned and spent 15 years on another nearby island. He began to translate the Gospel of John into the native langue but was puzzled over the word pisteuō “believe in or trust in” How can I translate it, the islanders are cannibals; no one trusted anybody. Their was no word for trust in their language. His native servant came in. “What am I doing?” he asked the servant. “Sitting in your chair” the man replied. Patton then raised both feet off the ground and sat back in the chair, he asked “what am I doing now?” Patton servant used a verb in his native language which means “lean your whole weights upon”

The father cried out, “I do believe help my unbelief.” The father understood he was imperfect and asked Jesus to heal him (the father) first. The is saying whatever is in within me that does not believe heal that first! So I may come to complete trust!

Salvation is the greatest miracle on earth it is accomplished by God, and it is received by faith. Faith doesn’t motivate God to move, faith clings on to what God has already accomplished. In a twinkle of an eye the father was saved and after one last attempt of the boys life he was healed! I love the picture of our greatest hope found in verse 27, and Jesus took him by the hand and raised him up!

The valleys are difficult and trying, if you aren’t careful you will end up walking by sight and will fall into doubt and despair! That’s why we walk by faith, faith brings hope against the impossible situations.

ILL: A man approached a little league baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, “Eighteen to nothing—we’re behind.” “Boy,” said the spectator, “I’ll bet you’re discouraged.” “Why should I be discouraged?” replied the little boy. “We haven’t even gotten up to bat yet!”

Jesus is with his saints even in the deepest and darkest valleys, David the Psalmist sang praises to His God “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me.” The same Jesus who is ever present with you on the mountain is the same Jesus that is ever present with you in the valley!!! Look to Him never taking your eyes off of Him never letting up your weight from Him!]

In the valleys of life we must exercise prayer!

Jesus does what no man could do (even the disciples), He healed the boy telling the demon to leave and never return. The disciples were in a state of doubt but they were also perplexed. Jesus has given them authority to heal and cast out demons, He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; (Mark 6:7) and Mark tells us they cast out many demons, And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them. (Mark 6:13). Once in private they asked Jesus why, the answer was this kind can only come out by prayer. What does this reveal about the disciples? Taking Matthews account into perspective we see they were not living disciplined lives. “And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matt. 17:20-21)

They had been relying upon their own power. They were relying on the fact that Jesus gave THEM authority to cast out demons, but He had not given it to them apart from God. They needed to rely on God, Jesus says, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5)

You want to talk about being in a valley, Jesus was in the valley all of His earthly life! He left the glory of heaven to come into the valley of earth to die for the sins of the world. He portrayed in His life the need for prayer! Prayer is a vital part of our Christian lives, it a time of communion and fellowship. In Mark we see Jesus pray, But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:16, as He sought the Father’s guidance. “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there (1:35) While choosing His disciples, And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him (3:13), He prayed over their mission, And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (6:31) he prayed on the mount of transfiguration, Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; (9:2) Jesus taught His disciples to always pray and never give up, (Luke 18:1)

We find that this lesson hasn’t impacted the disciples, they were still living by sight and in their own power. Yet in their own power they were weak and truly powerless. Jesus was not saying that some special prayer prayed would have done the Job. Jesus is implying that they were neglecting a lifestyle of prayer. THEY WERE POWERLESS BECAUSE THEY WERE PRAYERLESS! In the valley’s of life prayer in essential and the reason for our powerlessness is our prayerlessness.

The Bible teaches us that we are to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thes 5:17) This doesn’t mean that we are in prayer literally every second of our lives but that we have the attitude of prayer. True prayer is the attitude of the heart and when our heart desires what God desires we are praying all day long as the Holy Spirit of God intercedes for us and in us.

ILL: A preacher tells as story about a church service. The service was about to begin and the organist put his hands on the keys but there was no sound. Everyone knew there was a problem, so the preacher quickly got up and led in prayer. The janitor was aware of the fact that the organ hadn’t been plugged in. So he went over there as the preacher prayed, plugged it in and wrote a note to the organist. The note said “After the prayer, the power will be on.”

Conclusion: Jesus is the same God in the valley as He is on the mountaintop! So as we find ourselves in the valleys of life we continue in faith and prayerfulness knowing that He is present with us! You see, it is through faith that we have access to Him and through prayer that we are attached to Him.

Though the valley’s of life our difficult, through faith and prayer we too can sing;

For the God on the mountain, is the God in the valley. When things go wrong, He'll make them right.And the God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day is still God in the night.