What if He Doesn't?

Opening Story - Roller Coaster Struggles

Roller Coasters, Barnswings, Thrill rides

I LOVED THEM ALL…until I developed the risk assessment portion of my brain.

Now I ride them and think this thing is for sure going to hold…BUT WHAT IF IT DOESN’T?

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Opening Text

Mark 9:16–29 NKJV

And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

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Disclaimer

This is not a sermon on demonology or deliverance…THOUGH WE NEED TO BELIEVE IN A GOD WHO HAS AUTHORITY OVER THE ENEMY!

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We are the man

For the purposes of our conversation today...I want you and I to find some parallels with this man as we explore this text.

Because while we may not be dealing with the demonic oppression of our children…all of us have a situation that causes us high levels of stress and anxiety

Your job

Your marriage

Your family

Your future

This man’s story is such an encouragement to me because it is a picture of the collision of faith and fear

The tension of knowing God can…but wondering if he will.

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Background - Mount of Transfiguration

Mark chapter 9 introduces us into a context wherein Jesus has just come down from one of the most significant spiritual moments of his earthly life and ministry.

He comes down the mountain to find a group of people fighting.

SN: NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU GET IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD…YOU’RE GOING TO BE QUICKLY REMINDED THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL CRAZY!

Jesus comes down having been transfigured…affirmed once again by his father…and is wondering what in the world is causing such division among this group of people

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This man alludes to the fact that the fighting is centered around a man who has desperately brought his son to the only source of relief that he can think of.

For his entire life this child has been negatively effected by this spiritual bondage.

This man has received reports of a man from Galilee that possesses the capacity to heal the sick, raise the dead, and most intriguingly for this man…CAST OUT DEVILS

But the disciples have been unable to get it done…and the scribes smell blood in the water.

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This text shows us a man who has desperately come to the son of God in hopes of finding relief for his son.

Only to be faced with the reality that his sons reality may not change.

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Our three signposts today

TR: There are three aspects about this man that I want to talk with you about today.

He believed in Jesus power

He doubted Jesus plan

He misunderstood Jesus priorities

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1. He Believed in Jesus power

The fact that he was in the place that the disciples had gathered was proof that he thought Jesus could rectify his sons situation.

He brought the boy to the disciples in order to see his son experience deliverance.

Personal Application: I don’t believe there are many in this room that doubt in the power of God.

But if you’re struggling...Let me reassure you of his power.

He’s the God that spoke and galaxies were formed

He’s the God that allowed a ninety year old woman to bear a child that would be the father of a nation

He’s the God that caused the red sea to part

He’s the God that multiplied oil for a widow and grain for a prophet

He’s the God that caused the bones of Elisha to bring a dead soldier back to life

He’s the God who performed miracle after miracle in Jesus earthly ministry

LAME LEGS, BLIND EYES, DEAF EARS, DEMOONIACS…HE’S THAT GOD!!!

It’s Personal: I don’t just testify of his miracle working power in terms of scriptural history

I wasn’t supposed to live very long…THIRTY-TWO YEARS OLD FULLY HEALTHY

Kayla wasn’t supposed to be able to have babies…WE GOT THREE

Kayla had an undiagnosable blood issue…SHE’S COMPLETELY HEALED!

There’s still power in the blood of Jesus!

He shows up to the foot of this mountain with full faith in the man from Nazareth that is performing miracles around the region...

TR: But his expectation does not translate into his experience.

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He believed in his power…but was surprised by the product.

He brought him to Jesus…SN: but tried to settle for his disciples

Some of us are looking for the people of God to do what only God can do.

with confidence in the fact that his boy would be delivered...

MARK 9:18 : “but they could not”

I wonder if you’ve ever had faith in God’s ability to do something…and then were surprised by the fact that he didn’t...

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2. He questioned Jesus plan

Am I the only one who has ever been determined of God’s power only to be disappointed by God’s plan?

Hard reality is this: Just because God can…doesn’t mean that He will.

We come to God fully confident in his power to

heal the sickness

provide the job

open the door

make the way

And then it doesn’t happen...

In these moments our faith is tested; but we often misdiagnose the testing of our faith

MISDIAGNOSIS CAN RESULT IN A FALSE UNDERSTANDING OF BEING CURED. {some of us are in a crisis of faith and don’t know it}

we still fully believe in the power of God...

WE JUST DON’T BELIEVE IN THE STRATEGY OF GOD.

When I stop trusting his plan…I stop implementing my patience

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It gets worse before it gets better.

Sometimes we don’t see the product we want because we don’t like the process God uses.

When Jesus does enact the ministry of deliverance in this boys life...

IT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THE PROBLEMS HE’S HAD BEFORE…EXCEPT FOR IT SEEMS WORSE!

“the boy is dead.”

Sometimes you trust God and things get worse…not better.

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The loss following the lease

We moved into the new lease space.

We tripled our monthly rent payment and added utilities

Within two weeks of making the move…one of the biggest givers in the church decided to go elsewhere.

We took a step of faith and things got worse....not better.

I was praying about it and GOD SAID WHOSE YOUR SOURCE?

Can I not bring more people to help you finance this work?

I know he can…but what if he doesn’t?

BIG THINGS I’M BELIEVING GOD FOR EVEN RIGHT NOW - I Know He can…but do I trust his plan?

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3. He misunderstood Jesus priorities.

The reason he had faith that Jesus could do it for his son is because he had heard that he had done it for others.

He had probably heard about Jairus daughter

He had probably heard about the woman with the issue of blood

But now he’s come to the place of encounter…and his son is still in the same condition

His faith was strong…then his experience dictated a new reality.

Now, his unbelief wasn’t based in whether Jesus had the power or not…it was in whether or not Jesus would do it for him.

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He will do it for them…but not me

There are probably some here who believe Jesus will do it for the pastor.

You believe he will do it for the person who is serving on worship.

But God wouldn’t do it for me.

We think that we are lower on the priority list of God than others.

We arrive at this place because of something called a

“recency bias.”

It’s a crazy phenomena where you come to expect what you’ve experienced recently more than you do what you’ve known more solidly.

A really good team…that can’t seem to win a game

THERE ARE MANY WHO HAVE LOST FAITH IN DIVINITY BECAUSE OF RECENT FIGHTS WITH DISAPPOINTMENT

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Blakelyn - Our reminder that God keeps his promises

2018 - Received a word - “Desires of your heart”

We had been trying for and praying for a baby girl

2 miscarriages later…I started questioning God’s plan.

DURING THAT TIME WE WOULD SEE SO MANY FRIENDS HAVING BABIES

WE WOULD SEE THOSE THAT STRUGGLED WITH INFERTILITY

WE WOULD SEE THOSE WHO HAD MISCARRIAGES

Kayla because pregnant again in June of 2019

We were both so scared

AT FORWARD - God let us know he hadn’t forgotten about us…and He promised us that Our girl was coming

HE HAS BLOWN OUR MIND!

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Romans 2:11 NLT

For God does not show favoritism.

This story ends with a father who struggled with unbelief

YOU ARE A PRIORITY TO GOD!

Your struggle is not lost on him

Your fear is not foreign to him

Your situation is not unknown to him.

EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T SEE IT…HE’S WORKING.