Something Is Missing In The Church Part 4

Scripture

Mark 9:14–29 NASB 2020

14 And when they came back to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15 Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. 16 And He asked them, “What are you disputing with them?” 17 And one person from the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, because he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; 18 and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes stiff. And I told Your disciples so that they would cast it out, but they could not do it.” 19 And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” 20 And they brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, the spirit immediately threw him into convulsions, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.22 It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to kill him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23 But Jesus said to him, “ ‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again!” 26 And after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him, and he got up. 28 When He came into the house, His disciples began asking Him privately, “Why is it that we could not cast it out?” 29 And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything except prayer.”

The Dilemma Within The Church Vs. 14-18

Useless fighting during crucial times

Useless disciples during serious matters

Unmet needs from a watching world

Unexpected results (The Church think they got it figured out, but don’t)

The Disheartening Rebuke Vs 19

Knowledge of Christ, Going to Church, Sent By Christ doesn’t equate to having power to transform lives or heal the worlds ills.

The Demonic manifestation (99 Problems of the church) Vs 20

The people in the church has spiritual problems and the lack of life changing power is evident.

The Discerning Question Vs 21

How Long has this been going on?

Brings to light the situation

Brings to light that inability of the church to address problems

Brings to light we lose sight of the real source of power/and warfare

The Destructive Power We Face Vs 22

It fights the church must face.

The Directives of Faith Vs 23

Jesus responds in corrective sarcasm

If you only believe

The Desire and Defeat of Faith (Two-fold) Vs 24

“Lord I do believe, but Help my unbelief”

Corporate Faith

Consequential Faith

Personal Faith

Consequential Faith (Faith with results)

The Deliverance on Display Vs 25-26

The Debriefing of Faith 27-29

Why we can’t?

Why we fail…

Lack of prayer and fasting

What’s Missing In The Church?