Happy Father's Day! (2)

Lord, I believe...

This morning, I’d like to start with a heart warming story of a father’s sacrifice.

It’s called:

A WINNING FATHER

One of the most powerful stories in the history of the Olympic Games involved a canoeing specialist named Bill Havens. He was a shoe-in, I'm told, to win a gold medal in the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. But a few months before the Games were held, he learned that his wife would likely give birth to their first child while he was away. She told him that she could make it on her own, but this was a milestone Bill just didn't want to miss. So he surprised everyone and stayed home. Bill greeted his infant son, Frank, into the world on August 1, 1924. Though he always wondered what might have been, he said he never regretted his decision.

Well, he poured his life into that little lad and shared with him a love for the rapids. Twenty-four years passed, and the Olympic Games were held in Helsinki, Finland. This time Frank Havens was chosen to compete in the canoeing event. The day after the competition, Bill received a telegram from his son that read:

"Dear Dad, Thanks for waiting around for me to be born in 1924. I'm coming home with the gold medal that you should have won." It was signed, "Your loving son, Frank."

Many would question Bill Haven's decision to miss his big opportunity in Paris, but he never wavered. He wanted his family to know that they always came first, no matter what. And that made him a hero to a little boy named Frank.

-- Dr. James Dobson, Coming Home, Timeless Wisdom for Families, (Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton; 1998), pp. 140-141

Some churches have the Lectionary which gives an Old Testament Scripture, the Gospels, and other passages that can be read or preached from. This can make planning easier when it comes to special occasions like Father’s Day, and Mother’s Day. This morning, I’m going to preach from a passage that I never dreamt that I would use as a Father’s Day message.

It’s easier to preach from Ephesians 6.

Ephesians 6:1 NIV

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

or maybe the prodigal son that came back to his father, and how God is that loving Father waiting for His children to come back that have wondered away.

What about people like Abraham’s great faith when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac.

This morning, we’re going to look at a father who was at his wits end, and how he brought his son to Jesus.

In the verses leading up to our story, Jesus had taken Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain. While they were there, Jesus was transfigured before them. Jesus’ clothes became whiter than any whit they had ever seen before, and Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus.

Peter obviously knew that this was an important meeting, so he suggested that they build three shelters, one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for Jesus.

Then they heard a voice coming from a cloud that said, “This is My Son who I love, listen to Him.”

This must have been terrifying, so when they looked up, the only person they saw was Jesus, and He told them not to tell anyone until after He had risen from the dead.

This brings us to our Scripture. I’m sure the three were still trying to figure out what had just happened as they are coming down the mountain. As they walked they asked questions and pondered what Jesus had said...

Let’s come into the story as it unfolds.

Mark 9:14–29 NLT

14 When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. 16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked. 17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” 19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” 26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” 29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.”

This morning, we aren’t going to look verse by verse, but we’re going to zoom in and look at

A Desperate Father

In our story today, as Jesus comes up to the crowd, He hears arguing, and wonders what the commotion is that’s going on.

A father speaks up.

Mark 9:17–18 NLT

17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

Do you hear the desperation? Do you sense the anguish of this father that felt so helpless. Where could he turn to? How could he find help?

He had heard about this teacher named Jesus. They say that He has power to heal the sick. He can cast out demons. Maybe He could do something for my son, I just don’t know what else I can do.

Maybe you’re a parent, and you have or have had a child that needed desperate help. Everything just seems so hopeless. It could be their health. It might be that they need Jesus. They may have addictions that are destroying them. They have been to doctors and treatment centres and it seems hopeless.

This father didn’t know what else he could do so he came to Jesus. When he gets there and starts talking to his disciples, they start praying and trying to cast out the evil spirit from the boy, but nothing changes.

I wonder what thoughts were rushing through this man’s mind. Did his heart sink?

Maybe you have been going through something for a long time, maybe you have been praying for your family for a long time, and nothing seems to change. You have been to the altar more times than you would care to admit, and nothing seems to change.

This man was hanging on to a thread of faith. After Jesus had scolded the people for their lack of faith, He says,

“Bring the boy to Me.”

The seizures that this boy was going through were a satanic attack against the very life of the child.

The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy… The demon was trying to burn him with fire and even drown him.

When you have come to the end of yourself, when you have come to the end of your resources, and there just doesn’t seem to be any hope. Don’t give up! Bring what you are carrying to the Lord.

AS the man brings his son to Jesus, the demon starts manifesting.

Mark 9:20 NLT

20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

The demon didn’t want to lose control. It was going to fight to do whatever it could to keep control of this boy.

I want you to notice what Jesus did. So often we can try to be fixers and when we see something going wrong, we try to intervene. We want the problem fixed right away. We like to be comfortable, and when we see a commotion, we have to stop it.

Jesus wants to know the details...

This boy is convulsing on the ground, and is obviously starting to draw a crowd, but Jesus asks the father the details.

“How long has he been doing this?”

So the father explains. - Since he was a little boy. This evil spirit will throw him into the fire or into water to try to kill him.

“Have mercy on us and help us if you can.”

This dad cared deeply for his son, and I’m sure that he had tried to get him help, but it just seemed hopeless. Nothing else had worked.

Please, HELP IF YOU CAN...

Jesus didn’t look down on this man because of his desperation. God had seen those times that this boy had been thrown into the fire. He had seen when the evil spirit tried to drown the boy, and He sees you when you have cried out to Him and He is compassionate. He is touched with the feelings of your infirmities. He empathizes with you in your weaknesses.

And He says bring the boy to Me. Bring your cares and your burdens to Me, I will carry you.

Jesus can handle the question

If You can?

Mark 9:23 NLT

23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

Maybe this father had been promised that there was help but no help came. Jesus replied, “If I can?”

Anything is possible to the one who believes. With God, all things are possible.

Mark 11:23–24 NIV

23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

We can put our faith in a lot of things, but there is only One who has the ability to answer your prayer. There is only One who can make the impossible, possible. It’s God!

Is there anything too hard for the Lord? Is there any mountain that He cannot move?

The father instantly cried out,

Lord I believe...

But help me overcome my unbelief.

Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. This father believed that Jesus was able, but he struggled with unbelief. It had been so long and he had grown so weary of the fight.

It can happen to us that we can be in the fight and we grow weary.

Galatians 6:9 NKJV

9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Sometimes it seems like the harvest is so far away. We’ve been working hard and we just don’t seem to be getting anywhere. Don’t give up! Don’t lose heart! Don’t lose faith! When you feel weary, hold on to Jesus. He will see you through.

If you feel like doubt is starting to take over, call out to Jesus, “Lord I believe, Help me to overcome my unbelief.”

This father had faith. it might have been small but he had faith.

He said,

Mark 9:22 (NLT)

22 ...Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

Do you want to know something?

Jesus can...

It doesn’t matter how bleak that situation looks. Jesus can… Lazarus was dead for four days. A crowd of 5000 men plus women and children only had five loaves and two fish. A storm was about to swamp the boat where Jesus slept.

Death obeyed Him. The loaves and fish multiplied in front of Him. Even the winds and the waves obeyed Him, and when you call on the name of the Lord your problem must obey Jesus when He says, “Peace, be still!”

As Jesus saw the crowd running towards Him, He took authority over the evil spirit and commanded it to come out of the boy. It shrieked and convulsed. It even caused the boy to look like a corpse.

The crowd even murmured, “He’s dead!”

Then Jesus took the boy by the hand and helped him to his feet. He was free.

John 8:36 NIV

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

There are many parts to this story: the disciples, a boy, the crowd, a desperate father, and Jesus.

Jesus is the key to this story, and He is the key to your story. This father found Jesus and that changed everything. He makes all the difference in our lives.

The disciples were baffled, and the crowd just about got in the way, but Jesus met this man and answered His prayer. What have you been praying for, everything is possible for those who believe.

When the disciples got alone with Jesus, they asked Him why they were unable to do anything.

Here was Jesus remark.

Mark 9:29 NKJV

29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

Some manuscripts don’t include fasting, but I do know that when we are in a spiritual battle, when we fast, something happens.

When we pray, we take the emphasis off of ourselves and ask God for help. No matter the situation, but especially in impossible situations, we need to ask God to move because He can do above what we can ask or think according to His power that works in us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

Let’s pray!