When Faith Falters, God Previals
The Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction:
Introduction:
This morning passage introduces us to the desperation of human need and the disciples’ failure which contrasts sharply with the glory of the transfiguration. What is revealed shows us the reality of living in the world in the absence of Jesus.
The disciples from whom help should be expected were powerless.
7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.
In our passage this morning verses 28–29 are the key to understand this incident.
In Jesus’ absence they must live and work by faith in God, expressed through prayer. Because this is an extended account in contrast with Matt. and Luke this suggests once again this Gospel account comes from Peter, an eyewitness of all of this.
vv. 14–18) Lacking Power:
vv. 14–18) Lacking Power:
[14-15] When Jesus and the three disciples returned to the other nine disciples, they saw a large crowd gathered around the nine and the scribes were arguing with them.
The crowds saw Jesus and were greatly amazed and ran to greet Him. Their astonishment was not due to some afterglow from the transfiguration but to the unexpected yet opportune presence of Jesus in their midst.
From the context, it is reasonable to assume that these scribes were criticizing the disciples, who did not go see Jesus transfigured, for their inability to help the demon-possessed boy. It is much easier to criticizes your enemy then it is to help them out.
I wonder why these scribes, instead of further embarrassing the disciples before the crowd, did not set about exorcising the demon themselves, as proof of their religious superiority?
[42] Now the sagacity and wisdom which God had bestowed on Solomon was so great, that he exceeded the ancients; insomuch that he was no way inferior to the Egyptians, who are said to have been beyond all men in understanding; nay, indeed, it is evident that their sagacity was very much inferior to that of the king's. He also excelled and distinguished himself in wisdom above those who were most eminent among the Hebrews at that time for shrewdness; those I mean were Ethan, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. He also composed books of odes and songs a thousand and five, of parables and similitudes three thousand; for he spake a parable upon every sort of tree, from the hyssop to the cedar; and in like manner also about beasts, about all sorts of living creatures, whether upon the earth, or in the seas, or in the air; for he was not unacquainted with any of their natures, nor omitted inquiries about them, but described them all like a philosopher, and demonstrated his exquisite knowledge of their several properties. God also enabled him to learn that skill which expels demons, 1 which is a science useful and sanative to men. He composed such incantations also by which distempers are alleviated. And he left behind him the manner of using exorcisms, by which they drive away demons, so that they never return; and this method of cure is of great force unto this day; for I have seen a certain man of my own country, whose name was Eleazar, releasing people that were demoniacal in the presence of Vespasian, and his sons, and his captains, and the whole multitude of his soldiers. The manner of the cure was this: He put a ring that had a Foot of one of those sorts mentioned by Solomon to the nostrils of the demoniac, after which he drew out the demon through his nostrils; and when the man fell down immediately, he abjured him to return into him no more, making still mention of Solomon, and reciting the incantations which he composed. And when Eleazar would persuade and demonstrate to the spectators that he had such a power, he set a little way off a cup or basin full of water, and commanded the demon, as he went out of the man, to overturn it, and thereby to let the spectators know that he had left the man; and when this was done, the skill and wisdom of Solomon was shown very manifestly: for which reason it is, that all men may know the vastness of Solomon's abilities, and how he was beloved of God, and that the extraordinary virtues of every kind with which this king was endowed may not be unknown to any people under the sun for this reason, I say, it is that we have proceeded to speak so largely of these matters.This kind of conflict was exactly what Peter wanted to avoid by staying up on the mountain. But it couldn’t be that way. They simply had to come down off the mountain and deal with what they found.
Think about it for a moment, there have been numerous times throughout this Gospel, Jesus and His disciples were trying to get a retreat only to be interrupted. Now 4 of them get a chance to get away and the transfiguration took place… then they have to come back down to find: disputing scribes, a distracted father, a demon-possessed boy, and defeated disciples.
Jesus being the true Messiah would: silence the scribes, comfort the father, heal the boy, and instructed the disciples through the whole process.
As some disciples struggled with Jesus’ purpose on the mountain, these struggled with His power in the valley.
Psalm 23 (NKJV)
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
In the eyes of contemporary Jewish exorcists, this was a particularly difficult—if not impossible—demon to cast out. This was because they believed that you had to learn the demon’s name before you could cast it out, and if a demon made someone mute, you could never learn its name.
The boy displayed signs that many today would chalk it up to being epilepsy; “wherever it seized him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid,” but Jesus perceived it was caused by a demonic possession. I believe some of whom we diagnose as physically or mentally ill today are actually demon possessed.
This particular case of demon possession was too much for the disciples, though Jesus had given them authority over unclean spirits:
7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.
This means, apparently there are some demons that are stronger—that is, more stubborn or intimidating than others. Scripture seems to describe different ranks of demonic beings, and it isn’t a stretch to think that some ranks might be more powerful than others are.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Family:
Mere association with Jesus doesn’t guarantee access to His power.
11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. 19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
Pretending to associate yourself with Christ, doesn’t mean you apart of the group. There are those who believe simply by naming Christ, they are a part of the group like the sons of Sceva:
[Example of Josh in High School]
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Asking in Jesus’ name is not some secret chant that gets you whatever your hearts desire is.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
There are too many men and women who know enough, just to be dangerous, yet are not apart of the family of God.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Jesus warns against people who falsely profess to acknowledge Him as Savior, but have never been converted. The first step in doing the will of God is to believe on the Lord Jesus.
Our failures not only damage our reputations but they can also tarnish other’s perception of Christ.
Family we have to be very careful how we live our lives. When Christ saves and we become apart of God’s family, we actually become ambassadors of Christ.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
We represent Christ to the world. Meaning how we act influences how others will perceive Christ. To many are unconcerned about tarnishing Christ’s name to the world…
[silent or vocal]
All I can say is shame on you…
Repent and live rightly before God.
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
vv. 19–27) Struggling Faith:
vv. 19–27) Struggling Faith:
[19] When Jesus describes a faithless generation, He might be referring to the contentious scribes, the desperate father, or even the unsuccessful disciples.
Jesus is addressing them all with deep emotion (3:5; 8:12). He is emphasizing the characteristic cause of all spiritual failure—lack of faith in God (9:23; 10:27).
The scribes did not believe that Jesus was sent by the Father.
The father did not believe there was hope for his son.
The disciples failed to do what Jesus gave them power to accomplish.
Family we too can stop trusting Jesus. And be accounted as one of these.
Our lack of faith robs us of seeing Jesus work miraculously in our lives.
Perhaps the Lord wants to do a work in your family and you lack the faith required to see it happen?
58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Praise God! His work is not contingent on us. The thing is though, we can lose out on partnering with Him. losing the rewards given to those who faithfully trust Him.
In spite of all the unbelief Jesus intended to act with power where they had failed, so He commanded, bring the boy to Me.
[20] When Jesus came near, the demon inside the boy knows his time was short, and he wanted to do as much damage as he could before he left.
[3 Year Old Steven]
[21–22] This father’s reply to Jesus’ compassionate inquiry, he told Jesus his son had experienced such pathetic and near-fatal convulsion from childhood.
The boy’s condition was long-standing and critical.
Three horrible words that you should never say to Jesus: “if you can.”
This father seemed so unsure if Jesus could do anything. These words, “if you can” indicate the disciples’ inability to expel the demon had shaken the father’s faith in Jesus’ ability.
Jesus took up the father’s words of doubt, if you can, to show that the point was not His ability to heal the boy but the father’s ability to trust in God who can do what is humanly impossible.
Jesus then issues a challenge to the father not to doubt: Everything is possible for him who believes. Faith sets no limits on God’s power and submits itself to His will:
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
The father’s response was immediate. He declared his faith, “Lord, I believe.” He did believe in Jesus’ power to deliver his boy—after all, why else would he have come to Jesus? but also acknowledged his faith’s weakness, “help my unbelief.” So, he tearfully pleaded with Jesus.
In this cause, the man’s unbelief was not a rebellion against or a rejection of God’s promise. He did not deny God’s promise; he desired it. However, it just seemed too good to be true.
Help my unbelief is something a man can only say by faith
“While men have no faith, they are unconscious of their unbelief; but, as soon as they get a little faith, then they begin to be conscious of the greatness of their unbelief.”–Spurgeon
This brings out an essential element of Christian faith—it is possible only with the help of the One who is its Object.
When we trust God as true and all His promises as true, all things He promises are possible.
What this tells me is that:
Even when your faith is underdeveloped, don’t allow it to be misdirected.
[25–27] Jesus had no difficulty whatsoever in dealing with this turd. Even though there was a terrible display, the demon had to obey.
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
It is only a matter of time. Bend your knee this side of eternity before it is too late.
vv. 28–29) Neglecting Prayer:
vv. 28–29) Neglecting Prayer:
[28] I love the disciples willingness here to learn and grow. There are three lessons we can learn from the disciples here.
#1Don’t neglect to seek from Jesus how you can learn from your spiritual failures.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Jesus revealed to them the reason for their weakness: it was due to a lack of prayer and fasting.
What if you are spiritual weak because you lack prayer and fasting?
#2 We will always lose spiritual battles if we rest on previous accomplishments or personal abilities.
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Family it is very important to understand that it isn’t prayer and fasting that makes us more worthy to cast out demons. It is the fact that prayer and fasting draws us closer to the heart of God, and both prayer and fasting sets us more in line with His power.
#3 Depending on God through prayer reminds us that we are not in control.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Prayer and fasting demonstrate a total dependence on Him.
As we mentioned, Jesus have them the authority to cast out demons (3:14–15).
“The authority that Jesus had given them was effective only if exercised by faith, but faith must be cultivated through spiritual discipline and devotion.”–Wiersbe
As we close this morning let this bake your noodle:
Total dependence on God is the remedy for many spiritual problems. To be disappointed in yourself is to have trusted in yourself to begin with.
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.