The Gospel of Mark part 9

How to have Faith in an Impossible Situation

The Gospel of Mark part 9

Happy Veterans day !

If you are a veteran Please stand up, Thank you for serving your country our nation and keeping us safe!

Today we are continuing with our series on the Gospel of Mark ,

We are praying for a greater revelation and deeper understanding as we walk together through the Gospel of Mark.

We are on chapter 9

How to have faith in an impossible situation?

All of us have faced situations that looked impossible for us, from our perspective, until God intervenes, than we are thankful and overwhelmed by His goodness and faithfulness.

As a missionary and as pastor I remember different situations, believing for our next meal, for airline tickets, for visas, for finances for my family and for our students, for our church, for healing for myself and others, for permits for construction, many of these situations looked impossible in my eyes,

what about you, do you remember one of these situations?

The important lesson we need to remember is, for us there are impossible things, we are limited in many ways, but for our God there is nothing impossible, putting your free will aside. No one can take you to heaven if you don’t want go.

Last week we were in chapter 8 an important chapter where we see the narrative of Mark taking a turn

if we divide the gospel of Mark in 3 acts we see this

The first act is set in Galilee, the second act is Jesus traveling, and the third takes place in Jerusalem. Each act focuses on a repeated theme.

In Act 1 (chs. 1-8), everyone is amazed and wondering who Jesus is. In Act 2 (chs. 8-10), the disciples struggle to understand what it means for Jesus to be the Messiah. 3 chapt 11-16 in Jerusalem, the triumphal entry till his death resurrection.

Let’s pray

1 Recognize who Jesus is.

Know that Jesus is the beloved son and He has all the power and authority

Mar 9:1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

There are some standing here

They are going to see the kingdom of God in power, all those standing at that time died, Was Jesus talking about his second coming or the experience of Peter James and John six days after?

The Transfiguration

Mar 9:2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,

Mar 9:3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.

Like lightening white

Mat 17:2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

They were seeing a foretaste of what is to come

I believe Jesus still allowing us to see His kingdom in power today, as we walk close with Him

Mar 9:4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

How did the disciples knew these men, they didn’t have pictures or Facebook, this was 900 years later, it was because they were looking into the kingdom with power so they knew that. In the kingdom you will know everybody by name.

They were talking about current things with Jesus

Evidence of life beyond this life beyond the grave, all who died in faith and those who were caught up

Mar 9:5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

Mar 9:6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.

Mar 9:7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

The cloud had an great significance in the Jewish mind, God’s majesty and heavenly glory, God spoke to Moses from a cloud.

Mar 9:8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

What was the significance of all of that,

Moses the law giver, Elijah the greatest of the prophets, Jesus now is their successor , after that they began to understand who Jesus was.

Not the one they were trying to make him to be, the king who would over throw Rome and restore Israel, but a suffering King who came to save the world.

Mar 9:9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Mar 9:10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.

Mar 9:11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”

Mar 9:12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

Mar 9:13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

2 Repent and Renounce unbelief.

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

Mar 9:14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.

Mar 9:15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him.

Mar 9:16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”

Mar 9:17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute.

Mar 9:18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”

Mar 9:19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”

In Greek Apistos disbelieving generation,

Mar 9:20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.

Mar 9:21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.

Mar 9:22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Mar 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

Mar 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Unbelief is a sin and a very infectious sin, destroys faith, keeps us from receiving anything from the Lord.

James says this way

Jas 1:6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Jas 1:7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Jas 1:8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

A double minded person is a person in great confusion, they believe in what God said, but they choose not to believe and they keep going back and forth.

They may call you a skeptic

Heb 3:12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

Heb 3:13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Everyone struggles with some level of unbelief, more unbelief we have more unstable we are. Is a fight we all have, doesn’t matter how confident you are.

If you can’t control your thoughts from going into a dark path, where you are choosing to believe what the enemy says rather than the word of God, you will become unstable.

And don’t expect to receive anything from the Lord.

How do we stop that?

3 steps

1)Repent

Like any other sin, repent, just say Lord forgive me for my unbelief,

2)Reject the lie the sin

a) What is the lie you are believing, repent from rejecting what is true, and embracing a lie. I’m believing that you are going to let me down and not provide for my needs, forgive me Lord.

b) Very often when we don’t see a prayer answered we blame ourselves, some self pity, I’m a failure,

c) Others blame God, he doesn’t love me enough, he will do for others but not for me.

God failed me, he just let me down again, I can’t trust Him.

Renounce the lies of the enemy

3) Receive His forgiveness

Mar 9:25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

Mar 9:26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.”

Mar 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

Mar 9:28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

3 Prayer

Mar 9:29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

What we can learn from the disciples here?

What do you do when your prayers doesn’t work ?

This was a demonic possession this boy was mute and deaf and the demon would do things to destroy him.

The disciples already had authority to cast out demons but this time didn’t work.

Mar 6:7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

Mar 6:12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.

Mar 6:13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

The disciples had been casting out demons since Jesus sent them out

The disciples asked Jesus, how come we couldn’t do it ?

And Jesus answered them, is through prayer.

Some how our prayers will build up the faith and authority we need in the Spirit to be able to cast out this kind of demon, they didn’t blame themselves.

How to have faith in an impossible situation?

Recognize who Jesus is

Repent and renounce unbelief

Prayer

Have you made Jesus the Lord of our life?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Joh 3:16 To receive Jesus we need to accept Him as God’s son,

we need to repent from our sins and a life of selfishness,

ask Him to be your Lord and savior, not that we deserve it, but is a gift from God.

If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me? Heavenly Father I’m sinner, I’m sorry for my sins, I’m willing to turn away from my sins. I receive Christ as my savior, I confess Him as Lord And from this moment on, I want to follow and serve Him, in the fellowship of His church, In Jesus name, Amen!

1Co 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;

1Co 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke itand said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

1Co 11:25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

1Co 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks thiscup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

Heb 9:14 dead works, acts, sins

E mau aku ka loko maika’i o ka Haku, Iesu Kristo; me ke aloha a ke Akua, a me ka launa pu ‘ana mai o ka Uhane Hemolele ia ‘olua, a me makou apau. Amene.