Keep It Simple

Bible Passage: Mark 9:14-29

INTRO

“Soma Church exists to love the body of Christ and equip them to do the work of ministry here, near and far, all for the glory of God.”

Way back in the year 1999 the STL Cardinals debuted a pitcher who had all the hype you could imagine surrounding him. His name is Rick Ankiel

There was good reason for this. He threw hard, had great off speed and just knew how to compete.

He was so good that in his first full season in the year 2000 he finished second in the ROY voting which is impressive for a player that only played every 5th day.

But this all changed the very next season when Ankiel could no longer throw strikes

He fell victim to what is known in the baseball world as “The yips.”

It is simply a mental block that messes with your ability to throw the ball.

So after 175 innings pitched and a near rookie of the year finish the season prior, Ankiel’s MLB pitching career ended a season later after just 24 innings.

Somewhere along the way He had taken something very fundamental and simple to the game of baseball (throwing the ball) and made it nearly impossible.

I wonder how many times we do the same thing in our life? Specifically in our daily following of Jesus.

We overcomplicate the things that God has told us and psych ourselves out of peace, freedom and the miraculous.

I wanna challenge all of us today to allow the words of Jesus to remind us of just how simple and easy Jesus intends for this life with Him to be.

BODY

We last saw Jesus coming down off of a mountain with tree of His disciples (Peter, James and John).

On this mountain he was transfigured and showed these men His glory. We looked a couple weeks ago at the conversation they were having on the way back down.

While they have been away, Jesus has left His 9 other disciples to continue doing ministry…

Mark 9:14–18 ESV

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 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.”

So Jesus is given no time at all to breathe after what was likely a decent hike down this mountain before being bombarded by yet another crowd and 9 of His disciples who are exasperated and being challenged by haters of Jesus.

We find out that all the commotion is a result of the disciples inability to cast out an evil spirit from a man’s son (we will see why later)

This is a perfect moment for the scribes who hate Jesus to challenge the credibility of their

Mark 9:19 ESV

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.”

Jesus’ frustration is likely centered around the fact that their have been clear evidence of the Kingdom of God breaking into the world after the announcement thereof. Though it was clear and plain that Hs Kingdom was at hand, people failed to see it. And more specifically His disciples

Mark 9:20–22 ESV

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

Just the sight of Jesus makes this demon freak out and do His worst to this boy because it knows it is it’s last chance to do so.

I’d like to stop for a moment here though.

What do you notice about the description of the dad in regards to what this demon makes the boy do?

It goes to great lengths to tear down, degrade, mutilate, deform, devalue a person who is made in the image of God

If you remember back earlier in Mark when Jesus healed the man at Gennesaret, this man was out of his mind, cutting himself, living amongst the tombs and howling like an animal.

The tactic of an enemy who cannot win is only to cause chaos.

This is why we ought not dabble with things that are demonic.

And it is also important for us to know that this is what our sin does to us.

Just to give some examples…

Gluttony prevents our bodies from being healthy and makes us dependent upon something other than God

Substances make us sick and destroy parts of us that help us to function. They also impair our judgement which in turn gets people hurt.

Porn/lust distorts our mental image of people and sex which are both good and beautiful creations of God.

Slander and gossip tear down a person’s sense of self worth

I am not saying that if you struggle with any of these things that you are possessed by a demon but I just desire to make us aware of how the enemy is coming after you.

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…

I think it is important to remember that when you are tempted to sin, the only tactic of the enemy is to destroy you.

But Jesus has a different plan.

Mark 9:22–25 ESV

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.” And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 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.”

This father desperately pleas with Jesus to heal his son saying “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

And Jesus reply’s with an emphatic statement. Almost a question.

The question is not if I can but if you believe.

Nothing crazy, no pay to play, not IOU’s just believe and let Jesus work.

And this man go’s fully into the simplicity of faith in Jesus.

I believe but help my unbelief. “Jesus, I trust you but help me trust you more.”

Mark 9:26–29 ESV

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.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

And here we see that the disciples haven’t yet leaned into the simplicity of life in the Kingdom of God. Their faith was not yet what it needed to be to do this miraculous thing.

CLOSING

Some of you here today have made your walk with God so so complicated that you couldn’t hear God if He was yelling in your ear right next to you.

You’re adding all of these things into your spiritual life motivated by fear, guilt or shame rather than belief. All that does it make it harder to believe.

Some of you have demons, sin and struggles of your own and you are doing everything in your power to make it right and it isn’t working

Key word there… Your power.

What you need to do is say God I trust you in _____ but help me trust you more and then watch Him work.

Some of you have been fighting with God knowing that you belong with Him and it is time for you to bring Him even the littlest of faith that you have and just say Jesus, I trust you.

Don’t give yourself the spiritual yips by trying to do everything right or have all the answers.

Just start today with “Jesus, I trust you. Help me to trust you more.” and then let Him work in your life.

PRAY