Sermon Tone Analysis

Opening Remarks

Crowded in church - if we had the eyes to see everyone’s burden/cross, you’d be amazed we fit in here at all.

Good to be in the pulpit, heartfelt thanks to Paul and Sherri for keeping it going while I recovered

I’ll try to be brief if you all help me preach

Opening Scripture

How do you make sense of that statement - “I believe, help thou mine unbelief”.

Did he believe or not?

Pastor Mike Paraphrase - “I wanna believe.

It makes sense in my head, but there’s so much fear and doubt in my heart.

People way smarter than me say you’re just a fake.

People all around have failed me - doctors, rabbis, your own disciples couldn’t even do anything for us.

I’m hurting, my hope is gone, and I’m scared that when you’re done and we leave here that we’re going to see another fire and the spirit is going to throw my boy into it again, or the next river we cross it’ll finally succeed at drowning him.

So can you help me, even though I’m broken, even though my faith is imperfect?”

God is big enough to handle your doubt/anger/resentment.

You’re not going to scare him away with your honesty about your doubts.

He already knows them.

He’s not going to reject you because of feelings that he shares - you’re made in his image.

Bible says to be angry and sin not.

Jesus himself got mad at situations and circumstances.

He despaired and cried out to God.

There’s nothing you can throw at him that he isn’t able to handle.

So despite the man’s doubts, Jesus answers the father’s request.

He delivers the boy from his possession.

So why don’t we see miracles like this today?

Think about the sort of things Jesus does in Scripture:

He opens blinded eyes

He casts out spirits

He casts out spirits

He heals cripples paralyzed since birth

He restores hearing to deaf ears

He regrows an entire ear that was cut off of a man

He cures internal illnesses that no doctor could help with

He raises the dead back to life

He heals lepers - a disease that was considered a death sentence

He calms storms with a word

He feeds 5000 with a boy’s lunch

And on, and on, and on...

Maybe you’re thinking “That’s Jesus, and he’s not here in the flesh anymore”.

And you’re absolutely right, but what about his disciples?

Normal human beings like you and me who devoted their lives to him, performing many of the same miracles: healings, deliverances, supernatural protections, even raising the dead!

People try to come up with all sorts of explanations for why we don’t see these miracles anymore: The early disciples were special.

It was for establishing the new church.

It was a sign to the Jews.

We lack the faith these days.

For a long time I would’ve agreed with that last one myself.

But think about what we just read.

The man’s faith was not great.

He admits to having doubts, he even tells Jesus “IF you can help us, please do something”.

He’s at the point where he’s questioning whether Jesus even has the ability to do it!

This is not an example of what we would consider strong faith.

And if we’re being honest I suspect every one of us is closer to that level of faith than we’re willing to admit.

But we won’t admit it, will we?

We’re taught to not show any weakness.

To always be the best, the strongest, strive for perfection.

Don’t show weakness.

I see my kids and everything is a contest to them.

I tell them to head upstairs, it’s immediately a race to the top.

We go to eat, and it’s a competition who can complete the little games on their placemat first.

Everything is a challenge to prove you’re the best and greatest.

And so we’re trapped in this cycle - we portray this image of perfect faith, when inside we’re like this father, wondering not only if God will do it, but if he even can.

And then it doesn’t happen, and we scramble for some excuse that sounds good, all the while wondering if our secret lack of faith was the reason for the unanswered prayer.

I’m here to tell you that God is not stopped by your doubts.

He is not going to be restrained by the questions and insecurities bouncing around in your head.

The answer to why we do not see these miracles today is not a lack of faith!

Think about some of the great prophets in the Bible.

Moses was haunted by fear and doubt because of his previous failures, and God used him.

Gideon had so much self doubt that even *after* an angel appears to him, he has to test God not once but twice just to confirm there’s not some mistake!

And Elijah was so worried about whether God heard his prayer and would answer that he kept sending his servant running to the top of the mountain over and over and over again just hoping for the sight of a single cloud.

Their doubt, and imperfect faith did not stop God from using them mightily, and displaying his power through him.

So what then is it we lack today?

I’ll tell you, it’s determination.

It’s desire.

It’s desperation.

Just about every miracle performed by Jesus began with a person who’s need was so great that they wouldn’t take no for an answer.

They fought through crowds, they pushed past skeptics, they tore roofs off buildings, they climbed trees, they screamed and shouted to get his attention even as people tried to shut them up.

They did whatever they had to in order to get what they needed from the master.

They were desperate for a miracle because they had no other answer.

Elisha’s double portion