Overcome By My Circumstances

JANUARY 24, 2021 OVERCOME BY MY CIRCUMSTANCES Introduction: Well, I can't express how excited I am in welcoming those of you who are able to join us in person on our campus at Antioch as well as those of you who are joining us through LEC Online. Today is a good day and I'm excited to open God's Word with you. We are in the middle of a series we are calling OVERWHELMED and looking deeply at the outcomes we are all experiencing as a result of this past year and life in general. In week one, we looked at what we learn about ourselves in our "worst moments"-that we overestimate our strength, our willpower and how tired we are and we underestimate prayer as a gift when we get overwhelmed. Last week we talked about our lack of peace and how stillness is important to achieving peace in our lives. Today, I want to talk about moments when life's circumstances can overwhelm us and how we must learn to cope. Let's take a look at a story found in Mark 9. (Mark 9:14-29) Now when they came down the mountain to the other nine disciples, they noticed a large crowd of people gathered around them, with the religious scholars arguing with them. The crowd was astonished to see Jesus himself walking toward them, so they immediately ran to welcome him. What are you arguing about with the religious scholars? he asked them. A man spoke up out of the crowd. "Teacher," he said, I have a son possessed by a demon that makes him mute. I brought him here to you, Jesus. Whenever the demon takes control of him, it knocks him down, and he foams at the mouth and gnashes his teeth, and his body becomes stiff as a board. I brought him to your disciples, hoping they could deliver him, but they were not strong enough. Jesus said to the crowd, Why are you such a faithless people? How much longer must I remain with you and put up with your unbelief? Now, bring the boy to me. So they brought him to Jesus. As soon as the demon saw him, it threw the boy into convulsions. He fell to the ground, rolling around and foaming at the mouth. Jesus turned to the father and asked, How long has your son been tormented like this? Since childhood, he replied. It tries over and over to kill him by throwing him into fire or water. But please, if you're able to do something, anything-have compassion on us and help us! Jesus said to him, What do you mean 'if'? If you are able to believe, all things are possible to the believer. When he heard this, the boy's father cried out with tears, saying, "I do believe, Lord; help my little faith (I'm overwhelmed by my present circumstances)! Now when Jesus saw that the crowd was quickly growing larger, he commanded the demon, saying, Deaf and mute spirit, I command you to come out of him and never enter him again! The demon shrieked and threw the boy into terrible seizures and finally came out of him! As the boy lay there, looking like a corpse, everyone thought he was dead. But Jesus stooped down, gently took his hand, and raised him up to his feet, and he stood there completely set free! Afterwards, when Jesus arrived at the house, his disciples asked him in private, Why couldn't we cast out the demon? He answered them, This type of powerful spirit can only be cast out by fasting and prayer. I realize I'm speaking today to people who love God, who walk with God-but who find themselves at times in situations that have potential to completely overwhelm you and while it's different for everyone, here are some examples: * The caregiving for an ailing parent or loved one. * The suffering of never ending treatments, doctor's visits, blood draws, etc. * The child who can't seem to overcome their addiction * The rebellion of children who, despite our prayers and best efforts, seem to be slipping away spiritually and emotionally. * The financial challenges of bills that don't get paid and the uncertainty of where the economy is going. * The feelings of guilt and discouragement over unresolved issues that continue to drag you down. Today's message is for you and there is hope in God's Word. (Matthew 11:28-30) Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light. Perhaps you feel at times like this father who seeks out Jesus in the desperation of a situation that has become BIGGER than he is! What we have in this story is... A FATHER DESPERATE FOR HELP * What does it mean to be desperate-have you ever been desperate for a meal, a miracle, something or someone to help share the enormous burden you are under? o He needs more than money for a car payment o He has a child being tormented by the devil-trying to destroy him. o In this case, it's physical... for you it may be different-the enemy may be trying to steal your child through rebellion, drugs, lifestyle,--at some point it just becomes more than you can bear! * You get the impression this has been a journey of many days-lasting the whole life of the child. (v.21-22) 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. How long has this been happening? Jesus asked the boy's father. He replied, Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. o The child cannot be left alone o There is an unexplainable weariness in the caregiving for another person * He's tried everything-and brought him to the disciples but they could not help him. * It's unnerving to consider the times that people came into our midst and we were spiritually not prepared to meet the challenges they faced! A GOD WITH POWER WILLING AND ABLE TO HELP * It is not clear if he fully appreciated who Jesus was. * Perhaps through the testimony of another, he wondered if Jesus could be someone who might help him? (v.22) But please, if you're able to do something, anything-have compassion on us and help us! Well, if you stop and go back through the chapters before/had our father known what we know... Mark 1-He heals Peter's mother in law and others (v.34) --So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak. (v.40-42)--A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. "If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean," he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. Mark 2-Jesus heals the paralyzed man brought by his friends (v.10-12)--Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!" And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, "We've never seen anything like this before!" Mark 3-Jesus heals a man with a deformed hand (v.5)-- Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! Mark 4-Jesus calms the storm from the boat (v.39)-- Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. Mark 5-Jesus heals a demon possessed man, a Jewish ruler's daughter and a woman with the issue of blood Mark 6-Jesus feeds 5000 with a boy's lunch and walks on the water Mark 7-Jesus heals a little girl possessed by a demon and a deaf man Mark 8-Jesus feeds 4,000 and heals a blind man (v.25)-- Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. * There isn't anything that Jesus cannot do for you-if you believe! o Faith is the trigger but you don't get to decide what God does. o Our faith is not in our capacity to believe but in the God who promised to supply all our needs You are talking about a God... * who has all power in heaven and earth * who heals sick bodies * who brings to life dead things * who restores broken relationships, marriages, families He can do ANYTHING! Some Promises Worth Remembering * Consider that the father has been battling this for the entire life of his son-so you can understand his plea o Some of you have been struggling under a condition, a relationship, an environment for years hoping, praying that one day it will change. o You've prayed the father's prayer... (v.22)--Have mercy on us and help us if you can. o Perhaps you can relate-I can. o There are times when I tell God I don't know what I'm supposed to say or do-I just need you to help me somehow! * When you are smothering under the load of your existing circumstances, What you say is not nearly as important as what you believe! o A man whose wife has just received stage 3 ovarian cancer diagnosis-what am I supposed to do? o A long-time friend has buried a sister and a sister-in-law this year and his stepfather is dying and his aging mother needs his everyday attention. He writes to me, "Honestly, I'm hardly ever OK anymore. It's not that things are so horribly bad, it just seems to be the level I live at most of the time. Nothing in particular, just how life takes and sometimes doesn't give much back in return. No need to worry about me, I have learned to be comfortable with most of it." * There are two promises in this passage (one is obvious and another you have to see it)... (Mark 9:23) What do you mean, If I can? Jesus asked. Anything is possible if a person believes. * What does "anything" mean? o "used to refer to a thing, no matter what." * Doctor says this cancer is terminal-anything! * Bank says we cannot refinance our house to gain margin-anything! * Devil says there's no way for our family to be reconciled-anything! * I just found out my teenager is sexually active-anything! * I found an empty bottle of alcohol under our bed-anything! (Mark 9:28-29) Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, Why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit? Jesus replied, This kind can be cast out only by prayer. * The devil is real and he is at work in this world. (1 Peter 5:8) Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (Revelation 12:12) Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time." o But there is a power greater than the power of the devil and it is energized in us when we pray- * The disciples could not overcome the spirit on the boy because of a lack of prayer * We don't see the miracles we would like because we don't pray * Prayer unlocks power in our church-it's fuel for LEC! * When we pray- o Lost people get saved o Sick people get healed * All this month, we are recommitting ourselves to pray o At some point in every day, there are LEC people engaged in prayer together * We are calling lost sons and daughter to come home * We are believing for dramatic miracles of divine healing * We are standing on every promise God has ever made to us in His Word Conclusion: What is your "ANYTHING" need? It seems to me that our lives are a series of seasons in which we are "in over our heads" and we feel like we are going under-and our feelings are genuine but they don't reflect the reality of God's faithfulness and His promise- in fact, the longer I serve God, the more convinced I am that "in over your head" is exactly where God does His best work in us-when we don't have Plan B-when there is no one else we can turn to but God-our full dependence on God triggers something. When we have exhausted every avenue, every resource and we fall at His feet completely spent-He will say "WATCH THIS!" In those moments, we find: We are often stronger than we think God is more faithful than we imagine There is an anointing of God's presence here now in this room, where you are, you can feel it-God is here!