Mark 9 - What to do when things go wrong.
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Big Idea:
Big Idea:
When things go wrong, look for Jesus.
Intro:
Intro:
Good morning Church Online family...
This week, I experienced something difficult that had me thinking about my life story. Like how I’m naturally an introvert (anyone who’s hung out with me outside of Sunday knows this). And how growing up, I was raised by a single mom who moved us around a lot because we didn’t have a lot of money and lived wherever we could afford. Which - for an introverted kid - made making friends very difficult.
Also, another thing about myself is I don’t struggle (at least I don’t think I do) being honest about myself. I realize I’m not anything to write home about...
I’m not tall, but I’m not short.
I’m not strong, but I’m not weak.
I’m not funny, but I’m not boring either.
Athletically, I’m not super talented, but I can play almost any sport well.
Even as a pastor, I’m not attractional (meaning, I know no one is choosing The River Church because I’m super charismatic or super smart or any of those things…)
Honestly… as a human, I’m just “meh.” I’m a solid 5/10, maybe a 6 on a good day. Right in the middle. Btw, I also have the spiritual gift of self-deprecation (I am talented at making fun of myself).
And many times this reality has translated into me being - what’s called - the underdog, for most of my life. I think I’ve preached on this, or at least mentioned it, before...
When I went to a new school, I was often picked last during recess.
When I apply for a job, I have to start at the bottom because my resume doesn’t look great.
Again, even at church, people don’t typically look at me and say, “That guy’s got it! God’s going to do something powerful thru him!”
Yet...
By the end of the school year, I wasn’t picked first, but I might be next.
Every job I’ve ever had resulted in me being promoted to leadership.
And despite very few believing in God’s call on my life in Glastonbury, CT, here we are… almost 6 years later.
It’s the underdog story. The surprise results. The story of overcoming challenges, despite lack of support and unbelief. And most people love the underdog story, right?
Think about Top Gun. Maverick is the underdog pilot no one believed in.
There’s a cool movie on Netflix called, “Home Team.” It’s a fun story of an underdog football team that turned it all around.
Speaking of football, we recently had a movie literally titled, “American Underdog,” which was the Kurt Warner story - a Superbowl Champion who, initially, no one believed in.
But, if I can be real, sometimes I get tired of being the underdog. It gets frustrating. Sure, it can add fuel to the motivational fire, but after proving yourself over and over again, there comes a point where you wonder, “Why does this keep happening? Haven’t I proven myself already? I don’t understand what’s going on here!”
And this week I said to myself (and Janelle), “I don’t understand why things aren’t working out the way I think they should!” And I believe this question summarizes the tension we find in our passage this week in the book of Mark.
We’re currently working our way thru Mark’s gospel, and picking up where we left off last Sunday...
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.
Remember, Peter, James, and John (3 of the disciples) are on a mountain and received divine revelation! They saw Jesus in glory (transfigured) and witnessed Moses and Elijah (two of Israel’s greatest prophets - also glorified) talking to Jesus about His plans to save the world by dying on the cross. And boosted the disciples’ faith! That even when they didn’t understand or like Jesus’ plan, they could confidently trust it, because He is God, and He knows what He’s doing.
So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.
The disciples obeyed Jesus’ command to be silent about their mountaintop experience, and they trusted in His plan to save the world, but it didn’t make sense to them. And it’s not that the concept of resurrection that was confusing, but rather understanding how Jesus - who is the Christ, God in the flesh - could die. How did that work? Or why it was necessary? Which is why they ask...
And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
Basically, the disciples are saying, “Um… Master, we don’t get it. We don’t understand. Things are not happening they way we think they should!”
Because they knew the prophet Malachi said...
“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
And the religious leaders taught that when the Messiah (the Savior) comes - to judge evil and bring God’s Kingdom - Elijah would lead the way by calling people to repentance - to call people to change your ways and get right with God...
And what didn’t make sense for the disciples was...
Peter just declared that Jesus is the Messiah, and the Mount of Transfiguration confirmed it.
And, Jesus openly declared the Kingdom of God is coming!
And, they had just seen Elijah!
So, based on the prophetic timeline, the restoration of all things is next...
So, Jesus, why are you talking about dying?
How does the Messiah dying fit into that plan?
It doesn’t make sense.
It’s not supposed to happen this way.
I don’t understand!
And Jesus answers...
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? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
And, we can rightfully assume the disciples replied, “Huh? I still don’t understand.”
I wonder how many of us can relate to their confusion. How many of us have gone thru this life, even trusting God, trying our best to follow Him, do the right thing, obey the Scriptures, only to have things not happen the way we thought they should. And to be left saying, “I don’t understand what’s going on; why is it happening this way?”
Maybe we feel this way right now? I felt this way this week…
Why am I the underdog again?
Haven’t I proven myself enough?
I don’t understand!
Christian comedian, Tim Hawkins, has this great comedy bit where he talks about “Life before Google.” In the archaic age of when you didn’t know something… but guess what… because you couldn’t Google it… you just kept on not-knowing-something.
And for now, in the likeness of the disciples, we’re gonna keep moving forward in the text not understanding what Jesus is talking about...
Verse 14...
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 and the 3 disciples finally get back down the mountain. They see a large crowd surrounding the rest of the disciples. Jesus walks towards them and the crowd of people fix their attention on Him, “He’s finally here!”
Jesus turns to the scribes (the religious leaders) and asks, “Why are you bothering my disciples? Pick on someone your own size.” Then, a desperate father says, “Jesus, I had come looking for You, so that your could heal my son. But when I couldn’t find You, I asked your disciples to help. They tried, but failed.”
Once again, we’re faced with another confusing situation. It’s confusing because these disciples should’ve been able to help the dad. It wasn’t that ago that...
So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.
They had done it before. But now, it wasn’t working! And they were likely saying, “Why aren’t things working out the way we think they should! Before, we had the power to do everything Jesus did. Now, we don’t have any power!”
And before we move on, I want to point out something...
Did you notice the level of torture the evil spirit inflicts on this young child? Doesn’t that bother you? It reminds me of a realization I had a few years ago: Evil has no ethics.
Did you know Satan is ruthless? He doesn’t abide by a moral code. There are no “rules of engagement” for the devil and his fallen angels. John 10:10 say, “The thief’s (devil’s) purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.” And if he can do that, he will. We see that here! It doesn’t matter if the victim is a child. Evil has no ethics!
And since that’s the case, I wonder, “Why do we often choose evil as entertainment?” Now, what I’m about to share is not meant to be legalistic, meaning “If you were “truly” a Christian, you would live this way.” That stuff annoys me. Because what makes someone truly a Christian is repenting (turning away from your sin) and receiving Jesus by faith. It’s grace, not following rules.
With that clarified, I’m a huge Marvel fan. Grew up reading Marvel Comics. Love the movies and tv series. And remember, naturally… I’m an introvert… so one of my most favorite things to do is go to the movies BY MYSELF! I’m a loser - I know.
But on Tuesday I went and saw the new Dr. Strange (and again, my personal thoughts), but that movie is evil. I kept trying to give it the benefit of the doubt, by it was to the point where I couldn’t watch it anymore. I felt like evil was my entertainment. So, I walked out.
I will not look with approval
on anything that is vile.
I hate what faithless people do;
I will have no part in it.
And I’m not giving you instructions to do anything here. What I will encourage you to do is to listen to the Holy Spirit. And truthfully consider what evil is. And the intentions it has for your life. Remember it is ruthless and seeking to destroy you the same way it was destroying this child.
After hearing about the disciples’ failure, Jesus says...
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.”
I can picture the disciples thinking, “We’re sorry! We have no idea what went wrong! We did the same thing we did last time, but it didn’t work this time. We have no power.”
Have you ever felt that way? Like you’re doing everything right, but there’s no power do what’s right or what God wants? And things aren’t happening the way they’re supposed to?
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.” 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!”
In the original language, there are some phrases difficult to translate. But let me say it this way:
And Jesus told the desperate, “You know how you just said, ‘If you can?’ Let me tell you that “All things can be,” when you put your faith in Me.”
Or… as one Bible scholar put it, “As regards your remark about My ability to help your son, I tell you everything [actually] depends upon your ability to believe, no on Mine to act.”
…and when the father replies, “I believe; help my unbelief!” He’s saying, “I came in the first place fully believing You could help Me, but when Your disciples failed, it impacted my faith! I don’t know why things are happening this way. I don’t know what’s happened to my faith!”
And once again, there’s confusion in our passage. This guy started out with faith to trust Jesus for healing, but after facing difficult circumstances, his faith is now failing. And now he belongs to the group Jesus calls “faithless.”
Have you belonged to this group before (maybe right now)? Where you know you don’t have the faith you should - the faith you need - especially when things aren’t happening the way you think they should?
Can you relate to our passage? In this life, do you ever feel like...
You don’t understand and so you’re confused?
You don’t have the power you need and feel like a failure?
You don’t have enough faith and need help?
… and if you can relate, check out the rest of this passage...
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.” 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.
Can I just say, “Anyone Jesus lifts up will truly live, no matter what anyone else says, amen?”
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.”
Despite the disciples’ failure and the father’s weak faith, Jesus still miraculously heals the boy. And the Kingdom of God comes. But I want us to focus in on what Jesus says here at the end when the disciples asked what went wrong… why things weren’t happening they way they thought they should...
He says, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” And what is prayer. In a way, it’s “utter dependence on the saving power of God - and nothing else.” It’s reminder, “Hey, in this life - YOU NEED JESUS!!!” Like, this life DOES NOT WORK WITHOUT HIM. I believe that’s the main point of the passage...
And connecting this story with last week’s (the Mount of Transfiguration) we get this biblical truth: We need the mountaintops to remind us who Jesus is, but the valleys remind us how desperately we need Him!
And that’s the revelation and reminder the disciples receive as they come down the mountain and into the valley… They are reminded they ABSOLUTELY AND DESPERATELY NEED JESUS TO SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME IN THEIR LIVES. And what I love about God’s word is it doesn’t just give us reminders, but responses on how to live rightly.
Let’s quickly go back through this story to see how to respond when things go wrong in our lives...
Remember when the disciples were confused about why Jesus needed to die, and how it didn’t fit with the prophecies about Elijah and the Kingdom of God? What did Jesus say?
And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 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?
You know what Jesus is saying? He’s saying, “The problem isn’t with My plan, but you’re understanding. You haven’t considered the whole counsel of God...
You understand that Elijah is supposed to come first and he has...
And you don’t understand or want the Messiah to die...
But remember, God’s word says suffering is part of the plan and you can’t just skip over or ignore that...
He reminds them of things the prophet Isaiah said about the Messiah…
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
In order for the plan of God to make sense, they needed more Scripture - words inspired by the Holy Spirit. They needed more Jesus - who is the Wisdom and Truth of God. John 1 says Jesus is the Word of God!
And this is instructive for us too! When we don’t understand, we need Jesus. We need the Word of God. We need to...
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
If you’re confused today, get into God’s word! And if you need help with that, find someone who can teach and talk to you about the Scriptures. I guarantee, there are plenty of people here at The River Church (including myself), who would love to talk to you about the Bible!
And, remember when the disciples didn’t have the power they need to glorify God? As Jesus’ disciples, the desperate father came to them instead. And they should’ve been able to help him. But they were powerless.
And so, what do we do when we don’t have power to live for God?
Strangely, in this instance, the crowd’s response gives us biblical instructions...
And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him.
When we are lacking power to live for God, we can wait for Jesus. He will come! How do we know that He will come? Because He promises to...
But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired. - Isaiah 40:31 AMP
And when He does come, we embrace Him! And, in likeness of the crowd, we can proclaim, “I’m so glad You’re finally here. I don’t have the power to fix this, but I know you do! And I’m completely depending on you to make all things right.” And we can trust Him to take over and save the day, just like He did in this passage. He will say, “Bring the problem to Me,” just as He said, “Bring the child to Me.”
And finally, what do we do when we don’t have the faith we need? Maybe we lack faith; Maybe our faith is weakened by a tough experience or difficult circumstances. Well, remember what the desperate father did...
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
This was a moment of humble honesty. He was real with Jesus. He talked with Jesus. And He completely relied on Jesus for help, not just in healing, but also in his personal faith.
When you don’t have the faith you need, talk to Jesus and ask for help. He already knows your situation anyways. He’s just waiting for you to realize how desperately you need Him. Because it’s in our weakness that He works best! God told the apostle Paul...
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Response:
Response:
And as we close, I’ll tell you this message is for me first and foremost. After what I experienced this week, I needed to be reminded how much I need Jesus!
As the thought of once again being the underdog filled my mind, part of me was like, “Forget these doubters. I’ll prove them wrong. I’ve done it before, I’ll do it again.” But, what was probably the Holy Spirit, got me thinking, “Is that really the gospel?”
When things go wrong, is it really Jesus working in my life when my response is, “I’ll just work harder to prove them wrong! I’ll work harder to make things right!” I don’t think so...
While there’s nothing wrong with hard work (it’s biblical), this week I was reminded that I don’t need to work harder, I DESPERATELY NEED JESUS IN MY LIFE. Because my life does not work without Him. My identity is NOT THE UNDERDOG. I AM A CHILD OF GOD WHO IS RADICALLY DEPENDENT ON CHRIST.
Today, wherever you are at...
If you don’t understand what’s happening in your life...
If you need power to live for God…
If you lack faith to trust God...
...let me encourage you: Be radically dependent on Jesus.
Seek Him by getting into His Word.
Wait for Him.
Pray and ask Him for help!
He promises that when...
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
… And He will save us!
Let’s pray and seek Him together right now...
God, we come to You right now. There are things happening in our life that we don’t understand. We need your power, because we lack the strength to overcome. We need Your help, but our faith is weak. But we are grateful that You are compassionate, patient, and ready to save. Please save us today. Help us to be the disciples You call us to be! We know that can only happen when we’re radically dependent on Jesus for everything. We surrender to Him today. And trust You with our lives. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
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