The 15^th Sunday After Trinity

SERMON

Text: Mark 9:14-29

14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?" 17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 "And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." 19 He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 21 So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. 22 "And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." 23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" 29 So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

In Christ Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, dear fellow-redeemed:

We all have regrets…

…Things we wish we hadn’t done, or that we wish we HAD done.

…Words we would take back in a heartbeat…if only we could.

…Thoughts that keep coming back and we wish they would just go away—sinful thoughts some of which we may have put into our own minds and hearts by what we have seen or heard.

King Herod regretted having made a foolish promise to his step-daughter when she, at her mother’s urging, requested the head of John the Baptist. His regret was great, but not great enough to sway him from his pride among fellow-party-goers and he commanded John’s execution.

Peter regretted the pride with which he had boasted he would never forsake Jesus. He regretted the words with which he had three times denied His Lord. Peter’s regret was great and he sought forgiveness from Jesus.

We all have desires and dreams…

…Things we hope will take place. Sometimes we might feel as if we are "hoping against hope" as Abraham was doing when he was over 90 years old and anticipating a son (cf: Romans 4:18ff).

…Desires and dreams that are not sinful, but are so wonderful that we might call them "fantasy" (as if they were impossible) and never really ask God to grant them because they could never come to pass anyway.

…Dreams and goals for which we pray, asking God just because we’re supposed to pray—not really ever truly believing that He would grant them to us, perhaps even believing that God never answers our prayers nor does He care what we ask.

Regretfully we sin. sadly we don’t always confidently ask God to fulfill our needs and dreams. Neither the REGRET nor the LACK OF CONFIDENCE is a testimony to a strong faith, but neither do they necessarily indicate non-existent faith. Instead, our regrets over our mistakes and sins, and our failures in trusting God to give us every good and perfect gift are examples of weakness in our faith. We cry out with the father in the words we have just read: LORD, I BELIEVE; HELP MY UNBELIEF! As we consider this plea we learn that I. Faith relies on Jesus for help II. Faith knows its weakness under stress, III. Faith returns to its source for growth.

I.

Jesus’ casting out of the demon in the father’s son took place the day after His transfiguration. When Jesus "came to the disciples [and] saw a great multitude…" [v.14] He was coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John. The other nine disciples were in the midst of the crowd, involved in the dispute that had arisen when they were unable to remove the demon from the boy.

When the crowd saw Jesus they were surprised. They weren’t expecting Him. They were, however, filled with joy when they saw Him and went to greet Him. "Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed and running to Him greeted Him." [v.15] Then Jesus asked the question, "What are you discussing with them?" [v.16]

It was the person with the most interest in the situation that immediately spoke to answer Jesus’ question: The father of the demon-possessed son. The father indeed had a GREAT need. Throughout the whole account we learn the kinds of things this evil spirit did to the boy whom it possessed. We also have this same account in Matthew and in Luke and putting all the descriptions together we find a situation that would have been tremendously fearful for any father:

The son was the father’s only child. He was unable to hear or to speak because of the demon’s possession. The evil spirit would periodically seize the boy and throw him down. Luke adds that this throwing down resulted in bruising (as we would expect). The boy would foam at the mouth, gnash and grind his teeth, his body would become stiff and rigid. At times the spirit had thrown the boy into fire or water trying to destroy his life. As we see Jesus about to heal the boy, in one last tremendous attack the spirit convulsed the boy’s body—as if being torn apart from the inside—sent him rolling on the ground and foaming at the mouth!

All of this would be a disturbing sight for anyone…a frightening sight for most everyone…and a sickness we would all want to see healed even if it wasn’t our son, but how much more so for a father to see his only child in such a condition! The father had a GREAT need and a HEAVY weight upon his heart. He had come to Jesus in order for his son to be healed.

Jesus has the power to help so when the father directed his faith toward Jesus asking Him to help(or when we direct our faith toward Jesus asking Him to help) it is not a misplaced faith. We hear, "When Jesus saw the people running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: ‘Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!’"[v.25]

Jesus emphasized I—THE SON OF GOD HIMSELF am commanding YOU—the evil spirit to come out, totally out of that boy and NEVER, EVER return to him. The last part of Jesus’ command was an important thing, for Jesus at another time described a spirit leaving someone and coming back later with reinforcements. Jesus warns in Matthew, "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first." (Matthew 12:43-45).

When Jesus gave the complete command to leave the boy and never return, the spirit had no choice…none whatsoever! The evil spirit resisted. It convulsed the boy violently, but nevertheless it had to leave. "The spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him." [v.26]

All of the other examples that we have in the Bible of people bringing themselves or others to Jesus are also examples of people relying on Jesus to help them in their need. The men who lowered their paralyzed friend down through the roof into a heavy crowd of people so that Jesus might heal him relied on Jesus to help in their need. What Jesus provided was even more than the physical healing. Jesus said, "Son, be of good cheer your sins are forgiven you" and then He said, "take up your bed and walk" (Matthew 9:2ff). Faith relies on Jesus to help in need for SINS AND other trouble.

The woman who touched Jesus’ garment, believed that just by touching Him she would have help. Her faith relied on Jesus for help in need. So it is with all who came to Jesus in their own particular need. They saw in Jesus the power to help and the willingness to help and they relied on Him. The opposite of relying on Jesus is sin and faithlessness which can only lead to destruction…not help.

Our need is also great. The demon possessions like those of Jesus’ day aren’t so common and wide spread today. However, the demon that possessed that boy is one of the Devil’s evil spirits and they still exist. The demons, evil spirits of hell are still working with the same goal as in Jesus’ day. Just as that evil spirit wanted to destroy the son, so the Devil’s evil angels are working to destroy each of us eternally in hellfire. Paul wrote the Ephesians, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:11-12).

The kind of spirit that did those things to that boy is the same kind of power and "rulers of darkness" against which we do battle. How important it is that we have the power and armor of God with us in that battle. Jesus gives us that power. A faith that looks to Jesus for help will find deliverance. We can’t do this on our own. We NEED to RELY on Jesus for survival in this battle against the evil powers of hell.

These enemy demons are not the demons of video games—the grossly hideous demons which are obliterated with one push of the button that activates the "super-canon-laser-blaster." The power and effect of the Devil’s army are not of the type we can watch on a screen while eating popcorn and then leave saying "that was AWESOME….really COOL!"

These enemies are REAL….DANGEROUS…not merely a game or movie. The way in which Satan and his hoard work now may be different than the way in which they worked against the father’s son, but their power, their goal, and their danger are the same. In all cases they are enemies to our faith.

So as we go against these enemies and face the battle, our faith needs to rely on Jesus and the armor of God which He gives through His Word. Jesus had power over the demon who was possessing the boy and He uses the same power for us! God’s grace sent Jesus to suffer and die to defeat the realm of Satan and Jesus did just that! FAITH RELIES ON JESUS for HELP in SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

The temptations, regrets, feelings of spiritual inadequacy—all of these are needs for our souls which are met by Jesus who has the power and the grace to help.

We have other needs as well: the requirements for life, healing in times of sickness… Faith relies on Jesus for these needs too. John writes in his first letter, "Now this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (1 John 5:14).

It is one thing to acknowledge Jesus’ power to save and to provide and His love and desire to help; but it’s another thing to put complete confidence in that knowledge. We acknowledge Jesus’ ability to help. Our faith relies in trust when we believe that He WILL fulfill our needs, that He is ABLE, READY, and WILLING to serve us.

II.

If only the confidence of relying on Jesus for every need was perfect within us! We have that confidence through faith in Christ, but oh, the weakness! A faith in Christ recognizes that weakness. Unbelief doesn’t see it as weakness at all. Unbelief sees it as logic, common sense, and realism. Unbelief says, "No! My lack of trust, my skepticism, my self-reliance is not weakness, I’m being realistic in this life and using the brains I have." Faith sees our weaknesses, our self-reliance as sin and trouble and a need.

The father who came to Jesus had weakness. He had first come to Jesus believing that Jesus could help. When Jesus wasn’t there, the father gave the disciples a chance to try to cast the demon out of his son. He trusted that they, as Jesus’ disciples, could do it, but they failed. So the father, faltering in weakness told Jesus, "…if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." [v.22]

The father had come believing that Jesus could help but that faith had been shaken. There was weakness. The man said "IF" you can help me have compassion. Perhaps the man wondered if this case of demon-possession was too tough for Jesus. Jesus rebuked the man’s weakness and said, "Don’t ask if I can do anything. If you can believe, believe that God can do all things. What is impossible with man is completely possible with God. Not only CAN I help you, I WILL." [cf: v.23] Then immediately the faith of that man recognized his weaknesses, recognized his sin and said: LORD I BELIEVE, I am trusting You! But oh, for the weakness! So, help me in my unbelief!" [cf: v.24].

What a prayer! What a prayer of faith that believes—looks to Jesus relies on Him for help—but also knows the weakness under stress. Faith at all times will see this weakness but rely on Christ and find in Him the perfection for its imperfection. If someone is boasting of his great faith, he doesn’t understand his faith and he doesn’t have anything upon which to stand. Paul wrote, "He who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians10:12).

A stronger faith in Peter would have recognized its weakness and the danger of the stress put upon that faith during the night Jesus was betrayed. Instead, Peter boasted. Peter’s faith was weak and he was not recognizing that weakness. Weakness in faith is not equal to a loss of faith. There is in each of us a mixture of unbelief and doubt together with our faith. I am believing…keep helping my unbelief.

The disciples too had faltered in their faith. They earlier had received the command and authority from Jesus Himself to cast out demons: "He called the twelve to Himself and began to send them out two by two and gave them power over unclean spirits" (Mark 6:7). The same was true when Jesus sent 70 disciples out into the world: "Then the 70 returned with joy saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name" (Luke 10:17).

The disciples weren’t wrong in trying to cast out the demon. They had done it before. Jesus had told them to go out and do it, but they failed in this case because of a lack of faith. "When Jesus had come into the house, His disciples asked him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." [vv.25-26] If that answer of Jesus should leave any doubt, we have another part of His answer recorded in Matthew, "The disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:19-20).

Perhaps the disciples were scared and doubted because Jesus wasn’t there with them when they tried to cast out the spirit. Just as Peter was able to walk toward Jesus on the water but when he began to doubt he began to sink. Perhaps the disciples were self-reliant taking confidence in the fact that they had cast out demons before this and now they would do it again—forgetting from where the power came. After Jesus ascended into heaven we know the disciples remembered from where they received their power for they always ascribed their miracles to Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Jesus rebuked the father for his weakness, the disciples for their weakness, and the whole crowd when He said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." [v.19] Jesus had been among the people preaching and teaching. They had Him with them and yet they doubted. They were still not clear on all that He could do. Their faith had its weaknesses. Faith knows its weaknesses. It knows how those weaknesses come. Faith sorrows over the weaknesses. It takes Jesus’ rebukes to heart and then relies on Jesus in need.

III.

A faith that knows its weakness under the stress and strain of sin also knows its need for growth and returns to its source for that growth. In the book of Hebrews we hear, " Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith because His sacrifice and the news of our salvation in the Gospel has created that faith. Faith needs something to believe. We believe God’s words and promises. The precious truth of salvation in the Gospel is what we hang our hopes upon and there is where we turn to give growth to our faith.

We pray for help in our unbelief to strengthen our faith, but the prayer itself won’t do it because God has given us the means to strength our faith by using His Word. So we pray that God would bless our study and the use of His Word so that the Means of Grace will cause our faith to grow.

Sometimes we might find ourselves saying "If I only had a stronger faith I would…." OR "I know I can’t move a mountain so I must not have a faith even the size of a mustard seed…" OR "I can’t cast out demons so my faith must be smaller than that of the disciples." We need to understand Jesus’ comparison carefully and the way in which He intended it. The disciples had the ability to cast out demons because Jesus had given them that special gift. He had told them to go out and do that. Their lack of faith had made them unable to complete His command. Jesus has not given us a similar command, so we do not need to go out expecting that if we had any kind of faith at all we could cast out demons. What Jesus says is, "If I were to tell you to move a mountain, and I told you that the mountain would move for you—if you believe what I tell you (with faith the size of mustard seed) then you can do it no matter how big and seemingly impossible it is." Our faith is rested upon what Jesus has given us in His Word. It rests upon the words and promises of God.

I recall very well a day when I was in the lower grades of school that after hearing this passage thought I was going to impress a friend. I wrongly assumed that I had a great faith and therefore should be able to do anything. I told my friend that I was going to jump up to some pipes on the ceiling in one great leap, because I believed that Jesus would give me the strength to do it. I tried and never got more than two inches off the floor. Was my faith necessarily weak? It was a wrongly prideful faith to be sure, but God had not given me any reason to expect that I should jump up to the ceiling. He had not commanded me to do this. There was nothing on which to put my faith other than my own desire to "show off" to my classmate and that is not something on which to rest a faith.

When we put our faith on the things God has presented in His Word. When God gives us something to do and then we believe that we can do it, we CAN and we WILL because where God gives the command He also gives the ability.

Our faith grows in the words and promises of God. This is so important for our Sunday School Teachers who begin their work today, for pastors and teachers, and really all of us, because as we go out we face challenges in our Christian lives. We are going to try to spread the Word of God and there are will be people who don’t listen, who don’t want to hear. Remember, that God has given you the command to take His Word out, He has promised to be with you, therefore, believe! Put your faith in that promise and with His Word He will cause your faith to grow and strengthen and you will be able to accomplish all things. "I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me!" (Philippians 4:13).

When we use the Word of God as our guide for what we are doing and we believe we CAN DO IT with CHRIST’S BLESSING, He gives us the strength to do all those things.

As we evaluate our faith life each of us can say, "I believe. I believe in Jesus as my Savior. I am relying on Him for everything in my life here on earth and forever. But I know my weakness. I see my failures. I know my regrets. I know that at times I don’t believe Jesus can do everything. So I recognize my weakness and go back to the Word—the subject of my faith—for strengthening and growth to chase away the unbelief. All of that understanding is wrapped up in one marvelous prayer that each of us can pray every day: LORD, I AM BELIEVING, KEEP HELPING MY UNBELIEF. Amen.