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Mark 9:14-29 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Turn to the Gospel according to Mark chapter 9.
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I will begin reading in verse 14.
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!
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And he answered them,
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Immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.
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And Jesus asked the father,
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How long has this been happening to him?
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And he said,
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From childhood.
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And it has often cast him into fire and into water to destroy him.
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But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.
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And Jesus said to him,
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If you can, all things are possible for one who believes.
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Immediately the father of the child cried out and said,
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I believe.
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Help my unbelief.
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And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together,
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he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it,
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You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.
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And after crying out and convulsing him terribly,
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it came out, and the boy was like a corpse,
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so that most of them said,
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He is dead.
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But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up,
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and he arose.
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And when he had entered the house,
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his disciples asked him privately,
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Why could we not cast it out?
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And he said to them,
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This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.
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This is God's word to us.
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It was written for his glory and our good.
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We would all do well to listen to it,
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to believe its promises,
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and obey its commands.
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Let's pray together.
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Father God, we do praise you for this day,
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and the opportunity to come together with the congregation,
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those whom you have called your own,
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and to learn from your word.
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And I pray, Father,
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that will be the very thing that happens this day,
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that all of us will submit ourselves willfully to it,
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that we'll be taught by you, our great teacher,
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that you will expose the places of our heart,
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that we harbor deep sin,
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that we harbor faithlessness.
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And Father, we pray that you will help our unbelief.
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And we pray this in Christ's name.
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Amen.
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We have come a few stories into now the second act of sorts,
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kind of a three-act play that Mark writes for us.
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So far through the first half of chapter 8,
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we've gotten really his lengthy introduction
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in which he presents to us story after story after story,
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some teaching interspersed,
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but primarily stories to say that Jesus is in fact the Son of God.
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All of these punctuations of miracles that he performs.
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And we've noted he kind of seems to speed us along.
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There's a real hastening to the last half of chapter 8,
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and chapter 9, and chapter 10.
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And this is the second act,
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and it's when he begins his journey toward Jerusalem.
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We all know what's going to happen when he gets there.
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The disciples now have been with Jesus for about two years.
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There's about six more months coming,
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and he's come to a time in his ministry
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where he sets aside largely the public aspect of his ministry,
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and he turns his attention fully to the apostles.
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They have been with him all this time,
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but yet they have so many lessons to learn.
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They are getting it, but they don't quite get it.
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And so there's a number of lessons that are going to begin happening here.
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We first see a blind man healed at Bethsaida,
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which is on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee.
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Then they move to the area north of the Sea of Galilee,
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known as Caesarea Philippi,
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where Peter makes the bold proclamation that Jesus is the Christ.
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And then there's the immediate rebuke following that,
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as he does not understand how it is that Jesus intends
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to usher the kingdom of God into place.
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And the lesson taught here to the disciples
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is the cost of discipleship.
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We talked about that two weeks ago.
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Then Jesus leads a small band with him,
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Peter, James, and John,
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up onto a mountain, likely Mount Hermon,
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just north of Caesarea Philippi,
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and the transfiguration happens.
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Jesus comes in his glory.
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He gives them a visible manifestation
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of what the kingdom of God will look like.
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And we see Moses and we see Elijah in fellowship with him there.
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And the lesson he's teaching them there
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is the surety of the coming kingdom.
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This week we're going to see the necessity of faith.
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And then in the coming weeks,
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the excellence of service,
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the seriousness of sin,
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the nature of marriage,
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the childlikeness of faith,
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the difficulty of riches,
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and the prominence of humility.
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And all of this is capped off in Mark's Gospel
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with another blind healing,
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the healing of blind Bartimaeus.
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All that to say that Jesus himself
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is the Lord of spiritual blindness.
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It's metaphorical in that way.
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And he's bringing about this process of education
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with the disciples.
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And so we see this fascinating story.
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Mark is actually, in this case,
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the most lengthy telling of the story
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and gives us the most detailed.
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Thank you, Mark.
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You finally came out of your writing brevity
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and you've given us more detail to the story.
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And we'll talk a little bit about
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Matthew and Luke's account,
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some of the things that they add to this.
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But we get this very lengthy account.
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And for good reason,
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because Mark is saying to us,
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if you were going to be a disciple of Jesus Christ,
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it is going to require faith.
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It is necessary to be a disciple.
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And he does that so beautifully
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under the inspiration of the Spirit in this story.
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So notice with me, firstly, the scene.
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Verse 14 says,
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And when they came to the disciples,
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remember they have been up on the mountain.
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The they here, the pronoun,
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the help that we need with that
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is to see that this is Peter
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and James and John and Jesus.
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When they came back,
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when they rejoined this band of brothers,
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they saw a crowd around them of scribes.
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The scribes being the religious elite of the day,
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the mouthpieces, arguing with them.
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These scribes seem to follow Jesus around
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his entire ministry,
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hiding behind walls and bushes,
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just popping up all kinds of places
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at the most inopportune times.
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And here they've ambushed the disciples
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and they're having a debate with them.
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Likely, it's around an event we're going to look at,
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but likely on whether or not Jesus is the Christ
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and if they should be following him,
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if they should even be his disciples.
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And verse 15 says that we see a crowd
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and nothing amazing happened.
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Jesus didn't do anything amazing,
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but they knew who he was.
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And so they were amazed
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and they ran up and they greeted him.
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And he wants to know,
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he asks a simple question,
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what are you arguing about with them?
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Now notice they don't get a response.
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He doesn't get a response from the scribes.
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He doesn't get a response from the disciples,
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but rather he ends up getting a response
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from a man in the crowd.
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And so it's likely that as Jesus comes back
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as the great teacher,
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they're ashamed in his presence
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about the things they were arguing about.
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And here he has a great opportunity
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to set all of the argument straight.
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But Mark here,
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going from the telling of the transfiguration,
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and again under inspiration,
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but moving into this story
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of the healing of this boy,
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Mike's a stark juxtaposition
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between the mountaintop
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and the valley down below.
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The scene changes
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from unimaginable glory on a mountain
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to the den of a crowd in the valley.
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From the sweetest of fellowship
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to the senselessness of an argument.
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From the exaltation of the Son of God
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to the suffering of another only child.
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And Luke adds that detail for us.
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I believe that Mark here
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means to show us the stark contrast
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between the kingdom of God
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and this world.
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And the great issue at hand
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is the issue of faith.
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Notice Jesus' response.
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Skipping the man in the crowd,
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the father,
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as he tells Jesus what's going on for a moment.
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But verse 19,
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Jesus answers,
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finding out that the disciples
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are unable to heal the boy,
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unable to cast out the spirit.
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He answers them,
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O faithless generation.
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He's speaking to all those there,
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including the disciples
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who were really the object
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of this story.
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How long am I to be with you?
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How long am I to bear with you?
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Bring him to me.
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I think that this phrasing
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is very similar to the sigh we see
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in chapter 7, verse 34.
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As he just says,
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just get it.
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Just get it.
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You recall back in chapter 6,
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Jesus commissions the twelve apostles
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and sends them out two by two
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to minister the gospel of God.
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He's shown them how to do it
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as he's been ministering all these years
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and then he sends them out to do it.
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Mark 6.13 says,
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And they cast out many demons
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and anointed with oil
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many who were sick
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and healed them.
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Because,
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in verse 7 of chapter 6,
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we see the record
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that Jesus gave them authority
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over the unclean spirit.
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So they've been able
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to do this thing before,
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but now we find them
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in a position
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where they're unable to do it.
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Remember in Mark 4, verse 40,
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after Jesus has calmed
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the storm of the Sea of Galilee,
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these great 10 to 15 foot waves
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on this little body of water,
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He's spoken
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and the waves,
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the wind has obeyed Him.
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He says to them,
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Why are you so afraid?
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Have you still no faith?
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After Jesus feeds the 5,000,
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then later He feeds the 4,000.
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The disciples are fretting
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because they only remembered
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to bring one loaf of bread with them
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on this boat journey
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back across the Sea of Galilee
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in one of the many crossings.
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And Jesus asks them,
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How many baskets full of broken pieces
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did you take up
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when I fed the 5,000?
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And they responded,
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12.
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And He said,
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How many baskets full of broken pieces
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did you take up
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when I fed the 4,000?
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And they say,
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Seven.
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So 19 baskets of leftovers.
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And so He says to them,
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So I fed a multitude abundantly.
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And then Mark 8, 21,
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Do you not yet understand?
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Do you still not have faith?
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This section that we're in now,
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the last half of 8,
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chapter 9,
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chapter 10,
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before the journey to Jerusalem
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really sets off
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is punctuated by predictions
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of Jesus' coming,
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suffering,
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death,
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and resurrection.
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We see three passion predictions
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that are always followed
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by some faithless misunderstanding
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on the part of the disciples.
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They have yet to fully understand
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the power and provision
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in Jesus' presence.
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They're there with Him
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and they still don't get
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His power and provision.
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How is it possible
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that they would come
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to understand these things
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and experience these things
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when He's absent?
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This is what Jesus
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is setting them up for
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and this is what He's going
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to teach them
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in this story.
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How is it that they're
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to function when He's gone?
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And here we see
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the necessity of faith.
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So first, that's the scene.
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This is what's happening.
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Second, the son's situation.
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Verse 17 and 18.
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As he asks what they're arguing
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about, someone from the crowd
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answers him,
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Teacher, I brought my son to you
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for he has a spirit
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that makes him mute.
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And whenever it seizes him,
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it throws him down
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and he foams and grinds his teeth.
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That's foams at the mouth
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and he becomes rigid, tense.
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So I asked your disciples
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to cast it out
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and they were not able.
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So we see a boy.
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We don't know his exact age,
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although when asked
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how long this has been happening,
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he said from childhood,
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so he's potentially
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a little bit older boy
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who is demon-possessed.
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And this is the cause
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of all of these other symptoms
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that we see listed here.
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It's the demon possession
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that is causing these things.
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Now, as a bit of a side note,
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I do believe that this type of stuff
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still happens in our world today,
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although not in the prevalence
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that it happened in this day.
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It seems that in all of history,
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there was a great fervor
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to demonic activity
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in the days of Jesus.
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It's my presumption
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this was Satan's attempt
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to occupy the people,
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to destroy their
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God-image-bearing ability
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because the Son of God
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was on the scene.
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So it would be irresponsible
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to assume that anyone
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with similar symptoms
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also has a possession.
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This would be a bad hermeneutic.
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This would be a bad way
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to deal with the Scriptures.
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But this certainly is
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the cause of this boy's infirmities.
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The father says that he's mute,
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can't talk.
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Jesus later adds
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that he is deaf
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in verse 25.
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The father may not have even known
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that the boy couldn't hear
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what it is he was saying.
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This young boy was living
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in complete isolation.
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Right?
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Had the presence of people around him
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but couldn't hear a thing they would say.
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No comforting words
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could enter into his mind.
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And he couldn't express
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the anguish that he was in.
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In complete and total isolation.
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Verse 18.
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The father says that the demon
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that possesses him
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throws him down.
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If you have an NASB,
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the word used here is slams.
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The original Greek is a violent word.
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Right?
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Not tosses him to the ground
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but slams him to the ground.
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Luke adds in chapter 9,
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verse 39,
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and shatters him.
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Right?
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This is a violent,
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this is a pummeling.
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This boy is being beat
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against the ground
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again and again
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and again.
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Matthew 17, 15
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says that he has epilepsy.
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And this is a Greek word.
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The word we use,
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epilepsy,
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is a Greek word
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which means
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to seize,
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possess,
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or afflict.
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In fact,
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our common use,
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our western use
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of the word epilepsy
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just refers to a group
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of neurological disorders.
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It's not a particular one.
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It's a group
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of neurological disorders.
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The cause of which
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mostly are unknown
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although brain damage
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can often be the cause
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of epilepsy.
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And so it's likely,
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we don't know this for sure,
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but it's likely
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that this demon
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has been throwing this boy
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so violently
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against the ground
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that he has sustained
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head injury
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after head injury
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after head injury.
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And the other things
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that are happening
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to him
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are a result
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of the demon
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trying to kill him
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by throwing him
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into the ground.
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We know that the demon
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was trying to kill the boy.
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The father says
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that he's trying
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to destroy him.
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Verse 22,
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it's often cast him
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into fire
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and into water.
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The father believes
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that the demon
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is trying to destroy him.
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There would have been
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a lot of open fires
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in this day.
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They didn't go camping
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all the time.
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They just lived their lives
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and open wells.
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This father is
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following his son around.
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I would imagine
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at all moments
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and all time
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to save him
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from being burned alive
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or drowned
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by this demon.
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Now, demons
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are created beings.
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We don't have time
16:25
to get into the theology.
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I don't have time
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to study it right now.
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But they're fallen angels.
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We know that
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they were created by God.
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And therefore,
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they fall under
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the reign of God.
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God permitted
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this boy
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to be possessed.
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He permitted it
16:39
to happen.
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It's not the causation
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of it,
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but He permitted it
16:42
to happen.
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And therefore,
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He also reigned
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over what was happening
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to this boy.
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And that's a hard thing
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to understand.
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I don't know why.
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I don't know why
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any of us deal
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with the things
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that we deal with
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and why this boy
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would have to go
16:56
through such a terrible thing.
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His father as well,
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as a loving dad
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witnessing what's
17:02
happening to this boy.
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We can certainly say
17:06
that Jesus was exalted
17:08
in this situation
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and that may be
17:10
the greatest reason
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that this thing
17:12
is happening
17:12
to this boy
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and to this father.
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But what we can say
17:16
for sure is that
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as God reigns over this,
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God did prevent
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the demon
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from taking the boy's life.
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The demon was doing
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everything it possibly could
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to take this boy's life.
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And God,
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by His grace,
17:29
was preventing it
17:30
from happening.
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Whether it be through
17:31
simply sustaining
17:33
the head injuries
17:34
that would come to him
17:35
or by his father
17:36
scooping him up
17:37
out of fire
17:37
and out of open wells.
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This boy is in a
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horrible, horrible state.
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This is his only son.
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I have two sons.
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And I know a lot of you
17:50
in the room
17:50
don't have children,
17:51
but when you have children
17:52
and you start to see them
17:53
get hurt,
17:53
it is absolutely
17:54
heartbreaking.
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When Cade was finally
17:58
able to form tears,
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babies can't form tears
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really early
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if you don't know that.
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When he could form tears
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and the first time
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he got hurt
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and he cried,
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I cried too.
18:07
It was so heartbreaking
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to me
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that he got hurt.
18:10
Gosh,
18:10
you want to rescue them
18:11
from every pain
18:12
in this world.
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In fact,
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I think Sam
18:16
had to take Cade
18:16
to the bathroom
18:17
when we were singing.
18:18
When they came back in,
18:19
when they got to the corner,
18:20
Cade was holding Judas' hand.
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I think he thought
18:22
it would be funny
18:22
to sling him
18:23
around the corner.
18:24
And my heart like,
18:25
because I was looking at,
18:27
thinking Judas' head
18:28
was going to get slammed
18:29
into the wall
18:30
the way this boy
18:31
was slammed repeatedly
18:32
into the ground,
18:34
but this by his brother
18:35
rather than a possession
18:36
of sorts.
18:37
But what I'm trying
18:40
to point out to you
18:40
is that this boy
18:41
is suffering,
18:42
but the father
18:43
is suffering as well.
18:45
The father is suffering
18:46
as well.
18:47
I am sure that many times
18:49
in the life of this father
18:50
and this son,
18:51
this father has desired
18:52
to trade places
18:53
with his son.
18:55
Please,
18:55
let me take the beating.
18:57
Spare him.
19:00
And Jesus says to him,
19:02
verse 19,
19:03
bring him to me.
19:05
He has immediate compassion.
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They're arguing over here.
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What are you arguing about?
19:10
The father tells them
19:11
what they're arguing about
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and he says,
19:13
bring him to me.
19:16
In verse 20,
19:16
it says,
19:16
and they brought the boy
19:17
to him.
19:18
And when the spirit saw him,
19:20
this is the unclean spirit,
19:21
the demon inside the boy,
19:23
immediately it convulsed the boy
19:25
and he fell on the ground
19:27
and rolled about,
19:28
foaming at the mouth.
19:30
And we see here
19:31
a picture of darkness
19:32
colliding with light.
19:33
The demon sees Jesus
19:36
and it knows
19:36
what's going to happen.
19:38
And it tries to get in
19:39
its last punch.
19:41
It tries to get in
19:41
its last damage
19:43
to this child.
19:44
Such a picture
19:45
of evil incarnate.
19:47
This great collision.
19:48
Verse 21,
19:49
and Jesus asked his father,
19:51
how long has this
19:53
been happening to him?
19:54
And he said,
19:55
from childhood.
19:56
And then we see
19:57
the explanation
19:57
of the fire
19:58
and the water.
20:00
We shouldn't miss
20:01
at this point
20:02
this question
20:03
that Jesus asked the father.
20:06
How long has this
20:07
been happening
20:08
to him?
20:10
Jesus doesn't need
20:12
to know
20:12
as if he's got to work out
20:14
the equation
20:15
of his power.
20:17
Let me dial my power
20:18
meter up properly
20:19
so that I can
20:20
put the right amount
20:21
of power
20:22
into the situation.
20:24
Jesus,
20:25
we could argue,
20:26
is omniscient.
20:27
He already knows.
20:28
How long
20:28
it's been happening
20:29
to him?
20:30
But what he does
20:31
in this great display
20:32
of compassion
20:33
is he empathizes
20:34
with the father's
20:35
suffering.
20:37
We've heard about
20:37
the son's suffering,
20:38
but as I pointed out,
20:39
the father has suffered.
20:40
And he asks him a question.
20:41
How long
20:42
has this been happening
20:43
to him?
20:44
How long?
20:45
Let me share
20:46
in this story with you
20:47
before I do
20:48
this mighty,
20:50
mighty work.
20:53
And then the father
20:54
makes this request
20:55
at the end of verse 22.
20:56
This is the father's request.
20:58
But if you can do anything,
21:00
have compassion on us
21:02
and help us.
21:04
And you see here
21:05
that the father understands
21:07
that Jesus is empathizing
21:08
with him.
21:09
The Greek word for help
21:10
is a much,
21:11
much mightier word
21:13
in the original language.
21:14
Boatheo.
21:15
It means to run
21:17
to our aid.
21:19
Help us with urgency.
21:21
We need your help.
21:23
That's what he's saying.
21:24
Right?
21:25
And he includes
21:25
that plural pronoun
21:27
of compassion on us
21:28
and help us,
21:30
deliver us
21:31
from the torment
21:32
of this demon.
21:36
Fourth,
21:37
notice the response
21:39
of Jesus.
21:41
And Jesus says to him,
21:43
if you can,
21:46
all things are possible
21:47
for one who believes.
21:51
He says to him,
21:52
I can and I will
21:54
if only you will believe
21:55
that I can.
21:58
The father's response
21:59
is the opposite
21:59
of the leper's request
22:00
in chapter 1,
22:01
verse 40 of Mark.
22:03
You remember that?
22:04
He said,
22:04
if you will,
22:06
you can make me clean.
22:08
The leper says,
22:09
I know you can,
22:11
but I just don't know
22:12
if you want to.
22:13
The father here says,
22:15
I think you will,
22:16
but I don't know
22:18
if you can.
22:21
And then Jesus follows
22:22
with this axiom statement,
22:24
this hinging statement,
22:26
all things are possible
22:28
for one who believes.
22:32
The power of God
22:33
is accessed, beloved,
22:35
by our faith,
22:37
by our belief
22:38
in his power,
22:39
that he has the ability
22:40
to do the things
22:41
that he said
22:42
he's going to do.
22:45
This is what he means
22:46
by all things.
22:47
He means all things
22:47
within the will
22:49
of the father.
22:50
All those things
22:51
that are ordained
22:52
by God himself.
22:56
I think the word all
22:57
quite possibly
22:58
may be one of the greatest
22:59
misunderstood words
23:00
of scripture
23:00
for modern evangelicals.
23:04
If we take this
23:04
at its face value
23:05
and say all things
23:06
are possible
23:06
for one who believes,
23:08
every Christian
23:08
can do anything
23:09
they want to do.
23:10
Isn't that fantastic?
23:12
What a poor,
23:13
poor hermeneutic.
23:14
What does he mean?
23:15
All things.
23:16
He means all things
23:17
in the will of the father.
23:18
John 14.14 is similar.
23:20
If you ask me
23:21
anything in my name,
23:22
Jesus says,
23:23
I will do it.
23:25
What does anything include?
23:26
Things in his name.
23:28
Things that exalt him.
23:29
Things that are within
23:29
the will of the father.
23:32
All things are possible
23:33
for the one who believes.
23:35
For the one who has faith.
23:39
Notice fifth,
23:42
the sufficient faith
23:44
of the father.
23:46
The sufficient faith
23:47
of the father.
23:50
Immediately the father
23:51
of the child cried out,
23:52
verse 24,
23:53
I believe,
23:54
help my unbelief.
23:57
And I love this statement.
24:00
I love it.
24:01
I have just meditated
24:02
for hours this week
24:04
on this statement.
24:05
I believe,
24:06
help my unbelief.
24:08
It's such a beautifully
24:09
humble statement.
24:11
And doesn't it so readily
24:12
sum up the experience
24:14
of our lives?
24:15
It does mine.
24:17
I think it does yours as well.
24:19
I'm always working
24:20
to get my heart
24:21
to catch up to my head.
24:22
I know things,
24:23
but I just don't believe them.
24:26
I'm in constant ebb
24:28
and flow in my faith.
24:31
For many years,
24:31
I ran Appalachian Outfitters
24:33
in town here.
24:35
On the Chesity River,
24:36
there's a bend in the river.
24:38
And on the inside bank,
24:40
which is how rivers function,
24:42
there's a beach.
24:44
And we called it
24:45
Big Bend Beach.
24:46
I'm sure it's still called that
24:47
this day.
24:49
And that beach changed
24:50
all the time.
24:52
Every time there's a little change
24:53
in the water fluctuation,
24:54
the water level,
24:55
more sand would be deposited
24:56
or some sand would be carried away.
24:58
But there was always a beach there.
25:00
The beach always existed.
25:01
We always would send people down there
25:03
and let them camp on it.
25:04
We never wondered
25:05
if the beach was going to exist or not.
25:06
It always existed,
25:08
but it changed.
25:09
Many of you are going to go
25:10
to the beach this summer.
25:12
I'm not.
25:12
Praise God I'm not going
25:13
to the beach this summer.
25:15
Many of you will.
25:16
Watch the sand as it comes
25:17
and it goes.
25:18
There's always sand on the beach.
25:19
There's always faith,
25:20
but it ebbs and flows.
25:22
It waxes and it wanes.
25:24
And this is the statement
25:25
that he says,
25:26
I believe.
25:28
Help my unbelief.
25:31
Praise God
25:32
that he does not require
25:33
of us perfect faith.
25:37
But rather he requires
25:38
of us humble faith,
25:40
which is sufficient faith.
25:44
I believe.
25:45
Help my unbelief.
25:49
And we know that his faith
25:50
is sufficient
25:51
because Jesus responds to it.
25:53
The Father has said,
25:54
if you can do this,
25:56
if you can do it,
25:57
and Jesus' response to him is,
25:58
if you can,
26:00
all things are possible.
26:01
The very thing you're requesting
26:03
of me is possible
26:04
for the one who believes.
26:07
The Father responds,
26:08
I believe.
26:08
Help my unbelief.
26:09
And the evidence
26:10
that he actually believed,
26:11
that he has faith,
26:14
is that Jesus heals his son.
26:16
Verse 25.
26:17
There's a crowd running together.
26:20
So it would seem
26:21
that the fact that Jesus is there
26:22
is gathering a larger crowd.
26:24
And so he quickly rebukes.
26:27
His public ministry
26:27
has largely completed.
26:29
Remember?
26:30
Like, he's got to get in these days.
26:32
He doesn't want to be taken captive,
26:34
to be put in charge,
26:36
to be a military ruler.
26:38
This was the thing
26:39
he's trying to avoid
26:40
as he's functioning in secrecy.
26:43
So he quickly rebukes
26:45
the unclean spirit,
26:46
says to it,
26:47
you mutant deaf spirit,
26:48
I command you,
26:48
come out of him
26:49
and never enter him again.
26:51
This boy is delivered
26:52
and he's delivered forever
26:54
from the power of this demon.
26:56
And after crying out
26:59
and convulsing him terribly,
27:01
it came out again,
27:02
giving him one last go,
27:03
it came out
27:04
and the boy was like a corpse
27:05
so that most of them said,
27:07
he is dead.
27:09
Mark records for us
27:10
the faithlessness still
27:11
of the crowd.
27:12
See that little detail
27:15
he includes for us.
27:16
Most of them said,
27:16
he is dead,
27:17
but Jesus took him by the hand
27:18
and lifted him up
27:20
and he arose.
27:21
In verse 27,
27:22
he lifted him up.
27:25
And this is what Jesus does.
27:27
He takes those who are sin sick
27:30
and makes them whole again.
27:33
He takes those who were dead
27:34
and he makes them alive.
27:38
And as I reflected on this phrase this week,
27:40
he lifted him up.
27:42
My mind was taken to Ephesians 2.
27:44
So please go there with me.
27:45
Amen.
27:52
The metaphor of this boy's life,
28:04
this real event that happened,
28:05
it points to something greater
28:07
that has happened in your life
28:09
if you have placed your faith in Christ.
28:11
Oh, and I pray that you have.
28:14
Ephesians chapter 2,
28:15
And you were dead
28:16
in the trespasses and sins
28:18
and once you once walked.
28:19
You were dead.
28:20
Walking, but dead.
28:21
Following the course of this world.
28:23
Doing all the things that this world does.
28:25
You just go along with the flow.
28:26
Following the prince of the power of the air.
28:29
You were dead.
28:30
You were a worshiper of Satan.
28:34
The spirit that is now at work
28:35
in the sons of disobedience.
28:37
Not that we're demon-possessed
28:38
prior to Jesus delivering us.
28:41
We're not demon-possessed.
28:42
But yet there's a work that's happening in us.
28:45
By our nature,
28:46
we are enemies of God.
28:48
Verse 3,
28:49
among whom we all once lived
28:50
in the passions of our flesh,
28:51
carrying out the desires of the body
28:52
and of the mind,
28:53
and we're by nature,
28:54
there's that word,
28:55
children of wrath
28:56
like the rest of mankind.
29:00
Precious conjunction.
29:01
But God,
29:03
being rich in mercy
29:04
because of the great love
29:05
with which He loved us,
29:06
even when we were dead
29:07
in our trespasses,
29:09
made us alive together with Christ.
29:11
By grace you have been saved.
29:12
He's lifted you up in Christ
29:15
and raised us up with Him
29:17
and seated us with Him
29:18
in the heavenly place in Christ Jesus
29:19
so that in the coming ages
29:20
He might show the immeasurable riches
29:21
of His grace and kindness
29:22
toward us in Christ Jesus.
29:24
I read past where I wanted to,
29:25
but it's so good.
29:27
And then verse 8,
29:28
for by grace you have been saved
29:29
through faith.
29:32
Faith has been given to us
29:33
as a gift of God.
29:34
This boy couldn't deliver himself
29:35
from the demon,
29:36
but Jesus delivered him.
29:38
Praise God
29:41
for the sufficient faith
29:43
of the Father.
29:46
Sixth,
29:47
look at the disciples' doubt.
29:51
Verse 28,
29:52
And when He had entered the house,
29:55
presumably a house
29:55
that they were staying at
29:57
in the area,
29:58
His disciples asked Him privately,
30:00
Why could we not cast it out?
30:03
And He said to them,
30:05
This kind cannot be driven out
30:06
by anything but prayer.
30:10
Now it would be really,
30:11
really dangerous at this point
30:12
to try to form some sort of
30:14
doctrine about types of demons,
30:17
species of demons.
30:19
The lesson here ultimately
30:21
in this story
30:22
is not even about
30:23
casting out demons.
30:25
It's the lesson of faith
30:26
and the power
30:27
and how do we access the power
30:28
to do the work of God,
30:30
more generally speaking.
30:31
So it would be wrong
30:32
to look at that and go,
30:33
What does He mean,
30:33
this kind?
30:35
What does He mean by that?
30:36
He's simply saying
30:38
an enemy of God.
30:39
An enemy of God,
30:40
the demon-possessed person,
30:41
can't be exercised
30:43
by anything but prayer.
30:47
So the question I asked earlier,
30:48
how would the disciples
30:49
access the power,
30:50
presence,
30:51
and provision
30:51
of Jesus Christ
30:53
in His absence?
30:54
They would,
30:56
as we should,
30:58
access it by prayers
31:00
of faith.
31:03
Prayer is the natural response
31:05
of the person of faith.
31:07
We believe in the God
31:09
who says He will do things
31:10
and therefore we ask Him
31:11
to do those very things.
31:15
How do we know
31:16
that I'm right about this?
31:17
How do we know
31:17
that Jesus isn't trying
31:18
to set up a doctrine
31:19
of species of demon?
31:21
Right?
31:22
Matthew,
31:23
His explanation
31:23
is more explicit.
31:25
Matthew 17, 20.
31:27
He said to them
31:28
in response to their question,
31:29
why could we not cast it out?
31:31
He says to them,
31:32
because of your little faith.
31:35
For truly I say to you,
31:36
if you have faith
31:38
like a grain of mustard seed,
31:39
you will say to this mountain,
31:40
move from here to there
31:41
and it will move
31:42
and nothing will be impossible
31:44
for you.
31:46
Now again,
31:48
Jesus is not teaching them
31:49
literally,
31:50
you guys are going to start
31:51
an excavating company
31:52
because you're going to have faith
31:54
and it's going to be amazing
31:55
because you're going to need
31:55
no equipment.
31:56
You're just going to go out there
31:56
and talk
31:57
and things are going to get
31:57
moved around.
31:59
This isn't what He's saying to them.
32:00
He's saying if you even just have
32:02
a little faith.
32:04
The problem in this situation,
32:05
the reason that they couldn't
32:06
cast out the demon
32:06
is because they had no faith.
32:08
They had no faith at all.
32:10
They thought that they
32:11
could exercise demons
32:13
and they didn't go to the source
32:14
of the power.
32:15
They didn't believe that Jesus
32:16
is the Christ
32:17
and Jesus is the source
32:19
for the ability
32:19
to do such things.
32:21
They had zero faith.
32:24
He says to them,
32:24
if you have faith
32:25
like a grain of mustard seed
32:27
and mustard was the smallest
32:29
seed in this region.
32:32
Maybe ever.
32:32
I don't know.
32:33
But very small.
32:34
They would have gotten
32:34
what He meant by this.
32:35
And if you've ever seen
32:36
a mustard seed,
32:37
it's like a little flake.
32:38
It's really easy to like
32:39
breathe too hard
32:40
and it blows off your hand
32:41
and you never find it again.
32:42
Tiny.
32:43
You just have a little,
32:44
right?
32:44
It doesn't have to be
32:45
perfect faith.
32:45
It just has to be
32:46
sufficient faith.
32:47
Humble faith.
32:48
Know that the power
32:48
doesn't come from you
32:49
but it comes from me.
32:53
This is the further
32:54
juxtaposition
32:55
of the Father's faith
32:57
and the disciples' doubt.
33:00
He believed
33:01
and the disciples
33:02
did not.
33:06
Habakkuk 2.4
33:08
God says by the prophet,
33:11
the righteous shall live
33:12
by his faith.
33:16
Paul cites Habakkuk 2.4
33:17
in Romans 1.17
33:18
and Galatians 3.11.
33:20
Again, the righteous
33:20
shall live by faith.
33:21
The author of Hebrews
33:22
does it as well
33:23
in 10.38
33:24
but my righteous one
33:25
shall live by faith.
33:27
It is by faith
33:28
that we have
33:29
our very being,
33:30
our access into
33:30
the kingdom of God
33:31
and it is by faith
33:32
we continue
33:33
in this life.
33:37
So the application.
33:39
What areas of your life
33:40
do you lack faith in?
33:43
What areas of your life
33:44
do you have like
33:44
no faith?
33:45
You have no faith
33:46
if you're not responding
33:46
properly to the gospel.
33:48
You don't have to have
33:49
perfect faith.
33:50
You just have to have
33:50
sufficient faith.
33:52
Faith like a mustard
33:53
seed.
33:54
Another way to ask
33:54
the question would be
33:55
in what ways have you
33:56
failed to trust God?
34:00
Do you trust Him
34:01
with your very soul?
34:04
Do you trust Him
34:04
with your very soul?
34:05
Have you placed
34:06
believing faith
34:08
in Jesus Christ?
34:10
John 3.18 says,
34:12
whoever believes in Him
34:14
is not condemned.
34:16
But whoever does not believe
34:18
is condemned already
34:19
because he has not believed
34:20
in the name of the only
34:21
Son of God.
34:23
Whoever believes
34:23
is delivered
34:24
from the consequence
34:25
of his sin.
34:27
But the one who doesn't
34:28
has already been condemned.
34:31
Do you trust Him
34:32
in all the circumstances
34:33
of your life?
34:35
Romans 8.28,
34:36
I hope this is not a promise
34:36
that grows old to you.
34:38
And we know that
34:38
for those who love God,
34:39
all things,
34:40
all things work together
34:42
for good for those
34:43
who are called
34:43
according to His purpose.
34:45
Do you trust Him
34:46
in all of the circumstances
34:47
of your life?
34:48
Matthew 28.20,
34:49
behold,
34:50
Jesus says,
34:51
I am with you always
34:53
to the end of the age.
34:56
Do you trust Him
34:57
with your children,
34:58
with your wife or husband,
34:59
or future wife or husband?
35:03
Do you trust Him
35:04
with your finances?
35:07
Matthew 6.25-33,
35:09
Jesus tells us
35:10
not to be anxious
35:11
about our life,
35:11
what we're going to wear,
35:12
what we're going to eat,
35:13
all these things.
35:14
It's ridiculous
35:14
to be worried
35:15
about these things.
35:16
For the Gentiles
35:17
seek after these things,
35:18
verse 32,
35:19
and your heavenly Father
35:20
knows that you need them all.
35:22
But seek first
35:23
the kingdom of God
35:23
and His righteousness
35:24
and all these things
35:25
will be added to you.
35:28
Do you trust Him
35:29
in your finances?
35:31
Do you trust Him
35:32
with your plans?
35:34
College students,
35:36
the transition of life
35:38
right now,
35:38
do you trust Him
35:39
with your plans?
35:39
Proverbs 19.21,
35:41
this is many of the plans
35:42
in the mind of a man.
35:44
You all can relate
35:44
to that, can't you?
35:45
Many are the plans
35:46
in the minds of a man,
35:47
but it is the purpose
35:48
of the Lord
35:49
that will stand.
35:52
To give some explanation
35:53
to that,
35:53
James 4.13-15,
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Come now you who say,
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today or tomorrow
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we will go into such and such town
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and spend a year there
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and trade and make a profit.
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Yet you do not know
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what tomorrow will bring.
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What is your life?
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For you are a mist
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that appears for a little time
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and then vanishes.
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Instead you ought to say
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if the Lord wills,
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we will live
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and do this or that.
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If God directs,
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I will go.
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You can rest
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and trust,
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have faith
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in a plan
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for your life.
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The disciples
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of Jesus Christ,
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this is what Mark
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is driving us to be.
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This is the very point
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of this.
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Believe that Jesus
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is the Christ
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and follow Him.
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The disciples
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of Jesus Christ
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will be so
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by faith.
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Let us cry out together
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to God,
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I believe.
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Help my unbelief.
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Let's pray.
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Let us pray.