Belief

all right. If you take your your Bible this morning going to mark Mark, Chapter nine, Mark, Chapter nine. Today we began a new Siri's and title, unleashing his power. When you step out into something like this, you know, people today and Christian don't want to categorize people, you know they won't put people in categories.

All right, well, you must be this kind of Chris. You must be this kind of theologian. You must be this kind of person, that kind of person. Throw all that out the window. All right. Just when you start talking about the power of God and miraculous things, some people, and even in our Southern Baptist, will say you're starting borderline charismatic.

You better be careful. No, I'm not going there at all. I just believe that the power that Jesus displayed even in the New Testament he still can and still wants to display through his people. Today, I'm tired of watching people that call themselves Christians walk around looking like their God is powerless and helpless.

Because that's not the way it's supposed to be in this series. We're gonna look at three events in the life of Jesus. Three moments in his ministry. Where is power accomplished, miraculous things. And we're gonna look ATT at what took place in the people.

What the people were doing as well to help bring that about in the first key, I believe to unleashing his power starts at the very beginning of everything, and that's our belief. Do we believe people believe in all kinds of things? Kyrie Irving of the National Basketball Association's Brooklyn Nets believes the Earth is flat.

He's even said so clearly doesn't know an astronaut that's been in space, but he believes the Earth is flat. There are people around that live in our country and our world today believe in, and aliens and UFOs and I'm not saying they don't exist, but they go to the point.

You'll put foil over their windows and doing all kinds of crazy things to protect themselves. People believe in their country. We clearly see that people believe in their political viewpoint. People believe in all kinds of things.

George Whitfield was preaching the coal miners in England, and he asked one man, What do you believe in? The man said. I believe the same is the church. So Whitfield goes well, What does the church believe he goes? Well, I suppose the same as may.

So feeling a little frustrated by that, he says, Well, what is it that both of you who believe what? What is it that both of you believe? And he said, Well, I guess we believe the same thing. What does it mean to believe something Biblically speaking, it means we're fully persuaded.

So therefore, believing in Jesus requires being fully persuaded in who he is. That's real belief. But let's be honest. Being fully persuaded about anything is a tall task, isn't it? It really is not know.

Some even walk with The Lord. Long time you'll be like I'm fully persuaded. I'm always fully persuaded. I don't buy that for a moment. All right, there's certain things you might be before Li persuaded in all the time.

But let's be honest. There are situations that come our way in life that calls us to trim the little bit. That calls us to doubt from time to time. Sometimes in situations like an increase, our ability to believe increase our faith, which will talk about next week, which is just like difference and then sometimes our situations will cause us a little bit of pause and a little bit of struggle and even a little bit of doubt, not necessarily down in God and his ability not saying that, but perhaps in his willingness to act on our behalf.

You know, there's times when reality hits us and we look at ourselves, we go well, I'm unworthy. Why would God want help me? Well, that's a moment of doubt. It's exactly what it is, and we all have them.

Why would God want to do anything for me based on what I've been doing with my life? But you know what those are? The times we have the opportunity to grow the most is the times that God surprises us.

It does things innocent through us when we're looking at ourselves, think I'm so unworthy. In fact, I think that's when God can work The most is when we look at him and say, God, I'm absolutely, totally unworthy of anything you could do in this situation This morning I look at a man who needed Jesus but struggle with being fully persuaded.

He knew Jesus to be a miracle worker, but he wasn't sure Jesus could handle his situation. A cz we read. What I want to do while we're breaking this down is I want you to look for yourself. I want you to look and see what's going on.

Maybe in your life, that kind of puts you in the situation this man is in gives you the kind of feeling this man has causes you to have to pause and go. I want this, but I'm not sure I can have it. God, I want you to work.

But I'm not sure that you will. What is it in your life right now that you're facing it's causing you to Paul's in your belief, cause you to maybe have a little bit of doubt, a little bit of concern as to whether gods really going to do what you need him to do as we come to this text.

Jesus in Galilee. And he's ministering. And in Mark 19 Marte nine, Verse 17 and one of the crowd answered him. Teacher, I brought you my son possessed with the spirit which makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and stiffens out.

I told your disciples to cast it out and they could not do it. And he answered them and said, Oh, unbelieving generation, How long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to me.

They brought the boy to him. When he saw him immediately, a spirit threw him into a convulsion and falling to the ground. He began rolling around and foaming at the mouth, and he asked his father, How long has this been happening to him? And he said, from childhood, it is often thrown in both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.

But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. Jesus had him, if you can. All things are possible to him who believes immediately, the boy's father cried out and said, I do believe help my unbelief.

When Jesus saw that crowd was rapidly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirits, saying to you, deaf mute spirit, I command you come out of him and do not enter him again after crying out, throwing him into terrible convulsions that came out of the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said he's dead.

But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him, and he got up when he came into the house, his disciples being questioned privately. Why could we not drive it out? And he said that this kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.

So this man comes to Jesus, and he calls a teacher clearly if he has not witnessed Jesus personally, he's heard of his reputation. He knows that he's a teacher, he's coming for a miracle. So he knows that he's a miracle worker.

Either he's seen it firsthand, or he's heard about it from somebody who has. But he's coming and he's asking and he's looking for help. This man believes to the point that he even assumes that Jesus's disciples can do everything that he does and has brought them, brought him to the disciples for help with the disciples failed.

So this man, this desperate man, comes to Jesus directly. Now he is clearly persuaded, but the question is, is he fully persuaded? He has a level of belief, But is it a really true, deep abiding belief in Jesus and what he can do.

This spirit has been in his son for a long time. We're told it seizes him to the ground, slams into the ground. He foams at the mouth. He grinds his teeth. He stiffens out and he said Your disciples couldn't do it and we get to Verse 19 and I find something very interesting.

It's very subtle, it says. And he answered them. It doesn't say he answered him, says he answered them. Here's what I want to think What I believe in my mind is going on in this situation. He is coming, he says.

Your disciples couldn't do it. And you know these disciples, you know, they've been successful in some ministry. They have been able to do some of these things. God bless them. They've been able to do something.

But you know these disciples, you're just like us. They were like but But Jesus week we did this and we did that and we tried this. We tried. They start speaking up and they start telling Jesus that they tried and what they did and everything.

And it says Jesus answered them is that I'm about to tell you, sir something, and I'm about to tell you boys a little something, too. I'm about to set something straight here and he says, Oh, unbelieving generation.

Who's he talking about? Who's Jesus? Referring to I think he's referring to the people in the crowd. He's talking the man begging for help. I think he's talking about his disciples. I think we're going to see in a moment he's talking about everybody up to this point in time.

How long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Jesus has not indicated the world's troubles or too much to handle for him. Certainly not. He's not expressing surprise. I think that their inability to believe because he knows their heart better than they did.

He's expressing the very frustration that led God to send him to Earth, to begin with the frustration of dealing with sinful, rebellious people who always want him to do something for them but don't want to live a life of belief in him.

How long shall I put up with you? He says. I don't think this means just those people. I think that goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. This is a statement of God saying I have put up with you and your rebelliousness and Jewish sinfulness.

All this time I've been patient with you. I've been merciful. I've been gracious to you and Jesus, maybe with a little frustration, maybe not. Is walking right on the earth with him again right there in their midst and they still don't get it.

I believe this is the case because of the verses that followed. Beginning at verse 30 Jesus begins to talk about his death, burial and resurrection. He asks here, How long will I can I put up with you? How long shall I put up with you? And then he goes, Not much longer, not much longer, because I'm about to do something about it.

I'm about to do what needs to be done. What you cannot do yourself. He's not expressing a lack of understanding toward them. He's expressing the very heart of God and how it frustrates God that he can make it so plain as to how we're to walk with him.

Yet we struggle so badly to do it because of our sin nature, and he says You know what? You can't do anything about it, but I'm going to. How long will I put up with you? Not much longer, is the answer.

And as an example, he says, bring the boy to me. Let me show you how soon I will deal with his double deal with this one. Right now, I'm gonna take care of this boy right here, right now. So Verse 20 they brought the boy to and the boy immediately.

The spirit we're told immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion. Now this to me, is evidence. He had a demon, some someone to say This is absolutely epilepsy because it all decide seems to describe that and that the people just didn't understand it.

But the moment the boy is brought into the presence of Jesus, he has won a spell. Right? Then that would be a little too coincidental for May. Then the man says, Jesus asked him, How long has it been happening to me? Said from childhood? Someone believe it's epilepsy would say, See, there you go.

He's had it since he was a kid. But then Verse 22 it is often often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. Yeah, epilepsy just doesn't throw people into fires and water all the time.

Now, granted, he was probably around fires and probably around water a little bit more because they don't see a galley. But the indication wasat, the moment he would get near any of that and he would go.

It says often I want to tell you something. Um, that's what Satan does, John. 10 10 says the thief, which is Satan, comes only to steal and kill and destroy. This father believes Jesus is clearly going to believe.

But this is an attempt by saying to destroy the showman, absolutely killing. So this man looks, his father looks at Jesus. If you can do anything. This is the first sign that man is not fully persuaded.

And I think what happens to him here is he comes somewhat persuaded, maybe mostly persuaded. But then, as he recounts the life of his son, it just becomes too much for him. And he becomes emotional and he goes, Wow, you know what? This problem is probably too big for you.

How many of you ever done that with God. I mean, you bring him something, but the moment you walk away, when prayer after having prayed about it, you walk with that. That's just too much. I'm asking too much.

I think that's what this man's feet Lee. I'm asking too much of Jesus. He can't possibly do this, but if you can, what is? They take pity on us. Have mercy on us, Jesus said. If you can challenges his belief and he says all things are possible to him, he believes other words.

I'll do anything. Anyone who is fully persuaded. Don't argue with me about what he just said. That's what it sounds like to May if it's within my will. If you're fully persuaded to be honest with you, fully persuaded, then you probably have the mind of Christ.

You gonna ask something outside of his wheel? If you pull that persuaded, you're gonna ask in a way that makes room for his will, he says. I'll do it. I'll do it and it's not out of pity and it's not on a mercy.

It's out of love Immediately, the boy's father, Verse 24 cried on. That said, I do believe help my unbelief. The man admits he's divided his heart, that his belief fall short and again. I think that's true of all of us.

I think I don't think any of us have the belief meter up to 100% all the time. I still believe that there was a belief meter. You know, we'd be wavering at you, maybe 99 down to 90 down the 80 What, 65.

Had a bad day back up to 80? I mean, it's all over the map. As long as we still have a sin Nature doing battle with the Holy Spirit in us, there will be times we struggle with being fully persuaded. But the thing to note here is that the man asked Jesus to help his own belief.

Listen to me carefully here, all right? He doesn't vow to try harder. Just let that sink in for a minute. Because how many of us do that? He doesn't promise to change his ways. How many of us do that? He turns to Jesus and confesses that only Jesus can change his heart condition.

I hear it so many times and I've said it so many times. You come to God and you're struggling with something and your belief is wavering and you go well, God, you know, I'll try harder. I'll try harder next time and God looks you said, no, you won't.

And if you do, try harder. It won't make that much difference because the only one that can make a difference in your life that conveying a transformation that can help you with your unbelief is Jesus himself.

It is not you. You cannot transform your level of belief. You have to spend time with him and he will help you with your unbelief. So back to our techs, Jesus, Saul. Verse 20 five's a crowd rapidly gathering the Greek means that they're running together.

The people are actually running, literally running to Jesus. And you know, Jesus doesn't like to make a spectacle. He doesn't like to make a show. He doesn't see himself as a sideshow, and he hurries up.

He rebukes the unclean spirit immediately. As soon as he sees the gun, he works fast and he changes this boy's life. But casting out the demons. The most interesting part of this text that I want you to remember that I want you to hold onto because this sets Jesus apart from his disciples.

He says you death and mute spirit. I command you. The disciples have been claiming his name. Jesus, I command you. And when you break the Greek down, it means I myself command. Does that make you think of that? Takes me all the way back to a man named Moses.

Who says, What will I tell them? Who will I tell them? Sent me. And he said I am sent you. Listen. You know what Jesus just did? He looked at that boy and he looked at that demon inside of him. Listen, this you go like this.

This is when it gets good. He says I am so you better scram. You get out of here right now. Disciples could claim that all the killing was the name of Jesus. He he said by myself, You come to me now and I'm gonna deal with this.

By the way, if you still believe the boy had epilepsy, it's clear now that Jesus did not so spirit cries out, throws him into another convulsion. But guess what? It came out because no one can stand against the power of Jesus No.

One, Nobody and nothing and stand against the power Jesus, a man. The power of Christ is unleashed in the successful removal is demon survivalist boy. The demon had been trying to kill the boy that Jesus Jesus gave him life because that's what he does.

But then we get to versus 28 29. The scope shifts over to these disciples For just a minute. When he came into the house, whatever house that might have been his disciples being questioned privately, why could we not drive it out again? They'd seen some success in their ministry.

They heal people. Jesus, it's sentiments. If you do this in my name, things will happen. And it did. They had this setback, and Jesus says this kind cannot come out by anything but prayer. Tell you what I think Jesus is saying here again.

This is what I think. But I think it's pretty evident to me. Jesus surveilled reveals that they had failed approach the spiritual problem with a spiritual solution. I see it now, each of them taking turns claiming the name of Jesus, calling for the demon to come out and failing over and over again.

Then I see these disciples forming a disciple subcommittee. It was probably Peter, James and John, and they tried to figure out what's wrong. We gotta figure this out. They try again and they fail again because, see, just because someone claims the name of Jesus doesn't mean they carry his power or that he's obligated unleashes power through them.

I think the disciples failing to pray, revealed a focus on ministry rather than on the Lord and whose name they were the minister. And it's a temptation that we face is the church today the temptation to just jump into what we're doing and make ministry of physical work rather than working the spirit.

And I think that's the mistake. They were just doing their job rather than ministering to people in the name of Jesus in a spiritual man. That's just me. That's what I see there. If we take our eyes off of Jesus claiming his name will not necessarily result in his power being revealed, he might out of his grace and mercy for the sake of somebody else.

But if we don't have our eyes on Jesus, why would he make himself known through us. This actually happens. You can leave market flip over Tax 19 and we'll finish up over there. Actually happens in acts 1911 through 16.

Something very similar to this happens. It is not actually his disciples, but it's a bunch of Jewish exorcist that they did have those. They were men who who tended to practice exercises, Um, with some sort of some sort of chanting whatever.

But it seems to have had its roots back in Solomon, and they've picked up on that and they go around and they kind of are quote unquote. If you want to say professional extra statistic, try to go around and exercise demons out of people.

And the next 19 started verse 11. We find God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and evil spirits went out.

Let me just stop right there. I know you hear this from television preachers and stuff, but every one of them is asking you to send a donation to get a handkerchief that you can. It'll do something special, miraculous for you.

Paul wasn't selling his ministry. His ministry was not for sale. God was doing something miraculous and gracious to people that could not get to him. And he wasn't selling. He was like, Well, yeah, yeah, If you'll send a certain amount to me, I'll send you, You know, like my sweat with this and do this He wasn't doing that.

That's arrogance. It's Hyde Eric. First of all. And second of all, that means it's for sale. And God's work is not for sale. Hey, man, Verse 13. But also some of the Jewish exorcist who went from place to place attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus.

So they had their way of doing it. That came from Solomon. And they see Paul having all the success that minutes ago. You know what? We might be better at what we do if we had this Jesus name in here.

Let's just add that into what we do to, and we'll just we'll say, earn. You are charmed, whatever enchantments and say all these things and we'll say right at the end, kind of like we do with prayer. I think about it, right and then we'll say in Jesus name and that'll make it all go away.

I think sometimes that is how we approach prayer, isn't it Genie in a bottle? I just say the name of Jesus. He'll take care of it all when it really comes back to our heart. Belief, not just what we say but what skin apart.

So they say, Well, just had the name of Jesus. And so they say in verse 13 i a jury, you, by Jesus, whom Paul preaches. And I think that's a voice that that's funny, whom Paul preaches as we don't have any clue who this guy is, but we're claiming his name Anyway.

Seven sons of one ski va Jewish chief priests were doing this, and the evil spirit answered and said to them, I recognise Jesus and I know about Paul. But who are you? That is not something you want a demon to say to you, by the way, and the man in whom was the evil spirit, leapt on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so they fled out of that house naked and wounded the point is this? Don't just claim the name of Jesus.

No Jesus personally knowing deeply. Haven't had a biting relationship we've been talking about. And he will help you with your unbelief. He knows there's gonna be times in your life that you're going to struggle, to believe and times in your life where your belief is gonna be at the top of the mountain.

Right at that 100% mark. He knows all of that. Hey said just let me walk with you through that. And in those moments when you need help with your level of belief, I'll be there for you. But how could we possibly expect him to be there for us? Do anything for us.

If we're not willing to abide in him, we're not really willing to spend time with him and it all. I know my messages don't always come back to that because I can't tell you anything more important like that.

The Church and its individual members cannot expect to see the power of God revealed to and through us when we don't really believe or aren't fully persuaded at all. Like the man came to the disciples, people come to us expected to find something special, not something ordinary for them to see it, we must be persuaded, as much fully persuaded we can be.

We need to be people of prayer who are biting and Christ more than just a now, er two a week. We live in a world of desperate people. You are in native a savior, and we're the only Jesus we're going to see.

Do we want them to see a Jesus who is weak and defeated when they look at our lives? Is that what they see? Of course not. We want them to see the true Jesus who is strong, powerful and victorious. But how does he reveal that through the people? Who? Billy.

That's how he does it. That man Caine. And he got to impressions. He looked at the disciples and saw them his week. But when he got to the source when he got to the real source, when he got to Jesus, he found there's power in the name of Jesus.

Amen. We need to humble ourselves before the Lord like the man did and be willing to admit our belief. Problems say help me with my unbelief. We need to remember that only Jesus can change the condition of our heart.

That happens when we abide in him. The demons of hell know the name of Jesus and fear him. The question is, do they know we're hiss and fear us? Because they should. Do you believe in gravity? If you don't, then I ask you to go on out there, climb on up to the top of staple in June.

You're not gonna do it. I know you're not. And I don't want you to, because Gravity is really believing in Jesus and his miraculous power to say hell and deliver should be at that level to the level that we're willing to take a leap of faith in his name.

And no, he will catch Is they were willing to jump When he says Jump, go When he says go and claim his name with confidence in the victory he has already won based on our growing relationship with him.

Do we believe like that? If we do will seek him at all times in both good and bad. You see, this man was coming in a bad situation, I wonder later, was he still walking with Jesus. Even when things were good, I won't encourage the boldly strikeout in each day knowing that the God of the universe is in you leads you and it powers you.

You're not weak. You're not helpless. Just because things aren't going well in your life maybe doesn't mean you're weak and helpless. You have the God of the universe dwelling in here. You have power exercises.

Remember to do it spiritually. It starts on your knees where the disciples should have started before trying to cast that demon. The power is unleashed through people who are fully persuaded. These Lord, There's more to life in Christ than coming to church and hoping he works things out in our lives.

There's power in the name of Jesus. But that power is unleashed when we believe in him. Walk with him and trust him. Being fully persuaded means he comes first and his work follows. In fact, if he doesn't come first really? Do we really believe I only believe what Jesus do? What only Jesus I can do.

Let's pray, Lord, thank you for your word today. God challenge us today. Challenge us to look at the circumstances and situations in our life. Honestly evaluate him and realize how little we can do about them.

And I truly believe in you fully persuaded that you've got it. You and you alone can handle it and to trust you with it. Teach us to walk with you. Following your footsteps depended upon the next step we take and where it should be in every aspect of our lives.

Not just boldly rush out and start doing stuff like the disciples prey. Seek your face. Find your will and obey. Then we can walk in victory with power in your name. People will want to Jesus that we have.

Lord Guide, help us with her unbelief. Help us today that we might walk in victory via light to those around us orders. Thank you for your word. Thank you for your spirit. Moving in our midst and in our hearts May we respond in a way that honors you.

We pray this in Jesus. Hey, man,