Faith matters! mark 9 14 32 - sept 15, 2013

The Essential Jesus as

Revealed in the Gospel of Mark

Does what a person believes really matter?

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell.


The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.


I believe in the Holy Spirit; the one holy church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.


The Essential Jesus as

Revealed in the Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:14-29 Jesus confronts unbelief!

Mark 9:30-32 Jesus predicts his destiny!

Jesus confronts unbelief!

Mark 9:14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes* arguing with them.

*Scribes were professional keepers of the Scripture as they copied it,

interpreted it and taught it!


Mark 9:15-16 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”


Mark 9:17-18 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”


Mark 9:19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”


Mark 9:20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.


Mark 9:21-22a And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him.”


“Satan is at war with the image of God, the Imago Dei. Anything he can do to destroy this in man is

for him, in his twisted way of thinking, a

triumph over God.”

R. Kent Hughes


Mark 9:22b “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”


Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”


Mark 9:25-27 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.


Mark 9:28-29 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Jesus predicts his destiny!

Mark 9:30-32 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Jesus predicts his destiny!

Luke 9:45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it.

1. Remember that faith renders all things possible, but it is God's will which determines if “the possible” becomes reality.

Today’s Takeaways

Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

“This verse has often been torn from its context and

used as a talisman for magic in our age. Using this verse,

people assert that all we have to do is believe, and if we

believe strongly enough, we can move mountains and make anything happen.”

Today’s Takeaways

R. C. Sproul

“This is one of the most abused verses in the Bible today. People have ripped it from its context and made it the rationale for saying that their wishes will come true if they can just mount enough faith!”

Today’s Takeaways

R. Kent Hughes

“There are some who even teach that faith can control God, that if you believe enough, God must do it! That is man-made, man-centered religion.”

Today’s Takeaways

R. Kent Hughes

1. Remember that faith renders all things possible, but it is God's will which determines if the possible becomes reality.

Today’s Takeaways

Mark 14:36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

2. Put off self-sufficiency and in its place put on God-dependency!

Today’s Takeaways


Today’s Takeaways

Mark 3:13-15 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.

Today’s Takeaways

Mark 6:7, 12-13 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. . . . So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Today’s Takeaways


Today’s Takeaways

“The disciples were trying to cast the demon out in

their own power. Instead, they needed to learn to completely depend on God’s power working

through them.”

Michael Card

Today’s Takeaways

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Men, you’re invited!

Brothers of Aaron and Hur

Every Thursday morning

(6:30-7:00)

Followed by optional breakfast

Everyone, you’re invited!

PRAY 8:15

Every Sunday morning (8:15-8:30)

Luke 8:15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

In our Sacred Space Room

2. Put off self-sufficiency and in its place put on God-dependency!

Today’s Takeaways

Church, Let’s get together and PRAY!

Spiritual

Faith matters! mark 9 14 32 - sept 15, 2013