Mark 9:14-29 A Nasty Fight
Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsJesus foils the designs of Satan, who has confused His disciples and is making a play for a child
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Joel and Mary Nadel, Covenant Church
Joel and Mary Nadel, Covenant Church
From J.C. Ryle’s “Expository Comments on the Gospels - Mark”
From J.C. Ryle’s “Expository Comments on the Gospels - Mark”
House Rules: Phones, Respect, Stay on the Text
House Rules: Phones, Respect, Stay on the Text
Jesus’ Ministry Travels
Jesus’ Ministry Travels
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Review
Review
Mark is one of the Gospels - it tells us how we can be reconciled to God and gain eternal life
Preceded by John, Jesus came from Galilee
Signs and wonders demonstrated His lessons
Jesus was alienating Israel’s religious and political leadership - they were plotting to kill Him
Knew He was going to the cross to finish His work - prepared His disciiples
Recently: A turning point in Jesus mission -
Peter confesses Jesus as Christ
Jesus focuses on His mission to Jerusalem
Jesus teaches on the cost of following Him
Jesus gives His disciples a foretaste of Heaven
He has taken the edge off the hard sayings and promises a sight of the glory to come
Pray
Mark 9:14-29
Mark 9:14-29
This week - Satan’s Massive Confusion
This week - Satan’s Massive Confusion
Contrasts - the difference between these verses and those from last week are strikiing
Pass from a vision of heaven on the mount of transfiguration to a history of the work of the devil
Go from Moses and Elijah, to the nasty arguments of the Scribes
Go from a taste of the glory of heaven, and the voice of God testifying of His Son, to a return to pain, weakness, misery - a boy in extreme pain, a father in deep worry, a small group of disciples completely baffled by Satan’s power - unable to help - the contrast is great
This is just a faint vision of Jesus witnessed, when He came down from glory, into the world
A picture of life for all true Christians - just like Jesus; work, conflict, weakness, sorrow, are the rule
Scenes of glory, of heaven, on the mount, will be rare
And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
Christ’s disciples must depend completely on the help of their master
Christ’s disciples must depend completely on the help of their master
We see this truth in dramatic manner in the scene that meets Jesus eyes, when He comes down from the mount
Like Moses at Sinai - He finds His flock in confusion
Apostles are being harassed by Scribes - baffled in their attempt to heal a boy possessed
The same apostles who had before done many miracles/cast out many devils, now have a case too hard for them
A great lesson: 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.”
A useful lesson that they will remember
What we learn by hard experience, we remember, while often the truth we hear is often forgotten
A tough lesson at the time - not easy to learn that we are literally helpless without Christ
Many illustrations of this in history:
Many preachers who are weak - corrupted by money, sex, power
Men and women in history, who under pressure, publicly rejected Christ - to their shame
Lack of faith caused men and women to lose resolve - Peter
Without Him, anything can overcome us
Let our cry be: don’t leave us alone - we do not know what the day may bring, if your presence is not with us, we cannot go forward
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.” 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.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
We can be attacked by Satan very early in life
We can be attacked by Satan very early in life
This is a scary description of the miseries that Satan inflicted on this young man - started in infancy
Important Lesson: We must work hard to do good for our children, even from their earliest years
If Satan starts so early to harm them, we must stay ahead of him
When is a child accountable? hard to say - possibly sooner than we think
One thing is sure - never too soon to strive and pray for the salvation of our children - never too soon to teach them to be moral, be Godly, to love Christ, to love right
The devil loses no time in trying to corrupt young people - we must work to stop him
Young hearts that can be filled by Satan, can be filled by the Holy Spirit
And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Faith and unbelief can be mixed together in the same person
Faith and unbelief can be mixed together in the same person
This is the case with many true Christians
Most believers have both trust and doubt, hope and fear, existing side by side
All our knowledge, love, humility, are defective and mingled with corruption
This man like many others, has faith, but there remains a bit of unbelief
We must use our faith- as weak, doubting, feeble as it may be, we must use it
We must not wait for it to be strong to use it, but like this man lean into it and look forward to its growing - Lord - I believe
What about unbelief? Resist it and pray against it!
Not let it keep us away from Christ
Take it to Christ, like all other sins, and ask Him to deliver us - Lord, help my unbelief!
Experience with faith, grows faith
Those who exercise faith, know its power
The world around us is ignorant of them - talk of faith and unbelief, doubts and fears, are foolishness to them
Study this well - a true believer is known by his inward warfare, as well as his inward peace
Jesus has complete power over Satan and his demons
Jesus has complete power over Satan and his demons
The spirit who was too strong for the disciples is immediately cast out by the Master
Mark 9:25 “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.””
Bringing it home
Bringing it home
We can leave this passage with comfort
Greater is He that is for us, than all that are against us
Satan is very strong, busy, active and mean
Jesus is able to completely save all that come to Him, not only from the devil, but from sin and the world
Let us keep our souls with patience
Jesus still lives, and will not let Satan pluck us out of His hand
He will soon come again to rescue us from the fiery darts of the wicked one
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Prayers and prayer requests
Prayers and prayer requests
Questions
Questions