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Message Notes
“God’s invitation to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.” —Henry Blackaby (Experiencing God)
“How you respond at this turning point will determine whether you go on to be involved with God in something God-sized that only He can do, or whether you will continue to go your way and miss what God has purposed for your life.” —Henry Blackaby
“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. Mark 9:14-15
“And he asked them, ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ 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 9:16-18
“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 9:19
“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.” —Mark 9:20
“‘But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ 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!’” —Mark 9:20-22
“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 9:25-27
Four areas where we need to settle our unbelief
- Whether or not God will intervene.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” —Psalm 23:4
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” —Psalm 34:15, 17-18
- When we don’t see what God is doing.
“Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” —John 20:29
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” —2 Corinthians 5:7
“I don’t always feel His presence. But God’s promises do not depend upon my feelings; they rest upon His integrity.” —R.C Sproul
- God’s Word
“You will not often see the intervention of God until He sees your obedience to truth.” —Tony Evans
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” —2 Timothy 3:16-17
- When something seems impossible
“And Jesus said to him, ‘‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”” —Mark 9:23
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” —Matthew 19:26
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” —Ephesians 3:20
“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.’” —Mark 9:28-29
What Did Jesus prescribe for this situation?
- Prayer
“Past spiritual victory does not necessarily fuel today’s spiritual battles. Today’s spiritual battles require fresh dependency on and communication with God.” —Tony Evans