Sermon – “Help My Unbelief”

¹⁴ And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. ¹⁵ Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. ¹⁶ And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”

¹⁷ Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. ¹⁸ And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

¹⁹ He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” ²⁰ Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

²¹ So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”

And he said, “From childhood. ²² And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

²³ Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

²⁵ When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” ²⁶ Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

²⁸ And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

²⁹ So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

 ³ And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

So the message just morning I titled help my unbelief. Help my unbelief there was a man that asked Jesus that help my unbelief before I read to scripture I want to ask brother Terry could you open a prayer this morning. Amen thank you Terry you know another thing I’ll be glad to see going is these because singing with that well I’ll be glad when we can sing without them it is hard to sing with them things on and the women can have an advantage you had 2 women up here to didn’t have mask or. No no you don’t want to do that. Oh. Yeah now oh yeah uh no. Ok Mark Chapter 9 verses 14 through 29 don’t want hear any more skews right does just get the message. If I’m in a laughter is good today right. And when he came to the disciples he saw a great multitude around them and scribes disputing with them immediately when they saw him all the people were greatly amazed and running to him greeted him right away man they look and seen Jesus what there is there’s the one that’s been healing everybody there is one has been given as he’s amazing teachings they were glad to see him they ran to greet him and he asked the scribes Why are you or what are you discussing with them then one of the crowd answered and said teacher I brought you my son who has a mute spirit and whenever it seizes him and throws him down he foams at the mouth NASA says teeth and becomes rigid so I spoke to her disciples that they should cast it out but they could not he answered him and said of faithless generation How long shall I be with you how long shall I bear with you bring him to me then they brought him to him and when he saw him a media at Lee the spirit convulsed him and any fell on the ground and wallowed foaming at the mouth I’m going to pause again that’s why I asked for prayer beforehand immediately immediately it will never the the child came that had the evil spirit in a fellow to the ground wall or get on the ground foaming at the mouth my friends whenever an evil spirit comes into the presence of Mighty God It cannot stand it must fall remember the one gospel count shares whenever the mob came to rest Jesus they all fell back when Jesus stepped forward they all fell back and fell to the ground because evil cannot stand in the presence of light the darkness will flee in the presence of light remember that. So he asked his father How long has he been has this been happening to him and he said from childhood and often he has struck him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him but if you can do anything have compassion on us and help us Jesus said to him if you can believe all things are possible to him who believes immediately the father the child cried and cried out and said with tears Lord I believe help my unbelief he says I believe but help my unbelief when Jesus saw that the people came running together he rebuked the unclean spirit saying to it deaf and dumb spirit I command you to come out of him and enter him no more than a spear crowd out convulsed him greatly and came out of him and he became as one dead so that many said he is dead but Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up and heroes and when he had come into the house his disciples asked him privately why could we not cast it out so he said to them this kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting May God out his blessings to the hearing and in reading of His holy work the passage that preceded this passage of scripture where Jesus is Cassidy now the young boy and you know he comes and sees the disciples now as when you read the scriptures always gotta take into consideration you don’t know that the event recorded in the previous chapter the previous segment immediately happened you know we don’t know that but the one that was before this was the Mount of Transfiguration. So we know that Jesus took James. Peter James and John with him up their course when they saw most of the lodges 1st thing they want to do is let us build a shelter for you as you know they’re just so excited they don’t know what to say so they’re up on this mountaintop to have his mountaintop experience with Jesus and I don’t know if they were with him when he’s coming in sees the scribes disputing with them or if all 12 were there and maybe there was some time lapse between I don’t know but the point is at least a few of them got to experience that mountaintop experience and now here they are they’re back down there back down in the valley if you will battling evil spirits right my friends the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ is not always lived up there on the mountaintop is it I mean we might enjoy those mount up experiences sometimes we go to that praise and worship concert we go and hear about wonderful preacher someplace we have our praise and worship at home things are going good in our lives and you know God’s answer prayer were on that mountain top right but if that were lots are normally lived I. Know exactly they’re usually down in that valley aren’t they down in that valley you know you think life is going good the next thing you know you get that bag that that phone call that you been dreading you know from the doctor this is not good or someone in your family is suffering or someone’s in an accident or someone’s attacking your family you know and some way evil evils out there lurking all the time right so that’s where our lives are normally lived the mountaintop experience is not where we normally live it’s in the valley or in the battle is where we would normally live our lives how embarrassing it must have been for the disciples. Not to be able to deliver that young boy previously in Mark 6 we know that Jesus had previously given them parent authority he told them to go out and preach the kingdom of God to heal the sick to cast out demons he gave them that authority but here they were unable they could not do it unable to do it so they find themselves in this argument with the scribes the scribes are there witnessing is they saw that the disciples run able to do it now if they were good and godly man is a claim to be should they not have said can we help can we join our prayers to yours but no that’s not what they were doing the scribes the fair seeds the elders religious leaders were always trying to find a way to trap them a way in which to accuse them you guys are a bunch of heretics is what they thought of them seriously so instead they’re there disputing with them when Jesus showed up Geez the scribes thought they had the upper hand but my friends Jesus shows up done when Jesus showed up he showed them who had authority but I can tell you the one that was the most glad to see Jesus show up and that was the father of that young child the father’s one explained to him what was going on could you imagine using our imaginations Her little bit this morning could you imagine the father a dozen sending by the mother but you could you imagine the parents of that young child how worried and how exhausted they must have been I mean it any given moment in any given day that demon would cause that child to be thrown into the fire or thrown into the water I wonder how many times we don’t know the Scripture doesn’t tell us how many times they have to rescue that young boy pull him out of the water. Giving mouth to mouth the reviving how many times a day I have to pull him out of the fire it clean his wounds run bandages wounds we don’t know we don’t know how many times but we know how much we love our children he was compassionate about finding help for his young child we know that you know if you have a even a no really loved one that needs constant care that is tiresome on that caregiver it continually have to watch out for that child because we know the saved comes to kill him destroy he was trying to destroy that child the father says can you help us the main point of this is faith faith faith my friends is one of the spiritual gifts I think most of us probably knew that but in 1st Corinthians Chapter 12 bursts forth through the leaven says there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit there are differences of ministries but the same Lord there are differences of activities but it is the same God who works in all but the manifestation the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all 4 to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit to another faith by the same spear friends there it is the gift faith by the same Spirit to another gifts of healing by the same spear to another the working of miracles to another prophecy to another discerning of spirits to another different kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues but one and the same spirit works all these things distributing to each one individually as He wills. Another passage of faith this one verse Romans 123 I’m not sure yet you got it for us say through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith my friends God has dealt to each one of us a measure of faith but he gives it for what for the prophet of all amen he didn’t give you that measure of faith for yourself he gave it for the prophet evolved not to make you look good but to help others for the profit of all amen. It is my believe that everyone who repents of their sins puts their trust in Jesus Christ who has accepted him as their Lord and Savior has faith but it does seem like some people have that extra measure of faith doesn’t it a come on we know those kind of people they pray and stuff happens Amen amen and praise God for those warriors those ones with that great measure of faith but friends we want to get there don’t we Lord help my unbelief Lord increase my faith right. I think Jesus response whenever that disciples asked why could we not do it I believe is very important and we must understand as he said that this kind or that cause I can only come out by prayer and fasting so I had the believe that they were successful on their other journeys but that kind can only come out by prayer and fasting think about what that requires my friends what does prayer and fasting require discipline. It requires a great amount of discipline on our part we can’t just be haphazard or careless about our faith we can’t be haphazard this oh well pick my Bob what Wednesday and don’t pick it back up until Saturday night or Well that’s because of starting one right pick it up starting morning expect God to be faithful and use of me when I’m up faithful to Him Prayer and fasting giving him of ourselves our time if we expect to have a great measure of faith how can we have one a walk that’s only once in a while with God right how can we help when his word once a week or go to Him Prayer maybe twice a week and expect to have a great measure of faith there must be prayer and fasting there must be discipline in our lives if we want that extra measure of faith or faith can grow I found a story Sir Edmund Hillary who attempted to scale Mount Everest Zimm many years ago lost one of his members one of the members of his team in a failed effort he returned to a hero’s welcome in London England where a banquet held in his honor was attended by the lords and ladies and powerful people of the British Empire I wonder how I came back as a hero when the exit was was a failed attempt but he did so behind a speaker’s platform were huge blown up photographs of Mount Everest but whenever Hillary arose to receive the acclaim of distinguished audience he turned around and faced the mountain and he said Mount Everest you may have defeated me but I will return and I will defeat you because you can’t get any better but I can. You can’t get any bigger but I can grow I can grow my knowledge I can grow my strength and I can get bigger there’s not is that not the way that we should look. At our faith. It can get bigger it can get stronger that should be our mindset and Matthew 1720 and says because of your unbelief for surely I say to you if you have faith as a mustard seed you will say to this mountain Move from here to there and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you. Faith as a mustard seed tiniest of faith we could do great things we should cry out to the Lord as a father or to help my unbelief help my own believe help my faith to increase the Greek word for under unbelief means faithlessness it means negativity it means to disbelieve what we all thought the mean right it is to doubt it is to pray and then say Well Lord on no that’s a big I know that’s a pretty big ask Lord I know my friends pray and believe ask and believe do not doubt I know that’s a tall order I’m human too I’ve prayed in the out of my friends I too we all need to pray Lord help my unbelief pray and do not doubt ask and do not doubt the power to move mountains to heal to deliver to set free to teach to preach to operate in His spiritual gifts is not our own power but he is in us is having the faith to trust in him to use us believe when they believe are still with the gift of faith. That power from on high can do great things great and mighty things we are not to doubt I found a scripture again it talks about doubt you’re all going to recognize this as I read it Matthew 14 you’re not going to have it up there 1425 to 32 Jesus and the disciples had been on the sea shore and they were teaching there was a great multitude there and Jesus said You guys you good get into the boat and go ahead and head out meet you so Jesus stays there and disperses the crowd the great multitude and about the 4th watch of the night so late at night the seeds rough in the middle of the night Jesus goes walking on the water walking out to meet them now on the 4th watch of the night Jesus went to them walking on the sea and when a disciple saw him walking on the sea they were troubled saying it is a ghost and they cried out for fear but I’m immediately Jesus spoke to them saying Be of good cheer it is I do not be afraid and Peter answered him and said Lord if it is you can manage to come to you in the water so he said come and when Peter come down out of the boat he walked on the water to go to Jesus but when he saw that the wind was boisterous he was afraid and began to sink he cried out saying Lord save me and immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him and said to him oh you of little faith why did you doubt and when he got into the boat the wind ceased Why did you doubt we know what happened we’ve heard this. Story preached about probably many times all of us I know I have and I’ve preached about it he gets out of the boat at 1st he’s looking to Jesus in the he’s got his eyes focused on Jesus Christ and he’s walking on that water but when he saw all the wind was boisterous he took his eyes off of Jesus he began to sink when he take his eyes off Jesus doubt entered in doubt when he saw the storm my friends do we doubt when we see the enemy attack. That we see the world what’s going on in the world that we doubt skitter eyes back on Jesus if you want to overcome doubt we must keep our eyes keep our focus on Jesus Christ g. Morgan Campbell a great preacher of all he had already enjoyed some success as a preacher by the time he was 19 years old but then he was attacked by doubts about the Bible the writings of various scientists and noctis agnostics disturbed him Charles Darwin Thomas Huxley Herbert Spencer and the like now as he read their books and listen to debates Morgan became more and more perplexed what did he do he cancelled all his preaching engagements put all the books in the cupboard and locked the door and he went to the bookstore and bought himself a new Bible and he said to him self I am no longer sure that this is what my father claims it to be the Word of God but of this I am sure if it be the Word of God and if I come to it with an unprejudiced an open mind it will bring assurance to mice to my soul of itself and the result the Bible found me he said with new assurance in 1903. Gave him the motivation for his preaching and teaching ministry he devoted himself to the study and the preaching of God’s Word became one of the great preachers of all but doubt entered in my friends we need to do with doubt what he did with those books lock them in the cupboard right amen lock them in the cupboard Now here’s another story you’re not going to have it up there either I added to it was early in the week when I sent this this was about no doubt in Mark chapter 5 1st 25 to 34 now a certain woman had a flow of blood. Mouth gets dry sometimes you can’t or talk from a start over now a certain woman had a flow blood for 12 years and had suffered many things for many positions she had spent all that she had and was no better but rather grew worse my friends would we not do the same if we had an illness a loved one we would spend all that we had wide because we love life don’t worry we love life we want to have life we want our loved ones to have life we want to enjoy life not afraid to die don’t want the process that might get there right but she spent all that she had was no better had only grown worse when she heard about Jesus she came behind him in the crowd and touched his garment for she said if only I may touch his clothes I shall be made well. She said eyes shall be made well a meeting at Li The found never blood was dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction and Jesus a maiden the knowing in itself that power had gone out of him turned around in the crowd and said who touched my clothes but the disciples said to him you see the multitude throng in you and you say who touch me and he looked around to see her who had done this thing but the woman fearing and trembling knowing what had happened to her came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth and he said to her daughter your faith your faith has made you well go in peace and be healed of your affliction I should have taken the time to search through the Gospels to see how many times Jesus said your faith has major Well we know that it’s in there many times right Jesus said to that individual that he had just healed your faith has made you well my friends that’s the kind of faith I want that kind of faith you want. That’s the kind of faith he wants us to have the faith that will make us well the faith that will deliver that demon possessed child of the faith to stand against the enemy he tells us made to resist the devil and he will flee remember this as I said in the beginning that light will force a darkness to flee were filled with the light of Christ there is no room in air for evil spirits brothers and sisters in order in Clichy increase my faith Lord help my unbelief that’s the word for today I think. We all well some of us have room to grow in our faith let’s put it that way I can say we all need it you might have great faith you may not have one single doubt when you pray your absolute to do something but I think many of us could probably say Lord increase my faith increase my faith and you know I don’t want that faith that I might walk there and do extraordinary things that people would from to me but him you know there’s a song I don’t care if they remember me but only Jesus Casting Crowns only Jesus I want my faith to be increased so that others will see Jesus in me not me but Jesus in made the Lord help my unbelief help me to do all that you want me to do should be all of our prayer nor did I be faithful to you help me Lord increase my faith Amen.