“Lord, I Believe”
There are many Christians who allow themselves to be weakened through peer pressure, persecution, unproven theories, teachers and professors, TV programs, et. al. With that in mind, Sunday I preached a sermon on the father in Mark 9 who was deeply concerned about his demon-possessed son. Maybe you’ll benefit by taking a look at the text with this outline.
Text: Mark 9:23,24
I. The Reliance (v24)
A. The man’s faith was the basis of God’s promise.
B. The man’s faith was the basis of the son’s restoration.
II. The Request (v24, “Lord, I believe. Help me with my unbelief”)
A. Seems complex. Faith may exist with occasional doubts that can be overcome.
B. Faith is not kept without work. It will either increase or diminish.
1. 2 Th. 1:3
2. He. 10:23
3. Ja. 1:6
C. We must have the same attitude: “Help thou my (or, against my) unbelief.”
1. 2 Co. 5:7
2. 2 Co. 10:3-5
3. Ep. 6:11-17
III. The Rebuke (Mk. 9:29, “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” cf. v19; cf. Mt. 17:20-21)
A. Christ’s apostles were not immune to failure and unbelief (cf. 1 Co. 10:12). They were rebuked here and exhorted to “prayer and fasting.”
B. Couched in a faith-enstilling passage are these words: “…now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations” (1 Pe. 1:6).
C. Don’t doubt the power of God. Don’t assume His power something you alone can accomplish.
IV. The Rewards of Faith (Mk. 9:23, “All things are possible to him that believeth”)
A. Being a child of God (Jn. 1:12-13)
B. Salvation (Ro. 1:16)
C. Answered prayer (Mk. 11:24)
D. Light (Jn. 12:46)
