Faith, Doubt, and the Dad Who Prayed Both | Mark 9:14–29

You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Hey, everybody, welcome to the Bible Guys. It's good to be here. My name is Chris and this is Jeff and we are your hosts for this podcast. And we're gonna do the best we can. We're not gonna mail it in. This is the last one we have this week. Let's get ready. We're going to do the best we can on this. Wee all right, all right. We are in middle of a series about dangerous prayers, and today it is faith doubt and the Dad who prayed both. How about that? That's a good that's good, a title that'll preach man. But before we get through that, we have a segment, the. Most important segment of our show every time. Our fans love it more than anything else. We did one last week. Yeah, we're gonna do it again. It's pretty cool. What made Chris mad this week? And for longtime listeners, if you don't know, Chris isn't just a man raging all day every day. No, Chris is a man who finds himself offended on behalf of all of the rest of humanity, yes, for the poor performance of others. And so with that being in the back of our. Minds, Well, that's assuming that I'm mad at a person. Okay, okay, So because I sometimes I get mad at things and today is actually not, I'm not mad at a person, you might be tempted to say that I'm mad at I'm just mad at the way that things are. Somebody might say, well, wait a minute, maybe are you mad at God? No, I'm not mad at God today, and I'm mad at mankind. I don't think i'm mad at mankind. I think I'm just mad that the dynamics that I'm about to complain about just exist. Oh okay, so this is a this is your negative side of Jerry Seinfeldt's. What's up with that? Yeah, that's right, Okay, that's right. Okay. I am angry that the human body is so fragile and that the smallest thing can take you down. Think about it, so, you know, think about your entire body and a splinter. Yes, a single splinter can take you down, right. It can hurt. It doesn't take me down, but it aggravates you. It can depending on the splinter aggravates but it definitely aggravates you, right, and it'll it'll, it'll put you out, it'll, it'll, it'll prevent you from doing everything that you want to do. And uh, and so the human body. Think about how many things that mankind has invented that can kill the human. Oh yeah, right, yeh, it is so easy. We are on a razor's edge of life all the time. All the time, every time we get in our car, on the razor's edge of life. Yes, there are things. We're hurtling down the road at seventy miles an hour in a in a mellow metal box. Right, yes, and and and so think about how many things can cut you even I mean just the skin is so I could get hurt. Now, fall off, Bite your own tongue with your own teeth. Yes, yes, yes, yes, you feel like you've been shot, right, don't you. You bite your own tongue, and you can't for just a split second, can't figure out what just happened? Yeah, right, what just happened? Right? Right? Yeah? The human body is so fragile. This is it, that's right. So that's the reason why I'm saying, like I'm not mad at God for making us fragile. So it's I don't think. I don't think my anger is at God, and I don't think I'm also mad at mankind for inventing vehicles and metal things that can slice the right right, you know, like but like I said, like if I had an accident and and this, uh, this this chair on wheels where to just flip, I could have a concussion, right, And it's like it's like if I hit my head on the stage. So it's like, so, what is the current fragility that you're. I cracked a molar? You cracked I think, I think, I think so, but it's hurting. It's hurting, and I think, uh, and so what happens is I've actually cracked. I think I grind my teeth. In fact, I know I do. And the doctor gave me one of those things that I don't wear, and it's my fault. But I've cralled lost everybody that the doctors have given those two don't wear them. Yeah, I know it's really difficult for me to sleep. I know I can get used to it. But the uh so, I've cracked two molars in the past, and and so I know the pain of cracking a molar and then you know, of course it's just removal extraction, and then you have to get implants and it's a big deal. Right. But I think I cracked my third molar just yesterday because I was eating something and and I and I hit it and I heard like a and I felt the tremendous amount of pain. I thought, I think it's a hairline fracture because it doesn't hurt as bad today because because some other ones were actually like wide open, loose kind of tooth. But anyway, but I'm thinking to myself, ge whiz, like how many nerve endings are in your mouth? And it's like just a toothache can just like kill somebody. I know. The question I'm gonna ask to get to Heaven is why the nerve endings in our teeth? Right right? That feels like a bad idea to some Some angel is up there going watch this. He's in there. He's got his big thick glasses on. You know those guys that work on micro chips and stuff. He's got those big guys. Story he's watch this. And he's just wiring every tooth. Yeah right, they touched that one. Baby. They're just gonna go off because that's the other one is no toothache, And suddenly like you feel like again you got shot in the face, right, you can't figure out what happened man? Yeah? Yeah, Although, were you implying that angels made mankind? Designing? Designing? What if? What if God delegated a bunch of the design stuff? Oh delegation? Yeah, yeah, so he's delegating all these all right, guys, I want you to design teeth and I want you to design what. Doesn't it say that God formed man from the dust of the ground. Yeah, so you think that it was a complex, long design. Well, like uh, like the Renaissance painter. In the Renaissance sculptors would have teams of people. They would design things, and then teams of people would help make the models. They actually went and made the thing because they only have one shot at that chunk of marble. So they practice on all these on all these on all these these these other things. So maybe maybe I don't know. It's it's like it reminds me of it. Wouldn't diminish God that if he used others to remind me, would it would? It? Would? It was the perfect creator? Yeah, I was just gonna say I was gonna say, I was gonna say, like you picture you picture painted a picture of like do you ever see Endgame? Yes, Marvels, Yeah, where where vision is up in Wakanda and they're trying to remove the mindstone from him and and and uh and so all those lights show everything and she's like, brother, there's a trill, there's at least a trillion connections, and she's removing every wire by by by hand. That these are the nerve endings in our teeth. Right, that's exactly right. It'd be terrible. So anyway, terrible, terrible. So I am angry at the fact that the human body is actually no match for almost everything that exists. We are the most fragile thing ever. And I you know what, I'm angry about it. You're angry about it. I'm angry. Well, thank you, Chris. Right now, I'm angry for my tooth. You're showing compassion, yeah, in a way, yes, showing compassion to all of humanity for our fragility. Yes. I wish we were like, you know, like more resilient, and we had like an armor that could resist so many things. And yet we are resilient. That's what's weird people live through the most bizarre things and die from the weirdest things. It's true, It's it's weird. But anyways, well, thank you Chris for that. You want to talk about a struggle and resilience. This guy in Mark chapter in Mark chapter nine. We've talked about this passage a couple of times. It's one of my favorite passages in the Bible, of interactions of humans. With Jesus, you know, people with Jesus. You know what, though, I'm actually convinced that every passage is one of your favorites. But this one is This one is particularly I'm fond of because of the idea, the idea. Do you know why I introduced here? You know why I say that. Of this Why because I say it all the time. Well, yes, but even more so when you say it. I tried to take note of it. So I'm like, oh, he likes this one. And then I'll be like, well, okay, I remember your favorite passage, and then you'll say it again. I'm like, oh, he likes these two, And now I'm like. Oh, he likes these thirty three thousand verses. Yeah, I'm like, I just I'm this is. This is one of my favorite. I use this a lot when I'm sharing the gospel. Yeah, because people struggle with how much faith is enough faith? Yeah yeah, yeah. So today the idea is faith doubt and the Dad who prayed both. So here's what it says. In Mark, chapter nine, verse fourteen says when they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. And when the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe and they ran to greet him. What is all this arguing about, Jesus asked, am I the right spot? I am? Yeah, you're in the right spot. Yeah. One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He's possessed by an evil spirit that won't let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground, and then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. And so I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn't do it. Jesus said to them, you faithless people, how long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me? And so they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, that threw the child into a violent convulsion and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. How long has this been happening, Jesus asked the boy's father. He replied, since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us if you can. What do you mean if I can, Jesus asked, Anything is possible if a person believes. The father instantly cried out, I do believe. But helped me overcome my unbelief. And when Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak. He said, I command you to come out of this child and never again enter him. Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him, and the boy appeared to be dead. I murmur ran through the crowd as people said, he's dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit? And Jesus replied, this kind can be cast out only by prayer. Remember when we talked about this a while ago. Yes, only by prayer. Prayer, fasting. Yeah, and guess what you did, the same thing that you did before. When you read it, do you know what I'm about to say? No, when you read it's so funny. When you read this verse, you it says, So, here's what the verse says. It says, the boy appeared to be dead. I murmur ran through the crowd as the people said, he's dead, but Jesus took him by the hand and helped him on his feet feet, and he stood up. And here's how you read it. You said, the boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd, and the people said he's dead, but Jesus took him by the hand. And I was like, I was like, so I didn't realize that, I. Know, and you didn't realize it last time. The story, man, this is the story you're right there with it. Man, it says, it says, it's a murmur right, He's dead. Pass it on. When you're reading, do you do you see the story? Oh? Are you kidding me? When you even ask me that, I see everything right, My mind's eye just goes to everything, every reaction, every facial expression. Which is why I see life as a movie, right. I see zoom in's. I hear scores. I hear scores underneath these stories. When when I watch movies on the screen, I like them. But when I watch a movie on the screen, I feel like I'm sitting outside of this really cool story. I feel like I'm in a theater. I don't feel like I'm in the movie. Are you kidding me? But when I read, that's the opposite of me. When I read, I feel like I'm in the story. You know what, Probably it's because I grew up that tea. I was going to say, probably go to movies when I was a kid, and you know what, you could we could all go to a counselor and he could probably explain this, right, the part of the brain or the developmental years and and all that stuff. You're what is that hippocampus whatever? Is that called but anyway, but it's a it really is it. I learned about this in counseling a long time ago when we talked about the strength of your experiences during those formative years, especially in your brain. And uh, and I will bet you that it's just that your experience was such because you know, the bottom mine is. I also think that way about books, right, because you know, you read a good book, and especially if it's like nonfiction or. You were a big comic book guy, so you're reading books with pictures. Yeah, I say, those those are visuals, right yea, So those, you know, didn't require my imagination as much. You still had to read it though, if you're going to take in the story, yeah, for sure read it. And certainly well, I mean I read books too, but the ratio between movies and reading for me as a kid was like one hundred to one, right, I mean, it was always. More me too, but it was the other way around, right exactly. That's what I'm saying. And so I'm saying, I bet you it's just that's what your brain it was developed that way because I can't imagine being in a really great movie and not feeling like you're in the movie. When my dad died, he left me his entire Louis Lamore. Yeah, Cowboy book collection. It's one hundred and ten novels or something like that. He had the whole set. And so I've just started at the beginning of the second series I started, so I've always got one of my nightstand I'll read for a little bit, for a little bit, And yeah, it's amazing because I grew up reading all that stuff, you know, and you just imagine in. Your head, you know. Also, that's what happened on that story. Yeah, that's what I was just in the middle of the story, in the moment. Yeah, well in the uh And by the way, that probably explains a lot about even the art that we talk about, right, we talk about videos and all these kinds of things. Whereas I always find myself in the story, which is why I cry, Right, I could. I could watch a thirty second clip and be completely immersed. I am in that clip, and I will literally cry based on the emotion that's being conveyed, and I think, Wow, they did their job right. They drew me in. I was I was feeling everything that that person was feeling. And that's I get caught up in it. Because I'll tear up on occasion. Sure, sure that that'll happen, but it's not I don't throw myself at a movie. Most of the time. When I approach a movie, I approach it like I'm sitting in a theater and it's on the screen. Yeah. Well, I cried during Aspirin commercials, so. Yeah, so anyways, Hey, let's cry about this guy's son. Yeah for sure, probably get to that part. Yeah, right, So so you know this guy we again, we just talked. It feels like we just talked about it, right, But I love how Jesus is asking questions like, what is this all? What is this arguing about? Now? I think Jesus knew what the arguing was about, right, I believe that he knew. This feels more like a parent walk in the room. What's going on in here? That's what it feels like. Right, right, right, right? And and he says, you faithless people, how long must I be with you? How long lest I put up with you? Bring the board to me? That that is amazing. How Jesus responds to the fact that the disciples couldn't cast out the evil spirit, right because Jesus has told them time and time again. We didn't talk about this last time, but Jesus has told them time and time again, if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. You could do great things, right, you can? You can? And he says you faithless people. Now, do you think he was talking to disciples or do you think he was talking to the people bringing the boy to him? Disciples? Yeah? I think so too. Yeah, I think that he's talking to the disciples. Yeah. And that's interesting, isn't it. So think about that because we didn't camp on this last time. So when Jesus tells us to believe and have trust, don't you think that that applies to for instance, let's just say somebody is having a hard time giving financially, right, yes, and yet they have seen God provide in the past. Don't you think that Jesus would show up and say, you, faithless people, how much more do I have to do in your life to prove that I'm going to take care of you? Right? Yeah? I good point, you know what I mean? Yes, I think I think sometimes we try to rely on yesterday's victories and think, well, I was ready for that battle before, So I'm ready for all battles forever now because the Disciples two pages before cast out demons in chapter six, So they did cast out demons before. Now they can't cast this demon out. So I think sometimes we're at tempted to think that religious experience took me to a new level, and now that's my permanent level. And if we're not constantly maintaining and building, we don't stay where we're at spiritually. We slide back. And we're in the Baptist world we are backsliders, right, right, So you automatically slide back from where you were at spiritually with God if you're not actively leaning in and moving towards him, you don't just maintain. This is true in relationships too. It's true in your marriage. Your marriage does not go stagnant. Your marriage goes backwards if you're not moving forward. Sure, right, in most things, it's not just a flatline. You achieve a level, and now that's the new level. You slip backwards. And so the Disciples, we're out casting out demons and sharing the gospel in chapter six and now here in chapter nine, they can't cast out this demon. So sometimes you can rely on a previous experience. It's in your life, a previous mountaintop moment, and think you're still that guy. Remember when Samson got up and shook himself off, was ready, and then found out he didn't have any power. Right, right? He didn't even know the powered left him, right. I didn't know the power left him. I think this is kind of maybe what happened with the disciples is this is the big lesson that they learned that if you are going to maintain spiritual power, if you're going to have spiritual power, you have. To maintain it. And that's why Jesus said, you guys haven't been praying and fasting, have you? That's essentially what he's saying. So one of my best friends for the past twenty years is Dave Wilson who's on our staff. And David Ann have a very famous saying, and they say, either in your marriage, because you said it's like a marriage, either you're working toward oneness and if you're not working toward oneness, you're drifting toward isolation. That's true. Isn't that great? It's a great concept for a marriage. Either you're working or drifting. I like the intentionality of the words working versus drifting. Right, it's almost coincides with your sliding back, yes, illustrations slighting thing. Right, So either you're working toward you know, and some preacher I've heard of, some preachers I've heard say when Jesus has follow me, Jesus walks, and so when you stop, there's a greater distance between you and God. Right, So either you're actively pursuing him and you're actively following him, or if you just stop and you become stagnant, then you're gonna you're gonna be further away. Right, Because God's actively moving, God's on mission, right, we have to join him and follow him in life. So that's just great. So I love the fact that this father had had the sense maybe it was desperation, and many of us, I think, come to Jesus out of desperation. But he came hoping maybe Jesus can do something. And then he says if you can, which on one side means maybe you can't. Right. But the effort it would take to to bring your deaf, mute son who throws himself violently and is just out of control, the effort it would take to get him out of the house bringing through the town find Jesus. That's a very substantial amount of work. Anybody who's had to deal with people who are out of unable to control themselves, you know how difficult that is to manage. And so he believed that Jess enough that he was willing to take the chance. And then Jesus goes, what do you mean if I can? That's the coolest phrase. I always think of it, almost a cowboy kind of a kind of a thing. It's almost it. It almost feels like a double dog there to Jesus, what do you mean if I can't? Of course I can. But he says, everything is possible if you believe. And this is why I think that the guy had had a significant amount of belief. He says, I do believe. What do you think I was doing all morning? I got him clothed, I've got him calmed down, I got him through the crowd and all the way to you. All of a sudden, the demons take over again. I'm trying to get some help from you, guys. I believe enough to come here and ask, And he says, but then help my unbelief, I don't know. I think I've almost given. Up yeah, I have doubts. Yeah, well, it sounds to me like he's saying, I think I've almost completely given up. If you can't do it, nobody can do it. I've just about given up. So he's willing to admit that he has some doubts. He's willing to admit that he's at the end of his rope, he said, willing to admit that I have nowhere else to turn. So this is why I'm here, Jesus, what are you talking about? And I think most of us feel like if we came to God that way, God, I have nowhere else to turn. I'm but ready to give up. I don't even I hope you can do something about this. Yes, that's kind of what. I hope you can because nobody else can. And you know, you ever wonder how much faith does it take to get Jesus to move on your behalf. It's enough to show up and ask. If you have enough faith to show up and ask, Jesus will move on your behalf. Yeah. And I love how this is recorded in the scripture because it sort of gives us permission to see Jesus and how he responds to somebody who's who's vulnerable enough to say, yeah, I do have doubts, right, So he doesn't say I can't believe you didn't have doubts. He just says anything is possible for those who believe right, And so yeah, Jesus doesn't scold him for his unbelief. You know, this man comes to Jesus and says, I do believe, right, So the challenge is, hey believe and he says I do, but please help me in my unbelief. And then Jesus doesn't scold him. So I think it's important to understand that you don't have to be a super Christian. It's exactly what you just said, just enough faith to go to go and ask. But it's also okay to admit that you're a skeptic. It's also okay to admit that, Hey, that's a fault that I have. I have some doubts. I don't know why I would they weren't there. But God, you know me, You already know this, You already know that I doubt. Please help me with my doubts. And I think that you know, I feel I feel terribly guilty all the time that I'm a skeptic. You know that, right, Maybe maybe you don't, but I don't say it often enough. But I am a terrible skeptic. I don't know why. I don't know why I'm wired that way. I have thirty three years of thirty four years of being a pastor. Technically, I was a pastor before I was married, and and then and then even a few more years than that than being a Christian. So most of my life I've been involved in this. And yet I'll hear people say things, and they'll say, oh, this miraculous story happened, and I'll say, did it? Did it? Though? Yeah? Yeah, you know, And and I don't know why that's my first reaction. And even though that, I'll it may be a millisecond and then I'll just I'll get over it and then I'll believe. Right, But my first reaction is always skepticism. Well, the Bible says to test the spirits, right, to test and see whether or not the claims that are being made are true. Not everything is from God, and God's not the only one who does miracles. Satan does all kinds of crazy things, right, right, So it is fair for us to when somebody steps up that we don't know entirely the story and they make some giant spiritual claim. It's not unreasonable for us to test to see is this the true spiritual claim? Because if you just believe a miracle, but you're not testing to see where did it come from? And is this consistent with what we know about God, you can It's one of the things that can lead whole people groups astray. It's because some miracle happened, you know, because the devil will also do amazing things, and so a little bit of skepticisms there is. Okay, I don't think you have to feel guilty about that, but it's it's doubting God is the challenge for us sometimes when that happens too. Sometimes, I mean, hey, even people like you and me, you have these moments when we go God, I just I don't know how many more times I need to pray about this? Right? Maybe you just don't care. Read through the book of We've spent quite a bit of time in the Psalms, and we will over the next few weeks. And David all the time. There's several times when David goes, I don't even feel like you're paying attention to me. Why is it that my enemies are prospering and I'm the one suffering, right, And he's like, you're not paying attention and so and that's just the normal, I think a human response. And God doesn't get mad at David there, that's right. God just shows himself to David. So how much does it take to get God to move on? Your behalf? Enough faith to just go and ask him to But what you find here is there's a desperation. This isn't enough faith to go ask God? Hey, God, would you give me a Mercedes? Right? This is God. I've turned everywhere and i don't know where else to go, and I'm at my wits end and I need you. There's a desperation in this Dad. So I think it's that desperation combined with enough guts and faith to ask that's when. God shows up. That's great. Yeah, I'm desperate for you. Well, that's a great place to end. That's our time. So hopefully we will see you on Monday as you tune in for another episode of The Bubble Guys. Hm, hm