October 5, 2025

Growing in Faith #

Mark 9:14-29

Introduction

We have been following the life of Christ, and specifically his interactions with the disciples. We have dealt a lot with the certainty he made clear to the disciples about the fact that He (Jesus) is God. The Transfiguration was a very clear revelation to Peter, James and John the inner circle, those disciples that were perhaps closer to Jesus than others.

I. Desperate Situation (17-18) #

A. Son (17) – “my son” #

i. When things touch our family, we start to take an interest #

• It is amazing, how many diseases, hardships, difficulty are in this world!
• We are vastly ignorant of them, until someone we know has the problem!

ii. People go by us daily, with pain, hardship… and we often don’t take notice. #

• You will not see everything, but having compassion on the lost, and seeking to be of sincere help to them, is what everything child of God should have!

B. Seeking (17) “have brought unto thee my son” #

i. Saviour! #

• Without a doubt he had heard of Jesus!
• This man had the right idea, try to find this Jesus who had helped so many others!

ii. Started with the disciples #

    ◦ Jesus is not physically on the earth today!
    ◦ You are the representative of Christ!
    ◦ You need to be the light, people will come to you, you must point them to Christ!

C. Sorrow (18) “they could not” #

i. Anticipation of finding Jesus! #

• There are a lot of spiritual let downs today!
• Many religions say they have the answer, and many people are let down!
• Rumored Jesus was near, the disciples where there… but Jesus wasn’t there.

ii. This was a disappointment! #

iii. When we don’t live in the Spirit, and walk with the Lord, people are disappointed. #

• Make sure we walk with the Lord, and don’t let people down!

II. Demonic activity (18, 22) #

• The Bible always refers to these as ‘unclean spirits’ or ‘foul spirit’ as in this case.

A. Symptoms (18, 20, 22) #

i. Deafness #

• Deafness does not equate demon possession!

ii. Dumbness (not speaking) #

iii. Destructiveness #

• Wanders away (18)
• tear – to lacerate (probably cut or scratch himself)  (18)
• gnasheth his teeth (grind his teeth) (18)
• Pine – inflict pain, torment (18)
• Convulsions (20)
• Foaming at the mouth (20)
• Falling into fire, water (22) – bent to destroy

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

B. Spiritual Battle #

i. Spiritual Battles have physical results! #

• All of the issues described in this passage, were physical results of a spiritual possession!

Eph. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

ii. We need the LORD to defeat the enemy! #

• You are not sufficient to take on the devil by yourself!

Acts 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

III. Deliverance of Jesus #

A. Suffering (21) #

i. Coming and going issue #

• I don’t think this was a constant issue, but something that would come and go

ii. Since childhood! #

• Not told what brought this on… but something opened opportunity for demonic oppression.

iii. Seems like years! #

B. Supplication (22) “have compassion on us” #

i. Coming to God, requires humility, not arrogance! #

    ◦ Some try to demand of God… not happening
• This man’s approach to God, was humility… have compassion

ii. Hopelessness without Christ! #

C. Stipulation – belief! (23-24) #

i. Belief – faith is essential to the Christian life! #

• Jesus didn’t ask him to join a church, be baptized, clean up his life…

ii. Confession! (24) “Lord” – many modern Bibles omit this confession! #

iii. 24 – “help thou mine unbelief” #

D. Supremacy (25) “rebuked the foul spirit” #

i. Jesus who is God, has the power to defeat wicked spirits #

• You will not overcome wickedness in your own power
• You will not defeat addictions in your own strength.

E. Security (25-27) “enter no more into him” #

• What God does, he does right!
• When you are saved, you are secure for all eternity!

IV. Disciple’s Lesson (28-29) #

A. What were we lacking? #

• This is a great evaluation on the part of the disciples
• It is good to stop and take inventory of your spiritual life, and be wise enough to see deficiencies!

B. Prayer and fasting #

• Many modern Bibles omit fasting

i. Prayer #

• Seriousness about praying, asking God to intervene in lives, and situations
• Prayer is admittance, of our own insufficiencies
• Prayer is asking God to do something we cannot
• Prayer is a concern for something!

ii. Fasting #

1. Fasting doesn’t make you spiritual
2. Fasting is a denial of self, discipline
3. Fasting shows a seriousness to God, about your interest in this particular problem