24-0303p Transcript

Preacher: Mike Mathis

(2:46) I read a little more of that scripture than I had allotted, but anyway, we go back to (2:58) Mark 9. (3:00) This morning I said that I was going to deal with Mark 9 verses 2-37, but tonight, as we (3:16) have dealt with Mark 9 verses 2-38, where the disciples were sat upon the Mount of Transfiguration, (3:36) and Jesus was transfigured before them, and Moses and Elijah appeared talking with Jesus, (3:53) and then Peter spoke up and said that it was good for them to be there, and he said, (4:06) Suggest them making three tabernacles, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. (4:16) But a cloud overspread them, and a voice out of the cloud said, This is my beloved son, (4:28) and this is my beloved son, hear him. (4:37) If you will mute your phone, those of you that are on the phone, that when Peter spoke (4:53) about making three tabernacles, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, in verse (5:03) 6 of Mark 9, it says, Because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid, (5:13) and the topic was what to say or do.

(5:19) Now tonight I’m going to, in Mark 9, I’m going to go to verse 14 and read to verse 29, instead (5:35) of going to 3-37, and I’m going to read these verses and then we’ll come back and begin (5:47) the discussion. (6:02) And when he came to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and the scribes (6:12) disputing with them. (6:14) I’m going to say, let’s remember that it’s Peter, James, and John that he took with him (6:23) upon the mountain, and that meant that he left the remaining disciples behind.

(6:29) So it’s these disciples that this multitude is around. (6:38) And when he came to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes (6:47) disputing with them. (6:49) Immediately when they saw him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to him, greeted (6:59) him, and he asked the scribes, What are you discussing with them? (7:07) Then one of the crowd answered and said, Teacher, I brought you my son who has a mute spirit, (7:19) and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down.

(7:24) He falls at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. (7:31) So I spoke to your disciples that they should cast it out, but they could not. (7:42) He, that is Jesus, he answered him and said, O faithless generation, how long shall I be (7:54) with you? (7:55) How long shall I bear with you? (7:57) Bring them to me, or bring him to me.

(8:02) They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and (8:12) he fell on the ground and wallowed, falling at the mouth. (8:18) So he asked his father, How long has this been happening to him? (8:26) And he said, From childhood, and often he has thrown him both into the fire and into (8:37) the water to destroy him. (8:40) But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.

(8:47) Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. (8:59) Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe. (9:08) Help my unbelief.

(9:11) When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying (9:21) to it, Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more. (9:33) Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him, and he became as one (9:43) did, so that many said, He is dead. (9:48) But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

(9:54) And when he had come into the house, when he, that’s Jesus, had come into the house, (10:06) his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast it out? (10:13) So he said to them, This time can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting. (10:22) Now, we’re going to go back to verse 14. (10:32) Now, Jesus and Peter, James and John have come down from the Mount of Transfiguration (10:44) and are coming to the disciples, but there was a great multitude around the disciples (10:54) and the scribes disputing with them, and it was disputing with the disciples.

(11:08) And immediately when they saw him, all the people were greatly amazed and running to (11:15) him, greeting him. (11:17) And he asked the scribes, What are you discussing with them? (11:24) So Jesus is wanting them to tell what they were discussing with the disciples. (11:38) But then, before I was to say that before these scribes could answer that question, (11:53) one of the crowd answered and said, Teacher, I brought you my son who has a mute spirit.

(12:04) He’s not able to talk, and it seizes him. (12:15) And Matthew says that this man in Matthew 17 says that he is an epileptic, or at least (12:29) he has the symptoms that were associated with one who has epilepsy. (12:41) But it’s not epilepsy, it is a spirit that has made him mute, and he can’t speak.

(12:53) And also, it appears that he cannot hear because Jesus, in verse 25, says, (13:12) So whenever the spirit seizes him, it throws him down, he falls at the mouth, and he becomes rigid. (13:29) So I spoke to your disciples, and they said they should cast it out, but they could not. (13:39) And these disciples earlier had been given power to perform miracles, to cast out demons, (13:51) to raise the dead, to do these different miracles, (13:58) and here they don’t have, or they can’t cast out this spirit from this man.

(14:10) Now I will throw this in toward about 37, that’s verse 38. (14:30) Now one of them said, that’s John that spoke to him, (14:38) He said, Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in your name. (14:48) And we forbade him because he does not follow us.

(14:52) That is, he doesn’t go with them wherever they’re going, but he’s casting out these demons. (15:06) And we forbade him because he doesn’t follow us. (15:11) But Jesus said, Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in my name can soon afterwards speak evil of me.

(15:23) For he who is not against us is on our side. (15:29) So this man was casting out demons and doing so in the name of Jesus. (15:38) He is for Jesus and for what the disciples were for.

(15:51) And then Jesus answered him and said, when they said that the disciples could not cast out the demons, (16:08) then Jesus answered him and said, (16:11) O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? (16:18) How long shall I bear with you and bring him to me? (16:27) So Jesus is, as he sometimes will rebuke his disciples, saying something like, O ye of little faith. (16:42) And here he says, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? (16:52) How long shall I bear with you? (16:57) And so he says, bring him to me. (17:05) And so the son is brought to him.

(17:13) And evidently, now this is, from what I get, this is a person that is like in manhood, it sounds like here from Mark. (17:31) And then in my theory, he calls him a lamb. (17:37) But at any rate, the son is young.

(17:47) But the son is brought to him. (17:52) And when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him. (17:57) And he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth, (18:04) and questioning the Father.

(18:07) How long has this been happening to him? (18:12) And he said, from childhood. (18:15) So evidently, this is a, he’s still a young man, but this was happening from his childhood. (18:27) And he said that this spirit often throws him into the fire and into the water to destroy him.

(18:37) But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. (18:46) And so Jesus is asked then to have compassion on what is going on. (18:58) And this man is begging for compassion on us and help us.

(19:04) He’s wanting help for himself and he’s wanting help for his son. (19:13) And then Jesus said to him, (19:18) If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. (19:28) And immediately the father of the child cried out, said the tears, (19:36) Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.

(19:43) And when Jesus was seeing that the people come running together, (19:51) he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, (19:55) Death and dying spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more. (20:05) And then the spirit cried out and convulsed him greatly. (20:10) He came out of him.

(20:12) And he became as one dead, so that many are saying he is dead. (20:22) But Jesus reaches down and takes him by the hand and lifts him up. (20:33) And he arose.

(20:35) And when he had come afterwards, after this occurred, (20:40) then he came into the house. (20:44) His disciples asked him privately, (20:47) Why could we not cast it out? (20:51) So he said to them, (20:54) This time can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting. (21:02) Now, we can see that even though perhaps these disciples (21:15) had power to cast out demons and perform miracles, (21:23) that on this occasion they couldn’t.

(21:27) But Jesus, in speaking to them as Matthew said, (21:34) that it was because of their unbelief. (21:40) Now today, there are those who claim they can perform miraculous deeds, (21:52) especially of healing, (21:57) though they don’t have that power to do so. (22:04) And in speaking of what to say and do, (22:11) you know, it is amazing that today people assert (22:17) that they can do things that they don’t have the power to do.

(22:23) Even the believers in Christ, (22:26) and we believe what the Bible says, (22:30) we believe in Jesus. (22:32) We don’t have that power to perform miracles. (22:37) You know, the only person that can perform wonders is God himself.

(22:46) We know that Jesus could perform miracles. (22:52) His disciples could. (22:54) They did even after Jesus died and was resurrected.

(23:02) And it is interesting that of the things that some people will assert, (23:12) they will assert just as Jesus did to his disciples, (23:20) that they were faithless. (23:21) You just don’t have faith. (23:24) You need the faith, you know, to do this.

(23:30) Well, you know, in watching one of the videos, (23:36) this man conducting this video in his lesson that he was presenting, (23:46) he was saying that he was at a certain place (23:52) where they were supposed to be performing miracles, (23:57) trying to, they were saying that they were healing people. (24:04) But there was this elderly lady that was there that was really sick. (24:10) And she was close to death.

(24:14) And an ambulance was called. (24:18) And this speaker, helping these others that were supposedly there to heal, (24:34) helping them to load this woman into the ambulance. (24:42) And as he was doing so, the woman died.

(24:49) He was accused by one of them of taking away the powers to heal. (25:02) Amazing, isn’t it, what some people will say. (25:09) You know, when God has his mind set and it’s his will to do something, (25:16) man cannot stop him from performing whatever he is about to do.

(25:25) Man can’t stop it. (25:30) But then we read in the New Testament (25:35) that the things that occurred unexpectedly (25:42) wasn’t planned, such as 3 Acts, (25:49) Peter and John coming to the house of prayer to pray. (25:59) But it ended that Peter healed a lame man.

(26:06) Now imagine, someone, if this man really wasn’t healed, (26:14) you know, it would be a lack on Peter’s part, yes. (26:21) But Peter had faith all the way through there. (26:26) And he said to the man, (26:28) In the name of Jesus Christ, I rise and pick up your bed and walk.

(26:35) And the man walked, got up, and for the very first time he leaped up. (26:44) And he was jumping up and down, he was rejoicing. (26:49) Today they want to show that they can do the same thing, (26:55) but it becomes a failure.

(26:58) It pales up against when we investigate in the New Testament (27:05) and see just what goes on, (27:10) and it just doesn’t match what really does happen in the New Testament (27:18) and what they did. (27:20) But they give a charge, though, (27:24) that, well, we lack faith because we’re saying that we can’t perform miracles, (27:33) you know, as they did in the first century. (27:41) But these people that are trying to get over on people (27:48) and they’re healing, miraculously they don’t do so.

(27:56) They are powerless because what do we need to confirm? (28:04) Miracles were performed then in order to confirm the message. (28:11) Jesus performed miracles to confirm who he is. (28:16) The disciples performed miracles to confirm the message, (28:23) the word that they were presenting.

(28:29) Faithful brethren in the church are charged with having no faith (28:35) when we assert that we can’t perform miracles. (28:45) But there is something that we can do. (28:50) We can be faithful, obedient children of God.

(28:56) And I’m going to bring something up here. (29:01) Those of us that have been in the church for a while (29:09) have named the name of Christ. (29:13) If we really want to be obedient to Christ, (29:17) we ought to have an evangelistic mind.

(29:22) We need to start thinking about what we can do. (29:30) And I’m going to suggest something that probably, well, at first, (29:37) you know, you might have problems about it. (29:41) I’m going to make a suggestion about that.

(29:45) And that is we need to be thinking about (29:52) going around knocking on doors and inviting people here (30:02) or maybe setting up Bible studies. (30:10) Now, how are we going to go about doing that? (30:15) Well, I’m going to suggest that perhaps on a Sunday afternoon, (30:27) after those services in the morning, (30:34) that after those services, a group will get together (30:44) and go around and do some door knocking. (30:49) And invite people to come in (30:52) or maybe invite them to have Bible studies.

(30:58) We need to be thinking about men evangelistic. (31:06) I know we’re fewer in number, but we have 12 men. (31:14) But on the day of Pentecost, (31:19) they increased to more than 3,000 people.

(31:27) On the day of Pentecost, (31:29) about 3,000 souls received the Word and were baptized, (31:37) so the number was increased. (31:39) Now, somebody’s going to say, (31:40) now wait a minute, they had 120 in Acts 1 there together. (31:51) But when the day of Pentecost came (31:55) and those that were together were the apostles, (32:01) the people chose Matthias to be an apostle.

(32:09) So that made 12 apostles. (32:15) And when it says they will fully come, (32:19) it’s going back to the apostles. (32:24) And we can go into Acts and Peter’s standing up with the 11, (32:30) not the 119, the 11.

(32:36) And also, so we need to start there. (32:43) We need to begin thinking about it. (32:45) The weather’s getting warmer.

(32:48) We need to, you know, take note of the fact (32:54) that we’ve still got the March may have some snowy days (33:01) and cold days. (33:04) April may have the same, and so perhaps May. (33:15) But nonetheless, we need to think on these things.

(33:20) We just give it some thought (33:22) and just see whoever would be interested in being evangelistic. (33:31) We could go out and be on Sunday afternoon. (33:39) I know it’s hard getting people together, (33:43) but let’s give this thought, these matters some thought.

(33:49) We need to do something in order to, (33:54) I know it’s going to be difficult, (33:57) difficult for these apostles and disciples. (34:02) They were persecuted in the first century. (34:05) We’ll do the same thing.

(34:07) We’ll meet with opposition even today. (34:12) But we need to be, we’re getting, (34:19) we’re not getting younger in the congregation, (34:24) and we need to do something to get some more in here, (34:30) even younger people. (34:33) We need to start teaching it.

(34:36) And we need to pray about it. (34:38) We need to pray to have the boldness to do it. (34:43) It’s going to take some doing, (34:46) but that is my suggestion.

(34:53) Now, I know that there are those here (34:57) that are here that have belonged to the church for a while, (35:06) but if you have any need that needs to be made known, (35:15) if you need to, if you’ve let things slip, (35:18) you need to, if you want to make it known, (35:23) why not do so now? (35:25) And why not allow yourself to do that, (35:31) and the church will pray for you, (35:34) that God will accept you and receive you again in His grace. (35:42) Why not do so while we stand and sing?