Participants: Charissa Fong
Series Code: 11GYC
Program Code: 11GYC000005
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00:11 We have an amazing speaker with us
00:13 all the way from Australia this morning. 00:17 An amazing and powerful servant of the Lord. 00:20 Charissa, I would like to pray 00:22 for you this morning. It's okay. 00:25 Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, 00:28 thank You so much for this beautiful morning 00:30 that we were able to wake up to. 00:32 We just thank You for being here. 00:33 Thank You so much for bringing us all safely to GYC, 00:36 that we can praise Your Holy Name. 00:39 I just wanna lift up Charissa 00:40 straight to Your throne this morning. 00:43 May You anoint her lips. 00:44 May her words be Your words. 00:46 May You empty us all of self. 00:48 And may You fill us with Your Holy Spirit. 00:51 In Jesus Holy precious name we pray. 00:53 Amen. Amen. 00:56 Good morning everyone. Good morning. 00:58 It's great to see so many of you here 01:01 so early this morning for our morning devotion. 01:04 Before we go any further, 01:05 I'd just like to offer a word of prayer, 01:07 just so that I can ask God to personally bless me as well. 01:11 I thank her for her pray. 01:12 Let's just pray once more. 01:14 Father in heaven, 01:15 I just ask that in addition to the prayer that 01:17 has been prayed, that You would take over this morning. 01:20 I pray that You would speak to our hearts. 01:23 May You take this message 01:24 and apply it to each and everyone of us 01:26 individually for we ask it in Jesus name, amen. 01:31 Without a doubt, 01:33 Steve Jobs was unquestionably the Thomas Edison of our times 01:37 and one of the greatest visionaries 01:39 that our world has ever seen. 01:42 And when he passed away in October of this year, 01:45 I thought it was very fitting 01:47 that your President here in America, 01:49 Obama, he said, 01:50 "There is no great a tribute to Steve's success 01:54 than the fact that much of the world 01:56 learned of his passing on a device that he created. " 02:01 And Steve being the ultimate showman, 02:03 at 18 of his product launches, he knew the power of an encore. 02:09 And when he would come out dressed in his typical jeans 02:12 and black turtleneck top, 02:13 and he would introduce to the world, 02:16 Apple's latest market item. 02:19 He would finish introducing the product 02:21 and everybody would break into applause 02:23 and he would turn and be about to walk off the stage, 02:27 when suddenly he would stop, 02:29 turnaround, and say, oh, and there's one more thing. 02:33 And it would be at that moment 02:34 that he would then unveil yet one more feature, 02:38 one more exciting feature of the product 02:40 that his audience was already thrilling over. 02:45 And friends in a similar sense, 02:47 after Jesus had spent three 02:50 and a half years training and teaching His disciples, 02:55 after He commanded them to go into all the world 02:58 and baptize people and to teach them of Him, 03:02 He also added one more thing to His commission. 03:06 And we find it in the Book of Luke 03:08 Chapter 24 and verse 49. 03:11 Come with me to the Book of Luke 03:13 Chapter 24 verse 49. 03:18 Luke Chapter 24 and we read it in verse 49. 03:27 Luke Chapter 24, verse 49, 03:31 Jesus says, "Behold, I send the promise 03:35 of My Father upon you, 03:37 but tarry in the city of Jerusalem, 03:41 until you are endued with power from on high. " 03:45 Now friends, let's not miss this. 03:47 The same one who commanded them 03:49 to go into all the world, also ordered them to stay 03:54 and wait however long it took 03:57 until they received power from the Holy Spirit. 04:02 Can you imagine how they must have felt 04:04 when Jesus said this to them? 04:06 I mean, He had just told them to go, 04:09 and they must have thought how can we wait 04:11 when there is a world to tell 04:13 and the world is incidentally quite large. 04:16 But friends, Jesus had good reason for His instruction. 04:19 He always does. 04:21 You see, Jesus knew that unless they tarried, 04:25 unless they waited for the Holy Spirit's power, 04:29 they were destined to failure and here's why. 04:32 We read about it, 04:33 come with me to our theme story this morning. 04:36 The Book of Mark, Mark Chapter 9. 04:40 Mark Chapter 9 and our devotion this morning 04:45 will begin in verse 14. 04:48 Mark Chapter 9 verse 14. 04:54 It says, "And when He came to the disciples, 04:58 He saw a great multitude around them. " This is Jesus. 05:01 He saw a great multitude around the disciples. " 05:03 And scribes disputing with them. " 05:06 Now friends, as you read the gospels, 05:09 you very quickly notice that crowd 05:11 seemed to follow Jesus like His own shadow. 05:14 Everywhere Jesus is, there is a crowd there. 05:17 But friends, the crowd on this particular 05:19 morning was different. 05:22 Nine of the twelve disciples were locked 05:25 in a theological debate with some scribes 05:28 and an audience was standing around 05:31 watching them ringside like it was a primetime TV show. 05:36 A man had come to Jesus 05:38 that morning looking for Him to heal his son. 05:42 I imagine it wasn't the first time that this father 05:45 had gonna looking for help. 05:47 No doubt he had seen 05:48 all the greatest physicians in Jerusalem 05:51 only to be finally told by one perplexed doctor, 05:55 "Look, I think your son's case 05:57 is a serious case of demon possession. 06:00 And there was no medicine for possession. 06:04 He was privately destroyed by this news. 06:08 He stopped going to church. 06:10 And nobody seemed to notice. 06:12 In fact, nobody seemed to mind. 06:14 He started to question the existence of God. 06:17 How could a loving God allow 06:19 this to happen to his precious son? 06:23 He believed that nothing was possible 06:26 until one day somebody said something about Jesus. 06:32 And the Bible doesn't tell us who it was. 06:34 Maybe it was a young person. 06:36 We don't know. 06:37 Maybe a friend in Gennesaret e-mailed 06:40 through something about 06:42 how Jesus had cast out the demons 06:44 from those two wild men 06:46 who lived in the graveyard along the coast. 06:49 Or maybe he'd be reading the reports in the papers 06:52 about how the disciples 06:54 were casting out demons in Jesus name. 06:57 In any case, this father had put off coming to Jesus, 07:01 perhaps because of something he read on some website. 07:05 Something about how Jesus was possessed with Beelzebub 07:08 or something like that. 07:10 But as the attacks on his son continued and grew worse, 07:15 he decided that he had to try Jesus. 07:19 And so he did. 07:20 He went looking for Him that morning 07:22 and he took his son along. 07:24 But when he found his disciples, 07:26 they told him that Jesus was up a mountain with Peter, James, 07:30 and John and none of them knew 07:32 when He was going to be back. 07:34 And so forced to do the next best thing, 07:39 he turns to His disciples and he asks them 07:42 if they can help him. And in my minds, 07:46 I can see them all looking at each other. 07:49 Matthew glances at Philip and he just nods. 07:52 They all look at Thomas 07:54 and he shrugs his shoulders and says, 07:56 "Well, we've done this before. 07:58 I mean remember when Jesus sent us out 08:01 two by two to preach, heal, and cast out demons. 08:05 We were always outnumbered then. 08:08 But now, look, there are nine of us 08:11 and just one demon possessed boy, 08:14 how hard can this be? 08:17 And so the exorcism began. 08:19 And the Bible doesn't tell us 08:22 exactly how they went about it, 08:24 but whatever they did, it didn't work. 08:28 And then to add insult to injury, 08:31 some scribes happened to chance upon the scene. 08:36 And as they watched the disciples fail, 08:39 not just once, or twice, 08:41 but over and over and over again, 08:45 the smirks on their faces grew larger, 08:48 and larger until soon unable to contain themselves, 08:52 they broke into a loud chorus of mocking laughter. 08:57 Uh, what a joke? 08:59 This is going to be a YouTube sensation. 09:03 Behold, the mighty disciples of Jesus, 09:08 is this demon too powerful for you? 09:12 Embarrassed and crestfallen, 09:14 the confused disciples just stood there helplessly 09:19 looking at the scribes and the crowd. 09:23 And the boy writhing in agony at their feet, 09:27 but nothing could bring them to face the Father. 09:32 Then a scribe said something sharp. 09:34 A disciple retaliated. 09:37 A debate began and soon tempers were flaring. 09:41 The man and his son lost in a controversy. 09:44 And friends sometimes it's easy for you and I 09:48 to get caught up in defending the truth to scribes, 09:53 to people who don't actually care about the truth anyway. 09:56 Get it right, and they'll criticize you. 09:59 Get it wrong, and they'll still criticize you. 10:02 Jesus was never impressed with the scribes. 10:05 Do you remember what He said of them? 10:07 He said woe to you, 10:08 scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. 10:12 They were part of the crowd, 10:13 who condemned Christ to death on the cross. 10:16 And then rushed home to keep the Sabbath. 10:19 So friends don't pay attention to the scribes. 10:22 Pay attention to the ones who are hurting, 10:25 and searching, and looking for Jesus. 10:27 Amen, amen. 10:29 Verse 15, 10:31 "Immediately, when they saw Him," 10:34 that's the crowd. 10:35 "All the people were greatly amazed, 10:37 and running to Him, greeted Him. 10:40 And He asked the scribes, 10:42 "What are you discussing with them?" 10:45 Everyone was relieved to see Jesus show up, 10:49 because if there was anybody 10:51 who could sort out this situation, 10:53 well, Jesus could. 10:55 And as soon as Jesus arrived, 10:57 He saw the defeated expressions on His disciples' faces. 11:02 And He knew something was up. 11:04 And so He turns to the scribes 11:07 and He asks them to explain the situation. 11:11 But if you notice in the text, His question, 11:15 they answered with silence. 11:18 And sometimes silence says quite a lot, doesn't it? 11:23 I remember one day, I got home, 11:25 I walked down the steps in my backyard, 11:28 and when I got downstairs, in my backyard, everywhere, 11:32 as far as I could see, was this foam strewn all over, 11:37 whipped up foam. It was all over our backyard. 11:39 And there, sitting in the middle of it all, 11:42 was my dog, my puppy dog. 11:44 His name was Texas. 11:48 Yeah, there you go, amen. 11:50 Yes, his name was Texas. 11:52 He was a miniature toy poodle. 11:54 I know this is the biggest state, 11:56 but he was a very beautiful dog. 11:57 He had a heart as big as Texas. 11:59 And there he was, 12:00 he was just sitting in the middle 12:02 of all of this foam in the backyard. 12:03 And I just looked at him. 12:05 And I said, did you do this? 12:07 And of course, he didn't answer me. 12:09 But the ears went down, the head went down, 12:11 the tail went down, 12:13 and he looked back at me with eyes that said it all. 12:17 And when I think about the scribes, 12:18 I'm thinking about my dog too. 12:20 Because the scribes had encountered 12:23 Jesus enough before to know that they probably 12:26 shouldn't open their mouths too quickly now. 12:29 And the disciples they're relieved 12:31 that Jesus was back now. 12:33 They were in no rush to report their failure either. 12:39 And so the silence in this moment 12:42 began to grow louder 12:45 and louder until suddenly a breaking voice was heard. 12:51 Verse 17, 12:54 then one of the crowd answered and said, 12:56 'Teacher, I brought to You my son, 12:59 who has a mute spirit. 13:01 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down. 13:04 He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, 13:07 and becomes rigid. 13:08 So I spoke to Your disciples, 13:10 that they should cast it out, but they could not. 13:16 This man had been just about to walk away from that crowd 13:19 when Jesus showed up. 13:21 Matthew's gospel tells us 13:23 that he presses through the crowd 13:25 and he falls on his knees 13:26 before Jesus as he says these words. 13:30 His eyes were red from the private tears 13:33 that he'd been shedding. 13:35 His story was one that would melt 13:37 and elicit pity from the hardest of hearts. 13:41 His only son, the Bible tells in Luke's Gospel, 13:45 his only son was being tormented by a demon. 13:49 He was living an aquarium like existence, 13:52 where being mute and deaf he could see 13:55 what was happening around him. 13:57 But he was unable to respond to what was happening. 14:01 He pictures, if you like, the plight of our planet, 14:05 filled with pain and suffering, 14:06 but powerless to do anything about it. 14:11 But friends it was the last words that he said, 14:13 that I think must have upset Jesus the most. 14:17 He said, I brought my son to Your disciples, 14:20 but they couldn't do anything to help me, 14:23 but they could not. 14:25 I brought my son to the church, and nothing happened. 14:31 It is sobering for us to think this morning 14:34 as we reflect on this that the lack of power in our lives, 14:39 in the lives of Jesus disciples, 14:42 reflects on the power of God himself. 14:46 Paul Gilbert once said this, "You and I are writing a Gospel, 14:50 a chapter each day, by the words 14:54 that you say and by the deeds that you do. " 14:57 Men read what you write, whether faithless or true. 15:02 Say what is the Gospel according to you? 15:08 How often we are guilty of false advertising. 15:12 The disciples had knowledge. 15:15 They had experience. 15:17 They have done this before, 15:19 but they were severely lacking in power. 15:23 And so Jesus says in verse 19, 15:26 He says, "O faithless generation, 15:29 how long shall I be with you? 15:31 How long shall I bear with you? 15:34 Bring him to Me. " 15:37 Can you feel the sting of those words? 15:41 Jesus could see the real problem. 15:43 The real problem was not a lack of training 15:46 or a lack of being relevant or attractive. 15:49 The problem was this. 15:50 The man was trying to get help 15:53 and the disciples were trying to give it 15:56 all without faith in the God who could do it. 16:00 And that's why Jesus looks at them 16:02 and He immediately sums up their problem. 16:04 He says, "O faithless generation. " 16:07 They didn't have faith. 16:09 They were unbelieving. 16:11 And Spurgeon once said, he said, 16:13 "Every other crime touches on God's territory, 16:17 but unbelief aims a blow at His divinity, 16:22 impeaches His veracity, denies His goodness, 16:26 blasphemes His attributes, maligns His character. 16:31 Therefore, God, of all things, hates first and chiefly, 16:36 unbelief, wherever it is. " 16:40 God has never rewarded unbelief. 16:44 God has never been able to reward faithlessness. 16:48 The gospels tell us that when Jesus walked this earth, 16:51 he had to pass whole towns by, 16:54 and was unable to work many miracles there 16:57 because of unbelief in those places. 17:00 Unbelief kept the children of Israel 17:04 wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. 17:07 And in the Spirit of Prophecy, Maranatha page 19, 17:12 "It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, 17:17 and strife among the Lord's professed people 17:21 that have kept us in this world of sin 17:24 and sorrow so many years. " 17:27 And as you listen to Jesus, talking to these people, 17:31 it almost sounds like 17:32 He is talking to Laodicea, doesn't it? 17:35 He says how long must I endure you? 17:37 By the way friends, the problem with Laodicea 17:40 isn't so much her temperature. 17:42 That's just the symptom of her disease. 17:45 Her disease is this self righteousness. 17:47 She believes that she is good enough 17:50 to get by on our own, 17:51 but friends we will never be good enough 17:53 to get by on our own amen. 17:55 We will always need Jesus 17:58 and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 18:00 And that is why the Holy Spirit ever speaks of Jesus. 18:04 The Holy Spirit is Cristo-centric, 18:07 always pointing us to Jesus as our only hope. 18:12 And Jesus says, "Bring the boy to me" 18:14 and I like that. 18:15 You have to underline that in your Bible, 18:18 because when you have a problem, 18:20 don't just Facebook it? 18:23 Give it to Jesus and let Him face it, amen. 18:26 If the disciples missed the point, 18:29 don't let them destroy your faith. 18:32 Take your problem straight to Jesus. 18:34 Don't try to fix your past, 18:37 your future, your present, your family, your relationships, 18:41 bring it to me, is what Jesus says to us. 18:45 And notice verse 20, 18:48 "Then they brought him to Him. 18:50 And when he saw Him, 18:52 immediately the spirit convulsed him, 18:54 and he fell on the ground and wallowed, 18:57 foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, 19:00 "How long has this been happening to him?" 19:03 And he said, "From childhood. " 19:05 Verse 22, "And often he has thrown him 19:08 both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. 19:13 But if You can do anything, 19:15 have compassion on us and help us. " 19:20 Peter, James, and John, the returning disciples 19:24 who had been with Jesus, just moments 19:26 before on the Mount of Transfiguration 19:28 cringed at the site before them. 19:31 It was very different 19:33 to what they'd just seen on the Mount. 19:35 In the presence of Jesus that demon 19:38 started to behave like a demon. 19:41 And the Spirit of Prophecy tells us that at this moment, 19:44 the Angels of light and darkness 19:46 were crowning in over the scene to watch as Michael 19:50 and the dragon met again on the field of battle. 19:54 And friends, Jesus is such a personal God. 19:57 Do you realize that this is the only time 19:59 that Jesus ever asked anybody 20:02 for a case history of the person He was about to heal. 20:06 It's the first- the only time. 20:07 And I think the reason why He did this, 20:11 was because He saw before Him a broken man 20:14 who needed to tell sympathizing someone of the bitterness 20:18 and the pain that had poisoned His home for so many years. 20:23 Imagine the memories that this question 20:26 must have resurrected for the Father. 20:29 He remembered the first day 20:31 those laughing eyes had turned wild. 20:34 He remembered the first moment of madness, 20:38 the first convulsion. 20:41 As he speaks, he points to the convulsing 20:44 body of his son covered in sores and scabs. 20:48 And his son's face is locked in a horrific grimace of pain, 20:54 foaming at the mouth. 20:55 The Bible's description is so vivid, 20:58 little is left to the imagination. 21:01 And as these memories flood his mind, 21:04 finally he is overcome with grief and emotion, 21:08 that he can bear it no longer 21:09 and so he makes his earnest plea to Jesus, 21:13 "If You can do anything, 21:17 please have compassion on us and help us. " 21:23 Satan's plans for your life and mine 21:26 aren't very different to the plans 21:29 he had for that boy. 21:30 He wanted to kill that boy, and that's exactly 21:34 what he'd like to see of us as well, 21:35 like to get rid of us. 21:37 But friends let me tell you, 21:39 that you and I have never looked into the eyes of someone 21:42 that doesn't matter to Jesus Christ, amen. 21:46 We all matter to God. 21:48 The father wanted help. 21:49 Had he come to the right place? 21:52 Luke Chapter 9 verse 56 says, 21:54 "The Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives 21:58 but to save them. " 22:00 He wanted compassion. 22:01 Had He come to the right person? 22:04 Psalms 145 verse 8, 22:07 says, "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, 22:11 slow to anger and great in mercy. " 22:14 He'd come to the right place, amen. 22:17 And friends, the Roman, well, before I get there, 22:20 let's read the next verse, verse 23. 22:24 "Jesus said to him, if you can believe, 22:28 all things are possible to him who believes. " 22:32 The Roman military leader Pompey used to boast 22:37 that with one stamp of his foot, 22:40 he could rouse all of Italy to arms. 22:43 But friends, God with one word from his mouth 22:46 can summon all the angels of heaven 22:49 and undiscovered worlds to His aid. 22:51 He is that powerful, 22:53 which is why as soon as this man's words are uttered. 22:57 As soon as he makes his cry to Jesus, 23:00 Jesus takes his words 23:02 and He almost hurls them back at him, 23:04 and he says listen, I have nothing to prove, 23:08 look at the record. 23:09 I called everything out of nothing. 23:11 I'm the great I'm. I created this world. 23:16 The question is not if I can. 23:19 No, you've put the if in the wrong place. 23:23 The question is this, 23:24 if you can believe all things are possible to Him 23:30 who believes. 23:32 It was a call to faith in Christ. 23:36 And somebody gave me a wooden standalone cutout, 23:40 I hope that explains it, of the word faith, you know. 23:43 I dunno-you know what I'm talking about? 23:45 Yeah, wooden standalone cutout of the word faith 23:47 and it sits on my bookshelf. 23:49 And every time I come into my room, 23:51 sometimes when I'm perplexed or troubled, 23:53 I would come in 23:54 and I just happened to look at that bookshelf 23:57 and I will see that one word sermon preaching back at me, 24:00 calling me to faith in Jesus Christ, 24:03 to believe in God and to let go and let God be God 24:07 because there is no strength 24:09 greater than the strength of the Lord. 24:13 The world says show me and I'll believe. 24:17 Jesus says, believe me and I'll show you, amen. 24:22 And come over just keep your finger 24:24 in the Book of Mark, 24:25 but come over to the Book of Jeremiah, 24:26 Jeremiah Chapter 32 and verse 27. 24:30 This is another good text, 24:32 Jeremiah Chapter 32 and verse 27. 24:39 Jeremiah 32 verse 27 says, 24:42 behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. 24:47 Is there, what? 24:49 Is there some things too hard for Me? 24:52 Is there any thing too hard for me? 24:55 Friends, God is big enough to help you with your problems. 24:59 And yet so many times 25:01 we are caught making the same mistake as this father. 25:05 We put the if in the wrong place. 25:07 And we say, if you can help me, 25:10 if you can save me, if you can forgive me, 25:15 if you can deliver me, if you can heal me. 25:19 No, that's not what we ought to be saying. 25:25 If you can believe, He both can and will. 25:32 And the man's response is powerful. 25:34 Verse 24, immediately the father of the child cried out, 25:39 and said with tears, 25:41 Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. 25:47 It wasn't that the man didn't think 25:49 that Jesus could help him. 25:51 He woke up that morning believing that he could. 25:55 But friends, sometimes the shield of faith gets heavy, 26:00 sometimes believing isn't always easy. 26:04 It's not easy when you are fighting with that habit. 26:08 It's not easy when the crowd is telling you not to believe, 26:12 oh, that's impossible. 26:14 It's not easy when circumstances 26:16 seem to suggest that God is not there, 26:18 that God is distant. 26:20 It's not always easy to believe. 26:23 The disciples had already let him down big time, 26:27 but to think that his son, 26:29 might continue to suffer on account of his inability, 26:34 to believe in Jesus ability was more than he could handle, 26:40 which is why he chooses to take a great leap of faith 26:44 and lay hold of the one who stood before him. 26:48 And as soon as he does that, 26:51 immediately he becomes aware of his weakness 26:54 of his own weaknesses, 26:55 of a great chasm of unbelief behind him, 26:59 which is why he says with tears 27:02 kneeling before the son of God. 27:05 Oh Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. 27:12 And friends, tears are a language that God understands. 27:18 With all its new technologies, 27:20 the iPod, the iPhone, the iBook, the I whatever, 27:25 Apple could never create a response more beautiful. 27:30 Lord, I believe help though mine unbelief. 27:36 This is the victory that overcomes the world 27:41 when we are stranded on God 27:44 and shipwrecked on omnipotence amen. 27:47 It is the courage of this man's faith 27:50 in being able to say this that makes him 27:53 one of my greatest Bible heroes. 27:55 Mrs. White, she actually goes so far as to say 27:58 that when we pray sincerely this prayer, 28:01 we can never be lost. You know, why? 28:04 Because we are believing and the Bible says that, 28:08 whoever believes on Him, 28:10 will not perish, but have everlasting life. 28:15 I think of the story of this father. 28:17 He was reading one afternoon 28:20 and his little five-year-old daughter 28:22 came into his study. And she said, 28:24 "Daddy, can you please build me a doll house?" 28:27 And he said, sure, honey. 28:28 And then, up she went, and he kept reading. 28:31 And as he kept reading a few moments later, 28:33 he looked out the window of his study 28:35 and he saw his five year old going into the backyard 28:39 with an arm full of dolls. 28:41 Then she went back to the house 28:42 and she came out again with an arm full of toys. 28:45 She went back to the house, came out again, 28:47 an arm full of dishes, and little plates, and cutlery. 28:51 And he was a bit confused and so he asked his wife, 28:54 he said what is she doing? 28:56 And she said, well, you promised her 28:58 that you would build her a doll house 29:00 and she believed you. 29:02 She is just getting ready for you 29:03 when you are ready to build the doll house. 29:07 And it was at that moment, it suddenly struck him. 29:10 He dropped everything that he was doing, 29:12 raced down to the hardware store, 29:13 bought the necessary materials 29:15 and came back and built that girl a doll house. 29:19 Why? Because she had believed his word. 29:23 She had put faith in his word, 29:25 and nothing could keep him from carrying out his promise. 29:29 And friends I believe that God wants us 29:31 to have that kind of child like faith to just believe Him. 29:35 When He says it He will do it, believe that He will. 29:40 And pray, Lord, I believe help thou mine unbelief. 29:45 Because the faith that declares itself publicly, 29:49 yet realizes its own weakness and pleads 29:52 for help is real faith. 29:55 And, friends, Jesus took this man's faith 29:58 and He worked with it. Verse 25 and 26, 30:02 When Jesus saw the people came running together, 30:06 he rebuked the unclean spirit, 30:08 saying to it, deaf and dumb spirit, 30:11 I command you to, come out of him, 30:13 and enter him no more. 30:15 Then the spirit cried out, 30:17 and convulsed him greatly 30:18 and came out of him and he became as one dead, 30:22 so that many said he is dead. 30:25 The Prince of Peace gives that wild demon 30:29 his marching orders and that demon had no choice 30:32 but to get out and stay out. Amen. 30:35 Casting out demons has never been a problem 30:38 for Jesus. Satan was cast out of heaven a long time ago. 30:43 He is a defeated foe. 30:46 But crowds are really optimistic 30:49 and as soon as Jesus delivers this boy, 30:51 everybody around looks at it 30:54 and they said well, he is dead. 30:56 But Jesus hasn't gone anywhere verse 27, 30:59 But Jesus took him by the hand 31:02 and lifted him up, and he arose. 31:05 And I just love that, because the mighty redeemer, 31:10 who a few moments before had stood glorified 31:13 before His wondering disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration 31:17 now reaches down to lift a poor victim of Satan 31:21 who is wallowing in the valley. 31:24 Isn't that a beautiful picture? 31:26 And by the way in this text the word in the Greek 31:29 for the word lifted here is the same word 31:33 that also means to rise to life. 31:37 We find the same word in Romans Chapter 8, 31:41 verse 11 where it says, 31:44 but if the Spirit of him. Romans 8:11. 31:46 But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus 31:49 from the dead dwells in you, 31:52 he who raised Christ from the dead 31:54 will also give life to your mortal bodies 31:57 through his Spirit who dwelleth in you. 32:01 So question. What is Mark's point? 32:05 I think it might be this. 32:07 That it is only through death and resurrection 32:11 that the works of the evil one are destroyed. 32:15 And friends, Jesus is still in the lifting business. 32:20 Amen. He is still able to lift us into new life. 32:25 Come with me to Second Corinthians 32:27 Chapter 5 and Verse 17. 32:29 Second Corinthians Chapter 5 Verse 17. 32:38 Second Corinthians Chapter 5, Verse 17. 32:46 The Bible says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, 32:50 He is a new creation, old things have passed away, 32:54 behold old things have become new. Amen. 32:59 Jesus is still able to lift us into newness of life. 33:03 Story is told of a camp meeting that happened one time 33:08 and a man at this camp meeting, 33:10 he stood up to share his testimony 33:12 and as he was sharing his testimony, 33:15 a heckler in the crowd also stood up 33:17 and he said, Uh, just sit down and be quiet. 33:21 You're just dreaming. This isn't true. 33:24 And after he said that, 33:26 he felt a little tug on his coat 33:28 and he looked down 33:29 and there was a little girl there 33:31 and she looked up at him 33:32 and she said, "Mister, that man talking over there, is my dad. 33:37 My dad used to be a drunkard. 33:39 He used to spend all his money on whisky. 33:43 My mum would cry almost every night 33:46 and she was always unhappy. 33:48 I never used to have my shoes or anything, 33:51 but look, I'm wearing nice shoes 33:53 and you see this pretty dress, 33:56 my daddy bought this for me. 33:58 And you see that lady over there 34:00 with the big smile on her face, that's my mummy. 34:03 And she sings now while she is doing the ironing. 34:06 So if my daddy is dreaming, 34:08 then please don't wake him up. " 34:12 But friends, it's not a dream. 34:14 Amen. God changes lives. 34:17 I know it because I've seen it happen in my own life. 34:20 I've seen it happen in the lives of people in my family. 34:24 My dad isn't here unfortunately. 34:26 I have my mum and my sister with me here, 34:29 which is really wonderful. 34:30 But my dad, he is back home in Sydney. 34:32 So I can talk about him. 34:35 My dad, he comes from Samoa. 34:37 My last name is Fong 34:39 because his dad was also part Chinese. 34:41 So I'm all mixed up. 34:43 And-but my dad as soon as 34:46 - well shortly after he married my mum, 34:48 he stopped going to church. 34:50 But you know what, my mum prayed for him 34:53 and we prayed for dad for 25 years. 34:57 And 25 years later, God got a hold of him. 35:00 The Holy Spirit finally won the victory in his heart 35:03 and he was re-baptized. 35:04 So I know that God changes lives. 35:06 Some of you may have fathers, 35:09 or mothers, or brother and sisters, 35:11 loved ones who are not in the Church 35:13 or who don't know Jesus, keep praying for them 35:16 because God is still in the lifting business. 35:19 He is still able to lift that cold, 35:21 complacent Christian out of their complacency 35:24 and into blessing. 35:25 He is still able to deliver 35:27 that person struggling with an addiction. 35:30 He is still able to deliver them. 35:32 He is still able to forgive the sinner burden with guilt 35:36 and He is still able to forgive them 35:38 even if that sinner is you. 35:40 Friends, our God is still able 35:43 and I imagine as the Father as He saw Jesus deliver his son 35:48 and when for the first time, his son looked at him 35:52 and ran to him and called him dad, 35:55 as he ran to him, I imagine 35:56 it was the happiest day of their lives. 36:00 Both of them had come to Jesus 36:03 and both of them had been healed. 36:05 The father of his unbelief 36:07 and the son had been delivered from this demon. 36:11 The God on the mountain top had proved 36:14 He was still God in the Valley. Amen. 36:17 But nine of the disciples were quite confused. 36:21 They were still puzzled. 36:23 They couldn't workout what had gone wrong. 36:26 People saw them as men of faith. 36:29 Jesus had given them the power to cast out demons 36:32 and so in true Laodicean style though 36:35 they were completely unaware of their problem, 36:38 and so they approached Jesus privately, 36:41 which by the way is a privilege 36:42 that you and I have as well. 36:44 When we are perplexed, come to Jesus privately 36:47 and notice what happens. Verse 28 and 29, 36:51 and when He had come into the house, 36:54 His disciples asked Him privately, 36:56 why could we not cast it out? 36:58 So He said to them, this kind can come out 37:01 by nothing but prayer and fasting. 37:06 To paraphrase, Jesus looks at them 37:08 and it's almost like he says, 37:10 you're not taking God seriously. 37:13 It's as if you're engaged in a mock battle. 37:16 It's like you're playing a game or something 37:18 but your enemy Satan, 37:20 he is much stronger than you are, meet him alone, 37:24 and he will come out on top every single time. 37:28 The bottom line is this, you cannot fight. 37:32 You cannot face him without me. 37:37 Friends, they were powerless because they were prayerless. 37:43 And John Wesley one day when he was riding along 37:45 he came across a man who was on his knees, 37:48 breaking stones, dunno why, with an interesting device. 37:52 And when he saw him being the preacher he was, 37:55 he immediately made a spiritual application 37:58 and he said, oh, I wish I could break 38:00 the hearts of the people who hear me. 38:02 Some of them, their hearts are as hard as stone. 38:05 And the man on his knees said, 38:06 well, have you ever tried breaking them on your knees? 38:10 This is a heavy duty point because the disciples, 38:13 sorry, the scribes had linked 38:15 the powerlessness of the disciples 38:18 to the superior power of the demon. 38:21 But that wasn't the problem. 38:23 They were the ones that were lacking in power. 38:25 It was the disciples that were spiritually powerless. 38:28 And friends, on our own, 38:29 we are unable to overcome character flaws. 38:33 We are unable to overcome 38:35 temptations and demon possession. 38:39 And yet later in the same Chapter 38:41 that we are in Mark Chapter 9, 38:43 it's interesting in verse 38 38:44 the disciples came across 38:46 another person casting out demons. 38:49 This person was doing what they should have been able to do 38:52 because this person believed in Jesus. 38:56 And when they saw John tells Jesus he said, we forbade him 39:00 because he wasn't part of the 12. 39:02 You see evidently the disciples had come to believe 39:06 that power was inherent in them. 39:09 But you and I cannot inherit God's power. 39:13 Just because you're here at GYC 39:15 at a conference called, "Fill Me. " 39:17 Just because we're hearing lovely powerful sermons 39:21 and seminars on the Holy Spirit and God, 39:23 doesn't mean that you're automatically 39:25 going to receive the latter rain. 39:29 We only receive this as we come to Jesus day by day 39:33 and establish a relationship, 39:36 a personal relationship with Him. 39:40 But that wasn't even the only problem. 39:42 It seems that there was another problem 39:44 that went even deeper than this. 39:46 Yes, they were prayerless and that was a problem. 39:49 But there was a reason why they were prayerless 39:52 and the Spirit of Prophecy helps us 39:54 understand what that was. 39:56 And here's a quote from Desire of Ages. 39:59 She writes the selection of the three disciples 40:02 to accompany Jesus to the mountain 40:05 had excited the jealousy of the nine. 40:08 Instead of strengthening their faith by prayer 40:11 and meditation on the words of Christ, 40:15 they had been dwelling on their discouragements 40:19 and personal grievances. They were prayerless 40:24 because they were preoccupied with self. 40:29 In a jealous, self-seeking state 40:32 they had tried to take on the demons, 40:35 but instead the demons had taken them on. 40:39 And in another quote that I read from the Spirit of Prophecy, 40:42 she says I know of no sins greater 40:45 in the sight of God than cherishing jealousy and hatred 40:49 toward bethren and turning the weapons 40:51 of warfare against them. 40:55 In October of 1805, the day before the Battle of Trafalgar, 41:01 Admiral Lord Nelson he inquired of his Admiral Collingwood. 41:07 He asked him where the captain was 41:09 and as soon as he learnt where the captain was, 41:12 he also learnt that there was a problem 41:15 between the captain and Collingwood. 41:17 And so he sent a boat to bring the captain over 41:21 to where he was and the boat brought the captain. 41:24 And so when the captain Collingwood and, 41:26 sorry the captain was not Collingwood, 41:28 rather Hem was the captain and Collingwood was the admiral. 41:32 When they both came together 41:33 and these two men obviously had a problem with each other, 41:37 Lord Nelson, he took both of their hands 41:39 and he put them together. 41:41 And then with the sweep of his hand, 41:43 he motioned to this - the horizon 41:45 where there were ships gathering for war 41:48 and he said, "Look, yonder, they are your enemies. " 41:52 You and I don't waste time fighting with each other. 41:57 We're not the enemy. 41:58 We're ought to be family. 42:00 We're on the same team. 42:01 We're not the enemy. 42:02 And friends, as soon as that happened, 42:05 they dropped their argument 42:06 and the victory was won. 42:08 Over and over again in the Book of Acts, friends, 42:12 we see that the early Church was of one accord. 42:16 And we need the same kind 42:17 of aggressive unity in our churches today. 42:21 To quote D. L. Moody, 42:22 "There is one thing that we must have 42:24 if we are to have the Holy Spirit of God 42:27 work in our midst and it is unity. " 42:31 Jealousy, criticizing, fault finding, gossip, 42:36 all of those things will hinder 42:39 the work of God's Spirit every time. 42:42 I think it's time that we left the judgment to God. 42:45 Amen. Let God be God. 42:48 To quote again from The Desire of Ages, 42:51 "In order to succeed in such a conflict, 42:53 they must come to the work in a different spirit. 42:57 Their faith must be strengthened by fervent prayer, 43:00 and fasting, and humiliation of heart. 43:03 They must be emptied of self 43:05 and be filled with the Spirit and Power of God. 43:09 Earnest, persevering, supplication to God in faith, 43:13 faith that leads to entire dependence upon God 43:16 and unreserved consecration to His work 43:19 can alone avail to bring man 43:22 the Holy Spirit's aid in the battle. " 43:26 Friends, before we go any further, 43:29 it's time, we remembered that one last thing 43:31 that Jesus said, before you go, 43:35 wait for the Holy Spirit to empower you, 43:38 come to him, come to Jesus every morning 43:41 and pray for it and when you receive it, 43:44 then you can go and share with the world around you. 43:47 I know that it's tempting 43:49 to be committed to perpetual activity, 43:51 you just keep go, go, go, go, go but, friends, 43:54 we need the Holy Spirit's power 43:56 if we are going to finish this work. Amen. 44:00 Knowledge of Daniel 11 and 12 is not going to be enough. 44:04 Activity will not be enough. 44:07 You and I need Pentecostal Power. 44:10 This is the only hope of the Adventist Church 44:15 and I'm reminded of what will happen 44:16 when we receive that power 44:18 whenever we ask for it 44:19 in Acts Chapter 1 and verse 8. 44:22 Acts Chapter 1 and verse 8 44:33 says, But you shall receive power 44:36 when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, 44:39 and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, 44:42 and in all Judea and in Samaria, 44:45 and to the end of the earth. 44:47 And, friends, a great change took place in those disciples. 44:51 Those disciples that we find here faithless 44:54 a great change took place in them after Calvary. 44:57 In the Upper Room before Calvary, 44:59 they were fault finding, trying to be the greatest. 45:02 But in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost, 45:04 they are a different bunch of people. 45:07 They are humble. 45:08 They are emptying themselves of themself of self. 45:12 There are of one accord. 45:13 And God marks this with an outpouring of his Spirit. 45:17 He fills them. What made the difference? 45:21 Well, I believe that the cross made a lot of difference 45:26 because the men in the Upper Room, 45:28 those in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost 45:31 had surveyed the Wondrous Cross 45:34 on which the Prince of Glory died. 45:37 And because of that, their riches gained, 45:40 they counted that loss and poured contempt 45:43 on all their pride. 45:46 Friends, in each heart, there is a throne and a cross. 45:51 Sin, self, and the Savior cannot occupy the same heart throne, 45:57 which means if Jesus is on the throne, 46:01 self is on the cross. 46:04 And to quote something from a book I've been reading 46:06 by LeRoy Froom, The Coming of the Comforter, 46:09 "As the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost 46:12 after the enthronement of Christ in heaven, 46:15 so it is not until Christ is in enthroned king 46:18 in the individual heart that the person of Pentecost comes. 46:22 This is our greatest individual need. 46:24 And therefore our greatest collective need as well. 46:29 If Jesus had remained on this mountain top, 46:32 the situation in the valley would've remained unchanged. 46:36 But, friends, God so loved the world 46:38 that he came to this world. Amen. 46:41 The Son of God became the son of man 46:43 that he might change the sons of men into sons of God. 46:47 He descended into our valley of great need 46:50 that He might die the death that we deserve 46:53 so that one day He could take us to a better place. " 46:57 I pray as you listen to the song just now 47:00 and in the prayer time that will follow 47:02 that you and I will empty ourselves of self. 47:05 That if there is jealousies that exist in our heart 47:08 between us and someone else 47:09 that we will ask God to take it from us, 47:13 give it up that we will seek God in prayers 47:15 that we can receive His power 47:18 and finish this work and go home. Amen. 47:20 May God bless you. 47:40 Filled with compassion for all creation 47:49 Jesus came into a world that was lost 47:58 There was but one way that He could save us 48:08 Only through suffering death on a cross 48:18 God, You are waiting, Your heart is breaking 48:27 For all the people who live on the earth 48:35 Stir us to action, filled with Your passion 48:44 For all the people who live on the earth 48:58 Great is Your passion for all the people 49:06 Living and dying without knowing You 49:15 And having no Savior, they're last forever 49:23 If we don't speak out and lead them to You 49:31 God, You are waiting, Your heart is breaking 49:39 For all the people who live on the earth 49:47 Stir us to action, filled with Your passion 49:56 For all the people who live on the earth 50:10 From every nation we shall be gathered 50:21 Millions redeemed will be Jesus? Reward 50:31 Then He will turn and say to His Father 50:42 Truly my suffering was worth it all 50:54 God, You are waiting, Your heart is breaking 51:02 For all the people who live on the earth 51:11 Stir us to action, filled with Your passion 51:28 For all the people who live on the earth 51:52 Would you bow your heads with me for prayer? 51:55 Dear Heavenly Father, this morning, 51:57 we have been taken to your throne. 51:59 And right now, we invite Jesus to come down 52:02 from the mountain and to take lodging in our hearts. 52:06 We ask that You would give us faith. 52:10 And that a faith founded on the word of God 52:13 would lead us to unity as your people. 52:17 We're throwing ourselves at Your feet 52:19 and we're expecting You to perform 52:22 that miracle in our lives, in Jesus name. Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17