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.

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My name is Chris and this is Jeff and we

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And we're gonna do the best we can. We're not

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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