No Turning Back

Scripture:

Mark 9:23-24:

23: Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24: And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

 

Theme:

No Turning Back

 

Introduction:

• Our scripture is couched within the story of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel…after the scene at the Mount of Transfiguration in Mark 9:14-29.
• After coming down from the Mount and meeting up with the other disciples, Jesus noticed that something was going on. A great multitude was gathered around them.
• A father had brought his son who is said to have a dumb spirit. This meant that the father’s son did not talk.  Other characteristics of the spirit was that it would foam at the mouth, gnash its teeth and even cry out loud in a loud pining voice.  However, the disciples could not cast out the spirit.
• Jesus reprimanded mankind for being of little faith when he said in Mark 9:19, “He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.” – The disciples and the people still did not get His message.
• The father brought his son and the spirit began to “show out”…this condition has been since birth for the son.
• Then the father said what was revealing of level of faith when he said in verse 22, “but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.” Human condition of human doubt with human intentions of avoiding human disappointment.  The father did not fully believe that Jesus could heal his son!

 

Body:

Believing unto Salvation:

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

• REPENT — Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”
• CONFESS — Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,”
• BELIEVE – Romans 10:9, “and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,”
• BE ACTIVE – James 2:19-20, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”
• RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT – Galatians 3:14, “that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

• FOLLOW JESUS – Mark 8:34, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

A True Change — “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

Traits of the complete life changing experience of salvation:

• “Straightway” – It’s Immediate!
  • Salvation is an experience where you get a case of the “can’t help its”. You can help yourself because the power of God is so great, uncontrollable and life-giving that you have do something immediately.
  • God does not work on you schedule but when He does it is immediate…no waiting.
• “Cried out” – The Reaction to the power of God through Salvation
  • “When I think of the goodness of God and all that He has done for me, my soul cries out “Hallelujah!”  I can’t help myself!!”
    • My voice “cries out” in words
    • My hands “cry out” in clapping
    • My feet “cry out” in stomping
    • My heart “cries out” in joy
    • My soul “cries out” Hallelujah! … the highest praise to God.

“Said with tears” – A Confirmation of a changed soul

• Jasper Williams would say, “Every time a child of God cries, it is believed that God dispatches an angel to go down to the location of that child to catch that tear before the tear hits the floor and take it up to God’s laboratory to put it underneath the Holy Ghost microscope to find the very thing that’s wrong in the life through that tear.  So before you finish your prayer, before you get up off your knees, the answer to your prayer is already done.”
• The tear is the remnant of broken fetters, loosed chains, alleviated stress, reduced tension, assuaged fear, lightened burdens, a broken heart, a dark life.
• Closed teapot filled with water has no pressure against to top. However, when fire or heat, that purify, form-changing influence, is added to the pot, pressure within the pot increases as the steam created by the boiling water increases.  At some point the pressure in the pot gets too great for the pot to hold and the top release a whistle as steam creeps out.  SO IS THE CHILD OF GOD THAT POT.  SO IS SALVATION THAT HEAT.  SO IS THE TEAR DUCT LIKE THE WHISTLER ON THE TEA POT.
• Remember when you “Said with tears”?

“Jesus” – The only name by which man can be saved

• Acts 2:21, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
• Know who is your savior, who is your Lord, and to whom you owe allegiance, honor, dedication…your life.

Conclusion:

• “Help thou mine unbelief” – No turning back
  • “Lord, I come to thee a sinner all defiled. Please take the stain of guilt away and own me as thy child.  For I cannot live in sin and feel my savior’s love, but that thy blood can make my spirit clean and write my name above.”
  • Help me to praise you.
  • Move my obstacles
  • No turning back — 2Corinthians 5:17, ”Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
    • New walk
    • New talk
    • New song
    • New attitude
    • New way of life
    • ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW!!!

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

That SAVED a wretch like me

I once was lost but now I’m found

Was blind but now I see

When we’ve been there ten thousand years

Bright shiny as the sun

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we first begun.

 

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