Everything is possible for him who believes

Mark 9:14-32

Key Verse 9:23

    “[23] " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." 

Good morning! Happy new year! Today’s message is the first Sunday message of the new year. Last Sunday we learned that Jesus gave Simon Peter his mission statement which is to feed Jesus’ sheep based on his love. We also received new year’s direction to feed Jesus’ sheep. When we begin to feed Jesus’ sheep we realized that we are engaged in spiritual battle with spiritual force of evil in heavenly realms. So today’s passage is about ‘spiritual battle’. Now the title for today’s passage is ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.” The key verse comes from verse 23. May we read this verse together. Let’s go! “'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Let’s pray. 

On July 2, 1863, it was the second day of the Gettysburg’s battle. In battles there is always very critical point, critical moment or critical place. In actual military battles there is always the most important ground that each army wants to take possess because depending upon possession of the high ground usually the result of battles are determined. It happened in the same way at Gettysburg’s battle. American Civil War lasted 4 years, and arguably Gettsburg’s battle is the most crucial battle that determined the result of the Civil War. If we closely look at Gettysburg’s battle we find ‘the high ground’ that determined the result of the battle. On July 2^nd, 1863 General Robert Lee, the commander of the southern army wanted to take possession of ‘the high ground.’ And if he had occupied the high ground the Gettysburg battle would end in a day and the Civil War could end in a very year. But as history shows he failed so and the Gettysburg’s battle lasted 4 days and the Civil War lasted 4 years. In our spiritual battle it is also the most crucial part ‘the high ground’. Whether we take or not determines the result of our spiritual battle. Guess ‘what is the spiritual high ground’ that we must possess in order to win our spiritual battles? “Faith in Jesus”, “Believing in Jesus”. Because our battles is not against flesh and blood. We cannot win battles with spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms because our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil. And we are human being. There is only one person who can defeat them, and he is Jesus Christ. So there is only one way for us to win our spiritual battles, and that is to ‘believe in Jesus’. And that is ‘the spiritual high ground’. Do we all know it? What do you think about our enemies? Do you think our enemies know this? They know better than we know. Why? They are spiritual being. They know this is ‘the spiritual high ground’ and it determines spiritual victory or defeat. So what do they do? They do their best to take possession of ‘the high ground’ by planting doubts. What does Jesus do? Jesus also does his best to plant ‘faith’ to his people, trying to hold ‘the spiritual high ground’ for his people. So in today’s passage we want to know ‘how evil forces plant doubt’ vs ‘how Jesus plants faith’. My message has two parts. Part I. “My son, who is possessed by a spirit (v.14-22). This part covers ‘how evil forces plant doubt’. Part II. “Come out of him and never enter him again” (v.23-32). This part teaches us how Jesus plants faith. 

Part I. My son, who is possessed by a spirit (v.14-22)

This part shows how the spiritual forces of evil plants doubt to the father in three ways.

The spiritual forces of evil plants doubt by demonstrating its power over the boy repeatedly. 

Let’s read verses 14-18a responsively. 

Mark 9:14-18 “When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. [15] As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. [16] "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked. [17] A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. [18] Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid.” 

Now verse 14 is talking about ‘when they came to the other disciples.’ “The other disciples” refers to 12 disciples minus Simon Peter, James, and John. Jesus together with Simon Peter, James, and John went to the top of the mountain, the so-called ‘transfiguration mountain’. And he showed his glorious transfiguration to three top disciples. Guess what the other 9 disciples at the bottom of the mountain feel. They must have felt terrible. They were not chosen. They must have doubted the love of Jesus. “Why didn’t he choose me? We are equal, isn’t it?” But something happened. A man brought his son. And there was a trouble for them. So when Jesus was asking, “What are you arguing with them about?” a man in the crowed answered. His disciples couldn’t say. So a man in the crowd answered, “Teacher”. He called Jesus ‘teacher’. So this man believed Jesus as ‘teacher’. He said, “I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.” We don’t know how. But this man know very clearly what was the problem of his son. His son’s problem was ‘possession of an evil spirit’. And it has robbed him of speech. And he brought him to Jesus. He did not bring his son to Jesus’ disciples. “Teacher, I brought ‘you’ my son.” But Jesus was not there. “I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid.” 

This man went through such terrible times day and night. He had to see how his son was abused by the evil spirit. Whenever it seizes him it throws him to the ground, a abuse. And he gnashes his teeth, foams at his mouth and becomes rigid like a dead man. Think about the father who had to go through these experiences day by day, and all failure. Not only one time he was able to help his son. 

So there was a vast message planted in the heart of the father. ‘It is not possible for your son to be healed.” The forces of evil already planted mountainous doubt in the heart of the father. “It is not possible for your son to be healed.” But somehow he brought his son to Jesus. But somehow he believed that the teacher had possibility to heal his son. There was a possibility for the teacher to heal his son. 

2) The spiritual forces of evil plants doubt through disciples’ failure. 

Mark 9:18b reads, “I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not." It was another failure to the father. When he came to Jesus he had hope. He had great hope. He believed possibility that his son would be healed. But his hope and the possibility shattered to pieces. Because Jesus’ disciples could not. “I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit but they could not.” Another doubt was just planted. 

In the past Jesus’ disciples were able to drive out many demons without any problems. But this time when they tried to drive out demons they were not able to. We will find the reason why later.

Mark 6:13 says, “They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.” 

When Jesus heard “I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit but they could not” Jesus said, “"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." Jesus sighed and said, “O unbelieving generation.” Jesus saw the root cause of this boy’s possession of the evil spirit is ‘unbelieving generation’. “Generation” refers to all people; the boy, the father, Jesus’ disciples, the crowed, and the teachers of the law. “O unbelieving generation.” I felt the same thing when the last month Adam Lanza killed 28 people. I felt ‘unbelieving generation.’ People are becoming crazy. And Jesus knew the time for his crucifixion was fast approaching. So he didn’t have much to stay with them and much time to put up their unbelief. So he said, “"how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?” How long shall I stay with you more in order for you guys to learn faith? And he asked them to bring the boy to him and he would take care of him.

3) The spiritual forces of evil plants doubt by making the boy’s condition worse as he was brought to Jesus.

Let’s read verse 20 together. “[20] So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.” 

“When the spirit saw Jesus”. Can you imagine the eyes of the evil spirit? What kind of eyes? ‘The spirit saw Jesus.’ Why did it immediately throw the boy into convulsion? Why did it so? He wanted to deceive Jesus. He wanted to deceive the father. He wants to plant doubt in the heart of the father. “To bring your son to Jesus does not bring healing but makes his condition worse. You are doing wrong things, man!” That’s what it wants to say. That is the message the evil spirit wants to plant. “Man, you are doing something wrong! Take him back right away!” 

There is one famous, arguably the best war strategist in China, and his name is Sun Tzu. His most famous book is ‘Art of War’. In his book he defined ‘the war’, ‘war is deception’. The evil spirit wanted to deceive Jesus. The evil spirit wanted to deceive the father. 

Let’s read verses 21 and 22. I will go first. “[21] Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. [22] "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

Jesus was not deceived. Jesus asked the boy’s father. "How long has he been like this?" He answered, "From childhood. It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him.” Can you imagine the father’s heart? He had to go through this self-destructive of his son day and night because of the possession of the evil spirit. His son wanted to commit suicide from time to time. And he was completely helpless. Can he hold his son all the time? But he has to work. Even if he has time 24/7 to hold his son all the time he has to sleep. What will happen to his son while he is sleeping? “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him.” This self-destructive behavior is the symptom of the possession of the evil spirit. Adam Lanza killed his mother and killed 20 children and 8 adults and killed himself. Self-destruction! Think about the father’s heart. How much agony and pain he must have experienced! So all his hope and the possibility for his son to be healed was almost wiped out. So he said with a voice of mosquito “But if you can do anything, “poquito” is okay,  take pity on and help us”. He was begging Jesus. Anything a little bit! It was very critical moment because he was losing faith. If he loses his faith Jesus cannot help him. The life of two people hinged upon the faith of this man! And Jesus’ heart was broken because he knew how much this man must have suffered. Out of broken heart and compassion Jesus pronounced (proclaimed) one of the most strongest sentence about ‘faith’. 

Part II.  Come out of him and never enter him again (v.19-32)

This part shows how Jesus plants faith in four ways. 

1) Jesus plants faith to the father by proclaiming “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

Let’s read verse 23 together. “'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Jesus was saying, “Are you crazy?” “Are you crazy?” “Everything is possible for him who believes!” “Are you crazy?” “You should not be crazy.” “Are you crazy?” “If you lose faith you will lose your life and the life of your son!” “What are you talking about?” Jesus had to plant faith in him with one of the strongest messages, sentences about faith. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” “Everything”. 

What does it mean ‘everything is possible for him who believes?” 

First, it means to believe all possibility in Jesus despite complete failure’.

So far up to the very moment this man came to Jesus for his son all his experience was complete failure. He was never be able to help his son even once, complete failure. But Jesus was saying, “everything is possible for him who believes.” “Even though you fail all the time up to now “everything is possible.”” That was what Jesus was trying to teach. “Everything!” No limitation!

And this faith is faith described in Hebrews chapter 11. Let’s read Hebrews 11:39 together. Let’s go! “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.” The believers described in Hebrews chapter 11 did not receive any of the promises until they go to heaven. All they experience in their entire life was completely failure. But they still believed. They still believed, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” So they went to heaven by faith in Jesus. 

This also reminds us of God’s teaching in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 7. Let’s read this verse together. “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Here the word ‘it’ refers to ‘love.’ Love chapter. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love, faith. Jesus was teaching the faith that always hopes! If you have a son in this condition don’t you want hope all the time even though you experience failure all the time? “Always hope” Faith that always hopes, that’s what Jesus wanted to teach him by saying “Everything is possible for him who believes.” “Always hopes”. 

‘Everything is possible for him who believes’ also means ‘we see possibility when we believe in Jesus.’

When we believe we see possibility. We just finished ‘women’s conference’ yesterday. Do you know how I find ‘Hilton hotel in Long Beach’? with $143.00 per person. Planning committee members discussed about the conference place for women’s conference ‘Holy Mountain’ up there. But I almost got rebuke though because women coworkers need to drive 2 hours on Friday night, far away. And it is cold. And there is no food. Women coworkers wanted to enjoy food because they always cook. They want to be one day free from cook which I didn’t know though. It was cold. The only good thing about Holy Mountain is cheap price. Brothers will go this weekend. The price is thirty box verses $143.00. So when I thought about ‘short driving’ ‘good food’, ‘comfortable sleeping place,’ the only place I could think about is ‘hotels.’ Hotels near around us. So I went to “Sheraton Hotel” in Cerritos because we had conference twice because of emergency situations; brush fire and mud sliding in Big Bear. So we went there. So I asked the special discount and I got the price and it was $143.00 per person. But on the condition that 4 people in a room with 2 beds, because that’s what we had in our conference twice. And I checked here and there. There is no better place or price. That is the hotel you know. So what can I do? So I accepted it as fact and reality. But then I talked to missionary Rebekah Kim. This is what she said, “Everything is wonderful except the price. It is a little bit expensive. If $143.00 is for two people to sleep in a room then it would be fine.” When I heard it faith arose in my heart. I don’t know why faith arose in my heart. Faith arose in my heart. “Wow! If that is the case if I find a place with $143.00 for two people to sleep in a room all my women coworkers would be completely happy and not even one person will complain about expensive conference fee!” And missionary Rebekah Kim also talked about “Long Beach”. “Why Long Beach?” I didn’t pay attention to Long Beach. “We were all there for 14 years. Why do you need to go to Long Beach? Especially when you have a conference for a fresh air. You don’t go to your neighbor for fresh air.” But missionary Rebekah Kim said Long Beach. So I asked her, “why Long Beach?” She said, “It’s near!” “It’s near?” Come to think of it, it is near. On Friday night even though there is traffic on Freeways you can drive half an hour to Long Beach. Wow, Long Beach is good!” Actually I looked for hotels in Cerritos, Buena Park, Cypress, even Los Alamitos, Garden Grove, even Anaheim near Disneyland everything. “Long Beach”. So I began to call Long Beach. Before I talked to missionary Rebekah I usually called them and explain the situation and they say they will give us price. But this time I say to them, “$143.00 per person. Can you make it? If you can make it we go; if not, even don’t bother.” I left so many messages and calls when they called me I didn’t know whom I was talking about. Some of sales managers are very frank, and they ask, “How many places did you call and wait for quotation?” I simply said, “I don’t know. There are so many.” But on a Friday night a sales manager in Hilton Hotel Long Beach called me “We can do it.” I was so excited I grabbed missionary Rebekah and asked the sales manager to work two more hours on Friday night and we went there and see. “Two queen beds in a room for two people with $143.00 per person. We signed it. When I believed what she said, I could see possibility. “Believing” and “possibility” came together. When I believed what missionary Rebekah Kim said faith arose and I see the possibility. And how much more will faith arise in my heart if I believe what Jesus says? This is how faith comes in our hearts.

Let us read Romans chapter 10 verse 17. Let’s go! “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” “Faith comes hearing the message.” The spiritual forces of evil continually delivers the message, message of doubt, message of ‘self-condemnation’, message of ‘accusation’, and message of ‘failure’. Jesus also delivers his message, “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

2) Jesus plants faith to the father by demonstrating his absolute authority over the evil spirit. 

Let’s read verses 24 through 27 responsibly. “Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" [25] When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." [26] The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." [27] But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.” 

Now the faith of the boy’s faith was confirmed, “I do believe!”. So Jesus got a confirmation. Jesus needed his faith, you know to work miracles. When Jesus went to his hometown his hometown people did not believe in Jesus and Jesus could, would not drive out evil spirits and heal many people. So only after the father said, “I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief” Jesus took care of the evil spirit. Jesus even know the name of the evil spirit. ‘You deaf and mute spirit’. The boy was not only able to speak but also he was not able to hear. He said, “I command you”. Jesus used the word ‘command’. “Come out of him and never enter him again.” “I command you.” Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth. He simply can command the evil spirit. “Come out of him and never enter him again.” That’s it. He (the evil spirit) has to obey. The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." To him it was like experiencing life and death. To be set free from the possession of the evil spirit he went through death and was made alive! People thought he was dead but Jesus knew that he was freed from the possession of the evil spirit. So he took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he was able to stand.” He was okay. 

3) Jesus plants faith to his disciples by teaching power of prayer.

Let’s read verses 28 and 29. “After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" [29] He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer." 

    

Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus ‘privately’. They could not ask this question ‘publicly’ before the crowd because they would be very humiliated. “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” “We were able to in the past, why couldn’t we drive out this time. They were curious. Most of all it was very painful experience because they completely failed before a large crowd. It was a great humiliation. They had pride as Jesus’ disciples, and their pride was broken to pieces. “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” It was agonizing question. Jesus’ simple answer was, “Because you didn’t pray.” “Because you didn’t pray.” “This kind can come out only by prayer.” “You guys didn’t pray. You guys only depended on your past experience. Yesterday it worked. Today it will work.” “Nope!” The faith God wants is ‘real time faith.’ Like a real time, ‘real time TV’. “Real time faith” because God is real all the time. We cannot see things today by the light of yesterday. We need to have today’s light to see things today. 

4) Lastly, Jesus plants faith to his disciples by teaching his death and resurrection.

Let’s read verses 30-32 responsibily. “[30] They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, [31] because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." [32] But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.” 

Jesus taught his death and resurrection. Jesus wanted to plant faith in the hearts of his disciples. Jesus wanted his disciples to believe Jesus’ death and resurrection. Why? Because that is the ultimate foundation for all healings. Jesus’ death and resurrection frees all men from spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. It frees all men from the power of sin and death and evil possession of evil spirits. He died to pay all the price of our sin and frees us. And he broke the power of death through his resurrection. And this message of death and resurrection is the ultimate foundation for our spiritual victory against spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. 

In conclusion, today we want to see ‘how evil forces plant doubt’ vs ‘how Jesus plants faith’. First, evil forces plants doubt in three ways. 1) First, by demonstrating its power over the boy repeatedly. 2) secondly, through disciples’ failure; 3) thirdly by making the boy’s condition worse as he was brought to Jesus. Jesus plants faith in 4 ways. 1) first by proclaiming ‘everything is possible for him who believes.’ 2) secondly, by demonstrating his absolute authority over evil spirit; 3) thirdly, by teaching the power of prayer; 4) lastly by teaching his death and resurrection. “Everything is possible for him who believes” means 1) to believe all possibility in Jesus despite complete failure. 2) It also means ‘we see possibility when we believe in Jesus.’ ‘To believe in Jesus’ is ‘the spiritual high ground’ that determines our victory or defeat in our spiritual battles. 

One word: Everything is possible for him who believes. 

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