Miracles, Part 3: Casting out the Evil Spirit

(John 14:12)  "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."  (Mark 9:16-24)  "What are you arguing with them about?" (Jesus) asked. A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, 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. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."  "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."  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. Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"  "From childhood," he answered.  "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."  "If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."  Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"  Why do we have doubting faith?   We believe like those around us.  (Mark 9:19)  "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."  (2 Corinthians 6:14-15)  "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers…What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?"    We believe God isn't loyal.  (Mark 9:22-23)  "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."  "If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."   We believe, sort of. (Mark 9:24)  Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (James 1:6-8)  "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."   What is real faith? (Hebrews 11:1)  "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 3 Aspects of Faith 1.  Our authority comes through His Name. (Mark 9:25-27)  "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.'" (Philippians 2:10)  "…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."   2.  Our confidence comes through relationship. (Mark 9:29)  He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer." (Romans 10:17 NKJV)  "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."   3.  Our power comes through the cross. (Mark 9:31)  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." (Colossians 2:15)  "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." For more information on the vision of Freedom Church, please visit our website at www.freedom-church.org.