Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning!

today we are going to be talking about finding faith… which can sometimes seem like an impossible endeavor… Have you ever lost anything?

Maybe your keys, and you needed to leave 5 minutes ago… It’s amazing how quickly your anxiety levels rise.

You retrace your steps, but with each passing minute you feel a little more hopeless, you start to look in silly places, like the freezer and in the plants, you have just about given up, when you look down in your hand only to see that you had them the whole time.

You feel relieved, but at the same time bothered because you failed to see what was there right in front of you....

You see I know this, but sometimes I feel more like Charlie Brown… Last week was one of those weeks… Which is why I can relate to the demon possessed boy’s dad in Mark 9:14-29

THIS is the case of a man who knew what he wanted, and was full of anxiety to obtain it… He prayed earnestly for it.

He even prayed to the right person, but he ha not received the blessing that he sought....

We probably know many people that are clueless to their spiritual condition.

They have many spiritual needs, but they don’t know what they are.

This man had a clear understanding of what was needed for him and for his son.

Jesus shifts the attention the REAL problem… Lack of faith!

It was a generation of unbelievers.

The yeah, buts:

My problem is too big… its beyond your power (v.18)

I’ve already done so much… I took him to your disciples

My problem is too serious (v.22)

It tries to kill him

Can you do anything??? HELP US

Did you notice?

The boy’s father asks for help a second time, but the focus is different.

The first time he asked for help, he asked Jesus to solve their problem.

The second time he asked for help he asked to change his posture.

True faith requires humility… it requires a change of posture...

1 Peter 5:6-7

Faith is more than just belief, it is trust.

It can be difficult to submit our lives to God.

Humility does not come easy to me, many times I find myself trying to wrestle control from God’s mighty hand.

Many times I think I am stronger than I really am.

Peter encourages us in that the same mighty hand that lets us suffer will on day exalt us James 4:10

Peter then referred to Jesus’ words of encouragement in the sermon on the Mount (Mt 6:25-32) while quoting Ps 55.22

All of our anxieties can be cast… on Him.

Christ sustains us because He cares.

Our confidence rests in the fact that Christ is genuinely concerned for our welfare.

We need to be in a posture that allows our faith to overcome our fears..

Many, like this father may doubt Jesus’ ability to save, but it is precisely this ability we celebrate in communion.

Pray for communion