KICKSTARTER WEEK 6: The Power of Prayer COREY SONDROL February 11 & 12, 2017 This series is intended to help jump into a relationship with God by engaging in some next level spiritual disciplines. We hope to give a clear roadmap from which you can begin to live into each discipline. SMALL STEPS TOWARD BIG CHANGES: PRAYER Sermon Study: Mark 9:14-29 HCSB Mark 9:14-16 When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes disputing with them. All of a sudden, when the whole crowd saw Him, they were amazed and ran to greet Him. Then He asked them, What are you arguing with them about? The disciples were engaged in a dispute with the scribes when Jesus arrived with Peter, James and John. We don t really know what the disciples and scribes were arguing about, but we can draw a conclusion based on past examples and future context that it had something to do with Jesus. Upon approaching the crowd, Jesus walks right up to his disciples, and in a scene filled with tension, He is refreshingly calm. Instead of rushing to the defense of his posse, Jesus chooses to be still and ask a question, What are your arguing with them about? Jesus uses this tactic of asking questions over and over in His ministry to the Jews. While this particular question might seem mundane, it proves to be consequential. Knowing all things, being one with the Father, Jesus is not asking his disciples to enlighten Him He is prompting the disciples to own up to something. Some people have a tendency to argue about the whys hows and nots of healing. Instead of focusing on the person in need of healing, they focus on the theology of healing. How do you think this affects the hurting people of the world? Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted Jesus to rescue you from a painful situation, but instead of delivering you, He asked you to wait, forgive, be still, or listen? What was your response? Was it desperate? Did you abide in Him and trust in His love for you?
Mark 9:17-18 Out of the crowd, one man answered Him, Teacher, I brought my son to You. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn t. Did you notice how the disciples did not answer Jesus? I wonder if they were already squirming in their sandals, convicted of reality that they had lost sight of the one who needed the healing in favor of arguing with Pharisees. The father, desperate for his son to be released from his prison of seizures and torment, speaks up. And what is amazing about this is that in spite of the disciples inability to heal his son, he still had hope. How would you respond if your efforts to deliver or heal someone were unsuccessful? Have you ever gone to man before God in your search for answers or healing? Mark 9:19-22a He replied to them, You unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to Me. So they brought him to Him. When the spirit saw Him, it immediately convulsed the boy. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus throws down when He needs to. He has spent numerous days and nights with his disciples those closest to him, the ones who were front and center access to His miracles, teachings and campfires were still not getting it. What tone do you hear when you read verse 19? The tone of your father? The tone of a strict teacher? Maybe an overbearing mother? Since we don t have access to audio files from the life of Jesus, the tendency is to project our experiences onto Jesus. But let me stop you right there. God is longsuffering, slow to anger and abounding in love. If we look at verse 19 through this lens of truth, we can see that Jesus heart is breaking because his kin are still struggling with faith. They are still unbelieving. Jesus eyes always remain on the suffering child, even in the midst of his disappointment and frustration. He asks for the child to be brought to Him and in the presence of the living God, the impure spirit goes wild, thrashing the child to the ground. In an anxiety filled moment, Jesus is a non-anxious presence. How long has this been happening to him? Jesus asked his father. From childhood, he said. And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. Discuss/Journal: The world is hungry for a non-anxious people in a world full of anxiety. What does this mean to you? What can we learn from Jesus about how our temperament can bring the Kingdom of God near?
Satan s gameplan is simple: distract, break down, isolate, destroy. It is obvious that we have an enemy, but we also have a redeemer. How can we counterattack the enemy? 1 John 3:8 says, The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the Devil's works. Mark 9:22b-27 (The Father continues) But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. Then Jesus said to him, If You can? Everything is possible to the one who believes. Immediately the father of the boy cried out, I do believe! Help my unbelief. When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly coming together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again! Then it came out, shrieking and convulsing him violently. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, He s dead. But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. Jesus is so tender. What stands out in these passages is a savior who is rich in mercy and overflowing with grace. Did you know that you can ask Jesus to help you when you re short on belief? The intimate exchange between the desperate father and his heavenly father is a testament to the validity of such a request. Corey posited that that father s statement might have also been a dare of sorts. Phrased this way it might read, I believe, but help my unbelief by healing my boy! Regardless of how the father meant it, he had the faith to ask the source and what followed was the miracle. Love always precedes the miracle. Do you believe in God yet still struggle with unbelief? Faith is a gift from God and we can ask for it and the Holy Spirit will deliver it. Take a minute to discuss, journal or pray about the difference between believing in God and believing God. I have found Beth Moore s five-statement pledge of faith helpful in times of doubt: 1) God is who He says He is, 2) God can do what He says He can do, 3) I am who God says I am, 4) I can do all things through Christ, and 5) God's Word is alive and active in me. Speak this statement out loud, whether you re alone or in a group and let His truth wash over you. What do you think would have happened if Jesus did not have compassion (vs. 22b) on the father and son? What role does compassion play in your faith? Mark 9:28-29 After He went into a house, His disciples asked Him privately, Why couldn t we drive it out? And He told them, This kind can come out by nothing but prayer [and fasting]. We are meant to be a praying people, to intercess for our brothers and sisters and have compassion on unbelievers. Corey says when we engage with the Kingdom, our motive should be love, our posture - expectancy and our foundation trust. Motives of Love God s plan was for His kingdom to advance through US. We are Kingdom citizens coming against the kingdom of darkness. Ephesians 6:12 says, For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of
evil in the heavens. So, this means that we shouldn t go to war against our fellow masterpieces. Consider Saul. Consider the leader of ISIS. Both hell bent on killing Christians, both living in a space that is pregnant with redemption. In order to follow the call to love our enemies, we must become and live as disciples, Learners of the Way, Doers of the stuff and expectant of the miracle. Posture of Expectancy, Foundation in Trust We can have a posture of expectancy because the Spirit of God lives in us. When we pray for people we allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in the Kingdom. And anything is possible when we pray. The Gifts of the Spirit, listed below, all came because of prayer. The Gifts of the Spirit are like a toolbox. Being situational and not constitutional, the gifts arrive when they are needed, and are not permanent within us. When we pray, we shouldn t get in the habit of praying for a specific expectation, rather, we should get in the habit of praying around an expectancy that God will do His thing. And when the Spirit doesn t break through in a way that you expect, stand firm on your foundation of trusting God. His ways are higher than our ways and His ways are always good. There are no failed prayers or successful prayers, only faithful prayers for prayer results are God s deal not ours. How does this challenge your current view on powerful prayers? Do you make adjustments in your day in order to allow the Kingdom to break through? Where do you sense the enemy taking ground from you when it comes to prayer? Love? Distraction? Compassion? Priority? Belief? Lay your heart before God and let Him do His work.
ACTIVATION Challenge: The 7 most powerful words you can say as a follower of Jesus when you want to pray for someone are, Can I Pray For You Right Now? Commit to saying this to 1 person outside of your family every day this week (and beyond). PROVIDE US WITH FEEDBACK We are excited about the potential these studies have to help each of us process the weekend message at a deeper level, and to see God change our lives in significant ways. In order to make these guides as helpful as possible, we would love to hear which elements are most helpful, which are least helpful, as well as any other comments, questions or suggestions. Feel free to send your feedback directly to Jon Holmberg at jonrholmberg@gmail.com. We are currently looking to expand our team of writers. If you would like to investigate what this looks like please contact jonrholmberg@gmail.com.