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Here is a man from Mark we can all relate to: one who says "I believe, Lord, help my unbelief".
Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:
- Why were the apostles not able to heal this young man?
- Why is the prayer "I believe, help my unbelief" one that we all can relate to?
- What was Jesus' response to such a prayer?
- How can we nurture a strong faith and resist unbelief?
Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA
After studying this text in Mark we should never be intimidated by the world or the principalities and powers again... they are the ones who are intimidated by this amazing Savior. Here is real hope for us all!
Mark 5:1-20,1:11,1:24,1:34,3:11-12,4:41
James 2:19
Luke 8:31
Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:
- How would this man have appeared if you saw him?
- What did the demons do to his personality?
- What was the demons response when they saw Jesus?
- Why did they respond this way?
- Why did Jesus not just run from this man?
- What does this account tell us about Jesus?
- How can what we learn about Jesus from this story help us as we believe in Him today?
Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA
Who is Jesus... a demonic deceiver or a mighty one who had bound Satan and is plundering his kingdom? How can people get so confused about Him? Let's see what Mark has to say about it.
Ephesians 6:10-20,1:15-23
Mark 3:13-30
Matthew 12:27-28
Hebrews 6:4-6
1 John 5:16
Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:
- What was the mistaken view of Jesus that the Scribes had?
- How could they be so wrong?
- What did Jesus say about their accusation?
- What is the practical implications of the fact that He has bound Satan and is plundering His kingdom?
- What does that look like today?
- What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
- What if I am afraid I did this?
Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA
What an amazing passage of Scripture from Mark, the religious folks plotting to destroy Jesus, the demons falling at His feet calling Him the Son of God, and Jesus revealing what true religion is really all about.
Leviticus 24:5-9
1 Samuel 21:1-6
Mark 2:18-3:12
Luke 18:11-13
Matthew 6:16-18
James 1:28
Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:
- How did the religious folks respond to Jesus?
- Why do you think they did that?
- What was Jesus' message to the people of His day and ours through this passage of Scripture?
- Why did Jesus think it was so important to read the Bible?
- How can we avoid becoming a Pharisee?
Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA
Mark tells us that Jesus heals an entire town... why, what is this revealing about Him and the Kingdom He is bringing? Why did He spend so much time in private prayer? We will explore our Lord's life and seek answers to these questions.
Every fact in our Lord's life on earth, and every word which fell from His lips, ought to be deeply interesting to a true Christian. We see a fact and a saying in the passage we have just read, which deserve close attention.
We see, for one thing, an example of our Lord Jesus Christ's habits about private prayer. We are told, that "in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."We shall find the same thing often recorded of our Lord in the Gospel history. When He was baptized, we are told that He was "praying." (Luke 3:21) When He was transfigured, we are told, that "as He prayed, the form of His face was altered." (Luke 9:29) Before He chose the twelve apostles, we are told that "He continued all night in prayer to God." (Luke 6:12) When all men spoke well of Him, and would sincerely have made Him a King, we are told that "He went up into a mountain alone to pray." (Mark 14:23) When tempted in the garden of Gethsemane, He said, "Sit here, while I pray." (Mark 14:34) In short, our Lord prayed always, and did not faint. Sinless as He was, He set us an example of diligent communion with His Father. His Godhead did not render Him independent of the use of all means as a man. His very perfection was a perfection kept up through the exercise of prayer.
We ought to see in all this the immense importance of private devotion. If He who was "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners," thus prayed continually, how much more ought we who are compassed with infirmity? If He found it needful to offer up supplications with strong crying and tears, how much more needful is it for us, who in many things daily offend?
What shall we say to those who never pray at all, in the face of such a passage as this? There are many such, it may be feared, in the list of baptized people--many who rise up in the morning without prayer, and without prayer lie down at night--many who never speak one word to God. Are they Christians? It is impossible to say so. A praying Master, like Jesus, can have no prayerless servants. The Spirit of adoption will always make a man call upon God. To be prayerless is to be Christless, Godless, and in the high road to destruction.
What shall we say to those who pray, yet give but little time to their prayers? We are obliged to say that they show at present very little of the mind of Christ. Asking little, they must expect to have little. Seeking little, they cannot be surprised if they possess little. It will always be found that when prayers are few, grace, strength, peace, and hope are small.
We shall do well to watch our habits of prayer with a holy watchfulness. Here is the pulse of our Christianity. Here is the true test of our state before God. Here true religion begins in the soul, when it does begin. Here it decays and goes backward, when a man backslides from God. Let us walk in the steps of our blessed Master in this respect as well as in every other. Like Him, let us be diligent in our private devotion. Let us know what it is to "depart into solitary places and pray."
We see, for another thing, in this passage, a remarkable saying of our Lord as to the purpose for which He came into the world. We find Him saying, "let us go into the next towns, that I may PREACH there also--for that is why I have come."
The meaning of these words is plain and unmistakable. Our Lord declares that He came on earth to be a preacher and a teacher. He came to fulfill the prophetical office, to be the "prophet greater than Moses," who had been so long foretold. (Deutoronomy 18:15) He left the glory which He had from all eternity with the Father, to do the work of an evangelist. He came down to earth to show to man the way of peace, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind. One principal part of His work on earth, was to go up and down and publish glad tidings, to offer healing to the broken-hearted, light to those who sat in darkness, and pardon to the chief of sinners. He says, "That is why I have come."
We ought to observe here, what infinite honor the Lord Jesus puts on the office of the preacher. It is an office which the eternal Son of God Himself undertook. He might have spent his earthly ministry in instituting and keeping up ceremonies, like Aaron. He might have ruled and reigned as a king, like David. But He chose a different calling. Until the time when He died as a sacrifice for our sins, His daily, and almost hourly work was to preach. He says, "That is why I have come."
Let us never be moved by those who cry down the preacher's office, and tell us that sacraments and other ordinances are of more importance than sermons. Let us give to every part of God's public worship its proper place and honor, but let us beware of placing any part of it above preaching. By preaching, the Church of Christ was first gathered together and founded, and by preaching, it has ever been maintained in health and prosperity. By preaching, sinners are awakened. By preaching, inquirers are led on. By preaching, saints are built up. By preaching, Christianity is being carried to the heathen world. There are many now who sneer at missionaries, and mock at those who go out into the high-ways of our own land, to preach to crowds in the open air. But such persons would do well to pause, and consider calmly what they are doing. The very work which they ridicule is the work which turned the world upside down, and cast heathenism to the ground. Above all, it is the very work which Christ Himself undertook. The King of kings and Lord of lords Himself was once a preacher. For three long years He went to and fro proclaiming the Gospel. Sometimes we see Him in a house, sometimes on the mountain side, sometimes in a Jewish synagogue, sometimes in a boat on the sea. But the great work He took up was always one and the same. He came always preaching and teaching. He says, "That is why I have come."
Let us leave the passage with a solemn resolution never to "despise prophesying." (1 Thessalonians 5:20) The minister we hear may not be highly gifted. The sermons that we listen to may be weak and poor. But after all, preaching is God's grand ordinance for converting and saving souls. The faithful preacher of the Gospel is handling the very weapon which the Son of God was not ashamed to employ. This is the work of which Christ has said, "That is why I have come." J.C. Ryle
Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:
- What is the significance of Jesus' miracles?
- What do they tell us about the Kingdom of God which Jesus proclaimed?
- Why did Jesus pray so much?
- Why should I pattern my life after His in this area?
- Why did Jesus emphasize preaching?
- Why is this important to me?
Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA
Who is Jesus of Nazareth and why is this important to each one of us? Mark is bold in his proclamation of who Jesus is and then he challenges us to listen to many voices in history (including a demon) to understand the greatness of Jesus.
Mark 1:1-28
John 5:17-18,3:16-17
James 2:19
Acts 17:30-31
Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:
- Why is it important to remember that these are historical accounts in Mark?
- What does each of these voices say about Jesus: Mark, John the Baptist, God the Father, the demon?
- Why does the demon know so much but not believe?
- What is your relationship with Jesus?
- Why can no one say they have no relationship with Jesus?
- Why is Jesus such a great hope for sinners?
Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA
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