Coping with a Faith Crisis
Introduction:
Think
of mountaintop spiritual experiences. Do they last? If they did, they would not be so extraordinary. In Mark 9:2-8, Peter, James, and John
have the ultimate mountaintop experience. Mark 9:9 – as they came
down…Down below, faced with a completely different scene. No voice of God
here. A pathetic boy, ravaged by demon possession comes into view. 9:17-18
– the inability of disciples to cast the demon out of the boy. Father
doesn’t know what to do – desperate situation. 9:24 – help my unbelief.
I. A Faith Crisis
A.
Father of boy
was in the midst of a faith crisis.
B.
D.L. Moody
identifies 3 kinds of faith:
1.
Struggling
– like a man swimming desperately in deep water.
2.
Clinging faith
– like someone clinging to the side of a boat – but unable to get
in.
3.
Resting faith
– like someone resting safely in a boat after the passing struggle.
II. What causes a faith crisis?
A.
Desperate
situation – Mark 9:21-22 – life of man’s son utterly ruined by
demon.
1.
Ever been in a
desperate situation?
2.
Anytime we are
continually distressed, can’t get out of a situation, and can’t see any end in
sight – we are open to a faith crisis.
B.
Seemingly
unanswered prayer
1.
Seemingly,
because God may have already answered “no” or “not yet.”
2.
Sometimes we get
to the point to where we wonder…is
something wrong with my prayer or what I am praying for?
C.
A sense of
spiritual failure.
1.
Might get to the
point where we wonder if God refrains from answering prayer because there is
something wrong with us – or we have some unrecognized sin/area of
failure. The whole situation is my fault.
D.
Doubts about
relationship with God
1.
Does God still love me? Am I still His child? Is this why nothing gets better?
E.
Humanness
1.
The father’s
faith was not perfect. No faith ever is, because we are never perfect.
F.
The failure of
those who should have been able to help.
1.
With this
situation, disciples should have been able to help.
III. So what do we do?
A.
How to get past?
How to cope?
1.
Take it to
Jesus. Humbly & honestly confess – I believe…help my unbelief.
2.
When we do this,
there is no way he will not help us.
B.
Help in a
variety of ways:
1.
Resolve the
situation
2.
Change the
circumstances
3.
Give us the
faith/strength to keep on keeping on.
C.
God will never
turn a deaf ear for our cry for help for a greater faith. Luke 18:1-8
D.
Father’s cry for
help should help us in understanding another passage: James 1:6-8
E.
If we turn to
God with our cry of faith seeking greater faith, He will not turn a deaf ear to
us – any more than Jesus did to the father of the demon possessed child.
Conclusion:
A.
Faith crises will
come.
B.
The faith crisis
does not have to turn into faith failure. Will you give up in despair, or take
it to God with your doubts/fears and ask for help with your unbelief?