Who Is Jesus - Help My Unbelief

·47 min·4 clips

A father watches his son writhe in agony as Jesus asks, 'If you can?' before the man cries out, 'Help my unbelief!'

The episode is a sermon from Anchor Church Palos titled 'Who Is Jesus - Help My Unbelief,' based on Mark chapter 9. The host, Pastor Ryan, opens by recalling a personal story about his daughter Cassie's 21st birthday and pictures from the Rockies, linking it to the disciples' mountaintop experience of Jesus' transfiguration. He transitions to the disciples coming down the mountain, where Jesus confronts questions about Old Testament prophecies, specifically why Elijah must come first. Pastor Ryan explains that the disciples had a utopian view of the Messiah freeing them from Rome, but Jesus points to prophecies predicting the Messiah's suffering and death. He references Malachi 3-4 and Isaiah 9:2 to illustrate how the Old Testament foretold Christ's coming as a light and judgment. The sermon then shifts to a narrative in Mark 9:14-29, where a father brings his demon-possessed son to Jesus after the disciples fail to heal him. Jesus responds with 'Oh, faithless generation' and allows the boy to writhe in agony to address the father's doubt. The father cries out, 'I believe! Help my unbelief!' and Jesus heals the boy, explaining that such demons require prayer. Pastor Ryan discusses the spiritual battle between good and evil, noting that demons are fallen angels and that Jesus alone has power over sin, Satan, and death. He uses analogies like March Madness and a restaurant grace story to illustrate faith and salvation. The sermon concludes by examining different faith postures: defiance (referencing the poem 'Invictus'), slow belief (the disciples), and flip-flopping (the father). Pastor Ryan distinguishes between saving faith and walking faith, emphasizing prayer and fasting, and introduces 'prayer gears' as a tool for persistent prayer. He ends with a rewritten version of 'Invictus' surrendering to Christ and a prayer invitation for listeners to accept Jesus or strengthen their faith.

As heard by us

A direct sermon review on faith after the mountaintop and prayer in the hard work of belief.

Faith sits between the mountain and the argument waiting below in this PlayNext review of a sermon on Mark 9. It follows the preacher from the wonder of a high view to Jesus shining before Peter, James, and John, then back down into the crowd, the scribes, and the disciples'…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get Mark 9's mountaintop glory, then the harder question: what happens when faith comes back down into argument, need, and unbelief?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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