Jesus’ response to the pain and suffering and unbelief of this world is to move towards it with his healing. This message was given on June 22, 2014 at New City Church in Calgary by Pastor John Fergsuon. For more info: www.newcitychurch.ca

1. “I Believe! Help My Unbelief!”
image:WillFoster
Luke 9:37-45

2. God Gives Us His Words of Eternal Life
Luke 9:37-45
Found on page 867 in our guest Bibles.
Today’s Scripture:

3. Reality is a nice place to visit,
but you wouldn’t want to live there.
~ John Barth“

4. “In a sense, it [Christianity]
creates, rather than solves,
the problem of pain, for pain
would be no problem
unless, side by side with our
daily experience of this
painful world, we had
received what we think a
good assurance that
Ultimate Reality is righteous
and loving.”
~ CS Lewis
Mere Christianity

5. How do you
hope in the
midst of
hopelessness
?

6. “I Believe! Help My Unbelief!”
image:WillFoster
Luke 9:37-45

7. On the next day, when they had
Luke 9:37
come down from the mountain, a
great crowd met him. [And when
they came to the disciples, they
saw…scribes arguing with them….
And he asked them, “What are you

8. …arguing about with them?”-Mark 9:14-16]
Luke 9:38-39
And behold, a man from the crowd
cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to
look at my son, for he is my only
child. And behold, a spirit seizes
him, and he suddenly cries out. It

9. …convulses him so that he foams
Luke 9:40
at the mouth; and shatters him, and
will hardly leave him. And I begged
your disciples to cast it out, but
they could not….”

10. Jesus answered, “O faithless and
Luke 9:41
twisted generation, how long am I
to be with you and bear you? Bring
your son here.”

11. While he was coming, the demon
Luke 9:42
threw him to the ground and con-
vulsed him. [And Jesus asked his
father, “How long has this been
happening to him?” And he said,
From childhood. And it has often

12. cast him into fire and into water, to
Luke 9:42
destroy him. But if you can do any-
thing, have compassion on us and
help us.” And Jesus said to him,
“If you can! All things are possible
for the one who believes. Immedi-

13. ately, the father of the child cried
Luke 9:42
out and said, “I believe; help my
unbelief!” - Mark 9:21-24.

14. But while they were all marveling at
Luke 9:43-45
everything he was doing, Jesus said
to his disciples, “Let these words
sink into your ears: The Son of Man
is about to be delivered into the
hands of men.” But they did not

15. understand this saying, and it was
Luke 9:45
concealed from them, so that they
might not perceive it. And they were
afraid to ask him about this saying.

16. [And when he had entered the house,
his disciples asked him privately,
“Why could we not cast it out?”
And he said to them, “This kind
cannot be driven out by anything
but prayer.” - Mark 9:28-29]

17. Why do the Gospel writers record
this account in their historical
biographies of Jesus?
Important Question

18. Jesus’ response to the pain
and suffering and unbelief
of this world is to move
towards it with his healing.
Main Idea

19. Jesus does not ask
for perfect faith,
but the presence
of true faith.
1

20. God’s heart is to move towards
us in the mess of our lives
2

21. “Christianity is the only religion
whose God bears the scars of evil.”
!
~ Os Guinness

22. Nomadic Lass: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomadic_lass/6469924423
StvnL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stvnl/4713277639
flickr images courtesy of:
Will Foster: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mazakar/2777932633/