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SKETCHES
of Leadership o o o o >
Faith in Failure
Mark 9:14-29
When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and some scribes
arguing with them.
15When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with
awe, and they ran forward to greet him.
16He asked them, "What are you arguing about with
them?"
17Someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought you my son; he has
a spirit that makes him unable to speak;
18and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down;
and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out,
but they could not do so."
19He answered them, "You faithless generation, how much longer
must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me."
20And
they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and
@
What are the echoes between the two
he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.
21Jesus asked the father, "How
passages?
long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood.
22It has often cast him
into the fi re and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity
on us and help us."
23Jesus said to him, "If you are able! --All things can be done for the one
who believes."
24Immediately the father of the child cried out, "I believe; help my unbelief!"
25When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying
to it, "You spirit that keeps this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of
him, and never enter him again!"
26After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out,
and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, "He is dead."
27But Jesus took him
by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand.
28When he had entered the house,
his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"
29He said to them, "This kind
can come out only through prayer."
Romans 8:18-27
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about
What is the role of prayer?
to be revealed to us.
19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children
of God;
20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one
who subjected it, in hope
21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and
will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation
has been groaning in labor pains until now;
23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who
have the fi rst fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of
our bodies.
24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for
what is seen?
25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26Likewise
the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very
Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
27And God, who searches the heart, knows what
is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
INTERVARSITY ®
Sketches of Leadership #20
SKETCHES
F
@
of Leadership o o o o >
aith in Failure
The disciples failed. They could not heal this child. What a disappointment! When have you experienced a failure? To what extent are you in the
middle of an unresolved disappointment?
the pain. Experiencing disappointment hurts and leads to questions of why. Everything - creation, humans, and the Spirit
groan while waiting for completion of God's will. And, even when Jesus intervenes, it can seem hopeless. Jesus rebuked the demon, but then
the boy looked like a corpse and the people said he was dead.
Pursue the
Our hope in God's promise of future glory is not futile. This vision of freedom, redemption, and adoption is
worth suffering for! While things looked bad for the boy, Jesus then took him by the hand and lifted him up. Resurrection-new life! New life also
echoes in the Romans passage as Creation groans in labor pains. Think about how a mother suffers through the pain of childbirth because she
hopes for the baby that is unseen. She knows a child is being born and that makes present pains insignifi cant by comparison.
His ability. This is God's work, and He will bring perfection to his creation. We are God's children, and He will pursue
healing for us. "All things can be done by the one who believes." God can do more than we imagine if we have faith in Him. We must depend
on Jesus, not on our past successes and skills.
Pray for your
A practical expression of dependence is prayer. When questioned about his faith, the boy's father
exclaimed, "I believe; help my unbelief!" Your understanding doesn't need to be perfect before you talk to God. You just need to communicate
your honest thoughts. And, even when your emotions overcome you and you don't know how to pray, the Spirit will pray for you. We are weak,
dependent on God, and the Spirit will be with us, will keep on helping us.
@
Refl ection Guide: Take some time to talk with God about a past failure and a present one.
Past Failure
Present failure
How did it make you feel?
How are you feeling?
What vision was dashed?
What vision has God given you?
How did you need to trust God?
How do you need to trust God?
Are there things you still need to talk through with God?
What do you need to talk with God about?
INTERVARSITY ®
Sketches of Leadership #20
©2007 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship 6400 Schroeder Road, P.O. Box 7895 Madison, WI 53707-7895
tel 608.274.9001
email info@intervarsity.org
web www.intervarsity.org
SKETCHES
F
@
of Leadership o o o o >
aith in Failure
Mark 9:14-29
When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and some scribes
arguing with them.
15When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with
awe, and they ran forward to greet him.
16He asked them, "What are you arguing about with
them?"
17Someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought you my son; he has
a spirit that makes him unable to speak;
18and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down;
and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out,
but they could not do so."
19He answered them, "You faithless generation, how much longer
must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me."
20And
they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and
@
What are the echoes between the two
he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.
21Jesus asked the father, "How
passages?
long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood.
22It has often cast him
·Groaning/crying out/sighs too deep
into the fi re and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity
for words there is pain too deep
for words as all of God's creation
on us and help us."
23Jesus said to him, "If you are able! --All things can be done for the one
and God Himself as Spirit groans
who believes."
24Immediately the father of the child cried out, "I believe; help my unbelief!"
waiting for redemption. And the evil
spirit shrieks as he is abolished from
25When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying
the boy as the boy is redeemed.
to it, "You spirit that keeps this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of
· Faith/hope Boy's father has faith
that his son can be healed, and all of
him, and never enter him again!"
26After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out,
creation waits in hope for freedom
and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, "He is dead."
27But Jesus took him
from bondage.
· Father's effort for his son The
by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand.
28When he had entered the house,
boy's father brings his son to the
his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"
29He said to them, "This kind
disciples and then to Jesus. God as
Spirit prays for his children. They
can come out only through prayer."
stop at nothing to bring healing to
Romans 8:18-27
their children.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about
What is the role of prayer?
to be revealed to us.
19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children
Dependence on God is essential to
of God;
20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one
seeing healing and redemption.
who subjected it, in hope
21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and
· The disciples had depended on
past successes (see Mark chapter
will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22We know that the whole creation
6:7-13) in order to heal the boy, and
has been groaning in labor pains until now;
23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who
they failed.
· The father's faith was shaken with
have the fi rst fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of
the failure of the disciples attempt
our bodies.
24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for
to heal, so he asked Jesus "If you
are able." But, Jesus replied, "If you
what is seen?
25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26Likewise
are able!" The father needed to
the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very
trust God to heal his child. And, so
the father prayed, "I believe; help
Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
27And God, who searches the heart, knows what
my unbelief!" In his weakness, he
is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
acknowledged his faith.
· In the Romans passage, the Spirit
INTERVARSITY ®
helps us in our weak state by inter-
ceding for us.
Sketches of Leadership #20
SKETCHES
F
@
of Leadership o o o o >
aith in Failure
The disciples failed. They could not heal this child. What a disappointment! When have you experienced a failure? To what extent are you in the
middle of an unresolved disappointment?
Feel
the pain. Experiencing disappointment hurts and leads to questions of why. Everything - creation, humans, and the Spirit
groan while waiting for completion of God's will. And, even when Jesus intervenes, it can seem hopeless. Jesus rebuked the demon, but then
the boy looked like a corpse and the people said he was dead.
Pursue the vision.
Our hope in God's promise of future glory is not futile. This vision of freedom, redemption, and adoption is
worth suffering for! While things looked bad for the boy, Jesus then took him by the hand and lifted him up. Resurrection-new life! New life also
echoes in the Romans passage as Creation groans in labor pains. Think about how a mother suffers through the pain of childbirth because she
hopes for the baby that is unseen. She knows a child is being born and that makes present pains insignifi cant by comparison.
Trust
His ability. This is God's work, and He will bring perfection to his creation. We are God's children, and He will pursue heal-
ing for us. "All things can be done by the one who believes." God can do more than we imagine if we have faith in Him. We must depend on
Jesus, not on our past successes and skills.
Pray for your dream.
A practical expression of dependence is prayer. When questioned about his faith, the boy's father
exclaimed, "I believe; help my unbelief!" Your understanding doesn't need to be perfect before you talk to God. You just need to communicate
your honest thoughts. And, even when your emotions overcome you and you don't know how to pray, the Spirit will pray for you. We are weak,
dependent on God, and the Spirit will be with us, will keep on helping us.
@
Refl ection Guide: Take some time to talk with God about a past failure and a present one.
Past Failure
Present failure
How did it make you feel?
How are you feeling?
What vision was dashed?
What vision has God given you?
How did you need to trust God?
How do you need to trust God?
Are there things you still need to talk through with God?
What do you need to talk with God about?
INTERVARSITY ®
Sketches of Leadership #20
©2007 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship 6400 Schroeder Road, P.O. Box 7895 Madison, WI 53707-7895
tel 608.274.9001
email info@intervarsity.org
web www.intervarsity.org
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