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Let us stand together, and please open your Bible to our text in the Gospel of Mark. It’s Mark 9:26-27,

“And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose” (Mark 9:26-27).

Jesus saved this boy from the power of the Devil. This story was given for a reason. It was given to us to show how Jesus can saver a lost and helpless soul today. The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, have many stories like this. They show how helpless souls got saved. These stories tell us the different sides of salvation. We can learn many things by reading them.

This boy was demon possessed. He had a demon that caused him to be deaf and dumb. He couldn’t hear and he couldn’t speak. That’s the way everyone is before they are saved. Before you are saved you cannot hear what God is saying. And you can’t talk about it.

But Christ cast the demon out. Christ is stronger than the Devil. That’s why Christ can save you! He saved this boy and He can save you! Christ can save anyone, no matter how helpless they are! And Christ can deliver you from the Devil! You can learn three great truths about salvation from this story.

I. First, you are as one who is dead.

The text says,

“And he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead” (Mark 9:26).

That’s a picture of everyone before he is saved. The Bible teaches that the whole human race is dead spiritually. You are dead spiritually! The Bible says,

“By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men…” (Romans 5:12).

Our first parents sinned against God – and they died spiritually. Adam was cut off from God, in a state of spiritual death. And that spiritual death has passed down to every member of the human race. That’s why there are so many religions. Because of spiritual darkness and death, the human race has created many religions. But the human race has not found the true and living God.

Speaking to a group of people in Athens, the Apostle Paul said this,

“For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:23).

They had many idols and many gods. But the true God was unknown to them. They called Him, “the unknown God.”

And God is unknown to you tonight. He is “the unknown God” to you. God does not seem real to you. You are dead to the things of God. You are dead spiritually. You are like the boy in our story.

“And he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead” (Mark 9:26).

The Bible says,

“You, being dead in your sins” (Colossians 2:13).

The Bible says that you are

“dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).

The father of the Prodigal Son said,

“My son was dead” (Luke 15:24).

He said to the Prodigal’s brother,

“Thy brother was dead” (Luke 15:32).

Every saved person here tonight was once like that. We were all dead in sin. God was unknown to us. We were not aware of God. The Bible seemed like a fairy tale to us, because we were spiritually dead.

“Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Ephesians 4:18).

That is a description of every one of us before we were saved! And you must be saved by Jesus. Only Jesus can save you from spiritual death.

II. Second, you are “taken by the hand” of Jesus.

Our text says,

“He was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand…” (Mark 9:26-27).

That’s a wonderful verse! “But Jesus took him by the hand”! That is an illustration of awakening. It is a picture of prevenient grace. It is the story of our salvation. It is salvation for the helpless!

“In in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past... and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus... For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:2-9).

That is salvation by grace! That is salvation by Christ! That is the way to Heaven!

“He was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand…” (Mark 9:26-27).

Before Jesus comes, you are in an unconcerned and unawakened state. You couldn’t care less about what happens to your soul. You are like the boy in Mark nine.

“And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit” (Mark 9:17).

That’s the way I was. The people next door took me to a Baptist church. They brought me to church, like this man who brought his son to Jesus. But I knew nothing about God, nothing about Christ, nothing about the Bible. I had never read the Bible. I couldn’t find the Gospel of Matthew. I started thumbing through the Bible at the Book of Genesis, looking for it. By the time I found Matthew the sermon was nearly over! But they brought me to church. God uses Christians to witness to you and bring you to Christ, as this man did, who brought his son to Jesus.

Then you begin to experience awakening. It can happen very quickly, or it can take longer. People are different. But awakening is a terrible thing. Paul was thrown to the earth. The people at Pentecost were pricked in their heart. The thief on the cross saw his guilt. It is a terrible thing. John Cagan said, “I felt like dying. I could not smile. I could not find peace. I could not stop feeling so tormented. I just could not take it any more.” The Holy Spirit was convicting him of sin. Emi Zabalaga said, “The Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin. I was disgusted and so ashamed. I knew God saw all my sins. I felt like a leper among the clean Christians.” Jack Ngann said, “I clearly remembered the worst sin I had committed – I was a dreadful sinner.”

“And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming” (Mark 9:20).

That’s exactly what happened to many people in the First Great Awakening and in the revival on the Island of Lewis. Many of them cried out and fell on the ground under conviction of sin. That may happen again some day in America. It won’t be a “laughing ‘revival’”! The boy in Mark nine was not laughing! Real revival produces conviction of sin, not laughter!!! In great revivals people sometimes fall down screaming under conviction. It happens often in China and India right now – in the revivals that they are experiencing.

Everyone who is awakened feels guilty of sin. The Holy Spirit reveals your sin to you.

“And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me” (John 16:8-9).

Do you have any sense of sin? Do you feel sorrow for your sin? Does your conscience bother you at all for your sin? Do you sense that you need to be forgiven by Jesus? Do not wait for more conviction! Conviction will not save you! No amount of conviction will save you! Come at once to the Son of God! Come right now! Conviction of sin should drive you to Jesus. Jesus is the only one who can relieve your conviction!

Come, ye weary, heavy laden, Bruised and broken by the fall;
If you wait until you’re better, You will never come at all.
   (“Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Wretched” by Joseph Hart, 1712-1768).

Come and trust Jesus now, even if you think you are not convicted enough – and He will save you! “If you wait until you’re better, you will never come at all.” Come now! Trust Jesus, the Son of God! He will save you now!

Christ died on the Cross to pay the penalty for your sin. His Blood can wash your sin away. Christ has risen from the dead. Christ is seated at the right hand of God – up in Heaven. Come to Christ! Come to Christ! Come to Christ! Trust Christ! Trust Christ! Trust Christ and you will be saved!

III. Third, you are raised to encounter Christ.

“But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose” (Mark 9:27).

You do not need to know how to come to Jesus – any more than this boy needed to know how to be lifted up. “Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up.” If you want to come to Christ, you will be brought to Christ by the same power that lifted up this boy. Jesus said so! Jesus said,

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

Someone may say, “I’m not sure whether God has given me to Christ.” That is a foolish thought. You can’t know that, because only God knows it. Don’t waste your time with such theological speculation. While others are arguing about theology, you come to Christ! You will be saved while they are arguing! Jesus said,

“him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

Christ will not cast you out. Christ will not leave you to die and go to Hell. Christ will forgive your sin and save you, just like He saved the boy in the story. I plead with you. I implore you. I exhort you. I beg you. I command you. For the sake of your eternal soul, come to Christ! There is no other way for you to be peaceful! Only Jesus can give you peace and forgive your sin! Noah Song said,

“I was a hopeless sinner without Christ, blind and naked. I love Him because He first loved me...Jesus bleeding on the Cross for me, to pay for my sins and the love He has for me, I will always remember. He saved me from the rottenness of sin.”

Out of my bondage, sorrow and night, Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light, Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of my sickness into Thy health, Out of my want and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself, Jesus, I come to Thee.
   (“Jesus, I Come” by William T. Sleeper, 1819-1904).

We would like to speak with you about being saved by Jesus Christ. In just a minute, you come and sit in a chair on the first two rows. Amen.

(END OF SERMON)
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Scripture Read Before the Sermon by Mr. Noah Song: Mark 9:17-27.
Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith:
“Yes, I Know!” (by Anna W. Waterman, 1920).