Jesus Had Power

APPROACHABLE

JESUS HAD POWER

MARK 5:21-43 (NIV)

THE PHONE RANG.

A  MAN PUT DOWN HIS GARDEN TOOLS,

WIPED THE SWEAT FROM HIS FACE

AND RUSHED INTO THE HOUSE TO GRAB THE PHONE

BEFORE IT STOPPED RINGING.

WITH HIS MIND ON HIS SATURDAY MORNING CHORES,

HE DIDN’T NOTICE THAT THE SLIDING GLASS PATIO DOOR WAS CLOSED.

HIS WIFE FOUND HIM IN A POOL OF BLOOD WITH GLASS CHARDS LAYING ALL AROUND HIM.

PANIC STRIKEN, SHE CALLED 911.

THE DISPATCHER COULDN’T SEND ANY HELP,

BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME BUREAUCRATIC LINE

AND THEIR ADDRESS WAS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF IT.

SHE WOULD HAVE TO CALL SOMEONE ELSE.

AFRAID THERE WASN’T ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE ANOTHER PHONE CALL,

SHE STRUGGLED TO GET HER HUSBAND IN THE FRONT SEAT OF THE CAR TO TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL HERSELF.

INSTEAD OF GETTING ON THE FREEWAY

AND DRIVING TO THE DOWNTOWN HOSPITAL

SHE TOOK A SIDE STREET TO A HOSPITAL THAT WAS CLOSER.

THE TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY

AND BLOOD WAS POURING ONTO THE FLOORBOARD OF THE CAR.

TIME SEEMED TO SLOW DOWN.

HER HUSBAND WAS BLEEDING TO DEATH.

AND SHE WAS DESPERATE.

HER HUSBAND WAS DYING

AND SHE FELT ENTIRELY HELPLESS.

TRAFFIC WAS AT A STANDSTILL.

SHE SAW THE LOOKS ON THE OTHER DRIVER’S FACES

AS THEY POINTED TO THE BLEEDING MAN,

SITTING IN THE CAR NEXT TO THEM.

SHE HONKED THE HORN,

BUT NO ONE PULLED OVER TO LET HER BY.

NO ONE OFFERED TO HELP.

AT THAT MOMENT SHE WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO GET THE HELP THAT HE NEEDED.

IT WAS SURREAL.

THIS STRONG MAN WHO HAD ALWAYS PROVIDED FOR HER

THIS MAN WHO HAD ALWAYS PROTECTED HER

WAS WILTING AWAY BEFORE HER VERY EYES.

HE NEEDED HELP.

SHE HAD TO GET HIM SOME HELP.

CAN YOU IMAGINE HER RELIEF AS SHE TURNED INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOM DRIVE,      AT THE HOSPITAL.

THE ATTENDANTS PUT HIM ON A GURNEY AND WHEELED HIM IN.

THE DOCTORS TOLD HER THAT HE WAS PRETTY BEAT UP.

HIS FACE WAS CUT AND THE GLASS HAD CUT A MAJOR BLOOD VESSEL IN HIS LEG.

IT LOOKED LIKE HE WOULD LIVE,

BUT THE DOCTORS WEREN’T SURE IF THEY COULD SAVE HIS LEG.

HE WENT HOME, CONFINED TO A WHEEL CHAIR.

BUT EVEN THOUGH HE WAS IN A WHEEL CHAIR

HE KEPT SERVING THE LORD.

HE WAS THE PASTOR OF A CHURCH

AND EACH WEEK, SOME MEN FROM THE CHURCH WOULD HELP HIM GET UP ON STAGE

AND HE WOULD PREACH HIS SERMON.

ONE SUNDAY, HE JUST FORGOT ABOUT HIS LEG

AND WALKED TO THE PULPIT,          HE STOOD THERE

AND THEN BEGAN TO PREACH.

THE CONGREGATION GASPED.         GOD HAD HEALED HIM.

HE NEVER USED THE WHEELCHAIR AGAIN.

MARK 5:21-43 (NIV)

21 WHEN JESUS HAD AGAIN CROSSED OVER BY BOAT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE,

A LARGE CROWD GATHERED AROUND HIM WHILE HE WAS BY THE LAKE.

22 THEN ONE OF THE SYNAGOGUE RULERS, NAMED JAIRUS,

CAME THERE.

SEEING JESUS, HE FELL AT HIS FEET

23 AND PLEADED EARNESTLY WITH HIM,

“MY LITTLE DAUGHTER IS DYING.

PLEASE COME AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON HER

SO THAT SHE WILL BE HEALED AND LIVE.”

24 SO JESUS WENT WITH HIM.

A LARGE CROWD FOLLOWED AND PRESSED AROUND HIM.

25 AND A WOMAN WAS THERE WHO HAD BEEN SUBJECT TO BLEEDING FOR TWELVE YEARS.

26 SHE HAD SUFFERED A GREAT DEAL

UNDER THE CARE OF MANY DOCTORS

AND HAD SPENT ALL SHE HAD,

YET INSTEAD OF GETTING BETTER SHE GREW WORSE.

27 WHEN SHE HEARD ABOUT JESUS, SHE CAME UP BEHIND HIM

IN THE CROWD AND TOUCHED HIS CLOAK,

28 BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT,

“IF I JUST TOUCH HIS CLOTHES,        I WILL BE HEALED.”

29 IMMEDIATELY HER BLEEDING STOPPED AND SHE FELT IN HER BODY THAT SHE WAS FREED FROM HER SUFFERING.

30 AT ONCE JESUS REALIZED THAT POWER HAD GONE OUT FROM HIM. HE TURNED AROUND IN THE CROWD AND ASKED,

“WHO TOUCHED MY CLOTHES?”

31 “YOU SEE THE PEOPLE CROWDING AGAINST YOU,”

HIS DISCIPLES ANSWERED,

“AND YET YOU CAN ASK, ‘WHO TOUCHED ME?’ ”

32 BUT JESUS KEPT LOOKING AROUND TO SEE WHO HAD DONE IT.

33 THEN THE WOMAN, KNOWING WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HER, CAME AND FELL AT HIS FEET

AND, TREMBLING WITH FEAR, TOLD HIM THE WHOLE TRUTH.

34 HE SAID TO HER, “DAUGHTER, YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU.

GO IN PEACE AND BE FREED FROM YOUR SUFFERING.”

35 WHILE JESUS WAS STILL SPEAKING, SOME MEN CAME FROM THE HOUSE OF JAIRUS, THE SYNAGOGUE RULER.

“YOUR DAUGHTER IS DEAD,” THEY SAID.

“WHY BOTHER THE TEACHER ANY MORE?”

36 IGNORING WHAT THEY SAID, JESUS TOLD THE SYNAGOGUE RULER, “DON’T BE AFRAID; JUST BELIEVE.”

37 HE DID NOT LET ANYONE FOLLOW HIM EXCEPT PETER, JAMES AND JOHN THE BROTHER OF JAMES.

38 WHEN THEY CAME TO THE HOME OF THE SYNAGOGUE RULER, JESUS SAW A COMMOTION,

WITH PEOPLE CRYING AND WAILING LOUDLY.

39 HE WENT IN AND SAID TO THEM,

“WHY ALL THIS COMMOTION AND WAILING?

THE CHILD IS NOT DEAD BUT ASLEEP.”

40 BUT THEY LAUGHED AT HIM.

AFTER HE PUT THEM ALL OUT, HE TOOK THE CHILD’S FATHER

AND MOTHER AND THE DISCIPLES WHO WERE WITH HIM,

AND WENT IN WHERE THE CHILD WAS.

41 HE TOOK HER BY THE HAND AND SAID TO HER,

“TALITHA KOUM!”

(WHICH MEANS, “LITTLE GIRL, I SAY TO YOU, GET UP!”).

42 IMMEDIATELY THE GIRL STOOD UP AND WALKED AROUND

(SHE WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD).

AT THIS THEY WERE COMPLETELY ASTONISHED.

43 HE GAVE STRICT ORDERS NOT TO LET ANYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS, AND TOLD THEM TO GIVE HER SOMETHING TO EAT.

INTRO:

WE FIND TWO STORIES INTERMINGLED TOGETHER,

IN THE TEXT, TODAY.

THERE'S THE STORY ABOUT A DISTRAUGHT FATHER

WHO HAPPENS TO ALSO BE A VERY INFLUENCIAL RELIGIOUS LEADER,       WITH A LOT OF POWER.

HE WAS THE SYNAGOGUE RULER.

BUT HIS DAUGHTER WAS DYING AND HE WAS DESPERATE FOR ANY HELP

HE COULD GET FOR HIS LITTLE GIRL.

HE WAS RISKING HIS REPUTATION WITH THE OTHER RULERS,

BY EVEN GOING TO JESUS,

BUT HE WAS DESPERATE.

HE WAS SO DESPERATE THAT HE EVEN THREW HIMSELF AT JESUS' FEET,

PLEADING FOR HIS DAUGHTER'S LIFE.

AS FASCINATING AS THE STORY OF JAIRUS     IS,

I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE OTHER STORY,

THAT'S IN THESE VERSES.

IT'S THE STORY OF A WOMAN WHO HAS NO HOPE.

SHE'S BEEN HEMORRHAGING BLOOD FOR TWELVE YEARS

AND NOTHING SHE HAS DONE,         HAS HELPED.

HER BLEEDING WAS UNCONTROLLABLE.

AND THERE SEEMED TO BE NO REMEDY FOR HER.

SHE COULDN'T STOP IT BY HERSELF,

AND THE DOCTORS COULDN'T STOP IT EITHER.

ALL THE DOCTORS DID WAS TAKE HER MONEY

THEIR TREATMENTS WERE WAISTED ON HER.

NOW SHE WAS DESTITUTE, TOTALLY BROKE

AND HER BLEEDING WAS GETTING EVEN WORSE.

SHE KNEW SHE WAS GOING TO DIE

AND THERE WAS NOTHING SHE COULD DO TO STOP IT.

THEN SHE HEARD ABOUT JESUS.

SHE HEARD HOW HE HAD CAST DEMONS OUT OF PEOPLE.

SHE HEARD HOW HE HAD HEALED A CRIPPLED MAN

AND OPENED THE EYES OF A BLIND MAN.

SHE HEARD HOW HE CLEANSED A LEPER.

MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, SHE THOUGHT.

MAYBE HE COULD HEAL HER TOO.

WHAT DID SHE HAVE TO LOOSE? 

SO SHE WENT TO FIND THIS JESUS.

(SHE SOUGHT JESUS OUT, 

SHE EXPENDED WHAT LITTLE ENERGY SHE HAD TO FIND HIM)

ANEMIA

THEN WHEN SHE SAW THE CROWD WHERE JESUS WAS,

SHE REALIZED THAT THEY MIGHT STONE HER

FOR BEING IN THEIR MIDST,

SHE HAD AN ISSUE OF BLOOD

AND SHE WAS UNCLEAN.

AND THEY MIGHT KILL HER FOR MAKING THEM UNCLEAN TOO.

BUT THEN SHE WAS PROBABLY GOING TO DIE ANYWAY

SO WHAT DID IT MATTER.

SHE WORKED HER WAY THROUGH THE CROWD,

UP TO WHERE JESUS WAS,

AND THEN SHE SAW WHO WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HIM

IT WAS THE POWERFUL SYNAGOGUE RULER HIMSELF.

THIS MAN HAD ALL THE POWER NEEDED TO HAVE HER CARRIED AWAY AND KILLED THAT VERY DAY.

SHE THOUGHT TO HERSELF,

MAYBE,

IF SHE COULD JUST REACH OUT

AND TOUCH THE EDGE OF JESUS' ROBE

SHE WOULD BE HEALED.

SO QUIETLY, SECRETLY, SHE REACHED THROUGH THE PEOPLE WHO WERE CLOSER TO HIM THAN SHE WAS, AND SHE TOUCHED JESUS.

HER DESPERATION WAS GREAT,

HER FAITH WAS HIGH.

SHE BELIEVED,

SHE SOUGHT OUT JESUS,

SHE REACHED OUT

AND TOUCHED JESUS.

AND SHE WAS HEALED.

SUDDENLY, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWELVE YEARS

SHE FOUND HERSELF FREED FROM HER ILLNESS.

THE CONDITION THAT HAD DOMINATED HER VERY EXISTENCE

WAS MIRACULOUSLY GONE.

SHE WAS FINALLY FREED FROM HER SUFFERING.

SHE WAS HEALED!!!

THE CROWDS WERE ALL AROUND JESUS,

BUT THEY DIDN'T REALLY TOUCH HIM.

JAIRUS WAS FRANTIC WITH WORRY FOR HIS DAUGHTER.

BUT THIS WOMAN REACHED OUT AND TOUCHED JESUS,

AND SHE WAS HEALED.

__________________________________________________________

BUT THEN,      SUDDENLY,       EVERYTHING STOPPED.

EVERYTHING CAME TO A STANDSTILL.

JESUS TURNED AROUND AND ASKED HIS DISCIPLES,

WHO TOUCHED MY CLOTHES ?

THE CROWDS WERE SHOULDER TO SHOULDER,

ALL AROUND JESUS,

BUT NONE OF THEM HAD REALLY TOUCHED HIM.

JESUS HAD FELT POWER GO OUT OF HIM,

IT WAS THE POWER THAT HAD HEALED THIS WOMAN.

THE DISCIPLES SAID TO HIM,         ARE YOU CRAZY!

LOOK AT ALL THESE PEOPLE AROUND YOU!

HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY TELL WHO TOUCHED YOU?

BUT, JESUS IGNORED THEM

AND CONTINUED TO LOOK AROUND

AT ALL THE FACES IN THE CROWD

WONDERING WHO IT WAS

THAT HAD ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN HIM

TO TOUCH HIS ROBE AND BE HEALED. 

THE WOMAN WAS PROBABLY THINKING

I'M IN FOR IT NOW,            I'M IN BIG TROUBLE NOW.

I'VE JUST RECEIVED MY HEALING

AND NOW I'M GOING TO DIE.

 TREMBLING, SHE FELL AT JESUS'  FEET

AND CONFESSED

THAT SHE WAS THE ONE WHO HAD TOUCHED HIM.

SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN NEXT.

SHE HAD APPROACHED AN IMPORTANT RABBI

AND DELIBERATELY TOUCH HIM.

SHE WAS AN UNCLEAN WOMAN WHO HAD DARED

TO APPROACH AND TOUCH A JEWISH MAN. 

WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO HER NOW?

JESUS SAID TO HER,

DAUGHTER,  

(CAN YOU JUST HEAR THE COMPASSION IN HIS VOICE)

DAUGHTER,

YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU.

GO IN PEACE AND BE FREED FROM YOUR SUFFERING.

ISN'T THAT JUST LIKE JESUS.

CAN YOU SEE HOW PLEASED HE WAS

THAT THIS WOMAN HAD THE FAITH

TO ACTUALLY REACH OUT        AND TOUCH HIM?

SHE WAS A DESPERATE WOMAN.

JAIRUS WAS A DESPERATE MAN.

(CAN YOU IMAGINE THE FRUSTRATION JAIRUS WAS EXPERIENCING WITH ALL THIS DELAY)

JESUS FELT THEIR DESPERATION AND HE RESPONDED IN LOVE AND ANSWERED THEIR NEEDS.

ONE THING THAT STANDS OUT TO ME IS THE FACT THAT THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD RECEIVED HER HEALING JUST BY ACTING ON HER BELIEF.

JESUS DIDN'T GRANT THE POWER TO HER.

HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO IT WAS WHO HAD TOUCHED HIM.

HE ONLY KNEW THAT SOME ONE HAD TAPPED INTO HIS POWER.

HE WAS THE POWER SOURCE

AND SOMEONE HAD MADE THE CONNECTION TO HIM.

WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO HAVE SO MUCH OF THE POWER OF GOD IN YOU

THAT YOU COULD FEEL POWER GO OUT OF YOU

WHEN SOMEONE TOUCHED YOU?

IS THAT A GIFT THAT GOD MIGHT GIVE TO US TODAY?

OR WAS THAT ONLY SOMETHING THAT JESUS HAD?

JESUS STILL HAS THE POWER TO GIVE HEALING

AND IT STILL TAKES DESPERATION, BELIEF, AND FAITH TO ACCESS IT.

WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT HOW COOL IT WOULD BE TO RECEIVE A HEALING MIRACLE FROM GOD,

BUT WOULDN'T IT BE EVEN GREATER TO BE ABLE TO GIVE A HEALING MIRACLE TO SOMEONE?

I KNOW THAT THERE IS A GIFT OF HEALING THAT GOD GIVES TO SOME PEOPLE AND NOT TO OTHERS.

BUT THAT SHOULDN'T KEEP US FROM TRYING TO GET SO CLOSE TO GOD THAT SOME OF HIS POWER COMES INTO US.

THAT SHOULDN'T KEEP US FROM SEEKING GOD'S GIFTS IN GREATER  AND GREATER MEASURE.

JOHN WESLEY CLAIMED TO BE A 'MAN OF ONE BOOK'

THE BIBLE.

HE MEANT THAT HE WAS CLEAR IN HIS MIND

WHAT THE BIBLE MEANT

AND WHAT THE BIBLE TAUGHT.

WHEN JOHN WESLEY SAID HE WAS A MAN OF ONE BOOK,

HE DID'NT MEAN THAT HE NEVER READ ANY OTHER BOOKS.

HED.

IN FACT HE WROTE MANY BOOKS HIMSELF.

JOHN WESLEY MEANT

THAT HE KNEW THE BIBLE INTIMATELY.

WHEN JOHN WESLEY INTERPTETED THE BIBLE

HE WOULD LOOK AT THE SCRIPTURE FROM FOUR SIDES.

1. BIBLICAL TRADITION

2. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

3. REASON

4. AND THE REST OF SCRIPTURE,      IN THE BIBLE,

AND ITS INTERRELATION WITH THIS PASSAGE.

MY FRIEND, WE NEED TO KNOW JESUS INTIMATELY.

WE NEED TO KNOW THE BIBLE INTIMATELY.

WE NEED TO SPEND A LARGE QUANTITY OF TIME ALONE WITH HIM AND DRAW HIS POWER INTO US.

HE HAS ENOUGH POWER TO POWER YOU AND ME AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD,

IF WE'LL ONLY SPEND THE TIME TO GET OURSELVES CHARGED UP.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF HEALING.

THERE'S PHYSICAL HEALING

THERE'S MENTAL HEALING

AND THERE'S SPIRITUAL HEALING.

IF WE NEED ANY OF THESE KINDS OF HEALING

WE NEED TO GET DESPERATE FOR HIS POWER.

WE NEED TO GET INTO JESUS' POWER ZONE

AND ABSORB AS MUCH OF HIS POWER AS WE CAN.

JAIRUS APPROACHED JESUS,

FELL AT HIS FEED AND HUMBLY ASKED FOR A MIRACLE.

THE WOMAN APPROACHED JESUS FROM BEHIND, REACHED THROUGH THE CROWD AND TOUCHED HIS CLOTHES.

THE ONE THING THAT LAYS HOLD OF JESUS

AND HIS POWER IS FAITH

JOHN CALVIN ONCE SAID;

THE PRINCIPLE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IS FAITH

THE PRINCIPLE EXERCISE OF FAITH IS PRAYER.

FRANCIS ASBURY AN EARLY METHODIST EVANGELIST

ONCE SAID;

WE LIVE       BY FAITH IN A

PRAYER-HEARING,

SOUL-CONVERTING,

SOUL-SANCTIFYING,

SOUL-RESTORING,

SOUL-COMFORTING

GOD.

SOMEONE ELSE ONCE SAID;

FAITH IS NOT BELIEVING THAT GOD CAN,

BUT THAT GOD WILL!

WE'VE GOTTA BUILD UP OUR FAITH

BY INCREASING OUR PRAYER TIME

AND GETTING FILLED WITH HIS POWER.  (HIS HOLY SPIRIT)

LETS PRAY.