The Persistence of Hope! [Subtitle - "Keep Going!"] (Mark 5.21-43)
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When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea.
Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet
and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.”
So he went with him.
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him.
Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,
for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.”
Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?”
And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
He looked all around to see who had done it.
But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?”
But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”
He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.
When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.”
And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was.
He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!”
And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement.
He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Intro:
This week we are going to traverse our focus from the promotion of hope .....
.......... towards the persistence of hope!
(slight pause)
To say that someone is persistent, is to address the fact that they are continuing firmly in a course of action in spite of difficulties or opposition.
and.......
……..To continue anything requires focus!
Remaining focused requires Strength which equals faith!
and……..…!and……..!…and……..
…..It is Christ Jesus that supports us in our faith.…..
……as our Hope
(pause)
Some of you will hear the word persistent and immediately confuse it with the word consistency.
however I would argue that there is a stark contrast between persistence and consistency.......
A person can be consistent at doing something and still not be persistent.
(slight pause)
Because......
persistence involves a continuation in the face of adversity
and......
consistency is simply moving forward in regular conditions or experiences
(pause)
and so......
........it is much easier to be consistent in hope
.......than it is to be persistent in Hope.
(pause)
Nevertheless it is this persistence of hope that substantiates
........how our lives develop.
(pause)
Marks Gospel unfolds with a biblical narrative......
......thematically attached to this very persistence of hope that I'm talking about.
and....
.....there are plenty of scriptures that will show you examples of fatherhood
but.....
......I think this one might be one of the best to examine a father persistently hoping in Christ!
(pause)
.......Summarize only
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea.
Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet
and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.”
Jesus is making His way back to Capernaum on the western side of Galile.......
and........
Jairus desperately walks up to him with a concern.
(pause)
The biblical writer takes the time to share with us Jairus’s occupation......
he says.......
........he is a leader in the synagogue
(slight pause)
in other words.....
......he is in charge of the administrative duties.
.......and he is responsible for arranging the guest speakers @ the services in the synagogue.
(pause)
But on this particular day in my spiritual imagination........
Jairus doesn't go in to work.
(slight pause)
.......he's got too much on his mind today
(pause)
and so......
.....he has made a conscientious decision
.......to find Jesus and talk to him.
(pause)
This is an extremely radical move that Jairus is making....
Because none of the other synagogue leaders are supporters of Jesus.
......as a matter of fact they are all determined to destroy Jesus.
(pause)
But........
........it aint their daughter who’s in trouble.
(slight pause)
See....
....its easy to talk that big talk when you don’t need nothing.
(slight pause)
And that’s why you can’t let folk talk you out of your Hope!
........because they aint where you at
and......
.......they’re not dealing with what you’re dealing with
And when your back is up against the wall........
.......you aint got time to be trying to convince others that if you throw Hope away
.......there aint nothing else for you to hold on to.
(pause and optional expound)
And so the Bible says.....
“When he saw Jesus.........he fell at His feet
........and begged him earnestly.”
(pause)
Freedom......
......It intrigues me
....... that Marks Gospel has chosen Jairus to find Jesus and not Jessica!
(longer pause)
What are you saying Pastor?
.......the false narrative that we hear quite often in society is that men do not seek God.
(slight pause)
But what I find significant about the text is that.....
the gospel writer chooses to correct that narrative by placing this father @ the feet of Jesus.
(pause)
Freedom in my spiritual imagination...
I wondered.......
.......how many other fathers were in this great multitude with Jesus as he is travelling into Capernaum......
because.....
......if Jairus is here for his daughter
........who's to say Jeremy
........or JoeJoe ain't out there too!
Freedom....
I’m just saying........
..........that maybe we ought not to believe what folk are trying to tell us.
because.....
....despite popular belief
......there are some Jairus’s that are God fearing
.....and family devoted!
(pause and expound)
And.....
In my spiritual imagination.......
I see....
Jairus saying to himself........
“My family is depending on me!”
(expound - talk directly to fathers)
.......I wonder if there are any fathers @Freedom today that realize
......your family is depending on you
........to do everything you can to be persistent in making your way to the feet of Jesus!
(pause)
According to the text......
........Jairus introduces himself to Jesus
.......and then he presents humility and honor towards his Hope in Christ.
(Pause)
and according to the text he says,
“my little daughter lies at the point of death!”
in other words........
Jesus,
......this is an extreme need that my family is experiencing.
(slightly pause)
.......and you are the only one somebody that I can depend on right now.
(pause)
Jesus,
I need you to......
“Come with me if you don't mind.....
.....and put your hands on my daughter so that she can be healed!”
(pause)
And Freedom......
.......it is at this point where we clearly begin seeing the persistent level of Jairus’s Faith in Christ ability
........to change his circumstances.
(pause)
Because......
.....he doesn’t ask Jesus to give her a dose of medicine to minimize the symptoms.
(slight pause)
No.......
.......his request says,
“Jesus I need you to HEAL her completely!”
(pause)
And Freedom....
In my humble opinion......
.....If we’re going to Hope in Jesus
......We might as well
.....do the dogone thing!
(pause)
Jairus said......
“Jesus.....
I’m coming for you to Heal my little girl!”
(pause and expound)
Watch this Freedom....
Because here's where it gets interesting.........
Because in these next 9 verses there is an interruption that introduces itself to Jairus’s Hope......
(pause)
The text says........
.......this woman with an issue of blood for 12 years is operating in the same level of persistence that Jairus is maneuvering for his 12 year old daughter.
(pause)
For 9 verses the gospel writer explains this interruption in detail.........
Freedom......
......trust me when I tell you that I am not diminishing the value of this woman's story in the text.
It is extremely clear that the biblical writer is interweaving a harmony of hope between these two stories....
(pause)
For on one hand......
You have a Jairus with a dying daughter who has heard about Jesus.....
and.....
You also have a woman with an issue who has heard about Jesus....
(slight pause)
and......
.......they both embody enough persistence to get to Jesus!
(pause)
.......but in my spiritual imagination
(slight pause)
Jairus is on hold.........
........while Jesus ministers to someone else's issue!
(pause)
But the problem is.......
Jairus ain't got a lot of time!
(longer pause)
And if Jairus is anything like us.......
Not only does he have to remain patient.....
but he has to deal with a crowd trying to get to Jesus at the same time he needs Jesus to hurry up and get to his daughter.
(pause)
And somewhere in between trying to get Jesus back to his house......
.....and the healing of this woman with the issue
(slight pause)
Jairus.......
.......is forced to hang on
.....at entirely different level
.....of being persistent towards his Hope.
(pause)
Because verse 35 says.....
While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?”
Freedom.....
It’s these type of moments that forces us to grapple with our theology and ask God the question......
“God, is this the spot where.......
.....I quit HOPING!”
(pause)
Now.........
......this is where you throw your hands up
........if you aint careful
.......and stop hoping all together!
(pause)
Because, you mean to tell me........
.......I can be walking with my Hope standing right here beside me
(slight pause)
and then all of a sudden........
.........I find out that
......consistently walking with Hope ain't enough
......to stop bad news from showing up!
(pause)
......you thought when you started Hoping
.....all the pain was going to stop entering into your life.
(pause)
But just like Jairus,
now you're finding out that......
Walking consistently with Hope don't turn adversity off.....
(pause)
And so Freedom......
....what do you do
.....if you're in Jairus’s shoes?
(pause and expound)
And Freedom all I can tell you is.......
It's a good thing that Jesus is standing there.......
........when Jairus gets this news about what’s going on back at the house.
(pause)
Because if Jesus ain't standing here..........
......the only thing Jairus can hear is,
.......Bad news TEARING UP his hope!
(pause)
And it's hard to keep going..........
........when you don't think you got a reason to keep going.
(pause)
But the thing I love about this text is that.......
This whole time Jesus has been helping other folk with issues.....
(slight pause)
He was still close enough..........
.........to Jairus
.......to overhear what was going on with him!
(pause and expound)
And.......
......that's the way Jesus does us!
(pause)
When our Hope is face to face with adversity......
and......
When bad news is doing.........
......all of its bad talking,
(pause)
Jesus is close enough...........
......to overhear what's trying to steal our Hope
(pause)
and according to the text......
Jesus dismisses entirely what the messenger just told Jairus
(pause)
and in my spiritual imagination,
I hear Jesus telling Jairus in verse 36.....
“Dont listen to that...........
(slight pause)
Jairus, this is where you got to be able to remember......
........ why you came to me in the first place!
(pause)
Now don't you let fear..........
.......steal your Hope now!
.......you done came through too much for us to turn back now!
“Just STICK..............with me!”
(pause and expound)
I hear Jesus saying,
Now...
Peter......
James......
John........
y'all come go with me and Jairus
......and everybody else I'll catch y'all later!
(pause)
Freedom.....
....when they get to the house
....Jesus sees everybody crying over the death of the child (illustrate)
(pause)
Jesus walks in and says........
Why are y'all making all of this commotion?
She ain't doing nothing but sleeping!
Freedom......
Hope is the only thing in your life.....
.....that will NEVER be too afraid to talk back to chaos!
(pause and expound)
And the Bible says in verse 40......
that they,
“Ridiculed Jesus!”
(pause)
Freedom can I tell you something.......
When you are persistent towards your Hope!
.......you might as well get ready to be ridiculed!
(pause)
But what I love about Hoping in Jesus
.......is that Hope will put the haters out the house when they ain't got nothing good to offer!
(pause)
The Bible says.....
Jesus walks into the room where the girl is and takes her by the hand and says,
Little girl..........
.......I say to you ARISE!
(pause)
Freedom.......
If Jairus does not seek Jesus........
and......
If Jairus loses his patience during the interruption towards Hope....
and.....
If he allows fear to dictate his next move.....
(pause)
........his family never realizes this moment in his home!
(pause)
Jairus.......
......let me ask you a question,
“Is this what you were HOPING for?”
(pause)
I mean......
“Was it worth every minute of the journey?”
I know it got rough there for a minute.....
.......but I need you to tell Freedom how to be persistent Jairus.
(pause)
And I hear Jairus in my spiritual imagination saying,
Freedom!
Once you get to Him.......
(slight pause - [Note] Come on Rod/Carlton)
.......stay with Him
(pause)
Wherever He goes........
.....that's where you go!
(pause)
Because guess what........
you ain't got to ever worry about Jesus leaving you!
..... you just KEEP Going!
Keys to a Persistent Hope
Use Adversity to build your Approach to Hope
Jairus used his circumstances as motivation to go to Jesus.
........when his family was depending on him the most
......that’s when he started depending on Jesus the most!
(expound)
b. Interruptions in Hope do not necessarily equal incompletion of Hope.
Jairus refused to allow what was happening on the way to deliverance..........
.........eliminate his Hope
.........when it takes longer for Hope to show up
.....taking longer, don’t mean it’s over!
(expound)
c. Close Proximity to Jesus promotes a better atmosphere for a Persistent mindset.
i. Jairus understood that if all else fails........
........the closer to Jesus the better!
Because.......
........you can’t talk to me crazy and get away with it
......when Jesus is close enough to listen to the conversation....
(slight pause)
Freedom,
I feel like preaching.....
(pause)
......NAW you can’t talk to me any kind of way,
.......cause when Jesus over hears that the antonyms of Hope are trying to tear me down.
It’s over with now.......
You might as well stop praying about that.....
When Jesus over hears this nonsense......
(slight pause)
......that’s when He starts telling me the truth!
In my Father’s house are many mansions......
....and if it were not so I would have told you!
David said it like this.....
The Lord is my Shepherd..........I shall not want.
......He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
.....He leads me besides still waters
....He restores my soul
(expound)
d. God always finishes what God has started
i. Jairus discovers that once Hope is Initiated...
.......you never have to question the FOLLOW THROUGH of Hope in Christ!
(expound)
Freedom.......
.......wave @ somebody and tell them,
........whatever you do,
“Just Keep Going!”