“Only Believe” Mark 5: 36 (Father’s Day 2024)

Text:

Mark 5:21–24 KJV

And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

Mark 5:35–42 KJV

While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

Topic: “Only Believe”

Lesson #1 (Verse 22)

Never be afraid to allow yourself to be vulnerable brothers, especially Fathers and especially when it pertains to your children. You need to be able to express yourself freely to God and intercede on behalf of your loved ones. You need to be vulnerable to worship God! Matthew’s gospel records that Jarius not only fell down at Jesus’ feet but that Jarius worshipped Him! CAN YOU STILL WORSHIP GOD….EVEN THOUGH THINGS ARE GOING ALL WRONG IN YOUR LIFE!?!?!? CAN YOU STILL WORSHIP GOD EVEN WHEN YOUR BODY IS RACKED WITH PAIN? CAN YOU WORSHIP GOD, EVEN WHEN YOU RECEIVE BAD AND DEVASTATING NEWS?

BECAUSE THROUGHOUT ALL SCRIPTURE THE ANTIDOTE TO BAD NEWS, THE ANTIDOTE TO THINGS GOING WRONG IN PEOPLE’S LIVES, THE ANTIDOTE TO PAIN AND SUFFERING HAS ALWAYS BEEN WORSHIP!!!!

JOB WHEN HE LOST EVERYTHING….HE WORSHIPPED GOD! DAVID, WHEN HE SINNED AND PRAYED TO GOD TO SPARE HIS SON BUT YET GOD TOOK HIM, HE WORSHIPPED, AFTER GOD DESTROYED THE WORLD BY THE FLOOD, THE FIRST THING THAT NOAH DOES WHEN HE GETS OFF THE SHIP IS WORSHIP! DAVID WHEN HIS ENEMIES CAME IN BURNED DOWN ZIKLAG, STOLE ALL OVER THEIR GOODS AND HIS MENS WIVES….HE WORSHIPPED!!!

IF YOU WANT GOD TO MOVE, IF YOU WANT GOD TO WORK AN MIRACLE, IF YOU WANT GOD TO DELIVER AND RESTORE….THEN YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE, KNEEL DOWN AND WORSHIP GOD!!!! AND GOD WILL TURN THINGS AROUND FOR YOU!!!

You cannot let your title, your manhood, prevent you from getting what you need from the Lord. I know that many of us were taught at a young age not to cry, we were taught to be tuff and not show emotion.

But the scriptures say that (get the scripture) “That God is nigh to them that are of a broken spirit and saveth such as have a contrite heart”

The scripture also declares that Jesus wept. He didn’t CRY…THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CRYING AND WEEPING!!! AND MY BROTHERS…….AND MY SISTERS TOO…..SISTERS I KNOW YOU GET IT…..BUT IT IS US BROTHERS THAT WRESTLE WITH THE CONCEPT THAT IT IS ALRIGHT TO CRY…..IT IS ALRIGHT TO WEEP.

YOU WANT TO ALSO KNOW WHY IT IS OKAY FOR YOU TO WEEP…..BECAUSE WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR NIGHT….BUT JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING!!!

This man wasn’t concerned about his title, he was a ruler of the synagogue, but when he saw Jesus….the scriptures declare HE FELL AT HIS FEET. Do YOU KNOW, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TOOK FOR THIS MAN TO FALL AT THE FEET OF JESUS. HE HUMBLED HIMSELF….THE SCRIPTURES DECLARE HE GIVETH GRACE TO THE HUMBLE!!! HE LAID ASIDE HIS REPUTATION, DIDN’T CARE WHAT NOBODY THOUGHT ABOUT HIM OR HOW THEY WOULD TALK ABOUT HIM AFTERWARD…..HE JUST KNEW THAT HE NEEDED SOMETHING FROM THE LORD!!!!

IS THERE ANYBODY IN HERE THAT CAN IDENTIFY WITH THIS MAN? THAT SOMETIMES, YOU’RE SO DESPERATE, SOMETIMES YOU’RE SO OVERWHELMED, SOMETIMES YOUR IN SO MUCH PAIN, THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO BE CUTE, PRIM, AND PROPER, YOU GOTTA BLOCK EVERYONE OUT AROUND YOU AND CONCENTRATE ON JESUS…….AND CALL ON HIM UNTIL HE ANSWERS. GOTTA HUMBLE MYSELF AND FALL AT THE FEET OF JESUS AND TELL HIM ALL ABOUT MY TROUBLES!!! AND PRAY THAT HE GIVES ME RELIEF, PRAYS THAT HE OPENS A DOOR, PRAYS THAT HE WORKS A MIRACLE IN MY LIFE!

****Important Note**** There was an interruption between verses 24-34. There is an emergency, Jarius’ daughter is about to die, Jesus needs to get there and “lay his hands on her, that she may be healed; and that she would live.”

If would think of this in modern times, brothers since it is Father’s day, and this isn’t just exclusively for the father’s it’s also for the mothers and everyone.

If you have a loved one who is in critical condition at the house and you call 911, you expect them to get there quickly. You expect them to pick your love one up and get them to the hospital as quickly as possible or they are going to die. But some kind of a way, on the way to the hospital they get stuck in traffic….I’m talking about DC type traffic.

There was an interruption. Because sometimes we need God to do something immediately, sometimes we need help right now, sometimes we find our selves in serious and desperate situations and if God doesn’t move right now…..all hope will be lost, if God doesn’t move right now life as we know it will be over. If God doesn’t move right now, our love one could die, our hope can die, our dreams can die.

But the reality of the matter is that sometimes the blessing, the help can be on its way…..it just encountered an interruption.

But you need to see that according to the text, while the interruption is happening……GOD IS STILL BLESSING!!!! I NEED YOU TO DECLARE THESE WORDS TO SOMEONE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE…..AND SAY THERE MAY BE AN INTERRUPTION……BUT GOD IS STILL BLESSING! COME AND SPEAK LIFE OVER YOURSELF, OVER YOUR BODY, OVER YOUR FAMILY, OVER YOU MIND, OVER YOUR CAREER, OVER YOUR HOPES, OVER YOUR ASPIRATIONS, OVER YOUR DREAMS.

The interruption happens, someone got healed during the interruption. Jarius saw someone else get blessed while he was waiting on his blessing. YOU BEEN SEEING OTHER PEOPLE GET BLESSED, YOU BEEN SEEING OTHER PEOPLE GET HEALED, YOU BEEN SEEING OTHER PEOPLE GET DELIVERED…..BUT THE HOLY GHOST SAYS…..YOUR TIME IS COMING!!!!

The Bible then says at verse 35.

“While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?”

She’s dead, it’s over….there is no use in continuing on now.

But as long as Jesus is around there is hope.

And as long as Jesus is around it is never too late!

Tell someone “I Believe!”

Only Believe

Jesus tells Jairus, after he received this devastating news, “your daughter has died” and “why troubleth the Master any further?” It’s over Jarius…..she’s gone.

But the word says “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue “BE NOT AFRAID” This man’s heart was gripped with fear…..how do I continue on with out my daughter, what are me and my wife going to do now…..she was everything to us. Jesus said “BE NOT AFRAID”…….AND SOMEONE NEED TO HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD THIS MORNING……I’M SPEAKING TO SOMEONE WHO IS WALKING IN FEAR, YOU ARE WALKING IN CONCERN…..JESUS IS SAYING THROUGH HIS WORD…….BE NOT AFRAID!!!

THEN HE SPEAKS A WORD OF FAITH TO HIS SPIRIT AND SAYS “ONLY BELIEVE!”

(expound on only believe)

A similar story happens in John’s gospel. Lazarus died. And Jesus was trying to encourage Martha because Martha was distraught. Jesus told her….”Thy brother shall rise again.” Jesus was trying to instill faith in her.

Around the 40th verse Jesus tells Martha and he had to remind her “Said I not unto thee, that , if thou wouldest believe (tell someone only believe), thou shouldest see the glory of God?”

(Expound upon glory of God then close sermon out).

If you want to see the doxa, the glory of God…..you cannot become fixated on your current reality. You need to believe, you need to hope against hope…..because God wants to get the glory out of your situation!

For God to get doxa (glory) it means that the opinion of one is changed for the good. It means, that when you give glory you give praise. Doxa brings worship. In other-words, God says I’m getting ready to do something that is going to cause you to praise me!

Close:

The Bible says, that Jesus suffered no man to follow him except Peter, James, and John.

When Jesus steps in the house, the house is in turmoil. Many people were weeping and wailing because the daughter had died. She died at an early age, she died, before she could enter womanhood. It was Jarius’ only child and many in the city loved Jarius and respected him.

In the house were professional mourners who were paid to come in and weep and wail, because according to jewish history it was an disgrace and disrespect to not have someone weeping over someone who had passed. Because sometimes, you are so shocked at the passing of your love one…..you may not weep (lift my hands).

Jesus, James, John, Peter, and Jarius come in the room and Jesus asks them “Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.”

Because if she was truly dead…..she wasn’t going to get up again. But Jesus was getting ready to bring her back from the dead and he spoke a word of faith to their spirit but they didn’t receive it.

And the Bible says they immediately shifted from weeping and wailing to laughter. And in order for Jesus to do what he needed to do the atmosphere had to be right! Because the scripture declare

Matthew 13:57–58 KJV

And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Bibleway if we can just adopt the Jarius mindset, where we forget about ourselves, forget about our position, forget about our reputation, forget about what went on at home, what happened this week, forget about what the doctor told you, forget about how you feel and fall down and worship God, fall down and submit yourself to God, and plead for his help…..and ONLY BELIEVE!!! WE WILL SEE THE GLORY OF GOD MANIFEST IN OUR CHURCH, IN OUR HOMES, IN OUR BODIES, ON OUR JOBS!

Jesus had to put the doubters out of the house, you got to clear out the people in your lives that speak negative to you, you gotta clear out the people in your lives that will speak against your faith. After he put the doubters out and took the father and mother of the damsel, Peter, James, and John. Sometimes you gotta hook up with people of like faith that know how to get a prayer through. Not that Jesus needed this….because he had power. But it shows us in the scripture, number 1 the power of 2 or 3 witnesses, secondly, he was teaching them that some things you can’t at it alone by yourself.

Jesus goes over to the damsel, takes the damsel by her hand speaks two aramic words “Talitha cumi” which means Damsel, I say unto thee arise.

And the BIBLE SAYS….THE LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS ONLY 12 YEARS OLD GOT UP, AND WALKED AROUND AND THE BIBLE STATES “THEY WERE OVERWHELMED AND TOTALLY AMAZED.

And the Lord is saying to us today…..I’m going to make all of the doubters open their mouths, I’m going to make the doubters go into total amazement. You weren’t suppose to make it out, it was suppose to break you, I saw it die……I thought it was over for you…….AND YOU’RE GOING TO TELL THEM WHAT THE LORD SAID:

Psalm 46:10 KJV

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Before I take my seat….tell three people “Only believe, Only believe, Only believe!”