The Faith Fueled Life

“Peace be with you.” “Let’s Pray: Father may your will be done. Jesus may your word be proclaimed. Spirit may your work be accomplished in us we pray. Amen.”

I. Where Life Comes From.

From since the fall in the garden, death had been spreading from generation to generation. From one thing to another. For this reason the Law was given, to curb or mitigate death. The Law reveals the sin that brings us to death, and the Law is meant to help us from allowing death to quickly take us and to slow its spread.

These two miracles that Jesus performs help us understand what exactly He is capable of doing for us, and why He has come down to live among us. In order to understand this we need to look back to the law and first see how it strives to help us, then we will see the fullness of how Jesus changes everything.

Concerning Discharges:

Leviticus 15:1–15 NASB95

1 The Lord also spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. 3 ‘This, moreover, shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: it is his uncleanness whether his body allows its discharge to flow or whether his body obstructs its discharge. 4 ‘Every bed on which the person with the discharge lies becomes unclean, and everything on which he sits becomes unclean. 5 ‘Anyone, moreover, who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening; 6 and whoever sits on the thing on which the man with the discharge has been sitting, shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 7 ‘Also whoever touches the person with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 8 ‘Or if the man with the discharge spits on one who is clean, he too shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 9 ‘Every saddle on which the person with the discharge rides becomes unclean. 10 ‘Whoever then touches any of the things which were under him shall be unclean until evening, and he who carries them shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 11 ‘Likewise, whomever the one with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. 12 ‘However, an earthenware vessel which the person with the discharge touches shall be broken, and every wooden vessel shall be rinsed in water. 13 ‘Now when the man with the discharge becomes cleansed from his discharge, then he shall count off for himself seven days for his cleansing; he shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water and will become clean. 14 ‘Then on the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the Lord to the doorway of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest; 15 and the priest shall offer them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the Lord because of his discharge.

Concerning Death:

Leviticus 21:11–12 NASB95

11 nor shall he approach any dead person, nor defile himself even for his father or his mother; 12 nor shall he go out of the sanctuary nor profane the sanctuary of his God, for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him; I am the Lord.

Death symbolized in dust of earth, cursed ground, everything that comes from it is cursed to death. Then God calls a people to distinguish a life from death by telling them not to touch or come in contact with death, the ground, lest you become unclean. Death seems to spread more and more when you come in contact with it.

A. For the unclean

The woman with the discharged for 12 years.

B. For the spiritually dead.

The 12 year old girl who dies.

But Jesus who embodies the power of God and who brings life. When death or dead vessels touch him, instead of making him unclean he makes them clean. We see for the first time a complete undoing of the effect of sin and death in the life of Jesus. But then we move to those who follow Jesus. How they wield this same power in the book of acts. The power of those in Christ are able to make what is unclean clean what is dying, alive, that even their shadow offers the life just by coming in contact with it (Acts 5:15-16)

C. To the Jews first then to gentiles

Romans 1:16 NASB95

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

II. How Life is received.

A. Personal Faith.

The unclean woman directly made contact with Jesus. The difference between Her and the crowd was faith. She was the only one who received life by the power of Christ and we are told it was because of her faith.

B. Intercessory Faith.

The Synagogue leader interceded for his daughter who was about to die. It was on the basis of his faith that Jesus goes to his house. We are not told of the girls faith, we are only told of his faith.

C. Offered to Everyone.

There is another hidden gem of wisdom that Mark reveals in this passage. It is hidden in the two daughters. The first is a daughter of a Jewish leader. The second is a daughter, who, because of her discharge, is an outsider and not apart of any community. This “daughter” references the gentiles.

The order in which the synoptic gospels tells this story confirms that Jesus’ ministry is to the Jew first, and then the gentile. Jesus is on his way to the Jewish leaders home but along the way, offers life to a gentile, before He completes his ministry to the Jew. Jesus ministry is to the Jew first we are told, but also to the gentile.

If that is not convincing, there is another piece of evidence that Mark writes that affirms that the life that Jesus’ brings can spread to anyone is evidenced in the number 12. The Woman was bleeding for 12 years and the girl was 12 years old. This number signifies the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 disciples of Jesus who he send into all the world to bring them life.

Jesus brings life.

John 10:10 NASB95

10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

III. Faith Fueled Life.

A. Faith fuels you with Life from Jesus.

All the Gospel record the response to Jesus asking “who touched me”. This indicates that the only touch that his power effected was one done by faith. If you want the life that Christ offers you can only receive it by faith. Faith is what draws the power and life from Christ into your life.

B. A Faith Fueled life is pleasing to God.

Hebrews 11:6 NASB95

6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Let’s talk about works. Let’s talk about what you think earns you favor with God. Contrary to popular belief, just going to church doesn’t please God. Just reading your Bible does please God, Just praying to God doesn’t please God. Living a moral and good life isn’t what pleases God. Striving to do what is right doesn’t please God. Only what is done by faith is pleasing to God.

If by faith you attend church, study the scriptures, seek to do what is right- that is what finds favor with God. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Also that does not meant that you have to be excited about it. Faith is necessarily emotional. You may have feeling with your faith but it is not required. In faith you could study your bible and you could feel unexcited or even feel tired and you could still find favor with God. Because through faith you believe, even though you don’t feel like doing it, you are trusting Jesus at his word that it will change you somehow. In faith you can pray, even though you feel obligated to, or don’t know what to say and it will still be pleasing to God.

How can this be? Because Christ has already offer to God His Father complete and perfect obedience in all things. When you live by faith in Christ, all his works that are approved are shared with you. There is a sweet exchange, Christ takes on our sin, and gives us his righteousness. Therefore, when we live by faith in Him, we are credited with righteousness. As long as our life is fueled with that faith in Christ, then God the Father will be pleased with our actions because they are Christs works that our faith is claiming.

C. A Faith Fueled life brings life to others.

Our faith in Christ can also being life to those who are still walking around dead. We can come to Jesus in faith and ask Him to bring life to someone who is spiritually dead.

How often I heard people say they desire that their loved one would be saved. Intercede for them. Pray in faith for them. Lift their name to the Lord, giver of life, and trust that even if it seems like others are being saved but your loved one is not, it is never too late for the Lord to bring them to life if you have faith.

Since Jesus has ascended on high to the right hand of the Father, Jesus has equipped us with his Holy Spirit so that we, like Him, can be spreaders of life. As those who come in faith, we can offer them life in Jesus name. We see this in the ministry of the Apostles in the book of Acts:

Acts 5:14–15 NASB95

14 And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, 15 to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.

Acts 19:11–12 NASB95

11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.

Acts 9:36–43 (NASB95)

36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. 37 And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, “Do not delay in coming to us.” 39 So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. 40 But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.

Jesus changed everything. The world has only known death and caused death to spread. But now because of Christ, death is defeated and now life can spread. But only those with faith in Christ have His Spirit that empowers us to spread life. Therefore, everywhere there is death, we must bring life. We must speak life to them with God’s Word, We must demonstrate to them what life looks like by walking according to the Spirit.

Let’s eradicate death by spread life to the world.

Let’s live our lives faith fueled so that we can be pleasing to our Lord.

D. A Faith Fueled Person surrounds themselves with Faith Fueled People.

Jesus puts out those who lacked faith in Jairus’ house. Only those who were faith fueled remained and experienced how Jesus gave life to a dead girl.

This should help us understand who we surrounded ourselves with and who we allow to influence our lives.

E. A Faith Fueled life believes its never too late.

Upon receiving the news that his daughter is dead, Jesus interrupts them and encourages Jairus to still believe and fear not. When your faith may be depleted, Jesus fills us back up so that we can endure in being Faith fueled.