Faith – the kind that pleases God

Mark 5:25–26 NASB95

25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse—

mark 5:25-26

Mark 5:25–34 NASB95

25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— 27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28 For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” 29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. 30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” 31 And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” 32 And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”

Mark 5:25–26 NASB95

25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, 26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse—

How do I measure my faith?

Mark 5:25-26

How do I measure my faith?

Against my personal background or history?

Against my personal background or history?

Against my personal background or history?

Against my experience, training, or credentials?

Against my experience, training, or credentials?

Against my material or financial possessions?

Against my material or financial possessions?

Against my material or financial possessions?

Mark 5:27–29 NASB95

27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. 28 For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” 29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

When would I act on my faith?

Am I driven by desperation?

Am I shied by shame?

Do I

Am I convinced of the character and persuaded by the trustworthiness of the person of Jesus Christ?

Mark 5:30–34 NASB95

30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?” 31 And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” 32 And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”

Be surprised by God’s response to my faith!

We tend to focus on the urgent and temporal

Jesus INVOLUNTARILY fulfilled (answered) the woman’s faith-act (request) for

physical healing

temporal relief

material need

social shame

Jesus’ VOLUNTARY desire/intention is to

perfect her faith by her own profession of it

replace her fear with peace

Faith in self, for selfish purposes

Faith in self, for selfish purposes

Faith in false gods, for anti-god reasons

Faith for selfish reasons

compared with other kinds of faith

compare with other kinds of faith

Faith in God’s faithfulness and the trustworthiness of His Words

What is πιστις?

What usually follows “πιστις” in the NT?

Tell story of the woman with a haemorrhage (5-34; :20-22; Luke 8:43-48)