Go in PEACE!

Luke 8:43–48 NRSV

Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Intro:

This is a Word for everybody who feels drained.......(slightly pause)

.......and sometimes you can be drained and nothing is working

(pause)

And......

Sometimes when things are not in harmony in our lives...

…and we are experiencing this level of fatigue

....... it is because everything entering into our lives.....

..........lacks the POWER to COMPLETE or CREATE wholness in us!

(pause)

And instead of COMPLETION.....

.........everything is COMPETING to see how much can be taken or subtracted out of the life to eliminate PEACE!

(pause)

And.....

Sometimes the heart cries for.......................PEACE!

But it seems like NOBODY is listening!

(pause)

.....I wonder if there is anybody in here that has ever needed Peace but couldn’t call NOBODY!!!

(pause and expound)

And sometimes....

It’s not just about a call...................

...............but sometimes its about a TOUCH!

SOMETIMES......

........we have to get desperate enough to move toward the POWER that’s ready to come into our lives!

(pause and shift)

Look at it now......

Peace = Shalom

Means completeness, soundness, well being.

When one is in harmony or experiencing completeness......

Biblical barrels:

Philippians 4:7 NRSV

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Mark 4:39 NRSV

He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.

Philippians 4.7

(pause)

Matthew

And just as the disciples in the boat needed Jesus to wake up and come over and calm the storm.

Because......

.....that it has not always been popular to be a Christian.........

History records how the Church went through much persecution in its early years......

(pause)

We also need Jesus to complete some things in our lives that will calm the storms.

And while........

School shootings

HIV/Aids epidemic

Human Sex trafficking

We have not experienced the antonyms of peace so much so corporately as the Church........

There is absolutely no question that our world needs PEACE today!

And if Peace is going to be realized, it is going to have to be because of the Church affecting the Community through Jesus Christ!

(pause and expound)

Jesus said in ....

“and Greater works than these shall you do, because I am going to my Father!”

.......I do believe that there are some points of relevancy in the lives that we live out each and every day.

(pause)

And in the Gospel of see something helpful in the life of this woman whose sickness is keeping her from experiencing peace....

(pause)

And so in order to fully understand Peace......

.......I want to first deal with “Anticipation”

Anticipation - Is the action of expectation

Philippians 1:20 NRSV

It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death.

And.....

I believe that the reason our lives are tilted into such irregular positions......

......is because our expectation(s) are under attack!

Because if anybody can get you and I to stop expecting....

.......we will miss what’s COMING!

(pause)

Have you ever thought something was coming in your direction......?

......and you were looking for it

..........but something distracted you

..........or for whatever reason you stopped looking for it

And....

......as soon as you stopped looking

.......you MISSED IT!

(pause and expound on that feeling)

And according to this scripture in Philippians.....Paul says,

We should be waiting or watching even if we have to stretch our necks out to see everything we can see!

“with EAGER EXPECTATION!”

(pause)

And in todays text that’s what we see....

.......is this woman’s anticipation in Luke’s Gospel.

a. This womans anticipation of her healing -

Luke 8:43–44 NRSV

Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped.

The bible says....

....that her suffering or being incomplete lasted for 12 years

......and right in the middle of her SUFFERING she finds Jesus!

(pause)

And...

Jesus is approaching her life in a way that he is close enough for her to get to him........

.........and its exactly what she NEEDS at this very moment!

(pause)

Key question -

How do we know she anticipated her healing?

The bible says.....

“She came up behind him..........and touched the fringe of his clothes.”

This started me to thinking........

...................because true anticipation should cause movement!

(pause)

Because if you really want something bad enough........

.........something ought to cause you to MOVE!

(pause)

And while Jesus is Coming into her company.......

.......it is still on her to make a MOVE!

And at the exact time that things are OUT OF ORDER in her life.......................

.....she teaches us that MOVING toward a JESUS that is coming your way is exactly the way to MOVE things back into order in our lives!

Peace does not stand still...........................

........peace moves everything back into order making everything else stand still

(pause)

And watch this.....

She is not interested in being NOTICED

She is interested in gaining her PEACE!

(pause)

Because if she was trying to be NOTICED........

....she would have walked up in front of JESUS like all of the other folk

.....she would have demanded his attention and explained what was going on with her in front of everybody

(pause)

But.......

.....i wonder if there’s anybody in here that understands where she is coming from

Because.......

........when you’ve been where she has been.............and for this long........

You don’t care about getting ATTENTION

...................all you care about is getting something EFFECTIVE into your life

And I believe......

.......that if we as believers are going to see PEACE happen on earth the way Christ intended it

.....in our community and in our families

.........we are going to have to MOVE beyond wanting to just gain the ATTENTION of the crowd

..........with a greater desire of being EFFECTIVE by getting everything around us closer to Jesus

(pause and expound)

The bible says that.......

......her anticipation caused her to reach out and touch Jesus.

And when she reaches out..........

.........it causes the Power of God to release into her life.

Because the text says.....

“Her hemorrhage immediately stopped!”

(pause)

Our world is hemorrhaging!

And instead of getting better.....

....it seems as though things are getting worse

But the good news is that if we reach out and touch Jesus...

.........the Power of God will release and stop everything that needs to be stopped!

(pause)

Now......

The Greek meaning for this word “Stopped” in Luke’s Gospel....

.....means “To Stand”

Watch this........

Her blood condition was in a fallen category of failure.........

and no physician could bring harmony or completion to her condition...

But her movement......................

Caused God’s POWER to make everything stand up in her blood stream that had fallen or failed!

And in my spiritual imagination.....

I believe that when we Stand................................God stands!

....and this is why our reach cannot just be within the four walls of the church

But if Peace is really to come......

.........there must be a Missional perspective that creates programs with enough Godly power to “Stop the hemmoraghing” just like we see in this woman in the text.

(pause and expound)

In this season of advent as we celebrate and remember the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ in the life of the Church....

.......we also remember that

......The Jews had an anticipation for the Coming One! (an eager expectation)

b. The Jews anticipation of the coming Messiah -

Matthew 11:3 NRSV

and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”

According to the text.....

The disciples ask Jesus....

Are you the one we were told would come to save us? Or do we have to wait for someone else?

And.......

So according to the text......

.....they were hemmoraghing

......they are in NEED of PEACE

..............and they have been waiting for someone to SAVE them and RESTORE Harmony into their lives!

And the one thing they understood is that they needed some POWER to be able to STOP what they were going through

(pause)

And.......

this is why Jesus Christ came to us,

Because the bible says in .10..

“I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly!”

(pause and expound)

And so as believers -

Here’s my question for all of us........

What are we anticipating of Christ?

Because whatever you do Church,

Don’t stop EXPECTING CHRIST to show up

(pause and expound)

I believe that we should desire harmony......

I believe that our appetite for our lives being complete are designed so that we reach into the direction of Christ!

But if we stop looking for PEACE

......if we stop looking for COMPLETENESS

........one thing is for sure

WE will NEVER FIND IT!

(pause and expound)

Look at it now....

Luke 8:45–46 NRSV

Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.”

John 8.

Jesus says.....

“someone touched me, for I noticed that power had gone out from me.”

(pause)

This part almost messed me up......................!

........because I thought about what it feels like when Power has gone out from me!

And.....

.....whenever power has gone out from me...

....it’s because I have done something that has required power and energy.

................the next experience is me feeling weakened or tired.......or incomplete

But........

Jesus is saying.......

I did not intiate this encounter......................

I did not make a concious decision to start anything that would cause me to lose power

But.......

Somebody has stepped into the flow.........

(long pause)

And the Power of God was released!

See....

.....when we feel POWER go out it is because we feel the experience of the draining or the losing of energy

But.....

......when Christ felt Power go out it was because he could feel something being ADDED or getting started through him.

Watch this......

The Gk word for touch is “Hapto” which means to anoint, or to kindle, or to ignite!

Jesus says,

“Who touched me?”

And......

I believe that the Power of God is waiting only on our MOVEMENT to RELEASE or ACTIVATE in response to our ANTICIPATION!!

(pause)

The world is anticipating........

And God is ready for the Church to TOUCH him again!?

When will my Church step into the FLOW again?

I hear God saying.....

I’m ready to see some FAITH again!!!

(pause and expound)

Jesus says to her.....

Luke 8:48 NRSV

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

You’re only healed..................

because your faith moved you into my FLOW!!!!

“Daughter, your faith has made you well!”

I showed up because that’s what I was called by my FATHER to do!

But your actions of FAITH...........................

.........introduced you to the POWER!

In other words...

....you were on a MISSION

.......and all you had was your FAITH

But guess what.....

“Go in PEACE!”

(pause)

Peace - Harmony

a. Jesus brings Peace/Completion through her healing

b. The coming of Christ as Redeemer Completes the Church

c. The Return of Christ brings our harmony

“Go in Peace”

....meaning

When you walk away from this encounter with me......

.........Walk away WHOLE or COMPLETED!

Go WHOLE

Go COMPLETED

GO with everything PUT TOGETHER in your LIFE!

(pause)

Here’s what I heard God say......

Let us BUILD with PEACE!

Here’s the How......

“Go in”

Move into the Flow so God’s Power can Activate due to our Faith

In

“Peace”

Everything about your life has to work in Agreement

(pause)

And I hear God saying.....

You do your part...........and I’ll do MINE!

Because.....

Once you STEP into the FLOW....................

......I WILLbring everything into AGREEMENT in your life!

.............................................COMPLETION................................................

......you need COMPLETION

.....you need to be WHOLE

GOD’s got to SHOW UP...

......so that we can experience COMPLETION!!!

(pause)

Psalm 44 NRSV

To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Maskil. We have heard with our ears, O God, our ancestors have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm give them victory; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance, for you delighted in them. You are my King and my God; you command victories for Jacob. Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down our assailants. For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. But you have saved us from our foes, and have put to confusion those who hate us. In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah Yet you have rejected us and abased us, and have not gone out with our armies. You made us turn back from the foe, and our enemies have gotten spoil. You have made us like sheep for slaughter, and have scattered us among the nations. You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them. You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face at the words of the taunters and revilers, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. All this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you, or been false to your covenant. Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way, yet you have broken us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with deep darkness. If we had forgotten the name of our God, or spread out our hands to a strange god, would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. Because of you we are being killed all day long, and accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not cast us off forever! Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? For we sink down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up, come to our help. Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.