What is your faith like? 6-27-2021

A piece of Wood

children's lesson bring a piece of wood

What do I have?

What can you do with a piece of Wood or a whole tree?

Make lumber, building materials

Make furniture

Make Toys

Make tool handles

Make fire

cook dinner

get warm

make s’mores.

The bible talks about a foolish carpenter who cuts down a tree in Isaiah 44 for the wood.

This is what he did with it. . . . . .

Isaiah 44:16 NIV

16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.”

He did some of the things we talked about with half the wood.

he made a fire

he cooked some food

he got warm

But what do you think he did with the other half of the wood?

Isaiah 44:17 NIV

17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me! You are my god!”

Isn’t that silly, to worship something you or I made and expect it to help you.

Today, I’m going to talk to the adults about faith.

Faith in God is very important!

When we have faith in God and pray to Him,

He helps us.

Now God does not always give us what we want

He is not our good luck charm

But often, because we believe and pray, God helps us.

Now, if our faith is in something we made

or something someone else made

then it’s not in God

No matter how nicely I carve this piece of wood,

it will not save me

not matter how much I pray and believe it will,

its just a piece of wood.

Let’s pray and ask God to help up put our trust only in Him.

Faith Lessons

Intro:

Faith Lessons

As we have been following the disciples along with Jesus in the Gospel accounts,

we have seen that

Jesus has power over the wind and the waves

Jesus has power over demons

Today, as we go along with the disciples following Jesus back across the lake, we are going to see that Jesus

Jesus has the power to heal

Contrast the two story similarities and differences

Our passage today will have one event

one story,

that is

interrupted by another story.

That delay, cost a child it’s life.

because Jesus wasn’t there in time to heal the girl, she died.

These two stories that could stand alone.

The Gospel writers could have told of Jairus and his daughter without mention of the women.

Or they could have told us about the women who snuck up and touched Jesus, without mentioning Jairus and his daughter but today

we get both stories together, as they happened.

Our story today, is found in Mark 5:21-43; it is also found in Matthew 9:18-26 and Luke 8:40-56

It’s about two ladies

a grown one

and a child.

One is alive

the other one dies

One reached out desperately for Jesus help

The other could not help herself and her father had to seek Jesus for help

One had suffered 12 years with an illness

and the other was only 12 years old.

One had spent all her money on Drs. and was even worse.

the other wasn’t helped by Drs. either.

Let’s begin our story

Mark 5:21–24 NIV

21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him.

Have you ever experienced being in a crowd pressing in on you?

I hear if you take a subway in Tokyo,

it’s standing room only with everyone up against everyone else.

When we flew back from Israel,

the shuttle in the Istanbul airport was really crowded, more then we are used to hear in the US.

In our bible story today, a large crowd was walking with Jesus to the synagogue officials home.

And it was crowded!

Mark 5:25–29 NIV

25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

Modern medicine can do wonders!

But when they can’t figure out what is wrong.

When they can’t identify an effective treatment.

Then we can suffer, like the women in our story.

We get partial or no relief.

Did our women get well when she put her hand on Jesus,

did she get healed when she touched Jesus garment?

Yes,

and Mark got to use one of his favorite words

Immediately.

Mark seems impressed by how quickly Jesus miracles happened.

He uses that word “Immediately” many times in his Gospel.

Mark 5:29 NIV

29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

Lets read on

Mark 5:30–31 NIV

30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

There is that word again

She touched Jesus and IMMEDIATELY Jesus perceived power gone from Him to her.

And he said

“Who touched My garments?”

Must have been quite a press of people walking along with Jesus for Peter to say

Luke 8:45–46 NIV

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

Continuing our reading in Mark chapter 5.

Mark 5:32–34 NIV

32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Why was she afraid?

We will look at that soon but

Now for the synagogue ruler’s daughter

Mark 5:35–36 NIV

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” 36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Jairus has been afraid of loosing his daughter for who knows how long!

He just received the worst news of his life!

His daughter is dead.

But Jesus says to him

Mark 5: 36b . . . “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”

That would be a challenge!

[pause]

To give up his logic, his reasoning

to give up his fears and ONLY BELIEVE

[pause]

Have you ever faced a time when your head said one thing, but God said another?

Sometimes our head says,

No one could ever forgive that sin.

but Jesus says

Mark 5: 36b . . . “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”

Sometimes, we think,

my habbits are so engrained,

I’ll never change

but Jesus says

Mark 5: 36b . . . “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”

That would be an impossible task,

if God wasn’t in the room with us.

All the time!

Amen?

Amen!

Did all that believing Jesus business work out?

Mark 5:37–39 NIV

37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”

[pause]

If a patient dies, and the doctor tells you,

they didn’t die, they are just sleeping.

Soon enough, you would know that was a lie.

Because that doctor can’t walk back into the patients room and say,

“Get up now Mr. Smith”

So verse 40 begins

Mark 5:40 They began laughing at Him.

They began laughing at Him

and Jesus just took it

Following Christ, sometimes people won’t understand us,

and we may just have to take their ridicule too.

but he sent them all out,

except his chosen disciples,

and Mom and Dad.

Mark 5:40 NASB95

40 They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was.

[LOUD AND DRAMATIC}

So Jesus took charge

he walked all the guest and mourners out

Then

Then Jesus, raised his staff and said in a Loud Commanding Voice.....

[pause]

That’s not what happened is it?

Mark 5:41 NASB95

41 Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).

And she did.

[pause]

Here Mark gets to use his favorite word again

Mark 5:42 NASB95

42 Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded.

He got it in there twice

Immediately the girl got up

Immediately they were astonished!

Mark 5:43 NASB95

43 And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.

Observations

God Can Heal

God can Heal

His power healed the poor women

His command brought the girl back to life.

God Can make whole

Now why am I adding that to

God can Heal.

The women was healed IMMEDIATELY after touching Jesus.

but

When Jesus has that little interview with her he says

Mark 5:34 NASB95

34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”

A blessing

Go in peace and

Be Healed.

But Matthew records a healing at the end of there talk

Matthew 9:22 NASB95

22 But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.

Perhaps it was the same healing.

Perhaps she needed more than just physical healing.

Sometimes there are other scars

other sore spots that we really could use God’s touch on.

God can raise the dead

Dead, means game over

it means sayonara

As I think of Jesus,

coming to wake this girls

After she is dead.

The lyrics to Flawless by Mercy Me come to mind

“And life a hero who takes the stage when

We’re on the edge of our seats saying it’s too late”

But it wasn’t to late.

The little girl got up, and walked around IMMEDIATELY!

Some words of caution.

Just because we have faith, doesn’t mean God will give us what we want,

God is the Lord,

He is sovereign, so

has to grant your request.

God is not our fairy god mother who has to help usA word of caution, we wouldn’t call it a miracle, if it happened every day.

Second Observation

This healing happened when?

When we ask Him for help

So that is where prayer comes in.

When we earnestly ask Him for help

Jairus, did just send a note.

Come by if you got a minute.

He fell at Jesus feet and came and implored Jesus to come.

James says,

among other things that

people don’t have because they don’t ask

James 4:2b . . . You do not have because you do not ask.

Healing happens … When we risk social rejections pursuing His help

Why was it so hard for the women healed to come to admit that she was healed by touching Jesus?

Could it be, because she broke the rules and didn’t want to admit it?

She had an issue of blood for 12 years.

For 12 years she was unclean!

She was expected to stay out of the way.

She should have stayed home!

She should have yelled unclean and kept away from people.

But for a chance to get healing, she defied was was expected of her

She risked be ostracized,

thrown out of town

or worse

to seek healing from Jesus.

The crowd could have been angry or vicious with her

And then there was Jesus

In a sense, she stole power from him,

what if he wasn’t loving and kind

what if he was vindictive and spiteful!

To seek her healing, the women risked much.

Sometimes, depending on the circles we run with,

perusing Jesus can be ridiculous

or un-popular.

We might even be ridiculed like Jesus

because what we say, sounds like non-sense to them.

To pursue healing from Jesus takes some risks.

Healing happens …Others pursue our healing.

There are things we can’t do for others.

And things they can’t do for us.

I can’t make you, have a clean heart.

We can’t pray someone into or out of heaven.

But we can ask God to heal others

If Jairus, hadn’t tracked down Jesus and begged Him to come heal his dying child,

his child wouldn’t have been raised from the dead and restored to life.

Who should you be praying for today.

Lets pause a moment to quitely pray for people, or ask God, who you should be praying for

[pause]

Healing happens …when the Catalyst is applied.

Year ago, I tried sure fire money maker of selling resin artwork.

I had a few molds, some resin, dye and catalyst.

The resin was like stinky syrup or sap and it would take for ever to dry,

Unless you added the catalyst.

The catalyst is a change agent.

It sets up a change in the resin so it will harden.

What is the catalyst in relation to healing?

Consider Jesus advice to Jairus, when he heard his daughter was dead

Mark 5:36 NASB95

36 But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”

Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.

That can be tough, and

if believing god is hard for you at some point,

pray what another father prayed in Mark chapter 9

Mark 9:24 NASB95

24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

After God Heals

Did you notice, Jesus said to give the girl some food.

Mark 5:43 NASB95

43 And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.

He healed her sickness

He raised her from the dead

But He didn’t bring her back full of dinner, clean and in a new gown.

Jesus did what was necessary, but he left the day to day work of raising this child

To the parents.

If God heals you physically

If God heals you inwardly

Cleans up your mind and heart

That doesn’t mean, you have nothing left to do.

You have a life to live,

Decisions to make

Work to do.

As disciples of Christ, we need to know

louder

Jesus has the Power to calm the wind and the waves

Jesus has power over the demons

Jesus has Power to Heal.

According to His promises:

When we repent and believe,

He always forgives sin!

When we ask Him in our heart,

He comes.

He always comes in

Behold I stand at the door and knock …

Revelation 3:20 NASB95

20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

John 3:16 NASB95

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

But other things, like

health,

wealth etc.

are not always going to be a yes answer.

If His answer was always yes,

He might be Santa Clause

But not God!

When healing is what we desire

We should ask for healing

We should be willing to risk ridicule

We should choose to replace fear with faith

After He heals,

if He heals,

be ready to go on with the business of life/living.

Lets Pray.