Mark 5:21-43, Real Faith Changes Lives Radically
1. Faith Requires That I Want What God Wants (v21-24)
2. Faith Is Revealed By Action I Take To Do God’s Will (v25-29)
3. Faith Releases God’s Power To Work Miraculously (v30-34)
4. Faith Resolves To Continue In Spite Of Bad News (v35-36)
5. Faith Reunites Personal And Practical Responsibility (v37-43)
Here in Mark Chapter 5, looking at verses 21 through 43, we see the account of two people, two desperate people, two people who are in terrible situations, that as we read these things, we all wish and hope and pray that we never find ourselves in similar circumstances. To people in situations that are so hard and so difficult, we all look and and read with compassion and and and really with a little bit of fear that we might have a similar experience. And these two desperate people as they encounter Jesus have something radical take place both of their lives are radically changed on this day as they encounter Jesus in faith, and I've titled the message this morning. Real faith changes lives. Real faith changes lives radically. We get to see the faith of this woman who has this infirmity for 12 years. We get to see the faith of this father whose daughter is sick and on her deathbed, and as they trust Jesus, it changes. Everything now, as we talk about faith, it's important to reflect a little bit on what faith. Is and so I've decided to write my own dictionary. I hope you don't mind. I'm calling it Jerry's big book of little meaning. I like that name. It's a good name for a dictionary, right? But these are definitions that I often share with you, so you're probably familiar with them. Faith, I simplify it this way. Obedience to God at his. Hope I've shared throughout the years. Confident expectation of eternity and love. We talk about all the time it's doing what is. Test for people. These are simple definitions not meant to, you know, capture every detail of the possible meanings of words, but faith as obedience to God at his word is a good way for us to understand and recognize what faith is, because sometimes we can be quite superstitious. When it comes to faith and we can approach the idea of faith in a way that the Bible does not approach the idea of faith and we can understand and misunderstand faith in ways that are detrimental to us and harmful to us, instead of helpful the way that God intends it. And so we're going to talk about faith today and a little bit about what faith means expanding on what faith is. As we look at these two examples here of these desperate people who encounter Jesus with faith, this passage as we look at these two people. It's one of those rare occasions where Mark's gospel has more detail than all the other gospels, I'm sure. Of course you're familiar that the four Gospels they overlap in many ways and tell many of the same accounts, but from different perspectives. And this is one of those unique cases because Mark is the shorter of the gospel books, but but he has a pretty specific tone as he's writing the book. I I think you could maybe think about it this way. If the Gospels were movie genres, that there would be a little bit of a distinction and you'd be able to understand that. Luke is a documentary, right? Like all of the details, all of the facts, all of the specific places and the surrounding context and and and dates and times that Luke is very historical in his approach to the record of Jesus. Matthew would be probably a drama genre, right? That as he records the encounters between Jesus and the religious leaders and unfolds, the story really focused on the Jewish people and the the drama that is contained there in those interactions is quite clear now. The Gospel of Mark. In that kind of vein would be an action movie like it is nonstop. From one thing to the next thing miracle to miracle to miracle to Miracle Mark has the most miracles and the least words of Jesus. Now that I think picture is a good action movie right? Lot little words but lots of action, lots of things happening. One of Mark's favorite words throughout his book is immediately, immediately this, and then immediately that and then immediately. That it's jump, jump, jump, jump as he walks through the things that Jesus did, and then just to finish up the series here, John also would be a drama, but it would be like, you know, drama, the untold story of Jesus as John dives into the things that. Some of the other gospel writers didn't write about and focuses on some unique aspects of the final. Days of Jesus. And so Mark here, it's interesting. It's the shortest of the books, the least words of Jesus cuts out many things that many of the others cover. But here on this day, for this occasion, he says, you know what, we need to spend a little bit more. Time on this and he packs more detail into this than all of the other writers. To help us stop and. And the impact that it has. In the lives of those who will trust God, real faith changes lives radically. This five points will work through this morning as we do. I would ask you to consider have you had your life radically changed? Has your life been radically transformed, impacted. Have you had that encounter with Christ that has left a permanent mark because as you place real faith in Jesus, it changed you? Forever the first point we'll walk through is here in verses 21 through 24. Faith requires that I want what God wants. Here's an important truth to understand about faith. Again, sometimes we get weird ideas about faith. Here's the first requirement of faith it it is an aligning of my hearts and God's heart, my will and God's will. It requires that I want what God wants. Let's jump into verses 21 through 20. Four, it says. Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the. Where a large crowd gathered around him. On the shore. Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was gyrus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. Pleading fervently with him. My little daughter is dying, he said. Please come and lay your hands on her. Heal her so she can live. Jesus went with him and all the people followed, crowding around him. We find Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee. He was on the other side dealing with a demon possessed person. The Legion, the pigs running off the Cliff. I'm sure you've heard about that and are familiar with that, but now he comes across from there back to the other side, back to the region that he was well known in, back to Capernaum in that area. And as he arrives, there's a crowd waiting for him. They're excited to see Jesus. They're waiting for Jesus. They want to hear more of what he has to say. They want to see more miracles take place. And so there's there's this excitement, there's this buzz in the air. But then as Jesus arrives and this crowd welcomes him. One of the local synagogue leaders shows up. Now, very often when one of the Jewish leaders would show up in the life and Ministry of Jesus, you could anticipate some conflict. There is going to be some tension. There was going to be some heated exchange exchanges, perhaps that there was going to be in fact just a couple of chapters earlier. Mark chapter three. We saw Jesus at the synagogue, you remember? And the man with the shrivelled hand was there and they were all looking. All the religious leaders, they're focused, they're like. And we know Jesus is going to try to heal this guy and it's the Sabbath day and we're going to bust him for it. And after Jesus did heal them, they, the religious leaders, went out from the synagogue to plot together with a political party that they normally wouldn't interact with, but they would team up with anybody to get rid of Jesus. And so there was this animosity. And we don't know exactly if gyrus was in that group or not. If you, you know, a couple of days earlier had been frustrated that Jesus was healing on the Sabbath and, you know, part of the crowd coming against Jesus so strongly. But on this day, even if he had been that way, things have changed. He comes before Jesus. His disposition is not in anger. He's not there to try to force laws and rules and traditions. He is there to fervently plead. It must not have been easy for gyrus to come to Jesus. Even if he wasn't part of the group that was against Jesus in the. Normal, you know, trend of the religious leaders. For him to publicly approach Jesus. Some backlash from his fellow religious leaders. He was a leader of the local synagogue. He was a prominent person in their community, in their society. For him to come before Jesus would risk. Their negative attacks against him because of his interactions with Jesus. But it's interesting how many times. How we might have felt one day can be dramatically changed the next. Because today his little daughter. Today his world, it doesn't matter. Care what the? Other religious leaders think. His world is upside down. His precious daughter, 12 years old. She lays on her deathbed. All the previous things that were important to him, his his old priorities, the old way of thinking, that the things that he used to consider as he viewed the life and Ministry of Jesus. It's all changed now. Today, he's desperate. My little daughter. And it tells us that he is pleading fervently with Jesus. He's not walking in casually saying, you know, hey, Jesus, have you got time? My daughter's about to die. He's pleading fervently. Hear the desperation in his voice. Hear the intensity, hear the urgency. You ever go to the emergency room? Sometimes it's really frustrating. When you go to the emergency room. I'm sure they're working as hard as they can as and as fast as they can, but they sure don't try to communicate that to you when you're going to the emergency room, right? They're like, OK. Yeah. Hmm. Ooh, that sounds. OK, here's this form that. You can fill out. Here's Gyrus pleading fervently. My daughter's about to die. Please come and lay your hands on her. Heal her. So she can live. And notice this about gyrus. That Jesus could heal his daughter. Even again, a couple of chapters earlier we we covered this on Wednesday night, Mark Chapter 3 in the synagogue. The religious leaders that were so opposed to Jesus, they believed that Jesus could heal that guy with the withered hand. But they just really didn't want him to. They were really frustrated by the idea that he would do it and break their traditions. But they did believe that he could. Heal and here's gyrus. Wherever he was in regards to Jesus before he is here now, desperate and and he knows absolutely. There's no question in his mind Jesus can heal his daughter. What he didn't know is if Jesus would. Heal his daughter. And this still qualifies as faith. Faith is a synchronizing of my will and God's will. It requires that I want what God wants. He's begging earnestly. He's saying this is my will. Let me tell you what I think would be best. Let me tell you what I want to happen in this situation. I 100% absolutely believe and know that you can do this work and that you can heal. I'm not sure if you want to. I'm not sure if you will. And so here I am begging earnestly. Begging earnestly, intensely. Now, does that indicate then that? We always have to beg earnestly and fervently in order. To be operating in faith. I wouldn't suggest that. At the same time, I wouldn't suggest that there are times that there are not times rather. Where intense begging is not required. Sometimes it is really good for us. To be in a situation and a place where we need to fervently beg the Lord. Sometimes we need to be in that place of extreme brokenness and desperation. Where it's good for us to have that disposition, that posture towards the Lord of humility and and and real clear declaration. There's nothing that I can do in this. There's only hope if you work and if you help. And so here's gyrus, intensely requesting pleading fervently. I would suggest it was good for him to go from a place of probably hardened heart towards Jesus. To now, a place of brokenness before Jesus. I know I would have shouted at you couple of days ago. I would have thrown stones at you a few days ago but today. My daughter needs help. Please, please, Jesus, come and heal. Again, he believed that Jesus could do it. What was unclear to gyrus is will Jesus do it? Is this part of the will of God. This is a reality that we will often face in this life. There are things that we want that it's unclear to us if God wants it or not. And there are ways of approaching faith that say, well, I want it. And so faith means saying it and asking God to do it, or demanding God to do it. And telling God to do it. And then if I do it boldly enough, that is faith. I would suggest to you that is not faith. Can only take place. When my will and God's will are aligned together. And sometimes that's not going to be clear. We're not going to know exactly. We might have ideas we might have hopes we might have dreams, and we can talk to the Lord about those things. And when our heart and our ideas and our desires line up with the Lords, then we can really begin to operate in faith. But it's not always. Clear. I always like the example of Jeremiah and Jeremiah Chapter 32. Where he's in prison in Jerusalem, the whole city. The nation is under attack and under siege. And the Lord puts on his heart to buy a field outside of the city. But it doesn't make a lot of sense because right now that field is being camped on by the enemy that is against Jerusalem. Then it tells us in Jeremiah. Chapter 32, verse 8. Just as the Lord said he would, my cousin Hennell came and visited me in the prison, he said. Please buy my field in anathoth in the land of Benjamin. By law, you have the right to buy it before it is offered to anyone else. So buy it for yourself. And then Jeremiah says. Then I knew that the message I had heard was from the Lord. Jeremiah thought he knew what God said. He heard something. He was pretty sure it was the Lord, but. It didn't make a lot of sense. Until the Lord brought about this confirmation. And now he knew. OK, the thing I was thinking is in line with what God is thinking. And so now in faith, he buys the field still doesn't make sense. It's still an enemy territory, right? The enemy is still camped out on the field, but, but now it's faith for him to buy the field, cause it's not just some crazy, random idea he had, but it is a crazy random. Idea that is. Exactly in line with what God wants and desires. Faith requires that I want what God wants. That I put God's will 1st and. That I let. Him be the confirmation and the driving force behind the things that I do and the. Things that I choose. Another great and classic example of this is Jonathan. In first Samuel chapter 14. Where they're they're under the attack. The Israelite people are under attack by the Philistines. And as they're camping out for many days, kind of at an impasse, too afraid to attack, too afraid to retreat. Jonathan wakes up one day and has a crazy idea. Sometimes the way that we think about faith is, well, it's a crazy idea, so it must be faith. Well, sometimes crazy ideas are just crazy ideas, right? He has a crazy idea. What if I just go beat the philistines? Me and my armor bearer, buddy, what if the two of us just take them on and we just start this fight and take out the philistines instead of mounting up the army to attack? Here you can see Jonathan say. I believe God can. I don't know if God will. He tells his armor bear let's go across to the outpost of those pagans. Perhaps the Lord will help us. I know God can for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few crazy idea. Just two of. Us go to fight against the Garrison of the Philistines. I know God can provide victory in that situation. I don't know if he. Wants that, perhaps, he says. And so he sets up a opportunity for God to confirm. He tells his armor bear if they say to us, stay where you are or we'll kill you. Then we'll stop and not go up to kill them or to them. But if they say, come on up and fight, then we will go up. This will be the Lord sign that. He will help us defeat them. Here's how we can know if this crazy idea that I have is actually God's idea and is In Sync with and in line with what God wants. And in fact. The Philistine soldiers do say, come up here and fight. And so faith is active. Jonathan and his armor bearer, still same situation, still just the two of them against an army. They rush up the hill. You know, having the high ground is. Strategically much better. I don't care. I'm rushing up the hill against the enemy on the high ground. I'm going to trust the Lord because what I want is in line with what God wants. God wants me to do this, and so I'm gonna do it regardless of how crazy it might sound, but it's not faith because it's crazy. Because it's in line with In Sync with what God has said. And we find that Jesus responds in verse 24. He probably says something, but it's not recorded here. It just says Jesus went with him and all the people followed, crowding around him. Here we can see clearly Jesus indicates. Our will is In Sync in this moment. You want your daughter healed and I want to heal your daughter. And so he goes with him. There's this whole crowd involved. They go along too, but the important thing is Jesus says let's go. Is written in such a way it it indicates here Jesus is going promptly. Yes, let's turn on the sirens. Let's you know rush out this way. Let's not dilly dally here and deal with this crowd. Let's just go straight there and do this work. That needs to be done. This man gyrus, wherever he was at before on this day, on this occasion, coming with great intensity and pleading. His heart is now aligned with God's. He believed Jesus could. And now he knows that Jesus will that it is. The plan of God for his daughter. To be healed. So they're going to get there now before they get there, there's going to be another situation that develops. We'll get to that in just a moment. But faith requires that. I want what God wants. That was true of gyrus. On this day, again, the question for us is that true of you and I today. Have you had your life radically changed by faith, where you've brought yourself into subjection to the will of God, so that what you want and what God wants are aligned together and in perfect sync and harmony? That you're able to approach the situations. That are in front of you. Like Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, saying not my will be done, Father. But your will be done. That's where our heart needs to be. That's where our mind needs to be. If we are not. Interested at all in what God wants, and we just want him to do what? We want. That's not faith. If we're trying to make God do something and speaking with great boldness and and you know confidence, it doesn't make it faith. My will is In Sync with. Aligned with the will of the father. Well, moving on to verses 25 through 29, we get point #2. Faith is revealed by action I. Take to do God's will. 1st we need to have our wills aligned. Now faith is going to be demonstrated or revealed as I actually put a foot out and begin to walk in that direction and do. That will that well is aligned for me and for God. Let's read verses 25 through 29. It says a woman in the crowd had suffered for 12 years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors and over the years she had spent everything that she had to pay them. But she had gotten no better, in fact. She had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him, through the crowd, and touched his robe. For, she thought to herself. If I can just touch his robe, I. Will be healed. Immediately the bleeding stopped. And she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. Terrible condition is an accurate way to describe what this woman was going through. For 12 years, she has suffered a great deal, Mark says in verse 26. 12 years with constant bleeding. 12 years of trying different methods and techniques, going from doctor to doctor. She went over to Switzerland for the. You know, experimental treatment. She went down to Mexico for the cheap medication, you know, and got got some attempts there to try to get healed. She went to this guy. She went to that guy. She went to this doctor and that doctor it it indicates to us that she began this whole journey as a woman with some means. She she had some wealth to her. But she spent every last bit of that. Trying to resolve this situation, trying to ease the suffering that she was experiencing. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors. Trying many different ways. And then she hears about Jesus. There's this guy healing. Healing the blind. If he can heal me. He healed a guy who was born blind longer than 12 years. Resolving a situation that was ongoing for longer than the 12 years that I've been suffering, I wonder if he could heal me. Now the situation was difficult for her, no doubt. All of the things that she has experienced, she could tell Horror Story after Horror Story. But it's not just the medical stuff. This condition also left her in. In a position of ceremonial uncleanness to be constantly bleeding would mean that her friends and her family could not come in contact with her without also becoming unclean. And it's a ceremonial uncleanness that the Levitical law prescribes. And it would mean that not that they could never come in contact with her, but every time that they did, there would be the. Process period of time where they had to isolate themselves and go through certain procedures to follow, to cleanse themselves in order to have interaction with anybody else and be part of the community again. And so any contact with her would cost her family, her friends. Time significant amounts of time. It would cost them greatly. It would be no surprise, although it doesn't specifically say it here. It would be no surprise if she began this journey married that now at this time she had been left by her husband. Because for 12 years she's been in this condition for 12 years, any interaction, even sharing the same space with her husband, would defile him, and he would be in a constant state of uncleanness just like her. That would be very normal grounds in their community and their society to say, you know what? It's been nice, have a good life. I cannot live in this way. It's very likely she was alone. Whether or not she was married at start, she had friends and family at the beginning, but. Who's willing to suffer along with someone for so long? These types of situations would typically. Result in the person being cast out of society. Living perhaps in one of the leper colonies. Outcasts of society all banding together, all those who are unclean already. They would spend time together, but the whole life that she knew before. It's all gone. She has no resources left. She's been suffering for 12 years and this constant bleeding would have left her so weak and miserable. Pastor Warren Wisby says when you consider her many disappointments with the doctors and the poverty that brought her, you wonder how she endured as long as she did. And if you don't wonder how she endured as long as she did when you read through this, you haven't considered her situation enough yet. 12 years 12 years ago it was 2011. Where were you in 2011? And have you been suffering greatly every day since then? Right. Like that is the situation that she's in. But she heard about Jesus. It says in verse 27. So she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe for she thought to herself. If I can just touch his robe. I will be healed. Here the Lord reveals to us her thoughts. Here's where her minds at. I've heard about Jesus. He does miracles. If I could just touch his robe, I'll receive a miracle and I will be healed. He believed that Jesus could. But he didn't know if Jesus would. And that's why he begged earnestly. This woman, on this day, on this occasion, she believed that Jesus could, and she believed that he would. That on contact she would be healed. For, she thought to herself. And the wording is such here that it's she was repeating to herself. She was talking to herself and saying if I could just touch his rope, if I can just touch his rope, if I can just touch his robe, I will be healed. Now some people look at this and think of it. And would describe it as superstition. Because you know what's the value in touching a piece of clothing? They say she's just superstitious, but a few verses down we'll get to it. Jesus calls it faith. So I'm not going to fall into the superstition camp. Here's my suggestion. Her mind is in this place because God is stirring her mind to be in this place. She's reacting to what God is saying to her, whether or not she is aware and fully conscious of the Lord's leading in this. She is believing this. Again, whether she knows it. And the will of God. Are lining up. They're being synchronized. And so she is in a place where not not only does she believe that Jesus can do the work, but she believes that Jesus will do the work. On contact when she touches his robe, she will be healed and so she works her way through the crowd. Notice it says she comes up behind him. She was cast out of society, no doubt. She was kind of hoping that nobody would spot her in the crowd and recognize who she was because. As the crowd is described as being dense and bumping into one another, anybody she's coming in contact with anybody, she's bumping shoulders with. Ceremonially, they are now unclean. They would kick her out of the crowd if they recognized who she was and what was going on. She's not trying to cause a scene. She's trying to like, stealthy, kind of be a spy, sneak in, sneak out. With the healing that she wants. She comes up behind him and she touches. If I just touch. Where did this idea come from? Again, I'm suggesting. Gave her this idea. Why would I suggest that? Well, think about this situation in numbers, chapter 21. As the children of Israel were in the wilderness. Unbelieving grumbling against the Lord. The Lord allowed some snakes to come up in the camp and they really started taking people out. So the people called out to the Lord, they repented, and the Lord told Moses, OK, here's what you need to do. Make a replica of the snake, put it on a staff, lift it up in the camp. And the moment anyone looks to that. They will be saved, they will be healed. When they look at all they had to do was look at the snake, lift it up. In the midst of the camp. God calls us 2. Do some very simple acts. Very simple step. And it's in obedience to that. It's in response to that. It doesn't make sense that touching a garment would heal. It doesn't make sense that looking at a. Staff that has a. Molded serpents on it would heal. It doesn't make any sense. And you know, God doesn't require that. Like, what's the magic happening there that God's doing whenever you make eye contact with the snake? Like, no, there's no, there's no. Magic God could have. Just healed, but he gave the people an opportunity. To reveal their faith. Say I believe God can do it. I believe God will do it, and I believe it so much that I'm going to take a step and I'm going to do the simplest thing. And it doesn't make sense, but it doesn't have to make sense because it's just. A demonstration that I believe. God wants this and has called me to it. Verse 29. It tells us immediately the bleeding stopped and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. She was healed. She felt it. She felt the transformation. There was a change. And again in just a couple of verses. Is going to call it faith it. Was revealed by her action. To just touch the hem of his garment and in taking that very simple action, her life was radically changed. She had this idea whether she woke. Up with it. Or someone told her or gave her the idea. We don't know. But she she had this. If I just touch the hem of his garment. I will be healed and her life was radically changed as your life been radically changed by faith. Where God has spoken to you and allege you called, you put something upon your heart. You believe that God can? You don't always know if you will, but now there's those occasions also where you believe that God can and you believe that God will. As you take this simple. Step your faith is revealed. By the action that you take to do God's will to to move in the direction of what God has said to what God has revealed to what God has put. Upon your heart. Moving on to versus 33 or 30 through 34, we get point #3 faith releases God's power to work miraculously, continuing on with the story of this woman, verse 30 tells us Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him. So we turned around in the crowd and asked. Who touched my robe? His disciple said to him, look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask who touched me? But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. And he said to her daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over. Faith releases God's power. To work miraculously, if this woman had not. Put feet to her faith and taken action and gone into the crowd and touch the hem of Jesus. She would not have been healed. She experienced the power of God on that day and the healing on that day. Because she responded to. What the Lord had laid before her. The definition that I like to give of faith. There's obedience to God at his word. That's his written word. That's his revealed word. Or sometimes that's his implanted word. What he speaks to you directly internally. Now how can you know? More like Jeremiah? Well, yeah, sometimes there's questions. I don't know. It's kind of a weird thing. I want to do what you want and I know you want to do. What you want? So let's look for that confirmation. Let's look for that. Yes, that is what the Lord wants. How many in the crowd that day touched the robe? It tells us in verse 30 that Jesus felt he realized. This miracle had taken place. It's interesting to think about. That it could be she was healed. And then after the fact. Jesus is made aware of that. Or it could also be that she touches and immediately Jesus understands what's going on. And he heals her. Doesn't have to be that he was not. A decision maker in this occasion, but either way. When she touches his robe. And Jesus stops in the midst of the crowd and says, who touched my robe? But his disciples think he's a little bit crazy. Look at the crowd pressing around you. Is what the disciples say. What do you mean? Who touched your? Road rope there's. There's a ton of people around you touching a robe. You're bumping into this guy. Bumping it was like a moving mosh pit, right? It's like there's this all kinds of. Bumps and bruises and shoulders and elbows and. There's a bunch of people that touched your room. Can you ask who touched your robe? How many people in this crowd touched the? Robe of Jesus. But then how many people were healed? Of a severe affliction on that day. See, it's interesting to consider there is a difference between just bumping into Jesus or. Rubbing elbows with Jesus, coming in contact with Jesus. And coming into contact with Jesus combined with faith. To receive the power of God. In a healing. How many people were healed? And that and that crowd, we only know of the one the woman. But lots of people were in contact with Jesus. I think this is really important for us to consider because we can be in contact with Jesus and not be radically changed in our lives by faith. We can come to church, we can read the Bible, we can interact with the things of God and have some benefit from that and not have our lives radically changed by faith. But it's when we come in contact with Jesus by faith and not just. I believe that he is a good man, a good prophet. I believe that he died upon the cross for sins, but when it's I believe he died upon the cross for my sin. And now I have access to God. And so now I approach God and I relate to God, and I maintain a fellowship with the father. The creator of the heavens and the. Earth, now its faith, and it releases God's power to work miraculously in our redemption and forgiveness in our healing on occasions and miraculous works in our lives and doors opening before us. Faith, believing God at his word, trusting God as our hearts and minds and wills are aligned with God. Sometimes taking a simple step. Does it make any sense why making that phone call should? Have such a dramatic impact on my life. I feel like the let's put it on my heart. I think God wants me to make this phone call. I think God wants me to strike up this conversation. I think this is something from the Lord, he could say by many or few. Let's go find out. And by faith. We can experience the power of God now, that doesn't mean again, we're our muscling God and making him do our will. Us submitting to and coming into alignment with the will of God. But listen when you're in line with the will of God. And you believe that God can, and that God will. There is a power. That God will work. In your life and on your behalf. As we keep reading and mark. Tomorrow's reading Mark, chapter six. We find Jesus, head back heads back to his hometown and it tells us there that. Being very familiar with Jesus, they were like, hey, we know this guy. We know his brothers and sisters. Where did he get this power? Why is he talking this way? They did not believe they did not have faith and because of that. It says that. He couldn't do any miracles among them, except to place his hands on a few sick and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. They were so familiar with them. They found it hard to believe. Here's people who had been contact in contact with Jesus for most of his life. But their lives weren't radically transformed because of their unbelief. There's a crowd around Jesus. Coming in contact with Jesus at the same time, the woman is, but their lives weren't radically changed. Because they weren't coming into contact with him by faith, their hearts were not aligned with God for that moment, for the work that God wanted to do. But when those things align, your will God's will your obedience. In faith, it releases God's power to work miraculously. Tells us he looked around to. See who had done it. She kept looking, kept looking. Finally she comes forward, trembling. She explained to him in front of everybody. Told the whole embarrassing story about the whole 12 years and all the things she tried. But how she touched the hem of his garments? And she was healed. And verse 34 is so powerful, he said to her daughter. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over. You could look at this and wonder why did he make such a big deal like she wanted to be kind of undercover. She didn't want to, you know, be the spotlight in the center of attention. Why did he do this? It wasn't to humiliate her. It wasn't to. Make her uncomfortable. I mean, she sure she was uncomfortable, but. He says, daughter, your faith has made you well, daughter. This is the only time that Jesus refers to someone in the Scriptures as daughter. There's there's great affection here and tenderness that Jesus is expressing to her. Why did Jesus insist on having this encounter? So he could look her in the eye and say daughter. Daughter, you're healed. You're my family. I care about you. I don't want you going through the rest of your life thinking ohh man. I need to repent. Stole a healing from Jesus. I can't believe God must be so angry with me. Jesus said no. You don't need to go through life like. That I want you to know, daughter. Has made you well, go in peace. You did not steal power. You have no need to regret your actions today. Your decisions today. You don't need to repent for the rest. Of your life. You need to know. I'm with you. I'm for you. I love you, and I'm glad you're healed today. You're my child. Faith releases God's power to work miraculously. Point #4 verses 35 and 36 faith resolves to continue in spite of bad news. Now we get back to gyrus verse 35 while he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of gyrus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him your daughter is dead. There's no use troubling the teacher now. But Jesus overheard them and said to gyrus. Don't be afraid. Just have faith. Faith resolves to continue in spite of bad news as this happens. Word comes from Gyrus's home. His daughter has died. Now these messengers that come are not particularly their. Their bedside manner could use some work. Right. Like hey, there's no use troubling the teacher anymore. She's dead. Give it up. It's over. Nice try. It doesn't say it, but I kind of. Infer from this. Perhaps these servants were excited about. Gyrus coming to Jesus in the 1st place. They didn't maybe agree with this decision. Like we told you not to go, but here you are. You came anyways and like, why bother anymore? It was hopeless. She's died, but Jesus overhears the situation. He overhears this conversation and he tells Gyrus don't be afraid, just have faith. This is a command that Jesus gives. It could also be translated. Stop being afraid, your heart sinking right now. Gyrus, as you hear this news, whose heart wouldn't sink. Of course, it's sinking, but stop being afraid. Remember, moments ago when Jesus began to go with him, then gyrus knew. Not only can Jesus can heal this situation, he'll heal my daughter. But but he's going to it's his will. To heal my daughter. That's why he's walking with me to my house. OK, well maybe I was wrong. Maybe Jesus isn't going to heal. Because now she's dead. And Jesus is counteracting that and saying. Disregard what you have heard. Disregard what you can perceive with your eyes. Don't walk by sight, but walk by faith. Keep on believing. Stop being afraid. Keep on believing. That's why I use the word resolve here to decide firmly on a course of action. Faith resolves to continue. I know this is what God has said. I know that God has put this on my heart and I'm going to experience things that look like it's contrary to that as I seek to obey God and walk in his will and carry on what he has said before me. But faith resolves to overcome the bad news to overcome. The reasons for. Questions and speculations. To overcome the hopelessness that is begging. To be grass hold of. Faith resolves to continue in spite of bad news, and so they press on and they make it to the house. To finish it up here, verses 37 through 43. Point #5 Faith reunites personal and practical responsibility. Then Jesus stops the crowd and wouldn't let anyone go with him except Peter, James and John, the brother of James. And when they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing, he went inside and asked why all this commotion and weeping. The child isn't dead. She's only asleep. The crowd laughed at him, but he made them all leave. And he took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. As they hear this news from Gyrus's House, Jesus disperses the crowd. All right, everybody out, get out. What's about to happen now? This is very personal. You're out except for Peter, James and John. We're going to have an intimate moment here. We're going to. Have a personal moment. And as Jesus arrives at the house. There's a crowd there too. They're weeping and wailing. In their culture, they would bury a person on the same day that they died. So the crowd here is the funeral. They were ready. They were preparing. They haven't prepared the body yet, but they're they're getting there. They're they're everything's set. And in order, the arrangements have been made, they would typically, especially for a wealthy and prominent person, they would hire people to come and mourn the professional Wailers were probably there. It seems like they are. As you see, the response and reaction. And Jesus says all of you out of here. And here's where we know that this is not a. Santa Claus movie. You know, in all the Santa Claus's movies, it's we need as many people as possible to believe. So that the magic can happen. This is not a Santa Claus movie. This is not get the crowd get as many people around as possible. Get as many people. Believing as possible everybody believe and think the same thing, and then perhaps this miracle to. No, that's that's fairy tales, that's. That's not what faith is. Jesus disperses the mourners and says she's not dead. She's just asleep and the crowd laughed at him, which indicates to us they are professional mourners. Because the family members would not laugh at this, they would. Be horrified at it. Jesus says she's only asleep because he knows what he's about to do. Verse 41 holding her hand, he said to her Talitha Coom. Which means little girl or little lamb. And the girl, who is 12 years old, immediately stood up and walked around. They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened. Then he told them to give her something to eat. It was a personal moment. Just the immediate family. Just those few disciples. It's a big spectacle. When Jesus heals someone. The Lloyd says let's keep this personal. Let's keep it private. But but I also like the practical aspect of this. It's pretty practical. It tells us. That she gets up and walks around. You know that from that day on she didn't hover. Everywhere she went. No, her life was pretty practical after that incredible miracle raised from the dead. And what would she do? She would walk around. Just like you and I would walk around 1 foot in front of the other foot in contact with the ground. It would be up to her. To put that next foot forward and to put that next foot forward. There there was this miraculous work and miraculous healing, but there was also this real and very practical life that would follow. Even so, much so that Jesus says at the end of verse 43, hey. Someone give her something to eat. Now look, Jesus. You just raised her from the dead. Raise her from the dead with a full stomach. Why do we have to? Give her something to eat. Is not a absence of all participation. Also involves some very real and practical. Someone make a meal. Someone take a step. Someone do something simple? The the Lord doesn't want to just do stuff, work miraculously and have us not involved in any degree. Or ever again, it's cooperation. That's us working together with God to accomplish his will and his purposes. Yeah, Jesus could have just raised her with the full stomach, but he wanted the family to get the opportunity to cook for their daughter, who had just been raised from the dead. And to share a meal with her and to to feed her and to provide for her and and for her to experience it. And and and for there to be this. Life that is lived and celebration in the simple things of what God has done. Sometimes we approach faith as in well, I can't do anything practical cause then it's just me doing it. I study to teach the scriptures because I believe God wants me to teach, but sometimes the way we approach faith, it's like I'm not going to study the teach because I believe God wants me to teach. Say no, no, no. This is the will of God. This is what God has said before you. So take some practical steps. And go to the doctor. Well, I can't go to the Doctor cause I believe God wants to heal me. I don't know if you understand faith that well. They're not exclusive things. Those practical steps and that trust in God. It's a combination of things that God is doing. Faith reunites that personal responsibility and the practical responsibility. For me to believe God at his word. Take personal responsibility for it and to take action. In simple things. Cooperation with God. To workout his will and his plan, just as we pray. The Lord's prayer. Your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. And in that, we're saying here I am Lord. Send me use me to accomplish your will and your purposes. Real faith changes lives radically. Have you experienced that? Have you had that? Moment that time. Of course, for salvation, that is the first moment of real faith that changes the life radically. There's many other moments. Where God is going to radically impact your life. As you hear from him, as you trust him. And as you take action. In what he has called you to, it requires an alignment that I want what God wants. And when I have faith that's going to be revealed by the action that I take as I do the things that God has set before me. And I'm going to see the power of God released and at work in my life working miraculously as I cooperate with God about the things that he has called me to and set before me. And when there's bad news and opposition, and it seems like it's hopeless and going to fail, faith resolves to continue. I know what God has said and I'm not going to quit. I'm not going to give up just because it looks bleak. I'm going to hold on to that personal faith. I'm going to take those practical steps. And I'm going to walk with God in the way that he's called me too. Lord, I pray for each one of us that you. Would help us to be men and women of faith. Who truly trust you? Not in a superstitious way. Not in a crazy, unbiblical way, Lord, but that we. Would know your will. And hear from you. And align ourselves to what you want. What I pray. That you would help each of us. To receive from you the forgiveness that you want to give or your will, we know is for us to be with you for all eternity. And the simple step that you've called us to to receive that is to believe in Jesus and his finished work for us upon the cross. And so God, if there's any that are not believing right now, I pray. You would help them to take that step of faith. To receive you and receive your forgiveness. And look for any other. Moments of faith and opportunities and challenges that are set before us every one of us have those things in our lives. Or would you help us to hear from you? To trust in you to believe that you can work and resolve miraculously. Help us to find out your will. And submit ourselves to that. Or that your will might be done on Earth. As it is in heaven. We pray this in Jesus name.