20230204 | A Woman With an Issue | Pastor John Lomacang

let us pray loving father in Heaven we thank you that you told us your ways and not our ways as high as the heavens are above the Earth so are your ways above our ways and your thoughts above our thoughts Lord Jesus thank you for closing the gap between the way you think and the way I think and I submit to you this morning my mind and my voice my life that you will communicate clearly to us what our issues are and how we can find Freedom from them and even in them in Jesus name I pray amen the scripture reading is Luke 8 verse 43 but I'm not going to read it now we're going to get to it eventually a woman with an issue I want to say uh Ian this is one of the hardest screens I tried to put together because I didn't want to border on saying to women that they have an issue it's a sermon titled that I want to make very clear this is not to pick on women but this is to bring out in the story today probably one of the most beautiful pictures of what happens when at our lowest Jesus begins to bring us to His Highest what happens when we think that every opportunity of a better life has passed us by every moment to come up higher has eluded us that this is just the way it's going to be today we're going to talk about issues not your issue and my issue but issues in general because I don't know your issue you don't know my issue but God knows our issues and God brings us to the place through this wonderful fragile story he puts on Center Stage a woman who had an issue there is a spiritual application there is a symbolic application there is a personal application every one of us is going to be seen in the story today I begin by saying our world is Afflicted with issues it is Afflicted with issues if you listen to the news or pick up the newspaper or talk to somebody at work there's always some issue that the world is confronted with just yesterday I was enamored by everybody talking about what to do with this balloon above Montana you know all the guys that own guns said shoot it down and all the tender people said well maybe it'll float away issues and all day long everybody talking about this balloon and I thought to myself how does a balloon get from China to Montana and no one sees it coming issues there are military issues that are really surfacing more places being bought and more bases being established by the United States they're not telling us the reason but there are issues unknown to us Wars that don't make sense that are Perpetual issues that are continuing military and political issues there are financial and social issues wondering if the economy is going to stabilize itself and whether or not Society is going to get to the place where the murder rate goes down and morality comes back up social issues there are moral issues and spiritual issues will men become Kinder and will they become less corrupt and less immoral and less degraded will the church become everything that God envisions it to be both individually and collectively then they are family issues and church issues I'm always amazed how a lot of these offshoot Ministries are trying to correct the church when they forget to realize it's God's Church God will correct his own church can I get an amen be careful as the Prophet Jeremiah pointed out my wife and I are in the Book of Ezekiel when we're in the book of Jeremiah how the Lord pointed out how the Nations surrounding Israel made the mistake of trying to correct Israel because they were going astray and God said wait a minute she's not your bride she's my bride because you tried to correct my bride now I'm going to correct you God can take care of his church and then they're marital issues some people have been married five years and they feel like they've been married 20. some people have been married 20 if you feel like they've been married five because of issues sometimes we focus on issues that are not issues with God but other times God allows issues to arise so that we can discover the real issues you know sometimes you'll never know what the real problem is until a problem arises and you sweep away all the evidence of the present issue only to find out that under all of that there were layers and layers and layers really hiding the real issue sometimes it's not the argument we have but the Catalyst behind our personalities that refuse to acquiesce and give in and it creates an issue that God allows in the controversy to arise to bring that issue to our attention and I must say without divine intervention we can get so obsessed with the obvious issues that sometimes the more meaningful issues are missed and today God is going to take us down the path where I believe he's going to unfold to us the meaningful issues in our old own lives God is going to help us see what we haven't seen and what I often do this is something I'll just reveal to you when I'm putting a sermon together that I discover are in all the gospels like Matthew Mark and Luke and sometimes John gets on board but in most cases Matthew Mark and Luke give different angles and some of them write more about an issue than the others do like Matthew included just about three verses in this story about the woman with the issue of blood Mark made it a little longer he talked about some of the things that a man who understands what it means to be left behind would strategize in his mind on ways to get to Jesus and Luke from a medical perspective brings out issues that Matthew and Mark don't even see and so what I do when I'm developing a sermon I put all those scriptures together Matthew Mark and Luke and I then begin to assign colors to each of those scriptures that are in like for example a woman with an issue they all say a woman with an issue and I'll turn all those red so I can tell they all spoke about the woman with the issue but one would talk about the reaction of the woman the other talks about the reaction of Jesus so I color those differently so I know that one gospel writer coveted the other one didn't so I can walk through that story and in a Cadence say Okay Matthew I got it but Mark what do you say Mark you left out Luke what Luke wrote and then all of a sudden the picture becomes clear so Matthew Mark and Luke transports us back to a moment where the issues of our past have a collision with the decisions of our future and I call that the intersection of transformation because when you get to the place where your past catches up with your present it is a moment to decide do I drag my past beyond the present into the future so Matthew Mark and Luke takes us back to that point where the issues of our past have a collision with the decisions about our future and so I say to you what will your future be I can say to you that much of what your future has not yet even been envisioned to be is because some of the things of your past have been hanging around so long that from year to year they find a way to survive your New Year's resolution they're still there and we say we want to be different but today like forensic Pathologists each gospel writer discovers through the microscope of mortal inspection the interactions of humanity when confronted by Divinity they put us under this microscope and Matthew looks at us one way Mark looks at us another and Dr Luke sees what neither of the two saw and they say in this Mortal inspection that we never know how we're going to act in the presence of Jesus until we are in the presence of Jesus that songwriter says I Can Only Imagine and that's a beautiful song I love it are we going to sing are we going to be are we going to fall at his feet and worship him what are we going to do we never know how we're going to react in the presence of Jesus until we are in the presence of Jesus so the setting is Jesus is returning from delivering a demon-possessed man and suddenly a ruler of the synagogue named Jairus breaks into this frenzied multitude this moment and he begins to demand the attention of Jesus what amazes me about Jesus is he is a multitasking God he could do anything at the same he could do everything at the same time he can keep all the constellations from running into each other and heal a sin sick Soul at the same time so Jairus coming after Jesus just delivered a demon-possessed man Jairus comes to him and we find the story as we break into the scenario here in Luke chapter 8 verses 41 and 42. let's look at the setting together and behold there came a man named Jairus and he was a ruler of the synagogue you got to know about rulers rulers like things to go their way that's why they're called rulers he's coming to Jesus to tell Jesus how to heal but in this case he recognized that this is not the man that I need to tell what to do so the Bible says and he fell down at Jesus's feet and begged him to come to his house for he had an only daughter about how old 12 years of age and she was dying but as he went the multitude thronged him as who went as Jesus was moving he was surrounded by a multitude and being from New York City I know what that's like to be on the trains when we used to go to work in Wall Street or in Midtown Manhattan as my wife did to get on the subway cars and to be in the buses and we understand what it means to be thronged we were recently and when I say recently you know time just goes by for me when we were in Singapore when the door is closing and the train is already packed they still try to get in and it's not unusual for everybody to be packed in like sardines in Japan there are police stationed on the subway platform with white gloves so they push you into the train to make sure that as many as can get on board get on board how'd you like to go to work even if you fainted you couldn't touch the floor being thronged so Jesus is in this indiscriminate multitude all kinds of attitudes different personalities different positions different backgrounds different ways of thinking different ways of doing life and he's in the middle of this of this multitude that throngs him and it's in this mixed multitude that an endearing story would emerge a story that still lives on an infamy a story that reveals the difference that Jesus makes boy what a difference Jesus makes it is in this multitude that Jesus assures Jairus that his daughter is going to be just fine it is in this multitude that Jesus brings the record of another Victory a demon-possessed man is now set free it is in this moment that Mark takes us to someone obscure in this mixed multitude let's go to Mark chapter 5 verses 25 to 26 and those of you watching it's on the screen and Mark says and a certain woman which had an issue of blood how many years 12 years just like the little girl I want you to notice something before I go any father a little girl 12 years old a woman an issue of blood 12 years I'll bring this out later on but let me just touch this very quickly when the Bible uses the number 12 it's a kingdom number 12 gates 12 Foundation 12 Apostles 12 tribes 12 precious stones 12 gates it's the kingdom number so these are metaphorical and allegorical pictures and in many cases actual instances where the Lord chose these instances to say watch whether the church in its infancy seems to be dying I can resurrect it or whether the church that has been around a long time like an aged woman seems that your hopes are done I can restore it God can take care of his church at his Inception and at its coronation amen what shall I say at its coronation and at its and at its celebration how it begins God is able to sustain his church all the way through so I'm Not Afraid about how things going to work out I'm kind of getting used to it uh Greg and Jill I'm kind of getting used to the fact that okay I'm being attacked on the internet so what if I wasn't making the devil upset he wouldn't attack me so I'm realizing well go and let them say what they want to say about me because it was a time that I really want to fight back right but I remember Pastor CA said don't wrestle with a pig because they'll like it and you'll get dirty so I'm leaving it to God because God is able and I read a few weeks ago my wife and I actually read this together we're reading and we read so many devotionals it was I think of Maranatha where Ellen White talked about how the church will be under attack but she said every attack every Onslaught against God's church will come to nothing because God has made provision ahead of time for all of the attacks that the enemy brings against the church and Paul the Apostle says you can do nothing against the truth only for the truth you can't stop it the gate the Gates of Hell will not prevail but here we are a woman with an issue of blood 12 years and verse 26 says and had suffered many things of many Physicians and had spent all that she had all that she had and was nothing better but rather grew worse this is an insert this is a sermon insert I'd like to suggest to you one of the reasons why we confront ourselves or are confronted with so many unresolved issues is because we are going to the wrong doctor think about it because Christ is the only one that can resolve issues he's the only one that can solve the issues of Our Lives spiritual issues Financial issues social issues religious issues doctrinal issues controversial issues and in the story making another comparison this woman that suffered many things at the hands of many Physicians what the Lord is in essence saying to the church today is don't seek men to resolve an issue that only God can resolve because we each have a each of us has a different way of approaching issues there are certain issues that must be discussed in the in the in the in the in the confidential Circle where the Bible says there's safety in a multitude of counsel but when it comes to issues that are confronting the church today don't try to find the answer in humanity as job said put not your trust in princes nor in the son of man where there is no help and David says I will lift lift up my eyes unto the hills from whence comes my help my help comes from the Lord who made Heaven a nerve today a lot of the issues that the church has confronted with we take them to committees rather than taking them to the Lord in prayer I would recommend like the day of Pentecost if we take it to the Lord in prayer we can come out of that room United amen we can come out on one Accord because when they got together in that upper room they got together not to make sure that it happens John's way or James's way or Matthew Mark or Luke's way they came out praying that it would happen God's way the church today sometimes confronts itself with too many Physicians and the end result is there so Mark records her dilemma but I want to also point out she did not get that way overnight by the time the story is revealed she is a fully developed picture of a 12-year downhill spiral from bad to worse and many of us when we come to issues in our lives when the issues become putrid or they come to the surface we realize that we didn't get there overnight in many cases we get to a place where we ignore Trends in our lives we ignore our thoughts in our lives we ignore things that we think things that we look at places we go opinions we Embrace and we get to the place in our lives where we realize maybe months later or sometimes years later that we are all the worse because like this woman it was a step-by-step process in getting us to the place where no answers have come and we have just had a 12-year downhill spiral from bad to worse but in this case the woman had tried to get a remedy the Bible talks about how she spent 12 years of doctor bills and nothing to show for it she had appointments and on the other side no progress she had prescriptions and medications but it resulted in no change because 12 years she was in this condition she sat on the under the investigative gaze of psychiatrists under the skillful hands of family practitioners they tried to figure out what was going on in her mind to get her to this place what was happening in her body that she has this issue that continues to go on still nothing still nothing but why is the story recorded and here's the reason why the Lord revealed to me here's the reason why the Lord revealed the story to me it is not so much our condition but we know how the story ends because some of you heard the story before but let me get there but I have to say this in the in the progress of the story until we are dissatisfied with who we are we will lack the drive to desire and move in the direction of change that's why the story is there the story is not there to record her failure the story is there to record that it did not say a woman with an issue of blood 13 years because she got to the point where she said it ain't going past this moment I am tired of who I am I'm tired of how people perceive me when you study this story Leviticus had there were laws in The Book of Leviticus about a woman that had an issue of blood they if it went beyond seven days they would say wait a minute there's something wrong with this woman so if she if she was in the crowd they said you come in last you leave first come to the Gathering but you sit in the back so when the service is over you leave first and you come and last it's almost like leprosy you are a marked woman and just imagine being in the position where she wants to resolve that year one year two year three year four year five years six years seven year eight year nine year ten year 11 year 12 and still nothing so at this point she's tired of who she's become she's tired of how people perceived her and then she says you know what the doctors could not resolve it I need to do something to resolve my own situation you see friends until we are dissatisfied with who we are hear me today until we are dissatisfied with who we are have you how long have some of you been dragging your issues around how long have some of you been talking to people about your issues and you have not taken them to Christ you have not taken them to Jesus you have tried to find answers in all the different pockets of a failing society and none of them have resulted in you becoming any better but you just grew worse and here you are I believe that every one of us has to get to a moment was something in US says that's it that's enough I'm not allowing this moment to go any farther this is it I'm over I'm done I'm out until we are dissatisfied with who we have become we will lack the drive to seek change we will we will cease to move in the direction where our lives could be any different and I know I'm speaking to many of you because I know that every one of us has something we're dragging around everybody has something that they're dragging around and Luke reminds us as a physician would he agrees with Mark he says in Luke 8 and verse 43 and a woman having an issue of blood 12 years which had spent all her living now get that you got to get that she had a certain amount of money saved up for retirement probably or money set aside to enjoy the later years of life but it said her physical condition was such a such an issue that she spent all her living upon Physicians and notice the next word neither could be healed of any how many of you trying to find healing by sharing your issues with your friends let me recommend today share your issues with Jesus come to the foot of Christ come to where you can get the answers refuse to drag those things around when you look at what happened here I believe that deep within the recesses of her heart something clicked and she knew that this was the moment that my life was going to change she decided this was the moment and I love the fact that the servant of the Lord Ellen White brings us into focal point in the book Desire of Ages she takes us behind the scenes in page 343 of the Desire of Ages and notice what she says she had spent all her means upon Physicians and remedies only to be pronounced what incurable but I like this part but her hope to revived when she heard of the cures that Christ performed she felt assured that if she could only go to him she would be healed reiterating the point this is where Faith Embraces persistence I'm going to say that again this is where Faith Embraces persistence why do I say that why does faith need to embrace persistence because many of us experience failure and not change because our faith does not Embrace persistence persistence says faith says I believe it can happen persistence says I'm going to do something that I make sure does happen faith says I know that the Lord can heal me persistence says I need to find out where he is today and make sure that I'm in his path when he passes by are you getting persistence is something that so many of us fail to put into our own spiritual experience we want to be stronger Christians but we're not persistent we don't say there's something that I need to do differently and I don't want to I don't want to put anybody on the I don't want to put anybody in in the scope here but I was so blessed the other night when a young man at Bible study there up in our classroom I said man I've been seeing you quite often and he said well there's a reason why I said what's the reason he says I said that I'd rather watch a sermon online but I'm going to do something different this year I'm going to be there in person and I just he said and I'm going to be their Bible studies and he's been there week after week after week after week after week what what does that mean his faith embraced persistence and and that's why when you read the Bible writers they all talk about persistence the Apostle Paul for example he doesn't just talk about faith he talks about persistence that's why we like the scripture Philippians 3 and verse 14 he talks about persistence what does he say I press toward the what what's the second word what's the second word I press what's that word friend said together press I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus what does the Apostle Paul saying if you don't press you're not going to get to that goal if you don't get in that mindset and so many of us don't get into that mindset we don't press we don't press is press important what does press mean look at the writer of the book of Hebrews Hebrews 12 and verse 14. what's the first word said together pursue peace with all people and holiness without which no one will see the Lord what's the first word pursue what does pursue mean let an angry dog chase you you'll understand what pursue means you will never run faster than that day right you will never know we were in the subway in New York City a number of years ago and um you know gun violence in the city is a common thing so if you hear anything that sounds like guns you know you're going to run we're in the subway and we hear I I turn I look for my wife she was like up the steps already I said I did not know that Angie could move that fast she was like gone where are you unless you're like up the steps and I'm just I'm turning around to protect her she left me it's like honey you promised to kind of run and jump in front of me if the bullet stopped flying but she's nah you on your own I'm out of here she pursued those steps as though I will not hear another gunshot with me in that Subway pursued it how many of you have that word active in your life what are you pursuing if you're not pursuing righteousness and Holiness without without which none of us can see the Lord what are you pursuing if you're not pressing what are you doing you're standing still the Apostle Paul told his young man Timothy to do that first Timothy 6 and verse 11. notice what he says pursue what friends righteousness what else godliness what else Faith love patience gentleness how many of you are pursuing that this is this is more than just a woman finding where Jesus was to be healed it's about us are we in pursuit of anything different in 2023 than we were in 2022. that's a serious question why because it determines where you end up eternally if you're not pursuing something different than you did last year or the year before that there's nothing worse than a child that goes to school year after year after year after year and when they are in the 11th grade they are still sucking a pacifier are you all right we would have a hissy fit if our teenager just about to graduate says mommy where's my bottle you know the Apostle Paul says the same thing in the book of Hebrews he says while we should be handling meat some of us are still on the milk because we're not pursuing anything and and when you stand before that Judgment Day of accountability God's going to say remember that opportunity remember that opportunity remember that opportunity remember that event remember that day remember that I remember that but you didn't pursue it so you're not ready you're not ready and the Readiness of the future determines is determined by the actions of the present what are you pursuing what are you pressing toward you see this woman was significant and because when you read the story in the Desire of Ages this was not her first opportunity to get to Jesus the first time was when she heard that Jesus was by the seaside teaching but she was too weak to get through that crowd to get to Jesus secondly she had heard that Jesus was at the house of Levi Matthew but her Affliction prevented her from reaching the house before he left now I'm gonna make a point before I get to the third one do you think that Jesus knew that that woman was trying to get to him by the seaside yes yes do you think that he knew that that woman was trying to get to him at the house of Levi Matthew yes so what's the point and this is beautiful Jesus picked the moment when he was going to have an encounter with her and she thought that she was choosing the moment when she was going to have an encounter with him Jesus is in charge come on say Amen he's in charge we don't meet him because oh it just so happened that we came to your church today no God moved on your heart to be here you didn't get picked because you were just at the Oprah Winfrey Show today God knew your call was broken down so you got a new one what am I saying don't use the word luck when blessings are coming from God nothing irritates me more it kind of gives me an itch when a Christian says well good luck on your sermon this weekend that's the only time I correct I'm writer good luck I'm not spinning a wheel I'm preaching for the Lord don't put luck in the Christian's Journey amen we don't live lucky ah I'm so lucky that we're still alive before Jesus comes no he knows that you're going to be around the Lord knew I couldn't live through the Dark Ages so he kept me for the 20th 20th and 21st century aren't you glad you were not living in the 1500s some of you would have died without internet can't get that text to go out you've been running on your horse you can you imagine if we had the amount of messages you guys send out can you imagine you would never get rich you'd be running back and forth on your horse another message to get there God knows everything God knows everything does he not end from the beginning so he saw that this moment was coming but the thing that made this moment so significant which I want to encourage you is with is persistence was necessary because her situation was less than ideal that's why Luke said the multitude thronged him there's another thing that the Bible brings out that I want to bring out before I go any farther is the Bible reveals that this woman represents us when we get to the place where we decide that people will not block my dreams my goals my plans I am no longer going to allow somebody's opinion to become the deciding factor and whether I can or cannot go any farther in my life that woman but the the multitude wronged him if she allowed the multitude to decide whether or not she can get to Jesus well the multitude did not let her get to Jesus by the seaside and she couldn't get to Jesus at Levi Matthew's house what's different she determined there was something within her that she determined that she was not going to allow the obstacles to be the deciding factor and there's some people that do that some people that are here you wait for obstacles to be removed before you try what would happen if the children of Israel waited for the Red Sea to open up the Lord said to them two words go forward don't wait for obstacles to move so many of us base our success on the absence of resistance rather than the presence of persistence we were taken off the other day coming back from Florida and the pilot said well you know he said on the way down the flight was pretty rough coming through coming from North Carolina it's not going to be that bad going back but he said but we have 145 mile an hour ahead winds 145 mile an hour headwinds Angela hedwin so I said well that spells a lot of turbulence while the plane is going 500 miles an hour 145 miles an hour wind is pushing against it that means it's only really going 355 miles an hour but you know what that's okay because planes need a headwind to take off what am I saying when the winds are blowing hard against you my brother and my sister that's the time that you need to take off a plane that waits for the wind to be behind its back it will never allow the wind to blow behind it it will challenge its ability to get off the ground some of you are waiting for the wind to be to blow you Propel you forward no God is saying you can rise best when the wind is blowing against you because she did not base her success on the absence of resistance she based it on the presence of persistence are you hearing me today don't wait pursue push press don't wait for obstacles to go away put in your life in your daily practice the presence of persistence I like what a young man said to me just uh once in my Bible study he said so many of us put a list together of things we want to do but how many of us put a list together of things we don't want to do he was hitting on all cylinders on Wednesday night that's good some of us need to put to put a list together of things that we don't want to do and determine not to do that so what made the difference in This Woman's life let's look at Matthew 9 verse 21. what made the difference what made the difference you might notice I'm switching between translations the King James and new King James because the wording within each one of them fits what I'm trying to convey look at Matthew 9 verse 21 what happened what happened that get got this woman up that morning and said this was her day what happened the Bible says in Matthew 9 21 for she said where within herself if I may but touch His Garment I shall be whole you ever had a conversation with yourself you ever sat down and say you know what you know what I'm tired you know what I'm gonna get my life back you know what today I'm gonna do it have any of you ever had a conversation with yourself you ever got to the point where you arguing with yourself I have why are you doing that I don't know it works sometime but don't let anybody hear you because it could be like a you're okay pastoral McCain I'm fine we are doing well like the one by it says you I heard you I heard you bipolar how are you doing we're doing just fine but this woman that day had a she had she she was talking to herself so some of y'all need to talk to yourself because you don't listen to me Bob but that's not in the notes but uh some of y'all need to talk to yourself because you're not doing me any harm you're not doing God any harm some of us are Our Own Worst Enemy some of us blame the devil for stuff that we do and the devil said I didn't know I didn't I didn't do that because we have developed this repetition in our lives that has taken us off maybe he was the initial person that started you out on that track but you have yielded so long that these things are so hardened in your life that the devil has moved and you still think he's there but you have persistently done the wrong thing for so long that you don't have conversations with yourself to say you know what this is over this is done she had said within herself and I believe that the holy spirit that they said to her you know what Jesus is going to be in town today is that far-fetched no I believe that we get to those moments because the god that we serve as in the days of Noah the spirit of God was striving with man he was striving with man and they were not responding I believe we respond because the voice that eventually sounds like ours is really the Holy Spirit prompting Us by saying today is the day and Mark in Mark 5 and verse 28 she said it again for she said she made these declarations not to a crowd but to herself if only I may touch his clothes I shall be made well some of us need to have a conversation with ourselves 12 long years pushed her to that moment this woman spent her life trying to remedy her situation trying to recover her respect after 12 years of struggling the Holy Spirit propelled her to this moment which is my first point I only have three my first point is this there's never a bad time to meet Jesus right if he brings you to the moment let the moment be the moment of change for your life and the reason why I know that this is a moment that she knew things were going to be different she started to strategize she thought to herself well the crowd if I try to get it to him that way I can't the crowd is blocking him I got to figure out a way to get to Jesus you know let me say something when you make up your mind to get to Jesus the crowd it will no longer be a factor your family won't be a factor your job won't be a factor your children won't be a factor your spouse won't be a factor when you make up your mind to get to Jesus the crowd will no longer be a factor look at verse 27 of Mount Mark chapter 5. when she heard about Jesus the Bible says she came behind him in the crowd and touched His Garment I tried to figure out why she came behind him I think I came up with two reasons one she was a little timid secondly the crowd was in the way so she had to find because usually crowds are in front of you you know you're trying to make your way and the crowds are blocking you but usually there's a little vacuum behind you because they're trying to stay in front of you so they could see the face of Jesus now it doesn't say how fast she was moving but evidently she had strategized to be in a place in a location so that when he came around remember she's dealing with this malady of 12 years she's still bleeding she's not as strong as she could be she's not in Optimum Health so she has to be at a place where she has to expend as little energy as she possibly could but that little bit of energy coupled with persistence and determination she said today is my day and she touched His Garment Luke says in Luke 8 and verse 44 she came from behind and touched the border of His Garment let me tell you something friends what happened when she touched the board of His Garment what does the Bible say and immediately went friends and immediately her flow of blood stopped okay pause for a moment that's the moment that you say why didn't I do this sooner am I right some folk hesitating giving their lives to Jesus because they're trying to strategize their own future let me make it clear to you today God's got your future already figured out don't try to figure out your future give your life to God and he puts you into a scenario that will blow even you away your future is greater in God's plan than it will ever be in your own plan I know the plans I have for you says the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you to give you a future and a hope but notice what happened when she did not allow the crowd to stop her she didn't even wait for the crowd to give her permission Pastor John tell it to him I will okay here it is just had a conversation with myself here it is tell them don't wait for anybody to give you permission to give your life to Jesus don't wait for your wife to say it's okay to get baptized or your husband to say now I'll go with you to church even if you don't go I'm going by myself my brother and sister it's your salvation on the line don't let anybody give you permission when God is already given you permission so often people say well you know I would go to church but my spouse might get upset let him get upset they'll be fine they'll get over it they'll argue with you but they'll get over it we have one guy that stood up to get baptized and his wife said if you come home if you if you go forward on that altar call when you come home I'll be gone now that's a hard moment because somebody said now do I want my wife or Jesus I'll let you decide but if my wife blocks my salvation honey I'm telling you this if I block yours get rid of me if you block mine I'm gonna get rid of you did I say that please don't put that in the sermon but the Bible said it he who loves father or mother sister or brother husband or wife children cats dogs Money Bank job more than me is not worthy of the Kingdom got to get that in your mind don't let the crowd be the ones you're waiting for permission from if you're waiting for the crowd to give you permission you'll never change what happened why did This Woman's blood immediately dry up because when she touched Jesus she touched the founder of the World Health Organization can somebody say Amen this man never failed she touched the one who has a medication for every malady a prescription for every predicament she touched the only one that can resolve the issues of life she touched the one that heals our deepest hurts and carry our heavy burdens that's the one who is he his name is Jesus Mark 5 verse 29 says it this way immediately the Fountain of her blood was dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction you know the reason why her her blood dried up immediately because there is power power Wonder working Power in the Blood of the Lamb what is there there is power power Wonder working power in the Precious Blood of the Lamb the sinner's blood gets in touch with the perfect blood and her sinner blood dried up and made way for the perfect blood I will ought to say Amen there you see the blood of Jesus friends is the serum for every sinner Revelation 12 and verse 11 says it this way they overcame him by the what blood of the Lamb the blood of Jesus is the ransom note for the redeemed first Peter says it this way in First Peter 1 verse 18 and 19 you are not redeemed with corruptable things like silver or gold but with the what precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot the blood of Jesus removes the stain of any sin Revelation 7 verse 14 says these are the ones who come out of Great Tribulation and have done what wash their robes and made them white in the what blood of the Lamb Jesus the blood of Jesus is the prescription for every predicament is that one not the case I wouldn't be here you got to have those times when you throw yourself on the ground and start talking to God not in Keen nice scriptural language but with words like Lord change me Lord Save Me Lord Heal Me Lord deliver me you don't know what it's like until your prayers are not Guided by your Sabbath school lesson but by this deep residing desire in your heart to be different she didn't care about the crowd which brings me to my second point just before my last how we meet Jesus is not as important as that we meet Jesus you can meet Jesus in Walmart you can meet Jesus on the plane or in a train you can meet Jesus while waiting for the doctor to call you into the waiting room you can meet Jesus anywhere God makes appointments in strange ways and strange circumstances but let me make this point she did not position herself to meet Jesus Jesus positioned himself to meet her did you grab that she thought that she was going to get to that spot before Jesus but Jesus had her in his schedule before he left heaven woman with an issue of blood she's in her fourth year now I'm on my way that blew me away woman at the man at the pool 38 years Jesus had a 33 he was at 33 when he gave us his life his in Ministry he did a short life all the numbers doesn't really matter right now but the point of the matter is this long before that man met Jesus he was at that pool and Jesus meets us in our low moments and brings us to his high moments amen how we meet Jesus is not as important as that we meet him this was not her moment it was his moment Jesus was not on her schedule she was on his schedule Jesus just when you last or least expect it we are on Jesus schedule I've come to the conclusion we're not saved because we find Jesus we are saved because Jesus finds us the Lost coin the lost sheep the lost son and what does Dr Luke say here's what he says Luke 19 10 let's say it together for the son of man has come to seek and to save what friends that which was lost we are not finding Jesus Jesus is finding us that's his mission and the power to save is not in us the power to save is in Jesus the power to change is in Jesus power to change you might have a great schedule and a great plan that you write down on paper step one step two step three but if you don't have some divine power that will never be accomplished that's why Mark 5 and verse 30 includes this very beautiful fact and Jesus immediately knowing in himself that what went out of him power had gone out of him turned around in the crowd and said who touched my clothes hold on Dara the crowd denied touching Jesus because they did not understand that the First Act of being freed from your past is being in touch with Jesus they denied it because the First Act of being transformed isn't getting in touch with Jesus they denied it because the First Act of being restored is coming in contact with Jesus they thought he was about to rebuke them they said we didn't touch you no he was looking for somebody to say I wanted to touch you I came here to touch you I've been trying to do this for a long time you see my question is a part of my appeal how many of you come to church to find a way to get in touch with Jesus how many of you pick up your Bibles at home and get on your knees to get in touch with Jesus not an intellectual moment but a moment where your heart is transformed and changed but the danger is as long as being in the crowd is enough the power of God will be absent in our lives you see the reason was the crowd came to see Jesus the woman came to meet Jesus the crowd came to receive Insight the woman came to receive power they came to observe Jesus she came to be changed by Jesus so this is no ordinary touch it was the touch of intent a touch of purpose and Mission a touch that highlighted her life and I'm saying to you today those of you watching until you determine that you want to touch Jesus your life will never have a highlight it'll have a stain we highlight stuff that's good we highlight the bright moments Jesus wants to highlight your life he wants to change and transform it but until we are determined that our moment this moment this Divine interaction is going to be where my past is Left Behind Me and my future is laid out before me he began by asking who touched me but when he saw her notice what he said Luke writes that I love the way Luke writes it Luke 8 and verse 46 but Jesus said what somebody touched me for I perceive power going out from me let me put the Bible writers together to make a point she went from a who to a somebody in one touch from Jesus who touched me somebody touched me what's my point sin will constantly ask you who Do You Think You Are but the blood of Jesus and salvation will remind us that in Christ I am somebody amen we are children of God John the Apostle wrote in John 1 and verse 12 but as many as received him to them he gave what friends the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name when you get in touch with Jesus you are not a who you are somebody that's how we become children of God not by him getting into our schedule but us getting into his schedule not by not by us trying to find our way to him but him successfully finding his way to us but there's something else that happened something else that Jesus decided in that moment not just to receive my goods but to share my goods let me make this as I begin to close when we have an experience with Jesus it is a big mistake to think that God gives us stuff just for us he doesn't bless us just for us to be blessed He blesses us so that others may be blessed that's why he said let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in Heaven if God gives you a gift don't keep that gift to yourself if God gives you it gives you a skill and an ability to advance his message don't hold it to yourself don't be the one that is guilty of burying your talent expecting God to give you another one he knew that what he did in that woman's life had to survive that woman look what he says in Luke 8 and verse 47 it had to go beyond that woman now when the woman saw that she was not hidden God does not heal us to hide us she came trembling and falling down before him she declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched him and how she was healed immediately what did she do she began her witnessing campaign that moment come on say Amen her first sermon run her first sermon was that moment she didn't tell Jesus the reason she touched him she told them let me tell you why I touched Jesus let me tell you what he did for me how he healed me immediately you see the most powerful evidence of Christ in our lives is how we share to other people what Christ does for us but so many of us are in love with our issues that to give them up we fearfully think that it might change our identity and no one will be a sorry for us any longer how many years were people sorry for this woman but it got to the point where she said I'm tired of the way people perceive me I don't want sorrow I want Deliverance sorry can only take you but so far but Deliverance can take you where sorrow could never take you that's why in Desire of Ages Ellen White says this on page 347 she says after Healing The Woman Jesus desired her to acknowledge the blessing she had received how many of you share with others the blessings that God brings to your life they'll never know the gifts which the gospel offers are not to be secured by stealth or enjoyed in secret don't Harbor for yourself and she says so the Lord calls upon us for what confession of his goodness that's why Isaiah says it this way in Isaiah 43 Verse 12 you are my Witnesses says the Lord that I am God you are my Witnesses what does that mean Isaiah is saying when you witness people will say amen that's got to be God I'll tell you how that works we're on our way to Florida just recently just came back from Florida and on the way there you know the church gave me a gift certificate way back in October last year for pastors appreciation I couldn't find that thing no matter what but I finally found it and activated it not the wow that's how much I have so I said I'm gonna get me a give me a pair of shoes because it's not coming out of my pocket thank you church God bless you so I got me a nice view of Johnson Murphy shoes I'll show it to you tonight casuals and I was so excited and then and then they upgraded us to first class that made it even sweeter and I put that bag in first class and I got a nice belt with it and and uh my wife when we were getting off the plane in a hurry because we only had a certain amount of time to get to our next connection so I grabbed her pulley and grabbed my backpack and I'm going through the airport got to the next I mean this is the airport got off the plane and everything and you know we actually got to our final destination on our way to get the car and I went to get the car and the line was short and everything went well and I'm in the car and I said you know what I forgot a tie I didn't even bring a tie with me I got 12 000 ties I mean that's an exaggeration okay 11 999. I got ties and I went all in Florida to preach and didn't have a tie I said let's stop at Macy's and get a tie I'm in Macy's and I'm walking through the uh to the department to get a tie and I see the sign on the wall Johnson and Murphy's and just then Jay it Dawns on me I left my shoes on the plane the bag New Pair of Shoes in the Box new belt I said honey we got to get out of Macy's I left my shoes on the plane picked up that phone called made all those phone calls yes how can we help you yes okay we'll call the airport stay on the line sir we'll go okay we called the airport but you know they said that if anything is left on the plane the people that cleaned the plane and they'll turn them in tonight at the end of their shift so go online and fill out a report I was in God you got to help me in this moment I ain't going online to fill out anybody's report this is a moment for you God so I said so what do I do well if it's at the airport here's we need to go look for it so I said now what about the people that work don't they go from White Plain to plane is there anybody that can call them just in case so I got to the airport went right to the counter I said uh okay uh can you help me out they said what's the problem I said well I forgot my plane I forgot my shoes on the plane can you help me find them well Sarah see if it's going to be anywhere go to baggage claim I'm with the bag is claim I left my shoes on you ever repeat that story Connie get tired of it I left my shoes on the plane which plane and it just so happened that God delayed the plane from departing because it was about 45 minutes or so after since we had gotten off that plane and usually do a quick turnaround but I called the upper they said the plane has been delayed that was a Divine delay so I went to Bagus claim they said sir what I well actually how can we help you I said I'm trying to find I describe what it is they said could you be more specific was a brown Johnson Murphy bag inside is a box of shoe box and a belt okay well I'm going to call the gate they have access to the gate see the tradition is the people that clean the plane takes all the stuff off the plane and they take it to Lost and Found so you fill out a claim and you get that later for whatever reason God didn't let the cleaning people find my bag the flight attendant found my bag and held it at the gate in the anticipation that maybe I would come back so the lady called the gate where the people now boarding the plane and they said it's a little unusual but the flight attendant has your bag I said the five she said it's kind of a little unusual but the fly the flight attendant has your back why not the cleaning people she said I don't know but it's what you described so we're sending somebody up there to get your bag for you is that all right come and say Amen somebody what am I saying you know what faith was coupled with persistence I'm gonna get my bag before that plane leaves and when I got in the car my wife said I was praying for you we need to write a book before we lose our minds about how many times God has found stuff for us I've shared with some of you left a left a laptop in San Francisco didn't notice until until we got to Australia and and that laptop found its way back to Australia all the stuff my wife leaving her brand new laptop in the airport and we find it all that so many ways God but here's my point when faith and persistence gets together something happens and that's why the Isaiah the prophet says when God blesses you talk about it when God blesses you tell people how God can do what nobody else can do let the redeemed of the Lord say so and so what did the Lord say the Lord said to this woman in the last Passage and he said to her daughter it's going to be all right when you're either in the Greek he said it's going to be all right be of good cheer your faith come on what Fred your faith has made you well go in peace why did the Lord do that I want you to start noticing these words in the Bible he didn't say I fixed I he healed her right the power came from him but what did he say he said your faith what does that mean that means her faith coupled with persistence and the determination to be different is what brought about the change that only Christ can supply can Christ change any of us yes he can but your faith will never produce a life of peace until persistence and the power that is in Jesus becomes the persistence and the power that is in you in the story there were four kinds of Faith nominal faith saving Faith genuine faith and Living Faith this woman had a nominal faith in Year One but by year 12 her faith was a saving Faith a genuine faith and then it became a living faith and that faith is the faith of Jesus an isolated picture I'm going to invite Danielle to come out and isolate a picture no no no this is not an isolated woman this is a picture of the church the number of years she suffered represents the kingdom number her condition represents the condition of the last day Church bleeding needing a touch from the Lord the doctors that she went to represents all the substitutes we lean on try to find an answer to our predicament but what makes the difference the life of the church can be restored just like the life in that woman if we do one very important thing what does she do here's what she did she said within herself if I may but touch His Garment I shall be made whole that day there was something in that woman that knew that she wasn't letting Jesus get away this day and I could almost hear her in that crowd saying these words [Music] [Music] [Music] to not pass me by can you hear her see her can you see her in that crowd calling who's she calling who's she calling [Music] your hear my humble cry well on others [Music] today [Music] the Lord is saying the same to you are you sick and tired of being sick and tired do you want to lay down those issues that have been haunting you for year after year after year after year and they are determined to stay with you is there something within you is there something within you saying today is that day I'm I'm gonna find Jesus I'm going to lay them down at his feet I'm not going to let him Pass Me By and I will get to Touch the Hem of His Garment and I will be whole today no more substitutes no more asking people to give me permission to be free no more substitutes no am I asking people to help me figure this out mentally I've heard what Jesus can do and I'm determined today my faith and my persistence will get me to Jesus before he leaves town do you know I read the back part of the story and the commentaries it says this was the last journey that Jesus was taking through that town that was her last chance how many of you today know that today may be your last chance but I'm going to ask Danielle to sing that that song again while she's singing that there's somebody here today that say no no wait wait I don't know how this is going to work but one thing I do know I want to leave my past behind I don't want to fight with the issues anymore I'm just going to give all those issues to Jesus and he'll dry him up immediately he'll transform me he'll change me because I have not been able year after year after year I've not been able to resolve any of them but I know he came for those issues to be left at his feet if there's somebody here today that is sick and tired of being sick and tired tired of the substitutes they want something different they want their lives to go somewhere they're tired of being identified the same way they don't want 2023 to be the year that ends with them still in the crowd wondering how it's going to turn out somebody that's willing to stand today and say I want my life to be different foreign God's going to mark that moment he's going to mark that moment he's going to mark that moment and I want to I want to tell you what's going to happen he's going to so orchestrate the events of your life that you have a rendezvous a collision your past is going to have a collision with how you can become in the future God's going to mark that moment I don't know how he's going to do it I don't know when he's going to do it God decides and it won't be because you found him but he's going to come after you it could be at work one day you get an epiphany Lord this is my moment it could be when you see that person down the hall that's coming towards you that you just couldn't handle that you just don't like God said this is my moment show them who Jesus is and let me tell you something when that moment is over you're going to walk away and say wow wow that was so immediate that was so complete that was so beautiful why did I fear that moment for so long today I'm praying if you're watching that you won't be the woman that carries on this issue indefinitely that you as the woman in this story May recognize that Jesus is the only one that could resolve every issue of your family your life whether you're single or married the Lord has an answer for whatever dilemma you might be facing and he wants to change that life but today that your faith be coupled with persistence and say he's in town I'm getting to that place because Jesus has scheduled a meeting with me and I will not be late [Music] so I'm praying today that you won't leave here the way you came why are these stories so important to me because he's changed me I'm not the pastor that came here 20 years ago I know what I'm talking about because I've had those moments that God said get on your knees and when you get up I'll pick you up if you want that change you're going to be so excited about that change that you're going to want to say to other people like I've been saying for weeks and months and hopefully more than as much as I could have I know what God has done for me I want God to do the same for you loving father in Heaven oh the issues are so numerous and yet I find that every time I bring one to you immediately it vanishes into this beautiful meeting of divinity just consuming the humanity that's in me Community consuming my frustration and my anger and even the Vengeance sometimes I want to get back to them for what they said to me or what they did to me it even consumes that and I say God the issue is yours [Music] Lord today we're standing because you you know every issue in every life in this Auditorium those watching you know their issues [Music] but you have come to seek and to save change to empower to transform to make new Lord do that for Thompsonville do that for the marriages here for the single people the young people the older people do it because we say today I'm reaching out touch your garment and I pray Lord that we leave this place changed in our Outlook change to know that once we put this issue at your feet we are not going to be the same and how you change our Viewpoint how you change our vision about tomorrow that's up to you Lord thank you for deliverance thank you Jesus for coming to town today thank you for the touch that has transformed my life may I now go and tell the good news of how Jesus changed me and save me may I be a witness of your goodness to all the glory may go to you in Jesus name we all pray and God's people said

Channel: Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church

Views: 20,284

Keywords:

Id: j88a6rdN2bU

Length: 76min 24sec (4584 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 04 2023