SPECIAL DAYS: Fourth of July

July 2, 2000 - LESSON: Mark 5.26-29, NRSV

SERMON TITLE: Taking Risks, Playing With the Odds

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INTRODUCTION:

1. A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3.
1. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
2. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.
1. "If Jesus were sitting here, he would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.'"
2. Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"
2. Humorous, perhaps, but it confronts us with one of the most seductive temptations.
1. That is to attempt to be God.
1. This was the basis of the temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness.
2. He was confronted by the enemy who encouraged him to use his power for self-satisfaction.
3. This is what is meant by playing God.
4. The dangers cannot be fully explored or understood.
2. It is better to let God be God, to let Jesus be Jesus.
3. It is better to study what Jesus has taught.
4. It is better to apply the principles that Jesus said were vital for life and faith.
5. One of the most important is in our lesson for today.

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MAIN BODY:

1. She has no name.
1. The woman has been ill for 12 years.
2. She has spent all she has, but with no relief.
3. She has one, and only one, option that may lead to healing.
4. She is willing to take the risk.
5. She is willing to play with the odds.
2. Jesus words to her are also words for us.
1. Mark 5:34, NRSV, He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
2. Your faith has made you well.
3. There was the need for a touch, a contact with the source of power.
4. Without faith there would have been no touch.
3. Faith is needed not only in relationship to one's God, but also in the family and the nation.
1. What we believe creates our identity.
2. Our identity determines what we will do in all the circumstances and conditions of our lives.
3. Faith is fundamental.
4. If you explore the concept of faith you will find that:
1. Faith is a gift--our faithfulness is a gift by the grace of God.
1. God has given each of us a measure of faith.
2. Romans 12:3, NRSV, For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
3. The woman had a measure of faith.
1. The stories of Jesus healing were being communicated.
2. If he could heal another, then he could heal her.

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1. Faith is trust and trusteeship in God's power.
1. The disciples fail in their first attempts to drive out demons because they lack trust in the power of faith and thus cannot be trustees of God's power.
1. (Matthew 17:14-16 NRSV) When (Jesus and the disciples) came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, [15] and said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. [16] And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him."
2. They would develop the faith necessary to perform many extraordinary works of healing.
2. In Matthew 12:18-21 NRSV "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. [19] He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. [20] He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. [21] And in his name the Gentiles will hope."
1. Hope results from the trust one places in Christ.
2. The woman trusted that Jesus could heal her.
2. Faith is obedience - Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another; John's epistle reminds us to obey all God's commandments so that our faith will have the power to witness to the world.
1. Romans 16:25-26 NRSV, Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages [26] but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith-
2. The obedience of faith to the principles of God revealed through the grace of Jesus Christ.
3. The women demonstrates her obedience to God through her actions.
1. She does not let the crush of people deter her from her quest.
2. If I but touch the hem of his garment I will be healed.

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1. Faith is salvific - Acts 10:43 and John 1:12 both specifically link the forgiveness of sins with faith in Jesus Christ.
1. Romans 10:13-17 NRSV, For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." [14] But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? [15] And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" [16] But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" [17] So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
2. Acts 4:12 NRSV, There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."
1. The women receives salvation.
2. Mark 5:34 NRSV, He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well;
3. go in peace
1. Be at peace with God
2. Be at peace then with yourself
4. and be healed of your disease."
1. She was healed.
2. Spiritually as well as physically.
2. Faith is inclusive
1. The story of the woman is sandwiched between the story of the death of the daughter of Jairus.
1. Jairus is a leader of the synagogue
2. His daughter was ill "unto death"
3. His daughter was healed, but not in the way he expected nor anticipated.

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1. In another instance of healing recorded in Matthew 8, Jesus was approached by a Roman Centurian whose servant was ill.
1. The Centurian only wanted Jesus to speak a word for he bleieved that if Jesus did that his servant would be healed.
2. When Jesus heard the words of the Centurian he was amazed and said that he had not found such faith in all of Israel.
2. Faith is for both Jew and Gentile.
3. For all regardless of their church affiliation.
4. Everyone who has faith in Christ will be saved.

CONCLUSION:

1. In the early 1870's Horatio Spafford was a wealthy Chicago lawyer and friend of revivalist Dwight L. Moody.
1. "In the 1871 Chicago fire he lost much of his fortune.
2. "In the 1873 financial panic he lost most of what was left.
3. "His wife Annie's health and his own misfortunes prompted the family physician to recommend an ocean trip away from the states for the family.
1. "At the last minute, because of unexpected business demands, Spafford sent his wife on ahead with their four daughters, ranging in ages from eighteen months to eighteen years, promising to join them in a couple of weeks.
2. "Six days out and in mid-ocean, the steamer Ville du Havre collided with the English sailing vessel Lochearn and sank within fifteen minutes.
3. "From France Mr. Spafford received a wire from his wife which read: "Saved alone. Children lost. What shall I do?"

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1. "Spafford set sail immediately to be with his wife.
1. "After six days at sea, the captain notified Spafford that they were at that very moment passing over the place where his four beautiful daughters were buried at the bottom of the sea.
2. "Standing in silence on the deck, gazing at the spot where the ship most likely went down, Spafford suddenly turned away and proceeded to his berth.
3. "There he sat at the captain's desk, and wrote a poem.
4. "Set to a melody written by P.P. Bliss, this poem became one of the most inspiring songs to come out of the gospel song movement.
5. It is also one of the greatest hymns about faith ever written.
6. 
    

   When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   when sorrows like sea billows roll;
   whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well with my soul.

   Though Satan should buffet,
   though trials should come,
   let this blest assurance control,
   that Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
   and hath shed his own blood for my soul.

   My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   is nailed to his cross, and I bear it no more,
   praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.

   And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
   the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   even so, it is well with my soul.
    

7. Spafford came to grips with his loss.
8. His faith saved and healed him.
1. So here we are struggling with ourselves, life and with the need for relief.
1. The anonymous woman is a role model for relief.
2. Spafford is a role model for relief.
3. They both depend on the source of relief.
4. That source is Jesus.
5. You can either attempt to play god or accept God's relief.
6. It is up to you.

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