Knowing Jesus As Complete Wholeness

KNOWING JESUS IN COMPLETE WHOLENESS

AUGUST 15, 2004 Jay Robison MARK 5:25-34

I have researched Sermon Central as well as other resources in preparation of this message. I want to acknowledge Joel Smith’s contribution on this passage.

What are your handicaps, limitations, hang-ups?

May haunt you daily or periodically, new or old condition

Maybe physical pain or something don’t like about your body Some of us struggle w\emotional and psychological disorders like depression, fear, worry or various forms of neurosis. Or weaknesses are spiritual arena. You’re plagued by doubt. Or there’s a nasty temptation you keep yielding to.

May be new problem or one you’ve had all of life

Today we will focus on those handicaps, limitations, hang-ups

Learn how to find Jesus’ healing from unnamed lady in Mk 5

Jesus asked to heal gravely ill daughter of synagogue leader

His growing popularity so crowd pressed on him

There, a woman touches Jesus we don’t even know her name God’s way of inviting all of us who are hurting to his side

I am convinced God wants to give us wholeness

God knows about limits, barriers, hurts of your life & mine

Invites us to wholeness, learn from this lady

1. Don’t Allow YOUR DIFFICULTIES TO DEFINE YOU

Mark tells us all we know about this lady, no name

But this Vs 26 NCV She had suffered very much from many doctors & had spent all the money she had, but instead of improving, she was getting worse.

Unpack that a little bit, Mark tells us a mouthful

This lady had problems!

PHYSICAL-12 YEARS OF BLEEDING

Commentators believe some kind of uterine bleeding

Visiting lady in last church who had hysterectomy knew as a man I couldn’t relate delicate to ask about she said

I’ve been bleeding for yrs just wanted get that out of there

Suffice it to say blood is a personal thing

My blood is very personal to me lady lost blood 12 yrs

FINANCIAL-SPENT ALL THE $$ SHE HAD

Medical care was not as available to masses in that day

Usually only the rich could afford to see Dr.

Mark says this lady spend all $$ she had on Drs

And she not only did not get better but worse

She was at the end of her rope

SPIRITUAL-SHE WAS UNCLEAN

Lev 15:19–27 goes into great detail women w\blood unclean

Anything she touched unclean If she married, for 12 years she could not touch her husband or her children,

She was forbidden to enter temple for worship

EMOTIONAL-ISOLATED, LONG ILLNESS

She not allowed to walk in streets where there were people She could not sit on anything, it would be unclean

Nobody dared to visit her she was rejected from society. She had been humiliated because her sickness like leprosy. Woman put out of home not allowed to touch loved ones

No affection or sexual intercourse unclean

Still this woman was desperate for help her.

She would not allow herself to be defined by her difficulties she would not be marked only by her condition

If you ever start defining yourself by your difficulties

Or labels that others give you you’ve been defeated by them. If you make excuses about what you can’t do certain things because of your challenges you’ve been defeated by them. Don’t follow pattern of our culture and label yourself with a disease or dysfunction. If you do, you’ve been defeated.

Parents don’t allow your kids to be labeled

If you call them shy, slow, stupid, ADD, ADHD, dyslexic, etc you’re aiding & abetting their defeat. They’ll use limitation

as excuse for any behavior or not achieving their potential.

HS boy on Crutches kept him from being physically active,

he excelled in studies & was well liked by peers.

They saw problems had getting around, sometimes felt sorry for him, but for a long time nobody asked why on crutches One day, his best friend asked “It was polio,” answered boy “It’s so hard for you, how do you keep from being bitter?” Tapping his chest w\his hand, young man replied w\a smile, “Oh, it only got to my legs! It never touched my heart.

2. Reach Out FOR RESTORATION

Does not mean ignore pain

Farmer Joe decided his injuries from accident serious enough to take trucking co (responsible for the accident) to court. In court, trucking company’s fancy lawyer was questioning Joe. "Didn’t you say, at the scene of the accident, I’m fine’?" Farmer Joe "Well I’ll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the..." "I didn’t ask for any details," lawyer interrupted, "just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, ’I’m fine’!" Farmer Joe "Well I had just got Bessie into the trailer & I was driving down the road..." Lawyer interrupted again "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told Highway Patrol that he was just fine. Now several weeks after accident he is suing my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question." But Judge was interested in story "I’d like to hear what he has to say about his favorite mule Bessie." Joe thanked Judge proceeded, "Well as I was saying, I just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into trailer driving her down highway when huge semi-truck ran stop sign & smacked my truck right in side. I was thrown into one ditch Bessie was thrown into other. I was hurting real bad & didn’t want to move. However, I could hear ole Bessie moaning & groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Soon State Police came on scene. Officer heard Bessie moaning\groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her he took out his gun & shot her between the eyes. Officer then came across the road w\his gun in his hand looked at me said, "Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?" It was then that I said, "I’m fine."