Outbreak! Deveolping A Spiritual S.t.a.p.h. Infection Within The Church

OUTBREAK! TEXT: LUKE 8:43-48

Opening: There are certain words and terms that can strike fear into all of mankind: “The Plague” is one such term. Others words like “epidemic” and even the word “Outbreak” creates panic. Down through the sands of times, these words have been used far too often………. and the ramifications of words like these have stood in the remembrance of history.

I am sure that all of had to learn this story in our history classes. In the middle of the 14th century, there was an “outbreak” in Europe known as the “The Plague”. It was later earned the nickname: “The Black Death”. From 1347 to 1351, four short years,….. at least 75 million people were believed to have perished from this pandemic outbreak.

In 1918, there was another “outbreak”……this one was nicknamed the “The Spanish Flu”. It did not last long and within one year it had completely ran its course. However, it was believed that if this outbreak had not quickly found its demise…..it would have had the capacity of claiming over 1/3 of the earth’s population. In 2009, this “Spanish Flu” reared its ugly head once again……but with different names. By some, it was called “H1N1”……..but the media and probably most of us were calling it “the Swine Flu”.

1981 is another year that went down in history – An outbreak of unknown origin was affecting the people of Cameron. It was an outbreak that had originated in the Congo in 1959…….. but due to the restrictions and difficulties of transportation at that time, it was not brought into the main light of the world until 1981. Fear and panic struck the people of Africa and the entire world….as this plague began spreading quickly. This unknown virus, this plague, this outbreak……the one that we now refer to…… as HIV or Aids…..was spreading quickly around the world. While we are somewhat containing this disease, it is still believed that at least 35 million people are carrying the HIV virus today. And this deadly virus will one day claim the lives of its victims.

In all of these cases…….and many more like them………there was an “outbreak” where people were infected. And infectious people are often the most fear and even placed in a place of isolation. This isolation is for containment and for study. And can I say to you today that mankind has always possessed a sense of curiosity and there is an intense desire to study what we do not understand.

EXAMPLE: Here in our opening video, is the movie of a single monkey. A single monkey that unknowingly was infecting the entire world. Notice that this “outbreak” started with just one.

Therefore I would like to present a question to you today: “is being infected ALWAYS such a bad thing? Or can good come……when an outbreak occurs?

Here in our text in Luke 8, there is a story of a woman. A woman that was infected. She had a disease that could not be explained and in most importantly…..one that most people were probably even terrified of. There had to be concern in that day as to whether this disease she was carrying…was it contagious? Could it be transmitted to someone else?

But there is something else worth noting in this story: This woman had a disease that not only “infected” her…….but once she met Jesus………the results of that meeting would “affected” her.

I believe with all of my heart that Christians today need an infection. One that becomes contagious! We need an infection….. that begins to affects us…….just as it did this woman in our text today.

Luke 8:43-48 (KJV) 43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

Transition: How many of us can truly imagine what it would be like to have a disease and no one knows what it is…..or even more concerning,….. how to cure it? Can you imagine the feeling you would have after spending your entire life savings just looking for anyone that can fix what is wrong in you? Can you imagine the despair that you would carry……….. the depression that would linger……….. the hopelessness that would abound….simply because “NO ONE” could help you. This must have been the place that this woman was at……….UNTIL……..she heard about a man named Jesus!