Intro: New Year is a time of new beginnings and more often than not we use this time to make many resolutions about what we would like to change or accomplish. Goal setting has never been one of my strong points. I am a classic type B personality—just ask Bonnie—I was not born with a sense of urgency. But, like everyone else, I desire to change—to become the best I can be for God, for my family, and for the church.
Statistics tell us that over 80% of New Year resolutions are doomed for failure. In the face of that is success even an option? I have to say—YES—and here’s why.
CHANGE
A biblical look at change for the Christian is encouraging. Scripture teaches that not only is change possible, it is fundamental to the gospel message. Christ’s ministry was a call to move us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.
(Slides—short and sweet)
Ephesians 2:4-5: In Him we are transferred from death to life
Ezekiel 36:26: Our heart of stone becomes a heart of flesh
John 15:15: We become friends of God instead of His enemies
Romans 6:19: We are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness
Given such radical changes on a spiritual level, why are changes on a smaller scale so seemingly impossible?
RESOLVING TO FAIL
Is it worth setting resolutions then if only to fail in them at some point? My answer is “YES!”
Setting goals or making resolutions does not produce change in itself. But they can be beneficial if we approach them from a position of weakness. The reality is that apart from God we are powerless to change...
A PART FROM GOD WE ARE POWERLESS TO CHANGE!
Bible -- pursue holiness/godliness [right living]
-- Work hard; the kind of people God wants us to be
-- There are certain things we simply cannot do for ourselves.
For example (Slides)
We can’t save ourselves. We are lost without Christ.
We cannot, without God’s help, make ourselves holy. It takes an act of the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out.
For lasting change we must come to the point that we say, “God, I cannot do this without you.”
Haemorrhaging Woman
Mark 5 -- woman -- bleeding for 12 years.
Visited many doctors--spent all she had -- not better, but worse.
Heard about Jesus -- went to see him/surrounded by a huge crowd
Through the crowd -- close enough to touch him.
She kept telling herself, “If I can just touch the hem of his garment, I will be healed.” When she finally got near him, she reached out and touched him; immediately she was healed.
Jesus felt the healing power go out from him -- asked, “Who touched me?”
His disciples said, “With all these people pressing in on us, you want to know who touched you?
Jesus kept looking until finally the woman came forward and said, “It was me.” Jesus said,
(v. 34) “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
The healing power -- changed woman’s life -- available to you today.
If you’re struggling/beyond your control
Trying to change your -- more than you can do on your own
Today’s message will help you take hold of God’s power in your life
Woman to take hold of Jesus’ robe and receive his healing power
She first had to let go of some things—standing between her and wholeness.
These same things may be standing in your way, too
You’ll have to let go of them before you can experience his power in your life.
Let’s take a look at three things you must let go of in order to experience God’s power in your life.
1. You must let go of your futile efforts
Woman bleeding for 12 years -- and had tried in vain to be healed
(v. 26) She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.
To create change in your life, at some point you have to admit to yourself what is and isn’t working.
This woman
Thought doctors could heal her -- spending all her money on medical care
Was no better off -- In fact, she was worse
Came to a point where she said, “This isn’t working. I can’t do this on my own. I can’t buy back my good health. I’m completely helpless.”
Harvey McKay, the author of How To Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, said this: “If you have a problem that money can solve, you don’t have a problem; you have an expense.” Sounds like something a businessman would say, doesn’t it? He has a point, but let me tell you a mistake we often make: We often act as if we can buy off every problem we have, and it just doesn’t work that way. How many husbands have tried to revive their marriage by spending a lot of money on their wife? How many parents have tried to re-connect with their children by giving them a new car or some other expensive gift? Too often our knee-jerk reaction is to throw money at a problem, and more often than not, it doesn’t work.
When the woman in today’s story first became sick
With some money at her disposal
First reaction was (quite typically) to visit a doctor.
Couldn’t help -- went to another doctor -- He couldn’t help her
She had exhausted every cent she had
At the end of her rope, and realized, “This is a problem that money can’t make disappear.”
Money was the only resource she had, but it just wasn’t enough. Trying to buy back her health was an exercise in futility.
We need to ask ourselves: Where am I exercising futility in my own life? Where am I wasting my efforts to create change? Maybe you’re not trying to buy off your problems; maybe you’re trying to work them off. Or maybe you think if you keep everyone in your life under your control, eventually your marriage will get better, your relationship with your kids will get better, your job will get better, and on and on.
ILLUSTRATION: Father buying son’s affection failed
Certain changes can only be made from the inside out -- and it requires an act of God.
Have to come to the point of helplessness -- something you can’t do on your own
You have to say, “God, I can’t do this on my own. I need your help.”
To experience God’s power in your life for lasting change, you must let go of your own futile efforts.
2. You must let go of your shame.
When the woman touched Jesus, he insisted on knowing who touched him.
The woman came forward -- told her story
Didn’t just have health problems
Laws and customs -- illness -- made her ceremonially unclean
Prevent a natural relationship with her husband
Caused religiously strict people to shun her
For 12 years -- carrying this illness -- been carrying shame
Unclean—as a second-class citizen
ILLUSTATRION: Alcoholic let’s go of shame
secret for years -- began to have success staying sober -- had a tooth-ache -- needed dentist -- In the past -- experience w/ pain meds – often affected him -- the same way as a drink of alcohol – more than once – triggered a relapse -- Sat in the dentist’s chair found himself in a dreaded situation:
dentist -- a high-profile member of his church -- Struggling with an addiction to alcohol -- didn’t want to risk a setback -- He feared judgement -- Instead the dentist smiled -- said, “Don’t worry. I know how to handle it. And by the way, maybe you should start coming to our AA meetings.”
Later -- “Letting go of the shame I had associated with alcoholism, and being honest with myself and with God, was the most crucial step in my journey to full recovery.”
So many people go through life carrying a heavy load of shame, believing that because of a sin they’ve been struggling with, or a bad experience they’ve had in the past, they are now doomed to second-class status forever. The truth is if you will let go of your shame and be honest with yourself, and with God, and with others about who you are, you can experience God’s healing power in your life. This is what the woman in our story did.
(v. 33) Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.
Jesus could have said, “How dare you touch me! You’re unclean! You have no right to even be here!” He could have exposed her to public humiliation. Instead he elevated her to public honour. He told her:
(v. 34) “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Jesus wants to say the same to you -- have to be willing -- let go of shame. -- Open and honest about who you are and what you are struggling with.
He wants you to overcome -- no shame in being an overcomer.
No coincidence that the pastors of two of the largest churches in America—Bill Hybels of Willow Creek and Rick Warren of Saddleback—have both stood before their congregations and openly revealed the struggles in their personal lives
Marital problems, personal weaknesses, and failures they’ve experienced in their Christian life -- both have discovered -- when you stop trying to cover up and hide the truth -- openly confess your weaknesses before God -- you begin to experience his power in your life.
Let go of your shame and shame’s cousin [pride]
3. You must let go of your doubt
Woman in today’s story had faith -- could touch the hem of Jesus’ robe -- she would be healed -- she had faith -- put it all in Jesus -- let go of whatever doubts she might have had
“He wouldn’t heal me; I’m just a woman. He wouldn’t heal me; I’m unclean. He wouldn’t heal me; there are too many others who need healing.”
Whatever her doubts -- she let go of them -- acted on her faith -- left her house and went looking for him -- found him walking along the road -- surrounded by a huge crowd -- He was on his way into town to heal the dying daughter of an important religious leader -- maybe she was flooded again with doubt: “It’s too late. He won’t heal me now. I’m just a ‘nobody’. There are more important people than me who deserve his attention.”
Many people don’t doubt God’s ability to heal -- they doubt his willingness to heal someone as “worthless” as themselves.
This woman had many reasons to give up -- go home
She let go of her doubts -- press toward crowd -- getting closer to Jesus -- she was close enough to touch him
She might be discovered -- subjected to public humiliation
-- She let go of her doubt -- reached out in faith -- touched his robe
One touch was all it took; she was healed.
You may doubt that you are worthy to experience God’s power in your life
-- Let go of it
You may doubt you have what it takes to enjoy the fullness of his blessing in your life -- Let go of it
You may doubt that he would ever be willing to heal you of whatever it is that afflicts you today -- Let go of it.
Let go of your doubt, and reach out to him in faith. It doesn’t matter how far away he may seem to be, or how unimportant you may believe that you are, or what the rest of the crowd may say or think about you. Let go of your doubts and reach out and touch him.
Jesus said to the woman,
(v. 34) “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
CONCLUSION
to create lasting change in your life -- takes an act of God
He can change you -- things you can’t change yourself
When you let go -- reach out to Jesus -- he will do -- what you cannot -- for yourself -- for things you can’t change by your own strength -- he gives you the strength -- The shame that holds you back -- he wash away -- doubts you struggle with—accepting his unending love for you—he can make disappear -- if you’ll just reach out and touch him.
