Rise Up in Resurrection Power
Sunday, August 20, 2017
By Rev. James May
In everything that happens in life there are lessons to be learned. Whether we learn them or not depends upon what we choose as our point of focus. We can zero in the circumstances around us such as tragedy, danger, inconveniences, trouble, and all the outward signs and appearances of what lies before us; or we can focus on the solution, the answer, and the awesome power of God Almighty to help us overcome life’s troubles and live in victory and power.
The result of where keep our focus and what we do, what we say and what we truly believe about the things we face will always become evident in the days ahead. Either we will learn to be overcomers by faith, or we will continually live in defeat, with lives full of worry and fear about everything that comes our way. Christians should live above worry and fear because we should have faith in our God to overcome every obstacle in his way and in his own time.
I feel led to bring your attention this morning on a very familiar story in the New Testament book of Luke, chapter 8. It’s the story of Jarius’ daughter. I know you’ve heard the story many times, yet I think there’s something that the Holy Spirit would have us to see that perhaps we haven’t seen before, and if you have, then let this message be a reminder of what we should be focusing on.
Luke 8:40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.
Everywhere that Jesus went, after his fame was spread, there were throngs of people following him. I have no doubt that some were there just to hear his teaching, but I think that most were there to see if he was more than that. They were looking for a Messiah, and they wanted to see if Jesus would be the One. Of course he was the Messiah, but he did not attempt to overthrow Roman rule and he never focused on making Israel and the Jews a free people who would enjoy peace and safety. He came to establish a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly one. And that was not what the Jews even wanted much less understood.
Having cast the devils out of the man among the tombs of Gadara, Jesus complied with the requests of the people around that area who were probably Jews engaged in raising pigs. They had asked Jesus to leave before their work was revealed and before they lost their means of income. It was not legal for Jews to raise pigs which were an unclean animal according to the Law of Moses.
If he could deliver one demoniac and cost them a whole herd of pigs, what would happen if Jesus went around delivering more people from the devil? Their earthly wealth was far more valuable to those who raised the pigs for a living, than learning and knowing the awesome power of God and having a revival in the land where men could be set free from every bondage of sin and the chains of the devil that kept them bound.
Don’t be too hard on the pig farmers in Gadara though. After all, we have that same spirit not only in America, but even in our own church sometimes. I wonder how often we might choose the things of the world over Jesus? What might take his place as the most important thing, or the most important person in our lives?
The people of Gadara didn’t want Jesus around. The asked him to leave so he did. There is no record that Jesus ever went back to that land. He won’t go where he isn’t wanted. Gadara had its opportunity for a visitation of the Son of God in their midst, but they didn’t value his presence and lost their chance for a great revival and deliverance. It is true that the former demoniac of the Gadarenes preached Christ, but there is no record of how effective his witness was. Nowhere is there a record in the Bible of a church being established in Gadara.
But when Jesus came back to the shore of the Sea of Tiberias in Galilee the Galileans were there by the hundreds waiting on him to step ashore. The Sea of Tiberias was also called the Sea of Galilee or the Lake Gennesaret.
I pray that America, and even just the people of our own community would have that same attitude toward Jesus. America, and even man in our own community are like the Gadarenes who loved their lives and their fortunes more than Jesus and who chose to throw him out of their lives! We need to be like the Galileans who ran to meet him, invited him into their homes and their lives, and wouldn’t leave, not even to get a sandwich at the Tiberian McDonalds because they were so hungry for anything from God? Sure, they may have come for the wrong reason some of the time, but at least they came, they heard and they were expectant!
• Do we run to hear the word of the Lord? Much of the time, we don’t run; we don’t even walk – we drag ourselves into church out of duty expecting little or nothing when we come!
• Do we leave our place of comfort and go out to seek him wherever he may be found? For some people, Jesus would have to walk up, get nose to nose with us and call us by name, for us to even know he’s near. We are too busy to even hear him.
• Do we even make our own secret altar of prayer where we can hear from him? For some of us that altar of prayer is the last 30 seconds before we finally fall asleep, or only when we hear a song on the radio that really touches our hearts.
I pray that there will come a day when I can’t even get into the parking lot an hour before church because people are so hungry to be in the presence of the Lord and so hungry for the Word of God that they are standing in lines waiting for the doors to open! I’ve seen it like that in a few places that I’ve visited! Why is it not like that everywhere?
• Have we grown too accustomed to a status quo where nothing new ever happens?
• Have we lost the zeal and the excitement of being in the presence of the Lord?
We talk about being in the presence of the Holy Ghost, but when was the last time that awesome presence of God came into your heart and set you on fire, renewing that passion for Jesus, and stirred you so much that you couldn’t sit still? Oh that we will have that passion once again! Lord, light a fire in us now!
Jesus stepped out of the boat and the people thronged around him. They were a sea of needy people, each one looking for something from the Lord. But Jesus didn’t cast them aside. They kept following him even though He was on a mission and he didn’t care who followed.
The Lord looked into the heart of each one of them. Their very thoughts and intents were revealed to the Lord. He knew what they wanted, why they wanted it, and what they would do if they were to receive it. And those who were reaching out in spirit and in truth, seeking by faith in the power of God, to received what they needed without purely selfish motives, the Lord often touched.
At the same time that Jesus was being thronged there came a man in desperate need of an answer.
Luke 8:41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
Luke 8:42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.
What’s it worth to you to fight a crowd on behalf of your child, or your children? What obstacle will stand in your way when you know it’s a matter of life and death? What job, what house, what car, what game of sports, what visitor, what of anything or anyone will keep you from doing whatever you must to get what you need to save that child?
Here was a ruler of the synagogue in Capernaum of Galilee, a religious man, yet a strong leader among the Jews. He maintained control in the of worship services in the synagogue and was an elder among the people. He was a man of substance and of great influence, yet he still had to overcome the crowds to get to Jesus. He didn’t care about what people might think about the way he acted. Jarius’ 12 year old daughter was dying, and nothing was going to stand in the way! He fought and clawed his way to Jesus, fighting the crowd! He was a desperate father, trying to reach out to the only one who could help.
Before Jarius could even present his request, the worst news of his life came! You can imagine the disappointment, the despair and the sorrow that engulfed him at that moment.
Luke 8:49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
Death had come! The little girl was beyond help now! The heart had stopped, she had breathed her last, no doubt the body had already began to be severely damaged from lack of oxygen, but what did it matter – she was dead and it was over! What could any Teacher do now? While there was life, there was hope, but now there was neither! What good is it to call for prayer for healing and deliverance after death has come?
Luke 8:50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
How far will your faith take you? Will it take you to death’s door and leave you there? Will it take you only as far as the doctor can help and then it’s over? Will it take you only as far as your eyes can see? That’s what happened with Jarius! Why go now – it’s just too late.
Yet there must have been a glimmer of faith and hope that was awakened in Jarius because he had come so far to get to Jesus. What else could he do but continue on the course with the Lord? His faith was small, his hope was lost, yet he walked on obedience to the Word of Jesus!
Luke 8:51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
No doubt the house was filled with family, friends, servants and now with many who followed Jesus along with his disciples. They all entered, as many as could, into the house, but when they went into the room where the 12 year old girl was lying, Jesus only allowed his closest disciples and the father and mother of the girl to go in.
Why did he do that? I think there are a couple of reasons. First of all, ever word of God should be established by 2 or 3 witnesses, so he brought in Peter, James and John to be witnesses to the great miracle. Jesus brought in the parents of the girl, after all they had more to gain or lose than anyone in the house. It was only right that they should see what was happening with their own daughter.
Another reason, and perhaps more important, was that the house was filled with mourning and crying! No one believed that Jesus could do anything, not even the disciples and the parents of the child. They were too busy crying and wailing to really see what Jesus could do.
Luke 8:52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
Get the picture here! A 12 year old girl has been pronounced dead. I don’t know how much time has passed, but it was very likely a few hours or more since she had died. Mourners were all around. Tragedy and sadness filled the room. All hope for recovery was forever gone. More than likely, plans were already underway for her burial. Everybody was crying, wailing, weeping and mourning the loss of this precious little girl.
And then Jesus walks in and says, “Shut up all this racket! Stop crying and mourning! Put a smile on your face! She’s not dead, just sleeping!”
I’m amazed that the next verse only says that they laughed at Jesus. It would have been more than some could take to hear him act like that! Doesn’t he have respect for the dead and for her hurting family! If that would have been today, they would have thrown him out the door! Crazy old preacher! If he can’t mourn with us, and at least act concerned, then who needs him?
Luke 8:53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
There you see where the mind of man always focuses. He only sees and believes what he thinks he knows! If it doesn’t make sense, then I can’t accept it. If it means stepping out by faith and accepting the word of God as truth in spite of everything that’s screaming in my ears that it can’t be true, then I won’t take that leap of faith and believe! If it isn’t right; it isn’t right, I don’t care what the Bible says, or what the preacher says, or what the Word of God says to the contrary!
That’s the attitude of those who walk by sight and not by faith!
These Jews were accustomed to death! They knew what death was! They knew what death looked like! They weren’t stupid, ignorant and unlearned people! I don’t doubt that they had all experienced the process of dying in their families many times before. What would make this time any different?
Have you ever been in the presence of one who is dying, or who has died? I’m sure some of you have. It’s not a pretty sight to see! I’ve been there a number of times and it never gets any better. It’s something I don’t think that you could ever really get used to seeing.
The look of death comes slowly at first. The body begins to shut down, and skin tone and color begins to change. Breathing becomes shallow and breaths come longer in between. The heart slows its beating and finally stops altogether. In an instant of time the skin turns pale grey and the spirit that gives this body life departs. The body begins to revert immediately into the clay from which it is formed out of the ground just as the scripture says.
When this daughter of Jarius died, that’s what they saw!
When we take our eyes off of Jesus and begin to focus on anything else of this world, that’s what we will see too.
• You won’t see the possibility of lost loved ones coming to Jesus so that they may live again. All you will see is a hopeless cause and the impossibility of reaching them with the gospel.
• You won’t see the possibility of a miracle of healing. All you’ll see is the hopeless diagnosis of a doctor who can only do so much but has no power over life and death in the end.
• You won’t see the provision that God has already put in store for the rest of your life. All you’ll see are the grey tones of the skies above and the final breaths of your future dying as you are forced to walk away from your only source of income to pay the bills.
• You won’t see the power of forgiveness, or the way that God can make before you to solve marriage issues and heal family relationships. All you’ll see are the battle scars of defeat after defeat; and the hurts and wounds of the past, and the inability of any hope of reconciliation and true forgiveness. All you’ll see is the death of the marriage and a future of trouble that will never end.
You see, the mind of man cannot see past present circumstances! All we can see is the tragedy, the hopelessness and the immediate moments ahead! We have a hard time seeing past tomorrow, and even tomorrow is pretty hazy.
Jesus knew that this was all those who mourned could see, so he only allowed a few inside, even though they too were mourning.
Luke 8:54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
Now the feeling in the room began to change drastically because the Word of Life was spoken and Resurrection Power went forth. The voice of the Giver of Life spoke into the darkness of death and called forth the spirit of Jarius’ daughter! The power of the resurrection life brought her spirit forth and her spirit entered into her dead body, giving it new life! She arose from death through the power of God! She spoke, and she saw and she heard and she loved because of the new life that hers!
Luke 8:55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
When her spirit returned, not only was she given a new life, but that sickly, diseased and dead body was made whole again by the miracle working power of Christ. She had no after effects; no brain damage from lack of oxygen; no heart problems; no memory issues. She had a new and perfect life in Christ and the opportunity now to grow up as a witness to the power of the resurrection!
She began to eat and drink and enjoy life as she did before. She still needed sustenance for the body and she still needed to face life and grow up! But what a miracle that was!
Jesus was late arriving at Jarius’ house, but he was right on time for the resurrection power to move! Let that be a lesson to all of us! No matter how bad it seems; or hopeless the situation; or how much it just doesn’t add up or make sense; or how much you can’t seem to reason it out – Jesus is always there right on time – his time – with the answer you need!
Don’t lose faith! Focus on Jesus! Stop looking at the world around you and focus on the power of God to bring his will to pass in your life!
Luke 8:56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
That last part was put in there because Jesus didn’t want it spread around what had happened any more than necessary. It wasn’t his time to be placed into the limelight that much and draw the hatred of the religious leaders more than it was already. And he wasn’t ready to go into Jerusalem and face death on the cross yet. There was much more to do before that day, so he said for them to keep quiet over what had happened.
But the thing I want you to see is that when Jesus spoke resurrection life into Jarius’ daughter and she arose again, her parents were astonished!
Astonished means they were filled with a sudden and overpowering surprise or wonder, and they were totally amazed at what Jesus did! They didn’t expect it. They didn’t have the faith to believe it before it happened. But it happened anyway because it was in the will of God to do it!
That’s what we need to focus on! I believe God is getting ready to astonish some people around here!
I believe the time has come that God says it has been long enough that you’ve stood around mourning, wondering, hoping beyond hope, crying in doubt and fear, and looking at circumstances instead of looking at Jesus!
• The Lord is walking into your dead circumstances, into your dead tragedies, into those dead hopes and dreams and into your long dead belief that your children and grandchildren will be saved.
• He is walking into dead relationships to create new life in many that have been filed away and sealed shut.
• Jesus is walking into dead churches, giving new life into dead pulpits, and speaking to those in the church that will hear to arise again!
• Start feeding once again on the Bread of Life!
• Start drinking of the water of the Word of God!
• Start flowing in the Gifts of the Spirit!
• Arise, Church! Arise to new Life in Christ for the power of the Resurrection Life has come and the Word of Life has been given, and the Spirit of Life has come again!
• So Arise and be healed!
• Arise and be set free!
• Arise and receive new life!
• Arise and walk by faith once again!
• Arise and receive new vision and a new ability to hear the Lord once again!
• Arise and come out of your slumber and sleep!
It was at this point of the message as I was writing it that I felt a strong presence of the Lord begin to arise within me, even stronger than during all of the message before. I knew that the Lord wanted to speak so I just listened and wrote what he spoke to me.
So this I say by the unction of the Holy Ghost. These are words from the very heart of God.
“My people, and my church, shall Arise again, saith the Lord! And I am bringing forth newness of Life; a new hunger for my word! And I am bringing forth a new hope for a greater future than you could ever imagine! I have spoken it, and it shall come to pass!
Prepare to be astonished for you will arise into a new life of power, victory and praise that will bring glory to my name!
Thus I have spoken saith the Lord!
Arise my people! Arise and Live in my Resurrection power!
And again I say, Come forth from your graves of doubt and fear! Come forth from your dead reasoning!
Come forth from your mourning!
Come forth into New Life in my name, saith the Lord your God!
Arise and be healed! Arise and walk in power! Arise and Live!
Arise for I have called you forth for such as hour as this!Arise!”
At that moment the Lord stopped speaking direct, but it’s time we heard and began to arise. Let us all arise, right where we are! If you want to come forward and stand before the Lord, COME! If you want to stand before him where you are that okay too! But we must ARISE and we must hear his word!
Let God arise in our midst this morning as we praise him! Let God arise in us and he calls us forth to arise in him! The Spirit of the Lord is here right now to bring resurrection life to everyone who will arise in obedience to his call!
