THE GOD WHO MAKES HOUSE CALLS
LK. 8:40-56
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A persistent salesman refused to leave when the secretary told him the boss was out. An hour passed, then two. Finally, weary of being a prisoner in his own office, the boss admitted the salesman.
2. "My secretary told you I was out," exclaimed the puzzled boss. "How did you know I was in?" "Easy," explained the salesman. "Your secretary was working."
B. TEXT
8:40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. 49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” 51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
C. THESIS
1. The idea of ‘Doctor House Calls’ reminds me of the days of Gunsmoke when Doc Adams routinely rode his buggy half a day into the country around Dodge City to visit sick patients. He often got little or no pay for doing so.
2. Shift to today when you have to make an appointment a month in advance to see a specialist and even with a G.P., if you miss your appointment, they still charge you $30 for their inconvenience.
3. And forget the G.P. ever coming to your house – you go to their office and get a 10-minute appointment after waiting 1½ hours past your time.
4. As amazing as it sounds, we serve a God who isn’t too busy or important to make house calls. Jesus did it routinely. He came to Peter’s house to heal his mother-in-law (Mt. 8:14); He had dinner at Matthew/Levi’s house (Mt. 9:10); he agreed to go to the centurion’s house to heal his servant (Lk. 7:6); into Simon the Pharisee’s house for dinner (Lk. 7:36); the dropsy man Pharisee house (Lk. 14:1); He went to Zachaeus’ house to eat & heal him (Lk. 19:5); and he went to Lazarus’ tomb to raise him from the dead (Jn. 11:31). There are 6 or more houses Jesus entered which were not identified.
5. We’re reading today about when Jesus was asked to come to the house of Jairus to heal his dying daughter.
I. JESUS MADE A HOUSE CALL
A. WEAK FAITH HONORED
1. Jairus didn’t have the faith of the centurion (Lk. 7:6), who told Jesus it wasn’t necessary for Him to come to his house, but to speak the healing word at a distance.
2. But Jesus complied with his request; he went along with him. Strong faith is applauded, yet weak faith shall not be rejected. We don’t have to be afraid if we have weak faith; Jesus will still honor us!
3. If your problems are looking big, and your God is looking small, then you’re looking at God through the wrong end of the binoculars. When you use a magnifying glass, it doesn’t change the size of what you look at. It changes your perception.
4. ILLUS. There was a huge storm and a father remembered that his little girl was upstairs alone. Thinking that she might be frightened by the thunder and lightning, he raced up to her room and found her with her face pressed against the window. “I think God’s trying to take my picture,” she said. Perspective!
B. WHY JESUS LEFT THE MULTITUDE BEHIND
1. When Jairus made his appeal, Jesus was looking at probably 500 people who had needs. To answer Jairus’ request, Jesus had to turn away from 500 other needs. Why did He do it? For at least two reasons.
2. First, God responds to ‘importunate’ prayers – that is, desperate prayer. It was a “life & death” need. Many times we mumble and don’t even focus on what we’re asking from God. But when people are desperate, they “take hold of God.” This girl was Jairus’ ONLY child; God knows what that feels like! Jairus held on to Jesus and wouldn’t let go.
3. Secondly, God wants you to know that He doesn’t just love the world, He loves YOU personally. God has time to listen and respond to your prayer. Jesus said that the Good Shepherd will “leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it” Lk. 15:4.
4. Tonight, if you’re hurting in your heart, Jesus is here to make a house call. Ps. 147:3; “[The Lord] heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.” He cares about you! He may not fix everything that’s wrong, but He will comfort you with the promise that one day He’ll make everything right.
II. DELAYS AREN’T DENIALS
A. PRAYERS HINDERED
1. Just after Jairus got Jesus to start toward his house there were two big delays: the crowd and a woman. Both of these hindered Christ from getting to the house until the girl died.
2. Delays happen. We wonder why God hasn’t answered our prayers. Many times in Scripture people’s prayers were delayed until it was too late. It looked like God failed. Examples:
a. God promised Abram a son when he was seventy-five... but 24 years passed and no son was born to Sarah, and they both passed child-bearing range.
b. A widow and her son had prayed and prayed. Their food finally ran out. So they went out to collect a few sticks to cook their last meal before they died.
c. Lazarus became ill. His two sisters sent for Jesus, but Jesus didn’t come. Lazarus finally died and was put in the tomb. Jesus finally arrived four days later.
d. God gave Joseph dreams that he would become a ruler. Instead, his brothers sold him into slavery and imprisonment for 13 years.
e. A father brought his son to Jesus’ disciples. Instead of getting better, the boy grew worse and the disciples couldn’t do anything to help him.
3. All those Bible people probably all wondered if God had forgotten them. Many times in life, it looks like God has not come through for us.
B. GOD KNOWS THE END FROM THE BEGINNING
1. “I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand” Isa. 46:9-10. In all the above situations, God DID COME THROUGH; it just wasn’t in their timing! God has to “work all things” together for good. There’s a lot of moving pieces in the will of God that we don’t see. Trust Him. He knows best.
2. GOD MAKES MIRACLES OUT OF MESSES. Hell may have started this mess but God is going to finish it. God can take the lump of clay on the Potter’s wheel & make a miracle out of it! Have faith!
3. THE IMPOSSIBILITIES ARE WHERE GOD SHOWS UP!
III. THE GIRL RAISED TO LIFE
A. AFTER NEWS OF THE CHILD’S DEATH…
1. Jesus encouraged Jairus not to distrust His love & power; though the situation looks beyond all hope, don’t limit Christ’s power. “Fear not,” said Jesus, “only believe.” Our faith in Christ should be bold and daring!
2. People may say, “It’s too late to pray.” Not when Jesus is involved!
B. HER RETURN TO LIFE
1. THE TOUCH OF JESUS. He took her by the hand (isn’t it a wonderful thought that your hand will someday touch the Savior’s hand?) saying, “My child, get up!”
2. EXISTENCE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT
Verse 55 says, “Her spirit returned.” Here Luke the physician explicitly says that her soul/spirit returned again to animate her body. This confirms Paul’s statement of the tripart nature “spirit, soul, and body” in 1 Thess. 5:23. The body is just the shell the spirit & soul inhabit until death.
3. LIFE AFTER DEATH; HEAVEN & HELL
a. There is life after death. Our spirits are immortal and can’t die, but must live in either heaven or hell forever. The girl’s spirit had returned to God (Eccles. 12:7) and Jesus, as Lord of the realm of death, called her back from the other world. Death isn’t the end.
b. When God calls all the atheists to awake and stand before Him it’s going to be a terrible shock for them. The Rich Man (Lk. 16:27-29) felt that God had the obligation to work a special miracle (raise beggar Lazarus) for people to believe; but God said His Word, the Bible, was sufficient testimony!
4. NEW BABES NEED SPIRITUAL MEAT. Just as she needed food to help reestablish her in earthly life, the newborn Child of God needs spiritual food to stay knitted to spiritual life. 1 Pet. 2:2; “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”
5. PARENT’S AMAZED. The Greek word has the connotation of being shocking. It’s translated here as “astonished,” elsewhere as “wonder” or being “beside oneself.” They became aware of Jesus’ authority over all worlds/ dimensions! Lord of All!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: DON'T TRUST FEELINGS
1. A helicopter pilot who flew from an aircraft carrier in the Pacific told this story. He said,
2. "I was flying the helicopter back to the ship when a blinding fog rolled in. Flying at a low altitude, I knew that a single mistake would plunge my crew and me into the ocean.”
3. “Worse yet, I was experiencing a complete loss of balance -- which is common for pilots flying by instruments. It was so bad, that despite the instrument readings, I was certain I was flying the helicopter sideways.”
4. “For 15 minutes I flew the helicopter by its instruments, fighting the urge to turn it according to my feeling.
5. When we finally broke safely through the fog, I was deeply thankful I had been trained to rely upon my instruments rather than on my feelings."
6. That’s what people going through trials have to do – keep going in faith! “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36.
B. THE CALL
1. Jesus cares for you, in your crisis, just as much as He did for Jairus. Do you have a situation where help seems impossible? Are others discouraging your faith?
2. DO LIKE JAIRUS:
a. Humble Yourself
b. Call Earnestly on God
c. Verbalize your faith
d. Believe and keep going despite other’s doubt.
3. SCRIPTURES ABOUT GOD HELPING US:
a. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” Ps. 46:1.
b. “My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” 2 Cor. 12:9.
c. “Do not fear…2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” Isa. 43:1-3.
d. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” Ps. 23:1.
4. PRAYER.
[This message had influence from Michael Crews and Matthew Henry.]
