Intro: This morning I want to talk to about some issues we are dealing with. This sermon will address the mental strong holds we face and tonight I will talk about the physical limitations we may face
I. Her issue.
Here we have a woman that is suffering from an infirmity for 12 years. This issue is described as an issue of blood, now many scholars have debated on what this issue was many concluding that it was a continual menstrual cycle. I can’t help but not only feel bad for her but for her husband and every one that knew her. I know woman that when that time comes she is no longer sister but the incredible Hulk. So I can imagine this woman having a 12 year long cycle was not the most pleasant woman.
Here she is dealing with this issue and is not getting any better. She has spent everything she has and nothing to show for but empty pockets and a broken heart.
Here she is going to every doctor in town, Chapel Hill could not help Duke Medical is baffled and ran every test they can. She has tried every over the counter medicine, every prescription med and even tried some experimental drugs, but nothing is working. Her HMO has stopped approving her and her doctor has stopped taken her calls. The money is gone and her hope is lost. All she can think of is “oh well this is my lot in life I might as well accept this condition this issue as much a part of me as my blue eyes, that is how I was made, this was how I was created and just who I am”.
But one day she hears about Jesus, and how He is going to be in town, so without hesitation this woman tries to get a front row seat and when it seems like she cannot get to Him to tell about her issue she decides that if I can just touch the hem of his garment I can be made whole. At that moment she bows herself down on her hands and feet crawling under the crowd just to get to the hem of His garment. With all humility reduced to crawl she stretches froth her hand and touches the hem it is at that moment the Bible says that she felt herself being healed she didn’t need to go back to Duke and see if she was well she knew that she was healed of that issue.
II. We are carrying around issues
We got right now in the Church people that are carrying around some issues inside them. Now I am not talking about sickness we will talk about that in the second part of this message. But right now I am talking about those that are carrying around mental and emotional issues. I am talking about the mind games.
These issues have held you in bondage to yourself; it has placed a fear upon you that keeps you from moving forward. Every time you are ready to take a step forward here this issue is keeping you from enjoying life. It has become a reminder of a life you can’t have.
The issue has debilitated you into a lifestyle of defeat. It has drained you of every ounce of faith; your spiritual bank account is depleted. You have ran here and there read every book, watched every TV show you can hoping that it would have the answer, went to revival after revival hoping that the evangelist would call you out.
No one knows about that this inner hurt that you are carrying inside you. Here at church and in public you wear a smile that you got to put on cause if you didn’t you would expose this issue to others.
Satan has placed you on house arrest and has convinced you that there is no escape. Like a lion he stalks you looking for those vulnerable moments to pounce you.
There are days when the enemy comes in like a flood against you.
III. We are convinced that this is life.
It is at those moments when we feel like this is our life and that we must accept it for what it is. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
There are attacks on the mind that will lead us down a path of mental and emotional frustration and instabilities. It is here in the mind where the true battle lies. It is here where we make our decisions and choices for our lives, rather they be good or bad. Satan will invade our thoughts with the intent to wear us down.
The head is considered to be the center of life for the body. The head supplies the life and functions for the body. If your head doesn’t work properly neither will your body.
In Bible times an enemy wasn’t considered defeated until his head was severed from the body. It was to show the severing of power and life, and then would victory be proclaimed. When David cut Goliath’s head off it symbolized the destruction of the Philistine army.
When Satan takes the mind, the victory that Christ gives us is forfeited.
His tactics are blunt and powerful weakening the young and the old.
Never in history I have I seen an overwhelming display of mental and emotional unrest. There are young children on medication for what was once considered adult problems. We have unstable teenagers that display aggression and hostility.
Adults that become confused and break down.
It doesn’t matter what the social class or race; children to adults everywhere are being overwhelmed mentally and emotionally, leading to substance, sexual, and bodily abuse.
Satan is ripping the Church apart from within the Believers using two modes of attack which are depression and anxiety, which will fuel other mental and emotionally attacks. These forms of attacks have become silent killers within the body of Christ.
Depression here in America will affect over 20 million people a year. 1 in 6 adults will have depression in their life time. It is from depression that 1 in 13 teenagers will take their own life. An average of 1 person every 18 minutes will kill themselves, as well as every 2 hours and 12 minutes a young person will have taken their life. It was an average of 13% of young people in the total population in the year 2000 that have killed themselves; this is an epidemic.
Depression has crippled many ministers and laity. As well as destroyed many marriages and lives among ministers and laity. Depression will kill the vision of the Church and cause it to grow cold and fall apart.
It is from depression that many will never realize their full potential in Christ. Many ministers and lay people will never fulfill their calling and many prayers will be given up on.
Depression will silence faith and weaken the mind.
Then there is the other attack anxiety.
Anxiety will affect 1 in 8 Americans between the ages of 18 and 54; this totals over 19 million people. Anxiety will cripple a believer and wrestle with their faith. It will cause them to sway their judgment and seek to take control of their situations, and push God out.
Anxiety will cause us to be angry and frustrated, causing us to do things rashly; which most likely becomes a wreck less act, which we will later regret.
It is from these two attacks that many will also wrestle with fear, condemnation, doubt, and low self esteem and other mental and emotional disorders.
Satan will combine all these attacks together to weaken the believer, to make your goals unreachable and your dreams unobtainable.
He will remind us of our past and our failures, telling us that “God doesn’t love us anymore, and is displeased with us”. Satan will tell us that is why we are having so many problems.
Satan will cause us to give up and fall short, telling you that the blame is on God, the pastor, the church, and ourselves. He will fill our mind with garbage, to the point where we feel that we are about to snap and break down.
It is these elements that drive many to suicide, sexual perversion, and chemical and substance abuse within the body of Christ. It is why we see unwed mothers and single parents. Why the Church has a hard time keeping new converts and young people.
He succeeds in convincing you that your issue is just who you are and that you need to accept it for what it is and live with it.
IV. Release of Virtue.
The war of the mind is a constant battle, but doesn’t have to be a consistent war, for it says in 1 Peter 1:13 ¶ Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
We are to protect our minds and the minds of those in the church by putting on the Helmet of Salvation and teaching others to do the same, instead of neglecting them. Giving them the necessary tools to aide in this battle.
We are to let the Lord protect our minds in the midst of the battle for it says in Psalms 140:7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
And to let the …Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
In the midst of the battle of the mind, be still and know that He is God.
Then you tell that old devil when he starts messing with our mind … greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. That God shall supply all your needs according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Romans 8:1 ¶ [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.
Don’t give up and don’t give in for weeping may endureth for the night but joy cometh in the morning.
Don’t put up with him, but put him out.(4) (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds ;) (5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Conclusion : Church that lie the enemy is telling you that you just need to live and deal with that issue is nothing more than a lie from hell. You need to shake yourself find whatever faith you have left make up your mind that you are going to go straight to Jesus. It doesn’t matter what is in your way; you got to get to Jesus, even if that means being like that woman with the issue of blood and get on your hands and knees and crawl up to the master and touch the hem of his robe so that you can be free at last free at last Thank God Almighty I am free at last. For He who the Son sets free is free indeed. Isa 59:19 … When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
