Scripture: Mark 5:25 – 34
Title: “REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE”
Introduction: Jesus was on His way to Jairus’ house to heal his little 12 year old daughter when He felt a tug on His garment and on His heart.
When Jesus began to inquire as to who had TOUCHED Him He discovered a little woman with complex look on her face. Delight mixed with Fear showed their marks on this little woman’s face.
Her ailment was as old as the child who was lying at the point of death.
The little woman had received her healing and also realized she had touched a rabbi, which, she thought, had made Him unclean because of her disease.
The Telephone System used a slogan in their advertising a few years ago, “Reach Out and Touch Someone.” I don’t know how great of an increase in business they experienced, but I’m sure they made a lot of profit because of the use of that slogan.
(Hold up the “Phone Book”)
There are a lot of people that you can call in this book that can help you with a lot of things you can’t do for yourself.
(Then hold up the Bible)
There’s someone in this book that you can call who can anchor your storm.
Somebody who can teach you to fish for men and women.
Somebody who can lift the load of guilt off the sinners heart.
Somebody who that put a sword in your hand when your fighting temptation. Somebody who can lift you up when you’ve fallen.
Somebody who you can call that can give you a death row pardon.
Somebody who will set a lamp of forgiveness and reconciliation in the window for the prodigal Son to come home too.
He’s name is Jesus. His name is Jesus! His name is Jesus!
And like the phone company says All you have to do is reach out and touch him. But I want you to know that Jesus is also in the touching business.
I. GETTING TO JESUS.
a. The PRACTICE of healing has usually been associated with at “TOUCH.”
b. The little woman in our Scripture had tried many PHYSICIANS and wasn’t getting any better, but was getting worse.
What have you been trying to get you out of the PROBLEM?
c. She was IMPOVERISHED, DISCOURAGED, and SICK!
She was at the END of her ROPE. – Jesus was her ONLY OPTION!
She had tried EVERYTHING else.
d. Then she HEARD of Jesus.
This gave her the INCENTIVE to GO to Jesus.
She RECEIVED HOPE.
Her CONFESSION changed, “If I can but TOUCH Hid clothes I shall be whole.”
II. OBSTACLES TO GETTING TO JESUS.
a. This woman had had to tell everyone she met that she was UNCLEAN (It was the Law).
Everyone KNEW she had a DISEASE.
b. Her EXPERIENCE up until this time has been NEGATIVE.
She had tried all the she knew and was getting nowhere and she was getting worse!
c. She was WEAK from the LOSS of BLOOD.
d. There was a CROWD of people SURROUNDING Jesus which made it very difficult to get to Him!
How often do we let PEOPLE keep us away from Jesus?
e. Jesus was already pre-occupied with a JOB to do.
She probably thought, “Will He take the time to help me?”
Jesus was an important Rabbi.
f. She could be brought before the RULERS of the Synagogue for TOUCHING a Rabbi and her being in an unclean condition.
Illustration: There is a legend of a benevolent king who had his men place a great heavy stone on a certain roadway over which all his subjects would have to travel. He then hid himself to see who would try to remove the stone. No one stopped to try to remove the stone., but all worked their way around it, loudly blaming the king for not keeping the roadway clear. Finally, a poor peasant farmer on his way to town with a load of vegetables which he hoped to sell in the marketplace came to the blocked roadway. He laid down his load and with considerable effort and loss of time managed to move the great stone to the side of the roadway. Then turning to leave, he spied a purse which had been under the stone. He opened the purse and found it to be filled with pieces of gold, with a note from the king indicating that it was all to be the property of the one who would remove the stone.
III. GETTING “CLOSE” TO JESUS.
a. Getting Close to Jesus. – To be able to TOUCH Jesus or be TOUCHED by Jesus means you MUST get “CLOSE” to Him.
b. This little woman’s “DESIRE” to be RID of this DISEASE got her STARTED to where Jesus was.
c. Her “CONFESSION” “Sustained” her on the JOURNEY to where Jesus was.
d. Her “FAITH” was the “Driving Force” that kept her going even to the point of pressing through the CROWD to “Touch” Jesus.
“Faith” opens the door and gives God permission to respond to the cry of our HEART.
e. With “TREMBLING” hand and with “ALL” her strength she REACHED through the CROWD and TOUCHED the Hem of Jesus’ garment.
f. Sometimes “ATTITUDE” is “Everything”!
Eric woke up in the hospital after a devastating accident at his work place. He had a severely broken neck and a number of other traumatic injuries. When he was able to speak with the doctor, he asked what his chances of surviving and walking again. The doctor told him that only 3% of patients with his injury ever recover enough to walk again. Eric became somber for a moment, then said, "3%, eh? I’ll take it!" So with the doctor’s 3% in one hand and Almighty God in the other, Eric believed God for a miracle. Then he asked if he would be able to play the violin if he recovered. The doctor replied, "If you can walk out of here, you’ll be able to play the violin." "Great", said Eric. "I could never play it before!"
To make a long story short, Eric is walking and raising a family in rural Ontario, Canada.
IV. WHO TOUCHED ME? Lk. 8:45 “All denied.”
a. Peter said, “The multitude is PRESSING and THRONGING you and you asked, “Who touched Me?”
b. Jesus knew the DIFFERENCE between RUBBING SHOULDERS and someone TOUCHING Him with “Faith.”
c. A LOT of people ENJOY just being in the CROWD.
V. ALONE IN THE CROWD.
a. She came with a PURPOSE and a PLAN.
b. Isn’t it mind boggling how someone could be in the PRESENCE of Jesus and be so UNAWARE of His “Mighty Power”?
c. Many people sit in church Sunday after Sunday right in the presence of Jesus and even BRUSH up against Him and go home UNCHANGED!
Everyone in the CROWD that day walked away the SAME WAY they CAME in except for one little woman.
d. Many Christians are satisfied with just a “BRUSH” with Jesus.
These people are not INTERESTED in TOUCHING Him – They don’t want to CHAGNE!
e. Story of the COUPLE I met at the Benny Hinn Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas a few years ago. – They were “Professional Conference Goers.”
These folks didn’t attend church. – I know because I asked them.
These folks were a lot like professional Gospel Singing Attenders.
Or like professional Funeral Attenders. – They don’t go to church.
f. You may feel “ALONE” this morning, but you are not, Jesus is as near as the “Door of your Heart.”
CONCLUSION: Out of all those who are here this morning how many really want to TOUCH Jesus?
How many are SATISFIED just being a PART of the CROWD?
Have you got a PURPOSE for being here today? – What is it?
None of those in the CROWD “Drew a Response” FROM Jesus because they were just “OBSERVING.”
Jesus and the CROWD were on their way to Jarius’ house, but Jesus stopped for this little woman. – He is never too busy to help you.
Notice the CROWD stopped too! – It was “POINTLESS” for the CROWD to go on WITHOUT Jesus!
A signalman for the local railroad was asked to meet the inspector at the signal box. The inspector decided to give the signalman a test. He asked him, What would you do if you realized that two trains were heading towards each other on the same track?" The signalman said, "I would switch one train to another track." "What if the lever broke?" asked the inspector. "Then I’d run down to the tracks and use the manual lever down there", he answered.
"What if that had been struck by lightning?" challenged the inspector. "Then," he said, "I’d run back up here and use the phone to call the next signal box." "What if the phone was busy?" "In that case," said the signalman, "I’d run to the street level and use the public phone near the station". "What if that had been vandalized?" "Well," replied the signalman, "in that case I would run into town and get my Uncle Leo". This puzzled the inspector, so he asked, "Why would you go and get your Uncle Leo ?" "Well, because Uncle Leo’s never seen a train crash."
