This morning I want to talk to you about being an overcomer. I want to help you today to get victory in your current circumstances now and in the future matters in your life. I want you to live a life of Faith, a life full of peace just as God would have you to live. Now many people know what it is like to be overcome by things, to have the feeling of being bombarded from all sides. To be facing obstacles in your life that in the natural you see no way around or through. Having a hopeless feeling about your circumstance. This morning you might find yourself in a bad financial position, a loss of job, maybe you are experiencing a rocky marriage, or perhaps you are facing a serious health issue or any number of things. The enemy does not have a shortage of rocks to throw at you. Often times you might find yourself facing more than one obstacle in your life. So often time’s people will live their entire life in a daily struggle, never really having victory in their life. Always involved in a battle, always looking for a season of peace. But I can tell you that as a Christian, that is not the plan of God for your life. Yes, you will face trials along the way, but His plan is for you to experience victories as well. For you to have an abundant life. To live the life that He has for you, a life based on Faith in Him and His Word.
"Unbelief puts our circumstance between us and God, but faith puts God between us and our circumstances."
F.B. Meyer
This morning some of you here might need to do just that. You need to put God between yourself and your circumstance instead of putting your circumstance between you and God. How do you do that? Replace your unbelief with belief. How do you do that? By listening this morning and believing what you hear in the Word of God, trusting Him and obeying Him.
Let’s look at a familiar scripture passage this morning, but we will focus just on one verse in the end. I want to read it all to you because it is the Word of God and if you allow it to, it will increase your faith. It will help you to see Who God is and what He wants to do. How He responds to your needs when you put your faith in Him. Let’s look at Mark 5 today beginning with verse 21. If you do not have your Bible with you this morning you can follow along with us on the screen. I also want to encourage you to be taking notes. It is so hard to recall all that you hear and so by writing it down it sticks in your mind and in your heart. You will know it more by writing it than if you had just have heard it. Let’s read:
21 When Jesus went back across to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 A leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came and fell down before him, 23 pleading with him to heal his little daughter. "She is about to die," he said in desperation. "Please come and place your hands on her; heal her so she can live." 24 Jesus went with him, and the crowd thronged behind. 25 And there was a woman in the crowd who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors through the years and had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she was worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched the fringe of his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, "If I can just touch his clothing, I will be healed." 29 immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel that she had been healed! 30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 His disciples said to him, "All this crowd is pressing around you. How can you ask, `Who touched me?’ " 32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed." 35 While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from Jairus’s home with the message, "Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now." 36 But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, "Don’t be afraid. Just trust me." 37 Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter and James and John. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the weeping and wailing. 39 He went inside and spoke to the people. "Why all this weeping and commotion?" he asked. "The child isn’t dead; she is only asleep." 40 The crowd laughed at him, but he told them all to go outside. Then he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41 Holding her hand, he said to her, "Get up, little girl!" 42 And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! Her parents were absolutely overwhelmed. 43 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what had happened, and he told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:21-43 (NLT)
Here we see Jesus on His way to heal a little girl, being surrounded by people and making His way through the streets. Then we see where this woman who had been suffering with her illness for twelve years. No doubt she was tired of the struggle, she was ready for a change, for an answer, for some relief. She had spent twelve years trying to get well, she had spent her money and instead of being better she was worse. But even with all of her failures and disappointments she still had faith that Jesus could heal her. That if she could just touch His clothing she would be made well. Now that is faith and we see that it worked. She received her healing. She found the plan of God for her life. Jesus wanted her healed and look at what else He wanted for her life in verse 34
34 And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed."
Not only did she get the healing that she desired but Jesus told her to go in PEACE. He desired for her to have peace in her life. This is not to be just overlooked. I believe that Jesus saw all of the years of suffering and turmoil and that He felt compassion for her, He sympathized with her and He desired for her to experience real peace.
So many of you today are so hungry for peace in your life. This morning I want to encourage you to put God between you and the circumstances in your life that is keeping you from having the peace He desires for you to have. You can have it.
Let’s continue looking at this scripture though. So Jesus tells her she is healed and for her to go in peace and while He is talking, messengers from Jarius’s house came and gave him the bad news that his daughter had died and there was no reason to trouble Jesus anymore. I want you to pay attention here. These messengers came with the news of what had taking place. It was not maybe she was dead, but it was a fact. She had died. They gave this real report to Jarius.
Now some of you have received some real reports in your life. They are not myths or lies. The doctors report is real, the situation is not made up. Some of you receive a report daily on the shape of your marriage. It screams to you of trouble, unhappiness and division. Some of you are looking at real bills in front of you that are telling you that you are sinking fast. Some of you see an empty refrigerator and you know your kids are hungry and this is a real report. Others of you are seeing real conflicts in your families, your friends and with co-workers. These are all real. The struggles you are facing are real, the reports are true. Right now you have every reason according to the reports in your life to believe that you are doomed, that you have no hope…
I want you to look at what took place next. This is the key to becoming an overcomer. Do you want to have victory in your present situation? Do you want to see God come through? Do want to be defeated or have victory? Make your mind up right now… do you want to be defeated or have victory? Victory? Say it… I want to have victory… say it again… I want to have victory. Don’t be afraid, do not be shy, do not be so timid that you will not declare that you want to have victory! We are so open to share when we are facing a trial and we feel defeated. We cry on people’s shoulders and so forth. How about a reversal here. Instead of claiming we have lost, we will claim that we want to win… that WE are going to win…. That we have won! Do you want to have victory? Let’s look here at what took place.
Jesus is declaring to the woman that she was healed and that she is to go in peace and while He is doing this the messengers come. They come bringing a true report of the death of his daughter. Jarius hears that his 12 years old daughter is dead. Look at what verse 36 says though.
36 But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, "Don’t be afraid. Just trust me."
Jesus ignored their comments, He ignored their reports. He knew that what they said was true, but it was not the final report once He became involved. It was a true report for as long as the circumstance was between Jarius and Jesus, but He knew it was not the final word once He got between the circumstance and Jarius.
Verse 36 said Jesus ignored their comments… It is as though He just moved them out of the way and got Jarius’ attention off of their report and on to Him, on to His Words. Look at verse 36… Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jarius, “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me!”
Today Jesus is trying to get your attention. He is trying to tell you to ignore the reports you have around you and listen to Him. He is trying to tell you He was there when you received the reports, but He is choosing to ignore them and He wants you to do the same. He is saying, “Don’t worry about them, do not be afraid but just trust me!”
You need to realize today that you can trust Jesus completely. And when you trust Him there is an absence of fear. I want your faith to be made strong today. I want you to know that Jesus is on the scene, He is aware of your situation but He is choosing to ignore the reports because He has another plan. He wants to be able to say to you to go in peace! Jesus knows what you are going through… He can relate, He understands. Look at Hebrews 4:15
15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:15 (KJV)
Altar Music Here******
This scripture is saying to you today that you have Jesus on the throne and He is not untouchable, He feels your infirmities, He knows your weaknesses, He sees your battles and He really does care! He is bigger than what you are facing.
You might say well I have been battling this fight for 2 years, 5 years or 20 years. Well the woman had the issue of blood problem for twelve years. It is no doubt that she tried everything including prayer and sacrifice. You can guess that she went to the priest for help. Maybe you have tried it all and feel like you are at the end of your rope, but I am telling you to get God between you and the problem. God’s plan for you today is for you to go in peace. To have real joy! Look at Romans 15:13
13 So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NLT)
Are you ready to believe in Him? Are you ready to trust Him? Are you ready to overcome? You have bad reports all around you. As you consider this morning the message that has went forth and you wished it was true for you, the enemy will try and lie to you and tell you there is no hope, that this is for others but not for you. But do you have the courage to hear what Jesus says? “Do not be afraid but trust in me!” Jesus is willing to ignore the comments made and proclaim His plan for you. He is willing to declare your healing, your answered prayer, your joyful life and anything else that you might be in need of. It does not matter what those around you think or say. Do not let their level of faith decide what you receive from God. Ignore the comments and listen to Jesus… trust Him!
