In our text this woman had a problem, not a little problem like a wart on her finger, not a problem she could ignore.
This problem was stealing her life, she was dying (everyday she died a little more).
*This problem was long standing for 12 years she had suffered with it.
*She had spent all her money trying to get well.
*She had gone to many doctors and been through many painful treatments and only got worse.
She had reached the place called Hopelessness.
*Maybe you are at the place now (many people take their own lives when they reach this place).
Everyone can relate to this woman on some level because we all have a problem, It may be our children on drugs, it may be our marriage, it may be financial, or it may be physical.
It may be emotional, or it may be some bondage, some life destroying addiction.
It may be pornography.
The fact is everyone has some kind of problem.
*Maybe like this woman you feel that it’s too late.
*The doctors said it’s too late there’s no hope
*The bankers said it’s too late there’s no hope
*The lawyers said it’s too late there’s no hope
*That husband or wife has said it’s too late, I’m through.
Maybe like this woman you have heard those words, and hope has died in your heart,
Maybe like this woman you have had this problem so long that you think it is hopeless.
Well I have good news for you.
When you open your life to God there is no such thing as hopeless.
Romans 15:13 (KJV)
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Romans 15:13 (ISV)
13 Now may God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
As long as there is a God in heaven there is hope.
In John 5:5 There was a man in the bible who had an infirmity 38 years, (Jesus came to him and healed him).
Jesus doesn’t ask you how bad is it
*What does it look like
*How does it feel
*What do you think
*How long have you had it
*What does everybody else say about it
All Jesus asks is (Do you Believe?)
Do you believe that I am that son of God, That I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly?
Do you believe that I died on the cross for your sins?
Do you believe that I spoiled principalities and powers in your behalf?
Do you believe that I am the same yesterday today and forever?
In her darkest hour of hoplessness and dispair a ray of light pierces the darkness.
She heard about Jesus
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
She heard about Jesus and when she did hope sprang alive in her heart.
She now beleived there was hope, if I can just touch the hem of his garment I know I will be healed.
It was no longer a matter of whether she could be healed or not (It was just a matter of Touching Jesus)
And I say that to you today: It is not a matter of whether you can be healed, receive your miracle, have your children set free from drug addiction or whatever else your need may be,(It is only a matter of Touching Jesus).
*She came to where Jesus was
#1 We come to where Jesus is by coming to his word, The only place you are going to find Jesus is in the word of God.
*She pressed through the crowd
#2 To touch Jesus you are going to have to press through a lot of stuff, you may have to press through religion and tradition that tells you sickness is Gods will, that God is working out his mysterious will for your life through sickness.
You may have to press through the ignorance in the church that tries to make you believe that poverty and humility are the same.
That the poorer you are the more humble you are and the better God can use you.
You may have to press through your own pride, and make up your mind that it doesn’t matter what people think or say about you, the most important thing is touching Jesus.
You may have to press through the feeling barrier, You can not expect your feelings to get you to Jesus. (if you listen to your feelings or your emotions you may never reach him).
You may have to press through pain.
physical pain, emotional pain,
You may have to press through the most adverse circumstances, (everything that could go wrong may be going wrong in your life) but you have got to keep pressing.
One touch and everything changes.
She said to herself:
Sometimes you have got to talk to yourself, If you wait for other people to encourage you all the time you may never be encouraged.
You have got to tell yourself ( you can make it, come on I beleive in you, You have destiny in you, you were meant for better than this, Keep pushing Keep pressing your getting closer, don’t stop now).
David knew the value of encouraging himself:
When they returned from battle and their houses had been burned with fire and their wives and children had been taken the people became angry with David and discussed stoning him.
The bible says: And David encouraged himself in the Lord.]
That’s what she did she encouraged herself, to keep going to not give up.
When she got to where Jesus was she found another problem, he was surrounded by people.
It is still true today (Jesus is surrounded by people)
Just like on that day many people were bumping into Jesus, they were touching him physically but her touch was different (her touch was the touch of faith) and the touch of faith stopped Jesus
And Jesus Said: Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole go and be whole of thy plague,
And immediately she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
In one minute her life changed forever, Just one touch and years of misery, and disappointment, and discouragement and fear, and anguish turned into joy and peace and thanksgiving.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever, he never changes what he did for this woman he will still do today.
Wherever there are people that will press through and touch him miracles happen.
The blind see, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the lame walk, broken lives are restored.
Multitudes gather around the world in church buildings on sunday morning or sunday night, and they move all around Jesus, They sing about him, talk about him, they bump into him and yet they leave just like they came.
But then there is that other group, yes it is a small group (a few here and there from every group) But this group have made up there minds, that they came for only one reason, they came to touch Jesus (And when they do their lives are changed forever).
