July 24, 2016
Chance Yankie, Cottonwood student ministries

Mark 5:21(25-33)43

I. V25 subject to bleeding for 12 years
Suffered for 12 yrs, Think about this: If you have an issue for a few weeks you can work through it, a few months you do your best to get by, 1 year, you become weary and really struggle to see the light at the end of the tunnel… BUT 12 LONG YEARS. There was no light at the end of the tunnel! NOT a new issue. Give us 12 issues to deal with every year, but not the same issue for 12 yrs. How many prayers on NEW YEARS EVE were Lord lets move on from what was going on last year. If I have to deal with an issue lets get a new issue!
Lev 15:19,25,27
The Old Testament has many aspects of God’s law that are sometimes culturally difficult for us to understand. One of these is found in

Leviticus 15
19 “‘When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly cycle will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening.
25 “‘When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her cycle.
27 Anyone who touches them will be unclean; they must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

Why am I talking about such an unpleasant thing at the Church? I just want you to understand one of the most amazing miracles performed by Jesus and we need to read this Scripture first to fully understand what the Lord did for a woman that had an issue of blood.

Question: Is there an issue/problem, you have suffered with it for so long that you have simply identified yourself as a part of that?

II. V26 She had suffered greatly at the hands of physicians
At the beginning of the crisis she had means to deal with the issue. She had money, she had family, she probably was a productive member of society. But as time went on she grew weary. She grew worse.

Totally Alienated: Sick for 12 long years. She had relationships, but no more. She had money but no more. She might have had a husband, probably had close friends, girlfriends she could confide in, seek support and laugh with. no physical contact whatsoever, wherever she sat, whatever she touched, whoever she touched, not allowed to go to a synagogue to worship, in the OT she had to stay outside the camp. no relationships, no money, chronic sickness After a while she became so commonly acquainted with this sickness that’s what she found her identity in. Even today we refer to her as the woman with the issue of blood. Her identity became wrapped up in her ailment. Solitary confinement.

Sometimes the problem becomes so big in your life that it swallows up your identity. Problems can be so enormous that we get engrossed with the crisis and cannot disconnect ourselves from it. It’s easy, in those moments, to lose sight of who God is and who we are, and that’s all we talk about and that’s all we think about is the issue. The only thing that’s BIG to you is your problem! NOT GOD! Time heals some things but not all things It doesn’t have to be an issue of blood. It could be an alcohol issue, drugs, emotional, etc. It will eventually disconnect you with everything you hold dear in this life, until after awhile you are living in a state of total isolation. Before long you look up and you are without all the things that once gave you an identity. Bank account has changed, statis, possessions, family, friends,

Question: Do you talk more about your problem than you do your promise?

III. V27 &28 When she heard about Jesus she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloaks

She is down to her very last, she is at the end of her rope. She had no other option. She thought if I can just touch the stitch, a small part of something that’s connected to Jesus, not even Jesus himself. Just maybe the dirtiest part of him. In Mark 5:26, this woman did everything that she knew to do but only “grew worse”. This woman had twelve years of a “growing worse” image in her mind. But by Mark 5:28, she is saying, “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” The Amplified bible states, For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health [AMP]. The woman with the issue of blood was using her faith (her confidence in Jesus) by “saying”. Jesus said, “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say” [Matthew 17:20]. Real biblical faith is believing what God has already done by grace through Christ Jesus. Real faith only appropriates what Jesus has already provided.

Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well [Mark 6:33]. But she believed one thing, if she touched Jesus she would be whole. Remember the woman’s faith did not move God. Faith does not move God, it moves us. Jesus had already demonstrated over and over that he would heal all, “

Sometime we don’t fully trust God when we believe we have options!
Sometimes Jesus has to close every other door before we can begin to trust Jesus.

When I got up this morning, I didn’t believe God, pray, or hope for water. Because I had HOPE that the fixture would work, HOPE that the plumbing in the home was functioning, HOPE that the well was operational, HOPE that the hot water heater was working, HOPE that I would be clean today. AND as long as that all works I will not believe, pray, or hope for water. Sometime we don’t fully trust God when we believe we have options!
Sometimes Jesus has to close every other door before we can begin to trust Jesus.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Faith is born when man’s ability fails! Faith starts at the point of human limitation. We don’t believe God for what we can do ourselves. We believe God when we run out of options, when we have no one else to turn to, but this woman has come to rock bottom.
AND I WANT TO SUGGEST THAT’S RIGHT WHERE SHE NEEDED TO BE!
Desperate, Hopeless, despairing, despondent, crestfallen, downhearted, dispirited, !
If you are here today and you have come to rock bottom, you are right where you need to be… JC
If you can’t pay your way out of the problem, you are right where you need to be… JC
If you find yourself alone today void of family, friends, or loved ones, you are right where you need to be… JC
If you can’t make a call to fix it, you are right where you need to be… JC
James 4:6 God give grace to the humble, but opposes the proud

Question: Is there an issue in your life you need to start believing, hoping, praying for God to do something in a miraculous way?

IV. V29 29-33 Immediately her bleeding stopped, she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering, and he heard her whole story

Jesus knew that virtue or power had went out of him IMMEDIATELY! Her touch of faith made a demand on His healing power. This woman illustrates an important concept that God is not a respecter of persons and will not show partiality or favoritism. God is Not a Respecter of Persons.

Christians, Jesus has already provided this grace to you. You are already complete in Jesus. Jesus is already inside of you The Life of God is already in you. You don’t have to get God’s attention. Faith is not something you do that makes God move. God has already done all that he is ever going to do through Jesus Christ. Studying the Bible, confessing the Word, acting on the Word, etc, are all involved in the faith process, but in themselves they aren’t “faith”. Faith doesn’t make God do anything. Faith just appropriates what Jesus has already done.

Question: IF Jesus healed this woman’s issue, could he not do the same for you?