Message Notes 5/8/16

A man fell off a cliff, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. The following conversation ensued:

“Is anyone up there?”
“I am here. I am the Lord. Do you believe me?”
“Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can’t hang on much longer.”
“That’s all right, if you really believe you have nothing to worry about, I will save you. Just let go of the branch.”
A moment of pause, then: “Is anyone else up there?”

It can be tough to believe in miracles. This morning I’d like to look at two stories as an example of some of the obstacles we face which could prevent us from being the recipients of a miracle.

These are stories of people who reached out in spite of everything and I think we can learn from them. Let’s face it – we all need a miracle. I do, you do, this church does!

The question we’ll try to answer is “What does it take to reach for a Miracle?” The first thing we must do is…

1. Start with Jesus

“18 While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, ‘My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.'”

Mark tells us this ruler, whose name is Jairus, has made a trip to find Jesus as his family is in the midst of crisis. But he believes Jesus is the one who can help him.

“20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.”

The woman has faced her own difficulties leading to this day, and again Mark supplies additional details.  She’s been to doctors, and spent all of her money. But now she’s heard about this man Jesus, who heals the sick, and she’s come to reach out to him.

Where else have you gone to seek the things you need most desperately? Have you sought popularity? Adventure? Wealth? Romance?

Have you done all that the world says should make your life perfect and still found yourself empty inside?

What are you trusting in? Medicine? Education? Career? Money? Not that there is anything wrong with any of those things, but if you’re counting on them as the foundation of your trust, the anchor of your life, your life is about to be shaken.

Several years ago the evening news reported on a photographer who was a skydiver. He had jumped from a plane along with numerous other skydivers and filmed the group as they fell and opened their parachutes. On the film shown on the telecast, as the final skydiver opened his chute, the picture went berserk.

The announcer reported that the cameraman had fallen to his death, having jumped out of the plane without his parachute. It wasn’t until he reached for the absent ripcord that he realized he was free-falling without a parachute.

Until that point, the jump probably seemed exciting and fun. But tragically, he had acted with thoughtless haste and deadly foolishness. Nothing could save him, for his faith was in a parachute that he never buckled on.

Faith in anything other than Jesus can be just as tragic spiritually. Only with faith in Jesus should we ever step into the challenges of this funky life.

Every one of us here this morning – we need a miracle, but let’s get our head on straight and measure our plans… we need Jesus… we need to reach out to Jesus, we need to trust our days, our nights, our homes, our lives to Jesus! He is enough.

If you are in desperate need of a miracle, first you must make sure you’re heading in the right direction. You’ve got to go to Jesus. Second you must be willing to:

2. Head the Other Way

“21 She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.'”

As Jesus went to the home of this important man to raise the dead, a crowd followed him and pressed around him. The woman had to press through the crowd—something illegal for her to do in her condition.

Also consider how long she had been sick, it would’ve been easier to just accept it as her lot in life.

“23 When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24 he said, ‘Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at him.”

Jairus was an important dude, he was staking his reputation on his faith in Jesus—the mocking was directed at him too, no doubt, for trusting in Jesus. It would’ve been easier to simply surrender to the harsh truth and go on with life. It is too easy to settle for the world rather than go against the flow – you know what we must strive to do here – we must go against the flow!

Both of these people were willing to go to Jesus and head in a counter-cultural direction hard for faith when faith wasn’t easy.

What is it that tries to pull you away from a real faith? Family? School? Work? Friends? An unbelieving spouse? A medical challenge? Debt?

Maybe like the woman, just the length of time you’ve been reaching out for an answer… the inevitability of your situation. Here’s a tweetable truth:

Faith doesn’t follow the crowds. Faith is counter culture. Faith requires us to trust in the unseen.

Did you know that an African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet? But these amazing creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. They won’t jump if they can’t see where their feet will fall.

Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the walls that our fear allows to entrap us.

Finally faith requires us to… as Journey taught us:

3. Don’t Stop Believing

“18 While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, ‘My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.'”

Death seems pretty final, right? Mark tells us that Jairus’ friends came and told him not to bother Jesus, the girl was dead, but Matthew tells us that he brings his request for a dead girl to Jesus.

“22 Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed from that moment.”

Jesus pinpoints her faith as the thing that healed her. Not faith in itself, but faith in Jesus’ power to heal. Even though she’d tried everything, she was willing to try Jesus and to believe that Jesus could and would heal.

Does it seem impossible to you? In your mind, have you wandered too far to be forgiven? Are your circumstances impossible? Are you too far gone?

Listen friend – if you are waiting for a miracle or if you are questioning if a miracle can happen to you… Jesus can, Jesus will, and Jesus is the miracle you need.

Faith calls for us to leap over the walls holding us in, to reach out in firm belief that just a touch of Jesus can turn our lives right side up and that death is no match for the creator of the universe! So, Chuck… what do I do?

1. Start with Jesus & Stay with Jesus
2. Go the Other Way – Live a Counter-Culture Life
3. Don’t Stop Believing

Jesus wants to raise your dead dreams to life.
He wants to heal your hurting soul.
He wants your believing heart to turn toward Him.

But it’s your move… it’s your call! Let’s Pray.