Meeting Jesus - No Longer Alone

In the late 1980’s and early 90’s there was a boy band known as the New Kids on the Block.  All teen girls LOVED New Kids.  Girls had their pictures on their folders, their trapper keepers, their t-shirts…

To be honest, I never learned the New Kids names.  Like most guys, we didn’t like them!  They were a boy band!

BUT! 

My wife and her twin sister LOVED the NEW KIDS on the BLOCK. When Kristy and I started dating, her dorm room rocked NEW KIDS posters, pillows, sheets, comforters and towels.  We still have one of the towels and, when laundry gets low, sometimes I have to dry off with this towel…😊

Kristy loved the NK so much that one day, this NEW KIDS commercial came on TV featuring a number you could call and hear all about what the NEW KIDS members were up to.

So, what did Kristy do after watching that commercial?  She picked up the phone and dialed that number! ($2 for the first minute and .45 cents for each additional minute.) All was fine until – her dad opened the telephone bill. Kristy heard her dad start yelling – “What in the world?”  

He dialed the 900 number to see who it was… slammed the phone down, grabbed the “spanking spoon” and headed to the back bedroom.  Kristy hid in the closet. Her twin sister Kim was no help.  She said, “It was Kristy!”

Kristy was busted.  She was ashamed.  She was embarrassed.  And she was in hiding. Kristy wasn’t hiding from her dad EXCLUSIVELY.  She was hiding from the punishment that was going to come from her dad. She loved her dad…but she was afraid of the punishment.

Isn’t that the way we sometimes act toward God? We get beat up by sin.  We get beat up in life because life is DIFFICULT.  We make poor choices and sin.  Or we get weighed down by things that are beyond our control.

And instead of turning to God to ask for help, we feel ashamed, dirty, and worthless and HIDE from God. We want to turn to God for help because we know he loves us, but we are so ashamed at the same time. Today, we will read about a woman who tried to hide from Jesus and receive healing from Jesus at the same time.

Luke 8:43-48 (NLT2) 

43  A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. 

Mark 5:26-27 (NLT2) 

26  She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27  She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 

Luke 8:44-48 (NLT2)

44  Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. 45  “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.” 46  But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” 47  When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees before him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed. 48  “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” 

All of us would acknowledge that whether we are believers in Jesus or not, none of us are promised an easy life.  We are not promised lives that are free from heartache, free from pain, or free from problems. This woman had led a hard life. For twelve years she suffered. Maybe you have suffered with a long battle with a disease for a long time as well. 

My dad suffered with battles of cancer for 17 years.  From cancer in his lymph nodes, skin cancer, lung cancer, brain cancer…

Many have seen friends and family walk through difficult years of health, divorce, family troubles…In fact, life will kick us at times, it will be difficult and overwhelming.

When you experience the hard of life…

DON’T LET FEELINGS BE AN OBSTACLE TO SEEK THE RIGHT HELP.

This woman had been seeking help from one doctor after another. The Gospel writer MARK tells us that she had tried EVERYTHING to be cured.  She had gone to Doctors numerous times whose medical treatments hurt her more than helped her:

Mark 5:26 (NLT) 

26  She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.

For twelve years, she suffered from a rather embarrassing, gynecological condition of constant hemorrhaging and bleeding. So, she bounced from one doctor to the next – all hoping that the treatment they would give her would cure her.

Nothing fixed her. In fact, the doctors she had turned to only made her suffering grow greater and made her condition worse.

One Doctor promised a cure. And caused more harm.

The another Doctor…and caused more harm…

Then another and another and another and another and another…

Until finally she spent every penny she had trying to find a cure for her condition! 

And now – she was too ashamed to ask Jesus for help.  

When we turn to everything else without the help of Jesus for healing, we only make things worse. 

You may be on a journey bouncing from one relationship to the next, convinced that the next man or the next woman is going to be able to love you and make you feel worthy of being loved. You may have an addiction to drugs, alcohol, prescription drugs, and you bounce around from one doctor to the next, hoping the next doctor is going to tell you what you want to hear.

Like this woman, my dad spent his entire adult life trying to heal from the wounds of the abuse from his dad as a kid. 

My dad abused me.

And He had been abused by HIS dad.

He tried to find healing for his childhood in bottle after bottle of liquor, beer after beer in the bar, one pack of cigarettes after another. He tried to hide his shame and run from his hurt and trauma through pornographic magazines and movies. He wanted to numb the pain of his past. He wanted to forget the hurt he had experienced and he wanted to forget the hurt he had caused. 

Sadly, my dad, like the woman in the story, wasted every penny he had seeking healing in the wrong places. He tried to get relief from his pain in alcohol and pornography. Things that only made his life worse. My dad passed away at the age of 54. Cancer had ravaged his body, but it was the things he chased after for healing that had destroyed his life.

So, please, don’t let your feelings of shame or embarrassment prevent you from seeking out the right help.  Whether you have been hurt as a child, hurt by the death or trauma of a loved one, hurt by addiction, sin, and mistakes, seek help from Jesus.

Jesus can help you and heal you.

Now, look at the reason WHY this woman sought out healing from Jesus. 

Mark 5:27 (NLT) 

27  She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.

Please, never forget that your faith in Jesus, is not a private thing. Your faith belongs in the PUBLIC.

Because,

CELEBRATING YOUR FAITH CAN IGNITE FAITH IN OTHERS

This woman sought healing from Jesus based on what she had heard OTHER people say. Jesus was radically changing peoples lives and people were talking about him! She bounced from doctor to doctor, until FINALLY she heard about Jesus! She had HEARD that Jesus had already been doing things NOBODY had ever done or seen before.  

Let’s take a look at some of those healings already mentioned in the Gospel of Luke:

JESUS HEALED PETER’S MOTHER-IN-LAW FROM HIGH FEVER

Luke 4:39 (NLT) 

39  Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and prepared a meal for them. 

JESUS HEALED ALL THE SICK IN A VILLAGE.

Luke 4:40 (NLT) 

40  As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.

JESUS HEALED A MAN WITH AN ADVANCED CASE OF LEPROSY.

Luke 5:13 (NLT) 

13  Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

JESUS HEALED A PARALYZED MAN.

Luke 5:25 (NLT) 

25  And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God.

JESUS HEALED A MAN WITH A DEFORMED HAND.

Luke 6:10 (NLT) 

10  He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!

HE HEALED ALL THOSE WHO WERE SICK BY THE THOUSANDS.

Luke 6:19 (NLT) 

19  Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.

HE HEALED THE SLAVE OF A ROMAN OFFICER.

Luke 7:10 (NLT) 

10  And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed.

HE RESURECTED A WIDOW’S SON.

Luke 7:14 (NLT) 

14  Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.”

HE HEALED VARIOUS DISEASES AND THE BLIND.

Luke 7:21 (NLT) 

21  At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases and illnesses, and he cast out evil spirits and restored sight to many who were blind.

This woman had HEARD these things about Jesus.  She had heard that Jesus was restoring hope to those who had given up hope. The Celebration of others ignited a fire of faith in the community and in this woman.  

Your celebration can ignite faith in other people, too.

So – celebrate what Jesus has been doing in your life so that others can come to Jesus. If you have not yet told your story of how God has restored your marriage, your friendships, your life, begin to tell your story! If you have not yet made it clear about the changed life Jesus has brought to you…

STEP OUT OF HIDING AND INTO THE PRESENCE OF JESUS

Today, I want to offer you the chance to step out of hiding and into a relationship with Jesus. I want to invite you to confront the struggles of sin you have faced and find true healing and freedom in Him. The same power that flowed from Jesus 2,000 years ago is the same power that can flow to you and bring you a second chance at life. Her twelve year battle of suffering was over!  

No more suffering at the hands of medieval Doctors.  

No more suffering in isolation.  

No more suffering with this constant shame! 

SHE HAD BEEN HEALED!

You no longer have to remain UN-NAMED and HIDDEN in the CROWD.  Just like Jesus stopped the crowds and called out to this woman, Jesus has stopped the crowds and the flow of this service and he is inviting you to reach out and turn your life over to Him.

Meeting Jesus - Compassionate Faith

Some people believe Jesus is a republican, a democrat, or an independent. Some people believe that Jesus is like a Genie in a bottle–if you rub the lamp through prayer, you get whatever you want. Still, some view Jesus like a Mascot the church rallies around once a week.Over this next year, we are going to seek to understand who Jesus really was,what he was really like, and how you and I can become more like Him.

The book of Luke is so interesting because it’s a letter written by Luke reporting on the historical events surrounding the life of Jesus. It’s a beautiful, intricate piece of literature that reads like a well presented journal entry. I love journaling. It’s something that I do regularly every day whether in the book I carry in my back pocket or my work notebook that it’s my backpack, I love taking notes. I started seriously doing it, especially daily, during 2020 when I was stuck at home for a portion of the pandemic, the world felt like it was upside down but writing helped me focus on what was important, let go of stress and have something to look back on and get encouragement through the things Ive seen over the past few years. The biggest of which is COVID.

Though it’s not something that affects our every day life as much anymore, Covid still feels like a four letter word, depending on the day it legitimately felt like something that could wipe out the majority of the world all the way down to a mild inconvenience. We’ve all been affected, we lost friends and family and the world looks different now because of it.

I remember in 2020 when I tested positive and I thought I was going to lose my mind, we were just a few days away from Christmas Eve service and everything was falling apart as Tom and many of the band had also tested positive. Tom’s quarantine period was done before mine so that Christmas Eve Tom was the only musician we had during our service. I remember watching the live feed on my phone at my house as I laid in bed and feeling helpless, but we had volunteers jumping into areas they were not usually a part of to make sure that things went as smoothly as they could. So many people wanted to help in some way.

I’m reminded of all the food distributions that we were involved in both here on our campus but also partnering with other churches and civic communities around the Grand Strand. I’m reminded of the worship nights we had outside in the parking lot staying distant but together. I’m reminded of the numerous blood drives that were held here in Adventure Beach as there was a shortage across the country. I think of those that gave their time and resources to help others in need.

Those actions are examples of “COMPASSION.” 

When we see other people suffering, and we say…I want to help somehow, and we do something to help bring relief to the people suffering – that is COMPASSION.

In today’s passage of scripture, we find a very clear example of COMPASSION among people who believed Jesus was able to work miracles.

Luke 5:17-26

17  One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus. 18  Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, 19  but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20  Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.” 21  But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” 22  Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 23  Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 24  So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” 25  And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. 26  Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” 

During this time, the religious leaders believed that if a person was suffering physical, it was because God was punishing them for their sins.

They believed that if something bad happened, that if something tragic happened, that if a person got a disease, was paralyzed, or just sick, they believed GOD was punishing that individual for their sins. It seems odd, maybe even ridiculous but I bet you have had a similar thought. We say things like “that’s karma” and we were raised to navigate through a world knowing our actions have consequences. Sometimes we see people with a terrible diagnosis, get in a horrible accident, and think that God must be punishing them for some reason. Like this is the consequence to some bad decision they have made.

Can I just state how insane that is?  

SIN and DISEASE are tied together. 

When the first man sinned, sickness, disease, deformities, and death entered the world.

BUT

God does not punish us with sickness and disease. Sickness and disease are something all of us will experience until we leave our physical bodies…

not because of personal sin – but because of sin. Period.

And, these Religious Leaders, rather than having compassion on the hurting, had judgmental thoughts toward those who were sick. The first lesson we learn about compassion from this text is that, as a body of Believers, we can…

PARTNER TOGETHER TO HELP OTHERS FIND HEAVEN THROUGH JESUS. (V.18-19)

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 

When we care about the people around us, we will look for opportunities to partner with others to bring them to Jesus.

If you have surrendered your life to Jesus and received Him as your Savior. If you believe that on the cross, Jesus paid the price for your sin, you have been forgiven for your sins, and you have reconnected to God through Jesus. If that’s true then you know people who have not yet experienced a life-changing relationship with God – who don’t know what they are missing out on. If they did, they would want to know!

With Christ comes forgiveness. In that forgiveness, you have peace during a time of trial, you have hope in the middle of hopeless situations and even when you are defeated you can stand in the confidence of victory.

You have experienced Jesus power in your life…

rescuing you from addiction, 

fixing your broken relationships with others, 

redeeming your past. 

You know what it is like to have a GROWing relationship with your heavenly Father…and you

know through experience what friends, families and neighbors are missing out on because they have never turned their lives over to Jesus.

So – invite them to Weekend worship. Invite them to watch online. Invite them to a community group you are a part of.  

Maybe you don’t feel comfortable yet sharing how people’s lives could be changed through connect with God – invite them to church! Invite them to Celebrate Recovery on Friday nights at 6pm. Celebrate Recovery is for so much more than just addictions. If you want to see what a hunger for relationship with God looks like, I encourage you to go. Any hurt, hurt habit or hang-up. Everyone stands together with an eagerness to grow closer to God.

That is a great illustration of how we can partner together to point others to Heaven through Jesus. 

The second thing we can learn about Compassion is this:

COMPASSIONATE FAITH OVERCOMES HICCUPS, HINDRANCES, AND HELL. (V.19-20)

but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.” 

This is something that would have taken a lot of determination. These friends didn’t look at the crowd, drop their bro on the mat and say “better luck tomorrow”.They didn’t let the crowd stop them, or a ladder or even a roof, they ripped it open and lowered their friend in need down in front of the only person that could help. They CARED too much to let things like crowds, ladders, and roofs get in the way. They knew if they could get their friend to Jesus – he would be changed forever.

And he was. 

Jesus forgave the man, then told him to stand up, pick up his mat, and go home. When he left that place, he did not need a mat. He would never need to be carried around again. The same crowd that blocked him from Jesus, now stared at him with wonder as they parted and he passed through. All because his friends didn’t just believe that Jesus could heal him… it wasn’t just a head knowledge that Jesus could change his life. They showed COMPASSION by doing everything they could to get him in front of Jesus.

And WE can do the same. You can do the same! 

Don’t just SAY you believe that Jesus can change lives. Have COMPASSIONATE faith that moves mountains and invite your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to church with you.

Scroll through the contacts on your phone if you can’t think of somebody to show compassion to.  

Invite your dentist, 

the person that details your car, 

your landscaper, 

your surgeon, 

your server at the restaurant, 

the people that deliver your furniture, 

the person that picks up your trash, 

We do care for others, so keep showing it and…

KEEP HELPING RATHER THAN CHOOSING A “HELPLESS FAITH.” (V.25)

And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God.

If you have been changed by Jesus – live out that change every single day.  

Don’t live like you have a helpless faith.  

Don’t live like you aren’t important. 

Don’t live like you do not matter.

You have been given life- so work to give life to others. 

This man bound to a mat no longer needed it, and Jesus did not expect for this man to keep laying there.  He told him to GET UP.  He told him to haul his cot back to his house.

God has not changed our lives for us to remain motionless, paralyzed or helpless.  

When Christ first said the paralyzed man was forgiven, his life would be forever changed, but those around him were still doubtful, it was when the man got up and walked out that inward change was now evident to those standing witness to the glory of God through Christ Jesus. We can do the same. God changes us from the inside out. We can be FOREVER CHANGED! 

Let us walk away from what we WERE and be what God has called us to be. Let us not sit and feel helpless but stand and know that God is doing a mighty work in us. Let’s not be passive in our faith but actively seek out the chances to show the world that we are made new. That the sin that once bound us has been forgiven and there is no limit to what God can do in our lives and in the lives of those we encounter.

He has placed within our hearts a faith that can move mountains…I hope you believe that God can use you, that God will use you if you invite Him to.

Our Ethos statement here is “We are a connected people, captivated by Christ, whose changed lives are changing lives”

We are changed because of the work God has done in us. Why would we not want to show that change to those around us? We get to be a walking testimony of God’s power to change our lives. Maybe you are uncertain about how to get started, well theres a lot of easy ways to do that right here! Get connected.

There are so many ways for you to help rather than choose a helpless faith. Our Tuesday Crew is a group of men who meet here each week to help keep up our campus, making sure that it’s ready and able for every activity that we host here. Join our Children’s Ministry and speak into the lives of children as they grow in their faith. Join our prayer team to go to the Lord with those in need after our services and during the week.

Hebrews 12:12–13

So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.