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[0:00] Now, as the Lord enables us, let us for a short time focus on words we have in this chapter we've read together. The Gospel according to Mark in chapter 5.

[0:19] And at verse 25, there was a woman who had a discharge of blood for 12 years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.

[0:39] She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his garment, for she said, If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.

[0:52] And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

[1:03] And so on. This incident with the healing of this woman is also reported by Matthew, Matthew chapter 9, and also in the Gospel of Luke and chapter 8.

[1:24] And in this particular chapter, before us, we see three demonstrations of our Lord Jesus Christ's authority and power.

[1:39] In the first section of the chapter, we see his power over the unclean spirits, the legion of spirits that inhabited this poor man.

[1:53] And Jesus commanded them to leave him, and they must leave him, and went into the pigs. And the pigs rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

[2:08] And it's interesting that that man, who was healed by the Lord in that miraculous way, he wanted to be with Jesus.

[2:20] Verse 19, verse 18, he was the man who had been processed with demons, begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him, but said to him, go home, to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.

[2:43] What an amazing testimony that man would have had. Everybody knew the way he was. He was uncontrollable. They tried to tie him up.

[2:56] They tried everything. But nothing proved successful until the power of Christ came. And that's the way it always is.

[3:07] And everybody who has been subject to the saving power of Christ has a story to tell. And this man was told to go and tell his story.

[3:19] And it says at the very end of that section, verse 20, Everyone marveled. Everyone marveled. I have to tell. You must tell.

[3:29] If you have a story of God's grace in your life. Tell people. The Lord says, you are my witnesses. That I am God. And the next section of the chapter, of course, shows us that Jesus has power over physical ailments.

[3:50] He heals people's bodies. And you see the third section of the chapter. And you see the third section of the chapter. He has power over death itself. Well, it's the middle one of these that I want to focus on for a few minutes this evening, as the Lord permits.

[4:06] This woman who had the issue of blood. And I'd like to say a few words under three headings. It says, first of all, her uncleanness.

[4:17] Secondly, her faith. And thirdly, her confession. Her uncleanness. Her uncleanness.

[4:28] Her faith. And her confession. Firstly, her uncleanness. It says here that she had a discharge of blood for 12 years.

[4:47] Now, beside that being a medical problem and a social problem for her and for others round about her, it was also a ceremonially legal problem.

[5:04] It had to do with the ceremonial law. Anybody who had a discharge or a running issue, as it's written in the scriptures, they were ceremonially unclean.

[5:20] And a bed upon which this woman would lie and sleep, that bed itself would be unclean. And anybody who touched it would be reckoned unclean under the law.

[5:33] And that person would have to be cleansed, unwashed. Any chair she would have sat on. Anything she touched. Everything was unclean.

[5:47] And we see that that posed a real problem to her in her life. She probably was unemployable. She probably had to live most of her life on her own.

[6:00] Not involved with other people because there was this ongoing problem. If anybody touched her or touched anything that she had touched, they would be unclean and would have to go through the ritual of ceremonial cleansing.

[6:13] Every time that would happen. It was a real problem in that respect. But it's not the medical aspect of things I want to talk about.

[6:26] It's really the way this uncleanness is a symbol of the uncleanness that is ours by nature because of our sin.

[6:39] Because of our sin. Do you remember when Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up in the temple?

[6:51] The effect that had on Isaiah. He said, Woe is me, for I am undone. I am a man of unclean lips. And I dwell among a people of unclean lips.

[7:05] Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. He realized how unclean and impure he was because of his sin.

[7:18] In the light of the glory of God who had revealed himself to him in the temple. And we see also in Isaiah's prophecy chapter 64.

[7:32] This is the word of confession. We are all as an unclean thing. And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rugs or filthy garments.

[7:43] The best things we can do are contaminated and unclean because sin is at the very root of our being.

[7:54] The fountainhead of our life discharges sin and impurity. And you say, how can that be proved? Well, the psalm we were just singing.

[8:07] Psalm 51 at verse 5 says, And this is a confession of David the psalmist. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

[8:20] These words speak about original sin. At the very point of our conception.

[8:31] Because we are of the family of Adam, the guilt of Adam's first sin attaches to us at the very point of our conception in our mother's womb.

[8:44] And as we come into the world, we are tainted with sin. Original sin. And we add to that original sin, sins of thought and word and action, day after day after day.

[9:03] And that was the problem, I believe, described in this particular section of scripture in a symbolic way. And this woman was really aware of her problem.

[9:19] And she tried to cure her problem. And alleviate her situation. You see what she tried? It says here that she had suffered much under many physicians.

[9:34] And had spent all that she had. And was no better, but rather grew worse. Isn't that what happens? When we, to some extent, are made aware of our need as sinners before God.

[9:52] People go to various kinds of quack doctors. For example, the doctor of self-improvement. You go into his surgery.

[10:06] And you say, well, I've got this problem. I really need to improve my life. My life isn't what it ought to be. And the doctor of self-improvement encourages you.

[10:18] And you say, well, you try this and try that and improve your life and things will go better for you. But you find that the doctor of self-improvement has no real cure for you at all.

[10:31] And then you go to the surgery of doctor morality. And you try and keep every aspect of God's word and God's law as uprightly as possibly you can.

[10:46] And maybe for a time you're thinking, well, I'm doing quite well here. But all of a sudden you realize this is not improvement at all.

[10:57] When I look deep into my heart and into my motives, I realize that there is still uncleanness there. There is worldliness at the very root of my thinking. I'm not cured at all.

[11:11] And you add to all your morality duties. Doctor, duties commends. You start reading your Bible. Start going to church.

[11:23] Start praying. And that will make you a better person. And certainly, we commend Bible reading. We commend praying and church attendance.

[11:34] All of these things in themselves are wonderful blessings to have. But really, in themselves, they don't cleanse us from our iniquities.

[11:46] They don't cleanse us from the impurity and uncleanness of sin. And it says here that this woman had spent all that she had.

[11:58] And she was no better, but rather grew worse. And isn't that the way it is? When you go on that treadmill of self-improvement and morality and duties and trying to cleanse yourselves in your own efforts and by your own efforts, you realize you're becoming more and more bankrupt and you have nothing left but yourself and your sin.

[12:25] and that's the way she was. Isn't it amazing how slow we are to come to the one who's got the real cure for our problem?

[12:44] You see, this man whose daughter was on the point of death, it's only when she was at the point of death that we see him appearing, appealing to Jesus.

[13:02] You'd think he would have come a couple of days before when she was lingering in her illness. No, there's something in us that holds back from coming to the Lord Jesus Christ.

[13:19] We try anything and everything before coming to him. Don't you be like that. You come to the one who has salvation.

[13:32] for you. And eventually this woman after all these years realized that her own efforts wouldn't cleanse one's sin.

[13:45] She had to come to the sinner's savior and trust in him. She heard the reports about Jesus.

[14:02] in verse 27. Maybe she had heard about the way he cast out the evil spirits from this man.

[14:13] Maybe she heard about the healing of the man with the withered hand in chapter 3. Or the way people had let their friend down through the open roof.

[14:28] Remember when there were so many people around the door of a particular house and they brought their friend on a stretcher for healing and they couldn't access Jesus through the door. They went up and opened the roof and let him down and Jesus healed him.

[14:44] Maybe she heard about the poor leper another untouchable and he said to Jesus Lord if you will you can make me clean and Jesus touched him and he said I am willing be thou clean.

[15:05] You have heard many examples of the Lord's work in our communities. You know people who were living recklessly and who were converted.

[15:18] You knew people who lived for this world and for the pleasure of this life and sooner or later you heard a change has come into his or her life.

[15:30] It wasn't they themselves who brought the change about. It was a power greater than themselves and how did that happen? Because they came to Jesus the sinner saviour and this is what happened to this woman.

[15:46] She heard reports about Jesus and then it says she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment for she said and kept saying as it is in the original if I touch even his garments I will be made well.

[16:10] This is her now exercising faith. she comes in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. She had tried everything else.

[16:23] Every doctor she knew every cure they had tried upon her everything had failed but she had heard of Jesus and nothing is too hard for him.

[16:36] The most abandoned sinner who comes to Jesus in faith will be forgiven and will be cleansed. The most worldly the most foul mouthed the greatest liar and thief who comes to Jesus in faith will know what forgiveness is.

[17:00] And this woman 12 long years coming and going to various clinics she's come to this point she's at rock bottom she's completely bankrupt and she can do nothing better and cast herself upon the free grace of God in Christ Jesus.

[17:23] If I touch even his garments I will be made oh what faith that was his garments even the edge of his garment even anything so extreme as it was as it were from his from his person from his body touched it and she was healed.

[18:00] You know her faith centered on himself on Jesus himself. She was bankrupt she knew that he had all the answers he was rich she was impure she was convinced in her mind and heart that he was clean and able to cleanse her from all her sin she was weakened by sin and by all that she had been trying to do to cleanse her sin she had nothing left she came to the all powerful one who is able to do great things for those who trust in him the faith or the hand of faith that she stretched forth isn't it amazing what faith is think of a couple of examples of faith from the

[19:05] Old Testament think of the faith of Noah the Lord said to Noah that he was going to bring a flood upon the earth and he commanded Noah to build an ark and Noah believed God and he started building and he built for 120 years scripture says that he took that length you can imagine mockers coming and saying that fool after 85 years is still building expecting a flood to come and there isn't a cloud in the sky but you see Noah knew that God had spoken and that God's word is true and he was going on the basis of what God had said revealed himself to

[21:33] Abraham in Ur of the Chaldees Ur of the Chaldees was a very forward progressive society wonderful housing a lot of money and so on when the Lord said to Abraham get out of here to a place I will show you and the Bible says he went out not knowing where he was going but he knew who had spoken to him and what he had said and he was willing and keen to obey what the Lord had asked of him and he went not knowing where he was going that's what we are called to do may God give us the grace of faith that we also may receive God's word and act upon what he says you know the confession of faith describes faith in its activity as receiving and resting upon

[22:34] Jesus Christ for salvation as he has offered to us in the gospel isn't that simple isn't that wonderful nothing in my hands I bring I just receive what you're willing to give to those who come in faith can you imagine surrounded by this crowd of people that surrounded the Lord Jesus and her hand was stretched forth and the crowd would surge one way and she would be carried away from the Lord surge another way and carried in another direction will I ever be able to touch the hem of his garment will I ever be able to touch even the outermost part of his garment but she was determined and she kept stretching forth her hand and if

[23:39] I touch even his garments I will be made well I will be made well I know other people who have been made well and he has power and he calls me to himself that's what he does through the gospel he calls sinners to himself and he says look unto me and be saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved and she said I must be saved I can't bear this burden anymore and the same is said by many of yourselves I am burdened with my sin a feeling of my lostness I'm far away from God Lord Jesus I want to come to you and touch even the hem of your garment what does it mean when we touch the hem of his garment well

[24:49] I just said a moment ago what the confession says that you receive and rest upon Jesus Christ alone freely offered in the gospel he is offering himself and we are asked to receive him nothing in our hands we bring simply to his cross we claim a hand of faith that she stretched forth and what happened when she judged the hem of his garment immediately the flow of blood dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease what an amazing cure that was when

[25:49] God's saving power touches us in our heart and in our life the power of sin is dealt with once and for all he brings a new power into our experience even the power of eternal life that is glorious in its nature and cleansing in its very nature the power of his eternal life casts out all that has inhabited our mind and heart and life hitherto the scripture says we are made new creatures in Christ Jesus I know that we have a remnant of corruption continuing with us while we're in this world but we are still new creatures in

[26:49] Christ and that's I believe what this woman experienced the newness of being in Christ the newness of eternal life of sins forgiven of love shed abroad in her heart focusing on Christ and on all that was good the newness that comes with the blessing of God upon us in our mind in our heart in our soul in our life altogether she knew immediately that the flow of blood had dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease the same will happen in everyone's experience who touches Christ by faith who receives him as Lord and Saviour a new inhabitant will come to inhabit my heart and my life a new king sits on the throne of my life and he has new principles heavenly principles with which

[27:59] I'm in sympathy from that moment onwards and I want to live for him and not for myself anymore she knew in herself that the disease had gone but then verse 30 Jesus perceiving in himself that power had gone out of him immediately turned about in the crowd and said who touched my garments he wants her to make profession or to stand up and be counted as somebody who has been blessed by him the same as the man in the first part of the chapter who had had the legion cast forth from him and he wanted to be with the Lord all the time begging him that he might be with him but Jesus said no you go home and tell your friends what's happened to you make public profession of what

[29:05] I've done for you and the man did just that and everyone marvelled the same kind of thing here with this woman who touched my garments stand up and be counted and the disciples didn't know what was happening they said to the Lord you see the crowd pressing around you and yet you say who touched me it's as if it's such a an unreasonable question to ask when there's dozens or hundreds of people around and Jesus said who touched me many people touched him but only one touched him with a hand of faith and that may be true in any congregation under the preaching of God's word many might hear many might be moved but only those who are blessed from heaven will know what's happened to themselves their heart has been touched and they need to stand up and be counted he looked around to see who had done it the woman knowing what had happened to her verse 33 came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth what an amazing story she had to tell

[30:31] I wonder how far back she went I suspect that she went as far back as the first day she noticed this issue of blood and the first doctor she had visited and the first time she tried to cure it herself and the same with yourself and myself you go back all the way to the time that the Lord made known to you that you were a lost I asked the Lord to help me and lead me and I started reading the Bible and so on I started coming to the house of God she came in fear and she fell down before him and told him everything well of course he knew everything anyway but it's wonderful to be able to say Lord this is what you have done for me you are worthy of me telling it to the whole world no doctor in

[31:37] Israel could have saved me nothing could have cleansed me but the blood of Jesus Christ God Son cleanseth us from all sin from all kinds of sin there is only one sin the Bible says for which there is no forgiveness and that is sin against the Holy Ghost and people ask what does that mean and the best explanation I have heard of it is this people who are convinced of the truth of the gospel and have seen the power of the gospel in the lives of others and who refuse nevertheless to bow to the claims of Christ they are sinning against the Holy Ghost and there is no forgiveness but this woman told and listen to the blessings she received and the encouragement given to her after she starts or finishes telling the story verse 34

[32:45] Jesus said to her daughter your faith has made you well go in peace and be healed of your disease first word is daughter what an amazing word that is I mean she was an outcast and she couldn't associate with her family in an ordinary way before this because of her uncleanness but he says you are reinstated to your family and what's more you are now a daughter of the king of kings you have been adopted into the family of God and he commends her faith her faith has made her well in other words you have touched the one with the hand of faith who is the great physician and his cure has reached you because you have trusted in him faith has made you well it's not our faith that saves us it is

[34:00] Christ who saves us through our faith and finally go in peace and be healed of your disease it's as if she has now been taken into a relationship of peace with God you can imagine that her experience is so different to what it was when she first came to the edge of this big crowd burdened with her feelings of uncleanness and so on now the peace of God that passes all understanding envelops her go in peace and be healed of your disease I looked this up just before I came away to the service what does it mean be healed of your disease in the grammar it says that it's a present imperative active the king of kings commands that she be healed that healing take place and no power in hell can reverse his command his imperative his command is clear and this woman for all her trembling and all her fear need not fear at all because the king of kings is on her side same with everyone who has come to

[35:36] Jesus by faith they know his salvation and he says to them also your faith has made you well go in peace and be healed of your disease are you burdened this evening for your own soul do you know anything of what this woman was going through in trying to be cleansed from the impurities of her life the impurities of sin the guilt of sin you've tried this you've tried that you've tried the other thing well don't be like this woman leaving it for 12 years don't be like this other man whose daughter was just on the point of death he came at the very last minute when his daughter was about dead no come to

[36:37]  Jesus now he is waiting to be gracious and he is waiting so that you might come and touch the hem of his garment and all who touch with the hand of faith will be healed may it be so with us all let us pray may you will be there to we were in the way he could as many as we are after the And we heard about his plan and he went away to