What's going on, we're going to pick up in Luke chapter 8, verse number 40.
You can follow along the screen as well.
Verse 40 says,
I love Peter's response.
And when all denied, Peter and they that were with him said,
Master, the multitude thronged thee and pressed thee, and sayest thou, who touched me?
Peter's not afraid to rebuke the Lord.
He's like, listen, you've lost your mind.
Everybody's touching you, Lord.
We're on a mission here.
Let's just keep moving.
Verse 46,
And Jesus said,
Somebody hath touched me, for I perceive that virtue has gone out of me.
And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling and falling down before him,
and she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him
and how she was healed immediately.
And he said unto her,
Daughter, be of good comfort.
Thy faith hath made thee whole.
Go in peace.
And while he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house,
saying to him,
Thy daughter is dead.
Trouble not the master.
But when Jesus heard it,
he answered him, saying,
Fear not,
believe only,
and she shall be made whole.
And when he came into the house,
he suffered no man to go in,
save Peter, James, and John,
and the father of the mother and the maiden.
And all wept and bewailed her,
and he said,
Weep not,
she is not dead,
but sleepeth.
Verse 53,
And they laughed him to scorn,
knowing that she was dead.
And he put them all out,
and took her by the hand,
and called,
saying,
Maid, arise.
And her spirit came again,
and she arose straightway,
and he commanded to give her meat.
And her parents were astonished.
But he charged them,
they should tell no man what was done.
We've kind of seen over these last few weeks here in the eighth chapter of Luke,
that Jesus is kind of,
Luke is kind of showing Jesus' identity.
Who he is.
That he's not just a carpenter,
he's not some rabbi.
No, that he is God in the flesh.
And he has authority over the nature,
we saw that.
Over these demons,
he has it over death and disease.
And he reminds us that there is nothing
that we are going to face in life
that he can't control.
That he can't fix.
That there may be desperation in life,
there may be delay,
there may be doubt,
there may be all kinds of things.
But God is able to give divine deliverance.
Now sometimes that's here on this side,
and sometimes that's on that side.
But we're going to see how we can apply these truths to our life this morning.
So let's go to hymn and prayer,
and then we'll jump right in.
Father, thank you for this time.
Thank you for the songs that have been sung.
Thank you for those that have come to worship you this morning.
I pray that you would be with us now.
Lord, I pray that you would just quiet our hearts and minds
to the busyness of life,
and maybe the things we brought with us,
and the things we're facing ahead this week.
Lord, I pray you would just speak to our hearts.
I pray you would convict us where we need to,
challenge us where we need to be.
Lord, I pray if there's somebody here
that does not know you as their Savior,
that today they would realize that that is their greatest need.
Lord, I pray you'd be with me.
You would empty me of self,
cleanse me of sin,
fill me with your spirit,
that I might be a help to these people this morning.
And we ask it in Christ's name.
Amen.
Thank you so much for standing.
You may be seated.
You know what tests your patience almost more than anything?
The DMV.
Do we have any DMV employees?
I don't want to.
I'll pray for you if you do right now.
You're like,
I ain't raising my hand in a group of this many people.
But you go there and you take a number
and you sit down and you wait
and you wait
and you wait some more.
And we know this.
If anybody's driven down California Street
about 5.50 in the morning,
there's a line sitting right outside.
I mean,
and you look at those people
and you realize maybe if you get in that line
how woefully unprepared you are
for what you just entered into.
You see that some folks look like
they're tailgating for a football game.
I mean,
we got snacks,
comfy chairs,
they're having a cornhole tournament.
Because they know
they're going to be here all day long.
And they're there
and some of them look like
they've been there since last Tuesday.
But you go into it
and you're determined to stay hopeful.
You tell yourself all the time,
my number's got to be next.
I mean,
they're going to call me
and then the loudspeaker calls
now serving B47
and you're Z197.
Then you realize
it's not going to happen anytime soon.
And it's in that moment,
in that waiting,
that you realize
that it doesn't matter who you are,
it doesn't matter what position
or money or influence,
you just can't seem
to get to the front of that line.
You're really stuck
until your number is called.
And as we kind of walk
through the Gospels,
we see that every time Jesus shows up,
there's a huge crowd.
Jesus had just taken a trip
to the other side of the Sea of Galilee
and to the country of the Gadarenes
and we saw that he met
this maniac of Gadare
and completely changed his life.
And the people there
weren't really understanding
what was going on.
They couldn't comprehend it
so they said,
we just need you to leave.
We're not sure about you yet.
So Jesus gets back in the boat
and they come to the other side
and we see the line
is already gathered
because they're thinking
to themselves,
well if he went that way,
he's got to come back here.
And they've been gathering
on the shore
and waiting for him to be there
and the crowd is there
but there is a man in the crowd
that needs his number called.
He's there waiting
and thinking,
when is Jesus coming back?
I really need him to show up
and we're introduced to him
in verse number 41.
That out of the mass of this people
steps a man who's wealthy,
who's powerful,
who's most likely well respected
in his community.
But at this moment
when we meet him
in verse number 41,
none of that matters.
Doesn't matter what his position was.
Doesn't matter what his bank account said.
Why?
Because his world
has just collapsed.
And the Bible tells us his name
that his name was Jairus.
So who was Jairus?
Well we can see very quickly
as we read this morning
that he was a desperate father.
But his job,
verse 41,
tells us that he was a ruler
of the synagogue.
So that's why we know
that he's respected.
These men in these communities
would have been well off,
they would have been well known,
and they would have been
very influential.
Basically what his job was
is he was kind of the one
that managed the church,
so to speak.
But he ran it
and he scheduled the teachers
and he cared for the scrolls
and he oversaw the services
and really just kind of
kept the synagogue up and running.
And the synagogue
wasn't just a church to them,
that was the center of their life.
That was the community
would gather around that
and they would come together
and they would pray
one for another
and just everything
about the synagogue
was so vital
to their everyday life.
So they would be appreciative
of a man like Jairus.
So simply put,
here's what we see about Jairus.
People looked up to him.
But yet when we're introduced
to him here in our text,
we see Jairus on his knees
at the feet of Jesus.
Jesus.
Why?
Because his only child,
a girl about 12 years of age,
lay dying.
And we know if you're a parent,
there's nothing you would not do
for your child in this situation.
We could assume,
we don't know,
but maybe she had been sick
for a while
and he had called the best doctors.
He had called from Jerusalem.
He may have had connections
and he tried everything
that he could
and yet she didn't get any better.
And sometimes we kind of
read over this
when we see that he fell down
at Jesus' feet
and besought him.
He's kind of begging,
he's pleading
that he would come to his house.
And we kind of maybe
just read over that.
But for Jairus,
a man of his stature,
a man of his occupation,
for him to throw himself down
in front of Jesus
would have been shocking
to the crowd.
Maybe there were some
that were closer
and they saw Jairus come
and said,
excuse me,
like,
what is Jairus doing here?
Why is he here?
And we know this
as we study the Gospels
that most of the religious leaders
and those kind of in charge
of situations like this
wanted nothing to do with Jesus.
Now, he wouldn't have been
a Pharisee per se,
but he would have had to kind of
rub shoulders with men like that.
And we know that group,
that religious crowd,
the elite of the day,
so to speak,
they were very critical of Jesus.
They slandered him
and they were constantly
trying to trap him.
We don't know if Jairus
was like that,
but he would have been
kind of lumped into that crowd.
But as we come here now,
Jairus doesn't care
what anybody thinks.
Because when your little girl
is slipping away,
pride doesn't matter.
Positions don't matter.
Opinions don't matter.
All that mattered to Jairus
was getting to Jesus.
He had heard the stories.
He had maybe seen
some of the miracles
and maybe still trying to process
who is this man?
Who's this guy from Nazareth?
I mean, we all know
nothing good comes from Nazareth.
And Jairus was struggling
and wrapping his mind
around that possibly.
But we see here
that desperation
can really be the starting point
of faith.
that sometimes God allows
very difficult things
in our life
because it reminds us
that we can't do it.
That we don't have
the answers.
And see, Jairus' life
proves that out in this text.
So I want us just to kind of
trace his journey.
And I think there's some
great things that we can take
from this account
and really apply it
to our own lives.
Number one,
I think we see this
in our text,
that desperation
can activate our faith.
The desperation
can activate
our faith.
See, as we mentioned already,
Jairus had the status.
He had the wealth.
But none of that
kept him alive.
And the reason we find him
where he is
is because
that was his only option.
And sometimes
that's maybe what God
has to do to us.
And let's just be real.
Maybe that's why
you're here this morning.
Maybe you're thinking,
and it may not just be
something that everybody knows,
but there's something
in your life
and you're thinking,
Lord, what do I have to do?
Lord, I don't understand.
I need help.
Lord, what direction do I go?
And here's the truth.
We don't like desperate situations.
I don't.
When there's a difficulty
in my life,
when there's a desperation moment,
here's what I want
the Lord to do.
Get rid of it
as fast as possible.
Yeah, okay,
just making sure
we're on the same page.
Nobody says,
you know what,
this is awesome.
Let's just hang out here
for a while.
Nobody says that.
But I think the question
we have to ask ourselves,
kind of bring it
where we live,
is that when trouble
hits our life,
because it will,
I said because it will,
okay,
just making,
I was like,
man,
I want to come live
your life.
I mean,
Jesus told us that.
That we're going
to have difficulties.
We're going to have
struggles.
But when that trouble
comes,
when that desperation
happens,
what gets activated?
Is it fear?
Because sometimes
maybe that's our
natural reaction.
We get a report,
we get,
the company has a layoff
and our immediate reaction
is what am I going to do?
How am I going to move forward?
How am I going to pay the bills?
How's this health situation
going to be?
Maybe it's worry,
maybe it's anger.
Lord,
I've just been serving you,
I've been trying
and I'm coming to church
and I'm doing these things
and you let this happen?
Why?
Lord,
that's not fair.
Look at all these other people.
They're not doing anything
they're supposed to,
but I am.
We get angry at God.
We can get mad.
We can get frustrated.
Sometimes self-pity
gets activated.
And we have to,
we can't live there.
Or maybe it is faith
that gets activated.
Because that's what we see here.
See,
Jairus' desperation,
it activated his faith.
Maybe he was
kind of,
kind of teeter-tottering
of,
I'm not really sure
about this Jesus,
but he came to a realization,
this seems to be the only man
that can do anything about it.
And he ran to Jesus
and he came
and the Bible says
that he fell on his knees
and he begged him,
he said,
Jesus,
you have to come to my house.
You have to come
because my daughter is dying.
I know my number,
I may be way back in line,
but I need you right now.
And that's kind of
where we find him.
Listen,
when we're desperate,
sometimes we think,
well,
I don't want to bother the Lord.
No,
run to him.
Cast all your cares on him.
Why?
Because he cares for you.
Because I know
from my own life
when I have difficulties
and I have problems
and I'm desperate
and I try to fix it myself,
then I have to go to him
and say,
I need you to fix this problem
and I still need help here.
We're not designed
to bear the burden,
to carry the load.
Listen,
you might be trying
to handle it,
but let me just remind you
that Jesus can handle
a broken marriage,
a rebellious teenager,
your anxiety,
your depression,
your disappointment.
Jesus can handle
what you cannot.
And maybe you came here
this morning
and you're just tired
and you're beat down
and you're frustrated.
You know why?
Because you're carrying
things that you cannot.
And you're fearful
and you're worrying
and your anger
is kind of boiling up.
And here's what Jesus
is saying,
bring it to me.
Bring it to my feet.
And we can say those things,
but here's where
it really boils down.
Do you believe that?
Because Jairus did.
He got to the place
where he said,
I believe that Jesus,
I'm not sure
what he's going to do,
but I believe
that he can do something.
And I love this.
I love verse number 42
at the end.
But as he went,
the people thronged him.
In Mark's gospel,
it says that Jesus
was walking alongside
and I just want us
to stop and not read
over that real fast.
What a beautiful picture
that is.
That the Lord
of heaven and earth
is walking side by side
with a desperate father.
Because it reminds us
of this truth
that when we go to God
and we have these things,
he doesn't say,
take a number,
get in line.
No,
he walks with us.
He walks with us
through that valley.
He walks with us
through that trial,
through that health situation.
And just when Jairus thought,
hey,
help's on the way.
He's thinking,
wow,
that went a lot faster
than I thought it was.
I can't believe
I got to the front
of the line that much.
life through
in an interruption.
Don't you love
when life does that?
Don't you love
when they go,
man,
this is all going
according to plan.
And then I always
look over my shoulder
because guess what?
Life usually happens.
We say,
it is what it is.
But here's something
we can learn.
This interruption
teaches us another lesson
about faith.
that while our desperation
can activate our faith,
delay can grow our faith.
I'm just as much like you
in this sense.
I do not like waiting.
Like I will drive
45 minutes
out of the way
as long as my wheels
are moving
as opposed to
setting in traffic
for the five minute delay.
Can I get an amen
right there?
Yeah.
And then usually
it doesn't work out well
and I come back
and it sends me
back in the line.
And I'm like,
Lord, what are you doing?
He's like,
just stay on the road, man.
But sometimes
we just don't like delay.
I mean,
maybe you or some
of the people
that are behind me
at the light
when it turns green,
point one second
after it turns green,
you're like,
I'm like,
what is going on, man?
I mean,
we just don't like waiting.
And you go to a drive-thru
at a restaurant
and you're thinking,
what's taking so long?
Maybe they're cooking it.
I mean,
that could be an option.
I just,
you know,
I would prefer them
to take a little longer
if it's not cooked
just so my food is ready.
But the simple truth is
we don't like delay.
Whether it's in traffic,
at a stoplight,
at a restaurant,
and we sure don't like it
when it comes to our life.
It sure doesn't,
we sure don't like it
when we're in a trial of faith,
so to speak.
And we're thinking,
Lord,
if you love me,
I think you'd answer
this problem right now.
Lord,
I know that lady
looks like she's got
some problems,
but we got some business to do.
My daughter's really struggling.
Because as he's making
his way to Jairus' house,
a woman saw an opportunity
to get close to Jesus.
See,
just like Jairus had heard
about Jesus
and the miracles,
and he thought,
you know what,
this is the one I need to get to,
so did this lady.
And the Bible tells us
that in verse number 43
that a woman
had an issue of blood
12 years.
Think about that.
For as long as Jairus' daughter
had been alive,
this woman had been suffering.
She had been struggling.
She had spent
everything she had.
Mark's gospel said
she spent all her living
and was none the better.
In fact,
she grew worse.
So she realizes
that my life is,
it's coming to a place
where it's probably
not going to go well.
And can you imagine
having 12 years
of weakness and pain
and frustration
and disappointment?
Maybe some of you
have walked through
something like that.
But hers wasn't
just physical.
See,
according to Jewish law
and her condition
made her ceremonially unclean
and that's kind of
where you read
in the book of Leviticus
and you're thinking,
what's all this going on?
But it laid out laws
for situations like this
and really what it meant
is she couldn't go
to the synagogue.
This place that Jairus
was in charge of,
this center of community
where she could come
and I love coming in
on a Sunday morning
and feeling the community
and the excitement
and just kind of
the buzz of people talking.
Listen,
she couldn't be around that.
She couldn't really
have friends.
She couldn't participate
in the feast
and the festivals
which would be just
life-giving to these people.
She couldn't embrace
her family.
She couldn't hug them
without making them
unclean.
See,
for 12 long years
she had lived
in isolation
and rejection
and shame.
For 12 years
she was told,
stay away.
She was treated
as an outcast.
12 years
of hopelessness.
She would have been
kind of on the level
and par with a leper.
Nobody wanted
to be around her.
Nobody really could.
But she heard
about a man named Jesus
and she thought
this might be
my only opportunity.
And her faith
began to stir
and if she thought
if I could just
get to him,
if I could just
even touch
the hem
of his garment,
I know something
would happen.
Talk about faith.
She didn't say
if I could just
get there
and he could talk
to me
and we could
kind of work
through some things
and maybe he could
give me some money
to go to the doctor.
No, her faith
wasn't in his clothes.
It was in Jesus.
She said,
if I can just
get close enough
to Jesus,
I know something
will happen.
And so that's
what she does.
She gets into the crowd
and she gets into
the press
and she kind of
makes her way
through.
I would imagine
just in my own mind
she's kind of
ducking down
so nobody sees her
because they probably
knew who she was.
They said,
hey, you can't be here.
And she reaches out
and she touches
the hem of his garment.
And the Bible says
that immediately
her issue
was resolved.
And that's what
we kind of read
there in verse
number 45.
Jesus stops
the crowd
and says,
hey,
who touched me?
And like Peter
is just,
Peter is a large child.
And I'll talk to Peter
when we get to heaven
because maybe I am too.
But you know,
it's kind of like
when you have a delay,
here's Peter.
Master,
I don't know
if you notice,
there's a lot
of people here.
And I'm pretty sure
everybody in this village
has touched you.
and you want to know
who touched you.
Here's who touched you.
Everybody,
let's keep moving.
I mean,
that's kind of
what's going on.
The disciples were baffled.
They couldn't understand it.
In other words,
they're just saying,
Jesus,
what are we doing here?
But here's what,
Jesus knew it was different.
He knew it was.
He said,
no, no, no,
virtue's gone out of me.
He realized
that somebody came to him
and he knew who it was.
In verse number 47,
the Bible tells us
that she came
before Jesus.
She realized,
well,
I can't keep this
a secret anymore
because I just think
Jesus had that
kind of mindset.
I'm not moving
until I find this out.
And she came
and she fell down
before him
and declared unto him
before all the people
for what cause
she had touched him
and how she was healed
immediately.
And I love
verse number 48.
Sometimes we kind of
just read over that
and we think,
wow,
that's a cool thing.
But Jesus doesn't rebuke her.
He didn't say,
look,
I'm busy.
Have you met Jairus?
He's a wealthy,
powerful man.
He's got a 12-year-old daughter
that's dying.
And you're trying
to stop me?
You're trying to delay this?
No,
he didn't rebuke her.
In fact,
he speaks words to her
that maybe he hadn't heard
in a long,
long time.
In fact,
it's the only time
Jesus uses this word
in the Gospels.
He says,
daughter.
Somebody that had lived
in isolation.
Somebody that kind of
had just been left
to the side
and saying,
well,
she's a hopeless cause.
No,
after 12 years of rejection,
she belonged again.
He said,
daughter,
be of good comfort.
She had a reason
to rejoice.
Why?
Here's why.
Thy faith
hath made thee whole.
It wasn't that she
touched the garment.
It's that she believed.
She had faith
that just reaching out.
We kind of remember
the story of the mustard seed.
Listen,
she had mustard seed faith.
If I can just reach out,
if I can just touch him,
everything's going to change.
And he told her this,
go in peace.
That she had that wholeness again.
That she could go
and she could live her life.
And that's kind of
where it meets us again.
The same way with Jairus
that maybe you're here
and you've been carrying
a burden for years.
Here's the great news.
Jesus can lift that.
It's not your burden to bear.
Maybe you've been isolated
by shame.
Here's the great news.
Jesus can restore you.
Maybe you've spent everything
looking for answers in the world.
You've tried this
and you've tried this diet
and you've tried to be
a better person
and turn over a new leaf.
Listen,
here's the truth.
Miss Tiffany sang
a great song about it.
Jesus has it.
When we come to Jesus,
we find it all.
Everything you're looking for
is in Christ.
Peace and joy
and love and hope.
All of those things
are found in him.
Maybe you feel unclean,
unworthy,
unwanted
and here's what God calls us.
Daughter.
Son.
That's what he's doing.
That's his mission.
His mission wasn't come
to heal a bunch of people
and feed their bellies.
He came to seek
and to save
that which was lost.
He came to give us
a seat at his table
and adopt us
into his family
and that's what he reminds us
and here's the connection.
While Jairus' faith
was being tested by delay,
this woman was
being rewarded
with deliverance.
See, Jesus wasn't distracted.
He was deliberate.
He's always on mission.
He healed her publicly.
I believe so Jairus
and we too
would see
that he's never too busy,
he's never too late
and he's never too weak
to meet you where you are.
Because sometimes
we can get this idea,
well,
I think God can do it for them.
But I'm not sure
God wants to do that for me.
No, he does.
He wants to do that for you.
That's why he came.
But sometimes
the reality is
that delays
give way to something
even harder to face,
disappointment.
Because sometimes
it just feels like
we're just waiting
and waiting
and it feels,
well, it already passed.
Maybe you're praying
for something.
Maybe it seems
too far gone
and you're thinking,
well, what can I do?
We notice this here
in our text,
number three,
that disappointment
can replace our faith.
I just picture Jairus
just standing there,
you know,
trying to, you know,
keep it all together
and he's
a little agitated.
He's saying,
okay,
can we heal faster?
Can we do something?
Verse 49,
when he yet spake,
there cometh one
from the ruler
of the synagogue's house
saying to him,
my daughter is dead.
Trouble not the master.
Talk about devastating.
I mean,
Jairus came with faith
and he bowed down
and he got on his knees
and he begged Jesus to come
and Jesus said,
let's go.
And I can imagine
maybe just the hope
that was there,
still struggling,
knowing his daughter
is on her death,
but knowing,
hey,
something's going to happen.
And Jesus is on the way.
But now we see
that Jairus' greatest fear
had become reality.
But I love Jesus' response
in verse 50
because it reminds us
that Jesus already knows
what's going on.
That Jesus knows our heart.
He knows what we're thinking.
And as the devastating news came,
he just looks at Jairus
and says,
fear not.
Only belief.
He met Jairus
where he was
and he understood this,
Jairus' faith
is about to be replaced
with fear.
And Jesus reminded him
of this,
I can handle this.
You came to the right source.
Because sometimes
when delay comes
and disappointment comes,
we leave the source
where it's supposed
to be at Christ
and we try to handle it ourselves.
And he's just reminding Jairus,
no, you're right
where you are.
You're right
where you need to be.
And that's what Jesus
tells us
in our disappointment,
in our worries,
in our desperation.
He tells us this,
keep believing.
Keep believing
when the sickness comes,
when your prayers
seem to go unanswered.
I'd imagine
in a crowd this size
somebody's been praying
for something
for a long,
long time.
Maybe it's a loved one
that doesn't know the Lord.
Or maybe it's a son
or a daughter
that's kind of fallen away.
Maybe it is a health situation.
You know what,
you know what Jesus reminds us?
Keep praying,
keep believing
when you're tempted
to give up,
when it feels like
the bottom's fallen out.
Just keep believing.
Because Jesus
knows what he's doing.
His time schedule
is a little different
than ours.
It's a little different
how he operates.
Because the reality is,
and we don't have to
gloss over and act
like it's not true,
but life is full
of disappointments.
Anybody disappointed
this week?
How many cowboy fans
in here?
Keep believing.
Okay,
I'm not sure
that applies,
but we just face
disappointments.
Some are silly,
but on a serious note,
I bet somebody
was disappointed
this week.
Thinking,
why?
I've been praying
for this
and this is what happened?
We have to be careful.
That disappointment
doesn't replace
our faith.
Because here's what
Jesus is saying
to you this morning.
Fear not,
just believe.
I'm still working
in your life.
I know you look
at all the situations
and you think,
Lord,
have you taken a break?
Have you checked out?
No,
he hasn't.
And see,
even when we push
through our disappointment,
there's still another obstacle
that many times comes
in situations like this.
Here's what it is.
Doubt.
You know what doubt
can do?
It can restrict
our faith.
Verse number 52.
So he makes it there.
Verse 51,
he brings Peter,
James,
and John,
the inner circle,
the mother and the father.
He gets there
and all wept
and bewailed her.
But he said,
weep not.
She's not dead,
but sleepeth.
So these people
most likely
were professional mourners.
See,
in this culture,
what they would do
is,
especially wealthier people,
they would hire people
to come to the house
and weep
and wail
and kind of make
a big ado
about all this.
And these were,
these were professionals.
They had seen
death once or twice.
They knew,
hey,
I'm sorry,
but she's,
she's,
she's not here anymore.
Well,
Jesus shows up.
He said,
hey,
why is everybody crying?
She's not dead.
She's just sleeping.
And the Bible says
that they laughed him
to scorn.
These mourners quickly,
I mean,
they can turn it off
and off,
professionals.
And they just start laughing.
Like,
what,
what is this guy doing?
The Bible says,
I love,
I love verse number 54.
And he put them all out.
He said,
get out of here.
You know,
you know what he's saying?
Doubt wasn't going to dictate
what happened next.
He had already looked Jairus
in the eyes and said,
fear not,
only believe.
And I think we can tell
from the text,
Jairus was still holding
on to that.
He was struggling,
but he was surrounded
by people that said,
hey,
this is never going to happen.
I've seen this once before.
I mean,
this is my job after all.
She's dead.
Jesus put them all out.
And in verse 54
and verse 55,
he went into the room.
He took the,
the young girl by the hand
and he said,
maid,
arise.
He didn't do all these
crazy things.
He just spoke.
Luke.
Many of the miracles,
we say this all the time,
Jesus speaks.
Why?
Because he's just reminding us
who he is.
Just like Luke is reminding us
that he's God,
he's going all the way back
to the beginning
where he said,
let there be.
That everything we know,
he spoke it into existence.
And he's reminding us
that that is who he is.
That even the scariest thing
that we face as human beings,
death,
he just speaks to it
and it obeys.
It doesn't matter what it is.
Jesus can handle it.
And I love how Luke
kind of put that,
verse 56,
and the parents were astonished.
No kidding.
See,
here's the journey
of Jairus' faith.
And maybe it
kind of relates to you.
Maybe it's in a situation
you're walking through.
Maybe you are desperate.
Don't let desperation
turn you the wrong direction.
Let it activate your faith.
If you've got
a desperate situation,
you know what you need
to do this morning?
Run to Jesus.
It doesn't matter
who you think you are
and what position you hold.
No, no.
You need Jesus.
He's the only one
that can do anything.
Without him,
the Bible tells us,
we can do nothing.
Maybe you're here this morning
and you're walking
through a delay.
And you're thinking,
Lord, what are you doing?
I came to you.
I came to this altar.
I bowed by my bedside.
I'm reading my Bible.
I'm doing all these things.
And this,
I'm just stuck?
The problem's just
going to keep going on.
Or maybe we feel like
the problem's too far gone.
Listen,
delay.
Instead of being frustrated by it,
let it grow your faith.
Because Jesus comes alongside
and says,
listen,
don't worry.
Just believe.
Maybe some of you are here
and disappointment
is threatening your faith.
Well, if this is what God does,
I don't want any part of that.
It's very easy sometimes
to get in a situation
and say,
well, this is how it's going to be.
I'll just walk away.
Because if God loved me,
He wouldn't let this happen.
But you realize
that everything in our life
God is using
for our good
and for His glory.
The Bible tells us
that all things work together
for good
to them that love God.
Number one,
you have to know
the Lord is your Savior.
To them that love God
and are called
according to His purpose.
But then the very next verse,
Paul reminds us
in Romans 8, 29,
that all these things,
here's the goal,
that we would be conformed
to the image
of His dear Son.
Sometimes devastation comes
not because God is mean,
it's because He loves you so much
that He wants to make you
more like Jesus.
Because Jesus went through
some pretty devastating things.
Some pretty great disappointments.
Some doubt that tried to creep in.
That He was tempted
at all points like we were
yet without sin.
betrayed by ones He loved,
forsaken.
But we do notice this
about Jairus.
And it reminds us
that we can do it too.
That through all the things
He faced,
He kept believing.
And guess what He saw?
Jesus come through.
See, when you keep believing,
God keeps working.
He wants to be working
in your life.
And He does,
but sometimes we want
to walk away from the work.
We get right up to it
and the delay happens.
We try it for a little bit
and we say,
well, this is not really working
how I thought.
I'm gone.
We get past that,
the disappointments,
and it's not that we
turn our back on God.
You can still come to church
every single time
the doors are open
and be just disappointed
with God.
God, why'd you let this
happen in my life?
Remember the DMV?
You sat there forever
holding ticket Z198,
wondering if your turn
will ever come.
You're feeling like
nothing's happening,
like you've been forgotten.
Maybe that's how Jairus felt.
Maybe that's how the woman
with the issue of blood felt.
Maybe it seemed that
God was never going to call
their number.
But I want to remind you of this,
that Jesus never misses
the number.
Even when it feels like
he's late,
you may have heard of a man
named Lazarus.
He's kind of late.
Four days late
is what they thought.
I love the old song,
no, he was right on time.
Because sometimes
God allows us to go
through things
not just for us.
Because guess what?
There was a whole crowd
that saw this woman heal.
Peter, James, and John,
they're still kind of
trying to figure out
all these things
and Jesus brought them in.
These were going to be
the leaders,
especially Peter,
moving forward.
And they just,
he wanted to show them,
listen, I can do this.
I'm capable of that.
That Jesus is never too late.
He's never too busy.
He's never too weak.
See, when everyone
else thought the line
was closed
for this little girl,
Jesus walked in
and it changed everything.
See, maybe you've stopped
believing because God
is delaying.
Maybe disappointment
has replaced your faith
with fear.
Maybe doubt has crept in
and it's really taking over.
Here's the good news.
You don't need
a perfect faith.
You need faith
in a perfect Savior.
And His name is Jesus.
See, that's what Luke's
showing us here
in chapter number 8.
So I'm challenging you today
the same challenge
that Jesus gives.
Fear not,
believe only.
I don't have to know
your situation,
but He does.
And these are the words
that He speaks.
And He just wants
to remind us
when we keep believing,
when we keep trusting,
when we keep placing
our faith in Him,
He will keep working.
That's what He does.
That's who He is.
This is our God.
Praise the Lord for that.