Hopelessness 11/17/24

Mark 5: 25-34 nkjv

25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

❓ Have you ever felt hopeless❓ 

❓What did you do?

❓Is there someplace you go, someone you talk with or something you like to eat, read, watch, or listen to?

💥 The woman in the story today was someone who was facing the grim darkness of hopelessness.

• She had a seemingly incurable bleeding condition for 12 years!v 25)
• She spent all her money on treatments from many doctors and nothing helped. v26)
• She had been declared unclean. Leviticus 15:25-27) 25 “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean. 26 Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity. And everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity. 27 And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.
  •  According to the Law, anything or anyone she touched became unclean as well.  By being in the crowd and pressing around Jesus meant that each person who bumped into her would have become unclean, too—including Jesus.
• In fact she only grew worse! vMark 5: 26)  and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.

⭐    Faithful to the text.  What causes life to become hopeless?

     1.     No mention of Jesus in her story before she came to Him.

• Not having Jesus in our life!
  • Living life without the God factor.

     2.    Trying to fix our own life! Find our own happiness.

• Trying to cope in our own way. What we eat, read, watch, or listen to!
• Doctors, friends, medicine. (Our only hope?)

     3.    Trusting in worldly means to find life!

• Spent all her MONEY.  

👉 ****) The Bible declares that the love of money is the root of all evil! / Humanity declares the lack of money is the root of all evil! (****👈

⭐    We encounter hopelessness by going down the path of looking to our spouse, family, children, friends, etc. to find our value and happiness.

• We try to get from people and things that only God can give us.  
  • I’ve got the greatest wife in the world to me!
    • She’s not perfect, but she is to me!   
    • She’s a great wife, but she is a poor God!
    • 
      

➣     I’ve looked to her to get things that only God could give me and it strained our marriage - relationship 

➣     I’ve looked to hobbies to find peace and happiness that only God could give me.

➣     I’ve looked to position and status to find what only God could give me.

💥   Until I learned (AND I’M STILL LEARNING IT, TOO) that it is only from Jesus that I can have life and have it more abundantly!    (NOTHING ELSE)  

❓   What do you look to in order to make you feel valuable?  What or who do you turn to that makes you feel like you are enough and measure up? 

❓ "Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" Matthew 10:28.     STOP giving people and things God's power!!💥   We shall never be made whole without God!  Without Jesus.

💥💥 WHAT DOES THIS TEACH? 💥

💥 If want to have hope in life!

I.       We need Jesus in our life.V27-28) 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”           

A.   Not just religion. (You got religion) (I got GOD!)          

B.   Jesus in your life.  In your work > In your house > in your family > 

II.     SEEK GOD’S WHOLENESS! v28)  28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 

A.   Regardless of your circumstances:  Jesus can make you whole. (Joni Erickson Tada)

B.   Mistakes, failures, bad choices.   We can be made free from shame, guilt, condemnation, and the judgments of others.  John 8:32)  We can be set free regardless of our problems.             

C.   💥  A whole new perspective when God doesn’t take us out of the world but joins us in the world. John 17:15) I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

III.         Let God cleanse you from what prevents you from having hope! v29) 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

⭐   ❓What do you need to be cleansed from in your life?  What do you wish you could wash off? Do away with?❓      An event > Shortcoming > Problem >

• If only I could do away with this…..life would be better!  
• It is amazing how whole we can be even with our problems!

2 Corinthians 12: 7-10  And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  

A.   Keeps us real! (Thorn in the flesh)   

B.   From becoming people we are not. (exalted above measure)

C.   Learn the power of grace. “My grace is sufficient for you,  

D.   Find strength  My strength is made perfect in weakness. /  

E.    power of Christ may rest upon me. 

F.  HAVE HOPE IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL! 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.