Belief and Breakthrough | May 26th

by | May 26, 2024 | Digging Deeper

Series: Luke
Sermon Title: Belief and Breakthrough
Passage:  Luke 8:40-56

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Series: Luke
Sermon Title: Belief and Breakthrough
Passage:  Luke 8:40-56  

  1. Two people Desperate for a breakthrough 
  2. Two people Demonstrating great faith for a breakthrough 
  3. One God deserving our faith when we need a breakthrough
  • He is the God who is always at work yet never too busy. (Jesus constantly interrupted)
  • He is the God of mysterious yet perfect timing. (Jesus never allowed himself to be rushed).
  • He is the God who has all the power yet calls us son and daughter.

PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

  • Who do you identify most in this story in Luke 8, and why?
  • This story highlights Jesus all encompassing authority and power. How does reading this build your trust in His authority and power in your life?
  • Both the woman with the chronic problem and the death of Jairus daughter highlight problems with no human solution, and their desperate need for Jesus. What areas in your life fit this same category? 
  • Jairus likely did not even believe in Jesus until he turned to Him out of final desperation.  The woman with the blood flow had tried everything else to be healed.  When have you tried to do things on your own and then had to turn to Jesus out of desperation?
  • Jarius was likely impatient for Jesus to come heal his daughter and did not want Jesus to stop for the woman with the blood flow.  How have you been impatient to see God act?
  • The disciples seemed to think the question of who touched Jesus a ridiculous one as people were surrounding Him and probably bumping into Him.  Jesus is referring to someone reaching out and touching in faith though.  What is the difference between bumping into Jesus and reaching out to touch Him in faith?
  • Jesus called the woman forward to publicly declare that Jesus had healed her.  Why is it necessary to publicly declare what Jesus has done for us?
  • Why do you think Jesus feels the need to tell the woman that it was her faith that made her well?
  • Jesus tells Jarius to not be afraid.  How do you have to intentionally put away fear in order to really trust God?
  • Real faith holds onto Jesus in suffering because we know that all things have ultimately been defeated through his resurrection. How can this truth encourage us as we walk through suffering today?
  • The mourners laughed and ridiculed Jesus for His belief.  When have you been laughed at and ridiculed for your belief in the power of God?
  • There is a lot of grief represented in this passage. What does this reveal to you about your grief and his desire for your wholeness?

 

SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON:

 

RESOURCES:

 

MONTHLY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE TO TRY: CONTEMPLATION

CONTEMPLATION:

We are wrapping up our month-long exploration of the practice of contemplation. I would guess, some of may have found this hard, and some found this easy. I for one have journeyed between both of these positions. I often times wondered how people of the Old Testament could have such intimate lives with God. People like Moses, Isaac, and Daniel. It was not until I truly shifted my understanding and comprehension of God that Christian contemplation made more sense. God is relational. If we believe in a God who is infinite-relational, then contemplation is simply an extension of conversation. It is an opportunity to know God deeply through intentional attention.

It is impossible to learn contemplation through reading this or any other book. By nature, it is an experience between you and God and therefore must be experienced. Just try it. Pick a time and a place to focus in and contemplate a thing of God.

Here are a few practices to get started in your development:

  • The longing to go deeper read Psalm 42. – Read it 3 times.

    • Identify what it reveals about God,

    • What does it reveal about our need for him

    • Express gratitude to God.

    • Sit and listen, empty your mind, and listen for his voice.

 

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

In a world of Uber Eats, DoorDash, meal kits, Amazon Prime, InstaPots, curbside pickup, and grocery delivery…we have almost all but forgotten what it means to wait. We are slowly losing the days of home cooked meals simmered on the stove all day, dating relationships that begin with an organic friendship, and running into old friends at the store. Our over-convenienced culture can seep into our spiritual lives easier than we realize, and in turn can lead to impatience and disappointment. When our prayers don’t get answered in a day or two, or maybe a week, we grow frustrated, or most likely have already gotten bored and moved on to the next thing. But what about those long lasting prayers? What about things like chronic illness, wayward children, addictions, and much needed breakthroughs? It can be so painful waiting year after year. If you have experienced this kind of waiting, you know all to well the meaning of Proverbs 13:12 “hope deferred makes the heart sick”.

The thing is though, we do not serve an on-demand God. Our God cannot be pressured or controlled, or pushed to make a decision. I love the phrase “we serve a Crock-Pot God in an InstaPot world”. God sees the entire story from start to finish, and is not under the authority of time or space. He is not in a rush nor in a hurry. When we look at Luke 8, we see two people in two very different situations, both with a sense of urgency. Jairus is trying to break through the crowd and get Jesus to his dying daughter, and the woman with blood is desperate to simply touch the hem of his garment, as she has tried everything for 12 years to get well with no luck. Jesus allows himself to be interrupted by the immediate need in front of him and we see only one of only a few times in scripture where He commended someone on their faith.
In the meantime, Jairus’ daughter dies. Could you imagine what he is feeling? “What the heck Jesus? I got to you first! Why did you stop?” From an outsider’s perspective, we can assume that this woman who had already waited 12 years could probably wait a few more moments for Jesus to finish his life or death mission, but Jesus didn’t see it that way. He knew that his daughter would die, and He used the situation for His power to be on display. Sometimes in the waiting, it can lead us to bold acts of faith. This woman of blood risked everything to get to Jesus’ feet, because she was desperate. Had the first doctor healed her, or even the second or third, would she even have had an interest in meeting Him? Or what if Jesus healed Jairus’ daughter from afar? Would the impact on Jairus have been as great?
 Only God knows what it takes for us to get to His feet. One thing we know is this woman never stopped searching for her healing. We already know that Jesus is the answer to whatever prayer we have, we just have to keep pursuing, and trust that if the answer is ‘No’ or ‘Not yet’, then he has something better for you. – Emma Menesini

Pastor Rob Hans | Spiritual Formation Pastor