Precious Problems
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Precious Problems
Mark 5:21-43
How many of you have heard of Levis Jeans ?
Article in time magazine 1950 on their hundred year anniversary.
When 20-year-old Levi Strauss sailed from Manhattan round Cape Horn to San Francisco in 1850 to seek a fortune in the gold fields, he carried a roll of canvas in his baggage. He intended to sell it to a tentmaker to get enough cash for a grubstake. But when he got ashore, the complaint of a friendly miner gave him a better idea. “Pants don’t wear worth a hoot up in the diggins,” said the miner. “Can’t get a pair strong enough to last no time.”
Levi promptly went into the clothing business. He had a tailor cut a pair of trousers from his canvas roll, and soon the miner was strolling all over town, boasting how strong were these “pants of Levi’s.” With one satisfied customer, Strauss found he had a steady stream of men who wanted “Levis.” In a shop on San Francisco’s California Street, he began making dozens of pairs of the waist-high overalls which defied the wear & tear of bronc-riding, gold-mining and plain ordinary living.
You see what he thought was a problem became something that gave him great wealth and changed the lives of so many people.
What he thought was a problem was actually the best thing that ever happened to him.
Here we find a man with a Problem.
I want to submit to you that this Problem in Jariuses life was a good thing.
What was his problem his little daughter lay at the door of death and ultimately died before he could get Jesus to help her.
But that problem as scary as it was in his life was precious and it set in motion some good things in his life.
How many of you have a Problem. At church we call it a cross. Or a thorn.
Something that looms overhead. Your mind constantly goes there , Maybe it is an obstacle in your mind, insurmountable. Beyond your control, maybe it is embarrassing.
It brings you to tears it did jarius
It wakes you up at night I am sure it did jarius
Maybe even it makes you wish you were not alive at times
If gives you anxiety Jarius
It makes you want to quit on God
It makes the future look bleak jarius
It makes you feel like a failure
You literally hate your position at times
If you are not there now thank God but most of us have been there and we have all been tempted to feel this way
How many of you know what I am talking about.
If you do not you will one day
And the point of this message is not to aid to our despair but to be able to put our trust in God and we find the key to do that in this passage.
Here is what I want to tell you that problem is precious.
God works through problems
Hew has it so designed that he teaches in the storm.
He gets you in a vulnerable position than he teaches you.
The spiritual training during a problem
It is just how the christian life is set up
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
2 requirements saved and love God
So I want to go through this passage and point out how that problem is precious.
And I want you to think about that problem as we go through this
Prayer is Promoted
Prayer is Promoted
And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
I want you to think of your prayer life
I want to think about what is it in your life that consistently drives you to your knees
No maybe it should not be so but it is so
Do not ever feel guilty going to God with a problem I love it when my children or those under my lead come to me say I have this problem I want your help on.
That excites me it invigorates me
We all the verse Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
He told him that in prison The Lord came to jeremiah in Prison
Whatever that brings you to Christ is a good thing
He wants you to come to him with your problems he just does not want you to lie to him and falsy repent and make great promises and give great pennies
What prompted this prayer was a Problem his daughter was sick.
I think the greatest fears a family man has is losing his wife or losing his kids.
How many times have we been driven to our knees by these precious problems.
You see in my life many times like Jarius the threat of loss has driven me to my knees
And the actual loss itself has kept me there.
If you had everything you desired and were never sick and never had people problems or financial problems. Do you think you would pray much?
Personal No longer part of the crowd
And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
You ever wonder how the Lord has time to notice you I mean heaven is so far away and the crowd is so big and the need is so great.
I mean really I am just another number
My ss number 8 digits
I mean to the economy we are just another number
Columbia people medellin
To the sensas we are just another number.
But through problems you know what you find There is a god in heaven that is interested in me personally
I am not just a part of the crowd
My hair are numbers not a sparrow falls to the ground without him knowing about it and he cares more about me than the sparrows.
I am not just a face in the crowd he knows me personally better than I know myself.
That becomes evident to me when I have a problem.
Think about the people in the story of the gospels
How many of them had a problem
Blind man
Demon possessed man
Woman with an issue of blood right here
The lame man let down through the ceiling
Zachas climbed up in a tree
The ten lepers.
They all had a problem they had a question they had a family member that was sick
And that is how they entered the gospel story.
Listen I don't care who you are if you are born again you entered that relationship because you had a problem. You were a sin sick sinner.
That drove you out of the crowd to a compassionate saviour
This problem prometed prayer.
You see it is his way or working with you in a special way.
Pride is put down
And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
This was a ruler of the synagogue in Capernaum
Therefore, he had a very prestigious position among the Jews. But in spite of his prestigious position, Though he was a leader of the synagogue, yet he showed great respect for Christ by falling down in deference to Christ. If you want anything from God, you need to put your pride aside.
HE said I need help my religion can't give it to me
I am at the end of my rope.
Coming to Jesus always offers more, and also costs more, than you realized.
Cost him his pride, I am sure his position , but he got more than he lost
Cost the woman her secracy she had to confess him openly but she became his daughter
Coming to Jesus always offers more, and also costs more, than you realized.
Bloomberg: Pointing to his work on gun safety, obesity and smoking cessation, he said: “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. It’s not even close.”
Prayer is your only prospect
And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
The problem is a good thing because you have no were else to turn but to the Lord.
You know it is such a good thing when you have no were else to turn. That is such a good thing.
And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
How many of us have exhausted every avenue to try to deal with our problems
I do not know about you but first I look to myself
I think I can out think my problem
I can out research my problem
I can out spend my problem.
Than i say I cant solve it on my own so I start thinking about people that can help me and I start thinking about people that can protect me people that can comfort me. People that can council me . I come up short again
When I can't see any other way out I am reminded
Hey preacher there is a God in heaven you talk about all the time have you talked to him about your problem.
Samson when his eyes were put out when his strength was gone when he was bound he finally prayed
So finally I turn to the Lord And I find peace when I go to him in prayer.
The sooner you go to him the better
He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Do you find yourself praying as a result of your problem ?
Prolonging is Profitable
Prolonging is Profitable
And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
Notice he asked the Lord for help with this problem
He begged him and besought him greatly
Did the Problem immediately go away?
While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
Did he get an immediate answer ?
Was his situation desperate ? yes
Did Jesus immediately say do not worry about a thing I got this covered we are going to take care of you do not worry about a thing?
You see many times these problems persist
And Jesus is not in a hurry to get us out of what is causing us pain.
It seems as the wisdom of God is not as interested in we are of averting pain.
He must know something we do not know.
Never forget prayer is often answered in stages
What was the answer Jesus went with him.
He did not have to he could have spoken the word only
But the fact that he did not answer his prayer right away led to a prolonging
You know what that prolonging did ?
Gave him an opportunity to develop a relationship with Jesus
As I look back over my problems my thorns my desserts my trials what ever you want to call them
The times in my life while I have been the most lonely
The most distressed
The most fearful waiting for God to do something
Like Jarius when his daughter was at death's door
Those were the times of the greatest growth
Because though he did not answer right away he went with me
You problem is an opportunity for you to walk with him
You know what else is profitable about the prolonging ?
You get to see him work
And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
Jarius got to see the Lord work in a miraculous way
Boy through my problems I have seen Jesus work in ways I never would have seen before
I would not even know to watch for it
I would not have even paid attention
The prolonging was also
An opportunity to see other people helped along the way
If Jarius would never have got him he never would have crossed paths with this women.
How many times has your problem brought Jesus to someone else that needed help?
One time I was driving down 281 south to take care of a church problem someone trying to cause problems in the church I did not know how to handle it I was a young pastor.
And I was praying God help me resolve this issue it was about to split my church of 18 and all the people involved are gone now interesting. But as I drove along I noticed a cross with flowers beside the road and there was a young man holding some flowers weeping so I stopped asked him what happened his girlfriend and baby passed away at that very spot and he drove up from the valley to see the spot and put some flowers on it. took my bible and said I do not have all your answers but I do know you need Jesus and i opend this bible and led him to the Lord right there beside the road and he gave me a big hug and went back there to the valley and I never saw him again but I thought the only thing that brought me to cross his path the only thing that did it was a problem i had to deal with.
God works through problems.
One time a preacher I heard preach was out in the middle of no were in pocatello Id and he got a flat tire and he got out he was so mad he kicked his tire and said God what am i supposed to do now ? and a man drove up and helped him fix his tire he witnessed to him led him to the Lord and asked him about bible study so he drove all the way out there started a bible study and now if you go to pocatello Id there is a church there called pioneer baptist church that was started because of a flat tire.
An opportunity to see the common humanity with the poor they both needed Jesus
His religion kept him away from Jesus
Her disease kept her away
Doctors could not help either one of them
The rich and the poor meet together
You know through problems I have sat down weeping talking to a homeless on the street telling him my story and he was comforting me gave me a hug. I thought we are not much different we both have battles we face.
Was a doc my wife left me
We can get high and mighty and we can get pharasical and we can get to where we say thank God I am not as this man is. I tithe i fast not like this man
But give that same ruler of the synagogue a problem you will find him on his knees next to the women he would not allow in the temple because she was perpetually unclean.
These problems persisting and prolonging have a way of humbling you
A way of saying I am just a sinner saved by grace and but by the grace of God there go I
An opportunity to see faith at work she had faith
Thy faith has made thee whole
Listen if you are feeling like the Lord is prolonging
Why not look around you and see what he is doing get to know him as you walk with him though this problem.
Proximity Initiates Perception
Proximity Initiates Perception
While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
Now he is with Jesus walking him for a while and new things are going to start happening
For one the problem expands
While we were dealing with the women that survived 12 years with the chronic condition
You forgot to give triage to my daughter who is in the ear on LIfe support
I mean remember even if your relationship with the Lord improves your problem can expand and get worse during the same period of time.
I think he did what he did to help Jarius to show him his power not to frustrate him
Not as interruption but as instruction
We take it as frustration and interruption but Jesus did not do that for the intent of provoking him
That is not how The Jesus I know operates
but a strange thing happened to him in that worst moment of his life.
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
As he probably fell to his knees with grief
Screaming he heard something he had not heard before
He heard the voice of God he never heard his voice before not recorded in the passage.
You see this problem brought him close to Jesus and he when it got worse heard him.
At the worst moment of my life when I screamed out with grief and reality hit me like a 2X4 I remember looking up at the sky with light rain falling and I heard the Lord whisper be not afraid I got you.
You see the proximity the beling close to him you can perceive him start to work on your behalf
You see he was there when the women got healed
And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
You know what he was able to perceive the Lord is more interested in the conversation than he is the cure.
Now he is talking to me as well.
Young Christians ask me all the time I pray about things how do I know what God wants ?
How do I know what he is trying to show me?
Stay close to him and you will begin to perceive his voice not just to the crowd but to you ans an individual.
Hearing from God many times is seeing and hearing what is already there
It is like waking up to what you did not see before
Psa_18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the
You begin to hear his voice
You get the Lords attention and perceive what is already true you are not one of the crowd
You get set apart from the crowd and you begin to see him work in your life in a way that he does not work for everyone else.
And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
It starts to be just you and a few others that really love the Lord
The proximity to Jesus you begin to get real friends around you that really care
Look at his old friends
And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.
And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
how do you go from weeping to laughing to scorn making fun of hurtful humor ?
You were never really grieving in the first place
You were making an ado
You were making a show a tumult a loud, confused noise A disturbance
When you get close to the Lord you perceive who your real friends are
They were only there because of his social position
Not because they cared
They were making an ado
You see when you get close to jesus ou begin to see those things
You start to perceive what you could not before.
And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
That is a term of endearment
Like gently saying honey get up
You see he saw that Jesus cared for his daughter
To Jesus, death is as easy to fix as waking someone up out of a nap.
What scares us most? Is it not our death—or the death of those that we love?
Do you see what a beautiful picture of death this is? Did you see the tender details …
Prolonging did not mean he did not care
You want to know what’s it like for a believer to die?
Jesus sits by your bedside, like your mother would. He takes you by the hand. And when you awake in heaven, his face is the first face you see; his voice the first voice that you hear. You wake up refreshed, more alive than you have ever been.
God made us as eternal beings, and there is something not right, something about death. That’s why it terrifies us so.
C. S. Lewis asked this question: Does not the fact that we yearn for eternity point to the fact that we were created for eternity?
Fish, he says, don’t complain about being wet, because they were designed for the water. They complain when they are out of water: flop around.
Doesn’t the fact we yearn for eternity show that we were designed for it? “If I find in myself a desire which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”
I saw an interview with the late Steve Jobs: do you believe in God? He said, “Throughout my life I’ve been unsure, but as I approach death I do more and more. He says because if the human body is just a biological machine, then when it’s turned off it’s over … But that can’t be right … I don’t want that to be right.” He said, incidentally, that’s why Mac products don’t really have an on-off switch. I don’t like the idea of me ever being turned off.”
To Jesus, death is as easy to fix as waking someone up out of a short nap.
And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.
The point of this story is not that if you pray long and hard enough Jesus will save you from death on earth. Of course not. Even this little girl died again. (She’s not around now.)
The point is to give you a proper perception of your problems
They are not bad
Do not be afraid only believe he has your best interest at heart
Conclusion
The holy spirit put something on your heart you have been thinking about a problem you are facing
Maybe it is a mistake , a health Problem , a relationship
Start taking advantage of this problem , let it lead you to prayer , while you are waiting to a walking with the Lord and getting to know him as he walks with you
Stay in close proximity to Jesus and you will begin to perceive what he is doing
Adjust your perspective by looking to his promise
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.