The Power Is His

Worship Services for June 29, 2014 -- Grace Christian Church

Invocation

We know, O Lord, that if we follow close to You, nothing shall be able to separate us from Your love.  Give us the grace today to make Your word our home, that we may know You more clearly and serve You ever more.  Amen. 

Prayers for the church of Christ, for others, for yourself.

Sermon for Sunday, June 29, 2014

The Power Is His

Today’s Scripture: Mark 5:21-43

²¹ And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and He was beside the sea. ²² Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing Him, he fell at His feet ²³ and implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” ²⁴ And He went with him.

And a great crowd followed Him and thronged about Him. ²⁵ And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. ²⁷ She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If I touch even His garments, I will be made well.” ²⁹ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰ And Jesus, perceiving in Himself that power had gone out from Him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” ³¹ And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” ³² And He looked around to see who had done it.³³ But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling 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 disease.”

³⁵ While He was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” ³⁶ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” ³⁷ And He allowed no one to follow Him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.³⁸ They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus^[b] saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ And when He had entered, He said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” ⁴⁰ And they laughed at Him. But He put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with Him and went in where the child was. ⁴¹ Taking her by the hand He said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ⁴² And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. ⁴³ And He strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

These are the words of God for the people of God on this Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

            There is a story about a man in New Orleans, caught up in the great flood following Hurricane Katrina.  The water had risen so fast and so high he was driven up on top of his roof.  There he prayed to God for his safety..

            At last a rowboat came by, but he waved the man off saying God would take care of him.  Then a Coast Guard motorboat came by.  But he waved them off saying God would take care of him.  Finally, a helicopter showed up and dropped a rope ladder down to him.  But again he waved them off saying God would take care of him.

            But that night the water rose dramatically over the rooftop and the man drowned.  In heaven he confronted the Lord saying, “I always believed You answered prayer, but after I prayed, You let me drown!”

            The Lord said, “My son, I heard your prayer.  I sent two boats and a helicopter to rescue you.  What were you waiting for?”

            Today Christian believers in America, of every economic level, of every political persuasion, are seeing the flood waters of finance, politics and plain old selfish evil rising up to engulf this nation.  We see people of power making decisions that serve them first, lining their pockets first, and engaging in practices that don’t meet the ethical and moral standards we have come to expect in government service.  The price of food is rising dramatically; the quality of that food has become suspect as those charged with inspection look the other way so money can be made in dealing with foreign nations who do not hold with American standards of health and welfare.  Political figures are involved in providing arms to those who become our enemies.  Our welfare, medical and educational systems are being overwhelmed because the orderly system of legal immigration has been breached with a purpose by those in political power.

            All around us we see the basic rights of private property, freedom of speech, personal privacy, sanctity and security being breached in such numbers it takes the court system years to overturn such actions in accordance with the U.S. Constitution.  In the meantime, homes, families and fortunes are lost.

            The crimes of white collar finance are overtaking the criminal gang actions that mug, murder and rape people in ever increasing numbers.

            Drug and alcohol abuse, pornography, and child abuse rise in terrible numbers and within levels of society that are plainly disturbing. 

            It is no coincidence that Christian church attendance and general commitment to Christian ethics and morals has been in decline for several years.

            It is also no surprise what the problems are; social, economic, and a scattering of ethics that everyone makes up for themselves.  Truth and integrity seem to have lost their solid base.

            But we know from John 14:6 that our Lord is truth, and we who would call ourselves by the name Christian must hold to that.  The very source of our problems is found in Romans 1:18, where we read, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…”

            In spite of this knowledge we have seen our ability to control what has been happening to us slipping away month by month, year by year, moral lapse by moral lapse;

            Is there nothing we can do?  Do we just close our eyes as our beloved country slips beneath the waves of moral turpitude?   On the contrary.  There is everything we can do, and our example is set forth for us here in Mark, Chapter 5. 

            The woman who had tried doctors and expensive remedies, yet still had a discharge of blood for more than 12 years had faith that Jesus had the power to make a change in her life.

            The ruler of the synagogue, Jairus, had faith in the power of Jesus to bring his daughter back to life, for Jesus had said to him, “Do not fear, only believe.”

            Those are faith-charged words that we would do well to repeat in this age of overwhelming evil.  For the power lies not with us, but in Jesus Christ. 

            There is no good way to do a bad thing, but there are many ways to set a bad thing right.  It starts by being able to discern the difference between right and wrong.  If a thing is wrong, say so.  Speak up.  If it’s within your capability, keep the wrong thing from happening.  If not, at least speak up for the truth.  Take an active role in selecting our local, state and federal politicians who can make a difference.

            In the meantime, turn to the one who has the power to make the wrong things right.  Writes Arthur W. Pink (1882-1952), in his book “The Attributes of God,” "’God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God’ (Ps. 62:11). ‘God hath spoken once’: nothing more is necessary!  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but His word abideth forever. God hath spoken once: how befitting His Divine majesty!  We poor mortals may speak often and yet fail to be heard.  He speaks but once and the thunder of His power is heard on a thousand hills.”

            We have the answer to the problems of this life that beset us.  You have perhaps often heard that we must pray to change things.  But I suggest to you that we need to pray to change people, and people will change things.  Issues, circumstance, things, are not animate; not living beings but the consequence of actions and decisions of living beings.  And yet we know the heart of the human being “is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” asks Jeremiah 17:9.  It is the heart of the human being that must be changed, and only the power of God can do that.  Pray hard, time is short.

Jesus warned us in Revelation 22:12-14 -- “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.  Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.”

       Do you have friends or family mired in the religion of political correctness?  Misguided by political chicanery?  Perhaps with so much faith and belief in their own abilities and human-based beliefs they have become their own savior?  All such is merely wood, hay and stubble (1st Corinthians 3:12-13) and will be destroyed by fire.

The answer to the dilemma of misguided friends and family is prayer.

The answer to the rising flood of evil in our nation, to our plummeting morals in society, and the ongoing attack on the Bride of Christ, His Church, is prayer.  We need the faith of the woman who touched His garment.  We need the faith of Jairus, to whom the Christ spoke, saying, “Do not fear, only believe.”

       “Do not fear, only believe.”  In Luke 11:9 we are assured, “And I say to you ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.”

Prayer is that essential part of our relationship with God, the very bridge of communication with Him.  Pray for His answers, for the power is His.

       Amen.

Hymn: "Be Thou My Vision"

Words attributed to Dallan Forgaill, 8^th Century.  Translated from the ancient Irish to English by Mary E. Byrne, versed by Eleanor H. Hull, 1912 alt.

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Communion

On the night Jesus was betrayed, He took bread and He broke it, saying this is My body, given for you.  After supper he took the cup, saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood.  This do, as often as you do it, in remembrance of Me.

Benediction

My Lord, we come to this moment knowing altogether too well that our feet are prone to wander and our heart prone to coldness.  Go with us, my Lord.  Keep our feet to Your path and our heart aflame with Your Spirit.  Amen.

As we close the worship services today, always remember that while some have called you servants, He has called you friends.

Closing Hymn

God Be With You ‘Til We Meet Again

By Jeremiah E. Rankin

Public Domain

God be with you till we meet again,
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you,
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain:
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

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Daily Scripture Readings for June 29 – July 6, 2014
Monday – Matthew 12:46-50
Tuesday – Luke 14:25-33
Wednesday – Luke 22:24-30
Thursday – Luke 9:57-62
Friday – Joshua 24:16-28
Saturday – Romans 14:13-23
Sunday – Genesis 32:22-32; Romans 6: 3-11; Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Matthew 10:34-42