Now you turn in your Bible once
again to Mark chapter 5. Mark chapter 5. I have read this
story many times. I have heard messages preached
from this story, this passage of scripture, several times. But these last few days, this
story has gripped me like it has never gripped me before. And I pray the Lord will enable
me preach the gospel from this passage here in Mark chapter
5 verse 21 down to verse 34. And here we have a beautiful,
beautiful story of salvation before us. A sick, dying woman
in her miserable, diseased condition shrinking back. Remember she
came in the crowd behind yet seeking boldly the cure she so
urgently and desperately must have. The title of this message
is a woman with an issue healed. A woman, you have an issue? I
do. A woman with an issue healed. And my prayer for us this morning
that God would help us to learn from her story and seek salvation
in whom it is found in Christ. Oh that I may win Christ and
be found in Him. He is salvation. Now remember
from our story last week the Lord has amazingly healed that
mad wild man of Gadara and when they People of the town came
to seek Him out. They found Him sitting before
the Lord. You remember? Clothed and in
His right mind, seeking salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Having
not understood all that had happened, not having any understanding
given of God, the people asked the Lord Jesus to leave town. Remember? In verse 17. of Mark
chapter 5, they began to pray Him to depart out of their coast. They didn't understand what had
happened, nor did they understand who was among them. God Almighty
in the flesh. stood among these sinners in
need of mercy and they said, leave our town. Don't tell me sinners aren't
depraved. Don't tell me sinners aren't
dead. Don't tell me sinners aren't
blind. They're looking at God Almighty
in the face! And they say, get out of here. And He did so. He departed out
of their coast. Look at verse 21. When the Lord
Jesus, passing over the other side of the sea by ship, much
people gathered unto him, and he was nigh unto the sea. Upon landing on the other side,
probably in the town of Capernaum, where he performed so many miracles,
the word had got out around town. And all these people flocking
down by the seashore are pressing against him. Many people, much
people. Verse 22, and in this crowd there
come one of the rulers of the synagogue. His name is Jairus. He has a little daughter. It
tells us in the latter part of the chapter that she's 12 years
old, very frail, on her deathbed and dying. This man, Jairus,
knowing that the Lord Jesus, having all power, knowing somehow,
by revelation somehow, that the Lord Jesus is God's Messiah,
God's Christ, he comes and seeks out the Lord Jesus Christ, and
he has this very urgent plea. Come to my house. and heal my
daughter. Lay your hand on her and she
will be made whole. And you know what? He went home
with him. He starts out, verse 23, Besought
him greatly, saying, My little daughter lies at the point of
death. This man is desperate. I pray thee, come and lay your
hand on her, that she may be healed, and that she shall live.
And the Lord went with him, And much people followed him, and
much people thronged him. Now you got the picture? Here's
this notable religious man, comes to the Lord Jesus in a desperate,
with a desperate plea. And as the Lord Jesus starts
out toward Jairus' house, in this throng of crowd, in this
throng of people, it says in verse 25, And a woman, a woman,
a certain woman, which had an issue of blood, had suffered
many things, of many positions, and spent all she had, and was
nothing better, but grew worse, when she heard of the Lord, came
in this press, came in this crowd, behind, and touched His garment. And she said, if I may but touch
His clothes, I'll be made whole. The Lord Jesus Christ went home
with Jairus that day. We'll look at that next week
to heal this sick little girl. You know, this is the reason
that the Lord came. We read in Matthew 9, and it
came to pass that Jesus said at meat in the house, behold,
many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his
disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it,
they said to him, why do you eat with these publicans and
sinners? They said to the disciples, and the Lord heard and said unto
them, They that behold need not a physician, but those who are
sick. Those who are sick. I came to call the sick. Go ye
and learn what that means. I will have mercy, not sacrifice.
I come to call the righteous sinners. Sinners to repentance. Well, many people followed Him.
Many people thronged Him, crowded Him on all sides, in the front,
behind, all the way around. Many out of curiosity to see
the Lord heal someone. Many probably out of concern
for Jairus and his daughter. But then in this crowd is this
woman, this certain woman. In this crowd and throng of people
is this woman that has this terrible disease. For 12 years she has
this issue of blood. She is slowly bleeding to death. Life is being sucked out of her
body and this has been going on for 12 years. of the Lord of Glory, having
heard of the Lord's mercy to others, healing of others, and
salvation to others, she pushes her way through the crowd, elbows
her way through, weak and sick as she reaches out in faith,
touches the Lord's garment, and immediately virtue went out of
him, power went out of him, and she's healed. Now, what can we
learn from this story? What can we see in this story
about salvation to sinners that would encourage us? I'm encouraged.
I'm encouraged by this that I read here. Four things. Here's the
first one. The curse of sin. That's there,
isn't it? The plague of sin. The plague
of sin. There's nothing that is so clearly
revealed among men And no greater evidence of our total depravity
and sinfulness among all people is that we get sick. And in the
end of this flesh, death. Death. All sickness, all disease
is the result of sin. Sin. The curse of God upon Adam's
race because of sin. God said to Adam, in the day
that you eat, death. Death will pass upon all men. The Romans epistle says this
in Romans 5, 12, Wherefore is by one man sin entered into this
world? Death by sin. So death passed
upon all men in whom all have sinned. We are born in sin. We are shaped in iniquity. Do
you ever wonder why little, tiny, infant Babies die in infancy. Sin. Sin, when it's finished,
brings death. Sin has been passed upon all
men. Judgment has been passed upon
all men. Guilt has been passed upon all
men. We do have an issue of blood. It's blood guiltiness before
God. Guiltiness before God. It says
in verse 25, She had this issue of blood for 12 years. She had
bad blood. Bad blood. She had a bad heart. The law pronounced her condition,
she was unclean. She wasn't even to be in public. Unclean! Like the leopard, unclean! This is our core issue. Before
God Almighty, we're unclean. We have bad blood in us. We have a virus of sin that percolates
through this body. We stand guilty before God Almighty. The heart is deceitful above
all things. We have a bad heart. Desperately
wicked, there is none righteous, no not one. Jeremiah put it this
way, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.
You see the curse of sin? It's all through the scripture
isn't it? Just look around the hillsides.
What do you see around the hillsides? Graveyards. The end of this body. Dust you are, dust you shall
be again. This flesh is headed to the ground. Why? Sin. Sin. Her disease, watch this. Look
what it says in verse 26. She had this issue, issue of
blood, guiltiness before God. She had this disease for 12 years
and she suffered many things by many doctors, physicians. She spent everything she had
and was nothing better but grew, rather grew worse and worse and
worse. Her disease caused her to suffer
greatly. And that's what sin causes us
to do. Suffer greatly. She'd been to
every doctor in town. Probably in the neighboring towns.
Maybe even traveled to Jerusalem. It says that she spent all she
had. Tried every known cure. And steadily
her condition worse and worse and worse. Don't sinners in religion
go about to do the same thing today, seeking a cure by a quack,
by a phony, by a false gospel. They try all the doctors in town,
don't they? To seek a cure, they try doctor
decision. Some promote decisionism. Come
forward, make a decision. Everything, you'll be cured.
There's no salvation in a decision. They try Dr. Be Good for a while. Dr. Be Good, you know, just be
as good as you can, everything will be okay. No, it won't. You've suffered many things at
many positions. Dr. Decision won't work. Dr.
Be Good won't work. How about Dr. Free Will? Just
try that one for a while. Scripture said, Not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but it's God that shows mercy. How about Dr. Ceremony? Maybe
try that one on. She suffered many things at Dr.
Ceremony. Dr. Ceremony has a doctor that
practices with him. It's called Dr. Baptism. Let us baptize you and all your
sin will be put away. That's what Dr. Baptism says.
Forgetting the truth of scripture that the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses us from all sin. She suffered many things of many
positions and was nothing better, but grew worse and worse and
worse. And someone suggested, well,
why don't you try Dr. Wright Church? Just join the
Wright Church. Everything will be okay. Ignoring
the truth of scripture that salvation is not in any denomination, but
salvation is in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, having
tried Dr. Wright Church and Dr. Ceremony
and Dr. Freewill, she still suffered
many things at many positions, and her condition was worse and
worse and worse. And someone suggested in the
last resort, well, just try Dr. Excitement and Dr. Emotion. You see, religion without the
Lord Jesus Christ will just make the condition worse and worse
and worse. Religion without the Lord Jesus
Christ will never help you. It will only put you in a more
dangerous condition. It will give you a refuge of
lies to hide in. And the end of that is death. She
spent all she had, all her living, it says in Luke 8.43. She spent
all her time, she spent all her money, she spent all her energy,
all her resources, all her possessions, all her assets, and was nothing
better, but grew worse. All the physicians of religion
can be summed up by what Job said of his so-called friends.
Do you remember the friends of Job? Job's friends? He calls them in Job 13 verse
4, But you are forgers of lies, and you are all physicians of
no value. I tell you who we need to seek
the cure from, the great physicians. the Lord Jesus Christ. He is
the only physician who has the remedy, who himself is the remedy
for all our sin. Well, that's point number one,
the curse, curse by sin. The second point is this, the
cure of the Lord Jesus Christ. the cure of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In verse 27 down through verse 30, when she heard of Him, heard
of the Lord, she came in the press behind and touched His
garment and said, If I may touch 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, power had gone out
of him, turned him about in the press and said, Who did this? Who did this? Now listen to me. Most preaching we hear among
religions today would read these very words that we have just
read and put the whole emphasis upon the act and actions of the
sinner upon the woman in order for God to act. They put the
emphasis upon this. They would say things like, well,
God's done all he can do and is willing to do, now you must
act. Or they would say, God is trying to save you, but you won't
cooperate. They would take this story and
place the prominence and the importance upon the woman. How
her faith overcame. How she pressed through. How
she reached out. How she fell. And they would
try to use that to motivate sinners to do things for God. Would they
not? I would guarantee you. The average
pulpit and preacher in this county would take this very story and
turn it completely upside down and give the woman all the glory. But look how she was so strong. She reached out. She pressed
through. And they would ignore the virtue
and power and preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. They would
take this story and turn it upside down. But the message of the
Gospel and of salvation and of God's Word put the emphasis upon
where it should be, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel of God
is all about Christ. And in reality, the Gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ is not about you. It's not. It's about Him. Is it not? How He saves sinners. Not how we help Him save us. It's who He is. The Gospel is
about Him. It's what He has done. How He
saves sinners. You see, in all things, He must
have the preeminence. In all things. Colossians 1.18. Don't turn. Let me just read
it to you. He is the head of the body, the church. who is
the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that means Lord,
that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleads
the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, having made
peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all
things unto Himself. Did you hear it? He must have
the preeminence. This woman, was made whole exactly
the same way every sinner is saved and made whole by the sovereign
will and purpose and grace of God Almighty. It's God who saved
us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to God's own purpose and grace. Now on
this one point, point number two, there is one, two, three
things we must know. about salvation by God's grace. The first one is this, the work
of His sovereign and marvelous providence. How did this meeting
take place between this woman and God Almighty? Was it an accident? Did she just happen by that way?
God from all eternity determined this day, this time, this moment
as the time of love, as the time of salvation. The work of God's
providence. Her sickness was no accident,
but for her eternal benefit to bring her to the Savior. That
which was death and destruction to others was an instrument of
mercy to her. All things do work together for
good to them who love God, who are called according to God's
purpose. All things. The psalmist said,
In Psalm 119 verse 71, It is good for me that I have been
afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. The work of God's
marvelous sovereign providence. This was not a chance meeting.
God ordained this from all eternity. He was expecting that day. It
wasn't a surprise. He had his eye on this woman
from all eternity as one of those little lads given to him in that
covenant of grace. And here she comes. He had an
eye on her. And he's drawing her with his
effectual power and his effectual grace. You see that in the story?
Here's the second thing. The blessing of hearing the word.
Look at verse 27. When she heard of him. She came in the press behind
and touched his garments. She heard the word. She heard
the truth. She came to Christ when she heard
of Him, not before. Not before. There is no one,
no one is ever saved and called apart from the hearing of the
true gospel of God's grace. God never bypasses the appointed
means of grace. Not then, not now. He, this woman,
desperate as she was, she heard the good news of salvation to
sinners in Christ Jesus. We read in Romans 10, faith comes
by hearing and hearing by the word of God. This is the means
that God has ordained to call out His elect. of his own will
begat he us with the word of truth. It pleased God through
preaching to call out his people. I want you to turn and read this
with me. Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Knowing
brethren beloved. 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 4. Knowing brethren beloved your
election of God. How do you know anything about
your election? Election is known by your calling. For our gospel
came not unto you in word only. Oh, but it did come in word.
They heard Paul preach the gospel. But it came not just in word
only, but it came in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much
assurance, as you know what manner of men we were among you for
your sake. And you became a follower of us and of the Lord, having
received the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit. Turn to chapter 2, 1 Thessalonians
chapter 2, look at verse 13. For this cause also thank we
God without ceasing, Because when you receive the Word of
God which you heard of us, you've got to hear the Word. You received it not as the Word
of men, but as it is in truth the Word of God that effectually
worketh in you that believe. 2 Thessalonians 2, turn over
there. Luke verse 13. 2 Thessalonians
2 verse 13 We were bound, but we are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, the loved of the Lord, because God
hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through the
sanctification of the Spirit, that's the new birth, that's
regeneration, and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you
by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Now stand fast in that truth.
The work of God's mighty providence. She heard the gospel. She heard about the Lord Jesus
Christ and God wrought faith in her heart and caused her to
seek salvation where salvation is found, in Christ. Thirdly
is this, the mighty work of God's grace. Now this is still on point
number two. Thirdly, the mighty work of God's
grace. The Word of Grace, you say, well
preacher, that's not written in the text. I don't see one
time where the Word of Grace is written in the text. My friend,
it's written all over it. The Word may not be there, but
the truth is the sovereignty of God. The Word of God not written
in the text, but the truth of grace is written all over. Now,
consider this. It was the eternal grace of God
that chose this sinner. It says this certain woman, God
has from the beginning, we just read it, God has from the beginning
chosen you unto salvation in Christ Jesus. Who did the choosing?
He did. When was it done? In eternity. Unto whom? In Christ Jesus. This certain woman was one of
those given to the Lord Jesus in that covenant of grace. It
was a gift of grace that caused her to reach out for the Lord
in faith. You see, faith is the sovereign
gift of God. Faith is not something that is
native to this old dead heart. Faith is the gift of God. And it was the power of grace
that made her whole. Look what it says in verse 30.
And immediately the Lord knowing in Himself that power had gone
out of Him. Salvation flows out from Him. Salvation from the top down,
not from the bottom up. Salvation of the Lord in it's
planning, in it's purpose, in it's execution, in it's application,
in it's sustaining power, in it's ultimate perfection. The
Gospel of Christ is the power of God into salvation. And that
word, virtue, is the same exact word that's used in Romans 1.16,
dynamite. He's a dynamite of salvation.
Number three. Point number three. The woman's
confession of faith. The woman's confession of faith.
Who touched my clothes? Verse 31. His disciples said
to him, you see the multitude just pushing all around you,
thronging you. How come you sin? Well, who touched
me? They didn't understand. They
didn't have an eye on this woman like the Lord did. And he looked round about to
see her. Oh, what a look. What a look. To see her that had done this
thing. Reached out to touch him. But the woman fearing, trembling,
knowing what was done in her. Salvation is a heart work. It's
in you. The hope of glory. Christ in
you came and fell down before him and told him all the truth. confession of faith. The Lord
stopped, looked around in the crowd, and asked this question. He knew. He didn't ask this question
for knowledge. He knew who had touched him. The disciples answered and looked. Lord, all these people are pressing
against you. Lord, And he didn't ask this question
for information. He knew what had been done. But
rather the Lord asked this question for these reasons. Rather that
the cure might be known to others, that he may be glorified, and
that he might encourage the faith of this woman, and that she might publicly confess
what had taken place as she did in verse 33, and told him all
the truth. A confession of faith. I want
you to turn with me to Luke chapter 8. Luke chapter 8. And look at
this. Luke chapter 8. This story is
given here again in Luke chapter 8 verse 45. And Jesus said, Who
touched me? When all denied Peter, and they
that were with him, said, Master of the multitude, throng thee,
and press thee, and sayeth thou, Who touched me? Luke 8, 45. Look
at verse 46, And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me, but
I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman
saw, that she was not hid, she came trembling, falling down
before him, and declared unto him before all the people, publicly
before all the people, for what cause she had touched him, and
how she was healed immediately." A public confession. A public confession. Saving faith
is not a shame to declare publicly our problem? I'm a sinner. And not ashamed to declare publicly
the power of Christ, it's God who had saved me and called me. You see, saving faith is not
a shame. I want you to turn and read this with me. Find 2 Timothy,
2 Timothy 1, 12. And here is a good definition
for saving faith. Do I have saving faith? I believe
you can digest this verse carefully and determine in your heart if
you are a believer or not. 2 Timothy 1 verse 12 For to which
cause I also suffer these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed. I'm not ashamed. Saving faith
is not ashamed of Him. For I know whom I have believed. Knowledge of Him. I know whom
I have believed. Secondly, not only knowledge
of Him, confidence in Him. That He is able to keep that
which I have committed unto Him. There's knowledge of Him, confidence
in Him, and in total committal unto Him. I believe that's a
good definition of faith. Do I believe Him? This woman
confessed all the truth. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation's in Him. We cannot,
believers, cannot be ashamed of Him. The secret of the experience
of grace in our soul When that experience of grace
is wrought in our soul, we cannot be ashamed to confess it to others.
Old Ralph Barnard used to say this, if God has done a work
of grace in your heart, it will leak out on you. It will leak
out on you. That's why we don't browbeat
people and coerce people and force people. When God does that
work of grace in the heart, you will confess Him before others. Publicly! Own Him as your Lord
and Savior. How's that done today? By Believer's Baptism. That's
how we publicly confess that we're not ashamed of Christ,
by Believer's Baptism. And notice I said Believer's
Baptism. Baptism is for those who are
saved by God's grace. And that's how we confess that
He saved us. His death, His burial, His resurrection
is our hope. And by identifying with the gospel
where it is preached, forsaking not the assembly of ourselves
together. Now listen to this scripture in Matthew 10, 32.
Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before
my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before
man, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."
She came publicly and declared all that He had done for her. The last place, point number
4 in verse 34, and He said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath
made thee whole. Go in peace and behold of the
plague. Now, stay with me here. Several
things we see here. First of all, he says in Luke
8, 48, Daughter, be of good cheer, thy faith hath made thee whole,
go in peace. First thing I see is this, he calls her, you're
mine. He claims her as his own. You're my daughter. You're my
son. You're my sheep. You're my elect. You're one of those predestinated
ones. As Pastor Mahan called it last
Sunday night in Kingsport, one of those collected ones. One of those predestinated children
of grace. Children by faith in Christ Jesus. Second thing he said, this is
the Lord's commendation of peace to her. He calls her, owns her
as my sheep, my daughter, my son. And then he says, be of
good comfort, be of good cheer. Why? Thy sins are forgiven. He appeared once in the end of
the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And then
he says this, thirdly. He says, thy faith made thee
whole. Now listen to me carefully. Nothing
brings more glory to Christ as that God-given faith that finds
all salvation in Christ Jesus. No wonder Peter called it precious
faith. Now listen, listen carefully.
Faith did not merit, faith did not merit, nor produce, nor effect
the cure. Did it? It was His power. Faith simply received Him who
is all of salvation. Faith doesn't accomplish salvation.
And that's where this religious world has got this thing on its
head, upside down. Faith doesn't accomplish salvation.
Faith simply receives Him as an empty hand, receives Him who
accomplished all salvation for us. Thy faith hath made thee
whole. What was the object of her faith?
Her faith? Her faith wasn't the object of
faith, was it? What was the object of her faith?
Christ! Reach out and touch the Lord!
As He's passing by. You remember that chorus we used
to sing? Reach out and touch the Lord. You'll find He's not
too busy. to hear your heart's cry. He's
passing by this moment. You need to supply. So reach
out the hand of faith and touch the Lord as he's passing by. And then he said, go in peace.
The result of true faith is peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ. You see that? Closing with this statement.
One more word about saving faith. And this is the faith of God's
elect. Nothing is more useful to our soul than saving faith,
true faith. We begin in faith. Faith is a
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Without faith it is impossible to please God. We begin in faith. Believers walk by faith. The just shall live by faith,
Galatians 3.11. And 2 Corinthians 5.7 says we
walk by faith. Not by sight, we walk by faith. By faith we shall stand in Him.
By faith we enter into rest, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith. It says in Hebrews 11, verse
13, these all died in faith. See, without faith, it's impossible
to please God. The man without faith is a man
without Christ. The man without Christ is a man
without salvation, without forgiveness of sin. We read this, John 3, 36, 35 and 36, He that
believeth on the Son hath life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. Let each one of us examine our
own heart. is my faith in Christ. Not in feelings. Not in experience. Feelings come and feelings go
and feelings are deceiving. My warrant is a word of God.
Nothing else is worth believing. Do I look to the Lord Jesus Christ
alone and see in Him complete salvation? In Him dwells all
the fullness of the Godhead bodily and we stand complete, complete
in Christ Jesus. Well, I pray the Lord will bless
that word to your heart and cause you to seek salvation in Christ,
in the Lord Jesus Christ.