If Jesus walked in the room right now, what is the one thing you would ask of Him?
The Remnant Church
A Touch of Grace - Todd Blanton
Father, I thank you so much for this day. I thank you for your faithfulness and your goodness. God, I thank you that we even have a ridiculous problem like air, you know, how blessed we are. Father, I pray that we'd help us to focus in the ways that you wanna move in our life today. God, there's no coincidence. There's, man, everyone is here for a reason. Whether they know it or not, and I just pray you would move in that reason and that they would be open to that. And Jesus Christ, name me pray, amen. Hey, welcome to the remnant. My name's Todd and the pastor here and one of them. I hope you guys have had a good week. I need you to do me a favor. Can I ask you to do me a favor today? The grumpy people don't say anything, so I'll say again, hey, can I ask you to do me a favor today? (congregation laughing) Grumpy people still like, I ain't gonna say anything. Oh, good. Listen, I'll say you said it internally. I need you to do something for me right now, and I'm doing this with you, okay? Put aside your task list. Take your mental notes of everything you have to do after this, or during this, or your mental checklist of whether this is a good service, right? Put that aside. Stop that habit you have of looking at your phone every four seconds. I know I got you there. Or your watch or the clock. You're already here. You're already here. You made the mistake of coming. Now you're here, right? I need you to really do that. Take a second, okay? Moment of silence to do that, right? The rebels don't like Ali. She's just looking around like, I'll do what I want. Yeah, try to do that. Now, I want you to answer this question honestly, now that you're here. And this is something that applies to every single person here in this room today. There's not a single person this does not apply to, whether you're 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 100, this applies to you in some way. What is it that you need? What is the thing that you want right now? I'm not talking about an ice cream cone or your Taco Bell, you know, all that stuff, you'll get that. I'm talking about that deep thing, right? That hurt, the restoration, the healing, maybe physically, I'm serious. What is that thing you long for, but maybe buried way in the back because it's not realistic? Now, I want you to ask, if you were transported back in time to the time of Jesus walking this earth, which by the way, you're here, so there must be some curiosity about this, but he 100% existed. So he walked. If you were transported right now to there and you saw him coming towards you, even if you're in the room and you say, "Oh, I'm not a believer, that's okay," you believe enough to be here. And you saw him coming towards you. What would you ask him for? Right now. What would you ask of Jesus Christ if you could ask him in person? Would it be for healing, physical healing? Some of you need a physical healing, right? Would it be emotional healing? Would it be restoration of relationship? Would it be a miracle in your marriage? Would it be financial? Would it be depression? Would it be anxiety? Would it be, I don't know what, that grayness that comes in life sometimes, you know what I mean? Sometimes like the gray, I call it the gray. You have really high moments and really low moments, and then sometimes you have these weird spot in between that's almost as bad, maybe worse, where it's just like, is this it? Would you ask him for encouragement? Would you ask him for hope? Would you ask him for, what would you ask him for? What would you ask him to do? And here's the next question, you see him coming. I didn't tell how far he was, maybe he's a mile. I don't know how far you see pretty far off in the distance if it's a flat area, maybe it's five miles, maybe you see him. How far would you travel to speak to him? If you knew, right, we're here, but we're back then, but it's as far as from here to South Whitley. Would you walk there? Would you drive there? You drive there, would you walk there? It's Jesus, I want you to remember, you're there. Would you walk there? Would you drive there? Would you go to Warsaw? Would you go to Fort Wayne? How far would you go? To ask him. How far would you travel to speak to him? To reach out and ask him to help you in a tangible way. Now here's the thing, some of you in this room right now at this exact moment, you're gonna think I'm like one of those weird stage magicians, like how'd he get in my head? You ready? You're having a hard time doing this. You ready? You ready for it to get real weird? Because you got a couple of thoughts usually, yeah, right. You don't want to admit it, God doesn't move like that. You might have even been taught that in really poor theology. Thank you. All right, you might say to yourself, I've prayed before and nothing. I've done this, right? I know you. Some of you might be so caught up in the weeds of your situation that you haven't really considered what it would look like for Jesus to really move into your situation. And some of you are so busy wanting the situation to take care of the situation, that you can't even see Jesus. Let me be an example. I want her back so bad. I want him back so bad. If I had her, if I had him, if I had it, then life would be good. See, at that point, you stop coming to him. You just throw his name out every now and then. You want a different savior. And I'm not shaming you. What would it look like for Jesus to really move in your situation? But here's the thing, I asked you this question. No matter where you are in your faith right now, in this moment, whether you're on fire, some of you probably are on fire, right? Whether you're hanging on by a finger, I used to tell people that sometimes it feels like I'm hanging on my faith by like a pinky, right? On a cliff, and my pinky's pretty jacked up, so it's scary. A lot of football, Dave gets it. See, Dave's not all mean. Or some of you in this room are just walking out some kind of curiosity. You don't have a strong faith. You're not hanging on faith, it's more curiosity. Here's the beautiful thing. You're already halfway there. You know that? Even you people that are curious, you're halfway there. Because you either believe, no matter, I told you those three options, you either believe, you want to believe, or you are open to believing, or you wouldn't be here. Now see, some of you go, yes, I am only here because my wife, girlfriend, husband, little, little, whatever. It's usually girlfriend, right? That's not true. Because I don't have to know you didn't know you're stubborn. You're Americans, and you're in this room, which means you have a connection to someone in this room probably, and you all stubborn people. So you came here because something inside of you is at least open to the possibility that this Jesus, that everybody talks about, in America we talk about. We don't really talk to him. That he might be able to meet the need that you're afraid to say. 'Cause what if it's real? Here's what I want you to know. This isn't, I said, imagine. But it's not a dream. And it's not pretend, and it's not make-believe. It's not. Today, right now, two days, Jesus is willing, and this is gonna go against that part of you that's hurt, or some of you all too church. I was like, why didn't he like Christians? I love you all, you're just too church. You got the big ol' thick Christian earmuffs on, right? You heard everything. I wish he'd get to the point that I've got my dinner afterwards, right? (audience laughing) Today, Jesus is willing and able to move in your situation, today. That's not, I know myself. Maybe I'm talking to me when I'm being sarcastic. I know the me that doubts, right? I know the me that has questions. And I have to remind myself that this isn't a faith based on words on a page. Did you know that? It's not even an intellectual faith, though it's good to look into that. It's an experiential, right? Experimental, right? Experience with the spirit of living God. And the Bible tells us that it's not just dry bones, right? That it's not just dry words, that Jesus made a promise to us at the end of Matthew where he said, I will be with you always to the very end of the age. That's not philosophy, but it can become that. Because you know why? This is the beauty of Jesus, too, because it's hard for us, because we don't see him physically. And that can be hard, but he knew that. And you know what he told people that saw him? He said, you believe because you see, the blessed are those who are gonna believe when they don't see. Now, the trick with that is you have to be able to believe without seeing just like you would if you were seeing that he is still able and willing to heal, to restore, and to do the miraculous, to give you a touch of grace. He is still Lord of Lord and King of Kings. The question is today, and the reason I ask you this, and I need you to focus, how far are you willing to go today to get him, to get to him, and to see a miracle movement in your life? You see, phrases like that have been hijacked by prosperity gospels. So I see a miracle movement. If I was in the crowd, I'd be like, what's this guy saying, right? And this is where I tell you that if you sow a seed of faith, 100 bucks, it'll be sowed back to you, right? I'm not gonna do that. And that stinks because we're so leery and afraid of that, of that kind of stuff, right? That we act like, well, it's better to err on the side that Jesus doesn't move at all. Because one, he lets me down, or two, what if this guy's taking advantage of me? What if he's emotionally? What if he's like, blah, blah, blah. Who are you thinks telling you that? Who wants you to make it just words on a page? You have an enemy. (clearing throat) Jesus today is willing and able to move in the situation that you brought up. Now, I don't know how. There every time I think I know the best way for something, I'm telling you, I'm very rarely correct. But he does. When we get caught up in the how of answering the prayer, right? Instead of whether he's gonna do it. Wherever he's gonna move in the miracle. So I'm gonna ask you this again as we go on. Remember this question and we'll come back. How far are you willing to go to get to him today and see a miracle movement in your life? If you got your Bibles turned with me to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter nine, starting right at the beginning. So you don't have to wonder which verse. Some of you are already looking at the screen. Don't do it yet, Grant. I was getting the turn of their Bible. It's a trick. By the way, bring your Bible. If you're a guest, we'll have some for you. But if you're a long-term person, bring your Bible, man. Girl, whatever, right? You need a Bible, I got some for you somewhere. I don't know. Emma will probably know where, but. All right, when you gotta say I got it. All right, for those who don't have it, it's on the screen for you today. So he, who do you think he is? Just take a guess. Good job, good guess. So he got into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Just then some men brought to him a paralytic. It's paralytic, me. What's paralyzed me? Nice, you're right, can't move. Let that sink in for a minute. We read that in all, okay, it's paralytic. Maybe he can't move his pinky, he can't move. He can't move so much that his friends had to carry him. Just then some men brought to him a paralytic laying on a stretcher. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, have courage son, come back, your sins are forgiven. They didn't say anything yet. At this, some of the scribes, scribes are religious leaders. The scribes said to themselves, he's blaspheming. Perceiving their thoughts, Jesus said, why are you thinking evil things in your hearts? For which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven or to say get up and walk? Now that's a trick question for us. See, you guys got a flip. Everybody in the room goes, well, it's clearly harder to tell someone to get up and walk, no it's not. There's medicines, there's doctors. We've had things like this happen, right? There's only one person that can forgive sins. Your sins are forgiven or to say get up and walk, but so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. And he turns back to the paralytic. Get up, take your stretcher and go home. So he got up and went home. When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck and gave glory to God who had given such authority to men. Now, I get it, me too, you've read this story, it's beautiful in the service, but I want you to imagine you're there. Paralyze man, okay? Can't move, gets brought. And this man, by the way, they were whispering to themselves, they're religious leaders, that's what religious folk do, by the way. They like to gossip in the shadows. They like to accuse in the shadows until they get a big enough crowd, then they start getting stones. That's what they do. 'Cause they gotta make sure they got a crowd 'cause they're cowards. So, boys and cowards gotta have a crowd. Well, Jesus says, imagine that. He just looks up and goes, hmm, right? What are you, why are you thinking these things? And he tells the man, but I'm gonna show you, get up. And the guy gets up and walks away. Now, if you're like me, little suspicious, you're going, well, clearly this guy could walk, right? That's what you're thinking. But something about this guy that the crowd knew this wasn't a sham, okay? This man's, so let's look at this. This man's friends had heard of Jesus. We know that, how do we know? Because they clearly brought him to him. And you know what I like to think? It's interesting that it says he came across on a boat and they must have been waiting. They must have heard, I don't know if you guys heard, but I've heard that Jesus guy is coming back home. So they're like, let's go get Bob, right? So they go pick him up and they bring him. So they're just here of him. We don't know, they'd heard of Jesus, but we don't know what or who they thought he was. We don't have any indication. They said, oh, the Messiah's here. The Christ, God, nope, they didn't say anything. We don't know what or who they thought he was, but we know this much. They believe that he had the power to do the miraculous for their friend. And at least believed he could do it for their friends. See, there's a difference. There's a difference between, I think this guy has the power and I think he can, and I think he will. So they had to believe that much. We in agreement, why else would they bring him? Nobody's bringing me a paralytic asking me to heal him. I'm just telling you that's never happened. Exactly, right? Nobody thinks that I can do that. And then Jesus has seen their faith, their faith in what? Their faith that he was Messiah, the faith that he was gonna die for their sins on the cross, they don't know this yet. Their faith that he could do it. This is the stuff I get like with Christians when I see you yawning, I'm like, I don't understand this. Y'all didn't, you might, like, I don't wish this on you, but some of y'all need to have lived unsafe for a while to realize how lost you really were and the miracle you needed, and then you wouldn't be falling asleep, 'cause you were dead. I really did put be nice on here, right? I did, you could look at it, look at that, little note right there, like she says love and grace, but same thing, right? Seeing their faith, interestingly, the man came for Jesus to move into the physical issues that their friend had. That's why they came, we know that. They carried them on a stretcher, I imagine they're just kind of like, what do you want me to do? I don't know, right? They didn't say that, interesting they came, they came to him with a physical, tangible issue, he was paralyzed, but Jesus does something unexpected. Before they can speak, he speaks into the greatest need of this man. See, he could say right then and there, get up, walk, but the man's, that's only temporary. You're an eternal being, you're an eternal being, so the things of this life, and this is hard for me, I don't know about you, it's hard not to think that these temporary issues are eternal. When you're sad, depressed, hurting, even sick, it's hard because that's what we live in. And Jesus doesn't even talk about the physical thing, he does something unexpected, he speaks into the greatest need, he says, have courage, I love it, how beautiful. We think he's just like this, have courage, what if he bent down, when it changed your mind, bent down to him? He bent down to him, smiled at him and said hey, don't be afraid, it's okay, your sins are forgiven. Imagine someone came, Jesus came to you and said hey, that thing you've been ashamed of your whole life, I forgive you, yeah, now you get it. This man's faith in Jesus, had in that moment, Jesus didn't that moment something no one else could ever do. It forgave him of his sins, no medicine, no therapy, we get told different, no medicine, no therapy, none of those things can heal our deepest issue. They can't heal that shame, they can't heal the thing that makes us look up at night and go am I good enough? I can't be 'cause I did XYZ or I had XYZ done to me, sometimes it's not even what I did, it was what was done to us, isn't it? Well my value, if I was worse something, he wouldn't done that to me. And Jesus speaks into that, this man's faith moved Jesus to do something no one else could do, no medicine, no therapy, nothing could heal our deepest issue, our greatest sickness has fallen mankind, but Jesus did, and Jesus can and will. That's why the focus with Jesus is not, he can heal, he can, he can cure, it's happened guys. And before you get into it, why did it happen here and there? Hey, hey, your mind isn't ready for that kind of question. But the bottom line is he can, but yet the Bible focuses on the greatest sickness that we have, Jesus came not to just heal those physical things 'cause he knows those are temporary. When you were in paradise, when you were with God, you're not gonna be saying, man, you remember when I had that really broken toe, you're not even gonna say, remember when I had cancer, that's nothing. That's a blip on the radar. Here's this, eternity's wall to wall, more than that. The man's faith, Jesus, he came for one thing and Jesus said, your faith and my ability to do this, your reliance, your humility to come to me, to let go of what they've all said and come to me to do what? The unthinkable, the impossible, I'm gonna move in a way that's even more impossible. I'm gonna give you your greatest need. Because here's the bottom line, every human in this earth, the greatest need is to be looked at and known. Imagine to know you are forgiven. You are not identified by what you've done or even what you do, you are good and I love you and I got this. The scribes or religious leaders were standing by and accused Jesus of blasphemy. You know why they did that? Because they understood this fact. They understood what he was saying. They understood strangely what the rest of them probably didn't 'cause I was from his friends. I'm like, what's he talking about? We came here for some legs. And the religious leaders go, I know what you're saying. There's only one person that can forgive sins. That was an authority reserved only for God. Jesus then proves a point and it's interesting. To prove his authority by showing his power. He says for which is easier, you say your sins forgiven or say get up and walk. Can a doctor fix your shame? Can a doctor fix your brokenness? Can a doctor fix what that person did to you when you were a kid that haunts you to this day? Can a doctor fix that? Can a doctor fix your loneliness? Can a doctor fix your doubt? Can a doctor fix your shame? You and I both know it's not true. But to prove that he had the power to do that and that he is who he said he was, he threw in the thing that seemed impossible to us. Your sins forgiven or to say, which is easier if you're sitting there forgiving and say get up and walk. Remember he's talking to the religious people. He's saying, which one of these things is easier? I am exactly who I said I am. But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. So you know that I am God, get up. Pick your mat and go home. So he got up and went home and when the crowd saw this, they were awestruck and gave glory to God who had given such authority to men. Remember your situation, the need I asked you to think about earlier. I'm gonna ask you something right now. I already asked this, it's a trick question, but think about it. Is it harder than forgiving sins? Is it harder than healing shame? Is it harder than transforming a broken sinful person into a saint? Is it harder than that? The answer is no. I'm serious, let yourself remember that. Only God can forgive sins. And if he is God, then he is the creator. He is the Alpha in the Omega, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He spun the stars in the sky and breathed life into you. He has the ability and the power. Certainly has the power to move in your life in situation, even if it takes a miracle. The question is, do you believe that and do you believe it for today? See, that's the difference, man. You hear these messes all the time. Hi, amen. And then you walk out of here in all blue. Do you believe it for today? Let me tell you a little thing. It's not in my notes, 'cause I said grace and love. But I'm gonna challenge a little, I got to. If you're a guest, it's not to you, though, man. If it's funny, man, one of the things I bragged on about our church, it's very interesting. And Brandon brought this up, and I did not talk to him or send him to do this. His, our church was kind of backwards. I learned it later that a lot of churches lose people during the summer. Tons of people, nobody comes, 'cause they got nice weather. They don't want to come to church, right? I get it, drink your coffee, whatever. It's not even a football season, I don't get it. And, but we would gain people because we got a lot going on. First year ever, I can say, man, that's affecting us. Isn't that funny? The bigger we grow, the more normal we become. And that's interesting too, I want to tell you this. Isn't it funny too, that we say we believe that much, but not enough to believe that what he has for me at church today might be something I need, even if I don't think I need it? Man, we want that kind of faith, right? I'll go anywhere for him. But I won't drive 10 minutes to church because he's not there. Todd's not Jesus, no, we just talking about him. We just worshiping him. Scripture does say where they are, two or three, he's gathered, right? Or where the two or three are gathered, his name, he's there. Oh, I'll go anywhere for a miracle. Not 15 feet down the road, not half a mile. That's the problem with this world. There's a lot of people that love bread, right? When he's chucking out bread from the hilltop, well, I'm hungry, I'll eat. But when it's time to go somewhere, well, that's uncomfortable, right? Somebody's out driving the motorcycle, you get it, right? They want us to know about it. That's what I'm trying to say. And I'm talking to myself. It's not just church attendance, though, I think that's a good indicator, and I'm serious. And again, I'm allowed to say this, I have to say it all the time, because I was the popcorn kettle black, that was me, right? I just wanted to be comfortable, though. You know, we think he's a savior for one, like he's that fast food that's coming, right? It's DoorDash, I'll just DoorDash, Jesus. That's what you're doing, right? I watched it online, that is good when you can't be here, but well, you just DoorDash and Jesus, 'cause you don't got your pajamas. I saw it Diane Diane's going, don't get on my feet, I can't help it. All right, a lot of questions I'm gonna say again, do you believe that thing I told you that he can still move? Let's keep going. Verse 18, drop down to 18. Now, keep in mind, I love, you guys think the Bible's just chucked together, you think they weren't divinely inspired, they knew what they were doing in the order of things, listen to this, see if it seems similar to a degree. As he was telling them these things, he was teaching, so Jesus here's teaching, very important man, right, Jack? Think he's important, people teaching. Jack goes, he's got my name, yeah, it's been awhile, right? Suddenly, one of the leaders came and knelt down before him. Now, we know in the Gospel of Luke what kind of leader this was, this was the leader of a synagogue, a Jewish leader. Did the Jewish leaders like Jesus? No, they don't, some of you are confused, they don't like him, you know why? He's a threat to their authority, right? As he was telling this thing, suddenly one of the leaders came and knelt down before him, saying my daughter just died, but come and lay your hand on her and she will live. So Jesus and his disciples got up and followed him. Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding, by the way, before I go on, how beautiful is Jesus? He's teaching. Sometimes I don't wanna be that guy, I'm doing something important, I don't have time for you. Comes immediately, goes with him. He has a need. Please come, Jesus' disciples got up and followed him. Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years approached from behind and touched the end of his robe for she said to herself, "If I can just touch his robe, I'll be made well." Jesus turned and saw her, have courage, daughter. There it is again, have courage. Your faith has saved you. Hey, some of you all long-term Christians. That's you, have courage. Your faith has saved you and the woman was made well from the moment. Let's go in order here. So a Jewish leader told you already, gospel of Luke tells us a little more detailed same situation. Comes to him, comes to Jesus because his daughter just died or was in the process of dying. Either way, he knew she was dead. This man was important, this is so good for you to hear. This man was important in the Jewish faith. He was a leader of a synagogue. It makes you feel better, he's a pastor of a church, whatever, it doesn't matter. And certainly would have been aware of one thing. You see, Jesus was causing a stir. He was causing a problem. Remember he already called out the religious people. And the one thing about the Jewish faith at the time, this religion is they were very well connected and you did what the leader said. Now we eventually know that it got so bad that they said, if you go listen to this guy or talk about him, we will kick you out of church. You can't come back, you can't worship. And since God was only at the temple, that's a big deal. That's how they viewed it, he was at the temple. He would have known, certainly known and been aware of the religious politics of the time, meaning he knew that coming to this troublemaker, this Jesus, this rebel would have a cost on him socially and religiously. And yet he came to Jesus. Would you miss work? Would you, I already know the answer, see? We've been conditioned. How great of an excuse I hear, what times we live in when an acceptable excuse in Christian culture to not worship the Lord or serve or love is, I've got work. Who's glorified in your work, honestly? To be honest, it's you. Now some of you already get mad at me like I'm saying your name, that's the Holy Spirit. I'm not saying your name. And yet he came to Jesus, right? Even though he knew this would have a cost, why? Have you ever been in deep grief? You don't care, do you? You don't care how you look anymore. I've been so depressed that I looked ridiculous, right? You look pathetic and I didn't care because my need was greater than my desire to look cool. And it wasn't good at the time. And yet he came to Jesus, why? Because whatever other things he had tried for in this situation, probably medicine, how do we know this? He's wealthy, right? Medicine, doctors, whatever religious rituals he could think of, they had all failed to help him. His daughter was dying, she was dead. You know the grief, man, your mind, your mind goes to places. I've tried everything. He knew his need had now moved into the miraculous. He needed something that seemed so unrealistic, so impossible, so maybe, just maybe, this man that I've heard is doing miracles can help me too. Let that sink in, the grief and the brokenness and the hurt and the fear, the doubt he must have felt as he fell to his knees in front of this man, he had just heard could do the miraculous. We don't know if he'd even seen it, he just heard it. Through what, a testimony. His faith didn't know who Jesus was, but he had enough faith to come to Jesus anyway. Looking at you, Ali, I don't know why. See if pay attention, right? Let's let that sink, I'm gonna say that again. His faith didn't know who Jesus was, but he had enough faith to come to Jesus anyway. How's that apply to you? How many times do you let people tell you what's possible? How many times do you let people tell you what's hopeless? How many times before you even come to Jesus, you let them tell you what Jesus is capable of? You wanna know why your faith is dead, why you don't like church? This goes for you, man, because you've given up that he can move in your life. Let your mind go to the fact of what you turned to, how twisted you've become, that you will go to a bottle, to pills or a body to make you feel better, because the world's told you there is more hope in that than in the miraculous power of Jesus. I'm not immune to that. His faith didn't know who Jesus was, but he had just enough faith to come to Jesus anyway. They hurried towards his house, and we come across another person who was in desperate need of the miraculous, a bleeding woman. I don't mean to be vulgar here, ladies, you know exactly what this means. As soon as I said, ladies, now you get it. We know that, the implication here is this woman had that kind of problem. Imagine bleeding for 12 years. The incredible thing is, you think that's comfortable? Ladies, I don't have to, that's not comfortable, okay? I'm not a lady, I can tell you that ain't comfortable. No amount of bleeding for 12 years is comfortable. It wasn't comfortable, so certainly there was a physical misery, but here's the thing you don't realize, in this culture, she was unclean. You see, the Bible said she must have had some sin that caused, or not the Bible, like the religion said that she must have some sin that caused her to have this problem. Why would God allow this to happen to her? 'Cause she was bad in some way, and we don't wanna catch the bad. And they had all these rituals, you know, a lady even in your time of month would have to go away and be cleansed ritually because blood meant something. So people wouldn't touch her, they would avoid her, or at least any good people. Sound familiar? Some of you ladies in the room, you either did, or you were, you've given up good people touching you, so you just let anybody. Because any touch is better than no touch. 12 years, 12 years of loneliness and being an outcast in physical misery, 12 years. And she didn't even have the faith to ask Jesus to touch her, right? Why would she? Why would a good man, a holy man, a good teacher ever touch a woman like her? Why would he ever move into her situation? Why would he ever give her the time of day when nobody else would? So she had enough faith that maybe, just maybe, even if I know he wouldn't touch me, that maybe, if she could touch him, she could just touch his robe, his power could heal her. Jesus turned and saw her, "Have courage, daughter," he said, "Your faith has saved you," and the woman was meaning well from that moment. Jesus wasn't surprised by the way. You know, it's not like a movie. She's a ninja and dropped from a tree to touch him. He's like, "Oh, no, that didn't happen." He knew. I thought I've had. What if Jesus let her believe she'd snuck up on him for her? Because if he'd have turned towards it, she might have ran away. Jesus wasn't surprised. She didn't really sneak up on him. She knew and he let her come to him in the way that she felt comfortable and he healed her. Here's the thing I want you to know, it didn't take perfect confidence. It didn't take perfect faith. She didn't have the theology down, right? We have no indication anywhere in the Bible says, "If you touch the hem of Jesus' robe, "you're immediately healed." John 75, 42, that's not in there, right? It just took steps of faith. How beautiful God is that he responds to the steps of faith that we take. That's how when we are a sinner. Some of you in the room in this place, you need to hear this. That's why when the Bible says in the midst of our sin, when we aren't worthy to be touched, certainly not worthy to be in relationship with a perfect and holy God, that he responds to the small step of faith that we have to say, "I need you, Lord." (congregation laughing) It took steps of faith, did it take a perfect faith? Did it take a completely confident faith that, no, she snuck up on it like a ninja. Is that neat enough, funny? You got that in your head right now, an injured woman? Good, that's what I wanted to do. You'll remember that now, though. It took steps, so you'll probably remember that whenever you read this now, an injured woman, it's in your head. It took steps of faith. Drop down to verse 23. See, if you're picking up what I'm laying down here, isn't that the phrase? You picking up what I'm laying down? Greg, you know all the cool scenes. Yeah, yeah. Verse 23, "When Jesus came to the leader's house," so Jesus stops, this happens and they hurry on. He saw the flute players in a crowd lamenting loudly. Flute players would be, they had traditions that there are paid people that come and grieve. Sing songs of grief when someone dies. When Jesus came to the leader's house, he saw the flute players in a crowd lamenting loudly. That means crying and grieving loudly. Leave, he said, because the girl's not dead, but asleep. And they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand and the girl got up. Then news of this spread throughout the whole area. So we come back to the Jewish man. We have the issue with the woman, and then we come back to the Jewish man, by the way, who was probably, maybe he's better man than me, frustrated. Ever sound like you, you ever feel this way? Frustrated, and who can blame him? Jesus was supposed to be coming to help him. Doesn't he know what's going on? My daughter's dead. My daughter might as well be dead. We have something important to do. Why are you stopping? But he still had enough faith to wait. So then they show up and find that the family and friends were already singing songs of mourning. They were grieving because this girl was dead. Imagine, imagine that. And Jesus makes this statement that sounds crazy, and it's because you're all religious, but you take this and go, yeah, I would have accepted it. No, you wouldn't. Listen, how crazy this sounds. He comes to the crowd, looks around and says leave, because the girl's not dead, but asleep. And they laughed at him. They probably didn't just laugh at Jesus. You think, you think they just laughed at Jesus? No, they're laughing at the guy. You're an important man. You're better than this. It's like the mayor, right? I guess, whatever, right? Who are, what are you doing? This is so ridiculous. Quit embarrassing your family. Hey, I mean, this face stuff's cool, but like there's a limit to it. I can't, like some of you people, I've heard you say your parents say that to you. Some of you might have said that to your kids. If this is all good, but then there's real life. They probably didn't just laugh at Jesus, but at the father too, faith can look, this is important. Faith can look crazy to the people in the crowd. Faith can look crazy to the people in the crowd. And most of the time it will. The crowds are not always the people outside the church, especially in Midwest, small town, Indiana. Everybody goes to church. You have to put it on your college applications. At least I did, right? I made it up. I didn't go to a church. I went and visited a couple of times and put it down, right? I don't know why I confess that to you. Anyway, the bottom line is the crowds sometimes in the church. Oh, that's cute. Sally's praying for a miracle. You know, the Bible says God helps those who help themselves lie not in the Bible. Quit telling people that. Faith can look crazy to the people in the crowd. Some of you all have, you know, your givers, and you give money to things of people like, there's better things to do with your money, like buy that new car. Praise God, there's some crazy people in here to say, you know what, I don't care what people think, 'cause you move and God moves with that faith, right? Faith can look crazy to the people in the crowd. When the people with no faith left, we see what happens, isn't that crazy? When the people that had no faith got out of there, get out of here. That's when Jesus started moving. Jesus goes, takes her little hand in his. We know how old she was. Takes her little hand in his, and she wakes up. She comes back to life. This thing that looked impossible, you think Jesus didn't know what he was saying? When he said she's just asleep, he's not being cruel. Do you know what he's trying to say? To me, death is just like sleep. I just gotta go wake her up. Death is just like sleep, wake up. It's a God, death is just like sleep. That's why Paul says it too, throughout the New Testament. He says, though the believers have fallen asleep, how beautiful is that? It's a reminder to the churches, like don't grieve like this is over, they're just asleep, you'll see them when they wake up. You'll see them when you wake up. Death is just like sleep to the Lord, just as impermanent, just like someone waking up to Jesus Christ. (audience laughing) By the way, you ever wonder why I talk to this side room? They listen, but they're more into it. Except me on it, she's with me. She may not look like it. Yeah, I saw you, got it. She pays attention, I've seen it. You guys talk to her, she won't like that, don't talk to her. But she is, talk to her one-on-one, that's the way she do it. Love you, Nana. When the people with no faith left to see what happens, and he was making a point here. She's asleep, he was proving who he was again. This is nothing to me. Stop living like I can't do the things you can't do. Let's go on, drop down to verse 27. As Jesus went on from there, two blind men following him, called out, followed him, calling out, have mercy on a son of David. When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, do you believe that I can do this? They said to him, yes, Lord. Then he touched their eyes saying, let it be done for you according to your faith. And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus warned them sternly. Be sure that no one finds out, but they went out and spread the news about him throughout the whole area. Don't get stuck on that part, though I do like it. Jesus was human, fully God, fully man. Everything he got tired? He did, did you know that? You don't think he got tired? Better not, he did. I'll go stop this and go do another sermon about Jesus sleeping to prove he was, okay? Yeah, he did. We get a, and the only reason to say that is pretty cool because he loved anyway, served anyway. Anyway, we get this scene. Now, immediately you read it in your religious side, like this. ♪ As he went to blind men followed him ♪ Right, that's, that's pretty nice. You hear that, Andy? That's like a choir. Yeah. Anyway, we get a scene that's kind of ridiculous if you think about it. Two blind guys, they can't see. This isn't like some of you all go, I'm blind, right? With my glasses off, no, these people can't see. And they follow Jesus. So you think that was a clean walk? (whistling) No, they're stumbling. Jesus, son of David. Probably just going with the crowd, right? I can hear him. Maybe they grab people that are following me, get off me, right? I would, some random guy, get off me. And then I see he's blind, I feel terrible. You get my point. They're stumbling behind in the crowd, screaming out to Jesus because they can't see him. So they have to scream. Jesus, son of David, have mercy on us. They follow him all the way until they go to the house he was staying at. That could have been ours. We don't know how long in between. (whistling) Probably pushing past the crowd, maybe falling, most likely falling, all to get to the man that they had just heard could do the miraculous. How do I know they heard it? You ready for this? You're gonna like this, Jason? 'Cause they couldn't see. So I had to be here. They can't, they're blind, get it? J-A-Y, see? Yeah, see. They couldn't see. So they had just heard that he could do the miraculous. They hadn't seen it with their own eyes. They just heard testimonies. How many times do you go tell people what Jesus has done for you? I didn't say invite him to church. I said, tell him what Jesus did for you. What do you think, Jason, when you do that? I think he's so sweet. He's like, no, I don't. That's not what I meant. But me either, Jason, you're not alone. He just heard that he could do the miraculous. He hadn't seen it with their own eyes. Just heard the testimonies and yet they came. And Jesus asks them a question that he's asking all of us to this day and that he's going to ask some of you. Well, he's asking all of us, but some of you don't even know him. And the real question of what it is to accept the gospel. You understand what it is to believe. Stop trying to trick yourself so you don't have to believe. Here's the question. Do you believe that I can do this? They said to him, yes, Lord. Then he touched their eyes, saying, let it be done for you according to your faith and their eyes were open. Let it be done for you according to their faith. I mean, according to your faith. What kind of faith? It was perfectly obedient faith. Guess what, Trent, it wasn't. How do I know? 'Cause they told him right after. Don't go tell everyone and they go, okay. Hey, everyone! You think Jesus stops caring about you. Jesus stops caring about you because you made mistakes. You think your relationship with him has ever been about your perfect obedience? It was always about his. Was it, what kind of faith, was it perfectly obedient faith? No, they didn't listen to the command. He gave them right after healing them. So relatable, that's why I love the gospels. These are real people. You know, it wasn't a perfect faith. It was just the kind of faith that would have blind, broken men chase after a man they just heard could do the miraculous. Some of you have let your faith in God's ability to move in your life and situation be affected by your imperfection. That's big sentence. I'm gonna say it again. Some of you have let your faith in God's ability and willingness to move in your situation be affected by your imperfection. Meaning you have allowed his goodness, his faithfulness, his power in your own mind to be limited by you. I'm talking to you. You think he loves you less now than he did when you called out to him and said forgive me, Lord, and became a Christian. You think he loves you less? No. No. You think your worthiness can prevent or unworthiness can prevent Jesus from doing the miraculous? There's a news flash for you. You ain't that big. You're not that powerful. And neither are your sins. Death is defeated. You know what he said on the cross? It is finished. It was never about your worthiness. It was about your belief in his worthiness, in his power, and your belief in his faithfulness to you. Taco Bell's coming. Gotcha. Could be a hamburger, I don't care the same thing. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm talking about the people they already think about lunch. Yeah, you are. I wanna go back to the beginning of our time together. At the very beginning. And the question I asked you, and I'm gonna take a second, and I don't care, no one else is here but you right now. What do you need? What do you need? What do you actually need and want? What are you afraid to admit you want to need? What have you given up hope on? I'm gonna give you a second. I don't care if you're 13 or 14. 30, 40, 60, 80, 110, there's something. What is that thing? What is the thing that they told you to give up on? What is the thing you told you to give up on? What is the thing that you said is impossible? What is the thing you said? Well, he's got better things to do. What do you need from Jesus? What would you ask him for? What situation would you ask him to move into? What healing would you ask him for if you stood before Jesus Christ? Here's the secret. I mean this with every ounce of my being even if my face sometimes wavers. You still do stand before him. You're standing right now, before him. So why have you stopped asking for his touch? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? What's the thing you want from Jesus Christ? Is it because of, you doubt his power because of the way the world is, you doubt his power because he didn't move into something the way you told him to? You know, the paralytic when he came, I'd imagine at first when he hears it, even if he's amazed, maybe he did, maybe he didn't, maybe his friends probably were like, "We came here for the walking, man. "We're talking about sin." But he did the thing that was most impossible and threw in what they wanted on top. Is it you doubt his power? Do you doubt his love? And willingness, you've given up because you think he won't move? Don't fake smile at me. I can see right through that. You did it again. I'm gonna keep, now you're gonna make me call you out. You think, like, what have you given up on? Ms. Jack, you guys know him. You know how he is. What have you given up on? Is it his willingness? 'Cause it's one of these. It's his willingness, it's his power, or it's his love for you. And love and willingness are put together. Which one do you doubt? Are you not good enough anymore? Because somebody said you weren't good enough for them. I want you to think of these stories we saw in this one chapter. Short stories, man. There are a couple of verses, these snapshots. They're real, it happened. If he did it for those people that just kind of believed, and they really did just kind of believe, right? They didn't know he was, they didn't have the theology down. They didn't know he was the son of God. Maybe they thought he was the Messiah, but they didn't fully get it. But he moved in response to the faith that they did have. If he did that for them and did them miraculous for them, what would he do and what will he do for those of you in this room who have put your faith in him and call yourself Christian? Who will he do for those that the Bible says have been adopted that are there now heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ that when he looks at you, he doesn't see all that junk. He sees the perfection of his son or his daughter that you are his perfect and loved and adored son or daughter. You mean even though I do this? Yep, you mean even though I mess with this? Yeah, you mean even though I struggle with this? Yep. What would he do for you who has believed without seeing, who have believed and been transformed? What will he do for his people? Now the temptation here, there's people that don't have faith in this room. That's okay, you can't affect the rest of us. And I'm not even talking about the unbelievers, I'm talking about the ones that pretend. Because he's gonna move in response to your faith because he's with you all the time. He's sealed inside you. What touch of grace do you need today? Maybe you feel like, man, I can't get to him. Have you asked him to come to you? 'Cause here's the trick, he's already there. He's gonna play some music. Hopefully, we'll see if this thing turns on. What's the miracle you've given up on? I'm serious, I don't play religion, man. I'm not good at it, clearly. If you're a visitor, you already know I'm not good at this. Praise be to God, right? You can take a hobo like me and, you know, nothing against hobo's. I give the name a bad name. What's, you know, he can use me, move through me. Do a lot of cool things with you people. What's the miracle you've given up on? Stop chasing other things first. This ain't religion. I'm talking to you from my own heart. There's things I give up on. It's so funny, man, when I first believed, I believed he could do anything and would do anything in my life. I did, I didn't walk out going, I wonder what I'm going to sin next or what I did wrong. I just walked out saying, I feel lighter and I feel like he's going to do something. I don't know what it is, but I'm excited. And somewhere along the way, my own sins and the lies of the enemy and the lies of the world and the lies of Christians and my own selfishness and my own sin and my own doubt creeps in. And I start to let it suffocate the kind of faith that made a kid call out and say, I don't know a single thing about this, but I want that Jesus God. What's the miracle you've given up on? Stop chasing other things first, some of you in the room. You know why the miracle doesn't come? You don't, you run into the bottle, you run into the body, you run into the pill, you run and I'm not, I even have to say this in this culture. Medicine isn't bad, but you know what I mean. You run to the video games or you run to work or you run to whatever else it is, even a marriage, something so beautiful can become ugly when you put that spouse in the place of God. What is the thing, right, that you've given up? You just, you don't think it'll ever be healed so you just try to throw band-aids on it, right? Distract yourself. Some of you got hurts like I do and I'm gonna say this and like you got deep hurts from when you were a kid and you feel dumb, especially guys, we feel dumb talking about it. I don't like admitting that something had happened to me and I'm like zero to 15 can affect me. That's weird. I'm a grown man, right? And even the fact I'm saying it like that proves that it still affects me. And there lies that'll creep in my head, sometimes, right? That my worthiness, right, is attached to that. It affects me now and it can make me do and lash out and attempt to act in ways that I don't wanna act or to be a kind of guy I don't wanna be and then I guess what happens. And I start to beat myself up about that, right? Because I proved that I'm what I thought or they thought I was. You just stopped believing. You stopped chasing, you need to stop chasing of those things, you need to come to the Savior, come to the miracle worker, come to Jesus and ask Him to move into your situation and here's the beauty, ask Him and then believe it. Ask Him and then believe it. You guys, some of you go, well, I can't believe it perfectly. I have doubts, that ain't faith, right? That's the beauty of the Bible. You know what the Bible says about faith? I'm gonna paraphrase. It's not faith if you know it's, if you 100% see it, right? That isn't faith, I don't need to know faith the ground is here, it's here. Faith, right, is the expectation, the belief of something you can't see. And then hope says that He's gonna do what He said He's gonna do, and faith is believing He can. Come to Jesus today and I mean that in the most non-religious way I can, He is still God. If not, then we are doing a philosophy and if it's a philosophy it has no power and if it has no power, I don't want anything to do with it. I believe in the risen Savior. That's what I put and bet my life on. Right, why don't I live that way? Why don't you? (gentle music) I told you earlier, would you go to Warsaw? Where would you go? And I hesitate to say it 'cause you're so jaded, but this is an altar. You're gonna have a time where it's quiet and the lights are dim, there's gonna be people to pray for you, you can pray. You know, pray your seat doesn't matter. And in that moment, are you willing, I'll go to Warsaw, somebody like, yeah, will you? Will you go 15 feet to the altar? I'll give up anything to get there. Will you give up your pride to ask for prayer? The Bible says, confess your sins and pray for one another because the prayer of a righteous person is powerful indeed. There's something in that. Will you ask and not be afraid? See some of you, you know why you don't ask? 'Cause you're saving that in your pocket. You're like, okay, after everything else, I'll pray for God to move because I don't wanna be let down. I wanna believe, in a weird way, you got this kind of beautiful heart where you're like, I don't want him to let me down. Stop, he ain't going to. Here's what I can promise you. 100%. Now, a controller's in the room. You're not gonna like this still. I'll tell you that part after. He's 100% gonna answer your prayer. 100%. Do you know that? 100%, he's gonna answer that prayer. I just don't know how. And you gotta let go of the how. You know, sometimes when he healed blind people, he just touched their eyes. Sometimes he says, see, one time he spit on him, right? I don't, I'm like, I don't wanna be a spit guy. Yeah, some of you are all going, ew, right? But if I said, hey, I'm gonna spit and you can see, would you take the chance? Yeah, stop worrying about the how. It's all real, it has to be. That's why in other countries, third world countries where they have nothing, they seem miraculous things happen. 'Cause they've given, they've stopped putting their faith in all this junk that doesn't actually have power. And what happens, I'll tell you what happens. It's in the soil of faith that the miraculous happens. Faith means following to when the rest of the world says, do it a different way, or do this, or do that. The question is, do you believe? Because Jesus is asking you today, like he's asking all of us just like he asked those blind men, do you believe I can do this? Well, do you? Do you believe it? Do you, Ali? You believe it? What's the gospel? Normally I tell you the whole thing, and I make sure all my theology bases are covered, and that's good, and I should, but I'm gonna tell you something. You're not fixed, and you're a little religion, and you're a little weird rituals, and some of you all, and the things you put your faith in, and the bodies, and the pills, and all that. We are so sinful. God said, just believe, that was the garden. Believe that I am God, and I know right from wrong, and we say, no, I know better than you, God. By the way, some of you say, I don't do that. Yeah, you do, because you decide what's important, not God. You decide what he should listen to, and you base it on other people instead of the word of God, and you decide what's right and wrong. We've all done it. The Bible says we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and the Bible says, right, that the wages of sin is death. We are separate from God, and that's why the world's broken and ugly and gross, and why our bodies are decaying, and we're gonna die. The question is, do you wanna die twice? Because after this life, we will come before a holy God. And because we've all sinned, and the standard is perfection. Sorry, that's what it is. I'm a pretty good person, not good enough. To be with a perfect holy God, you need to be perfectly holy, and the problem is, we can't be. And the problem is, even if I just did it one time and cleaned it off of you, and just did that, you do it again. And we know that, and religion tries to say, oh, let's clean our act up, and that's why we struggle with it, and it gets exhausting, 'cause we can't. So then God had a plan. God came down to you when we couldn't get to Him. Jesus of Nazareth existed. God sent His one and only Son. God Himself, God made flesh, came to this earth, lived as a man, faced the same trials and temptations we did, but was perfectly faithful, perfectly holy, perfectly good, taught us about the kingdom, taught us what life should be like, and can be like again, and then He did something incredible. He offered a way to pay those wages that you can't afford, and neither can I. The wages of sin is death. On the cross, Jesus died. He took your sin and your shame and your brokenness. He did, it's real. And all of the intellectual reasons you're arguing right now, all the things you've been taught, you know what's really cool? It still can't stop that little voice in your heart saying, this is real, even if I don't make sense. You know how I know you're thinking that 'cause I was you. He loves you so much. He's not here to condemn you. In fact, the Bible tells at the beginning of John that God did not send His son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world might be safe through Him. He doesn't want anyone to perish, but all to have eternal life. And so you have an opportunity today. Those of you in this room who haven't put your faith in Jesus, whether you've been a member of this church and tricked me, probably not that hard, tricked yourself, or you're honest about it, you have an opportunity today, and this breath and this moment in the next 10 minutes, to make a decision that will change not just this life, but your eternal life. Jesus died on the cross three days later, He was raised from the dead to prove why He is who He said He was. And the message has always been the same. The question He's asking you today is, you know that sin, the brokenness, the separation from God, do you believe I can do this for you? The Bible says if you confess with your lips and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, that means your faith just has to be enough to say, you have the answers and I don't forgive me. I put my trust in you. Notice I didn't think about cleaning anything up yet. He cleans you up. The Bible says if you confess with your lips and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, you will be saved. Now here's the trick. And I used to, people don't like this 'cause I'm gonna talk to me again. You need to confess with your lips because if you're not willing to say it, you don't really believe it. Have you out loud said to Him? Lord forgive me. I want a relationship with you. If you have an out loud said it, let today be the day. Now, I'm not gonna trick you like I was tricked. Where they had me put my head down and raise your hand and then guess what they said? All you raise your hand they go, you see that door? You gotta go behind it. I wasn't gonna go, that seems creepy. But I say this a lot and it was really powerful. Isn't it crazy that a man that I'll never know? You don't even know his face but I know his words. I'll always remember this. Makes me choke up. When I didn't wanna go, he said you don't have to be afraid. This way told me, some random guy in a packed dark room. So I'm gonna say that to you, you don't have to be afraid. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. There's people up here willing to pray with you that prayer so that you can walk out here today and know that if the worst thing happened and a bus hit you, 'cause life's not promised, right beyond this moment, you will live forever. You don't have to live in shame or fear or doubt. But you can know that you're his and he's yours forever. Whatever you do, don't leave the same as you came in the day. I mean that, it's not just the same. 'Cause if you do, you're choosing to, make it count. [MUSIC PLAYING]