Participants: Alvin Kibble
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000127
|
00:12 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
00:15 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:23 Hello and welcome again to an Anchors Of Truth meeting. 00:27 My name is Greg Morikone, this is my wife Jill, 00:29 and we're so glad to be here with you this evening. 00:32 We enjoyed Elder Alvin Kibble last night, didn't we. 00:35 - Amen. - What a blessing. 00:36 For those of you at home, what a blessing. 00:37 I know he really spoke to my heart. 00:40 And I know Elder Gilley, last night he mentioned 00:43 that it was a little cool and rainy. 00:45 Well today is still a little cool, but it's actually sunny. 00:48 We had some sun and clouds today, 00:49 so praise the Lord for that. 00:51 And I liked last night too. 00:52 Elder Kibble was talking about basically suffering. 00:56 And he's talking about God and how God's hands are there 00:58 to support us and to guide us. 01:00 I also wanted to mention that in case you're just joining us 01:04 this evening that the title of this series, 01:07 the four part series is, 01:08 A Christian's View of Suffering and Heartache. 01:13 You know, as Christians we're going to all face, 01:19 aren't we, suffering, persecution, heartache. 01:21 And I'm sure as I look at each person here, 01:23 I'm looking here at my good friend, 01:25 Brother Hutchinson and his wife Zita. 01:26 I know you guys have had challenges in your guy's life 01:30 and loss in your life. 01:32 I know all of us, I know, are not immune to it as Christians. 01:34 But the nice thing is and the great thing is, 01:36 is God is our Savior. 01:38 He is there to be with us, and to support us, 01:40 and to give us what we need. 01:43 I just want to introduce Dr. Alvin Kibble in case again 01:46 you are just joining us for the first time this evening. 01:49 He's actually Vice President of the North American Division 01:52 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 01:53 And we're really privileged to have him here with us 01:56 for this series. 01:57 He has a wife, Jewel. 01:59 He has two sons, one daughter-in-law, 02:02 and three grandchildren. 02:04 And he was telling us last night how much fun 02:06 it is to be a grandpa. 02:08 He really enjoys that. 02:09 But tell me what you thought about the sermon last night, 02:12 and then of course you'll introduce the music. 02:13 It was an incredible blessing to my own heart, 02:16 the music was last night, and the message; 02:20 A Christians View of Suffering. 02:23 Dr. Kibble took his key note address last night 02:26 from Jeremiah chapter 18, 02:29 "O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as the potter?" 02:32 And he talked about us as the clay. 02:35 And how God wants to mold us and shape us into His image. 02:38 I'm excited to hear what he has to share about 02:43 another look at suffering tonight. 02:45 That's right. 02:46 Tonight will be, The Testimony of a Touch. 02:49 And I know it will minister to our heart here 02:52 and to your heart at home. 02:54 So if you are going through something, 02:56 if you are in the midst of something, 02:58 know that the Lord Jesus Christ is right by your side. 03:02 And sit back and be blessed for this hour as Dr. Kibble shares 03:07 his experience through the Word of God 03:10 and through the suffering that he has gone through. 03:13 But He will bring hope and encouragement to each one of us. 03:16 You know and I also wanted to say too, one of the powerful 03:19 things, I know afterwards we have after we go off the air 03:22 live here we have what we call, the afterglow. 03:25 It's what Elder Gilley says. 03:27 And he shared, Dr. Kibble shared more of his 03:30 experience with cancer. 03:31 You know, this is a man that has gone through an awful lot, 03:35 and the Lord has brought his through cancer. 03:37 But that is where somebody's testimony is powerful, isn't it. 03:40 for someone who has gone through something like that. 03:42 I mean it just spoke to my heart in a powerful way. 03:45 And I know all of us, we may not be going through cancer, 03:48 but all of us suffer with different things. 03:50 You know, each one of us is not immune to that. 03:51 And so what a blessing this message has been, 03:54 and I know the other three messages will be. 03:56 Amen, absolutely. 03:57 Before Dr. Kibble comes and shares the Word of God with us, 04:01 we have a message in song from our very own 04:03 Mike and Celestine Berry. 04:05 They're church members here, and just wonderful Christians. 04:09 We love them, we love their ministry of music. 04:12 And tonight they will be sharing with us 04:14 a song entitled, Friendship. 04:16 And just before they sing, we'd like to open with prayer. 04:19 Father in heaven, Lord, what a privilege it is 04:21 to come to You in prayer. 04:23 Father, we're just so blessed that You are there for us, 04:28 You hear our prayers. 04:29 And Lord, all of us go through, I know, sufferings, challenges. 04:32 It may not be physical, it could be emotional, 04:35 but Lord, we know that You are there. 04:38 We just pray that You would bless Elder Kibble 04:40 as he brings us another message this evening. 04:42 That You would anoint his lips. 04:43 Father, thank You that he is Your vessel, 04:45 that You are pouring Your words through him to us. 04:49 Lord, again, bless him in a special way. 04:51 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 05:20 Friendship is forever, 05:27 it cannot be broken. 05:34 Love is always there, though not a word is spoken. 05:41 They have something special 05:47 that no one else can share. 05:50 They may hear a voice or see a smile 05:55 as someone passes by. 06:00 That's when they'll think of you and breathe a happy sigh. 06:11 What is a friend? 06:17 What is a friend? 06:24 What is a friend? 06:28 Would you like to know? 06:37 Well, he'd go with you anywhere 06:43 when other's have said no. 06:50 When things you said or did went wrong, 06:55 he'd never say, "I told you so." 07:02 He'd just keep on loving you, 07:07 and on his way he'd go. 07:13 He'd be there to cheer you when you were feeling sad. 07:19 He'd know just the right thing say, 07:23 things to make you glad. 07:26 And when life is over and done, 07:32 and the last mile you have trod, 07:39 you'll find you had a friend all that long. 07:44 And he's still here with you. 07:55 What is a friend? 08:02 Who is your friend? 08:09 God is your Friend. 08:33 Good evening. 08:36 Once again, we have the wonderful privilege 08:39 to study God's Word together. 08:42 I trust that you have been blessed and that you've 08:44 had a wonderful day. 08:47 And we have another opportunity to share 08:51 one of the anchor truths that are so extremely 08:56 valuable to us as we continue to navigate our lives 09:03 in accordance with God's will. 09:06 I had a wonderful opportunity today to call a gentleman 09:11 that I have really never met. 09:14 But he had done a favor for me. 09:17 I had left something of a valuable nature 09:23 at the Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church 09:26 this past Sunday while attending a wedding. 09:30 And this gentleman had found it for me. 09:34 If you've ever left something behind, a cell phone or 09:39 camera, or a purse, or maybe even your computer, 09:43 you know how uncomfortable that is. 09:46 And you can't always remember exactly where it 09:50 was that you left it. 09:51 But this gentleman happened to have found it and he returned it 09:57 to my office in Silver Springs. 10:01 So I called him today and I wanted to 10:04 express my appreciation. 10:06 And when he learned that I was here at 3ABN, 10:10 he was so excited and he said, "Pastor Kibble, preach." 10:17 He said, "Preach, brother." 10:19 He said, "Because I'm ready to go home. 10:24 I'm ready to go home." 10:28 And I believe that sentiment... 10:34 ...is celebrated in the hearts and in the lives of 10:39 so many pilgrims today. 10:43 It's time to go home. 10:47 And I believe that the most important thing in life 10:54 is not so much where you stand as it is in what direction 11:01 you are moving. 11:06 To reach the point of heaven we must all sail 11:13 sometimes with the wind and sometimes against the wind. 11:21 But we all have to sail. 11:26 We can't afford to go adrift. 11:32 And we cannot allow ourselves to lie at anchor. 11:42 If we are intending to make heaven our home, 11:46 we ought to live like we're trying to go there. 11:51 What do you say? 11:53 Our message this evening, as we continue this series 11:59 on a Christian's view of trouble, 12:05 suffering and heartache, 12:11 I want to lift up this evening Mark chapter 5 verses 25 to 34. 12:22 However, our sermonic text is captured in the 28th verse 12:30 of Mark's gospel chapter 5. 12:34 And it says simply and succinctly, 12:39 "If I may but touch His clothes, I shall be made whole." 12:50 "If I may but touch His clothes, 12:56 I shall be made whole." 13:02 Before I speak to you, please join me as we talk with God. 13:09 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, 13:15 by the power of grace divine. 13:20 Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, 13:26 and my will be lost in Thine. 13:30 Through the power of our risen Christ, 13:32 I ask these mercies humbly. 13:37 I beseech Thy throne with confidence. 13:43 In the worthy and precious name of Jesus, amen. 13:50 I've given title to our text. 13:53 I've tagged this message, The Testimony of a Touch. 14:02 Twelve years is a long time to suffer. 14:11 Twelve years is a mighty long time to suffer from 14:16 one single serious ailment. 14:24 Twelve years is a terribly long time to suffer 14:31 without one single ray of hope. 14:38 Think about it. 14:42 Twelve years is a long time for anybody to suffer. 14:52 But that was the condition of this woman in our text. 15:00 For twelve long years, incessantly, perennially, 15:10 without interruption, she experienced 15:14 a continuous discharge. 15:19 For twelve long years she had an issue, 15:26 a flow, a flux, a flood of blood. 15:35 And the Greek word used in our text means, a morbid flow. 15:42 It was debilitating. 15:45 It made her weak. 15:48 It was embarrassing. 15:51 It was impoverishing and it was discouraging. 15:57 When someone is bleeding continuously, 16:01 their heart rate is going to be faster and harder. 16:07 Their electrolytes are going to be out of balance. 16:10 It's going to be very easy for them to go into shock. 16:15 They're going to suffer from high blood pressure, 16:20 and low iron, and low oxygen. 16:23 There are going to be days when you're going to experience 16:28 vertigo because things are not in balance. 16:35 You're going to feel as if you may pass out, 16:39 or you may just fall. 16:43 The red and white blood cells are not going to be sufficient 16:48 to fight off infections. 16:49 So if someone has another illness, you're going to be 16:55 prone to that illness as well. 16:59 The bone marrow is going to be weakened. 17:04 I remember a conversation that I had with 17:08 a fellow colleague who is now deceased. 17:13 Pastor Paul Monk. 17:17 He was fighting cancer and he was in Walter Reed Hospital 17:21 there in the greater Washington area. 17:29 You know, it's one thing to look in the mirror 17:32 and see that you're aging. 17:36 But what he said to me was, "You know, Alvin, 17:39 I had to witness my own demise. 17:45 I saw myself dying." 17:50 She was dying. 17:53 This little lady was dying. 17:55 And it was visible even to her own eyes. 18:02 For twelve long years she suffered a morbid flux of blood. 18:10 And she had tried desperately to find a solution 18:14 for her problem. 18:18 Life was precious for her. 18:23 She loved life. 18:25 She had dreams and aspirations. 18:29 Perhaps at one time she may have even had a lover, 18:38 or a fiancé. 18:41 She may have had career plans. 18:45 Probably she wanted to have children and to raise a family. 18:52 She loves life as much as anyone does. 18:57 And she has tried every suggested remedy, 19:02 but the blood has continued its cursed flow. 19:08 The doctors in the region know her by name. 19:12 And her visits to them have depleted all of her finances. 19:17 Luke states it simply, and you can almost feel the pain 19:21 in doctor Luke's words as he said, "A woman having an 19:26 issue of blood twelve years who had spent all of her living 19:31 on physicians." 19:34 Clearly there was no Obamacare for this woman. 19:40 And ironically, high medical costs is no new thing. 19:45 Some physicians, even back then, would take your money 19:54 whether they helped you or not. 19:58 Think how this woman must have felt 20:03 when time after time after time the physician examining her 20:11 would shake his head and say, "I'm really sorry, 20:21 but there's nothing else I can do." 20:26 For twelve years this little woman with a morbid 20:31 flux of blood went to the doctors and spent all she had, 20:37 and grew worse in the process. 20:41 Are you getting this? 20:44 But one day... 20:47 I said one day. 20:49 ...she got word concerning another doctor. 20:54 A new doctor in the region. 20:57 A new kind of doctor. 20:59 He had no office. 21:02 He had no fixed hours. 21:04 He had no medical tools. 21:06 He had no medical kit. 21:09 He didn't even have the customary medical credentials. 21:13 He was no general practitioner, knowing a little 21:17 about most maladies. 21:19 And He was no specialist who concentrated 21:22 on one field of medicine. 21:26 Now I suppose that if any label fitted Him at all, 21:30 it was that of total specialist. 21:34 Because the Bible said He healed all manner of diseases. 21:41 This ailing, failing, dying woman heard about a 21:45 new Doctor whose name was Jesus. 21:50 And her heart filled up and her hopes revived. 21:53 Hearing of the cures that He had performed, 21:56 she felt assured that if she could only go to Him 22:01 that she would be healed. 22:05 So in weakness and in suffering, she mustered up 22:10 all the strength that she had and she came to the seaside 22:15 where He was teaching. 22:17 She tried to press through the crowd, but in vain. 22:21 Again, she followed Him to the house of Levi Matthew. 22:25 But she was still unable to reach Him. 22:27 Because as soon as they arrived a man named Jairus, 22:32 a ruler of the synagogue, made his way through the crowd 22:38 and came to see Jesus in great distress. 22:42 He cast himself at Jesus' feet and said, "Master, 22:46 please come to my house. 22:48 I don't have but one daughter. 22:50 She's twelve years of age, and she's dying." 22:55 Well this little lady was no match for Jairus. 23:02 The very fact that she is known by name, 23:07 whereas doctor Jairus was clearly known, 23:13 means that he had easier access. 23:16 In fact, his entourage made a way for him. 23:20 He didn't have to push through the crowd. 23:23 He had position and he had power. 23:26 And so his entourage pushed people out of the way, 23:29 "Get out of the way, move. 23:31 Can't you see that Jairus is trying to get to Jesus?" 23:37 And Jairus saw Jesus. 23:42 He stated his case. 23:45 He made his plea. 23:48 And Jesus, sensitive to every need, set out at once 23:54 for the ruler's home. 23:58 So what does this little unnamed woman do now? 24:03 She has about three options. 24:08 She can turn around and head for home and continue 24:13 to witness her own demise. 24:15 She can stay where she is for a while and let her mind 24:19 fill up with thoughts of self pity, 24:22 and why Jesus would see Jairus and not her. 24:27 You ever been there? 24:29 Or she can press on in pursuit of the Master. 24:35 Now everybody knows that when you lose heart 24:40 and hope, that you're practically done. 24:45 If you think that you're licked, you are. 24:49 If you believe that you have been whipped... 24:53 ...you certainly will be. 24:56 If you've been knocked down flat and convinced yourself 24:59 that you can't get up, you won't get up. 25:03 If you've made up your mind to die, then die you will. 25:11 But nobody... 25:13 Hear me tonight. 25:16 No one is quite beyond the possibility of help, 25:23 until they concede defeat within their own hearts. 25:31 If you can keep up your hope, you can keep up your struggle. 25:36 But when we lose hope, that's when we stop trying. 25:42 Tell yourself that you can't hold onto your job, 25:46 and you're likely to even quit trying to hold onto your job. 25:54 Tell yourself that there's no use between you, 25:59 the relationship that you have between you and your husband, 26:02 or you and your wife, tell yourself that it's not 26:06 going to get any better, and you will cause it to rain 26:09 on your own parade. 26:13 Tell yourself that you will never get well again, 26:20 and you will certainly give up the fight. 26:24 Tell yourself that God expects too much, 26:30 that you'll never make it so why try, 26:35 and you will soon fall by the wayside. 26:40 There are too many who no longer even try to live right. 26:45 Not because living right is no longer appealing to them, 26:49 but because it seems so impossible. 26:54 You can make it if you hold onto your faith. 27:01 Well the woman said, "I'm going through. 27:05 At least I'm going to try. 27:07 If I fail after having done my best, I certainly won't be 27:11 any worse off than I am right now. 27:14 But I will not fail, because if I can just touch 27:20 the hem of His garment, I know I will be made whole." 27:25 Her mind got in motion. 27:27 Her heart got warmed up. 27:29 Her heart and her head became synchronized. 27:32 And she said, "I'm sticking with my plan. 27:34 I heard about Jesus. 27:36 I came here because I want to see Him. 27:39 And I know that He can help me. 27:41 And I know that Jesus is going to see a sick girl 27:47 who have been living for twelve years, 27:49 but I'm a sick woman and I've been dying for twelve years." 27:56 And in the face of opposition she kept encouraging herself 28:02 with the thought, "If I may but touch the hem of His garment." 28:11 This pitiful sick dying woman, victim of a morbid flux 28:18 of blood, stayed with the crowd. 28:22 And by sheer determination she twisted her way through 28:28 the crowd until she got in touching position. 28:34 And reaching out the arm of faith, she stretches until 28:39 at last her fingers touch the fringe, the tassel, 28:50 of Jesus' garments. 28:58 And she says, "I know that I've been healed." 29:09 In that one touch was concentrated the faith 29:13 of her entire life. 29:17 Instantly her pain and feebleness disappeared. 29:23 Instantly she felt the thrill as if an electric current had 29:28 passed through every fiber of her being. 29:33 The Bible says the fountain of her blood was dried up 29:37 and she felt in her body that she was healed of the plague. 29:43 "If, if, I may but touch His garment, 29:52 I shall be made whole." 29:56 My God, what a great word. 30:00 What an explanation. 30:02 What a mighty faith. 30:03 "If I may but touch His clothes, I shall be made whole. 30:09 I don't need to talk to Him, I don't need to plead with Him, 30:13 He doesn't have to look at me, He doesn't have to hold my hand. 30:17 If I can just touch the hem of His garment, 30:21 I shall be made whole." 30:25 You know, there's not a greater expression of faith 30:29 anywhere in the gospel. 30:33 Do you hear the testimony before her touch? 30:41 There was a touch before the touch. 30:46 And it's beautiful if you can see it. 30:49 Do you really hear her testimony? 30:53 She knew that Jesus was the embodiment of God. 30:59 What's more, this woman believed that God can manifest Himself 31:05 even in and through inanimate matter. 31:11 So this little woman cut through logic and scientific methods 31:15 and all the gathered wisdom of the ages and touched down 31:20 on an anchor truth. 31:24 And she declared, "If I can but touch the hem of His clothes, 31:30 I shall be made whole." 31:33 And with a leap of faith she plunged forward, 31:38 falling to the ground, and touched the border 31:42 of His garment. 31:45 And then it happened. 31:48 That which she said would happen, happened. 31:54 That which she believed with all her heart would happen, 31:59 happened. 32:01 That which had to happen, happened. 32:04 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, 32:10 and her body was healed. 32:14 It had to happen. 32:17 It had to happen because her presence that day itself 32:22 was a prayer. 32:25 And her perseverance was a manifestation 32:28 of her faith. 32:31 And prayer is the key to the kingdom. 32:35 And faith, as you well know, unlocks the door. 32:40 I tell you, it had to happen because it had to happen. 32:46 And with grateful heart, she tries to 32:49 withdraw from the crowd. 32:52 And suddenly Jesus stops. 32:58 And He turns around and He asked, "Who touched My clothes?" 33:07 Now the disciples, always quick to respond regarding matters 33:11 that they didn't really understand, they said, 33:13 "Master, come on Master. 33:16 You see this crowd, this multitude? 33:19 What are You talking about, who touched Your clothes?" 33:25 How could one touch be singled out? 33:30 Glad you asked. 33:33 People are pushing on every side. 33:37 It was a crowd. 33:39 Jesus was often in a crowd. 33:42 Old people and young people. 33:46 Children and perhaps some domestic animals as well. 33:52 And yet, Jesus responded to the shy approach 33:56 of an individual as surely as a mother to her baby's cry. 34:08 I find it so interesting, I have been in a home 34:13 where there are several families sharing a social event 34:23 together at the same time. 34:26 You know how it is. 34:27 You have an invitation or you may have just a 34:31 member of your family that kind of is the one where 34:37 everyone goes to for special events and family activities. 34:45 And if your family is like mine, there are children all around. 34:51 And some may get tired and so they are in another room. 34:57 They may be playing or they may be resting. 34:59 And then a cry breaks out. 35:06 And one mother... 35:09 There's several mothers in the house. 35:11 But one mother gets up and goes to attend to the baby's cry. 35:21 And I've never ever seen or witnessed a situation where 35:26 the mother came back and said, "Well that wasn't my baby." 35:31 How do you single out a single individual touch? 35:40 So the Bible teaches of a God who so individualizes, 35:48 to whom each one of His billion of children 35:52 is infinitely and eternally precious. 35:57 It has seemed so ridiculous to many. 36:00 They have criticized the idea of God's concern for 36:04 the individual as beyond belief, and have done it almost in the 36:10 very words of the disciples. 36:14 And yet, the reproach reveals the glory of the gospel. 36:20 "Behold," the Bible says, "what manner of love 36:25 that we should be called the sons of God." 36:31 Looking toward the woman, Jesus insisted on knowing 36:35 who touched Him. 36:38 After healing the woman, Jesus wanted her to acknowledge 36:42 the blessing that she had received. 36:46 Now get this, the gifts which the gospel offers 36:52 are not to be enjoyed in secret. 36:55 You may be in your home, or you may be in your office, 37:01 or wherever you are, and you are enjoying this broadcast, 37:06 but the gifts that the gospel offers are not to be 37:11 enjoyed in secret. 37:16 So long as we take our candle and put it under a bushel 37:25 it can never brighten the world. 37:28 When I was a little boy we use to sing, 37:31 "Brighten the corner where you are." 37:38 "Shine for Jesus." 37:41 "I'm going to let it shine." 37:45 So our Lord calls upon all of us to give confession 37:50 of His goodness. 37:52 "You are My witnesses," saith the Lord. 37:56 Our confession of His faithfulness 37:59 is heaven's chosen agency for revealing 38:04 our risen Christ to the world. 38:07 Finding concealment vain, she came forward trembling 38:13 and fell down before the Master. 38:15 And with grateful tears she pours out her story. 38:19 And Jesus gently says to her, 38:23 "Daughter, your faith has made you whole. 38:32 Go now in peace and be cured of your diseases." 38:39 Now to the curious crowd who is pressing about Jesus, 38:42 there was no power imparted. 38:45 But the suffering woman who touched Him in faith 38:49 had received healing. 38:51 So in spiritual things, the carnal contact differs 38:58 from the touch of faith. 39:00 "To talk of religion in some casual academic way, 39:06 to pray without soul hunger and living faith, 39:11 avails nothing." 39:16 Desire of Ages, page 347. 39:20 "To believe in Christ merely as the Savior of the world 39:25 can never bring healing to the soul." 39:31 Ministry of Healing, page 62. 39:35 "It is not enough to believe Christ; 39:40 we must believe in Christ." 39:44 Desire of Ages, page 347. 39:49 The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him 39:54 as a personal Savior, which appropriates His merits 39:59 to ourselves. 40:04 I must be led to believe for a fact that God so loved the world 40:13 that He gave His only begotten Son 40:17 that Alvin Maurice Kibble believing in Him 40:25 should not perish but have everlasting live. 40:31 When Alvin Kibble comes to Christ, according to His word 40:38 he is to believe that he has received 40:44 the saving grace of God. 40:49 And the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God 40:58 who loved me. 41:01 Me. 41:03 God loves you. 41:06 He loves everybody, but He loves you. 41:11 Galatians chapter 2 and verse 20. 41:15 Now many of us hold faith as an opinion. 41:20 "Do you believe there's a heaven?" 41:21 "Yeah, I guess I believe that there's a heaven." 41:23 "Do you believe that there's a God?" 41:25 "Yeah, I kind of... I believe. 41:26 I know that I didn't get here by myself." 41:30 But genuine faith is not an opinion. 41:35 It is life. 41:38 It is life. 41:41 "Somebody touched Me... 41:47 ...for virtue went out of Me." 41:50 Now virtue is a good word, but virtue is not the right word. 41:56 The word in the Greek is, "dunamis," 41:59 which means, "power." 42:01 That's the word we get "dynamite" from. 42:03 Jesus literally said, "Somebody touched Me, 42:06 because dynamite just went out of Me." 42:11 And brothers and sisters, that is what prayer and faith 42:14 are all about. 42:15 Prayer and faith pull from God, who is the Son of God, 42:21 pull power through Jesus Christ from the throne room of heaven. 42:29 Don't you know that Jesus can cure by contact? 42:34 Don't you know that He can heal by virtue of a touch? 42:40 Jesus is sensitive to every case of need. 42:43 He can feel you in the crowd. 42:45 He can find you in the crowd. 42:47 Wherever you are, whatever your need, 42:50 Jesus is in touching distance. 42:53 We have a High Priest who is touched with the 42:57 feelings of our infirmities. 43:00 I can touch Him... 43:03 ...and He can touch me. 43:05 This woman makes a striking picture of one who came to Jesus 43:09 as a last resort. 43:11 In her case, of course, it could not have been hardly otherwise. 43:15 She had been afflicted for twelve years. 43:17 Jesus had only been engaged in His public ministry 43:20 for a few years. 43:21 She had never heard of Him until she had tried 43:24 every other prospect for help. 43:26 Nevertheless, she stands as a symbol of a multitude of people 43:32 who have never heard of Jesus, 43:34 and to whom His resources for healing and wholeness 43:39 have been unavailable. 43:42 But there are those who have grown up in Christ, 43:48 grown up in the church. 43:51 The church has always been available to them. 43:57 But they have simply chosen not to employ 44:03 the treasures of its grace. 44:07 They're the ones who in spite of everything 44:11 come to Jesus as a last resort. 44:15 For them, the Christian religion and the whole revelation of God 44:18 and Christ is only something that you turn to in direst need. 44:27 As in the book entitled, The Tempest, 44:30 many would never think of turning to God 44:32 until all was lost. 44:35 Are you getting this? 44:39 For many people prayer is not something to live with, 44:42 but something to die with. 44:44 It's only when the person is dying do they 44:47 call for the preacher. 44:49 All of their lives they spend foolishly and wistfully 44:53 upon themselves and the things of this world. 44:56 But as they begin to die, "Well somebody find a preacher, 45:01 would you please." 45:03 God for them is not a pilot for the navigation of life. 45:06 He is the final desperate resort when shipwrecked. 45:15 How many there have been who are seeking life, 45:19 well being, joy, happiness, and have spent all that they have 45:25 on positions instead of coming first to Him who is the way, 45:32 the truth, and the life. 45:36 So many who go to Reno or to Las Vegas 45:40 or the other places of the world trying to find pleasure and 45:49 wealth and fame, or just comfort and ease. 45:54 And like this woman, are no better off but only worse. 46:00 And if they come to Jesus at all, they come at last. 46:06 Often having nothing more to offer Him but the tattered 46:11 and battered remnants of their life. 46:14 The scant remains of time and strength 46:18 instead of the vim and vigor and possibility of a full and 46:21 profitable life. 46:24 And this description of this suffering dying woman 46:29 making her futile rounds of healers who could do 46:32 nothing for her also fits so closely the sick and diseased 46:37 world that we live in. 46:41 So long afflicted with the cancer of sin, 46:44 it has made the rounds of all of the crack healers; 46:48 militarism, nationalism, imperialism, fascism 46:52 Nazism, communism, socialism, secularism. 46:59 Our world has spent it's substance on all of these 47:02 and is no better, but has grown worse. 47:07 If it is to be saved, it must come to Christ 47:12 as its last resort. 47:16 For among all the nations, there is none other name 47:21 under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved. 47:28 It is no wonder that Lucy Campbell wrote, 47:30 "Touch me, Lord Jesus, with Thy hand of mercy; 47:35 make each throbbing heartbeat feel Thy power divine. 47:39 Take my will forever, I will doubt Thee never; 47:43 cleanse me, dear Savior, and make me wholly Thine." 47:50 And God be praised that many of us can sing, 47:55 "He touched me, yes He touched me; 48:00 and oh the joy that floods my soul. 48:04 Something, something happened and now I know; 48:09 He touched me and made me whole." 48:14 I've got a testimony. How about you? 48:18 Have you ever touched Him? 48:21 Has He touched you? 48:24 Do you know what it is to be delivered 48:28 by His power divine? 48:31 The God I serve is able. 48:36 He's able to heal broken hearts. 48:39 He can cause the blind to see. 48:42 He made the lame to walk again. 48:45 Thank God He cares for me. 48:50 He's able to heal and to deliver. 48:56 Faith... 48:58 Faith... 49:01 Faith will move yonder mountain. 49:04 Faith will cut a path through the jungle of despair. 49:09 I'm looking at some of you tonight. 49:12 And you've been down some rough roads. 49:17 You may be between a rock and a hard place. 49:20 You may feel that you are at your weakest moment 49:27 where doctors have shook their heads 49:30 and relatives and friends begin to shed tears. 49:34 And I want to ask you this evening, 49:37 who has brought you through? 49:40 Who is it, do you think, has delivered you? 49:43 Who made a way out of no way. 49:47 Jehovah Nissi; the Lord my ensign, my banner, my war flag. 49:53 El Shaddai; the God who, like a woman's breast, 49:57 has nourished me. 49:59 Elohim; the strong and faithful God. 50:04 Yahweh; the great and mighty God. 50:07 Our God is able. 50:11 He's able. 50:14 And if you can just but touch the hem of His garment, 50:20 ah, you can be made whole. 50:27 Someone here this evening needs to reach out the hand of faith 50:36 and touch the garment of the living God. 50:43 Somebody here listening to me through the television media 50:52 wants to exercise their faith by saying, 51:00 "Father, I stretch my hand to Thee. 51:06 No other help I know. 51:10 If I reject myself from Thee, 51:16 where else can I go?" 51:22 Your heads are bowed. 51:27 Pray that prayer silently or audibly right now. 51:37 Let Jesus Christ come into your heart. 51:43 You've tried everything else. 51:46 Why not give God a try. 51:57 Holy God, our heavenly Father, on behalf of this vast multitude 52:03 and those on the air waves and throughout the television media, 52:15 I extend to You 52:24 this solemn plea; 52:29 demonstrate Your power to someone tonight. 52:37 Help them to know that their case has reached the attention 52:42 of the everlasting God. 52:47 May they know that they are not forgotten. 52:53 That the very hairs of their head are numbered. 53:00 That You know their down sitting and their up rising, 53:03 their going out and their coming in. 53:05 And even from their mother's womb, that You knew them. 53:15 Share with them the promise that You have made; 53:22 "Can a mother forget her suckling child? 53:26 That she would not have compassion upon the very 53:30 child of her womb? 53:32 Yea, she may forget. 53:33 I will not forget thee." 53:43 Some, Lord, have done some terrible things 53:47 that they would wish to forget. 53:53 And they need to know that You are willing to forgive 53:58 and bury their mistakes in the depths of the sea. 54:04 In fact, You said in Your Word You would put our sins 54:08 behind Your back 54:11 and remember them no more. 54:16 Speak hope to the heart of somebody tonight. 54:23 Help them to know that if they will take just one look, 54:30 that one look can do it all. 54:36 One look, just one look. 54:43 And if they would but see You 54:50 as You are, that they might live. 54:56 You said in Your Word, "I have come that they might have life, 55:00 and they might have it abundantly." 55:04 But Lord, they don't know that You weren't 55:06 talking about biology. 55:11 The word there is not "bio," it's "zoe." 55:14 You came that we might have life as God knows it. 55:22 May no one accept less 55:28 than the precious gift that You have provided. 55:33 You are the way, the truth, and the life. 55:40 Help them to receive You by faith tonight. 55:46 And in that translation, may they experience the power 55:55 that will transform their lives, not only tonight, but forever. 56:03 In the worthy and precious name of Jesus we pray, 56:08 amen, amen. 56:14 Praise the Lord for the message this evening. 56:16 Amen. 56:18 You know, this was a last minute change. 56:20 This was not the sermon he was planning on speaking tonight. 56:22 So praise the Lord, what a powerful sermon. 56:24 Praise the Lord for the love that Jesus has 56:27 for each one of us. 56:29 You know, I think of the love of Jesus Christ, 56:31 and I think about the care that He has for us. 56:33 You were talking last night about the hands 56:35 and how He formed us. 56:36 He breathed into us the breath of life. 56:39 The tremendous care that He has for you and for me. 56:43 Do you have any closing thoughts in our last 45 seconds here 56:46 for what God can do and has done for each one of us? 56:50 We again were so blessed with your message this evening. 56:53 I am so grateful for the opportunity of sharing 56:58 this message, not only with the many of you who are 57:03 here tonight, but with people all throughout this country 57:09 and in many parts of the world. 57:13 And I want to assure you that the name of Jesus 57:17 is still a strong tower 57:22 where the righteous may run to and be at peace. 57:27 Amen. 57:28 Join us next time for another Anchors Of Truth. |
Revised 2014-12-17