Grace and peace in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Have you ever wondered why prayers are not answered: The way you would like? When you would like? Why don’t you receive the miracle for which you are asking? I pray today’s message will give you some answers.

Today we are going to be in Mark chapter 5.

While you’re on your way there… I like motion activated stuff. Motion lights in the yard. Motion paper towel dispensers, trail cams. Some answers to prayer, some miracles are like that. There are some miracles that come into your life by motion. They are motion activated. Today we’re going to talk about a miracle from Jesus as we continue our series.

There is an amazing record in the Bible showing how a woman’s movement activated her miracle. Let’s look at Mark 5:24, where says:

²⁴ And He [Jesus] went with him [Jairus]. And a great crowd followed Him and thronged about Him. ²⁵ And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.

^{2 7} She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”

²⁹ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

This woman was in need of a miracle. She heard about Jesus arriving in the town. She didn’t just say to herself, “Well, if I’m going to get healed, Jesus will just come my way.” She didn’t say to herself, “If God wants me to receive a miracle, then I’ll just receive a miracle.” No, she moved towards Jesus. She pressed her way through the crowd and she needed to touch Jesus.

There are some miracles that come with motion. Because you pressed your way to Jesus. It is sometimes said, ”There’s a blessing in the pressing.” Your miracle may be on the other side of your movement. The devil will try to do everything he can to keep you from pressing towards Jesus. He wants you to sit down, to give up. No matter what comes your way in life you have to keep pressing towards Jesus. Cling desperately to the faith God gives you. You’ve got to keep moving towards Jesus because there’s a blessing in the pressing.¹

I want to give you five things to help you learn how to do this:

The first thing: Press past pain. This lady had been afflicted for 12 long years. The Bible says, “Over time she only grew worse.²” The pain continues to increase. Pain is no joke. Pain doesn’t care about your social status, your career, or the neighborhood in which you live. It hits everybody and when pain hits, it hurts. It can be physical, emotional or spiritual. Sometimes all three at once. Pain can paralyze. It can stop you from pressing forward.

We’ve all faced some pain in our life. Some of you may be facing physical pain: a disease, a sickness, or chronic pain. Maybe there is a family member who is ill. Maybe it’s emotional pain or you’re grieving a loss. Perhaps you’re dealing with worry and anxiety. Maybe you’re facing the pain of betrayal by some you thought you could call ‘friend.’ Maybe it’s spiritual pain because you feel God has forgotten you, or does not hear you.

Pain hits and it hurts. Pain will do two things: It can either paralyze you or it can propel you forward. This woman had so much pain in her life, but her pain propelled her forward to Jesus. She didn’t let pain paralyze her because she realized her answer was Jesus. That is always true. No matter what the pain, our answer is always in Jesus. So press past the pain.

Second: Press past the disappointment. The Bible says the woman went to doctor after doctor and couldn’t find an answer to her problem. The doctor bills were piling up.³ The Bible records how she spent all her money trying to find a cure but nothing helped. Talk about disappointment. No one could help her, she’s broke: financially and physically. That is a recipe for hopelessness and despair. That is the making of something that will try to convince you to just give up.

Your spiritual enemy will try to use disappointment to stop you from pressing towards Jesus. Disappointment can cause pain. Maybe it’s the disappointment of being passed over for a promotion or opportunity at work. Maybe it’s the disappointment of last semester’s grades. Maybe it’s the disappointment of prayers you’ve prayed, not seeing the answer you thought you wanted. That can make you feel disillusioned.

I want you to see something powerful in this woman. This lady did not allow her disappointment, her despair in the situation, to stop her from pressing towards Jesus. Keep pursuing Jesus with all of your heart⁴ because your miracle, your answer to prayer, may be in your movement. Your miracle might be on the other side of pressing towards Jesus.

Third: Press past the religion. I want to be careful with this one, because it can be heard the wrong way. This woman pressed past pain, she pressed past disappointment, but she also had to press past the “religion.” The religious Law in those days said this woman was unclean. That meant she couldn’t go out in public, she couldn’t be around her family, she couldn’t hang out with her friends, she couldn’t be out in the community. She could not go to church. She was not allowed to be around people. She was alone and an outcast.

The “religion” declared she would not be allowed to press her way through the crowd. She was not allowed to touch Jesus, or get near Him. She pressed past the “religion.” She pressed through all the religious rules of the day to get to Jesus. Religion, when used the wrong way, will keep people away from Jesus.

When religion becomes saving institution and interest rates; When religion forgets souls and people’s real needs; When religion tells you you’ve messed up so much you: can’t go to church, shouldn’t pray to God, and shouldn’t worship Jesus. That kind of “religion” is wrong, and Jesus says so boldly and clearly so often.⁵ You might feel you’re so bad, you’ve blown it so many times, you’ve made too many mistakes and bad decisions. Bad “religion” will make you feel you need to stay away from Jesus.

Like this woman, don’t allow that kind of “religion” to keep you away from Jesus. Wrong religion says, “Go get cleaned up first.” Wrong religion says, “You are judged. Guilty.” Wrong religion will come at you like Judas to Jesus.⁶ Jesus says, “Come to me messed up.⁷” Don’t let your mess keep you from pressing towards Jesus. You can’t get a miracle, you don’t need a miracle, until you’ve first got a mess.

I want you to know, the miraculous power of God rescues people. It does not condemn. God’s desperate desire to forgive.⁸ God turns your mess into a message. Religion will say, “First, go clean up.” Jesus says, “Come to me messed up, and I’ll work in your life. I’ll forgive you and I’ll clean you up.” God turns your mess into a message for your soul.

Number four: You have to press past people. The Bible says she had to press through the crowd to touch Jesus. When I read these things in the Bible I try to put myself in their shoes. Can you imagine what she faced as she pressed through the crowd? Can you see people saying: “Isn’t that her? Isn’t she unclean? Why is she here?”

She doesn’t allow people to stop her from pressing through the crowd because she believed, “If I can just keep pressing, and if I can just touch Jesus, just touch His clothes, I will be made whole.⁹” She’s a good example for us. Sometimes we need to: Press past some people to get to Jesus. Press past negative influences surrounding you. Stop running with those things that hold you back or tear you down. Get some positive people in your life. Get some godly people in your life.

That is something you’ll find here. If you’re visiting us on-line or by phone, if you can get here, get here, because here you will meet those godly positive people who will stand with you. Get around the right people. Negative people can hinder you from pressing closer to Jesus. Get past the doubters and naysayers. Don’t you let doubters rob your faith. Keep believing in God. God is able.¹⁰

Press past the haters. Haters don’t want you to get a miracle. Haters want to see you hurt, and are all too eager to help that happen.¹¹ Haters can get into your head as you look through social media, and what people are saying. Haters can paralyze you from moving towards Jesus. These kinds of people can wear you down. When you’re praying for that miracle you can get tired. You can start to wonder if it’s really worth the work. This woman waited 12 years. Maybe you can relate to the wait.

The Bible says:

Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.¹²

She waited for years and nothing has happened. That’s number five. Sometimes you need to press past yourself. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop coming to church. Don’t stop serving. Don’t stop giving. Don’t stop worshiping Jesus. Keep pressing towards Jesus. Press through the disappointment, through the pain, through the “religion,” and through people who would bring you doubt and bring you down. Press even past yourself and touch Jesus.

God knows your pain. God knows your needs. God’s plan is to get you and others home. God does have a plan to prosper you. That prosperity may not be the kind you’re looking for, but it will most certainly be the kind you need.

God’s plans are bigger than we can see. The problems, the troubles can be large and hard, but never believe Satan’s lie! God sees you. God weeps with you. God laughs with you. You are precious to Him.

So press past all those things that want to keep you from Jesus and learn from the One who came to serve and save you.

Amen.

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