Don't Be Afraid, Only Believe - March 9, 2008

Title: Do Not Be Afraid, Only Believe
Date: March 9, 2008
Text: Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

INTRODUCTION
- We are all faced by trials and difficulties
- Part of the reason we were brought to our knees was probably some circumstance that we could not possibly deal with
- Today we will look at an example of how we should face impossible circumstances

BACKGROUND
- The background to the story starts with Jesus
- He and the disciples had sailed across the sea of Galilee to Decapolis on the east side of Galilee
- There they ran into a demonized individual, who remains nameless in the story
- Jesus casts out the demon, and the demon went into a herd of pigs, which then commit suicide by drowning
- Jesus then returns to Capernaum, where he is met by Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue
- Jairus would have been a very respected member of his community, was probably well off, was responsible for the smooth running of meetings in the synagogue
- The synagogue had been built by the Roman garrison commander (Luke 7:5) probably because it was a poor town
- There were probably only around 1000 to 1500 inhabitants
- The town had around 1600 feet of shoreline, or 1/3 mile
- So it was not very large
- It was finally destroyed by the Arabic invasion in 640 AD
- Mark 5:21-24
- Jesus is at the seafront, then starts walking through town with Jairus, to minister to his daughter
- A lady who had been bleeding for 12 years came up to Jesus, touched his cloak, and was instantly healed.
- Jesus stopped and talked with her
- Jairus is probably biting his fingernails, because he knows the urgency of his daughter’s situation
- Then they hear that the daughter has died
- Jairus’ heart sinks

Don’t be afraid
- V. 35 - Jairus was afraid – the situation had gone from bad to worst – his daughter was now dead
- He had had a little faith, now it dropped through the floor
- Our situation may not be good
- We may have prayed about it and done all we could
- But things have only gotten worse
- We may owe money but have no way to repay it
- We may have relationship issues with our family, and have just about given up trying to find reconciliation
- We may have come here looking for recovery and yet we fear relapse
- V. 36 - Jesus tells Jairus “Do not be afraid”
- Capernaum was a town where Jesus had spent a lot of time
- Many miracles had been done there, and Jairus would have seen many of them, it was not a big place
- He says, don’t be afraid, even if the problem seems hopeless
- He says to us, Don’t give up, I am here, let me deal with it

Ignore what things look like
- V. 36 - Jesus ignored what had been said, and told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid, only believe”
- We so often focus our anxiety and fears on the problem, rather than looking at the One who can fix the problem
- Our natural tendency is to focus on the obvious situation, what we can see, feel, hear or touch
- But there is more to life than meets the eye
- 2 Kings 6:17
- This room is filled with angels who are listening to the words that are being spoken here
- We are not alone, or left to our own devices
- Heb 13:5 NIV “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”

Trust God
- V.36 - Jesus says “Only believe”
- God does ask of us to trust him
- There is the kind of faith to trust that God wants relationship with us and then acts on that faith
- There is the kind of faith which refers to believing what God has said in his Word
- And there is the faith that says, “I am trusting you, God, with this situation. I am placing it in your hands to take care of. I believe that you are able to deal with it, and I believe that you love me enough that you will do what is best for me. I ask you to change this situation. Thank you for what you are about to do”
- Jesus says, only believe, he says, trust me
- Trust him for dealing with your illness
- Trust him for helping you pay your debts
- Trust him for staying clean and sober
- Trust him for helping you pay your back child support
- Trust him for reconciliation in your family

God does things His way
- Notice that Jesus did not tell Jairus to go home, that his daughter was healed
- Jairus would have liked the answer straight away
- He did not like his faith sinking through the floorboards
- Jesus had a bigger purpose, which Jairus did not see
- Jesus allowed his daughter to die, so that a greater miracle would happen, so that Jairus’ faith would be strengthened even more
- God does not always give us what we want
- Sometimes we want something immediately, but God does not respond when we want
- Sometimes we have to wait a long time before we see the answer
- Sometimes the answer will not come in our lifetime
- When my wife died, that is when she was healed of her cancer
- She now lives in a healthy body, in Jesus’ presence, with no pain or suffering. I am glad for her.
- We would like things now
- But God’s answer may be later, or maybe not at all
- Trust him that he will do what is right and best for you
- He said he would never leave us
- He walks through our storms with us
- And ultimately he will work all things out
- What he asks of us is “Do not be afraid, only believe”