WEBVTT 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:06.540 You're listening to the Christ Our Cornerstone 00:00:06.540 --> 00:00:09.359 podcast, a ministry of Christ Our Cornerstone 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:12.099 Church in O 'Neill, Nebraska. I'm Pastor Logan 00:00:12.099 --> 00:00:14.160 Merrick, and it's our prayer that this message 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:16.500 strengthens your faith and draws you closer to 00:00:16.500 --> 00:00:19.460 Christ. Let's dive in. The passage we're going 00:00:19.460 --> 00:00:23.300 to be looking at today is Mark chapter five. 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:25.699 We're going to go 21 through 43. If you don't 00:00:25.699 --> 00:00:29.820 have a Bible, we have some in the back. And we 00:00:29.820 --> 00:00:31.480 would love for you to take one of those. That's 00:00:31.480 --> 00:00:36.659 our gift to you. You can look it up on your phone. 00:00:36.780 --> 00:00:41.179 It'll be up here, but I prefer it to be paper 00:00:41.179 --> 00:00:43.759 right in front of you. The title of my sermon 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:48.280 today is When Delays Lead to a Resurrection, 00:00:48.420 --> 00:00:52.960 Trusting Christ Timing. And I believe I have 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:56.079 this. Boys, if you wanna put this up here, I 00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:58.219 thought I should probably put the big idea so 00:00:58.219 --> 00:01:01.039 you guys can write this down of what I'm driving 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:04.620 home. And so, If you wanna write it down, it'll 00:01:04.620 --> 00:01:07.780 be right up here. Trusting in Christ's timing 00:01:07.780 --> 00:01:11.219 can lead to extraordinary blessings beyond our 00:01:11.219 --> 00:01:15.060 immediate request as our desperation can become 00:01:15.060 --> 00:01:22.060 the backdrop for his resurrection power. So, 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:26.780 in the Common Book of Prayer by Thomas Cranmer, 00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:31.900 he writes this. Grant that we may follow the 00:01:31.900 --> 00:01:36.879 example of Jesus's patience. Did you hear that? 00:01:38.019 --> 00:01:41.680 I'm gonna read it one more time. Grant that we 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:50.640 may follow the example of Jesus's patience. I 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:53.799 love the thoughts of having complete and utter 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:57.700 patience like Jesus. But if anyone has ever ridden 00:01:57.700 --> 00:01:59.939 with me in a car when I'm driving, you will discover 00:01:59.939 --> 00:02:05.219 that I don't have patience at all. I have very 00:02:05.219 --> 00:02:10.139 little patience. Actually, I have zero patience. 00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:16.419 I am the epitome of impatience. My kids, my wife 00:02:16.419 --> 00:02:20.340 will tell you that. I hate saving money for something 00:02:20.340 --> 00:02:23.199 because I want something right when I see it. 00:02:24.189 --> 00:02:26.870 I hate waiting for a text response when I need 00:02:26.870 --> 00:02:30.110 important information. I hate waiting to be seated 00:02:30.110 --> 00:02:33.889 when I am starving. I hate even waiting for something 00:02:33.889 --> 00:02:36.629 that is pre -made to just warm up in the microwave. 00:02:37.969 --> 00:02:42.689 It's true. I am an impatient man. I was raised 00:02:42.689 --> 00:02:48.150 by probably the most impatient man. And I married 00:02:48.150 --> 00:02:52.419 into a family with a very patient man. So all 00:02:52.419 --> 00:02:55.979 of my marriage with my wife has been astounded 00:02:55.979 --> 00:02:59.979 by how impatient I truly am. So long story short, 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:02.879 I'm a mess, especially when it comes to patience. 00:03:03.620 --> 00:03:06.840 My dad, to give you an example of how impatient 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:12.060 my father is, when we would go to Disney World 00:03:12.060 --> 00:03:15.599 or someplace like that, my dad is always about 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:18.960 100 yards in front of the rest of us as a family. 00:03:19.229 --> 00:03:21.490 and he's just storming because he's a short stocky 00:03:21.490 --> 00:03:23.389 guy and he walks like this like he's mad at the 00:03:23.389 --> 00:03:26.870 world and he's just making a lane and he's going 00:03:26.870 --> 00:03:28.810 come on you guys who already know where you want 00:03:28.810 --> 00:03:31.729 to ride let's go let's go let's go that says 00:03:31.729 --> 00:03:34.189 60 minutes wait time we're not going there and 00:03:34.189 --> 00:03:37.870 that's and that's my dad all the time there's 00:03:37.870 --> 00:03:40.849 no chill on my dad is there babe he's he is always 00:03:40.849 --> 00:03:46.469 impatient nothing is ever quick enough and so 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:50.219 What does patience like Jesus even mean? What 00:03:50.219 --> 00:03:56.620 do you think? Have you ever thought about it? 00:03:56.819 --> 00:04:01.939 To have patience like Jesus. Here's what I think. 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:09.340 It means patience for the long haul. It is bearing 00:04:09.340 --> 00:04:12.060 up under difficult circumstances without giving 00:04:12.060 --> 00:04:16.639 up or giving into bitterness. Patience means 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:20.000 continuing to work when gratification is delayed. 00:04:20.100 --> 00:04:25.959 I don't like that one. It means taking what life 00:04:25.959 --> 00:04:29.339 offers, even if it includes suffering, without 00:04:29.339 --> 00:04:35.000 lashing out. That last part is where it gets 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:38.740 me. Without lashing out. Because I'm guilty. 00:04:38.779 --> 00:04:41.639 I'm guilty of lashing out at my wife when God 00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:45.740 feels slow to speak or intervene. I'm guilty 00:04:45.740 --> 00:04:48.279 at lashing out at friends when my expectations 00:04:48.279 --> 00:04:51.000 are not met the way I want them to be. And I'm 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:53.779 guilty of lashing out when it feels like my suffering 00:04:53.779 --> 00:04:56.959 has reached its limit. And just when I believe 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:59.660 I cannot wait any longer for God to move, He 00:04:59.660 --> 00:05:05.839 makes me wait even longer. Anybody else? Nope, 00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:07.339 just me? All right, thank you, Derek. At least 00:05:07.339 --> 00:05:11.819 we got some honesty there. Thank you. When... 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:16.560 When I feel like I have reached my limit with 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:20.079 suffering and thinking at any point God is going 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:24.579 to speak or rescue me or send relief, he goes, 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:32.360 hey, I see you. Now let's wait longer. I cannot 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:35.399 be the only one that feels that way. Thank you, 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:39.319 Derek. And pressure builds when delays happen. 00:05:41.719 --> 00:05:44.980 Right? When any sort of delay happens, pressure 00:05:44.980 --> 00:05:49.000 builds. Ever seen anybody that worked for an 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.800 airline or go to take a plane? What happens when 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:55.439 they delay it? Just look around. People start 00:05:55.439 --> 00:05:57.579 getting agitated. They start fidgeting, right? 00:05:59.879 --> 00:06:02.800 Or, my daughter is finding out, now that she 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:05.180 works at Chick -fil -A, when someone's on their 00:06:05.180 --> 00:06:08.500 lunch break, how quickly they can become impatient 00:06:08.500 --> 00:06:12.620 and pressure can build when They've got 30 minutes 00:06:12.620 --> 00:06:15.120 to eat and the back of house is trying to get 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:16.819 food out and they can't get food out quickly 00:06:16.819 --> 00:06:25.819 enough. So there's pressure when something needs 00:06:25.819 --> 00:06:27.939 to happen, when something needs to change, when 00:06:27.939 --> 00:06:30.420 relief is needed, and when it does not come, 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:34.779 patience begins to break down. And this morning, 00:06:34.819 --> 00:06:36.519 that's exactly what we're going to unpack in 00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:39.860 our text. because what we're going to see in 00:06:39.860 --> 00:06:44.560 the Gospel of Mark 21 through 43 is what feels 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:48.319 like senseless delay from God. What feels like 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:50.879 he's taking the long way around is actually him 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:54.079 setting the stage for something greater. What 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:57.319 looks like delay is often the setup for resurrection. 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:04.220 So, if you would, read with me starting in 21. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:11.279 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:15.040 to the other side, a great crowd gathered about 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:18.980 him and he was beside the sea. Then came one 00:07:18.980 --> 00:07:23.980 of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus. And seeing 00:07:23.980 --> 00:07:26.879 Jesus, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:31.459 saying, my little daughter is at the point of 00:07:31.459 --> 00:07:34.180 death. Come and lay your hands on her so that 00:07:34.180 --> 00:07:37.379 she may be made well and live. And he went with 00:07:37.379 --> 00:07:41.600 him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:44.500 about him. And there was a woman who had been 00:07:44.500 --> 00:07:47.860 discharged of blood for 12 years, and who had 00:07:47.860 --> 00:07:50.920 suffered much under many physicians, and had 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:54.100 spit all that she had and was no better, but 00:07:54.100 --> 00:07:57.120 rather grew worse. She had heard the reports 00:07:57.120 --> 00:07:59.579 about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd 00:07:59.579 --> 00:08:03.139 and touched his garment. For she said, if I touch 00:08:03.139 --> 00:08:07.079 even his garment, I will be made well. And immediately, 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:11.180 The flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:15.540 body that she was healed of her disease. And 00:08:15.540 --> 00:08:18.339 Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone 00:08:18.339 --> 00:08:22.079 out from him, immediately turned out about in 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:24.800 the crowd and said, Who touched my garments? 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:30.740 And his disciples said to him, You see the crowd 00:08:30.740 --> 00:08:33.240 pressing around you, and yet you say, Who touched 00:08:33.240 --> 00:08:37.100 me? And he looked around to see who had done 00:08:37.100 --> 00:08:39.980 it. But the woman, knowing what had happened 00:08:39.980 --> 00:08:42.039 to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down 00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:44.559 before him and told him the whole truth. And 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:47.860 he said to her, Daughter, your faith has made 00:08:47.860 --> 00:08:52.580 you well. Go in peace and be healed of your disease. 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:56.360 While he was still speaking, there came from 00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:59.080 the ruler's house some who said, Your daughter 00:08:59.080 --> 00:09:01.700 is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further? 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:05.879 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to 00:09:05.879 --> 00:09:08.299 the ruler of the synagogue, do not fear, only 00:09:08.299 --> 00:09:11.740 believe. And he allowed no one to follow him 00:09:11.740 --> 00:09:15.080 except Peter, James and John, the brother of 00:09:15.080 --> 00:09:18.820 James. They came to the house of the ruler of 00:09:18.820 --> 00:09:22.139 the synagogue and Jesus saw a commotion, people 00:09:22.139 --> 00:09:25.659 weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, 00:09:25.659 --> 00:09:28.120 he said to them, why are you making a commotion 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:30.419 and weeping? The child is not dead, but sleeping. 00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:36.080 and they laughed, but he put them all outside, 00:09:36.179 --> 00:09:38.179 took the child's father and mother and those 00:09:38.179 --> 00:09:40.179 who were with him and went in where the child 00:09:40.179 --> 00:09:44.360 was. Taking her by the hand, he said to her, 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:49.799 Talitha kumen, which means, little girl, I say 00:09:49.799 --> 00:09:53.440 to you, arise. And immediately the girl got up 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:56.720 and began walking, for she was 12 years of age. 00:09:57.460 --> 00:09:59.860 And they were immediately overcome with amazement. 00:10:00.190 --> 00:10:03.710 and he strictly charged them that no one should 00:10:03.710 --> 00:10:05.950 know this and told them to give her something 00:10:05.950 --> 00:10:15.029 to eat. So if you are taking notes, our first 00:10:15.029 --> 00:10:18.870 point this morning is patience in your desperation. 00:10:23.029 --> 00:10:26.350 What do you notice about the two that Jesus has 00:10:26.350 --> 00:10:34.389 a run in with? What do you notice is a very common 00:10:34.389 --> 00:10:39.370 trait that they both share in the moment? Desperation. 00:10:41.029 --> 00:10:43.309 Jairus is a man of authority and reputation, 00:10:43.370 --> 00:10:46.110 and he falls at the feet of a Galilean carpenter. 00:10:47.090 --> 00:10:49.309 That alone tells us everything we need to know. 00:10:49.350 --> 00:10:52.830 The man is absolutely desperate. He has heard 00:10:52.830 --> 00:10:55.610 about Jesus, and as a synagogue ruler, he has 00:10:55.610 --> 00:10:57.889 likely also heard the accusations that Jesus 00:10:57.889 --> 00:11:01.809 is a blasphemer. Yet, his desperation for his 00:11:01.809 --> 00:11:05.009 daughter drives him past reputation and past 00:11:05.009 --> 00:11:09.950 fear and straight to the feet of Christ. You 00:11:09.950 --> 00:11:13.710 can almost feel the tension inside of Jairus. 00:11:15.330 --> 00:11:17.830 On one hand, the urgency of a dying daughter, 00:11:17.850 --> 00:11:20.070 on the other hand is the weight of what it means 00:11:20.070 --> 00:11:23.590 for him to come to Jesus. But desperation has 00:11:23.590 --> 00:11:25.629 pushed him to a place that he never thought he 00:11:25.629 --> 00:11:29.039 would go. Desperation, by the way, is never a 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:33.779 bad thing. As long as Jesus is the place you're 00:11:33.779 --> 00:11:43.539 going to. Write this down. And that is what often 00:11:43.539 --> 00:11:49.480 desperation does. It drives us to Christ. But 00:11:49.480 --> 00:11:52.980 it also drives us there with expectations because 00:11:52.980 --> 00:11:56.149 if we're coming to Jesus, in desperation, what 00:11:56.149 --> 00:12:03.470 is it that we're wanting? Yeah, whatever we need, 00:12:03.610 --> 00:12:06.110 right? We need an answer. We need him to move. 00:12:06.909 --> 00:12:12.169 There's an expectation for him to move now. And 00:12:12.169 --> 00:12:14.070 then we meet a woman with the issue of blood, 00:12:14.090 --> 00:12:17.549 and she too is desperate. She has been suffering 00:12:17.549 --> 00:12:20.669 for years, and she has heard of Jesus, and she 00:12:20.669 --> 00:12:22.710 believes that if she can just touch his garment, 00:12:22.990 --> 00:12:26.019 she will be healed. But what makes her situation 00:12:26.019 --> 00:12:28.480 even more difficult is that she is not only suffering 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:31.700 from her illness But also from the supposed cures. 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:34.919 Did you guys catch that? She has spent so much 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:40.559 of her money on Doctors now, let me just side 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:43.539 note this for a second because I've seen people 00:12:43.539 --> 00:12:49.600 I'm not for holistic medicine. Okay, but when 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:52.440 I say crazy people, I mean crazy people who are 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:55.840 like see This is us that we should only go to 00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:57.679 Jesus and if he really wants to heal us, he'll 00:12:57.679 --> 00:12:59.759 heal us, but we shouldn't go to doctors, use 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:01.980 pharmaceutical drugs, blah, blah, blah, blah, 00:13:02.039 --> 00:13:06.179 blah. That's not, don't do that, okay? Don't 00:13:06.179 --> 00:13:08.100 do that. That's misreading scripture. That's 00:13:08.100 --> 00:13:11.159 not what's happening. What this trying to get 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:14.100 the point across is that she's gone every single 00:13:14.100 --> 00:13:16.740 avenue available to her and nothing has touched 00:13:16.740 --> 00:13:21.080 and healed her. So now she's completely desperate 00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:23.000 without money and she's like, if I could just 00:13:23.129 --> 00:13:26.610 get near him. Do you guys notice this too? Notice 00:13:26.610 --> 00:13:29.509 that Jesus calls her daughter, Jairus has a daughter, 00:13:29.789 --> 00:13:32.309 the daughter is 12, and this woman has been sick 00:13:32.309 --> 00:13:35.710 for how long? You see the complete parallel? 00:13:43.789 --> 00:13:45.710 She's heard of Jesus and she believes she could 00:13:45.710 --> 00:13:47.590 just touch his garment. She will be healed But 00:13:47.590 --> 00:13:49.509 what makes her situation even more difficult 00:13:49.509 --> 00:13:51.429 is that she's not only suffering from her illness, 00:13:51.450 --> 00:13:53.809 but from the supposed cures She has spent everything 00:13:53.809 --> 00:13:57.070 she has she is exhausted every option and time 00:13:57.070 --> 00:13:59.470 has become a pressure cooker in her life and 00:13:59.470 --> 00:14:03.049 desperation is what burst out So she presses 00:14:03.049 --> 00:14:05.730 through this crowd and touches his robe and in 00:14:05.730 --> 00:14:08.830 the moment Jesus feels power come out for him. 00:14:09.049 --> 00:14:13.029 So he stops he turns and he asked who touched 00:14:13.029 --> 00:14:17.090 me and the disciples are super confused as all 00:14:17.090 --> 00:14:18.789 of us would be because we're like what a silly 00:14:18.789 --> 00:14:22.789 question right there are people everywhere everyone 00:14:22.789 --> 00:14:24.850 is touching him and from their perspective this 00:14:24.850 --> 00:14:28.450 feels unnecessary and even inconvenient why do 00:14:28.450 --> 00:14:33.289 you think it feels inconvenient let's just pause 00:14:33.289 --> 00:14:36.090 for a second let's think about it there with 00:14:36.090 --> 00:14:41.009 Jesus they get off a boat this man runs to them 00:14:41.009 --> 00:14:43.049 as they're getting off the boat. He falls at 00:14:43.049 --> 00:14:44.669 their feet and he says, my daughter is going 00:14:44.669 --> 00:14:50.929 to die. I need you to come now. Yeah, they're 00:14:50.929 --> 00:14:53.090 absolutely in a hurry as they should be right. 00:14:54.090 --> 00:14:57.929 So they start to take off. Jesus stops and says, 00:14:58.029 --> 00:15:00.669 and ask a question of who touched me in a crowd. 00:15:02.350 --> 00:15:04.450 And the disciples are like, we don't have time. 00:15:04.549 --> 00:15:07.009 Are you serious right now? We don't have time 00:15:07.009 --> 00:15:10.500 for this. It's like whenever we're trying to 00:15:10.500 --> 00:15:13.399 get out the door and all of a sudden, like Aria, 00:15:13.460 --> 00:15:17.879 it never fails. Aria's like, I forgot my water. 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:20.480 We don't have time for that. We have a three 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:22.840 and a half hour drive to church. You can get 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:27.460 water there, right? It's silly. We're in a hurry. 00:15:28.019 --> 00:15:31.500 And so the disciples, and I'm sure Jairus is 00:15:31.500 --> 00:15:33.700 like, what are we doing? Like seriously? He's 00:15:33.700 --> 00:15:36.720 asking who touched him? Like my kid is dying. 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:42.980 Come on, Jesus. Get with it, man. So there's 00:15:42.980 --> 00:15:44.860 people everywhere. Everyone is touching him. 00:15:44.899 --> 00:15:47.600 And from their perspective, this feels unnecessary 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:50.220 and inconvenient. And they're trying to keep 00:15:50.220 --> 00:15:52.500 things moving. And Jairus is likely thinking 00:15:52.500 --> 00:15:54.480 the same thing, as I said. And if I'm Jairus, 00:15:54.539 --> 00:15:57.799 by the way, I'm not staying quiet, but I'm actually 00:15:57.799 --> 00:16:01.159 reminding Jesus that we don't have time for this. 00:16:01.879 --> 00:16:04.720 This is important. My kid is dying, and this 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:07.629 is this delay that you're having, like it's very, 00:16:07.629 --> 00:16:11.610 very costly. So I would be thinking that the 00:16:11.610 --> 00:16:15.950 interruption is dangerous. Write this down. But 00:16:15.950 --> 00:16:21.029 Jesus is not moved by our sense of urgency. He 00:16:21.029 --> 00:16:26.190 is not governed by our schedule. You should write 00:16:26.190 --> 00:16:29.850 that down and highlight it as I have, because 00:16:29.850 --> 00:16:33.210 I have to be reminded that he is not moved by 00:16:33.210 --> 00:16:36.850 my sense of urgency. He doesn't run on my schedule. 00:16:38.470 --> 00:16:43.169 He is operating on his own time. And he knows 00:16:43.169 --> 00:16:45.809 something significant that has just happened. 00:16:46.649 --> 00:16:50.570 This is a moment that will not be rushed. And 00:16:50.570 --> 00:16:53.690 while Jesus lingers, the very thing Jairus fears 00:16:53.690 --> 00:16:58.870 becomes reality because his daughter dies. And 00:16:58.870 --> 00:17:01.029 then Jesus looks at him and says, do not be afraid, 00:17:01.029 --> 00:17:04.490 just believe. I'm gonna ask you guys a question. 00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:08.680 Be honest if you had went to Jesus and you are 00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:14.500 you are gyrus Your kid is dying He stops ask 00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:16.940 a question that you feel is silly and then when 00:17:16.940 --> 00:17:21.339 you arrive and your kid is dead and Then he looks 00:17:21.339 --> 00:17:27.220 at you and says don't fear just believe You feel 00:17:27.220 --> 00:17:37.670 a little bit angry Right like if you hadn't stopped 00:17:37.670 --> 00:17:48.029 She probably would have lived And so When I read 00:17:48.029 --> 00:17:50.589 this when I read this account I cannot help but 00:17:50.589 --> 00:17:53.369 feel the compassion and and the tension that 00:17:53.369 --> 00:17:56.329 Jairus is feeling Because he's also putting by 00:17:56.329 --> 00:18:00.529 the way his career in jeopardy by coming to Jesus 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:07.000 So in other words, Jesus is saying, trust me, 00:18:07.579 --> 00:18:13.359 be patient, there's no need to hurry. I imagine 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:15.420 in that moment that Jesus is also teaching his 00:18:15.420 --> 00:18:21.599 disciples, because remember, okay, remember what 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:24.500 they had just gone through, he had already shown 00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:26.460 them that his grace and his love are present 00:18:26.460 --> 00:18:29.500 in a storm, and now he's going to show them, 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:33.400 you can write this down. that his grace and love 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:36.720 are also present in what feels like an unthinkable 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:42.900 delay. If you try to force your understanding 00:18:42.900 --> 00:18:45.799 of timing onto Jesus, you will struggle to feel 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:49.680 loved by him. Because, here's the thing, he will 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:57.039 not be hurried. And when he is not hurried, we 00:18:57.039 --> 00:19:00.880 often feel exactly like Jairus, impatient, frustrated 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:04.559 and convinced that he is delaying irrationally, 00:19:04.900 --> 00:19:10.240 unnecessarily, and even unconscionably. And you 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:14.259 can write this down. But what we are seeing here 00:19:14.259 --> 00:19:17.480 is this. Our desperation may bring us to Jesus, 00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:20.720 but his timing will test whether we actually 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:26.519 trust him, amen? Our desperation may bring us 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:28.920 to Jesus, but his timing will test whether we 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:36.380 actually trust him. Point number two, interruption 00:19:36.380 --> 00:19:43.420 gives us what we really need. In 25 through 34, 00:19:43.940 --> 00:19:51.019 we see that interruption where he stops. And 00:19:51.019 --> 00:19:52.839 so be aware that when you go to Jesus for help, 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:55.680 you will both give to him and receive from him 00:19:55.680 --> 00:19:59.660 far more than you ever bargained for. Here's 00:19:59.660 --> 00:20:02.299 what I mean by that. Let's go back to Jairus. 00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:05.599 They arrive at the house and the news comes that 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:08.500 the little girl is dead. The crowd begins to 00:20:08.500 --> 00:20:10.839 mock Jesus when he tells them she's only sleeping 00:20:10.839 --> 00:20:13.880 and from their perspective, it's completely over. 00:20:14.119 --> 00:20:18.460 There is nothing left to do. But Jesus pushes 00:20:18.460 --> 00:20:21.279 everyone out except a select few and he walks 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:23.960 into the room, takes the girl by the hand and 00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:31.950 says, Talitha cum. Now, This interpretation does 00:20:31.950 --> 00:20:35.170 not do it justice of what Jesus actually said. 00:20:35.490 --> 00:20:39.049 Like, he does say talethicum, but what that actually 00:20:39.049 --> 00:20:43.529 means is actually very fatherly, and it means 00:20:43.529 --> 00:20:45.109 this. It's a term of endearment. What he actually 00:20:45.109 --> 00:20:49.849 says is, honey, it's time to wake up. He grabs 00:20:49.849 --> 00:20:52.930 her by the hand and is saying, honey, it's time 00:20:52.930 --> 00:20:55.190 to wake up. Like a father who's going to wake 00:20:55.190 --> 00:20:58.099 his daughter. My daughter will tell you I do 00:20:58.099 --> 00:21:01.160 not wake her kindly and definitely not like that. 00:21:01.160 --> 00:21:06.660 I'm like girl. It's late. Let's go And here's 00:21:06.660 --> 00:21:11.220 the thing she immediately gets up and it says 00:21:11.220 --> 00:21:14.200 they're astonished and of course they are because 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:17.440 Jairus came by the way, she was running a fever 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:24.279 Jairus came for what a healing of a fever He 00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:28.890 did not expect a resurrection So write this down. 00:21:30.809 --> 00:21:34.250 That is how Jesus works. When you come to Him 00:21:34.250 --> 00:21:37.210 for help, you receive far more than you had in 00:21:37.210 --> 00:21:41.329 mind. But you also end up giving far more than 00:21:41.329 --> 00:21:46.130 you ever expected. Can anybody relate to that? 00:21:46.670 --> 00:21:49.829 I know I can. I've gone to Jesus for something 00:21:49.829 --> 00:21:51.670 what I thought was just going to be this simple 00:21:51.670 --> 00:21:56.470 thing. He not only does that, but and more. but 00:21:56.470 --> 00:22:04.250 I also end up paying something as well. Jairus 00:22:04.250 --> 00:22:06.450 likely thought he only needed to trust Jesus 00:22:06.450 --> 00:22:09.289 enough to get home, hoping his daughter would 00:22:09.289 --> 00:22:11.930 still be alive when they arrived, but Jesus required 00:22:11.930 --> 00:22:16.849 much more from him than that. Because what felt 00:22:16.849 --> 00:22:20.329 like an interruption, Jairus is now standing 00:22:20.329 --> 00:22:22.230 in front of a completely different situation. 00:22:22.289 --> 00:22:24.589 His daughter is gone, and in that moment, Jesus 00:22:24.589 --> 00:22:26.450 looks at him and says, don't be afraid, just 00:22:26.450 --> 00:22:30.490 believe. And this isn't a small request. That 00:22:30.490 --> 00:22:32.869 is a call to trust with everything that appears 00:22:32.869 --> 00:22:37.069 to be lost. That is a level of faith of Jairus 00:22:37.069 --> 00:22:39.950 that Jairus never anticipated needing. I wanna 00:22:39.950 --> 00:22:42.349 just tell you guys, this isn't in my notes, Janiero, 00:22:42.569 --> 00:22:45.910 so just follow with me. I wanna give you guys 00:22:45.910 --> 00:22:53.309 an example of this. When I was at Westside, and 00:22:53.309 --> 00:22:57.009 I felt this opportunity had come to go to work 00:22:57.009 --> 00:23:00.329 for Chick -fil -A and their corporate office. 00:23:01.950 --> 00:23:04.890 And I wanted to be a Chick -fil -A owner operator, 00:23:05.150 --> 00:23:06.430 and to be a Chick -fil -A owner operator, you 00:23:06.430 --> 00:23:10.049 have to have $10 ,000. And so Tracy and I saved 00:23:10.049 --> 00:23:13.750 up every penny that we had to have that $10 ,000. 00:23:15.269 --> 00:23:17.789 And so I was told that I was a sure bet that 00:23:17.789 --> 00:23:20.910 I was in. I did all of these interviews. It took 00:23:20.910 --> 00:23:22.650 me six months of interviews, and then they fly 00:23:22.650 --> 00:23:27.190 me out to Atlanta, and I interview there. It 00:23:27.190 --> 00:23:28.789 looks all good. We have our house packed up, 00:23:28.809 --> 00:23:30.069 because we're going to be traveling for them 00:23:30.069 --> 00:23:35.750 for two years, and living out of hotels. And 00:23:35.750 --> 00:23:36.970 so we were like, all right, this is the goal. 00:23:37.009 --> 00:23:38.589 This is what we're going to do. We want to be 00:23:38.589 --> 00:23:40.230 Chick -fil -A owner -operators. So I'm going 00:23:40.230 --> 00:23:41.869 to go do this, work for the home office, and 00:23:41.869 --> 00:23:46.130 then become an owner -operator. And go to that 00:23:46.130 --> 00:23:49.509 last interview. Like I said told I'm a sure bet 00:23:49.509 --> 00:23:52.349 it's gonna happen and then get the call the very 00:23:52.349 --> 00:23:55.529 next day that I come home And they said hey unfortunately 00:23:55.529 --> 00:23:58.430 We really like you, but we want you to reapply 00:23:58.430 --> 00:24:01.009 again in six months and go back through the process 00:24:01.009 --> 00:24:04.950 That was heartbreaking our entire house was already 00:24:04.950 --> 00:24:07.430 packed up, and I had already resigned from Westside 00:24:07.430 --> 00:24:13.789 Now here's what's crazy about that That $10 ,000 00:24:13.789 --> 00:24:18.490 I'm now without a job And we're like, what are 00:24:18.490 --> 00:24:20.809 we gonna do? Well, we got this $10 ,000 that 00:24:20.809 --> 00:24:26.269 we had to save. That $10 ,000, I don't know how 00:24:26.269 --> 00:24:29.549 it did, but it lasted us a long time paying our 00:24:29.549 --> 00:24:32.690 mortgage, paying all these other things. And 00:24:32.690 --> 00:24:38.609 just when we thought we had no more money, things 00:24:38.609 --> 00:24:42.789 would happen. We got a random check from our 00:24:42.789 --> 00:24:50.990 insurance company for $3 ,500. We had a friend 00:24:50.990 --> 00:24:52.670 of mine reached out to me and said, hey, could 00:24:52.670 --> 00:24:59.990 you just come and stay in my deck? Sure. Every 00:24:59.990 --> 00:25:01.490 little bit. But here's the thing, the reason 00:25:01.490 --> 00:25:06.549 why I share that, after all the little jobs ran 00:25:06.549 --> 00:25:12.049 out, guess who called? A little church in O 'Neill, 00:25:12.049 --> 00:25:19.299 Nebraska. That what we thought we were getting 00:25:19.299 --> 00:25:21.859 an answer to prayer didn't exactly look the way 00:25:21.859 --> 00:25:25.200 we thought it would and it cost us a whole lot 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:28.220 But we also learned a whole lot about trusting 00:25:28.220 --> 00:25:33.299 the Lord when we had nothing Step by step by 00:25:33.299 --> 00:25:40.359 step All right, let's get back into it let's 00:25:40.359 --> 00:25:44.140 consider the woman She came to Jesus for healing, 00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:46.579 but she wanted to do it quietly. She wanted to 00:25:46.579 --> 00:25:51.079 touch him and just slip away unnoticed. She wanted 00:25:51.079 --> 00:25:53.460 healing, but she wanted it on her own terms. 00:25:54.759 --> 00:26:00.720 But does Jesus allow that? Nope. He stops everything 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:03.799 and he calls her forward and he makes her identify 00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:07.920 herself publicly. And if that's not terrifying 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:11.240 enough, She had been dealing with a condition 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:15.759 that made her ceremonially unclean So to touch 00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:20.400 a rabbi in public would have broken serious social 00:26:20.400 --> 00:26:23.460 and religious boundaries So when Jesus asked 00:26:23.460 --> 00:26:26.099 her to come forward he is asking something of 00:26:26.099 --> 00:26:32.140 her that is very costly for her But he does it 00:26:32.140 --> 00:26:36.559 because she needs it she had a she had limited 00:26:36.700 --> 00:26:40.240 and somewhat superstitious understanding of Jesus's 00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:42.259 power, and she believed that simply touching 00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:47.039 his garment would heal her, as if his power could 00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:51.240 be managed or accessed mechanically. Here's what 00:26:51.240 --> 00:26:54.079 that looks like for us today. Have you ever heard, 00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:58.200 uh, fast and pray for a breakthrough? Have you 00:26:58.200 --> 00:27:01.299 ever heard that before? I have many times. Am 00:27:01.299 --> 00:27:03.160 I saying that that's wrong? No, but that's also 00:27:03.160 --> 00:27:07.509 thinking about using Jesus mechanically. If I 00:27:07.509 --> 00:27:10.470 give X amount of dollars in the offering plate, 00:27:11.289 --> 00:27:14.049 hopefully Jesus will do this. That's using him 00:27:14.049 --> 00:27:18.349 and his power mechanically. That's not just doing 00:27:18.349 --> 00:27:23.430 the things and trusting him. So Jesus brings 00:27:23.430 --> 00:27:26.289 her into the open, not to shame her, but to correct 00:27:26.289 --> 00:27:30.049 her. To show her that it was not the touch that 00:27:30.049 --> 00:27:34.109 healed her, it was her faith in him. Write this 00:27:34.109 --> 00:27:39.559 down. When you come to Jesus he may ask far more 00:27:39.559 --> 00:27:41.839 of you than you originally planned to give but 00:27:41.839 --> 00:27:45.440 in return He gives far more than you ever dared 00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:50.460 to ask or imagine Does that sound familiar? Hopefully 00:27:50.460 --> 00:27:52.660 it sounds like our verse of the week Ephesians 00:27:52.660 --> 00:27:59.400 3 20 Point number three Well, does anybody still 00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:02.140 need this to stay up my my other point before 00:28:02.140 --> 00:28:05.440 I move on? All right, hold it hold it there Micah 00:28:07.099 --> 00:28:10.440 Go back go back one. He's back there reclining. 00:28:10.440 --> 00:28:17.240 Come on, dude Just give me a thumbs up when you're 00:28:17.240 --> 00:28:35.119 ready I'm going to Get out of mint Are you taking 00:28:35.119 --> 00:28:42.170 a picture of me? You should have told me. Yeah, 00:28:46.430 --> 00:28:52.289 make sure you send that to Mary Lynn. All right. 00:28:52.930 --> 00:28:57.930 Point number three. Arrogance of our greater 00:28:57.930 --> 00:29:03.009 story. Yeah, yeah, you can go there. You can 00:29:03.009 --> 00:29:07.579 go there now. It is easy for us to read this 00:29:07.579 --> 00:29:11.039 passage and think, of course it all works out. 00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:13.759 Because we know how the story ends. We know what 00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:16.119 becomes of the woman. We know what becomes of 00:29:16.119 --> 00:29:19.720 Jairus and his daughter. But you have to remember 00:29:19.720 --> 00:29:23.279 what it must have felt like in that moment. They 00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:26.019 didn't know the ending. The disciples didn't 00:29:26.019 --> 00:29:29.359 know the ending. Jairus didn't know the ending. 00:29:30.220 --> 00:29:32.460 And from where they stood, it looked like Jesus 00:29:32.460 --> 00:29:37.089 was delaying for absolutely no good reason. They 00:29:37.089 --> 00:29:40.089 did not have all the facts, but we do as the 00:29:40.089 --> 00:29:43.190 readers of Scripture. Because we are reading 00:29:43.190 --> 00:29:47.430 it from the other side, but they are living it 00:29:47.430 --> 00:29:51.650 in real time. And from their perspective, this 00:29:51.650 --> 00:29:55.369 felt like recklessness. It felt unnecessary. 00:29:56.250 --> 00:30:00.390 It may have even felt like malpractice. But the 00:30:00.390 --> 00:30:03.450 reality is they simply did not know because they 00:30:03.450 --> 00:30:06.759 did not have all the information. And this is 00:30:06.759 --> 00:30:10.960 often where we find ourselves. People ask skeptics 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:13.960 and many Christians, if God is good, why would 00:30:13.960 --> 00:30:16.319 he allow certain things to happen? And you can 00:30:16.319 --> 00:30:18.960 fill in the blank for whatever that is. And my 00:30:18.960 --> 00:30:25.079 answer is always the same. I don't know. And 00:30:25.079 --> 00:30:30.180 neither do you. Why the Holocaust? I don't know. 00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:34.759 Nobody does. He does. He has reasons for it. 00:30:38.920 --> 00:30:41.920 I don't have to know, but he has his reasons. 00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:46.599 And that may sound like this kind of just kind 00:30:46.599 --> 00:30:50.119 of brushing over what feels like reckless evil. 00:30:50.299 --> 00:30:52.359 It's not, it's just I've learned over the years 00:30:52.359 --> 00:30:55.180 that God has his reasons and he brings all things 00:30:55.180 --> 00:30:57.019 together for his good. And those are promises. 00:30:57.059 --> 00:30:58.980 And I've watched that play out in my own life. 00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:01.500 And so I just rest in that. That's not me trying 00:31:01.500 --> 00:31:03.799 to just simply explain it away. That's just being 00:31:03.799 --> 00:31:10.019 honest. But the answer works in theory, but it 00:31:10.019 --> 00:31:13.140 feels insufficient when you are the one that's 00:31:13.140 --> 00:31:18.500 suffering You know what I'm saying When you're 00:31:18.500 --> 00:31:21.519 the one that's suffering it feels like Yeah, 00:31:21.579 --> 00:31:23.119 of course. Everything's gonna work out. Yeah. 00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:24.920 Okay. Well that doesn't feel like that in the 00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:29.730 moment When you're like gyrus Facing a real emergency, 00:31:30.089 --> 00:31:31.910 especially when it involves someone you love, 00:31:31.970 --> 00:31:34.049 and when it feels like God is delaying for no 00:31:34.049 --> 00:31:38.869 reason, something begins to rise up in you. Frustration 00:31:38.869 --> 00:31:41.609 turns to anger, anger can turn into bitterness, 00:31:41.970 --> 00:31:45.269 and for some, it often leads to completely walking 00:31:45.269 --> 00:31:48.430 away from Christ altogether. And I understand 00:31:48.430 --> 00:31:50.369 that struggle because I've lived it in my own 00:31:50.369 --> 00:31:52.250 way. I've talked to you guys about it before. 00:31:53.579 --> 00:31:56.539 But when I look back on the delays of God in 00:31:56.539 --> 00:31:59.480 my life, I have to come to a hard realization. 00:31:59.720 --> 00:32:02.140 Much of my frustration has been rooted in my 00:32:02.140 --> 00:32:07.339 own arrogance. I find myself going to Jesus and 00:32:07.339 --> 00:32:11.380 saying, I know you're the son of God. I know 00:32:11.380 --> 00:32:14.640 that all things were created through you. I know 00:32:14.640 --> 00:32:17.480 you have existed for all eternity, but I think 00:32:17.480 --> 00:32:19.799 I understand my life a little better than you 00:32:19.799 --> 00:32:24.799 do. I think this situation should probably go 00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:32.079 differently. Anybody else? I know you guys are 00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:33.599 chuckling because when you say it out loud, it 00:32:33.599 --> 00:32:38.779 sounds ridiculous, but we all do that. This is 00:32:38.779 --> 00:32:40.779 often the posture of our hearts when it comes 00:32:40.779 --> 00:32:44.299 to Jesus. Think about the arrogance that it takes 00:32:44.299 --> 00:32:46.579 to believe we know better than the creator of 00:32:46.579 --> 00:32:49.220 all things, the one who loves our souls, the 00:32:49.220 --> 00:32:50.700 sovereign king over everything. I'm gonna give 00:32:50.700 --> 00:32:56.329 it to you like this. It is a miracle of the Lord 00:32:56.329 --> 00:32:59.630 that I am here today right now. You don't want 00:32:59.630 --> 00:33:01.650 to know why? Because my daughter almost killed 00:33:01.650 --> 00:33:06.430 us yesterday. She's learning to drive. She is 00:33:06.430 --> 00:33:10.789 a terrible driver. She comes to a, we're just 00:33:10.789 --> 00:33:13.109 going to the library. The library is not even 00:33:13.109 --> 00:33:17.549 a mile away. I don't care. She's not here. I 00:33:17.549 --> 00:33:23.859 can say it. Sweet the library is not I'm not 00:33:23.859 --> 00:33:30.119 a You get what you get The library is not far. 00:33:30.140 --> 00:33:32.000 She's like dad. I got overdue books. I need to 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:35.160 take to the library. I want to drive. I'm like, 00:33:35.240 --> 00:33:38.740 okay Now my wife is smiling because she's like 00:33:38.740 --> 00:33:42.420 I'm not driving with her anymore So we get in 00:33:42.420 --> 00:33:44.339 the car. She comes up to this she comes up to 00:33:44.339 --> 00:33:53.259 a stop sign She looks she looks and never looks 00:33:53.259 --> 00:33:58.779 back this way. Let's off the gas. I turn and 00:33:58.779 --> 00:34:01.920 I'm like, Horia, you better punch it. Cause she's 00:34:01.920 --> 00:34:04.759 like, she's going to get smoked by this GMC truck. 00:34:05.259 --> 00:34:07.819 She punches that thing and thank the Lord, there 00:34:07.819 --> 00:34:10.500 was nobody coming this way. So she weaves that 00:34:10.500 --> 00:34:13.019 sucker in and she goes, she looks at me and she 00:34:13.019 --> 00:34:17.980 goes, I got it. I'm texting, I'm texting Tracy 00:34:17.980 --> 00:34:19.480 and like, it's going to be a miracle if we make 00:34:19.480 --> 00:34:21.739 it back home and it's less than a mile drive. 00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:26.019 But then, here's the thing, though. Here's what 00:34:26.019 --> 00:34:31.219 she does. Every time, every time, she gives me 00:34:31.219 --> 00:34:34.239 and Tracy all the reasons why it wasn't a big 00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:39.519 deal. I had it under control, Dad. No, you didn't. 00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:41.599 You didn't look both ways. Dad, I looked both 00:34:41.599 --> 00:34:43.659 ways. Yeah, but you didn't check again before 00:34:43.659 --> 00:34:48.619 going out into traffic. Dad, I understand how 00:34:48.619 --> 00:34:50.440 this works. You punch the gas, you got a little 00:34:50.440 --> 00:34:52.019 break over here, and this thing takes us where 00:34:52.019 --> 00:34:55.260 we need to go. Aria, and Tracy had to tell her 00:34:55.260 --> 00:34:58.219 last night, Aria, stop trying to explain to us, 00:34:58.360 --> 00:35:00.960 we've been driving for a long time. You just 00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:05.300 started four months ago. And that, it's that 00:35:05.300 --> 00:35:07.599 right there, how we are with the Lord, where 00:35:07.599 --> 00:35:11.340 it's like, I know how it goes. You got a little 00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:13.000 gas, you got a little break, and you got the 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:15.119 little steering wheel. Just go where you want 00:35:15.119 --> 00:35:16.920 to go. And the Lord's like, yeah, and then you're 00:35:16.920 --> 00:35:21.400 pulling yourself out into traffic, right? In 00:35:21.400 --> 00:35:23.500 our modern Western culture, we are conditioned 00:35:23.500 --> 00:35:27.860 to believe that everything exists for us. That 00:35:27.860 --> 00:35:30.380 life is something to be managed, controlled, 00:35:30.760 --> 00:35:35.000 and bent toward our desired outcomes. But we 00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:38.059 are not God, but we often live as if we are. 00:35:38.860 --> 00:35:41.980 And it's that very arrogance that God in His 00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:45.920 grace must confront and remove from our hearts. 00:35:47.019 --> 00:35:51.099 So I'm closing with this. A few years ago, there 00:35:51.099 --> 00:35:53.219 was a father walking through a crowded airport 00:35:53.219 --> 00:35:56.340 with his young daughter. It was one of those 00:35:56.340 --> 00:35:58.500 chaotic travel days and flights were delayed 00:35:58.500 --> 00:36:00.679 and people were rushing, announcements were happening 00:36:00.679 --> 00:36:03.980 overhead, the kind of environment where everything 00:36:03.980 --> 00:36:08.159 feels just a little out of control. And as they 00:36:08.159 --> 00:36:10.179 moved through the crowd, the father reached down 00:36:10.179 --> 00:36:14.139 and grabbed his daughter's hand. She was small, 00:36:14.559 --> 00:36:18.199 maybe five or six years old, and everywhere around 00:36:18.199 --> 00:36:21.039 her were adults moving quickly, rolling bags 00:36:21.039 --> 00:36:25.380 and barely paying attention. At one point the 00:36:25.380 --> 00:36:28.820 crowd tightened. People pressed in from every 00:36:28.820 --> 00:36:32.039 direction and for a moment she stumbled. Her 00:36:32.039 --> 00:36:35.500 world probably felt a little overwhelming. Noise, 00:36:35.579 --> 00:36:38.699 movement, confusion, the kind of moment where 00:36:38.699 --> 00:36:43.179 a child could likely panic. But she did not. 00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:48.320 She merely tightened her grip on her father's 00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:52.119 hand. She didn't know where they were going. 00:36:53.079 --> 00:36:56.280 She didn't understand the delays. She could not 00:36:56.280 --> 00:36:58.079 control the situation around her, but she knew 00:36:58.079 --> 00:37:01.679 one thing, her father had her. And because of 00:37:01.679 --> 00:37:05.730 that, she was steady. He led her through the 00:37:05.730 --> 00:37:08.969 crowd, through the noise, through the uncertainty, 00:37:09.329 --> 00:37:13.070 and all the way to where they needed to be. Not 00:37:13.070 --> 00:37:17.489 because she was strong, not because she understood, 00:37:17.969 --> 00:37:22.690 but because she was held. And that's our image. 00:37:23.710 --> 00:37:29.269 By Jesus' actions of taking that little girl 00:37:29.269 --> 00:37:32.670 by the hand and telling her to arise, He is showing 00:37:32.670 --> 00:37:36.260 us something deeper. I want you to write this 00:37:36.260 --> 00:37:41.659 down. He looks at us and he says, if I have you 00:37:41.659 --> 00:37:45.840 by the hand, even death itself is nothing but 00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:53.159 sleep. If I have you by the hand, even death 00:37:53.159 --> 00:37:57.559 itself is nothing but sleep. I want you to think 00:37:57.559 --> 00:38:00.369 about that. The Lord of the universe, the one 00:38:00.369 --> 00:38:02.650 who set the stars in place, reaches down and 00:38:02.650 --> 00:38:05.510 takes you and me by the hand and he says, honey, 00:38:06.269 --> 00:38:11.289 it's time to get up. There's nothing more terrifying 00:38:11.289 --> 00:38:13.510 for a child than losing the hand of their parent 00:38:13.510 --> 00:38:17.230 in a crowd or in the dark. Everything falls apart 00:38:17.230 --> 00:38:20.230 in that moment, but nothing compares to what 00:38:20.230 --> 00:38:24.809 Jesus had endured. On the cross, he lost the 00:38:24.809 --> 00:38:28.019 hand of his father. He entered into darkness 00:38:28.019 --> 00:38:31.000 alone. He went into the grave so that we could 00:38:31.000 --> 00:38:36.480 be led out of the grave. He let go so that we 00:38:36.480 --> 00:38:41.360 would never have to. So that for those who are 00:38:41.360 --> 00:38:45.880 in him, once he has you by the hand, he will 00:38:45.880 --> 00:38:48.760 never let you go. Let's pray.