That I may know Him

Mark 5: 25-34
A large crowd followed and pressed around
him. 25 And a woman was there who had been
subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had
suffered a great deal under the care of many
doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead
of getting better she grew worse.
Talmud (legal / civil explanation of OT laws)-
12 different treatments for this condition
27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up
behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,
28 because she thought (ESV said -
confession of faith),
“If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”
29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she
felt in her body that she was freed from her
suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone
out from him. He turned around in the crowd
and asked,“Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,”
his disciples answered, “and yet you can
ask,‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who
had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what
had happened to her, came and fell at his feet
and, trembling with fear, told him the whole
truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith
has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from
your suffering.”
Luke 18:35ff
35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was
sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing
a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant.
37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing
by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me!”
39 And those who were in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the
more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to
be brought to him. And when he came near, he
asked him,
41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He
said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And
Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your
faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately
he recovered his sight and followed him,
glorifying God. And all the people, when they
saw it, gave praise to God.
1. Faith takes time
2. Faith looks to Jesus
3. Faith acts
4. Faith expects God
5. Faith declares God did it
Knowing Him requires us
to move…
- hearing to touching
- hearing to desperate
passion
Nameless - Woman
Alone
Impure - Weak
No money, nothing
Desperate
• She did not bring
anything(other than faith)
to Jesus

• She refused to accept the

situation
• These are not a barrier to
receiving help from God
• These are not a barrier to
receiving help from God
• God loves those denied rights,
loves the oppressed and poor.
• These are not a barrier to
receiving help from God
• God loves those denied rights,
loves the oppressed and poor.
• In God’s kingdom the
nobodies become a somebody.
 1. Faith takes time

- bleeding for twelve years. 

- She had suffered a great deal under
the care of many doctors
- spent all she had,
- she grew worse.
Desperation drives us towards
God
Zechariah & Elizabeth: Luke 1
...they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly
in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But
they had no child, because Elizabeth was
barren, and both were advanced in years.
And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord...And
Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell
upon him.13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid,
Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and
your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son…
Do you give up too easily?
What are you pregnant
with?
 2. Faith looks to Jesus
She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up
behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.

Heb 12 ...since we are surrounded by such a great

cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that
hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let
us run with perseverance the race marked out for
us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and
perfecter of faith.
John Paton and his wife Mary arrived in the New
Hebrides on November 5th 1858.
The people were as fierce as he had been told.
Cannibal celebrations took place in sight of the
Patons' home and human blood fouled the drinking
water.The natives frightened Joseph Copeland so
much that he lost his wits and died; they continually
threatened John.Time and again they lifted their guns
to shoot him, or raised their axes to bash him in the
head, but always they held back as if restrained by a
greater power.
Early the next year, Mary bore a
son. Both mother and child came
down with fevers and died.With a
breaking heart, John dug their
grave and laid them in it. Later he
said, "But for Jesus, and the
fellowship He vouchsafed
me there, I must have gone
mad and died beside that
lonely grave!"
...faith comes from hearing, and
hearing through the word of
Christ.
Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever.
 She knew what she
wanted - do you?

Are you looking in the

right place?
 3. Faith acts
When she heard about Jesus, she came up
behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,
28 because she thought, “If I just touch his
clothes,I will be healed.”
• Noah built an ark
• Abraham saddled his donkey
• Peter “left everything”
• Paul & Barnabas left Antioch
This anecdote is found in Phil Pringles book, Faith.
A man accidentally fell over the edge of a cliff. As
he fell through the air he managed to grab on to a
protruding tree branch.  He was still hundreds of
feet above the ground and was unable to pull
himself back up to safety. 
He thought, I guess this is a good time to talk to
God.
So he called out in desperation: “Is there anyone
up there?” 
A voice answered, “Yes”
The man said, “Are you God?” 
The voice replied, “Yes”
“Can you help me” asked the man
The voice replied, “Yes”
“Well what happens now?” asked the desperate
man
“First, do you trust me?” God asked
“Yes, sure” said the man.
God answered, “Let go of the branch” 
The man thought for a moment, looked up to the
heavens and then said:
“Is there anyone else up there?”
“If we don’t exercise our faith in God we will
exercise it in something else. People have to
believe. It’s in our nature to believe. When faith is
stolen from our lives we fall apart.”
Phil Pringle
Faith:
Passive: God CAN do it
Active: God WILL do it
Activated: God HAS done it - the
substantiating of your faith
What has God told you
to do?

What was the last act of

faith you took?
 4. Faith expects God
Immediately her bleeding stopped and she
felt in her body that she was freed from her
suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone
out from him.
Hebrew 11:1, 2 - JN Darby translation
Now faith is the substantiating of things
hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For
in the power of this the elders have obtained
testimony.
Mary, “Nothing is impossible for God”
Elijah on Mount Carmel
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied
to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to
defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are
thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is
able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from
Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not,
we want you to know,Your Majesty, that we will not
serve your gods or worship the image of gold you
have set up.”
5. Faith declares God did it

Then the woman, knowing what had happened to

her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with
fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her,
“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace
and be freed from your suffering.”
Peace = Shalom
Well being, Prosperity, Security,
Friendship, Salvation
 What is your faith
declaration?

Do you believe you are

important to Jesus?

Are you thankful for all

that God has done?