(Read Mark 5:21-24)
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. In our last message I told you how Jesus came to be known as a “Friend of Sinners”. While this made Him popular with the common man, it made Him the target of the religious crowd. The Pharisees, Sadducees, Priests and Scribes all prided themselves in being better than the common man. Jesus represented the total opposite. Jesus’ message and manner was so different from the religious leaders that it was widely welcomed. Crowds were following Jesus.
One day as Jesus was getting out of a boat with a large crowd waiting on Him, a man suddenly broke through the crowd and fell at His feet. This was no ordinary man. His name was Jairus and he was a leader amongst the religious community. He was a man of position and prominence. He was a man of authority with friends amongst the Pharisees, Sadducees and Priests. He was a ruler of the synagogue. No doubt people in the crowd knew who he was and I am sure many of them questioned why he was there. It was no secret that those within his circle did not associate with Jesus. What could this man want with Jesus? What could this man need that his religious friends could not provide?
The man broke through the crowd and fell at Jesus’ feet as a form of worship and surrender. He stripped himself of his position, reputation, and affiliation. He humbled himself because he needed a breakthrough. The man said, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and lay your hands on her. If you do, she will recover and she will live.” Once Jairus exposed why he was there it was clear why he could not go to his friends. His friends talked bad about Jesus and the miracles he performed, but they could not get anyone healed. They did not like it when Jesus healed on the Sabbath, but they could not heal on any day. So Jairus went to the only man who could save his daughter. He did what any loving father would do. He swallowed his pride and he sought help for his family.
I am going to stop here for today. Tomorrow, when we get into the second phase of this story, you will see why I included this story in the chronicles of Peter.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
- Successful believers know the difference between religious activity and intimacy with God.
- Jesus did not come to establish a religion, He came to establish a relationship with you.
- You can be religious and powerless. Religion is about ritual and routine. There’s no power in that. You will only find true power in an intimate relationship with the Father, through His Son Jesus the Christ.
- Appreciate the authority you have been granted (at work, home, etc.), but be sure to acknowledge where your authority and power end. Human power and authority are no match for spiritual challenges.
- Don’t allow pride to keep you from asking for help.
- Leaders are some of the hardest people to get to worship. But if you are going to get your breakthrough, you must swallow your pride and bow down before Jesus!
- God has given us supernatural power and authority. When you face a situation that exceeds human power and authority, you should remember that you have power and authority that did not come from this world.
- Jesus was not moved by the size of any challenge, because He was focused on the size of His Father. You should learn to do the same.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. By grace You sent Your Son Jesus to die in my place. By faith I accepted Jesus as my Lord and I now have an intimate relationship with You, through Him. By grace You have given me power and authority that did not come from this world. By faith I become Jesus in the text and I am ready to use my faith to overcome, overrule, supercede and conquer the challenges of this world. By grace You have made healing virtue available to me. By faith I am willing to lay hands on the sick and watch them recover. By grace You poured out Your love in my heart through the Holy Spirit. By faith I accept Your love and I break away from the cold and callous world of religion. By grace You freely offer me the answer to any problem. By faith I humble myself, strip myself of human pride, and receive Your power for breakthrough. Father I enter this day ready to change the world by faith, through grace, for Your glory! Send people to me and I will help them break out of religion and into a relationship with You! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
