Only Believe

Harvest Pointe Methodist Church

To be back here. I was here at the end of May, and we did not know that I would be back at the end of June. So how gracious of you to allow me to be back. I do appreciate it. I am Emily.

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Justin was kind. He could have shared so much and he restricted himself. And I appreciate it. If you will stand with me, I'm going to read from the Gospel of Mark. Mark, chapter five.

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And I am reading from the Niv. And I start in verse 21. When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders named Jairus came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, my little daughter is dying.

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Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live. So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him, and a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. And 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.

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When she heard about Jesus. She came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, if I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him, and he turned around in the crowd and he asked, who touched my clothes? You see the people crowding against you?

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His disciples answered, and yet you can ask, who touched me? But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done 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. He said to her, daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.

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While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. Your daughter is dead, they said, why bother the teacher anymore? Over hearing what they said, jesus told him, don't be afraid, just believe. He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion with people crying and wailing loudly.

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He went in and said to them, why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead, but asleep. But they laughed at him. After he put all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and he said to her, talitha kum, which means little girl, I say to you, get up.

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And immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around. She was twelve years old at this. They were completely astonished. He gave strict orders to not let anyone know about this and told them to give her something to eat. Let's pray.

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Holy Spirit, we thank you for your presence in this place. And I pray God that you would use your word today. Would you bring truth in awareness of your presence? God, we give you all room to do whatever you want to do. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight.

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Lord, you are my strength and you are my redeemer. Have your way in this place. We pray. Amen. And you may be seated.

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The title of the message today is, only believe. Only believe. When I was here last time, our passage was in Isaiah. You may remember, he saw the king. And it was only when the little cave king died did he get a vision of who the real king is.

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And he saw the king seated on the throne. And you have this scene where the seraphim, the fiery one, took hot coal from the altar and touched his mouth. It was interesting that while I was preaching tha