Sermon Recap - Finding the Right Object of Your Faith.  

Faith is something every person practices, whether they realize it or not. But when it comes to the deepest need of the human soul, the question is not whether you have enough faith. The question is where you are placing it.

What Is Faith, Really?

Webster's defines faith as "complete trust or confidence in someone or something." We exercise faith constantly. You sat down in a chair today trusting it would hold you. You drove here trusting other drivers would stay in their lane. You keep money in a bank trusting it will be there when you need it.

Faith is not unusual. It is unavoidable. The real question is this: where are you placing your faith for your eternal soul?

THE WOMAN JESUS HEALED

In Mark 5:24-34, a woman comes to Jesus after twelve years of suffering. She had a chronic bleeding condition that left her physically weak, financially ruined, and completely isolated from society. Under Jewish law, her condition made her ceremonially unclean. She could not enter the temple. People avoided her. She had spent everything she had on doctors, and she was getting worse, not better.

She was exhausted. She was alone. She had no hope. And yet, she reached out and touched the robe of Jesus. And she was healed. What Jesus commended her for was her faith. Not perfect faith. Not polished faith. But faith, directed at the right object.

STEP ONE: DISCERN YOUR NEED

This woman knew she was dying. She had no illusions about her condition. That honest recognition of her need is what drove her to Jesus.

Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23, English Standard Version (ESV))

Do you recognize that you have a sin problem?

God Himself is the standard of righteousness. Anything that falls short of who He is counts as sin. That includes all of us, no exceptions. And Romans 6:23 makes the consequence clear: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, English Standard Version (ESV))

We cannot fix this on our own. No other human being can fix it for us. The first step toward faith is an honest look at your own need.

STEP TWO: DELINEATE THE ALTERNATIVES

What are people turning to instead of Jesus?

This woman had tried everything available to her before she came to Jesus. Religion had not helped her. She had been cut off from it for twelve years. Medicine had failed her and cost her everything. She had even turned to superstition, believing that touching the hem of Jesus' garment might carry some kind of power.

The same alternatives exist today.

- Religion can point you in the right direction, but it is not a solution in itself. It must lead you to Christ.

- Science and humanism offer no remedy for the problem of sin. They cannot answer the deepest questions of the human soul.

- Money and success will run out before your need is met.

- Superstition and self-reliance will leave you exhausted.

None of these alternatives can meet the need of a sinful soul standing before a holy God. Only Jesus can.

STEP THREE: DETERMINE THE CREDIBILITY OF JESUS

Is Jesus actually trustworthy?

This woman had heard reports about Jesus. His reputation gave her enough reason to step out and act. That credibility moved her toward Him.

The same credibility is available to us today.

The Bible is the most credible work of ancient literature in existence. Jesus is a historical figure acknowledged even by those who reject Christianity. There is credible evidence for His death and resurrection. The growth of Christianity from one man and twelve ordinary disciples into a worldwide movement that shaped Western civilization is itself a testimony to the truth of the Gospel.

C.S. Lewis put it plainly: "Either this man was and is the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."

And beyond historical evidence, there are the testimonies of ordinary people whose lives have been changed. The people sitting in churches every Sunday carry stories of what Jesus has done in their lives. That kind of witness is powerful. It is often what moves a searching person toward faith.

What Are You Actually Searching For?

Significance, love, healing?

Many people are searching for significance through their career, their wealth, or their family. Jesus offers something greater and more lasting because it is eternal.

Many people are searching for unconditional love. That kind of love does not exist in human relationships, no matter how good they are. But Romans 5:8 tells us that "God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, English Standard Version (ESV)) That is unconditional love.

Many people are searching for healing from their hurts. Jesus is the great physician. And while He can bring physical, emotional, and relational healing, heaven is the ultimate place of healing. Whatever ails you now, it is nothing that a good resurrection cannot cure.

STEP FOUR: DECIDE TO TRUST HIM

What does it actually mean to put your faith in Jesus?

The woman made an act of faith. She came to Jesus. Her faith was imperfect. It was mixed with superstition. She had been isolated from worship for twelve years. She was not a model of religious devotion. But she directed what little faith she had toward the right person, and Jesus healed her.

When Jesus asked who had touched Him, the disciples were confused. Crowds were pressing in on every side. But something different had happened in that moment. Healing power had gone out from Him in a way that was unique. He had taken what was killing her and given her life in return.

This is a picture of what Jesus did on the cross. Seven hundred years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah described it this way: "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows... he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5, English Standard Version (ESV))

This is the doctrine of substitution. Jesus took what was causing our death, our sin, and gave us the life we could not earn for ourselves.

Romans 10:9 tells us how to receive this: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9, English Standard Version (ESV))

There is no robe to touch today. But there is an act of faith you can make. Jesus is not looking for perfect faith. He is looking for faith directed at the right object.

Life Application - Challenge for This Week

This week, take an honest inventory of where you are placing your faith. If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior, do not wait for your faith to feel strong enough. Come to Him as you are, just as this woman did, weak, exhausted, and imperfect. That is exactly the kind of person He welcomes.

If you are already a follower of Christ, consider who in your life needs to hear your testimony. The last two people baptized in the story shared in this message came forward simply because they heard and saw what Jesus had done in someone else's life. Your story matters more than you know.

Ask yourself these questions this week:

- Have I honestly recognized my need before God, or am I still comparing myself to others to feel good enough?

- Am I placing my trust in something other than Jesus to meet the deepest needs of my life?

- If I am already a believer, when is the last time I shared what Jesus has done for me with someone who is still searching?

Faith is not about its size. It is about its object. Even the smallest faith placed in Jesus Christ is enough. He has proven Himself credible. The only question left is whether you will trust Him.