Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus. the founder and perfecter of our faith. Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction. These words in Mark chapter 5 show us both the heart of Jesus and the touch of Jesus.
Truly, he made visible his compassion to those in need. Today, final thoughts about how we can practice the compassion of Jesus where we live. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, one thing in real short supply these days is compassion.
It seems everybody is looking out for number one. And you know, Dave, the truth is this, that Christianity emphasizes compassion. and there are many other religions. that don't. And the reason is this, Jesus Christ showed us compassion.
He died on the cross. And we here at Running to Win are doing all that we possibly can to show compassion around the world, and the only way we can do that from here. is through the media that God has given us. Running to win is now in 50 different countries in seven different languages, and the good news is we are continuing to expand. Would you consider becoming what we call an endurance partner?
You know, the Bible says that we should run the race with endurance. You say, well, Pastor Lutzer, how can I find more info?
Well, this is what you do. You go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com. And when you're there, you click on the endurance partner button. Or you can call us at 1-888-218.
ninety three thirty seven. Let us always be known as people who are compassionate, reaching beyond ourselves. to as far as we possibly can. Uh So Jesus said, some power has gone out. I know that somebody touched me in a very special way.
And so um he's looking for her and she is discovered. She's discovered. He looked around to see he had done it, but the woman, knowing what happened to her, came in fear and trembling. She bows before him and she tells him the whole truth. By the way.
Why do you think we know that she was, she had this discharge for 12 years? And why do you think that we know that she spent all of her money on doctors? It's because the Bible says there, she told him the whole truth. The disciples were listening to her story, and that's why. They wrote about it in the New Testament and told us exactly the kind of experience she had had during the past 12 years.
She tells him everything. Luke makes it very clear that she told everybody around why she touched him. and what her problem was. Why did Jesus call her out? Why didn't he just let her go back into the crowd as she intended so that she could leave with anonymity and nobody would know what happened?
Does Jesus call her out to shame her? Does he call her out to embarrass her? Does he call her out because After all, she violated some protocol. She should never come to a man without a husband on her side. And furthermore, for her as an unclean woman to touch the hem of a garment of a clean man.
Is that what he does? Jesus never does it that way. What Jesus was trying to say in this context is this, the opposite. I want to exalt you. I want to validate you.
Look at the beauty of the words. First of all, daughter. She'd not been called that before. And by the way, in no other story does Jesus ever call somebody daughter in this way.
Now, later on, he'll talk about daughter arise, but he's speaking about it as a daughter. In relationship to her parents, but here, Daughter. What that means is, not only was she healed as Jesus indicated, which was beautiful enough, but something else happened, namely, her sins were forgiven. She was now a daughter of the Most High God, and Jesus was saying, now you can be integrated into society. You don't have to be embarrassed anymore.
Your uncleanness has been made clean. Go in peace as a daughter. of God. It's just like Jesus. to take the outcasts.
to encourage them. to give them encouragement and to give them hope. and status. And the woman leaves, changed forever. And then Jesus goes on and he heals the child.
You remember, Jarias comes to him now and is upset with Jesus, taking out all that time with that woman. He says, you know, he sends a delegation saying the child died. And we don't have time to go into that story, but it's interesting that some of the translations say Jesus disregarded what they said. and went in and then raised her from the dead. Do you ever have to disregard what other people say and just go ahead and do God's will anyway?
That's what Jesus did. But why should this story that I've told you about today transform us? What are the implications for us as believers, the implications for the moody church? Let me give you three transforming lessons. First of all, We are called to continue the work of Jesus.
We're called to continue the work of Jesus. You say, well, where is that in the text? Whenever I preach, you should always ask that question: where is that in the text? It's not here exactly. But you remember how the book of Acts begins?
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began. both to do and to teach. Jesus began the work, and the whole book of Acts is the continuation of his work on earth, and you and I are a continuation of that work.
Now it's true I can't speak the word and heal someone. I can't go into a room where there is a dead daughter. And raise her from the dead, and I don't think you can either. And I don't think those kinds of miracles are happening today because, as I explained last time, when Jesus was offering the kingdom to the nation, there were all of these miracles that accompanied them, and furthermore, Jesus healed these people, but there are many other people that were left apparently unhealed as they surrounded him. But there is something that we can do that is not quite as spectacular, but just as important, dare I say, more important than the physical healing.
And that is to be able to represent a compassionate Jesus to a world that has lost hope. And to let them know that Jesus receives sinners and Jesus Christ's grace is poured out. Upon his people, and now we represent him wherever we go, not just in church, but in every single environment. We are dispensers of grace. I want to say that I'm so greatly encouraged by the women here at the Moody Church.
Many of you know that they have a great burden. regarding sex trafficking, human trafficking. And they've already begun plans and they are working towards certain programs, and we're going to see how that is all going to turn out because this is a long process. But we have women here at the Moody Church who actually go to the streets of Chicago and speak to prostitutes and pray with them and encourage them and let them know that there's a God in heaven who cares about them. and a God in heaven who's willing to forgive and to restore.
in a world that has lost its way. We need to distribute to as many people as we meet the compassion. of Jesus who cares. about the outcast, the marginalized, the poor. and the rejected.
Let that ever be. true of us. There's a second lesson. And that is that we must always exalt Jesus as the healer. Who touches the world and himself remains uncontaminated?
You know, I think the big thing about this story is that when that woman touched the tassels of Jesus. When she did that, He did not become unclean. Other rabbis might have, and Jesus, of course, wasn't a rabbi in the classical sense. Others might have, but not. Not Jesus.
You see, Jesus cleansed people with His touch. But he himself was not contaminated with that touch. He is, after all, the Son of God, the King of Kings. the Holy One of Israel. You know, you read the New Testament, you discover that the woman, of course, broke with protocol.
She should never have touched Jesus. It wasn't a sin to do it, but it was contrary to protocol because technically Jesus would have had to go through rites of purification.
So she broke with protocol. But so does Jesus break with protocol. He really does. Here in this very chapter, you see Jesus touching someone who is dead. You weren't supposed to touch a dead body.
After all, that meant uncleanness. But for Jesus to be able to touch A dead body. did not make him unclean. But in turn, He made that body alive. You find, for example, in Mark chapter 1, you can read it there for yourself, the Bible talks about a leper coming to Jesus.
And this leper comes to Jesus and he's crying and he's saying, you know, if you can, make me clean. The Bible says, Jesus stretched forth his hands and said, Be thou clean. And Jesus touched him. They weren't supposed to touch lepers. That was very clear in the Old Testament.
They were to be outside the gate. There was a certain distance that they should stay away. And yet, Jesus here is willing to touch people. He breaks with protocol. In order that he might be able to get the gospel and the good news.
to those who desperately need it. And as I was meditating on this, it dawned on me that this, in a sense, is what happened at the cross, isn't it? You see, when Jesus died on the cross, all of our sin was laid on him. Our sin was laid on him. He became legally guilty.
Of all the sins you committed this past week and the ones that you're going to commit in the future. Jesus gathered all those sins together, and even though the sin was on him, There was no sin in him. Because he was absolutely perfect, and in his person he was not contaminated by our sin, so that he could touch the world and remain absolutely pure. An absolutely righteous and not compromise His holiness. And at the same time, redeem sinners who desperately need salvation.
That's our Jesus. For which and for whom? We are deeply grateful. Let me say this to you. There is no sin that you can bring to Jesus.
that will overwhelm him. There is no sin that you will ever bring to Jesus that is too great for his grace to forgive and to restore. There is no sin. That will ever contaminate him, but he is able to reach forth his hand. I'm speaking figuratively now.
and say, be whole. You say today, but Pastor Lutzer, I am a great sinner. I say to you today, I recommend to you an even greater Savior who is able to save you from your sin. You come to Him. And when you come to Jesus Christ, You can come as you are, but he loves you too much to leave you the way in which you came.
He brings about healing. He brings about help and restoration. He really does have that power. And to those who believe, He will do just that. That's the Savior this world needs.
We know that rules in the Christian life are important. It's very critical that we live according to certain standards. But rules and human willpower. Can never do what the gospel of Jesus Christ can do because it goes right to the level of the human heart. and it cleanses us.
From all sin. That is a miracle, and only Jesus can do that miracle. Then There's a final lesson, and that is simply this: there's a difference between a casual contact with Jesus. There's a difference between casual contact with Jesus. And the touch of faith, the touch of faith.
Isn't it interesting? We look at the text and Jesus is walking along, thronged by people. jostling him. And yet he says, who touched me? And as I mentioned, if we were the disciples of Jesus, we'd say the very same thing: Of course, Lord, who touched you?
You're being pushed. Shoved. But he said, oh, no, who touched me? The crowds The crowds. We're out there.
But only one person really connected with Jesus that day on the way to the home of Jarias. It's interesting that when you read the book of Mark, you discover that Mark never paints. He never paints. Crowds in good light. He always talks about, you know, the crowd that they followed Jesus.
They followed him because they wanted to see a miracle. They followed him because they thought that he would be able to help them, and they needed bread, etc., etc., and they were always missing the real point of the coming of Jesus. The crowds never. Were. really favorable to Jesus in an ultimate sense.
It was always individuals that came to Christ. This message is being listened to right now as I speak. to several thousands of people and will eventually be heard by even more. But the fact is this: that for many it will not be a transforming message. Even for those of you who do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, it may simply be another message that you have listened to that may be interesting because Jesus is interesting, but it will not transform you.
But there are some of you. Who are saying today, I believe in Jesus. I want to receive Him by faith. We used to always sing that song, you know, as you are going, do not pass me by. If the Holy Spirit of God is speaking to you today, that's really the ultimate message of Moody Church.
In all of our outreach ministries, and there are so many of them we will not name them, at the end of the day, the real important thing is the message of Christ, because you and I need a miracle. We don't simply need good teaching. Though that prepares us. for the miracle. Think for a moment of the miracle that took place on the cross.
Jesus is there hanging on the cross. And there are two men, one is crucified on one side, the other on the other. These guys, they had breakfast together that day, quite possibly. Before they were both crucified on the opposite side of Jesus, and they were thieves, the Bible says, bad. to the bone.
Mm. The one thief looks at Jesus and said, if you're the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Now, if Jesus had done that, you and I would never have been redeemed, nor would the other thief have ever been redeemed if Jesus had followed that advice. Aren't you glad that Jesus doesn't follow? people's advice. He has to disregard what they say. He says, if you're the Son of God, do something, deliver us.
The other man. Where did he get this faith?
Well, maybe he was able to turn his neck and notice that Pilate had written above Jesus, the king of the Jews. doing that in ridicule. And then, as he noticed people walking along, they would ridicule him and say, If you're a king, come down from the cross. And this man began to think, you know, if. If this man is a king, that means he has a kingdom.
And so this Writing above the cross, though done for very wrong reasons, became like a gospel tract to him. And he said, Remember me when you come into your kingdom. He never had the nerve to say accept me. Whatever. Remember me when you come into your kingdom.
And Jesus, still king, still ruling from the cross, says to him. Today You'll be with me in paradise. It's Jesus reaching out to individuals. It's this woman. Who reaches out to him as an individual woman, and she touches him with faith.
Nobody else touched him with faith. And he says, I know that there's somebody who touched me in this special way. And so the thief on the cross dies. That evening, Jesus also dies. In fact, Jesus, I think, dies just a few hours later.
And the thief actually is there with Jesus in paradise. Breakfast with his friend here on earth. Suppering with Christ in the kingdom. At the end of the day, today you're going to be with me in paradise. You see, Jesus is looking for individuals.
Yes, it's wonderful to have a crowd, but at the end of the day, it's you that Jesus Christ is looking for. It is you that respond to Him. And it is this message of hope and forgiveness. that we can spread around today. And that's what Moody Church is all about.
And that's why we have communities, and that's why we have compassion ministries. It's because we are representing Christ to the world, a Christ who actually does save. When Rebecca and I were in England a number of years ago, I wanted to go to the grave of Charles Haddon Spurgeon because he was one of England's greatest preachers. And what a remarkable man he was. And he died rather young.
I forget exactly the age, but. I think by the time he was my age, he was already in heaven for a couple of years. That's kind of scary, but I'm just throwing that out there. But his favorite song was There is a Fountain. filled with blood.
Drawn from Emmanuel's veins.
Now I know that that's an old song, but we're actually going to sing it today because I requested it. But there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins. It's speaking, of course, figuratively. But it says, sinners plunge beneath that flood and they lose all their guilty stains. And then on Spurgeon's tomb.
There are the words of the song. When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave, then in a nobler, sweeter song I'll sing thy power to save. And then I love this. Other stanza. The dying thief rejoiced to see.
that fountain in his day. And there may I, though vile as he, wash all. My sins away. Jesus said to the woman, Oh Daughter. Daughter.
You've been healed physically. But you've been healed spiritually. Your sins are. forgiven. Thank God for a Savior who actually saves.
and who enables us to represent him. In this community.
Now what about you? Part of the crowd, yeah, we were in touch with Jesus. We're at Moody Church. Mm-hmm. And we sang songs and heard a message.
Is God calling you today? My friend, this is Pastor Lutzer, and I have to tell you that those words. that I quoted just moments ago, the dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day. Those words are on the grave of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. And it was my privilege to be at his tombstone a number of years ago.
But we here at Running to Win are deeply committed to helping more people to understand that it is indeed through Jesus Christ that we have redemption. Would you help us? We are a listener-supported ministry, and I want to give you some info. Hope that you have a pen or pencil handy, so that you might consider before the Lord whether or not you should join us, as I like to say, join the running to win family.
Well, here's the info. You can go to rtwoffer.com. I'll be giving you that contact info again. rtwoffer.com. And when you're there, you click on the endurance partner button.
Endurance partners are those who regularly support us with their prayers and their gifts. Investigate it. Go to rtwoffer.com or you can pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337. I have to tell you, we have some very good news. We are expanding this ministry even to more countries, and we hope to be going into another language quite soon.
Here's what you do. Go to rtwoffer.com, click on the endurance partner button, or if you prefer, you can call us at 1-888-218-9. 93.37. And remember, this is not our ministry, it belongs to God, but it also belongs to you. our partners in ministry.
Go to rtwoffer.com. or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us at Running2Win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. Erwin Lutzer has now wrapped up a brief series on practicing the compassion of Christ.
Next time, a new series starts. Plan to join us as a six-part look at commitment to Christ begins. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
