Do not fear, only believe sermon

Sermon notes on Mark 5:35-43

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“God is too great for us to fear”

Mark 5:35-43

Main point-as children of God, we do not have to fear or be anxious about anything, because we believe that Our God is greater than any possible problem in our lives.

 

35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “your daughter is dead.  “Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

• Why trouble the teacher

• Why are you praying about this
• You’ve heard the diagnosis, there is nothing anyone can do about this
  • Jesus is not troubled by our requests
  • He wants them!
    • Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
    • Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
    • Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
    • Romans 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 

• Your daughter is dead

• • What do you have that you need Jesus to bring to life?  What is the enemy saying to you?
    • Your marriage is over
    • Your kids will never come to Christ
    • You will never overcome that sin habit
    • You will never overcome that addiction
    • You will never be healed
    • You will never loose that weight
    • You will never get out of that financial hole

36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear; only believe”

• Do not fear; only believe (Have faith)

• • Fear is natural, anxiety (a form of fear is natural)
  • As believers, we are not to have fear for anything or anyone except for God Himself.  Because we are to believe that our God is bigger, is better, is stronger, is sovereign over any situation or circumstance that could cause us fear or anxiety.
    • Do not fear is a command that is repeated over 60 times in scripture
    • I want to start by looking at 5 reasons as believers that we shouldn’t fear, but we should believe

 

*1 We don’t have to fear, but can believe because God is a master architect*

• Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great”

• • • What was Abraham rewarded for?  For his belief!

• Hebrews 11:8-10 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

• For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God

• • • • • He was looking forward to heaven
        • He was also looking forward to that place, that only God can set aside for him
          • That health that only God could design and build for Jairus’ daughter
          • That salvation for our kids that only God could design and build
          • God is the master builder and designer
          • He holds the architectural blue print for your life
          • Abraham couldn’t overcome the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, girgashites and Jebusites that occupied the promise land, unless there was a God, who has drawn up a plan, that is a builder and designer to accomplish His plans and His purposes, His promises for His glory in our life!
          • Abraham didn’t have to fear but only believe!
          • Jairus’s daughter coudn’t come back from the dead unless Jesus the builder and designer of her body for His glory and Jairus’ good, brought her back to life
            • Jairus didn’t have to fear, only believe!

 

**2 We don’t have to fear, but can believe because God is our shield**

• Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great”

• I am your shield

• • • Just got back from battle when God makes him this promise
    • I believe He was telling him, that, I know you just defeated the kings, but I am your shield
      • Fear not, only believe
    • We will see in the account of Jairus that there will be some naysayers, some unbelievers, some that will say your daughter is dead, some that will laugh you to scorn for believing God, but God is saying, I am your shield, only believe!

 

3 We don’t have to fear, but we can believe because of who is with us!

Genesis 26:24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father, Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”

• I am the God of Abraham your father, fear not, for I am with you

• Saints, if we understand and more importantly believe who is with us, we don’t have to fear
  • Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
  • Jesus says before He ascends in Matthew 28:20b behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
• Emanual, God is with us

 

4 and 5 We do not have to fear, but can believe because God is our strength and help

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand

• • Here we see three promises:

• I will strengthen you

• • • • When your strength is done, when it is out of your ability to deal with a situation, fear not, God is your strength

• I will help you

• • • • When there is no one that can help you, when you have exhausted your resources, fear not, God will help you

• I will uphold you 

• • • When you have all but given up and your faith is weak, God says, fear not, I will uphold you!
• Sometimes it is hard for us to believe these promises:
  • For believers:
    • God is too busy to care about me
    • I am unwilling to give it to Him
    • I am not sure whether He really works for me, not sure if He really hears my prayers
    • When you have these doubts or these questions, reference this verse, God says he will strengthen, help and uphold you!
    • As believers, sometimes we are like that dad in Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 
      • We must pray when we fear, God will you help me to believe, help my faith to be bigger than my fear!
  • For unbelievers, some are not sure:
    • If there is a God
    • If He cares for us
    • And if He is God, would He do something for you
    • Let me tell you what God has done for you and for everyone!
      • Gospel
  • Back to the text

 

37 And  he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.

• Jesus chose them *praise team*

38They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.

 39And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 

• I know it looks like the girl is dead, but Jesus has spoken!

40And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 

• Laughed at him…and He put them out…
• Sometimes when we are believing God for something, sometimes when we are holding on to the promises of God, people will laugh at us.  People won’t believe…
  • When that happens, we are to put them out!  Don’t allow the enemy to use people to squash our faith.
  • These were the friends and loved ones of the baby girl
  • It may be the voice of our friends and our families that give up, that don’t believe, put those voices out and focus on the voices of only those that believe!

41Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

 42And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 

43And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

 

• Is there something in your life that is giving you anxiety?  Is it a fear of the season in life that you are in?  Is it a fear of the unknown an anxiety of a potential problem?  Is there something in your life that is causing you to fear more than you believe? 
  • What is that for you? [Give it a moment…]
• Jesus is saying in this moment, through His word, do not fear only believe.