Keith Battle - Miracles - Part 1

I’m starting a new series today. I don’t know if you caught it in that amazing presentation; we’re talking about miracles. That’s our new series: Miracles, when God does the impossible. I’m serious, y’all; my expectations are high. Elder Clark, I’m expecting God to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we ask or think. I’m expecting us to live above just what we have tolerated and accepted and to live at the level that God has called us to as His children. I believe that He will perform miracles, and I’m using Mark chapter 5 as a focus for this series. So, if you have a physical copy of the Bible or even your own copy on your tablet or phone and you want to use it to follow along with me, that’s fine. I’m using the New Living Translation; if you don’t have it, that’s okay. The verses will come on the screen. Mark chapter 5—second book in the New Testament—and before I read this passage, if you are physically able, please stand. If you’re at Zion Landover or Zion for Washington, you’re in Greenbelt right now. Also, for people who are coming in, if you have a row with some seats available, please raise your hand so that those looking for seats can see. You need to raise it high, though; I know you want to put your bag or coat on that seat, but please raise it high enough so someone can come and find a space as we delve into this word.

Now, the purpose of this series is not just to make us more biblically astute or to give us more knowledge of the Bible. I’m really praying that this series will create an environment in our lives for the supernatural, that it will fortify our faith to the point where we expect God to do what only He can do in our lives. We want to see miracles because, truthfully, many of you find yourselves in situations where you need a miracle. Let me define a miracle for you: A miracle is when God interrupts the normalcy of life, where something that has become expected or accepted is supernaturally transformed by something only He can do that changes the entire situation. Are you listening to me? So, I’m saying, God, please do that in our midst. That’s what we’re trying to do—create an environment, and it starts with our faith. Somebody say, «Lord, build up my faith! Build up my faith!»

Alright, I’m going to start in verse 25 of Mark 5 and unpack one of the three miracles we’re going to look at today in this chapter. We’re only going to focus on one today, so check this out. Verse 25 says that a woman in the crowd had suffered—everybody say «suffered”—suffered. She had suffered for 12 years with constant bleeding. Verse 26 tells us she had suffered a great deal. Here it is: verse 25 says she suffered for 12 years; verse 26 says she suffered a great deal from many doctors. Over the years, she spent everything she had to pay them in medical bills, so that’s even more suffering. And she didn’t get better. In fact, she got—what, y’all? —worse. Verse 27 says she had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him through the crowd and touched His robe. For she thought to herself, „If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.“ Immediately, verse 29 says, the bleeding stopped after 12 years, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

Now, drop down to verse 34, and He said to her—this is Jesus—“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Your faith did this. Go in peace.» Watch this: your suffering is over! Woo! What if God— is there anybody here that would love to hear God say today, «Your suffering is over»? Let me say it to the people over here: «Your suffering is over.» Remain standing while I pray.

Father, we have gathered here today across campuses, across homes, in living rooms, on laptops, on iPads, and on phones, and we’ve come to hear a word from You. We need Your word, and Your word is our life and our bread; we need it like our necessary food. Now, as we graze through the garden of this passage today, let us receive fruit and truth that literally transform our lives and our thinking. We thank You in advance for what You will show us and what You will do in our lives. In Jesus' name, and everybody that agreed said, «Amen.» Amen! Shout «Amen!» one more time! You may be seated.

I’m going to use those last four words that Jesus says to this woman as my subtitle today: He says to her, «Your suffering is over.» Woo! Have you ever heard something that’s just too good to be true? Like if I just walked up to you randomly and said, «Hey, your suffering is over, ” you would think, „Man, go ahead! You don’t even know me like that.“ You would think it’s fantasy, it’s unreal, it’s a dream. The reason why is because you have suffered so long that there’s nothing that would make you believe your suffering would be undone. You have resolved in your heart that this is my life; this is my journey, this is my pain, this is my problem; this is how it always will be. You might say, „I’m going to take the good with the bad and keep on moving, ” or „I’m going to….“