11/05/2023 Church service

周日礼拜

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How Badly Do You Want It?
John 12:36 – 46

Ordering anything in New York City can be like an act of war.

When you want a hot dog or a cup of coffee bad enough, you’ll insinuate yourself and grab hold of some counter space.

Waiting for bread in the cafeteria line.

Everyone has that moment where they are fed up (or underfed) and are ready for more. They become willing to do something they had been afraid to do because they were more afraid of what might happen if they didn’t act.

Total dissatisfaction and frustration can become your best friends if they propel you forward.

It all depends on how much you want it.

You can channel that energy into depression, or into positive actions.
Mark 10:46-52: “They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped in his tracks. “Call him over.”
They called him. “It’s your lucky day! Get up! He’s calling you to come!” Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus.
Jesus said, “What can I do for you?”
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
“On your way,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved and healed you.”
In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road.”

Mark 2:1-12 “After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren’t able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, ‘Son, I forgive your sins.’”
Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, “He can’t talk that way! That’s blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins.”
“Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, “Why are you so skeptical? Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, ‘I forgive your sins,’ or say, ‘Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both . . .” (he looked now at the paraplegic), “Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home.”
And the man did it—got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then praised God, saying, ‘We’ve never seen anything like this!’”
Mark 5:25-34: A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.
At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!”
But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.
Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.”
All three of these Biblical occurences have at least one thing in common –
ALL of these people needed something from Jesus that caused them to leave behind their self-conscious limitations and go after what they wanted from Him.
They determined they needed their miracle more than they needed the approval of others.
Even in Jesus’ day there were those who felt were more worried about social acceptance than touching GOD.
John 12:42,43: On the other hand, a considerable number from the ranks of the leaders did believe. But because of the Pharisees, they didn’t come out in the open with it. They were afraid of getting kicked out of the meeting place. When push came to shove they cared more for human approval than for God’s glory.
Anyone who does anything great for the Kingdom of GOD had to break out beyond the status quo.

It is better to please GOD rather than men.

Will GOD see us reaching out for more of HIM, or will HE see us fade back into our old spiritual, comfort zone?

Heb 10:39: “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”
“However, we are not the kind who shrink back and are destroyed;
on the contrary, we keep trusting and thus preserve our lives!”

Gal 5:6: For if we are in Christ Jesus (nothing) counts for anything (not circumcision, etc) , but faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.

Without faith it is impossible to please GOD – and with faith, we are compelled to take the appropriate action steps that validate our profession of faith.

2 Cor 4:13 - “I believe – therefore I speak”
…and I believe, we also act. We take steps of faith.

“Faith without works is dead.” “The Kingdom of GOD suffereth violence”

John 12: On the other hand, a considerable number from the ranks of the leaders did believe. But because of the Pharisees, they didn’t come out in the open with it. They were afraid of getting kicked out of the meeting place. When push came to shove they cared more for human approval than for God’s glory.

What if Blind Bartimaeus had not shouted out?
What if they had not chosen to lover that man through the roof?
What if the woman had not pressed into the crowd to touch Jesus’ robe?


Joseph Prince: “Believing first before seeing the evidence of what we are believing for is called faith. Faith is like a spark and Jesus is the dynamite powder.”

In the story of the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, there were many people who touched Jesus (Mark 5:31), but nothing happened to them. They didn’t touch Him in faith. But when the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came to Him and touched Him in faith, He felt power leave His body and it sparked off an explosion of healing in the woman’s body!
Hearing about how good, kind and loving Jesus was inspired her faith to believe that He could and would heal her. So convinced was she (even when the condition in her body was still evident) that she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
Did she experience her healing first before she believed? No, she believed first in Jesus’ goodness and power, acted in faith and only then felt the healing in her body.
In the same way, God wants you to believe in His goodness and love toward you.
He wants you to know how willing He is to act on your behalf to bless you, and how, with Christ, He will freely give you every good thing.
Romans 8:32: If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us?
He wants you to declare by faith that all is and shall be well with you, and to expect to see just that. And then, no matter how long you have had the problem, no matter how bad the experts say it is, an Divine manifestation of healing and restoration will take place, and you will receive what you are believing for!
Believe in God’s goodness and love toward you, position yourself for your miracle – step out in faith - and you will receive what you are believing for.

Hillside United Methodist Church
3739 US 80
Phenix City  AL  36870
United States
Pastor: Mike J Koger

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