Luke 8:43-56
Sunday Morning – 18 Nov 2018 10:59:34 am – Pastor James Yang
Yesterday we had the Christmas Cantata rehearsals and there were problems everywhere – the stage was too small, the actors made mistakes, the lights had problems, and the mics were not fully operational. It was all problems in my eyes. But I asked myself how God would see it. In the eyes of God, there would be no problem at all.
In Luke 8, for Jairus, his daughter had died. He asked of Jesus to help her and He said, “Do not be afraid, only believe. Your daughter is not dead but sleeping”. And people began to mock Jesus. People evidently saw her die. But the fact is, only if Jesus says she is dead then she is dead. But people decide based on their own previous experiences.
According to the Word in Acts, there are many people in this city. But according to my eyes, I could not see so. As I converse with people, a lot of people are not interested in God whatsoever. But again, the Word says that there are many people of God in this city. Thus, there is the world as I see it and there is the world of God. Spiritual life is thus to put down one’s perspective and see with the perspective of God. However, as many people live, they implement only their own perspective.
Everyone was crying as Jairus’ daughter died. But Jesus said that she was not dead but sleeping. There is a great difference between what Jesus could see and what people saw.
In John 8, there is the woman who was caught in the very act of adultery (WCA). Once a Lebanese man forwarded a video to me showing how a young lady who was caught in adultery and was stoned by the people. This is so sad.
If one meets Jesus truly in the heart, then firstly one’s sin would disappear. The second thing is that the problems become problems no more as if it disappears.
To the WCA, He said, “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more”. What’s amazing is that there is a clear and vivid line that once you move over to the side of Jesus, then you can have true peace.
In this world, no one can defeat death. It is all powerful. However, Jesus is the only man who can defeat death. If we are with Jesus, then no matter what problems we have, we can defeat them. The other name of Jesus is victory. You have met Jesus and you claim that you have failed in your life – then this is not right. This clearly means that you have not truly met Jesus yet.
If you really have met Jesus, then you should be able to hear a voice that is completely different from the rest of the world.
“Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.”
Luke 8:52-53 NKJV
Last Friday, I went to Parramatta and I spoke about the Word to the young man. What I could feel from him was exactly what I could feel when I was young. The young man studies theology. So I asked him, in Luke 10, there appears a lawyer. What did the lawyer say to Jesus? He asked “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” This man tried very hard to do something to inherit eternal life. Obviously, the question is wrong to being with. If this question is right, then it means that there is no need for Jesus in relation to eternal life.
The law is summarised in the ten commandments. Commandment 1-4 is about the love of God and 5-10 is about the love of humans.
“He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it? ” So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.””
Luke 10:26-28 NKJV
Folks, is it possible for you to love your neighbour as yourself?
Let me give you an example, folks. Just a few days ago, I felt so cold at night that I wrapped up all the blanket to myself. And my wife had no blanket at all. Just by this example, do you think I am someone who can love my neighbour as myself?The plain answer is that I am someone who cannot love my neighbour as myself.
“Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?””
Luke 10:30-36 NKJV
Before I always asked myself – “Who is my neighbour that I should help?” I did not know my place. If you are trying to look for people to save, then you are not the one who needs saving. Folks, it is important to know who you are – the saviour or the one needing to be saved.
Let’s say there is a person drowning in the river. Another person is walking along the river bank. For this person to save the drowning man, he must have 1. The power to save (in this case, swim and save another) and 2. The compassionate heart to save the other person.
You may consider the river as sin. In fact, that person drowning in the river represents you who was drowned in sin. There was no hope for you to be saved. If you do not realise that you are in sin, then salvation has nothing to do with you. There is no need in your heart for you to be saved. But the person who is truly drowning in to death, what do you think that person would feel? The person would definitely feel that death in real.
When I was in the army, I felt clearly that I was drowning in sin. I lost all my strength. I had no motivation to smile whatsoever.
On last Friday, the young man asked me, “So pastor, am I not saved?” And I told him, “Yes”. Then he said to me that his car parking time was over and so he had to go. I felt so sorry for him.
Once you realise that your heart is different from the heart of the Lord, and that you are dying, then you will be in haste to ask to be saved.
Many people who come to our church and listen to the gospel agree with the preaching. However, in their hearts, they have never been in the sinner’s position. That is, they have never seen how they are headed for hell. But in fact, they have never received salvation but only think that they are saved. This is a terrible assumption and I would ask that you please reflect deeply on this. It is better that you confess that you are not saved if you are not, and be embarrassed perhaps for a few moments than regret over it in hell fire.
Please do not make light of the gospel that you hear. Time is passing by and we do not know when the world ends. What if after all the attendance at church that you cannot in fact enter the kingdom of heaven.
When Jesus met WCA, Jesus was looking at the woman from a completely different perspective than how the woman was looking at. This is so amazing. The woman’s heart in fact changed. Her heart was fallen in sin and evil things and temptations. After she met Jesus, Jesus’ heart took place in her. The Words “Neither do I condemn you” filled her heart. This is the heart of Jesus.
For the WCA, she was filled with the heart of Jesus. There was no other heart that could enter in because it was just filled. Folks, when you are so absolutely full after eating something, can you eat anything else? No, right? Because you just don’t have the appetite to stomach it, right? Likewise, when your heart is filled with the heart of Jesus, then there is nothing that can take place in your heart. The heart to gamble, the heart to commit adultery, etc. all have no space in your heart.
Like this, the lustful heart could no longer lead the woman’s heart.
In the eyes of the people, Jairus’ daughter died. Jesus said that she was not dead but sleeping. People then mocked Jesus. This is also how people ridiculed the heart of Jesus.
A number of theology schools teach wrongly in that although Jesus has sacrificed Himself for our sins, yet, people are still being taught to ask for forgiveness. The truth is that sins should be washed from our hearts. But for many people sin still remains.
We look at things with our own eyes. But can we really trust our own eyes? One day, Deacon Ken showed me the measuring app on his phone. He measured the table for me using on the phone and the length was 41cm. But in my point of view, it was wrong. So I took out the measuring tape and it was actually 47 cm. So after that, he just chucked away the app.
Folks, you must use the right measure and this right measure and standard is actually God.
Folks, when you look at yourself, don’t you think you so good? But when God sees you, in fact, you are only evil continually. When you can see you are wrong, then you can abandon it easily.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—”
Romans 5:12 NKJV
Death came upon all men. So we are in fact all dead. The bible does say that there is a time when the dead can listen to the Word of God. This is when you become a sinner and then death comes to your heart. From then on you can listen to the voice of God.
To the dead little girl of Jairus, the Words of Jesus entered the little girl and she rose up.
To the WCA, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you” and this Word really saved the WCA from death.
Folks, there is a time when you can listen to the Word of God. When is that? When you realise that you are an evil person. When the Word of God enters you, then you can live.
Being saved from your sin is the first thing. Then there is the salvation of your life as well.
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
Romans 5:19 NKJV
In accordance with this Word, we are made righteous already.
To the WCA, she could only say ‘Thank you’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Thank you’….and she could continually only thank Jesus.
If you have been to the position of a sinner before, then you would never know this thankfulness.
If the people could understand how the WCA obtained salvation, they too would have asked Jesus if they could receive salvation…but no one stayed behind to ask Jesus.
If you can see yourself in the position of the sinner, then you will be so thankful as you will be able to receive salvation and the thankfulness towards Jesus Christ.