[0:00] Turn with me to the passage we read in Luke's Gospel chapter 8. To the words we have in verse 47.
[0:12] And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
[0:30] When the woman saw that she was not hid. In verse 43 of this chapter we are told about the condition of this woman.
[0:56] That she had this particular illness for 12 years.
[1:30] Touched the hem of the Lord's garment and was cured immediately. And what it says here is she came behind him and touched the border of his garment.
[1:44] And the word touched literally means that she grasped. Or she laid hold upon it very tightly. This was in all probability a tassel that came from the garment that Christ wore.
[1:59] And as he was passing by, she grasped this tassel. And we are told that she was healed immediately. Then we come to the question of Christ.
[2:15] In verse 45 he says, who touched me? He knew who touched him. But for the sake of the woman he asked the question, who touched me?
[2:26] It was he did not want to point her out. But he wanted herself to come forward voluntarily and admit that she had touched him.
[2:40] But then we see how Peter, the apostle, reacted to this question of Jesus. And he said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee and sayest thou, who touched me?
[2:55] And Peter, you could imagine him thinking this. This seems a strange question to ask. Who touched me? When all the people were thronging around him and would have been touching him, Peter thought it strange that the saviour should ask, who touched me?
[3:15] But then we come to the words of Jesus in verse 46. Somebody hath touched me. And really what he is speaking about, it's not just the touching of the clothes.
[3:29] But it meant more than that. He uses the expression here, that virtue had gone out of him. In other words, power had left him.
[3:41] A power had left him and had entered into someone. It was not just an ordinary touch. And he wanted the woman who had touched in this particular way to come and to, as it were, own up.
[3:57] So what we notice is this, that she was making a reluctant confession. We see the words, when she saw that she was not hit.
[4:10] A reluctant confession. Now maybe you find yourself in a similar position tonight. In that sense that you are reluctant to come out into the open.
[4:26] Maybe you are in the position where you are trying to hide. As it were, you are seeking to put your light beneath the bushel.
[4:38] You are trying to hide the fact that God has been working. Or that God has worked in your heart.
[4:49] And maybe you are trying to run away from the responsibility that is laid upon you. And that's what we notice that this woman was doing.
[5:00] But we see that when she saw that she was not hit, she came trembling. But then on the other hand, maybe you have never stretched out your hand and touched the Saviour.
[5:14] Maybe you have never come face to face with him in the way that this woman did. You can say, yes, there is an interest and you are interested in Christian things.
[5:27] One day you would like to, as it were, stretch out your hand. But you might be doing something similar to this woman. You might be trying to run away from reality.
[5:42] And you may be trying to hide the interest that you have in Christian things. And you know there are many things that people will hide behind.
[5:53] And in the opening psalm we are being reminded that we cannot in any way hide from him. But coming to the verse, I want us to notice a number of points.
[6:06] First of all, what did this woman realize? When the woman saw that she was not hit, something was dawning upon her.
[6:20] Something she was now beginning to realize. She saw that she was not hit. And I want us to notice three things I believe that this woman realized as Christ was calling her.
[6:38] And as Christ was asking the question, Who touched me? Three things she realized. The first thing is this. She realized that a great change had taken place within her body.
[6:56] A great change had taken place within herself. It was a change that was obvious to her. It was a change that was known to Christ.
[7:12] And it was a change that would become known to others. Now you may be in a situation like this. And you are beginning to realize that a change, a spiritual change, has taken place within you.
[7:33] And you are beginning to see that this is a change that is very obvious to yourself. You think about the change of desires that you have.
[7:45] You think about the way of living you once had. You think now that you are thinking now that your desires are no longer for the things of this world.
[7:55] Your desires are for the things of God. You feel that you are being drawn to his word. You are being drawn to the place of prayer. You see that you are being drawn to the house of God.
[8:11] And you have a desire within your heart to know more about him. Now the teaching of scripture makes that clear. that in ourselves we cannot muster up any desire for him.
[8:28] We cannot have any desire to know what it is to be right with him. We cannot have that desire of ourselves. And if you are in a situation where your desire is to be rid of sin.
[8:43] To be repenting of that sin. Your desire is to be right with God. Then what has to be remembered is this. That it was God that gave that desire.
[8:55] That it was God by the power of his spirit that began to apply his word to your heart. That this was the working of God's Holy Spirit that gave you desires for himself.
[9:10] And you are now beginning to realize that something has taken place. That a great change has taken place within you. And it is known to yourself.
[9:23] You are aware of it. You think of all your desires and how they have been changed and so on. It is known to the Savior. That may seem a rather simple thing to say.
[9:37] That this spiritual change is known to him. But remember this. Any spiritual change in our lives can only be because of him.
[9:50] It can only be because of the working of God's Holy Spirit. And he is the one who works by his spirit in the hearts of men and women.
[10:02] And he is aware of all those things. He is aware of all your rebelliousness. He is aware of how you feel.
[10:16] He is the author. He is the finisher of faith. And he knows what is going on in your heart and life at this time. But a change that was that would be made known to others.
[10:33] You see there were many who would have known the condition of this woman. And over a period of days they would have noticed a difference. They would have noticed that there were certain places she wasn't going to any longer.
[10:50] They would see that she was going elsewhere. A change that was becoming obvious that would become obvious to others. And again that will be true in the life of any person who has had such a contact with the Savior.
[11:09] Others will begin to notice. It may be over a period of a few days. It may be over a period of weeks. It may even be over a period of months.
[11:20] But they begin to see the difference. They begin to see the change. Now this woman realized that she could not hide herself. And literally the word is she could not escape notice.
[11:37] She couldn't hide. She couldn't escape being observed. It was so obvious that something had happened within her. And you may feel in the same situation.
[11:52] A great change has taken place within you. You're aware of it yourself. And others round about you will become aware of it as well.
[12:03] The woman saw that she was not hid. She realized that a great change had taken place within her. But then a second thing that she realized was that she was being called that she could not conceal this change.
[12:24] She couldn't conceal it. She realized that she couldn't hide it any longer. And I think that there are many who after a period of time begin to realize this as well.
[12:40] That they cannot much longer conceal the change. That they cannot really be putting their lights under the bushel.
[12:51] You see the word of God encourages to let our light shine before men. And I believe that this was the third thing that the woman realized that she was being called to confess this.
[13:05] She knew that a change had taken place within her. She knew that she couldn't hide it any longer. And she knew that she was being called to confess it.
[13:17] And Jesus was asking who touched me? What person reached out their hand? What person has felt this surge of power rushing through them?
[13:32] The question that comes to you has he touched you? If he has touched you if you feel that you have reached out to him that he has reached out to you are you willing to confess it?
[13:49] You are being called to confess it. Let your light shine before men. And maybe you are the person who is reluctant to confess.
[14:04] Maybe you are at the stage where you don't want to yet. And that was the stage that this woman was at but she was being called to confess this.
[14:16] And surely this is the responsibility this is the duty that is laid upon every child of God. Not only are they to let the light shine before men the word of God reminds us the words of Christ this do in remembrance of me.
[14:34] not only will your life begin to show that there is a change but your lips should tell that there is a change.
[14:47] And when a person is coming forward to the Lord's table we are reminded of the words that you do show the Lord's death till he come. In other words there is those that come forward to his table are making such a proclamation.
[15:06] They are declaring not only that they are on his side they are not only declaring that they belong to him but they are declaring that his death upon that cross was for them that he died there for their sins and that all the punishment that was due to them was laid upon him and as they come to his table and as they gather around his table they are making this proclamation.
[15:44] You are being called to confess. The woman saw that she was not hid and maybe you are just in that very same position you are not hid others know your condition others can see the change that has taken place you are aware of it yourself then realize like this woman that you cannot hide and that you are being called to confess.
[16:17] Notice the second main point we are told that when the woman saw that she was not hid she came trembling.
[16:28] Now the idea is from those words is that she was as soon as she touched she was making her way back home again. But then when the voice of the Savior came out who touched me?
[16:45] She saw that she was not hid therefore she made her way back to where he was and it says she came trembling. I want us to notice how she returned and looking especially at this word trembling.
[17:03] I believe first of all that she returned forgetting the plans that she had made. You can imagine what was in the thinking of this woman.
[17:16] she heard that Jesus was passing. She had decided she heard that he was the miracle working Savior and she had planned within her heart that she would go where he was that she would touch his garment and if made better she would come home again.
[17:36] That was her plan. As soon as she touched and was made whole she would slip away and not say a thing but when this woman returned to where Christ was she was forgetting the plans that she had made.
[17:54] At the beginning of this communion season you may have made some plans and you may have decided that you're not going to come forward or you may have decided that you're going to come to the house of God and you're going to slip away.
[18:14] You're not going to say anything. I don't know all the plans that you have made but we can imagine the plans that this woman made but she had a change of mind.
[18:27] She forgot those plans that she made. No longer was she going to rush away home but she was going to come to where the Saviour was forgetting the plans that she had made.
[18:41] But then it says that she came trembling. Notice how she seems to be afraid of this person fearing the person that had healed her.
[18:54] Why did she come trembling? Was she afraid that he might condemn her for going away? was she afraid that he might as it were cancel out her blessing because she had not come sooner?
[19:13] Why was she afraid? Was she afraid that he was going to cast her away as soon as she came to him? She came trembling.
[19:25] There are many reasons why she came in this way but think along those lines. Here is a woman just after a miraculous cure.
[19:42] She's been called to confess this before Christ. You can understand how she comes trembling. I don't think it was in her mind that he was going to condemn her.
[19:56] I don't think that she thought for one moment that her cure was going to be cancelled out. And I don't believe that she ever thought this that the Lord was going to just turn her away when she came to him.
[20:14] I wonder are these some of the thoughts that may be uppermost in your mind? What if I do come? What will happen? will I just be turned away?
[20:28] Will the Savior say that he doesn't want me? And you know this is something that may be in the minds of some. But remember what the word of God says.
[20:39] All that the Father give me shall come. And he has promised in his word that those that come to him he will never cast them away. He is not going to stretch out his arms.
[20:54] And bid you come to him. And as you come to him then turn his back and go away from you. Or tell you to go away. He bids you come.
[21:06] He welcomes you to come. His arms are out stretched waiting. Are you afraid to come? You need not be afraid of him.
[21:18] Because he bids you come. And he welcomes you come to himself. But then it's not just that she would be afraid of him.
[21:32] It says she came trembling. But I believe as this woman was coming there were a number of things that she was fighting against.
[21:43] Not just the plans that she had made. Not just the fear that she felt within her. But what about the people that were watching? And as she was making her way back to where Christ was.
[21:59] This was something that would be uppermost in her mind. All those people that are watching me. This vast crowd that was thronging the Savior.
[22:10] They would have heard the voice of the Savior calling who touched me. They would then see this woman making her way back to where Christ was.
[22:24] The people that were watching. And as she was making her way back she was fighting against that power. What are people going to think of me? What are they going to say to me?
[22:37] What happens when this reaches my family or this reaches my friends? what are they going to say? And here was something that she had to fight against.
[22:49] What people thought or what people were saying. And this is what the word of God reminds us that the fear of man it brings a snare. And how many are bound by the fear of man?
[23:04] How many are bound by this snare? And the more they struggle with it the tighter that snare seems to gather around them.
[23:16] The fear of man brings a snare. As this woman returned it was fighting against what others thought or what others may have said.
[23:30] But then think too of what the enemy would have been saying to her. That was something else she had to fight against. Oh he could have been saying many things.
[23:41] In all probability he was saying to her that she was a fool. You're making a fool of yourself. All the people are watching you. You've got what you wanted.
[23:52] Why not be satisfied with that? And he would be also coming in with this point. What are people going to say about you? And you're the enemy today.
[24:05] He would seek to discourage the Lord's people. He seeks to discourage people seeking the Lord. He seeks to encourage those that want to go on in obedience to the commands of his word.
[24:19] He tells you that you're a fool. Or he tells you that you're taking this too far. And that is a power that this woman had to fight against.
[24:30] the power that you have to fight against. But then you're not fighting on your own.
[24:42] It's not in your own strength. But it is with the strength of the one who helped you. And the one who saved you. Notice in the third place we're told that she returned.
[24:58] And then it says falling down before him she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.
[25:11] The revelation that this woman made. She comes and she tells him before all the people.
[25:23] What a picture this gives to us. the savior was calling her to come and confess. And as she was telling him what she did and what happened all the were hearing what she was saying.
[25:42] There are two things. She tells the reason why she touched. And you can imagine some of the things that were in the mind of this woman.
[25:54] Her reasons for touching. She would have been saying I tried everything else and it's failed. I spent all that I had and I know better in fact I am worse.
[26:11] And she could say I was at the point of desperation. Separated from my people. Separated from my friends and family. The reason why she touched.
[26:26] No one else could help her. And she was in this desperate situation. She was desperate for the help. That only Christ could give.
[26:38] She heard about Christ. She heard of the miracles that he had already performed. And she thought to herself if he can do that for others surely he can do it for me.
[26:54] Some of the reasons that would have been in her mind. It says here she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him. She wanted to reach out.
[27:07] And that's what will be in your own mind when you make such a confession or such a revelation when you are declaring before him before him or you can be saying I tried so many other ways I spent my life like the prodigal my money and right is living I came to the place where I was at the end of my tether I reached this stage of desperation oh I knew about God I knew about the Savior I heard what he did for others and it came home to me that what he did for others he was able to do for me that's what you can say that's why you reached out that's why you touched the reasons for touching the reasons why you called on his name the reason why you prayed
[28:21] God be merciful to me a sinner no one else was able to reach you no one else able to touch you but only him and it was his blessing that you really wanted all the time it was before him I wonder has this change taken place within you but I wonder also have you come to the place where you have thanked him where you have declared before him where you have acknowledged his goodness to you in reaching down to where you were in delivering you from this awful fearful pit have you thanked him and it says that she declared before him and before all the people you know it is surely that is the norm before him and before all the people and when we come to the table of the
[29:30] Lord the words of the Savior this do in remembrance of me what he has done yes there are those that look on there are those that watch and you are declaring before all the people that you touched him we notice the second thing that is what happened when she touched not just the her reasons for touching but what happened and how she was healed immediately that's what she was telling him oh that she had tried so many other places for healing and so many other people for healing they had so many promises but nothing happened but she came to him she stretched out her hand she touched him and she was healed immediately and you can come and you can also declare this work that has taken place within your own heart you may not remember exactly when or even where but you believe now that there was that moment when that instantaneous work took place within yourself how you were made whole how you were healed but then to notice in the last place the comfort that
[31:02] Christ gave her what she received was this daughter be of good comfort thy faith have made thee whole go in peace her faith had made it whole Jesus says go in peace now when he gives her this word of comfort and when he reminds her of her faith it's not a reference to her superstition Jesus called this faith and if we knew this woman and if we realized maybe what she was doing or what she had done we might have said it was superstition we might even say if there was faith there was very little faith but there was even a little faith and
[32:03] Jesus says to her daughter be of good comfort thy faith I want us to pause there for a moment surely that is what he says to all his people yes he reminds you of your faith that has made you whole he may remind you that this is your faith but the word of God reminds us by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourselves we look at it in this way that the faith that you one day exercised it was a faith that was given to you it was his gift to you it was something that was now in your possession it was something that you then exercised your faith you know there are times we wonder to ourselves what faith did
[33:06] I exercise what faith was it at times we wonder was it just my own faith and when we are sincerely seeking for him and when we earnestly seek for his blessing and when your prayer is that God would have mercy upon you God does not mock you God does not leave you without this faith to believe in him and if you in all earnestness prayed that prayer that God would have mercy upon you he gave you the faith that faith to believe in him and therefore the words can be taken as they are thy faith that faith that was given to you that faith that you were enabled to exercise and you see this word of comfort it's a word of peace he didn't give her any word of blame he didn't he wasn't there to condemn her he was there to give her a word of peace a peace regarding her faith but then I believe too that this peace that he gave her was a peace regarding what she felt now
[34:31] I'm not in any way suggesting that we put feelings on the same level as faith but what I'm suggesting is this that there are times when our feelings are used to our own comfort and in the case of this woman she felt differently she knew she was different because of her feelings her emotions and if we have come and in all sincerity sought for him the faith that he gave the faith that we were given and enabled us to believe in him from that faith may result great feelings there are some that have experienced that that that there was a time of great emotion a time of wonderful feeling not everyone has that and maybe only a few that have that but this was something that this woman would have had and here was
[35:47] Jesus comforting her regarding that feeling giving her peace regarding her feelings maybe that is a word of comfort that you need regarding your own feelings you see you're saying I feel differently you may be saying I feel no longer I desire for the things of the world I feel for the things of Christ for the things of God for his house a peace regarding feelings but no feelings can be relied upon first of all there has to be faith but then notice another point he says thy faith has made thee whole go in peace and literally it is go into peace a peace not just regarding her faith and her feelings but a peace regarding the future because what had taken place here it wasn't just for one day it wasn't just for a few days but it is something that was going to be with her when he says that she was made whole it was going to be with her all her days a peace regarding her future and maybe this is a word of peace that you need regarding your future or you say you have come to him you say that you have cast yourself upon him and you might be wondering to yourself but what's going to keep me how am
[37:30] I going to go on what happens when the time of difficulty comes when the trials come will I not fall will I not slip by the way peace regarding your future what does the word of God remind us he says that he is with us always yes he reminds us that nothing is able that no one is able to pluck us out of his hand and nothing is able to separate us from the love of God but more than that he reminds all his people that he is able to keep them from falling a peace regarding the future why do the people of God persevere why because God is the one who preserves them he is the one who keeps them and he has promised that he is going to be with them right to the very end a peace regarding the future not only in this life but in the life to come that when you pass this scene of time you know you have the assurance you have the promise of his word that one day he is going to come and take you to be with himself a peace regarding the future the savior said to her thy faith has made thee whole go in peace maybe this is the word that you need not just the realization that you are not hit but this word of promise that urges you to go and to go on in peace knowing that these are his words knowing that he is the one who is going to go before you the one who has promised to be there as the breaker up of your ways what can we learn then from this particular passage or from the story of this woman a number of things can be we could learn a number of things but first of all when you think of the condition of this woman and think of the miraculous cure that she had it reminds us of this that no one is beyond the help of
[40:01] God no one is beyond his saving power often there are many who think that they are beyond his help there are many who say that they've gone too far that the Lord could never reach down to them that he could never save them he is the one who is able to save to the very uttermost there is no one beyond his care another interesting point though that we must learn and that is that Jesus here was laying a responsibility upon this woman and that she was to act in a responsible way now that can be developed out into many other avenues but what we have to learn is this God makes his people responsible we are to live in accordance with his revealed will not just with the commandments not just with the words and the sermon on the mount but his word and we are to act responsibly we are to live in obedience to this word and what this woman was being called to do was to she was being called to obey and we are all being called to obey but the other thought in connection with that it's not just that we say to ourselves
[41:42] I'm obeying those words I'm obeying those commands and there are some that you're forgetting about as we are made responsible then our responsibility is to the whole law of God not just to one part not just to the parts that we like but to all the law of God but then there's another point something else that we learned this woman as she was being called out from the crowd she was being called to where Christ was again in front of the crowd again in another way what a responsibility before people and that is something again that we must learn the way we live our lives before people yes we are responsible and we are being called upon to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation we are being called we are reminded that regarding the light of the world
[42:56] Jesus says many so that many will see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven and then lastly if we expect and I believe something that we all look for is the blessing of the Lord then it is our obedience that is necessary if we are disobedient in any way we cannot in all sincerity pray that his blessing would be upon us if you are deliberately disobeying his word his law no matter what that law might be you will not have that confidence to go up on your knees and pray that God would bless you so what can we learn this obligation that is upon us to live in obedience to all his commands and when we do we have this confidence to pray that his blessing would be upon us and surely that's what we pray for not only for tomorrow but as we prepare for a coming
[44:17] Lord's day that his blessing would be upon us and that his blessing would be upon all that we do may God grant it let us pray we bless thee oh Lord that thy word is quick and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword we would thank thee that thou hast promised to us that this word will not return void and we pray gracious Lord that thou wouldst bless to us thy truth and we pray that it would be written deep upon all our hearts so that we would not sin against thee and we pray thy blessing upon each head bowed before thee Lord thou knowest all our needs we pray that after the voice of man is silent that thy still small voice will still be applying this word to our hearts we pray that thou wouldst bless us in body and in soul we pray oh
[45:26] God that thou wouldst deliver us and save us from the temptings of the evil one and that as he would come and seek to take away the seed of thy word we pray that when the enemy would come in like a flood that the spirit of the Lord would raise up a standard against him be with us then we pray with thy blessing and undertake for us in all that we seek to do give to us we pray the necessary strength the necessary grace and courage that we need so that we would take our stand for thee we ask it with the pardon of all our sin in Jesus name Amen Amen