Have You Touched the Lord Jesus in Faith? — Rolfe Barnard

The Woman Who Touched Jesus in Faith

I read tonight from the book of Mark, at Mark's gospel, at chapter 5, and verse 25, an old, very familiar passage of scripture. And from the passage of scripture I want to ask a question tonight, the best I can with all of the unction the Lord will give me.

And I want you to hear me the best you can and elect yourself a committee of one to face this question for yourself, since nobody else can face it. The scriptures read, at verse 25, After this wife and a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she heard of Jesus, came and depressed behind, and touched his garment.

For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press and said, Who touched my clothes?

And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude strong in thee, and you have the nerve to ask who touched men. But he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down.

And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace and be whole. And you've heard it many times, been asked of you many times, forgetting the other fellow. May the preacher tonight, as quickly as he may, ask you to face this question one more time.

Examining Personal Faith and Redemption

Have you touched the Lord Jesus in faith? Until two things have happened to you, has come, and your plague has disappeared? That's an important question. That's important enough to brave this inclement weather.

That's important enough, no matter what circumstances, everywhere. Since nobody else can answer it for anybody else, this is a vital question. This can't be done by proxy. This must not be settled by assumption.

This is the question. Have you touched Jesus by faith in such a way that although not with an audible voice did you hear, but you heard your soul? And you experienced redemption, and redemption is deliverance.

By the example of this woman, somebody said, and she didn't have to touch his clothing through that particular way of doing it, but she didn't know it. She thought she did. And the Lord knew she touched him for the different kinds of people who were thrown in that drew her peace inside.

The Gospel Invitation and the Need for a Savior

By the example of this woman, have you touched the invitation of the gospel? Come, says the gospel, in faith to my savior. Let his power himself freely gain. Now lift up your eyes under Calvary's cross and find mighty to save.

By the example of Jesus, the invitation of the gospel, by the need of your own Christian affreshment, have you touched it? You say, Preacher, you mustn't ask me that. That's my business. But it's all of our business.

We are members of the human race together, and we must ask ourselves and everybody else we can, none but Jesus. This sinner's good, and this woman's good, and there is no other. He's a Christian, and thus is not the statement of a prank.

In this day, what a silly question. Nothing short of the needs of your soul. The demands of all mankind. Summed up his people by sin. We're certain she'd lost all. Cast out of the synagogue. Finding out that the way of the transgressor is the remedies.

Human Remedies and the Search for Salvation

She'd never find a remedy. She was talking about something that's in the human heart of every human being. For God and remedies. She'd been to many physicians. She'd taken all of them. See the salvation of the naked.

The sun will come up in the morning. About his death. About our youngsters. It seems that Papa and Mama think all on doctors. The big teeters in the summertime. Take care of these little leaves. They got them from Grandpa down.

They ain't as bad going to drunk. But they're getting drunk. But they're reflected if we don't watch out. These are a bunch of kids. That think there ain't a thing on God's earth to live in. Except to have a good time.

Now maybe I won't charge you nothing extra for that. And I'd speak freely now. Because I have no youngsters coming on. But I tell you right now. What we used to be sure of. The time we find out. And I wish the people.

Recreation, Pleasure, and the Fall of Society

I wish we had a little army. People could move to the farm or something. And give you children. Freaking leave something out of them. I tell you. The way they made a holler. Given themselves. To the gratification of this whole body.

And we ain't. I guess there's a middle ground. Maybe you got better sense to know how to come to it. But we done gone too far that way. To where there's something more to life. Than having a good time.

I don't know. Talks about a wholesome. But what we got now. Is a damning wreck creation. If I devise a lie. You'll remember. That the Roman Empire crashed. Exactly about one inch. Down the road. Well inside the church.

Already fine themselves. Well. I guess that's too tough. But it's the guts. True age. I tell you. This woman. That did work. The day when God. To press it. To fight. For the living. God. They'll press through.

Pressing Through the Crowd to Reach Christ

Like this woman. That she said. I got to get to. And. She said. I'm not going to. I tried everything else. Nothing happened. I'm not going to quit. She was determined. To this old crazy preacher. This is about.

As hard a day. As the world's ever seen. For a man. To get into. Living. Contact. With the living. God. My. Just look. What you're going to have to plow through. Is all this gang of people. Pronging the Lord.

And they're jostling with him. But that isn't. A woman with a deep. Knee. And she. With a deep. Face. It's God's message. Yes. I remember. Some of the younger. Preachers. They said. Well. We'll. Invitation.

And I've had some of the rest of them. We'll ever do. We've come about as far as we can go. Finding out what ain't right. We've got to say. That. So much. That whether you give an invitation or not. Whichever method you use.

I've got to get to Jesus. I think. We've been shut up to that. I'll tell you right now. Making Christ. Manifest. In our. Screaming out. Just about. As long. I think as we can. I'm a. Candidate. For the.

Living Contact With God Beyond Theology

Meeting. Last. I was here. Member. Of the. Congregation. One night. I had time. To go down. He wanted. If I didn't. Drink. And he said. He wanted to. Talk. And then he began to. Weep. He said. Brother.

I've been a member. Of this congregation. For that. I tell you what. Reprobate. In this town. Change. And he said. You should come over. And have your message. I don't care. I won't get. He can give. It's a set free.

About all this crowd. But he said. It's different. He said. That was a different touch. Work your theology out. If you want to. I don't want to go to hell. Trying to unravel. This theology business. I just preach.

What little I can find. In it. Let somebody else. Unravel it. I ain't got. Sense enough to. But the Lord. Such a way. Talk. I want to talk. God knows. You're used to good. Tell me. I can't preach to you.

Very good. Cause I love you. Too much. But I tell you right now. I tell you right. Dynamite. Got the good. Representative of. Jesus. Big enough. Out of us. The God's truth. To keep a man. Out of hell.

Yes. You better listen to me. To me. Dad walking the floors. At night. When everything's. Dark. And you want to. Die. What sin do I do? To be put on. The shelf. Never. Found out. For alibi. Nobody else.

In the world. So help me God. Leave the old preacher. Telling. I think that's so. Resented. Let's just forsake. Ourself. Cut all out. The fool. Is out. Always got a. Creed or a. Doctrine. Let's cut it out.

Seeking God Through Surrender and Persistent Faith

If we know. Is presence. God. Myself. And I'm not. Very hopeful. About you. One thing. I know. Young. That some years. And then made out of the same clay. I am. Yes. I. Men and women. For it. Begets. Life.

Does not know. I. God knows. The future. And I do not. To stand. And sing. My little chorus. Not mine. But I think maybe I introduced it. Yeah. And I want it. To serve. As God's invitation. If it please him.

Reach out. Touch the Lord. As he passes by. I believe. He is alive. I believe. That men and women. Must not. Stop searching. And seeking. And reaching. And screaming. And hungering. And thirsting. Until.

You go. For so many times. This one who will not. Let one go. And with Peter. We weep. Let's stand. And sing it. Brother John. That power. Fresh baptism. Is a new. Total. Baptism. Of surrender. To thy authority.

An absolute. Ladies and gentlemen. On this hot summer night. I don't believe. That this generation. In America. Have got. Into saving. Vital contact. And this is no time. This is no place. To surrender.

This is. God give us power. God give you power. God break your heart. God break mine. God bring us to where. We'll pay the price. We'll not take no for an answer. We'll stay waiting on God. Till he brings back.

Tears, Repentance, and Spiritual Compassion

Our tears. And our compassion. To where. Bless you. The day that. Shall rebear. God. Clock in the morning. Two young students for the ministry came and woke me up. One of them was almost half crazy. He had something wrong with his eye, the rejecter was.

He could not shed a tear, and I preached that night on tears. I think the biggest scandal of so-called Christianity today is our carelessness. The doctrine you folks say you believe with a 50-foot pole.

Everybody you touch goes crazy. I said, Brother Barnard, I haven't shed a tear since the day I was born. Suffering and mercifulness, the plowing up the fallow ground in our own hearts. You've told us in the scripture to afflict ourselves and deny it.

From yonder to the judgment, we'll not be ashamed of being together this little while. May we have listening ears. Amen.