Wednesday 7/22/26 - The Call To Samaria - Pastor Bria

worthy bless. Bless. Bless every bless.

I love praise. Sing praise. is worthy of moment over.

The perfect stolen wide open All praise to the name abus. All you are is higher still. Your name is still praise to the name.

Welcome. like to invite everyone to stand as we get ready to invite the Lord to work in this service today. Thank you so much for taking time out of your Sunday morning.

Uh why don't we just ask the Lord to work in this service today. I want to be good ground, ready to receive all that God wants for us. Let's ask him to work.

God, thank you for the privilege to come together. Lord, thank you for being faithful to us, good to us, rich in mercy. Lord, we're your people called by your name.

And God, we're just grateful to be in your presence, Lord. We're asking that you to work in our midst, Lord. Help us today, Lord, as we enter into your gates with thanksgiving and into your courts with praise.

Lord, we're here because of you. We're here to worship you, to give you all of ourselves, Lord, which is what you deserve. Help us in this place today.

In Jesus name we pray. Can we just clap our hands together? The Lord, invite him.

>> Thank you, Jesus. >> Help us today, Lord. We welcome you in this house, Lord.

Hallelujah. Let's sing to the Lord together. >> Sing the wondous love [music] of Jesus.

Sing his mercy and his grace in the mansions bright and blessed. He'll prepare for [music] us a place. I can see the light coming.

I can see the day turning [music and singing] when we all get to heaven. [music] What a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all sing, we will we will sing and shout the victory.

[music and singing] >> We will we will sing and shout the victory. [music] >> How many of you are looking forward to that day when we all get to heaven? We're going to sing and shout for glory, Lord.

Sing onward to the prize before us. Soon his beauty will behold. [music] And soon those pearly [singing] gates will open.

We will walk on streets of gold. And I can see the light coming. Yeah.

And I can see the day [music] dawning. Yeah. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be.

When we all see Jesus, we will sing [music] and shout love. Oh, we will. We will sing and shout.

Oh, sing. We will we will sing and shout. We will sing.

Yes. Sing and [music] shout the victory. >> How about give God some glory?

Give him praise. Hallelujah. Oh yes.

Sing. Oh, I can't wait for that day when we rise up. Every tear will be wiped from our eyes.

We're going to see you and sing. Holy holy singing mountains. Mountains will shake.

Every [music] curse will be >> We're going to see. >> We're going to see every [singing] word I see. >> And all of the earth, the earth will be filled with your glory.

>> Sing it again. Oh, I can't wait. Oh, I can't wait for that day when we rise.

Every tear will be wiped from our [music] eyes. We're going to see you sing for me. When we all When we all get to heaven, what a day [music] of rejoicing that will be.

When we all sing, we will sing and shout [music] love. >> We will. We will sing and shout love it.

We will. We will sing [music] and shout the victory. >> We will.

We will sing and shout the [music] victory. Shout it out. Hallelujah.

Thank you, Lord. I praise you for your glory, God. One day when we rise up, we'll get there.

Oh. Oh, we take you, Lord. Amen.

Let's clap our hands together to the Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus. Amen. We want to take a moment just to go to the Lord in prayer for our prayer requests.

We want to continue to pray for Brother Webster and Sister Janet as well. And of course, every single one of us in this place have family members, have co-workers, um, extended family that of course we can be intercessors for. And of course, in this service today, if you need prayer and our next song and worship set, feel free to move forward.

We will pray for you and the needs in this service today. But just by the uplifting of your hands, can we just take our needs to the Lord? Every person in this place today, let's let's become intercessors in this house and ask the Lord to work.

God, thank you for the privilege to be able to come to you in prayer. Thank you for being with us in this house today, Lord, and caring about our needs. We're grateful, Jesus, for all that you're doing in this house, Lord.

All the prayers that you're answering, Lord. We know you are at work. And we're asking that you continue to work in this house today, Lord.

Do the work for us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

You may be seated. You're our guest with us today. Thank you so much for coming and being with us.

Uh we have several guests which I I'll let uh brother Gan in just a few moments acknowledge some of the guests, but we're grateful that you're here. Uh if you are had opportunity to fill out one of our guest cards, thank you. You can also scan the QR code on the front of your pew.

Uh we'll take some information from you and that will give us an opportunity to invite you to our next VIP breakfast. We just had one this morning where you can sit down with our pastor and he can get to know you. Spanish service is this afternoon at 3M.

That's our Spanish speaking service. So, if you know anyone that speaks Spanish or if you have Spanish as your primary language, you're welcome to come to that. And of course, as a church body, we want to pray for that ministry.

Celebrate Recovery is also a ministry that we want to pray for. That's every Tuesday at 6:30. It's for anyone that has any hurts, hang-ups, or habits.

You can come and that ministry will help you. Of course, Wednesday nights is our midweek matters. It's every Wednesday at 7 p.m.

It's our Wednesday evening service. It's typically in a Bible study where we study the word of God and get together and just have some fellowship. To those that helped yesterday, our our uh backpack giveaway as well as our um free yard sale, which I didn't understand what a free yard sale was.

I thought it meant that we offered people to come and be able to sell their stuff and we didn't charge them to be able to sell it, but it actually meant that we give away everything in the yard sale. So, it was meant to be a blessing to our community and a lot of people put a lot of work uh into that event. And I was telling Alicia, you know, Jesus promised us, he told us, he said, "It it is more blessed to give than to receive." And I told her, I said that that is something that you you have to take a step of faith and feel it.

You can't just tell somebody that because our default is, well, why would it feel better to give than to receive? But when those folks put in all that work, and I know people put in a lot of work. Um, I can't tell you how many uh weeks I came here and sister Kathy and Shakira were over there preparing backpacks.

I know many of you uh spent hours and hours in preparation for the event yesterday. I know many of you gave financially for the event. Uh but to be able to see the fruits of that [music] uh and and see people appreciate and have gratitude for the blessings that you were to them, that's how you know it's better to give than to receive.

So for all of you that did that, thank you so much. I'm proud was proud of it as as a member of this church. Proud that you were able to do it.

Why don't give everybody a hand? Thank you. And uh let's just going to come at this time.

Thank you. Um that was beautifully said. It was actually I'm like I feel like I mess up my words every time.

So he just laid the foundation of everything I felt in my spirit and I just want to give one instance and I'm always crying. Um but yesterday there was uh this huge van of kids that showed up. There was, I think, six kids in the family and everybody was so grateful.

Everybody in the community, everybody that grabbed a backpack, everybody's like, "Thank you." Like, everybody's excited. But this particular family and I think like it touched all of us and it was what we all kept going back to. Like, this is what it's for.

But the kids were like, "Oh my word, mommy, look at this backpack. Look at all this stuff." And she was like, "This is filled with all the school supplies that they need." And we're like, She was like, "Oh my gosh, this is such a blessing to us." And it was all of their children. So, it was like magnified.

It was like not just one of them. It was like six of these kids just excited. And um it was just beautiful to witness.

And thank you all to everyone of you who prayed for the event, prayed for it to um for us to have sunshine. We had sunshine basically the whole entire time until we were closing up. And it was just a beautiful day, beautiful Um, we got to outreach in the community.

They came to us. We got to pray with a couple people and it was just a beautiful event. So, thank you to the whole entire church family for standing behind um the Sunday school department and believing in this these children and they're all sitting up here right now.

Um, and sister Demetrius and Sister Kathy um you know them. This has their their love and handprints all over it. They they um did up all these baskets and I'm going to have the youth come up at this time.

and then Sister Kathy and Sister Demetrius, we're going to do a giveaway. So, these these giveaways with the um little containers, these were for all of the kids that were here yesterday. And then if you weren't here yesterday, that's okay because you got a ticket.

And if you didn't get a ticket and you're a kid from age two up to 18, um, Brother Tyrone, yes, Brother Tyrone has the tickets. Okay. Sorry, I thought you raising your hand like you needed to say.

So, if you don't have a ticket, I just want you to raise your hand and you will be entered to um into the drawing for that last basket over there. Okay. So, if the hands are raised, ushers or brother Tyrone, can you give a ticket to these kids while we're doing the drawing?

Okay. All right. So, the first basket giveaway is going to be for a toddler girl.

This is for a toddler girl. And this is gonna be for Abigail. Abigail, you want to come up and get it?

Okay. And then for the next one, uh, early elementary boy. Do we have Elijah White here?

Elijah White. Is Elijah here? Elijah White.

Okay. Olan Maguire. Olen Olan.

Lincoln Bingham. Lincoln Bingham. Is Hunter Pow here?

Hunter, come up and get your basket. All right, this is late elementary girl Gloria. Do we have a Gloria here?

Do we have a Parker? KELLY. All right.

This is for our youth boy. Um, do we have Chrissy Ellis? Michael Belton Miguel R.

>> I think his hand's been held the whole time. Uh, Miguel Miguel R. That's Aral.

>> That's Aral. That's a youth boy. [applause] >> That checks out.

He's in the youth. He's a boy. I mean.

>> All right. This one is for early elementary girl. Thank you all for bearing with me.

I know this is cutting up the service, so I appreciate you. Um Daisy Bria Feel bad reading that one. >> All right.

Youth girl, Kayn Thompson, Daniela Dobin. By the way, we probably had easily like 200 people here yesterday. So, this is Eden McDaniel, Kayla Ray.

[laughter] >> All right. And then we have two more and then we'll do our raffle. So the this is the toddler boy.

Did everybody get tickets that Kindle Bell. >> Kindle Bell. >> Roman Jones.

>> All right, the last one is late elementary boy. East Estus. >> Oh, there he is.

>> Okay, the last one is for the ticket. >> Why he's going to get that? I will say we had um just just for those of you who aren't aware, we had um 209 backpacks that were stuffed and filled that we were able to give away.

Um, and we had probably 15 to 20 that we were able to actually donate to the Spanish church as well. Um, so y'all were able to bless our Spanish ministry as well. So, thank you so much.

And anybody else need a ticket? All right. So, this is for all that are here today that was not here yesterday.

And I am going to go. Brother Robert, can you pull out a ticket for me? All right.

Number nine, 73 87 1. >> All right. Thank you all so much.

I know that's such a um shock in the service and like a cut, you know, we're feeling the spirit and then we do this. But thank you all for investing and believing in our children's ministry. It's very children are very important.

They're our future of our church. Um so at this time I'm going to have the kids come forward. Um they are going to be starting school.

Most of them are going to be starting school in about a week. So we're just going to have all of them come forward. Feel free to come up if you want to stretch your hands forward.

Um but we're just going to take this time and pray for our kids. pray against the things that they may fight that we don't know about. Um, and pray the angels are with them and God is with them.

And in Jesus name, we're going to pray. Let's all stand if you would. Those of you that would like to come pray with them or Heat.

Hey, come on. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Y'all can be making your way back to your seats. Just like to say again how much I appreciate our children's ministry and our youth ministry. Those that help and thank y'all for what you do.

Amen. Why don't we all just let's just give a hand of applause here to our youth ministry and our children's ministry team. Thank you, God.

Amen. One more announcement, and that is that we're to the point where we need to get some more work done. You can be seated, but you're going to have to stand up again in just a minute.

But, uh, love you, Sister Glory. God bless. uh kind of been on hold waiting on some other things to take place on the building project, but now we're to the point where we need to get some things finished up as far as the painting so that others can come in and do what they need to be doing.

So, we will be having other men's work night Tuesday at 6:30. Those that can be here to do some more painting and get things ready. They're getting close to put the finish on the concrete floor, so we got to get the painting done first.

So, appreciate our men helping out with that. Thanks brother Buddy Siddens for your coordinating and all that and ushers going to come at this time. So now you get to stand again.

So, if you'd all stand together as our ushers are coming, just by way of reminder here, there's a scripture in the Bible, Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my my house, and try me now in this, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." How many would just like to see those windows of heaven opened up and the blessings of God flowing into your life and into this church? Amen. So, the ushers are going to be coming through the uh the sanctuary today to give you an opportunity to give uh your tithes, your offerings.

You can also use your phone from our Giblify app, credit card term on the back. So, thank you for your faithfulness. And let's just pray right now over this offering.

Dear God, we're thankful Lord for the opportunity to give of our finances, give our time, talent, and treasure Lord to your kingdom. Pray that you'll take it, you'll multiply it. Let it be a blessing, dear God.

I pray that you'll bless these that give dear God. Honor them for their faithfulness and we thank you for your faithfulness upon this church family dear God. Ask it all in Jesus name.

Amen. Amen. Lord bless you as you give.

[singing] But it won't [singing and music] fall. It won't go I [music and singing] serve only [music] God will [singing] fail. Oh my [music and singing] God will never >> I'm going [singing] to see a victory.

I'm [music] going to see a victory. >> For the [singing] battle belongs to you, [music] Lord. I'm going to see the victory.

I'm going to [singing] see the victory for the battle [singing] belongs to you, Lord. [music] Sing. There's power in >> There's power [singing] in the mighty name of Jesus.

>> It's every war. >> Every war he [singing] wages, he will win. >> Oh, I'm not backing down.

>> I'm [singing and music] not backing down from any >> cuz I know I know how this story ends. Yes, I know. I know how this story ends.

>> I'm going to see a victory. I'm going to see [singing] a victory [music] for the battle belongs to you, Lord. [singing] I'm going to [music] see a victory.

I'm going [singing] to see victory [music] >> for the battle. >> For the battle. >> Sing that again.

I'm going to see >> I'm going to see victory. >> I'm going to see victory. >> For the [music] battle [singing] belongs to >> Sing it one more time.

I'm going to see >> victory. I'm going to see victory for the battle belongs to [music] you, Lord. >> You take what the enemy meant for evil and you turn it for good.

Yes, you turn it for good. You take what the enemy for evil >> and you turn it toward your heart. >> Yes, Lord.

>> You turn it forward. [music] >> You take it. >> You take what [music] the enemy [singing] >> and you turn it.

>> Turn it for you. Turn it around. >> Turn it.

You take you take what [music] the enemy does for evil and you turn it for good. >> You turn it for good. >> One more time.

You take what the enemy You take what the enemy [music] turn. >> You turn it for. [music] Oh.

Oh. Victory belongs to Jesus. Victory belongs to him.

Oh, >> victory belongs [music] to Jesus. >> Victory. How many of you know he's the conquering king?

Sing. Oh, what you are victory belongs to Jesus. You are victorious.

God, one more time, sing, oh, >> victory belongs to Jesus. Victory belongs to him. This is how I fight my battles.

This is how my battle. Sing that again. This is how I fight.

This is how [music] I fight my battle. >> This is Yeah. >> This is how my battle >> through my praise, through my worship, and through my testimony.

>> This is how I fight. I fight my battle. >> This is how I fight my battle.

>> Oh, and see, look. It may look like I'm It may It may look like I'm [music] surrounded. I'm surrounded.

>> It may seem like I'mrounded. Oh. >> It may seem like I am surrounded.

[music] >> Kids, when you go back to school and you see all the things that are happening, [music] >> just know you're surrounded by Jesus. It may look [music] like I'm surrounded [singing] but I'm surrounded. >> His spirit will go with you.

[music] Look like I'm surrounded. >> Sing. This is how this is how I fight my battle.

This is how this is how I fight my battle. This is how I fight my battle. This is how I fight my This is This is how I fight my battle.

This is how this is how I fight [music] my battle. Oh, this is how I fight my battle. Yeah.

This is how I fight [music] my Sing it again. This is how this is how I fight my battle. Through my worship, through my testimony, through my praise God.

This is how I find my battle. How I fight. See, it may look like I It may look like I'm surrounded.

[music] I'm surrounded. It may seem like I like I'm surrounded. [music] >> You're on every side.

Oh God, it may look like [music] I'm around. >> Oh, it may seem like I am. May look [music] like I'm around.

>> See, this is how this is how I fight my back. for this is how I fight my [music] battle. Oh, through your worship.

This is how I fight my battle. >> Through your praise. Oh, this is how this is how I fight my battles.

Oh, through the testimony you share. This is how I fight my battles. Through the blood and through our testimony.

We are overcomers. This is how I fight my battles. Oh, one more time.

This is how This is how [music] I fight my battles. This is how I fight. Yes.

This is how I find my sing. I'm going to see I'm going to see a victory. >> I'm going to see a victory.

>> For the battle belongs to you. Oh, I'm [singing] going to see >> I'm going [singing] to see a victory. [music] >> One more time.

Sing. I'm going to see I'm going [singing] to see a victory. >> I'm going to see a victory victory.

[music] >> For the [singing] battle belongs to you, Lord. >> Hallelujah. >> Thank you, Lord, for the victory.

Thank you in advance for the victory. Thank you for the victory that you've already purchased. Hallelujah.

[music] Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Praise you Lord.

Praise you Lord. Praise you Lord. Amen.

Isn't God good all the time. Amen. >> Praise God.

It's so good to see everyone here. My technology going here. We're going to go to the Gospel of Luke chapter 8 while we're turning there.

Brother Mcola is getting baptized in Jesus name >> today. >> Amen. >> Praise God.

Exciting. Amen. We celebrate together.

Amen. The goodness of God and what he's doing. The old song is one day at a time, sweet Jesus.

And that's that that's just it. It's one day at a time for every one of us. Praise God.

Luke chapter 8. The Lord dropped this passage of scripture just into my spirit. I don't know, two, three weeks ago.

Sometimes that's how God works. At least in the way he works with me, getting a message and I chewed on it. on it.

Even the 11th hour tried to put it away and go to something else. But here we are. Luke chapter 8.

Uh it's a lengthy reading, but we're reading it because it all goes together. So 16 verses here we're going to read. And I'm trusting that God has something to impart to us today, to speak to us today through his word.

So Luke chapter 8, we're going to begin reading at verse number 40 and the scripture says, "So it was when Jesus returned that the multitude welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. And behold, there came a man named Gyrus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus's feet, and begged him to come to his house.

For he had an only daughter, about 12 years of age, and she was dying. But as he went, the multitudes thronged him. Now, there's going to be a little shift in the story.

Now a woman having a flow of blood for 12 years who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any came from behind and touched the border of his garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press you, and you say, who touched me?" But Jesus said, "Somebody touched me?" For I perceive power going out from me.

Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling and falling down before him. She declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched him and how she was healed immediately. And Jesus said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer.

Your faith has made you well. Go in peace." Now, the story is shifting back to where we started. While he was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.

Do not trouble the teacher." But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid. Only believe, and she will be made well." When he came into the house, he permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. Now all wept and mourned for her.

But Jesus said, "Do not weep. She is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed him knowing, knowing that she was dead. But Jesus put them all outside, took her by the hand, and called, saying, "Little girl, arise." Then her spirit returned and she arose immediately.

And he commanded that she be given something to eat. And her parents were astonished. But he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

The Lord's help, I want to minister this morning on this topic, the restoration of the womb. The restoration of the womb. We pray and ask for God's help this morning.

Father, we're thankful for all that you have done and are doing in this service today. And we know that being gathered here together in your name, Jesus, this is ordained by you, Lord. And that you're here in this place working and moving and speaking.

I pray, Lord, that your word would come forth in the power of the spirit today, Lord. That you would open our hearts to receive and our minds to understand what you would have for us to receive from your word today. God, anoint these lips of clay to speak your word today.

Lord, do what only you can do in this house. Lord, let's let us create the atmosphere for it. We pray all of it in Jesus' name.

And everyone said, "Amen." You may be seated. Procreation, or to put it in simple country terms, having children has remained a constant desire for most couples throughout history and across all cultures. And this should come as no surprise to us because in the book of Genesis when God created the first man and the first woman, he told them to go forth to be fruitful and to multiply.

In the book of Psalms, the psalmist wrote in Psalm 127 and3, and I've asked the Lord to help me with this passage quite often in having my own children. The word says children are a heritage from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward.

The womb is the place where conception occurs. The womb is the place where gestation occurs. If if you will, the womb is the incubator of life.

And if you were to go home and perhaps this week do a study on the womb throughout scripture, you will find that God actively works in the womb to accomplish his purpose. >> Praise God. >> The psalmist David said it beautifully in Psalm 139 verses 13 and 14.

He said, "For you formed my inward parts. you covered me in my mother's womb. David was was acknowledging the fact that what was happening in the womb was the direct handiwork of God.

He goes on to say in verse 14, I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are your works and that my soul knows very well. Such a beautiful passage of scripture.

And can I declare to each and every one of us this morning that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. Praise God. None of us here are a mistake.

None of us here are an accident. However, it came to pass. God was actively at work in the womb of your mother when you and I were created.

Praise God. The scripture also tells us that God opens and he closes the womb. We know the stories of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, all of those women went through seasons of barrenness.

In fact, Jacob had two wives, Leah and Rachel. And the scripture directly says that God opened Leah's womb because he saw that she was unloved. God is actively at work in the womb.

And all those women mentioned Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, at God's appointed time, the seasons of barrenness ended, and the promises of God manifested through the wombs of these women. Sarah had a promise, praise God, that there would be a child, that there would be a seed, a people as the sand on the seashore innumerable. Uh that that promise would come through the womb that at one point the scripture said was dead, but that which was dead, God makes alive.

Praise God. There are just some principles throughout scripture that are unchanging. And one of those is that our God, he can take dead things and make them alive.

Praise God. If we're feeling dead here this morning, perhaps you're here without hope. Perhaps you're here discouraged and feel defeated.

I want you to know God can turn it all around because he specializes in taking that which is dead and making it alive and bringing forth his promises. The womb is a significant place of God's divine activity. So much so that God himself chose to come to earth through the womb of a woman.

The Holy Ghost overshadowed Mary and impregnated her. And Paul is clear that Jesus was born of a woman, born under the law. If you were to look at the word womb in Hebrew, there are several different words.

One of those which is rockum. And the word rockom, interestingly enough, is also used to reference God's compassion. talking about the womb, the place where life comes forth.

When the womb is healthy, don't worry, I'm not going into too much detail here, but we're getting we're getting to our passage. When the womb is healthy, a woman experiences a menstrual cycle every 28 days on average. And the purpose of this cycle is to prepare the body for the possibility of getting pregnant each month.

That's how God designed it. And once pregnancy occurs, the cycle stops. The baby begins to develop.

The womb creates this thing called the placenta. The placenta transmits nutrients to this new life. It it removes waste product.

It's there to support the overalls the overall development of this child. Now, now you're probably thinking, what in the world does this have to do with Luke chapter 8 and the two women that we've read about that that Jesus touched and and healed? C can I can I tell us this morning that these two women, one was a young girl and the other we're not told her age, but we assume she was an adult.

Two women who were at wit's end. Two women who had lost all hope. Two women who were ostracized from community because the law declared that they were unclean.

Luke presents this passage of these two women in what I call a sandwich structure. What's very interesting about the gospel writers is that they're it's just not a biography, but they're trying to communicate a message. And and there's a structure here.

I think many of us have eaten a sandwich, right? You got a top bun, you got the meat. I know it's almost lunchtime.

Maybe brisket. Maybe just a hamburger patty. Maybe some chopped pork.

You name it. And then you've got the bottom bun. And that's exactly how Luke tells us about these two women.

He begins with talking about Gyrus coming to Jesus, falling at his feet, asking Jesus to come to his house because his only daughter is at the point of death. That's the top bun. But then the story shifts.

Remember this this g this young girl is about ready to die. But then the story shifts to a nameless woman who has this issue of blood falls at the feet of Jesus after she's been healed. Jesus calls her daughter and says be well.

That's the the middle. And then the story returns back to Gyrus's daughter. They go to the house.

She's dead now. And he brings her back to life. Now, I bring this to our attention this morning because the structure lets us know the two stories are connected.

That Jesus wants us to see something related with these two women. With the help of the Lord, I want to bring that forth to us this morning. If you read very closely this passage, there are some similarities between Gyrus's daughter and the woman with the issue of blood.

The first being the number 12. We're told that the woman had the issue of blood, which scholars believe most likely was a menstrual hemorrhage. words continual bleeding for 12 years that a problem that that she she could not get healed from for 12 years.

Then we read that Gyrus's only daughter who is at the point of death was at the age of 12. Now 12 is also on average the age when a young lady starts her cycle. So there's a relationship there between these two women.

I believe that. Of course, if you're into numerology, I'll just throw this out there as a as a possibility. Num, the number 12 often references governmental perfection in scripture.

We know there's 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles, 12 foundations in the heavenly Jerusalem. That there's a relationship between the number 12 and the people of God. Then there's the social standing element to this.

We're told that Gyrus was a religious leader. He was a a person of social standing. And then we read about the woman with the issue of blood.

Now, we're not told her name, but the fact that she had wealth lets us know that she also was a person uh of social standing because most people didn't have money to pay the physicians. But we're told that she for 12 years had suffered and could not find answers and she had spent all of her wealth on these physicians with no answers. She too was a person of social standing.

But despite all of this, despite their status, despite their social standing, the fact that one was experiencing a bodily discharge and the other was dead, both were considered unclean in the Old Testament law. These conditions separated one from the community. The woman with the issue of blood, either she was never married or if she was married, we're not sure.

But if she was ever married, she was likely divorced because she was perpetually unclean. Do you see the havoc this was having on on their lives here that that the uncleanness according to the law, they they were put out, they were ostracized, they were they might as well both of them be dead. Well, one of them was, but the other one might as well be dead.

This is a very bad circumstance. Another similarity in the passage of scripture here is the falling at Jesus's feet. We read that Gyrus, he comes and he falls at Jesus's feet and says, "Jesus, my only daughter is at the point of death.

H can you do something?" H you see there was there was there was a desperation there. Then we go to the woman with the issue of blood. She touches the border of his garment already at a place uh of kneeling to touch just the hem of his garment.

Uh at which point the Bible says that power left Jesus and went to this woman. And when Jesus asked who touched me? The woman was fearful and terrified.

You know why she was terrified? Because when an unclean person touches someone, that person too becomes unclean. And she was fearful of being judged.

And and so when Jesus said, "Who touched me?" The woman in fear said, "Lord, I touched you and this happened." You see, when the unclean touches Jesus, it doesn't make Jesus unclean because his power is strong enough and powerful to deal with any situation, any sin, any form of darkness. Can I tell you that your sin is not bad enough that Jesus is scared of it? But we can bring all of our cares.

We can bring all of our burdens. We can bring all of our guilt. We can bring all of our shame to the Lord.

We can lay it at his feet and his power can go forth and transform and change us into new creations where old things are passed away and all is become new. >> It's sad that sometimes religious folk get scared of sin. We shouldn't be scared of skin sin.

We shouldn't be scared of the powers of darkness. But rather, we should know the one who has all power and all authority, who's everywhere present. There's nothing too big, nothing too strong that our God cannot handle.

>> You know, it's amazing. Jesus didn't even say a prayer. He didn't even say a word.

The woman simply touched him and power went forth. That brings me to the next point here in the two stories. Take Thank you for take let me take a moment.

I I want I want to I want to make the dots connected so you can see this. The touch of Jesus. I just spoke about how the woman touched the border of his garment and that power went forth.

When we get back to the young woman who died, the daughter of Gyrus, what do the scriptures say Jesus did? Jesus touched her hand and said, "Little girl, arise." You see, even with the little girl, it was the touch of Jesus that made the difference. Lastly, I find it interesting how the scripture uses the word daughter.

The scripture lets us know that the little girl who was dying and who did die was the daughter of Gyrus. And then the nameless woman with the issue of blood after she's been healed and restored by the power of God, Jesus turns and he looks to her and he says, "Daughter." The relationship changed. The word daughter metaphorically also references the people of God throughout scripture.

The daughters of Zion, the daughters of Jerusalem. So, as you can see here, and I've laid that out, that this young girl and this woman. They had a lot in common.

Both are female. Both are unclean. Both are are separated from community.

Both have no hope for the future. And both of them have dead wounds. We come back to that in a moment.

The status, their wealth, it made no difference. The only thing that could make the difference was the touch of Jesus. The touch of Jesus brought hope to a hopeless situation.

The touch of Jesus restored the ostracized to community. The touch of Jesus brought two dead wounds back to life and restored them to their proper place. If there's anything we need church today, it is the touch of Jesus.

You say, "Pastor Brother Estus, that that's simple. That that that's a simple message. I understand it.

But when you look around at modern-day Christianity and modern day churches and and and I'm not casting any judgment, but there's just a lot of focus on strategy and a lot of focus on performance and a lot of focus on programs to attract people and and c can I remind us today that those things might be nice. I'm not against them. I'm not preaching against them.

But I will tell you that those things will not advance the kingdom. What we need to advance the kingdom is the touch of Jesus. We need the touch of Jesus in our lives, in our homes, in our churches now more than ever before.

We need Jesus, his touch to deal with hopeless situations, with ostracism, with the spiritual death that pervades our society. Only the touch of Jesus can make the difference. WE MUST SEEK, WE MUST PRAY FOR, we must ask for the touch of Jesus.

I know that in my own life personally, I came to the Lord. It was not a large mega church with programs, talent, and things of that nature. It was the touch of Jesus.

You know, there's a story in the Gospels. I wasn't planning to preach it today. just came to my mind, but I think it's important here that he was blind and Jesus healed him.

And there was this whole scholarly debate about why he was blind and how he was healed. And finally, the man said, you know, I I don't know if my parents sinned. And I'm paraphrasing a little bit here, but he just said, "One thing I know, I was blind, but now I see." Praise God.

It is that simple. When the touch of Jesus comes onto our lives, you don't have to explain the theology of it. You don't have to know the scriptures.

I'll tell you myself, I was 12 years old. I didn't know the plan of salvation. I didn't understand the scriptures to be able to explain it.

I was just told, "Hey, this is what you need to do." And I did it and God touched me. I'm here to tell you, you don't have to figure it all out this morning to be touched by Jesus. You don't have to get everything cleaned up to get touched by Jesus.

All you have to do is say, "Jesus, I need your touch today. I need your touch in my life. Lord, touch me and I know I'll be made whole.

Uh, I know that I'll be transformed. JESUS, JUST LET me have your touch. >> There is no substitute for the touch of Jesus." The old hymn came to my mind and for many years we sung out of the himynelss the old hymn touching Jesus.

Not going to sing it but I'm going to read you the words this morning. It the chorus simply said touching Jesus is all that really matters. Then your life will never be the same.

Do we believe that this morning? Still that that's what matters. It's touching Jesus.

And there's only one way to touch him. Just believe when you call on his name. In our moments of desperation, we need to run and fall at the feet of Jesus.

We need the touch of Jesus. We cannot live without the touch of Jesus. We've just got to believe when we call on his name.

C can I implore us here today? If you have a need, if you're hurting today, uh if you're searching today, UH DON'T LEAVE THIS PLACE THE WAY THAT YOU CAME, BUT CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS AND SAY, "LORD, IMPART THAT TOUCH to me." And I'm confident that just like the woman with the issue of blood, that power will go forth and touch your life and restore you uh and transform you uh and bring newness that only he can bring. I titled my message today, the restoration of the womb.

Here's to me where the story the two women becomes very interesting because not only did Jesus give these two women life again but he also restored their roles as lifegivers. Because you see the woman with the issue of blood there was no way that she could be pregnant with the situation she had. And the young woman who was 12 years of age, of course, dead, there was no way that she would have a future, a future husband, future children, etc.

But when Jesus touched these two women, not only did he give them life, but he restored their place as lifegivers. that through the healing touch of Jesus, these two women could now return to community, get married, bear children, which was very highly thought of in those days. Throughout scripture, the replication of God's kingdom is often described using imagery from the earthly reproduction of humanity.

It is not coincidence that the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the groom and that his church is the bride. We know that the male possesses the seed of life. God himself is our father and he impregnates his people with his spirit.

Only God can save a person from sin. You can't. I can't.

Let's not put that burden on our shoulders this morning. We can't save anybody. Only God puts people in his kingdom.

Jesus tells us in John chapter 3 that we have to be born again of the water and the spirit to enter the kingdom. You know, one of the things that drives me crazy when we talk to people about water baptism is that that people say, "Well, that's a work. That that's human works." Well, I I'm going to tell you what happened when I got baptized.

And I didn't have any theology training or background. The preacher put me under that water. He baptized me in the name of Jesus.

When I came up out of the water, I felt clean. I knew I was clean. I went home.

I told my family, I feel clean. I'm clean. I'm clean.

That wasn't the work of human hands. But it was the work of GOD IN THE WATER. THAT IS NOT A human work.

It is a divine work through human hands because God always works through human hands to accomplish HIS PURPOSE. WE are his partnersh. He is using us to accomplish his purpose.

But at the end of the day, it is his work and it's a divine work. It's a heavenly work >> for the remission of sin. The phrase to be born again or translated the other way to be born a new.

Either way, it's the the the the imagery of birth. We come in to the kingdom as children. And Jesus even said, if we don't come in as a child, we can't come in at all.

And the question I want to ask us today is if physical birth requires a womb, should not a spiritual birth also require a womb? In other words, it's the womb where life is incubated, where the baby grows and is nurtured until the fullness of time comes when the mother is ready to give birth. And if salvation is described as a new birth experience, a bornagain experience, and Jesus says that we come in the kingdom as children, then and if this physical birth requires a womb, then why would not spiritual birth also require a womb?

You see, Jesus restored the women twofold. He gave them life and then restored their role as lifegivers. And I believe we the people of God, he gives us life >> and then he makes us lifegivers.

In other words, we're not called out of darkness into his light to then come and sit on the pew and just enjoy the blessings of the Lord, but we are to become lifegivers. >> What is what is a spiritual womb? You might ask.

I I I've given some thought to this. You know, I know that God can work anywhere, at any place, at any time. It's his prerogative.

But more often than not, it's in the midst of his people where pe where people come to repentance, where people acknowledge the gospel, where people are baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. More often than not, it's in the context of the people of God. And and I began to think about the the the the the working of the womb.

And and our role our our role is we're not saving anybody. Uh we can't deliver anybody. But what we can do, we can create the environment for for it to occur.

Uh we can we can set the atmosphere uh where God can work the miraculous. Praise God. Uh we we can set the stage uh for God to do great things.

Uh how do we do it? By by our attitudes, by the smile we wear on our face, BY THE SONGS that we sing, by the prayers that we pray, uh by the atmosphere of worship, uh by by the by the preaching of the word, everything we do here, it is setting the stage for God to do the miraculous. And every one of us have a part to play in creating that environment where God can do what he wants to do.

Uh amen. He's ready to pour out his spirit. He's ready to bring signs and wonders.

He's ready to heal. He's ready to deliver. Uh it's up to us.

Are we ready to set the atmosphere? Are we ready to set the the environment for God to work? That's the womb.

That's the womb. And I believe, church, we can do that without being guilted into it. I I the last thing I want to preach is to tell you to do more.

That that I hope that's not what I'm saying and you're not receiving it that way. It's just being the people of God. Being the people of God.

Doing what we know to do. And knowing that we have purpose. Every one of us here this morning, we have a purpose.

When we go out on the job, we have purpose. That God can use us as the catalyst. Amen.

For reaching the unreached and saving the unsavable. >> You know, that was the issue. I'm almost finished here this morning.

That that was the issue that Jesus had with the religious folk of his day. He he he criticized them for turning people away from the kingdom instead of welcoming them in. >> In other words, the womb was corrupt.

The religious folk of the day, the people of God in Jesus's day, that was to be the womb. That was to be the place. They they were the bearsers of of the law.

They were the bearsers OF THE PROMISES OF GOD. And yet they had lost their way. And people were trying to come and they were turning them away.

And yet with these two women, Jesus through his touch, he heals them and he restores them. I don't believe it's coincidence. If you go and read the Gospel of Luke, right after this account in Luke chapter nine, Jesus commisss the 12 to go forth two by two and preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead.

right after the healing of these two women, right after the restoration, if you will, of the womb. And it wasn't reserved just for the 12 because in Luke chapter 10, the very next chapter, we read about 70 others who are also sent forth to preach, to reach touch from the Lord. Can we stand this morning as he read in the psalm, "Children are a heritage from the Lord.

The fruit of the womb is a reward." This is true both in the physical realm and in the spiritual realm. Jesus said that the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner that repents. Just like these two women in Luke's gospel, Jesus wants to impart life to us this morning.

And not only did that, he wants to make us lifegivers. Could we seek that today? The touch Maybe it's been a while since you've had the touch from the Lord.

There's just sometimes we have to go back say, "Lord, I need a brand new touch." That doesn't mean he's left you. Doesn't mean you've backslid, but some just got to go back and say, "God, I just need a touch from you again. I I I need I need fresh oil again, Lord.

I need strength for this. I'm going to open up these altars this morning. Tradition, we come to the front and pray.

It's a sign unto the Lord of our anticipation, our expectation of what he's going to do. If you need that touch from the Lord this morning, I want to invite you to come forward and and pray. And of course, others in the church will pray with you.

Even if you're not comfortable doing that, right from where you're at, you can call in the name of Jesus. Say, "Lord, I need that touch. I need that touch that the woman with the issue of blood needed.

I need I need that touch that the young girl that was dead received." You know, it's interesting. The the woman with the issue of blood, her her her movement was active. She reached out to Jesus.

But the young girl, the Bible said, was dead. and Jesus reached out to her. See, it's a both and.

I believe the Lord is reaching out to people here this morning. I know the Lord's working in our church today. I know he is.

I know he's preparing us for greater things. If you don't believe that this morning, I pray that the Lord will put it in your spirit to believe it. But we need the touch.

We need the touch of the master this morning. Could we just reach out to him right now? Praise team's going to sing.

We just just can we just love him? Can we just worship him? Can we say, "Lord, I want to have life and I want to be a lifegiver.

I want the womb restored. I want this place to be a womb where where the promises of God are manifest and come forth to fruition. Hallelujah.

We need the touch from you today, Lord. We need the touch from you. We need what only you can provide in this house, Jesus.

>> Hallelujah. Hallelujah. My every moment and you call my rageing sea >> all across this house.

Lord, minister in this place. >> Walk with me. through power [screaming] >> and you heal all my let it be with a demonstration of spirit and power.

>> I trust in you, >> Lord. I trust in you. [music and singing] Oh, I believe you're my healer.

[music and singing] >> I believe that you you're all that I need. [singing] >> All I need. >> Sing it from your heart this morning.

>> Everything. Sing it from your heart today. >> Let it be your prayer.

>> Indeed. I believe. >> I believe.

Yes. >> You're my worship. Oh, I believe >> Lord, you are more than enough [singing] for me.

>> Oh, Jesus. Jesus, you're all >> Oh, you're all that I need. Jesus.

>> Oh, you hold my You hold my every [singing] moment. [music] And you call my raging. All my raing seas.

Lord, you walk with me. Walk with [singing] me through fire and you heal. Heal all [singing and music] my disease.

Father, I trust. [music] I trust [singing] in you. Oh, I put my trust in you.

Oh, in you.