How Do You Approach Jesus?

How Do You Approach Jesus?

Luke 8:40-56

-We approach different things/people based upon what we about them.

-The way you approach Jesus shows exactly what you believe about Him!

-We see 6 different approaches to Jesus in this passage:

I. (40, 42b)

–And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.…But as He went the people thronged Him.

-There are lots of people who are interested in Jesus, but don’t want to get too close!

*Sad reality: Christianity has a lot of CURIOUS SPECTATORS, who merely observe Christ instead of actively follow Christ!

II. Begging (41-42a)

–And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: 42For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying.

-This man’s approach to Jesus included:

1. – a ruler of the synagogue (Orthodox Jewish leader)

-He came to realize that Jesus was much greater than the religious establishment!

-He trusted more in the power of Jesus than the pronouncement of the religious establishment!

2. Worship – he fell down at Jesus’ feet

-When we come to Jesus, we must realize that it is God that we are approaching and not some “Joe” on the street!

-This man approached Jesus with complete deference and devotion.

3. – besought Him greatly…I pray Thee

-Jairus was not ho-hum in his approach to Jesus.  He passionately begged Jesus to heal his daughter.

-When a person truly recognizes his inadequacy before the Lord, but also recognizes the willingness of the Lord to reach down to help, the result is always going to be a passionate begging result like Jairus!

III. Reaching Out (43-48)

-This lady’s approach to Jesus was similar to Jairus’s in that she knew Jesus had the to her problem!

-There a beautiful illustration here of abandoning the world’s solutions to life and acknowledging the remedy found in Jesus Christ!

-The God Who SAVED you is the same God Who SUSTAINS you today!

IV. (49-50)

-(v. 49) While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

-If you’re a normal human being, you’ve probably doubted at some point or another and been disappointed that God could not/would not do anything about it!

-Believe that God DOES work all things together for them that love Him…that God DOES have a plan for you and your situation–even if its not what you had in mind in your own ideas of what should happen.

V. Ridiculing (51-55)

-Because it takes faith to believe the truth of Jesus and many are not willing to to that faith, their response is often ridicule!

VI. Wonder (56)

-Her parents saw what Jesus did and were obviously !

–astonishment = a throwing of the mind out of it’s normal state

-Does the power of Jesus still blow your mind?

*Are you still amazed that God loves you enough to remove your sin debt by sacrificing His own Son on a sinner’s cross?

Wrap up:

-How do you approach Jesus Christ? Are you:

1. Curious – not getting too close to Jesus?

2. Begging – to Jesus for mercy?

3. Do you need to Reach Out to Jesus for His solution today?

4. Do you need to of Doubt & Ridicule of Jesus today?

5. Maybe you need to simply get back to being amazed at Jesus!