TITLE: ADVANCING FROM THE BACK - PT I.

TEXT: MATTHEW 9:20-22

PREACHER: PASTOR ANDIE ORJI (PASTOR IN CHARGE OF RCCG BREAD OF HEAVEN PARISH, AREA AND ZONE, LAGOS PROVINCE 48).

INTRODUCTION:

From the Bible text, we could find out that the woman with the issue of blood, came from the back to touch Jesus. No one ordinarily likes to lag behind. By our very nature, every one of us love the front seats, we love front rows, we love to sit at the head of the table. 

There is actually nothing wrong in desiring the best places of life. After all, Deuteronomy 28:13 says; "the Lord will make you head and not tail, you will be above only and not beneath, if you hearken diligently to the words of the Lord your God and all that He has commanded you this day". God loves us to be at the front row, God loves us to be at the head of the table, He wants us to be above and not beneath.

However, in reality, most times, in God's own success formula, the way to the top, begins from the bottom, the way upward begins from the way downward. In other words, to be lifted up means, to be brought down first. To be a leader, means to become a servant first. To be made the first, means to be made the last first. Matthew 20:16 says ...."the first shall be the last and the last shall be the first. 

In Matthew 20:24-28, the mother of James and John (the sons of Zebedee) came to lobby Jesus, that in the Kingdom of God, one of her sons would be at His right hand while one would be at His left hand and this move, provoked the other disciples. Jesus settled this by saying to them that anyone that wants to be the master must first be a servant. 

Before Jesus was made the King of kings and the Lord of Lords, He first came down from heaven to earth. He became a servant, He died, He went to hell, the lowest part of habitation. He got to the grave before and as the scripture says; "... therefore, God has highly exalted Him and gave Him a name that is above every other name" (Phillipians 2:11). 

For Christ and all the Biblical Icons that their names are reference points in God dealing with us, God took them to the top through the way downward. 

So most times, God advances people from behind. Psalm 75:6-7 says; "……promotion does not come from the East, or from the West or from the North or from the South. It is God who brings down one and raises another". That is the pattern, there is always a bringing down before a lifting up. When Jesus wanted to feed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fishes, after He gave thanks, He broke them, He reduced the size of the breads and the fishes before He gave the people.

So for God to serve you, for you to become a solution in the hands of God, there is a reduction that has to take place before your promotion.

Why Did the woman come from behind to touch the helm of the garment of Christ?

1. Her problem had taken over her name: Up till today, we don't know her name. Even after her miracle, we still refer to her as "the woman with the issue of blood". At times, some problems become so big that they become the victim's identity. That woman was healed yet, that problem had permanently taken over her identity. So, when we refer to her, she is still being referred to as "the woman with the issue of blood". 

Other examples in the Bible include, Mark 5:14-15 which talks about the story of "the mad man of gadarra". Till today, we don't know his name, his problem took over his identity. In John 4:4-6,  there was a woman known as "the Samaritan woman". Calling her the Samaritan woman is like calling her the sinful woman. Her problem had taken over her name even after her deliverance. 

Mark 10:36-42, in this story, the name of the man was maintained, yet his problem was attached as a name (Blind Barthemmaus). Here, his name became his surname while his problem became his first name. He was blind, he got his healing but people never ceased to identify him with that problem.

Isaiah 62:4 says; "Thou shall no longer be termed forsaken....."
Genesis 35:10; God changed the name of Jacob to Israel.
Gen 17:5 God changed the name of Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah.

Prophecy 

Is there any name you are being called that is not befitting, today, God is saying, you will no longer be called that name......

2. Because she didn't have a name anymore: She no longer had the name that could sit on the front row or the head of the table.

3. Her problem puts her fame to shame: She was a wealthy and famous woman. She used to be a society woman. She used to be a reference point. She used to be the synergy of all elites. She used to be a rallying point in her family, she used to be a problem solver among her family and her friends. But by the time her story was told in the Bible, she had sold everything she had yet, her problem was not solved. 

May you never find yourself in any situation that would be called the worst situation in Jesus name, Amen.