← Jentezen Franklin at Free Chapel
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Hello, this is Jensen Franklin, and thank you so much for joining us for this week's podcast. Our goal is to provide you with biblically based teachings that will challenge, inspire, and equip you to live for Jesus. If you haven't already, I'd love for you to go ahead and subscribe today to this podcast so you can get the latest updates from us and you don't ever have to miss a new message. Let's go right into the service. Record it at Freechapel. I believe it's going to bless you today.
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Open your Bible to Mark, chapter five. Mark, chapter five. We'll begin reading with verse 22. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came. Jesus by name. And he saw him and he fell at his feet, and he begged him earnestly, saying, my little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her. She's at the point of death, Jesus. Come and lay your hands on her, and she may be healed and she will live. And so Jesus agrees. And he starts in that direction. The woman with the issue of blood touches him. There's. There's a divine miracle that takes place. And then verse 24. In the meantime, I guess we would say after that miracle, that little interruption, someone came and said in verse 35, while he was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house and said, you, daughter is dead. Why trouble you? The Master. And as soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said to the ruler of the synagogue, do not be afraid, only believe. I want you to let that. Let's just say that. Do not be afraid, only believe. And he per. He permitted no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. Then he came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue. He saw a tomb. And those who wept and wailed. Weeping is another word there that would. Weeping. Wept and wailed loudly, loudly when he came in. And he said to them, why do you make this ado and weep? We don't. We don't use that word, adieu. It literally in the Greek language means self trouble. Why are you troubling? You're causing self trouble. Why do you make this ado and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping. And they ridiculed him. But when he had put them all outside of that room, he took the father and the mother of the child and those who were with him and entered where the child was laid. And then he took the child by the hand and he said, talithah, come, which is Translated little girl, I say to you, arise immediately. The girl arose and walked, for she was 12 years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. He commanded them strictly to tell no one. And he said, I love this part. Give her something to eat. He said that something should be given to her to eat. That's very powerful. And I'll explain in just a moment. I'm preaching today on this verse that says that they wept loudly. They were. They were making much ado. They were. A commotion was going on. They, as a matter of fact, they bury their dead. The Jews do, within 24 hours. And they had professional flute players in Christ's time and professional weepers and criers and people who would throw big commotions over helping grieve with the parents, in this case who had lost a daughter. Notice that fear makes noise, but faith makes room. Jesus cleared out the room from all the noise. Faith. And I'm preaching on faith makes noise or fear makes noise. I'm preaching on fear makes noise, but faith makes room. And I specifically want you to focus in on why make you this ado. Shakespeare read this in the Bible, and he wrote a very famous play called Much Ado about Nothing. It was inspired from Jesus words how that we get in a situation and we blow it up. And it's not that. It's not real. This was a real thing. Jesus was not ignoring the horrible thing that was going on in this home and in this family. Their daughter had. Had passed. But he said, why are you making such ado about nothing? Jesus is everything. And I'm in your house. I'm in your world, I'm in your family. I'm in. I'm in your need. I'm standing right here. And I understand if you're making a commotion and you don't have me, but if you have me, why do you make all this ado? You make so much ado commotion. You give so much of your energy to anxiety and to fear and to ranting and raving and screaming and why are you making ado? And I tell you, I preached this. Not this sermon I'm preaching today, but I preached on this text in 2009, and I called it Much Ado about Nothing. And. And I s. And I told in that story how that we were in a building program. A lot of things were going on. And I felt such pressure at times about this, that and the other. And the Lord hit me with that verse one day and he said, you make. You're a professional. You are addicted to a do's Every little thing that comes at you, you make a big ado about nothing. Why do you keep making such a big ado about nothing? I'm with you. I am your God. I am the one who can do the seeding. Abundant above all that you could ask or think. And I'm in your house, I'm in your church. Why are you blowing up the situation and forgetting that I'm with you? And some of you, even as I'm preaching right now, you need to hear this. All the noise Jesus said, she's not dead, she's sleeping. This is not an issue about your dead daughter. This is an issue about your dead faith. You've lost your faith and that's why you're talking like you're talking and you're going into hysterics. Like you're going. And you're going into weeping and worrying and stirring up. God is still on the throne. God is still. He has not done. Even if it's dead, it doesn't mean he's done. He's working, working his will. He gets glory out of any and everything. Fear makes noise, but faith makes room for a miracle. Even if it seems like it's too late, it is not too late. Jesus is there. He knows what's going on. He reforms the reality. He reframes the reality before you assume the worst. Because they were wailing. Listen. They were wailing, they were worrying. Listen. It was all about worst case scenarios. That's what we do. We race in our minds when a bad news comes, when something bad happens, we race and begin to verbalize worst case situations. Oh my God, they were looking for a casket. They, they were in funeral mode. They were absolutely knowing that it was too late. And some of you have come in with a casket, but you're going to leave with confidence. Some of you have come in, in your mind with a funeral, but in the night. And if you're seeing anybody in that coffin that's still breathing. I just believe in holding on. I know that sometimes in God's time he's going to take people, he's going to take me, he's going to take all of you if the rapture doesn't take place. But I do believe that sometimes we just need to put some stuff out of the room and only recognize Jesus and Jesus alone. Sometimes you have to put doubt out of the room and fear out of the room and panic. Jesus walked into the panic room when they were having an absolute breakdown and commotion going on, ranting and raving. And Jesus Walked in to the panic room and, and he said, doubt, get out. We're going to change the atmosphere. We're not making room for ado. We're making room for me. Jesus the miracle worker. And I don't know what he's going to do for you, but I'm going to tell you when you, when you offer him praise, I mean, I wonder what God would do if we would worship instead of worry. I wonder what would happen if we would praise as much as we panic. I wonder what, what would happen if we would just begin to make room for him instead of being addicted to ao self troubling. You're worried about a lot of things. You, they're out of your control. And that's not how faith is to operate. Listen, we are not supposed to live with a chronic fear over us all the time. When's it coming back? What's going to happen next? That is not of God and you need to rebuke it. And you need to understand, you need to say to yourself, much ado about nothing. Devil, get out of my face. Jesus is everything. You are nothing. Jesus is my everything. He's my future. He's got it. It's going to be all right. He's good. And I will praise him. I'll put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Fear is the result of increasing vulnerability. When you feel like it's just closing in, that's when you have to rebuke it. God wants you to act in faith first, not panic first. He wants you to act in faith, not making much ado about the bad news. Act in faith first. But Jesus is with me and I will not let fear dominate my life. Hallelujah. When you understand that I found this and I thought it was amazing. Scientists talk about something called the Serenton serentonin transporter gene. It's 5 HTTLPR for those of you who are taking notes. And it is a gene that makes people more prone to worry. And this is what the report said. It said if you have the long gene, that means that you are more prone to, like, you could get the exact same news, they've done studies, the exact same news, bad report or something. And if you've got the long gene, you've just got a resilience about you. You just got something in you that stands up almost and just says, well, is it going to be okay? And then if you've got the short gene and I'm reading this, preparing this sermon, and I start thinking, oh, God, which one have I got the short one or have I? I'm worrying about which one I have. God doesn't want us to live in fear. Do you believe that some of you have walked in here today, and I just. I just want to declare to you that it's time to find your hallelujah. You know how you make room in the middle of chaos and in the middle of something that has rocked your world? Find your hallelujah. I like jelly roll. Amen. He, he, he said, I've been da da da da da. Hallelujah. I like it when he hits that note. That's what you have to do when the enemy comes after your joy, after your peace, after your children. Don't see them in a casket. Find your hallelujah and make room for a miracle. Find your hallelujah and say, devil, you're not going to get my marriage. You're not going to get my family, and you sure can't have my children. In the name of Jesus, I'll find my hallelujah. Somebody give him a hallelujah shout this Sunday morning. Stop making ado. You can't make a do and make a miracle happen at the same time. He had to put one out of the room. Make room for healing. Make room for breakthrough. Make room for faith. Don't let your emotions take over. Let the word of God take over. Get off of this negativity, this bitterness. In the name of Jesus, you. You have to shake yourself sometimes. And I'm just declaring this morning. We're. We're not. I'm not a funeral director. I'm a man of God coming with a word from God that it's not over. Jesus is Lord and he is with you. And you need to stand your ground right here, right now, because he's a God of miracles. Miracles for our sons and our daughters. I don't want anything to keep me out of that room. You know, Jesus wouldn't let anybody go into that room that wanted to go where the miracle happened. And the thought hit me so strong. How many times has my doubt kept me out of the room? How many times has my lack of even believing God kept me out of the room where God was going to do something that could boggle my mind? And I'm telling you, when you get that kind of just being consumed with the problem and making much ado about it, you keep yourself out of the room where Jesus does the miracles. Because in the room, the first thing he did was he touched her he touched her, he took her by the hand and he spoke to her. There's nothing like the personal touch of Jesus when you're in a crisis. I appreciate counseling, I do. I believe in it. I appreciate all of the things and even coming to church. But there is nothing like when the Lord, when you're carrying that stuff and you're dealing with something and the Lord just comes personally in the spirit of His Holy Spirit and he touches you personally. You ever been touched the power of his personal touch all at once, you don't see a casket anymore. Your confidence is back. You carry your back on. And the next thing that happened, the Bible said she went in and when he went in, she was laying on her back. But when she came out, she was standing on her feet. Jesus is going to put you back on your feet again. You're going to get your faith feet back. Hallelujah. You're going to get your faith feet back, your anointing back, your faith back to stand up. We do not ignore. Fear is an emotion God created us with. So when it says fear not, it does not mean you are immune to. As a Christian, you are immune to the emotion of fear. When I hear my phone ring in the middle of the night at 3 o' clock in the morning and I hear one of my children on the other end, there is a racing fear that comes all over me. That is a norm. That's not what the Bible means when it says fear not. It means face it and fight it. Not make much ado about nothing but celebrate. Jesus is everything and he's here and he will not abandon us now. And face it and fight it. Don't deny it. And fear will cause you to become a procrastinator. Just put it off. Just put it off. Some of you haven't been to a doctor and been checked, haven't had a checkup in years and years, and you're afraid. It's not that you're using faith, it's you're afraid. Afraid. That's not right. I say face it and fight it. I want to know. And I'm not going to lay down. I'm going to face it and I'm going to fight it. Hallelujah. Now I'm healthy, as far as I know, but there's that little worry, jeans. You see it? You see it just popped right up right there. But you know what? When it's all said and done, we're called to trust God and to stand and to quit worrying. Some of you're wasting your Whole life making much ado about what could happen. Oh, God. Oh, Jesus, help me, Lord. I feel something. Oh, shut up and live. My goodness, enjoy your day. This is the day the Lord has made. Let's worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow it's the wrong spirit blowing up like a toad frog. And as soon as you walk in the room, you're a funeral director. Might as well go on and get preparations made. I rebuke that he touched her. And the next thing that happened is her spirit was revived and she stood up on her feet. Isn't that beautiful? It gives the detail. She was 12 years old, so she walked out of the room that she was flat on her back end. Some of you, I'm thankful you're still in the game, and you've been through it. You've been through some trauma or some chemo or some something. And you've been on your back. You've been on your back, and I'm thankful you're still in the game. But I felt strong to tell you the Lord would say, now I want you to get back on your feet. I want you to act like you got another 30 years, another 40 years. Bless God with long life. He will satisfy me. Come on, somebody, whatever you can believe. For the Bible said, he told Abraham, you will die a good old age in Genesis, chapter 12. A good old age. Hallelujah. That's a good old age. There is a good old age. I don't want to move over into bad old age where I don't know where I am. I don't know who I am. I don't want that. Sharice and I did a wheel some years ago, and you have to confront everything on a wheel. It's really funny and kind of, you know. But we were talking about it, and she said, well, do you. What do you want to do if something happens and you become a vegetable, basically, and then there's no signs of life and your brain dead and all of that. Of course, she thinks I already am, but she's. And it was funny because we're kind of getting in an argument a little bit about not an argument, but pushing back and forth. She said, I say, they gave Jesus three days. What do you think? Give it three days. And I said, well, they gave Lazarus four days if we're going to go Bible. But I want you all to watch your heels if I'm hooked up to a machine, because I'm a little concerned. But in all sincerity, folks, those days will come. When they come, quit procrastinating and worrying. Yourself to death. And this is my favorite part of this story. This is what touched me. This is why I wanted to preach this whole sermon to get to this point. I'm almost done. The third thing that happened after he touched her, took her by the hand, said, arise, little girl. And the scripture said, when she rose from the dead and got back on her feet, he gave the commandment that they give her something to eat. The commotion now has changed. Everybody's screaming, the parents are going berserk in praise. And Jesus says, make sure that somebody gives her something to eat. Now it's like he was urgent about it. What Jesus was saying was, it's been so long. She's been sick so long. She needs a sense of normalcy. She needs some. Have you ever gone through something that it. You've lived so abnormal, you suffered so much that just. Just a normal meal with your family, just a normal walk on a fall day on a trail and beautiful tree. Some of you have been so through the wringer that you're going to know you're healed when it's just wonderful normal days again. And that thing is not there always haunting you. And I pray today is that day. I don't know if I made that point. I didn't do it like I wanted to do it. But I decree normal days again for some of you, enjoyable days, free days. Yet you, some of you haven't had a normal night's sleep. But may the Lord heal you. Why do you make this ado all the weeping? Why are you panicking? Why are you self troubling? Some people need to hear this message that you assume because something is dead, that it's done. But it's not done. God's not done. What is this? What is all this fuss about? Jesus said, what is this commotion? Well, Pastor, you don't know what I'm dealing with. Well, I know you haven't lost your best friend because your best friend is Jesus. And he said, I'll never leave you and I'll never forsake you. You're mine. You're mine. The decision to stand up is one you have to keep on making over and over again in life. And I close with this. That little young preacher stood up here earlier in this service and he quoted the 23rd Psalm perfectly and beautifully. But there's the point in the 23rd Psalm when it says, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. And that is the point where we go into much ado, right? Because if you're walking through the shadow of death. That means death is close enough to you that you can feel its shadow on you or somebody you love. And I'm not making light, nor did Jesus make light of the crisis. It is very real. We're human beings. And when that day comes in your life, either you or someone you really love and care about, and they're walking through the. The valley of the shadow of death. Notice it is a comma, not drama. You always need when that report comes, to put a comma, not make much ado. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. You can have a moment like that, but then pull yourself together and remember, that's not everything. He's everything. Because the rest of it says, drop the drama and go with the comma. I got bad news. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And I want one more verse, and it's Isaiah 43. When you pass through. Not if you pass through, I'm not telling you, you won't go through the flood. I will be with you. See the comma? When you go through it, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. And when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, nor shall the flames scorch you. I love this. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior. I have given Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia saving in your place. I love this part of this verse. Since you were precious my sight. Somebody really needs to hear that today at our campuses, watching. Since you were precious in my sight, you have been honored and I have loved you. Therefore, I will give men for you and people for your life. Sometimes you need to hear Jesus say to you personally, you are precious in my sight. I've had him come into the room when I was going through it and speak to me. Even when I was a teenager and I went through a trial that I wouldn't be in the ministry for if I hadn't gone through it. And he came in and he would say words like that. One thing he would tell me a lot is, you're a royal diadem in my hand. And I felt like nothing. I felt like a loser. I felt like an animal. I hated myself. But he would say, you are precious in my sight. Do you Understand that. Have you ever had him do that to you when you thought you least deserved it? That's Jesus love. Just lift your hands up right where you are. Say, lord, help me. Help. My first reaction, not to be Much Ado about nothing. I want you. I want you to get in your mind a picture of what you've been worried about. I want you to see them or him or her or. May be a diagnosis, it may be a financial crisis, it may be someone you love and it seems like it's getting worse and worse. I want you to get them in your mind. I want you to get a picture of them and I want your constant answer. I want your takeaway to be of this service. Much Ado about nothing. Jesus is everything. Much Ado about nothing. Jesus is with me. Nothing to do about nothing. Satan, you're a liar. Much Ado about nothing. Jesus is my everything. And as long as he's with me, I can make it. Not only will I make it, I will triumph because he is king over all. If you believe that, say amen somebody. Boy, I feel the Lord in this place. Don't feel that. Spartanburg, wherever. Stand to your feet, please. Very reverently. Just take a moment now. If you know this sermon was for you. If you are facing Much Ado and it's a big deal and you know God sent this message to you today, I really want to challenge you not to just kind of speed through it and try to feel a little better. That's not what I preach sermons like this for. I'm giving you a word that will be engrafted to you for the rest of your life, potentially, that when you are forced into the panic room, you don't panic. You stand your ground and you say, this is Much Ado about nothing. Because I know Jesus and he's everything. He has the last word. And if you know this is you and can be a family, or it can be a personal, or it can be whatever. If you know this is you and this message is for you, I want you to get out of your seat and just come stand down here for just a few moments. Because I believe in the power of prayer. So come on. From the top to the bottom at every campus, whoever you are should never hear a message like this and just let it kind of go. If. If it's really speaking to you and I know there's some messages that hit you more than others. So if you're not in that and you're not needing this, then you've got something you can share with somebody else. But you're precious in his sight. The Lord told me to tell you you're precious his sight. He knows exactly where you are. He knows exactly what's going on. He knows your address. He went to these story that I read. He went to this family's house. He knew their address, he knew their child, he knew her age. He knew every detail about the situation. And whatever you're worried about. Parents, I speak peace to your worried, worried mind. I love you Jesus. Oh I love you Jesus. Everybody just lift your hands and start telling him. I love you Lord. I love you Jesus. I love you Lord. I praise you. Turn it into words. Worship. Make room for Jesus. Make room for a miracle. If you're going to suppress anything, suppress the adduced spirit, the self troubling spirit and start releasing your faith in worship. Start saying, Jesus, I believe in you. I still know that, that you're working and you're on the throne and I don't, I don't even have to know how it's going to end up. I just trust you. I don't have to fear anything in this life or anything in the life to come because I trust you.
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I really want to say thank you for joining us this week. If you haven't already, make sure you click on the subscription button and leave us a review. It helps this podcast reach even more people when you comment, when you give us your feedback. For more messages and inspirational materials, download the Jensen Franklin app or you can head over to JensenFranklin.org I want to thank all of you who give generously to help us produce weekly content like this to reach the world with the message of Jesus. God bless you and we'll see you next time.