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Unnamed but Not Unimportant · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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  If you turn in your Bible, it's that passage we read in Mark's Gospel. Mark chapter 5.
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  ! Mark chapter 5.
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  And we'll read from verse 24, the middle of verse 24. Mark 5, from the middle of verse 24.
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  A great crowd followed Jesus and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge
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  of blood for 12 years and who had suffered much under many physicians and had spent all that she
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  had and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus, came up behind
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  him in the crowd, touched his garment, for she said, if I touch even his garments I will be made well.
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  And immediately the flow of blood dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
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  And Jesus perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the
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  crowd and said, who touched my garments? And his disciples said to him, you see the crowd pressing
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  around you and yet you see who touched me? And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman
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  knowing what had happened to her came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him
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  the whole truth. And he said to her daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed
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  of your disease.
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  Having a name is very important. I mean, one of the first things that we do when a child is born
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  is to name that child because, I mean, imagine a child without a name would be a bit weird going through life.
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  What's your name? Oh, my name is no name. It's a bit strange and it always baffles me, to be frank, where
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  people have babies and then they take weeks to decide on a name. I just can never get my head around that.
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  I mean, you've had a good bit of time to decide on a name.
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  Sometimes people look and they'll say, oh yeah, yeah, but it doesn't look like a colon. I mean,
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  who wouldn't look like a colon? I think it's a wonderful name. But everybody gets a name.
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  And in the Bible, names are very important as well, particularly in the Bible because
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  names in the Bible mean something. Names in the Bible communicate something. Adam is called Adam
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  because he's the father of mankind. Eve is named Eve because she's the mother of living. Jacob
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  was named Jacob because figuratively grasps the heel. He's a deceiver, which is what he was.
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  Jesus. Jesus. Jesus is called Jesus. Why? Listen, why? Because he will save. That's what he came to do.
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  He came to save his people from their sins. So names communicate something and names are very,
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  very important. But sometimes names, people in the Bible are not named.
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  And so whilst I'm saying that names are important, sometimes people in the Bible are not named. Like
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  this woman. We don't know her name. She's unnamed, but she's certainly not unimportant. And let's
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  always remember that. There's lots of unnamed people in the Bible who the Lord uses to teach us
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  wonderful lessons. Unnamed people in the Bible whom the Lord gives to us, shows us,
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  He saves in order to give us encouragement and hope. And so today this woman, I'm going to look at this
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  woman, this woman with the issue of blood as we know her, this bleeding woman who's unnamed
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  and yet not unimportant. I want to give a wee background to what this woman was like.
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  Because she was not just unnamed, but she was very unfortunate in much of her life. She was socially
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  isolated. She had this bleeding problem, this issue of blood. And so according to Leviticus chapter 15,
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  everything she touched would become unclean. She could not or should not touch anything and anyone
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  she touched would become unclean. So you can just imagine nobody wanted to go near her. She was
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  unclean like a leper, unclean, unclean. She couldn't hug anybody. She couldn't or shouldn't go to
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  gatherings or mix freely. Twelve years she had been socially isolated. She was religiously excluded.
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  She couldn't go to church, synagogue or temple. Synagogue was basically, synagogue was more like a
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  community center that was also used for worship services. Temple was more kind of religious.
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  But she couldn't go to these places or shouldn't go to these places because she was unclean. So she
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  was cut off from people, but cut off most importantly from the life of God's people. She wasn't a church goer.
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  Socially isolated, religiously excluded, financially exhausted. We read in verse 26 that she had spent
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  all her money on physicians, suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had,
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  and was no better, but rather grew worse. She had no money. She spent all her money on the doctors,
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  and the doctors took her money, and they also, though, took her hope and her energy,
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  and left her feeling worse. So here's this woman. She's lonely. She's unclean. She's broke. She's tired.
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  She's exhausted. She's hopeless. But that's the kind of person Jesus came to meet.
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  That's the kind of person Jesus still comes to meet today. Do you feel like that?
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  Do you feel in some way unclean, excluded, hopeless, helpless, exhausted, weary?
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  Jesus comes for you. And we have that made very clear by this woman whose name we don't even know,
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  but whose life was touched and transformed by the Savior that we do know. And if he can do it for her,
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  my friends, he can do it for you. And so there's three things I want us to think about today
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  as we think of this unnamed but not unimportant woman. The first is this. There's timing.
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  There's the timing of Jesus coming into her life. Not just her life, but the timing of Jesus coming
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  into Jairus' daughter's life as well. So it begins in verse 21, the passage, with Jairus coming to see
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  Jesus. His daughter of 12 years of age is very, very sick. And in verse 22, he sees Jesus. He falls at
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  his feet and he implores him. That's a pleading word. He's desperate. Who wouldn't be desperate?
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  If your child was sick to death? Who wouldn't be? So he comes and he's imploring him, Lord,
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  please, my little daughter's at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her. So he makes his way
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  to see this daughter. And then the woman gets in the way and stops Jesus from going to see Jairus'
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  daughter. The woman stops him, interrupts her sword looks, and then he heals the woman.
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  I wonder, do you know what it's like to be impatient about something? Are you ever impatient? I'm sure
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  many of us are impatient. How often have we said, you're late? I mean, sometimes we say, you're early.
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  That's equally annoying to me, to be honest. I like people to be on time. But we're all kind of
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  impatient in one way or another. We're impatient with people. Maybe we're impatient with things.
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  Have you ever ordered on Amazon, or there are other places you can buy goods from, and they'll tell you
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  it's going to be here in 48 hours. And I don't know, do they think 48 hours means 10 days? Maybe in
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  another world it means that. It gets very frustrating. Makes me, in a way, very impatient.
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  Well, I think there may have been a great deal of impatience with Jairus, and maybe even this
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  woman. From Jairus' point of view, here's his daughter who's desperately unwell,
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  and this woman steps in, and Jairus may have been thinking, what are you doing, Lord? Why are you
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  stopping? Did you not hear what I said? My daughter's dying. Why are you stopping on the way? Why are you
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  standing around? And when Jesus stands around and he says, who touched me? The verbs in that passage say
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  he would not let it go. He kept on saying, who touched me? Who touched me? I can imagine Jairus being
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  very impatient. Do you not realize my daughter is going to die? What's happening here? From Jairus'
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  point of view, there was a bad timing. But from heaven's point of view, this has been ordained.
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  This has been scheduled. This is the way it was always meant to be. Maybe even the woman. The woman,
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  12 years she had suffered. That's a long period of time. 12 years. Maybe she was thinking, why did
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  Jesus take so long to come this way? Where was he? Where was he when I needed him? Why did he allow
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  me to suffer for 12 years? From her point of view, perhaps, there was a level of impatience. But from
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  Jesus' point of view, it was, this was the appointed time. This is the ordained time. And Psalm 139 is,
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  the main message of Psalm 139 is, all our days ordained for us were written in your book before
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  one of them came to be. Everything is according to the appointed time of God. He's never too late.
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  He's never too early. He's always on time. So there are no, with God, delays or disruptions or
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  cancellations. It's just his appointed time. And we see that very clearly here in this passage today.
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  There are many things that we see about Jesus and notice about Jesus and I think are amazing about
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  Jesus. But have you ever thought of this one thing? Jesus was never in a hurry. No matter what he had to
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  do, no matter where he had to go, he was never in a hurry. No matter how desperate a situation, in fact,
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  sometimes the more desperate a situation, he would actually hold back. Think of Lazarus and maybe others.
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  Why? Why was he never in a hurry? Because his timing is sovereign and his timing is certain
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  and his timing is perfect. You know what, friends? Maybe today we need to slow down a bit.
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  Maybe we need to synchronize our timing. So in March and in October, we change our watches, don't we?
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  Spring forward and fall back. Everybody does it or else you'll be out of time with everybody else around you
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  and all the best with that. Why don't we? Maybe today is the time, the day to synchronize our watches,
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  the watch of our lives, according to Jesus' time, according to the Lord's timing.
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  Change our timing, how we view life, talk to him, walk with him, time our lives by him,
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  which means giving our lives to him and say, the time piece of my life, dear Jesus, is in your hands.
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  So there's timing. The second thing is this. There's a touch. That's a big feature in this passage,
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  of course. There's a touch the woman. Jesus is coming to him. Jesus is passing by. And she said in
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  verse 29, if I touch even his garments, I will be made well. And immediately the flow of blood dried up
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  and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. A touch, a simple, slight,
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  but saving touch transformed this woman's life. Touch in the Bible is often used. The Bible uses
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  lots of pictures to describe what faith is. And touch is one of them. Touch. When the apostle Paul
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  was in Athens, in Acts chapter 17. Do you remember that passage where he goes to Athens and he's
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  looking around the city in Acts chapter 17 and he reasoned with them and he saw how they were so
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  religious and he wanted to show them. He says, I see you even have an altar to an unknown God. I want to
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  show you who this unknown God is. And this is what he says when he's proclaiming to the Athenians,
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  the God who made the world and everything in it, the Lord of heaven and earth doesn't live in temples
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  made by hands, nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything since he himself gives
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  to all mankind life and breath and everything. He made all men to live on all the face of the earth,
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  wherever they are, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.
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  Why? That they should seek God in the hope that they might feel their way towards him and find him.
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  So Paul is saying to the Athenians, God puts people everywhere, wherever they are in the world. Why?
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  So that they might reach out and touch him. That's what he's saying. That they might just reach out
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  and touch because he's never far away. The Lord is never actually far away from us, as he goes on to
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  say, because he is everywhere present. So I think that the image of touch, the picture of touch is a
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  great picture for us to get an idea of what faith in Jesus means. It's a touch.
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  It's a touch. It's a touch. And there's three things I want to say. First is this. It's a simple touch.
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  It was only a touch. She doesn't come, this woman doesn't come with a speech and she doesn't make a
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  scene and she doesn't ask for an audience. She doesn't create a drama. I mean, her problem was
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  massive and she might have thought there needs to be something huge here in order for me to be
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  healed and saved like Naaman the Syrian. You remember Naaman in 2 Kings 5, you had this terrible
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  problem with leprosy. And when he went to Elisha and Elisha said, basically, dip yourself seven times
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  in the Jordan. He says, it must be more complicated than that. There must be more to it than that.
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  And Elisha said, no, it's not. It's simple, not dramatic. It doesn't need to be dramatic.
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  And that woman or this woman got this. She realized, all I do, all I need to do is touch.
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  A simple touch. If I touch, she says in verse 28. If I touch. See, faith does not need to be
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  complicated. I think we think faith needs to be complicated. Sometimes I think we think faith needs
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  to be complex, but it doesn't. If I just touch him and that touch reveal the power and release the power
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  of Christ to change her life. A simple touch. Faith in Jesus is, it's about knowing him. It's about a head
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  knowledge. Faith in Jesus is also about a heart knowledge as well. We need to know him in our hearts.
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  But faith in Jesus is also the hands. Faith in Jesus, true faith in Jesus, simple faith in Jesus,
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  must involve the hands. It must involve action. The apostle James, or James in the book of James, says,
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  faith without works is dead. See, we can say we believe in God. I trust that everybody here today
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  believes in God. But James says, you believe in God, so does the devil. The devil doesn't reach out to
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  touch Jesus. The devil doesn't reach out and say, Lord, save me and Lord, heal me. Believing is one thing,
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  but believing that response and action is another. And that's the saving faith that this woman had.
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  She reached out simply to touch him. And that simple touch transformed her. Do you have that belief today? Do you
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  have that faith today? You believe in God, yes. You believe even in Jesus, yes. But have you reached out
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  with a simple touch? There's a simple touch. Secondly, there's a slight touch. It's just his garments. It's not even
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  himself. In verse 28, it's not even himself. It's touched his garment. I think in some version it says,
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  touched the hem of his garment. The word there means the tassels, the edges. It's not the whole garment even.
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  It's just the very edge of his garment. So not only is it a simple touch, it's a slight touch. She doesn't
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  grab his arm. She doesn't hold on to him like Mary Magdalene or doesn't wash his feet like the
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  immoral woman in Luke who washed Jesus' feet and wet his feet with her tears and her hair. She didn't do
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  any of that like Mary Magdalene grabs Jesus and holds on to him. She just touched the fringe of his
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  garment of his cloak. The very hem, the very tassel, the very edge.
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  The smallest possible contact with the greatest possible Savior. That's what this woman had.
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  It's the minimum of faith which receives the maximum of grace. Just a slight touch. Do you know that
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  slight touch today? Do you know that ability, that desire just to even touch the hem of his garment?
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  You might say, but I don't know much theology. I don't know much about the shorter catechism or
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  the Westminster Confession of Faith or maybe even my Bible. Or I haven't gone through a ritual or I've
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  not had any powerful experience. That does not matter, friends. That does not matter. That'll come
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  in time. But I'm asking, do you have that sense? I need
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  Jesus and I'm willing even to touch just the hem of his garment.
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  That's what's needed.
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  In fact, all she knows
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  or all we know she knows is that she needed
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  to be made clean
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  and she believed that Jesus
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  could and would do it.
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  And that was it. That's it simply.
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  We sang in Psalm 109, I am poor and needy.
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  Do you know that you're poor and needy?
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  Do you recognize that?
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  And willing to
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  simply
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  and slightly even
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  reach out and touch
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  this Jesus?
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  Do you know
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  if you have
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  a bare wire
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  that's connected to a power station
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  you don't have to
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  grab that wire
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  in order to feel its power?
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  Am I right?
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  And I trust you would tell your children
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  don't even touch that
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  because if you just
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  touch a bare wire
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  or touch something
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  that's exposed
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  that is powerful
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  even the slightest touch
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  is enough to
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  show you its power.
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  And so it is with Jesus.
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  You do not need to know everything.
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  But do you know enough?
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  I need him
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  and he can
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  and he will
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  heal me
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  restore me
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  save me.
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  A touch
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  a touch
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  which was simple
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  and which was slight
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  and which was saving.
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  Verse 29
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  we read that
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  immediately
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  the blood
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  flow of blood
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  dried up
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  and she felt in her body
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  that she was healed
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  of her disease.
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  And verse 34
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  Jesus says
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  daughter
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  your faith has made you well
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  and that word
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  made you well
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  is the word
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  to be saved.
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  It's a Greek verb
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  to be saved
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  used in different contexts
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  but when Jesus says
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  your faith has made you well
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  go in peace
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  she was saved.
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  Being justified by faith
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  we have peace with God.
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  She was saved
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  and healed.
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  Her life was
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  utterly transformed
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  and turned around.
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  And how?
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  By a simple
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  touch.
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  By a saving
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  touch.
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  And it happened
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  immediately
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  12 years
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  of suffering
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  ended
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  immediately
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  not progressively
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  not after a while
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  but right away
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  through a touch
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  on the garment
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  of Jesus.
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  And that's what Jesus
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  does friends.
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  When Jesus
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  heals
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  or Jesus saves
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  he does so
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  fully
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  and finally
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  and forever.
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  He really does.
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  The wonderful hymn
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  to God
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  be the glory.
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  The second verse
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  one of the lines
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  in the second verse
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  is this
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  the vilest offender
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  who truly believes
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  that
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  what's the word?
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  Moment from Jesus
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  a pardon receives.
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  Not gradually
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  or eventually
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  but that moment
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  from Jesus
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  a pardon receives.
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  Immediately
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  the woman's blood
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  the issue of blood
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  was dried up.
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  That's what he does
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  because his power
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  is such
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  that he can work
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  immediately.
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  That is why
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  Jesus is so different
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  from every other
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  medicine
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  or offer of help
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  we might get.
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  If you take something
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  like an antibiotic
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  you've got to take it
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  over time
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  or maybe something
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  like a prophylactic
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  medicine
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  you've got to take
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  to keep a disease away.
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  It's something
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  that's ongoing
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  and progressive.
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  Being saved by Jesus
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  is something
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  that happens
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  immediately
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  right away.
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  Right away.
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  for all
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  who will reach out
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  and touch
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  even the very hem
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  of his garment
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  right here
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  right now.
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  Can I ask you
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  this morning
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  it still is morning
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  can I ask you
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  how would you
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  describe yourself
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  before God
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  today?
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  How would you
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  describe yourself
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  before Christ
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  today?
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  A leper
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  an outcast
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  an offender
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  shamed
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  broken
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  abused
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  sinner
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  think of how
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  you would
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  coming into
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  the presence
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  of God
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  describe yourself
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  that definition
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  or description
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  that is
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  keeping you
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  away
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  from God
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  I can't
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  come to God
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  because I am
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  one of these
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  and maybe a multiplicity
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  of these things
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  you know
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  one simple touch
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  and one slight touch
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  upon the Lord
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  Jesus Christ
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  will completely
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  change
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  your standing
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  before him
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  to the broken
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  we become healed
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  sinners
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  become saints
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  that just means
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  set apart
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  for Christ
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  the guilty
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  become forgiven
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  the lepers
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  are cleansed
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  the outsiders
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  we become
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  insiders
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  in other words
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  everything that
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  keeps us
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  from God
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  everything that
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  keeps us
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  from Christ
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  everything that
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  keeps us
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  from the fellowship
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  of belonging
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  to the family
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  of God
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  immediately
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  the Lord
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  Jesus deals
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  with it
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  so do not
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  hold back
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  do not
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  stand back
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  simple faith
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  reach out
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  faith
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  reach out
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  and touch
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  faith
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  will utterly
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  and completely
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  transform
• 24:45
  your life
• 24:46
  if you will
• 24:47
  reach out
• 24:47
  and touch
• 24:48
  him
• 24:48
  today
• 24:50
  and so
• 24:51
  there's the
• 24:51
  timing
• 24:52
  and there's
• 24:52
  the touch
• 24:53
  and then
• 24:53
  very briefly
• 24:54
  there's the
• 24:56
  transformation
• 24:57
  and this
• 24:58
  woman's life
• 24:59
  was transformed
• 25:00
  and Jesus
• 25:00
  friends
• 25:01
  I mean
• 25:02
  hallelujah
• 25:03
  Jesus
• 25:04
  always transforms
• 25:05
  lives
• 25:06
  isn't that
• 25:06
  great news
• 25:07
  he utterly
• 25:08
  transformed
• 25:09
  this woman's
• 25:10
  life
• 25:10
  in so many
• 25:11
  ways
• 25:11
  but you know
• 25:12
  one of the
• 25:12
  amazing things
• 25:13
  I think
• 25:14
  in this passage
• 25:15
  that stands
• 25:16
  out for me
• 25:17
  is this
• 25:17
  look at verse
• 25:18
  34
• 25:18
  he said to
• 25:19
  her
• 25:19
  this is the
• 25:20
  woman
• 25:20
  who was
• 25:21
  known as
• 25:21
  excluded
• 25:22
  and don't
• 25:23
  go near
• 25:23
  her
• 25:24
  and all
• 25:24
  of these
• 25:24
  things
• 25:25
  he calls
• 25:26
  her what
• 25:26
  he calls
• 25:28
  her daughter
• 25:29
  she hadn't
• 25:30
  heard that
• 25:30
  term for
• 25:32
  decades
• 25:33
  and decades
• 25:34
  but now
• 25:36
  the son
• 25:36
  of God
• 25:37
  says
• 25:37
  daughter
• 25:38
  what an
• 25:39
  amazing
• 25:40
  thing to
• 25:40
  hear from
• 25:41
  the mouth
• 25:42
  of Jesus
• 25:43
  she's
• 25:44
  his daughter
• 25:45
  family
• 25:46
  language
• 25:47
  and that's
• 25:48
  what he
• 25:48
  does for
• 25:49
  all of us
• 25:50
  she comes
• 25:51
  to him
• 25:51
  in verse
• 25:52
  33
• 25:53
  in fear
• 25:54
  and trembling
• 25:55
  and fell
• 25:56
  down before
• 25:57
  him
• 25:57
  and this
• 25:58
  to me
• 25:58
  is
• 25:58
  it's
• 25:59
  concerning
• 26:00
  and it's
• 26:00
  interesting
• 26:01
  because maybe
• 26:03
  today
• 26:03
  maybe you
• 26:06
  are afraid
• 26:06
  of God
• 26:07
  and maybe
• 26:09
  the fear
• 26:09
  of God
• 26:10
  has been
• 26:10
  drummed
• 26:10
  into you
• 26:11
  and maybe
• 26:11
  that is
• 26:12
  what's
• 26:12
  keeping you
• 26:13
  away
• 26:13
  from God
• 26:14
  also
• 26:14
  and I'm
• 26:15
  not saying
• 26:15
  today
• 26:16
  that the
• 26:17
  fear of
• 26:18
  God
• 26:18
  is wrong
• 26:18
  but the
• 26:19
  correct
• 26:19
  fear of
• 26:20
  God
• 26:20
  is right
• 26:21
  but not
• 26:22
  a fear
• 26:23
  of God
• 26:23
  that draws
• 26:24
  us to
• 26:24
  God
• 26:24
  and to
• 26:25
  Christ
• 26:25
  is very
• 26:26
  good
• 26:26
  a fear
• 26:27
  of God
• 26:27
  that drives
• 26:28
  us away
• 26:28
  let me
• 26:28
  tell you
• 26:29
  that is
• 26:29
  not a
• 26:30
  true fear
• 26:30
  of God
• 26:31
  there's
• 26:32
  something wrong
• 26:32
  with that
• 26:33
  John
• 26:34
  the apostle
• 26:34
  says
• 26:35
  perfect love
• 26:35
  drives out
• 26:36
  fear
• 26:38
  and he's
• 26:38
  using that
• 26:39
  in the sense
• 26:39
  of I'm
• 26:40
  afraid
• 26:40
  like she
• 26:41
  was
• 26:42
  and maybe
• 26:43
  today
• 26:44
  you are
• 26:44
  afraid
• 26:45
  you're
• 26:45
  full of
• 26:46
  fear
• 26:46
  and you're
• 26:46
  full of
• 26:47
  trembling
• 26:47
  and you
• 26:48
  think I
• 26:48
  can't
• 26:48
  come to
• 26:49
  him
• 26:49
  but the
• 26:50
  Lord
• 26:50
  is waiting
• 26:51
  for you
• 26:51
  to reach
• 26:52
  out and
• 26:52
  touch
• 26:52
  him
• 26:52
  and the
• 26:53
  Lord
• 26:54
  is waiting
• 26:54
  to restore
• 26:56
  and to
• 26:56
  redesignate
• 26:58
  your life
• 26:58
  as daughter
• 26:59
  as son
• 26:59
  as child
• 27:00
  as loved
• 27:01
  one
• 27:01
  don't be
• 27:02
  afraid
• 27:03
  in fact
• 27:04
  he says
• 27:04
  that to
• 27:05
  Jairus
• 27:06
  later on
• 27:06
  when his
• 27:07
  daughter
• 27:07
  was dead
• 27:07
  don't be
• 27:08
  afraid
• 27:08
  somebody
• 27:09
  said
• 27:10
  it said
• 27:11
  somewhere
• 27:11
  that
• 27:13
  the phrase
• 27:15
  God's
• 27:15
  phrase
• 27:16
  don't be
• 27:16
  afraid
• 27:16
  appears
• 27:17
  365
• 27:18
  times
• 27:19
  in the
• 27:19
  Bible
• 27:20
  do you
• 27:21
  believe
• 27:21
  that
• 27:21
  it's
• 27:22
  actually
• 27:22
  not
• 27:23
  true
• 27:23
  it
• 27:23
  sounds
• 27:23
  great
• 27:24
  you know
• 27:24
  it's
• 27:24
  a lovely
• 27:24
  thing
• 27:25
  one
• 27:25
  for
• 27:25
  every
• 27:25
  day
• 27:25
  but
• 27:26
  the
• 27:26
  fact
• 27:27
  is
• 27:27
  the
• 27:27
  truth
• 27:28
  is
• 27:28
  that
• 27:28
  God
• 27:29
  does
• 27:29
  say
• 27:29
  throughout
• 27:30
  the
• 27:30
  scripture
• 27:31
  again
• 27:31
  and again
• 27:32
  and again
• 27:33
  and again
• 27:33
  and again
• 27:34
  and again
• 27:35
  do not
• 27:35
  be afraid
• 27:36
  he wants
• 27:38
  to draw
• 27:39
  us
• 27:39
  he doesn't
• 27:40
  want to
• 27:41
  drive us
• 27:41
  away
• 27:41
  God
• 27:43
  so loved
• 27:43
  the world
• 27:44
  that he
• 27:44
  gave his
• 27:45
  one and only
• 27:45
  son
• 27:45
  not to
• 27:46
  drive us
• 27:47
  from him
• 27:47
  but that
• 27:48
  whosoever
• 27:49
  would believe
• 27:50
  in him
• 27:50
  whosoever
• 27:51
  would reach
• 27:51
  out and
• 27:52
  simply
• 27:53
  seemingly
• 27:53
  slightly
• 27:54
  touch him
• 27:55
  even the
• 27:56
  hem of his
• 27:56
  garment
• 27:57
  would be
• 27:57
  saved
• 27:58
  that to
• 27:59
  me
• 27:59
  speaks
• 28:00
  very
• 28:00
  clearly
• 28:00
  of a
• 28:00
  God
• 28:01
  of love
• 28:01
  and grace
• 28:02
  who wants
• 28:03
  to draw
• 28:03
  us
• 28:04
  and not
• 28:05
  to drive
• 28:06
  us
• 28:06
  to bring
• 28:07
  us
• 28:07
  from
• 28:08
  outcasts
• 28:09
  to family
• 28:10
  from sinners
• 28:12
  to be
• 28:13
  saved
• 28:13
  and that
• 28:15
  is what
• 28:15
  he calls
• 28:16
  you
• 28:16
  today
• 28:18
  this
• 28:19
  woman
• 28:19
  unseen
• 28:21
  unnamed
• 28:23
  unknown
• 28:25
  unfortunate
• 28:26
  worn
• 28:28
  down
• 28:28
  many
• 28:29
  many
• 28:29
  long
• 28:29
  years
• 28:30
  on the
• 28:31
  edge
• 28:31
  of hope
• 28:31
  but this
• 28:32
  story
• 28:33
  says
• 28:33
  you may
• 28:34
  be unnamed
• 28:35
  in this
• 28:35
  world
• 28:36
  you may
• 28:37
  be unfortunate
• 28:38
  in so many
• 28:39
  ways in this
• 28:39
  world but you
• 28:40
  are never
• 28:40
  unimportant
• 28:41
  to Jesus
• 28:42
  never
• 28:43
  ever
• 28:44
  his timing
• 28:46
  is perfect
• 28:46
  his power
• 28:47
  is present
• 28:48
  and his
• 28:49
  touch
• 28:49
  still saves
• 28:51
  and his
• 28:51
  grace
• 28:52
  will turn
• 28:54
  you
• 28:54
  into a
• 28:55
  son
• 28:55
  and a
• 28:57
  daughter
• 28:57
  I'm going
• 28:58
  to close
• 28:58
  now
• 28:58
  with a
• 29:00
  poem
• 29:00
  that I
• 29:01
  read
• 29:01
  it's in
• 29:01
  William
• 29:01
  Hendrickson's
• 29:02
  commentary
• 29:02
  on Mark
• 29:03
  actually
• 29:03
  I remember
• 29:04
  reading it
• 29:04
  years and
• 29:05
  years ago
• 29:05
  and I
• 29:06
  remember
• 29:06
  it came
• 29:07
  back to me
• 29:08
  when I was
• 29:08
  preparing for
• 29:09
  today for
• 29:09
  this morning
• 29:10
  and it's a
• 29:10
  wonderful poem
• 29:11
  that a
• 29:11
  woman who
• 29:12
  heard a
• 29:12
  minister
• 29:13
  preaching on
• 29:13
  this passage
• 29:14
  sent to
• 29:15
  the minister
• 29:15
  and it
• 29:16
  says
• 29:16
  who
• 29:17
  touched
• 29:17
  me
• 29:18
  t'was the
• 29:19
  voice of
• 29:20
  the master
• 29:20
  and the
• 29:21
  woman's
• 29:21
  heart beat
• 29:22
  faster and
• 29:23
  faster
• 29:23
  trembling
• 29:24
  she came
• 29:25
  and bowed
• 29:25
  her head
• 29:26
  I touched
• 29:27
  you Lord
• 29:27
  was what
• 29:28
  she said
• 29:28
  the master
• 29:29
  answered
• 29:29
  go thy
• 29:30
  way
• 29:30
  thy faith
• 29:31
  has made
• 29:32
  thee
• 29:32
  whole this
• 29:32
  day
• 29:33
  have you
• 29:35
  touched
• 29:35
  me
• 29:36
  I heard
• 29:37
  it
• 29:38
  t'was the
• 29:38
  voice of
• 29:39
  the master
• 29:39
  and oh
• 29:40
  my heart
• 29:41
  beat
• 29:41
  faster and
• 29:42
  faster
• 29:42
  you came
• 29:43
  with a
• 29:43
  throng
• 29:44
  to God's
• 29:44
  house
• 29:45
  today
• 29:45
  but I
• 29:46
  felt not
• 29:46
  your touch
• 29:47
  as you
• 29:48
  went on
• 29:48
  your way
• 29:49
  I was
• 29:50
  ashamed
• 29:50
  and bowed
• 29:51
  my head
• 29:52
  reach out
• 29:53
  a bit
• 29:53
  further
• 29:54
  the next
• 29:55
  time
• 29:56
  he said
• 29:57
  hear Jesus
• 29:58
  calling you
• 29:59
  reach out
• 30:00
  a bit
• 30:01
  further
• 30:02
  today
• 30:03
  our father
• 30:05
  we thank
• 30:05
  you for
• 30:06
  the power
• 30:06
  of the
• 30:06
  gospel
• 30:07
  for the
• 30:08
  love of
• 30:08
  Jesus
• 30:09
  and we
• 30:10
  pray that
• 30:10
  we might
• 30:11
  every one
• 30:11
  of us
• 30:12
  here
• 30:13
  in this
• 30:14
  building
• 30:14
  today
• 30:14
  know
• 30:15
  what it
• 30:16
  is to
• 30:16
  reach out
• 30:17
  and touch
• 30:18
  to reach
• 30:19
  out
• 30:20
  and to
• 30:20
  be
• 30:20
  transformed
• 30:21
  to reach
• 30:22
  out
• 30:22
  and receive
• 30:23
  forgiveness
• 30:24
  and healing
• 30:25
  and new
• 30:26
  standing
• 30:26
  through
• 30:28
  Christ
• 30:28
  with you
• 30:29
  we ask
• 30:30
  these things
• 30:30
  in Jesus
• 30:31
  name
• 30:31
  amen
• 30:32
  we're going
• 30:36
  to sing
• 30:36
  our final
• 30:38
  psalm
• 30:39
  from
• 30:40
  psalm
• 30:41
  34
• 30:42
  page
• 30:43
  247
• 30:44
  psalm
• 30:49
  34
• 30:49
  from
• 30:51
  page
• 30:52
  247
• 30:53
  we're
• 30:53
  singing
• 30:53
  verses
• 30:53
  8
• 30:54
  to
• 30:54
  11
• 30:54
  oh
• 30:55
  taste
• 30:55
  and
• 30:56
  see
• 30:56
  that
• 30:56
  God
• 30:57
  is
• 30:57
  good
• 30:57
  and
• 30:58
  the
• 30:58
  psalmist
• 30:58
  there
• 30:58
  David
• 30:59
  is
• 30:59
  saying
• 30:59
  he's
• 31:00
  not
• 31:00
  asking
• 31:01
  us
• 31:02
  to
• 31:02
  enjoy
• 31:03
  the
• 31:03
  whole
• 31:03
  meal
• 31:04
  he's
• 31:04
  just
• 31:04
  saying
• 31:04
  taste
• 31:05
  and
• 31:05
  see
• 31:06
  that
• 31:06
  God
• 31:06
  is
• 31:07
  good
• 31:07
  you
• 31:07
  know
• 31:07
  when
• 31:07
  you
• 31:07
  taste
• 31:08
  something
• 31:08
  gives
• 31:08
  you
• 31:08
  a
• 31:09
  taste
• 31:09
  of
• 31:09
  what
• 31:09
  is
• 31:09
  to
• 31:10
  come
• 31:10
  and
• 31:10
  that
• 31:11
  is
• 31:11
  what
• 31:11
  this
• 31:11
  woman
• 31:11
  did
• 31:11
  she
• 31:12
  touched
• 31:12
  and
• 31:13
  she would
• 31:14
  much
• 31:15
  better
• 31:15
  taste
• 31:16
  and
• 31:16
  see
• 31:17
  that
• 31:17
  God
• 31:17
  is
• 31:18
  good
• 31:18
  who
• 31:18
  trusts
• 31:19
  in
• 31:19
  him
• 31:19
  is
• 31:20
  blessed
• 31:20
  psalm
• 31:21
  34
• 31:21
  verses
• 31:21
  8
• 31:22
  to
• 31:22
  11
• 31:22
  we
• 31:23
  stand
• 31:23
  to
• 31:23
  praise
• 31:24
  God
• 31:24
  oh
• 31:28
  taste
• 31:29
  and
• 31:30
  see
• 31:31
  that
• 31:32
  God
• 31:33
  is
• 31:34
  good
• 31:34
  who
• 31:35
  trusts
• 31:37
  in
• 31:38
  him
• 31:38
  is
• 31:39
  blessed
• 31:41
  fear
• 31:42
  !
• 31:44
  God
• 31:46
  is
• 31:47
  good
• 31:48
  to
• 31:49
  be
• 31:50
  with
• 31:52
  what
• 31:53
  oppressed
• 31:54
  God
• 31:54
  is
• 31:55
  good
• 31:56
  and
• 31:57
  may
• 31:58
  be
• 31:59
  and
• 32:00
  he
• 32:01
  be
• 32:02
  and
• 32:04
  they
• 32:05
  may
• 32:06
  lack
• 32:08
  their
• 32:09
  food
• 32:09
  food
• 32:10
  but
• 32:11
  they
• 32:12
  that
• 32:13
  truly
• 32:15
  seek
• 32:16
  the
• 32:17
  Lord
• 32:18
  shall
• 32:19
  not
• 32:20
  lack
• 32:21
  any
• 32:23
  food
• 32:25
  O
• 32:26
  children
• 32:28
  hither
• 32:30
  do
• 32:31
  ye
• 32:32
  come
• 32:33
  and
• 32:34
  unto
• 32:35
  me
• 32:37
  give
• 32:38
  hear
• 32:39
  I
• 32:41
  shall
• 32:42
  you
• 32:43
  teach
• 32:44
  to
• 32:45
  understand
• 32:47
  how
• 32:49
  ye
• 32:50
  the
• 32:51
  Lord
• 32:51
  choose
• 32:53
  hear
• 32:54
  and
• 32:56
  may
• 32:56
  grace
• 32:56
  and
• 32:57
  mercy
• 32:57
  and
• 32:57
  peace
• 32:57
  from
• 32:58
  Father
• 32:58
  Son
• 32:59
  and
• 32:59
  Holy
• 32:59
  Spirit
• 33:00
  be
• 33:01
  with
• 33:01
  you
• 33:01
  all
• 33:01
  Amen
• 33:02
  take a
• 33:03
  seat
• 33:03
  folks
• 33:03
  just
• 33:07
  before
• 33:07
  you
• 33:07
  make
• 33:08
  your
• 33:08
  way
• 33:08
  out
• 33:08
  just
• 33:08
  like
• 33:08
  I
• 33:08
  said
• 33:09
  at
• 33:09
  the
• 33:09
  start
• 33:09
  just
• 33:09
  to
• 33:09
  come
• 33:10
  back
• 33:10
  to
• 33:10
  one
• 33:10
  of
• 33:10
  the
• 33:10
  items
• 33:11
  in
• 33:11
  the
• 33:11
  bulletin
• 33:11
  sheet
• 33:11
  I
• 33:12
  wanted
• 33:12
  to
• 33:12
  leave
• 33:12
  it
• 33:12
  to
• 33:13
  the
• 33:13
  end
• 33:14
  and
• 33:14
  hope
• 33:14
  that
• 33:14
  it
• 33:14
  wouldn't
• 33:14
  be
• 33:14
  too
• 33:15
  much
• 33:15
  of
• 33:15
  a
• 33:15
  distraction
• 33:16
  during
• 33:16
  the
• 33:16
  preaching
• 33:17
  and that
• 33:18
  is
• 33:18
  the
• 33:18
  matter
• 33:18
  of
• 33:18
  the
• 33:19
  future
• 33:19
  of
• 33:19
  the
• 33:20
  seminary
• 33:20
  it's
• 33:20
  on
• 33:20
  your
• 33:21
  bulletin
• 33:21
  sheet
• 33:21
  and
• 33:22
  there's
• 33:22
  a
• 33:22
  note
• 33:23
  there
• 33:23
  that
• 33:23
  there
• 33:23
  will
• 33:23
  be
• 33:23
  a
• 33:23
  congregational
• 33:24
  meeting
• 33:25
  on
• 33:25
  Wednesday
• 33:26
  the
• 33:26
  28th
• 33:27
  of
• 33:27
  January
• 33:27
  at
• 33:27
  7.30
• 33:28
  p.m.
• 33:29
  that will
• 33:29
  be in
• 33:30
  the
• 33:30
  seminary
• 33:30
  and the
• 33:31
  meeting is
• 33:31
  being called
• 33:32
  with regards
• 33:33
  to addressing
• 33:34
  the future
• 33:35
  of the
• 33:36
  seminary
• 33:36
  and especially
• 33:36
  the proposed
• 33:37
  sale of
• 33:39
  it
• 33:39
  it's not
• 33:40
  an easy
• 33:40
  matter
• 33:41
  of course
• 33:41
  and it
• 33:42
  has had
• 33:42
  much
• 33:43
  prayer
• 33:43
  and still
• 33:44
  requires
• 33:44
  much
• 33:45
  prayer
• 33:45
  from us
• 33:46
  all
• 33:46
  and
• 33:47
  today
• 33:48
  so prior
• 33:50
  to the
• 33:50
  meeting
• 33:50
  today
• 33:51
  there is
• 33:51
  a sheet
• 33:52
  going to
• 33:52
  be
• 33:52
  distributed
• 33:53
  as you
• 33:53
  go
• 33:53
  out
• 33:54
  which
• 33:54
  contains
• 33:55
  more
• 33:55
  information
• 33:56
  about
• 33:57
  the
• 33:58
  process
• 33:58
  that's
• 33:58
  been
• 33:58
  followed
• 33:59
  and
• 33:59
  just
• 33:59
  various
• 34:00
  bits
• 34:00
  and pieces
• 34:01
  about
• 34:01
  how
• 34:01
  we're
• 34:02
  looking
• 34:02
  at
• 34:02
  things
• 34:02
  and
• 34:03
  on
• 34:03
  the
• 34:03
  evening
• 34:04
  itself
• 34:04
  there will
• 34:05
  be a
• 34:05
  more
• 34:06
  detailed
• 34:06
  presentation
• 34:07
  given
• 34:08
  where they
• 34:08
  go into
• 34:09
  more
• 34:09
  detail
• 34:09
  about
• 34:10
  the
• 34:10
  items
• 34:10
  mentioned
• 34:11
  on that
• 34:11
  summary
• 34:12
  sheet
• 34:12
  that you
• 34:12
  get
• 34:13
  today
• 34:13
  and
• 34:13
  there'll
• 34:13
  be
• 34:13
  an
• 34:13
  opportunity
• 34:14
  for
• 34:15
  questions
• 34:15
  on
• 34:16
  the
• 34:16
  evening
• 34:16
  as
• 34:17
  well
• 34:17
  and
• 34:18
  I
• 34:18
  want
• 34:18
  to
• 34:18
  encourage
• 34:18
  as
• 34:19
  many
• 34:19
  of
• 34:20
  you
• 34:20
  as
• 34:20
  possible
• 34:20
  to
• 34:20
  come
• 34:21
  along
• 34:21
  on
• 34:21
  the
• 34:21
  evening
• 34:22
  to
• 34:23
  be
• 34:23
  involved
• 34:24
  in
• 34:24
  this
• 34:24
  whole
• 34:25
  process
• 34:25
  and
• 34:25
  to
• 34:25
  be
• 34:26
  able
• 34:26
  to
• 34:26
  give
• 34:26
  any
• 34:27
  questions
• 34:27
  that
• 34:28
  you
• 34:28
  would
• 34:28
  wish
• 34:28
  to
• 34:28
  ask
• 34:29
  on
• 34:29
  the
• 34:29
  evening
• 34:30
  so
• 34:30
  you'll
• 34:30
  get
• 34:30
  this
• 34:31
  sheet
• 34:31
  as
• 34:31
  you
• 34:31
  go
• 34:31
  out
• 34:31
  read
• 34:33
  it
• 34:33
  before
• 34:34
  the
• 34:34
  meeting
• 34:34
  and
• 34:35
  then
• 34:35
  you
• 34:35
  can
• 34:35
  come
• 34:36
  maybe
• 34:36
  more
• 34:36
  prepared
• 34:37
  and
• 34:37
  more
• 34:37
  informed
• 34:38
  about
• 34:38
  the
• 34:39
  process
• 34:39
  so
• 34:40
  thank
• 34:40
  you
• 34:41
  for
• 34:41
  your
• 34:41
  patience
• 34:41
  thank
• 34:42
  you
• 34:42
  for
• 34:42
  making
• 34:43
  this
• 34:43
  a
• 34:43
  matter
• 34:43
  of
• 34:44
  prayer
• 34:44
  and
• 34:45
  do
• 34:45
  keep
• 34:45
  praying
• 34:46
  about
• 34:46
  it
• 34:47
  Colin
• 34:47
  will
• 34:47
  go
• 34:47
  to
• 34:47
  the
• 34:48
  main
• 34:48
  door
• 34:48
  now
• 34:48
  and
• 34:49
  I'll
• 34:49
  go
• 34:49
  to
• 34:50
  the
• 34:50
  door
• 34:50
  to
• 34:50
  my
• 34:50
  left
• 34:51
  here
• 34:51
  if you
• 34:51
  just
• 34:51
  give us
• 34:52
  a
• 34:52
  moment
• 34:52
  for
• 34:52
  that
• 34:53
  as
• 35:23
  Thank you.