May the Lord help us to pray.
Most holy and almighty Lord God, we do plead that thou would come
this evening hour and help us as we desire to worship thee.
The day is fast bent, Lord, but I'll do come and refresh us and
renew us and strengthen us for the evening service and be with
us each, Lord. We do pray. and seek all these
things and for thy blessing upon the word and remember us each
from the eldest down to the youngest and those that are listening
in. We seek all these things and the forgiveness of our many
sins for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Well, friends, we'd like
to welcome you all to worship this evening and our desire is
indeed as we prayed that the Lord will indeed be with us at
this evening hour. Hymn: 338, Tune: Millennium 551
The Lord help us to read from
the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 8. Gospel of Luke, Chapter Eight. And it came to pass afterward
that he went through every city and village preaching and showing
the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the 12 were with
him and certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and
infirmities. Mary called Magdalene, out of
whom went seven devils. and Joanna the wife of Tuzza,
Herod's steward, and Susanna and many others which ministered
unto him of their substance. And when much people were gathered
together and would come to hear him out of every city, he spake
by a parable. Osara went out to sow his seed,
and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside. And it was trodden
down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon
a rock, and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away,
because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and
the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. Another fell on
good ground and sprang up and bare fruit and hundredfold. And
when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to
hear, and let him hear. And his disciples asked him,
saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it
is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to
others in parables that seeing they might not see, and hearing
they might not understand. Now the parable is this. The
seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are they
that hear. Then come if the devil, and take
if away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe
and be saved. They on the rock are they which,
when they hear, receive the word with joy. And these have no root,
for which a wild believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns
are they which, when they have heard, go forth and are choked
with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit
to perfection. But that on the good ground are
they which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word,
keep it and bring forth fruit with patience. No man, when he
have lighted a candle, cover it with a vessel or put it under
a bed. but set it fit on a candlestick
that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is
secret that shall not be made manifest, neither anything hid
that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how
ye hear. For whosoever hath, to him shall
be given, and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken
even that which he seemeth. to have. Then came to him his
mother and his brethren and could not come at him for the press.
And it was told him by certain which said, thy mother and thy
brethren stand without a desiring to see thee. And he answered
and said unto them, my mother and my brethren are these which
hear the word of God and do it. Now it came to pass on a certain
day that he went into a ship with his disciples and he said
unto them, let us go over onto the other side of the lake and
they launched forth. But as they sailed, he fell asleep
and there came down a storm of wind on the lake and they were
filled with water and were in jeopardy. And they came to him
and awoke him saying, master, master, we perish. Then he arose
and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they
ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where
is your faith? And they, being afraid, wondered,
saying one to another, What manner of man is this? For he commandeth
even the winds and water, and they obey him. And they arrived
at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city,
a certain man which had devil's long time, and wear no clothes,
neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus,
he cried out and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said,
what have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. For he had commanded the unclean
spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught
him, and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters, and he
break the bands and was driven of the devil into the wilderness. And Jesus asked him saying, what
is thy name? And he said, Legion, because
many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that
he would not command them to go out into the deep, And there
was there an herd of many swine, feeded on the mountain. And they
besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And
he suffered them. Then went the devils out of the
man and entered into the swine. And the herd ran violently down
a steep place into the lake and were choked. When they'd fed
them, saw what was done, they fled and went and told it in
the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what
was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the
devils were departed sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed
and in his right mind and they were afraid. They also which
saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the
devils was healed. Then the whole multitude of the
country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart
from them for they were taken with great fear and he went up
into the ship and returned back again. Now the man out of whom
the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him,
but Jesus sent him away saying, return unto thine own house and
show how great things God have done unto thee. And he went his
way and published throughout the whole city how great things
Jesus had done unto him. And it came to pass that when
Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him for they
were all waiting for him. And behold, there came a man
named Jairus, and he was a ruler at the synagogue, and he fell
down at Jiju's feet and besought him that he would come into his
house, for he had only one only daughter, about 12 years of age,
and she lay a dying. But as he went, the people thronged
him. And a woman, having an issue
of blood 12 years, which had spent all her living upon physicians,
neither could be healed of any, came behind him and touched the
border of his garment. And immediately her issue of
blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they
that were with him said, Master, the multitude thronged thee and
pressed thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said,
somebody have touched me for I perceive that virtue or power
is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she
was not hid, she came trembling and falling down before him.
She declared unto him before all the people for what cause
she had touched him and how she was healed immediately. And he
said unto her, daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath
made thee whole, go in peace. 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. But when Jesus heard it, he answered
him saying, fear not, believe only, and she shall be made whole. And when he came into the house
he suffered no man to go in save Peter and James and John and
the father and mother of the maiden. And all wept and bewailed
her, but he said, Weep not, she is not dead, but sleepeth. And
they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. And he put
them all out and took her by the hand and called, saying,
Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and
she arose straightway, and he commanded to give her meat. And
her parents were astonished, but he charged them that they
should tell no man what was done. Well, the Lord bless that portion
of his holy word and help us as we come before him in prayer. Most holy and almighty Lord God,
we do pray for thy sweet presence this evening. Lord, in thy presence
I am happy. Yes, in thy presence I can easily
all things bear, says the hymn writer. And Lord, we do have
those things that we come into thy courts with, those individual
troubles, burdens, cares, and concerns. Lord, help us to feel
the presence of Almighty God to, as it were, soften us for
that pathway that we have to walk, that way that is ahead
of us, and regarding perhaps our hard hearts as we consider
the pathway, which is perhaps one that we would not choose.
But Lord, we are thankful that we can come to thee at the throne
of grace and lay before thee those hard things, those impossible
matters, and leave them with thee to hear and to answer according
to thy gracious, holy, divine will. And so, Lord, this evening
hour, we do pray we might know the sweetness of thy gracious
help, the mercy of the Lord, and that we might worship thee
in truth, and that we might worship thee, Lord, as those of old. Sirs, we would, sir, we would
see Jesus. Oh, what a desire that is. And as those Greeks came and they
told Philip and Philip told Andrew and they went and they told Jesus,
Lord, we pray that we might come with that real desire in our
hearts. Show me some token, Lord, for
good, some token of thy special love. Show me that I am born
of God and that my treasure is above. Lord, we pray that thou
wilt greatly help us this evening and come in. And Lord, we would
pray for thy blessing upon that which was attended to by thy
servant here this morning. We pray that, Lord, thou wilt
bless the word through him. And we pray that it may have
been a help to those that gathered. And we pray thou wilt bless him
in his ministrations and greatly help him. And Lord, we pray that
thou wilt help him We think it's three weeks today, God willing,
that he is due to preach amongst our own flock at East Peckham.
Do be with him, we plead. And Lord, we do pray for thy
dear servant, the pastor of this people. And we pray, Lord, that
thou would bless him tonight. and open his mouth wide and fill
it as he speaks to the friends at Bethel Luton. Lord, we pray
it may be a special day. We pray that thy blessing and
favour will be upon it. We pray that, Lord, thou would
use the gospel through him to teach and to guide and to, as
it were, open up the word to those poor sinners gathered there.
Lord, we pray then that thou would grant those favours and
then bring him home in peace and safety. Lord, we plead. We pray for him, Lord, in his
ministrations here amongst this dear people, those of his flock
that listen in. Lord, to the services, do bless
them. and favour them, and those, Lord,
that come here on the Lord's Day morning, and then those that
are here to support him regularly in the evening, and we thank
thee for that loving, kind support, and we pray for them and thy
blessing upon them. Lord, we do seek that he will
be greatly helped in preaching the word, and that yet there
will be others that will come into the courts of God here in
Cranbrook. Lord, we pray that they are enlivened
souls, that will bring them, Lord, to desire, Lord, as it
were, to find out what goes on in the little chapel here, and
that they shall be led in, hear the word, benefit under it, and
desire to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a saving way. O Lord, it is thy work. O Lord, we plead for it. We seek
that thou will bring them in. We seek that thou will, graciously
grant that souls will have to come with a what must I do to
be saved. Oh, Lord, we do pray then that
thou will bless us this evening. We pray, Lord, for Tom, Pauline
and family that, Lord, are with the family here and we pray for
them, Lord, and indeed, if it be thy will in that little family
gathering tomorrow, be with them. But Lord, we do pray thou will
be with them tonight and Tom and the little one at home, Lord,
and we pray thou would be mindful of them and also do go before
them each, we pray, and be with them and remember them in their
own chapel, Lord, and Lord, we plead thou would bless them indeed. And oh Lord, we do pray that
thou would favour and help each one. Remember Hilary, Lord, in
all her responsibilities. And Lord, the pastor's wife,
that's no easy role. And Lord, we pray that thou would
strengthen and help her and give her what to speak at the right
time to encourage her dear one. Lord, and the minister's wives
walk closely with their husbands, and yet, Lord, oh, they need
much wisdom. We pray for her indeed in all
these things. And we do indeed pray for our
own dear one in those same pathway, Lord, because it is a lonely
pathway to a degree, however much we are close and know those
people around us. It is a pathway of closet prayer. It is a pathway, Lord, which
only those that walk in it know. But Lord, be with them, we pray. And Lord, this night we would
pray for each of the servants of God that stand upon Zion's
walls, wherever they stand, where the truth is faithfully preached.
Lord, not denominational, but where it is faithfully and fully
preached according to the word of God. We pray for thy blessing
upon the servants. We pray, Lord, yet thou wilt
equip more servants to go and preach the word of God. Lord,
we beg for it, that they will be sent by thee. They will be
taught by thee. They will be given that which
they need by thee. And Lord, we know that man can,
and there are different views on training of ministers and
Lord, we are not personally against any such training, but we believe
this in the end, in the end, it is only Thee that can train
us. It is only Thee that can show
us what we should preach and how we should preach. But Lord,
we do pray that that right guidance and direction is given even one
to another, fellow man and minister to others. And Lord, we are thankful
where we have had that guidance and direction from different
ones of thy servants, Lord, for we feel to be rather like one
of old who said, I am but a child. Oh yes, I know not how to come
in or go out. Lord, we pray then that thou
wilt be mindful of us each, and Lord, we do pray for this sinful
land and nation, yet that thou wouldest turn us to the ways
of God, to the commandments of God, away from the ways of sin,
away from the ways, Lord, of the world, as it were, and so
much, and in Parliament, Lord, where, oh, there's such a looking
and proud in man and all the serving of the minority groups,
Lord. Oh, we do pray. that thou will
come and be with us. Lord, we pray for our government,
we pray for our leaders, as we are exhorted to do, to bear them
up, even though we fear for the most part they do not bear themselves
up. And Lord, oh, what a mercy it
would be if there were leaders that had got some humility and
that some looking unto the Lord. We pray, Lord, for the difficult
situation in the Middle East and pray, Lord, that if it be
thy will, thou will prevent the escalation of war at this most
difficult of times. Oh, Lord, as we hear even this
day that Hezbollah struck out with sending those rockets into
Israel. Lord, it is right that we hear
and understand these things and try to pray. For Lord, we know
that there is so much opposition to the nation of Israel and whilst
we cannot claim them to be the Lord's people in that literal
sense, we know they are the Lord's nation and he will protect that
nation and solemn it is for those nations of the world that oppose
them In that way, although we acknowledge they are far from
perfect themselves as a nation, but they are the God's nation,
and in the word of God bears that up. In the last times, there
will be much opposition to the nation of Israel, and we see
it in our own streets, and we see it in our own land. Lord,
these are solemn days. We do pray that thou would help
us to pray that thou would indeed grant that there will be those
that come to know the Lord Jesus Christ in these solemn days. Well, Lord, thou knowest where
each one is tonight, their need, their, as it were, how they feel
in their hearts, in their souls, Lord. We pray that thou would
meet their cases. We do pray for the young ones,
for the little ones. We pray for those, Lord, that
seek that thou would be with them. Pray for those that are
homeschooled, pray for those in their work, pray for those,
Lord, that are looking for work, pray for those, Lord, that are
looking for thy guidance and direction, pray for those that
need thee to come to show them what thou would have them to
do. Lord, we do pray for all the different multitude of needs
and concerns that there are amongst those that are gathered and those
that are listening. Oh Lord, we love that word for
thou knowest. He knoweth the way that I take
and when he have tried me, he shall bring me forth as gold. Lord, we need to be brought forth
as gold if we're to enter into thy kingdom. Oh Lord, do work
on us. Oh, if one may speak for oneself,
what a lot of rubbish there is to be burnt off. What a lot of
work there is for that vessel in the fires to be burnt off
so that the gold is pure in the end. Oh Lord, we pray that thou
would work in sinful hearts and Lord we are sinful we are sinners
if we've rightly shown it and just how evil and wretched we
are Lord do come and forgive our many sins we do pray We also
plead, Lord, as we are before Thee, that Thou will give us
that spirit of praise and thanksgiving to Thee, the mighty God, for
all Thy mercies, for all Thy favours and Thy benefits. We cannot count the sum of them. We cannot count them, Lord, because
they are more numerable than the sand upon the seashore. So,
O Lord, we would praise and acknowledge thy dear name. So help us to
come and to truly plead for thy presence now. Open up the word
to us, Lord. Open our ears and our hearts
to receive the word and grant thy blessing. Command thy blessing,
Lord. the commands of God will stand
for all time. We plead these things, the forgiveness
of our many sins, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. The notices. God willing, your pastor hopes
to preach here on Thursday evening at 7pm and next Lord's Day at
11am and 6.30pm. God willing, also Thanksgiving
services are being held at Tunbridge Wells Hanover Chapel tomorrow.
Details are on the Cranbrook Chapel notice boards. Hymn: 548 Tune: Seacombe 838 Well, may the Lord help us in
hearing and speaking. I would direct your prayerful
attention to the first clause in verse 46 of Luke chapter eight. Luke eight, 46, and that first
half of the verse. And Jesus said, somebody hath
touched me. And Jesus said, Somebody have
touched me. And then he gives a reason why,
for I perceive that virtue or power, goodness, is gone out
of me. This particular wonderful deliverance
and healing touch of the Lord Jesus is recorded in Matthew,
Mark, and Luke. And I desire really, friends,
to speak a little of the background initially, and if the Lord will,
draw a few points out from that. Then to consider, secondly, the
some bodies. Friends, and this is where it
gets personal. Somebody. We need to be a somebody
if we're going to heaven, somebody that the Lord has called out
from this world of sin and wretchedness. And then those that are called
out, how they touch Him and how they are helped in touching Him
in the pathway. Well, the background friends,
what a chapter. You know, as we read this chapter
tonight, and I read it this morning, but it struck me tonight, just
how much power and might was exhibited by the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, there were those that
saw this and did not believe. There were those that saw this
and hated him for it. But when you see the mad Gadarene,
And when you see the case of Jairus's daughter, and when you
see the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years, and all
of them utterly impossible cases, all of them wretched and hopeless
cases, and all of them were touched by the hand of healing of the
heavenly physician of whom we have been singing. Friends, It's
a remarkable thing. The gift of healing naturally,
which exhibited in these, was also the gift of healing spiritually. The work of the Lord Jesus Christ
is not half done, is it, friends? It's fully completed. But in
this glorious background we see that there were those that looked
on, the multitude besought him to depart from them, we read
in verse 37, they were taken with great fear. Fear of the
power of this God and his might. Let us look at these two cases.
There are a lot of similarities. You've got a 12-year-old girl. She's an only daughter. You know,
it's a tragic situation. And you've got this man called
Jairus who's a ruler of the synagogue. Now in the synagogues, they knew,
they worshipped in the synagogues, but did they worship this God,
this Jesus? Well friends, you see I believe
he knew that he must come to one who could heal him. And he
was a ruler, an important man. But the first thing he did, this
lady also had to do, but she didn't do it first of all. And
that was, well, she did do it, but not as it were, she didn't
prostrate herself right at the beginning. We read that in verse
47 that she fell down after he'd healed her. But you see this, they both had
to do this, they had to prostrate themselves. Friends, if you've
never known and you never will know what it is to prostrate
yourself, that is to be low, to be on your knees, to be as
it were humbled before Almighty God, if you've never known that,
You're not a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ because he
will have us to be prostrate before him. That's when he hears
and answers prayer. All the time there's some might
and some strength and some power in self. We're not fully prostrate
and you know I do believe and I'm guilty of this friends. I'm
praying over a situation in providence and in grace even. In my soul's
experience, I'm praying over it, but I'm sorting it out and
resolving it at the same time. You see, friends, I'm dirty in
the matter by my own fingerprints upon it. And so are you sometimes. Prostrate means that we're in
a helpless case. We have to prostrate ourselves.
But we know who to go to. We know who to go to. Jairus
did. A man came, Jairus. He fell down.
He besought him that he would come to his house. And it's the same with this woman.
You see, she quietly came. She came behind him. Yes. One came in front of him, I would
say, and prostrated him and said, come to my house. Plead him with
the Lord, for his daughter was ill. She lay dying and the people
were thronged of course and then there's this woman as part of
the throng and she came behind him and touched the border of
his garment. Two wonderful cases and friends
they're contemporaneous meaning they are at the same time. I
know we read in the Gospels a slightly different order of these two
but when you think about it The Lord Jesus was busy in his healing
here, friends. And I believe even in these days
of small things, he's still busy in his healing of poor sinners'
wounds, you know. We just lose sight of that. Yes. And so we read that in Mark's
gospel, chapter five and verse 23, that Jairus Verse 22, There cometh one of
the rulers, Jairus by name, and when he saw him, he fell at his
feet, and he besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter, life
at the point of death, I pray thee, come and lay thy hands
on her. Oh, friends, you see, he wanted
a touch for his daughter. This woman said if I may but
touch the hem of his garment I shall be healed. It's a touch
and we will come to that as helped a little later. But you see these
wonderful cases and the similarity in them both and we read in Mark
that Jesus went with him and much people thronged him and
there he also says a certain woman which had an issue of blood
12 years and had suffered many things of many physicians, came
in the press behind, that is in the press of the crowd behind,
and touched his garment. If I may but touch his clothes,
I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain
of her blood was dried up. Now friends, so there is that
then. that similarity, that they both
had to humble theirselves at Jesus' feet, but a different
stage for her because she was called out after the words of
our text because Jesus said firstly in verse 45, who touched me? And they all denied. Peter and Nadir were with him
said. There's a multitude here, it's almost as if they're rebuking
Jesus saying, well there's all this crowd about you, how do
you possibly know that one of them's touched you? The Lord
Jesus knew who he'd touched him, and he knew, because he knew
all things, that this woman, and he would have her to come
before him and to speak of what the Lord had done. Do you speak of what the Lord
has done for your soul? Do you speak to others? Then
they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. And the
Lord hearkened and a book of remembrance was written upon
them and for those that thought upon his name. So says Malachi. Do you or do you come in a chapel,
go out a chapel and there's never a word to anybody about spiritual
things. You say, well I can't ever speak
about them. My friends, this lady, those that are touched
with a love of the Lord that have gone to have us touched,
they must speak from time to time. Just a little perhaps,
they might say, well I'm still praying, I'm still, it's still
speaking friends. The Lord Jesus did not allow
her to be a silent Christian. Somebody have touched me. And
when the woman, verse 47, saw that she was not hid, she came
trembling. And then she declared unto him
before all the people for what cause she had touched him and
how she was healed immediately. She had to speak. And friends, I just want to explain,
you know, she was naturally, before she was healed, she was
unclean. Under the Levitical law, and
it's a very solemn chapter, it speaks in Leviticus regarding,
I think it's chapter 15, I can't remember now friends, it speaks
regarding the situation of Yes, chapter 15, verse 25, if a woman
have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation,
or if it run beyond the time of her separation, all the days
of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation.
And it fundamentally says this, she shall be unclean. Now when
it means, I need to be careful here, but when it speaks in that
chapter it speaks regarding obviously a natural woman cycle and in
those days under the Levitical law they would be left at home
during that period and considered unclean. And also, but this is
bleeding that was going on after that, that had gone on for 12
years. And some have said, well, it's
an issue in her blood that she had a blood disease. Well, the
way I see the word here is that she had, it uses the same word
issue and the same word issue here. And it says the issue of
her blood stanched. So I can only think whether she
was, we don't know, a haemophiliac or whatever it was, we don't
know friends, we must leave that. But this we do know, that under
the Jewish law laid down in the Levi's, made clear in Leviticus,
she should not have been out and about. She should not have
been mixing with the crowd. And you know, anyone that such
a person touched were also considered to be unclean. Here's Jesus who's
been touched by her. He cannot be unclean because
he is cleanliness itself. He's pure. And so that's why
she was so shy in coming forward, because she was unclean. And
so it is with the child of God. They cry out unclean, unclean
when they see a little bit of their sinful wretchedness in
this vile heart that we have. They are unclean. But oh, and
so it was. But she had to come to speak
of what the Lord had done. And you see, this is what I so
love. because she was constrained to
do that despite the fact the crowd could have turned round
and said how ghastly that was, that she was unclean. But of
course she'd been healed. And she'd been healed by one
who was perfect in the flesh. Friends, how beautiful this is.
The virtue, power had gone out of him to heal her. Somebody
have touched me. Yes. You know, These are wonderful
cases. So we've seen that there is a
similarity as we consider this background and there's so much
in it spiritually for us. There's a similarity and they
both had to be prostrate. One before, one after healing,
but friends it matters not. That's where he will bring us. When the Lord works in our heart
and you know, prostrate on account of sin, Prostrate on account
of thanksgiving that the Lord has come and given a hope to
a poor feeble sinner. It's prostrating ourselves Well,
that's the first thing but the second was you know, these were
both daughters One of them the Lord Jesus said daughter first
48 that be of good comfort thy faith have made thee whole daughter
daughter how precious that he is a heavenly father daughter
and The other one, Jairus said, my daughter. He doesn't say it
in this, but he says it in Mark's gospel, my little daughter, my
daughter. They were both daughters. And
I believe this with the love of God. We had to read all the
chapter, friends, because I wanted to get to the end of that glorious
and wonderful deliverance of this young girl, this 12 year
old. And so it is this you see, he
put them all out, he took her by the hand and he called saying,
maid arise, arise. And so she arose, but she was
a daughter spiritually to the Lord Jesus as well, they were
both daughters. One was a literal daughter, one
was a spiritual daughter, both were spiritual daughters. Friends, It's a beautiful word
when we consider this background and it's all the work of Jesus
upon earth and Jesus in salvation of his children. And we're all daughters, we're
adopted of God the Father to be his children with the gift
of his dear son. And so we come to this, you see,
another point. of similarity is, and we spoke
a little of the friends of this this morning but it so struck
me, the number 12. We've got a 12 year old girl, or around 12, it says about 12
in verse 42. And then this woman had an issue
of blood 12 years. Yes, both 12s. Why should that be, you might
say. What importance is that? Well, let me tell you friends,
and I know as much could be said on it, but the number 12 is so
important in scripture, so much so that it occurs 187 times. And it occurs right from the
very beginning when there were the 12 tribes of Israel. And
it sets forth a fullness. In the gospel, it sets forth
a completion in Christ. It sets forth, number seven,
as you know, is the number of completeness or perfection. Number
12 is the fullness of the gospel. There were 12 disciples and you
know when Judas, in Acts we read, after the ascension of Christ,
they chose another one to make up the 12. We read of the heavenly
city and we know not much of it, friends, but we know this,
there were 12 gates and 12 foundations. We know there were 12 stones
that Elijah put before he set the word upon fire from heaven
from above. We know that there were 12 minor
prophets. My friends, how wonderful is
the word of God. You see, they had that similarity,
both 12s. Oh, that we might, you know this
word, there's so many depths that couch in God's word. If
only we could be shown them. So there was that similarity
there of the two cases. Well, friends, there was another
similarity, of course. They both were touched. There
was a physical touch. The hand was held at the maid.
And here the woman came behind and she touched the very hem
of his garment. Who touched me? He touched, she
touched him. Oh, you see, so they're unclean. They both bowed down in prostrate. They both touched. They both
had something to do with the number 12. Oh friends, this glorious background
to this word. I would, I can't move on for
the minute because it's so wonderful to ponder these things, that
these cases of healing, and you know each of these things are
how we will have to be as taught of the Lord. Well, what teaching there is when the
Lord comes and shows us just a little of these things. Both
the father, Jairus, and the woman, they had to press. They had to
come. They had to come to Jesus. They
knew He. They had to have faith. They
were given faith. We need to have the gift of faith,
friends. There's a word, it so struck
me in verse 50. It so struck me when Jesus heard
it. The daughter is dead. You're
wasting your time now. Trouble not the master. That's
what that means. You're wasting your time. And it's so struck
me. Perhaps there's a poor soul here. You've been praying for
something. You've been pleading and begging for something. And
there's no answer. And the heaven is at brass. And
it's like this, that your prayers aren't getting through. And it's
like this, give it all up. Perhaps the devil's been saying
that to you today. Give it all up. Forget it all.
It's a waste of time. A waste of your time. And do
you know what the devil even tell you? You're wasting God's
time. Thy daughter is dead. Your exercise
is dead. Your matter is dead. It's finished.
It's gone. Fear not, said Jesus. Believe
only and she shall be made whole. Oh, that the Lord would give
us faith to believe then. This woman had faith that if
she could but touch the hem of his garment, she would be made
clean, clear of this. And don't forget, she'd spent
all her money. She's got nothing left in the
bank, friends. And sometimes you and I have got nothing left
in the bank of faith. And sometimes you and I have
got nothing left in the bank, literally, because he'll have
us to come there so that then we're having to go before him
on our knees, aren't we? It's healthy for us spiritually.
It's what he has us to do. Well, we would say this, that
she had to come and she came trembling in the end. But who
touched me? Oh, this wonderful work of salvation
in these two cases that we have before us. Well, I want to come
to this end, this second aspect. Somebody! Again, friends, if you and I
are going to glory, we have to be a somebody to the Lord Jesus
Christ. And there will be an occasion
when we have been a somebody, when we've been, yes, you know,
I read of the Lord's servant W.S. Cooper, who was pastor at
Lake and Heath Chapel for over 40 years. He died in about 1940, something and in 1937 when he
was 80, on his 80th birthday, he said, I woke up in my heart
at 3.45 in the morning with such praise and honour to God. Why? Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God, in he to save my soul from danger,
interposed his precious blood. What an interposition. And he
said, I could see that he did the work and he looked upon me.
In other words, what he was saying was, in simple terms, I was a
somebody. Friends, are you a somebody?
Somebody who the Lord Jesus has looked out for? Somebody who
the Lord Jesus has healed? Somebody who the Lord Jesus has
turned about from the ways of sin and put them into the ways
that lead unto life? a somebody. Friends, there were
two men. One of them, he ate Lazarus,
I think his name was, and he ate, and there was a rich man
and Lazarus. And the rich man who dined and
sumptuously whilst the other man ate of the crumbs. that fell from the master's table. It's such a solemn passage that
is. And the rich man was clothed in purple. He fed sumptuously
every day. And there was a beggar named
Lazarus. He laid at his gate, the gate
of the rich man, full of sores, desiring to be fed. We don't
feel that he's actually fed. He was desiring to be fed. I
don't know if you've ever noticed that in the world. We just say,
well, he was fed with the crumbs. He desired to be fed. He wanted
those crumbs. Which fell from the rich man's
table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. And you
know, dogs in Bible times, well, they were considered quite almost
vermin, really. And you see, it came to pass,
the beggar died. He was carried into Abraham's
bosom. The rich man also died and was
buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes. Now the rich man was a somebody
upon earth. The poor man, the beggar was
a nobody on earth. The nobody is someone to the
Lord Jesus because he laid down his life for the nobodies on
this earth that they might be somebodies. Oh friends, it's a wonderful
gift, this gift of salvation to nobodies. I'll tell you what,
this is where you'll come. This is where you'll have to
know something of this truth. Where it says in scripture, can
I come to it? This is a psalm of David, although
it speaks much of the Lord Jesus in his sufferings, but it says
this, but I am a worm and no man. humility that is where we
are you see and that and it's the worms the people that feel
themselves to be worms they are nothing i am less than the least
that's what paul said of all the saints less than the least of all the apostles i think he
actually says in corinthians why because he persecuted the
church of christ himself but you see This rich man, he called
out that Lazarus might be sent, that he may dip the tip of his
finger in water and call his tongue because he was in the
flames of eternal misery in hell. Ah, friends, are you a somebody? Do you want to be a somebody
in this world? The Lord Jesus will show you
even if, and there are somebodies, there are people that are raised
up in this world to be important and also who know the Lord Jesus
Christ, but friends, know what it is to have humility. There's
so much pride in man, there's so much in the flesh that wants
to be the best and the biggest and the greatest. But you see,
humility is a lesson that we are taught. and friends to be
a somebody. A somebody to the Lord Jesus
Christ because he has his eternal love upon us. Somebody. The definition of somebody is
in two ways. It's firstly an unknown person. This lady was unknown. Somebody. Until she came and said it was
her, the Lord Jesus knew, he knew everything of course but
the crowd didn't know, the disciples didn't know. The other meaning
for somebody is somebody who thinks they are somebody, in
other words someone who is important, important and you know there's
that solemn case, there's only twice that word comes in scripture,
somebody, in our text And then in Acts 5, verse 36, when there
was this man who opposed the work of the apostles at the time,
there rose up a man called Theodas, boasting himself to be somebody. Self-importance, to be somebody. Yes. Well, friends, Are we a
somebody called out by the Lord Jesus Christ or are we a somebody
that those in the world would follow? Are we a nobody then
to the world and therefore a somebody to the Lord Jesus Christ? A nobody
is literally no one or one of little importance. And that's
what we're filled to be in all these things. Yes, friends, what
a question for us. Somebody or nobody. But this,
we must come to it, friends. The time is chasing us along. Somebody hath touched me. The Lord's dear people will touch
the Lord. they will be brought into places
where they need to touch him. How do they do that? Friends,
he brings us to touch him in several different ways. But the
first way is in prayer and exercise before him. Every time you are
brought to lay your case before him in providence and in grace,
the matters and the burdens that are upon you Every time that
you were drawn out at the throne of grace, my friends, you are
touching him. You are touching him because
he sees you on your knees. And I tell you what, this crowd,
there's a crowd that's going to stop you from doing this.
One of the things of the crowd is your own heart. Another one
is the enemy. But we have that lovely hymn. Satan trembles when he sees the
weakest, the feeblest, the most pathetic, one might say, saint
upon their knees. He trembles. Prayer is such a
weapon, friends, for the feeble. Weakest souls can wield it best. That is when you are touching
the Lord. Oh, you say, well, I don't feel
that touch. But you're reaching out to him
like this dear one did. You're reaching out to him in
faith like these both of these characters did. And he will have
you to reach out. He will have you to plead your
case. He will have you to come like
the dear woman from the coast of Canaan. Lord, help me. There's
nothing else for it, friends. Lord, save me. Lord, protect
me. Lord, guide me. Whatever it is,
you are touching the Almighty. My friends, I know we feel we're
far off. Have you never known those times
of access in prayer? You know, I remember a remarkable
experience when I drove back from Tunbridge Wells to Staplehurst.
And you know, I lost sight of where I was. It's a good thing
the Lord watches over us. I really felt lifted out in prayer. to the Lord that he would bless
that Wednesday evening service. We had Peter Cottenham. It was
1997, February 97. We had Peter Cottenham coming
to Staples for the first time to preach. And it was just within
a few weeks of my dad having gone to Australia. And friends,
I can honestly say, I think there've been few occasions when we've
known prayer like it. The spirit was there in the car,
drawing that prayer out of my heart. I felt I was touching
the Almighty. You know, we had a blessing that
evening when he came with that word from Hannah regarding her
double blessing. But it was not just that. The
Lord showed me, I believe I wasn't in the church. I wasn't involved. But it showed me that this man
would be our next pastor. And you know what, most blessedly,
there were three people that sat in that service, two deacons
and another member that thought the same. This is the way the Lord works,
friends, you see. It touching him, touching him. And there is that touch. And
He'll have you more than just touch. He'll have you desire
to be like this, to come up out of the wilderness, leaning. That's
more than... You see, a touch can just be
a touch like this woman. But He wants you to do more than
that, child of God. He needs you to lean. He needs
you to lean harder. That's touching him then, touching
him in prayer, touching him in exercise in that way. If you don't know that touching
friends, pray that you might be helped to reach out and to
touch the Lord Jesus because he desires to touch you. and
that healing touch. We will sing that hymn if the
Lord will. Oh, this, that heal us, Emmanuel,
here we are waiting to feel thy touch. Deep wounded souls, to
thee repair, that is to thee go and save you. We are such,
we're wounded by sin. Somebody have touched me. When
did you last touch him in prayer? It's such a question for you
and I friends, we need stirring up in these things. And also
friends, I'll tell you this, there is a solemn touching of
him, if we're rightly taught, if we are exercised people before
God, our sins, there were certain sins, he show us that we've touched
him in that way. He shows us that thou art the
man, thou art the woman, thou art the child. You've done this
deed. Sinner, thou hast done the deed. Thou hast made the
Saviour bleed. You've touched him then. Friends,
you are like those that put the thorn upon his head, crown of
thorns upon his head. You are like the soldier. pierced his side, it is true,
but we have pierced him. That's a touch, that's a painful
touch. Through and through, you know
you'll hate your sins. A dear friend spoke to me and
we asked them recently, we had to speak to one and they said
to us, we said to them, do you love the Lord? And their answer
was this, I hate my sin. And friends, it struck me like
this. That is a sign of love to the Lord. We hate our sin,
touching the Lord. But what else? Somebody have
touched me. What other touching do we do? I believe, friends,
when we read God's holy word. Does it sit on the shelf? Does
it gather in dust? You young friends, God's word. Beautiful gift to us, an open
Bible in these days. We may not always see it. We,
I must be careful, but we have a government that's quite keen
on controlling things. We will see more of that, I fear.
We don't know how sacred the word of God is until it's a shut
book. We hope that it will not be the
case, but we need to lay up prayer for these things. And so, I say
this, the precious Bible, do we treasure it? Do we read it? Open it up, seek it, that there
might be a word for us. Oh friends, and I spoke, I mentioned
as it struck me this morning, it struck me again tonight, you
know, Perhaps you look in handfuls of purpose, perhaps you look
on eaves of harvested shears, perhaps you look in the daily
light, perhaps you get your daily text up on your phone, smartphone
friends. That's good, that's good use
you know. These daily things and that there
might be a searching of the scriptures. We're touching him, we're touching
his word, we're touching his things. you know this touching
needs we need to be drawn to do it it's not in our power I
need to be clear but we pray to be helped to touch him in
these ways. Our walk and conduct in the pathway
are things that touch him because he looks and sees our desire
The true soul will desire a closer walk with God, as Cowper puts
it, a calm and heavenly frame, a light to shine upon the road
that leads us to the Lamb. We're touching him when we seek
his guidance and direction in the pathway, that we don't just
go on our own way, but we're touching him when we seek him
out to show us the way. Show me now thy way. Teach me
thy way, O Lord. Teach me thy way, says that beautiful
hymn. It is his way that he's past
finding out. And so he will teach us. You know, friends, somebody have
touched me. What a beautiful word it is. I was pondering, you know, how
the Lord works to move souls so that they become a somebody. And I read of the servant of
God, Mr. Joseph Short, a servant of God
who was at Chippenham. He wasn't a pastor, I don't think.
He was amongst the churches and he died in the early part of
this century. But this dear man, when he was about 40, He had
a dream one night, and the pit was open of hell. And various
ones, he didn't know them personally, but they were people that were
going down into the pit. And you know, friends, he was
hovering. And he could see the way he was walking, that he was
walking towards that pit in the ground. And they could not come
out of it. They were in it. It was like
the pit of hell. And he said there was his hand
that reached out and put him on a rock. And friends, he said,
I never forgot that dream all of my life, but it made me think
this, I need to be on the rock of ages. I need to be put firmly
on the rock, that sure foundation. But he said, he said this, it
was very personal to me. Friends, he was a somebody. a
somebody. Later that year, he had to walk
in a deep path of affliction and the Lord showed him such
love that it was like that in Ezekiel where the rivers of water
came to the ankles, then to the knees, then to the shoulder.
And he said, I was like that, immersed in God's love. You see,
friends, somebody. He was so clearly showed he was
a somebody. What a thing to take home. Pray
to be a somebody to the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray to be helped
to continually touch Him. Pray to be helped in those things
we spoke of, to prostrate, to be humbled, to be low, to be
seeking Him continually. Oh friends, and these are the
words of Jesus. We haven't said anything on the
first three words, but they're lovely. And Jesus said, Jesus
said, and what Jesus says, is a perfect word. And what he
says, he said, for all eternity, somebody have touched me. And
I've saved that somebody. Oh, friends. And he can reach
out arm and save you too. And me. What a merciful God. You know, one of the hymns says
Jesus, not in our book, he's a wonderful saviour. a wonderful
saviour to me. Oh may we know it personally. Well the Lord add his blessing
to what I feel have been a few scattered remarks and help us
to ponder these words and Jesus said, somebody hath touched me. Amen. Hymn: 731 Tune: Farningham 141. Dear Lord, do take us each home
in peace and safety. Do bless thine own word. And
Lord, do watch over us each in the coming week. And Lord, we
do pray that thou would bring thy dear servant home after preaching
on that long journey and watch over him and bless the word through
him this day. And Lord, we pray thou would
bless that which was attended to this morning. Oh Lord, be
with us all. The day thou gavest, Lord, is
ended. And Lord, and we think this to
thee our mourning, hymns ascended, thy praise shall sanctify the
rest. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you
all. Amen.