[0:00] A very warm welcome to you all this evening. Thank you for joining us for this evening service from Stornoway Free Church. Now I have a number of intimations, firstly to read out for the benefit of the congregation itself.
[0:15] So I'll go through these first of all before we begin the worship. First has to do with a congregational meeting and it runs as follows. The Kirk Session has called a congregational meeting to take place by Zoom on Monday 29th of March at 7.30pm.
[0:30] The purpose of the meeting is to examine and approve a suscitation schedule relating to the renewal of the post of Assistant Minister in the congregation. This is required whenever an assistant retires or accepts a call to another congregation.
[0:43] The schedule will accompany a petition to the General Assembly requesting the renewal of the post. It is important that there be sufficient attendance at the meeting to make approval of the schedule realistic, so your cooperation in this will be much appreciated.
[0:56] If you already joined the Wednesday evening Zoom meetings, Zoom login details will be emailed to you. Otherwise, please contact Marianne for this. A suscitation schedule, a suscitation fund schedule, is basically a document that sets out certain statistics relevant to the congregation, number of house souls, number of communicants, number of people attending church and so on, as well as financial statistics over the past three years.
[1:23] This is required by the church in order to agree to what we hope and expect to agree to renew the post of Assistant Minister, so that we can then replace the present Assistant once he retires in August.
[1:38] The joint statement is as follows. It's been issued already. I can read through it. The Kirk Sessions of Stornoway Free Church and Stornoway High Free Church are pleased to announce that an arrangement has been made, approved by the Kirk Session and Deacons Court of each congregation, whereby the seminary building on Francis Street can be used by both congregations for services on the Lord's Day.
[2:00] Details of the services will be announced in due course by each Kirk Session to their own congregation. All services will be fully compliant with COVID-19 regulations, as long as these are required by the Scottish Government.
[2:13] Both Kirk Sessions sincerely pray that this arrangement will contribute to further gospel blessing in Stornoway and beyond. And I wish to add to that for our own congregation, the High Free will do a similar thing in due course for their own services.
[2:29] And it's really setting out a kind of roadmap for where we would like to have the services proceed in these weeks and months to come. Initially, providing Scottish Government COVID regulations allow, we, the Stornoway Free Church, will hold an English service at 11am on Sunday the 4th of April 2021.
[2:51] And that is a significant day in that it is Easter Sunday, and we usually focus on the resurrection of Jesus, so it's very appropriate that we actually seek to open on that day.
[3:06] So that's 11am 4th of April. That'll be in the seminary. And this will be the pattern for a number of weeks, with a recorded or live stream service for the evening service during these weeks.
[3:18] That'll be at 6.30. The High Free congregation will have the use of the seminary for an English service at 6.30pm, whenever they decide to begin services.
[3:29] That's the first step in the roadmap. And then secondly, the second step, hopefully by the end of April, both congregations, our own and the Stornoway High Free Church, will share a Gaelic service at 11am in the seminary.
[3:46] And at the same time, we, the Stornoway Free Church, will have our English service in the Kenneth Street Church. That's our aim, as soon as possible, and hopefully around about the end of April.
[3:58] And the High Free Church service will then be at 6.30pm in the seminary. So that way, there'll be a combined Gaelic service at 11.30pm in the seminary, at the same time as we will have an English service in the church at Kenneth Street, and the High Free will have their English service in the seminary at 6.30pm.
[4:16] These are all in the plans at the moment, and we will hopefully be able to widen that out at a future date, to have for ourselves an evening service as well.
[4:27] But we need to just leave it at that for the moment. So please just pray that these arrangements will indeed be facilitated, that there'll be nothing further in the way of beginning these services together, and also have each congregation be able to meet physically as a gathered service in the way that I've set out there.
[4:49] These are the details of the agreement anyway that's been reached. Thank God for that, and thank God that we are able to together face the difficulties that we have at this time in God's providence, and look to the future positively with our trust in the Lord.
[5:06] So now we're going to begin our worship, and tonight we're singing firstly in Psalm 107. That's in the Scottish Psalter, Psalm 107. That's on page 382. We'll sing verses 1 to 7, during this St. Lawrence.
[5:19] Praise God, for he is good, for still his mercies lasting be. Verses 1 to 7 of Psalm 107. Praise God, for he is good, for still his mercies lasting be.
[5:42] Let God's redeemed say so, whom he from the enemies handed free.
[5:55] And gather them out of the lands, from north, south, east and west.
[6:10] They strayed in deserts pathless way, no city found to rest.
[6:25] For thirst and hunger in them faints, their soul when streets them pressed.
[6:37] They cry unto the Lord, and he, them free from their distress.
[6:51] Them also in a way to walk, that right is he did guide, that they might to a city go, wherein they might abide.
[7:21] Let's read now from God's word, from the Gospel of Mark, and chapter 5. The Gospel of Mark, chapter 5, beginning at verse 21.
[7:34] And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.
[7:47] Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet, and implored him earnestly, saying, My little daughter is at the point of death.
[7:59] Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live. And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him, and thronged about him. There was a woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years, who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse.
[8:20] She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his garment. For she said, If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.
[8:31] And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, Who touched my garments?
[8:48] And his disciples said to him, You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, Who touched me? And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.
[9:07] And he said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease. While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, Your daughter is dead.
[9:22] Why trouble the teacher any further? But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not fear, only believe. And he allowed no one to follow him, except Peter and James and John, the brother of James.
[9:37] They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, Why are you making a commotion and weeping?
[9:49] The child is not dead, but sleeping. And they all laughed at him. But he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother, and those who were with him, and went in where the child was.
[10:02] Taking her by the hand, he said to her, Which means, Little girl, I say to you, arise. And immediately the girl got up, and began walking, for she was twelve years of age.
[10:15] And they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them, that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
[10:25] Amen. And as always we pray, that God will follow with his blessing, this reading of his word. Let's join now together in prayer. Let's call upon the Lord.
[10:40] Lord, our gracious God, our God and our King, as we come before you tonight, to bow and worship, to express our praise in song, and in words, and to seek your blessing in prayer, we give thanks, O Lord, that we are able to do so, conscious that you are the same one, of whom we have been reading, the one whose power, has not in any way been diminished, the one whose concern for us, in our plight as sinners, has not been reduced, the one who rules sovereignly, over all things, the one who has, revealed himself to us, in Jesus Christ, the one who has spoken of, throughout your word, this word of scripture, in a way that, has been so blessed, to many generations, down through history, Lord, we are privileged, that we are given, such a view of your word, such an opinion, of what it is, and who it has come from, so that we can come, before you tonight, looking to the guidance, of your word, and the impact of your word, in our souls, we thank you, that your word, as you use it, is still powerful, and that even as you said, to this little girl, so long ago,
[11:58] Talitha Kumi, with such instant result, so you are still, speaking into, the hearts and lives, and situations, of human beings, such as we are, and you are the one, who is able, to change us inwardly, so that our life, takes on a new dimension, so that we are brought, from death to life, so that we are given, the hope of eternal life, which we did not possess, until that change came, we thank you Lord, that you are, the master of that change, as of everything else, for in some cases, we know that, you come suddenly, and quickly, into the experience, of people, who have perhaps, never known, or heard of you before, and we thank you, that in other cases, you come as gently, as the morning, so that the dawn, of spiritual life, comes almost imperceptibly, into their experience, and we bless you, oh Lord, that when the light, does come, you give us, in that knowledge, of God, in the face of Jesus Christ, you give us, to know of that hope, which takes us forward, and looks into your promises, and realises the certainty, with which we can hold them, for you are faithful, to your promises, and you are truth itself, oh Lord bless us, we pray, as we come together, in this way tonight, and as we thank you, for the way, that you have been to us, during these months, and over the past year, we thank you, for your faithfulness, for the way, that you have continued, to encourage us, despite the setbacks, that we have, from time to time, received, and we thank you, for your upholding of us, for your strengthening of us, for your guidance, to us, through your word, we thank you, for those, who have come to know you, as their saviour, over this time, we give thanks, that you have strengthened, your people, in many cases, that you have brought them, renewed conviction, that you are God, we thank you, for your mastery, of providence, as well as of your word, we pray tonight, oh Lord, that you would bless, once again, this word to us, we pray, as we see, an opening, beginning, of restrictions, being lifted, and of us, having the prospect, of returning, once again, to our church buildings, to share together, in that way, in gathered worship,
[14:28] Lord our God, we thank you, for that prospect, we pray, for its fruition, we pray, that you would give us, the wisdom, to work towards it, in a sensible way, we pray Lord, that you would continue, to bless us, as a nation, despite all, that you see we are, in our ungodliness, in our resistance, to your will, and to your word, in our acceptance, of so many, other forms, of belief, and the philosophies, of human beings, forgive us Lord, for these we pray, and forgive us, when it is obvious, at least, in some cases, that this time, of crisis, has not changed, human hearts, we ask nevertheless, O Lord, that you would make us, thankful, that we have come, through this, to such an extent, we pray, for those who have, lost loved ones, on the way, for those who are, still seriously ill, through COVID, and whose prospects, of recovery, are long term, and we thank you, for those who have, recovered quickly, and we pray Lord, that you would, continue to, enable us, to know, days ahead, when the impact, of the virus, will be, increasingly reduced, we thank you, to that end, for the vaccines, that are now, available, we pray,
[15:47] O Lord, that we may be, thankful to you, and as we have been, singing tonight, of your goodness, so Lord, we do give thanks, that in your goodness, you continue, to remember us, and out of your goodness, flow the blessings, that we so, richly enjoy, bless us, we pray, as a congregation, of your people, as we anticipate, these changes, in the future, to enable us, to come, to meet together, as we once did, remember us too Lord, in the arrangements, that we make, with the high free, and bless them, as a congregation, help us, to work together, towards the greater good, of your cause, enable us Lord, to wait upon you, and to seek your blessing, in every step, of the way, that we would seek, to go forward, and we ask, O Lord, that your blessing, will extend, through all our congregations, in the presbytery, here and beyond, and enable, we pray, all of us, to look forward, to the day, when we, can once again, more openly, evangelise, and reach out, with the gospel, into our communities,
[16:50] Lord our God, bless, we pray tonight, our families, our loved ones, our children, and grandchildren, bless us in our homes, bless us in our places of work, wherever we are, able to go to work, or whether we're working from home, bless too Lord, those who are, on furlough at this time, and may be anxious, over return, bless those who, whose work, has ceased, and who have, now come to be unemployed, Lord grant you, a blessing to them, grant that you would, enable us to recover, as a nation, economically, and help, those who are in charge, of our land, in Scotland, and the other parts, of the UK, Lord our God, we commit them to you, and ask, amongst the turmoil, that, we know, is so often, the case politically, as well as, in your providence, grant us Lord, in your great mercy, that you would look upon us, in your favour, so receive us now Lord, as we, offer our thanks to you, and continue to bless us, and hear our prayer, and pardon us, for Jesus sake,
[17:53] Amen. Well children, we're looking once again, tonight, at words in the book of Psalms, that tell us about Jesus, or words that we know, are taken, by the New Testament, and applied to Jesus, and I'm looking tonight, at Psalm 118, Psalm 118, at verse 22, which says, the stone, that the builders rejected, has become, the cornerstone, this is the Lord's doing, it is marvellous, in our eyes, this is the day, that the Lord has made, let us rejoice, and be glad in it, now that verse is quoted, which is a similar version, Isaiah, chapter 60, chapter 28, verse 16, and then it's quoted, in the New Testament, in Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 20, and also in 2nd Peter, sorry, 1st Peter, chapter 2, the second chapter, of 1st Peter, and verse 11, so you can see from that, that the New Testament, took this verse, these verses, to be specifically, about Jesus, a prophecy, about him, now I don't do much, by way of Lego, nowadays, but when the children, were younger,
[19:01] I used to do, some Lego, I still do it, with the grandchildren, as well, I love Lego, and it's a great pastime, and, I'm going to try, and illustrate, what a cornerstone is, by just taking, a few bits of Lego, and I hope, they don't fall apart, as I'm actually doing this, if you look at, the red block here, it's not a, slightly, a blue base there, but if you look, at the red block, it's, as you can see, it's in the corner, it's, you can see, the cornerstone, and the cornerstone, in a building, like the temple, in the Old Testament, was placed, like this red one, in such a way, that you could then place, if it was placed properly, with being level, and facing the right directions, and the sides of it, were properly cut, you could then put stones beside it, and the line would be straight, in that direction, and in that direction, so the building, in many ways, was set right, by the cornerstone, first of all, being right, if the cornerstone, was right, and the other stones, were laid properly beside it, you could be sure, that the lines of the building, went in the right direction, it was part of, the foundation, of the building, and from that, the building was taught, was placed on top of it, and along from it, and up on it, up on top of it, as well, there's the cornerstone, it was fixed, so as to really, determine which way, the rest of the building, could be built, and Jesus, as the cornerstone, is our foundation stone, first of all, you can build your life, upon Jesus, safely, because if you build your life, on Jesus, by trusting in him, by giving your life to him, your life will then go, in the right direction, that pleases God, that will bring you, ultimately, eventually, to heaven, and you remember yourselves, in the gospel of Matthew, in chapter 7, there's the well-known story, you might have a chorus, in fact, about it,
[21:01] I'm sure you've heard, a chorus about it, maybe you've done it, in Sunday school as well, the wise man built, the wise man built, his house upon the rock, the foolish man built, his house upon the sand, that's all to do with, building on, a right foundation, and on a wrong foundation, if you want a building, to last, and not to topple over, and not to be blown over, by the wind, you have to fix it, to a solid foundation, in the ground, and if you build on sand, like this man did, the rain fell, the floods came, the winds blew, and the house fell, so that's the story, that Jesus told, about building on himself, building on a proper foundation, but when you take the cornerstone, it's not just building on top of it, but like we said, it's building beside it, in the different directions, that you can go from, that cornerstone, in other words, when you have Jesus, as your saviour, he keeps your life straight, as long as we remain, obedient to him, and follow his word, when you set, a journey on a car, sat nav,
[22:12] I remember one time, some years ago, being taken up to the, on the ferry, to where, the ferry was controlled from, up on the bridge, as it's called, and the computer there, that's the captain, or whoever is in charge, or the ferry at the time, he, before they set off, he sets the course, on the computer, and you can see that line, on the computer screen, that they want the ship, to follow, and that's then set, it's programmed, and as soon as it's programmed, that ship will keep, to that, particular course, in that direction, exactly, as it's been set, and for us, as Jesus, is our cornerstone, cornerstone, Jesus, keeps our journey, straight, and through, the moment, we actually go away, from Jesus, or start trusting, in someone else, or stop being obedient, to Jesus, our life, takes a wrong direction, we're straying, from the path, that's true, and right, and, that's why, the likes of Psalm 23, as you well know, is a Psalm, that, talks about God, as the shepherd, restoring our soul, but in addition to that, he leads you, in the paths, of righteousness, he steers, the course for you, in life, when you give your life, to him, so when you follow Jesus, your life will be going, in the right direction, you'll be building, on a foundation, that's safe, when he is your cornerstone, doesn't really matter, then what happens, in life, what other people think, what people may do, to you, this is the most, important thing, at the foundation, of your life, everything is well, and when everything, is well there, then, ultimately, at the end, of your journey, through life, you will be with Jesus, in heaven, nothing can stop you, or prevent you, being in heaven, when you have Jesus, as your cornerstone, so I hope, tonight, that you know,
[24:17] Jesus yourself, yourselves, and that you know, as your cornerstone, and that in obedience, to him, lovingly, you will allow him, to steer your life, in the right direction, and you can build, your life upon him, safely, so as to get to heaven, at last, so let's pray now, the Lord's Prayer, our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven, give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not, into temptation, but deliver us, from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.
[25:08] Now if we come back, to our reading, Mark chapter 5, I want to look tonight, at the next of our studies, in the miracles of Jesus, at this miracle, by which Jesus, raised this dead child, back to life, the daughter, of Jairus, who was one of the rulers, of the synagogue, as you come to, this particular miracle, it's one of three, that we read in the gospels, that have to do with, raising people from the dead, three are, this one here, there's one in Luke chapter 7, the son of a widow, in the town of Nain, we don't know her name, or the name of her son, but he had, not long died, and he was actually being carried, along to the place, where he was going to be buried, and the third one, is in John chapter 20, probably the best known one, which is the raising of Lazarus, when Jesus called him, the body of Lazarus, had been in the tomb, for four days, you remember, and he called him, out from the dead, and Lazarus came out, of the tomb, and there's an interesting, feature to those three, when you compare them, because this one here, we're looking at tonight, is someone who's just, newly dead, the one in Luke chapter 7, has been dead, for a little while, they're on the way, to bury him, and Lazarus, was dead, for four days, but it makes, absolutely no difference, to Jesus, it didn't make any difference, that Lazarus, was four days dead, for Jesus, it was as easy, to bring Lazarus, back from the dead, as it was, this little girl, who had just, newly died, and the spiritual, point, that's made in that, is that however long, we've been dead, spiritually, spiritually, it makes no difference, to Jesus, in terms of bringing us, to life, spiritually, bringing us, to know him, and bringing us, to have eternal life, in our possession, and that means, doesn't mean that, we should be complacent, about things, if we've, been for, a long time, or for a considerable time, still without Jesus, as our saviour, what I've just said, is not, designed to make us, complacent, or you complacent, but it is, so that you will, never lose hope, that you will, always realize, that Jesus, is capable, of giving you life, at a time, of his choosing, however long, it's been, since you've, come into the world, hold on, to that tonight, hold on, to that, in terms of, your circumstances, in life, as well, because Jesus, is as able, to change them, instantly, as also, after a long time, in them, and one of the things, again, that we see, from this passage, is just the sheer, busyness, of Christ's life, in this world, it's so busy, in this passage, that you find him, actually, dealing with two people, one after another, in fact, the miracle, of healing, this woman, who had a hemorrhage, of blood, for all these years, the miracle, of healing her, is as it were, tucked into, the miracle, of raising, this young girl, from the dead, he had started, on the way, to Jairus's house, then he met, this woman, who came after him, and touched his garment, and then he, continues with that journey, to the house, of Jairus, to deal, with his great, crisis, in his house, and, the busyness, of Christ's life, really is, a telling reminder, to us, that God, came into this world, not as a celebrity, safely secured, from the ordinary, goings on, in this world,
[28:56] God, entered the crush, of human life, he entered the, daily clashes, of human life, he entered into, the busyness, of human life, the traumas, of human life, the experiences, of human life, in the raw, if you like, not living, in a large mansion, shielded, from most of the world, traveling, in a limousine, from here on there, having his own, personal mind, or bodyguards, so that people, couldn't approach him, Jesus, was actually, right in the middle, of this crowd, Jesus was always, in the middle, of things, because he had, such a concern, to help people, especially, to help them spiritually, and as you study, this miracle, of Jesus, raising, the daughter, of Jairus, back from the dead, tonight, we can see that, first of all, under the crisis, which brought, Jairus to Jesus, by way, just of an introduction, and then we'll look, mainly tonight, at the journey, back to Jairus' home, the crisis, first of all, that brought him, to Jesus, one of the rulers, of the synagogue, we're told, he was a ruler, of the synagogue, he was one of the, the people, that, that was, important, in arranging, the matters, of the synagogue, the services, and so on, and his name, was Jairus, and he came, and fell, at the feet, of Jesus, and implored him, earnestly, saying, my little daughter, is at the point, of death, come, lay your hands, on her, so that she, may be well, and live, that was his dilemma, that was his plight, that was his crisis, in life, he had a 12 year old, daughter, who was just, on the verge, of death, she was just, that close to death, and he knew, she was that close, to death, when he left home, it was a critical moment, it was something, none of us, ever wants to experience, any of our children, coming to be, taken from us, before, the end of our own life, and it happens, and we, want to remember those, for whom, that's been the case, it's one of the most, difficult situations, you can meet in life, to have to come, and bury your own child, or your own children, and here's a man, who's in that situation, here's a man, who goes to Jesus, with that situation, and you know, sometimes, that's really the effect, that that situation, has on people, when you have, somebody, who is desperately, ill themselves, or somebody, belonging to them, is ill themselves, very often, that will give them, to think more seriously, about life, if they haven't done it already, and think about God, and think about eternity, and think about death, and think about these, really serious issues, it doesn't always happen,
[31:42] Charles Darwin, we're told, went away from God, he'd been raised up, in a Christian home, but his young daughter, was ill, and she died, and Darwin says, that from that moment, he ceased to believe in God, he didn't want to believe in God, any longer, if that's what God's providence, was going to provide, for him, and sadly, there are others like that, but this man, brought the matter, to Jesus, and you know, that is really, as I've said already, many times, over the past year, that's been our constant, prayer, that people will come, even if they've never thought, much about God at all, that God will actually, use this pandemic, and the crisis, of this pandemic, to bring eternity, near to them, to bring the reality, to ourselves as well, as Christians, to stop, and just take stock, of what eternity is about, of what it's going to be, for us, at the end of our life, in this world, that we're going to go, and meet God, and that we're going to answer, to God, when the day of judgment comes, for everything we've done, in this life, as Paul says, in 2 Corinthians 5, whether good or bad, we must all stand, before the judgment seat, of Christ, and especially, we pray, that God will make,
[32:57] Jesus precious to us, during this time, of pandemic, so that he will bless, this difficult, difficult time, so that people, like this man, Jairus, will go to Jesus, and will implore, Jesus, as he did, for mercy, for acceptance, for forgiveness, for life, that's the crisis, that brought Jairus, to Jesus, how has the pandemic, affected yourself, and myself, has it brought us, closer to God, has it given us, even more serious thoughts, about eternity, has it been something, that has caused us, to take stock of life, take stock of where we are, in relation to eternity, how has it been with us, in regard to the Bible, what's our view, of the Bible, has the pandemic, made us read the Bible more, has it brought us, to pray more, by ourselves, with God, has it done all, of that for us, because that's really, what we pray, that God will use it for, so that's the crisis, that brought, this man to Jesus, and secondly, let's look more fully, at the journey, back to Jairus's home, and the first thing, you notice there, is the journey, beginning, and the journey, begins there, verse 24, and he went with him, and he went with him, what a wonderful, short sentence, there is this man, imploring Jesus, you can see, how serious he is, how earnest he is, he's just desperate, that Jesus would go with him, and come, and lay his hands, as he sees it, on his daughter, for her healing, and he,
[34:34] Jesus went with him, these are lovely words, aren't they, they really, just tell you, how instantly, Jesus, gave answer, to his prayer, how earnestly, Jesus wanted, to do this for him, how much, he was concerned, to help this man, in his predicament, and to work a miracle, to that end, is what he did, but what an encouragement, this is, to Jairus, at this point, a journey begins, instantly, there's no delay, there's nothing, no gap, between the prayer, of Jairus, and Jesus going with him, and you know, these words, are words that, are so full of impact, for ourselves, as well, these words, and he went with him, Jesus being with us, is really the key, to a contented life, that doesn't mean, that life's going, that life's going, to be easy, that doesn't mean, there won't be many challenges, many things, that will cause us pain, and hurt, but,
[35:39] Jesus going with us, is the key, to life, in a way, that pleases God, and is for our benefit, at last, and even our benefit, through life, Jesus, went, with him, you know, wherever you go, in life, if you can take, Jesus with you, then, you have an easy conscience, you have a life, that's got satisfaction, at the heart of it, and if you're involved, in something, where you cannot, take Jesus with you, where you know, Jesus would not be happy, in that environment, if he were with you physically, where you know, Christ, has not given, his approval, to that sort of environment, how can you live, a life of satisfaction, how can you look forward, to eternity, with Jesus in heaven, if you've not, taken him with you, and if you're not pleased, to have him with you, on the step, through life, Jesus, went with him, you make sure, whatever is the case, in your life, that Jesus is going with you, that you take Christ, with you, that you keep him, by your side, that you keep, accessing him, each and every day, so that's the journey, beginning, at that stage, then you come to this, second miracle, which we're not going to go into, and you pick up the reading, again at verse 35, while he was still speaking, that's speaking, to this woman, that he had just cued, while he was still speaking, news came, from the ruler's house, saying, your daughter is dead, why trouble the teacher, any further, so the journey, that's begun, is very soon delayed, there's another person, needing him, this woman, has needed him, so he actually halts, and deals with this woman, and as he deals, with this woman, just try, as much as we can, to picture, or to just, get a feel for,
[37:42] Jairus's mind, what would, Jairus have been thinking, when the Lord stopped, before restarting, the journey again, to deal with this woman, Jairus would have been thinking, something like, I'm sure, what is he stopping here, for with this woman, this is not a fatal disease, the woman's not going to die, if he leaves her just now, and goes on his way, with me, to my daughters, at the point of death, why is he doing this, and yet Jesus does, he stops there, he deals with this woman, just imagine, if you were, receiving, if you're away from home, some miles away from home, you receive news, that your loved one, child, let's say, is taken to hospital, with a serious illness, and appears to be, in the process, of end stage of life, imagine you set out, to get to the hospital, and you run into a roadblock, because the road has been blocked, for some reason, there's no way around, from where you are, the police come and say,
[38:42] I'm sorry, the road's going to be closed, for the next three or four hours, at least, what's going through your mind, when you want to get to that person, you want to get to where, your loved one is desperately ill, and at the point of death, that's how it was, for this man, just imagine, what he's thinking, as Jesus suddenly stops, and starts dealing with this woman, on the journey, to Jairus's house, so the journey, is delayed, you know, but, it makes no difference, at the end of the day, to Jesus, that's one of the points, of the whole story, here's this delay, and as far as this man is concerned, I'm sure he's thinking, well, my daughter's going to be dead, before we get home, so what's the point, it's not going to make, it's not going to make, any difference, whatsoever, Jesus, is going to show, as he did with Lazarus, however long, someone's been dead, makes no difference, he has the power, to overcome, that situation, so the journey, sometimes, for us too, is delayed, spiritually, we may not yet, be hearing, an answer, to our prayer, but the Lord, knows what he's doing, and in his own good time, he will, take us further on, in the journey, so the journey begins, the journey is delayed, let's move on, the journey, seems pointless, because now you find, the news coming, from his house, some of his servants, came and said, your daughter is dead, why do you trouble, the teacher, any further, in other words, they really say, look, there's no point, master, there's no point, in going any further, your daughter has died, don't trouble Jesus, anymore, he can't come now, and lay his hand, or because she's dead, it's too late, no point, going any further, and I just love, the way, that Jesus, instantly speaks, into that situation, before, you might say, before the, the, the ruler, before Jairus, can even get, a thought into his mind, that accepts, what he's just heard, about it being, a pointless journey now,
[40:47] Jesus comes and says, don't be afraid, only, believe, fabulous, instant, Jesus comes into the situation, and says to him, doesn't matter what you've heard, even if she is dead, as they're saying, as she is, don't you be afraid, all you have to do, is believe, you just believe, you just trust in me, how, telling, these words are, for ourselves, when you trust, in Christ, when you take him, into your life, as he offers himself, in the gospel, when you go on, trusting in him, through life, all things, will ultimately, turn out, well, for you, as Horatio Spafford, said, lost from any, of his family, at sea, in the Atlantic, it is well, it is well, with my soul, that was his conclusion, and that's what,
[41:48] Jesus is saying, to this man, don't be afraid, don't fear, only believe, and for you tonight, and for me tonight, you know, sometimes we may be thinking, that the journey, has become somewhat weary, and somewhat, pointless even, and, that things have happened, that cause us, perhaps to doubt, sincerity, of the Bible, or of Jesus himself, these are thoughts, that come to us all, from time to time, but remember this, the one, who masters death, will take care, of all issues in life, if he can raise the dead, as he did, and as he can, then he's going, to take care, of your life, whatever things are in it, whatever delays, might be in it, whatever disappointments, might be in it, whatever things, in your life, will bewilder you, and will cause you, to actually ask, serious questions, even of God himself, the one, who masters death, the Jesus, who's in charge of death, the Jesus, who can take death, by the scruff of the neck, and say,
[42:54] I'm your master, it's not too much, for him to look after, your life, and my life, and the things of your life, as you go through, this world, and, it's interesting too, at this stage, that he allowed, no one else, to follow him, from now on, to Jairus' house, but Peter, and James, and John, the brother of James, that's an interesting point, and in fact, it's interesting, because, when you see Jesus, taking these three, disciples with him, in other circumstances, for example, on the Mount of Transfiguration, they were the three, in the Garden of Gethsemane, a very different environment, to the Mount of Transfiguration, these are the three, that he took into the furthest reaches, of the Garden, and in each of these instances, like there is here, death features, somewhere, in these episodes, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus, who was there, shining the glory, that came from him, but the conversation, between himself, and Moses, and Elijah, was his exodus, his decease, his going out of the world, his death, followed by resurrection, and then ascension, they were talking about, his exodus, they were talking about, his leaving this world, in other words, they were including, his death, the thing that he had come, into this world to do, and of course, in Gethsemane, very obvious, as you read that passage, in the Gospels, that death, is overwhelmingly, on the mind of Jesus, he then began, says Mark, to be so amazed, his soul, filled with sorrow, as that death, of the cross, was nearer, than ever before, and as the weight, of it, was more than ever before, upon his soul, there is,
[44:47] Peter and James, and John, with him, in the Garden of Gethsemane, and here they are here, why is that? Well, it's to educate them, surely, they're going to be educated, about how Jesus, deals with death, about death, and the experience, of, and ministry, of Jesus himself, and here, about Christ's, control, and mastery, of death, in respect to, the raising of people, back to life, and of course, that means spiritually, as well as physically, as it was for this girl, because all of these, events have a spiritual, meaning attached to them, and so here, is an education process, for Peter, and James, and John, an education, by which they're led, further into, an understanding, of Christ's relationship, with death, for himself, and for his people, and that's, where they come now, to journey's end, the journey begins, the journey was delayed, the journey continued, and now the journey, is at an end, when they, reached Peter, and James, and John, and himself, they came, to Jairus's house, and they saw a commotion, there, people weeping, and of course, in those days, it was very common, to have people hired, to engage, in wailing, and lamenting, when somebody died, or professional people, that actually did this, all the time, and then verse 39, we find, when he had entered, he said to them, why are you making, a commotion, and weeping, the child is not dead, but sleeping, and we mustn't take from that, that she wasn't really dead, that she was just in a coma, some people take, that view of it, but that's not the case, in John chapter 11, with the death of Lazarus, you find Jesus saying, something similar, something almost identical, to that, he said to his disciples, that Lazarus, had fallen asleep, and the disciples said, well, he's done well, if he's fallen asleep, he will recover, and Jesus, had spoken of his death, and then Jesus, told them plainly,
[46:54] Lazarus, has died, and for your sake, I'm glad, that I wasn't there, so sleeping, here, in this context, and other context, is not, it's not a word, that's used, it's not a description, of being, in a state of unconsciousness, of coma, this girl, had died, and life in this world, had ended, she had fallen asleep, as far as Jesus, was concerned, so when he said, that she was just sleeping, they laughed at him, now that's a proof, again, that she had actually died, they weren't going to laugh, at him, if she had not actually died, if they hadn't, come to the point, where they were convinced, this girl is dead, this girl is dead, what's he saying, that she's only sleeping, so they laughed at him, and of course, he put them out, and then he took, the disciples, and took the child's father, and mother, and those who were with him, and went in, where the child was, and, I don't know if you've ever, gone into, a room, where, the body of someone, who's died, is laid out, there's a tremendous, stillness there, and you respect, that stillness, the commotion, is now outside, of this room, he's put all these people, who are making such a noise, and a fuss outside, and they come into this room, where the child, this 12 year old girl, is lying, prostrate, and dead, stillness, a hush, and Jesus goes, and takes her by the hand, and says at the same time,
[48:29] Talitha kumi, which we're told, in Mark's gospel here, little girl, I say to you, arise, he took her by the hand, so that, in reaching out, and touching her, and taking her hand, they would see that, Jesus was identifying, with this girl, not only identifying, with her as, someone who had just died, but identifying with her, with his great concern, that she, be brought back to life, but you know, these words that he used, and it's Mark, that records them here, in the Aramaic language, that he would have used, they are actually words, that her mother, would have used, probably every morning, or most mornings, when she came to wake, and I think that's, such a beautiful touch, because it really, amounts to, Jesus coming in, taking this young girl, who is dead, by the hand, and saying, time to wake up, my darling, time to wake up, don't you see the heart, of Jesus in that, don't you see the love, of Jesus in that, don't you see the understanding, of Jesus in that, don't you see the compassion, of Jesus in that, don't you see Jesus, identifying, not with, not simply with this, girl who is dead, but with her parents, with her sense of loss, don't you see, in every respect of this, how Jesus is so, fully involved, in the event, that's just happened, and is so concerned, to make it better, for them, time to get up, my darling, my little one, and immediately, the girl got up, and began walking, she was about, 12 years of age, and they were immediately, overcome with amazement, now that really shows us, as you read this, that the effect, of Jesus voice,
[50:29] Jesus speaking, was creative, it brought the dead, back to life, she immediately, began walking, in other words, she was back to normal, she was a 12 year old, walking, as she had been, just before, she died, or shortly, before she, certainly before, she became ill, it's normality, you see, after Christ, blesses your life, it's things, as they should be, everything's back, in place, your relationship, with God, is fixed, your approach, to eternity, has changed, your relationship, with death, has changed, the moment, Jesus speaks, his words, creatively, into your life, into your soul, everything changes, just like, Ellie Holcomb's song, everything's changed, the moment, you stepped, out of that grave, everything changed, she said, of course, everything changed then, but it's for the benefit, of people like you, and I, so that everything, will change for us too, the Jesus who rose, from the dead, is the Jesus who raises, the dead, that's what he's demonstrating, in these wonderful, poignant, emotional words, these, the words really, of the home, words of the mother, the words of love, darling, it's time to get up, it's time for you to, get on your feet, get on your feet, and she began walking, you see, that's, another point, that's made by this, as he charged them, that no one, should know this, why, why did he do that, well, because Jesus knew, very well, that people like those, who were making a commotion, outside, would, would just want to make, something of a circus, of this, a really, dramatic, moment, and just take that out, into the community, and, make a fuss of it, and make a misuse of it, complicate life, further for him, and he wouldn't have that, miracles, were not for that, miracles, were not for, the dramatic, though they were dramatic, miracles, were not even, simply to compel, faith, on the part of those, who saw them, they didn't always, do that anyway, never lose sight, of this, that miracles, this one, and most, if not all, of the others, were to alleviate, the plight, of human beings, in their distress,
[52:55] Jesus, took delight, in doing this, not just to show, how powerful he was, not just so that, people would say about him, isn't he an amazing person, but so that, people would realize, this is God, in action, and this is God, having come to see, and to save, that which was lost, and you notice then, he said, give her something to eat, how like Jesus that is, as if just to prove, beyond any doubt, that she is in fact, back to life, in the proper, normal way, a proof of being alive, but also a proof, of his thoughtfulness, go on, give her something to eat, just back, in the normal, routine of life, that's, the Jesus, who restores, us from the dead, so that we come, to enjoy, life, in its fullness, and closing,
[54:00] I want to take you back, to Matthew's gospel, because Matthew, in his account, of the same incident, you find it in Matthew chapter 9, and verse 24, sometimes, these little additional, features, as you compare, the gospels, are actually quite telling, Matthew chapter 9, and, at verse 24, where you find, Jesus coming to the house, and seeing the crowd, and the noise, and the commotion, that's there, he said, go away, for the girl, is not dead, but sleeping, and these words, that have been translated there, go away, the older translations, have give place, and they literally, you could translate that, make space, here is Jesus, arriving at this door, and he has all of this, in front of him, this commotion, this crowd, and what he's saying to them, make space, make space for me, let us in, let us through, and tonight, these words are for you, and for me, even if you've been a Christian, as I have myself, for many years, there are certain times, when things, when things crowd, around the door, of your heart, and Jesus has to come, and say, make space for me, let me through, put these things aside, put me back, in prior place, and if you're not yet, a Christian, if you're not yet saved, if you haven't yet, accepted Jesus, and now is the time, really to do this, if you've not done it before, but listen to what,
[55:35] Jesus is saying, to you tonight, to all the things, in your life, the anxieties, the questions, the prejudices, all the things, that crowd, around the door, of your heart, and are keeping Jesus out, he is saying, give me space, give me space, in your life, let me in, let me take control, and life will be, far better for you, and God bless, these thoughts to us, let us pray, Lord our God, teach us daily, we pray, to give you, space in our hearts, not only space, but the chief space, in our experiences, in all that we seek, to be, and to do, day by day, Lord our God, we thank you, for your word, that brings us, to consider, those matters, of chief importance, that we so often, oh Lord, too often place, below the things, of this present world, hear us, and accept, our worship this evening, for Jesus sake,
[56:41] Amen. Now we're going to, conclude our service, tonight, by singing, once again, or singing from, Sing Psalms this time, Psalm 116, in Sing Psalms, that's page 154, and we'll sing, to the tune, Eventide, I love the Lord, because he heard my voice, he listened, when I cried to him, for aid, I'll call on him, as long as I shall live, because he turned, to hear me, when I prayed, verses, marked one to nine, on in Psalm 116, I love the Lord, because he heard my voice, he listened, when I cried to him, for aid, I'll call on him, as long as I shall live, because he turned, to hear me, when I prayed, the cords of death, gripped and entangled me, upon me came, the anguish of the grave, with grief and trouble,
[58:15] I was overcome, then on the name of God, I called, Lord, save, the Lord, our God, is kind, and full of grace, both righteous, and compassionate, is he, the Lord, protects, all those, of childlike faith, when I was, in great need, he rescued, me, rest, O my soul, God, has been good to you, for you,
[59:17] O Lord, have saved my soul, from death, my feet, from stumbling, and my eyes, from tears, that I may love, for you, while I, have breath, now may the grace, of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, the Father, and the communion, of the Holy Spirit, be with you now, and evermore, Amen.
[59:54] Thank you once again, sincerely, for joining us, it's a great encouragement, as always, to have you accompanied, for this time, of worship, I'm going to be, on a short break, for a week, from tomorrow, till the following Monday, so, it'll be Kenny's turn, anyway, for the Wednesday evening, midweek, and next Lord's Day, Kenny will be, accompanied, and helped by, Scott McLeod, who'll be taking, one of the services, for next Lord's Day, meantime, please, do keep safe, and may you know, God's blessing, over these days ahead, thank you.