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.