I want to draw your attention to the Gospel of Mark chapter 7. I'll send a brother down there a series on Mark gospel and I think I should draw one message from the many messages from Mark chapter 7 and verse 37 where we read the text that is before us Mark 7 verse 37 and we're beyond measure astonished saying we have done all things well We make of both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak. Our Father, we were all deaf and dumb. Lord God, we pray. that we would be truly given ears to hear and a thousand tongues to speak. We pray that the Lord will be glorified in our lives, in our fading lives, O Lord, that we would go from this earth pleasing you, praising you. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. He has done all things well. You've probably heard a thousand times that Mark does not highlight the Lord's early life like Matthew and Luke. But he began his narrative after Jesus was baptized. It shows the writer's aim was to present Jesus as the servant who came to serve. God uses different personalities in the four Gospels to match particular characteristics of Jesus. Mark himself was a servant of God who traveled You know this, the Apostle Paul, the Apostle Paul at one point in the ministry had to discipline John Mark. And at times we don't like the discipline that we get from the servants of God. And later Paul was able to say, tell Mark come back for he's profitable. Mark learned from his discipline that he received. He was a cousin of Barnabas, but just because he was a cousin of Barnabas didn't mean that he could do what he wanted, and we should pay attention to these things. God shaped Mark's mind and skills to give us a servant's perspective of Jesus. He learned what a servant was. One of the main featured texts found in Mark is that famous Mark 10.45. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served. but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. I want us to consider these words found in verse 37, and we're beyond measure astonished saying, ye have done all things well, ye make of both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak. Now before our Lord cured this deaf mute, He did two significant things. One, he rebuked the scribes and the Pharisees for their hypocrisy in criticizing the disciples for being unceremonial in not washing their hands. Now this hand washing is not hygienic hand washing. I don't want us to think that we should eat without washing our hands. The Bible doesn't condone this, especially in this post-pandemic age. Neither would the Lord rebuke those who wash their hands for hygienic purposes. The hand-washing mark is referring to here was a ritualistic ordinance invented by the Jews in pretense of external holiness. Mark 7, 3 and 4, for the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way. New King James, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And by the way, this word wash is the Greek word baptizo, baptize. You can take your concordance and look at it. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, and pitchers, and copper vessels, and couches. I read that from the New King James, something a little different. Here our Lord gave a sharp rebuke to the Pharisees and the scribes for their religious hypocrisy. verses six and seven he says well have Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites as it is written this people honoreth me with their lips but their heart is far from me how be it in vain they do worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men so you see the hand washing what it was it was hypocritical a ritual he quotes from Isaiah 29 verse 13 and 14 and we should look at this because this is what set forth the tone for what Jesus was about to do in Mark 7 look with me at Isaiah 29 quickly verses 13 and 14 in your Bible there we read in Isaiah 29 verse 13 and 14 therefore the Lord said for as much as this people draw me near me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of man. Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among these people, even a marvellous work. And a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent men shall be hid. Now if you read this Isaiah 29 passage, the marvelous work that the Lord came to do was to carry the gospel beyond the borders of Palestine to the heathen. This is what he was actually doing. And after Jesus dealt with the Pharisees and the scribes, notice where he went. He did a marvelous thing. He healed the daughter of the woman of Tyre and Sidon to the north of Palestine. He's fulfilling Isaiah 29. He moved beyond the status quo, the religious, the covenant people to a gentile dog. We call her a dog. Sometimes we must be careful that the Lord don't take the gospel away from us and carry it to someone else. It was a stiff rebuke for hypocrisy. Verse 24 says, And from thence, Mark 7, he arose and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and would have no man know it, but he could not behave. What is how the Lord deliberately moves away from those in unbelief in search for the elect? Very deliberately our Lord moves. Two significant things the Lord did was one, expose the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Second, he entered into heathen territory and manifested himself to a gentile woman who had a sick daughter. This morning we heard a little bit about the centurion with a sick servant. Here we see something similar in our Lord's Capernaum ministry. Now beginning from verse 31, as you work your way with me, Mark 7 Jesus now deals with the dumb and deaf mute where I want to draw our message showing one a sad case observed two a sinner cured and three a a sure confession made. These three simple headings. First, a sad case observed. Verses 31 and 32. The sad case observed is seen in the one who was brought to Jesus. He was observed by the disciples. He was deaf and he had an impediment in his speech. He could not hear or speak clearly that others can understand. It was a sad case that the disciples observed. Now this one seemed to have friends. The text says that they brought him to Jesus. Now it is only when you and I observe the sad case of people in your church and people out of your church, it is only when you see this side case, and there are many here, would you be inclined to do something? Would you endeavor to do something? I don't think many really observe the side case of being deaf, There are two ways these ones brought this individual to Jesus. One, they brought him physically. Two, they brought him to the throne of grace because the narrative tells us that they beseech him to put his hand upon him. They recognize that, well Martin Lee and I have recognized this But the spiritual lesson is simple. Jesus is the creator. He is the one that creates all things. And they are bringing him to Jesus for Jesus to exercise his creative powers on this man. I hope you get the picture clearly. The condition of this man is a result of the fall. And not because of something he had done. You know, sometimes we believe that people, children come out a certain way because of something they did and people in Zimbabwe believe that. That they can put a curse on a mother who's pregnant. You can't get this out of their heads. And they have a thing in Zimbabwe where they name children based on a curse. And this is because of, like I said, what they believe. It is true. But the condition of this man was a result of the fall, not because of something he did. By nature, all men are affected by the fall. But some people are born with various deformities as a result of their parents' folly. Let me explain this. When you tamper with various substances, Your children may have an effect. When you tamper with certain pills, you know what I'm talking about. That's why sometimes women have sick babies. They are not grateful for God's purposes and his redemptive plan. They want to tamper with God. And sometimes God says, yeah, you tampering with me. I can give you a child with his mouth at the back of his head. You deal with that. Sometimes that happens. Marcel works, she doesn't let me call her name from the pulpit. I'm sorry, I can't help. She's the closest one to me. With a lot of children in special education. And she used to come home and tell me. And she was very sympathetic towards these children. And their behavioral problems. And most of them came about as a result of tampering with drugs or with other substances by the parents. But this is not the case here. But nevertheless, that too is a result of sin. The disciples brought this man for the Lord to put his hand on him. to put one's hand on someone or the Lord to put his hand on someone meant to transfer a blessing upon the deaf and dumb man. That's why the children came to Jesus and he put his hand on them. Today religious men think that they can transfer a blessing on people by doing the same but they can't do that. It is a figure of speech today to put your hand on someone. What the disciples did was very practical. And it's very practical for us today. We ought to bring others to Christ in a physical way. Or prayer meeting, for instance. There's nothing wrong in bringing our children to prayer meetings, but most of them don't want to come. I thank God for Brother O'Neill. But you should get in the habit of even doing that. This church has moved beyond the mediocre church that it used to be. It is comprised of families. We have some grandchildren back there. tonight. Cory, I'm glad to see you here again. But it is a transferal of blessing when Christ puts his hands on children. And we ought to be concerned for the absentees of the church. We can bring them to the throne of grace. We can bring them physically. But I say this because today there are many side cases to observe. Not with those who are physically deaf and dumb, but those who are spiritually deaf and dumb in the presence of the Savior. Because we all are affected by the fall. We all were born spiritually deaf and spiritually dumb. When one is spiritually deaf, they cannot hear the gospel. When one has an impediment of speech, they cannot speak about the things of God. All other conversations will flow freely from their mouths, but that which is useful to the soul, they cannot speak. They will not speak. I've seen in some here at church where the gospel is no sooner preached before iPhones are broken out with photo albums and the like. I've seen it. iPhones are broken out pointing to the photo album. No space is given. for meditation on God's Word. And sometimes I'm tempted to say something, but I believe I have gotten myself in enough trouble already. And that's why I don't say anything. But I notice it. Stay away from that. Wait till you get home. Break out your phone home. You don't see me breaking out my phone. It's in there on the desk. No time given to meditate or reflection on what was spoken. It's because we are deaf. It's because we are dumb. Let me ask a fair question. Are you this way? Are you this way? Are we hearing with the understanding what the Bible is saying? At times it does not appear that way. To me it frustrates the preacher and discourages him. You know, 700 years before Christ, I think this text was quoted in Isaiah. I love Isaiah. Isaiah is called the 5th Gospel by, I think it was Augustine. Isaiah 35, verse 4 to 6. Listen to these wonderful words. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong. Fear not, behold your God will come and come with a vengeance, even God with recompense. He will come and save you, not heal you, and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as in heart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. For in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert. This is imagery that relate to salvation. Even though it points to the healing ministry of Christ, ultimately it's imagery pointing to the spiritual healing of men. What a wonderful passage that Isaiah foresaw the Lord's salvation ministry. And wonderfully, as we travel, we are traveling with the expectation to minister to the deaf and to the dumb. The prophet Isaiah saw ahead of time what Jesus would do when he came to minister. He came to give the spiritual dumb a mouth to speak and ears to hear. Brethren, today there are yet many sad cases in our church and around the world to observe. There are yet many that are spiritually deaf and dumb. we may not have to leave the shores of the United States of America to go to another place to bring those people to Christ and to the throne. I've shown you my first heading. A side case to observe. Let's move to the second point. A sinner cured. Verses 33. and 34. I want us to look carefully at the process of Jesus curing this man. I want to comment a little bit about the process. That seems so strange. I'll try to explain it to you. And he took him aside from the multitude and put his fingers into his ears and spit and touched his tongue and looking up to heaven he sighed and say unto him, epithet, that is, be open. Now remember, this is creator God. He is putting his hands in his ears. God makes a new creation out of people. He's the same creator that we read about in Genesis, Nigel. Here he is on earth with all of his creative faculties. in curing a sinner. At times, the Lord cured people publicly. Other times, He cured people privately. He is God and He can do as He pleases. Many people were saved having not entered a church door. Obviously, after they are saved, they find a church door. This one is taken aside. Our Lord never makes a splash. Isaiah said he would not cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not shake or break. A smoking flax should he not quench. I explain that to you as a smoking flax. A flax is a wick in a lamp. And sometimes that lamp, the flame goes very dim. And the image is that a smoking flax Jesus would not put out. He would leave room for it to spark. He wouldn't disturb the baby Christian. He wouldn't speak harshly to his elect. Or Isaiah says, He will gently lead those that are with you. So we deal with sinners. Our Lord and our Savior. This one was taken aside. The Lord can save the masses if He so desires. But the Lord saves people One of a city and two of a family. Today is still the day of grace. We must bring our children to the throne. I'm serious about it. Stop making excuses. The scripture says the Lord look up to heaven. Are you following the process carefully? Why is he doing this? I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help comes from the Lord who made heaven on earth. He looked to his Father. Where are you looking? For cleansing. For help. Where are you looking? Second, or third, Jesus spoke in the Aramaic language. He said, epithah. Mark interpreted it as, be open. And this is very interesting. You know why? The Lord speaks in a language that only those who he is saving can understand. What do you think when he called Paul? Nobody said they understand. Poor Samuel, God was calling him. Eli never heard a thing. Eli, thank God for him. was able to say, the next time he calls, say, speak, speak Lord. At least he tell him the right thing. What a servant he was. From that point on, this little boy grew up to be a national hero in God's eyes. He was directed by an apostate priest that God used. Today, the gospel remains a mystery to many of our people in this church that is hearing a foreign language from the Pope. You get the drift, Dalton? Huh? You get the drift, Brother Presley? Good. We are following the process carefully and deliberately showing you how this man was cured. And it matches how you and I are cured and will be cured. Foreign language. These are the tongues I believe in today. This work that Jesus did was made known. unto all men. He put his fingers into his ears and he spit and touched his tongue. Why this method of spitting? Remember in John chapter 9 Jesus did a similar thing when he spat made clear. Again we see the creative hand of God. Here the same method is used to spit in the Bible is symbolic of someone who is under a curse. God you remember when Miriam spoke against Moses in Numbers 12 14 the Lord said to Moses if her father had but spit in her face would she not be shamed seven days let her be shut out of the camp seven days and afterward she may be received again Miriam became a curse for speaking out your turn to the man of God. And some of you in here feel that you can talk to God's servant any kind of way, not knowing the office that he was put into, nor respect for the office. You don't gotta respect me, respect the office. I would never dare talk to a man in the pastoral office that way, even if he's from another church. And some of us need to learn ecclesiology, church manners, church behavior. this guy God is reflecting he's under a curse the law was given in Deuteronomy 25 9 where if a man failed to perform the duty of a kinsman to a widow you know your Bible who lost her husband the elders were supposed to bring that man at the gate the widow of the dead husband was to spit in the man's face the one that refused to be a kinsman to his brother's wife it was a sign that he was on the judgment because it is a picture this man who Jesus is dealing with represents the sinner who is on the judgment Jesus is not acting arbitrarily But he's acting deliberately, he's painting pictures of what salvation is to you and me. We need to be cured because we are under a curse. We are not as sweet as we look in the sight of God. Well, let's dig a little deeper. He represents the sinner. Verse 35, And straightway his ears were opened, and the string, like Isaiah 35, of his tongue was loose, and he spake plain. In other words, the Lord removed the curse. He was naturally cured. But the message conveyed is that Jesus gives one ears to hear. He had earlier said in Mark 7 16, if any man have ears to hear, let him hear. Here he gives this one ears to hear. Isn't that wonderful? When we are given ears to hear, We will understand the gospel message. We will not break out our phone looking at photos. We'll be breaking out our tongues praising God. And I'm serious. It's a clear message that I'm bringing to you on what salvation is. We will understand the gospel message. We will begin to follow God's precepts. We will no longer antagonize the preacher, and we will no longer be antagonized by the Word of God, like the Pharisees were. Remember what Jesus said? Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire, my ears hast thou opened. I delight to do thy will, O God, I have come in the volume of the book that is written of me. Verse 36 go on to say Mark 7. And he charged them, this is the ones that brought the dumb man to Jesus. He charged them to tell no man. But the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they publish it. They couldn't keep quiet, apparently. You know, Jesus did not want the wrath of the Pharisees come down on him too quick. So he tell them, don't say anything. But these are two great lessons, brethren. Sad case observed, sinner cured, finally. Sure confession made, future text. Sure confession made. Having charged the disciples to tell no one, it was easier said than done. Verse 37, our future text says that they were beyond measure astonished, saying, ye have done all things well. Ye make of both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak. I say this because, brethren, the Lord never makes a mistake. And I heard, I think it was Brother Depardieu or Brother O'Neill talk about how God astonishes us. Which one it was? You probably forget your own message. But I didn't forget. And you're correct. I just nodded my head. He astonishes us. He doesn't make mistakes. He doesn't make a mistake, neither does He do a half-done job. When he saves, he saves thoroughly. You understand? He doesn't half-save anyone. He has done all things well. If you are half-saved, you are altogether lost. He doesn't give spiritual half-sight or slurred speech. Many today who claim to have an open eye and an understanding ear have a hard time speaking the truth. They lie to you. I can smell a lie from a hundred feet. Half-truths never tell the whole facts. Seek to deceive the minister. Seek to blind him to what is actually going on, what they're actually doing. They say they're Christians. They have an impediment in their speech. Don't do that. Speak the truth. Even if it kill you. When in doubt, speak the truth. Jesus don't do a high job. See that you lie no more but speak the truth to your neighbor for we are members one of another. Don't think I don't smell a lie. Smell a lie. Very easy cause I was a liar too. He does all things well. Have an open eye. And an understanding ear allows us to speak clearly and to see clearly. At times words can be twisted to make them sound like what we mean to say and not what we should say. The new man will not lie. Our Savior hath done all things well. He maketh both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak. What a joy it must have been for this one. And this should be our confession, that He hath made me to speak and to hear. Those who said these words, disciples that were astonished, may not have even known the impact and the truth behind these words. But when we consider what we were and where the Lord has brought us from, we too can say, we have done all things well. Don't make no mistakes. Brought us out of darkness into light. Humble us, our proud hearts. Showing us our sins. You know, at times I have a hard time. It seems as though God always brings my sins, my past sins to me. I have to fall down and ask him for mercy. That was me. Is it really true that though your sins be as scarlet, it shall be white as snow? Or is it possible that someone can bear away my sins? There are many, many sins. Why would I want to offend my Lord by lying? Another sin. Because He done all things well in placing us where we are in a church where we can hear the gospel clearly. He have done all things well. You could have been in a charismatic church still today. He have done all things well. The late Reverend J.C. Riles said in his commentary, he will not err in any of his dealings with us. He will take away and give. He will afflict and bereave. The Great Shepherd makes no mistakes. We have lost loved ones. We have done all things well. Worship Him. I remember, maybe 30 years ago, Marcel, remember Billy Bobey speak on this text? Don't remember. You must remember these messages. Really look into the sanctuary. And there was a guy in the sanctuary with his hand in a cast like this. And Willie said, you see that, Cass? He has done all things well. He broke your hand. It wasn't a joke. It was an application. And you see some of what you're going through? He has done, Charlie, all things well. Because he doesn't do a half job like you and I. We will not err. Recently, we planned to go to Zimbabwe in June. The Lord stopped us abruptly. What can we say? You've done all things wrong. And that's why I never lose a day's sleep about it. I wouldn't. You see that flood? Half of my books. We have done all things well. By the way, Trinity, the chairman of Deacons, Jerry Driese, says, Brian, look, we want to help you write an inventory. Tell us what you lost. We're going to send all of them to you. done all things well. You think that any of us here can outdo God in serving Him? Come on. Rest assured, God doesn't make mistakes. It is we who sin against Him. When He opens our eyes, We do not see men as trees, see them as souls. The man Jesus said, if he sees, yeah I see men as trees. No, no, no, you need another touch. If you're seeing men like trees, you need another touch from the Lord to bring people to Christ. When we open our eyes and our mouths, we do not speak, brethren, half-truths. We speak plainly. When in doubt, speak the truth. Liars, liars, liars. House on fire. In the church. The pillar and ground of truth. Lies are spoken to the minister and servant. what kind of job Jesus did. So may the Lord, brethren, cause you and I to see what happens to a sinner that is cured. The Lord touches ears, his tongue, He removed the curse from his tongue, that our message would be the gospel. Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise. Brother Presley, let's pray. We are thankful, O God, for your help this evening in a simple gospel message, but yet so profound. We thank you for our people who have sat, who have come. We pray, O Lord, that As it was said, it is our last evening message. We don't know, we may be here next Sunday evening. Lord, I move very carefully, very humbly, very gingerly because of what you are capable of doing. And thus I rest upon your sovereign hand, oh Lord. We thank you for this day that has come and is about to be ended. We thank you for the graces. We thank you for those who have joined us. We thank you for our visiting friends. We have grandchildren and children here in our midst. We have the Karika grandchildren. We pray for their parents. We ask, Lord, that they would be in a place where they can hear from you. We pray that you will keep the grandchildren. We pray you will help Sister Doris and Brother Colin to some extent to minister unto these little ones. We thank you for Corey and his little one, River. And we pray for his life. We thank you for the respect, the level of respect that he has shown to his parents in that he has come here and oh Lord God what a shame what a shame that many of our children have not given us that respect we pray oh Lord that Corey would not leave this place having not been spoken to and that he would be able to relay that which is from your word to this little river and to his family. Lord this is a sin cursed world where sin reigns, error, but we know that God is in control and that eventually he will win and evil will be smashed. We pray, O Lord, for our church, Lord, and we pray that our church would not sit idle. We pray that our people will lend support to all the servants that would come, that they would sacrifice, yes, even their sleep, Lord, and come to hear the gospel. We pray that we would not put ourselves first We pray for husbands that they would lead by example and not fear their spouses as so many do. We ask, O Lord, that you will help us to be men that are prophet, priest, and prince in our homes and not puppets, O God. Help this church. We are not as strong as we think. because our homes are weak. And oh Lord God, we pray for our homes. Holy righteous Father, protect your church, protect your people, protect the pulpit. May it be pure. We're not perfect men. We pray for our men who will stand and lead. On Sundays, the Lord's days. On Tuesdays, as they bring petitions before your throne. We pray that we will be apt to pray ready. Give us a tongue that is not twisted, but a tongue that can speak plainly. Give us ears to hear the gospel. We beg this for our people, for our men, especially Lord, at this time we remember God free. Remember this man. Could it be that he needs a loose tongue, Lord, and an unstopped ear? One by one, O God, we are seeing the hearts of the unregenerated in our church. And we beg, Lord, for mercy. Help us not to rest in a profession without any possession of the Holy Spirit. O God, as the pastor and the intercessor of this church, I bring these things before you on the heels of my departure, knowing what is before me. And we pray for those who cannot speak the truth, Lord, that you will open their eyes and their tongues, that they will bow before the throne and that they will seek your face. This we pray in Jesus name. Amen.