Good evening, all. You are more than welcome. As we gather in, as is the norm, we're going to sing a couple of choruses, a couple of hymns, just as others gather in. So we're going to start with a little chorus, chorus number 21 in the hymn book. Chorus number 21, of course, it'll be hopefully, well, I'm hoping it'll be on the screen. There we are. I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart. I will enter his courts with praise. And we'll maybe sing this one. Well, there's only one verse in mine, but maybe there's two verses up there. Anyway, we'll sing it through twice. Oh, there's more than one up there, is there? Right, we'll sing away. OK. I hope eternity stays, for there's living in my heart. ♪ And to every city we'll go, we'll go, we'll go. ♪ We have a lot to rejoice about tonight, we have a lot to sing about. A God who loved us, that sent his son to die for us and has saved us and it's great to be able to shout and to sing. You know I often wonder what the neighbours round about think when the windows are open there. So let's lift our voices in this next one, number 56. Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock. We're going to sing it through twice as well. And lift it, you know, and let the ones round about in the local area know that we have something to rejoice about tonight. His work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A strong and great blessing to our God and Lord. His work is perfect, and all his ways are just. Good and upright is he. A thought of faithfulness and justice. Good and upright is he. faith, and all whose ways are just. And all the faithful listen with our injustice, when the dark night is here. And all the faithful listen with our injustice, We'll move on to hymn number 36. This is a well-known one. Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise. And we'll maybe just sing the first and the second verse of this, please. And many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, of His grace, my gracious Master and Teacher. The honors of thy name. The honors of thy name. The honors of thy name. Well, as I say, yous are all very welcome to the evening service tonight. Those that are gathered in and those that are listening online, too. And we're glad to have the pastor from Ballykeela here, Andrew Campbell. And we welcome him to the pulpit. We enjoyed him this morning. And we're looking forward to see what the Lord has to say through him tonight. So we're going to stand now, and we're going to sing our opening song, hymn number 231. Hymn number 231. And we'll stand together to sing, please. Thank you. and the morning breaks eternal bright and fair, when the sage of worship gather over all the others who, and the rollers fall on yonder every day. When the rollers fall on yonder, when the rollers On that bright and glorious morning, when the day of Christ shall rise, and the glory of His resurrection shine, where His chosen ones shall gather to their own beyond the skies, and their oldest call of yonder shall be heard. When their oldest call of yonder of yonder, when the roll is called of yonder, when the roll is called of yonder every day. Let us labor for the Master from the dawn to setting sun. Let us tell of all his wondrous love and grace. When they're older and their work done early still, and they're always proud and young, they're happy there. Thank you for singing that out so well. We're just going to unite our hearts together now, and we're going to pray to the Lord and ask him to come and speak to us each tonight as we meet here together. Dear Lord and gracious heavenly Father, we thank you that we can be found in this place tonight. Lord, we thank you, Lord, that we meet here as friends, Lord, and we meet here together. But Lord, we thank you that you have said wherever we meet in your name, you will be here in the midst. And Lord, we just thank you that we can come here tonight and we Open your word, Lord, and we can hear it proclaimed, Lord, and we can hear that gospel freshly proclaimed again, Lord. Lord, for those of us that are saved, Lord, we just thank you for that day in that hour, Lord, when that gospel reached into our lives, Lord, and your spirit moved within us, Lord, and we heard that calling voice of the Savior, and we turned to you for salvation, Lord, and on that very instant, Lord, when we called upon you, we were saved, and our feet were set on a new path, Lord, and we just rejoice in that tonight, Lord, Realize, Lord, that we could be anywhere tonight if it wasn't but for the grace of God. But Lord, we just pray for those that may be gathered in this evening, Lord. Maybe those that have never put their lives and their trust in you, Lord. We just pray that you would even speak to them tonight, Lord. Maybe for those that have, maybe, Lord, slipped away, Lord. Maybe aren't walking the way they should, Lord. We just pray that you would even draw them back to yourself. And Lord, we just pray that you'd have a message for each one of us tonight, Lord. We thank you for the gospel. or the message that was proclaimed this morning, Lord, and how appropriate it was for each one of us, Lord, how we could each take something away from it, Lord. And Lord, we're looking for you to speak to us tonight again, Lord. Lord, we pray for those that can't gather in with us tonight, maybe listening online, Lord, maybe even not able to listen online. Maybe those, Lord, that enjoyed fellowship with us in the past, Lord, but because of infirmity or maybe old age, Lord, they're not able to be with us tonight. And Lord, we realize, Lord, that you are not contained to this building, Lord, but Lord, you can meet them. at the point of their very need tonight, Lord. We just pray that you'd be with them and you'd bless them and you'd undertake for them. Lord, we pray for the one that would bring the message tonight, Lord, that you would be with him, Lord, that you would bring to his remembrance the word that you would have him to say, Lord, and Lord, that he would know that peace and that insurance, Lord, that you're with him here in the pulpit, Lord, and you would speak through him. Lord, we just pray now as we commit this meeting to you, Lord, that you would Be one of our number, Lord. And Lord, when everything's said and done, that all the glory and the honor would be brought to your lovely name. Amen. We're just going to sing one more hymn before Brian brings the announcements, 211. Fairest of all the earth beside. And then once we've sung this hymn, Brian's going to come and bring the announcements to us. First of all, the earth be silent. Deepest of all, until I cry, Will this be my N-E-R-C, wonderful N-R-C? Proudly we'll see her life and deeds, Proudly we'll come to sing her praise. and die to set me free. First blood of Calvary. ♪ Giving us more than purity ♪ ♪ Wonderful man of Calvary ♪ ♪ The man of Calvary ♪ ♪ Has won my heart from me ♪ ♪ And died to set me free ♪ ♪ Blessed man of Calvary ♪ ♪ Jesus, I need thee some sweet day ♪ ♪ Sender of glory be I see ♪ ♪ Wonderful man of Calvary ♪ ♪ A man of Calvary ♪ ♪ Has won my heart from me ♪ ♪ And died to set me free ♪ Well, good evening. Uh come I add my welcome to Gordie's. It's good to see you this evening. We appreciate your support of the gospel service and we welcome you in the lord's name. It's good to welcome back We appreciated Andrew's ministry this morning, and again, we thank him for his help throughout the day. Just the meetings end for the incoming week, Tuesday night, 8 p.m., Ladies' Fellowship. It's the first night of the year, so again, encourage ladies, as many as possible, to come out to that. I think I mentioned one day before, men, it's your job to make sure they go out. So if you need to get home a bit earlier to put the kids to bed or whatever it might be, and to help the ladies get out, please do that. So ladies, I encourage you to come out on Tuesday night, and the speaker of that is Margaret Reid. On Wednesday night, 6.45 is the search. I think I said 6.30 this morning, so at least I was on the right side of it. But 6.45, searchers on Wednesday night. Then 8.00 p.m. is our midweek prayer meeting. As I mentioned this morning, again, that'll be focused on the time of prayer. And then at 9.00, the members will be waiting behind then just for a short members' meeting, so please keep that in mind. Then Thursday morning, 10.30 through 12.00 is a tiny tots. And then Saturday, a church walk up to Castlewell and Forest Park. We'll walk in when you get to Castle Elm Forest Park, as opposed to walking up to it. But leaving the church at 1245 Sharp, or you can meet down there at 1.30. And again, any questions regarding that, I'll speak to Ian Warren's listener for you. Please add your name to that if you're planning to go along. And then next Sunday is Missionary Sunday, 10.15. The Sunday school and the Bible class is normal. And then 11.30 in the morning, Slavic Gospel Association will be along. Derek Maxwell will be along. And then 6.30 in the evening, Nigel Kissack will be reporting on the work of Gospel Mission of South America. And again, as I mentioned this morning, some of the young people that have been away on different teams will be sharing both in the evening service and also at a fellowship time afterwards. And the offering throughout the day will go to the two missions that are represented. And just looking that wee bit further ahead, Men's Breakfast, that's on Saturday, the 5th of October, and that's at Rockmount Golf Club. Again, please use the opportunity to invite folks along to that on that Saturday morning. Also, on the day after that, the End of Youth Fellowship, they recommenced at 6 October, entitled Serving This Summer. And again, that will be reports from summer teams. And again, just again, I've mentioned over a week or two that we're planning to have a baptismal service in the near future. Maybe you're saved, but you're not baptized. This will be your opportunity to follow the Lord through the waters of baptism. So we encourage you to do that if you're saved and following the Lord. And so please speak to one of us elders. to chat to you about that and help you in any way we can. And that's all the announcements this evening, always made subject to the Lord's will. Maybe boys and girls, do you want to come up and we'll do one or two choruses with you? Is that okay? Do you want to play for us? We'll do a couple of choruses. Come on ahead, don't be shy. You can't leave me up here on my own. Come on ahead. Come on, Frederick, come on ahead. So Joel and his children's talk this morning was talking about creation, wasn't it? And the first one's a lovely one that talks about creation, he made the stars to shine, but then goes on to tell us about how he loves us and how he demonstrated that love as well. So, a couple of actions, anybody for actions? Come on ahead, come on up, come on up, yeah, come on, I'm jumping up at the front here, we'll do a couple of actions, yeah. Anybody else? Come on ahead, Freddy, yep, come on ahead. Got two, any more? Now, part of your job of doing the actions is also to check that the adults are doing the actions as well, okay? And we'll check up on the platform as well to see we're doing the actions, okay? He made the stars to shine. Thanks. He made the rolling sea. He made the blind to sight. And he made me. And this is why I love him. He came to crucify, and to start a new life. He made the mountains high, as He made me. And this is why I love Him, for me He bled and died. The Lord of all creation, He made the crucifix, Excellent, thank you, you take your seats. I don't think the next one has action, so Andrew this morning mentioned, says, now there's our salvation and any other, if there's no other name under heaven, given amongst men, where am I? We must be saved, and that's the Lord Jesus. This talks about a wee bit of spelling practice for us. Before we go back to school in the morning, I'm sure you'll love that, okay, but no, you can't get to heaven without S-A-L-V-A-T-I-O-N, okay. S-A-L-P-A-T-I-O-N Shout it out far and near S-A-L-P-A-T-I-O-N Sing it out far and near S-A-L-P-A-T-I-O-N As a gift of grace. S-A-L-V-A-T-I-O-N. At sixty, thirty-four, S-A-L-V-A-T-I-O-N. Just believe and receive S-A-L-V-A-T-I-O-N. Okay, we'll maybe get a suite, and we'll hand back over to Gordie again for the next time. Brian hasn't too many suites to hand out, so we'll make a start again. We'll go to hymn number 205 just before the message is brought to us. Hymn number 205, I Serve a Risen Savior, and we'll stand to sing, please, thank you. I serve a risen Savior Who's in the world today. I know that He is living Forever and may stay. I hear his voice of cheer, and just in time I knew him, he'd always be. He lives, he lives, as Jesus lives today. He walks with me and he talks with me along my sparrow way. He lives, he lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how. He lives within my heart. In all the world around me, I see His loving presence. I know that he is leading. When all the stormy past, the day of his appearing. ♪ Christ Jesus lives today ♪ He walks with me and He talks with me ♪ Along my sorrow way ♪ He lives, He lives, salvation to employ ♪ You ask me how I know He lives within my heart. Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian. Lift up your voice and sing eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ, the King. From home, from home we'll seek him, and help of all we'll find. None other is so lovely, so good and kind. He walks with me, and He talks with me, and all life's narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart. You are strong. Thank you to Gordie for leading us. Good to be back with you again this evening. If you have a Bible to Luke's gospel, please, Luke chapter eight. We're going to break in at verse 40 of Luke chapter eight. Luke chapter eight, verse 40, this is the word of God. 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 the ruler of the synagogue, and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house, for he had only one daughter, about 12 years of age, and she lay dying. But as he went, the people thronged him. And a woman having an issue of blood twelve 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 says, Somebody hath touched me, for I perceive, That virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hit, she came trembling and falling down before him. She declared unto him before all the people what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately. And he said to her daughter, be of good comfort. Thy faith hath made thee well. Go in peace. We'll end our reading there at verse 48. We thank God. In Luke chapter 8, we have three wonderful illustrations of the power of the Lord Jesus. In verses 22 to 25, we see the Lord's power over nature, over the natural as He rebukes the wind and waves. There was an instantaneous calm. Then the incident with the demon-possessed man, and there we see Jesus' power over the supernatural. As he delivered a man who had been infested with demons, a man who was on skid row, his power over the natural, his power over the supernatural, calming the wild sea, calming a wild man, peace in the storm, peace in the soul. What you need to bear in mind is the miracles that the Lord Jesus performed always point to a greater spiritual truth. And salvation is the big picture of Luke's gospel. Jesus announced in Luke 19.10 after Zacchaeus was converted that he came to seek and to save that which is lost. The healing of the demon-possessed man shows us that salvation is connected to deliverance. We were born in sin, we needed deliverance from our captivity to the devil. We may not have been demon-possessed, but all of us, every one of us, were by nature the children of wrath. This incident tonight shows us salvation as a picture of healing. Many times throughout the Bible, sin is portrayed as sickness. We need healing. And the Lord Jesus Christ is a great physician. Isaiah 53, 5 says, by his stripes, we are healed. By his atoning death, we are healed spiritually. Whenever the Lord Jesus was on this earth, he healed many people. Sometimes there were large crowds. In Mark 1.32, we read, the whole city was gathered at the door, and he healed many who were sick with various diseases. But in John chapter 5, we read of a multitude at the pool of Siloam, the pool of Bethesda. And on that occasion, Jesus only healed one man. Some of you here tonight might be struggling with prolonged and serious sickness. And you know as well as I do that not everybody gets healed, despite those who claim that the Christian life should be trouble-free and pain-free and sickness-free. We're part of a fallen, sinful world, and the freedom from sicknesses and death will only be realized in the world to come whenever the Lord Jesus returns. The woman we read about this evening in Luke chapter 8 is a picture of a sinner. She needs healing. There's only one hope for her, and it's the Lord Jesus. I want you to see first of all tonight the condition she endured. Look at verse 43. We're told this woman had an issue of blood for 12 years. Interestingly, she's had this problem as long as Charles's daughter has been alive. And this condition she endured made her a life of misery. It was a guinea problem. Obviously today, those health concerns are much more readily treatable. Medication and surgery can treat these symptoms. But for this woman in first century Palestine, she was in trouble. And for 12 long years, she has suffered from this terrible condition. Luke tells us that she had spent all her money on physicians, and all they could do for her was relieve her of her money. As you may know, the writer of this gospel, Luke, was a doctor himself. But he doesn't actually include a detail that Mark includes in his gospel. Mark isn't as complimentary towards the doctors. Mark tells us that her condition actually grew worse rather than better. The doctors look out for each other the same way the preachers look out for each other. And this condition she endured was embarrassing, it was humiliating, it was debilitating. it would have left her weak and uncomfortable. In Leviticus chapter 15, we read of the laws regarding men and women who had bodily discharges, and everything they came into contact with was therefore regarded as unclean, be it a chair, a bed, or a person. And those who came in contact with that particular person, or with a chair they sat on, or with a bed they laid on, they had to go and bathe themselves. They were deemed unclean until the evening. And because of this particular condition, this lady would have been barred from the temple, from the place of worship. So you see the tremendous social stigma connected to this particular condition. And to some in that particular culture, her disease would have been viewed as a result of an immoral lifestyle. And month after month, year after year, her condition deteriorated. Not only was she unwell, she was now bankrupt. She had spent all her money on doctors. And as we meet her here in Luke chapter 8, she's in dire straits. She was ostracized spiritually, physically, emotionally. A virtual outcast cut off from her friends, her family, her culture. She couldn't be with her husband. Actually, the law allowed her husband to divorce her because of this condition. She couldn't touch her children. She was regarded as ceremonially unclean. And this woman represents everyone outside of Christ. Those who are born in sin, who have inherited the terrible disease of sin from our first parents, this woman in Luke chapter eight was cut off from society because of her sickness. Our sin cuts us off from God. And just like this lady, our sin at times embarrasses us. We try to sweep it under the carpet. We avoid talking about it. But God knows all about it. Even the most secretive, even the darkest sins, He knows every one of them. And just like this lady, sin drains our finances, especially those who get addicted to substances like alcohol or drugs, the grasping for pleasure, the keeping up with the Joneses. And though we may try hard to make ourselves better, we may look for self-help schemes. We may look to morality. We might even look to the church to mend us. We will find that our condition will worsen rather than improve. And sooner or later, we will all realize that we are bankrupt as well. And the only answer is the Lord Jesus Christ He is the healer. He is the great physician. I wonder as you sit here this evening or listen online, do you realize if you're not a Christian that you need spiritual healing? You have that heaviness about your sin, that knowing guilt about your past when you put your head in the pillow. See, the first step on the road to salvation is realizing your profound need, realizing that your spiritual sickness. The Lord Jesus said, those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. And this lady we encounter in chapter 8 of Luke's gospel knew the answer was the Lord Jesus. This is the condition she endured. But secondly, we see the crowd she encountered. Verse 40. We're told when Jesus returned, the people gladly received him. They were all waiting, great anticipation to meet Jesus. The Lord Jesus has crossed the Sea of Galilee to meet the demon-possessed man. But on his return, there's a huge crowd waiting for him. There was a surge of expectation, a surge of anticipation surrounding this preacher, Jesus of Nazareth. And his popularity now is on the up. More and more people want to see him. More and more people want to meet him. Many in Israel assumed that he was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. Large crowds followed him wherever he went. Shortly before this incident, he fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. And the crowd that day were upwards of 20,000 people. 5,000 men, we're told. Upwards of 20,000 people. The people in Judea were in great need The crowds flock to meet Jesus day after day. And this woman, as she makes her way to Capernaum, she encounters this massive crowd. And she attempts to get close to the only one who can help her with this terrible condition. She was taking a huge risk because if the religious people saw her in the crowd, they would have been irate. The idea that she was mingling with a crowd would have rattled them badly. they wouldn't have wanted to be infected by this sinful woman. And the people are thronging around the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're told Luke tells us, then the ruler of the synagogue fell at Jesus' feet, and he begged him to come to his house and heal his dying daughter. This man was at the complete opposite end of the social spectrum from the lady. He was a privileged man. He was a prominent man. but equally as desperate and equally as needy as the woman. And as the Lord Jesus makes his way towards Jairus' house, the people pressed around him. One version says, the crowd almost crushed him. You know what it's like to be in a huge crowd. Maybe at the boxing day sale in Marks and Spencers. I've never been, but I hear it's a big crowd at it. or at the rugby at Ravenhill, or at a football match. We went to see Northern Ireland play England at the Old Wembley back in 1985. And there were 70,000 people there. And on the way out of the stadium, we got separated. And you just seemed to be carried along with the size of the crowd and a sea of faces. The Lord Jesus is the center of attraction this day in Capernaum. And this poor woman, in her desperate attempt, desperate struggle to meet him, encounters this massive crowd. Remember Zacchaeus? We meet him in Luke chapter 19. There was a multitude in Jericho that day. He wanted to see Jesus. He had to climb a second more tree to see him. Thirdly, the Christ she embraced. Word about Jesus and his power to heal would have spread like wildfire. And possibly, like many in her day, she believed that sometimes the clothes, or even the shadow of the clothes, the shadow of the God that could bring healing, she had heard the stories about Jesus of Nazareth. He healed the sick. He gave sight to the blind. He cleansed lepers. He made the lame walk. In the previous chapter, in Luke chapter 7, he raised the widow of Nain's son. and the dead. And the response there in Luke chapter 7 was, a great prophet has arisen among us. God has visited his people. And these reports would have been around Judea and all the surrounding districts, spectacular healings, and the Lord Jesus was very much the big attraction. And here's her last chance. She spent all her money. The doctors couldn't help her. But she'd heard of someone who didn't charge for his services, someone who didn't pursue his own agenda, someone who was compassionate, someone who was caring, but someone, above all, who had the power to heal. And this desperate, broken woman pushes her way through the crowd. And despite the enormity of the crowd, she gets within touching distance of the Lord. And she comes up behind him. Such was the reticence and embarrassment she had about her illness. And she just stretched out the hand of faith. And she touched the border of his garment. And we're told, immediately, the blood stopped. Instant healing. Instant relief, just touched the hem of his garment. She touched him with the hand of faith. And the Lord Jesus asked a seemingly bizarre question, who touched me? And Peter, as usual, was first to speak up. He said, master, the multitude thronged thee and pressed thee. Lord, there are hundreds of people around you. Imagine Jairus standing at the side. What's he thinking during this unnecessary interruption? His daughter critically ill, his daughter on the verge of death. It's imperative that Jesus gets to his daughter A-S-A-P. No time for pit stops. His daughter is on the brink of death and Jesus is worried about somebody touching her. Then the Lord Jesus says something astonishing. Somebody hath touched me, for I perceive that virtue or that power has gone out from me." Notice whenever the Lord Jesus Christ healed someone, he entered right into their pain and right into their suffering. It cost him. Matthew writing in his gospel said, he himself took our infirmities and bore our sickness. He did this on the cross, of course. But in his time on earth, he entered into people's desperate, broken lives. He empathized with them. He got alongside them. Remember in John chapter 11, he wept at the grave of his dear friend, Lazarus. In the healing of the demon-possessed man earlier in chapter six, he was identified by his infinite compassion. Matthew 14, 14 tells us. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. This is the Christ he embraced. Compassionate, powerful, sympathetic, personal, interested in individuals, interested in you, interested in me, setting people free from the clutches of the devil. And tonight, if you're not a believer, This is the Christ you need to embrace. This is the Christ who has just spoken to the wind and waves. This is the Christ who just commanded thousands of demons to leave a demon-possessed, tormented man. Just after this incident, at the concluding verse of chapter 8, He will raise Jairus' daughter from the dead. He has infinite power. His power is never drained, never running on empty. His power is demonstrated tonight in the gospel, which is the power of God to all who believe. He is the only Savior. There are no other saviors. And if you're not a believer, His power can set you free. His blood has the power to remove all your guilt, all your shame. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, and once again, In the gospel, the Lord Jesus passes this way tonight. And he calls to you tonight, if you're not a believer, just to reach out the hand of faith. Simple, believing, childlike faith. Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water. Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea. The condition she endured, the crowd she encountered, the Christ she embraced. Lastly, fourthly, the confession she expressed. See, the woman's actions here probably were mixed with a little bit of superstition. She thought that there was something magical about Jesus' clothes, and she was only there that day for the cure. She would have been delighted just to disappear from the crowd after this miraculous healing, run back home, get down on her knees and thank God for her healing, thank God for her deliverance. But the Lord knows exactly what has happened. He knew exactly who touched him. And he wants this woman in the crowd to publicly confess her faith. We're told in verse 47, 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. What a confession of faith. She had heard of Jesus. She had watched Jesus. She had followed Jesus. She had touched Jesus with the hand of faith. And she has been completely healed by Jesus. He never turns anybody away. He took time for people, even in his frantic schedule. Even knowing Jairus is hyperventilating over the delay, he took time for this broken, desperate, bankrupt sinner. He said in John 6, 37, all that the Father gives me will come to me, and he who comes to me I will by no means cast out. Listen, the Lord Jesus doesn't want private confessions. Sometimes you hear people asking about a certain person, maybe somebody who's died, if they were a Christian or not, you weren't sure. They seem to be a sacred believer. Now, we're not to be outspoken or loud or opinionated, but we are to share our faith in a winsome, engaging, appealing way. People should know by the way we interact with them, by our speech, by our conduct, how we treat people that we belong to Christ. Whenever a person comes to faith in Christ, there should be this desire to share the great news, just like the demon possessed man. Remember what he did? He went and told people what great things God had done for him. Romans 10.10, one of the greatest verse in the Bible. If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Maybe God has been speaking to you. Maybe God has done the work that only he can do in your heart. Your life has changed, maybe in recent days. Perhaps you haven't told anybody. Maybe tonight you would confess with your mouth what the Lord Jesus has done for you. Interestingly, whenever the Lord Jesus raises Jairus, his daughter from the dead, he tells her parents not to tell anyone. But he urges this woman to tell the whole crowd that she had been healed. This woman wasn't ashamed nor to testify to the goodness and grace of God, and neither should we. And one way, as our denomination has of confessing our faith, you've heard it in the announcements, you're planning a baptismal service. One way we confess our faith is to go through the waters of baptism, to obey the biblical command to be baptized as a believer. Lastly, tonight, the change she experienced. Look at verse 48. The Lord Jesus said to her, daughter, be of good comfort. Thy faith hath made thee whole, go in peace. She had reached out in desperation. She had reached out with a hand of faith and experienced instantaneous, miraculous physical healing. But much more importantly, she had received spiritual healing. She was a believer. She was a woman of faith, transformed physically and transformed spiritually by the lavish mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus. Notice how tenderly he speaks to the woman, daughter, Be of good comfort. Your faith has made you well. She's the only woman in the Bible that Lord Jesus addressed as daughter. She's now part of the faith family. He didn't scold her. for holding up his mercy trip to the house of Jairus. He announced to the whole crowd that she was no longer unclean, no longer an outcast, and it wasn't magic, it wasn't superstition that healed her, it was faith in Jesus and faith in Jesus alone. And she could go home completely transformed, go home with the peace of God, the shalom of God, resting on her back to her family, back to her friends, once again allowed to attend the temple, once again allowed to hug her children. She has total transformation whenever a person encounters the healing power of the Lord Jesus. Tonight as we close, the call of the gospel goes out to you if you're not a believer. To come to Christ with all your sin, with all your defilement, with all your regrets, and the starting message is he turns nobody away. He was known as the friend of sinners. Aren't you glad he's a friend of sinners? He's welcomed sinners. And his blood can remove all of your guilt. Because as he died on the cross, 2 Corinthians 5.21 tells us, he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. The sin question has been answered by the work of the cross, by the man of Calvary. And whatever your issue tonight, whatever your habit, whatever your struggle, the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to deliver you, the power to set you free. He will treat you with infinite kindness and infinite compassion. He is not a harsh Savior. He is a sympathizing Savior. Kent Hughes says, in a sea of a million hands, Christ will see the one raised in faith. He calls you tonight just to reach out that hand of faith, to trust Him where you are, to believe in Him, to follow Him. See, faith offends some people. It's an affront to some people because they want to contribute themselves. That's not the way it works in the gospel. God's way is simple, straightforward. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. You may say, well, my faith will be weak. But listen, the object of our faith is a critical thing, not the measure of our faith. And the object of our faith is the son of God who has infinite power. He is a great savior and he is mighty to save. And He's willing to call, He's willing to hear your call, willing to save all who will call upon Him. As we close, are you sensing in your heart God speaking to you, the beginning of faith? Move towards Him. It will not go unnoticed by the master. Call on Him this evening. Be assured that he will hear your cry. She only touched the hem of his garment, as to his side she stole. Amid the crowd that gathered around him, and straightway she was made whole. Oh, touch the hem of his garment, and thou too shall be free. His healing power, this very hour, shall give new life to thee. We thank God for his precious word. We're going to stand to sing our concluding hymn, God Sent His Son, They Called Him Jesus. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Just because we live has to be true. ♪ Let come a sureness ♪ This child can face uncertainties ♪ Because He lives ♪ Because He lives ♪ I can face tomorrow ♪ Because He lives Because I know, I know He holds the future. And life is worth the living just because He lives. And then one day, His way to victory, I'll see the lights of glory now. I know He lives because He lives. I can face tomorrow because He lives. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the Gospel. We thank you for the Christ of the Gospel, that he is living and reigning. He is exalted at your right hand, and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Thank you for this incident in Luke chapter 8, showing us this wonderful healing of this lady with the issue of blood. She just touched the hem of his garment, and she was instantaneously and immediately healed, not only physically, but spiritually. A woman of faith, and she went home with the shalom, the peace of God resting upon her. Thank you for the wonderful instance we read in the Gospels every day, Lord. Thank you for your precious word. Thank you for your help throughout today. We pray for anyone in the building or anyone listening to the live recording that you would be speaking into hearts for those who are not saved. Or maybe someone has lost their way spiritually, a backslider, that even this evening they will be restored, they'll come back to the man of Calvary. We thank you for the cross. We thank you that the work is finished. We thank you that our redemption has been sealed, our forgiveness is sure. because the Lord Jesus Christ laid down his life for ransom for many, including us here this evening. Thank you for the gospel. We pray you'll keep us near the cross in the week ahead. Help us to keep our focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. In his name we pray. Amen.