Let's open our Bibles together, please, and we're turning to the book of Luke's gospel, and we're turning to chapter number 13. That's the 13th chapter of the book of Luke's gospel, and we're going to read a few verses from this passage of God's word from verse number 10. That is Luke's gospel, chapter 13, and commencing to read at the verse number 10. Let's follow the reading of God's precious word. And Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman which had a spurt of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work. In them, therefore, come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, does not each one of you on the Sabbath day loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, who Satan hath bound low these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed, and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. Amen. And we know that God will add his blessing to the reading of his Word. Let's just bow our heads in prayer. Heavenly Father, we come before Thee tonight, and as we come to meditate upon Thy Word, we pray that Lord will get a glimpse of the mighty power of Christ We thank Thee, O God, that Thou art able to do miracles. We thank Thee for the greatest miracle of all, the miracle of salvation, washed in the precious blood from every sin, cleansed and made clean through the blood of the Lamb. We thank Thee, our God, for Thou hast said in Thy Word, Thy sins and Thine iniquities will I remember no more. O God, I pray that if there's such tonight in this gathering, and they know not the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray that they might hear those words from Christ. And Lord, we pray that they might come. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." And so, to this end, help us, we pray, to preach Christ in all his fullness, in all his glory, in all his beauty, in all his power. For we pray in Jesus' precious name. Amen. Now, once again, we come to God's precious Word to find another person who was touched by the Master's hand. And that's what I want us to look at tonight—touched by the Master's hand. Now, the Bible tells us here in Luke's Gospel, chapter 13, that the Lord Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. Now, the Lord Jesus spent his Sabbaths in the synagogue. Now, remember, there was one temple, and that temple was in Jerusalem. But scattered all around the place, through the little villages, through the countryside, through the communities in Palestine, there were the synagogues where the people of God met. And prior to the performing of this miracle, we're going to study, we notice that Jesus Christ, it says there in verse 10, was teaching, or he was preaching, in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. Now, the Lord Jesus made and placed great emphasis upon preaching. Now, I know that in many places today, sad to say, there is little time for preaching. My, they'll sing, and they'll sing, and they'll sing, and they'll sing for hours. But as far as it's coming to study the Word of God, if the preacher goes over a half hour, they're breathing heavily, because they think it has gone on too long. My friend, let me tell you this. The Lord Jesus Christ emphasized the necessity for preaching. And that is why this pulpit—I've said it many times—that is why in our churches, this pulpit's in the center, because this is a preaching house. That's what it's primarily for. In the worship of God, we come to praise him, but we come to gather round for public worship. And in the public worship service, we find the emphasis of the Lord Jesus was upon preaching. Now, I know that in many places that's sidelined today, and people are happy enough with it. And yet Paul said to Timothy, he says, Timothy, preach the Word. Others go in for entertainment instead of the preaching of the Word. Friend, there is no substitute. There is no substitute for the preaching, because it is through the preaching, the foolishness of preaching, that the Word of God says that God has ordained to save them that believe. Now, we find that whenever the synagogue—whenever men went into the synagogue, any one of the congregation could have been asked by the ruler of the synagogue—remember, there's a ruler of the synagogue—and he could put his hand upon someone and ask someone to preach. It was also a reality that someone could ask the ruler of the synagogue for permission to preach. And so we find that on many occasions that the Lord Jesus Christ, whether he was asked to do it or whether he saw permission, the Lord Jesus Christ was preaching. The Lord Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. Now, it was during this time that a wonderful miracle happened. because the Lord is in the midst of this congregation. And do you notice in verse number 11, it says, And behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. Now, why does it say behold? Because there was a surprise here. It actually was a surprise that this woman, the way that she was, that she actually made it to the house of God. You know, the many people, if they have a bit of a cough at all, they don't come to God's house. It's amazing that the next morning, with their cough, off they go to work. But when it comes to God's house, if they have a cough or a splinter at all, on the Lord's day, they'll use it as their excuse to stay away and not come. Excuses, excuses, we hear them every day, and the devil will supply them. If in church, you stay away. And friend, let me tell you, here we find it says, and behold, it is a surprise. There was a surprise because this woman was in God's house. Listen, she had an excuse. She had a reason. Why that she would not be there? Because we'll see just exactly what that was. And so it says, and behold, there was a woman that was there. She had a spirit of infirmity. Now, I want us to notice just simple things about, first of all, her problem. And there are three things I want you to notice about her problem. First of all, her spine. Her spine. The Bible says, if you look at verse number 11, she was bowed together. She was bowed together. In other words, there was a medical word here. She had a curvature of the spine. She had a curvature of the spine. She was bowed over. And she had it for 18 long years. This sickness was upon her. And, friend, the only thing about it was this. As she became older, she went further and further, further down because she had this curvature of the spine, and it was getting worse. And I'm sure that as far as this woman was concerned, 18 years she had it, it seemed as if her sickness would never come to an end. I'm sure she could hardly remember the last day whenever she walked straight or whenever she enjoyed good health. She was bent double at the waist. She was bowed over. The Word of God says she was bowed together. My friend, let me tell you, that's like what sin does. Because let me tell you, sin does not make a person straight. Because sin is a crooked thing. And you know, my friend, listen, whenever you look at a child and you see a little one there, and you talk about the innocency of the child, and yet, my friend, just like that woman, that sin gets greater and greater and greater and greater. And men and women get harder and harder. That's why men and women can come into services at once they sat in, and my, they were moved unto the preaching of the Word of God, but my, they're totally unmoved now. They're totally unconcerned. Why? Because their heart has grown harder. The passing of the years has hardened their hearts, just like the passing of this year. The passing of these years had made this woman go down and down and down. The Bible says she was bowed together. That was her first problem. It was her spine. The second problem was her strength. Because you notice what the Word of God says in the end of verse number 11? She could in no wise lift herself up. She was so far down, friend. Listen, it was absolutely impossible. She could not lift herself up. She was so stooped. And the stooped condition was so severe, she hadn't the strength to straighten herself. She was bent over for so long that she couldn't stand straight. again. And so the reality was this, friend. Every day for this woman was a struggle. It was a struggle. She had no strength. She was so weak. She had no power. The Bible says she could in no wise lift herself up. Listen, she tried to get up. How many times she tried to straighten herself up, but now she's so far down, she can't get up anymore. She can no ways do it. She can't straighten herself. Why? Because she's without strength. And friend, that again is like a sinner. Because let me tell you, my friend, sin and the chains of sin will bind you. and they will so bind you. And my friend, listen, there's many a man has cried out, I have tried, I have tried. I remember many years ago, a young man on a Saturday night, and then the following Saturday night he would come again, and the next Saturday night he would come again. And my, he came in his drunken state, and he would thump the door to get in to 10 Highfield Road. And I remember him sitting crying. And he said, look at me. He said, listen, I've tried, I've tried to break the chains of booze, but I can't do it. I cannot do it. And friend, this woman is now so far down, she has no upward view at all. All she is, she's just looking down. She can't straighten up anymore. And my friend, the Word of God says, At that time, you were without strength. And I don't care how you try to do it, you will never be able to break the chains of sin. You may try to do it, you may long to have it done, but let me tell you, of yourself, you will never, ever be able to break the chains, because the chains have bound you. The chains of your sin, and your sin has left you without strength." There were three things I said about her problem. The first one was her spine. The second one was her strength. The third one was her spirit. Because notice what the Word of God says in verse 11, "'And behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity.'" Have you got that? You see, friend, here's a woman, and this has started so simply. I'm sure she never thought that she would have got to the place that she was. And here she's got a problem, and it starts in her body, and my, she is so bowed down. Listen, listen, it's not only a physical problem now, it's a mental problem. She has the spirit of infirmity. And this woman has gone so far, friend, that she can see no hope of ever getting delivered. She is beyond hope. And her problem was not only a physical one. Now the emotional tensions have set in in her mind. You know, something happens, friend. Listen. The tensions in her mind starts to produce changes in her body. And she's not only bound by being bent over, she has the spirit. Her spirit's broken, and she's the spirit of infirmity. Now, you'll notice on down the chapter, in verse number 16, it says this, Notice that. And some people said to me, Preacher, does that not mean that this woman was demon-possessed? The devil had bound her. She was demon-possessed. But let me tell you, I do not believe that that is so. I do not believe that this is demonic possession. And I'll tell you why. Because you'll notice, the Lord Jesus did not command a demon to leave He didn't do it. He didn't cast out. Remember last Sunday night, we looked at one, the Lord Jesus Christ did cast out the demon, the dumb and the deaf spirit. And the Lord Jesus said to the deaf and the dumb spirit, get out! And don't you come in again! He says, get out and stay out. But the Lord didn't. The Lord didn't cast any demon out. This was not demonic, listen to me carefully, this was not demonic possession, but listen, I believe, it says here, whom Satan hath bound. This was demonic oppression. Demonic oppression. And the devil has played on our mind. And let me tell you, my friend, that is very, very possible, because the devil can come. And let me tell you, whilst the devil may not possess a person—listen, the devil can oppress a person. And one of the great attacks of the devil today, let me tell you, is on the mind. On the mind. And many of God's children, let me tell you, have experienced that. And my friend, let me tell you, you be very careful whenever you're speaking about that. And whenever you're talking about someone who has experienced the trauma of oppression in their lives, and they have a spirit of infirmity. Let me tell you, if you've never experienced it, then go home and get down on your knees and thank God you don't. But don't you walk home with a haughty spirit to think that you're better than them. I tell you, here's a woman, let me tell you, and the Bible tells us she has a spirit. Listen, her spirit was broken. Her spurt was broken. She never thought she'd have got that far. She never thought that she would ever be in that position. And now she's bent over, and she's lost all hope of ever being delivered. And the devil has bound her. Maybe there's someone here tonight, let me tell you, And the devil has told you there's no hope for you. That God couldn't save the likes of you. Maybe you feel that you're beyond hope. Maybe the old devil is attacking your mind tonight. And my, your mind, listen, it's going round and round. And you can say, oh, listen, if only I knew what it was just to be able to sit down and have clarity of mind again. But it just seems to turn on. There's no end of the going round. I haven't got peace of mind. The Bible tells us that we are to be over-anxious for nothing as God's people, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God which passeth, all understanding shall keep your hearts and your minds. through Christ Jesus. And we talked about the name of God this morning, the God of peace. No, then now this is what God gives, the peace of God. The God of peace gives His peace. The peace of God shall keep your hearts and your minds. And here we find is a woman, and you see her problem, it's threefold—her spine, her strength, her spirit. She's a broken woman. She's a bent woman by her sickness. My friend, I want you to notice something. The second thing is her presence. Her presence. Because the Holy Ghost calls attention here with the word, and behold, there was a woman there. In that synagogue, there was a woman there. And though physically disabled, although disfigured by her problem, the wonderful thing, it never kept her from the synagogue. She came religiously to the house of God. Now, make no mistake about it. She could have used every excuse why that she shouldn't be there. She didn't. I have no doubt whatsoever that her physical condition would have made it difficult for her to get to the synagogue. I mean, there are no buses, no cars. Here's a wee woman that's bent over in two, friend. And whilst it was difficult for her to get to the house of God, there she was. And I thank God for, aye, we women and we men, too, that over the years, friend, have faithfully come to God's house every time the house of God is open. You can be sure they're there. And if they're not, you know there's something seriously wrong. Now, I have no doubt something else about this woman, friend. She stood out in the crowd because she was a naughty. This woman was looked upon as a naughty. Listen, I have no doubt that she would have been laughed at by some of the young ones. And in many ways, she could have felt an outcast, unwanted, unloved, uncared for. I'll guarantee not many people were gathering around her. I'll guarantee there were plenty of people to avoid her. And yet she kept on going. Because whilst, friend, listen, this woman was hopeless as far as her body was concerned, there was something in her heart that kept her coming. In spite of her physical condition, She was found in the synagogue. God was working, I believe, in her heart. And I have to say this. It amazes me that down the years of preaching the gospel and gospel missions, that unconverted people come back to the faithful preaching of God's Word, preaching that makes them uncomfortable. and yet they still keep coming. You tell me, how does that happen? I'll tell you. That's the working of God. That's the working of God. And friend tonight, let me tell you, if you're unsaved and you're in this gathering, I thank God you're here. With all my heart, I'm so glad you've come. Because let me tell you, you could go home tonight changed like this woman. I mean, I'm glad she came to the synagogue that day. What a tragedy it would have been if Jesus, standing in the synagogue, preaching in the synagogue, was going to work a miracle in the synagogue! What a tragedy! She'd have missed it! But there she was. her presence. And that had to be of God. That's how God does things, the miracle of God. Now, we've looked at her problem, and we've looked at her presence. Thirdly, we look at her position. Because it says in verse number 12, notice what happens next. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmities. And he laid his hands on her. Now, let's take it. Let's take it step by step, friend. The Bible says, And when Jesus saw her, and this wee woman's bent over. She can't straighten herself up, and she's sitting there in the synagogue. In French, it's hidden in the crowd. But Jesus saw her. He always sees a needy soul, doesn't he? Probably, you know, in that synagogue as today, the Savior would have been standing on a platform. He'd have been standing on a platform. Charles Haddon Spurgeon says, Jesus always occupies a place from which he can spy out those that are bowed down. You see, he's always looking for needy souls. I would to God, you and I, as Christians, we're always out looking for the sinner. There's the pity of Christ, friend. saw her. And just like he saw the multitude, the Bible said he had compassion on the multitude. And when the Lord Jesus Christ saw the woman, friend, and saw her position, and saw her predicament, and saw her disease, friend, and saw her bent over there, and she couldn't even straighten herself up even to look at the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen, he saw her need, and it moved the Savior's heart. That's grace indeed. Wonderful thing about it is this. This is one of the miracles in which the needy didn't appeal to Christ for help. But the Lord Jesus came to help without being asked. See, the Bible tells us that he came to seek and to save that which is lost. The Lord Jesus Christ is always seeking. Do you remember when Adam and Eve were in the garden, and Adam and Eve hid themselves in the garden, and they didn't want Jesus to see them? The Lord Jesus Christ called unto them. You see, friend, Adam and Eve were not seeking for Christ, but Christ was seeking for Adam and Eve. And so it is. The Lord Jesus Christ comes to seek. And God said to Adam, Where art thou? And there we see divine grace seeking out the sinner. Jesus saw her. But, my friend, that's not where it stops. It says, not only did Jesus saw her, it says, and Jesus called her to him. Jesus called her to him. Now, let me tell you, the synagogue was full. And he called one woman. I'll guarantee nobody else was calling her. Nobody else cared. Maybe the rest ridiculed. What's she there for? What's she coming for? Look at the position she's in. Why does she bother coming? Not the Savior. And the Lord Jesus Christ looked over that gathering, and he saw that one woman, friend, bound by Satan. And Jesus held the key of her freedom. Now, the Lord Jesus didn't say, I'll hide the key until she asks for it. He held the key out to her. And he says, woman, come to me. He called her, notice, to him. And friend, let me tell you, that's what you've got to do to be saved. You have got to come to him. You've got to come to him. But he called her. And here's a woman so disfigured and so handicapped, and the Lord Jesus Christ, he speaks unto her as if there wasn't another person in the whole synagogue. And maybe for a moment, she felt broken. Here was the Lord Jesus Christ choosing her out amidst everybody else. He brings her out into the open, friend, to come to Him. But He brings the words of assurance with it. Listen, woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmities. bound eighteen years." Well, he was saying, woman, you're free. Now, the word woman there, friend, let me tell you this, that was not a discourteous term. Because remember the Lord Jesus Christ when he was speaking to his mother. He said, Woman, behold thy son. Son, behold thy mother. He called Mary, whom he loved. He called her Woman. And let me tell you, my friend, the Lord Jesus was not discourteous to that poor soul. It was a term of compassion. And the Lord Jesus looked at that woman, because let me tell you, my friend, that woman was so disfigured. Her womanhood beauty had faded. Others, she was only an object of mockery. But Jesus spoke to her. woman are at least from that infirmity. Think of his brain. She had tried for 18 long years. She tried, but failed. And yet with a word of authority, she'd be healed. Now, listen, he saw her, he called her, he spake unto her, and then he did something else. He laid his hands on her. He touched her. And before the crowd, friend, before that gazing crowd, hears this broken, bent-over, poor wee soul. And he says, come to me. And she gets up. And she shuffles herself along. She's so broken and beaten and battered by the passing of the years. Let me tell you, friend, the Bible says he laid his hands on her. Do you know what that means? It means before the Savior could lay his hands upon her, she had to come to him. He invited her to come, but friends, she had to come. And there are people here tonight, let me tell you, and the Lord Jesus Christ has invited you for years to come to him, but you're not saved. Now the Lord said, woman, thou art released from thine infirmities, but let me tell you, for it to happen, she had to come. Because the Lord Jesus Christ, it says, he laid his hands on her. She took the step of faith. And friend, that's what you've got to do to be saved. You've got to take the step of faith. Oh, what condescension. You know, King George III, it was spoken of like wildfire amongst the community when King George III entered into a tent of a dying gypsy woman in Windsor Forest. And he sat down beside a dying gypsy woman to tell her about Jesus. and went around the country straight like wildfire. What the condescension for a king to sit with a gypsy woman and attempt to tell her about Jesus. Then what condescension for the king of kings to leave the glories of heaven and come down into a sin-cursing of time. And there the Savior put himself in personal contact with the one from whom many others would have shrunk. They wouldn't even have touched. And Jesus laid his hands on her. And that brings me very quickly, friend, here's the power, her power. It says this in verse 13, "'And he laid his hands on her, and immediately.'" And immediately, she was made straight. The moment the Lord Jesus Christ touched her, friend, that very moment, this woman was healed. No sooner had Christ touched her, she stood upright. My, what an uplifting. She tried to get up for 18 years. She couldn't do it. The power of Christ. Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. And you know, sin makes man crooked, but the Lord will make you straight. No more will she shuffle about from place to place. No more will she be walking, just simply looking at the dark ground and can't look upwards. No longer is she the butt of the jokes. No longer is she the object of mockery. For in one moment, one touch from Christ, She was healed. And straightway, and immediately, she was made straight. Her life would never be the same again. And friend, let me tell you, that's what happens. She was freed from the bondage of her condition. And friend, if you call on the name of the Lord, if you come by faith to Christ tonight, him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. And if you come to him weary, worn, and sad, thank God he'll deal with your sin. Thank God he'll forgive you your sin. Thank God, listen, he'll spit on out your life. He'll take away the crookedness of your sin. He'll take away the bondage of your sin. He'll take away the brokenness of your sin. She said, I thank God immediately. One touch from a master's hand. She's made straight. as her power. and then notice her praise. I said she was made straight and she glorified God. And friend, let me tell you tonight, there's nobody can save you but Jesus. There's nobody else can change your life but the Lord Jesus Christ. And thank God he can. And you know, she started to praise the Lord. And you know, her pain, in a moment, her pain was replaced with praise. And her shame was replaced with a shout. Her praise. was ongoing, because the Lord put a new song in her mouth. Some years ago, there used to be a famous mission in New York City. It was called Macaulay's Mission. And friend, that was the place many of the down-and-outs of New York used to go to. And the grand old gospel was preached there, and gloriously, many lives were changed. And as a man came into Macaulay's mission in New York City one night, and just like this woman, he was bound over by sin, and his body was broken. There was a time the man stood six foot tall. And friend, let me tell you this. Whenever that night he came into the mission, he was that far over. The six foot tall man was like a dwarf, so bent over. his nose nearly fitting the ground. And that night as he heard the gospel preached in Macaulay's mission, that dear soul came to Christ. He knelt down at the altar, at the front of that mission, and he cried on God to save him. And friend, the Lord not only saved him, but by a miracle, the Lord Jesus Christ set him free. And when he stood up again, Something happened in his body, and my, the bones and the bands snapped! And he stood up straight. Nobody could believe it. He went back to his old stature as restored. Now, unfortunately, his speech hadn't fully recovered, which had been impeded to. And it was a custom in Macaulay's mission that whenever a person got saved, when it came to the anniversary of their salvation, they would give a testimony of what Christ had done. The old man came in on the anniversary Sunday. He couldn't read like others could read. He couldn't give a testimony as others could do. But when it came to his time, he beckoned for another to read the lesson. And then he would stand before the people, and he would go down like this, until he was nearly touching the ground. And suddenly, He arose to a six-foot height, and he glorified God in the presence for what God had done for him. Now, notice something as we close tonight. Not everybody was happy. We're not going into that because verse 14, there's the ruler of the synagogue, and he's angry. He didn't care about the woman. He didn't care about her sin. He didn't care about her being bound and fettered. He didn't care about her at all. He said, there are six days in which men ought to work. In them, therefore, come and be healed. And not on the Sabbath day. But notice, whenever the woman got gloriously healed, look at verse 17. Oh, that's a close. Because the praise didn't stop. And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed, and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him." Thank God the people were glad. The people were happy as a result of the work of Christ. And let me tell you, Christ brings true happiness. Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven. And the word blessed is happy. Happy is the man, the woman, the boy or girl whose sins are forgiven, whose iniquities are covered. Are you saved tonight? We sang it. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed? the blood of the lamb. Are you fully trusting in his grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? Touched by the master's hand. Friend, he can save you. He can forgive you. He can make you clean. Heavenly Father, bless Thy Word tonight. Thou knowest every heart in this gathering. Thou knowest those that are saved and those that are not. Thou knowest, our God, those that are bound and fettered by the chains of sin. Lord, those that are bound by the past, those that are bound in the present, and, O God, they're bound for the future. And yet, Lord Jesus, thou art able to save, able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Christ. As every head is bowed and every eye is closed, friend, him, writer says, he can break every fetter. He can set you free. And he whom the Son sets free. It's free indeed. Will you come to Christ? Will you take the step of faith? You see, before the Lord could heal her, she had to come to him. And friend, for you to be saved tonight, for your sins to be forgiven, you have got to come. You say, how do I come? By faith. By faith. O Lamb of God, I come. Sister Sally will play that little verse. Meeting will be over in a moment, friend, but as she plays that verse, as we close, just as I am without one play. If there's someone in this gathering tonight and you say, Preacher, God knows my heart, I'm bound. I'm fettered. Maybe by secret sin. and you can't get freedom. Oh, you've tried. You've tried for years. He'll set you free, friend, if you'll come. Mr. Sister plays that little invitation. If there's a man or woman, boy or girl, and you say, Preacher, lead me to Christ. Oh, I long for that freedom. long to be set free. Would you lift that hand right now that I'll see it? Father, mother, son or daughter, young person or older person, that thy blood was shed for me. O Lamb of God, I come. Will you, friend? Will you come now? I come. O God, bless thy word tonight. And even as others are going out, we pray that you'll give deciding grace that men and women and young people will make their way to the cross, make their way to Calvary's cross by faith, and come to Christ, and know the pardon of their sin. through his redeeming blood, in Jesus' name. Amen.