Tonight we're going to be returning back to the Gospel of Mark. Are you ready for the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Amen. Amen. Let's turn to chapter 5. We're going to be starting in verse 21. Mark chapter 5, starting in verse 21. Now hear the Word of our God from Mark chapter 5, starting in verse 21. And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about Him and He was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored Him earnestly saying, My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be made well and live. And he went with Him. And a great crowd followed Him and thronged about Him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for 12 years and who had suffered much under many physicians and had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, if I touch even His garments, I will be made well. And immediately the flow of blood dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in Himself that power had gone out from Him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, who touched my garments? And His disciples said to Him, you see the crowd pressing around you and yet you say, who touched me? And He looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, Your daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your disease." While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further? But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, And He allowed no one to follow Him except Peter and James and John, the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when He had entered, He said to them, Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but sleeping. And they laughed at Him. But He put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with them and went in to where the child was. Taking her by the hand, he said to her, Talitha kumi, which means, little girl, I say to you, arise. And immediately the girl got up and began walking for she was 12 years of age and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this and told them to give her something to eat. This is the word of our God. Beloved, behold how truly wonderful our Lord Jesus is. Our Lord has unmatched power to tame the sea and to send demons fleeing. Yet our Lord, His power comes to touch folks just like us, so tenderly. We see here Jesus conquering death while taking a 12-year-old girl by the hand. speaking in her ear the familiar notes of her own native tongue like a reversed lullaby to awaken her and to put an end to her parents' nightmare. And after bestowing a miracle on a woman who is content just to get her healing and slip away, Jesus stops everything so that she might experience His words of peace as well. Beloved, Jesus came to restore and bless all who turn in faith to Him. And if you take home anything tonight, take Jesus' five tender words of assurance. Do not fear, only believe. Do not fear, only believe. Jesus wants you to put your trust in who He is and expect from Him Blessings far more abundant than all you can ask or imagine. If you hear that and you're saying, Pastor Joel, that sounds really good. I mean really good. And I wish it was just that easy for a person like me to believe. But I feel like the least likely person that Jesus would single out for such blessing. Or maybe your doubt isn't so much based on how you feel, but rather the cruel hard facts of life. Pastor Joel, if Jesus wants to bless me, why is my life so hard? Well, beloved of Jesus, you really need to lean in on this sermon, because the least likely are exactly who Jesus singles out for blessing. Remember, Jesus chose twelve least likely guys to launch His Kingdom of God enterprise. Guys who don't get them, guys who freak out when they're out on the sea. Jesus had to tame the storms so they might see His power and also His care for them. And He challenged them not to fear, but to have faith. Last week we met the Gerasenes demoniac. If there is ever a least likely fellow for Jesus to want to love on and bless, It would be this howling, crazy, naked man running around in the tombs, wouldn't you think? But Jesus crossed the sea just to restore him and to love on this fellow. He actually made him His first Gentile disciple. Isn't that not wonderful how Jesus set this man free from all his mess? And maybe I need to mention God has also set Presbyterians free to say in worship, Amen, praise Jesus for setting free folks such like this, because of such were we once. And this new disciple was told that all his Gentile friends were to know what the Lord had done for him. Jesus wanted all the least likely people to know about His power and His care for humans just like us. And that's what we find confirmed again today. Two more least likely folk come to Jesus, believing He is the Lord who cares. But as awesome as this response of faith is, Jesus calls both of them to greater faith, greater belief, to not fear and to believe in Him even more, because He wants them to experience more of His grace. Do you hear what I'm saying? First, Jesus shows no partiality And second, He wants you to believe more so that He can bless you more. Step out in faith and discover there is no maximum limit to God's goodness. It's kind of like Jesus is giving you an unlimited blessing card to take out of the service tonight, which can only be maxed out by your refusal to believe in His good favor. Now, I might be sounding a little like a prosperity preacher right now. So let me say first that I have a little different idea about the blessed life than those guys. And secondly, I'm going to bring in John Calvin for backup. John Calvin says, we cannot go beyond bounds in believing because our faith, no matter how large, will never embrace the hundredth part of His divine goodness. And if you were like, amen, amen, I would like 99 times more blessing as I walk out of here. Well, I'm glad to see such faith So let's invite Jesus to enter in and increase our faith for His glory and our good. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we come to You and we confess that we do believe. We make the great profession of faith. Help our unbelief this night that we might know Jesus and His love better. Open our eyes to the glory of the Gospel once again. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, tonight we begin in verse 21 where we see that Jesus has just returned from the Gentile land back to His own people. And it's no surprise that a large crowd gathers again when Jesus hits the beach. Nor that He's about to find new disciples because that seems to happen every time Jesus ends up on the beach. What is a surprise is who this first disciple is. Verse 22, then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly saying, my little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be made well and live. And he went with him." To this point, every religious leader in Mark's Gospel has been opposed to Jesus. Most recently we saw they were plotting to kill Jesus and they were accusing Him of even being in league with the devil. Jairus' actions have to come as a total shock. No sooner do disciples step onto the beach, they have to be thinking, oh no, as they see the crowd partying for this serious looking ruler of the synagogue, It is no exaggeration to say that this beach encounter is as foreboding as the one they just had on the Gentile shore with the demoniac. How shocking would this be? At the moment you're expecting fireworks as he comes face to face with Jesus, this ruler falls down at Jesus' feet and begins begging Him for help. This imploring Him earnestly is actually translated three times in the previous passage, begging. We're told the reason why. Jairus' little girl is at the point of death. You can see that she is the apple of his eyes. She is 12, which in this culture means she is almost old enough to get married. Her life has only just begun. And now it's holding on by just a thread. Jairus shows that his love for her is greater than his love for status, his love for career. Remember, Nicodemus comes at night. Jairus has a lot to lose, falling down publicly before Jesus in broad daylight, in front of all these people. His is a posture driven by love, but it is informed by a measure of faith about who then this is. Jairus is publicly acknowledging Jesus is Lord, and Jesus is able to do what he cannot. Jairus sees his power and his prestige can do nothing to save his little girl. So he comes in his helplessness, acknowledging Jesus is Lord and asking Him to do for her what only Jesus can do. This has all the ingredients of a pleasing prayer to God. Proper prayer is one part helplessness, admitting helplessness, one part believing in Jesus, Helplessness plus faith is what produces prayer. Praying is simply inviting Jesus to enter into a situation that we cannot handle. Believing that He cares, that He wants to bring His restoring touch. Jairus asked Jesus to lay His hands on his little girl so that she may be saved and live. And I say saved here because Mark uses the Greek word sozo, which can mean to heal. but more commonly is used in reference to salvation. The more common word for healing is available. Mark uses it in verse 29. This should encourage parents who want Jesus to place their hand on their unsaved children. Do you see Jesus gradually receives this request from this helpless, believing parent? And Jesus immediately begins to act. Though we're about to see Jesus doesn't always answer our prayers as quickly as we would like Him to. You see, Jesus is interrupted by another least likely sort of disciple. And a great crowd followed Him and thronged about Him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for 12 years and who had suffered much under many physicians and had spent all that she had, but was no better, but rather grew worse. We're introduced to someone who it seems cannot be any more different than Jairus. Jairus is a powerful religious man. He is a pillar of society. Now Mark introduced us to this ostracized, sickly woman. And Mark really wants you to have a mental picture in your mind of her. In the Greek, he uses seven different feminine singular participles in a row to describe her condition. It basically makes this really lengthy, complex sentence construction which actually really conveys well how lengthy and complex her situation in life is for 12 years. For 12 years, this woman has had an issue of blood that never stops. Imagine the nightmare. There's a whole chapter in Leviticus devoted to laws about bodily discharges, and there's a special section just for her, declaring her to be perpetually unclean. This meant for 12 years she could not go to worship God. For 12 years she's a pox to all her neighbors. They can't touch her. They can't even sit in a place where she sat. I couldn't handle 12 days of this. Can you imagine 12 years of horrible isolation? And she tried everything. She got her hopes up again and again with doctor visit after doctor visit. With the result that she's only worse off and now she's dead broke. And I need to note that there are folks in her condition all around us in our own day. As I was working on this sermon, a dear brother reminded me of all the disabled folks that are around us. Folks who he described as life's strangers. Believers who'd love to be part of a church, but who feel so undesired by others and beaten down psychologically, they spend their Sundays alone behind apartments and house walls. No hope of cure. Losing hope that anyone could love a person like them. Yet we see here that God is at work in people just like this. Here is a shining star of faith. Verse 27, she had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, if I touch even His garments, I will be made well. and immediately the flow of blood dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Beloved, we see here once again, faith comes by hearing. This woman heard the reports and she believed. You'd be thinking after 12 long years of disappointment after disappointment, she'd be more likely to say something like, well, I guess I'll give this guy Jesus a shot, but I'm not getting my hopes up too high. No, she says confidently, I believe the good report. In fact, I don't even need to ask Jesus. He's got such power that all I need to do is touch something that's touching Him and I'm instantly healed. That's how much I believe. She believes that touching Him means that she will be saved. And I say saved here because again, this is not the normal word for healed. Mark uses that in the very next verse. This woman hears the report and she believes Jesus can save her. Actually, now do you see that she has more in common with Jairus than we might have first thought? She has come to an end of herself. And she sees Jesus is the only help out there. Both she and Jairus realize they're helpless to do anything about their situations. And they both believe that Jesus alone can bring restoration. Now in one sense, her faith is somewhat weak. Because unlike Jairus, she's not so bold as to personally ask for help. In fact, she's more like a lot of folks in Christian history who have placed hope in relics or holy objects instead of in the true object of faith, Jesus. Nevertheless, she boldly steps out, making her way through folks all pressed in on Jesus. People might clear a path for a guy like Jairus, But not for a lowly woman. Or maybe they do. I couldn't help but wonder if they part like the Red Sea when they see this unclean woman walking their way. This woman, she has a clear objective and she's going to get to Jesus. But it'd be hard for her to miss the buzz of the crowd. People talking about how synagogue ruler Jairus just made a public profession of faith in front of everybody. And how Jesus is now gladly on a healing mission to go help His daughter. Perhaps Jesus being on a healing mission is just further incentive for her. Bleeding the whole way, she makes her way to Jesus and lays her fingers on the hem of His garment. And instantly she feels total restoration, like whiplash. The power leaves Jesus and she's healed. What glory! But no time to ponder this glory. The crowd halts. And Jesus, perceiving in Himself the power had gone out from Him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, who touched my garments? And His disciples said to Him, You see the crowd pressing around you, yet you say, who touched me? And he looked around to see who had done it. Mark first gives us the disciples' perspective to show that again, they don't get who then this is. They don't get Jesus. Jesus asks what seems to be the absurdest of questions in this situation. We're packed together like human sardines, Jesus. Everybody and anybody is touching you right now. But isn't it also an absurd question to us, even though we have the insight that these disciples lack? The ruler of all nature is now saying, what in my world is going on? He feels a brush on his garment and seems to know, but he doesn't seem to know. What is going on here? I think we should recall that scene after the first sin of our parents. The sin of our first parents. God knew what had happened the moment Adam and Eve ate that fruit. He knew that they were covered in fig leaves. He knew that they were hiding in the trees. The Creator knew it all. Yet He asked His fearful people a question. Where are you? God asked a question to show He still cared. That He was patient even as they were hiding. showed that God wanted to offer them dignity even as they were trembling in fear, because it recognized man's ability to respond to God's question. It was a call to step out and believe that God wants relationship with fallen people. That is what's going on here. This hiding woman hears the question and she sees the Lord intently looking around and waiting. Let's not forget, she's just heard how the Lord responded to Jairus stepping out in faith. Encouraged by Jairus' example, she now falls down before the feet of her Lord in response to the question. Mark says she came in fear and trembling, but unlike Adam and Eve, she told the whole truth. Beloved, isn't it wonderful that you can come to Jesus and tell Him the whole truth? You don't have to pretend with Him. You can lay it all out there, all your junk, and say, Lord, this is the whole truth of who I am. And know that He is willing and glad to hear it. This woman had imperfect faith, trusting in the fabric on His skin instead of in the person. Which then, when she confesses the whole truth of the matter, we see Jesus does not scold her. In fact, Jesus is delighted that she responds to the call to greater faith because it allows Him to pour out the fuller blessing on her. Remember, hearing the reports of Jesus had produced the faith that she would be saved. That's what she said. But so far, Mark says in verse 29, she was only healed. It's a different word. Jesus longed to give her what her faith had promised her. Jesus says to her, daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be healed of your disease. Again, Jesus is not merely saying, your faith has made you well, as the ESV translates here. This is word for word the same exact phrase that you find given to the sinful woman at the end of Luke 7, where it is rightly translated, your faith has saved you. And the verbal form here further confirms that Jesus has big picture salvation in mind. He's saying, your faith has saved you. And she is now saved. And then He adds, go enter into that future shalom. Go enter into that peace. And He also gives her something far more abundant than she could have ever asked or imagined. Jesus calls this woman daughter. It is the only time in all of Scripture Jesus calls a woman daughter. Jesus rewards her faith by opening up the door to God's house, to come into God's family, to see she's accepted. Jesus shows He never simply wants to give us our requests. He wants all of His believers to know that we are family, that we're in relationship to Him. Jesus wants each and every disciple to feel His personal tender touch on their life. This woman receives greater blessing because she steps out in greater faith. And we need to remember, it is not the faith itself that gives us the blessing. Faith is just the conduit, kind of like the threads of this fabric. That is why even weak faith gets the victory in the end. Because weak faith connects you to a mighty Christ. It is the mighty Christ who saves you. But weak faith in this life often misses out on receiving Christ's fullness, and I want you to hear that tonight. Weak faith gets just enough to cope daily, but is left struggling in trials. Weak faith gets antsy when God doesn't give us what we ask for when we think He should give it. which is likely the case of our synagogue ruler here. Imagine he's been dancing around ever since Jesus stopped to ask a silly question. Jesus, you need to get to my daughter before it's too late. But Jesus has to stop to have a conversation. And by the way, you think it might take a little while for this woman to tell him the whole truth. However long it was, I guarantee that Jairus is on the verge of exploding. Jesus, my daughter is on the brink of death. I get that this woman needs healing, but she's been going through this for 12 years. Can't she wait just a few minutes more? Jesus is saying that disciples must learn patient trust in Jesus. And also that Jesus has no problem with interruptions. So maybe we shouldn't either. This is a lesson I've needed to learn over the last couple of weeks. You see, a couple of weeks ago, I finished building my new office. Got all my books in there. I was like, finally, my sermon preparation paradise. You know where this is going. Interruptions have invaded my fortress of solitude. God is calling me to learn what a wiser man once wrote. He wrote, you know my whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted until I discovered that my interruptions were my work. I hope I'm alone in needing to learn how to reinterpret God-given interruptions. I kind of doubt it. Jesus is calling us to think differently about interruptions, especially by the least of these. May we, we don't get a lot of interruptions by the least of these who are around us because they feel estranged from us or they think we're too busy for them. We need to pray God will open our eyes to those who He sees as His family and give us hearts and ability to rightly respond to their needs. We're doing well, but we need to keep striving at this. Back to Jairus because I know right now he is not reflecting right now on how he should have more compassion. He's in crisis. But Mark thinks that he and we need to see a connection between the age of his daughter and the length of years that this woman has been suffering. Jairus has enjoyed 12 years of watching his daughter in good health, enjoying life. And for an equal period of time, this ostracized woman has ignored every bit of the opposite. For the rest of his days, Jairus is to reflect on this day's restoration of two daughters. Not one. Two daughters. To recall Jesus' special love and concern for both those in high and low estates. And so should we. Of course, let's get back to Jairus because all he can think right now is, how much longer, Jesus? Now it's too late. As he sees familiar faces coming his way with grim looks. You ever had this happen? Perhaps a phone call telling you that a loved one is no longer with us? While Jesus was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further? We're given no words from Jairus. It's conceivable that he is furious with anger at Jesus. But perhaps he's unable to speak because he is just so overwhelmed with grief. We saw how much he loved his little girl. I imagine his knees are ready to buckle. He probably can't even take a breath right now. Hearing this report that death has snatched his little girl out of his life. Hearing that his prayer to Jesus was entirely in vain. But as he moves headlong into the pit of despair, the Word of the Lord comes to him. But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, do not fear, only believe. Jairus had just minutes ago made his profession of faith. Now Jesus says, Jairus put legs on that profession. He receives his Lord's commands, do not fear, only believe. Jairus is told to ignore the report and the counsel of the world. Jairus is told to reject his impulse to fear and to simply believe and follow Jesus. Jairus had not seen Jesus tame the storm or conquer the demon legion, but I think that something might have clicked here for Jairus at this moment. Helplessly, he had come in bold faith, falling at the feet of his Lord, And moments later, he saw an unclean woman following his example, falling at Jesus' feet, and Jairus saw her made into a daughter, completely whole, body and soul. Now Jairus hears he is to follow this woman's example. Follow her faith, even as roles have been reversed in a seemingly irreversible way. Because it's now his daughter who's the one lying unclean. Snatched away by death. Jesus is calling Jairus to remember what he just saw in this daughter being restored. And to believe that Jesus is Lord even over death. Something quite unreasonable, don't you think? If you believe that the world's reports define what is possible. Remember what Jesus told His disciples the last time He was on this beach. Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you. And still more will be added to you. Beloved, do you find yourself more influenced by the reports of the world? Living in fear of what you hear in today's news or the elections? Or are you paying full attention to the reports of Jesus? Jesus is calling not just Jairus to faith, but he's calling everyone who reads this to step out in faith. This report in Mark 5 was written for you to hear, for you to respond to. And if you don't believe and follow, you will find less blessings added to your life. If you allow fear and unbelief to be your marching orders, you won't get to see a lot of what God longs to do even in our day. Look, Jesus won't let the skeptics follow Him to Jairus' house. And He allowed no one to follow Him except Peter and James and John, the brother of James. Skeptics want tangible evidence in order to believe, but that's not how it works. We're called to first believe. which allows us to walk with our Lord and receive blessing and see glory. Look at Jairus. Look at how he steps out in faith. And look, he is now a disciple, walking with the disciples. Here he is with Peter, James, and John, following the Lord Jesus. Part of a new community of faith. A community that will see amazing things, even as the world continues to set itself in the way of this community. Look at what Jairus meets when he gets home. Verse 38, They came to the house of the ruler's synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when He had entered, He said to them, Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but only sleeping. And they laughed at Him. This is one of the sadder statements in Mark. You have these people genuinely trying to be there for Jairus and his family. These mourners, they want to make it easier for the family to express their grief. We see that while the world can pity, it rejects, it refuses any hope for something more lasting in this life. Only sleeping, Jesus? How ridiculous can you be? This shift from weeping to ridicule is jolting. Jairus has been hit by a barrage of unbelief both outside and even inside his own home. But Jesus reaffirms his desire to have soul access into Jairus' situation. As the Lord sends these skeptics packing, He only permits Jairus, his wife, and the three chosen disciples into the room where this child lies. It's these same three disciples who will later get a picture of the glory on the mountain. They get it foretaste here. Taking her by the hand, he said to her, Talitha kumi, which means, little girl, I say to you, arise. And immediately the girl got up and began walking for she was 12 years of age. And they were immediately overcome with amazement. and he strictly charged them that no one should know this and told them to give her something to eat." This is the final of three amazing scenes meant to show us who then your Lord Jesus is. Having authority over all nature, over demonic hordes, and now over death itself, Jesus is none other than what Mark told us in verse 1, chapter 1, The Son of God. The Christ. The Son of God. Jesus has power beyond what we can even imagine. Yet it comes to men with feet of clay so tenderly. As Jesus raises this little child to life, and then tells them, hey, go get her something to eat. Jesus was fully God, but He came veiled in humility, and He came showing that He cares for us, I suppose that shortly those critics outside the door, they might be willing to give Jesus a few props. She's up and eating. Whoa, Jesus, I guess you were right. She really was only sleeping. Sorry for laughing at you. Imagine Jairus walking by grinning, but with closed lips. Not just because Jesus told him to be quiet, but because he knows that skeptics do not have ears to hear anyways. He walks out remembering those five words of Jesus. Do not fear, only believe. And he sees that faith is about living by every word that comes from the Lord's mouth. Living by the Lord's report brings you great blessing beyond what you can even imagine. Ignoring the doctor's reports, an ostracized woman stepped out in faith and she was blessed. Jesus restored her to worship God and to love her neighbor. Jairus ignored the reports of family and friends, and he saw resurrection power. He may soon see the death of his status and his career, but he need not fear because he has given the Lord of life access to his situation. Beloved, is not the Lord Jesus truly wonderful? And as we close this remarkable story showing Jesus' power and care for folks like us, I know some of us may feel that our story lacks the remarkable that we've just seen in these two. I want to first note that this was true for the vast majority of saints even in Jesus' day. But I want you next to know that God wants to bless you in ways no less remarkable even today. That is why He sent Jesus. that we too might know we need not fear, only believe. We're called to align our story with Jesus' story, believing that by following Him, our story will end with great blessings, even as we face difficulties in this life, because Jesus did. Jesus came to bring an end to the uncleanness mandated by Leviticus 15, by bringing the atonement foreshadowed in Leviticus 16 when He went to the cross. And Jesus came to share in the death of that little girl in order to bring humanity a new day as His resurrection from the dead resulted in the defeat once and for all of our greatest enemy, death. And we need to remember Jesus has already blessed us in abundance because He's poured out His Spirit upon the church that our hearts might be tenderized each and every day as His Spirit convicts us of sin and teaches us to invite Jesus into every part of our lives. And as we do, we're going to discover Jesus' power to save even in our day. You will see the effects of your discipleship on other people. Do you see the interplay between Jairus and this woman? Beloved, God has not just saved you for you. God has saved you so you can be a blessing to others. And that is what following Jesus is all about. Laying down your life for God's glory and for others' good. Ever looking forward to that day when Jesus returns to take you by the hand and raise you up to glory. But until that day, beloved, hear the words of your tender Lord. Jesus says, do not fear. Only believe. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace. Amen? Let's pray. Oh Heavenly Father, we come to You and we give You thanks and praise. You've bestowed upon us such riches, riches that we have trouble believing in. Help us to believe the good news of what Jesus has done for us 2000 years ago that continues to multiply and bless us even into this day. Heavenly Father, thank You. Thank You for the tender touch of our Lord Jesus upon every life that's come through these doors, every life of those in this church, every saint throughout the world. We thank You for the tender touch of Jesus on our lives. And we ask and pray that we won't take this for granted, but rather that we'll continue to step out in faith and believe that we might continue to impact this world, that the Kingdom of God might continue to be made known even in our day. Lord, we pray for those who are weak, those who are struggling, those who are ostracized and isolated. We ask and pray that You might have mercy on them and increase their faith, and increase our faith that we might go out and reach out to them, that we might have new eyes to see how we can bless others. And continue, Lord, to build up the body here of saints. As we leave this place and go about our various callings, help us to continue To follow Jesus in all we're called to do and be, help us not to fear, but to ignore the world's report and to believe the Good News of the Gospel over and over. Grant, Lord, that we will walk in that peace, not just today, not just next week, but forevermore. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.