100:00:00,960 –> 00:00:08,580Lord I’ve been working flat-out for you and Lord you know that I do this because200:00:08,580 –> 00:00:14,040I love you but after all these years and after all these prayers and after all300:00:14,040 –> 00:00:20,400these sacrifices I have some questions. Here are people who have been stretching400:00:20,400 –> 00:00:26,120themselves out in faith. They’ve been going the extra mile and they have had500:00:26,120 –> 00:00:32,880an increasing sense that somehow God has let them down. Welcome to Open the Bible600:00:32,880 –> 00:00:37,360with Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick. Glad you could be with us today and700:00:37,360 –> 00:00:42,599Colin we’re beginning a new series today called Waiting for the Lord and I guess800:00:42,599 –> 00:00:46,000there are maybe people listening today who can relate to that. They’ve been900:00:46,000 –> 00:00:49,799doing everything they can for God and they’re just worn out.1000:00:49,799 –> 00:00:54,560That’s right and you know isn’t it wonderful that the Bible addresses every1100:00:54,639 –> 00:00:58,980experience that a Christian will ever encounter and we’re in Isaiah and1200:00:58,980 –> 00:01:03,759chapter 40 where there are believing people who are saying, my way is hidden1300:01:03,759 –> 00:01:08,160from the Lord and it seems like is the Lord not aware of what I’m enduring1400:01:08,160 –> 00:01:13,160and and there’s this exasperation a sense of frustration the sense of I’ve1500:01:13,160 –> 00:01:19,680given so much and how am i going to be renewed I need strength and the question1600:01:19,720 –> 00:01:25,440you know my way is hidden from the Lord it’s answered wonderfully in this great1700:01:25,440 –> 00:01:30,519promise that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength we’re gonna1800:01:30,519 –> 00:01:37,419see how that happens and my prayer as this series goes out today and over1900:01:37,419 –> 00:01:42,040these next days is that God will use this part of the scripture to renew your2000:01:42,040 –> 00:01:47,160strength to renew your hope and to give you great encouragement to be able to2100:01:47,239 –> 00:01:53,839press on in serving him. So join us today if you can in Isaiah chapter 40 as we2200:01:53,839 –> 00:01:58,559begin a message called collective weariness. Here is Colin. Just over three2300:01:58,559 –> 00:02:01,940weeks to go til Christmas you’re probably feeling that you have more than2400:02:01,940 –> 00:02:06,620enough on your plate more than you know how to handle. It always strikes me that2500:02:06,620 –> 00:02:12,259this is the season of great joy of course it’s also a season I think of the2600:02:12,259 –> 00:02:16,559year in which the cumulative weight of all that has happened in the course of2700:02:16,580 –> 00:02:21,860our lives easily catches up. I’ve had several conversations even in the last2800:02:21,860 –> 00:02:25,160week just with folks in the congregation who’ve said to me something along2900:02:25,160 –> 00:02:28,679the lines of you know it’s been a really difficult year in our family and then3000:02:28,679 –> 00:02:32,899they’ve listed off one thing in another and it’s almost as if coming towards the3100:02:32,899 –> 00:02:37,179end of the year now. There is a sense of being worn out3200:02:37,179 –> 00:02:42,220rundown stretched thin with the cumulative weight of all that goes into3300:02:42,399 –> 00:02:46,899our lives through a year. Someone described it to me a few days ago as a3400:02:46,899 –> 00:02:52,360kind of collective weariness and I think that that’s a good description. And3500:02:52,360 –> 00:02:58,220I’ve been asking the question then what is the answer to collective weariness?3600:02:58,220 –> 00:03:05,139Where would we look in the Bible for help when we feel jaded and discouraged3700:03:05,139 –> 00:03:12,139and generally worn down and my mind of course has gone to Isaiah and chapter 403800:03:12,279 –> 00:03:17,479and to the words that have been read for us today, especially the last verse of3900:03:17,479 –> 00:03:25,699the chapter, verse 31, They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.4000:03:25,699 –> 00:03:31,619Now that speaks to me, I’m sure it speaks to you. I find myself saying Lord that’s4100:03:31,619 –> 00:03:37,259what I need but how do I get there? I’m asking the question how do I get to4200:03:37,940 –> 00:03:42,919Isaiah chapter 40 verse 31, how do I get there? And it strikes me when you ask the4300:03:42,919 –> 00:03:47,419question how do we get to Isaiah 40 31, it might be that verses 1 to 30 have4400:03:47,419 –> 00:03:50,860something to do with the answer, right, and so that is where we’re going to camp4500:03:50,860 –> 00:03:57,179out over the advent season and as many of you will be very well aware already4600:03:57,179 –> 00:04:03,740we are going to find that Isaiah chapter 40 is packed full of anticipations of4700:04:03,759 –> 00:04:10,000the birth of Jesus Christ, who of course is our hope and is our strength and so4800:04:10,000 –> 00:04:14,720that’s the journey we’re going to take in the run-up to Christmas, but I do4900:04:14,720 –> 00:04:18,720want to begin today with this promise at the end of the chapter this promise of5000:04:18,720 –> 00:04:25,160renewed strength and so do please look with me at verse 27, Why do you say O5100:04:25,160 –> 00:04:32,220Jacob and speak Oh Israel? My way is hidden from the Lord and my right is5200:04:32,380 –> 00:04:40,500disregarded by my God. Now remember straightaway when you see Jacob and then5300:04:40,500 –> 00:04:46,359you see Israel we’re talking here about God’s people. Here are the people that5400:04:46,359 –> 00:04:52,500God has redeemed. The ones he brought out of slavery and said to them I will be5500:04:52,500 –> 00:05:00,839your God and you will be my people. Israel, Jacob. So here we have God’s5600:05:00,859 –> 00:05:08,920people speaking. And what are they saying? Well they’re saying my way is hidden5700:05:08,920 –> 00:05:14,760from the Lord and my right is disregarded by my God. So here’s God’s5800:05:14,760 –> 00:05:21,839people and they’re not happy. Things have not been going their way. They feel that5900:05:21,839 –> 00:05:26,880God has been letting them down. And what’s particularly significant is that6000:05:26,880 –> 00:05:32,000this thought or pattern of thinking has settled in their minds. So that literally6100:05:32,000 –> 00:05:38,380the words say and speak here, they’re actually in the continuous tense. So6200:05:38,380 –> 00:05:43,739literally translated God says, you keep saying my way is hidden from the Lord.6300:05:43,739 –> 00:05:49,920You keep speaking about how your right is being disregarded and so forth and so6400:05:49,920 –> 00:05:54,660on. So understand what we have here in this passage that I’m sure is very very6500:05:54,679 –> 00:05:59,880familiar to most of us. Here are people who have been stretching themselves out6600:05:59,880 –> 00:06:05,440in faith. They’ve been going the extra mile and they have had an increasing6700:06:05,440 –> 00:06:15,260sense that somehow God has let them down. I had some time ago breakfast with a man6800:06:15,260 –> 00:06:19,619who was feeling I think something of this frustration, and he brought his6900:06:19,660 –> 00:06:24,899journal to the breakfast with me and he put it on the table as the breakfast was7000:06:24,899 –> 00:06:30,000served and he said, Pastor, I want you to see that I’ve been praying and I’ve been7100:06:30,000 –> 00:06:34,760reading the Bible and here’s my journal that’s the proof of it and then he said7200:06:34,760 –> 00:06:38,799no these things are happening in my family and so forth and so on. How is7300:06:38,799 –> 00:06:45,380this? You see he was feeling exactly what these people, Gods people were feeling7400:06:46,299 –> 00:06:52,559here, my right is being disregarded, I feel I’ve extended myself I’ve been7500:06:52,559 –> 00:06:58,059praying and I’ve I’ve been living sacrificially and some of you know what7600:06:58,059 –> 00:07:02,660this is like you have been serving the Lord for many years some of you have7700:07:02,660 –> 00:07:08,220been extending yourselves in genuinely sacrificial living for the sake of7800:07:08,220 –> 00:07:12,279Christ and for the advance of the gospel and you may come to a place of saying7900:07:12,480 –> 00:07:18,059Lord I’ve been working flat-out for you and Lord you know that I do this because8000:07:18,059 –> 00:07:23,339I love you but after all these years and after all these prayers and after all8100:07:23,339 –> 00:07:32,359these sacrifices I have some questions. why have you not sent Revival? why has8200:07:32,359 –> 00:07:38,059there not been greater blessing? why have you allowed these difficulties in my8300:07:38,140 –> 00:07:43,140family? these pressures in your church? why have you allowed this great decline of8400:07:43,140 –> 00:07:48,980faith that we are seeing in this nation that we love? and these are real8500:07:48,980 –> 00:07:57,880questions and they arise in the hearts of faithful people and they lurk in the8600:07:57,880 –> 00:08:07,019hidden places of the believing heart and you know what they sap your strength8700:08:07,079 –> 00:08:12,839and I want you to notice what God does here he brings this disappointment out8800:08:12,839 –> 00:08:17,420into the open he won’t let it lurk in the secret8900:08:17,420 –> 00:08:21,940place of the heart you know why do you say this is your little pattern of9000:08:21,940 –> 00:08:26,899thinking God’s bringing this out into the open so that it can be addressed9100:08:26,899 –> 00:08:33,340until God is asking the question and God says now why do you say Oh Jacob why do9200:08:33,359 –> 00:08:38,000you keep speaking Oh Israel my way is hidden from the Lord and my right has9300:08:38,000 –> 00:08:43,179been disregarded God is asking the question and here’s the very good news9400:08:43,179 –> 00:08:51,380for us today that God is not asking the question in order to condemn us he asks9500:08:51,380 –> 00:08:57,840the question in order to comfort us and you say where do you get that from you9600:08:57,840 –> 00:09:02,419just turn back if it’s on the page before to the first verse of this9700:09:02,419 –> 00:09:08,919chapter what is the whole chapter about what is the first word comfort comfort9800:09:08,919 –> 00:09:15,099my people and then you notice immediately that God says speak tenderly9900:09:15,099 –> 00:09:20,080to Jerusalem here are God’s people and they’re feeling jaded and they’re10000:09:20,080 –> 00:09:24,200feeling discouraged and so God does not come to them with some set of demands he10100:09:24,239 –> 00:09:30,140comes and he speaks to them very tenderly and so when we hear this10200:09:30,140 –> 00:09:34,340question at the end of the chapter that comes right from the mouth of God to his10300:09:34,340 –> 00:09:41,440people and therefore to us today we are to hear a tender tone in God’s voice10400:09:41,440 –> 00:09:48,739isn’t this wonderful when there is tension in a relationship between God10500:09:48,760 –> 00:09:55,080and his people God reaches out see God is not like a10600:09:55,080 –> 00:10:01,719father who turns a blind eye to tensions in his own family that probably happens10700:10:01,719 –> 00:10:05,159in some families over Thanksgiving in all kinds of tensions just turn a blind10800:10:05,159 –> 00:10:10,359eye to just get through the day and also this pretend everything’s alright you10900:10:10,359 –> 00:10:16,619never find God acting in that way no he is a father who loves his children way11000:10:16,619 –> 00:10:22,280too much for that and so where there is tension he moves towards the problem he11100:10:22,280 –> 00:10:27,479says now let’s get this out into the open we need to talk let’s get this on11200:10:27,479 –> 00:10:32,919the table let’s get it resolved now why are you saying this he’s asking the11300:10:32,919 –> 00:10:37,400question and of course you do this whenever there is tension in a11400:10:37,400 –> 00:10:40,820relationship with someone you really love what do you do you reach out to11500:10:40,820 –> 00:10:44,239them you say well now things are not between us as they were before now our11600:10:44,239 –> 00:10:48,280relationship means way too much to me to let it slip away now tell me what have11700:10:48,280 –> 00:10:53,200I done how have I disappointed you and that’s exactly what God is doing here11800:10:53,200 –> 00:10:59,000he’s reaching out to his tired and is weary and as discouraged people and he11900:10:59,000 –> 00:11:03,979brings the hidden thoughts of the heart out into the open so that they may be12000:11:03,979 –> 00:11:13,159addressed now I love what happens next so God comes and very tenderly he asks12100:11:13,179 –> 00:11:20,840this question to his discouraged people but you know when you’re tired and12200:11:20,840 –> 00:11:24,719worn-out you really don’t know how to answer God’s questions to you12300:11:24,719 –> 00:11:29,539because this why are you saying this why are you thinking this what I don’t know12400:11:29,539 –> 00:11:34,919I’m I’m just worn out I I don’t know how to answer we’ve got to pause the12500:11:34,919 –> 00:11:38,679message briefly there but we’ll be back very shortly you’re listening to open12600:11:38,679 –> 00:11:42,940the Bible with Pastor Colin Smyth and a message called collective weariness12700:11:42,940 –> 00:11:49,500part of our new series waiting for the Lord based on Isaiah chapter 40 and if12800:11:49,500 –> 00:11:53,140you ever miss one of the series you can easily catch up or go back and listen12900:11:53,140 –> 00:11:59,619again by coming online to our web site open the Bible.org UK and you can also13000:11:59,619 –> 00:12:04,380find Pastor Colin as a podcast and those are on all the main podcast sites, you13100:12:04,460 –> 00:12:09,679can find them by searching for open the Bible UK and then subscribe if you want13200:12:09,679 –> 00:12:16,020to receive regular updates. Back to the message now here again is Colin. God13300:12:16,020 –> 00:12:22,500comes and very tenderly he asks this question to his discouraged people but13400:12:22,500 –> 00:12:28,099you know when you’re tired and worn out you really don’t know how to answer God’s13500:12:28,099 –> 00:12:32,900questions do you? The God says why you saying this why are you thinking this?13600:12:33,000 –> 00:12:39,440or did I know I’m I’m just worn out I I don’t know how to answer and so very13700:12:39,440 –> 00:12:43,940wonderfully God answers his own question thank God that when we don’t13800:12:43,940 –> 00:12:48,820know how to answer his questions he does and I want you to notice the answer that13900:12:48,820 –> 00:12:56,320God himself very tenderly gives to us as he ministers to us to strengthen us in14000:12:56,320 –> 00:13:02,520these passages of life the answer really comes in two parts here’s the first lean14100:13:02,580 –> 00:13:09,239into the truth that you know at the time of we’re in as of jadedness of feeling14200:13:09,239 –> 00:13:16,599that the cumulative events of life are catching up with you lean into the truth14300:13:16,599 –> 00:13:22,440that you know and first in particular the truth that you know about God that’s14400:13:22,440 –> 00:13:29,159verse 28 have you not known have you not heard the Lord is the everlasting14500:13:29,400 –> 00:13:34,780God the creator of the ends of the earth he does not faint or grow weary and his14600:13:34,780 –> 00:13:42,719understanding is unsearchable now here’s a very important principle that God14700:13:42,719 –> 00:13:51,179reminds his people of what they already know do you not know and what they have14800:13:51,179 –> 00:13:58,520often heard in other words faith is not strengthened by discovering14900:13:58,520 –> 00:14:04,859something new faith is always strengthened by coming back to what we15000:14:04,859 –> 00:14:10,179have already heard and what we have already known that is why for example15100:14:10,179 –> 00:14:13,900even this morning we’re going to gather around the Lord’s table why do we gather15200:14:13,900 –> 00:14:18,099around the Lord’s table because faith is strengthened not by coming to some15300:14:18,099 –> 00:14:22,659grand new discovery but by coming back to that which we have heard and that15400:14:22,659 –> 00:14:28,219which we know Christ crucified and risen for us it’s as if in the Lord’s table15500:14:28,260 –> 00:14:32,460where we’ll come to it in a few moments time the Lord is saying to us do you not15600:14:32,460 –> 00:14:40,299know have you not heard and pointing us to Christ and to all that is ours in Him15700:14:40,299 –> 00:14:45,820that’s how faith is strengthened. Now what is it in particular here that every15800:14:45,820 –> 00:14:50,659believer knows and every believer has heard that God says we need to lean into15900:14:50,659 –> 00:14:56,500in our times of weariness notice four things in the one verse first God is16000:14:56,500 –> 00:15:07,219your creator the Lord is the creator of the ends of the earth remember this He16100:15:07,219 –> 00:15:16,880formed you in your mother’s womb He gave you life He chose to do it he made you16200:15:16,880 –> 00:15:23,460and He did this with the purpose of redeeming you brother sister he16300:15:23,460 –> 00:15:33,400purchased you with his own son and he’s infused his own life into you16400:15:33,400 –> 00:15:43,380recreating you in Jesus Christ and what God makes he sustains he keeps and16500:15:43,380 –> 00:15:48,679that’s why it says God does not grow weary he does not faint he does not grow16600:15:48,820 –> 00:15:55,479weary he’s made you and that is your guarantie that he will sustain you and16700:15:55,479 –> 00:16:00,260that he will guard you and that he will keep you is invested his son in redeeming16800:16:00,260 –> 00:16:10,820you and he never runs out of resources he never tires of his people there’s16900:16:10,820 –> 00:16:17,419never a time where God looks at you and says well now where do we go from here17000:16:18,140 –> 00:16:23,020he’s your Creator he does not grow tired or weary he works on an everlasting17100:16:23,020 –> 00:16:30,580time scale the Lord is the everlasting God think of the time that is at the17200:16:30,580 –> 00:16:36,900disposal of God we feel how very short time is but think of the time the17300:16:36,900 –> 00:16:44,440generations the ages that the creator of time himself has at his disposal as he17400:16:44,460 –> 00:16:52,739works out His purpose we only see a tiny bit of it who knows whether the17500:16:52,739 –> 00:16:58,659granddaughter of your rebel son will turn out to have such a testimony as you17600:16:58,659 –> 00:17:02,700could never imagine and that God’s preparation of that will run from three17700:17:02,700 –> 00:17:14,959generations he’s the everlasting God and no one can fathom his understanding17800:17:14,959 –> 00:17:22,719don’t expect to understand the mind of God because it says here his17900:17:22,719 –> 00:17:27,479understanding is unsearchable it is beyond you it is beyond anyone else that18000:17:27,479 –> 00:17:35,380you know nobody else can explain to you the mind of God it’s the mind of God and18100:17:35,380 –> 00:17:42,180yet he created you and he is the one who does not tire and does not weary who is18200:17:42,180 –> 00:17:49,780going to sustain you so in these times lean into what you know about God and18300:17:50,040 –> 00:17:56,959lean into what you know about yourself there are some good a good dose of18400:17:56,959 –> 00:18:02,760biblical reality in verses 29 and 30 with regards to ourselves look at the18500:18:02,760 –> 00:18:08,979words that are used to describe us in these verses 29 he gives power to the18600:18:08,979 –> 00:18:16,079faint to him who has no might he increases strength even youths faint and18700:18:16,300 –> 00:18:22,500are weary and young men shall fall exhausted there’s the fourfold18800:18:22,500 –> 00:18:32,839description of our human nature faint no mite weary fall exhausted healthy dose18900:18:32,839 –> 00:18:41,180of biblical reality that’s us and not only is that us in our frail humanity19000:18:41,180 –> 00:18:48,160but it is us and our best in humanity that’s why it says you see even U’s19100:18:48,160 –> 00:18:55,540faint and are weary now what does all this tell us why is all this truth being19200:18:55,540 –> 00:19:01,579given to us for this reason no Christian should be surprised at the experience of19300:19:01,579 –> 00:19:06,660weariness you’ve been listening to Pastor Colin Smith on open the Bible and19400:19:07,420 –> 00:19:11,660and the first part of a message called collective weariness part of our series19500:19:11,660 –> 00:19:16,619waiting for the Lord and we’ll hear the second part of the series in the next19600:19:16,619 –> 00:19:20,839broadcast so I hope you’ll tune in for that if you ever miss one of the19700:19:20,839 –> 00:19:24,900messages in the series you can easily catch up or go back and listen again to19800:19:24,900 –> 00:19:30,300the series or indeed any of the earlier series because they’re all online on our19900:19:30,300 –> 00:19:36,099website open the Bible dot Org dot UK and also as a podcast on all the main20000:19:36,099 –> 00:19:41,219podcast sites find those by searching for Open The Bible UK or follow the link20100:19:41,219 –> 00:19:47,300from our website while you’re on our website why not check out Open The Bible20200:19:47,300 –> 00:19:52,739daily that how series of short two to three-minute daily reflections based on20300:19:52,739 –> 00:19:57,780pastor Collins teaching and read in the UK by some a cliche there’s a new one20400:19:57,780 –> 00:20:03,900every day and many Christians start their day with Open The Bible daily at20500:20:03,900 –> 00:20:08,160open the Bible we welcome contact with our listeners if you’ve been blessed by20600:20:08,160 –> 00:20:12,260pastor Collin Smith’s teaching and you’d like to reach out to us there are20700:20:12,260 –> 00:20:17,540several ways you can do that you can write to us at open the Bible Co box20800:20:17,540 –> 00:20:31,6401420 Cheltenham GL 50 9 p.g. or you can phone us on 0 3 3 0 3 3 5 8 0 8 9 if20900:20:31,719 –> 00:20:35,920we’re not available when you call leave a message for us and we’ll return your21000:20:35,920 –> 00:20:40,760call and you can find all those contact details on our website open the Bible21100:20:40,760 –> 00:20:46,900org UK open the Bible is supported by our listeners it’s you who keep us on21200:20:46,900 –> 00:20:51,479the air and on the internet but it’s not just open the Bible programming you’re21300:20:51,479 –> 00:20:56,119supporting his open the Bible’s executive director John Martin with a21400:20:56,119 –> 00:21:01,020new open the Bible initiative taking the good news of Jesus Christ to prisoners21500:21:01,640 –> 00:21:02,359prisoners21600:21:03,239 –> 00:21:05,099listenes might be interested to know where some of the donations21700:21:05,099 –> 00:21:09,699to open the Bible go so through a mutual friend I got to know Gaius filling them21800:21:09,699 –> 00:21:14,760who is the CEO of Daylight Christian prison trust or daylight for short and21900:21:14,760 –> 00:21:19,459Gaius and I were talking about some of the resources that open the Bible has I22000:21:19,459 –> 00:21:24,579mentioned Colin has this first-person account of the story of the thief on the22100:21:24,579 –> 00:21:29,420cross heaven how I got here that was a story that was relevant to prisoners22200:21:30,219 –> 00:21:34,839I mentioned that the book had actually been produced as a one-hour one actor22300:21:34,839 –> 00:21:38,939filmed performance and that was available and would that be of use in22400:21:38,939 –> 00:21:44,939prisons so we produced a prison edition of heaven how I got here the story of22500:21:44,939 –> 00:21:50,699the thief on the cross 150 DVDs were produced we did it as a prison edition22600:21:50,699 –> 00:21:55,280whereby we had opened the Bible and daylights logos on there and Colin22700:21:55,400 –> 00:22:00,859recorded a bespoke little epilogue to address the prisoners point them to the22800:22:00,859 –> 00:22:04,400prison chaplain encourage them to speak to their chaplains to get more22900:22:04,400 –> 00:22:09,599literature we’ve heard from prison chaplains who said the video the film23000:22:09,599 –> 00:22:15,199has been well received we printed a whole lot of little booklets about how23100:22:15,199 –> 00:22:20,160to get into heaven how they can respond themselves and those again were23200:22:20,160 –> 00:22:23,719distributed with the DVDs and there’s a whole load more that can be requested23300:22:23,760 –> 00:22:27,180for free donations towards open the Bible你可以直接寄到教會誘人23400:22:27,180 –> 00:22:32,239can be sent directly into that ministry so that’s one way we use the support you23500:22:32,239 –> 00:22:35,800give to open the Bible to spread God’s word23600:22:35,800 –> 00:22:39,439if supporting open the Bible is something you’d like to start doing23700:22:39,439 –> 00:22:44,839this month we’re delighted to offer a free gift when you set up a new direct23800:22:44,839 –> 00:22:49,060debit to the work of open the Bible in the amount of five pounds per month or23900:22:50,020 –> 00:22:54,560or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more we’d love to say thank you by sending24000:22:54,560 –> 00:23:00,459you a free copy of pastor Colin’s new book hike through the Bible Colin where24100:23:00,459 –> 00:23:04,479did the idea for this book come from well that goes back a long way actually24200:23:04,479 –> 00:23:10,21930 years to a conference I attended in the UK and at lunchtime I just happened24300:23:10,219 –> 00:23:15,540to sit next to a man who had given his life to serving as a pioneer missionary24400:23:16,119 –> 00:23:21,800to an unreached tribal group in northern Thailand his story was absolutely24500:23:21,800 –> 00:23:26,599fascinating he told me how he had met the tribal chief how he built his own24600:23:26,599 –> 00:23:31,020home having been invited to live among these people learned their language I24700:23:31,020 –> 00:23:36,099mean I’m listening to his story it was amazing and then I asked him over lunch24800:23:36,099 –> 00:23:42,099toni I said where in the world would you begin in explaining the gospel to people24900:23:42,439 –> 00:23:49,359who don’t even know who God is and he said we tell them the Bible story and25000:23:49,359 –> 00:23:53,800that really started me on a journey that’s gone over many many years because25100:23:53,800 –> 00:24:00,819God has introduced his son to us through an unfolding story that begins in25200:24:00,819 –> 00:24:05,859Genesis and it ends in Revelation and actually if we follow the contours of25300:24:05,859 –> 00:24:11,099the Bible story we have the best possible introduction to understanding25400:24:11,239 –> 00:24:15,699who Jesus is, why we need him, what he’s able to accomplish, what he’s25500:24:15,699 –> 00:24:21,020done for us. And so hike through the Bible is very simply an introduction25600:24:21,020 –> 00:24:24,979to the whole of the Bible story. It shows how it’s all pointing towards25700:24:24,979 –> 00:24:29,119the Lord Jesus Christ and I hope that it’s going to be helpful and encouraging25800:24:29,119 –> 00:24:30,579for many, many people.25900:24:30,579 –> 00:24:34,619Well we’d love to send you Colin’s new book when you set up a new direct26000:24:34,619 –> 00:24:39,520debit of £5 per month or more or a one-off give to £5026100:24:40,280 –> 00:24:43,339this month. Full terms and conditions online26200:24:43,339 –> 00:24:47,060at our website openthebible.org.uk26300:24:47,060 –> 00:24:52,119and you can give online. Don’t forget to leave your name and address so we can26400:24:52,119 –> 00:24:52,780send you26500:24:52,780 –> 00:24:56,719your gift. For open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith26600:24:56,719 –> 00:24:59,959I’m David Pike and I look forward to being with you again26700:24:59,959 –> 00:25:00,479next time.26800:25:09,579 –> 00:25:13,439What does it mean to wait on the Lord?26900:25:13,439 –> 00:25:15,959Find out next time on, Open the Bible.