100:00:00,340 –> 00:00:07,420When they get a glimpse of the glory of Jesus they are more terrified than even200:00:07,440 –> 00:00:11,980when they thought they were going to die. See there is a fear that Jesus brings300:00:11,980 –> 00:00:18,340and you have to understand the fear that Jesus brings before you can experience400:00:18,340 –> 00:00:19,959the fear that Jesus relieves.500:00:19,959 –> 00:00:25,540Welcome to Open the Bible. With Pastor Colin Smith I’m David Pick. I’m glad600:00:25,620 –> 00:00:29,639you could be with us today and Colin we come to a message here from Mark700:00:29,639 –> 00:00:35,419chapter 4. Jesus and his disciples are in storm in a boat. When we hear this800:00:35,419 –> 00:00:37,639story it should cause us to think.900:00:37,639 –> 00:00:42,759It really does and the thing that is so striking to me is that obviously it was1000:00:42,759 –> 00:00:47,680a terrifying experience for these disciples to be caught in the storm.1100:00:47,680 –> 00:00:49,099They thought they were going to die.1200:00:49,099 –> 00:00:54,380Yeah but when Jesus calms the storm they’re even more terrified. And Jesus1300:00:54,619 –> 00:00:58,939askes why why are you so afraid and it’s because they realized who is this that1400:00:58,939 –> 00:01:03,320even the winds and the waves obey him they’re in the presence of God Almighty1500:01:03,320 –> 00:01:08,099God himself in the flesh is right here with us in this boat that’s absolutely1600:01:08,099 –> 00:01:14,580terrifying. And there is a fear that the awareness of God actually brings the1700:01:14,580 –> 00:01:19,139Bible speaks about the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.1800:01:19,720 –> 00:01:25,599This person is God and that’s a huge part of them being formed as disciples.1900:01:25,900 –> 00:01:29,480They’re in the process it’s only later that Peter says well now you are the2000:01:29,480 –> 00:01:34,720Christ the Son of the Living God but they learn to have an awe a fear a2100:01:34,720 –> 00:01:41,059reverence of this Jesus not to take him lightly nothing flippant here this is2200:01:41,059 –> 00:01:44,519the son of God and then he’s going to cast out spirits and then he’s going to2300:01:44,519 –> 00:01:47,940raise the dead well you’re walking with that person you’re never going to take2400:01:47,940 –> 00:01:49,040that person lightly.2500:01:49,199 –> 00:01:52,760So join us if you can in Mark chapter 4 as we begin the2600:01:52,760 –> 00:01:57,459message Jesus delivers his people from fear here’s Colin.2700:01:57,459 –> 00:02:03,720Let me just try and remind us where we’ve come to in Mark’s gospel at this point.2800:02:03,720 –> 00:02:10,559You remember that Jesus came proclaiming that the kingdom of God is near.2900:02:10,559 –> 00:02:15,300That’s chapter 1 and verse 15 the blessing of life under the rule of God that’s how we’re3000:02:15,899 –> 00:02:21,380kingdom of God it’s come very near and so it was in many wonderful evidences of3100:02:21,380 –> 00:02:26,339the in breaking blessing of God’s rule through the ministry of Jesus but then3200:02:26,339 –> 00:02:32,720we saw something terrible happen really and yet within God’s sovereignty purpose3300:02:32,720 –> 00:02:39,220the ministry of Jesus is rejected the Pharisees and the Herodians plot to kill3400:02:39,220 –> 00:02:42,660Jesus, the official delegation of scholars come down from Jerusalem and3500:02:42,699 –> 00:02:46,899they say he’s in league with the devil and so at the beginning of Mark chapter3600:02:46,899 –> 00:02:52,2594 we came last week to the question what hope is there for the Kingdom in a world3700:02:52,259 –> 00:02:57,500that rejects the King and we saw that Jesus answers that question in four3800:02:57,500 –> 00:03:02,479parables or stories recorded in Mark chapter 4. We looked just at the first of3900:03:02,479 –> 00:03:07,940these last week and we learned that Jesus will establish His Kingdom through4000:03:07,940 –> 00:03:12,660the living seed of His word which will raise a great harvest that was last week.4100:03:12,660 –> 00:03:19,500Now these four parables of how, about how the Kingdom comes are followed by four4200:03:19,500 –> 00:03:25,020miracles that describe for us what the Kingdom will be like and these four4300:03:25,020 –> 00:03:28,880miracles, just so you have them in your mind, are first that Jesus calms the4400:03:28,880 –> 00:03:32,860storm that is chapter 4 verses 35 to 41.4500:03:33,300 –> 00:03:38,039Second that Jesus casts out demons from a very disturbed man.4600:03:38,779 –> 00:03:44,460That’s chapter 5 verses 1 to 20. Third, that Jesus heals a woman of a sickness4700:03:44,460 –> 00:03:46,679that she has suffered for 12 years.4800:03:46,679 –> 00:03:49,679That’s verses 25 to 34 that were read.4900:03:50,220 –> 00:03:54,660Fourthly, Jesus raises a young girl from the dead and that story is very5000:03:54,660 –> 00:03:59,399significantly split into two parts with a delay in the middle. We’ll see the5100:03:59,479 –> 00:04:07,539significance of that later. Verses 21 to 24 and then verses 35 to 43.5200:04:07,539 –> 00:04:12,860Now these four miracles that we’re going to cover today really give us a sample of5300:04:12,860 –> 00:04:19,140the kingdom. That is a taste of what the blessing of life will be like under the5400:04:19,140 –> 00:04:25,959rule and reign of Jesus Christ. Now I want us to think together about what it5500:04:26,000 –> 00:04:30,959will be like when Christ comes in his power and glory, when the kingdom comes.5600:04:30,959 –> 00:04:35,839We pray. May your kingdom come O Lord. We prayed that this morning. What will it5700:04:35,839 –> 00:04:40,359be like when Jesus Christ returns in power and glory and brings in his5800:04:40,359 –> 00:04:49,359kingdom. Four things. Number one, no storms. The whole created order transformed.5900:04:49,920 –> 00:04:56,720A world with no tsunamis, no hurricane Katrina’s, no prospect or fear of an6000:04:56,720 –> 00:05:02,839earthquake, a tornado. In the book of Revelation John was given a glimpse of6100:05:02,839 –> 00:05:09,559what it will be like under the rule of Christ, and he saw that the sea was like6200:05:09,559 –> 00:05:19,279glass.’ Now you see the significance of that? No more storms. Turbulence gone.6300:05:19,279 –> 00:05:27,700Fear gone. And Jesus gives just a sample of that in this wonderful miracle of6400:05:27,700 –> 00:05:32,899calming the storm. Verse 37 of chapter 4, there’s this furious squall that comes up6500:05:32,899 –> 00:05:37,260suddenly on the lake. Jesus rebukes the wind, the waves settle and there was,6600:05:37,260 –> 00:05:47,480verse 39, complete calm. No storms. Secondly no demons. Imagine a world where6700:05:47,839 –> 00:05:53,880satan is cast out. A world without evil. A world without hatred. A world without6800:05:53,880 –> 00:06:01,820violence. Imagine a world where there is no guilt, no temptation, no failure, no6900:06:01,820 –> 00:06:04,959regret. Imagine a walk with God in which there7000:06:04,959 –> 00:06:11,339is no need for repentance. Imagine being completely free to pursue everything7100:06:11,339 –> 00:06:15,779God calls you to pursue without hindrance, without struggle and without7200:06:15,799 –> 00:06:24,019restraint. No storms. No demons. Third, no sickness. Imagine a world without cancer.7300:06:24,019 –> 00:06:32,700A world without strokes. A world where no one is blind or deaf or lame. A world7400:06:32,700 –> 00:06:40,779without mental disorders. Imagine a world with no depression, no sickness at all.7500:06:40,899 –> 00:06:47,459Simply health and strength to enjoy our Creator God and to enter into all the7600:06:47,459 –> 00:06:54,100glory that He has prepared for His people, and imagine a world with no death.7700:06:54,100 –> 00:07:06,059No more fear, no decline in the body, no aging process, no fear of the future.7800:07:06,059 –> 00:07:16,440Above all no gut-wrenching goodbyes. Imagine such a world. Put these together7900:07:16,440 –> 00:07:24,700you see and you have a picture of life under the blessing of Christ’s rule8000:07:24,700 –> 00:07:30,399this is how it will be for all Christ’s people when the kingdom comes. This is8100:07:30,399 –> 00:07:36,679what is ahead of you as your eternal future in Jesus Christ. No wonder the8200:07:36,679 –> 00:07:42,540Lord Jesus says pray your kingdom come hasten the day Lord when there will be8300:07:42,540 –> 00:07:50,920no storms and no demons and no sickness and no death Lord Jesus come quickly.8400:07:50,920 –> 00:07:58,600And to that every Christian person says Amen. Now we might also be saying at this8500:07:58,679 –> 00:08:07,140point yes, but that is such a long way from the reality of our lives now and of8600:08:07,140 –> 00:08:16,440course it is. We are living in a world that is scarred by storms and demons and8700:08:16,440 –> 00:08:25,839sickness and death, but what else would you expect to experience in a fallen8800:08:25,839 –> 00:08:32,440world that rejects the King. We await the day when his kingdom comes when Jesus8900:08:32,440 –> 00:08:38,559Christ returns in power and glory, but when he comes we want to be part of his9000:08:38,559 –> 00:08:42,500kingdom which is why we submit ourselves to the King in our lives here and now.9100:08:42,500 –> 00:08:48,940And here is the good news for every disciple of Jesus in this world of9200:08:48,940 –> 00:08:55,559storms and demons and sickness and death, until he comes and makes everything new9300:08:56,059 –> 00:09:01,979you and I share this wonderful promise that Jesus Christ is with us in9400:09:01,979 –> 00:09:06,539everything we experience in this world. To use the picture from this wonderful9500:09:06,539 –> 00:09:14,000story that Mark tells us, Christ is in your boat when you face the storm. Christ9600:09:14,000 –> 00:09:21,599is with you when you face great evil. Christ will be with you when you prepare9700:09:21,599 –> 00:09:27,359for surgery. As you live with a debilitating condition, He is with you9800:09:27,359 –> 00:09:34,380in that and He will be with you when you face death or when you go through the9900:09:34,380 –> 00:09:39,599awful experience of the loss of a loved one and you wonder how you can carry on.10000:09:39,599 –> 00:09:47,039If you belong to Jesus Christ, you will enjoy the full blessing of life under10100:09:47,039 –> 00:09:52,280Christ’s rule forever when He comes in power and glory and that will be a life10200:09:52,280 –> 00:09:58,900of no storms, no demons, no sickness and no death until then, this precious gift10300:09:58,900 –> 00:10:03,400is yours, that Jesus Christ is with you in every storm that you face, in the face10400:10:03,400 –> 00:10:08,140of every evil, in every sickness and even when you walk through the valley of the10500:10:08,140 –> 00:10:14,000shadow of death, even there He will be with you and he will comfort you. That is10600:10:14,820 –> 00:10:22,440unshakable promise and so here is the blessing of placing your life under the10700:10:22,440 –> 00:10:27,580rule of Jesus Christ, it is just the beginning of all that will be yours as10800:10:27,580 –> 00:10:33,299you submit yourself to the King so when His kingdom comes He will bring you into10900:10:33,299 –> 00:10:42,940all the blessing of His glorious kingdom forever. Now, that’s really an overview of11000:10:43,239 –> 00:10:46,700these four stories and what they teach us, remember the pattern of what we’re11100:10:46,700 –> 00:10:51,380seeing in Mark the question is how will the kingdom come in a world that rejects11200:10:51,380 –> 00:10:56,299the King and we’ve seen four parables that all tell us how the kingdom comes11300:10:56,299 –> 00:11:02,840and now four miracles that tell us what the kingdom looks like, what it will look11400:11:02,840 –> 00:11:06,979like when Jesus comes in power and glory, that’s the overview.11500:11:06,979 –> 00:11:10,619You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and we have to pause11600:11:10,619 –> 00:11:15,500there briefly but when we come back we will hear how one theme runs through all11700:11:15,500 –> 00:11:20,200four of those stories, so stay with us if you can you’re listening to open the11800:11:20,200 –> 00:11:25,140Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called Jesus delivers his people11900:11:25,140 –> 00:11:29,979from fear it’s part of a series called the gospel according to Jesus and if12000:11:29,979 –> 00:11:32,940you’ve missed any of the series so far or if you want to go back and listen12100:11:32,940 –> 00:11:38,659again you can do that by coming online to our website openthebible.org.uk12200:11:38,700 –> 00:11:44,140Or find us as a podcast those are on all the regular podcast sites and you can12300:11:44,140 –> 00:11:48,780find them by searching for open the Bible UK back to the message now,12400:11:48,780 –> 00:11:54,099we’re in Mark and chapter four here’s Colin. Now I want us at this point kind12500:11:54,099 –> 00:11:59,900of swoop down and to look more closely at one theme that runs throughout all12600:11:59,900 –> 00:12:06,260four of these stories, because it’s in all four it’s obviously of great12700:12:06,260 –> 00:12:12,419importance, and that is the theme of fear. And I want us to notice today that12800:12:12,419 –> 00:12:18,260there is a fear that Jesus brings, and we’ll see that in the first two stories,12900:12:18,260 –> 00:12:26,119and then a fear that Jesus relieves, and we’ll see that in the last of the two.13000:12:26,119 –> 00:12:32,599First then, a fear that Jesus brings, I want us to look here at Mark chapter 413100:12:32,619 –> 00:12:39,419in verses 40 and 41. A furious storm has blown up on the lake.13200:12:39,419 –> 00:12:44,619Jesus has rebuked the wind. The waves have settled and the lake is completely calm.13300:12:44,619 –> 00:12:50,799And after this miracle, in verse 40, Jesus said to the disciples,13400:12:50,799 –> 00:12:57,460Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?13500:12:57,460 –> 00:13:01,780And the disciples said to Him, You’re absolutely right.13600:13:02,140 –> 00:13:05,200We won’t do that again in the future, we promise.13700:13:05,200 –> 00:13:08,719Is that what your Bible says? No, no it is not.13800:13:08,719 –> 00:13:10,140What does the Bible say?13900:13:10,140 –> 00:13:12,419Say let’s look at it here. Verse 41.14000:13:12,419 –> 00:13:15,219Jesus says, Do you still have no faith?14100:13:15,219 –> 00:13:21,559They were terrified, terrified and asked each other,14200:13:21,559 –> 00:13:28,780Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him.14300:13:28,799 –> 00:13:30,340This is astonishing.14400:13:30,340 –> 00:13:36,200They were absolutely scared stiff when the storm blew up,14500:13:36,200 –> 00:13:38,820but when it calmed down, Mark is telling us,14600:13:38,820 –> 00:13:41,859they were even more terrified.14700:13:41,859 –> 00:13:44,299Scared when the storm was blowing up to the point14800:13:44,299 –> 00:13:47,080that they thought they were going to die,14900:13:47,080 –> 00:13:48,619but more terrified still.15000:13:48,619 –> 00:13:49,940The word is really intense.15100:13:49,940 –> 00:13:53,820They are terrified when they realised that they are in the presence15200:13:53,940 –> 00:13:57,239of an awesome power in Jesus Christ15300:13:57,239 –> 00:14:02,460that at this point, they do not yet quite understand.15400:14:02,460 –> 00:14:04,760When they get a glimpse of the glory of Jesus,15500:14:04,760 –> 00:14:06,299they are more terrified than even15600:14:06,299 –> 00:14:09,539when they thought they were going to die.15700:14:09,539 –> 00:14:12,940Now, that should make us stop and think.15800:14:12,940 –> 00:14:17,320See, there is a fear that Jesus brings,15900:14:17,320 –> 00:14:20,580and you have to understand the fear that Jesus brings16000:14:20,599 –> 00:14:23,979before you can experience the fear that Jesus relieves.16100:14:26,619 –> 00:14:31,619Fear is the natural response of a human being16200:14:32,539 –> 00:14:35,219in the presence of Almighty God.16300:14:36,900 –> 00:14:41,539I was thinking through the week as I prepared for today,16400:14:41,539 –> 00:14:43,559what are some of the times when I’ve really been scared?16500:14:43,559 –> 00:14:44,539And I can think of a number.16600:14:44,539 –> 00:14:47,099Let me just give you a couple that came to mind.16700:14:47,099 –> 00:14:48,479I remember walking among a field16800:14:48,479 –> 00:14:50,179of cows some years ago in England16900:14:50,440 –> 00:14:52,760and then realizing there was a huge bull there.17000:14:52,760 –> 00:14:55,260And I began to walk away17100:14:55,260 –> 00:14:57,140and then realized he was following me.17200:14:57,140 –> 00:14:59,280He realized it was 50 yards to the fence17300:14:59,280 –> 00:15:02,039and I thought, I think I can make it.17400:15:02,039 –> 00:15:04,080And this was a foolish thing to do, I ran.17500:15:04,080 –> 00:15:06,179And, of course, you know what the bull did.17600:15:07,020 –> 00:15:10,119And I can still remember my heart beating17700:15:11,159 –> 00:15:12,460and, you know, I did survive.17800:15:13,559 –> 00:15:16,000But I tell you, it was a close shave.17900:15:16,000 –> 00:15:17,700I remember going to a conference18000:15:17,700 –> 00:15:19,119on the south coast of England18100:15:19,119 –> 00:15:21,659and you know, you get these crazy ideas18200:15:21,659 –> 00:15:23,219when you go and you’re in a different routine.18300:15:23,219 –> 00:15:24,280I thought, you know, I’m really going to do18400:15:24,280 –> 00:15:26,500something different, swim in the sea early morning.18500:15:26,500 –> 00:15:29,159Got up at the crack of dawn, went out, swam in the sea,18600:15:29,159 –> 00:15:30,000went away from the shore.18700:15:30,000 –> 00:15:32,299There wasn’t a soul to be seen.18800:15:32,520 –> 00:15:34,020It was a wonderful experience18900:15:34,020 –> 00:15:36,340until I turned and I began to swim back to the shore.19000:15:36,340 –> 00:15:39,000And after 15 minutes realized I was no closer19100:15:39,000 –> 00:15:40,760than when I began to swim back.19200:15:40,760 –> 00:15:42,979I had been caught in a tidal current.19300:15:43,780 –> 00:15:46,059And I can still remember the sense of panic19400:15:46,059 –> 00:15:48,460and there isn’t a soul here.19500:15:49,039 –> 00:15:50,419And I’m getting tired.19600:15:50,419 –> 00:15:53,440And I know nearer the shore, fear.19700:15:54,659 –> 00:15:55,739Well, I did survive.19800:15:55,739 –> 00:15:58,159Um, you know, you understand.19900:15:58,159 –> 00:16:02,599But listen, if I would be afraid of a charging bull20000:16:03,479 –> 00:16:05,859or an ocean tide,20100:16:07,200 –> 00:16:10,340what should I feel in the presence of the God who made them.20200:16:11,940 –> 00:16:13,460Well, what scares you?20300:16:14,520 –> 00:16:15,919Spiders?20400:16:16,619 –> 00:16:18,299Thunder lightning?20500:16:18,320 –> 00:16:19,840Ten-foot snakes?20600:16:21,239 –> 00:16:23,520Being caught in an earthquake, a volcano, a tsunami,20700:16:23,520 –> 00:16:26,200a storm of meteors piling on the Earth?20800:16:28,119 –> 00:16:32,520Well, what would you expect to feel in the presence of the God who made them?20900:16:33,799 –> 00:16:36,359I know there’ll be some guys who are sitting here thinking,21000:16:36,359 –> 00:16:37,700I’m not scared of anything, actually.21100:16:37,700 –> 00:16:39,219I wouldn’t have been scared of the bull pastor.21200:16:39,219 –> 00:16:40,380I think that’s a little bit pathetic.21300:16:40,380 –> 00:16:42,820I’m the kind of guy that likes to go on the bull run that they have.21400:16:42,820 –> 00:16:46,179You know and run in front of these things charging just for kicks.21500:16:46,179 –> 00:16:48,119Well…21600:16:48,119 –> 00:16:50,599Being in the presence of God you would experience fear.21700:16:51,840 –> 00:16:53,719These disciples were tough guys.21800:16:53,719 –> 00:16:54,960They were fishermen.21900:16:56,239 –> 00:17:01,760And when they saw the power of Jesus Christ in their boat, that near,22000:17:01,760 –> 00:17:07,160they were, Mark say’s, terrified.22100:17:07,160 –> 00:17:08,280They were.22200:17:10,599 –> 00:17:14,780Now, honestly, that’s what you find in the Bible22300:17:14,780 –> 00:17:18,660whenever a person is in the immediate presence of God,22400:17:20,900 –> 00:17:25,060the beginning of the Bible, what you find Adam doing in the garden,22500:17:25,060 –> 00:17:26,380he’s hiding from God.22600:17:26,380 –> 00:17:28,380Scared stiff to come out in the open.22700:17:30,579 –> 00:17:35,420The end of the Bible, John the apostle, who had leaned,22800:17:35,420 –> 00:17:39,300the Gospel says, back on Jesus at the Last Supper, so22900:17:39,300 –> 00:17:42,680couldn’t have been much closer to Jesus in his earthly life.23000:17:42,680 –> 00:17:44,420Nobody could have been closer to Jesus than23100:17:45,219 –> 00:17:49,020John was and yet when John sees Jesus’ glory, the glory of the risen Christ,23200:17:49,020 –> 00:17:49,900what does he do?23300:17:49,900 –> 00:17:52,300He falls on his face.23400:17:52,300 –> 00:17:54,859John says, I fell on my face as if I was dead, and23500:17:56,939 –> 00:17:58,380he’s one who knows and loves Jesus.23600:18:00,420 –> 00:18:02,780That’s the beginning and the end of the Bible, what about the middle?23700:18:02,780 –> 00:18:07,339Isaiah the prophet, and he sees the glory of the Lord,23800:18:07,339 –> 00:18:11,280and his immediate reaction is to say I’m ruined.23900:18:11,939 –> 00:18:19,219Woe to me, I can’t live in the sheer intensity of this holiness,24000:18:19,219 –> 00:18:25,020this glory, this awesomeness of who God is.24100:18:27,400 –> 00:18:31,800Fear is the natural response of a human being in the presence of Almighty God.24200:18:35,060 –> 00:18:40,000To fear the Lord is a simple description, what does it mean to fear the Lord?24300:18:40,000 –> 00:18:46,300To fear the Lord is simply to know who He is, to realize what it would be to stand in His presence.24400:18:47,880 –> 00:18:52,780Have you ever really thought about how absolutely terrifying24500:18:52,780 –> 00:18:58,140it would be to stand in the presence of Almighty God?24600:19:00,560 –> 00:19:05,719Now let me tell you straight away that this is a good kind of fear.24700:19:06,459 –> 00:19:10,500It’s the fear that Jesus brings, and it’s a fear that every24800:19:10,520 –> 00:19:15,979living person desperately needs to discover, because the Bible says that the24900:19:15,979 –> 00:19:23,780fear of the Lord is the beginning of what? Wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the25000:19:23,780 –> 00:19:30,520beginning of wisdom. So this is a good kind of fear. People who do not fear the25100:19:30,579 –> 00:19:35,800Lord simply don’t know who He is. And we’re going to see that the fear of the25200:19:35,800 –> 00:19:38,599Lord is not a fear that will cripple you in your life.25300:19:38,599 –> 00:19:45,540It is rather a fear that will enable you to overcome every other kind of fear.25400:19:45,540 –> 00:19:51,920The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the presence of Jesus brings25500:19:52,180 –> 00:19:58,439the disciples into the fear of the Lord.25600:19:58,439 –> 00:20:02,199You see this same thing in the second story.25700:20:02,199 –> 00:20:05,800Let me just overview it very quickly and you can read it later.25800:20:05,800 –> 00:20:13,280Mark chapter 5, verses 1 to 20, the second miracle where Jesus casts out many demons.25900:20:13,280 –> 00:20:21,359And you get a sample of the problem that this man was and that he experienced from verses26000:20:21,359 –> 00:20:26,9204 and 5 where we read that this man who was possessed by many demons had often been chained26100:20:26,920 –> 00:20:29,400hand and foot.26200:20:29,400 –> 00:20:31,319But no one was strong enough to subdue him.26300:20:31,319 –> 00:20:36,060And so, night and day, you find him out there in the tombs and in the hills.26400:20:36,060 –> 00:20:41,819And this man who must have gone around naked cut himself with stones and he would cry out26500:20:41,819 –> 00:20:42,819and shriek.26600:20:42,819 –> 00:20:47,219Can you imagine living in the town with this guy out there at night and hearing the sound26700:20:47,219 –> 00:20:52,219of his voice, like the sound of a wolf?26800:20:52,219 –> 00:20:54,939And no one could chain him.26900:20:54,939 –> 00:20:57,380Scary.27000:20:57,380 –> 00:21:02,599And when Jesus arrived, he identifies the evil powers that have possessed this man and27100:21:02,599 –> 00:21:06,260he casts them out.27200:21:06,260 –> 00:21:11,339And Mark records the wonderful transformation that happens in the life of this man.27300:21:11,339 –> 00:21:16,020Verse 15, the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons was sitting there, and27400:21:16,380 –> 00:21:23,239he’s now dressed and he’s in his right mind.27500:21:23,239 –> 00:21:27,739And all the people of the town come out and say, Jesus, thank you, you have delivered27600:21:27,739 –> 00:21:32,459us from our greatest fear, and so now please come and stay in our town and deliver us from27700:21:32,459 –> 00:21:34,119many other evils also.27800:21:34,119 –> 00:21:35,119Right?27900:21:35,119 –> 00:21:37,180No, that is not what the Bible says.28000:21:37,180 –> 00:21:38,839What is the response of the people?28100:21:38,839 –> 00:21:44,619Verse 15, they see this marvelous transformation, and the man’s now dressed and in his right28200:21:44,979 –> 00:21:46,760mind, and verse 15 what?28300:21:46,760 –> 00:21:50,719They were afraid.28400:21:50,719 –> 00:21:58,859And verse 17, they began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.28500:21:58,859 –> 00:22:07,560They’re more afraid of the authority of Jesus and what that will mean in their lives and28600:22:07,560 –> 00:22:14,739in their town than they were afraid of the disturbance that this man had brought to their28700:22:14,739 –> 00:22:19,339community for many years.28800:22:19,339 –> 00:22:30,219So Jesus leaves and the Gerizims remains a dark place because light has come and they28900:22:30,219 –> 00:22:35,319have chosen darkness rather than light.29000:22:35,319 –> 00:22:41,239and that is the truth isn’t it?29100:22:41,239 –> 00:22:45,479Pastor Collins Smith on OpenTheBible there talking about the fear that Jesus brings.29200:22:45,479 –> 00:22:50,239Our message is called Jesus delivers his people from fear.29300:22:50,239 –> 00:22:55,020And so next time we’re going to look at the fear that Jesus relieves us from.29400:22:55,020 –> 00:22:57,400So I hope you’ll join us for that.29500:22:57,400 –> 00:23:02,060The message is part of our series The Gospel According to Jesus and if you’ve missed29600:23:02,140 –> 00:23:05,260any of the series so far, or if you want to go back and listen again,29700:23:05,260 –> 00:23:09,300you can do that by coming online to our Web site openthebible.org.uk29800:23:09,300 –> 00:23:14,660There you’ll find all the previously broadcast messages.29900:23:14,660 –> 00:23:18,920You’ll also find the Open the Bible Daily, and that’s a series of daily reflections30000:23:18,920 –> 00:23:22,099based on Pastor Collins Smith’s teaching.30100:23:22,099 –> 00:23:24,180Read in the UK by Sue McLeech.30200:23:24,180 –> 00:23:29,819Well, Open the Bible is a listener supported programme, and that means exactly what it30300:23:30,119 –> 00:23:31,119sounds like.30400:23:31,119 –> 00:23:36,479It’s your generosity that keeps Pastor Collins’ teaching on this station and online.30500:23:36,479 –> 00:23:41,040If supporting Open the Bible in that way is something that you’d like to begin doing,30600:23:41,040 –> 00:23:46,400and you’re able to set up a monthly direct debit of five pounds per month or more, or30700:23:46,400 –> 00:23:50,859a one-off gift of fifty pounds or more, we’d love to say thank you by sending you five30800:23:50,859 –> 00:23:55,339copies of Pastor Collins’ new booklet, What Jesus Says to Skeptics.30900:23:55,500 –> 00:24:00,699That’s one copy for you to read, and four to give away to your friends and family.31000:24:00,699 –> 00:24:03,579Colin, how would you describe a sceptic?31100:24:03,579 –> 00:24:07,660Well, I think a sceptic is someone who would not at this point say that they’ve made31200:24:07,660 –> 00:24:12,219a commitment of faith, but on the other hand, they’ve not rejected the Lord Jesus Christ31300:24:12,219 –> 00:24:13,819either, they’re somewhere in between.31400:24:13,819 –> 00:24:16,300There are some real questions.31500:24:16,300 –> 00:24:22,719And the good news is that Jesus cares deeply about sceptics and we find this in John’s31600:24:23,280 –> 00:24:28,520gospel, where he engages with people who have honest questions and he does it in such a31700:24:28,520 –> 00:24:32,640way as to give them stepping stones to faith.31800:24:32,640 –> 00:24:36,160And that’s the aim of this little booklet, to show what Jesus says to sceptics.31900:24:36,160 –> 00:24:41,219And if you’ve got honest questions, or if you know someone who has honest questions32000:24:41,219 –> 00:24:45,400about the Christian faith, then I hope and pray that this booklet will be useful to you.32100:24:45,439 –> 00:24:50,500This booklet is called What Jesus says to sceptics, and it’s our gift to you, for32200:24:50,619 –> 00:24:54,760You are beginning to support Open The Bible this month if you set up a new direct debit32300:24:54,780 –> 00:24:59,579of £5 per month or more or a one-off gift of £50 or more.32400:24:59,579 –> 00:25:07,180You can give online and find full terms and conditions at our website, that’s, openthebible.org.uk32500:25:07,319 –> 00:25:11,439For Pastor Colin Smith, and Open The Bible, I’m David Pick, and I hope you’ll join us32600:25:11,459 –> 00:25:13,819again next time.32700:25:14,479 –> 00:25:20,119Fear is the natural response of human beings in the presence of God,32800:25:20,119 –> 00:25:22,199but the fear of the Lord will not disable you.32900:25:22,199 –> 00:25:28,280Find out why next time on Open The Bible.