100:00:00,760 –> 00:00:10,560For all the experiences of ministry and the opportunities and privileges of your life.200:00:10,560 –> 00:00:19,260What progress have you made as a follower of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?300:00:19,260 –> 00:00:23,520Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, I am David Pick, glad you could be400:00:23,520 –> 00:00:28,360with us today and Colin we should really do some soul searching I think to try and answer500:00:28,360 –> 00:00:29,440that question honestly.600:00:30,240 –> 00:00:33,680Yeah I think that spiritual progress is not even.700:00:33,680 –> 00:00:38,720At least in my experience there have been seasons of life where you’re pushed in new800:00:38,720 –> 00:00:43,340kinds of ways and you can begin to see growth or other periods where you say now am I really900:00:43,340 –> 00:00:45,000making any progress.1000:00:45,000 –> 00:00:51,020The disciples of Jesus went a long time without making, it seems, very much progress at all.1100:00:51,020 –> 00:00:53,040Jesus saying to them, do you still not seed?1200:00:53,040 –> 00:00:55,380Do you still not understand?1300:00:55,380 –> 00:01:01,320And yet the Holy Spirit was at work in them and then there were moments of moving forward.1400:01:01,320 –> 00:01:02,779Seasons of enormous growth.1500:01:02,779 –> 00:01:09,120And to come before the Lord and say Lord make this a season where I move forward as a Christian.1600:01:09,120 –> 00:01:11,139That’s a great way to think and to pray.1700:01:11,139 –> 00:01:13,400We should care about making progress.1800:01:13,400 –> 00:01:17,940We certainly should but unfortunately, it seems, we often make the most progress at1900:01:17,940 –> 00:01:22,540the painful times of life, because that’s often when we realise we can’t do things2000:01:22,540 –> 00:01:23,860on our own.2100:01:23,860 –> 00:01:28,279But to seek God with that same passion when things are going well, that’s often quite2200:01:28,279 –> 00:01:30,580hard and that would be quite revolutionary.2300:01:30,580 –> 00:01:32,540Yeah, it absolutely would.2400:01:32,540 –> 00:01:37,459And you never know what circumstances of life are going to come, but whatever they are,2500:01:37,459 –> 00:01:43,540to say Lord help me to use where I am right now to glorify you and to move forward in2600:01:43,540 –> 00:01:45,120all that it means to be a disciple.2700:01:45,120 –> 00:01:50,800That’s a good prayer and with that introduction let’s get into today’s message, Jesus2800:01:50,800 –> 00:01:52,839gives sight to His people.2900:01:52,839 –> 00:01:56,959Here in Mark, chapter seven and eight, I hope he’ll join us in you’re Bible.3000:01:56,959 –> 00:01:57,959Here’s Colin.3100:01:57,959 –> 00:02:01,639As we go through Mark’s Gospel we’re going to see more and more what Jesus Christ does3200:02:01,639 –> 00:02:04,400for His people.3300:02:04,400 –> 00:02:08,119That’s going to be very important for all of us.3400:02:08,119 –> 00:02:12,039Some of us being brought up in church we’ve grasped quite clearly, we’ve known from early3500:02:12,039 –> 00:02:17,699on in life that Jesus died on the cross and He rose again, but honestly it may be for3600:02:17,699 –> 00:02:22,279some of us that that has remained somewhat remote from you.3700:02:22,419 –> 00:02:29,619What you’ve not grasped is that the Jesus who died and rose actually works in people’s3800:02:29,619 –> 00:02:31,399lives.3900:02:31,399 –> 00:02:35,360And if you become one of His people He will actually work in your life.4000:02:35,360 –> 00:02:40,839That salvation is not simply what Christ does for us, but it is also what Christ does in4100:02:40,839 –> 00:02:50,880us, changing your heart, renewing your character, making you a new and a different kind of a4200:02:50,880 –> 00:02:51,880person.4300:02:51,880 –> 00:02:54,600Giving you love for Jesus Christ that you did not have before.4400:02:54,600 –> 00:02:58,759Giving you faith that you have never really experienced before.4500:02:58,759 –> 00:03:07,479It is a real change that Jesus Christ brings in the life of a person who turns to Him.4600:03:07,479 –> 00:03:11,199This is what Christ does for His people.4700:03:11,199 –> 00:03:16,479And maybe right now you would be saying, you know, if that’s what He does for His people,4800:03:16,619 –> 00:03:22,119that’s what I need Him to do for me.4900:03:22,119 –> 00:03:27,039And if you’re there, you’re already making progress.5000:03:27,039 –> 00:03:30,279You are being drawn to follow after Jesus Christ.5100:03:30,279 –> 00:03:35,800You’re beginning to see and believe what He can do for you.5200:03:35,800 –> 00:03:37,619God is working wonderfully in your life.5300:03:37,619 –> 00:03:42,279What we’re going to follow further along that track and see something else very wonderful5400:03:42,279 –> 00:03:44,779that Jesus Christ does for His people.5500:03:45,179 –> 00:03:49,160And our title today is, Jesus Gives Sight to His People.5600:03:49,179 –> 00:03:54,360And I hope you’ll open your Bibles then at Mark’s Gospel in chapter 8 as we follow along5700:03:54,360 –> 00:03:57,500in the Scriptures together.5800:03:57,500 –> 00:04:03,440And the story has been read to us from verse 22 that Jesus came to Bethsaida and the folks5900:04:03,440 –> 00:04:06,399there bring a blind man to Him.6000:04:06,399 –> 00:04:13,259And Jesus spits on the man’s eyes, puts His hand on the man’s eyes and asks Him verse6100:04:13,940 –> 00:04:16,100you see anything?6200:04:16,100 –> 00:04:24,679This man looks up and he says I see people and they look like trees walking around.6300:04:24,679 –> 00:04:32,519Now this is quite different from anything else that you ever find in any of the miracles6400:04:32,519 –> 00:04:34,920of Jesus.6500:04:34,920 –> 00:04:38,839Think of all the miracles that we’ve covered in Mark’s Gospel, and we’ve thought about6600:04:39,160 –> 00:04:46,760learned from the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, the healing of the leper, the healing of the6700:04:46,760 –> 00:04:50,559man who was paralyzed on his mat and he was lured down through the roof, the healing6800:04:50,559 –> 00:04:55,440of the woman who had a hemorrhage, even the raising of Jairus’ daughter.6900:04:55,440 –> 00:04:59,179Every one of these miracles was instantaneous and complete.7000:04:59,179 –> 00:05:05,140The Son of God determined to heal and it was done in a moment.7100:05:05,140 –> 00:05:16,059This is the only miracle in all of the Gospels where Jesus heals in two stages.7200:05:16,059 –> 00:05:23,799He touches the man’s eyes and the man has some sight but he doesn’t see clearly.7300:05:23,799 –> 00:05:32,420In fact, he says, well what I see is like men and they look like trees walking.7400:05:32,500 –> 00:05:36,980Now I’ll tell you, if you went to Lens Crafters for a new pair of spectacles7500:05:36,980 –> 00:05:42,540and you came out and as you’re walking along the pavement you’re thinking, boy7600:05:42,540 –> 00:05:47,059the people I’m seeing they look like trees and it looks as if the trees are7700:05:47,059 –> 00:05:51,100moving. You would turn straight round to go back into Lens Crafters and you say7800:05:51,100 –> 00:05:55,559I want my money back. Because these specs are absolutely no use. I mean I can’t see7900:05:55,559 –> 00:06:00,980clearly with them, wouldn’t you say that and I mean there’s something puzzling8000:06:01,239 –> 00:06:05,880almost embarrassing about this miracle here, isn’t there? It’s just not like our8100:06:05,880 –> 00:06:10,600Lord Jesus Christ to do something half measure. It doesn’t make any sense to us.8200:06:10,600 –> 00:06:16,660Why when the Son of God touches this man’s eyes can he only see in this8300:06:16,660 –> 00:06:23,420partial manner. And I think the obvious question for us then is, is this is the8400:06:23,420 –> 00:06:30,079only miracle that happens in two stages like this is why would Jesus have done8500:06:30,239 –> 00:06:35,339this? Why does he heal this man in two stages? Why does it take a second touch8600:06:35,339 –> 00:06:45,519of the hand of Jesus before, in verse 25, he finally says, now I see clearly.8700:06:45,519 –> 00:06:49,799Well the answer surely is that Jesus is using this miracle as a way of teaching8800:06:49,799 –> 00:06:55,359us about what is happening in the experience of the disciples and also what8900:06:55,519 –> 00:07:01,019will happen in our own experience as followers of Christ. We’re going to see9000:07:01,019 –> 00:07:06,579this morning that in verses 14-21, before the miracle, you have disciples who do9100:07:06,579 –> 00:07:12,160not see and Jesus rebukes them for it. Then in verse 27 to 33, you have9200:07:12,160 –> 00:07:17,839disciples who do see, but we’re going to notice that they only see in part.9300:07:17,839 –> 00:07:21,399Then at the end of chapter 8 and the first verse of chapter 9 we have a9400:07:21,779 –> 00:07:26,799wonderful promise in which Jesus speaks of a day when those who follow him will9500:07:26,799 –> 00:07:32,179see clearly. Jesus then is teaching us here that9600:07:32,179 –> 00:07:40,079spiritual understanding, light, is a gift from God but it comes gradually and it9700:07:40,079 –> 00:07:48,339comes increasingly and progressively to his people. Now before we jump into this9800:07:48,339 –> 00:07:52,299passage one more other word by way of introduction. The Apostle Paul tells us9900:07:52,299 –> 00:07:58,380in second Timothy chapter 3 in verse 16 that the scriptures are given to us to10000:07:58,380 –> 00:08:03,380do us good in a number of different ways. And he says particularly that all10100:08:03,380 –> 00:08:11,540Scripture is given to us for teaching for rebuking for correcting and for10200:08:12,140 –> 00:08:19,619righteousness. Now that should help us as we come to the Bible. God has given us10300:08:19,619 –> 00:08:23,579the scriptures for the purpose sometimes of teaching and sometimes rebuking us10400:08:23,579 –> 00:08:29,779sometimes correcting us and sometimes training us in righteousness. And I10500:08:29,779 –> 00:08:34,059refer to that verse simply because we’re going to see in this passage that there10600:08:34,059 –> 00:08:40,260is a rebuke from Jesus to his disciples today. And therefore what I’ve tried to10700:08:40,260 –> 00:08:44,979do is to hear that rebuke into my own life to hear the question of Jesus into10800:08:44,979 –> 00:08:49,059my own life and I hope we’ll all try and do that honestly together today rather10900:08:49,059 –> 00:08:53,619than try and dodge a rebuke because we don’t feel comfortable with it. And then11000:08:53,619 –> 00:08:59,219there’s a correction of Jesus that we all desperately need and wants to hear11100:08:59,219 –> 00:09:03,099from the scriptures today. And then also we’re going to see a wonderful promise11200:09:03,099 –> 00:09:09,219that gives marvelous hope and all of that is in Mark’s gospel in chapter 8.11300:09:10,020 –> 00:09:13,580You’re listening to Open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith and a message called11400:09:13,580 –> 00:09:18,520Jesus Gives Sight to His People. it’s part of our series the gospel according11500:09:18,520 –> 00:09:22,099to Jesus and if you ever miss one of the messages or if you want to go back and11600:09:22,099 –> 00:09:26,099listen again you can do that by coming online to our website openthebible.org.uk11700:09:26,099 –> 00:09:32,099Well Open the Bible is a listener supported program and11800:09:32,099 –> 00:09:37,000that means exactly what it sounds like. It’s your Generosity that keeps pastor11900:09:37,119 –> 00:09:42,119Colin’s teaching on this station and online. If supporting Open the Bible in12000:09:42,119 –> 00:09:46,320that way is something you’d like to begin doing and you’re able to set up a12100:09:46,320 –> 00:09:51,760monthly direct debit of five pounds per month or more or a one-off gift of 5012200:09:51,760 –> 00:09:55,520pounds or more we’d love to say thank you by sending you five copies of12300:09:55,520 –> 00:10:00,679Passed to Colin’s new booklet what Jesus Says to Skeptics that’s one copy for12400:10:00,679 –> 00:10:05,799you to read and four to give away to your friends and family. Colin how12500:10:05,919 –> 00:10:10,599you describe a sceptic? Well I think a sceptic is someone who would not at this12600:10:10,599 –> 00:10:13,840point say that they’ve made a commitment to faith but on the other12700:10:13,840 –> 00:10:17,559hand they’ve not rejected the Lord Jesus Christ either they’re somewhere in12800:10:17,559 –> 00:10:23,460between there are some real questions and the good news is that Jesus cares12900:10:23,460 –> 00:10:28,780deeply about skeptics and we find this in John’s Gospel where he engages with13000:10:28,780 –> 00:10:33,919people who have honest questions and he does it in such a way as to give them13100:10:34,000 –> 00:10:39,200stepping stones to faith and that’s the aim of this little booklet to show what13200:10:39,200 –> 00:10:43,799Jesus says to skeptics and if you’ve got honest questions or if you know someone13300:10:43,799 –> 00:10:47,419who has honest questions about the Christian faith then I hope and pray13400:10:47,419 –> 00:10:51,320that this booklet will be useful to you. Well that’s our thanks to you for13500:10:51,320 –> 00:10:55,159supporting Open the Bible Financially this month, back to the13600:10:55,159 –> 00:11:00,859message now, here’s Colin. So I hope you have your Bible open and let’s jump in13700:11:01,539 –> 00:11:06,080here I want us to see first that Jesus rebukes his disciples who did not see13800:11:06,080 –> 00:11:13,719and that is in verses 14 to 21. Let’s follow the story very simply, the13900:11:13,719 –> 00:11:17,679disciples are in the boat and they’re crossing the Lake with Jesus and verse14000:11:17,679 –> 00:11:21,55914 markets says they’d forgotten to bring bread except for one loaf that14100:11:21,559 –> 00:11:27,440they had with them in the boat one loaf 13 men not enough for lunch and verse14200:11:28,059 –> 00:11:34,500Jesus is using this opportunity of this quiet time on in the boat on the lake14300:11:34,500 –> 00:11:38,739with his disciples to teach them and he’s teaching them about the power of14400:11:38,739 –> 00:11:44,320evil in the world be very careful verse 15 he’s warned them watch out for the14500:11:44,320 –> 00:11:49,880yeast of the Pharisees and that of her and yeast is often used in the Bible as14600:11:49,880 –> 00:11:56,020a figure for evil evil influenced and so he’s saying watch out for the evil14700:11:56,159 –> 00:12:00,599influence of the Pharisees inherit watch out for evil in the religious world and14800:12:00,599 –> 00:12:06,479in the political world that’s what he’s saying now think about the opportunity14900:12:06,479 –> 00:12:12,820that the Disciples have here they’re sitting in the boat a few feet from the15000:12:12,820 –> 00:12:22,719Son of God God in the flesh is so near that they could touch it and he wants to15100:12:22,719 –> 00:12:29,460teach them about how they need to be aware of the spreading influence of evil15200:12:29,460 –> 00:12:34,840within as it were church and within society within the religious sphere and15300:12:34,840 –> 00:12:40,119within the nation at large now you think of all the debates all the questions15400:12:40,119 –> 00:12:43,080that have run through your mind perhaps and they’ve run through the mind of15500:12:43,080 –> 00:12:47,559Christians over 2,000 years that the Disciples could have raised with Jesus15600:12:47,919 –> 00:12:55,219moment what an opportunity Jesus what are we to do about hypocrisy when we see it15700:12:55,219 –> 00:13:00,760in the church Jesus what are we to do about corruption when we see it in15800:13:00,760 –> 00:13:06,559business and in government Jesus how can we be the kind of people who are really15900:13:06,559 –> 00:13:10,219different from the world that we live in but engaged in the world that we live in16000:13:10,219 –> 00:13:15,320so that we don’t come off as holier-than-thou but really make a16100:13:15,419 –> 00:13:20,799difference in a world that is around us all these questions you just wish that16200:13:20,799 –> 00:13:28,760they had asked Jesus and drawn more from the master in the boat but instead of16300:13:28,760 –> 00:13:32,500seizing that opportunity what we find is that the disciples slide into a rather16400:13:32,500 –> 00:13:38,520pointless discussion about having no bread you can just about imagine how16500:13:38,520 –> 00:13:45,520this one goes Andrew whose job was it to bring the lunch today well Peter I16600:13:45,520 –> 00:13:50,219brought it yesterday so certainly not mine it must be one of the others well16700:13:50,219 –> 00:13:55,080what we need here is a roster we need to have it organized and a system to know16800:13:55,080 –> 00:13:57,679who’s going to bring the lunch each day so that we don’t keep running out of16900:13:57,679 –> 00:14:01,159bread when we’re on the lake and we don’t have any other means of finding17000:14:01,159 –> 00:14:05,760something to eat well who’s going to draw up the roster then someone else17100:14:05,760 –> 00:14:09,559says I don’t think there should be a roster I think we should just delegate17200:14:09,559 –> 00:14:12,880one of our group to permanently be on this job and to organize all of the17300:14:12,880 –> 00:14:16,380lunches have you been in a discussion like that you know and it goes on and17400:14:16,380 –> 00:14:19,679on you think my goodness me we’re never getting anywhere here17500:14:19,679 –> 00:14:28,239verse 17 aware of their discussion Jesus says why are you talking about having no17600:14:28,239 –> 00:14:34,099bread and then I want you to hear the scriptures here as they must have heard17700:14:34,380 –> 00:14:40,460it surely because from verse 17 on Jesus Christ really gives it straight to his17800:14:40,460 –> 00:14:48,380disciples look at what he says do you still not see or understand are your17900:14:48,380 –> 00:14:53,520hearts hardened do you have eyes but fail to see and ears but fail to hear18000:14:53,520 –> 00:14:57,739and don’t you remember when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand how18100:14:57,780 –> 00:15:04,900many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up twelve they replied and when I broke18200:15:04,900 –> 00:15:08,419seven loaves for the four thousand how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick18300:15:08,419 –> 00:15:16,900and they answered seven and he said to them do you still not understand well I18400:15:16,900 –> 00:15:24,020think there must have been a long silence in the boat after that don’t you18500:15:24,960 –> 00:15:35,080Jesus is clearly rebuking his disciples here and he’s rebuking them not because18600:15:35,080 –> 00:15:40,119they have no capacity of sight but because they’re simply not using the18700:15:40,119 –> 00:15:44,039light that they have already been given18800:15:44,940 –> 00:15:51,119their conversation is as if they were not his disciples at all as if they had18900:15:51,380 –> 00:15:58,299No awareness of the one who is with them and the opportunity that is before them19000:15:58,299 –> 00:16:01,880would you turn to just one cross reference today and it’s just back a19100:16:01,880 –> 00:16:06,599couple of pages to Mark’s gospel in Chapter four I think you’ll see why19200:16:06,599 –> 00:16:12,200Jesus speaks to them so strongly here when you look at this verse because in19300:16:12,200 –> 00:16:17,039Mark chapter 4 in verse 11 Jesus speaks to the disciples and he says19400:16:17,080 –> 00:16:25,159the secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you but to those who are19500:16:25,159 –> 00:16:32,400on the outside everything is said in parables so that they may be ever seeing19600:16:32,400 –> 00:16:37,859but never perceiving and ever hearing but never understanding so you see what19700:16:37,859 –> 00:16:42,219he’s saying, now you’re my disciples so the secrets of the kingdom are given to19800:16:42,219 –> 00:16:45,780you you’ve been given some spiritual light here you have received my19900:16:45,960 –> 00:16:53,440teaching, my teaching you’ve received truth you have understanding but to everyone20000:16:53,440 –> 00:16:58,760outside it’s just in parables and they’re always seeing but never20100:16:58,760 –> 00:17:03,159perceiving and they are always hearing but never understanding now look back to20200:17:03,159 –> 00:17:10,160mark chapter 8 and verse 18 and look at the question Jesus asks here he says to20300:17:10,199 –> 00:17:17,160them do you have eyes but fail to see and ears but fail to hear we say you’re my20400:17:17,160 –> 00:17:21,579disciples to whom the secrets of the kingdom have been trusted but you are20500:17:21,579 –> 00:17:27,099talking and acting as if you were outsiders as if you have never learned20600:17:27,099 –> 00:17:32,239anything as if you did not even know me as if I had never even come into the20700:17:32,239 –> 00:17:38,760world your conversation the whole way in which you are thinking20800:17:38,920 –> 00:17:44,760right now is indistinguishable from someone who is right outside and has no20900:17:44,760 –> 00:17:57,239knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and Christ rebukes them for that big time21000:17:58,040 –> 00:18:03,920now I think that rebuke comes pretty close to home for us the rebuke of those21100:18:04,219 –> 00:18:11,800who have come to know much about Jesus but live speak and act indistinguishably21200:18:11,800 –> 00:18:18,359from those who are outside that’s the issue here and it calls forth from Jesus21300:18:18,359 –> 00:18:25,839this rebuke through the conversation just this week with someone who were21400:18:25,839 –> 00:18:31,359talking about small groups in the life of the church this person said to me you21500:18:31,359 –> 00:18:35,459know it’s very important that we have the right kind of small groups in the21600:18:35,459 –> 00:18:43,000church and then he explained why he said I was in a small group for a21700:18:43,000 –> 00:18:49,479couple of years and we were all folks of about the same age and stage of life21800:18:49,479 –> 00:18:54,699with younger children and so forth and we decided that in the small group we21900:18:55,479 –> 00:19:03,760do life together that was the phrase and we met every other week and we got to22000:19:03,760 –> 00:19:08,000know each other really well and we talked a great deal about our kids and22100:19:08,000 –> 00:19:11,979the guys got into all kinds of conversation about different ideas for22200:19:11,979 –> 00:19:18,560putting extensions on our houses and so forth and so on we did life together he22300:19:18,560 –> 00:19:24,939said I was in that small group for two years and I had a great time but22400:19:24,939 –> 00:19:32,619honestly he said it did nothing to help me be a more Christ-centered person in22500:19:32,619 –> 00:19:37,780fact he said when I look back what it really did was if anything it made me22600:19:37,780 –> 00:19:44,900somewhat more worldly now you see that is an incredible missed opportunity22700:19:45,160 –> 00:19:53,180wasn’t it. Here is a group of disciples of Jesus who could be helping each other to22800:19:53,180 –> 00:19:59,579pursue a radically Christ-centered life but what they do is that they allow22900:19:59,579 –> 00:20:03,739their conversation to slip down to a level which though significant and23000:20:03,739 –> 00:20:11,260useful is indistinguishable from someone who did not know Christ at all. Just life.23100:20:12,099 –> 00:20:17,859It’s like the disciples being in the boat with the Son of God and tied up with23200:20:17,979 –> 00:20:25,939conversation about bread. Now I think we need to hear this rebuke at a number of23300:20:25,939 –> 00:20:32,140different levels because Christ is really looking to see what progress we23400:20:32,140 –> 00:20:39,020have made for all the privileges we have received, for all the blessings that God23500:20:39,180 –> 00:20:47,020has poured into your life into mine. What progress have we made as followers of23600:20:47,020 –> 00:20:56,180Jesus Christ? Think of the teaching these disciples had received directly from the23700:20:56,180 –> 00:21:03,180Son of God, and Jesus says, do you still not understand? You still not got further23800:21:03,180 –> 00:21:11,680than this. Why haven’t you made more progress? As you think of all that you23900:21:11,680 –> 00:21:16,979have received from the Word of God over many many years perhaps in your life,24000:21:16,979 –> 00:21:22,979what progress have you made as a follower of Jesus Christ? Think about24100:21:22,979 –> 00:21:30,420their opportunity. Here they are with the Son of God, you say well that would be24200:21:30,699 –> 00:21:34,540different if I had the Son of God with me. You do have the Son of God with you, if24300:21:34,540 –> 00:21:38,180you are a Christian believer. Think about it.24400:21:38,180 –> 00:21:47,339The same Holy Spirit who filled Peter on the day of Pentecost and sustained John24500:21:47,339 –> 00:21:52,439as he was languishing in prison on the Isle of Pappas, that same Holy Spirit24600:21:52,520 –> 00:22:00,760lives in you. Now if the Holy Spirit of God lives within you and you have that24700:22:00,760 –> 00:22:06,459immense privilege, here’s the question. What progress have you made as a24800:22:06,459 –> 00:22:11,380follower of Jesus for all the years since you have professed faith?24900:22:11,380 –> 00:22:15,800You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith and A Message25000:22:15,800 –> 00:22:21,000Jesus Gives Sight to His People. It’s part of our series The Gospel According25100:22:21,680 –> 00:22:25,040to Jesus and if you’ve missed any of the series so far or if you’d like to go25200:22:25,040 –> 00:22:29,300back to listen again you can always do that by coming online to our website25300:22:29,300 –> 00:22:34,680openthebible.org.uk . There you’ll find all the messages which have already25400:22:34,680 –> 00:22:39,160gone out on air. You’ll also find the messages as podcasts and those are25500:22:39,160 –> 00:22:43,400available on all the main podcast sites. Search for Open the Bible UK and25600:22:43,400 –> 00:22:48,000subscribe to receive regular updates. You’ll also find a link to the podcast25700:22:48,619 –> 00:22:53,280on our website. We want to help you to understand how the books in the Bible25800:22:53,280 –> 00:22:59,260fit together and a good way to do that is with Open the Bible Story. You can25900:22:59,260 –> 00:23:03,420find it on our website. It’s a journey through the whole Bible a26000:23:03,420 –> 00:23:09,099study course in 30 parts entitled The Drive. It will take you deep into the26100:23:09,099 –> 00:23:13,680valleys of the Old Testament, the peaks of the glories of Jesus and the ups and26200:23:13,699 –> 00:23:18,180downs of the Christian life. All the way through it will show how the Bible26300:23:18,180 –> 00:23:22,579always points to the person of Jesus Christ. You can find Open the Bible26400:23:22,579 –> 00:23:28,780Story on our website at openthebible.org.uk. Open the Bible is26500:23:28,780 –> 00:23:33,020supported by our listeners and it’s your financial support that keep Pastor26600:23:33,020 –> 00:23:37,780Collins’ teaching on the air so thank you if you already give to support Open the26700:23:37,780 –> 00:23:42,459Bible. If you don’t already give, but that’s something you’d like to do, this26800:23:42,579 –> 00:23:46,979month we have an offer for you. If you’re able to set up a new direct debit to the26900:23:46,979 –> 00:23:51,099work of Open the Bible this month, in the amount of £5 per month or27000:23:51,099 –> 00:23:56,180more, or a one-off gift of £50 or more we’d love to say thank you by sending27100:23:56,180 –> 00:24:01,099you five copies of Pastor Collins’ new booklet What Jesus Says to Skeptics.27200:24:01,099 –> 00:24:05,819That’s one copy for you to read and four to give away to your friends and family.27300:24:05,819 –> 00:24:09,979Collyn, there may be someone who’s listening today who is a skeptic when it27400:24:10,739 –> 00:24:12,219comes to the Christian faith. How would this27500:24:12,219 –> 00:24:15,140booklet be helpful to them?27600:24:15,140 –> 00:24:16,199Well, I think the first thing is that a27700:24:16,199 –> 00:24:21,099skeptic might think, well because I don’t yet believe Jesus Christ is not27800:24:21,099 –> 00:24:25,380going to have very much time for me. But what we find in the Gospels is that27900:24:25,380 –> 00:24:30,979Jesus cared very very deeply about skeptics. He spent time with people who28000:24:30,979 –> 00:24:36,500had honest questions and engaged with them at a very deep level and he offered28100:24:37,020 –> 00:24:42,640them a pathway to faith. So if you or someone you know is a skeptic this is an28200:24:42,640 –> 00:24:47,199opportunity for you to hear what Jesus has to say to you.28300:24:47,199 –> 00:24:50,000Well we’d love to send you five copies of Pastor Colin’s booklet28400:24:50,000 –> 00:24:54,420What Jesus Says to Skeptics, as our way of saying thank you for your financial28500:24:54,420 –> 00:24:58,959support. You can find out more including full terms and conditions and give28600:24:58,959 –> 00:25:03,680online.28700:25:03,680 –> 00:25:05,520For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,28800:25:05,560 –> 00:25:06,959I’m David Pick and I28900:25:06,959 –> 00:25:14,479hope you’ll be able to join us again next time29000:25:14,479 –> 00:25:20,800We expect resistance from Jesus’ enemies but why would a Christian ever resist29100:25:20,800 –> 00:25:26,459Jesus? Find out next time on Open the Bible