100:00:00,440 –> 00:00:08,080This Word actually brings life. It revives the soul. It makes200:00:08,100 –> 00:00:11,920simple people who don’t understand things, wise. How do300:00:11,940 –> 00:00:15,180simple people who don’t get it come wise? Through the Word of400:00:15,200 –> 00:00:18,420God. That’s it’s effect, because it’s living seed. It’s not just500:00:18,440 –> 00:00:19,420information.600:00:19,420 –> 00:00:22,480Welcome to Open the Bible with the pastor Colin Smith. I’m700:00:22,500 –> 00:00:25,299David Pick. I’m glad you could be with us today and Colin, it800:00:25,320 –> 00:00:28,139sounds like today we’re going to hear what Open the Bible900:00:28,160 –> 00:00:33,080is all about, to proclaim the living seed of the word of God.1000:00:33,080 –> 00:00:36,459Now, we’ve just stated the core conviction of our ministry that1100:00:36,459 –> 00:00:40,259we share together and that our whole family of listeners shares1200:00:40,259 –> 00:00:43,639together, we believe in the power of the word of God. And1300:00:43,639 –> 00:00:46,439here’s the problem. Sometimes it seems like the word of God just1400:00:46,439 –> 00:00:50,700kind of falls in the ground. And that’s what Jesus says, it’s1500:00:50,720 –> 00:00:54,139seed. And so sometimes you put the seed out and you think, what1600:00:54,139 –> 00:00:57,020have I accomplished? You know, I’ve been trying to become a1700:00:57,259 –> 00:00:59,599You know, I’ve been trying to teach my children, I’ve been1800:00:59,599 –> 00:01:02,060trying to witness to my neighbor, I’ve been trying to1900:01:02,419 –> 00:01:07,220pray for a friend and what really has come of all of this.2000:01:07,660 –> 00:01:10,339And it feels like it’s just seed in the ground. And the thing2100:01:10,339 –> 00:01:13,739that’s so important to remember is, yeah, it looks like nothing2200:01:13,739 –> 00:01:16,940much has happened, but it is living seed. And it can lie in2300:01:16,940 –> 00:01:20,620the ground a long time. And God has a way of honoring his own2400:01:20,620 –> 00:01:24,220word. And of making seed that has lain dormant for a long2500:01:24,500 –> 00:01:27,800grow. I mean, there may be a parent who’s listening to this2600:01:27,800 –> 00:01:31,639who say, oh, my son, my daughter knows the truth. But there’s2700:01:31,639 –> 00:01:34,540been no response for years. Yeah, but it’s always worth2800:01:34,540 –> 00:01:36,099putting the living seed there.2900:01:36,300 –> 00:01:39,940I hope that’s encouraging to you as we begin today’s message3000:01:40,099 –> 00:01:43,699Jesus will establish his Kingdom. We’re in Mark chapter3100:01:43,699 –> 00:01:47,339four. So join us in your Bible, if you can. Here’s Colin.3200:01:48,040 –> 00:01:50,699Now we noticed right at the beginning of Mark’s gospel that3300:01:50,760 –> 00:01:55,260Jesus opened his ministry. He began by announcing that the3400:01:57,800 –> 00:02:00,360these were the first recorded words out of the mouth of3500:02:00,360 –> 00:02:03,779Jesus Chapter one and verse fifteen.3600:02:04,000 –> 00:02:07,080The kingdom of God is near, Jesus says.3700:02:07,279 –> 00:02:13,440Now, the kingdom is simply the blessing of the rule or reign of3800:02:13,440 –> 00:02:18,759God, the blessing of the rule or reign of God.3900:02:18,860 –> 00:02:22,380And so, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray the Lord’s4000:02:22,380 –> 00:02:27,059prayer, he said, now, pray like this, your kingdom come, your4100:02:27,059 –> 00:02:31,500will be done on earth as it is in heaven.4200:02:31,500 –> 00:02:38,419Remember that our Lord reigns over heaven, over earth, and4300:02:38,419 –> 00:02:43,779even over hell itself. He is sovereign. He is the king.4400:02:43,800 –> 00:02:48,580There is no power that comes close to his, but there is this4500:02:48,940 –> 00:02:53,880difference that we must observe. In heaven, his rule is4600:02:53,880 –> 00:02:58,619recognized. That is why heaven is full of his blessing. In4700:02:58,619 –> 00:03:04,559hell, his rule is resisted, which is why hell is under his4800:03:04,559 –> 00:03:10,059judgment. On earth, what do we have? A mixture of both,4900:03:10,259 –> 00:03:16,119really. On earth, God’s rule is partly recognized, partly5000:03:16,119 –> 00:03:18,940resisted, and that is why the world in which we live in its5100:03:18,940 –> 00:03:23,759very nature bears both the marks of God’s blessing and the marks5200:03:23,839 –> 00:03:28,399of God’s judgment. So when we pray, Your kingdom come. What5300:03:28,399 –> 00:03:32,759we’re saying is, Oh Lord, let this earth be more like heaven5400:03:32,759 –> 00:03:38,000than it’s like hell. Let it bear more of the marks of the5500:03:38,080 –> 00:03:43,539blessing of life under your rule. Now, when Jesus began his5600:03:43,539 –> 00:03:48,639ministry in chapter one in verse 15, he said, The kingdom of God5700:03:48,800 –> 00:03:58,479is near and so it was A touch of heaven on earth. Through the5800:03:58,479 –> 00:04:03,479ministry of Jesus and we’ve seen it in Mark’s gospel, sickness5900:04:03,479 –> 00:04:12,520is healed. Demons are cast out sins are forgiven. Ordinary6000:04:12,520 –> 00:04:16,440people follow Jesus. Troubled people are set free. The6100:04:16,440 –> 00:04:21,019kingdom of God was coming near. The blessing of life under the6200:04:21,019 –> 00:04:27,339rule of God was being manifested in many different ways. But6300:04:27,339 –> 00:04:29,820then as We followed the story of Mark’s gospel, we’ve seen6400:04:29,859 –> 00:04:34,619something else going on. This marvelous ministry of Jesus that6500:04:34,619 –> 00:04:41,100is bringing such blessing as the kingdom comes near is rejected,6600:04:41,519 –> 00:04:45,260is resisted. We saw it in chapter three and verse six6700:04:45,260 –> 00:04:48,700didn’t we? That after these manifestations of the kingdom of6800:04:48,700 –> 00:04:52,880God, the Pharisees and the Herodians conspire together.6900:04:52,880 –> 00:04:57,899They plot as to how they might kill Jesus. And then we saw last7000:04:57,940 –> 00:05:00,500time in chapter three and verse twenty-two that when the7100:05:00,500 –> 00:05:03,959official delegation of scholars came down from Jerusalem, their7200:05:03,959 –> 00:05:07,859conclusion and their verdict was that Jesus was in league with7300:05:07,859 –> 00:05:11,160the devil. Now that’s where we’ve come to in Mark’s Gospel.7400:05:11,540 –> 00:05:14,000And so, at the beginning of chapter four, as we open our7500:05:14,000 –> 00:05:19,959Bibles, we are faced with an obvious question, if the king is7600:05:19,959 –> 00:05:23,200rejected and we’re going to see more and more of that as we go7700:05:24,200 –> 00:05:27,799through the Gospel until ultimately he is crucified, if7800:05:27,799 –> 00:05:31,140the king is rejected, what hope is there for the kingdom?7900:05:32,040 –> 00:05:37,940That’s the great question. How will the kingdom come in a8000:05:37,940 –> 00:05:45,079world that rejects the king? How can the blessing of life under8100:05:45,079 –> 00:05:49,980the rule of God be known in this world that has chosen to reject8200:05:50,660 –> 00:05:55,720the king? How can the blessing of Christ’s rule be experienced?8300:05:55,859 –> 00:06:00,299How may it come in a Christ-rejecting world? Well,8400:06:00,339 –> 00:06:04,260that’s really what chapter 4 is all about. And the key verse8500:06:04,260 –> 00:06:07,700here is verse 11, where Jesus says that the secret of the8600:06:07,700 –> 00:06:11,200kingdom of God has been given to you. He says these words to the8700:06:11,200 –> 00:06:16,820disciples, and he reveals this secret in a number of stories of8800:06:17,059 –> 00:06:20,140which we’re going to look at the first here, the very simple8900:06:20,140 –> 00:06:24,660story of the sower and, most of us, many of us will know this9000:06:24,660 –> 00:06:28,299story very well and perhaps have known it for some years. The9100:06:28,299 –> 00:06:32,859sower goes out to sow seed. The seed falls on different kinds of9200:06:32,859 –> 00:06:37,899ground. The seed that falls on bad ground leads to nothing of9300:06:37,899 –> 00:06:42,299lasting value, but the seed that falls on good ground produces a9400:06:42,420 –> 00:06:48,239marvelous harvest. And what I want us to see as we come to9500:06:48,239 –> 00:06:52,079this story is that the reason that Jesus tells it is he is9600:06:52,079 –> 00:06:57,880explaining to his disciples how the kingdom comes in a world9700:06:57,880 –> 00:07:03,059that rejects the king. Therefore, this teaching of9800:07:03,059 –> 00:07:06,959Jesus is full of very special significance for all of our9900:07:06,959 –> 00:07:12,179thinking about ministry today. How are we to see the10000:07:12,179 –> 00:07:16,700harvest that God is looking for? What is it going to take?10100:07:16,700 –> 00:07:20,220What are the things we should value? What are the things that10200:07:20,220 –> 00:07:24,920we should pursue? Now, I want to look at four very obvious10300:07:24,920 –> 00:07:28,600things here this morning. First, the seed and then the10400:07:28,600 –> 00:07:33,660source and then the soils and then, lastly the harvest. First10500:07:33,660 –> 00:07:36,859of all, the seed and will you notice this very clear10600:07:37,380 –> 00:07:42,000statement here from Jesus in verse fourteen. Jesus is10700:07:42,000 –> 00:07:44,839asking the disciples, don’t you understand this parable? And so10800:07:44,839 –> 00:07:48,940he explains it to them and he says, verse fourteen, the farmer10900:07:48,940 –> 00:07:55,880sows the word. The word and then so that we understand what11000:07:55,880 –> 00:07:58,760the whole story is about in verse fifteen, he tells us that11100:07:58,760 –> 00:08:03,179the soil or rather the effect of the seed in the soil is a11200:08:03,179 –> 00:08:06,839description of different kinds of people. Verse fifteen, some11300:08:06,839 –> 00:08:11,019people are like seed along the path and then verse sixteen,11400:08:11,019 –> 00:08:15,160others, and so forth through the story. So, this story is11500:08:15,160 –> 00:08:19,500about people and the word. It is about the effect of the word11600:08:19,500 –> 00:08:24,859of God in the lives of people. It is about the different ways11700:08:24,859 –> 00:08:30,700in which people interact and relate to the word of God. The11800:08:30,940 –> 00:08:37,820the former verse fourteen sows the word the word. Now, the11900:08:37,820 –> 00:08:40,479secret of the kingdom, therefore, that Jesus is12000:08:40,479 –> 00:08:46,159explaining to his disciples is that Life under the blessings12100:08:46,159 –> 00:08:52,659of God’s rule will come to people through the ministry and12200:08:52,659 –> 00:08:57,700the reception of the word of God, and Jesus is saying to12300:08:57,700 –> 00:09:00,140the disciples. There’s no doubt they were wondering as we12400:09:00,539 –> 00:09:04,340sometimes wonder. how can we see the blessing of God’s rule in12500:09:04,340 –> 00:09:07,780this Christ, rejecting world and he’s saying to them. Here’s12600:09:07,780 –> 00:09:16,880what you need to grasp the word of God is living seed it has12700:09:16,880 –> 00:09:24,859Life-producing power if you think off the scriptures simply12800:09:24,880 –> 00:09:33,039what does this mean? Think again? The Word of God has12900:09:33,039 –> 00:09:40,900life giving power. It is says Jesus living seed. That is why13000:09:40,900 –> 00:09:45,539Peter says later in the new Testament, You have been born13100:09:45,539 –> 00:09:52,900again. How how are you born again? See Peter says you were13200:09:52,979 –> 00:10:02,059you born again through the living and enduring. What Word13300:10:02,059 –> 00:10:06,080of God. New life came to you not just new information came to13400:10:06,080 –> 00:10:09,059you. Not just you heard the gospel that then somehow you13500:10:09,059 –> 00:10:12,239had to make your own independent judgment about no13600:10:12,239 –> 00:10:16,580life came to you. Peter is saying how through the living13700:10:16,580 –> 00:10:22,679seed of the word of God now that is precisely what Jesus is13800:10:22,799 –> 00:10:26,960doing with the living seed that will under certain conditions13900:10:26,960 –> 00:10:30,659that we’re going to look at later will produce a marvelous14000:10:30,659 –> 00:10:36,239harvest. The seed is the words so the first main theme here in14100:10:36,239 –> 00:10:39,880the story of Jesus is surely that we understand and select14200:10:39,880 –> 00:10:49,159the right seed. seeds will produce a different crop right14300:10:49,260 –> 00:10:52,780seal the gardeners and all the folks that were brought up on14400:10:52,780 –> 00:10:58,900the farm years ago, different seeds will produce a different14500:10:58,900 –> 00:11:04,000crop and so as we think about ministry, the seed that we.14600:11:04,000 –> 00:11:10,940soul will determine the crop that we get doesn’t that follow14700:11:10,940 –> 00:11:19,359us We must choose our seed carefully and in the whole14800:11:19,359 –> 00:11:23,659business of selecting the seed, which is really one of the14900:11:23,659 –> 00:11:26,739critical discussions that goes on in church world, especially15000:11:26,739 –> 00:11:29,960among pastors and leaders. What is the seed that’s really gonna15100:11:29,960 –> 00:11:32,719raise the harvest? Well, the obvious question is, well. what15200:11:32,719 –> 00:11:37,140is the harvest we’re looking for? What’s the crop? See is15300:11:37,140 –> 00:11:39,960the crop just a big crowd? Well, there are certain kinds of15400:11:39,960 –> 00:11:45,840seeds. Well, we’ll do that. is the crop? A long list of15500:11:45,840 –> 00:11:49,299decisions that may or may not last. Jesus specifies that15600:11:49,299 –> 00:11:51,799right here in this parable. Well, there’s kind of seed.15700:11:51,799 –> 00:11:58,239We’ll do that too. But Jesus is making it clear here that the15800:11:58,239 –> 00:12:03,200harvest he is looking for is the harvest of the kingdom. That15900:12:03,200 –> 00:12:08,280is the harvest of lives lived under the blessing of God’s16000:12:08,400 –> 00:12:11,340rule. Now, what is the seed that will raise that harvest16100:12:11,340 –> 00:12:14,780and Jesus says the seed that will raise that harvest of16200:12:14,780 –> 00:12:19,159Lives lived under the blessing of God’s rule is the word of16300:12:19,159 –> 00:12:27,260God and there is no other seed that raises this harvest This16400:12:27,260 –> 00:12:35,140seed. has produced this harvest. in every generation and16500:12:36,000 –> 00:12:40,900this culture. and we can have absolute confidence in the16600:12:40,900 –> 00:12:43,179middle of all the discussions about what does it take to16700:12:43,179 –> 00:12:47,919reach this generation in this culture? We can have absolute16800:12:47,919 –> 00:12:54,580confidence that seeds will produce this harvest in our16900:12:54,580 –> 00:12:59,900culture and in our generation that is surely the first thing17000:12:59,900 –> 00:13:05,099that we learn from the teaching of Jesus here and that is why17100:13:05,840 –> 00:13:13,099this best seed must be core to the ministry of our church17200:13:13,099 –> 00:13:17,619because this is the seed Jesus says that produces the crop17300:13:17,619 –> 00:13:22,840that God is looking for raises the harvest of the kingdom17400:13:22,840 –> 00:13:25,820which is surely therefore the harvest that we should be17500:13:25,820 –> 00:13:29,380interested in to. That is why we keep wanting to say and to17600:13:29,380 –> 00:13:33,619reinforce what is worship about? It is that we sing and pray17700:13:33,640 –> 00:13:37,159and we work together around the word of God, that the truth of17800:13:37,159 –> 00:13:40,599God’s word is permeating everything that we do, not just17900:13:40,599 –> 00:13:43,820a part of it. You’re listening to Open The Bible with Pastor18000:13:43,820 –> 00:13:47,000Colin Smith and the first part of our message, Jesus will18100:13:47,000 –> 00:13:51,440establish his kingdom from Mark Chapter four. Probably all of18200:13:51,440 –> 00:13:55,299us have wrestled with questions relating to our faith. If18300:13:55,299 –> 00:13:57,679you’re currently working through some big questions or you18400:13:57,679 –> 00:14:01,539have a friend or family member who is. Pastor Colin has a new18500:14:01,659 –> 00:14:06,880What Jesus says to sceptics, if you find yourself skeptical or18600:14:06,880 –> 00:14:11,000undecided on a question, this booklet is for you or someone18700:14:11,000 –> 00:14:14,200you know who fits that description. Well, we’d love to18800:14:14,200 –> 00:14:17,400send you some copies of this booklet as a way of saying thank18900:14:17,400 –> 00:14:20,960you for supporting open the Bible financially. If that’s19000:14:20,960 –> 00:14:23,640something you’re thinking about doing but you haven’t done so in19100:14:23,640 –> 00:14:28,039the past. This month, if you’re able to begin a new direct debit19200:14:28,039 –> 00:14:32,400of five pounds per month or more, or a one-off gift of 5019300:14:32,400 –> 00:14:35,979pounds or more, we’d love to send you five copies of this19400:14:35,979 –> 00:14:39,900booklet, full details on our website and terms and19500:14:39,900 –> 00:14:44,820conditions. That’s that open the bible.org.UK. Back to the19600:14:44,820 –> 00:14:47,880message. Now here’s Colin. Now, here’s the second thing. The19700:14:47,880 –> 00:14:51,280first is the seed. The seed is the word of God. Second, let’s19800:14:51,280 –> 00:14:57,039just take a moment to ponder the life of the sore. For everybody19900:14:57,960 –> 00:15:02,500who at any time shares the word of God in any setting, a Sunday20000:15:02,500 –> 00:15:06,500school class, a small group, whatever it may be, you will20100:15:06,500 –> 00:15:13,000resonate, I think, with the experience of the sower. Let’s20200:15:13,000 –> 00:15:16,099just think about it for a moment. Try and picture in your20300:15:16,099 –> 00:15:22,340mind the sower in Jesus’s day, and he’s sowing the field by20400:15:22,460 –> 00:15:26,799throwing out the seed by hand. Now he’s got acres and acres of20500:15:26,960 –> 00:15:33,039land. How many miles do you think he walks in a day? 2020600:15:33,039 –> 00:15:41,400miles? And how do his legs feel, and how does his arm feel, when20700:15:41,400 –> 00:15:47,080he trudges his way back, after a long day of scattering seed?20800:15:48,000 –> 00:15:56,719The man’s exhausted. His arms and his legs are aching and as he looks back20900:15:56,719 –> 00:16:03,640over the vast field that he has been sowing throughout the day, it strikes him21000:16:03,640 –> 00:16:09,719that the field looks exactly the same as it did that morning. There is no21100:16:09,719 –> 00:16:14,419observable difference in the field whatsoever.21200:16:14,419 –> 00:16:22,179Nothing has changed. I have worked to the point of exhaustion he says to himself21300:16:22,179 –> 00:16:28,200and the little voice inside says now what do I have to show for it. Now I21400:16:28,200 –> 00:16:33,799pause here because it’s important for us as those who believe to recognize the21500:16:33,799 –> 00:16:43,659hidden pressure that lies within all spiritual work. I sometimes say to the21600:16:43,659 –> 00:16:50,000guys in the congregation who work in construction I envy you, and you know21700:16:50,000 –> 00:16:55,299why I sometimes envy the guys who work in construction because when they leave21800:16:55,299 –> 00:17:02,940a day’s work they can see exactly what they have done. Something is there that21900:17:02,940 –> 00:17:09,560wasn’t there before and it’s beautifully measurable.22000:17:09,560 –> 00:17:13,979When you’re engaged in any ministry of the Word you’re teaching the Word to22100:17:13,979 –> 00:17:18,699your children, you’re working with a group of people, you’re trying to22200:17:18,699 –> 00:17:24,979disciple. You’re engaged in a ministry of communicating the Word in the prison as22300:17:24,979 –> 00:17:30,819a number of members of our congregation are. There will be times when Satan will22400:17:30,819 –> 00:17:35,660tempt you this way. He will say to you for all you’re doing what difference is22500:17:35,660 –> 00:17:44,199it making and that is precisely the experience of every sower. Remember the22600:17:44,199 –> 00:17:53,020old Beatles song Eleanor Rigby, remember that one? Eleanor Rigby died in the22700:17:53,020 –> 00:18:00,520church and was buried along with her name nobody came. Father Mackenzie wiping22800:18:00,520 –> 00:18:08,000the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave no one was saved now I will22900:18:08,000 –> 00:18:13,400tell you that any person who puts their energy into communicating the gospel23000:18:13,400 –> 00:18:19,699knows what this is like like the sower in Jesus’ story you work hard to sow the23100:18:19,699 –> 00:18:26,719seed of the word but Satan comes to your mind this way and says what came of it23200:18:26,800 –> 00:18:32,959what came of it now how does the source sustain himself23300:18:32,959 –> 00:18:40,459in this work how are you going to sustain a ministry to your children how23400:18:40,459 –> 00:18:45,560are we going to sustain ministry around the word in small groups how do you23500:18:45,560 –> 00:18:52,560sustain any ministry of the Word and the answer is simply this you you sustain a23600:18:52,920 –> 00:18:59,560ministry of the word by having great confidence in the scene and you see the23700:18:59,560 –> 00:19:04,439reality is that the soarers he trudges home feeling very tired indeed he is not23800:19:04,439 –> 00:19:08,079actually driven to despair by the fact that the field doesn’t look different23900:19:08,079 –> 00:19:13,699because he never expected it to he’s committed to a long term view of24000:19:13,699 –> 00:19:20,099ministry that raises substantial multiple fruit and because he has such24100:19:20,180 –> 00:19:27,000confidence in the seat he is not in despair but rather trusts his work to24200:19:27,000 –> 00:19:32,459the hand of God who raises the harvest and knows that the next day he will come24300:19:32,459 –> 00:19:38,540out and so another field as well you know I’ve been greatly helped by24400:19:38,540 –> 00:19:44,020seeing that the doctrine of Scripture is not just what the Bible is that is it is24500:19:44,020 –> 00:19:49,239the Word of God we know that but our doctrine of Scripture includes what the24600:19:49,319 –> 00:19:54,780Bible does and I think some of us have not grasped that for sufficient24700:19:54,780 –> 00:19:59,400encouragement yet. Let me just give you one cross-reference today. Again try and24800:19:59,400 –> 00:20:04,819keep it just to one most weeks and that is in Psalm 19 and verses 7 and 8 Psalm24900:20:04,819 –> 00:20:11,11919 and verse 7 and 8 it beautifully brings together what the Word of God is25000:20:11,119 –> 00:20:17,000and what the Word of God does and many of us have grasped what it is but we25100:20:17,000 –> 00:20:23,099need to see more clearly and believe more strongly what it does. Psalm 1925200:20:23,099 –> 00:20:30,400verses 7 and 8 the law of the Lord is perfect. That’s what it is. What does it25300:20:30,400 –> 00:20:36,880do? It revives the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy. That’s what25400:20:36,880 –> 00:20:43,040they are but what do they do? They make wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord25500:20:43,920 –> 00:20:49,579right? That’s what they are. But what do they do? They give joy to the heart and25600:20:49,579 –> 00:20:53,099the commands of the Lord are radiant. That’s what they are but what do they do?25700:20:53,099 –> 00:20:59,819They give light to the eyes. You see what the psalmist David has discovered and25800:20:59,819 –> 00:21:03,780what he’s telling us under the inspiration of God he’s saying look it’s25900:21:03,780 –> 00:21:10,560not just that this word is perfect and trustworthy and true. We know that. It’s26000:21:10,560 –> 00:21:18,939that this word actually brings life. It revives the soul. It makes simple people26100:21:18,939 –> 00:21:23,140who don’t understand things wise. How to simple people who don’t get it become26200:21:23,140 –> 00:21:27,660wise? Through the word of God. That’s its effect because it’s living seed. It’s not26300:21:27,660 –> 00:21:33,839just information. It communicates life. It gives joy to the heart. It gives lights26400:21:33,839 –> 00:21:38,560to the eyes. It’s not just what it is. The word of God26500:21:38,699 –> 00:21:44,819it’s what it does. It does the work of God. That is why the sword of the Spirit26600:21:44,819 –> 00:21:52,780is the Word of God. That is our doctrine of scripture. That is what we believe and26700:21:52,780 –> 00:21:58,900that is how sowers are sustained in their ministry.26800:21:59,839 –> 00:22:01,900Pastor Colin Smith there, on Open the Bible26900:22:01,920 –> 00:22:07,760with the message, Jesus will establish his Kingdom. It’s part of our series, The27000:22:08,099 –> 00:22:11,939Gospel according to Jesus. Imagine what it would have been like to have walked27100:22:11,939 –> 00:22:17,239with Jesus.Imagine what that would do to your faith. The Bible gives us the next27200:22:17,239 –> 00:22:22,119best thing in our series, The Gospel According to Jesus. We’re taking an27300:22:22,119 –> 00:22:26,579unforgettable journey through the book of Mark, discovering along the way the27400:22:26,579 –> 00:22:33,239wonder of Jesus, his teaching and actions and life. You’ll be drawn to him over and27500:22:33,239 –> 00:22:37,599over again. So stay with us in this series and don’t forget if you’ve missed27600:22:37,599 –> 00:22:41,300any of the series or if you want to go back and listen again, you can always do27700:22:41,300 –> 00:22:45,579that by coming online to our website www.openthebible.org.uk www.openthebible.org.uk27800:22:45,579 –> 00:22:49,079www.openthebible.org.uk and there you’ll find all the messages which have already gone out27900:22:49,079 –> 00:22:54,839and they’re added to each and every day. You can also find Pastor Colin’s28000:22:54,839 –> 00:22:58,900teaching as a podcast and those are available on all the main podcast sites28100:22:58,900 –> 00:23:04,500or by following a link from our website Also on our website and available as a28200:23:04,660 –> 00:23:09,780podcast, you can find Open the Bible Daily and that’s a series of short two28300:23:09,780 –> 00:23:14,500to three minute daily reflections based on Pastor Colin’s teaching and read in28400:23:14,500 –> 00:23:19,300the UK by Su McCleish. Open the Bible is supported by our listeners and it’s your28500:23:19,300 –> 00:23:24,000financial support that keep Pastor Colin’s teaching on the air so thank you28600:23:24,000 –> 00:23:29,180if you already give to support Open the Bible. If you don’t already give but28700:23:29,180 –> 00:23:32,540that’s something you’d like to do this month we have an offer for you.28800:23:32,900 –> 00:23:37,739If you are able to set up a new direct debit to the work of Open the Bible this month in the28900:23:37,739 –> 00:23:42,380amount of five pounds per month or more or a one-off gift of fifty pounds or29000:23:42,380 –> 00:23:46,660more we’d love to say thank you by sending you five copies of pastor29100:23:46,660 –> 00:23:51,400Colin’s new booklet What Jesus Says to Skeptics. That’s one copy for you to read29200:23:51,400 –> 00:23:56,140and four to give away to your friends and family. Colin there may be someone29300:23:56,140 –> 00:24:00,380who’s listening today who is a sceptic when it comes to the Christian faith how29400:24:00,380 –> 00:24:04,760would this booklet be helpful to them. Well I think the first thing is that a29500:24:04,760 –> 00:24:09,939sceptic might think well because I don’t yet believe Jesus Christ is not going to29600:24:09,939 –> 00:24:14,699have very much time for me but what we find in the Gospels is that Jesus cared29700:24:14,699 –> 00:24:20,900very very deeply about skeptics he spent time with people who had honest questions29800:24:20,900 –> 00:24:26,099and engaged with them at a very deep level and he offered them a pathway to29900:24:26,500 –> 00:24:32,380faith so if you or someone you know is a skeptic this is an opportunity for you30000:24:32,380 –> 00:24:37,239to hear what Jesus has to say to you. Well we’d love to send you five copies30100:24:37,239 –> 00:24:41,780of Pastor Colin’s booklet What Jesus Says to Skeptics as our way of saying30200:24:41,780 –> 00:24:46,060thank you for your financial support. You can find out more including full terms30300:24:46,060 –> 00:24:51,540and conditions and give online at openthebible.org.uk. For30400:24:51,540 –> 00:24:54,180Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith30500:24:54,420 –> 00:24:57,699I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll be able to join us again next time30600:25:03,640 –> 00:25:07,599Jesus gave his assessment of what goes on in the hearts of people30700:25:07,599 –> 00:25:10,780who go to church Find out what it reveals30800:25:10,780 –> 00:25:12,619next time on Open the Bible