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[0:00] Good morning. Welcome to all of you and particularly those who are visiting us. Welcome in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[0:11] I wonder this morning, can you speak with confidence? Is there something that you're certain of, sure of? We live in a world of uncertainty. But the psalmist David, he says this, I remain confident of this. In other words, I'm sure, I'm certain of this. I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

[0:35] I will see the goodness of the Lord. I wonder if this week has been a time in which you have seen, not just known, not just felt, but seen the goodness of the Lord in your life. And he goes on to say, wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

[0:53] Well, we come again as those who've experienced the goodness of God in our own lives through the Lord Jesus Christ. And we know that that is because our God is a God of grace.

[1:05] We're going to sing together a song coming on the screen behind me. God of grace, amazing wonder. We'll stand as we sing. We'll stand as we sing.

[1:42] We'll stand as we sing.

[2:12] We'll stand as we sing.

[2:42] God of grace, amazing wonder. God of grace, my trust in Jesus, I'm accepted as his own. Every day new grace sustains me as I lead on him alone.

[3:02] God of grace, my trust in Jesus, I'm accepted as I lead on him alone. God of grace, my trust in Jesus, I'm accepted as I lead on him alone.

[3:14] God of grace, my trust in Jesus, I'm accepted as I lead on him alone. All my fears are now confounded. All my fears are now confounded, and thy hope is ever sure.

[3:32] God of grace, now found in glory, where one day I'll see your face. God of grace, now found in glory, where one day I'll see your face.

[3:54] God of grace, now found in glory, where one day I'll see your face. God of grace, now found in glory, where one day I'll see your face. Let's ask God's help and blessing in our time this morning.

[4:10] It is astonishing to us, O Lord our God, when we consider that you are a God of amazing wonder and amazing grace. Lord, as we come again this morning after a week for each of us, it's been a different week, a week for some of us of good news, a week of encouragement and blessing and help.

[4:33] For many of us, perhaps it's been a difficult week, a struggling week, a hard week. But again, O Lord, we're here because you are the God who has and always will show us your goodness in this land of the living.

[4:48] While we're alive, O Lord, you are good to us. And we look forward to, with hope and assurance, that beyond death there is life in more fullness, more abundance, more goodness.

[5:01] For we know, Lord, you've promised us a home in heaven with you. And O Lord, we thank you that you have drawn us here this morning, that we might draw near to you. That we might know afresh something more of that wonderful grace.

[5:15] That we might know and enjoy something more of the goodness of our God. We thank you, O Lord, it's your great desire to do us good. And Lord, in one sense, the only stumbling block, the only thing that prevents you from doing us more good is ourselves.

[5:31] We don't ask, O Lord, we turn away from you. And we look in other places for that goodness or that pleasure or that help or that joy. Or because, Lord, we rebel against you in our hearts and turn our hearts against you in sin.

[5:46] And, O Lord, we know that sin always casts a shadow over us. And always cuts us off from the blessing that you long for us to have. Thank you that Jesus came to do away with sin.

[5:59] Thank you that Jesus came to overcome sin in our lives. Not only its consequence and curse. Not only its punishment and sentence. But also its power to rule us and to spoil life.

[6:12] Thank you that in Christ, O Lord, we have life. And as he promised life to the full. Life in abundance. We pray that this morning as we come to celebrate, to rejoice in, to give thanks for your goodness to us.

[6:27] Your grace to us in Jesus. We ask that our hearts may be moved and quickened by your Holy Spirit. That we may find ourselves overflowing with thankfulness. Overflowing with joy.

[6:39] And as we come and hear you speak to us through your word. So we ask again, O Lord, we might receive your word. Receive it and the blessing that it gives. Through faith in Jesus.

[6:50] We praise you and thank you, O Lord, that you have drawn us here. We're not here by mistake or accident. It's not because we always are here on a Sunday morning. You are here with us to do us good.

[7:03] And, Lord, we pray that indeed you would meet with us now. And that you would speak to us now. And that you would bless us now. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

[7:14] Amen. Thank you, Richard. Thank you, John. And please, again, follow up John's advice. Have a little look and make sure you're reading and praying about the work.

[7:26] Well, Whitby will be having Christian Answers here. We've been having beach teams over the last many, many, many, many years. But this year is something different. It's going to be a Christian Answers mission, which you'll hear a bit more about.

[7:40] And that will be in August. Well, let's read together in our Bibles. And we're going to read from Luke in chapter 8 and verse 40.

[7:56] Luke in chapter 8 and verse 40. That's page 1038. If you have one of the church Bibles, page 1038. And reading from verse 40 to the end of the chapter.

[8:10] Jesus has been across the lake of Galilee. And there he rescued, delivered, set free that man who was severely demon possessed.

[8:23] And now he's come back across the lake to the other side. So verse 40. Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.

[8:36] Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house. Because his only daughter, a girl of about 12, was dying.

[8:49] As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who'd been subject to bleeding for 12 years. But no one could heal her.

[9:01] She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. And immediately her bleeding stopped. Who touched me? Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.

[9:18] But Jesus said, someone touched me. I know that power has gone from me. Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet.

[9:32] In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. He said to her, Daughter, your faith has healed you.

[9:44] Go in peace. While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. Your daughter is dead, he said.

[9:57] Don't bother the teacher anymore. Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, Don't be afraid. Just believe. And she will be healed.

[10:09] When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her.

[10:23] Stop wailing, Jesus said. She's not dead, but asleep. They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, My child, get up.

[10:37] Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. And Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

[10:51] To Luke and chapter 8 and to these events in the life of our Lord Jesus that tell us so much, reveal so much about what he is like and who he is.

[11:02] That would be good. I wonder, what would you consider to be the greatest cultural contribution that the British have made to the world?

[11:13] Football. We invented that. The beautiful game. Spread that joy in every nation. Of course, cricket. That's a proper gentlemanly game, isn't it?

[11:26] A sport. Become the national game of many countries which are part of the Commonwealth now. The Beatles, maybe. That's our cultural contribution.

[11:37] Some other great musical composer, band, whoever knows. What about afternoon tea? That's a great contribution, isn't it? To the world.

[11:49] Stopping and having an afternoon tea. I think actually that the greatest contribution that the British have given to the world is the art of queuing. Not playing snooker, but the ability to queue.

[12:01] Look elsewhere around the world. And people are always fighting amongst one another, trying to get to the front, trying to get onto a train or through a doorway or buy a ticket or whatever.

[12:15] The British lead the way, don't we, in the skill of queuing, forming an orderly queue. And wherever the empire reached, there we instilled in that country's psyche the ability to wait.

[12:31] But what was once really almost a national pastime has begun to be lost, hasn't it, in recent generations. Just listen to the tutting in the supermarket queue when a pensioner is at the front counting out the correct change.

[12:48] It happens, doesn't it? Come on. Or when a learner driver is approaching the traffic lights and they turn to Amber and they stop. And all the people behind want to honk their horns and shout at them.

[13:03] What's happened to those fundamental truths that we were all brought up with when we were children? All good things come to those who wait. We've always had that drilled into us.

[13:14] Patience is a virtue. Could it be because we live in an instant world, we expect instant gratification. We expect everything to come to us immediately.

[13:28] Mobile phones and the internet, of course. We can communicate immediately, download immediately, listen or watch anything we want to. Wherever we are, whenever we want it, almost instantaneously.

[13:40] We hate that buffering symbol that comes on, doesn't it, when the Wi-Fi is slow. Of course, there's one thing that we must always be prepared to wait for.

[13:51] On the end of the line at customer services. When we're phoning for our bank or our electricity provider or whatever, we know for sure that we're going to hear, your call is in a queue.

[14:03] We know that your call is important to us. Please be patient at this busy time. If you want to be a happy cure, you have to have patience.

[14:15] Lots and lots of patience. It seems to me, when we come to this story, two events are taking place in Luke in chapter 8. And there's two people who appear to have a great deal of patience.

[14:29] That is the woman who had been having this terrible bleed for 12 years. And this father, Jairus, the synagogue leader, whose daughter was on the point of and then ultimately did die.

[14:43] Both of them are extremely patient with Jesus and ultimately in that sense they are patient with God. All of us struggle with being patient with God.

[14:57] We all long for and question why he takes so long to answer our prayers. God's people have always been impatient throughout the Bible.

[15:11] Read in the Psalms. Psalm 79, where the psalmist there says, how long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? You don't seem to be answering our prayers.

[15:23] You don't seem to be doing what we need you to do in this situation. You see, when we pray, we pray with a sense of urgency, don't we?

[15:36] We pray because there's a pressing need in our lives. There's something that is on our doorstep. There's something that in the immediate that we are looking for God to do. We pray for those who are unwell.

[15:47] We want them to be well, not to remain unwell. We want them to be healed. We pray for our practical needs or our financial needs to be met.

[15:58] Now, as the bill comes in the door or as we receive that bill online. We pray for those situations that are causing us distress, sorrow, grief to be changed.

[16:13] Now. We're praying for those unsaved loved ones to be converted. Now. In each case, our prayers arise from an immediate need.

[16:26] Not because of something in the far future. I don't think there's many of us who in our teens would have prayed for God to meet our council tax bill. When we're in our teens, we're praying for the Lord to bring along that person who will love us.

[16:43] And who we will love. That future husband or wife. Few of us in our twenties prayed that God would arrange for us to have a good pension scheme for when we retire. These are far future things.

[16:55] We give them very little thought and we give them very little prayer. It's the pressing. It's the thing that burdens us now that moves us to pray. And we want and we think that God should answer our prayers quickly.

[17:11] If not after the very first prayer, surely after the second or third prayer that we've been praying for this situation. But I want us just for a moment this morning to put ourselves in the position of these two people.

[17:28] How would we feel? How would we feel? Wouldn't we want God to be in a hurry to answer our prayers and to help us? Both of them, I believe, have great patience and I want us to look at that and see perhaps ourselves in them.

[17:47] Perhaps see ourselves in the struggle that they have. Waiting as it were patiently for God to help. First of all, we'll actually go to the woman there who had been bleeding for 12 years.

[18:07] Mark tells us in his account of this that she had spent all her money on many doctors and she still was not only unwell but had grown worse.

[18:20] 12 years. Not only was this bleeding a cause, no doubt, of discomfort and pain and distress, but for her it would have meant that she was ceremonially unclean according to the laws of Leviticus.

[18:38] She wouldn't have been able to take part in the Passover. She wouldn't have been able to go into the temple. She wouldn't have been able to even have much association with other people because if they touched her or she touched them, they became ceremonially unclean as well.

[18:52] 12 years. Almost an outcast in her society as well as spending all her money. Looking up every quack and doctor she could find and she's just getting worse.

[19:06] You've been in that sort of situation, dear friends, where things are getting worse instead of better. You've been praying. There's no doubt about it that this was a woman of faith.

[19:17] There's no doubt that she was one of the Israelites. She prayed, I'm sure, over those 12 years, God heal me. Please help me. What was happening? The circumstance and the situation in her life was getting worse and worse and worse.

[19:32] Now she was poor, destitute in that sense, in greater discomfort and greater pain. Had she lost all hope?

[19:43] God's given up on me. God's not heard me. God doesn't care for me. God doesn't care for me. Year after year after year.

[19:55] Is there something that's been troubling you for year after year after year? It doesn't have to be a physical thing. Maybe mental health.

[20:08] Maybe someone in your family who you love who's unwell. Maybe a circumstance or a situation. And you've prayed and you've prayed and you've prayed.

[20:19] And actually when you look at the situation and you look at the circumstances, things are not better. They are worse. But then, then she hears.

[20:31] She hears that there is in town once more, Jesus. The one who'd healed people wherever he went, in all sorts of circumstances.

[20:43] In one sense she acts, doesn't she? She's not going to wait any longer. She acts. He has healed the other people. Maybe he can heal me. I believe he can heal me.

[20:54] Even if I just touch his cloak. And so she forces her way through the crowd. These people are pressing in around about her. People are sort of keeping her back.

[21:05] They all want to be near Jesus. He's the celebrity of the moment. He's the one that people want to be near and hear. And perhaps they've also got needs and concerns for healing. But she is pushing through the people.

[21:17] Reaching, reaching, reaching. Just touches. And in her body she feels. Wow! That bleeding has stopped. She feels that healing.

[21:29] She feels herself complete again. But then think of this father Jairus.

[21:41] This poor, distraught father. His only daughter. His only child. Little girl of twelve. Bounced her on the knee. For when she was small.

[21:52] Told her all the stories. Put her into bed at night. This is the precious jewel in his life. Yes, he's the leader of the synagogue. He's a man of importance.

[22:03] He's a man of position. But that means nothing to him. And his little daughter is now seriously ill. Those of us who've had children. Know what that's like.

[22:14] When children. They begin with perhaps a temperature. And a cough. And a cold. And then they start to. Get a little bit worse. And you start to get a bit worried about them. And no doubt like any good father.

[22:26] He would have sought out a doctor as well. And called the doctor to come and see his daughter. And the doctor would have perhaps given her some medicine. Or else he would have suggested some things for her to eat.

[22:37] But now instead of getting better. What's happening? Getting worse. Ultimately the doctor comes to the point. Again he says, I'm sorry Jairus. I've got bad news. Prepare yourself for the worst.

[22:52] Prepare yourself for the worst. Didn't Jairus pray? He's the leader of the synagogue. He's a religious man. A man of faith. Didn't he actually call the whole of the synagogue?

[23:03] Please everybody. Will you pray for my daughter? Please. The doctors told me she's going to die. And she's getting iller and iller. And God doesn't answer his prayer.

[23:14] The girl is as good as gone. By the time he gets to Jesus we're told she was dying. Past hope. Where was God when I needed him?

[23:27] Here I am. Here I am. I've been a good Jew. I've been a good religious person. I've served him in the synagogue. I've been somebody who has put him first in my life.

[23:38] And he's given me this one girl and now he's taking her away? What sort of God is he? What sort of God is he? Why doesn't he answer my prayers?

[23:49] Can you equate with that? Where are you God? I've tried to be the best I can be.

[24:00] And then what does he hear? There's Jesus back in town. Jesus. Jesus the one and he'd heard the news hadn't he?

[24:13] Remember back in Luke in chapter 7 there was a widow. She was taking her only child, her only son. He was being on his way to his burial when Jesus stopped the funeral procession and touches the man and he raises him to life.

[24:28] That man who did that, could he do this for my daughter? Could he save her? He's healed other people as well. And so what does he do? He runs.

[24:39] Runs from his house as soon as Jesus, it's almost as if as soon as Jesus was arrived, people were expecting him. Here's one of them, Jairus. He was waiting for Jesus to come back.

[24:50] He runs and he's the leader. He's the most important person in one sense in his town. But he falls at Jesus' feet. He humbles himself. He doesn't care what people think about him. He doesn't care. He's desperate.

[25:02] Jesus, come to my house and heal my daughter. She's dying. Jesus says, yes, I'll come. Oh! Yes, I'll come.

[25:15] I'll come and heal your daughter. You can imagine Jairus' joy. Right, let's go. Let's go quickly. Let's go fast. Oh, there's all these crowds of people in the way. Get out of the way. You know, I wish I had a blue light and a horn to say, get out of the way.

[25:30] Emergency, emergency. He's had to wait all those days. We don't know how long. Probably several days as he's seen his daughter get worse and worse.

[25:41] Doctors unable to help her again, just as the doctors couldn't help the other woman. And at that point where she is now, just moments it seems, away from death. Get Jesus there. And they're moving through the crowd and they're pushing through the crowd.

[25:54] But suddenly, the worst thing happened. Jesus stops. What are you stopping for? This is vital. Jesus says, who touched me? Who touched you?

[26:05] Doesn't he? Probably he thinks exactly like Peter. Who touched you? He's people pressing it around about. What are you doing? No, come on. And then Jesus presses the point.

[26:16] No, someone's touched me. Some power's gone from me. Who is it? And there's a wait and a wait. And this Jairus saying, why are we waiting? Look, look, look, nobody's going to own up to it.

[26:27] Let's go. Eventually, this woman comes, falls at Jesus' feet, trembling, scared. And she begins to tell her story. Please don't take this as a sexist remark.

[26:42] But when women tell a story, they tell the whole story. Do you know what I mean? You ask a man, how did you get on at work today? What's happened today?

[26:53] Nothing much. Been all right? Ask a woman, what's your day been like today? Let me tell you. And that's not a, please, that's not a bad thing. That's because men and women are different and it's wonderful.

[27:04] But you can imagine there's this woman. She's had 12 years pent up frustration, waiting to be well and healed. And now's the chance. And so you can imagine the story's a long story.

[27:17] She's telling about how she first began to bleed and she thought, well, it's just natural. It's just part of the cycle. But now it carried on and so she starts to seek doctors and there's no help and she starts spending.

[27:31] And you can, you can, all the background information is being given and there's poor Jairus going, hurry up. My daughter's dying. My daughter's dying. Until at last Jesus dismisses her and says, daughter, your faith has healed you.

[27:47] Go in peace. Can you imagine how poor Jairus is at? He's at his wits end. He's bitten his fingernails down to his knuckles almost and urging the woman to stop talking.

[27:58] He's got to get Jesus before it's too late to his house to heal his daughter who's dead. Yes, it's lovely. It's wonderful that you've been healed. I'm so pleased for you. But this is even more pressing.

[28:09] Don't you feel that way sometimes as well? You hear other people, they get prayers answered, don't they? And it's good that we can share that answered prayer.

[28:20] It's wonderful that we can encourage one another answered prayer. And then somebody comes along and says, oh, I've got great news. My grandson, I've been praying for him for years and years. He's now just become a Christian.

[28:31] That happened just recently. Somebody told me about it. And you're thinking, I'm so pleased to you. What about my son? What about my daughter? What about my family? They're not saved yet.

[28:42] And I've been praying for them and they're older. And they seem to be coming further and further away from the Lord. And what about the circumstance and situation that I'm in? I'm not able to find a job.

[28:53] And yet, there's God answering prayer. And these people find this wonderful job. And why, Lord? Why them and not me? We can get a spiritual jealousy, can't we?

[29:04] A spiritual envy in our hearts. Because God is doing something. And we hear about churches, don't we? We hear about churches in various parts of the world. Or even in our own nation. And they're knowing a touch of revival.

[29:16] And there's lots of people who are converted and coming to faith in Christ. And we're saying, well, Lord, we're praying and we're witnessing. Why isn't the Lord saving people here? And then we start to examine our navels, don't we? And start trying to pull.

[29:30] You know what it's like. Jairus. So Jairus eventually, well, not eventually. Even as this woman is talking and Jesus is speaking with her.

[29:41] There comes one of Jairus's, maybe his servants. Maybe somebody from the house. He can see them approaching. And he knows what news they're bringing. He can see it on their face. She's dead.

[29:53] My little girl's dead. All this time that's been wasted and she's dead. I've been an ass, Jesus. I asked this one who I believe is God on earth.

[30:04] I believed in him. I put my faith in him. I trusted him. I went and humbled myself before him and I pleaded with him, please. And he's not done it. And yes, indeed, his worst fears are true.

[30:19] The man comes and he speaks to Jairus's master. Jairus, the little girl, she's dead. Your daughter's dead.

[30:31] Don't bother the teacher anymore. Don't bother him. Let him get on and help somebody else. It's too late. He can't do anything now, can he? Don't you feel like that as well?

[30:44] You're waiting and waiting and waiting. Jesus hasn't answered. And now, he probably never will. It's too late. It's too late. The girl's dead. Nothing can be done, is there?

[30:56] It's been 20 years you've been praying for that situation. It's been all those years that you've been seeking God and looking to him. And people here and there, the Lord has answered their prayers. But your prayers, they've not been answered.

[31:07] And you're going, well, it's just too late. God's never going to answer my prayer now. He's never going to step in. He's never going to. Clearly, it just wasn't his will. It just wasn't what he wanted. They're just going to have to accept it.

[31:21] Put on a pretend smile. But Jesus knew the inner turmoil of the heart of Jairus.

[31:33] He knew exactly what he was going through. He knew that he was heartbroken. He knew that he was full of fear. He knew that he was, he had given up hope in one sense. But Jesus says, don't be afraid.

[31:46] Don't be afraid. Don't think it's too late. Don't give up on me now or on your daughter now or on God now. Don't write the situation off. Don't write the situation off. And then he says, just believe.

[31:59] Just believe. That's easy for you to say. Isn't it? Isn't it? People may say that to us as well. Perhaps when we share with them something of our inner struggle and turmoil and concern over whatever it may be.

[32:14] Our children or grandchildren or our spouse or something. And they just say to you, just believe. Oh, that's easy for you. All your family are well. All your family are converted. All your family are going on with the Lord.

[32:26] Everything's fine in your church. Just believe. Just believe. But those words are effective words.

[32:38] What is he, what is Jesus saying? He says, just believe. He's saying, believe me. Just believe and she will be healed. Trust in me. Believe in me. I know what I'm doing.

[32:52] I haven't forgotten you or your daughter. You may feel as if I have, but I haven't. See, the only way to wait on God, the only way to be patient in all these things is to have faith.

[33:06] That's the whole principle of the Bible, isn't it? The whole principle of the Christian life. We live by faith. Not by sight. Not by touch. Not by feeling. Not by what circumstances of life.

[33:19] And faith in Jesus Christ is never misplaced faith. Faith in Jesus Christ is never a faith which will be let down or disappointed or failed.

[33:32] Faith in Christ is always, always, always, always, and always, faith that will be answered.

[33:45] Faith that will be upheld. See, both these people had to wait. One for 12 years, the other for a matter of days. But what happens? Jesus goes to the house, doesn't he?

[33:57] Takes with him his three closest disciples. He says to the people, because you would have, in those days, if there was a lot of people, family and so on around about, they would mourn and cry and wail in one sense.

[34:11] We still see that, don't we, often in the Middle East, something of the culture there. And Jesus says, stop wailing. Stop wailing. Stop wailing. She's just asleep. She's not dead.

[34:23] We start mocking him, ridiculing him, laughing at him. Well, who do you think you are? We know she's dead. We've seen the dead body. We know that it's too late. What are you doing?

[34:34] Isn't there a sense as well, isn't there, as Christians, sometimes when we feel as if the world's mocking and laughing at us, or even the devil's laughing at us, saying, I'm trusting in Jesus.

[34:48] I'm trusting in God. I'm trusting he's going to hear my prayer. I'm trusting that he's going to prove himself faithful. And within us, maybe even as well, there's a sort of, who are you kidding? You're kidding.

[34:59] You're just kidding yourself. And the world loves to mock the believer who trusts in Christ, has faith in him. You're kidding yourself. There's no God. There's no God who's going to help you.

[35:10] There's no God who's going to step into the circumstances and situations of life. You're just kidding yourself. I wonder what their response was a bit later.

[35:25] He goes in and he takes hold of the hand of this dead corpse, this young girl. My child, get up.

[35:36] Her spirit returned and at once she stood up. She'd been, she was so ill she couldn't get out of bed for several days, I'm presuming. And now she's dead and Jesus just has to say, get up.

[35:48] There's no CPR. There's no, there's no medical reason for her to get up. This is a supernatural work of God. The God who gives life, the God who takes life and gives her life.

[36:00] And she gets up and she eats again, possibly for the first time in many days. And her parents are astonished. Overjoyed. We thought that God had given up on us.

[36:12] We thought that it was too late. We thought that nothing could be done. Dear friends, how can you and I wait patiently for Jesus to answer our prayers?

[36:26] How can we wait for Him to act? And yet in the midst of that waiting, be free from the fear and the anxiety that waiting upon God brings.

[36:38] How can we trust Him to astonish us with His love, even though everything else tells us it's just too late? I just want to bring a few practical thoughts based upon that words of our Lord Jesus there.

[36:54] Just believe. Think about who it is that you're putting your faith and trust in. It's not another person.

[37:06] It's not even a doctor or a consultant or a specialist. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, when we put our faith in God Almighty. The God who created the whole universe.

[37:17] The God for whom nothing is impossible. The God of all power. Nothing's too hard for Him. Even your need. Even your circumstances. Even your prayer.

[37:28] That's not too hard for God. It's simple. Think about who it is that your faith is in. Of course, if your faith is not in this God.

[37:42] If your faith is not in Jesus Christ as He truly has shown Himself to be. The Son of God. The God who has power. Who Himself was risen from the dead. Then, yeah, your faith is going to be small.

[37:53] It is going to dwindle. Because your faith is not in the true living God. It's in someone else. A false God. A failing God. A failing God. But think also not only who He is.

[38:06] But think about what He's like. Think about this. He's the God who loves you. He's the God who cares for you. He's the God who has taken you, dear Christian, to be His child.

[38:20] He's the God who has given His Son for you. And if you want any more evidence and proof. Then there it is. In the giving of Christ. Here's Paul as he writes to the Christians in Rome in chapter 8, verse 32.

[38:35] God who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all. How will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?

[38:47] If God's given His Son out of love for you, why would He withhold something else which is good? Why would He withhold something else which you need? Think about who He is.

[38:59] Think about what He's like. Think about what He's already done. Both in the lives of others. That's why we have the scriptures.

[39:10] The Bible is full of God's dealings with people. Ordinary people. You and me type of people. And He has worked and He has given and He has saved and He has answered prayer.

[39:23] But also one another. Those brothers and sisters we have in Christ. That's why we fellowship with one another. That's why being part of our local church is so important. Because we encourage one another.

[39:34] We tell one another. We pray for one another. But also think about not only what He's done in the past and done for others. But think about what He's already done in your life if you're a Christian this morning.

[39:45] Think about how He has saved you and how He has helped you and has answered prayer. Then dear friends remember this.

[39:57] That God's timing is perfect. That He's never late. That He never forgets. And that He always has a very good reason why in our minds He is delayed.

[40:16] Here's what Peter writes in his second letter concerning the promises of God. Particularly the promise that Jesus will come again. Do not forget this one thing dear friends. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years.

[40:28] And a thousand years are like a day. That doesn't mean that God has no concept of time. But it means that this. That for God time. He's not bound by time.

[40:39] As we are. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise. As some understand slowness. We think He's slow. We think He's delayed. He's not.

[40:50] He is patient with you. Hold on. I'm being patient with God. No, no. God's being patient with you. With me. With me. He knows when the right time is to answer that prayer.

[41:03] He knows when the right time is to meet that need. He knows exactly. To the moment. To the second. To the millisecond. When. Is the best time. For Him to give you the answer to prayer.

[41:16] He is patient with you. Not wanting any to perish. But all to come to repentance. God has good reason. For what seems to be a delay. But in fact is not.

[41:27] It's His perfect timing. And finally dear friends. Just keep reminding yourselves. Of these things. And of His promises to you.

[41:39] When you're struggling. When you're coming to Him in prayer. When you're crying out. Lord. How long? Remember these things. And speak to your soul.

[41:51] As the psalmist did. Psalm 42. And Psalm 43. We find again and again. The writer of the psalm. Speaking to himself. He says this.

[42:02] My soul is downcast within me. Why is my soul downcast within me? Why am I so disturbed? In God. For I will yet praise Him.

[42:17] My Savior and my God. He says it again. Verse 11 of Psalm 42. Why my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within you? Put your hope in God.

[42:28] For I will yet praise Him. My Savior and my God. And again he says it. In Psalm 43 as well. We need to speak to ourselves.

[42:40] To tell us. To tell us. To tell us. To tell us. To tell us. To tell us. To tell us. It's too late. To tell us. That God doesn't care. To tell us.

[42:51] That He is. Not there. We need to speak to ourselves. And remind ourselves. That He is a God worth. Waiting. For.

[43:03] Let's pray together now. Each one of us. Oh Lord our God. This morning will have.

[43:16] Matters on our hearts and minds. Which we have been waiting. And praying for you to answer. For some of us. Maybe weeks. Months. Some of us years. Some of us decades. And Lord where.

[43:29] We feel as if Lord. It's just too late. Or we've lost hope. We ask again. That we might learn from. What we've seen here.

[43:41] About your dealings. With these two people. Lord Jesus. That you are. One in whom. Faith is never disappointed. We pray again. Oh Lord.

[43:52] That you would renew. And strengthen our faith. To trust you. To believe in you. And to wait. For you. Because we know Lord. You love us.

[44:03] We know that you can. We know that you. Have. Before. You. Oh Lord. Give us that faith. That we need. To trust you.

[44:14] With all the things. That burden our hearts. All the concerns. That we have. That we might know Lord. That in your time. You will bring about. All that is in your will. Deliver us Lord.

[44:25] We pray from. Impatience. Especially that sort of impatience. That forces us. To act rashly. Unthoughtfully. Carelessly.

[44:37] Even sinfully. Because we think. That we must take matters. Into our own hands. We must sort it out. Instead of waiting. And trusting in you. Give us that wisdom. We pray. And grant us.

[44:48] Most of all. That peace. That peace. That surpasses. All understanding. That Lord. When we trust in you. We know that we have one. Who is faithful.

[45:00]  We ask these things. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen.