08/18/24 Mark 8 22-26 Pastor Cody

[Music] all [Music] so [Music] than [Music] me this [Music] for [Music] in e [Music] well good morning church it is good to see you here this morning my name is Cody and it's good to see each and every single one of you here we're all about loving God loving each other and loving our community and World amen that's what we're all about and so hey we got a bunch of things that are happening before Thomas left by the way Thomas he's not here right this SEC no actually he is he's right there but little Samuel over there Samuel Samuel you're gonna do great today okay we're praying for you okay he's got a fiddle competition at the state fair today so you're going to crush it yeah he's ready so hey we've got a bunch of things that are coming up but one of the things that Thomas want me to emphasize is just the tremendous need that we have for our Ministries that we offer on Wednesdays and on Sundays especially in the nursery Ministry and so if you want to make an eternal impact in the lives of children infants babies and things like that during aana specifically we could definitely use some help there as well as with kids quest all sorts of things you can contact him the information is right there in your bow so you can you know grab that oh okay all right you can take a look at that and call him because it's it's just right

There also you know if you just want to harass him pretend like you're you know about he's from Canada so you can just pretend like you're you're someone from the government asking him to go back he would hate that but anyways there's a bunch of things that are happening one of the things is next week o over the coming weeks okay we're going to have some work done to replace that hbac unit in the gym right now we got one that's working kind of halfway and so we've paid 30,000 down to replace it so far we got another 30,000 to go we' got 16,000 in the bank in order to pay the rest of it off means that we have a net of about 14,000 that we need to pay so we're going to do a special offering next week be just praying about that about how the Lord might prompt you to give towards that over and above your tithe okay so if you are a faithful giver and you're just like you know I can give $20 and praise the Lord do 20 but don't take you know your giving and then shift it over to the special offering because you know then it'll be like okay which which electric bill should we pay or which water bill should we pay or things like that so please be praying about that about how the Lord might be calling you to give there's all sorts of other information in here one of the other things I want to highlight is at the end of SE September the lamine Baptist Association is going to be hosting A discipleship conference here at our church bunch of people from the Missouri Baptist convention will be here leading different breakout sessions looking for U firstly we want you to be here if you have an opportunity 10 bucks is what it will cost that also goes to cover the cost of food and things like that just kind of offset that also if you want to help make some food come and talk to me because I'm on that team that's helping put it together and we'll get

You all squared away other than that be sure to just take a bulletin and look at it and get connected also last thing why don't you just find a friend or a neighbor shake their hand say welcome to First Baptist Church [Music] like h [Music] for w [Music] give you e well before we get started I totally forgot not about this part but that you know there's something big happening in our community on Tuesday and that's going to be kids are going back to school right and that's that's a big deal that's a that's a huge deal because we want to support those Christian Educators that are going to be Salt and Light to those School camps amen and so I had asked Brett Thompson if he would come up and pray he's going to be praying for our Christian Educators and the support staff that are in the schools and then the elders are going to come up and we're going to be praying for the administrators of the campuses and also just for all Christian Educators so whether you're you know a teacher or a home school mom or whatever it's the start of the year and they need our prayers amen and so Brett if you would come on forward and he's just going to lead us in a in a community prayer just asking for God's blessing and then G Jim if you would come forward and we'll pray for the rest of the Christian Educators as well am mind praying for us thanks Cody and as Cody said our teachers were back this week and it's good to have everybody back but you know with all the excitement obviously

Probably some anxiety too on teachers and students and parents so if you would join me in prayer right now for the school year I'd appreciate did dear heavenly father we just come to you now we thank you for this opportunity to pray for our upcoming school year we thank you for the support we have from our church family Lord we just ask that you would watch over each and every one each teacher each support staff secretaries Food Service custodians par professionals bus drivers all those folks that will come in contact with our students on a daily basis we just ask Lord God that you allow each of those folks to have patience help each one of them to always look to you for their guidance and their strength and their Direction May every interaction that they have with our students be positive and reflect your goodness and your glory we just especially ask that you just lay a blanket of protection over our students our staff our community as we go throughout the school Year and may everything that we do bring honor and glory to you I ask all these things in Jesus name amen let's pray again father we do pray for Brett and for his team we lift them up trusting that father you said in your word that a student when he is fully trained will be like his master and they are going to be the salt and the light on the front lines in the community they're going to be interacting with students and impacting their lives on a daily basis we pray for confidence for boldness for wisdom from above in their interactions that they have every day and that most of all you would be glorified in this community in Jesus name we pray Amen in John chapter 8 we read Jesus spoke to them saying I am the light of the world whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of

Life we've gathered together this morning to sing to our Lord Jesus our light so why don't you stand with us and join us in singing about his love [Music] Come All You We Come All You Mercy come to the that never run drink of the water come and thir [Music] no Come All You sin come find his Mercy come to the table he will satisfy taste all his goodness find what you're looking for God so love the world that he gave us his one and only son Tove us whoever believes in him will live forever bring all your failures bring your addictions come lay them down at the foot of the cross Jesus is waiting there with Open [Music] Hearts for God so love the world that he gave us is one and only son to save us whoever believes in him will live forever the power of Hell will never be in this world walking in freed for God so God so love the [Music] world praise God praise God from whom all blessings praise him praise him for the wonders of his love praise God praise God from all blessings praise him praise him for the wonders of his love for God the world that he gave us is one and only song to save us whoever believes in him will live forever the power of H forever defeated now it is well I'm walking in Freedom for God so love God so love the [Music] world bring all your failures bring your addictions come lay them down at the foot of the cross Jesus is waiting God

So loved the [Music] world great God of high by my LLY heart it all and Rain Supreme conquer every power let remain that resists your holy war you have Lov and purchase Me Make Me Yours forever more [Music] I was blinded by my S had no ear to hear your voice did not know your love within had no taste for heaven Jo your gave me life open up your word to me through the Godel of your son gave me in this hope and peace [Music] help me now to [Music] live on your gra keep my heart and guard my soul from the evil I face you are wor to be praised every oh great God of highest glorify your name through me to be prais oh great God of highest glor your name through [Music] me all right you guys can have a seat as the ushers come forward for the offering let's pray together as we take up our offering dear heavenly father it's good this morning to be in your house thank you Lord for allowing us to drive in to come in to be in your house to worship together to sing songs to you Lord and to praise you as our holy God thank you for your love that never ceases thank you for your mercies that never come to

An end thank you Lord thank you for how you bless us by giving us so much and as we give back it's our privilege to give back this offering to you Lord thank you for loving us in Christ's name [Music] amen sh by a hand [Music] and [Music] Sh touched me and now I am no stand with us we touch [Music] touch me the joy that my [Music] soul something happened and now I know he touched me and made me home [Applause] this saor chist made behold I will never cease to praise him I'll shout eternity R he touched [Music] she he touch and all the joy that BLS my [Music] soul something happened and now I know he touched me and made me [Music] home he touched me oh he touched me and all the joy that my soul something heaven and now I know he touch me and made me home

Jesus Jesus there just something about that Master Savior [Applause] Jus like a fragrance after [Music] the Jesus Jesus of Heaven and [Music] Earth Kings and kingdoms they all pass away but there's something about your [Music] name let's pray father thank you for touching us Lord there's so many different ways that we can apply that you heal us you give us life you provide for our needs but Lord most of all we thank you for salvation thank you for touching us with the blood of Jesus and removing our sin father as we continue now worshiping you in the reading and teaching of your word I pray for Cody as he preaches I pray that you would open our hearts to understand that your spirit would touch us with the truth of your word we pray in Jesus name amen well if you have your Bible and I hope that you do please turn with me to the Book of Mark chapter 8 we're going to be in verses 22- 26 this morning what's happening here in The Book of Mark is it's transitioning from act one to act two in this narrative this is a defining moment

For the people for Jesus's Ministry because what we're going to notice is Jesus rapidly and progressively revealing more and more of himself as the Messiah emphasizing his entire purpose of why he came but before he does that he is going to perform a miracle and this miracle functions as maybe a first bookend to the book of Acts to the Book of Mark in act two of this story The end of act two is also going to deal with a blind man being healed that's going to be in Mark 10 when we get there it's the story of bartimus we'll get there in November if the Lord allows it but it is at this point in Christ's Ministry about two and a half years in that Jesus begins heading northward to cesaria Philippi that's when he arrives and I'm looking so forward to preaching next week it's one of my favorite stories and all the Gospels but then he's going to turn South to Judea and to Jerusalem now if someone were to ask you what is the Bible all about what would you say what would your response be if someone said you know what's that book that you read all about to put it all into one word if we were to summarize it all up it's about salvation if we were to just summarize it in one whole theme it's about salvation the scholar TB Kilpatrick he said the Old Testament in the Old Testament the Creed of Israel is in brief Yahweh saves because that's the whole central theme the whole Central Narrative of Scripture in his first Advent Jesus Christ he came to fulfill all the Messianic prophecies which includes bringing sight to the blind as well as seeing physically yeah but every miracle that Jesus performed that Jesus did is a parable of a Heavenly

Truth and that's what we're going to be talking about today so if you would stand with me in honor of God's word as we read Mark chapter 8 veres 22 through 26 God's word it says this and they came to Betha and some people brought him a blind man and begged him to touch him and he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village and when he had Spit on His Eyes and laid his hands on him he asked him do you see anything and he looked up said I see people but they look like trees walking then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again and he opened his eyes his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly and he sent him to his home saying do not even enter the village let's pray and so Lord we do thank you for the touch that you bring to us even though we were sick blind deaf dumb dead you still reached out and you touched us and you brought us up out of that myy clay that we were in you called us out of that grave and now we're Sons and Daughters Lord by faith alone in you father I pray that your touch would continue to make things clearer in our lives to help us to understand your working father I just pray and intercede Lord on behalf of this church we just ask that you would work in really powerful ways in the midst of our weakness in the midst of our distractions Lord we just thank you that you are God you are good and that you're working and we profess that we love you and that we just absolutely adore you help us to understand more about your word today we want to continue to lift up to you Denny Johnson we want to continue to lift up Janet wget Lord and the many others that are sick Lord we just pray for healing because we know that you with just touch can do that Lord for our

Friends and our neighbors that may be lost we pray for them you know them Lord but also for those that might be in this room that don't have a personal relationship with you I pray that today that they would experience that touch and be taken from Death to life in Jesus name amen well our passage begins as Jesus and the disciples arrive at Betha Betha is located up here on the Northern most northernmost shore of the Sea of Galilee you'll see capernium right there that's a base and center of Jesus's operations Betha it's known as the house of fishing okay and so that's their their their big industry that's there it's also the hometown of Phillip of Andrew and of Peter and this is the whole area that Jesus really ministered in during the height of his popularity it's not a very big area not by any means but that's where Jesus was working and Jesus loved working and doing those Miracles but everyone particularly loved having Jesus around because he would do these things that were absolutely astounding anybody ever had a friend that was just super into magic and they could just wow you every single time like I remember a few years ago we had brought in a coin magician that loved doing and we call him a magician he's an Illusionist he's actually a really solid Christian guy that would use those deceptions as a way to point people that if your eyes can deceive you can be spiritually deceived let me tell you about Jesus it was really cool how he would do that but people people love those type of things that they're drawn to it and yet Jesus he wasn't performing magic tricks he wasn't causing deception he was actually healing people and Performing Miracles he was causing the blind to see

The deaf to hear the dead to walk and he was doing those things and so everyone loved having Jesus around these people bring to Jesus a blind man now in many parts of the world blindness is far more common than it is here in America blindness is caused by poor hygiene sometimes it's caused by infections in parts of Asia some babies they're born with perfectly fine eyesight but because of superstition parents if the baby has a lot of flies around its eyes they won't do anything they try to clear out the fly or anything like that they'll just allow for the flies to continue spreading disease because they just don't know and it causes damage to the Eyes Forever changing that child's life now the people in this town they were begging Jesus to touch this man why is that well it's from the outset of Jesus's Ministry that Jesus he set the standard of touching people it didn't matter how clean or unclean that person was Jesus Jesus invited people to come and to receive his touch and that's why people they would come to him and touch him with faith it's why the woman that had the issue with bleeding reached out and touched him and he set that standard he set that expectation and the thing that makes this event so interesting is that there's nothing that said about this Blind Man's faith when lepers would come they would say heal me and Jesus would see say let it be done to you according to your faith in Mark 10 we learned about bertimus he's going to be the guy that we get to in November and it's his faith right yet the only people in this group that seem to have any belief that Jesus can heal this blind man is his friends you see pleading for healing has been very common in the Book of Mark and this points to people's desperate need for healing but it also speaks to

Jesus's reputation as a Healer the people that brought this man to Jesus and begged seemed to be the exception to that population in Betha you see in Luke chapter 10 here's what we read woe to you coren woe to you Betha for if the mighty Works done in you have been done entire in siden they would have repented long ago sitting in sackcloth and Ashes but it will be more barable in the Judgment for Ty in siden than for you the people of Bea they had a serious case of hard-heartedness and unbelief that Jesus Christ was the Messiah they saw the Miracles yet they still didn't repent and believe you see the goal of Christ's Ministry was not to create a pep rally for God it wasn't to just generate excitement it wasn't even to do Miracles or be well-liked the goal of Christ's Ministry was to draw people to the father by his sacrificial death burial and his resurrection in fact the people didn't repent and they saw the Miracles and They begged Jesus to perform them which actually leads to their condemnation not their salvation and Jesus says that actually leads to Greater judgment for them many people they can get excited about Jesus they can beg Jesus to work in their lives they may want Jesus to save them from their circumstances and yet completely reject his lordship and his sovereignty over their lives those people that do that are not saved they're selfish they're not following Christ as Master they're following him as a merchant what can Jesus do for me big Point here don't be like the people in Bea seeking Christ Christ only for his workings but be a disciple that follows Christ and we're going to talk about that more and more next week Jesus he would often say to those who were

Healed let it be done for you according to your faith this man as I said it doesn't seem that there's any faith that can be noted In this passage because faith is a gift from God and we're going to see this play out in the touch of Christ because Jesus does touch this man immediately look at the verse in verse 23 it says and he took the blind man by the hand can you imagine the friend's disappointment when they say please touch him touch him and make his sight return and he reaches out and he touches him as he's done a hundred a thousand times before and what happens the eyesight doesn't return Jesus did not meet their expectations in that moment did he instead he leads him away can you imagine the disappointment of the man he probably heard the stories and the testimonies perhaps he even thought Jesus is fine for others but not for me there was a reason why he wasn't seeking Jesus out and then when he's touched by the master nothing happens it could have just validated his belief gone see Told You So Jesus says come with me we're going to leave the village sure I'll walk with you for a little bit Jesus he always healed with a touch that's how he healed with very few exceptions to that very few but his healing was immediate when he said that it would happen but this event is very unique because it's an act of Grace you see the Creator and the sustainer of the universe is leading this man away from the village in order to bring Faith Jesus he takes this man by the hand and he takes him to a private place that's that's also unusual because you know you know what Jesus did almost

All of his miracles in public maybe with the exception of the girl being raised from the dead now Jesus he's the Creator the sustainer of all people and all things he grabs this man by the hand and that's an act of grace too the Creator does not is not obliged to take us by the hand and lead us yet he does so with this man and he lays hands on him we talked about that a couple of weeks ago and this man he's standing there he's blind he can't see and then Jesus just spits in his eyes and for those of us I mean if you've ever been spit on you know that disrespect that happens right there right it causes things to happen in that cult culture spit was considered unclean a lot like ours however with the exception of Miracles okay they were believed at this time to have some type of healing elements with spittle and so that wouldn't have been lost on this blind man but yet he also lays hands on him in the Book of Mark it talks more about the laying on of hands than in any other Gospel the old Testament we don't see healings accompanied by the laying on of hands in fact the only time it's even mentioned in regards to Healing is when non is kind of angry at the man of God for not coming down and laying hands on him but just told him to go and wash in the Jordan but yet the Book of Mark nearly every healing event is accompanied with laying on of hands and it's something that continues even to this day in the New Testament we see that if you are sick you are to call for the elders to come and lay hands on you and anoint your head with oil that's what the New Testament says there's nothing in innately powerful in myself or any of the other Elders or the deacons coming and laying hands on you but there is power in obeying the Lord and following what he prescribes but the touch of Christ it varies sometimes it's the sick that seek

To touch Jesus other times it's the sick that are brought to him sometimes it's Jesus seeking out the sick in the Old Testament we see the primary purpose of the laying on of hands was to transfer animals or people from sinful to Sacred that's primary purpose you see it a lot of other circumstances in the Old Testament but that's primary one and they're consecrated to God but when Jesus lays his hands on people here's another big point for you guys the effect is the opposite because the sinner is not elevated to the sacred okay that's not what that's what happened in the Old Testament but rather when God who is high and holy and his healing presence is there he takes sinful people and he brings the sacred to The Sinner it's not about us being elevated it's about Christ coming down and ministering Among Us I once heard a story about a Christian School in India that allowed for a bu priest to come and to present about his religion and so he's he's talking about Buddhism and how you know God is so mysterious and wonderful and high and unattainable and he just expounds on that truth that God is so far and distant and separated and he just finishes up and he's like and that's it and the Christians in that in that school these children they said what do you mean that's it said well that's that's what we believe and the Christians they said well that's just where our religion is get just getting started you see it is Christ who is so high and so holy and so unattainable there is nothing that we could do to get to heaven one of the Puritans he said it's like trying to climb to the moon on a rope of salt it can't ever be done we can't make any progress and yet God condescended

And came down to minister to us to make a way for us to have a an eternal relationship a saving relationship with the God that made you that's why Jesus came and you have the whole story now it's found in God's word Satan he's the father of lies and half truths God he wants you to believe that you are a sinner that's a good and right thing to believe right Satan wants you to just stop there reason is it drives people to despair to depression and trying to solve the problem on their own which leads to legalism and abject morality which even those will fail you they will not save you but the Gospel is better because it gives the cure for the problem that Jesus Christ satisfied the Wrath of the father for all that would come to him now Jesus he asks the question here after laying hands on this man and he asks him what do you see it's the only time that Jesus ever asks a question after healing to verify if the miracle worked the only time does this mean that Jesus wasn't sure if the Cure had worked for the blind man no let me ask you this what's more car what's more difficult to cure a blind man or to raise someone from the dead what's more difficult it's harder to bring someone back to life way more difficult no one's ever done it and so what is Jesus doing why is this healing gradual instead of instantaneous well to be honest I can't give you that answer I'm not that smart I can't be dogmatic about it I can't answer it definitively but I can't take a stab at it based on the context as I started out this is the beginning of Act 2 in The Book of Mark and it's going to wrap up in Mark chapter 10 with another healing of the blind man you got two blind men that are kind of bookending this section and I

Believe that Jesus is trying to drive home a point about blindness spiritually because he' already warned the disciples about the leav of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy according to the Book of Luke the Pharisees they were looking for signs they were looking for evidences of the Miracles is Jesus who he really says he is and yet Jesus he leaves behind the Loaves and the fish for them to examine not only could they do that but they could listen to the testimonies of everyone that he had healed but it was God's will to harden their hearts so that Christ would be crucified according to the Sovereign decree of God in fact Jesus said that the Pharisees were spiritually blind and equally the same can be said about the apostles here because they perceive what Christ has done and they don't understand it Christ he says having eyes do you not see look at this do you not yet perceive or understand Peter James John Andrew go down the list are your hearts hardened having eyes do you not see do you not yet understand in Christ's first Advent he was teaching the disciples this process of self-revelation not just for the blind man but for the sake of the disciples as well now they are going to be understanding more and more over the coming months but yet there they're not going to fully realize the person and work of Jesus Christ until after the crucifixion and the resurrection and so when Jesus asks do you see anything he's moving this man from unbelief to belief because to Christ the man's faith is much more important than just his healing this man wasn't seeking the Lord he wasn't commended for his faith he was brought to Jesus by his friends and they

Were disappointed he was LED away and Jesus is bringing Faith to this man's dark eyes and what does this man see he sees people but they're like trees walking okay totally hazy but to go from blindness where you can't see to go to dimness we could say from Darkness to dimness to high definition okay Jesus he laid his hands on his eyes again and then the man saw everything clear look at how completely Christ healed he saw clearly his height his sight was restored he saw everything clearly that last phrase of seeing everything clearly it means to literally See Clearly from afar This Is 2020 Vision okay right now I like my eyesight is just it's just going that's just what's happening right now you all look like blobs when I'm looking over so if y'all see me do this it's because I want to get a better look at you to read your faces okay and some of you smile some of you don't and that's okay but you know what praise the Lord that this man was moved to 2020 vision and I think there's a lot to learn about the repeated touch because Jesus touched most people that he healed not always he touched some of them some of them it was just with word some came to him and just said hey speak a word and it will be done to you and I think that this speaks to a real spiritual truth truth that it's not our experiences that are normal what I mean is that people they come to Christ in all sorts of different ways some of you grew up in the church okay and there is not a time that you don't remember knowing Jesus and I say thank the Lord for that praise God touched you in a unique way you don't know when you began to believe okay but you do know that you do okay others of you were saved at a summer camp or at a vacation Bible school or something like that and you remember that very clearly in your mind

And you can go back to that some of you have recently come to know Christ later on in life and God touched you in your darkest moments and I say praise the Lord for that too because it's not our experiences that unite us but our common belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God we trust in him alone for salvation and while that touch touching each of Our Lives might be a little different the grace of God is the same for those who believe in Jesus he doesn't tell this man to go and tell everyone he tells the man to go home don't go to the Village don't tell everyone what happened just go straight home and so why is this passage so important well it continues to illustrate the end of the old Covenant with those signs of the New Covenant okay Christ he is a establishing something new and better and we see this evidenced in Christ's restoration of creation he's going around he's bringing back people from the dead he's making the lame walk the blind see the deaf hear the mute speak he's doing all of those things and he is inaugurating the kingdom of God through these words and these actions but you know what else he's doing is he is illustrating the disciples increasing belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God you see they have experienced Jesus's Authority from the very beginning of his ministry responding to that authoritative call Levi leave your post and come follow me Peter follow me and I will make you a fisher of men they've heard his proclamation of the Kingdom they have witnessed his healings and his exorcisms and these natural Miracles that it's just amazing and astounding to calm the wind in the waves and from a spiritual perspective they can see dimly they see like Jesus is walking and they know that he's

Special but they can't quite put a finger on it what makes him so unique as we'll see in next week's passage it is Peter's confession that Jesus is the son of God the Christ but like a blind man after Jesus's first touch they only see it dimly they don't fully understand what Jesus's identity and his mission is there's still a hard-heartedness there there's Pride they're still weak in the faith and in some ways they're in danger of giving in to the 11av of the Pharisees you see apart from Christ these obstacles are completely overwhelming but in Christ he gives us the victory in the passages to come Jesus he's going to revealed to the disciples the suffering way of the Cross these disciples like all of Jesus's followers they have to choose to follow the authentic path of God which entails suffering it entails sacrifice hardship or they can go along with their human plans now as we look at the gradual healing of the blind man it illustrates that gradual process that we grow and increase in our faith it's part of the reason why God doesn't just take us to like amazing obedient awesome Christians like you read about in our history books and according to our faith it's because it's a it's a process okay we're not the same people that we were when we came to know Christ he's still working on us he's still sanctifying us he's still moving us into Conformity with the image of his son and it might be a long and it might be a challenging road ahead it might be full of fits and starts okay and all right we're we're in August now okay and some of you started out this past year with the best of intentions to read your Bible through and you know got to got to maybe

Leviticus or whatever and you're just like I'm done I can't do this anymore okay all right try it again try it again find a different plan that works for you okay and don't give up because it's when we do the hard work of mining God's word okay a as we walk in obedience that we see that sanctifying power where our faith becomes a bit clearer our sight becomes clearer you see the kingdom of God was inaugurated in the Life Death and resurrection of Jesus but it hasn't been consummated yet means that we're not all perfect okay the kingdom of God is here yet not fully here in Romans chapter 8 Paul he phrases it this way we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the Pains of childbirth until now and not only the creation but we ourselves Believers right who have the first frots of the spirit grown inwardly as we eagerly as we wait eagerly for adoption as Sons there were Redemption of our bodies see it's in our flesh that we still struggle we still fail we still have those groanings pains and yet we keep moving forward by the power of the spirit Paul he says it another way in Philippians 3: 13 and 14 Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own as in Paul himself hadn't even arrived yet but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus do you believe it do you believe that God is still working on you and in you to draw you to Greater Heights of faith is your sight of the Lord maybe a little dim or unclear is Christ giving you greater Clarity of who he is see I pray that is true of you I pray that you reach out and touch the Lord while he might be found I believe that there's people

That are wandering in spiritual Darkness even here you know you can you can ask the Lord work in my life I don't know what that means you know he grants that faith that Faith that's so small I pray I pray that you would see the truth of who Christ is head heart hand head God wants you to know that he is continually revealing more of himself to you through his word circumstances and personal situations okay yes he has revealed himself clearly and sufficiently in his word okay no arguments about that but he also graciously reveals more and more of himself to us as we grow closer to Christ heart God wants you to believe that this is an ongoing revealing that's being worked in you and in others none of us have arrived to that complete knowledge of Jesus yet and yet Christ he works on us and he draws us to a greater understanding where we can see clearly what he is doing and we're not passive in that by any means in hand God wants you to see him clearly he might take you by the hand he might bring you to Faith or you might be brought by someone else you might not see him clearly right now but he reveals himself to those that it is granted faith and I pray that you are one of them if you would bow your heads and close your eyes with me as we pray and as the team comes up to lead us in our song of response Lord Jesus we just thank you so much just for how you understand us how you're just so sympathetic towards us especially if we have doubts or difficulties or even dark eyes Lord that can't see clearly I pray that you would just take people by the hand even right now that you would lead them to know you and love you all the days of their life I pray that they would repent and believe I pray that they would Trust TR In You by

Faith alone God just stir into us a deep concern for our souls and for The Souls of those that are around us God Lord if there's anyone that's just Paralyzed by Darkness they don't know where to go help them to see you Lord I just pray that you would just shine into the minds and hearts of everyone that's here Lord I just pray that you would help people that might doubt your love or your truth God give them faith God I just pray that you reveal your power your goodness to those that are determined to live their life in their own way God break into that spiritual Blindness by your liberating power Lord and give to give to all of us Lord courage to lay aside all of our weights and our sins which so easily entangle us that we would just walk in Liberty with [Music] you Lord Jesus we just pray that you would fulfill your promises that he who seek finds those that knock the door would be open God we pray that we would see that in our own Hearts today in Jesus name amen let's all stand and let's join together as we sing be thou my vision [Music] my vision oh Lord of my heart not be all to me sa th my thought by day or by Night waking or sleeping my presence my light my wiom be thou my true word I ever with thee and th With Me Lord great father by thy true son thou in me dwelling and I with thee [Music] one riches I he nor hands empty praise thou my

Inher now and now and th be first in my heart I King Of Heaven my treasure Thou Art [Music] king of heaven when Victory is won may I reach Choice a bright heaven son Heart of My Own Heart [Music] whatever still be my vision oh ruler of all of my own heart [Music] what still my vision [Music] oh so Lord please grant us that Vision to understand and see more of your beauty and who you are we pray that you continue to sanctify us according to your truth your word is truth and we just ask that you would bless us father for those that may be in spiritual Darkness I pray that they would talk to someone and say I want to see Christ I want to see him work and let that day be today don't let them leave here Lord bother them until they are drawn to Faith Lord of course it's it may be your will to just continue working gradually so we entrust them to you Lord and for those of us that maybe see dimly Lord help us to gain a greater understanding of who you are that we might behold you clearly in Jesus name amen