“Encountering Jesus” - Luke 4 - Mar 2nd, 2025 - Pastor Scotty Brown

Yeah, we look last time at Jesus there in his hometown.

And, you know, the Bible says that a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown.

And so Jesus, when he goes to Nazareth, he's been doing all these things.

And it ended there in verse 22, where the people, they were amazed at the way he talked.

But then they said, is this not Joseph's son?

Is this not Joseph's son?

And so they're questioning what Jesus is doing.

And he's just a hometown kid, right?

But God, when he calls somebody to do something, he empowers them.

And just reading Moses as they left Egypt this morning.

and the Lord used the authority of Moses to lead the people out.

And it was interesting that the Lord realized that the people would probably only follow Moses

so far and then break and run back to Egypt.

So it says that he took them by way of the wilderness to the Red Sea.

God took him to the Red Sea on purpose, right?

Because if he would have just took him on a long,

land excursion, right?

He wouldn't have had that barrier to put back between them when, when war would come,

they'd get scared and run back to Egypt.

And it's really like us, you know, we're going to, we get scared and run back to the world

sometimes.

And we were to follow who God puts in front of us as far as the scripture goes.

And Jesus was put in front of the people here.

in Nazareth.

And they weren't having it.

And so we're going to pick up this story in verse 23.

And we probably better pray first.

Father, thank you for this word of yours.

It is truly powerful.

And we're going to see that today.

And Jesus, that it would truly be written on our hearts.

Lord, that we have so much stuff in our hearts competing with the truth of your

word.

And I pray that it would prevail.

And that it wouldn't return void, Lord, but that it would have a way in us.

And it would divide thoughts and intents of our heart and keep us in a good place.

And so would you teach us?

We pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So here he goes.

We're going to, we'll read down through verse 30 and see how it goes.

It says, and then he said to them,

you will surely say this proverb to me.

physician heal yourself. Whatever we have heard done in Copernium do also here in your country.

And then he said assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah when the heaven was set up,

three, shut up, excuse me, three years and six months. And there was a great famine throughout all the land.

But none of them was Elijah sent to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zaraphat in the region of Sidon to a woman who was a widow.

This was a Gentile woman, by the way.

And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naman the Syrian.

He's also a Gentile.

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath.

and rose up and thrust him out of the city.

And they led him into the brow of the hill, which their city was built, on which their city was

built, that they might throw him down over the cliff and then passing through the midst

of them, he went his way.

And so this thing's kind of ringing up here.

Maybe take it down just a little bit.

But anyway, so here Jesus is.

And they're going, I don't think so.

We ain't buying what this guy's selling because we've known him.

Right.

And so the problem was that his listeners in Nazareth would not believe in him.

Now, I don't know about you, but the things that I've heard about Jesus,

that I've read about Jesus in the Bible, it's very provocative.

Is it not?

He's probably the most provocative.

life that has ever lived in the world. And so he was starting his ministry. And when he says those

words, right, the greatest sermon that we have here, today in your hearing, the scripture is

fulfilled. That quick. He said a sermon. And he basically was telling them, the Messiah is here.

He is on the scene. Here I am right here. That's what he said. He said a sermon. And he basically was telling them, the Messiah is here. He is on the scene.

That's what he's telling them. And they knew what he was telling him. And they, uh, they weren't receiving it.

They weren't ready to receive him. And, and so he tells them, he says, you guys are going to say this

proverb to me, right? Because of all the things they've been here in Jesus doing. And he's, they're going to say,

uh, position, heal yourself. Now, some think that this might be the prophetic word that Jesus,

talks about on the cross, right?

When they're walking by and wagging their tongue saying he healed others or he saved

others and he can't save himself.

But really what they were looking for is a sign.

They wanted Jesus to prove who he was.

Well, God doesn't work that way.

God is not going to necessarily prove himself to you because God requires faith.

Without faith, it's impossible to please God.

It tells us in.

in Hebrews chapter 11.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

So it's more like, believe and I'll show you.

And some people say, no, I'll believe after you show me.

It doesn't work like that.

Right?

Those who come to him must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who

diligently seek him.

Are you seeking him?

And hopefully it's not just on Sunday mornings.

But when you seek him with all your heart,

The Bible says that you'll find him.

And so,

so have you received him?

I listened to a guy by the name of R.C. Spro.

Some of you are familiar with R.C.

He's quite a Bible scholar.

And notice I didn't say accepted him.

That's a peeve of some of the Bible scholars.

So when you accept Jesus, that means you kind of got him.

you got him on a trial run.

As long as he measures up to your expectations, then you'll accept him.

But the fact is, is you got to receive him, embrace him with all your heart.

It's not necessarily accepting him, but it's receiving him.

Or what these people are doing is rejecting him.

And this is the beginning of his ministry.

and this is what it's going to be like for his whole ministry.

For all three, three and a half years that he ministered, he experienced rejection.

And John tells us that, right?

John tells us that right off the bat in John chapter one.

In verses 10 and 12, he says, he was in the world, Jesus,

and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him.

He came to his own and his own.

did not receive him. But as many has received him, to them he gave the right to become

children of God to those who believe in his name. Why wouldn't you receive Jesus?

I love to ask that question, especially when I go to the hospital or go to deathbeds.

Right? Have you asked, have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Have you asked him to come in?

and there's very few people that I talk to that aren't willing,

especially if they're looking death square in the face.

They're kind of pretty ready.

I've had a few.

I had one 90-year-old.

I was talking to them about Jesus, and they looked at me and said,

would you go bother someone else?

I thought to myself, wow.

I even thought it in reverse.

Wow.

But I love that.

That verse I just read you, but it says, but too, as, but as many,

has received him. Then he gave the right. Now, that's word in the new king James is something is

translated poorly because the word, other versions have power or authority, that he gave them the authority

to become the children of God. The word literally means authoritative power or powerful authority.

that when you come to Jesus, you have this authority that he gives you.

Because greater is he than is us, the Bible says, than he that is in the world.

That God actually gives us a strength to come against that spiritual, you know,

brick wall that we come against all the time, that our adversary is that roaring lion,

seeking whom he may devour.

And if it can get you and I, of course, just a little bit.

he feels like he's done his job.

It's interesting that we're reading devotionally through Job right now.

And the things that Job goes through and the things that fascinates me, God and Satan's relationship.

Right?

They're in Job, one and two, you know.

Where the angels are presenting themselves or the sons of God are presenting themselves to the Lord.

And Satan's among them, the Bible tells us.

And him and the Lord began to converse.

Hey, the Lord goes, hey, Louie, what's you been up to?

Right, what you've been doing?

And he goes, oh, just going to and throw in the earth.

And God knows well, right?

Like Satan's going to tell God something he doesn't know.

And then the Lord pops off about Job.

Well, have you considered my servant Job?

You know, take a shot at him.

Could you imagine being Job and knowing that conversation was going on?

I couldn't imagine.

Not me.

But God has given us this authority.

Now, people say, well, we're all.

children of God. No, or not. We are not by nature the children of God. We are by nature. Listen,

really let this sink in, please. We are by nature the children of hell, you and I, by nature.

Right? Whoever has the son is not condemned, the Bible says, right, in the first part of the gospel of John.

but whoever does not have the son is condemned already.

He's condemned already.

No, he's a son of hell if he hasn't been converted.

That's why Jesus told Nicodemus, you must be born again.

People don't understand that.

People in the church don't understand that.

You and I by nature are under the wrath of God, the judgment of God.

We are sons and daughters of hell until you come to Christ.

and receive him. And so, um, it's interesting that the Bible teaches this, that men of old understood this,

right? Paul said, what he say, oh, wretched man that I am who can deliver me from this body of death.

Or, um, Peter, right?

right, when he talks about, tells Jesus, depart from me for I'm a sinful man.

They knew their position as deserving of judgment.

But so many people today are unaware of their wretchedness.

Now, there was a couple guys that were fairly popular.

back in the last century that were incredibly gifted evangelists and Bible teachers.

One was Dr. Henry John Henry Jowett.

And in his day, he was called the greatest preacher in the English-speaking world.

He pastored leading churches, preached to huge congregations and wrote books that were bestsellers.

This is what he said to those around him.

You seem to imagine that I have no ups and downs, but just a level

and lofty stretch of spiritual attainment with unbroken joy and equanimity.

By no means, I am often perfectly wretched and everything appears most murky.

Right?

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, right?

Also considered one of the greatest preachers of the 19th century said about himself,

I am the subject of depressions of spirit.

so fearful that I hope none of you ever gets to such extremes of wretchedness as I do.

And so that's just an important thing to know.

That's a really important thing to know.

Because I don't know about you, but my wretchedness is what drives me to Christ.

Right?

And especially when I look into the pure law of God and I examine my own heart, I realize,

I am sunk, but for the grace of God.

First Peter chapter 418 says,

Now, if the righteous one is scarcely saved,

where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?

I love how the new living translation states it.

And also, if the righteous are barely saved,

what will happen to godless sinners?

You and I, we're barely saved.

We're getting in by the skin of our teeth.

Your pants are on fire.

Your pants are on fire.

But it's interesting.

These Nazareans, they weren't willing to receive Jesus.

They saw Jesus only as the son of Mary and Joseph,

the boy they had watched.

grow up in their own city.

The older brother of James and Josephs and Simon and Jude and his little sisters.

They were too familiar with Jesus to see him for what he really was.

That's a scary thought, isn't it?

Such a scary thought.

Jesus had brothers and sisters.

Some people, you know, are Catholic.

friends sometimes get all tipped oh, what?

She married. She was a virgin. She was holy.

Her womb was holy full of children.

Matthew tells us, right, tells us Matthew chapter 13, it says,

Matthew 13 · chapter mention

is this not the carpenter's son? It's not his mother called Mary and his brother's

James and Joseph and Simon and Judas and his sisters?

Are they not all here with us?

Where then did this man get all these things?

They were confused about him.

And they definitely weren't ready to say,

okay, you're the Messiah.

We're following you.

And so he tells them,

right?

After they said, wow, man, he speaks quite well.

But then they said, physician heal yourself.

He wants them to show them a miracle, prove what you're saying.

And though they were impressed with the way he talked,

they weren't buying the fact that he said in today, in your hearing.

this scripture is fulfilled.

But so it didn't take long for their admiration to turn into antagonism

because Jesus began to remind them of God's goodness to the Gentiles and they just couldn't

stomach it.

They just couldn't stomach it.

That God would actually write and he uses two examples.

He uses Elijah and Elijah and he went to the widow there in Sidon and

she was a gentile and that Elisha actually told Naman what to do to get cleansed from his leprosy.

You remember the story, right?

Naiman was this, he was a general in the army there in Syria.

Said, hey, there's a dude in Israel that can, yeah, I think he can help you.

You remember the story because Naman, he thinks he's all that.

You know, he's got a chest like this.

I do this pretty good, don't I?

That's because I have been an arrogant pompous pig my whole life.

So it's really easy for me to show that.

But that's the way Neiman was.

He's all puffed up.

And Elijah goes,

tell him to go dip in the Jordan seven times.

And he didn't even come out and talk to Neiman.

He just tells him to go dip in the Jordan seven times.

And he'll be cleansed of his leprosy.

And he gets all fired up.

Right.

You remember the story.

He gets mad.

He goes, this stinking, rotten, dirty Jordan.

We had better rivers than that up there.

I could have done that in Syria.

And his attendants, the guy that were his servants, said, boss,

boss, if he would have asked you to do something hard, would you have done it?

He goes, well, I guess you're right.

Sure no.

Goes and dips seven times, and he's cleansed.

God showed grace and mercy to a Gentile.

And these Jewish people, they could not handle it.

it because they believe that the Gentiles, that would be you and I, by the way, most of us, right?

We're only good to fuel the fires of hell.

And so when Jesus comes with this message that God is good to the Gentiles,

they're, they can't even remember the word exclusitism or whatever it's called.

They thought that they, hey, we're it.

We're God's people.

And that, isn't that pride?

That's just as prideful and arrogant.

is what I just displayed.

And they thought they were all that and that God couldn't.

He couldn't show this kind of love and care and mercy to the Gentiles.

So they wanted to sign.

Prove it.

Well, Jesus addresses them in Matthew and says,

A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.

And no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet

Jonah. And he left them and departed.

Oh, they're going to get their sign.

It's just going to be too late. Right?

It's going to be too late.

Just like Jonah went into the ground, or excuse me, Jesus went into the ground.

Jonah went into the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights.

And so he's having a hard time in Nazareth.

People just ain't listening.

And yet when we read about him being in Copernum and around the Galilee area where they weren't as

familiar with him, they were in awe of him.

And they were listening to him, not like those who were there.

And they were filled with rage, it tells us, in verse 28.

And they weren't just mad.

They had murder in their heart.

We're going to kill this guy.

We're going to kill him.

And they were taking him to the brow of the hill.

there at Nazareth.

And when you go, when you go to Israel, you can see this place.

And they were going to chuck him off the edge.

And verse 30, it says,

it took him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built

that they might throw him down over the cliff.

And when passing through the midst of them, he went his way.

Jesus does this a few times.

This is pretty fascinating how he does.

He just kind of walks away.

He's like, where'd you go?

We're going to kill this guy.

But where to go?

And he does it a few times.

This one commentator says,

there's a lot contained in this last statement.

We don't know how Jesus managed to leave,

but there was more than one occasion during his earthly ministry

when soldiers and others were sent to arrest him.

And there was something about Jesus.

in his resolute determination not to be taken at that moment.

I don't know if it was just in the look that came from his eyes,

but he would look these enemies down and then just walk away

and no one dared laid a hand on him.

So you don't know what it was.

Was it his countenance?

Or was he just slick?

And pretty slight of hand where he could just make them be distracted,

I don't know, but I know that the one soldiers, when they came to get him and they returned without him,

they said, where is he? How come you guys didn't bring him? They said, because ain't nobody ever

talked like this guy, right? Nobody ever talked like this guy. So let me ask you, where are you out

with Christ this morning? It's probably the most important question. It's probably the most important

question you can ask. And when we went through the book of 1st Corinthians right at the end of the

book, it says, if anyone loves not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema,

Maranatha. That really translates, let him be cursed when the Lord comes. If anyone

love not the Lord Jesus Christ. You realize. You realize.

love is a choice that you make.

People say, well, that's kind of forceful and arrogant, isn't it?

Well, not really.

Not if it's the only way other than the alternative.

If anyone loves not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, Maranatha.

And because if you don't, that forces him.

to just like he walked away from Nazareth to walk away from you.

And go his way.

It's not like anyone sitting in this room today,

the Lord hasn't given you opportunities.

You really need to consider.

Lord, really, what is my relationship like with you?

I mean, I get really fearful sometimes about my own relationship with God.

And that's hard for a pastor to say because us pastors, we're supposed to kind of have it all

figured out. I'm telling you, I don't have it all figured out. And I fear and tremble at times

because of my own wretchedness and my laziness at times for not pressing in and chasing after.

Rick and I were talking when we did our little sit down here a couple weeks back.

And it was fascinating how the Lord brought both of us into the place of being pastors

because we didn't really have anybody disciples.

We didn't go to Bible College.

Right?

We didn't listen to Chuck's teaching through the New Testament from, you know,

Matthew to Revelation or the Old Testament teachings that they have the kids do at Bible

college.

We didn't do any of that.

But what we did do, that I want to keep doing until I tell.

take my last breath is we chased after Jesus. We just realized we got to be close to Jesus.

We got to go to church. We got to get in a Bible study. I got to read this book for myself.

I need to read every single day. The older I get, the more I feel like I need to read.

I mean, there's just this angst. I mean, I got to read. Because I know what happens when I don't.

It's disastrous. And so, and just chasing after him. And here's these people.

And they have this opportunity.

They've encountered the Messiah, the anointed one, the salvation of God.

And they won't go after him, except for to kill him.

What about you?

You chasing after him?

Because listen, Peter just told us, we're barely saved.

You and I.

Paul says, I work out my own salvation with fear and trembling.

It's really just about getting serious about walking with God.

What is it in your life that trips you up?

Is it your pride?

Is it some kind of an addiction?

Right?

It can be an electronic addiction.

It could be a chemical addiction.

It can just be hard.

bone-headed pride where you won't turn.

I'm not going to do this.

I'll let my wife drag me to church or some guys drag their wives to church.

But it's not until you own it yourself,

that you really get a taste and see what God has for you and me.

Because he has such good things.

So that was the encounter with Jesus.

that the folks had there at Nazareth.

In verse 31, we see a different encounter.

He said then he went down to Copernum, a city of Galilee,

was teaching them on the Sabbath,

and they were astonished at his teaching,

for his word was with authority.

Now, in the synagogue, there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.

And he cried out with a loud voice saying,

let us alone.

What have we to do with you, Jesus,

of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. But Jesus rebuked him,

saying, be quiet and come out of him. And when the demon had thrown him in the midst, in their midst,

it came out of him and did not hurt him. Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves,

saying, what a word this is. For with authority and power, he commands the unclean spirits. And

they come out and the report about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

So now a demon encounters Jesus.

Kind of interesting, isn't it?

Right?

I just read about Satan talking to God there in Job and now the demons are talking to Jesus.

Not only that, but they're submitted to him.

We know who you are.

That amazing.

The demons know who Jesus is.

And half the people sitting in this church may not even know who Jesus is.

It's shocking.

And the demons know the scripture better than most Christians.

That's because they won't read it.

Years ago, I remember Rick was a pastor at 26 and he was sitting in a copy shop.

him and another guy having a conversation, and an old pastor walked over to him had been in the

ministry for 40 years. And he said, Sonny, I hear you're a pastor. One thing, first thing I want you to know is

God spoke through Balaam's donkey, you're in good company. Next thing I want you to know is the

hardest thing you'll ever do is get the people in the church to read the Bible. That's the

hardest thing I've found as a pastor.

It's life, you guys.

It is life.

And so here he encounters these demons.

The emphasis, though, in this passage, is not necessary the demons.

Though they respond, they ask him, let us alone,

what have we have to do with you, Jesus of Nazus?

Did you come to destroy us?

They knew that he could destroy them with the word be gone.

They knew that.

The power of his word.

They knew the power of his word.

But the Nazarens who had just heard him speak and teach

and quote a powerful passage out of Isaiah,

they didn't believe it.

They didn't believe the word at all.

Notice it says he was teaching.

them. They were astonished at his teaching. His word was with authority. What a word this is, they say.

For with authority and power, he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.

Yeah. Sometimes the demon's got a whole lot more going on than you and I do. They know a lot more.

They know their place. Do you know your place?

Your place is in a relationship with Jesus.

That's your place.

That's all of our place.

That's why you're here.

We're here to have this relationship and to come up against that and say,

well, no, you can come this far and only this far.

Wouldn't we all be wise to get as much of Jesus as we can?

Because honestly, you can have as much of Him as you want.

How much do you want?

Well, Jesus gets too close.

He might really see what I really am.

Like he doesn't see what you really are.

And at the demon wouldn't have been shut down by Jesus,

no telling what he would have said.

Maybe he would have said something to cause them to believe.

But they're not willing to believe by faith.

And that's what we have to come to him in faith.

Well, he moves on.

Another woman has an encounter with Jesus in verse 38.

Now, he arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house,

but Simon's wife's mother was sick with a,

high fever, and they made requests of him concerning her.

So he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.

And immediately she rose and served them.

Interesting.

The first Pope had a wife.

How's that work?

I'm sorry if you have a Catholic background.

I don't mean to.

But, I mean, Peter's married.

Right here.

the whole celibacy thing.

I think that got him in trouble.

I think hindsight's 20-20.

Just look back.

Right?

No, he was called.

He was called to be married, this Simon Peter,

and his wife's mother's mother-in-law was sick.

Now, some people, if their mother-in-law, sick,

they definitely wouldn't call Jesus because they wouldn't want her to be healed.

But...

Just saying.

I have a lovely mother-in-law.

I have no qualms.

But I've heard of people, you know, mean-mouthed their mother-in-law.

It's best not to say anything.

Keep the peace if you can.

But notice he comes.

He stands over her, rebukes the fever.

One version says it was a high fever.

She was very sick.

And immediately, she rose and served them.

It's not amazing.

Somebody gets touched by Jesus, and then just start serving.

Just start serving.

In the simplest of ways, I remember going to church and thinking,

I got to do something.

Lord, I'm just amazing what you've done for me.

What can I do?

Man, I ushered for a while.

I dropped the communion place a few times, so they next that.

I was on a deacon board for a while,

went to a few elder boards and it's just a big, big argue fest.

I'm just going, yeah, I don't know about that.

I don't think that's my calling.

But then I got my brother handed off a third grade Sunday school class to me.

And holy cow, I fell in love.

with these young people.

But just being willing to serve.

If you're willing, oh, I'm telling you, the doors will open.

Right?

The doors will open if you're willing.

Has the Lord touched you?

Does he touch your heart?

Has he brought peace to your life?

Right?

Just serve. Find some way to serve.

You don't have to do a walk around and serve a meal at the soup kitchen.

Guys down at city of refuge would love it.

You get to meet people.

I love talking to Tyler about it.

And he said, man, I went to a men's retreat thing.

There was these homeless guys.

And he said, I stayed with them the whole time.

I just fell in love with these homeless people.

Calling.

Who would have figured that one out?

Right?

Just be willing.

Peter's mother-in-law, she began

to serve them.

And to bless.

Why? Because the Lord blessed her.

It's only, we serve God.

Not because we're trying to get points.

We live in an area where people are so entrenched in a religion.

They feel like, oh, I've got to do this and this and this.

Or God won't be happy with me.

God is happy with you when you put your faith in Jesus.

Right?

That's what brings a smile to his face.

Then all the other stuff is just,

extra. It's just blessing. It's more blessed to give than to receive the scripture says, right?

So we're going to jump on down because I'm going to finish this chapter today.

And it says in verse 40, it says, when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were,

all those who had any that were sick with various diseases, brought them to him, and he laid him,

his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many crying out and saying,

you are the Christ, the son of God. And he rebuking them, did not allow them to speak,

for they knew that he was the Christ. And here's the demons again. Touten Jesus. Touten Jesus.

Well, others were not believing in him. It's interesting. It says they came after sunset.

That's when Sabbath ended.

Sabbath would end on sunset.

So Saturday evening when the sunset, that's when they brought all the people.

So Saturday evening was a pretty busy time.

And notice it says, and he laid his hands on every one of them.

Jesus took time to touch every single one of them, whether it was casting out a demon or healing in them of leprosy or healing the blind or the blind or the

the lame and rebuking the demons because he did not want them to start touting who he was.

He wanted the people to come and know him.

Verse 2.342, excuse me.

Now when it was day, he departed and went into a deserted place,

and the crowd sought him and came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them.

But he said to them, I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also.

Because of this purpose I have been sent.

And he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

Notice his mission.

His mission was not to come and heal people.

It wasn't to heal the blind and make a lame walk.

His mission was to preach,

to communicate the truth of God that their souls may be saved.

And yes, in process, many of them were healed.

But his emphasis was to preach and proclaim the word.

years ago they asked Charles had in Spurgeon well the word of God how do you defend it

and Spurgeon wisely said you defend the word of God like you defend a lion let it out of

its cage right it's the word it's the word it's the word Jesus came to to show them the way he

was the way. He was the resurrection and the life. He is the resurrection and the life.

Healing was secondary. He was a teacher and a preacher, both in the open era and in houses of worship.

His work of miracles and healings were impressive, but it was never his emphasis.

You remember there in Luke 8 and I'll close with this.

And Luke 8, the people came to him, said, hey, teacher, your mom and brothers and everybody are here.

And Jesus says, and it was told him by some, this is 8, Luke 8, chapter 20 and 21.

It says it was told him by some who said, your mother and brothers are standing outside,

desiring to see you.

But he answered and said to them, my mother and my brothers are these,

Listen, who hear the word of God and do it.

God's word should always be the emphasis.

For us, simply because it was for him.

Amen?

It was God's word.

Stand with me.

Would you?

Let's pray.

Father, thank you.

Thank you that we can encounter you

any time we have a desire.

Lord, we can read your word.

We can bow our knee before the God of heaven.

The one who saves the gospel that is the power of salvation to those who believe,

Lord.

And I just pray for anyone today who is yet.

to believe in you. Lord, that they would put themselves behind them.

Lord, that they would look forward towards you and be healed, Lord, in their spirit.

And if they need a physical healing, the Lord, we know that you're able to do that.

But more importantly, in your desire, is that our souls would be converted by the pure, true,

word of God. And so I just pray that for anyone here today who is yet to do that.

And Lord, just motivate that.

to come forward, to be prayed for, to be encouraged, to walk with you, the king of kings and the Lord of Lord.

The one who has all kinds of blessing in store for those who would fully put their faith and trust in him.

And so, Lord, help us to do that. Help us to walk that out this week.

Lord, give us a priority of your word, Lord, that we would put it in our hearts.

Lord, even if it's only a couple verses a day, Lord, that we would just write it on the pages of our heart that we might not send against you.

in Jesus' name.

We're going to close with a little song when I was a young Christian,

and I remember this pastor singing this song,

and it's just really a short prayer of asking the Spirit of the Living God

to fall afresh on us.

Spirit of the living God,

fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me fill me me.

Spirit of the living God.

God, fall of fresh on me.

God bless you.

Have a great week.

If you need prayer, the prayer team will be up here.