Detaining Christ in our midst (Part 1) "And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them," Luke 4:42. (Preached in Bristol FPC, July 3rd, 2011. First preached in Kilskeery FPC, June 6th, 1993. The itinerant preaching of Christ presents us with instruction regarding His presence amongst His people. Christ, being God, is omnipresent. He is everywhere at once. But it pleases Him to manifest Himself amongst His people in a special way at different seasons in different places. Revivals are an example of what I mean. When we are favoured by a visit of Christ in power, our reaction should be that of the people of Capernaum. There was a great difference between the receptions given to Christ in Nazareth and in Capernaum. In the former, he aroused great anger by His preaching, resulting in an attempt to kill Him by casting Him over a cliff, verse 29. In the latter, when the people perceived that He was about to leave them, they sought to restrain Him and keep Him in their midst. One or other of those attitudes prevail in our hearts. We would put Christ from us or we would retain Christ with us. Consider our text.