1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,000 Again, that's going to be Mark chapter 5. 2 00:00:04,100 --> 00:00:09,100 There's verses 1 to 20. They went across the lake to the 3 00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:13,400 region of the gerasenes when Jesus got out of the boats. 4 00:00:13,900 --> 00:00:17,400 And man, with an impure Spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 5 00:00:18,700 --> 00:00:21,700 This man lived in the tombs. And no one could bind him 6 00:00:21,700 --> 00:00:24,000 anymore. Not even with a chain for. 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,800 He had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains 8 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,400 apart and broke the islands on his feet. 9 00:00:29,700 --> 00:00:33,600 No one was strong enough to subdue him day and night among 10 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:35,500 the tombs. And in the Hills he would cry 11 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:37,500 out and cut himself with stones. Yeah. 12 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,500 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his 13 00:00:42,500 --> 00:00:43,500 knees. In front of him. 14 00:00:43,900 --> 00:00:45,900 He shouted at the top of his voice. 15 00:00:46,100 --> 00:00:47,800 What do you want with me? Jesus. 16 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,200 Son of the most high God and God's name. 17 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:52,900 Don't torture me for Jesus had said to him. 18 00:00:52,900 --> 00:00:57,000 Come out of this man. You impure Spirit then Jesus 19 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,900 asked him, what is your name? My name is Legion. 20 00:01:01,100 --> 00:01:04,800 He replied for. We are many And he begged Jesus 21 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,800 again and again not to send them out of the area. 22 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:13,500 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby Hillside, the 23 00:01:13,500 --> 00:01:17,100 demons begged to Jesus send us among the Pink's allow us to go 24 00:01:17,100 --> 00:01:21,000 into them. He gave them permission and the 25 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,800 input, your spirits came out and went into the pigs. 26 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,600 The heard about two thousand in number rushed down the Steep 27 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:33,000 Bank into the lake and drowned, Those tending, the pigs ran off 28 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,300 and reported this in the town and Countryside and the people 29 00:01:36,300 --> 00:01:37,900 went out to see what had happened. 30 00:01:39,300 --> 00:01:41,900 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been 31 00:01:41,900 --> 00:01:45,100 possessed by the Legion of demons sitting there dressed, 32 00:01:45,300 --> 00:01:49,900 and in his right mind and they were afraid, this would seen it, 33 00:01:49,900 --> 00:01:52,100 told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed 34 00:01:52,100 --> 00:01:54,300 man and told about the pigs as well. 35 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,800 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region 36 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,700 as Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been 37 00:02:02,700 --> 00:02:04,800 demon-possessed begs to go with him. 38 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,600 Jesus did not let him but said, go home to your own people and 39 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,300 tell them how much the Lord has done for you and now, he has had 40 00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:17,600 mercy on you. So the man went away and began 41 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,600 to tell in the in the decapolis how much Jesus had done for him 42 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:27,900 and all the people were amazed. And because we're back in March 43 00:02:27,900 --> 00:02:30,900 after the Christmas break, we've had a few weeks away from this 44 00:02:30,900 --> 00:02:33,800 gospel. And I'm just to remind us of 45 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,200 what we've been doing. Is we've walked through Mark's 46 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,600 gospel together. They're busy or two simple 47 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:43,200 questions that it Mark. Invites us to keep asking as we 48 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,900 make our way through his gospel and these questions, very 49 00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:51,500 similar, these who is Jesus, and what does it mean to follow him 50 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:53,900 in this world? So every passes we look out we 51 00:02:53,908 --> 00:02:57,100 think of all Who is Jesus? What does this passage? 52 00:02:57,100 --> 00:03:00,300 Tell us about him who he is and what he's come to do. 53 00:03:00,700 --> 00:03:03,500 But then also what does it mean to follow him in this world 54 00:03:03,500 --> 00:03:07,300 again Jesus, the right, this gospel is calling people to 55 00:03:07,300 --> 00:03:09,800 follow him. So what is the life? 56 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,300 Jesus calls his disciples, his followers to live with him in 57 00:03:14,300 --> 00:03:16,400 this world. What is the sense of purpose? 58 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:21,500 Jesus gives to anyone who trusts in him and whether you're 59 00:03:21,500 --> 00:03:24,300 reading mark on your own really was someone else doing it 60 00:03:24,300 --> 00:03:26,100 together. As we are on a Sunday morning, 61 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,600 those two simple questions are just great ones to keep 62 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:31,800 returning to in Mark. Who is Jesus? 63 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,500 What does it mean to follow him and this world? 64 00:03:36,300 --> 00:03:39,100 So busy as we turn to Mark chapter 5, then let's ask these 65 00:03:39,100 --> 00:03:42,100 two questions of this passage who is Jesus according to Mark, 66 00:03:42,100 --> 00:03:44,100 chapter 5. Well, the corner of this, this 67 00:03:44,100 --> 00:03:47,200 passage has had read to us. He is God's son. 68 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:50,400 Come to defeat evil and set people free. 69 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:55,700 He's godson come to defeat evil and set People free. 70 00:03:55,700 --> 00:03:58,200 And what does it mean to follow Jesus in this world? 71 00:03:58,700 --> 00:04:01,000 Well, the man set free by Jesus shows us. 72 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,500 At the end of this passage. It means that we bring Jesus 73 00:04:04,500 --> 00:04:09,400 light into this Dark World by telling people what he has done 74 00:04:09,900 --> 00:04:13,800 for us. So to follow Jesus in this world 75 00:04:14,100 --> 00:04:18,000 is to be Witnesses for him. That's what Jesus tells the man 76 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:22,700 to do, at the end of this story, I'm convinced has a great 77 00:04:22,700 --> 00:04:25,900 passage for us to look at at the beginning of a new year and a 78 00:04:25,907 --> 00:04:30,000 new term because it tells us some things we always need to 79 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:34,800 remember, first thing it tells us is this Jesus is stronger 80 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,100 than any force of evil in this world. 81 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,300 He is stronger than any force of evil. 82 00:04:41,900 --> 00:04:45,300 In this world. Why do we need to hear that? 83 00:04:46,300 --> 00:04:50,900 What we live in a world that is broken a world as all to fill of 84 00:04:50,900 --> 00:04:54,200 the evidence of evil and suffering and darkness. 85 00:04:54,900 --> 00:04:56,700 Well, that's the big world out there. 86 00:04:56,700 --> 00:05:01,100 The world of war in Ukrainian or divided, political leaders or 87 00:05:01,100 --> 00:05:05,800 Injustice racism poverty, Whether that's in the small 88 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:09,800 world in here, maybe in our own lives or our families worrying, 89 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,800 about the future experiencing loneliness, ill-health 90 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,600 bereavement difficult, family relationships worrying about our 91 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:22,000 jobs whether we can keep going. It's actually I don't have to 92 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,900 prove to anyone here today that there is evil in the world. 93 00:05:24,900 --> 00:05:29,400 We all know that what God's word does have to prove to us is that 94 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:33,600 Jesus is strong enough to help us cope with that evil to 95 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,200 respond. And to you that Jesus can 96 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,700 overcome it and we can bring our hopes and our fears to him at 97 00:05:39,700 --> 00:05:43,000 the beginning of a new year and ask him to be with us in the 98 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,200 mall. So who is Jesus? 99 00:05:45,500 --> 00:05:49,900 He is stronger than any force of evil in this world. 100 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,900 But more than that, he actually gives us a great purpose in our 101 00:05:54,900 --> 00:05:57,700 lives. He calls each one of us to be 102 00:05:57,700 --> 00:06:00,100 missionaries for him in this world. 103 00:06:00,100 --> 00:06:04,900 So play our parts and bringing light into a dark world. 104 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,800 We do that through our lives lived for him and we do that 105 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,000 through our words spoken about him. 106 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,400 Just as Jesus tells this man at the end of this passage and 107 00:06:17,407 --> 00:06:21,300 verse 19, go home to your own people and tell them how much 108 00:06:21,300 --> 00:06:26,500 the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you. 109 00:06:28,100 --> 00:06:30,800 He says he calls us not to be a missionary for him. 110 00:06:32,300 --> 00:06:35,800 And we may feel weak. We may feel badly qualified for 111 00:06:35,808 --> 00:06:38,000 that. We may feel anxious about that 112 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,300 but Jesus is committed to working through our lives, on 113 00:06:41,300 --> 00:06:45,200 our witness to make disciples for him in this world. 114 00:06:45,700 --> 00:06:48,300 And so we can ask Jesus, the beginning of a new year to help 115 00:06:48,300 --> 00:06:53,200 us in that with real confidence, that Jesus Delights to help us 116 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,900 in that. So if you like this passage 117 00:06:55,900 --> 00:06:59,100 reminds us of the power of Jesus in this world but also the 118 00:06:59,100 --> 00:07:02,500 purpose. He gives his people when he sets 119 00:07:02,500 --> 00:07:06,100 them free. So let's look at this passage 120 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:10,200 together and I'm Mark chapter 5 fully of Mark chapter 5 follows 121 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,600 on from Mark chapter 4 we haven't been in mark for a few 122 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,900 weeks or just to remind you the end of Mark, chapter 4, Jesus 123 00:07:15,900 --> 00:07:18,400 calms. A violent storm on the Sea of 124 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:22,900 Galilee simply by speaking to the wind and the waves quiet be 125 00:07:22,900 --> 00:07:27,300 still and not Miracle Jesus. Demonstrates his authority over 126 00:07:27,300 --> 00:07:31,100 creation and created things, but neither the beginning of chapter 127 00:07:31,100 --> 00:07:37,200 5, Jesus damages his authority over the Forces of evil by 128 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:41,100 setting free a man possessed by a legion of demons. 129 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,800 If you like at the end of chapter 4, the storm Jesus 130 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,000 dealing with is a storm on the Sea of Galilee. 131 00:07:47,900 --> 00:07:50,200 But the beginning of chapter 5, the storm he's dealing with is a 132 00:07:50,207 --> 00:07:54,700 storm inside this man causing him torment on suffering. 133 00:07:56,100 --> 00:07:59,900 And in both passages, we see Jesus par over chaos and 134 00:07:59,900 --> 00:08:04,200 destruction. So let me just read verse 14 135 00:08:04,900 --> 00:08:07,700 says, again, Mark says, they went across the lake to the 136 00:08:07,700 --> 00:08:11,600 region of the gerasenes. Now, a quick look at the little 137 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,300 note to the bottom, your Bible and actually, we're not entirely 138 00:08:14,300 --> 00:08:18,200 sure where Jesus goes. This one is very rare moment for 139 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,700 the ancient manuscripts. We have of Mark's gospel in 140 00:08:20,700 --> 00:08:23,600 Greek, they kind of don't all agree because annoyingly. 141 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,900 There were three places around about the Sea of Galilee that 142 00:08:26,900 --> 00:08:30,400 sounded remarkably similar. And it's eyes like scribes kind 143 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,400 of sometimes root down once and I wrote another So Jesus could 144 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,500 have traveled to the gerasenes as we have in the NIV or the 145 00:08:36,500 --> 00:08:40,900 Gatherings or the garriga scenes and it's just a bit frustrating. 146 00:08:40,900 --> 00:08:44,400 They all sound very similar. So all three places are similar 147 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,900 names and we don't quite know which of them precisely Jesus 148 00:08:47,900 --> 00:08:52,400 and his disciples land. That what we do know is that 149 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,400 this is a gentile territory he's arriving. 150 00:08:55,400 --> 00:09:01,100 In this is Jesus first steps into non-jewish territory in 151 00:09:01,100 --> 00:09:04,100 Mark's gospel. Because up to now Jesus Focus 152 00:09:04,100 --> 00:09:06,000 has been the people of ancient Israel. 153 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,600 His fellow Jews. But now Jesus has traveled 154 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:13,000 outside of a Jewish region. And how do we know that what we 155 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:18,300 know that because there is a herd of 2000 pigs, just a little 156 00:09:18,300 --> 00:09:20,300 away from where he meets this man. 157 00:09:21,700 --> 00:09:25,700 And pigs for Jewish people are unclean. 158 00:09:25,700 --> 00:09:28,700 They're declared unclean by the Hebrew scriptures and no 159 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:32,900 self-respecting Jewish time would allow pigs to be tended 160 00:09:32,900 --> 00:09:36,400 nearby. So Jesus he's moved into Gentile 161 00:09:36,700 --> 00:09:39,500 territory here and these pigs are going to have an important 162 00:09:39,500 --> 00:09:43,500 part to play in what happens with Jesus and this demon 163 00:09:43,500 --> 00:09:47,100 possessed man. So, Jesus arrives in this area 164 00:09:47,100 --> 00:09:50,100 verse 1. A man with an imp, your spirit 165 00:09:50,100 --> 00:09:55,900 came from the tombs to meet him. Now I mentioned to my son this 166 00:09:55,900 --> 00:09:57,000 morning. What he was saying, what's 167 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:58,500 happening Mark? I said, oh today. 168 00:09:58,500 --> 00:10:00,600 Jesus drives out someone possessed by demons. 169 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:02,900 He said doesn't Jesus always do that in Mark's gospel. 170 00:10:02,900 --> 00:10:05,800 So we've kind of been here before, he's done this before. 171 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:11,200 But in this moment Mark really slows down to give us a huge 172 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:15,900 amount of detail about this man's life and the picture Mark 173 00:10:15,900 --> 00:10:19,600 pints for us is one of intense suffering. 174 00:10:20,500 --> 00:10:25,000 Here we have a suffering, man. Cut off from God. 175 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:31,700 Look at verses 3 to 5 again. Verse 3, this man is living 176 00:10:31,700 --> 00:10:36,400 among the tombs. He's living among dead bodies. 177 00:10:36,500 --> 00:10:40,500 This man would have been seen as unclean both by Jewish and 178 00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:43,800 gentile people. He is cut off from the people in 179 00:10:43,808 --> 00:10:48,000 his community because of this impure spirit and he's also cut 180 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:51,300 off from God. He is unclean. 181 00:10:52,900 --> 00:10:56,300 Verse four, he would have terrified the people around him. 182 00:10:56,300 --> 00:10:59,000 Because of this impure Spirit, romantic him, the people in that 183 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:03,000 region, feared him clearly. But they've also long since 184 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:07,300 given up on him. We learned that in the past, 185 00:11:07,300 --> 00:11:10,300 they tried to help him to chain him up to protect him from the 186 00:11:10,300 --> 00:11:12,000 impure Spirit, but I hadn't worked. 187 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,400 So now they just keep their distance from him and go on with 188 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:19,500 our own lives. And then you look at verse 5, 189 00:11:20,100 --> 00:11:24,000 she's a heartbreaking description night and day among 190 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:29,100 the tombs and in the Hills, he would cry out and cut himself 191 00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:33,200 with stones. Smart leaves is a new diet. 192 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:38,000 This is a terrible and lonely. Existence for this man first for 193 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,400 no one is strong enough to subdue him. 194 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:45,000 He's described as more dead than alive and he's clearly in pain 195 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:52,300 and misery when Jesus meets him. Let's pause for a moment and 196 00:11:52,308 --> 00:11:56,200 just notice a few things. First I want to know is, is this 197 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,900 the Bible always takes experiences of suffering and 198 00:11:59,900 --> 00:12:01,400 evil? Seriously? 199 00:12:03,100 --> 00:12:06,300 This isn't just a cheap Miracle to show us how powerful Jesus 200 00:12:06,300 --> 00:12:08,700 is. No, Mark, doesn't rush over this 201 00:12:08,700 --> 00:12:13,900 man's p.m. there is real care and compassion in the way he 202 00:12:13,900 --> 00:12:15,900 writes about this, man. The demons that's not. 203 00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:18,500 He must have made a huge impact on the disciples when they met 204 00:12:18,500 --> 00:12:20,300 him. So Peter, who's the man? 205 00:12:20,300 --> 00:12:23,500 I witnessed Mark relies on wood remembered vividly. 206 00:12:23,500 --> 00:12:27,500 This man's experience of Life. The Bible always takes 207 00:12:27,500 --> 00:12:31,900 experience of suffering and evil, seriously, because Jesus 208 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:38,000 always does jesus takes suffering and evil seriously, 209 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:42,000 and that is good news for us. Because we live in a fallen 210 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,800 world and each one of us will experience or have experienced 211 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,700 suffering and evil at some point in our lives. 212 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:55,400 We need to know that God doesn't just dismiss it or Overlook it. 213 00:12:58,300 --> 00:13:00,800 Remember, talking to an older friend of mine, several years 214 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:02,900 ago, he was sharing high, he had become a Christian. 215 00:13:03,500 --> 00:13:06,700 I hate start trusting in Jesus. This guy he'd been at a 216 00:13:06,700 --> 00:13:10,400 university in the 1960s and he just got on to the point of 217 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:14,300 Despair about the suffering. He saw in the world and the 218 00:13:14,300 --> 00:13:16,600 suffering. He was experiencing in his own 219 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,300 life. I want to use looking for 220 00:13:18,300 --> 00:13:21,200 answers, it seemed to him that the people around him, all they 221 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,700 could do in the face of suffering was was either ignore 222 00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:26,300 it or distract themselves from it. 223 00:13:26,900 --> 00:13:29,600 That was all they just couldn't face up to because it was just 224 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:33,500 too much. He just wasn't satisfied with 225 00:13:33,500 --> 00:13:36,600 that. And then my friend started 226 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:40,400 reading the Bible with a Christian Student he knew and 227 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:44,900 what he find there was a God, he doesn't ignore or run away from 228 00:13:44,900 --> 00:13:49,100 suffering and Evil. He met a god, he took suffering 229 00:13:49,100 --> 00:13:52,700 and evil. Seriously who looks them Square 230 00:13:52,700 --> 00:13:55,800 in the face and of the Bible story carries on, we come to 231 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,500 Jesus, we meet a God in the Bible who experiences suffering 232 00:13:59,500 --> 00:14:03,200 and evil himself, who takes them on and defeats them. 233 00:14:03,300 --> 00:14:07,100 So that one day they will not impact our lives or our world 234 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,700 again. I want to say when marks lose 235 00:14:10,700 --> 00:14:14,500 dying to tell us about this man, it's because he's honoring this 236 00:14:14,500 --> 00:14:17,500 man suffering. That's what led my friend to put 237 00:14:17,500 --> 00:14:20,300 his faith in Jesus. That's what Mark is doing in 238 00:14:20,300 --> 00:14:23,300 these verses here. But the other thing I want to 239 00:14:23,300 --> 00:14:26,600 lose for we move on is is when we don't always think about in 240 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:31,800 our culture that in the Bible evil is always personal. 241 00:14:33,500 --> 00:14:35,800 So the cause of this man's suffering isn't just impersonal 242 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:39,500 factors like a disease or a physical condition or poverty. 243 00:14:39,900 --> 00:14:41,100 No, Mark tells us here. The man. 244 00:14:41,100 --> 00:14:43,800 Suffering is a result of an imp your spirit. 245 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:46,900 It's an agent of God's Great enemy the devil. 246 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,200 And of course, in our culture we don't know what to do with bits 247 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:52,600 like this. We're saying, well, maybe this 248 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,600 actually is some sort of illness this guy had and just people 249 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:59,500 back then called it demons. We just don't seem to have 250 00:14:59,500 --> 00:15:01,800 categories with this either. We sort of dismiss that language 251 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,400 we laugh at it or we just talked about our Halloween and in 252 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:09,700 horror movies But as my son wisely, pointed out, to me this 253 00:15:09,700 --> 00:15:11,400 morning. Jesus is always dealing with 254 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:16,300 demons and Mars gospel. There is real spiritual warfare 255 00:15:16,300 --> 00:15:20,400 going on in this gulf between the forces of light, led by 256 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:25,700 Jesus and the forces of Darkness, led by the devil, an 257 00:15:25,700 --> 00:15:31,400 impure Spirits like this one. And this is biblical language. 258 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,300 We don't always know what to do with but but it's there and we 259 00:15:34,300 --> 00:15:39,300 need to take it seriously. the Apostle Paul a bit later and 260 00:15:39,300 --> 00:15:41,600 then you test and puts it, very clear that he says, our struggle 261 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,900 is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers against 262 00:15:44,900 --> 00:15:47,400 the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and 263 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:51,000 against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms, 264 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:53,300 Will Pete. What Paul's saying? 265 00:15:53,300 --> 00:15:55,000 There is a, we kind of think our struggles. 266 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,200 Just people just people are difficult or people are hard 267 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,100 work or people are opposing us pieces. 268 00:15:59,100 --> 00:16:03,200 New actually, there's more going on than, you know, There's more 269 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,000 going on in this world, in our lives and the lives of people 270 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:10,700 around us, than we know, we have a terrible enemy in the person 271 00:16:10,700 --> 00:16:13,200 of the devil, and we cannot afford to forget that. 272 00:16:15,500 --> 00:16:18,100 Just think for a minute of the prayer that Jesus taught his 273 00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:20,900 disciples, somebody's known as The Lord's Prayer. 274 00:16:20,900 --> 00:16:22,900 There's a prayer that Jesus, did you like the Bare Bones of 275 00:16:22,900 --> 00:16:26,100 prayer prayers? You will always need to pray and 276 00:16:26,100 --> 00:16:30,100 that prayer in Matthew 6 ends with this request and lead us, 277 00:16:30,100 --> 00:16:34,400 not into temptation, but Deliver Us from the evil one. 278 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:40,600 Not just evil in personally, the evil one personally. 279 00:16:44,700 --> 00:16:48,700 A great film of the 1990s. Was the usual suspect anyone 280 00:16:48,700 --> 00:16:52,600 seen it? After you have all people. 281 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:57,700 But there's a, there's a line in it that always stuck with me. 282 00:16:57,700 --> 00:17:00,400 Start with a lot of people, the greatest trick, the devil ever 283 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,300 pulled was convincing the world. He doesn't exist. 284 00:17:05,900 --> 00:17:07,700 We kind of think. Oh yeah, we know better now. 285 00:17:09,099 --> 00:17:11,599 Actually Paul says, no remember your struggle is not against 286 00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:14,700 flesh and blood. Remember, there is an evil one, 287 00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:18,400 so pray for yourselves, pray for the people around. 288 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:21,599 You pray for this world. Actually The garden is Mercy. 289 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:23,900 Would Deliver Us from the evil one. 290 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,599 It will not always look as dramatic or Vivid as it does for 291 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:30,400 this man in Mark 5. So much of the suffering and 292 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,600 evil we see around us. That is evidence of the evil one 293 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:36,200 at work. And Jesus has come to defeat 294 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,600 him. And to overcome him. 295 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:47,100 So it's kind of a scary intro, the man Jesus meets here. 296 00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:50,200 He is suffering terribly. He's cut off from God. 297 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,600 He's cut off from people, he's tormented day and night and 298 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:55,700 verse 4 just stets, it's already clearly. 299 00:17:56,100 --> 00:17:58,700 No one was strong enough to subdue him. 300 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,000 No one can help this man. His situation is hopeless. 301 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:11,400 Until he meets Jesus until Jesus lands on Shore. 302 00:18:11,500 --> 00:18:14,600 Right? By these tombs and everything 303 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:18,500 changes for this man. Verse 6 when he saw Jesus from a 304 00:18:18,508 --> 00:18:23,800 distance, he ran. And what it, how you expect that 305 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:28,800 sense, then maybe the man, he ran and attacked Jesus or he ran 306 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,000 and mocked Jesus. Again, that's what would happen 307 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:36,600 in a horror movie. But no verse 5 Verse 6, sorry. 308 00:18:36,700 --> 00:18:42,000 He ran and fell on his knees in front of Jesus. 309 00:18:43,900 --> 00:18:46,600 If you maybe no one else is strong enough as of do this man. 310 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,900 But verses 6 to 13 the Demons Inside them are in. 311 00:18:49,900 --> 00:18:52,100 No doubt who has the real power over them. 312 00:18:52,100 --> 00:18:56,600 We see something amazing here. Jesus he is stronger than any 313 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,400 force of evil and again we've already said that as a truth, we 314 00:18:59,408 --> 00:19:04,900 need to hold onto in this world. Because again we're expecting 315 00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:08,000 some kind of Titanic battle between equal and opposing 316 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,000 forces of Good and Evil in these verses. 317 00:19:10,100 --> 00:19:11,500 Well, you're going to be disappointed. 318 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,500 Because three times in this versus that, the demons begged, 319 00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:18,800 Jesus to spare them. Look at verse 7. 320 00:19:19,100 --> 00:19:21,100 Again, we hear this. What do you want with me? 321 00:19:21,100 --> 00:19:24,100 Jesus, Son of the most high God in God's name. 322 00:19:24,100 --> 00:19:28,700 Don't torture me. Crying out for mercy. 323 00:19:30,300 --> 00:19:33,700 I can think these demons have caused so much suffering and 324 00:19:33,700 --> 00:19:38,000 torment for this man. If causing grief Beyond grief 325 00:19:38,100 --> 00:19:42,800 pain and misery. Suddenly, when Jesus appears it, 326 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:46,500 is the demons who are terrified of Jesus. 327 00:19:48,500 --> 00:19:50,300 Can read these verses. This week, I'm just reminded of 328 00:19:50,308 --> 00:19:55,000 kind of the bully in the school playground over the bully, who 329 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,900 kind of just like dominates. All those weaker children, kind 330 00:19:57,900 --> 00:20:00,300 of like shoving them around. Taking the lunch money nor his 331 00:20:00,300 --> 00:20:03,100 daughter and then a stronger, kid arrives, and the and the 332 00:20:03,100 --> 00:20:05,600 bullies terrified and goes wrong. 333 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:06,800 I'm really sorry, I'm really sorry. 334 00:20:08,500 --> 00:20:12,300 That's what's Happening Here. These teams have been bullying. 335 00:20:12,300 --> 00:20:17,100 I'm tormenting this man. But now they know their time is 336 00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:22,900 up and they beg for mercy. Again, you'll notice the 337 00:20:22,900 --> 00:20:26,300 confusion in some ways. Here we learn more about what's 338 00:20:26,300 --> 00:20:29,000 really going on this man and verse 9, it's not just one 339 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,800 impure spirit so it kind of moves from plural to singular. 340 00:20:32,100 --> 00:20:35,600 First night, it is a legion of demons inside this man were 341 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,900 here. Allegiant, that was the largest 342 00:20:38,900 --> 00:20:42,300 unit of troops in the Roman army, something up between 5,000 343 00:20:42,300 --> 00:20:45,800 and 6,000 soldiers. Comprised, a legion. 344 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:48,100 This is an army of demons tormenting. 345 00:20:48,100 --> 00:20:51,900 This man. And yet they are no match for 346 00:20:51,900 --> 00:20:55,300 Jesus. The army of one who stands 347 00:20:55,700 --> 00:21:00,700 before them. I said, the pigs we back and 348 00:21:00,700 --> 00:21:05,500 they are because in verse m9a is new, verse 12. 349 00:21:05,500 --> 00:21:09,200 Sorry, in their Terror, the demons begged, Jesus to sand 350 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:12,500 them among the large herd of pigs nearby. 351 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:15,300 Again, why did the demons do that? 352 00:21:15,300 --> 00:21:18,800 Will maybe they think they're going to be safe from Jesus. 353 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,300 There may be think if we just let this man go and just go into 354 00:21:22,300 --> 00:21:25,100 the pigs, Jesus will take no more notice of us and he'll just 355 00:21:25,100 --> 00:21:27,600 leave us as we are. But if that's what they're 356 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,200 thinking, they are wrong verse 13. 357 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,800 Here. Jesus gave them permission on 358 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,500 the impure Spirits Kia, Maia and went into the pigs. 359 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,100 The heard about two thousand in number rushed down the Steep 360 00:21:40,100 --> 00:21:45,400 Bank, into the lake and were drawings, It's a powerful part 361 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:49,500 of this story. It is a troubling bit of the 362 00:21:49,500 --> 00:21:52,700 story for many people, not just people who like pigs. 363 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:55,600 And they say, why would Jesus do this? 364 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:59,400 Why would Jesus, do I 2000 pigs to rush down a cliff and drying 365 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:01,200 in a lick? We need, to be honest, this will 366 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:04,000 be a financial disaster for the people in that area. 367 00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:08,100 This was a point main source of income was having these pigs and 368 00:22:08,100 --> 00:22:10,500 yet, here, they're all drawings in the league. 369 00:22:10,500 --> 00:22:13,700 It just seems such a strange thing for Jesus to do. 370 00:22:16,300 --> 00:22:19,900 The answer to why he does it seem to be that. 371 00:22:19,900 --> 00:22:22,400 The first of all, he's demonstrating his authority over 372 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,800 the demons here. But he's also ensuring they can 373 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:32,200 never torment anyone else again. And this is such a public 374 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,300 demonstration of Jesus Authority, because Jesus is 375 00:22:34,300 --> 00:22:38,400 declaring this man to be completely clean and free from 376 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:44,100 the evil one once and for all. No one could miss. 377 00:22:44,100 --> 00:22:48,300 What had happened to this man? When they see all those pigs run 378 00:22:48,300 --> 00:22:53,700 down the cliff into the lake again, to understand that need 379 00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:56,600 to remember what pigs represented in Jewish. 380 00:22:56,600 --> 00:23:00,200 Thought something unclean, something that cut you off from 381 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:01,900 God. But here at the moment when 382 00:23:01,900 --> 00:23:05,500 Jesus sets this man free from the demons, he also throws his 383 00:23:05,500 --> 00:23:09,300 enemies into the lake and all this man's uncleanness, and 384 00:23:09,300 --> 00:23:12,300 impurity end up at the bottom of this Lake where they can never 385 00:23:12,300 --> 00:23:14,400 be. Again actually this is a 386 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:19,400 beautiful picture of the forgiveness and cleansing that 387 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:23,500 Jesus has one for this man. He is removed to sin as far 388 00:23:23,500 --> 00:23:24,700 from. As it can be. 389 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,300 We're at the bottom of this lick. 390 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:32,700 And the kids were left in any doubt. 391 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,700 What has happened to this man, we see the difference in him 392 00:23:36,700 --> 00:23:40,000 verse 15. When the people the region come 393 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,900 to investigate what has happened to the pigs. 394 00:23:43,300 --> 00:23:46,700 They saw the man who had been possessed by the Legion of 395 00:23:46,700 --> 00:23:51,100 demons sitting there dressed on his right mind. 396 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,700 It's a picture of transformation of this man. 397 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:58,300 It's also actually a picture of discipleship. 398 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:01,300 So, not culture to sit at someone's feet. 399 00:24:01,300 --> 00:24:04,500 The way this man is sitting at Jesus feet had means they are a 400 00:24:04,508 --> 00:24:08,000 disciple of that person to hear this, man. 401 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:12,500 He's finally, in his right mind, he's safe with Jesus. 402 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:16,300 He's loved by Jesus, he's learning from Jesus. 403 00:24:16,300 --> 00:24:18,500 This is the safest place. This man can be. 404 00:24:19,900 --> 00:24:21,400 And I'll see it's the safest place. 405 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,800 Any of us can be at the beginning of a new year. 406 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:30,800 I mean, if I have a year Mart in a world of darkness and evil and 407 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:34,700 suffering to be sitting at the feet of Jesus, like, this man is 408 00:24:34,700 --> 00:24:37,500 doing here. Means we are safe. 409 00:24:37,500 --> 00:24:41,200 We are loved and we are listening to him more than we're 410 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:45,300 listening to anyone else. Yeah, we've said throughout this 411 00:24:45,300 --> 00:24:49,200 series, everyone is a disciple of something or someone. 412 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,300 The only question is, who are we going to let disciple us? 413 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:57,500 This man has been set free by Jesus, so we sitting at Jesus 414 00:24:57,500 --> 00:25:00,800 feet learning from him close to him. 415 00:25:02,100 --> 00:25:03,400 And that's a picture of discipleship. 416 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:05,000 We needed the beginning of this year. 417 00:25:05,900 --> 00:25:08,800 Whatever else happens. Will I sit at the feet of Jesus, 418 00:25:09,100 --> 00:25:12,800 will I learn from him? Will I lean on him? 419 00:25:15,700 --> 00:25:19,000 So, moving on, and we need to see the impact this has on the 420 00:25:19,008 --> 00:25:22,800 local community verse 14 news travels quickly about the drying 421 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,100 of the pigs. Are people come running to see 422 00:25:25,100 --> 00:25:27,000 what has happened. And the question really is, will 423 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,700 hire the people going to react? So they come, they see verse 15. 424 00:25:29,700 --> 00:25:32,600 This man just sitting there dressed in his right mind. 425 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:36,100 There is no doubt, something amazing has happened in this 426 00:25:36,100 --> 00:25:39,000 man's life and you say, well, how are they going to react? 427 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:41,900 And we might expect in to say why this is amazing Jesus. 428 00:25:41,900 --> 00:25:44,600 Thank you for setting our neighbor free. 429 00:25:45,500 --> 00:25:48,400 Just this is amazing. Tell us more about who you are. 430 00:25:48,500 --> 00:25:50,100 It's me. Hi, did you do this? 431 00:25:50,100 --> 00:25:52,300 Jesus, no one could help him. And yet here he is. 432 00:25:52,300 --> 00:25:54,200 He's helped. He set free Jesus. 433 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:59,500 We want to know more about you. Of course, the answer is none of 434 00:25:59,508 --> 00:26:01,600 those things is how they respond. 435 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:07,000 Verse 15 were told there were freed and verse 17, the began to 436 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,500 plead with Jesus to leave their region. 437 00:26:11,700 --> 00:26:16,700 Here we have a frightened cried that rejects Jesus. 438 00:26:19,500 --> 00:26:20,700 Why do they react the way they do? 439 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:25,600 Maybe they're really angry and upset about what happened to the 440 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,900 pigs. Maybe underneath that they're 441 00:26:29,900 --> 00:26:31,900 more concerned with their livelihood. 442 00:26:33,300 --> 00:26:35,000 Then they are with his suffering, man. 443 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:38,500 Who they were quietly, ignoring in the tombs on the edge of the 444 00:26:38,500 --> 00:26:41,800 time. Maybe they're more concerned 445 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:46,800 with having a good income from these pigs then they are that an 446 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:48,900 army of evil spirits are tremendous thing. 447 00:26:48,900 --> 00:26:51,100 This guy who probably they all knew. 448 00:26:53,300 --> 00:26:55,900 Fundamentally, they didn't really care whether this guy was 449 00:26:55,900 --> 00:26:58,700 set free. They just wanted to keep being 450 00:26:58,700 --> 00:27:02,600 able to sell these pigs to live life the way they want to. 451 00:27:04,500 --> 00:27:08,300 They don't really care about this man and they don't like 452 00:27:08,300 --> 00:27:11,700 Jesus coming and messing up the way they like things done. 453 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:18,500 I think this cried in Mark is just a warning sign. 454 00:27:20,500 --> 00:27:25,200 Of a wrong response to Jesus. If we let other things matter 455 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:27,400 more to us than Jesus, we are in danger. 456 00:27:28,700 --> 00:27:32,700 Whether that's our livelihood, our jobs, our safety. 457 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:35,600 Just that sense of yeah, I've got life the way I want it. 458 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,500 Jesus back off. I don't want you to disrupt 459 00:27:39,700 --> 00:27:43,300 things. Maybe just frightened. 460 00:27:43,300 --> 00:27:45,700 Say I don't like the idea. This guy having so much power 461 00:27:45,700 --> 00:27:48,100 and authority, I just I'd rather not know him please. 462 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,300 Marcus warning. These readers don't end up like 463 00:27:53,300 --> 00:27:56,300 this cried. Don't miss out on the life and 464 00:27:56,300 --> 00:27:58,600 the healing that only Jesus can give to us. 465 00:27:58,900 --> 00:28:01,700 Don't be so heartless about the suffering of other people, that 466 00:28:01,700 --> 00:28:03,700 as long as it doesn't affect you personally, the you're fine with 467 00:28:03,700 --> 00:28:08,700 that carrying on. instead join with Jesus in rejoicing and what 468 00:28:08,700 --> 00:28:14,500 has happened to this man's life, and join this man in the 469 00:28:14,500 --> 00:28:19,400 Glorious new purpose, Jesus has given him That's why Mark ends 470 00:28:19,700 --> 00:28:23,000 this passage ends at with this man who's been set free from 471 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,600 these demons and the Glorious new life and purpose. 472 00:28:27,100 --> 00:28:32,100 He's been given Is this man amazingly who'd been possessed 473 00:28:32,100 --> 00:28:33,700 by these demons and massive suffering. 474 00:28:33,700 --> 00:28:39,000 He is chosen by Jesus to be his first missionary in Mark's 475 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:41,400 gospel. That's verses 18 to 20 Jesus 476 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:46,700 First Missionary in mark Because this point in marks a marks 477 00:28:46,700 --> 00:28:49,500 narrative, he Jesus hasn't yet sent out the Twelve Disciples. 478 00:28:49,500 --> 00:28:53,400 They're not ready to go out. Yeah, but he does send out this 479 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,200 man. He sends out this Gentile man to 480 00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:00,600 tell other Gentiles about Jesus is amazing scene here. 481 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:04,300 When you when you slow down and look at this, from the man's 482 00:29:04,300 --> 00:29:07,400 perspective, this begins a wasp in a real blow of disappointment 483 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:09,900 for him. Because my Birthright, this 484 00:29:09,900 --> 00:29:13,700 story various people in the story have begged Jesus for 485 00:29:13,700 --> 00:29:16,700 things. So the demons begged to be sent 486 00:29:16,700 --> 00:29:21,600 into the herd of pigs and Jesus says yes, the people begged 487 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:27,400 Jesus to leave their region and Jesus says okay I will Then 488 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,800 Verse 18, the man who'd been doing possess bag to go with 489 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:34,800 Jesus. This time Jesus says, no. 490 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:39,900 I'll say a real blow for this knowledge, and you said yes to 491 00:29:39,900 --> 00:29:42,700 the demons. He said, yes, to the people in 492 00:29:42,700 --> 00:29:45,200 this room. Why are you saying yes to me? 493 00:29:48,100 --> 00:29:51,300 Jesus doesn't always say yes to our, please. 494 00:29:53,500 --> 00:29:55,700 But that's because he has better purposes. 495 00:29:55,700 --> 00:30:00,400 Verses 19 to 20, Jesus said to them and go home to your own 496 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:04,700 people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and I 497 00:30:04,700 --> 00:30:09,300 he has had mercy on you. So the man went away and began 498 00:30:09,300 --> 00:30:13,600 to tell in the decapolis. Hi much, Jesus had done for him 499 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:20,900 and all the people were amazed. For the first time in Mark's 500 00:30:20,900 --> 00:30:24,200 gospel when Jesus heals someone he doesn't say don't tell people 501 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:27,000 to buy me because he's not on a Jewish area. 502 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,000 He doesn't have to guard people's expectations about him 503 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:33,400 know, he's in a gentile area. And so we send this man out to 504 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:37,100 be a messenger for him to the people around him. 505 00:30:38,500 --> 00:30:40,700 Again, at the end of the story, Jesus himself seems to be 506 00:30:40,700 --> 00:30:45,500 banished from this area, but the message about Jesus is not more 507 00:30:45,500 --> 00:30:49,200 and more people hear about Jesus through this man's message in 508 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,500 verse 20. The good news about Jesus 509 00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:56,700 spreads to the Gentiles. From someone who reaches them 510 00:30:56,700 --> 00:30:58,900 that the 12 disciples couldn't have reached at that time. 511 00:31:01,700 --> 00:31:06,300 See, Mark showing us here that when Jesus sets us free from the 512 00:31:06,300 --> 00:31:11,000 kingdom of darkness. He also in lists and equips us 513 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:16,200 into his kingdom of light that this man has been set free. 514 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:19,100 And now he wants to bring the light that only Jesus can bring 515 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:25,200 to other people in his community by telling them just what Jesus 516 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:29,700 has done for him. And that is a picture of 517 00:31:29,700 --> 00:31:32,500 discipleship set free from Darkness. 518 00:31:32,500 --> 00:31:36,300 So we can ourselves be part of Jesus mission of light. 519 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:44,200 And again, when you look at the end of this passage, I always 520 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:45,600 think I wonder how I quit this man. 521 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:49,500 Felt to be a missionary for Jesus, because remember, he's 522 00:31:49,500 --> 00:31:54,100 only just being set free here. He spent a really short time 523 00:31:54,300 --> 00:31:56,000 learning from Jesus. I expect this mind. 524 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:58,000 Kind of says, when Jesus says, go and tell the people what I've 525 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,900 done things going, how can Jesus you've got the wrong guy, I 526 00:32:00,908 --> 00:32:03,500 don't know enough about you. I don't know what to say to 527 00:32:03,500 --> 00:32:05,500 them. There must be someone else you 528 00:32:05,500 --> 00:32:11,200 could send. But Jesus insists on sending 529 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:16,000 this man to spread the word about him. because there's not a 530 00:32:16,008 --> 00:32:19,400 message about the man, fundamentally To message about 531 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,800 Jesus and all that he has done for him. 532 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,700 See if we make our message about ourselves, let me show people 533 00:32:27,700 --> 00:32:30,100 what a great successful life I have because I'm a Christian, 534 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,300 then yes going to fall flat because we're lying. 535 00:32:32,300 --> 00:32:35,400 Basically, we're making ourselves the heroes. 536 00:32:37,300 --> 00:32:39,800 But who the message this man has is I want to tell you about this 537 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:43,000 guy. Who set me free, you have mercy 538 00:32:43,300 --> 00:32:47,800 on me. And again as he stands on the 539 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:51,400 shore, this man weaving off Jesus and his disciples in the 540 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:54,900 boat. I might and he'd been praying. 541 00:32:54,900 --> 00:32:58,500 Like, he'd never prayed before. Can't believe Jesus gave me that 542 00:32:58,500 --> 00:32:59,400 job. Hon Earth. 543 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:04,500 Am I going to do this? but in his weakness verse 20, 544 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,900 God uses him. People are amazed at what they 545 00:33:09,900 --> 00:33:14,200 hear from this man. Because he knew the only way I 546 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:15,800 could do it was if he asked God to help him. 547 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:20,600 Yeah, we don't know what happened next to this man. 548 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,600 How long a life he lived? How many people he impacted with 549 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:28,300 his message about Jesus? But he is a picture here of the 550 00:33:28,300 --> 00:33:31,900 sort of person, Jesus can enlist in his mission. 551 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:37,500 I'm the sort of person is anyone who's been set free by Jesus 552 00:33:37,700 --> 00:33:41,400 Jesus unless and equips, anyone and everyone who's been saved by 553 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:44,200 him to play a part in his mission, in this world to bring 554 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:48,800 his light into Dark Places. That is the purpose he has for 555 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:50,200 you. If you're a follower of Jesus 556 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,500 today, you need to bring his light into the places where you 557 00:33:53,500 --> 00:33:57,600 work, where you study in your streets through the lives, you 558 00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,600 live. And through the words, you say, 559 00:34:01,100 --> 00:34:04,200 This world is a dark place not just in the winter when it's 560 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:09,000 cold all the time. But Jesus wants us to be 561 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:12,900 messengers of light in this world. 562 00:34:15,300 --> 00:34:17,500 What have we learned about Jesus? 563 00:34:17,500 --> 00:34:22,100 Here, he's stronger than any force of evil in this world and 564 00:34:22,100 --> 00:34:26,400 he calls each one of us to be missionaries for him in this 565 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:30,000 world. So just as we finish wanting to 566 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:34,400 invite us, all to take a moment to think about the year ahead to 567 00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:37,000 think about the coming month ahead. 568 00:34:38,300 --> 00:34:41,699 To think about the people in your life right now that God may 569 00:34:41,699 --> 00:34:46,699 be calling you to bring his light to the situations. 570 00:34:47,100 --> 00:34:50,500 God has placed you and he may be calling you to be a messenger of 571 00:34:50,500 --> 00:34:57,900 light in those dark places. I want it to pray that Jesus 572 00:34:57,900 --> 00:35:02,400 would help us do that. Just take a minute to pray and 573 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,600 then I'm going to finish that time in prayer. 574 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:07,400 Let's take a moment to think about this year. 575 00:35:08,300 --> 00:35:11,000 Who are the people Jesus is Calling You to serve. 576 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:15,400 Where are the places he wants you to be messengers of light? 577 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,500 Some words from the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians. 578 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:29,100 The Lord said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. 579 00:35:30,300 --> 00:35:33,900 For my par is made perfect in weakness. 580 00:35:35,700 --> 00:35:38,600 Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses 581 00:35:39,300 --> 00:35:41,700 so that Christ's power May rest on me. 582 00:35:43,100 --> 00:35:46,600 That is why for Christ's sake. I Delight in weaknesses in 583 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:51,300 insults, in hardships, in persecutions in difficulties. 584 00:35:52,300 --> 00:35:56,100 For when I am weak, then I am strong. 585 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:03,500 Lord Jesus remind us that you are stronger than any force of 586 00:36:03,500 --> 00:36:07,400 evil in this world. But the light has Shone in the 587 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:09,900 darkness and the Darkness has not overcome it. 588 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:15,000 Oh Jesus, thank you for shedding your light in our lives. 589 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:18,800 Please lower. Would you show us the people and 590 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:23,600 the situations where you want us to be messengers of your light 591 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,800 in the coming days and weeks and months? 592 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:29,700 And in all of that, Lord help us to depend on your strength. 593 00:36:29,700 --> 00:36:34,700 No our room. For when we are weak and we are 594 00:36:34,700 --> 00:36:37,700 strong, then you can really use us. 595 00:36:39,300 --> 00:36:41,900 We asked us for your glory in our lives. 596 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:41,200 Amen. We asked us for your glory in 597 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:43,200 our lives. Amen.