1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:05,760 Luke chapter 8 verses 22 to 25 is where we were last week and 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,960 we were out on a boat. We're out on a boat with 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:13,400 disciples and with Jesus in the midst of a life threatening 4 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:16,800 storm. The waves were piling over the 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:21,560 boat, the water was filling it up, and there was just total 6 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:25,160 panic that was taking place amongst Jesus disciples. 7 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:30,160 And in that story, Jesus gets woken up and then he stands up 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:35,240 and he speaks and he with a word calms the waters, clears the 9 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,320 skies. And so last week we said the big 10 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:42,320 idea for that section of Scripture, for that part of 11 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:46,640 Luke, is that having Jesus in your boat, it doesn't keep you 12 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,560 from entering into storms. It doesn't keep the storms from 13 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,120 coming up. But it does mean that even in 14 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,880 the fiercest storm, you don't have to be afraid if you got 15 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,720 Jesus in your boat, because if you have Jesus in your boat, 16 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:06,680 he'll see you through. If life for you feels like it's 17 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,120 taking on water, If you feel like you're in the middle of a 18 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,320 storm, I just want to let you know we post all of our messages 19 00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:15,440 online. You can go back and you can 20 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:19,400 check out the message from last week or any of the weeks that 21 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,800 you need to get caught up on. But I think we need to go back 22 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,240 and see where we were because they're on this boat for a 23 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,920 reason. They're heading somewhere. 24 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,840 They were crossing across the Sea of Galilee. 25 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,360 They were coming to this place, this spot where we find 26 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,760 ourselves today. They had gone from Capernaum and 27 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:40,520 now they're over in the Gerasenes. 28 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,840 It's about about probably a 12 kilometer boat ride. 29 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:46,480 It depends. They could, if they got knocked 30 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,080 off a little bit, that might have got a little longer. 31 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,120 I don't know what happened in the storm, but about 12 32 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:55,080 kilometers and I mentioned last week, I'm not usually fearful 33 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,680 about stuff when it comes to physical danger. 34 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,680 I am blissfully unaware of physical danger to a fault. 35 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:08,880 That's true when it comes to physical and material dangers. 36 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,760 But I've always been pretty freaked out by like the 37 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,640 paranormal and and and spiritual stuff. 38 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,640 So I don't know if, if any of you are old enough to remember 39 00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:25,360 the old show unsolved mysteries. There was a particular episode 40 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:27,880 of unsolved mysteries, not just the theme song. 41 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,640 Even to this day, if I hear that theme song, I start to get like 42 00:02:30,640 --> 00:02:36,640 the the willies. But there was a, a, an episode 43 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:40,080 about alien abduction and I don't think I slept for like a 44 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:45,360 month after watching that one. I, when I was a kid, like any 45 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,120 type of horror movies, especially if it dealt with 46 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,760 demonic stuff, just like it was not good. 47 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,680 And I will say that as a pastor in my, in my time in ministry, 48 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:04,480 I, I've been in situations where I have experienced the demonic, 49 00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:07,760 real and alive in people's lives. 50 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,480 And in those moments, the hair on the back of my neck always 51 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:17,240 stands up. And and we find ourselves in a 52 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,920 very different type of situation, with a very different 53 00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:23,200 type of power than the winds and the waves. 54 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:32,840 Today, Luke's taking us to a spot to show us that Jesus isn't 55 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:37,000 just Lord over the natural physical realm like we saw last 56 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:42,280 week, but the Jesus is also Lord over the spiritual realm. 57 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,640 He's stacked these stories, he's pushed them together. 58 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:48,880 He's put them into his narrative on purpose. 59 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,600 He's he's showing us a bigger picture. 60 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:57,880 He wants us to see, like I said last week, that there's no inch 61 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:01,920 of all creation and that includes both physical and 62 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:07,680 spiritual over which Jesus does not reign as Lord and King. 63 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:13,160 And if this is true, then whether you're dealing with 64 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,320 physical sickness this morning or whether you are in spiritual 65 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,560 bondage, Jesus's power is bigger. 66 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:27,680 Whether you feel like it's financial debt that is crushing 67 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:35,480 you today or it's, it's a spiritual shame that has you in 68 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:40,480 shackles. Jesus power is bigger because 69 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:48,080 Jesus is Lord over all of it. The spiritual and the physical. 70 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,080 The, the, the spiritual realities that feel like they 71 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:58,080 have us entrapped, have us enslaved, right? 72 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:04,440 That sin that we just can't seem to shake as hard as we try, as 73 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:08,040 as much as we white knuckle it, we just keep on coming back to 74 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,680 it. The darkness that just hangs 75 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,800 over us and, and feels like it's stalking us. 76 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:22,080 The, the, the chains that try as hard as we might, but we just 77 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:24,240 don't have the power to break free of. 78 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:31,040 Luke wants us to see Jesus is not just the storm Comer, he's 79 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:35,680 the chain breaker. And and that is such good news 80 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:41,600 for us, such good news for us, because every single one of us 81 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:48,920 in this room is either trapped in chains ourself this morning, 82 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:55,960 or we know somebody who who just can't seem to break free. 83 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:01,200 Or we will one day find ourselves up against it in a in 84 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,680 a spiritual battle that we simply don't have the power to 85 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:09,320 overcome on our own. And so want to see what Luke is 86 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:13,040 going to show us about Jesus authority, his power as we walk 87 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,440 back through that story that Laura has just taken us through. 88 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:22,520 Let's start in verse 26. Then they sailed to the region 89 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,200 of the garrisons, which is opposite Galilee. 90 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:31,640 And when he that's Jesus got out on land, a demon possessed man 91 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:38,720 from the town met him. So Jesus, the picture is steps 92 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:42,080 out of the boat and he's not greeted by welcoming crowds. 93 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:48,520 He's greeted by a man. Thankfully, this one is is fully 94 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:55,920 clothed, but a man in chains who is just in a desperate 95 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,960 situation. I think I, I put that picture up 96 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:03,560 in that Laura was asking because Laura doesn't like scary things. 97 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:05,080 She's like, how scary is it going to be? 98 00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:08,640 And I said, I think it was probably about 100 times scarier 99 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:10,560 than that reality that's on the picture. 100 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:15,400 Like if this is a movie, I told you I don't like scary movies. 101 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,520 If this is a movie I am not wanting to watch, this is what 102 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,120 it says. For a long time, he had worn no 103 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:25,320 clothes, did not stay in a house, but in the tombs. 104 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,760 This guy is naked. He's possessed. 105 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:35,240 He's homeless and he's living in a graveyard. 106 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:40,160 You can't come up with a more ideal setting for a horror movie 107 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,320 than that. He's sitting there with broken 108 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,920 chains and restraints hanging off of his body. 109 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,080 And this is where Jesus comes. The first thing I think that we 110 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,720 need to see here is that Jesus intentionally enters into the 111 00:07:56,720 --> 00:08:02,800 dark places. Jesus made a decision to leave 112 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:09,880 Capernaum to to to leave the land of the Jews, the land of 113 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,800 God's people, and to come to the land of the Gentiles, to come to 114 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:16,360 a spiritually dark and barren place. 115 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:20,160 Like, again, Luke puts these things into his narrative 116 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,000 because he's wanted us to see some stuff. 117 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,560 He's stacking some details here. So what does he tell us? 118 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,360 Well, this is a Garrison, so it's a Gentile, and it is a land 119 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:33,120 of spiritual darkness. It's a graveyard. 120 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,640 It, it, it, it is an unclean place. 121 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:42,640 It's a place of death and hopelessness and brokenness. 122 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:49,040 He's met by a man who is spiritually not just tormented, 123 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:55,840 but oppressed and possessed. This is a this is a guy who no 124 00:08:55,840 --> 00:09:00,040 one else could fix, who no one else could help. 125 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,520 They couldn't even manage him. They put him in restraints, they 126 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,400 put him in chains, and the demons would break it. 127 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:14,040 He was guarded, it says, bound by chains and shackles. 128 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:18,360 He would snap the restraints and be driven by the demon into the 129 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,440 deserted places, into the lonely places. 130 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,640 And this is where Jesus comes. This is where Jesus decides to 131 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:32,040 step off the boat. He comes specifically to this 132 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:36,320 place. He comes specifically to this 133 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:43,160 person, to this man. Maybe you're here today and you 134 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:48,920 think Jesus would never want to enter into my story. 135 00:09:50,560 --> 00:09:54,320 Jesus, Jesus would never want to come to me because because of 136 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:58,440 the darkness in your life or because of the situations and 137 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:00,440 places to which you have put yourself. 138 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:02,600 And you say Jesus would never want to come there. 139 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,680 But that's exactly where Jesus comes. 140 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:13,280 He intentionally goes to the dark places because Jesus is not 141 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:20,680 scared of the darkness. Jesus is not surprised by your 142 00:10:20,680 --> 00:10:25,920 situation, and that's because there's something else that we 143 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:29,280 see here, and that's the demonic power. 144 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,600 Although it's real, it is an ultimate. 145 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:35,560 It is an ultimate. Look what happens when Jesus 146 00:10:35,560 --> 00:10:39,600 shows up. It's incredible when he. 147 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,640 That's the man possessed by the demons. 148 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:49,120 The demons saw Jesus, he cried out, fell before him and said in 149 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:53,000 a loud voice, I'd try and do my scary demon voice here, but it 150 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:57,760 will wreck my voice. What do you have to do with me? 151 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:03,040 Jesus, son of the Most High God, I beg you, don't torment me. 152 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,920 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. 153 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:09,960 Then you just go a little bit farther. 154 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:12,600 You go to verse 30. It says, What is your name? 155 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:16,360 Jesus asked him. Legion. 156 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:22,880 He said, because many demons had entered into him and they begged 157 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:26,680 him not to banish them to the abyss. 158 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:33,120 Do you Do you see this? When Jesus shows up, the demons 159 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:37,200 bow down. When Jesus shows up, the demons 160 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:42,960 bow down. The demons, plural, beg Jesus. 161 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:52,680 This is not a battle. This is like me walking into our 162 00:11:52,680 --> 00:11:57,160 preschool room and saying, who wants to arm wrestle, right? 163 00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:59,680 This is, this is not a fair fight. 164 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:04,680 This is groveling. We don't get any type of 165 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:08,280 struggle here between Jesus and the demons, But there's no 166 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,320 there's no tug of war going on here. 167 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:15,800 He immediately enters into the scene and exercises his power 168 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:19,760 without question. CS Lewis in the script tape 169 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:24,440 letters says there are two equal and opposite errors into which 170 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,480 our race, that's humanity, can fall about the devils. 171 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:32,160 One is to disbelieve in their existence. 172 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:36,920 The other is to believe and to feel an excessive and unhealthy 173 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:40,120 interest in them. They themselves are equally 174 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:44,560 pleased by both errors. Satan is real. 175 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:50,520 Demonic and spiritual realms and realities are real. 176 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:57,520 They inflict real damage. They affect real lives. 177 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:03,640 To deny that those things are real is foolish. 178 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,720 It's the realm of fools. It leaves you exposed. 179 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,760 It leaves you unprepared for the reality that exists. 180 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:19,920 But it is equally a mistake to assume that Satan and his devils 181 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,920 are behind anything and everything wrong that goes on in 182 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:28,400 this world, or that Satan and his demons are somehow in any 183 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:31,520 way an equal and opposite force to Jesus. 184 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:37,920 Satan would love you to believe that he is actually an 185 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:41,280 appropriate opponent, an equal opponent of Jesus. 186 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:49,600 But there is no power, no power of Satan, no power of sin that 187 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,360 Jesus does not hold authority over. 188 00:13:54,000 --> 00:14:00,360 That means that when we're struggling against sin and 189 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:06,080 against shame, against darkness and against demons, we don't 190 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:10,520 have to fight for Christ's authority over any of it. 191 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:16,760 We get to fight by the authority of Jesus against it. 192 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,480 There's that means there's no addiction, there's no 193 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:26,920 oppression, there's no spiritual bondage that outranks Jesus in 194 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:31,360 power. Keep going. 195 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,200 A large herd of pigs was there and they were feeding on the 196 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:38,960 hillside, and the demons begged him to permit them to enter the 197 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:40,560 pigs, and he gave them permission. 198 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,040 The demons came out of the man and entered the pigs. 199 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:47,440 The herd rushed down the steep bank and into the lake and 200 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,360 drowned like the demons. All demons want to do is wreck 201 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:54,480 and destroy. When the men who tended them saw 202 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,280 what had happened, they ran off and reported it in the town and 203 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:00,640 in the countryside. Then people went out to see what 204 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:03,600 had happened. They came to Jesus and found the 205 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:08,400 man the demons had departed from sitting at Jesus feet, dressed 206 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:10,920 and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 207 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,360 I love this. I love this so much because this 208 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:15,000 is this is what this part of the story. 209 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:22,320 What Luke tells us is that Jesus deliverance restores what demons 210 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:27,320 destroy. Jesus deliverance restores what 211 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:29,920 demons destroy. Look what happens when Jesus 212 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,720 exercises his authority. The man who was out of control, 213 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:37,840 what's he doing now? He's sitting calmly, sitting 214 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:44,600 calmly at the feet of Jesus. The one who was naked is now 215 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:49,120 dressed. The one who was isolated and 216 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:52,680 alone in the deserted places. Where is he now? 217 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:57,040 He's in community with Jesus and with his disciples. 218 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,520 See, Jesus doesn't just come in and remove the man's demons. 219 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:05,280 He restores his dignity. It's so good because that's what 220 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:07,720 the Gospel does. This is what the power of Jesus 221 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:11,440 does. It doesn't just remove darkness. 222 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,440 It restores the image of God and humanity. 223 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:20,440 It makes us more human. It makes us the humans we were 224 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,680 meant to be, the men and women God designed us to be. 225 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:29,880 The power of Jesus doesn't just allow us to to be set free from 226 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:32,880 our sins. That in and of itself would be 227 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:36,680 good news. But it sets me free. 228 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:42,400 It sets you free to be the me that I was created by God to be. 229 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:45,160 That's what the power of Jesus does. 230 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:49,240 It's so good. And yet notice this. 231 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,960 Not everybody welcomes the freedom that Jesus brings. 232 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:56,920 It's right here in the story too, right? 233 00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:00,160 Verse 36. Meanwhile, the eyewitnesses 234 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,560 reported to them how the demon possessed man was delivered. 235 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,920 They've gone back to town and they've said, hey, this is what 236 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:10,000 Jesus did and you think everybody would be like yay, go 237 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:15,440 Jesus. Then all of the people of the 238 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:21,000 Garrison region asked him to leave them because they were 239 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:28,240 gripped by great fear. So getting into the boat, Jesus 240 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:34,160 return, the townspeople see what Jesus has done and their 241 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:39,000 response is get lost. Jesus you need to get out of 242 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,560 here. We don't need your type of 243 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:43,920 realm. We thought the demon possessed 244 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,800 guy was bad, but you're obviously greater than that. 245 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,320 Jesus represents a power that cannot be controlled. 246 00:17:55,360 --> 00:18:00,280 Jesus represents an authority that is beyond their ability to 247 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:04,320 manage. And that was incredibly good 248 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,520 news for the man who was set free, incredibly good news for 249 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:11,920 the man who was set free. It's unbelievable news for the 250 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:15,480 one who already knew and understood that he was under the 251 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,280 power of powers he couldn't manage. 252 00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:24,720 But it was terrifying for those who thought that they had more 253 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:31,680 to lose by inviting Jesus in than they had to gain by having 254 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,040 him there, right. They they didn't. 255 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:36,920 They didn't see any need to have Jesus here. 256 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:40,240 We've got things under control. Everything's just fine. 257 00:18:40,360 --> 00:18:42,560 And if you come in here, Jesus, you might wreck everything. 258 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:45,760 You already destroyed our pigs. What else are you going to wreck 259 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:50,680 around here? I just want you to know Jesus 260 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:57,040 never just comes as Savior. To recognize him as Savior 261 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:03,920 always also requires for us to recognize him as Lord, to 262 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:07,520 recognize him as the authority over all authorities. 263 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:14,040 Lots of people love the idea of a Jesus who will fix the things 264 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:19,720 they want him to fix. But we're a lot less comfortable 265 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:23,760 with the idea of a Jesus who doesn't just come to fix things. 266 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:28,560 He comes to rule over us. He comes to rule over things. 267 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:31,760 But at the end of the day, listen, listen, listen. 268 00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:38,680 If Jesus is going to break your chains, you need a Jesus who is 269 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:41,840 big enough not just to break those chains, but to rule over 270 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:47,080 all things. You need Jesus who is big enough 271 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,200 to set you free and to make you whole. 272 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:54,720 We don't just need this is our I think so much of us think our 273 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:59,080 problem is we just need a better way of living the life we want 274 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:02,920 to live. We we just need somebody to fix 275 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,360 some of the things that we just can't seem together. 276 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:07,600 But if he could leave the rest of it alone, that would be 277 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:09,600 great. It just need a slightly fixed up 278 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:13,120 life. You don't need a new way of 279 00:20:13,120 --> 00:20:15,680 living. You need to be brought from 280 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:19,920 death to life. You need to move from the realm 281 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:24,600 of slavery to sin and darkness to slavery to Jesus Christ. 282 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:29,240 That that's the invitation that Jesus offers. 283 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:34,040 Come to me, not so that I can make your life a little better. 284 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:37,320 Come to me, you who are dead, and I will make you alive. 285 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,840 Come to me, you who are dead, and recognize that I have died 286 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,600 on the cross so you don't have to be dead anymore. 287 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,720 And I have risen from the grave, not just to be alive, but to 288 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:54,440 know, so that you can know that you can be made alive. 289 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:00,320 That's the invitation to every single person here today is to 290 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:04,680 trust in Jesus as Savior and as Lord, as the one who came to 291 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:08,120 fixed was broken, and to rule and reign over your life. 292 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:17,000 Watch what happens when Jesus comes in, when he delivers us. 293 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:23,080 The man from whom the demons had departed begged him earnestly to 294 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:28,440 be with him, but he sent him away and said no. 295 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,960 You go back to your home and you tell all that God has done for 296 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,840 you. And so off he went, proclaiming 297 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:38,800 throughout the town how much Jesus had done for him. 298 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:46,000 What we see here is that by the power of Jesus, the delivered 299 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,600 becomes sent. By the power of Jesus the 300 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:55,320 delivered becomes sent. Jesus frees this man by his 301 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:59,240 power and then sends him out with new purpose. 302 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:05,560 That's what Jesus does. If Jesus has freed you, if he 303 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:13,000 saved you, Because listen, every single salvation is ultimately a 304 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:18,000 story of deliverance. Every single salvation is a 305 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,280 story of deliverance. It's being moved from the 306 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:22,400 Kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light. 307 00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:27,760 Every story. If that's your story, if that's 308 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:32,360 your story, if you've trusted in Jesus, you've called out for him 309 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:37,200 to be Savior and Lord. If then you've been healed, 310 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,720 you've been set free, you've been given life. 311 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:41,960 Your story is a story of deliverance. 312 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:51,080 And if Jesus has set you free, if he's broken your chains, if 313 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,480 he's freed you from bondage, then what are you supposed to 314 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:58,160 do? Go tell others your story. 315 00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:02,480 That's what he calls you to do. So many of us, we're like, we're 316 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:04,680 like this guy. We're like, this is great, 317 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:08,720 Jesus, I'll just hang out with you now and that's wonderful. 318 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:10,440 You need to spend time with Jesus. 319 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,360 Don't get me wrong, but Jesus didn't just save you to hang out 320 00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:16,200 with him. Jesus saved you to send you. 321 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:21,000 That's your job. He said, what's my purpose? 322 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,200 That's your purpose. If you're saved, go tell people 323 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,400 the story of the deliverance that God has worked and is 324 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:33,000 working in your life. This guy, he's sent out with no 325 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,600 credentials, He's sent out with no training. 326 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:41,040 He's got one thing, he's got a story. 327 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,960 He's got a story of what Jesus has done in his life. 328 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:47,840 And he says you go, you tell people about that. 329 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:52,040 That's what he does. So I'm just saying, so many of 330 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,760 us get nervous about this thing called evangelism. 331 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,680 I don't know what to say and I don't have the words I need. 332 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,400 The Five step program and tools are great and tools are good. 333 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,880 We offer lots of classes through about evangelism through the 334 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:09,040 year, which tend to not be as well attended as you would 335 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:13,520 think. Ultimately, go Share your story. 336 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:17,680 If God's real in your life, He should be doing something, and 337 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,040 if he's doing something, you should be telling somebody about 338 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:21,240 it. That's evangelism. 339 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:31,040 Jesus comes ashore. He comes ashore, and how many 340 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,640 people does he set free? One. 341 00:24:36,360 --> 00:24:39,440 But one was all it took. He came. 342 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:42,160 He took this whole boat ride over through the storm. 343 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:44,520 He lands. He meets the demoniac. 344 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,240 He sets him free, they say get lost. 345 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:51,480 He says OK, and then he tells this guy, go tell everybody what 346 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:55,360 I did because that's that's what he came there to do. 347 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,320 By the power of Jesus, he would now go out and share the story 348 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:04,480 of Jesus with others because by the power of Jesus, anyone who 349 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:10,760 is delivered is also sent. And I just one other important 350 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:12,760 side note that I should notice here. 351 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:17,800 Jesus gave him an instruction. He said go back to your home and 352 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:21,320 tell all that God has done for you. 353 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:24,720 OK, that was the instruction. Tell all the God has done for 354 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:27,520 you. Luke tells us he went 355 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:32,240 proclaiming throughout the town how much Jesus had done for him. 356 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:36,280 What is Luke telling us? Jesus is God. 357 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:41,040 Jesus is God. I I say this to say we can move 358 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,440 past this. I know there are Amanda works 359 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,520 then in pre team and she told me the other day, like every time 360 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:50,720 she explains the kids Jesus got the light bulb goes on for 361 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:52,840 somebody. So maybe this morning the light 362 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:57,680 bulb is going on for you, Jesus, the Father, the Holy Spirit. 363 00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:00,240 They're the three in one. They're the Trinity, they're all 364 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,000 God. So just a little note for you 365 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:08,480 there. So as we come to the closing, 366 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:13,440 what have we seen? Our story today began in a 367 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:19,440 graveyard. It started with a man who was 368 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:26,680 isolated, who was broken, who was under spiritual powers that 369 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,800 he could not control and who had no power to fight against. 370 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:36,320 He's literally in chains. He's literally living amongst 371 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:38,920 the dead. That's that's where he is. 372 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:46,560 It ends with that guy, same man, sitting at the feet of Jesus, 373 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:55,440 clothed in his right mind and sent out as an ambassador of 374 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,400 Jesus to tell the story of how Jesus had taken him from where 375 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:03,680 he was to where he is. Because that's the power of 376 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:07,720 Jesus, that that's what Jesus does. 377 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:14,080 This is what he does. Some of you today, you feel more 378 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:21,160 like that man than you would ever care to admit You, you feel 379 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:28,480 naked in chains, chased by demons, living amongst the dead 380 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:30,760 than you would ever like to admit. 381 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:33,000 I'm thankful that all of you decided to come close. 382 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:39,800 Thank you for that. But but so often we we put on 383 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:45,640 clothes, we we try and put ourselves together to make it 384 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:46,960 look like we have it all together. 385 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:53,360 But deep down inside, in our moments on our own, we feel a 386 00:27:53,360 --> 00:27:57,960 lot more like that guy. That's what our life feels like 387 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:02,280 behind closed doors when no one is looking. 388 00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:14,480 There are chains, there's strongholds, there's patterns of 389 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:16,080 sin. When you're sitting in front of 390 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:22,400 that screen that you for the life of you, you can't break on 391 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:30,000 your own. There is shame that keeps so 392 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:34,720 isolated. You come here, you with 1000 393 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:40,320 other people, and you feel totally alone, partially because 394 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:45,560 you think if anybody knew, if anybody else knew what was going 395 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:50,160 on in my life, anyone else knew of the stuff that I was 396 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:54,680 participating in, the type of things that power me, the things 397 00:28:54,680 --> 00:29:03,760 in my past that have just kept me chained, they just reject me. 398 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:07,080 They'd run me out of here, right? 399 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,960 There's that fear. It drives us into lonely places 400 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:15,560 just like that, man. You've tried everything. 401 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:21,200 You've tried everything to fix it, tried everything to manage 402 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:23,160 it, tried everything to restrain. 403 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:29,200 That was this man's story, Chains and ropes, guys guarding 404 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:33,640 him, trying to restrain him. There was no power available 405 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:37,960 that could break the real chains that he was under where he was 406 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:46,720 till Jesus showed up. Trying harder, just white 407 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:53,080 knuckling it with willpower, self-discipline, beating 408 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:56,680 yourself up and then building yourself up depending on which 409 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:59,240 self help book you've read and which therapist you've been to 410 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:04,400 recently. Medication distraction, man, you 411 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:10,200 have tried them all. Try all the different things. 412 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:13,960 And by the way, not not saying those things are bad. 413 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:15,240 Some of them are actually good things. 414 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:18,520 Some of them are things maybe you need to participate in, but 415 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,720 they won't break the chains that you need broken today. 416 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:26,680 Those chains don't get broken by our power. 417 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:33,680 They can't get broken from just simple self improvement. 418 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:42,320 But no sin and no spiritual power is too strong for the 419 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:47,280 freedom granting chain breaking power of Jesus to enter into 420 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:50,800 today. There's no there's no addiction, 421 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:55,600 there's no bitterness, there's no unforgiveness, there's no 422 00:30:55,600 --> 00:31:03,560 stifling shame, no involvement in the occult, no generational 423 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:07,160 sin that just keeps getting passed down from generation to 424 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:12,600 generation, repeating the cycles of brokenness over and over 425 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,520 again. There's no secret sin that you 426 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:19,280 just keep hidden in the closet. Blade is crushing you and eating 427 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:21,800 you up and devouring you from the inside. 428 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:30,200 There's no crushing anxiety or depression that sits so heavy 429 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:38,520 and despair. If a if a legion of demons, if a 430 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:46,240 legion of demons bows at the feet of Jesus and begs, what 431 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:50,880 makes you think the darkness in your life is too dark and too 432 00:31:50,880 --> 00:32:00,600 big and too strong for Jesus to set you free from the same Jesus 433 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:02,920 who who set this man in our story free? 434 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:09,680 I believe he has the power to set people free. 435 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:14,880 Today we sang about it. I'm sick of singing songs that 436 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:16,800 we just kind of sing but don't actually believe. 437 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:24,960 Jesus is the waymaker, the miracle worker, the promise 438 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:27,520 keeper, the light in the darkness. 439 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:32,240 That's who he is. He breaks chains today too. 440 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:36,360 So here's what we're going to do in a moment. 441 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:37,840 The band's going to begin playing. 442 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:48,120 If while I've been talking, the Holy Spirit has been saying he's 443 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:53,040 talking to you. He's talking about your chain, 444 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:55,920 he's talking about your darkness. 445 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,920 He's talking about that power that you can't seem to overcome 446 00:32:59,920 --> 00:33:03,600 in your life. If there is a spiritual 447 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:10,400 stronghold, if there is an abiding sin, a habit that you 448 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:15,440 just can't break, that's destroying you, I'm going to 449 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:19,480 invite you to have the courage to come forward. 450 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:22,120 And we're going to have a team of people up here to pray. 451 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,360 And they want to pray over you and they want to pray for you, 452 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:29,960 and they want to pray that Jesus would break your chains today. 453 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:33,160 I'm going to ask you to come forward because not because 454 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:36,480 there's any power in coming down the aisle to the front of the 455 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:38,440 church. There's nothing special about 456 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:42,240 here. The power is in Jesus there. 457 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:50,200 There's no power about this space other than Jesus is in 458 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:55,280 this space. There's no power in the words of 459 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:57,720 our prayers other than Jesus hears our prayers. 460 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:05,240 And so I want you to come as a confession, part of the power of 461 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:06,800 coming forward and stepping forward. 462 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:12,360 It's like it actually makes you say, Jesus, I got something and 463 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:16,560 I can't fix it. There's something going on here 464 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:21,280 and, and I'm I'm out. I, I just confess I can't do it. 465 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:25,440 I need your power in this place in my life. 466 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:33,199 For some of you, I just want to say today, I believe will be the 467 00:34:33,199 --> 00:34:36,880 day that you'll get rescued from some stuff. 468 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:43,280 Today could be the day where you stop trying to manage the 469 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:49,920 darkness, you stop trying to manage the optics, and you come 470 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:53,760 and you just surrender to Jesus in his power. 471 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,000 And, and, and I'll say this to you who are here and you say 472 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:01,960 I've been freed. My story is a story of 473 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:04,560 deliverance. Jesus has saved me. 474 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:07,120 He's rescued me by the glory of God. 475 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:10,000 I'm not where I want to be, but He's helping me through. 476 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:12,960 I'm making progress. I don't, I don't think that 477 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:15,200 Jesus is coming and calling on me to be that. 478 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:21,400 That's great, No problem. But don't just sing the words 479 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,680 that we're about to sing in the song that we're going to sing in 480 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:29,320 the safety of this room and go silent when you're around people 481 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:33,480 who need Jesus. I'm sick of it. 482 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:39,760 Don't just sing words and go silent when you're around people 483 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:44,280 who are in bondage and broken and who need to know the same 484 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:46,880 Jesus who set you free to set them free. 485 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:55,000 If Jesus saved you, He sent you. So go out and let this be your 486 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:58,880 song. Pray every morning, Lord, you 487 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:03,000 show me who I need to share the story of my deliverance with 488 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,480 today. So prayer team, you come on 489 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:15,720 forward band, you start us off and if you you need prayer, then 490 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:17,840 as the band is playing, you come. 491 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:25,280 And if we're part way through the song and you're just like, I 492 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:26,960 know I need to get up there, then get up. 493 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:30,360 If we're 3/4 and you've been fighting Jesus for 3/4 of the 494 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:32,840 way through the song, the Holy Spirit will work on you and you 495 00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:36,320 need to come up, come up and we'll, we'll go. 496 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,120 And we'll trust that the chain breaker is going to break some 497 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:41,800 chains today. We're going to trust that that 498 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,520 the Jesus who enters into dark places there enters into dark 499 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:48,960 places here, and that if he delivered that man, then that he 500 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,320 can deliver us now.