1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,360 Good morning. Our scripture reading for today 2 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:11,360 comes from Matthew chapter 8, starting in verse 28. 3 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,600 If you're using one of the Bibles under your seat, you can 4 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:20,600 find that on page 763. This is Matthew chapter 8, 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:25,840 starting in verse 28. And when he came to the other 6 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,680 side, to the country of the Guardianese, two demon possessed 7 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,920 men met him, coming out of the tombs so fierce that no one 8 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:38,400 could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, What 9 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,720 have you to do with us, O Son of God, have you come here to 10 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,440 torment us before the time? Now a herd of many pigs was 11 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,280 feeding at some distance from them. 12 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,560 And the demons begged him, saying, If you cast us out, send 13 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,120 us away into the herd of pigs. And he said to them, Go. 14 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:57,640 So they came out and went into the pigs. 15 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:01,160 And behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into 16 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,080 the sea, and drowned in the waters. 17 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,440 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told 18 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:09,720 everything, especially what had happened to the demon possessed 19 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,280 men. And behold all the city came out 20 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,680 to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave 21 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,000 their region. This is the word of the Lord. 22 00:01:23,460 --> 00:01:25,220 What's going on? Port City family and friends, 23 00:01:25,220 --> 00:01:26,880 how are we doing? Good. 24 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:28,760 My name is Tanner. I'm one of the pastor's here. 25 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:30,960 I love that new song, Jesus. Thank you. 26 00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:32,880 Could somebody just say thank you this morning? 27 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:35,240 Somebody challenged me this week. 28 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:37,960 They said, Tanner, if you don't learn how to be grateful, 29 00:01:37,960 --> 00:01:41,360 everything is either a prospect or a problem. 30 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:43,160 And maybe you can relate to that. 31 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,640 Everything in your life either feels like a problem that's got 32 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,880 to get out of the way or a prospect to materialize into 33 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:50,840 something new. And y'all, thank you. 34 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,800 Just helps you receive the moment and ultimately we are 35 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,720 thankful for Christ. Y'all in the person of Jesus, we 36 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,080 have all we need y'all. That's that's that's the truth 37 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,200 of the Bible. And if we can't get there, we're 38 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:07,360 always just going to be plagued by discontent. 39 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,200 So what I want to do is just go to the Lord in a quick word of 40 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,160 prayer and we're going to dive into our amazing texture today. 41 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,520 Will you pray with me our Father God, what we know not this 42 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,200 morning. Would you teach us God, what we 43 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,840 have not would you give us and what we are not, would you make 44 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:23,920 us? Lord, let let the words of my 45 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:26,520 mouth, the meditation of my heart during this time and God, 46 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,520 all of our hearts just to be meditating on what you have for 47 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,240 us. Be with us our Lord, our rock, 48 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,320 our Redeemer and everybody who agree with that said Amen. 49 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,160 Well, y'all, I love the five senses. 50 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,160 What a gift they are to taste food is amazing. 51 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,600 The one that kind of blows my mind sometimes is sound. 52 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:51,960 OK, sound, you can't see it, but the way that sound works is it's 53 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,640 it's like frequencies of like vibration, OK, and it it hits 54 00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:57,000 our ears and we hear it. It's amazing. 55 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:02,760 All right now some frequencies are either so high or so low you 56 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,440 can't hear them. But just because we can't hear 57 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,280 them doesn't mean somebody or something can't hear them, OK? 58 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:11,360 Perfect example is the dog whistle. 59 00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:14,880 If you go into the middle of downtown Norfolk right now and 60 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,360 you blow a dog whistle, none of y'all jokers would hear it, but 61 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:22,080 every Unchained dog in our great city would come running, OK? 62 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:26,720 Now why would that happen? Because they are attuned to the 63 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:31,480 frequency, right? Just because your senses can't 64 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:33,720 experience it doesn't mean it's not real. 65 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,840 And we all agree with that. OK, I bring up that illustration 66 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:42,800 because as we get into a text about demons, it is helpful for 67 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:47,360 us to just have in mind that life is more than our senses and 68 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:48,640 their experience. OK? 69 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:52,440 There's something we can't explain that a frequency 70 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,840 illustration is helpful for us to keep in mind. 71 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:56,760 And here's what I would encourage us to think about. 72 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:02,520 God is reality, God is the frequency, God is what we're 73 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,160 after, what we were made for. Anything other than him and life 74 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,560 with him is a distortion of reality. 75 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,800 Somebody say distortion. OK, so as we get into a 76 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:16,120 conversation about demons and all that stuff, that's all just 77 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,839 the distortion of what is truth, what is reality, which is God 78 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,480 himself. So my hope for us is that we 79 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:27,120 walk out of here wanting to walk with God in reality. 80 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,960 Are you with me? That we don't beg him to leave, 81 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,160 but we beg him to stay and we beg that we would get in life 82 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,240 with him. OK, so to get there, we're going 83 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,200 to look at our story from three perspectives. 84 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:41,200 First, the demons, second from Jesus, and 3rd, from the 85 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:43,560 Gadarenes, the people themselves. 86 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:45,920 OK, if you are ready, let me hear you say I'm ready. 87 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,360 All right, let's start with the demons, verse 28. 88 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,480 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the 89 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:57,760 Gadarenes, 2 demon possessed men met him coming out of the tomb 90 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,760 so fierce that no one could pass that way. 91 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,760 And behold, they cried out, What have you to do with us? 92 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,800 O son of God? Have you come here to torment us 93 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,040 before the time? Now a herd of many pigs was 94 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:12,800 feeding at some distance from them. 95 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:16,320 And the demons begged him, saying, if you cast us out, send 96 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:21,600 us away into the herd of pigs. Two quick notes and we're going 97 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,480 to get in. OK, some of y'all know that this 98 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:26,720 text is in multiple gospels. OK? 99 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,760 This is the gospel where two men are mentioned and the others one 100 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:31,160 is mentioned. And sometimes you're like, what? 101 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,560 Are they different? Relax, OK? 102 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:39,040 Differences in gospels are differences in emphasis, not in 103 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,480 reality. It's not in what occurred, but 104 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:43,600 in what they want you to see and what occurred. 105 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,560 OK, so the other gospels emphasize one man who is the 106 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,360 most changed and was the focus of conversation with Jesus. 107 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:53,600 Our text is focusing on two men and they really, they aren't the 108 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,080 center of the story as much as the demons are. 109 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,280 And the people, the Gadarenes, are you with me? 110 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,200 OK, second thing, as we get into a conversation that involves 111 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:05,080 demons, what CS Lewis said in the mid 20th century is as true 112 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,360 as ever. He said anytime we talk demons, 113 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,920 one of two things happens. We ignore them or we have a 114 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:15,080 propensity to obsess over them. OK, that's just what humans do. 115 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,360 We ignore them completely. Mistake. 116 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:19,920 We obsess over them entirely. Mistake. 117 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:24,400 OK, so by our time ending today, we will we will kind of land 118 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:25,920 somewhere. And I just want you to hear this 119 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:30,240 is not a sermon on demons. This is a sermon on reality with 120 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,960 Jesus. OK, so we're not getting all of 121 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:37,240 our demonology from this text, but we got to do a little work 122 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,080 to get our minds around it a little bit. 123 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,880 OK, so here's the first thing I want you to see about demons. 124 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:49,120 Demons are an assumed biblical reality that fit within a 125 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,280 spiritual and material view of the world. 126 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:54,960 OK? They're an assumed reality as a 127 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:57,400 part of spiritual material view of the world. 128 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:01,560 All right. The Bible assumes a material 129 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:05,680 spiritual world where both are are together at all times. 130 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:08,400 They're not separate, they're just together. 131 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,120 The the way I've heard it explains that human beings, we 132 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,320 are the ones made in God's image where we are material beings in 133 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,680 a spiritual world and we're spiritual beings in a material 134 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:19,240 world. We are the ones who can do both. 135 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,920 Kind of like a an amphibian is made to do land and water, if 136 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:26,320 you will. We are made to do spirit and 137 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,200 material. We are the amphibians of God's 138 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,240 creation. And the Bible just assumes this, 139 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:33,560 friends. It does not explain it as much 140 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,080 as it just describes our existence in this material 141 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:39,080 spiritual world. Here's just one example of how 142 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:41,440 the Bible be like, say what? Explain that? 143 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,160 It's not going to explain it. Acts chapter 12. 144 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,280 My man Peter gets out of jail miraculously. 145 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:48,440 Thanks. He's dreaming. 146 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,920 Hey, he gets up out of jail, realizes he ain't dreaming. 147 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,640 He goes over to where he knows the church is praying for him, 148 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,080 knocks on the door. A girl named Rhoda comes and 149 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:58,760 checks out the door. She's like, it's Peter. 150 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:00,680 They're in the backroom praying for Peter. 151 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,200 She goes to the room and tells the homies, hey, Peter's at the 152 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:04,600 door. You know what they say back? 153 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:09,960 It's his Angel. And they were dead serious. 154 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:11,440 They weren't trying to play with Rhoda. 155 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,120 So here's the point. Is there like a doppelganger 156 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:16,360 Angie to a version? Of you. 157 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:17,800 I don't even know what that means. 158 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,480 The Bible just assumes it. Are you with me? 159 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:21,880 Like they were just like, oh, it's his Angel. 160 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,040 She's like, no, no, no, it's really Peter. 161 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,200 OK, So that was a real conversation. 162 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,440 It's just an assumed part of their worldview, OK. 163 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,800 And most of world history, and most of parts of the world, 164 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:32,679 they're still. There. 165 00:08:32,919 --> 00:08:37,240 OK. It's kind of like when you see 166 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,280 the water when you're at the ocean, just 'cause you can't see 167 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,880 what's going on under it. You wouldn't be so arrogant as 168 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:46,040 to say nothing's going on under that water, just go stand in it. 169 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,960 OK. Second thing, demons are an 170 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:54,480 assumed biblical reality that fit within the Bible's story 171 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,600 view of the world. OK, so we've got the material 172 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,800 spiritual realm are together in the Bible's eyes and also the 173 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:02,680 Bible's story makes sense of their existence. 174 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:06,120 OK. Here at Port City, we try to say 175 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:09,840 often the Bible is the most compelling story in world 176 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,080 existence about where evil comes from. 177 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:14,520 There is no story that compares to it. 178 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:19,320 This is not some chaos creation of the gods and there's just 179 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:21,480 some war going on. That's not what the Bible 180 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:24,160 teaches, OK? The Bible teaches that God made 181 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:28,360 all things good, all of it. He created humanity in his 182 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,520 image. And during the creation process, 183 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:35,560 unbeknownst to us, there was the creation of, in the spiritual 184 00:09:35,560 --> 00:09:39,320 realm, angels, OK, God's messengers to carry out his 185 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:43,520 will, All right. And in this creation, at some 186 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:47,360 point, the lead Angel, the lead person of the rebellion named 187 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:52,880 Satan, OK, Lucifer LED a rebellion against God and was 188 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:54,360 kicked out of heaven. That happened. 189 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:58,120 OK, Now. Because he hates. 190 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,480 God in his glory, He wants no part of alignment with God and 191 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,560 on God's frequency, what he decided to do was deceive 192 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,440 humanity because we were the ones made in God's image. 193 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:13,240 So I'm coming for them, OK. And so he deceives humanity into 194 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,320 sinning. This is Adam and Eve taking the 195 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:16,720 fruit and eating it. OK. 196 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,680 It was our own volition to choose to sin. 197 00:10:19,680 --> 00:10:25,600 We were deceived, but we sinned. So now yo, we are falling. 198 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,240 Somebody say falling. Here's what I want y'all to get 199 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,400 for the for the rest of the sermon, what it means to be 200 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:31,960 fallen. If you think about God's 201 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,600 frequency, God, God just is. He is reality itself. 202 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,400 OK to be fallen in your sin nature now you default into not 203 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:42,880 wanting to be a part of His reality. 204 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:45,440 Are you with me in your fallenness? 205 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:51,480 You don't want God, you don't. That's what it means to be 206 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:52,880 fallen. You want no part. 207 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:55,800 You want no piece of that pie. You want to do you now. 208 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,200 Reality is what you say it is. That's what it means to be a 209 00:10:58,200 --> 00:10:59,920 Sinner. It's me, myself, and I. 210 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:04,880 So demons are distorted from reality. 211 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:06,840 They know what it is and want no part of it. 212 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:10,240 Humans have been deceived into kind of like we live life as if 213 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:11,760 we are God. But here's what I want you to 214 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:13,600 hear. That is hard to hear, but it's 215 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,440 the truth. In some kind of way, neither of 216 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,760 us want alignment with God. Are you tracking with me? 217 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:24,600 In our fallenness, we also want no part of God being God and 218 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,760 living with him, His way, and submission to Him. 219 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:31,480 So in some kind of way, we're on the same page as demons. 220 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:35,800 That's tough. OK, Second Corinthians 4 says 221 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,160 that the God of this world, referring to Satan, has blinded 222 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,520 the minds of unbelievers from understanding the gospel. 223 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:47,240 We can't see straights. That's what the Bible teaches, 224 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:52,840 which explains why most demonic activity, when you think about, 225 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:55,720 well, if demons are real, why don't I see crazy stuff all the 226 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:57,600 time? You've bought into a Hollywood 227 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,040 version that what that means is paranormal. 228 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:04,520 But if the goal is being out of alignment with God, anything is 229 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,440 fair game. The most minuscule things are 230 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:08,960 fair game. It's distraction. 231 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:13,200 Anything that keeps humanity from living with God is the win. 232 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,160 Are you with me? So you could almost make the 233 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,600 argument to go too paranormal as the movies do. 234 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,680 It would stir us up and get us realizing we ain't in alignment 235 00:12:21,680 --> 00:12:22,680 with God. So let's avoid. 236 00:12:22,680 --> 00:12:25,560 That let's just settle for distraction. 237 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,840 Let's settle for some moralism, Be good people, Whatever it 238 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:33,560 takes for you to not take Jesus in his way seriously, and the 239 00:12:33,560 --> 00:12:36,640 fact that you need him to die in your place, for you to be made 240 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:39,800 right with God and to live in alignment with God is fair game. 241 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,960 So in today's text, we see the word possession. 242 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:48,120 The idea of possession is that the individuals under the the 243 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:50,840 possessed state, their agency has been removed, right? 244 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:54,040 Like these people are not acting, it's like they're being 245 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:58,040 acted upon. But most demonic activity is 246 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:02,520 influence, not possession. It's just, it's through ordinary 247 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:06,040 looking stuff, distraction, you name it, to just keep us from 248 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:10,520 alignment with God. Anytime God is not aligned with 249 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:12,400 the demons are winning, you know? 250 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:17,040 So anything is fair game. And I would say as you think 251 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,920 about what we all want to know, well, what exactly is demonic? 252 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,480 I would encourage you not to just think that something is 253 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,920 demonic, but is it being leveraged demonically? 254 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:28,280 Sure, anything can be. Are you with me? 255 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:33,520 The more something is directly defining who God is or what it 256 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:35,800 means to be human, the more I think that activity is 257 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:40,080 inherently demonic, but the more that it is just being leveraged 258 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:41,480 to keep us from alignment with God. 259 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:42,760 It's being influenced by the demonic. 260 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:46,400 Let me give you an example. Recently I was asked to pray at 261 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:51,360 something and the person said just don't pray in Jesus name 262 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:56,760 and I was like you know. And I was like. 263 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,920 I'm not feeling that, you know, and I said back, hey, no, they 264 00:13:59,920 --> 00:14:02,960 told me back that was an opportunity. 265 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:06,880 Listen to language for you to share unconditional love without 266 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:15,080 mentioning his name. So just to be clear, God, who is 267 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:18,440 love and a man who died on a. Cross. 268 00:14:18,680 --> 00:14:21,800 To sacrifice himself for those who created who are sinful. 269 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:25,080 I am unloving to bring up his name. 270 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:28,800 I could have been loving by not mentioning his name. 271 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:34,000 Yo, that's demonic. Yo to take love and it not 272 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:40,080 include Jesus and kick him out the table that he built and say 273 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,640 you're unloving if you let him even at the table, that's 274 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:46,600 demonic. OK, That's like big D demonic. 275 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,720 OK, now. And listen, that doesn't mean my 276 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:52,480 friend is possessed by a demon. OK? 277 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:53,680 Y'all ain't listening to the sermon. 278 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:57,200 I'm just saying how we've ideologically cosigned that way 279 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,960 of thinking progressively over hundreds of years has been 280 00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:03,440 demonically influenced to where they think they are loving all 281 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,760 of their guests by. Keeping me from saying his name. 282 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:09,240 Do you see that In the name of loving them, guarded them from 283 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:11,920 big bad me? Think about that. 284 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:18,120 Being protected by demons. OK but there's other examples 285 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:20,280 y'all. Anything that keeps us from 286 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,200 alignment with God. Y'all there's so many things 287 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:25,720 just distraction. Just the use of things that 288 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,120 keeps you from focusing on who God is. 289 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,800 I'll just tell you one just real basic way if you want to cut 290 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:34,200 some demon influence out of your life is to put your phone in its 291 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,040 place and treat it like a tool and not a pet. 292 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:39,440 I'm just telling you this, we have allowed them to become pets 293 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,360 that are attached to us and not tools we use for a project. 294 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:44,200 Y'all, your phone is a tool, not a pet. 295 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:47,520 If you want to just decrease how much demons are influencing you, 296 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:52,120 just use your phone less, OK? That is just big facts. 297 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:57,280 OK, I can, I can keep going, but I'm gonna stop. 298 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:02,000 The point is that that if you think through distortion, a lot 299 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,960 more things come into play. If the goal is alignment with 300 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:08,760 God, anything that keeps us from that is the enemy. 301 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:11,280 OK, OK. Third thing about demons, they 302 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,760 don't deny Jesus's authority over reality. 303 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:18,240 They just hate it. Did you notice in our text, they 304 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:20,400 initiate the conversation with Jesus? 305 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,240 They come up to him, they see him coming. 306 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,760 They previously had this whole area locked down through this 307 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:29,560 man's agency, these two men's agency being overridden. 308 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:33,760 Nobody even went that way. So they haven't seen a human 309 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,800 probably in a while. And the first one they see is 310 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,800 Jesus. OK, they see him and they cry 311 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:41,400 out. What are you doing here, Son of 312 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:42,320 God? Have you come to mess? 313 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:47,520 With us before the time you know that's alluding to one day Jesus 314 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:51,640 going to throw them in the lake of fire and it's game over OK 315 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:54,840 but they're they're like this ain't your moment it's like he 316 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,640 caught them off guard oh snap. And they're coming up with a 317 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:03,160 plan for how he can handle them. OK, They know who Jesus is. 318 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:04,960 They. Refer to him, Son of God. 319 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,920 G the the the Bible is clear. James 2 tells us demons are 320 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,800 extremely aware of who Jesus is. They just hate it. 321 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:18,119 They they aren't denying who he is they are just in opposition 322 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:22,720 to who he is. Which leads us y'all think about 323 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,200 that statement. They're aware of the truth but 324 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:31,000 don't want alignment with it, which means anytime that we know 325 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,160 the truth of who God is, of what He wants for us, of what it 326 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:37,160 means to live with Him and we know it but don't want it, 327 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:42,520 there's some being in the universe that agrees with you 328 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:46,760 and it is a demon, OK? I'm just saying again, that 329 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:48,160 doesn't mean you're possessed at that moment. 330 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:50,760 I'm just saying in our fallenness we share a lot more 331 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:54,000 in common than them. Then we realize we don't want 332 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:57,760 alignment with God. Knowledge is not our issue many 333 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:01,320 times it's our desire. Let's talk about Jesus. 334 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:06,160 Let's talk about Jesus. Man says one word, verse 32. 335 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:12,320 And he said to them, go. So they came out and went to the 336 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:14,760 pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into 337 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,680 the sea and drowned in the waters. 338 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:22,240 Two things about Jesus. First, Jesus has the power to 339 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:26,280 restore reality. Y'all, if you weren't with us 340 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:29,120 last week, What does he say to tell the storm to be quiet, 341 00:18:30,360 --> 00:18:32,720 peace be still, right? And our text didn't. 342 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,120 He just stood up and rebuked it. But in other gospel accounts, he 343 00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:38,760 just says peace in the water. Still this week he says go and 344 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:41,600 demons leave. What Matthew is painting for us 345 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:45,600 is a God, the God man who restores reality. 346 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:48,000 Storms aren't supposed to almost kill people on a boat. 347 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:52,320 Demons aren't supposed to take over someone's agency with just 348 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:56,920 a word, just one word. And I don't know what tone you 349 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:01,320 hear Jesus saying go in. I just hear go. 350 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,680 I just hear. I just hear go. 351 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:10,320 You know, sometimes we're we're so funny. 352 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:14,080 We think, we think he had to scream that, you know, I want to 353 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:15,200 do an aside right now. I'm going. 354 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:17,040 To do it, I remember my my football. 355 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:20,160 Coaches we were struggling in high school with man, we just 356 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:21,760 weren't hyped before games. Then we would lose. 357 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:22,880 We're like it's 'cause we're not hype. 358 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:25,480 And I remember him just going on a rant that hype don't do you no 359 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:27,280 good. He's like bro, y'all are either 360 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:29,840 executing or you're not. He was like, we used to do 361 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,280 silent huddles right before the game where we say team on three 362 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:35,320 123 team. Then we go whoop em. 363 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:38,560 He's like, it doesn't matter. It's and what he's communicating 364 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:41,040 now that I'm thinking about it is either you got it or you 365 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:43,280 don't. You know, it's not about how big 366 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:47,400 you bark. Jesus just said go and they went 367 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,480 to the pigs because he's reality. 368 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,640 Are you with me? God's word, y'all is effectual. 369 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,360 You know what that means? It means His word does what it 370 00:19:56,360 --> 00:19:59,040 is like his word go made them go. 371 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:01,720 You get what I'm saying? It's weird for us because our 372 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:03,720 words never effectual. I can't even get my kids to do 373 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:04,880 what I want them to do, you know? 374 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,840 But it's like his word is the means by which it happens. 375 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:13,440 God spoke in the word world came into existence, right? 376 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:17,080 Hebrews tells us that God upholds the universe by the word 377 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:21,240 of his power. We crave a God who is so 378 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:24,960 powerful and good that his word can make reality happen. 379 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:26,440 And that is what Jesus does here. 380 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:31,600 He just says a word and they go. His power and authority is so 381 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:35,360 smooth in contrast to these demons who were fierce. 382 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:38,720 Look at verse 28. It's said that they were so 383 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,280 fierce these two men that no one could pass that way. 384 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:46,080 So you get this image of their fierceness of, of creating fear 385 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,760 in those who come by and their their authority and power was 386 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:52,720 shown through the, the, the ways that they took control and and 387 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:56,720 screaming strong what this imagery of fierceness and Jesus 388 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:01,520 just with a word go and all things go back to the way they 389 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:05,320 were supposed to be. You ever been in a situation 390 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:07,400 where the pecking order gets reordered real quick? 391 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:09,440 You ever notice that like somebody had the power till 392 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:10,920 somebody else showed up? You ever been there? 393 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,080 I love watching this with little kids. 394 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,240 You go to a playground, you got a couple of like 4 year olds 395 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:19,000 hanging out with like a second grader, that second grader's 396 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,320 older brother in them so hard making up rules. 397 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:24,000 I mean, just no, no, no, no, you can't do that because of this 398 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:25,640 and this rule over here just making up stuff. 399 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,080 But the second, like a fifth grader, walks up. 400 00:21:29,360 --> 00:21:31,560 That second grader turns like oh, what game do you want? 401 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,600 To play with like, oh, OK, so now we asking questions of being 402 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,600 kind and saying thank you. You went from controlling the 403 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:39,480 show to just the pecking order changed. 404 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,240 OK. And that's what happens here is 405 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:45,320 literally demons are plotting their own demise and giving 406 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:49,160 Jesus the idea of what to do. Well, if you are going to cast 407 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:50,880 this out, just send us some those pigs over there. 408 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:53,160 Yo. They weren't like, let's fight 409 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,160 them. Let's take them on seriously. 410 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,920 They weren't like, oh, quick little showdown, let's impress 411 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:02,920 Lucifer real quick. Let's get a couple of licks in 412 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:06,200 on the son of God. They literally like, let's get 413 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:11,280 out of here. Second thing about Jesus, Jesus 414 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,360 is the author of reality. Y'all. 415 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,080 This is such a picture of what's coming one day. 416 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,120 There's no more. There's no more misalignment, no 417 00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:24,640 more storms, no more demons, no more agency being removed. 418 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:28,920 Y'all, flourishing is his way. Things get changed when he 419 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,320 speaks. He's the author of reality. 420 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:37,240 He made us to flourish with him. Somebody say flourish, thrive, 421 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,240 Y'all In this series we've been begging the question, what do 422 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,560 you think thriving is? I think we think we know what it 423 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,720 is. I think we think we do. 424 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:48,560 I think part of our problem is we don't think we need help to 425 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,600 know what flourishing is, right Y'all let me just tell you that 426 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:54,200 Jesus is right about flourishing. 427 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,360 He knows what it is, He knows what it looks like, He knows how 428 00:22:56,360 --> 00:23:00,520 to get there. OK and let let me give you one 429 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,000 example. Matthew 544 says love your 430 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:04,880 enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 431 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:08,320 Want to know what our idea of what to do with enemies is? 432 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:12,000 Gang violence? Gossip about your friends behind 433 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,080 they back hate the other political party. 434 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:19,000 We just stir up so much division so quickly. 435 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:23,040 It's so natural to us, so we can't confuse what's natural to 436 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:24,200 you. And you're good at it and you 437 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:26,640 could do it as thriving. Are you with me? 438 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,120 Just 'cause you can, and just 'cause you have the power 439 00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:30,960 doesn't mean it's actually flourishing. 440 00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:33,600 We do damage with what feels natural to us. 441 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:39,640 Jesus, what He says is flourishing is flourishing. 442 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,840 He is the author, He is the authority. 443 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:46,120 And just cause it's normal to you doesn't mean that's what you 444 00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:49,120 were made to do. So I just got to ask the 445 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:51,520 question, do you think you're living well? 446 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:55,320 Do you think you're thriving according to who God is, 447 00:23:55,320 --> 00:24:00,200 According to this God who can just speak and the bad goes and 448 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,960 the good is restored. These people's lives were 449 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:04,600 changed. These two men, now they could 450 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:07,760 think they had their agency back because of what Jesus did. 451 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:09,840 Apart from him, they had no agency. 452 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:12,120 His intervention saved their lives. 453 00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:14,200 His intervention changed that area. 454 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:16,640 Now we can walk there again because Jesus came through. 455 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:22,040 When he comes frequency flourishing is restored, y'all. 456 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:24,880 Apart from him we cannot flourish. 457 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,960 You know what the Bible teaches? For you to be made well and 458 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:33,800 flourish with God, you need a new nature, y'all. 459 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:37,400 What we think is, if I try harder, I'll flourish. 460 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:39,640 Even God. You give me the flourishing 461 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:40,480 plan. Give. 462 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,000 Oh, the book must be the way to flourish you to. 463 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,080 I'll get there. Just give me the book and I can 464 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:48,600 get there y'all. The issue with flourishing isn't 465 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:50,760 your effort first, it's your nature. 466 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,160 You need a new nature. The Bible says you need to be 467 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:58,200 born again of the Spirit of God. Until you want God, until you 468 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,720 want His way, until you want his authority, until you want 469 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:04,320 Christ. It does not matter that you know 470 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,400 even what flourishing is if you don't want Him in it. 471 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:10,840 We would always construct a reality where we're in control. 472 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:14,200 We run the show. No submission, y'all. 473 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:18,560 You need a new nature. And for some of you, that's what 474 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:22,680 you're being asked to consider in this sermon is just to think 475 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,880 about have you received the nature of God? 476 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,160 Have you been born of the Spirit of God? 477 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,400 Does God indwell you? Do you want to live under His 478 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:34,080 rule, under His authority, under His way? 479 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:37,600 Do you agree with Him that you're not well apart from Him? 480 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,920 That's what you need. That's the Bible's assessment of 481 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:46,000 you to live on God's frequency with Him and to like it, you 482 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,280 need a new nature. That's what the Bible teaches. 483 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,240 Let's talk about the gatherings. Let's talk about the gatherings. 484 00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:56,040 It's a fun word to say. Somebody say gathering. 485 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:58,640 Aha, y'all did better than I thought you would. 486 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:03,040 Verse 33 the herds been fled and going into the city they told 487 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:05,440 everything, especially what had happened to the demon possessed 488 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:08,400 men. And behold, all this city came 489 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:13,880 out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to 490 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:17,080 leave their region. Now what A. 491 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:21,960 Shocking end to our text. 2 things I want us to consider. 492 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,120 First, submit to reality with King Jesus. 493 00:26:25,360 --> 00:26:27,080 Submit to reality with King Jesus. 494 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:29,920 Y'all. Have you ever had the thought 495 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,680 that if you had undeniable proof of Jesus, reality and authority, 496 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:38,320 you would submit to it? If you had mental proof, you 497 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:41,960 would submit to it. Y'all, this story is the 498 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:44,840 definitive proof that we are wrong about that. 499 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:47,120 OK? The Bible is clear that our 500 00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:50,360 issue is not mental. They saw, they could not deny 501 00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:53,320 what had happened to these men. Y'all used to be crazy. 502 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:55,800 Y'all used to be possessed by some demons. 503 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:57,440 We couldn't even walk on the South side. 504 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,840 Now we can. And we appreciate you, Jesus. 505 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,280 We'll keep walking through here, but can you please leave? 506 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:08,120 OK, so their issue was not what they didn't know. 507 00:27:09,360 --> 00:27:13,680 They still didn't want it. Y'all the herdsmen they saw this 508 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,400 jump go to y'all just imagine being the herdsmen. 509 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:18,960 Jesus rolls up. They're just standing back 510 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:22,040 watching couple guys that I'm scared of run over to Jesus. 511 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:24,680 Next thing I know, maybe they don't even hear it. 512 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:29,880 Next thing they know, go, pigs drown. 513 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,960 Let's go tell everybody. Let's get him out of here. 514 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,400 He's got to get out. I mean guys, this is crazy. 515 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:43,160 We think if we knew we would want y'all. 516 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:49,560 Listen to me, Be very careful not to blame on your mind what 517 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:53,720 your heart hates. Listen to me, be very careful 518 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,760 not to blame on your mind what your heart hates. 519 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:00,760 There's some people in this room who have genuine mind based 520 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:03,840 questions about the faith, about life in Christ, about reality. 521 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:06,120 We need to talk about those and praise the Lord for your 522 00:28:06,120 --> 00:28:09,200 humility to keep asking those and keep asking those. 523 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:13,920 But many times what I've found is we can leverage our brain to 524 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,760 guard our heart. We can poke holes with the 525 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:19,080 Google. We can poke holes with the 526 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,800 chatty GPAT. Give me the five arguments that 527 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,720 Christians can. You know it's not hard to find 528 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:28,600 things, y'all, to leverage your doubt longer when your doubt is 529 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:32,360 being driven by hatred. OK, so there is a doubt that is 530 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:37,160 looking for the Lord and then there is a cynic angry. 531 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:39,920 Wouldn't do it even if I saw the pigs. 532 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:42,720 Ha, don't care, please leave. OK. 533 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:46,760 And in my experience more people are there where the gatherings 534 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:48,640 are then where we tell ourselves. 535 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:52,240 If he really did then I would. No you wouldn't. 536 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:57,160 What the gatherings represent y'all is ignorance is bliss. 537 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:00,120 Don't want to know? Can you leave? 538 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:02,120 Glad for what you did? Please just leave. 539 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,040 One of two things is happening. Either they are filled with tons 540 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:07,720 of idolatry or they just want ignorance to be bliss. 541 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:13,160 Idolatry is the is the idea that they so are frustrated at the 542 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:15,560 money they lost through those pigs and they're afraid of 543 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:18,920 Jesus's presence being a threat to their pocket that they said 544 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,520 you got to leave. Y'all, when a whole herd drowns 545 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:23,760 like this, that's a lot of money. 546 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:26,600 You messing with my bacon, no pun intended. 547 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:31,720 Money bacon, somebody OK, you messing with the bacon either on 548 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:34,120 my plate or in my pocket. And because you messing with 549 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:36,160 that, you got to go. So it's all good. 550 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:37,920 I'm glad you helped those guys, but you're crazy. 551 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,320 Get out of here man. So it's either their love of 552 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:44,440 money that led them to get him to leave or, and y'all, can I 553 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:46,520 just tell you there's so many people that want nothing to do 554 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:51,760 with Jesus over love of money. Y'all, it is our love for things 555 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:54,360 more than Jesus that gets us to beg him to leave. 556 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:58,840 Your heart is what's getting you to get your brain go find 557 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:01,680 whatever argument you need. But you're being driven when you 558 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:03,520 go look that up by your love of money. 559 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:06,400 So we just got to get a little more real about what's going on 560 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:08,880 underneath the surface. Or they're just kind of 561 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:10,960 ignorance is bliss. Ignorance is bliss is like, ah, 562 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:13,120 I don't know how to explain what I just saw. 563 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:16,640 And that's cool for those guys. But no, have you ever shared 564 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:18,360 your testimony, Christian, with some people and they go. 565 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:21,760 That's so great for you. I'm so happy for you. 566 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:24,720 I. Remember one time I shared my 567 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:28,280 testimony with somebody about Jesus Christ down in my place 568 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:29,360 and I'm like weeping. It's. 569 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:32,880 Like that is amazing. I'm so happy for you. 570 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:37,680 Something similar happened for me when I found tea like the 571 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:44,000 drink and I was like let me. Maybe I missed something. 572 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:47,400 How does T help you when you Daniel sin like what what was 573 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:49,320 the what's the what's the bridge there? 574 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:53,400 What's the but like that that what's behind that is ignorance 575 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:55,600 is bliss like that is so good. I'm so glad you're not demon 576 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:57,680 possessed anymore but please leave like. 577 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:01,240 And the second you imply that I need what you just said, bye 578 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:02,960 bye. Make it go. 579 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:06,200 Bye, bye. OK, So I just want you to hear 580 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:08,720 that we all do that. We all think ignorance is bliss. 581 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:12,080 Even the Christians in the room, there's certain things when the 582 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:15,280 Lord starts tapping. We want to play stupid, don't 583 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:16,600 we? We like the play that. 584 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:19,880 Can you just leave Jesus? Come back on Tuesday, Jesus. 585 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:21,480 Let me make a little more money, Jesus. 586 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:23,760 Can I overwork a little longer, Jesus? 587 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:26,720 Can I keep being annoyed with my spouse on this longer? 588 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:29,120 Can I harbor the resentment longer? 589 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:31,400 Can you come back in a couple of weeks? 590 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:34,840 Jesus? OK, so we all do this. 591 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,840 We think ignorance is bliss, whether it's money or the status 592 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:39,960 quo. They said Jesus got to go. 593 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:48,360 So I just want you to hear if you're there, yo, ignorance is 594 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:53,280 not bliss. What a missed opportunity by the 595 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:56,360 Gadarenes. Y'all that Jesus just think 596 00:31:56,360 --> 00:31:59,920 about why should, why should they beg him to stay? 597 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:04,440 Why y'all? I couldn't help but feeling the 598 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:06,840 difference between the Gadarenes and the Samaritans. 599 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:09,600 Do you remember in John chapter 4 when the woman at the well 600 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:13,240 goes and has the interaction with Jesus and she falls in love 601 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:16,840 with him, we think, and she goes back to town and tells everybody 602 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,000 and they all come out and meet Jesus and then they beg him to 603 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:20,520 stay for a few days? Y'all remember that? 604 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:23,680 And they say we no longer believe because of your 605 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,320 testimony, but because we have seen for ourselves that this is 606 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,560 the Son of God. Y'all, they begged them to stay. 607 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:32,000 I want our city. I want us to be Samaritans, not 608 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:34,960 gatherings, OK? And what will get you there, 609 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,360 what will make you the person who begs them to stay, is when 610 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:42,000 you look at the cross, y'all when you see what Christ has 611 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,120 done. We're talking about the God of 612 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:46,640 all flourishing, who made all things. 613 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,720 Y'all who leveraged all of his power to give it all away. 614 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:54,160 He's a servant. He's the son of suffering. 615 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:58,240 He is the one who didn't leverage his power to make a 616 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:01,280 spectacle of his power over demons for other people to take 617 00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:03,280 note of. He just did it. 618 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:06,280 To demonstrate his authority and so that we could take comfort. 619 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:09,000 But he didn't leverage his power for show. 620 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:12,120 He leveraged his power for the good of others. 621 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:16,320 He leveraged his power to give it away for sinners, to make 622 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:19,440 them right with the Father. That's what the cross is about, 623 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,240 is the God of all power and authority being nailed to a 624 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:26,920 piece of wood. He built wood, He made wood and 625 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:29,440 he was nailed to it. That's the Son of God. 626 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:33,680 Why would you beg him to leave when he's trying to save you? 627 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:36,720 Why would you beg him to leave when he's trying to bring you 628 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:40,280 into flourishing? So for some of y'all, I'll just 629 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:44,520 pray for the first time you would get real with yourself and 630 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,000 y'all we've all played dumb. I played dumb for about four 631 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:48,200 months. The dude was like what you going 632 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:51,640 to do with this Jesus stuff T and I kept being like, I don't 633 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,440 know, I was just playing dumb for like 3-4 months. 634 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:56,680 Ignorance is bliss. And eventually the Lord was 635 00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:58,400 like, hey man, you got to make a decision. 636 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:01,440 If some of y'all really got to decide where you're at with 637 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:03,760 Christ and stop playing the ignorance is bliss. 638 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:05,560 At least I go to church card. Does that make sense? 639 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:10,400 OK, now let me finish talking to believers here for a minute. 640 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:13,880 I want us to flourish with Jesus by loving neighbor and fighting 641 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:17,440 our enemies. OK, Remember with demons, we do 642 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:19,639 one of two things. Obsess over them or ignore them. 643 00:34:19,639 --> 00:34:21,480 We're not going to do that. We're not going to obsess over. 644 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:24,159 We're not going to ignore them. OK, so here's here's what I want 645 00:34:24,159 --> 00:34:25,719 to do. A lot of times the demon 646 00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:28,840 conversations just aren't integrated into other things. 647 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:32,679 Like it's almost like this off off on the side kind of thing. 648 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:35,920 So I want us to integrate like the Christian life and how 649 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:40,040 speaking into the spiritual realm, thinking about demons 650 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:42,159 like how that fits. Does that make sense? 651 00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:45,239 You are saved by God to live with God. 652 00:34:45,639 --> 00:34:49,360 Somebody say live with God. That's the goal of your life is 653 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:52,280 through Christ by the Spirit. Live with God and love your 654 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:54,239 neighbor as yourself. OK. 655 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:58,240 And as you do that full of the Spirit eyes on the Son of God, 656 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:01,120 setting your mind on things that are above, not on things that 657 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:05,160 are in this earth, as you are loving your neighbor, yes, you 658 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:09,840 have an enemy. So fight your sin and fight your 659 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,280 enemy. That is the Satan. 660 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:14,480 And by the way, your neighbor is not your enemy. 661 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:17,560 You know that, right? Can we get real clear that your 662 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,680 neighbor is not your enemy? OK. 663 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:23,120 Y'all what our? Culture is trying to make us 664 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:24,720 think is that people are the problem. 665 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:27,920 You know, Ephesians 6 is very clear that we fight not against 666 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:30,760 flesh and blood. So when somebody is driving you 667 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:36,480 crazy, that is not necessarily a an instance of demonic activity 668 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:38,520 where you need to pray that God just changes them. 669 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:39,800 He's trying to change you to love them. 670 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:44,040 OK, so we need to love our neighbor, not hate our neighbor. 671 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:46,000 And we have an enemy who hates our neighbor. 672 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:48,120 Are you with me? What this text should do is like 673 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:50,040 think about the men being possessed. 674 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,760 Like we should have compassion for people when they're tripping 675 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:54,480 and we should want them delivered. 676 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:56,800 I'm not saying everybody who annoys you is demon possessed. 677 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,840 Amen, somebody. I'm just saying your goal is to 678 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:02,040 love your enemies. Your goal is to love people and 679 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:04,560 you have an enemy of your soul as you do that. 680 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:11,080 OK, now James Ford tells us resist the devil and he will 681 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:12,400 flee first. Peter 5. 682 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:16,000 Be sober minded and watchful. Your adversary is prowling 683 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,800 around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. 684 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:20,000 Not talking about non Christians. 685 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:21,480 Talking about you. Believer. 686 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,160 So here is what I've noticed. There are four types of 687 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:25,720 Christians. When you can't find a parking 688 00:36:25,720 --> 00:36:28,920 spot, there are four types of Christians. 689 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:32,520 You ready First Christian can't find We're all in the car 690 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:33,880 together. We're driving around and can't 691 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:36,160 find the parking spot. Lord, I can't find the. 692 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:38,920 Spot what is wrong with me? Why can't I trust you in Jesus 693 00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:41,080 name? I never beat and they start 694 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:43,920 beating themselves up. Let's call him Jerry. 695 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:46,040 Jerry just beats himself up. That's Christian one. 696 00:36:46,720 --> 00:36:49,160 Christian 2. God, I thought you were 697 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:51,280 sovereign. Give me the spot in Jesus name. 698 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:53,440 You don't even love me. What did I do wrong? 699 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:56,680 Now I'm mad at the Lord. Let's call him Larry. 700 00:36:57,080 --> 00:37:01,400 So Jerry's mad at himself. Beating himself up, Larry is 701 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:04,720 confused over the sovereignty of God as he can't find a parking 702 00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:08,160 space. The third person, it's like both 703 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:10,320 of y'all are tripping. We'll call him Terry. 704 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:13,440 We got Jerry Larry. Now Terry. 705 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:14,920 Terry's like let me out of the car. 706 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:16,360 I'm taking over. I'm taking authority over this 707 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:19,840 parking lot in Jesus name right now. 708 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:22,640 I'm taking authority over all these spots. 709 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:26,440 Enemy is not going to stop us in Jesus name. 710 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:29,280 We going to get a spot. Right. 711 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:41,400 Now I love those people man. The 4th person is a cynic 712 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:44,360 towards all of them. OK, they're like, Larry, you 713 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:46,000 crazy. Why are you always so hard on 714 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:47,760 yourself, man? Or Jerry? 715 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:49,600 Sorry, Jerry, stop. God loves you. 716 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:51,840 God die for you. And why you all? 717 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:54,800 Larry, you always make this about the sovereignty of God. 718 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:56,680 Larry, like God, life just happens. 719 00:37:56,680 --> 00:37:58,080 There's no parking spot sometimes. 720 00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:03,040 And why you always bringing Satan into it, man, It's just 721 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:04,880 life. And they're the cynic and mad at 722 00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:07,840 all of them. OK, here's what I'm trying to 723 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:11,000 say. The type of church I want to be. 724 00:38:11,960 --> 00:38:14,560 I think we need a little bit of Larry, Terry and Jerry. 725 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:16,560 OK, I think we need a little bit of all of it. 726 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:19,720 What I want us to be, what I want to be trying to serve by 727 00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:23,920 parking the car and yes, grab. The moment, OK. 728 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,400 Prayer, how you talk to yourself, how you talk to God, 729 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:29,480 and how we talk to the enemy is part of how you grab the moment. 730 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:33,280 Does that make sense? Jesus, when I walk in this room 731 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:35,080 late, OK, this happens a lot of times. 732 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,680 We have kids. Help me remember that I'm not 733 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:39,960 defined by what anybody thinks when I walk in. 734 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:41,760 And that's true because of what Christ did. 735 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,960 I'm a Son of God, full of the Spirit you. 736 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:47,880 Are with me. Help me to continue to learn. 737 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:50,480 How to not be? Lazy 45 minutes before this and 738 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:52,120 get my kids and not just scream at them. 739 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:53,840 Forgive me for the way I yelled at them back there. 740 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:58,400 But now help me to be sealed in the blood of Christ as I walk up 741 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:01,360 in here and Lord help me to be focused on my neighbor. 742 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:03,480 This dude is lost and he needs you. 743 00:39:03,720 --> 00:39:07,440 And right now I'm distracted by my guilt and yes by the fact 744 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:09,840 that all these children are fighting and I feel like a bad 745 00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:11,880 parent. So I do take authority over 746 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,680 Jesus name in this moment. We are covered in the blood and 747 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:16,600 hey kiddos, right now I know y'all. 748 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:19,080 Are annoying each other, but I think the enemy might be trying 749 00:39:19,080 --> 00:39:22,360 to get us to distract ourselves from what matters most, which is 750 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:25,840 Jerry. And that brother needs us to 751 00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:28,240 love him. OK, can we focus on Jerry? 752 00:39:28,240 --> 00:39:29,640 Not how much. We annoy each other. 753 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:32,680 We'll talk about that later. Can somebody just say Jesus? 754 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:33,600 The Lord Jesus. Lord. 755 00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:35,240 That's right. Let's roll up in here. 756 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:40,240 So what I want us to do is be a neighbor focused, spirit filled, 757 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:44,200 and yes, there is an enemy trying to ruin that moment 758 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:47,080 because they hate your neighbor and you and the glory of God. 759 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:50,560 That's kind of the point. We don't fight him to fight him 760 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:53,000 for fighting him sake. We fight him for the good of 761 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,560 neighbor, the glory of God and the good of our city and our own 762 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:56,760 joy. Are you tracking with me? 763 00:39:57,280 --> 00:40:00,640 So yeah, we got some fighting to do, but it's in the context of 764 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:02,520 neighbor, love and God, glory and our joy. 765 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:06,080 Are you with me? OK, Jesus brought you into 766 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:08,040 reality. Now go extend it. 767 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:11,320 Demons know it and hate it, so they stay pretending. 768 00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:14,360 Don't let them distract you from God and neighbor. 769 00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:18,440 In Jesus we have victory. Nowhere else could be safer. 770 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:22,480 So come Lord Jesus, bring our city into life with you demons. 771 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:25,480 Go Norfolk. Listen, let's see what God can 772 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:26,440 do. Let's pray. 773 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:31,480 Our Father, we love you. God, thank you so much for your 774 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:32,840 glory. Thank you for sending your Son 775 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:34,240 to bring us into reality with him. 776 00:40:34,240 --> 00:40:37,600 That flourishing is where you are God, you are reality. 777 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:41,200 We want to live with you. By your spirit, God, give us an 778 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:45,000 undistorted, purified reality. God, we long for the day where 779 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,760 all distortion is gone. We're all demon activity is 780 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:49,400 gone. God, we pray for our great city. 781 00:40:49,720 --> 00:40:51,200 God, we want them to hear the gospel. 782 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:53,000 Not beg you to leave, but beg you to stay. 783 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:55,920 We pray you will go before us. And God, help us to walk in the 784 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:58,320 victory of Christ, what your blood has purchased for us. 785 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:00,800 Help us to grab the moment for the good of our neighbor. 786 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:03,640 Help us to talk to the enemy God appropriately and align 787 00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:07,240 ourselves with your reality God, and give our church the diverse 788 00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:10,600 gifts and expressions of worship that we need to do this well. 789 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,640 And when somebody else is in the car different than us, help us 790 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:17,560 to be thankful God and not try to all be like Jerry or Larry or 791 00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:20,040 Terry God. Help us all with our unique 792 00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:21,880 gifts. Be full of the Spirit for the 793 00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:24,720 good of neighbor. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.