Authority to Deliver Luke 8:22-39

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And walking welcome to faith Bible Church It's great to see the fellowship going on even before the service starts in it.

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And I know it continues afterwards so that's really in large part what it's all about and So being together as believers.

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It's a it's a blessing Beautiful weather we've been having I can

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I can brag a little bit today because we have some family from the East Coast Son and daughter -in -law and Rowan or grandson are here visiting us.

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So it's it's been some joyful times in the last few days and It's we're really blessed to have them here.

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So And you can meet him afterwards. Okay, he might make himself known during the service That's always possible like some of his younger friends over here.

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So I Want to go over just a few announcements here Happy birthday,

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Wayne Next leadership board meeting is July 12th at 6 o 'clock.

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That's this Wednesday so men take a note of that and Summer Bible study is in Fellowship Hall on the 14th at 530.

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We'll continue in the study and book of Hebrews The picnic at the

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Huffman's house that's next Sunday July 16th. It's gonna be hot and We're gonna have misters out.

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We're gonna try to have a lot of the tables under the tree. It's big tree but just Dress light and we're if you're really bothered by the heat and come in the house certainly

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But we're looking forward to it and just bring yourselves food and drink will be provided. So we'd like to see all of you there

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Bible counseling course is continuing July 22nd at 11 o 'clock and There's ask you can see pastor about that.

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I think most of you are aware of that. There's a planned baptismal on July 23rd We have a number of individuals that are going to be baptized that day.

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So You know who you are that are here We're gonna have a little time to go over the process of that next week right after the morning

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Bible study Sunday school, so if you So try to come a little early.

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It's a really joyful time for the church to see all these folks Desire to be obedient to the

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Lord Missionary of the month are John and Becky Knox and and Victor talked about them last week and very difficult

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But important mission field in Japan so you can see more about them on the back board

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And last thing on announcements of voice magazine this one's entitled overcoming the idols of comfort and ease and a

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Couple of the titles of the articles in there the sin of sloth Biblical recreation suffering in the will of God the idolatry of ease

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Evaluating our affections giving up everything for Christ. So this is an excellent resource.

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It's on the back table. So grab a copy Please do that and IFC a puts that out.

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So it's it's a solid solid biblically biblically centered Journal and I think that's it for announcements any

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Before we open up in prayer together I want to share a word that we use here faith

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Bible Church a lot and that word is faith Hebrews 11 1 says now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen and We learn from other passages that faith is not something we conjure up something that we work up or you know

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You get yourself worked up to have faith. It's actually a gift from God.

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It's a something that he gives us as believers and Hebrews 11 6 goes on to say but without faith it is impossible to please him

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For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him

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And as we learn in Luke 7 God does bless those who seek him So as we come to worship together this morning, let us diligently seek after him so that he might be pleased

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Okay. All right. Well, please join with me in prayer Lord God, we thank you that you have brought us together today

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Lord We pray that you might be pleased that we would be your faithful father that we would have faith in you that we put our

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Faith and trust in who you are and the work and of your son Jesus Christ God We ask that you would lead us in this service today that the

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Holy Spirit would be evident father That we would be attentive listeners Lord that we could set aside things that encumber us things that distract us

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The the cares and the affairs of this world father They're all there and important for us to work through but father right now.

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I pray that we would just have a centered Focus on you father on the person of Jesus Christ That as we hear your word preached that as we lift our voices to you father that you would be

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The utmost in the highest Lord. So God bless this time together today father

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We pray for those that aren't here that are unable to because they're sick or traveling or away Father Lord, may your hand be upon them that they would take the time in a moment to reflect on you to to commune with you

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Father, so we thank you for the love that you've shown us here at this church father. We thank you for faith

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Bible Church and We're just blessed beyond what we deserve But God go before us now father as we lift our voices to you and and praise you we pray these things in Jesus's name

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Amen David we go. All right, let's let's stand and sing Today's Scripture reading will take place in the book of Psalms chapter 107 verses 23 through 32

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That is Psalms 107 23 through 32 Verse 23

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Those who go down in the sea and ships who do business on great waters They see the works of the

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Lord and his wonders in the deep for he commands and raises the stormy wind

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Which lifts up the waves of the sea? They mount up to the heavens. They go down again to the depths their soul melts because of trouble

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They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are and are at their wits end

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Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble and he brings them out of their distresses

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He calms the storm so that it wait so that its waves are still Then they are glad because they are quiet.

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So he guides them to their desired haven Oh that men would give thanks to the

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Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people and praise him in the company of the elders

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This is the word of the Lord Luke chapter 8 verses 22 through 39

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Now it happened on a certain day that he got into a boat and his disciples and he said to them

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Let us cross over to the other side of the lake and they launched out But as they sailed he fell asleep and a windstorm came down on the lake

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And they were filling with water and were in jeopardy and they came to him and awoke him saying master master

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We are perishing Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water and they ceased and there was a calm

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But he said to them where is your faith and They were afraid and marveled saying to one another who can this be?

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For he commands even the winds and water and they obey him Then they sailed to the country of the

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Gadarenes Which is opposite Galilee and when he stepped out on the land and there met him a certain man from the city who had

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Demons for a long time and he wore no clothes nor did he live in the house, but in the tombs

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When he saw Jesus, he cried out fell down before him and with a loud voice said what have

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I do with you? Jesus son of the Most High God I Beg you do not torment me

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For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man for it had often seized him and he was kept under guard bound with chains and shackles

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And he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness Jesus asked him saying what is your name?

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and he said legion because many demons had entered him and They begged him that he would not command them to go out into the abyss

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Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain So they begged him and he would permit them to enter them and he permitted them then the demons went out the man and entered the swine and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned and Those who fed them saw what had happened.

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They fled and told it in the city and in the country Then they went out to see what had happened and came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had departed

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Sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid

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They also Who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon -possessed was healed then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the

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Gatorines asked him to depart from them for they were seized with great fear and He got into the boat and returned

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Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged him that he might be with him

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But Jesus sent him away saying return to your own house and tell what great things

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God has done for you and He went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city. What great things

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Jesus had done for him This is the word of the Lord Let us pray

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Father we're thankful that this morning we get to worship Jesus who has authority over all things

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Created things whether heaven or on earth Thank you that he is superior to all things that exist and In him we are found because he died for our sin and rose from the dead

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Help us to understand your text and help us to live according to his will in Jesus name.

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Amen Seemingly this passage seems to be two different passages with the storm and the exorcism of the demoniac however,

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I would like to argue that They ought to be read together because first There that one it's that one journey

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The moment Jesus got on the boat to the go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and when he got there what happened and then second both reactions to Jesus authority and with fear of the witnesses

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The latter group, of course who rejects Jesus while the former group follows.

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I Think that contrast is seen when it's put together Now this whole section from verse 22 through the end of chapter 8

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We get to see Jesus authority in full picture before he commissions his 12

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Apostles in chapter 9 and What Jesus will show is that he has full authority over what?

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mankind Have considered and still consider to be formidable overwhelming forces a

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Storm demons disease and death If you want the alliteration,

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I guess disaster demons disease and death For things we still struggle to overcome even with much more advanced technology and Today's text shows how

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Jesus supremely reigns over the natural realm and even the supernatural realm the natural disaster and the demonic forces the visible and the invisible created order in the earth and the heaven

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But his power is not just purposeless power in which he does whatever he wants to just to show off But rather his power is used for deliverance of those who call out to him deliverance of those who are oppressed

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By these overwhelming forces That exists as the remnant of sin

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Let's enter the world in Genesis 3 Jesus power is a merciful power

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Jesus power is a compassionate power Jesus power

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Delivers completely now One warning is that it's this text especially with the storm is very very popular and one warning

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I'd like to propose here is that it's important for us not to Import our lives back into the narrative

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Of the news flashes the Bible wasn't written about you

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For example the storm that Jesus stills with a rebuke is

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Not your difficult co -worker the storm that Jesus rebukes is

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Not the overwhelming final project that you have in your life at work or school the storm narrative

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Is not about you It's about Jesus and his authority to silence what a normal human would have found to be deadly

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Jesus is slowly undoing the remnants of sin and death and You will see the increase in intensity

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First it's the storm then it's thousands of demons and it's the disease

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Then finally, it's death. And of course this all points to what

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Jesus will do to Undo Sin and death and their effects once and for all when he heads to Jerusalem to be crucified for our sin and to rise from the dead and Jesus will indeed look toward Jerusalem at the end of chapter 9 and the last half of the book of Luke will

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Concentrate on his journey to die on the cross

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Because that will that is what it will take For Jesus to completely overrule these forces once and for all

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It will take nothing but his death now

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The main point of this Passage is that Jesus uses his absolute authority over the most destructive forces to deliver the oppressed

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Jesus uses his absolute authority over the most destructive forces to deliver the oppressed first Jesus has full authority over the natural realm to rescue his people

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Jesus has full authority over the natural realm to rescue his people So previously

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Jesus established through the parables and the proverb the urgency right of responding in faith to Jesus words

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Now after doing that he decides to go to another region what was once taught

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It will be shown now it happened on a certain day

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They got into a boat with his this he got into a boat with his disciples So they decide to cross over to the other side of the lake

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Genesaret, which is also called the Sea of Galilee Now we're not given the precise reason for this sailing trip

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But we can tell from the next verse that Jesus was very tired from his ministry so far

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After all he's been teaching all this time to great crowds and verse 23 abruptly introduces the main conflict of this section, but as they sailed he fell asleep and A windstorm came down on the lake and they were filling with water and were in jeopardy

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The contrast between Jesus and the storm is palpable as The boat is in jeopardy and It's filling up with water

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Jesus is asleep on the boat While the chaos unfolds right before him

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Jesus calmly naps ironically

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While Jesus whose background is not sailing Snoozes during the storm his disciples some of whom are fishermen

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Painstricken wake Jesus up Master master, we're perishing the repeated called master master depicts the urgency of this situation

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There's no time to wait He got to be up now He's got to do something

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While the seasoned fishermen and others feared for their lives Jesus peacefully rested on the boat

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At no point Jesus believed his life was ever in danger and We will see why in response to his disciples frightful call

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Jesus arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water It is an odd action

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To rebuke the storm most people do not try to rebuke a weather from a phenomenon

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However, when we consider what Jesus has rebuked before in the book of Luke we can see a trend

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Luke 44 35 Jesus rebukes an unclean spirit. So a demon Luke 439

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Jesus rebukes a fever in One sense Jesus rebukes or admonishes or corrects

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Anything that goes against God's original design of good in the world

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Before sin, there was no unclean spirit before sin There was no disease before sin

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There was no storm There was no death There was no danger

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Jesus rebukes because he is the creator who has come back to restore what has been broken and As the creator

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Jesus has the authority to correct the wind the waters

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Because they are going against his own initial design The one who has created has the authority to fix

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Now, how do the wind and waters respond? and they ceased

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And there was a calm in history some narcissistic man have

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Risen up to claim that they are also capable of Controlling the natural forces

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For example according to 2nd Maccabees 9 8 Antiochus 4th the

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Epiphanies The Greek King who is the same chap who who sacrificed pig and in the temple, right?

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So you can tell what kind of man this is, right? He's the prototypical Antichrist Who claims to be

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God himself? So he arrogantly believed that he could command the waves of the sea however, unlike Antiochus the fourth

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Jesus actually can calm the sea with just The words from his mouth he doesn't have to pray

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He doesn't have to throw anyone overboard like Jonah He can calm the sea

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Because he's the creator The author can cause anything he has written

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To obey now After rebuking the sea

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Jesus rebukes his disciples. Where is your faith? Translation why did you not trust me remember what the disciples have seen all along?

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He's cast out demons he's resurrected a boy He's casted out multiple demons in separate occasions

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He's healed people a Paralytic started walking Jesus expected his disciples to know

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What kind of authority Jesus had and this type of faith is the faith in God's character in nature it is the confidence in his faithfulness and omnipotence his protection his provision that's an

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Important faith For us even this morning When we do face trials, we knew we need to have this kind of confidence in who

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God is and what he's capable of it is the confidence that he is fully capable and willing to protect and provide for them during the storm now

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Still mesmerized by Jesus authority. These disciples are struck with fear and wonder who can this be?

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For he commands even the winds and water and they obey him Now what is the significance of this specific miracle that causes fear and wonder in Those who have seen a lot of miracles already

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Well as Dexter read to us this morning from Psalm 107 Specifically verses 28 and 29 we see sailors who are stuck in a storm

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Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble and he brings them out of their distresses

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He calms the storm so that its waves are still in this psalm

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The Lord is the subject of the action of stilling the raging sea in fact the word to calm to still gets repeated in the book of Jonah as well where there is a storm and the same person the

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Lord is the one who is able to calm the raging seas and For the disciples who just witnessed a human

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Their master Jesus At his rebuke calming the sea a lot of Thoughts would have entered their mind

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How could a mere man calm the sea which scripture tells us is under the

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Lord's jurisdiction? How could a mere man Do what the

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Lord does and no wonder the fear and wonder struck their hearts now

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The most appropriate way to read this famous storm passage. Is that What does this miracle tell us about who

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Christ is What is Christ's authority When he can still of the raging sea

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And The most appropriate answer, of course is Jesus is God incarnate

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Who has full control over the natural realm? Even the most dangerous and fearsome part of nature will obey

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Jesus Rebuke his mere speech can calm the most dangerous chaos of creation

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And there is nothing in all creation that dares to defy the command of its maker

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That's what this passage is all about and this is not in fact a promise that Christians will never face a storm

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Whether figuratively or literally this is a portrait of what kind of Savior we can in fact trust

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During the storm in your life, there is no guarantee that your personal storm will cease just because you say

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Jesus name that's closer to Witchcraft and magic spell than you think

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To use Jesus name and to think that he has to listen to you however for Christians There is a guarantee that the one who has full authority over all creation

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Is not only aware But able to deliver you through the storm.

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You may not get a full deliverance from the storm as the disciples did But you can be assured that this creator the same creator

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Who is fully capable, but not only that fully willing fully desiring

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He is Able to deliver you through the storm second

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Jesus has the authority over the spiritual realm to restore his people Jesus has the authority over the spiritual realm to restore his people

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The next section follows Jesus travel path verses 26 to 27

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Set the background then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee Some translations have garrisonis

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That's because of the textual criticism some of the earlier manuscripts have garrisons instead of Gadarenes now the biggest discrepancy, however, is that Matthew has

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Whichever translation you use Matthew has a different name of the city than Mark and Luke so Mark and Luke agree

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Whichever translation you use but Matthew has a different name and it's a different location that actually exists, too and Many people have used this to attack the trustworthiness of Scripture And I'm here to argue that we don't have to question

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God's faithfulness in speaking. What is true? Because God's Word is inerrant.

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He cannot err when he speaks He's not like us Now this is not that the

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Bible is contradictory How about the scopes of the location are different?

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So for example, Matthew may have mentioned a more well -known city while Mark and Luke are

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Talking about the precise location of the miracle that some books that's about to unfold So I'll give you a modern example in one sense, it's like those of you who live in Elk Grove You might tell your out -of -state friends or family.

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Yeah, I live in Sacramento Because Sacramento is the closest big city that other people would know

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Where it would be on the map now

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One thing to remember is that this city is clearly a Gentile city the presence of the swine

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Right Jews don't raise swine. They they don't eat them. That's unclean.

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They wouldn't even want to touch them But also the demons name being legion that's uh, that doesn't have a

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Jewish root As the name it's not a Jewish name. It's a Gentile name.

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It has a Roman root and Instead of using God's personal name the

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Lord or Yahweh The demons call him a God Most High now verse 27 introduces the main confrontation of this passage and When he stepped out on the land they there met him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time

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And he wore no clothes nor did he live in a house, but in the tombs There are three significant aspects of this demon -possessed man

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First he is possessed by multiple demons. This is something new

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The prior exorcism cases. It was one demon at a time Here will be multiple second

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He's naked the demon demon possession impacted both the mental and physical state of this man who roam around in his shame

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Oftentimes even in Sacramento we see someone who's barely dressed and seemingly homeless

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Our first response that I gotta stay safe stay away from this person

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But we'll see how Jesus responds to this person. He still sees

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The worth and value of this man Created in God's image and his heart is to restore him as soon as possible third

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He was socially isolated he lived in the tombs and Tombs were even for the

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Gentile cities were built outside the city So this demoniac was mentally physically and socially

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Completely captured by the demons. This man was comprehensively possessed by the demons and I would like us to flush out any

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Horror movies or stories we've watched or read regarding demon possession usage of holy water and chanting in Latin or Having a committee that's that's stationed in Vatican that has to approve the exorcism.

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Let's not read that into this How this demon possessed man is portrayed is that he is a hostage he's actually the victim here and Jesus came to rescue him

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He's not the one that Jesus is fighting His Jesus is fighting the demons who are making him to be in that horrendous disfigured state

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We must see the humanity of this demon possessed man when we read this passage also, what we need to realize is that Most of us have not experienced or witnessed demon possession or oppression

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Maybe our only source of that is through entertainment like movies and books

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However, demonic activities are pretty rampant in places around the world that remain spiritually active

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Where secularism has not reached Demons have power to kill people demons have power to control people and Some of us have seen the demonic activities in person now in ancient

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Israel Demons were seen as false gods with supernatural power to overwhelm mankind and they also believe that it demonic influence happened really early on as early as Genesis 4 and They believe that when the

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Messiah comes the demon The demons and their forces would be defeated once and for all and that that they would cease

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Right and humanity would be set free from the tormenting experience of demonic influence

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Now this ancient Israelite background Helps us understand the demons response to Jesus presence in the next two verses

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When he saw Jesus he cried out fell down before him and with a loud voice said

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What have I To do with you Jesus son of the Most High God. I beg you do not

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Torment me Here the demons immediately acknowledged

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Jesus superior status and power their questions signify

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That they know that Jesus is capable of defeating them completely Yet they were not expecting to see

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Jesus to show up at this time They knew it the day would come.

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They just didn't think it would be that day and Acknowledging Jesus prowess the demons beg him not to torment them and This is because Jesus commanded them to get out of the man in verse 29

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Jesus first response to seeing this demon -possessed man in a very very sorry state is not

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That he was grossed out by him is not that he flinched

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But rather to rescue him from the oppression that he has experienced for a very long time at Jesus core desire and It in his heart is the desire to see this poor man be free now verse 29 explains why

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Jesus Commanded the demons to come out for it had often seized him and he was kept under guard

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Bound with chains and shackles and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness the demoniac under the influence of these demons was supernaturally strong enough to break the metal chains and ropes binding his feet and Because the people of the city could not manage this guy

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They just drove him out Kind of like the monster from Frankenstein If we can't control it, we'll just drive you out

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The problem is done The wilderness of course is dangerous.

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The wilderness is the place of the unknown or the wilderness is away from civilization

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While the demons sought to destroy the man Jesus seeks to restore him The demons manipulate this man to do crazy lunatic things

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Yet Jesus first desire upon seeing this man is that he has to be free.

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He's just a hostage held by the demons While the people of the city tried to control him and when they failed to manage him, they just drove him away

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Jesus saw the worth in this man Despite the disfigurement

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And sought to deliver him While the city saw him as a problem to solve

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Jesus saw him as a person to heal and verses 30 to 31 continue the conversation

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Jesus asked him saying what is your name? Of course, it is hard to discern why Jesus asked for the demons name

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But one view is that he wanted to show his disciples the severity of the situation

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The despite disciples have seen exorcism before But not like this and he answered legion

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Because many demons had entered him Legion was a Roman military term meaning thousand or thousands

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This demonic confrontation is much greater in magnitude than any previous exorcisms we saw in the gospel according to Luke Jesus is dealing with thousands of demons here.

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It's thousands versus one here yet Even the thousands know who is going to win

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Verse 31 and they begged him that he would not command them to go out into the abyss

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The abyss here is the underworld for the dead It was a confinement of torment.

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Not a lot is talked about in the Old Testament, of course but in the New Testament abyss is the same abyss that you see in Revelation 12 where the

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All sorts of demons come out ultimately

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The demons have to ask permission from Jesus Christ before they can do anything

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Look at the power dynamic here They don't even stand a chance They have to ask permission

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Even thousands of demons do not stand a chance against one Jesus Christ And verse 32 describes their request in more detail now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain

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So they begged him that he would permit them to enter them and he permitted them main many point out that's

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The swine right there unclean animals. So the demons naturally wanted to go into the unclean animals however, such an interpretation is difficult to make

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Because this is a Gentile region of To the eyewitnesses that wouldn't have made too big of a difference whether It's the swine that the demons go into or the cows

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Mainly because they ate them both There wasn't this spectrum of uncleanness

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That category is not a Gentile category at all Now for the

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Jewish leaders, they would have gotten that reading Matthew for sure, right but not for the

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Gentile eyewitnesses here now Jesus permits the demons to leave the man and enter into the pigs

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Because his primary focus is to restore the man as soon as possible. His prerogative is the well -being of the demoniac before he judges the demons

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He wants to see the man healed That's his heart now verse 33 shows the result

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Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drown

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Jesus authority over the demons Was immediately seen not only immediately seen but clearly displayed by the huge destruction as Thousands of pigs

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Violently ran down the cliff and drowned in the lake Although scripture does not tell us who is responsible for the destruction whether the demons or the pigs this spiritual

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Confrontation shows us many truths one is Jesus is not responsible for the debts of the pigs

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He did not command the pigs to go drown themselves Second Jesus views restoring one human life worth more than keeping thousands of lives of pigs compared to the whole created order human life is more valuable a

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Great reminder we need to have this morning third removal of evil is

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Expensive evil is not something you can just wave a wand and then make it go away sin death

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Personal evil like Satan you can't just make them go away

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By fiat ultimately in order for Jesus to see his people restored from the bondage of sin and death and in one sense

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Satan because Everyone who's born into sin are under Satan's realm Jesus had to pay the most costly price and that's his own life

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But that ought to remind us how much he desired To see his created order restored again, and that's how much he values each human life in God's view a human life is of Infinite value and worth

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That's how much he cares about each person They're made in God's image

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Now not many of you have seen or will witness direct demonic possession in Sacramento or really

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Any part of the United States because we're so secular However, it is nice to think that there are no demonic influences that affect this city in the nation

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Many of the problems you hear on the news cannot be just natural Or else the natural solutions would have been enough to solve them.

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We've spent billions of dollars to fight crime There's still crime We've spent trillions of dollars to fight poverty

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There's still poverty behind the grotesque murders and dreadful deceptions

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There are demonic activities. It may not be obvious as They are in other countries and It probably is in the best interest of Satan to work incognito in this country rather than publicly

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Lest it drives our secular minds to God because if a personal evil exists and The personal divine exists and you better respond

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Appropriately to him the increasing crime rate and the severity of the crime the rise in violence on the streets and illogical irrational

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Ideologies that grasp this whole nation and even institutions

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Like the academia and entertainment and media and politicians It's in fact really hard to argue that They're just purely

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Natural occurrences it is not natural in all of human history

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To deny the two biological genders It is not natural in all of history to view babies in the womb as non -living

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Persons, I would argue it's satanic to be okay with the deaths of the millions and not be shocked by and we wonder if demon possession and oppression are relatable in this country

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Now, where is the hope for us if we're looking for solutions in governmental reforms and elections?

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We are as effective as the shackles and chains that try to hold down this demoniac useless and if we're looking for education or social revolutions

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We just frankly have not studied history that well some of the most educated

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Nations have done some of the most horrendous things in human history in the end

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Martin Luther's second verse of a mighty fortress is our God illustrates the hope that we have

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The first verse sets up the daunting fate of the world So if you ever saying a mighty fortress is our

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God Don't just end at the first verse This is how it goes For still our ancient foe

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Satan doth seek to work us Whoa, his craft and power are great and armed with cruel hate on earth

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It's not his equal right now. Let us pray right? We wouldn't end like that Because there's the second verse

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Did we in our own strength confide our Striving would be losing

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We're not the right man on our side the man of God's own choosing

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Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he

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Lord Sabaoth his name the Lord of hosts from age to age the same and He must win as Martin Luther saying in the 16th century and as the demonic experience in the first century

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There is nothing that shakes the demonic realm with fear than one man alone

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Jesus Christ the king who rules all realms from heaven now

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What are the responses to this? Out of all the responses to Jesus Authority The most effective testimony is the transformed individual by Jesus restorative act out of all the responses to Jesus Authority The most effective testimony is the transformed individual by Jesus restorative act

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Now the last six verses depict the responses by the various groups who have witnessed or heard about this first Those who were by the herd of pigs relayed the news to the city

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Verse 34 when those who fed them saw what had happened. They fled and told it in the city and in the country

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After all, you don't see thousands of pigs Falling to their death and verse 35 to 37 showed the response of the city then they went out to see what had happened and came to Jesus and Found the man from whom the demon had departed sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed in the right mind

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Here we see a clear restoration of the former demoniac while the demoniac had thousands of demons before now

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He has none While the demoniac was unstably roaming around outside the city

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He's actually sitted sitting down by the feet of Jesus Presumably learning from him

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While the demoniac was naked He is now clothed in his right mind

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Jesus restoration was comprehensively complete Jesus restoration was both visible and invisible and there was no part of this man that remained unrestored

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When Jesus dealt with the demons Now the crowd from the city saw this and they were afraid

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One man freed the demoniac and that that their chains and shackles could not hold down Naturally they were scared what kind of man could this be

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Moreover the pig herders who saw the massive destruction of their own property

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Testified what they have seen to those people who came out to see They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon -possessed was healed

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Thousands of our pigs were dead You wouldn't believe this then the whole

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Multitude of the surrounding region of the gatherings asked him to depart from them for they were seized with great fear

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And this is a very different response from the disciples who also feared in the previous passage

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And upon hearing about Jesus complete authority over the spiritual evil the crowd filled with fear asked him to leave them and Jesus because of Course, he doesn't force himself upon them

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He departs Now as he got into the boat and Returned We see the response of the former demoniac

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Verse 38 now the man from whom the demons had departed begged him that he might be with him from the tremendous spiritual showdown

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There is actually one faithful response and it is the one who has experienced

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Jesus merciful restoration Previously the demons begged to be away from Jesus presence

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Now the former demoniac begs to be with Jesus but Jesus sent him away saying return to your own house and Tell what great things

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God has done for you and he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city

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What great things Jesus had done for him? Instead of allowing a faithful convert to go with him

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Jesus commissions him to a different ministry to testify

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What God has done? How God has freed him from the demons? Jesus commissioned him to proclaim

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God's deliberate deliverance yet This freed man proclaims what

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Jesus has done for him Now this does not mean that this man from the brief encounter with Jesus Understood that Jesus is indeed

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God incarnate and that hypostatic union of man and God He understood it all after all

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Even the disciples who are around and who have been around Jesus for a longer period do not quite understand him

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And we don't even get Peter's messianic proclamation of who Jesus is

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Until the next chapter now

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This man what it shows is that he was so thrilled about what

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Jesus has done He could not keep his mouth shut about Jesus Jesus was the only person who cared enough to restore him

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Not to manage him not to see him as a problem to be solved But to restore him seeing how valuable what worth of potential he had and Ironically Luke uses this to hint

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Jesus identity In one at one level the former demoniac doesn't know

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How much greater Jesus actually is he is more than just the best exorcist ever

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But at another level there's the irony here The former demoniac

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Unknowingly proclaimed what Jesus had done. In fact, he by doing that he correctly proclaimed

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What God has done the readers know and the

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Luke know and Luke knows That what This former demoniac had in fact done by proclaiming

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Jesus He actually proclaimed what God has done now in this passage

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There are multiply witnesses to Jesus authority over the demons In fact the first testimony to Jesus miracles are in fact the herdsmen

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Who lost all their pigs? However, we see the best and the most effective testimony to Jesus deliverance

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It's not the ones who witnessed the miracles But the one who has experienced it himself

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It is none other than the former demoniacs proclamation of Jesus work

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Because in one sense all these eyewitnesses proclaimed what Jesus had done, but only one

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Did it faithfully? The only one did it out of faith only one responded faithfully and No wonder

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Jesus commissioned this former demoniac to stay I used to read this and I felt bad for the former demoniac

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Man, he doesn't get to go with the other disciples But that's not the point

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It's not that Jesus did not enjoy his presence After all Jesus healed him, didn't he?

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And he let him sit down at his feet to learn It's just that Jesus knew that this man's testimony would be the most passionate and Effective in this

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Gentile area if he had stayed the testimonies of the swine herdsmen, although they saw the same event were not sufficient because they were not of faith

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They themselves were not transformed by Jesus restorative touch They were not redeemed

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Jesus valued the testimony of the redeemed far higher and today this holds true

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The best advertisement for a church is not a youth program or a movie night Does the best advertisement for a church is not a miracle healing prayer night?

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the best advertisement for any church is the testimony of a transformed life of a believer and That is the only

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Advertisement the Bible speaks of People are not looking for more

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Entertainment on a Sunday morning. They can get it elsewhere They desire something deeper and transformative deep inside They know their lives are not truly meaningful.

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They know they're not Good enough deep inside they are just dissatisfied with themselves and disgusted

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What draws their attention a dance party on Sunday mornings with the lights and the fog machine a laser show a

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Hip pastor who speaks their lingo No, it's the transformed life of a buddy who used to live the same way as them

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But does not and does not want to anymore while Bill used to get drunk with me every

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Friday night And he would be so irritated if he's not drunk. What happened to him that he is so sober and patient all of a sudden

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Susie used to gossip with us But now she leaves the room whenever we mention someone who's not in the room

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Whatever she had I want that Bill and Susie are more than willing to tell them about Jesus who changed their lives from inside out

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It's the transformation of the heart That changes the behavior on the outside It's never the other way around Behavioral modification cannot change the heart of a dead man

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They're more than willing to proclaim what Jesus had done for them How he took on their sin bore it on the cross faced

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God's wrath and rose on the third day and Knowing that Jesus had done that how can

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I go back to my filthy lifestyle before I I don't even do

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I don't even want to do that anymore My former longing for acceptance and love is fully completely fulfilled by Jesus Christ alone

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Someone who would die for me when he considered me his enemies What more love could

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I want? from this world in the end

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The only marketing the Bible knows is the transformed lives a

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Church does not need a marketing director. It's not a business a Church does not really need a community coordinator

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What a church absolutely requires. However, our transformed individuals who have been restored by Jesus Christ and are thrilled and excited to speak and proclaim that to the world that is died and in this former demoniac we see that and Jesus saw that and Jesus wanted him to stay

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To be exactly that let us pray

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Father, we're thankful that Jesus has full authority over all things and we have nothing to fear not because we are strong But because he is strong and he is on our side

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Because we trust him Help us to trust him through all things whether our enemies are spiritual or physical or circumstantial

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Help us to know that one word from Jesus is enough In his name we pray

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Amen All right, let's rise for our closing song

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And it's been a joy to be together and we are now dismissed