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It says this then they sail to the
country
of the gu.
Which is opposite
Galilee.
When Jesus had stepped out on land,
there met him a man from the city
who had demons.
For a long time, he had worn no
clothes, and he not lived in the house,
but among the tombs.
When he saw Jesus, he cried out and
he fell down before him and said with
a loud voice what have you to do
with me, Jesus,
son of are the most high God.
I beg you.
Do not torment me. For he had commanded
the uncle clean spirit to come out of
the man for, many a time and it
seized him and he was kept under guard
bound with the chains and shackles, but he
would break the bonds and be driven by
the demon into the desert. Jesus then asked
him. What is your name?
And he said legion for many demons that
entered him. And they begged him not to
command them to depart into the abyss, now
a large herd of pigs was feeding there
on the hillside, and they begged him to
let them enter these, so he gave them
permission, then the demons came out of the
man entered the pigs and the herd rushed
down the Steep bank and into the lake
in drowned.
When the herd saw what had happened,
they fled and told it in the city,
and in the country, then people went out
to see what had happened, and they came
to Jesus and found a man who, from
whom the demons had gone, sitting at the
feet of Jesus cloth in his right mind,
and they were afraid.
When those who had seen it told them
how the demon possessed man had been healed,
than all the people of the surrounding country
of the ga scenes asked him to depart
from them for they were seized with great
fear. So he got into the boat And
he returned the man from whom the demons
had gone begged that he may be with
him and Jesus sent him away saying returned
to your home.
And declare how much God has done for
you, and he went away proclaiming throughout the
whole city, how much Jesus had done for
him.
Now when Jesus returned,
they... The crowd welcomed him for they were
all waiting for him, and they came... And
there came a man named G, who was
a rule of the synagogue and falling at
Jesus feet implore him to come to his
house.
For he had an older daughter about 12
years of age who was dying,
and Jesus went, and Jesus went and the
people pressed around him, and there was a
man who had a dish... Or a woman
who had a discharge of blood for 12
years. And though she had spent all of
her living on physician, she could not be
healed by anyone.
She came up behind them and touched the
fringe of his garment and immediately or discharge
of blood ceased.
And Jesus said who was at the touch
me when all denied it Peter's said master
or the crowds
surround you and are pressing in on me,
but Jesus said someone touched me for I
perceived, the power has gone out from me
And when the woman saw that she was
not hidden, she came trembling and falling down
before him declaring in the presence of all
why she had touched him and shall... How
she had been immediately healed,
and he said to her daughter, your faith
has made you well go in peace.
While he was still speaking, someone from the
rulers house came and said your daughter his
dad, do not trouble the teacher anymore? But
Jesus on hearing this answered him, do not
fear only believe and she will be well.
And we came to the house. He allowed
no 1 to enter with him, except Peter,
in John, and James and the father and
mother of the child and all weeping and
mourning for her, but she said... But he
said do not weep for she is not
dead but sleeping.
And they laughed at him, knowing that she
was dead. But taking her by the hand,
he called... He called saying child arise and
her spirit returned,
and she got up at once, and he
directed that someone should be given... Something should
be given to her to eat and her
parents were amazed. But he charged them to
tell no 1 what had happened. This is
the word or the lord. If father the
asked that you would meet us with your
word.
Now you promised that it doesn't return avoid
that it does work that it soften or
harden it's always working and moving. So we
ask. That you would make it no different
today even in a text that's difficult than
1 that we don't want to think about
with a with topics like demon possession and
it got, but john near us.
Let us see the beauty of Jesus. Let
her see that he has the keys to
to all him and maybe come to him
for that. We pray that in and your
name Meet us here. Lord. Newman amen?
So I don't generally give out a sermon
title,
while preaching a message. Yeah. I'll cut the
podcast later and try and figure out something
cool to type in
but I don't normally give 1 out during
the preaching
of the text, but I'm gonna, kinda break
that habit or unwritten rule for me today.
This message
is titled, and we're we're we're gonna just
reveal our cards. And nothing will be hidden
close to the chest,
just come to Jesus.
No matter who you are, what you need,
how far gone you think things are, where
your head space is at. What's going on?
It doesn't matter just come to him.
He's not a genie in a bottle.
Me don't get to come and rub the
lamp and get the 3 coolest wishes that
you think would make your life better,
but
there's literally nothing
too big for him to deal with that
that you do need.
For those who have years, let them here
in light of the text that we have
been preaching as of late. And but I
I just ask you to to consider. It's
July 20 first. I don't know what your
plans are, Some of you went watch fireworks
last night. I don't know what you've been
doing or what you've got planned later. But
before the message
starts going,
have you considered, is there something that you
need to go to Jesus 4? Something weighing
on
your heart something that you've been wrestling with
in the back corners of your mind or
maybe in a Dna group or C, is
there something that you need to come to
him for?
A sin pattern that you just can't get
out of
struggling to believe that Jesus really is
enough in life at the moment? Are are
you struggling with faithfulness
or
steadfast
or
being a hard 1 for us, contentment.
Is bitterness or Mel colleague or
ind or apa,
just kind of got you.
And you know that you've been stuck and
you've been trying to get out of it,
and you don't really know how... And and
you're not sure how deal it. I just
ask you to consider before even get into
the depths of the text? Have you considered
going to Jesus as a remedy for that?
And maybe the always year it would be
leading you towards that today. Hey, there's a
ocean of freedom with King Jesus.
Has it been considered.
Luke is on a mission
to present to us in
this part of the gospel which just the
the fullness of the
salvation of Christ. And we discussed it heavily
in the text last week,
and we're gonna add some nuance to that
in the text today, hoping to bring interview
this kind of simple concept, you cannot,
see the fullness of salvation
without simultaneously
considering the fullness of the power of King
jesus to bring about said,
salvation.
Put differently. We cannot truly consider the miracle
of salvation without considering the miracle
worker.
And his power
that is beyond the power of anything else,
the 1 who pulls it off.
His salvation is truly the transfer of a
soul from death to life. If if if
that's real,
if salvation is the taking of the heart
of of stone, it's hard and un
and turning it into a heart of flesh.
If it's transferring a person, from their realm
realm of darkness into the realm of light,
not only just their their inheritance, but their
very nature out of darkness and the light.
If it's really that big of a deal.
How powerful is the 1 who accomplishes
that.
How mighty is the 1 who does what
no 1 else could do?
This is what Luke is pressing on us
to see Is a really big deal.
And the power
of Jesus to accomplish
salvation is huge. Oh that we would believe
it that it's huge.
We saw last week
the forces of nature, all the forces that
they can master, they sit down when Jesus
says
sit now. A storm rage, the disciples thought
they're going to die. They run to Jesus.
We're gonna we're gonna die and Jesus says
something to the effect of peace b still
and the waves submitted. They didn't just calm
down a couple knots. It didn't just chill
out a little bit. All of a sudden,
it went from chaos. We're going to die
massive,
massive storm to done,
left the disciples asking a question who is
this?
They are wrestling with all and wonder. What
kind of man, what kind of being, what
kind of person can can do this. What
kind of man can make the very forces
of nature bow down with with a word.
And what's interesting is the text just ends
with that question. Who is this?
And it ends that way for us to
consider that in our own lives. But the...
Notice the disciples don't answer the question of
who is this. It just sits there. But
today in the text, that question gets picked
back up and it gets answered by a
person that you're probably going to be a
little bit surprised
about
There's an important lead in concept I wanna
push us
to to see before we get going. The
disciples in the text last week. They panicked
in fear of the storm,
completely lost it. They did not even consider
Jesus because of their fear, of the storm
in the incident. Their faith was completely
neutralized and short circuit. They went from from
high faith big faith. Jesus will follow you
to the end of the world We're gonna
die, no faith at all, and Jesus asks
them the question where is your faith because
of it?
That question in return to them was not
meant to be a a soul crushing slam
as much as a invitation into
future faith.
He's asking them
to consider not so easily casting aside their
faith next time a fear comes.
Where a store comes where a trial comes.
And and there's some beauty in this if
we think about.
And Jesus and his patience in his kindness
towards his followers,
is a big deal. He is quick to
give them a second chance.
Even after the epic screw up, the the
disciples again, they go from full faith to
to no faith in Jesus doesn't bench them.
He doesn't fire them. He he doesn't tar
feather them or dis them. He heads them
straight to the shore.
To try again.
They go from an encounter with a dark
and powerful storm
to an encounter with a dark and evil
force a demon civilized man immediately after.
I don't know about you, but I find
that troubling and encouraging at the same time.
Troubling because they thought of going from 1
epic scary thing,
followed by another, makes me go like, what
if I fail with that 1 too? Like,
oh too bad,
but it also is a bit encouraging.
Hear me. Because
if we would be honest, I'll I'll I'll
I'll say it from my perspective, but
it's encouraging because I know what it likes
to what it's like to feel like a
disappointment.
I know what it's like to feel like
I've dropped the ball in front of Jesus.
I know what it's like to have a
big moment
in realize I met it with complete un
unbelievable.
Right? To to fall on my face unequivocally,
which is exactly how the disciples felt this
stay. And yet, Jesus gave them another chance
to get back up, believe and have faith.
That gives me hope that it'll do the
same for you and me. Yes, there's days
when we will fall short,
And yet when we do,
there's another moment.
Until Jesus returns, there's always another moment to
have faith.
King Jesus is not only powerful, but he's
kind and gentle, and you're gonna fall, and
I'm gonna fall and he's still gonna give
you another chance to get back up and
believe and get back up and believe and
that's a profound goodness. Because because what do
we do? We normally go... Man I fail
too big that time. I don't get another
chance.
Takes them to the shore. Immediately, they get
another 1.
Immediately, after the storm, they found themselves on
the on the coast of the ge scenes,
and there's no buffer, no decompression, no week
off. And as soon as they get off
of the the the boat. Right? They've literally
crossed the other side, storm, Jesus calms that
they get off right there. In and they
get met by a man possessed by demons.
He meets Jesus as he gets off the
boat.
In the demons inside of him start yelling
out and loud
voice, what do you want with me?
Jesus son of the most high God.
My god. That... That's
a somewhat of an interesting greeting when you
hit the shore.
There was an answer to that question that
we mentioned earlier. Remember, again, the their disciples
to ask who is this man
The demons answer with no hesitation.
Jesus is the son of the most high
God.
Their answer is interesting and a little bit
of a weird overstate at the same time.
It's interesting because if you if we if
we study cultures and civilizations throughout all of
history,
most of them are going to be poly.
They believe in many gods and they create
many gods and worship many gods, but even
though they have kind of a pant of
different gods,
in culture that they observe, there's always this
1 high God.
He's the strong 1. He's the the big
1,
even the demons who are evil and powerful
no.
They're standing before, not some demi god.
This is not zeus or Hercules or some
other thing. They're standing in front of not
even another powerful spirit like them, they're standing
in front of the God the most high
God.
Now, the statements are a little bit weird
as well because
If there is,
I'm I'm not so good with grammar all
the time you can tell. And if you've
ever read my transcript, you'd really be able
to tell.
But if you say the high God,
like, you've already hit the Apex. High is
like Uno top.
That's as high as you can get. So
it's a bit of an overstate to say
the the most High god. You've you've already
got High God. Top God. Most High God
is a big overstate
But that's kind of the point.
The demons even know that they're are in
front of the alpha and omega,
not just a power
the all powerful god man is in front
of them.
Now hear this. Well, humanity still wrestle. Where
the verdict is is out. I'm still trying
to decide. I'm just just trying to kinda
figure out who this Jesus is. We're always
trying to figure out who Jesus is? Will
we believe in him? Will we submit him
in our day to day lives in the
here and now what we need to understand
is is any of our
belief does not change the fact it does
not move the needle at all. It give
him power or take it away. That Jesus
is the most powerful that there is. He
is the God man.
This is why the demons
beg him,
do not torment me.
We probably should do a little bit of
of groundwork here. Alright? We're not gonna get
into a whole theology of demon.
Here's a ground level to try and wrap
minds around some of it though. The bible
talks about the concept of a tri God.
That is,
God in 3 persons, 1 God in 3
persons.
The father,
God, the son, God, the holy spirit and
God created
everything that we see. Nothing was created outside
of the tri God. So God created the
earth
and human in animals and heavenly beings, including
angels.
And at some point, some of the angels
rebelled against God. They wanted to be more
powerful than God.
In a moment just like Adam and Eve,
it in the garden, all of a sudden
they begin to doubt God's goodness. I could
do better on my own. God's trying to
hold me back. IIII
wanna overthrow him. I wanna do my own
thing.
We learn in a not so detailed account.
That when the angels did this, God cast
the angelic beings who tried to rebel against
him down to earth out of heaven and
down to earth.
Of these, the the lead of these angels
was what we call Satan nor the devil,
and the other ones are what we know
as demons.
And they are now warring against God. The
Bible says they're pro around, like, a roaring
line, looking for people to devour
in destroy. They were in heaven, decided to
try and get over overthrow god. God throws
them down. He gives him a point of
power on earth for a time before they're
going to be destroyed forever, while they're here
on earth, they're trying to destroy and wreck
shop in whatever way that they can.
Now the logic, we've been talking about the
Day several times in the last Sermon.
God created humans in the Ama day.
Meaning he made humans not to be little
gods, but he made us to reflect his
nature in what he is like. So we're
meant to live in union with God, worshiping
God, finding our meaning in God and the
reflecting his character back to the world around
him.
So the demons now try and possess humans
to take them over as a way to
try and,
destroy the yam ama day in them. This
is a indirect war at god through humans.
So demons will try and possess people,
and do often awful things to them, pressing
humans to the point of despair,
unimaginable sin in broken. And this is exactly
what they run
into here. Alright. Like, are are we tracking
all of a sudden, the the demons are
war with God? I'm gonna try and crush
even the very image of God in these
humans by destroying them. This is the war,
this man now lived naked
with no home,
and he's wandering around
grave tombs because of the demon immunization.
We need to see, and I I know
this is uncomfortable to talk about. We could
have other discussions later if you want about
if you've seen it if you have it,
and why don't we see it all time?
We we could do that another time, But
but we need to understand of this man
right now is he's not just in mental
crisis.
Dude didn't just lose his marble.
This is a man who demons have taken
over,
and now they have driven him to this
horrible spot. He was uncontrollable.
He was dangerous.
He was more wild than he was man
running around naked, un contempt ill,
and it was a result.
Everyone was against him and staying away from
him.
Think about this guy's position.
He's d,
animal,
marginalized and both frightened and fearful at the
same time.
This is utter misery.
We hear that for a time the people
in the town tried to seize him. But
I got 1 part. He's a part of
the culture. He had a family. He had
he he had AAA
beginning to his life and and people were
trying to bind him trying get it fixed,
trying to rest sustain him from doing evil.
And when they bind him and lock him
up and try and guard him, the the
the
would would literally break free.
His strength seemed un human
just like this new way of life, then
the demons would drive him into the desert
every time they try and strain him. Was
try and fix this. He'd break out and
he'd run into the desert where he'd roam,
naked it among the tombs and despair.
Again, what we're meant to see is this
man is now acting more like a while
animal than a human being.
Again, the yam ama day you're supposed to
reflect the character of god and this guy
is reflecting more of a wild animal and
a wild beast.
The question may have been asked from anybody
you've seen him or knew him or heard
of his story, and we get other accounts
that he was very, well known and people
literally avoid the the area because of him,
The question may have been asked is there
any yam ama day left in there.
Is there any glimpse? Any reflection is he
beyond saving, Is he too shattered? Or does
he too messed up as is he beyond
hope?
And at that point, Jesus shows up and
the pneumonia ends up in front. Of him.
This is a massive
confrontation.
Again, the demons are trying to devour and
destroy the chief of man's creation to to
stamp out any hint of the divine likeness
in man. It's a full on assault on
God through the assault on the man. So
the demons are trying to crush the image
of God in this man, then all of
a sudden, God shows up the 1 who's
created the man.
This is a big moment.
What I find amazing
is if this was a war movie all
a sudden there'd be this epic clash in
this epic battle,
the demons didn't talk any messages at Jesus,
they didn't try and stand off with him.
They without hesitation.
Just began to beg Jesus,
not to torment them.
Whereas the disciples in in our
beliefs can wax and wan The demons belief
in Jesus in his power did not wax
and wayne for even a second. They knew
his power.
In hear this, they're the power of king
Jesus terrified them to the point of grove.
If nothing else maybe today may that be
a reminder to us that darkness shutters of
the name and presence of Jesus.
Our king isn't to be tri with. He
cannot be over overpowered. We get so
ex
and worried. And what am I gonna do
and how am I gonna deal with? Do
you know who your king is?
Yes, there's gonna be rough stuff here.
But a king is all powerful.
It is with you for all of eternity
if you're following king jesus. We need a
fresh
reminder.
Jesus is this powerful and the demons know
it... Oh, I wish that the children of
God understood it again.
And Jesus
commanded the demons come out of the man.
And all they do is beg, please don't
torment us
And Jesus asked the man,
his name and the demon spoke for him
saying we are
legion.
The legion is a regiment of the Roman
Army would have contained 6000
mend my foot a hundred and 20
horsemen and some other strategic.
Personnel.
To a Jewish man,
hearing legion
What's your name?
My name's Legion.
It would have brought about this idea of
a great number.
Efficient
organization, relentless strength and absolutely
brutal unstoppable power.
The idea is this isn't a small amount
of of demons are a small problem. This
is a force of darkness and evil, unlike
many scene.
It's bad. It's really bad.
And yet this great force,
only begs Jesus, please don't throw us into
the abyss.
That is don't throw us into. We understand
abyss to be
kind of like final judgment. Don't destroy us.
Notice the irony here. The the demons terrorized
and tormented the man
trying to destroy him and utterly crush him,
and then they begged Jesus not to torment
them and utterly destroy them.
You do you see that? We'll do this
to him. Please don't do that back to
us.
There's a great herd of pigs feeding on
a nearby hillside. And the demons begged to
enter those pigs instead of going to the
abyss, instead of in their mind, it's just
pigs or or or final judgment in and
and Jesus allows it.
And they enter the pigs at once so
the pigs rushed down a hill and drowned
instantly.
We hear that, and that probably use us
with more questions than we start with? Like,
why did Jesus allow this?
Why didn't Jesus just completely destroy them now
and forever, they're begging and he's should just
lowered the boom. Why why didn't why didn't
they get him? Well likely because God has
designated a time to judge all things.
When we we we don't talk
about it a lot, but there's a time
to judge the living in the dead, and
then there's a final judgment that'll will come
for Satan and his demons as well. Likely,
this is not the final time.
So he sends them to the pigs. It's
not your time, but that time is coming
for you.
I do find it poetic.
The demons had worked so hard to turn
the man into an animal.
With all their work and they're torment,
it just lands them in animals.
Do you see that? That part of amaze
me that King Jesus pulls her versa on
them.
You you you want to make
that man in the Ama day in animal
send you into the animals. How do you
like them apples?
I love that part.
And then look at what happens.
Overlooked part of the story. Man we just
miss some of the heavy things sometimes.
The Herd in the town people who witnessed
the dramatic destruction
of evil.
They found themselves in front of Jesus and
they witnessed his power and his goodness.
Right? They saw the man who had been
terrorized
on this countryside for years and they knew
how bad off he was. And and they
and they knew how terrorized he was. And
and they they didn't think he was crazy.
He was well known as the act. They
knew exact what was going on and yet
he's there, and he's calm. And he's in
his right mind, and he's restored, and he's
peaceful. There was a miracle
epic deliverance of grace had happened there.
And what is the reaction before Jesus the
most high God?
Begged to leave.
That's heavy.
They wanted know more of them.
This is heartbreaking. A demon eyes man utterly
shattered and destroyed.
Is healed in an instant
that the word of Jesus he's made whole
he's been put back together
all because he came to Jesus.
And Jesus met him in his broken and
yet the Herd.
They likely saw the great financial loss that
Jesus had brought. Like this 2000 pigs cost
a lot of money.
Because I don't want anymore what you're selling.
You know how much that's already cost me.
Please leave us. I don't want any of
it.
Salvation is in front of them.
And that they want Jesus to leave.
And I think there's a profound undertone in
that
to to us.
Some will come to Jesus and find salvation
and peace that they desperately need,
and some were refuse to come and even
ask him to go.
Even when it's clear who he is and
his power and what he's done and he's
he's shown himself to be good.
Which 1 of those groups are you in?
Do you come to Jesus for your needs?
Or or do you walk away or try
and get him to go away and handle
it yourself?
You come to Jesus for what you need
or do you beg him to go because
you're afraid that it'll cost you too much.
Man, if I just put all of my
faith in you... You're gonna make me do
something that I don't want... I I don't
I don't want any part of it. We
just just go. Just go.
His heartbreaking, Jesus is right in front of
them and they want nothing of it.
I don't have time to focus
too deeply on it, but
the
1 to go with Jesus.
Right, he's... Like, can I get the boat?
I go with you? Like, I'm, I'm here
forever.
And jesus just tells them to go home.
He says go and and show the people
from where you've come from what I've done
for you Given them your testimony.
Things often work like this, Jesus often sends
us into the places that we too... We
feel too embarrassed to go.
He sends us into the place where the
the the the the full picture of who
we were before him was on this place
is go show them exactly what I've done.
Show off the work.
Not you. Show off me.
So some of them may come to me
through it as well.
It brings to mind even the the text
about John, the Baptist blessed of those who
are not ashamed of me.
Many of us are too ashamed to go.
We just saw the power of jesus on
full display as a man came to him.
Had a legion of demons cast out of
him, He was freed from his despair. And
now Jesus returns back to the other shore
and a crowd is waiting for him.
And in this crowd is Jai, the the
ruler of the Synagogue.
To be the ruler of the Synagogue, this
is like a big deal,
he was by alright, a powerful man,
influential man important man, known man. He's eating
good. He's doing big things, deciding who's speaking
in the Synagogue
or running the operations of it. Like, like,
this guy wasn't living paycheck to paycheck. He
was doing well. Powerful man.
Yeah, This powerful man all of a sudden
falls,
like a sack of potatoes at the feet
of Jesus begging him to come to his
house.
Well because his 12 year old daughter is
dying.
They were out of options.
If I can, again, I I told you
when not keeping the cards close to the
chest. Notice the reoccurring theme.
Another person coming to Jesus in faith for
their need.
Jesus agrees used to go to the man's
house
and they head that way. With the crowd
is not easy to navigate. It's it's full
on mob now. Imagine, like, AAA concert scene
and they're pushing towards the stage. This is
kinda what's pushing at him and the people
are all coming to to Jesus for a
million different reasons, some with good, motives, some
with not, but they're all coming. And they're
rushing in, and there's a massive crowd
and in the crowd was a woman who
had a discharge of blood for 12 years.
If you're not following, she'd been hem blood
stop for 12 years,
this is a female cycle that would not
end.
12
years.
So this wasn't a small deal.
On just a social level, she would be
considered ceremonial
unclear.
According to the directive of
Levi vi. She would transmit her un cleanliness
to to anyone that she came in talk
contact with or anyone that she touched.
She would have been because of this, forbidden
to have sexual relations, so she had a
husband. She was likely divorce by now after
12 years.
She was os size from normal society, barred
from temple worship, you can't come in in
the state.
That doesn't even take into consideration the physical
and emotional effects.
She desired a child.
She wanted a
companionship. If she just wanted peace.
The text says that she'd exhausted every option.
She'd spent all of her money.
Trying to go to to every physician she
could? Can you fix me? Can you fix
me? Can you fix me? I I did
some reading about some of the the the
remedies that they would use back then and
they range from
incredibly
incredibly weird.
Painful and humiliating beyond what you can imagine,
and she tried all of them.
And paid each step of the way.
Until now there's nothing left.
No more options, no more money. No more
relationships for the most part. No more hope.
And then and then hear this,
each time she tried another thing. It just
made it worse.
We're we're not net neutral. We're we're worse.
Empty alone,
broke,
despair, it's bad.
She's cut off from home society religion in
declining health.
She couldn't have felt any lower at the
time.
While G was a man of
substantial prestige
with a profound worry that it just landed
on him.
Both of them we see in luke came
to Jesus on the same day in hope
and in faith.
Very different
situations, both coming in faith. The woman pushes
through the crowd and desperation, and she touches
Jesus corner of his garment at the edge
of it, and she is healed.
You gotta sit back Sometimes we're so familiar
with a story. We don't think about Imagine
the frame of mine, if I can just
get to him and touch the ta, that'll
do it.
Pushing through the crowd, the massive crowd,
and she does.
And it works.
The discharge of blood that had flowed for
12 year ceased. It didn't slow.
It stopped.
Her despair led her to push through to
Jesus that day and faith and it healed
her.
Think about the competing interests of the moment
and G
his stomach would have been in knots. The
the the crowd
in Jesus and in his way, and he's
got to Jesus,
and he's begged him, and he says that
he's gonna come. And there's a whole crowd
and a distance in streets in between us
and my house and my daughter, it must
have felt
excruciating. You had to be thinking just get
out of my way. Please move. Please move.
Don't you understand? We don't have very much
time.
Please just get out of the way. This
is our only hope. Don't you get it
as they push forward, the slow progress turns
into no progress.
Just go go go.
Why are we stopping? Jesus says who touched
me?
He reached out for me.
Darius must have felt like he was gonna
lose his mind at the moment.
Peter even says something like Jesus, there's a
crazy big crowd. Like, who knows who touched
you.
Nobody tries to fe up.
Peter says everyone's trying to touch you. How
are we gonna know.
Jesus says with someone did touch me and
power is going out for me. I wanna
know who
The woman at some point came trembling before
Jesus fell out at at his feet and
fest up. It was me.
I touched you. I did it.
Keep in mind, she was considered in this
cultures is a really big deal whether you
know much about how their culture deals with
cleanliness. She was considered ceremonial uncle unclear at
the moment that that she pressed into the
crowd. Everyone she touched with ceremonial, leon uncle
clean, And then Jesus who she just grabbed
a ahold of, even by the him of
his garment was made ceremonial uncle unclear. No.
He wasn't made a sinner by this, but
he was ceremonial uncle unclear.
She had no idea of Jesus would cha
eyes her.
Maybe even take away or cure because she
had been
dis
to the
the formal laws of
cleanliness
and yet still,
She had enough faith, chased through fine Jesus
grab a ahold of him and enough faith
that admit to him what she had done.
When Jesus says to her daughter, your faith
has been made well, and go in peace.
Or your faith has made you well.
Think about her faith, though.
Her faith was uninformed
super
awkward pre
imperfect.
Right. You gotta think through this mind. This
isn't like This is gonna be the savior
who's gonna die for my sins and I
have this need. This was... I just gotta
touch him.
Her faith was all of those things, but
it was also real.
And Christ accepted her m formed faith
wholeheartedly.
Let that kinda sit. Her faith
was almost foolish and reckless.
More aligned with superstition in eastern religion and
rubbing AAA
genie in a bottle than actual biblical faith
and yet, Jesus accepted it warm and without
reservation.
Daughter, your faith has made you well.
And this is some of the greatest news
that we can get. We are so caught
up in
in
in procedure.
And this doesn't mean, hey, there's no rules,
but so often we wanna... Well, I wanna
come when I have it figured out when
I know enough when I've got this taken
care of in this take care, we want
to kind of come rightly before Jesus, when
the point is you're broken, you can't.
None of that was necessary for her.
See Jesus is the perfect 1 in the
equation. Our faith doesn't have to be perfect
because he is perfect.
We can have a foggy understanding of our
faith.
And Jesus still accepted.
Again, authentic faith isn't perfect looking faith. It's
faith in the perfect 1, for what you
desperately need and he'll meet you there in
glad.
She had that in spade any healed or
because of it. Again, there can be people
who run too far Nothing matters. It's fine
and we can become. No. No. In your
need though when you come in faith, he'll
accept you. It doesn't mean there's no rules.
Man you don't have to have it be
perfect or have it all figured out for
him to open up his arms and accept
you.
No. While Jesus was still speaking,
before he even turned away from her, the
worst knew just that G could get k?
1 person's healing, and they're blessing and their
joy seemed to come at the cost.
Of what g desperately needed.
He hears it's too late.
Your daughter's dead, leave them alone.
We couldn't get there fast enough if. It's
over.
They're sit in that moment for a moment
and just kinda think about it. The horror
of seeing
1 person get what they want while you
lose everything that you want.
Seeing the sheer joy and
rush over in the peace rush over, she
is
overcome with... Worship glad that he has done,
what couldn't be done and at the same
time, you're crushed, the biggest fear that you
have has been
it it's come true that
that's a heavy thing.
Jesus looks at G, and he doesn't tell
him
or he doesn't test him or let him
keep going or wondering, he immediately says say
I don't fear.
Believe she'll be well. I've got this.
I'm not sure about you, but that moment
would have been hard for me.
G would have been tempted to lash out
and anger. What do you mean? I've got
the She'll will?
Would we have been tempted to lash out
with the woman?
My daughter died because you had to come
in and do this.
Maybe the temptation be... It's it's over jeez
get away from. You can't do what I
need. He failed me. You didn't come through.
You didn't take care of what I needed.
But he didn't.
In the face of what seemed impossible,
he just did what Jesus asked and he
came with him.
They kept believing and walked home.
When they get to the house, Jesus had
Peter James and John come in with them,
into the room with a mother and the
father and the daughter who had just died.
The family stood there and they began to
weep and they began to mourn and they
begin to to grieve, and Jesus said do
not weep for she's not dead.
She's just sleeping.
They literally laughed at him,
knowing that she was actually dead.
Shock. How how could you say that?
But Jesus took the girl by the hand
and said child her eyes and so she
did her spirit instantly returned to her and
she got up.
That's some of the details just get me.
Jesus looks as I, get her some food.
It's been a long day.
Death was cast out as fast as the
demons and the discharge were.
The death had its praise stolen right from
under its nose and could do nothing about
it because King Jesus was there.
Jesus was
1 healing at a time
restoring those who came to him and faith.
But he's also destroying the power of evil
and sin over humanity.
King Jesus was at work and nothing could
stop him.
He took imperfect faith,
and turned it into perfect restoration.
And then again, the story stops
with just Jesus saying, hey, I don't go
tell anybody.
Again, that probably raises more questions Okay?
Why did he tell the pneumonia act to
go tell everyone?
But now he's telling the parents not to
go tell anyone?
Why?
Why did you do that?
Will likely it is
Jesus will heal all who come to him
overcome by their evil in their sin.
There's no person lost in sin and broken
even to the point of the demonic act,
who doesn't come to Jesus in faith of
the problem of their sin and the broken
ness that he will not heal.
The he'll turn away. There's this perpetual promise.
Come to me all who are weak and
heavy laden and, come and find rest for
your soul. Come. I'm the light come to
me over and over and over, Jesus will
heal.
Us from our sin
our spiritual broken ness
and the evil around us, he will give
it to you.
Does that mean? If you're stuck in a
sin pattern and can't get out.
Whether it's hidden well or everyone was, like,
I Seen in Africa couple months.
Or even if Evil and incentives us push
you to the place of broken us like
the,
either way, come to jesus and he can
and we'll set you free. There's freedom,
in the hands of the savior.
Jesus tells the pneumonia act to go tell
everyone, so that they may come and repeat
the same cycle. He's got what you need.
He'll take care of that.
He's faithful and just and kind and does
not give bad gifts to those who come
to him and ask in faith Jesus creamy
from the sin. Okay.
There's caveats on that. You may go, like,
I've tried that and he hasn't.
Sometimes you you come to him for your
sin.
You wonder why he doesn't fix it and
he's asking to put 3 things down. He
no full well. You won't put him down.
He's trying to act. You won't let him.
Again, he's faithful to meet you
when you come to him or the problem
of your sin.
While the raising of the dead is not
Like, that's not a perpetual promise on repeat.
This is a miracle that he performed,
but not something he's gonna do for everyone
in anyone.
I imagine that's why he says,
to the parent I don't go broadcast it.
I want the message of spiritual healing come
to me as your savior. I want that
to be what they hear.
I don't want others to come to me
for that miracle as well, I will gladly
do it.
If we step back and look look look,
Luca showing us Jesus can do anything.
You get that right, The storm,
legion,
12 years of of pain and hem,
even to the point of death,
there's nothing you can't do.
So Luca showing us the power of Jesus,
but even more than that we're getting the
invitation to come to jesus ourselves role what
we need.
This is the thing that our hearts need
to continue to wrestle with. Salvation is coming
to Jesus for your sin and for salvation
and healing.
Jeez Center in need of a savior.
I know I can't fix it. I can't
deal with. I can't remedy it and I
can't clean myself. I can't wash myself.
I I can't. I Come to you. I
put all of my faith in you King
Jesus. I need. Your forgiveness. Put... I believe
in you for the problem of my sin.
You come to him once for that.
But then a part of san justification or
disciples ship or the maturing walk of Christ
is to continue to come to him over
and over and over again.
Again, can we hear that? We we don't
come to Jesus over and over and over
to be saved.
But we do come to him over and
over and over to be
transformed and freed.
Come for your struggles.
Comfort your anger.
Come for your apa, you're ind.
Come for the habit that you can't shake,
and you're starting to not be able to
hide.
Come for the bitterness that's taken root. You
can't get it out.
Come for the heart that feels distant and
weak.
Then and then hear this because sometimes we
hear that and be like, and I don't
got nothing that broken right now. Okay?
Come to the heart that wants to be
deeper in love with him.
Come for the 1 that wants to have
the the the first
feeling of
of the love of faith that you had
to Rec kindle just come.
This is the beauty of Jesus come
and see that he will meet you. Jesus
own where it's come to me.
All,
all who are weary heavy laid. And I'll
give you rest for you your soul. I've
got what you need.
For salvation. Yes, and then freedom beyond them,
come to me.
So what we'll do we'll have some time
and prayer
in the gathering again today, like we've we've
been doing.
And then we'll have some time. This is
a third week where we've been
sending aside time to to lay on hands
for prayer upfront after service.
So just ask you to consider, hey, what
do you need?
What do you need from him? Are you
stuck?
Are you lost? Are you tired? Are you
hurting? Are you confused? Do you just want
more of the father in your life? What
what do you need?
Would you maybe consider that the front time
of prayer? Just some
some prayer to the lord and some so
some kind of contemplation of what you may
need? And then After the service would you
consider coming to be pray for for that?
See he's a fountain of grace for all
who believe He doesn't give salvation and leave
you alone to figure the rest out yourself?
See he's available to come to in faith,
and we'll find when we regularly come to
him for what we need. He'll meet us
with grace.
As we move along in in worship would
you consider coming to him?
Then I was just say for some of
you. I was thinking
for my own heart and for some of
you this morning.
Just this term... There's an ocean of grace
and freedom there for you.
But you have to come ask for it
sometimes.
Don't assume it.
Practice your faith by asking your brothers and
sisters to pray with you. Again,
yeah. This used to be a gym. The
house of lord is called
my my father's house meant to be a
house of prayer. What do we do We
go to him and prayer regularly.
Way we... May we be those who come
to him Again, and again, and again, knowing
that he's able and kind to meet us.
And gonna remind you of and jesus his
own words as well. There's some things. We're
gonna get in some rut, and have some
moments.
We just try and get out and can't.
And the disciples had this happen to him
at 1 point.
And they, hey. Like
why couldn't we fix this?
It gives them the most simple answer. Some
gonna can only be done with my prayer.
And so my hope for us today is
we spent some time asking what we need
from the Lord. And now I I don't
wanna manipulate you or manufacture, but I would
just say in and
hopefully,
in an honest humble heart,
why wouldn't we come more to pray?
He has what you need that we would
become a people that trust him more, ask
for what we need and see him meet
us there.
Man you guys can come back up. Our
hope is that we would see
king Jesus profoundly good.
We'll take comm again
today like we always do. And here's the
the understanding.
He has all we need first he has
what we need for salvation, and then he
has what we need to carry us through
to the end.
But the beauty of the table every time
is remembering, it's his body, in blood. It's
the only reason that we can be saved.
So we take first corinthians 11 says for
I received from the Lord, what I also
delivered to you.
That the lord g's on the night when
he was betrayed, took bread when he given
thinks he broke, and he said this is
my body, which is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me in the
same way. Also, he took the cup after
supper saying this cup is the new covenant
in my blood.
Do this as often as you drink it
and remembrance it's of me for as often
as you eat the bread and drink the
cup, you claim the Lord's death until he
comes.
Will sing and have some moments of pray
and come to the table and remember it's
Christ
alone that brings us salvation.
That my sincere hope for us, whether your
need is big or small,
that several you would come to be prayed
for and realize he has what you need
today as well.
Then maybe that would kind of ignite some
worship in our hearts over the pattern to
continually come and continually see that he is
faithful
and kind a strong king who can do
all things and is eager to meet us
when we come to him in faith.
Would you stand in and pray with me
today?
Father Pray that you help us, would you
straighten out all things today?
But I pray that you straighten out my
words that you would help us see
jesus that you're powerful and good.
There's nothing that you can't do.
There's also nothing out there that can give
us more than you. Let us see that
and believe it.
But fill our hearts with your goodness and
your kindness? Would you meet us draw in?
For the struggling.
Spirit would you draw here and speak?
Would you give freedom to some?
Would you re kendall worship for some?
Would you give hoped, some
let her pray that you would renew and
revive and restore and work where we need
it. God calm john dear us.
When I pray that you help us not
get lost.
The middle of July in the middle of
summer with a million things going on. Maybe
see again.
You have what we need
faithful, kind, good.
Remove our distraction,
re kindle the fire of our salvation lord.
A worship that comes from a grateful heart
and seizing or that it sees that you
are just better. God.
Come and work. We pray that in your
name. Would you be glorified may meet us
at the table and may you meet us
and prayer.
We love you.
Amen.