Holy Trinity Sunday - Pastor Rolf Svanoe

June 10 Sermon - Pastor Paul Stjernholm

June 24 Sermon - Brian Bernhard

THE MAN WITH THE DEMONS

Luke 8: 26-39

(Also Mark 5: 1-20)

Good Morning (Evening)!  It’s good to be here!  In fact, it’s just good to be.  And it’s good to belong to Jesus.  Truly, I appreciate the privilege of worshiping with you today and hope that we are all blessed thorough our coming together in praise of our God, our risen Savior, our Guide, Comforter, Councilor, our Advocate.

Today’s Gospel really gets me thinking.  I believe it holds three profound lessons for us.  [SLIDE 1]  First, God comes down to us.  He seeks us out- even in our most powerless, helpless state.  Second, God desires and patiently waits for a response from us.  And third, God blesses us in order to send us out to further His Divine Purpose.

 Before I begin, however, I’d like to point out that this Gospel reading is NOT a parable.  This reading is a recording of a specific event in the life of Christ.  One that was most likely witnessed by his disciples as well as the swine herders in Gerasene.  You see, just before the events in today’s Gospel, both Luke and Mark record the trip to get there—across the Sea of Galilee. [SLIDE 2]  The time that Jesus fell asleep in the boat, woke to a raging storm and terrified disciples, then calmed the wind and the sea, and, hence, astounded the disciples with His POWER.  His power even over forces of nature.  On the trip, I suspect he was preparing his disciples for the events in today’s Gospel.  Jesus, you see, wasn’t “just out for a sail”.  He was on a Mission.  He knew there was this fellow, this foreigner, this powerless, possessed Gentile that needed him, that would know Him, would have faith in Him, and would respond positively to him.  Yes, this crazed foreigner was chosen to ultimately help Jesus introduce His Kingdom to the Gentiles.

So, our lesson begins!  Christ’s entourage arrives on the shore of this foreign land.  Immediately, a crazed man confronts Jesus specifically -- as though something in him recognizes Jesus as the “Son of the Most High God”.  Remember, this fellow wasn’t Jewish.  He had no background in the Scriptures.  He had no expectation of or hope for a Messiah or Deliverer.  In fact he was so crazed that he was totally POWERLESS to do anything about his own condition.  He even mutilated himself with stones, wailing far into the night. 

Now I suspect that if we tried to imagine the appearance of this poor fellow today, an image like the Incredible Hulk or like a mean looking, skin colored Shrek might come to mind. [SLIDE 3] To this image we might add our modern version of what these “demons” were.  Today, we might describe him as having: 1) Severe personality changes, 2) Anti-social behavior, 3) Super-human strength, 4) Torment, 5) Tendencies toward self-destruction.  His demons controlled him TOTALLY, yet he also had spiritual insight- he recognized Jesus- or at least his demons did.  They called out to Christ, “Pleasssse don’t send us back into the abyss -- the abyss being hell.  Think of it!  These demons, as powerful as they were, knew the horrors of hell from whence they came.  They also knew the POWER of Jesus, and they begged Him not to send them back to hell.  Next, consider Christ’s action—HE HAD COMPASSION- FOR THE MAN AND ALSO FOR THE DEMONS.  He sent them instead into a herd of pigs.

So we see that Jesus sought this man out- a Gentile, in a non-educated, tormented, mentally deranged state - to compassionately minister to him. [SLIDE 4] Today, He still seeks out the children that the Father has created.  He seeks out you and me- even in our powerless, hopeless state of “Tendencies toward self destruction”.  THE GOOD NEWS IS -- FEAR NOT!  In whatever circumstances we may find ourselves, we have THE great assurance.  Jesus comes to us.  And he is powerfully compassionate.  There is not a circumstance that we may experience that cannot be trusted to Him.

Secondly, this crazed man, now made whole, responded. The Gospel says, “He sat at the feet of Jesus”.  [SLIDE 5] This is a term that can be taken to mean he responded in gratitude, in acceptance of a great gift.  He was eager to learn.  He yielded to the Master.

Watchman Nee, a terrific Chinese Christian leader and writer, tells us in his book Sit, Walk, Stand, a study of Ephesians, that [SLIDE 6] “Sitting” is the first step we MUST take when responding to our Lord.  Of course we Americans have the tendency to believe that “To respond means that we better DO something”.  Nee says, “No--- the first step is to quiet ourselves and sit.  Sit with Jesus in gratitude and homage.  Asking Him for guidance, for His advice.  Listening for his direction, which will always be supplied.  Only then can we Walk.  Walk, uprightly, among our fellow man.  Only after sitting, then commencing our walk, can we Stand against the powerful, evil, spiritual forces opposed to God’s Divine Plan. And we all know that those evil forces bombard us from without and from within. Don’t they?

So the foreigner, the demon possessed man responds positively.  He sits in gratitude with a yielding spirit.  What a lesson for us, as God seeks us out, ministers to us and provides for us, daily.  Are you willing to confront the challenges facing you in your life, simply by sitting?  Sitting at the feet of Jesus FIRST before you DO anything else?

Finally we note that Jesus sent the man. [SLIDE 7] He sent him on a Mission. The first thing the grateful man wanted to do was stay with Jesus- to go where He went, to be with Him. Understandable! – just healed and now comfortable---sitting there, just taking it all in.  But that’s not the purpose Christ had for him.  That’s not why Jesus came across the Sea of Galilee in a storm.  Jesus came to seek out the man, to make the man whole, and to use the man in the building of His Kingdom.  So Jesus refused the man’s request and sent the man away.  But NOT just away.   He sent the man away to where Jesus knew the man would be most effective---to those who knew his previous condition.  That’s where this man was to have the greatest impact for ushering in The Kingdom of God.  And Mark tells us the man was very effective in his telling of what Jesus did for him.  Now, you must admit it was quite a plan Jesus had for this outcast.

We too, as God comes to us DAILY and we positively respond to Him DAILY will be sent  DAILY.  And we will be sent where He knows we will be most effective, (even though sometimes we won’t agree).  DAILY Christ sends us!  Perhaps to care for our family, to help a neighbor, or to a stranger at the Banquet or in prison.  Even, perhaps to the ends of the earth.

Logically, then, one might ask, “How do I know when, or how, or to whom, I am being sent?” Try starting by sitting.  Sitting at the feet of Jesus.  Meeting God in the only place that you can---in the Moment.  Develop a heart of gratitude for all the “Doing” that God has already done FOR YOU.  Don’t worry about all the details or about what you don’t seem to have. God promises to provide.  Then, WALK—act in responsive, obedient, trust - DAILY.

[SLIDE 8]  I’ve had the privilege of flying airplanes for nearly 25 years and I’d like to share a sign I once saw in a cockpit.  The sign said, “If Jesus is your co-pilot---- Change seats!!”  Too often we see Christ as OUR Co-pilot--- there to assist us fly OUR airplane of life in the direction WE want to go, or to assist US with navigation through the storm WE are presently in.  But NO”!!!  Properly, Christ is the pilot, He has the initiative.  This life of ours is His airplane.  Why not change seats and let Him fly it?   Remember, like the co-pilot, OUR job is to RESPOND to the Pilot’s requests, only to respond—to whatever circumstances God brings our way. 

So I encourage you, “When God comes to you in your powerlessness and restores you through His power  [SLIDE 9] -- respond positively to His invitation, yield to Him, accept the grace He offers.  START by “sitting at Jesus’ feet” to listen and learn from Him.  And, be open to His DAILY sending.  Willing to Walk with Him among your kindred and to Stand with Him against the forces of darkness and evil – even against the demons of hell itself.   Rest assured, God comes to you DAILY.  And if God sends you To something, He’ll see you Through it!J

AMEN