WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:02.479 And there's a lot of um a lot of Sundays. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:10.160 There's kind of one main thing that we're looking at, and I think that's good because for me at least I can only apply so much at one time. 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:13.119 And it's not that we want to learn, we just we want to apply. 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:14.480 We want to follow Jesus. 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:24.239 We want to um uh walk out in our lives what uh what he teaches us and what he shows us and and what he shares uh with us. 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:27.039 Um this morning's not one of those times. 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:32.399 Um the uh the story we're gonna read comes at us from all directions. 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:41.359 And uh so what I specifically want to pray is just ask that the Holy Spirit would uh would speak to each one of us and show us the one or two things that that he has for us. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:51.039 My uh my guess is maybe a bunch of us already got the main thing he has for us uh that we just experienced in uh in how much um God loves us. 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:52.240 But let's pray. 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:55.920 Um Father, we do ask you uh that to to teach us this morning. 00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:58.799 We thank you for adopting us as your kids, for us being here. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:05.760 Thank you for for all that uh you've given all of us and how you're changing our lives and our hearts and drawing us close to you. 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:07.359 And Holy Spirit, we just praise you. 00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:18.159 Thank you for being our counselor, how we can just relax this morning and and know that that you will show uh show us um what's meant for us to apply in our lives. 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:27.519 And so we praise you, we thank you, Jesus, we thank you for um for saving us, loving us, teaching us, showing us what God our Father is really like. 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:29.040 It's in your name we pray. 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:30.000 Amen. 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:35.519 All right, we're spending a few weeks talking about people that uh Jesus met. 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:46.719 To me, it's just such a powerful image, even that the creator of the universe, he's he's here, he's walking on earth, you know, and and you know, in the flesh, a real person. 00:01:46.879 --> 00:01:53.280 And he's having these interactions with people and uh all kinds of people. 00:01:53.599 --> 00:02:02.400 And uh we're we're looking at at uh four different ones of these uh interactions. 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:05.280 Ben and Amy Sykes sent Susan I an email this week. 00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:06.079 It's a great verse. 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:07.840 It's Hebrews 13, 13. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:13.520 This is what they included in their email that says, so let's go outside where Jesus is, where the action is. 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:18.000 Not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.240 This insider world is not our home. 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:22.479 We have our eyes peeled for the city about to come. 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:33.039 Let's take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals, but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus' name. 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:39.039 Uh a couple weeks ago we read Matthew 9 and verse 12 says, Who needs a doctor, the healthy or the sick? 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:40.560 Go figure out what this scripture means. 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:42.560 I'm after mercy, not religion. 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:47.120 I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders. 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:58.080 And I draw our attention to that because uh a lot of the people Jesus met were outsiders, the non-religious, the unexpected, the the messed up. 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:03.280 Um the guy we're gonna talk about this morning is certainly one of these. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:08.319 Before Jesus meets this guy, he'd already had a uh he'd already had a pretty big day. 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:17.919 He was uh selling him and his disciples, they were selling from Galilee across the sea, middle of the the sea, a huge storm comes up. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.400 It's a pretty famous uh event. 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:30.879 Uh his disciples are all scared, and uh and Jesus says, uh, peace be still, and the whole the whole uh um storm calms. 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:37.120 His followers, you know, we looking at back at Jesus, you know, we're we're looking back at it. 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:40.560 This was happening real time, you know, for these people and for his followers. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:41.919 And they're like, what's going on? 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:47.280 Even even the the wind and the waves obey what he says. 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:55.199 And so right after that event, the the sea calms, they reach their destination. 00:03:55.599 --> 00:04:04.719 Jesus steps off the boat, and the first peer person he meets is a naked guy who's acting crazy. 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:08.000 Luke 8, 26. 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:12.159 They sailed on to the country of the Garrisons, directly opposite Galilee. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:16.319 As he stepped out onto land, a madman from town met him. 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:17.759 He was a victim of demons. 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:21.439 He hadn't worn clothes for a long time, nor lived at home. 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:23.279 He lived in a cemetery. 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:28.639 See, some of us this morning are feeling like our whole world's falling apart. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:33.600 You know, things have gotten so bad there's there's uh no save in us. 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:42.079 You know, as difficult as it may be, we probably don't have as far to go as this man did. 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:44.000 Picked on by demons. 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:46.160 Naked. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:49.199 He's living in a cemetery. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:52.639 He runs out to meet Jesus. 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:58.800 Says, when he saw Jesus, he screamed, fell before him, and bellowed, What business do you have messing with me? 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:02.639 You're Jesus, Son of the High God, but don't give me a hard time. 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:08.000 See, the man said this because Jesus had started to order the unclean spirit out of him. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:12.480 Time after time, the demon threw the man into convulsions. 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:21.040 He'd been placed under constant guard and tied with chains and shackles, but crazed and driven wild by the demon, he would shatter the bonds. 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:24.959 This man's possessed by a demon. 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:26.560 In this case, uh demons. 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.319 See, I bet you didn't know we're gonna talk about demon possession this morning. 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:31.920 Things were going so well. 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:38.240 We're not gonna focus on that. 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:45.839 But you know, our tendency is to skip over stories like this because they're difficult, you know, kind of hard to get our minds uh wrapped around. 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:46.399 C.S. 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:50.399 Lewis said that there are two major mistakes we make in regards to demons. 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:55.759 One is we ignore them completely, two is we pay them too much attention. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:58.319 And I think that's exactly right. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:00.000 And we're not gonna do either with the story. 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:06.560 We're not gonna just skip over it and pretend that this didn't happen, and we're not gonna spend the whole time on it either. 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:13.839 But the the truth is we are living, all of us, we are living in the middle of a spiritual battle. 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:16.399 There's a spiritual battle that's going on. 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:27.199 In Ephesians 6, it says a final word, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power, put on all of God's armor so that you'll be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:39.600 For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:42.160 Then he goes on to talk, tells us what that armor is. 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:49.199 It's truth, it's righteousness, it's the peace that we have in our hearts, knowing that Jesus has saved us. 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:52.000 It's faith, it's God's word, it's prayer. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:56.399 You know, it's it's it's living life, it's being in the battle. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:59.759 There's a spiritual battle that's going on. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:07.279 And I think this battle was especially intense during Jesus' time, when Jesus was physically walking on earth. 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:08.639 It was especially intense. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:17.680 It was kind of ground zero, if you will, for for the big spiritual battle over all of humanity. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:21.839 But it can be pretty intense for us at times, too. 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:30.639 And Jesus wasn't intimidated by demons, he wasn't scared, and we shouldn't be either. 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:32.480 You know, we should be aware. 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:38.160 In general, as Christians, we don't worry about demon possession. 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:45.040 We worry about, we don't worry, we're aware of attacks and oppression. 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:53.199 1 John 4 says that the spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:56.959 And so we're aware of attacks. 00:07:57.120 --> 00:07:59.360 We can become the target of an attack. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:07.600 And we can feel a spiritual attack in a lot of ways: unusual fear, unusual discouragement. 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:13.839 Sometimes our health is under attack, although every health problem is not a spiritual attack. 00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:17.120 Our minds and our thoughts can come under attack. 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:19.519 Um you experienced this? 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:27.040 You know how how there's something unusual, how how you'll be walking along and you'll have a thought, and you're like, where did that come from? 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:28.879 And that's not like me. 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:30.480 I don't usually think that way. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:33.840 I mean, what's that all about? 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:36.639 And it's nothing to be frightened of. 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:40.159 It's just we need to make sure when that happens that we've got our armor on. 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:40.879 You know? 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:44.960 It's a reminder that we're in a spiritual battle. 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:46.879 We need to have our armor on. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:52.080 We want to be aware, not just obsessed. 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:53.120 Remember to pray. 00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:54.080 Remember God's word. 00:08:54.320 --> 00:09:00.159 Remember that we're saved and we can have peace in that. 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:11.679 Now the truth is that most of my problems don't come from spiritual attack. 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:15.440 I can cause enough trouble for myself on my own, you know? 00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:24.960 It's my own thoughts, it's my own decisions, it's my own words, you know, or just maybe problems in general. 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:27.600 We live in a spa in a fallen world. 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:34.080 And a spiritual battle is just one element of many things that go on in our lives. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:44.399 So when Jesus was confronted with a spiritual battle, he wasn't scared, he wasn't intimidated. 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:47.600 He was actually just pretty matter of a fact. 00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:58.720 Um, his brother James said in James 4 and verse 7, so humble yourselves before God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:00.799 And so that's what we want to be. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:01.919 We want to be aware. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:03.679 We want to resist. 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:07.759 We want to make sure that we have our armor on. 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:17.519 All right, so back to the naked guy that Jesus is talking to. 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:20.879 Jesus asked him, What is your name? 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:21.759 Mob. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:23.279 My name is Mob. 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:25.679 Some translations say legion. 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:26.639 It means the same thing. 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:29.039 He said, Because many demons afflicted him. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:34.000 And they begged Jesus desperately not to order them to the bottomless pit. 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:42.720 Okay, so this poor man is so oppressed, so overcome by demons that he can't even speak for himself, that the demons are speaking through him. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:44.080 They plead with Jesus. 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:49.120 They plead with Jesus that he would not order them to hell. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:54.000 It's pretty intense, don't you think? 00:10:55.200 --> 00:11:00.720 You know, religion can be all sanitized, everything fits into this neat little box and formulas and all that stuff. 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:05.440 Jesus is pretty intense. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:10.879 Now, the next part of the story is the part that I always remembered. 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:15.039 A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:18.639 The demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs. 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:20.480 He gave the order. 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:22.960 It was even worse for the pigs than for the man. 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:28.799 Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff, into the lake, and drowned. 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:32.080 Yeah, that's a part of the story I remember. 00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:36.639 Jesus orders these demons into the pigs, they stampede off the cliff. 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:42.960 There's a lot of speculation about why pigs, you know, they're they were unclean animals, they were still under the Jewish law. 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:43.840 There's questions. 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:45.360 I mean, what about the pig herders? 00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:49.519 How do people, you know, uh react to all that? 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:56.799 But there's a different part of this interaction that we don't have to speculate about that I find weirdly encouraging. 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:06.720 And that is that Jesus had compassion for the evil spirits and granted them their request. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:11.759 You know, they knew he could have ordered them to hell. 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:16.000 They begged him to order them into the pigs. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:18.399 That's wild, isn't it? 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:30.000 And the weirdly encouraging part to me is that I know Jesus will answer my requests. 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:32.480 I know he will. 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:35.440 I know he will answer your requests. 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:40.960 And I've been, I've had times where I've thought there is no way Jesus is answering my prayers. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:42.720 There's no way God's going to hear my prayers. 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:44.639 He's tired of me lying to him too many times. 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:49.519 You know, that that, you know, just get me out of this jam and I'll never do it again, or I'll always do this. 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:52.639 You know, he's probably disappointed in me. 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:57.360 Um, you know, I've ignored him enough times, that type of stuff. 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:59.679 I mean, why would he answer my prayers? 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:01.200 Here's the truth. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:02.159 He will. 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:03.840 He does. 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:05.440 I promise you, he does. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:08.480 He will answer your request. 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:18.240 I mean, Jesus, you know, when you think of Jesus, you know, you think of love, in another word, compassion. 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:24.799 I mean, it's his very nature, his very, his very essence. 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:31.279 The Bible says that Jesus is the exact representation of God the Father. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:40.480 And in this instance, he even has compassion on these evil spirits and grants them their request. 00:13:42.399 --> 00:13:45.360 You think he might have even more compassion for you? 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:47.759 He does. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:48.639 He loves you. 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:51.840 He cares a lot more about you. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:55.120 He cares about your situation, he cares about your life. 00:13:55.440 --> 00:13:57.360 He's not angry at you. 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:00.480 He is fighting for you. 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:03.440 And he's going to grant your request. 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:08.240 Matthew 7 says, You parents, if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:10.399 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:11.360 Of course not. 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:18.879 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give good gifts to those who ask him? 00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:21.360 If you need something from God, ask him. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:24.080 Ask with confidence. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:27.200 He will grant your request. 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:30.960 Jesus grants this request. 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:34.559 It's too much for the pigs. 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:38.320 And they go charging off this cliff. 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:46.799 Says that those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. 00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:52.000 Alright, well, that's the part of the story that always had the big impact on me. 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:53.759 You know, they're so sensational. 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:55.679 What an exciting thing. 00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:12.879 You know, confronted with demons, naked guy, living in the cemetery, running out to meet Jesus, talking with these spirits, grants a request, they go in the pigs, they go running off a cliff and drown. 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:18.720 See, I'd miss the whole part of the story. 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:22.240 Stopping there, I'd miss the whole part of the story. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:28.799 Because this story, this interaction Jesus had is not about demons. 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:34.399 It's not about pigs running off of a cliff. 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:39.200 The story is about a person. 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:42.080 A person just like us. 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:50.240 A man so victimized, so beaten down that he is naked, living out of control, living in a cemetery, the low of lows. 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:51.120 Can you imagine? 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:52.799 The low of lows. 00:15:54.799 --> 00:16:02.080 And the creator of the universe, God in the flesh, spending his afternoon with him. 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:06.240 His afternoon for him. 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:23.840 See, Jesus didn't see a sideshow, a madman, Jesus saw a person, a person that he loved, a person he could help, a person who needed redeemed and restored. 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:28.879 This whole story is about Jesus meeting a person. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:34.480 It goes on. 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:36.320 People went out to see what had happened. 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:49.840 They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had been sent sitting there at Jesus' feet, wearing decent clothes and making sense. 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:52.080 It was a holy moment. 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:56.799 And for a short time they were more reverent than curious. 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:06.720 What a difference. 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:08.079 What a difference. 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:10.160 What a complete transformation. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:12.319 From the inside out. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:18.799 This man now sitting there calm, peaceful, dressed at the feet of Jesus. 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:21.359 Another captive freed. 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:26.400 That's what this story is about, is a man whose life was a living hell. 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:29.039 And then he met Jesus. 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:35.440 A living hell. 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:38.559 And then we met Jesus. 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:43.039 You would imagine that the people were pretty excited about this. 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:47.920 This turn of events, this man completely restored, redeemed. 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:58.559 Verse 37, it says, later, a great many people from the garrison countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave. 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:03.839 Too much change, too fast, and they were scared. 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:10.400 See, sometimes religion's a little easier to handle than the real thing. 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:12.559 And it's wild on the outside. 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:14.319 It's wild with Jesus. 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:15.759 It's an adventure. 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:17.039 It's real life. 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:23.119 It's transformation, restoration, change. 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:27.119 So Jesus got back in the boat and set off. 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:31.359 The man whom he had delivered from the demons asked to go with him. 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:36.000 But he sent him back saying, Go home and tell everything God did in you. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:41.200 So he went back and preached all over town everything Jesus had done in him. 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:51.119 Jesus sends this man, now peaceful, now dressed, now making sense, home to explain the change. 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:53.519 What a difference. 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:55.359 Jesus had done something in him. 00:18:56.079 --> 00:19:03.839 One of the most impactful things that most of us can ever do is explain the change. 00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:08.400 Why the change? 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:11.920 When we get connected with Jesus, our life changes. 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:12.640 We change. 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:16.480 We change from the inside, eventually it's evident on the outside. 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:24.960 Sometimes we think as Christians that the ultimate thing that we could ever do is to go to a different country. 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:27.759 You know, where that's where the action is. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:31.599 And sometimes that's what God would have us to do. 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:34.240 And it's a great it's a it's a great thing to do. 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:40.319 And as Americans, there's so much we can do to help people in other parts of the world. 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:45.119 Spreading the good news of Jesus to other parts of the world. 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:51.039 But for most of us, the action is here. 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:54.799 Explaining the change. 00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:01.039 See, God sent this guy on a mission trip. 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:05.599 It's just that his mission was home. 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:07.119 Was home. 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:21.599 And I think sometimes we can um, I'm not sure I'm gonna say this the right way, but uh one of the things that's been really impactful in my life has been is been to go into other places in the world. 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:30.400 And I've I've gotten to spend a lot of time specifically in Uganda, is uh and and working with with uh with people there. 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:57.440 Um it was a lot easier for me to go to Uganda and tell somebody I would never see again about Jesus than it was for me to talk to my coworker, talk to my family, talk to the neighbor, classmate, explain the change. 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:04.720 And we get it, the um, okay, I haven't thought this through, and so I hope this doesn't come across the same way. 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:06.960 But we I mean the same way, the the wrong way. 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:17.839 The um but we sometimes we get in our in our heads that the action somewhere else, that God is doing great things, you know, in different parts of the world. 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:20.720 I'm telling you, God is doing great things here. 00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:22.319 It is no different. 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:23.200 It is no different. 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:28.960 Well, I went to Uganda six years ago with uh with a group and we we started a church. 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:33.599 And um in that church today, it's doing it's doing great. 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:37.680 There's 200 people meeting there every week. 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:42.640 You know, we started this church four and a half years ago. 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:47.039 There's 1,200 people meeting here every week. 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:51.119 There's a church in Kampala that that I've been at a lot. 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:53.759 Um they've been there for maybe 20 years. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:59.599 It's a great church in a very populated part of the city in in Africa where God is moving greatly. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:03.440 And on Sunday morning, they've got about the same people as we have here. 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:06.240 See, God is doing great things here. 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:07.680 He is changing lives here. 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:08.319 He's healing people. 00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:09.359 I was talking about this last night. 00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:15.839 Off the top of my head, I was thinking, man, I can think of young people and older people that have been healed of cancer. 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:25.839 I can think of marriages that have been restored, relationships restored, people off of drugs and all kinds of addictions. 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:33.119 Think of a couple who were told their baby didn't have a heartbeat and they're about to give birth. 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:39.599 I mean, what is God doing in other parts of the world that he's not doing here? 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:42.160 I mean, it's the same God. 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:47.599 And we need Jesus just as much here. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:52.079 So I used to think we're living in the middle of the buckle on the Bible belt. 00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:55.039 And everybody's had a chance to hear about Jesus. 00:22:55.200 --> 00:22:58.000 I went to church for 32 years, three times a week. 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:01.680 And I didn't know Jesus. 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:07.680 And I thought he was some Republican that hated beer and teletuppies. 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:19.519 I didn't know that he was real, that he was the living God, that he would change my life from the inside out. 00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:24.240 And people around us don't know that that either. 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:28.799 And so it's not that we can't do do great things in different parts of the world. 00:23:28.880 --> 00:23:34.400 And there's some people even here that that's going to be our life work that God's going to call us to. 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:42.079 And there's times like when we go in someplace to another country on a would call it a mission trip, that's an impactful time. 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:51.279 I think it's because we're we're usually when I've done that, it's I'm spending this period of time doing the two most important things. 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:55.359 I'm focused on God and I'm focusing on people at the same time. 00:23:55.440 --> 00:23:57.119 And I've forgotten all the cares of the world. 00:23:57.279 --> 00:24:00.319 I'm over there, no distractions, focus on God, focus on people. 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:05.039 And it's super impactful personally, and it's impactful in whatever we're doing. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:11.039 And I just want to say that that this is a mission trip. 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:13.119 We are a mission trip. 00:24:13.359 --> 00:24:18.880 And our mission is the same as this man that Jesus saved, that Jesus healed, that Jesus restored. 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:24.640 It's we can go to those around us and explain the change. 00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:25.839 Explain the change. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:27.200 You don't think they're noticing? 00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:33.119 They see that we're changing from the inside out, that there's something different about us. 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:38.160 Well, if we tell them about it, they're going to want it too. 00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:40.240 Explain them the change. 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:43.519 Good news is we don't have to go knock on somebody's door. 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:47.440 You don't have to go hand out tracks in a parking lot unless God tells you to. 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:54.000 You know, we just need to be ourselves, be real, be open, be transparent with those around us. 00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:55.279 Explain the change. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:56.480 Okay, we're going to stop there. 00:24:56.559 --> 00:24:58.160 I know that's a lot and a lot of different things. 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:04.960 If the worship team wants to come up, we're going to finish here in a minute. 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:11.920 You know, connecting with Jesus is really simple. 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:15.440 You know, for the first time, it it's pretty simple. 00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:29.519 If this man in the cemetery had thought he needed to get cleaned up, dressed up before he could meet Jesus, they would have never met. 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:36.240 This man cannot even speak for himself. 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:47.200 But somehow he had the strength to run from the death of the cemetery to the life of Jesus. 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:53.119 And he met Jesus. 00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:55.359 Jesus fought for him. 00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:57.359 Jesus saved him. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:25:59.680 Jesus restored him. 00:26:01.680 --> 00:26:02.880 He'd never be the same. 00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:04.400 Same for us. 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:07.440 We just turn to Jesus right where we're at. 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:10.319 Right where we're at. 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:12.240 Say, Jesus, I need you. 00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:13.680 I want to follow you. 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:16.160 Something we can do this morning. 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:17.839 And then He fills us. 00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:19.200 He fights for us. 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:20.559 He strengthens us. 00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:24.240 And before long, we'll be just like this guy. 00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:28.160 Going around home, explaining the change. 00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:29.839 Isn't that a great story? 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:31.200 I love this story. 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:33.039 All right, let's pray. 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:37.279 Father, thanks for being such a great God. 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:39.920 Thank you for loving us, adopting us as your children. 00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:47.519 Jesus, thank you so much for just showing us what our Father is like, showing us how to follow you, showing us how much you love people. 00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:50.400 How there's no one too low for you. 00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:51.920 There's no one too outside for you. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:53.680 There's no one too troubled for you. 00:26:55.359 --> 00:26:59.920 That you fight for us, you change us, you help us, you heal us. 00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:09.599 And before long, we're calm and peaceful, restored, full of your life and full of your love. 00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:10.720 So we praise you. 00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:12.559 We thank you for that. 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:14.799 We trust you for that. 00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:15.839 In Jesus' name. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:16.400 Amen.