July 23rd, 2006

Passing on a legacy, Joshua 1:1-9

I stand before you today as a minority. Not because I don’t drink coffee or don’t really like Catsup...it’s because my parents are still married, my siblings are still married….
How many of you come from this type of family...no divorce?

Then along came those wacky rebellious years in my life... finally connecting with my dad over the slide sorter. I had key people that mentored me at critical stages.

Andy McQuitty...Jake Simpson...Sam Williams...

Recent dedication of Micah Truman with Albert Truman there.
All of us will have a chance in our lifetime to mentor someone and leave a legacy. Take a moment to think of someone in your life.

Text: Joshua 1:1-9

Recognize the time to give away all our best stuff.
(Michael Jordan) He should’ve quite in his prime...we see this with athletes all the time...others?
In our text today, we review a critical time in the history of the nation of Israel where leadership of the nation is passed from Moses to Joshua.
Moses and Joshua had built a relationship over the years. Joshua went part way up Mt. Sinai with Moses, he guarded his tent and position, he was sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan and insisted they could take it (with God’s help).
God designated Joshua as Moses successor, Moses commissioned him, counseled him on procedures, encouraged him as a new leader.
For 40 years of desert wondering, Moses had been a strong leader to Israel in religious, domestic, judicial, military, and civic concerns, but now it was time to pass on his leadership.
V. 4 Now God is going to take the Israelites into new territory, new lands, new adventures.
The literal and complete fulfillment of this promise was not experienced by Israel until the reigns of David and Solomon.
As you pass on godly characteristics to others, you may not see the full fruit of that until heaven! It’s still worth it though. That’s called “investing in eternal things”.
Joshua was almost 90 when he became Israel’s new leader. Most of us won’t make it to 90...and let’s not wait that long to pour ourselves into someone else, to pass the baton.

As we pour our lives into the next generation, it would be foolish to think we could warn them about everything headed their way.
One thing we can reassure them about though, is that God will be with them no matter what happens. V. 5
We have got to hold on to this belief. Sometimes it’s all we’ve got!
Look what happened to Moses and why he did not enter the promised land, v. 1-2.
God forbid Moses from entering the promised land because of his unbelief. Numbers 20:1-12 v. 2, 7-8, 11-12
Are you kidding me? Is following God’s commands in detail so critical? You bet!
When we do that, God assures us he’ll guide along. V. 5
Picture of parents, uncles, aunts, teachers, coaches, mentors, etc. We can say these words, yet in reality, only God can keep that promise.

The success of Joshua’s mission would lie in his personal obedience to the Law of God. The success of (your name here) mission will lie in your personal obedience to the Law of God.
Just as God had promised this land to Abraham and now Joshua would be able to lead the Israelites into it, so God’s promise is to us today. He will never leave us.

When you are involved in a healthy mentoring relationship, you should naturally develop a love for that person.
What’s the best advise we can give a person we are mentoring? The very words of God! V. 6-8. (I always say that at Weddings, “Now, if you hear anything from me today..)
“Be careful to obey the law...do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”
“Strong and courageous” repeated 3 X’s! Can’t miss this point! How are we able to do this? By taking comfort in God’s leading, not our own.
Yes, there is a condition to God’s promise, and here it is...
The Fathers Day card I received...the crown, how we sit at the dinner table. Dinner time is such a great time to pass on wisdom and advice…

Don’t forget the soft side to your leadership/mentoring also.
With my four boys...they see me do all the stupid stuff at home that no one at my church sees. There is times I have to ask them for forgiveness, “hold them after I scold them”.
V. 7b, “to the right or to the left” Hold the balance. Don’t be too extreme one way or another...
I love being a pastor, but the greatest legacy I leave with be with my boys…
Pastor or not, parent or not, the greatest legacy we can leave is those we mentor.

Mentoring someone may be for a brief period of time, but can still have a huge impact on their life.
Examples of people in our lives who influence us for a short period of time?
Examples of people in our lives who influence us for a longer period of time?
Both of these examples can be critical. Andy/Jake/Sam were a part of my life briefly... My dad has always been there…
Key verse/thought/theme for today, v. 8. (If you hear anything today…) “God blesses his people when they obey him”.
Hebrew word translated "meditate" literally means "mutter." Repeating God’s promises over and over to yourself, eventually you’ll believe it! Then you can let God’s laws control your thoughts and actions.

The death of Moses was the occasion for God to renew his command for Israel to enter the land. Think about what God can accomplish once you are out of his way!
Numbers 27:18-21
As the next leader Joshua becomes part of God’s grand plan. We too, pass on the legacy when we invest in others.

Conclusion:
Ethan Fihn’s funeral on Friday...

July 16th, 2006

“Watch the attitude”
Mark 7:1-9, 14-23 and Luke 18:9-14

Intro... Buying a used car...the risks involved. You never know what you’re getting. It may look good on the outside…I bet we’ve all got stories
My Blue ‘78 Bus, the Jetta that didn’t have air conditioning…
In our “religious life” sometimes it’s tempting to “play religious” and look good on the outside.
That’s what we find in today’s story, Pharisees seeming to be very religious.

Text: Mark 7:1-9
What comes to mind when you hear the word “Pharisee?”
Pharisees did all kinds of “religious” things to make themselves appear (at least on the surface) as being very religious.

What are these things called? Phylactery’s. Small leather pouches that contained the following scriptures: Ex. 13:1-10, 11-16, Deut. 6:4-9, 11:13-21. They wanted everyone to see how observant they were with God’s laws.
The first of a “check me out” attitude. That’s pretty much never an ok attitude.
If a Pharisee gave money to the poor, he made sure everyone saw it.
Prayed in public so all could see. Lax morality, self-righteousness and pride, frequently rebuked by our Lord.
ThingS like observing God’s laws, giving and praying are obviously not wrong, it was the attitude of their heart that was wrong.
In actuality they added 100’s of extra laws to God’s original laws. No one could keep all these laws.
The Pharisees condemned others who broke the laws, even thought they couldn’t keep all the laws themselves.
They taught that a person must follow these rules in order to be accepted by God.
They had no compassion on sinners, they loaded on the guilt. They were hypocrites.
Why were the Pharisees (and us today) tempted to have this attitude with the laws of God?

As Christians today, why do we sometimes fall into the trap of “check me out”!
(Hey, at least I don’t do _________. Or I make sure I always do __________).

The Pharisees sound bad, huh? They were!
Jesus recognized their hypocritical behavior and sets out to correct them. Mark 7:6-8. (Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13)
(Just like the Pharisees) God will not accept our worship if we don’t mean it with our hearts.

How can we make sure our hearts are right/ready for worship?
Even in the Christian church we end up preaching about rules that would seem to be so-o important. Usually because it seems like this list of stuff is such a good thing to do!
Others? Live a good life, a member at your church, baptized, provide for your family, pay your taxes, treat your neighbors fair etc. We could make a long list..

Next thing Jesus attacks is the food there are eating (or not eating), which leads into a look at things we all do. (IOW, no one is exempt today…) Mark 7:14-19
What food (or drink) would fall into this category? (Or food/drinks we like to put in this category?)
In reality, what we eat or don’t eat has nothing to do with our heart. 7:20-23
Take a close look at v. 21, we’re all busted!

He went on: "It's what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness— all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution."

What is external cannot defile a person.
What really makes a person unclean comes from within, out of the heart and the will--what one thinks, says, desires, and does--these only can make a person unclean.

Today’s story concludes with a great contrast/compare parable from Jesus.
Jesus always does a great job of really making us think through this issues for ourselves.
Luke 18:9-14 (Read along with me in your own Bibles or just listen as I read it to you from The Message)
Luke 18:9-14
He told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people:

"Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this:
'Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.'

"Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, (beat his breast) not daring to look up, said, 'God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.' "

Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

One man represent pride, self will, a “check me out attitude”. Look what I can do for God, “Hey everybody, look at me over here.” He trusted in his own goodness and the things he did.

One man represents such an important part of our Christian life. Humility, confession, repentance. (That’s why we have the silent time each week.)

Which man/person/list is more popular today? Certainly the “self-made man” proud of his accomplishments.
If we want to “go home justified before God” we need to have an attitude of repentance, gratefulness, and humility.
The song we sang last Sunday…”Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy”
When we read this story, unfortunately, too often we are the proud Pharisee.
We need to remember Isaiah 64:6

The repentant man saw himself as God saw him. He didn’t try to hide his sinfulness from God. (Now there’s a good reason to come to church and take communion. However, don’t wait till Sunday or every 3 weeks for communion.)

1 John 1:9 Who can quote it?“For if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

The repentant man agreed with God about his own sinfulness. He knew that if God had not sent a Savior (Jesus) then he’d be on his way to Hell! What?? GOSPEL…
Jesus is asking us to choose the unpopular path. A life of humility and repentance.
Do you want to be the most liked, popular and public person with your proud Christian accomplishments? Or do you want to be known as a “sinner saved by God’s grace?”

Conclusion:
“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” by Andrew McQuitty
Being of Irish extraction (and fond of recommending to my friends Thomas Cahill’s profoundly true book, How the Irish Saved Civilization), I often receive Irish jokes from said friends, inexplicably of a somewhat derogatory nature. Here’s one that came recently that seems to pose a moral dilemma for a dear Irish Catholic sister:
“Sitting by the window of her convent, Sister Barbara opened a letter from home one evening. Inside the letter was a $100 bill her parents had sent. Sister Barbara smiled at the gesture. As she read the letter by the window, she noticed a shabbily dressed stranger leaning against the lamp post below. Quickly, she wrote, "Don't despair. Sister Barbara," on a piece of paper, wrapped the $100 bill in it, got the man's attention and tossed it out the window to him. The stranger picked it up, and with a puzzled expression and a tip of his hat, went off down the street. The next day, Sister Barbara was told that a man was at her door, insisting on seeing her. She went down, and found the stranger waiting. Without a word, he handed her a huge wad of $100 bills. "What's this?" she asked. "That's the $8,000 you have coming Sister," he replied. "Don't Despair paid 80-to-1."
Some would say that sister Barbara has unwittingly committed a venal sin by winning at the ponies and needs to proceed straight to confession after returning the money. Why? Because Sister Barbara is a Christian, and everybody knows good Christians don’t gamble. Or if they do, they surely aren’t allowed to win. Really? How does everyone know that? Well, because everybody just does. There are certain activities that Christians don’t do, not because God condemns them, but because culture and tradition do. “I don’t drink, smoke, and chew. . . or go with girls who do.” Fine. But has God truly forbidden you to do so (assuming you like girlfriends who spit in a cup) ? It may not be wise or smart or attractive or prudent to do such things, but is the decision not to do these things really a measure of spiritual maturity?

Here’s my beef. I hate it that we’ve allowed Christianity to be defined by superficial things we don’t do instead of by profound, important, and God-ordained things we’re supposed to do. Jesus actually had some choice words for Pharisees who so warp the essence of true spirituality:

Matt 23:23"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment--the absolute basics!-you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. . . 25"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. 26Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.

Those guys were meticulous on the superficial stuff, but bailed on what really mattered. Why? Because it was easier for them to keep books on tithes than it was to show compassion. It’s easier for us, too. It’s easier to swear off a Cuban stogie than it is to treat someone fairly when it costs us something. It’s easier not to put a quarter in a slot machine than to be committed heart and soul to the cause of Jesus Christ. So what happens? We subtly tend to define Christianity by silly stuff we don’t do, because that’s easier than bellying up to the challenge of doing what God really wants—to love Him with our heart, souls, minds, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves! How weird is it that the perverted values of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day keep cropping up in modern Christianity? In some church circles, you can be a self-righteous, arrogant, gossipy, back-stabbing jerk and qualify for service on the church board, but the minute you drink a cold beer with pizza you’re persona non grata. What’s up with that? Does not doing stuff really equate to God-honoring spirituality? If so, then a corpse wins the morality contest hands down because it never does anything!

How many folks who truly would love to know Jesus are turned off by dour legalists who forbid what God has never forbidden and thereby sully the true nature of our faith? How many spiritual seekers never get past the teetotalistic (made up word!) severity of modern day Pharisees who present Christianity as a religion whose goal is to suck every bit of joy from life through hair-splitting rules? Can you tell? I’m on a crusade against this shallow, panty-waisted, intelligence-insulting brand of Christian legalism. It’s just too tempting to resort to pseudo-spiritual fluff like this than to do the hard work of servanthood. I say we rise up against the Pharisaical spirit and hit a lick for true spirituality. In my mind, our task is two-fold. 1) Get serious about serious stuff. 2) Don’t sweat the small stuff.

More on 1). People who don’t follow Jesus know the real deal when they see it! If Christians live selfless, giving, generous, humble, compassionate, joyful, positive, patient, courageous lives, that’s going to appeal to the soul and conscience of each one who sees them, especially if they’re living this way without the artificial pomposity of arbitrary rules-keeping.

Much more on 2) since this is where I’m going to catch the most flack! Don’t sweat the small stuff. If you’re like me and think it’s fine if, in moderation, we want to enjoy a cold beer with our pizza, or light up a Cuban stogie every so often (if you can score one), or sip a fine pinot noir with our dinners—then do so gratefully, guiltlessly, and joyfully! Please hear me! I’m not advocating social drinking, or cigar-smoking, or wine-sipping, or entertainment-wagering. I own no stock in Cohiba, and I think using the lottery to fund public education is a bad idea and I think it’s dumb to ruin your health with cigarette addiction. But can we just not get our panties in a wad about this stuff? When we do, it only makes people around us think Christians are weird and hope they’re never taken with an irresistible urge to become one! I’d much rather see us as believers speaking truth in love and keeping our hearts pure and becoming selfless servants of God and others, and celebrate at the end of the day with a prayer/praise meeting at church and with a fine Merlot later at my house .

OK. I hear you asking (yelling) some questions. Slow down and let me respond one at a time. Thanks! 1) "What does God think about this?" Well, He’s pretty clear on overindulgence of any kind, whether it’s eating or drinking or anything. For example, the abuse of alcohol is specifically condemned. It is clear, "be not drunk with wine" (Eph 5.18), and that entails moderation and temperance (1 Tim. 3.2).

But assuming there is control and moderation, God delights in His children's enjoyment of fine things. He hates the legalistic spirit that reduces spirituality to forbidding good gifts given by God. That's the essence of Phariseeism which is so insidious not only because it erects arbitrary external standards for righteousness, but because in so doing it distracts from what is truly precious to God's heart. Yes, God hates the abuse of alcohol. But I believe He hates even more the denial of the proper use of alcohol as a false standard of spirituality that results in straining at gnats and swallowing camels (Matt. 23.23-24). Thus, consider 1Tim. 4:1-5:

". . . deceiving spirits . . . whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. . . forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."

I am convinced that one of Satan's most effective strategies is to make Christians look backward, foolish, and joyless in the eyes of unbelieving people by embracing legalistic standards that have nothing to do with true spirituality. God wants us to enjoy life fully, and that includes thankfully enjoying His good gifts in those times when we are privileged to receive them. As the above scripture notes, history is full of false teachers who wrongly condemn as unspiritual the enjoyment of things like a fine chateau briand, a mellow merlot, chocolate mousse, veal piccatta, or an ice-cold beer with fajitas after a hot afternoon on the golf course. I am not one of them, and I think God is happy about that. I know I am.

2) "What does this do for the cause of Christ? . . . particularly since you are God's representative?" This is the inevitable “preacher” question which wrongly assumes that pastors have a greater responsibility to honor God with their lives than other believers. I’ll answer the question, but only after observing that we’re all on the hook together when it comes to walking uprightly!

As God's representative, I am duty bound to represent God accurately. If God is pleased when we properly enjoy His good gifts, then I believe I represent Him well by properly enjoying His good gifts. The question implies that if people knew that I enjoyed a cold beer or a fine glass of wine or a nice stogie on occasion, they would be turned off to the cause of Christ. But I disagree. My responsibility as a pastor is to live authentically and biblically, not artificially or Pharisaically. I have found that doing so, far from putting people off to Jesus, actually frees people around me to focus on issues that really matter to Jesus’ heart. That is precisely what Paul concludes in 1Tim. 4:6:

"If you point these things out to the brothers [that " everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving"], you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed."

3) "What will you tell your children when they are tempted to indulge? Will your actions encourage wrong behavior? Will you be a stumbling block?" Not to be redundant, but it's wrong to abuse alcohol or cigars or fine food or anything else, and that is what I teach my kids. As to being a stumbling block, that occurs through two scenario's: if I abuse these things, or if I encourage someone else to abuse them. Lord willing, I will never do either.

The practical question here, it seems to me, is how best to lead others with respect to potentially dangerous activities. Some believe we best serve our children and our friends by pushing total abstention. Thus, alcohol can be abused, therefore we forbid all use of alcohol. But cars can be driven too fast, causing accidents and even deaths; do we therefore forbid all use of cars? Desserts can be overeaten, causing obesity and heart disease; do we therefore forbid all desserts? Pain killers after surgery can become addictive if overused; do we therefore forbid all painkillers after surgery?

Obviously, the wise goal is not to protect and lead in these issues by teaching denial, but by teaching responsibility. Total denial may seem safer for our kids, but I believe it is potentially destructive in the long run because of the "forbidden fruit" syndrome. Curiosity killed the cat, and it inevitably jumps up at young people at some point in their lives when, having entered adulthood, what has always been condemned and denied to them is suddenly available. Unfortunately, those who have merely been denied and not taught sometimes go off the deep end under those circumstances. It is my fervent hope that my children will not only avoid the "forbidden fruit" syndrome by my open but responsible enjoyment of potentially abused activities, but that they will learn how to live wisely and well as they observe moderation.

By the way, I think Sister Barbara should tithe her winnings gratefully and then take all the sisters to Disneyworld ASAP! Love God. Love people. Love life. Carpe diem.

July 9th, 2006

John 6:1-35, Jesus feeds the 5000

Intro… ”Stranded on a desert island…” What would you need to survive?
It’s easy to recognize our physical needs, but what about our spiritual needs?
Well, listen to this! John 6:32-35 Jesus as the bread of life.
What do we really need in life?

Text: John 6:1-13

This is another one of those “classics” from the Bible.
How many of you have heard this story before? I would hope that you’ve all heard of it. Shows you’ve spent at least some time in the Bible.
Both of the miracles in today’s passage introduce us to a greater need.

In today’s story, Jesus uses the feeding of the 5000 as a great object lesson.
These people want to follow Jesus because they wanted material benefits from him. Specifically V. 14-15.
They wanted to force him to lead a revolt against the Roman government. Jesus refused to become a political revolutionist.
They wanted someone to rule them who would feed them and guarantee their security; they had no comprehension of his spiritual mission or purpose.
“God has not called us to follow Jesus in order to receive earthly benefits or wealth. It’s all about serving others.”
Often people will say something like, “I’ll consider following Jesus as long as he does ________ for me.”
Jesus came to be the Deliverer…plain and simple.

In today’s story, Jesus knew exactly what he was going to do and what kind of a lesson it was going to teach. V. 5-6.
It’s not any different today. God knows exactly what he’s going to do and it’s our job to get in line with that. Only then will we learn those valuable lessons.
Jesus has them all sit down, (crowd control), easier to distribute the food.
Remember, the actual number of those fed, could’ve easily been double……...V. 10 (women and children)

From there, Jesus did more miraculous things to further prove his divinity.
v. 16-21 Sometimes we picture Jesus walking on the water like this:
When is was probably more like this (V. 19) ... I don’t blame them for being afraid...I’m sure they’d never seen anything like this before. (Same with when he calmed the waves…)
The miracle helped them see that Jesus would be with them under all circumstances.
As the multiplication of the loaves and fishes showed his power over matter, so walking on the water revealed his power over the forces of nature.

It was one more step in the education of the disciples' faith.
God wants us to have the same faith today. God can pull off miracles in our lives. They happen all the time. We just need to look around and have eyes to see them.

The crowds are still chasing him (v. 22-25) and he throws out this nug: (v. 26-27).
First Jesus reply’s to their materialistic mindset: v. 26
Like the Samaritan woman at the well, these people could not lift their minds above the physical necessities of life. John 4:13-14
Jesus was not commanding them to stop working for a living, but he was saying that their main quest should not be for food that readily perishes.
Matthew 6:19 Just learned this lesson with two cars...rats in the garage...

They are looking for answers to the big questions, v. 28.
It’s not “build a big church building” or “have the best youth program in town” or “have the best worship band” or “the best show”...
No, it’s a simple answer. V. 29
Instead of “first time obedience” they ask more questions. V. 30…

They still don’t get it. Jesus is trying to teach them very simple lessons.
They just want to see more miracles, wanting to see great things instead of listening to the truth he was giving them.
Why do we do that?

And then Jesus gets to give them what they really need to hear: V. 32-35.
It’s what we all need to hear. Communion intro...GOSPEL, ..invitation..
“Breathe” with Mike on guitar…
Psalm 107:9
Jesus reminds them that the manna (while provided by God) was not the means of sustaining spiritual life. As physical food is necessary for physical life, so spiritual food is necessary for spiritual life.
We know that Jesus is the only permanent satisfaction, however the attainment of this satisfaction hinges on belief. Again, 6:29
Jesus desires that we receive him, not simply for what he might give us, but for what he might be to us.

Conclusion: Keanu Reeves…

July 2, 2006

Mark 5:1-20, Jesus vs. the demons

Intro...Story of the shamans in Guinea-Bissau (a small poor country in Africa).
This is real, this stuff still happens today!
There is a story in the Bible that is similar, Mark 5:1-20.
How many of you have heard this story before?

This is an amazing story.
Jesus had already demonstrated his power over the wind and the waves now he demonstrates his power over the forces of evil.
Both stories go together, both show that Jesus is God.
Jesus had just got done calming the wild waves, rough seas. He crosses the lake, barely having time to rest, steps off the boat and vs. 2.
This wild/demon possessed man walks right up to Jesus. (review v. 3-5)
He had been living in the tombs, cut out of the limestone rock.
It was a natural place for a possessed man to dwell because of the popular belief that tombs were the favorite haunts of demons.
This wretched man had probably been driven from ordinary society into the tombs
v. 6 “Fell on his knees” Shows the power of Jesus, he was God. Where did this man get this knowledge of Jesus? From the demons inside of him.
The demon shows respect because he recognizes that he is confronted with one greatly superior to him.

With my kids, we always end up talking about “scary stuff”.
Del Mar fair, tempted to go on the “haunted house”. G movies at this point.
We remind them that no matter how scary or evil something is, God is stronger and greater. As boys they love to hear that.

Jesus wasn’t intimidated. He wants to know the demons name so he can deal directly with him.
“Legion” The largest unit of the Roman army, 3000-6000 strong. Many demons had possessed this man. v. 9
“He begged Jesus” v. 10.
This demon is keenly aware of who he is dealing with. That’s always the case, even when it may not seem like it.

Did Jesus hate pigs? Why pick on them?
The demons were bent on destroying. Not having been able to destroy the man, they destroyed the pigs. Just imagine 2000 pigs drowning...
They were close and of less value than a human life.
Sorry PETA people…
They were also considered “unclean”...which if you think about it…

But why would Jesus allow this destruction of life anyways?
He could’ve sent the demons into a mountain side or a pile of rocks.
One possibility is that Jesus wanted to give tangible evidence to the man and to the people that the demons had actually left him and that their purpose had been to destroy him even as they destroyed the pigs.
What a visual lesson! Couldn’t miss that one.
Satan is real, he’s the destroyer. God is real, he’s the savior.

When the power of Jesus shows up, it always draws a crowd.
V. 14-15
Afraid? Rightly so. Everyone knew of the wild, demon possessed man.
Imagine the difference: wild naked man into “sitting there dressed and in his right mind.”
I’m sure they were shocked and a little bit afraid, so afraid that they asked Jesus to leave. V. 17 Why?
I’ll bet they recognized a mighty force was at work in Jesus that they could neither understand nor control.
If it destroyed an entire herd of pigs, might not this power strike again with even more serious consequences?
“Fear, ignorance, and selfishness because of the material loss through the destruction of the pigs dominated their considerations rather than compassion for the former demoniac”.
So they asked Jesus to leave, and he did. He does not stay where he is not wanted.
Until you understand the transformative power of Jesus in your life, you will send him away. “I’ve heard about God and Jesus…”

So, the whole episode is over, the man is cleaned up and naturally wants to follow Jesus.
Seems like Jesus would’ve said, “Follow me”.
Instead he says, V. 19…
This is the more difficult thing for the man to do. Go back to your home town, your family and tell them the difference Jesus has made in your life.
That’s the call that Jesus gives all of us.
Let’s pray that the end of v. 20 happens as we share the love of Jesus.

Should we be afraid of demon possession?
Only if Christ is not on the throne of you life..
John Calvin: "Though we are not tortured by the devil, yet he holds us as his slaves, till the Son of God delivers us from his tyranny. Naked, torn, and disfigured, we wander about, till he restores us to soundness of mind."
GOSPEL

Conclusion: The exorcism of Emily Rose.
Today’s story and this movie can be “easily dismissed”.
However, until we give our hearts to Jesus, we are under Satan’s control.
No one is “hopeless” and beyond the reach of God.