"Faith is Required!"

"Faith is Required!"

Falling in Love with Jesus…all over again! An epic journey through the Gospel of Mark (message #33)

Pastor Jerry Ingalls

September 11, 2011 ~ Patriot Day!

The Word of God from Mark 6:1-6 (NAU), ¹ Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. ² When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? ³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him. ⁴ Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household." ⁵ And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching. [Prayer]

FAITH REQUIRES YOU TO SEE PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY THAN THE WORLD SEES!

Mark 6:1-4 tells the story of how Jesus was received in his hometown of Nazareth even after word had gone ahead of Him of what had happened in His ministry throughout Galilee, "Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown [Nazareth]; and His disciples followed Him. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, 'Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?' And they took offense [skandalizō] at Him."

Because they looked at Jesus through the eyes of the world, they took offense at Him. The Greek word is skandalizō (the word we get scandal) is best translated, "to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another my fall or stumble". With verse 3 in mind, listen to it this way, the Nazarenes (not the church denomination, but the people of Nazareth) evaluated Jesus based upon externals ("Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?") and incidentals ("Are not His sisters here with us?") causing their perception of Jesus to became a stumbling block to knowing who Jesus really was…that's the scandal. Friends, you cannot know Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the World if you look at him with worldly eyes!

They despised Jesus because He was a working man like them, because they thought they knew Him, when they never knew Him at all. They could not see passed their own past with Jesus to see ahead to their future with Jesus.

We must beware of the temptation to evaluate people by externals and incidentals! You will miss people for who they are in God if you judge them by their past or by what you think you know about them! By what standard do you evaluate others and yourself?

What is even more scandalous is that the Nazarenes had everything they needed to see Jesus through the eyes of faith. Jesus came to town as a Rabbi with His disciples following Him (v. 1). He taught in the synagogue with great wisdom and clearly His reputation of performing miracles had gone before Him (v. 2). Verses 1-2 give us the evidence that the Nazarenes had all that was necessary to see Jesus through the lens of faith, but they choose to see Him as the world sees—to rely upon externals and incidentals.

We must not be like the Nazarenes and see as the world sees. We must see Jesus, not through externals and incidentals, but through the fruit of His life—His testimony and ministry—His death and resurrection!

When John the Baptist was put in jail and became unsure of Jesus' identity, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah. Listen to how Jesus Christ responds to John's disciples. Matthew 11:4-6 states, "Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who does not take offense [skandalizō] at Me.'"

Friends, we are not to look at people the way the world does by evaluating them according to externals (color of skin or family heritage) and incidentals (job or appearance), but rather we are taught by Jesus' example to evaluate people by the fruit of their life (Luke 6:44)!

The world will not return you this favor, so plan on being judged by the world according to the world's standards. Jesus teaches in the Gospel of John 15:18-19, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you."

Jesus was judged and rejected by worldly men from within the religious and political establishments. Let me give you a word of insight and potential warning, just because you are religious person doesn't mean you look at people with eyes of faith. Many Christians have never been taught to look at people any other way than how the world has taught us (externals and incidentals!), but today God is confronting us with this truth (evaluate the fruit of a person's life; the content of their character!)! If God is working on you today, don't get defensive about it; confess and repent! That is the only way to true freedom in Christ. You have been chosen by God to be His child and this leaves you with a choice that will determine the fruitfulness of your life: Will you live for the approval of the world or for the approval of God?

God's Word in Colossians 3:23-24 requires of us, "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Truly, we live for an audience of ONE! Easier believed than lived!

With this perspective, you will be able to persevere through whatever you are going through at school, in the work place, at home. And it is clear from Jesus' example in our Scripture lesson that FAITH REQUIRES YOU TO PERSEVERE IN THE FACE OF UNBELIEF!

Listen to the end of the story from Mark 6:5-6, "And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered [marveled] at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching."

Mark is pointing out a stark contrast between the miracles and healings of Mark 5:21-43 (Jairus' 12 year old daughter resuscitated and the unclean woman's healing of 12 year infirmity) and the lack of healings in this sections. In Mark 5:34 we read, "And He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.'" Contrasted by Mark 6:5, "He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them." There were a few sick people who were desperate enough to push away from the overall disdain and contempt for Jesus in Nazareth and they were healed. Jesus saw their faith and healed them, but other than these, no other miracles were performed.

Friends, are you ready to experience God's miracles and healings in your life? Then regardless of what the culture is saying around you (whether at school or at work or even in your own home), Faith is required for a miracle to happen in your life. Have your created an atmosphere of faith in your life?

We must cultivate an atmosphere of expectant faith in our lives if we are to experience the miracles and healings of the abundant life in our midst. As an example, we do this in our everyday lives in the same way we should be creating an atmosphere of expectant faith when we gather together for Sunday service:

· It is impossible to receive God's Word in a wrong atmosphere. We will either create an atmosphere of expectancy for God to speak to us or we will create an atmosphere of cold critique and indifference.

· It is impossible to worship in a wrong atmosphere. We will either create an atmosphere of expectancy for God to move amongst us in truth and Spirit or we will create an atmosphere of emotional self-centered preference and dead human-centered performance.

· It is impossible to have fellowship with one another in a wrong atmosphere. If you come to love, then you will find love. If you come to share life and be open, then you fill find friends and accountability. If you come with open arms, there is a very good chance you will not leave without at least one hug.

Have you created an atmosphere of faith in your life? Not just on Sundays, but you must persevere in creating the right atmosphere of faith in your everyday lives!

I want to conclude with a subtle and easily overlooked emphasis found in Mark 6:6 which states, "And He wondered [marveled] at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching." When Jesus was confronted by such an atmosphere of unbelief, He did not stop, He did not give up the Mission, He did not cultivate an atmosphere of fear because of their reaction; He did not let the culture's unbelief determine His faith. He persevered in the face of unbelief and He carried on the mission—He kept on teaching! And so must we—we must carry on the ministry of reconciliation. We must continue to witness of God's love in our lives, especially in the face of unbelief!

We see this example in Jesus and then in His earliest disciples. Acts 5:40-42 narrates, "After calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ." PERSEVERANCE!

In an unbelieving world that demands of God evidence of His love, but is blind to the sign given for all to see (Matthew 12:38-41), I pray that the perseverance of your faith will witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ no matter the obstacles. Will you persevere?

Prayer leading into Response Time

"Faith in the Midst of Desperate Circumstances!"

"Faith in the Midst of Circumstances!"

Falling in Love with Jesus…all over again! An epic journey through the Gospel of Mark (message #32)

Pastor Jerry Ingalls

September 4, 2011 ~ Happy Labor Day!

Mark 5:35-43 (NAU), ³⁵ While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?" ³⁶ But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid any longer, only believe." ³⁷ And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. ³⁸ They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. ³⁹ And entering in, He said to them, "Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep." ⁴⁰ They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child's father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. ⁴¹ Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, "Talitha kum!" (which translated means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). ⁴² Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. ⁴³ And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat. [Prayer]

Last week we watched the beginning of a great drama unfold and today we see it concluded. In this story, Jairus, the synagogue official, had no place to turn but to Jesus of Nazareth—his 12 year old daughter was literally on her death bed when he raced to Jesus (Mark 5:22-24). He had to reach out to Jesus with a desperate faith because he had no other hope. In the midst of Jesus' responding to his life or death need, a woman who had suffered for 12 years (Mark 5:25-34), also reached out to touch Jesus in the midst of her suffering and isolation (for she had been dead to all she loved for 12 years). They both had exhausted every other option; they were in desperate circumstances and desperate times call for desperate measures—they both reached out in faith to Jesus as their last and only hope!

Let's learn from this human drama and apply the lessons to our lives. First, DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST ARE CALLED TO BELIEVE IN THE MIDST OF CIRCUMSTANCES!

Isaiah 55:8-9 declares a foundational truth of our faith in a holy and sovereign God, "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'"

Even when the evidence of our circumstances and the weight of our emotions point us away from God, our faith should be our compass that points to true north no matter the circumstance; and true north is Jesus Christ! Friends, we can easily be misled if we allow our circumstances to determine how we live our lives; we need to live by our faith in the One who is greater than our circumstances! [1 John 4:4…Greater…!]

Mark 5:35-36 narrates what happens next, "While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, 'Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?' But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, 'Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.'" Do you see the contrast between verse 35 and 36? The servants were making a decision based on their circumstances, whereas Jesus is calling them to believe (a call to lean not on your own understanding, but to lean on faith!) in the midst of desperate circumstances. Upon discovering his daughter's death, Jesus called Jairus to believe. We will see how Jairus responds, but it leads me to wonder about how well I respond to this same call in my life: "Do not be afraid any longer, only believe." How do you respond to circumstances—with fear or faith?

This is not an isolated story in the Scriptures. Time and time again, God responds in a counter-intuitive way because God's ways are higher than our ways. Turn to the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead found in the Gospel of John 11:1-46 [set up story]. John 11:11-15 states the motive clause of why Jesus waited the 2 days allowing Lazarus to die before arriving, "This He said, and after that He said to them, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.' The disciples then said to Him, 'Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.' Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. So Jesus then said to them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.'"

God has a plan and according to His plan He is always on time! God does not promise to be on time according to your wishes and plans, but He will always be on time in His plan and His plan is intended to bring about His maximum glory even if it means circumstances that don't make sense to us! Do you trust that God desires to use circumstances to bring Himself maximum glory? Will you respond in faith? We must return to this simple truth that has profound implications on our lives when we apply it. The Bible declares in 2 Corinthians 5:7, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

It starts with a call to believe in the midst of circumstances. We are to walk by faith, not by sight. This is our responsibility—to trust! God does not kick back aloof to your circumstances. As we learned last week, Jesus sees you reaching out to Him in faith and He loves you enough to personally get involved. He is not sitting on the front porch drinking sweet tea watching you squirm [We believe in a God who sees you, loves you, and is personally involved!]. JESUS CHRIST ENTERS THE COMMOTION OF YOUR LIFE BRINGING HOPE TO DESPERATE SITUATIONS!

The story continues in Mark 5:39-40a, "They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He [Jesus] saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. And entering in, He said to them, 'Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.' They began laughing at Him."

Mark paints an utterly hopeless situation. There is commotion filled with loud weeping and wailing as the professional mourners were giving it their all for such a prominent man of the community. This was an oppressive situation that Jairus returns to and there is no reason he should not be utterly crushed by the weight of his situation and the expectations placed on him. Then Jesus spoke: 'Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.' Can you imagine the hope that must have shot through Jairus' heart? Would Jairus laugh with the crowd or would he cling to the only thing he had left—his faith in Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ will show you the truth of your situation and it will not always match either the way you feel about it or how others view it. Whose perspective do you put your hope in?

1 Thessalonians 4:13 emphasizes that disciples of Jesus Christ are to have a completely different perspective, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope." The key ingredient of our perspective is hope!

Faith in Jesus Christ does not protect you from hardship and the realities of life in a fallen world. We each will go through situations and experience circumstances that will test the deepest fiber of our faith—death and despair are a part of the human experience. This is why we must make it a part of our spiritual disciplines to meditate upon the Cross of Jesus Christ and allow God to change our perspective of these circumstances—from temporary to eternal!

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 proclaims, "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

How has Jesus entered into the commotion of your life and brought hope in the midst of death and despair? [Communion Intro] Reflect on God's forgiveness for you at the Cross and His free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

**COMMUNION** Instructions, Invitations, Prayer

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 teaches how we must now respond to our time of communion together, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

We are blessed to be a blessing! This leads us to our last point and our response time: JESUS CHRIST CALLS YOU TO BRING FAITH TO OTHERS IN THE MIDST OF CIRCUMSTANCES!

Mark 5:40b-42 brings this story to a conclusion, "But putting them all out, He took along the child's father and mother and His own companions [Peter and James and John the brother of James], and entered the room where the child was. Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, 'Talitha kum!' (which translated means, 'Little girl, I say to you, get up!'). Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded."

Jesus entered the commotion of this family's worst nightmare, He reached out and embraced the suffering and despair caused by death, and then He spoke into that desperate situation the everlasting Word of Life. Jesus Christ brought faith in the midst of circumstances and He is now calling us to be His hands and feet in the midst of human suffering around us. Jesus is calling you today as a response to this time of communion together to dedicate yourself as a disciple of Jesus Christ to bring your faith to others in the midst of their circumstances. Listen to Jesus' promise from the Gospel of John 14:12, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."

God purposes to use you, directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit, as His hands and feet in the midst of circumstances. Are you willing to enter the commotion of people's lives? Will you reach out to offer your hand? Will you speak the Word of life to them?

Dedication of our hands and feet…

"Desperate Faith" part 1

"Desperate Faith!" (Part 1 of 2)

Falling in Love with Jesus…all over again! An epic journey through the Gospel of Mark (message #31)

Pastor Jerry Ingalls

August 28, 2011

Mark 5:21-34 (NAU), ²¹ When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore. ²² One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet ²³ and implored Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live." ²⁴ And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him. ²⁵ A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, ²⁶ and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse— ²⁷ after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. ²⁸ For she thought, "If I just touch His garments, I will get well." ²⁹ Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. ³⁰ Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My garments?" ³¹ And His disciples said to Him, "You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" ³² And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. ³³ But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. ³⁴ And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction." [Prayer]

Our Scripture lesson today focuses on 2 people who come to Jesus out of complete desperation. The first is a powerful and influential leader while the second is an unclean outcast. The result of their circumstances leads them both to the same place—to Jesus Christ with an open and desperate heart seeking His healing power & presence. DESPERATION LEADS TO HUMILITY!

Let's discuss Mark 5:22-23 which narrates the beginning of the story (story finishes in verses 35-43 which we'll discuss next week), "One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet and implored Him earnestly, saying, 'My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.'"

This is a man brought to humility by the devastation in his life…his daughter was on her literal death bed and Jesus was his last (and desperate!) option. He risked everything in going to Him…position, stature, even his orthodoxy according to his peers & Sanhedrin.

2 Kings 5:14 (turn to Naaman's story in 2 Kings 5:1-14) tells the story of another powerful and influential leader whose life circumstances lead him to the humility of seeking God's healing, "So he [Naaman] went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God [Elisha]; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean."

Friends, must we wait until devastation has come upon our doors before we will humble ourselves and seek resources and assistance outside of ourselves?

You have a choice to make in your own life: desperation or devastation! You can realize your absolute need for Jesus or wait until devastation breaks your pride. Jairus and Naaman were both influential men of position who were brought to a place of humility by devastation. What will it take for you to humble yourself before God?

Matthew 18:3-4 states the importance of humility, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Jesus echoes this in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:3 stating, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Proverbs 16:18 declares, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling."

Jairus risked position and stature to publically place his faith in Jesus. Are you desperate enough to risk everything on Jesus? Or will devastation be necessary to get you to that place of desperation? God does not cause the devastation, but He sure will work in the midst of your circumstances because God wants you to heal you; He desires to bring peace to your storm! When you find yourself sinking in the storm of your life, will you be like the Apostle Peter and reach out for Jesus?

DESPERATION LEADS PEOPLE TO REACH OUT WITH DESPARATE FAITH TO JESUS CHRIST!

The story of Jairus is seemingly interrupted with the story of another desperate person. This is not a random interruption; this is divine appointment and yet another teaching point in Jesus' ministry to His disciples. [unpack thought as Holy Spirit leads]

Listen to Mark 5:25-28, "A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse—after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, 'If I just touch His garments, I will get well.'"

The woman was an unclean outcast (Leviticus 15:25-27) considered far from God; her community, her family, and her religion ostracized her. [explain]

Do you feel distant from God because of your circumstances and/or how people treat you? Are you desperate enough to reach through the manmade (& your own) barriers to touch Jesus?

The Bible declares in Romans 10:11-13, "As Scripture says, 'Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.' For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" No matter what your circumstances may be or what people have told you, if you reach out to Jesus Christ with desperate faith He will respond to you!

The story continues in Mark 5:30-31, "Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, 'Who touched My garments?' And His disciples said to Him, 'You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"

We experience this deepest of truths expressed by Saint Augustine in this short phrase: "Flesh presses, Faith touches!" Jesus knows the touch of need and He responds to it! Jesus distinguishes between the jostle of the curious crowd and the agonized touch of a desperate person. Are you a part of the crowd that is curious about Jesus or are you desperately in need of Him?

Holy Spirit leaves you no wiggle room. You must choose today which camp you fall into—you are either a member of the curious crowd or you are the desperate person seeking only to be able to reach out to Jesus Christ knowing He is your only answer; He is your first and last resort for life. Both groups may faithfully attend church and participate in religious activities, but the Kingdom of God, eternal life, salvation is only for those who are poor in spirit, desperate to touch Jesus! Don't bank on your curiosity getting you into Heaven; today is the day that you MUST realize your absolute need for Jesus—are you desperately in need of Jesus Christ? There is good news!

JESUS CHRIST SEES YOU AND HE LOVES YOU ENOUGH TO MEET YOU IN YOUR MOVEMENT TOWARD HIM IN DESPERATE FAITH!

Mark 5:32 describes Jesus' response to this desperate woman, "And He looked around to see the woman who had done this."

Jesus will not be impressed with your status in life, your portfolio or resume, your downs or your outs. What God cares about is your heart! It is NOT our circumstances that need to change friends; it is our heart attitudes! The Bible teaches in 1 Samuel 16:7b, "For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Jesus sees to the depths of your greatest need. He can see your desperation for Him! If your heart reaches out to Him in faith, then He will see and respond with the loving embrace of the Father.

You will never earn salvation because you are good enough. There is no amount of religious ritual or activity that can make you right in the eyes of God. You can be the president of the synagogue (Jairus) with the love and approval of all the community and the religious establishment behind you OR you can be the unclean outcasts (the woman) with the disdain and rejection of all the community and the religious establishment against you. God does not look upon you as man does; with an external focus. That is not what matters; what matters is your approach to God (in humility or pride) and your faith in Jesus Christ (desperation or curiosity). God is looking for the desperate faith of a person who knows that everything depends on Jesus Christ—there are no back up plans; He's all I have!

Mark 5:34 concludes, "And He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.'

After so much loss and suffering, Jesus sees the woman's desperate faith, heals her, restores her, blesses her, and gives her a brand new identity by calling her "daughter". Jesus will do the same for you if you would humbly acknowledge your need and reach out to Him with desperate faith. Are you ready to be embraced by the love of your heavenly Father?

After so much loss and suffering in your life are you ready to stop worrying about externals and what people will think and say. Are you ready to throw all that aside and respond to Jesus Christ as the desperate person you are. We each need to respond to this message…I wonder for you if it will be with the pride of a curios tourist or the humility of a desperate believer?

"Delivered for the Purpose!" (Part 2 of 2)

"Delivered for the Purpose!" (part 2 of 2)

Falling in Love with Jesus…all over again! An epic journey through the Gospel of Mark (message #30)

Pastor Jerry Ingalls

August 21, 2011

The Word of God from Mark 5:14-20 (NAU), ¹⁴ Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. ¹⁵ They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the "legion"; and they became frightened. ¹⁶ Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. ¹⁷ And they began to implore Him to leave their region. ¹⁸ As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. ¹⁹ And He did not let him, but He said to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you." ²⁰ And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

Last week, we learned that the purpose of demon possession is to spoil humanity from fulfilling its intended purpose as the image bearers of God and stewards of God's creation. We looked at the first 13 verses of this story culminating with this deep truth:

demons are unclean spirits seeking tools to carry on the devil's work (to steal, kill, and destroy), but Jesus Christ delivers us from evil domination to be temples of the Holy Spirit to carry on the Mission of God! Let's continue this thought with our first learning point today: AS A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST, WE HAVE VICTORY OVER EVIL DOMINATION! When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then His Victory over evil won through His death on the Cross and resurrection from the grave becomes your victory over sin's snare on your life!

Colossians 1:13-14 proclaims, "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Looking at Mark 5:1-20, Let's experience together a firsthand account of a man's transformation after Jesus delivers him from evil domination:

· From Lawlessness, Restlessness, and Violence toward others and himself (Mark 5:3b-5) to Peace (Mark 5:15).

· From Isolation (Mark 5:2-3a) to Relationship (Mark 5:18).

· From Loss of true identity (Mark 5:9) to Purpose in Life (Mark 5:19-20).

1 John 4:4 teaches us about the victory we have in Jesus Christ when He delivers us from evil domination to become temples of His Spirit: "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them [evil spirits]; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world."

There is NO COMPARISON of power between the devil and God! It would be like a fist fight between me and Mike Tyson. It's over in one punch! And our lives are to be a testimony of this REALITY! In Jesus Christ, you are a partaker of this Victory and The witness of a disciple must display Jesus Christ's victory over evil! Do you have peace (inside and out)? Are you healthy in your relationships (vertical and horizontal)? Are you living your life for His purposes?

The Bible teaches us overwhelmingly that as the temples of the Holy Spirit we have a part to play. We must submit to God in all things and resist the devil in all his ways (James 4:7). We must willingly submit to the process of sanctification that increases our usefulness and effectiveness to be a conduit of God's love, mercy, and power. 2 Timothy 2:21 teaches, "Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things [evil], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work."

You are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)! Are you willing to submit every area of your life to Jesus' power and authority over evil? Then you will be useful… and that leads us to our next point:

ALL PEOPLE NEED TO BE DELIVERED, BUT NOT ALL PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO SUBMIT THEIR LIVES TO THE DELIVERANCE OFFERED BY JESUS CHRIST!

The story takes a very troublesome twist in Mark 5:15-17, "They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the 'legion'; and they became frightened. Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. And they began to implore Him to leave their region."

Every time I read this passage it sobers me to the condition of our own communities in the USA. Why? Because the town folk are first hand witnesses to the absolute power of Jesus Christ to deliver people from evil domination, but they rejected Him from their lives and their land; they put their own self-interest first (profit and enterprise; family business and economic stability) and that prevented them from welcoming Jesus to deliver them of evil domination in their own lives. They cared more about surviving than they did about thriving! Jesus is offering the abundant life to these people; the Gospel has been brought to the Gentiles in the Decapolis and they reject Him after seeing one of their own completely transformed and restored to community. Can we soberly ask ourselves this question: Have we in any way, as individuals, families, churches, and as a community, done this—have we asked Jesus to leave a certain area of our lives or community because we thought what we have is good enough or we are scared of what would be? Has survival or stability become a stumbling block to the abundant life?

Motivated by fear (Mark 5:15) and self-preservation (Mark 5:16) these people rejected Jesus and begged Him to no longer disturb their lives; to leave their land! Are you willing to allow Jesus Christ to disturb you: your comfort; your way of life; your worldview; your relationships; your possessions? Will we settle for the American Dream when Jesus promises us the Abundant Life (John 10:10)?

We must pray and allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and our history—to confess and repent! It is time for the Light of God to shine brightly in and through your life! And one person can make a difference! JESUS CHRIST WILL USE ONE FULLY COMMITTED DISCIPLE TO BRING THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO A PREVIOUSLY UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP!

The story finishes with Mark 5:18-20, "As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. And He did not let him, but He said to him, 'Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.' And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed."

Do you remember what happened on the way over from Galilee to Decapolis when Jesus says, "Let us go over to the other side"? This is their first big over-the-sea trip and apparently it has hit storm after storm.

Storm 1 raised up in the very creation itself—this fierce storm was so bad that the experienced fishermen who had become fishers of men woke Jesus from His restful sleep accusingly and fearfully questioning, "Do you not care that we are perishing?"

Their fear was misplaced and unnecessary just like ours is so many times! Storm 2 was within the spiritual realm when they are met by the demons called 'Legion' as soon as they land ashore. And Storm 3 (the one that takes most of us out too!) was the wave of human rejection by the very people they sought to reach in the first place with the Gospel! So, they barely escaped death to reach one man and from human eyes he was not quite the prize—he was not a distinguished, influential man, but he was the outcast of outcasts; truly, the least of all those in Decapolis! And not only did they only reach one man, but then they were kicked out of town by the lowest of low—the pig farmers who cared more about their pigs than a redeemed human being. This had to be insult upon insult for these disciples. Was this trip a complete failure?

Absolutely NOT, because "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). With what they could see, none of this would have looked like success to the disciples, so we must remember that as disciples we live by faith and not by sight! Following His Father's plan communicated clearly through the Holy Spirit to Jesus, Jesus knew that they did not reach one man; rather, they planted a seed that would yield an abundant harvest! Jesus Christ gained a foothold into the unreached people group of the Gentiles. Jesus successfully delivered then commissioned the first missionary to the Gentiles and that man obediently fulfilled the purpose for his life—freely received, freely given! He was blessed to be a blessing!

He was delivered for THE PUPROSE--to be a witness to God's victory! Jesus said to him and I believe He is saying this to each of us today, 'Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.'

Acts 1:8 declares for all who have been delivered,

"You shall be My witnesses…to the ends of the earth."

2 Corinthians 5:20 says it again about the ministry of reconciliation, "We are ambassadors for Christ…"

The purpose we are delivered from sin's grip (eternal damnation) is to witness the mercy of God until every people group is reached with the Gospel. Matthew 24:14 declares, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations [ethnos = people or ethnic group], and then the end [telos = end state goal or final purpose] will come." What exactly is this end we hope to hasten through our obedience? Listen to it from Revelation 7:9-10, "Behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'"

We have been delivered so that we can have a right relationship with God and through Him, with our neighbor. We are to love one another without dividing lines of ethnos—we are the One body of Christ!

Jesus delivers people with the purpose [telos] in mind! Does your life demonstrate that you have been delivered with the purpose in mind? Are you living as Jesus' witness, sent to the unreached people within your spheres of influence? Go from this place and share the "great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you."

Brothers and sisters, the formerly demon-possessed man did not focus on the behavior of his fellow countrymen (1. the way they reacted to his deliverance with fear; 2. their concern for their economic well being rather than their spiritual well being; or 3. the absolute disdain they showed to Jesus Christ). Rather he focused on what Jesus Christ had done in his life. Is it a hard choice for you to decide who you will talk about? Will you report (gossip!) about the behavior of your neighbors and fellow countrymen or will you witness to your neighbor about the One who gave you life? Life is too short to focus on the wrong things and remember that have been set free for the mission of God!

On the back of your sermon notes, I invite you write your name in the blank and pray this prayer with me: FATHER, PLEASE USE (write your name here) TO COMPLETE THE MISSION OF GOD! IN JESUS' NAME; AMEN!

And I leave you with the promise of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of John 14:12, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."