Meeting Jesus - Live In Freedom

As a child, there were many times I experienced  being afraid of the dark.  It wasn’t a common thing.  It wasn’t an everyday thing.

But at night sometimes, my imagination would wander, and fear would override my common sense. The faces of Freddy Kruger. Jason Vorhees. Mike Myers…and Norman Bates…they scared the crap out of me as a kid! And sometimes the darkness would paralyze me to the point I barely breathed. Dark shapes of trees, or shrubs, or things in my room, would transform into the faces of the characters that Hollywood had created and I believed that they were going to leap out at me and kill me.

Any other children of the 70’s and 80’s that want to admit to being scared of the dark and thinking about those guys? Today’s passage of scripture can read like a Stephen King novel…

Demonic possession.  A cemetery. Chains and shackles. Self-harm and howling at the moon.

It is from Luke 8:26-39, and the Gospel writer Mark also provides an account of this crazy story, and I am going to add one of the verses from Mark, to this passage to help with the context. 

Let’s read together:

Luke 8:26-27 (NLT2) 

26  So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. 27  As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town. 

Mark 5:5 (NLT2) 

5  Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones. 

Luke 8:28-39 (NLT2) 

28  As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29  For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power. 30  Jesus demanded, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons. 31  The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit. 32  There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs. So Jesus gave them permission. 33  Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned. 34  When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. 35  People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 36  Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37  And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake. 38  The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, 39  “No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him. 

Bizarre story, right? In case it is not obvious, let me point out everything that this man had going against him:

• He was Demon possessed, naked, homeless, and lived in a cemetery. (v. 27)

• He wandered around the cemetery day and night, howling and cutting himself with sharp rocks. (Mark 5:5)

• The people that he knew CHAINED and SHACKLED him to the rocks (v. 29)

Regardless of the difficulties you are facing and the hopelessness you may feel in life – this man has you beat!   You can at least read this passage of scripture and say, “I have problems – but not like him.”

If you feel chained down. 

If you feel like you cannot get over your past. 

If your struggles continue to resurface day and night.  

If you just don’t feel like you can overcome your past…

Like this demon possessed man, I want you to know, you can be freed. I understand that this passage is a bit unsettling.  This man was demon possessed.  He was controlled by the Devil and was filled with demons. I do not believe that a follower of Jesus can be possessed by the Devil…

Once a person has become a follower of Jesus, once they have surrendered their life to Jesus, received Jesus as their savior, and have committed their lives to Him, they have been made NEW. They are born AGAIN.  

They have the Holy Spirit living inside of them. 

So, I do not believe that a follower of Jesus can become DEMON possessed, because the Holy Spirit of God already possesses them.

BUT

I do believe that a follower of Jesus can begin to believe the lies of the devil and live as confused, and feel as isolated and powerless as this man.

As we looked at last week, the devil hates God and the devil hates followers of Jesus. 

And…

KEEPING PEOPLE IN BONDAGE IS A PRIORITY FOR THE DEVIL

In verse 30, Jesus asked the man a very simple question.

“What is your name?”

I could answer that question. You could answer that question. But the man had lived under the influence of the devil for so long, he could not answer the question correctly. 

His name was NOT Legion. His real name was a good Jewish name.  Thomas, Matthew, Peter, or John…LEGION was not the man’s name.  

But he had lived in darkness, confusion, and hurt for so long, he had forgotten his name. He had forgotten who he really was. He had forgotten his identity. He had given up.  He had quit the fight and BELIEVED the lies.  

Jesus characterized the Devil in John 8. Jesus said:

John 8:44 (NLT) 

…He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

As a follower of Jesus, you cannot be demon possessed, but you CAN BE FILLED WITH LIES. You should not believe the discouragement and despair that CREEPS into your thought life.  

You should not believe the harsh words that others speak into your lives.  

You should not believe the whispers of hopelessness when you are trapped and bound by your own sin…

BELIEVE the TRUTH that just like this demon possessed man – Jesus can SET YOU FREE!  

He can free you from the deception of abusive criticism, lies that you have begun to believe about yourself, Pessimism, doubt, and despair…He can set you free, but only if you want to be free.

Lot’s of people who profess to be followers of Jesus, choose to live in darkness every single day.  They have been set free from the penalty of sin, but they make choices to live imprisoned every single day.

Do you do that?

JESUS MADE YOUR FREEDOM A PRIORITY, DO YOU?

Jesus went out of his way to encounter this man and set him free.  The night before Jesus landed the boat in front of this man, he and his disciples had fought the storm in the middle of the lake. In verse 37 – Jesus gets back into the boat to leave. THE only reason why JESUS had made the journey across the water was to rescue this man.  This moment.  Getting across the water wasn’t easy.  Jesus made the freedom of the Gerasene Demoniac a priority and…

Jesus has made your freedom a priority too! He went to great lengths to set you free from SIN.  

Paying the penalty for our sin – he was arrested, beaten, whipped, scourged, mocked, and savagely murdered on a cross.  His blood and broken body paid the penalty for our sins.  

Jesus made your freedom a PRIORITY although it came at GREAT personal cost.  

Does your freedom matter to you as much as it matters to Jesus?

Do you make your freedom a priority? 

Every single Friday night at 6:30, Celebrate Recovery meets here at Adventure Beach.  Anybody with HURTS, HABITS, or HANGUPS are welcome to get involved and invited to discover freedom.  

And, if you are a Veteran, or you know a veteran, that has been scarred and damaged from service in the military, we have a special CR small group just for you. Other Veterans, gathered together to help one another recover and heal…

Many men and women have never recovered from a childhood of abuse, so they chase “what they knew” as a child through one bad relationship after another. Many men and women have been set free from the chains of sin, but they keep holding on to the chains because they don’t know how to live free.  Their more comfortable with shackles than freedom.

Make your freedom a priority.  

Jesus offers abundant life.  He offers honesty, love, and hope. Love yourself enough to choose freedom. And understand,

JESUS HAS THE AUTHORITY TO SET YOU FREE, WILL YOU LET HIM?

Maybe like this man… you are overcome with evil in this world. Maybe you are overwhelmed with an addiction to anxiety. Maybe your relationship with your spouse is crumbling and you feel like you will never experience a HEALTHY relationship with them.  

Maybe you have a hidden addiction to drugs…an addiction to alcohol…or hopelessness.

Throughout the Gospel of Luke, the Son of God, JESUS demonstrates he has the AUTHORITY to set people free.

He demonstrates AUTHORITY over finances (coin in the mouth of the fish), over demonic oppression, and the evil one himself.  

He demonstrates AUTHORITY over nature by calming the wind  & rain.

He demonstrates AUTHORITY over the human body by fasting for 40 Days in the wilderness.  

He demonstrates AUTHORITY over temptation by living 33 years on this earth and refusing to yield to temptation.  

He demonstrates AUTHORITY over the Laws of Physics by walking on Water, turning WATER into WINE, and multiplying the loaves and fish.

He demonstrates AUTHORITY over DEATH and LIFE by raising people from the dead.

He demonstrates AUTHORITY over the Law of Gravity by ascending into heaven. 

He demonstrates AUTHORITY over sin by paying the penalty for sin through Jesus death and rising from the dead.  

THERE IS NOTHING THAT MY JESUS CANNOT DO!

Your freedom is a PRIORITY for JESUS and he CAN SET YOU FREE.  

Like this man – perhaps of you have been cowering and hiding in the darkness so long you have forgotten who you really are and who you belong to.  

You are not a child of the evil one  - you have been born again and you are a child of the most high God!

Live like it! Step out of the shadows of shame and darkness.  

John 8:36 (NLT) 

36  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 

Romans 8:2 (NLT)

 2  And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Romans 6:22 (NLT) 

22  But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.

And once you have been set free – then do what this man did.  

Jesus cast the demon out of the man, people who witnessed it ran to the town and told everybody and when they all came running back, the man was clothed, sitting calmly and in his right mind.  He wanted to follow Jesus at this point, but Jesus had something greater for him to do.

He told everybody about what Jesus had done for him.

You can too. On July 16, we will have Beach Baptisms.  Join us and let your world know that you have been set free from sin, and you are a follower of Jesus.

Evil grows in isolation.  God grows in community. 

Meeting Jesus - Jesus, Storms, & Faith

I know it is a bit “elementary” but do you remember playing the game FOLLOW the LEADER when you were young? A line of people follow the leader, and they are supposed to copy everything that the leader does…

Week after week, I share that our mission is to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.  Ultimately what we want to do is help people do the exact same thing that people did in Jesus day.  

We want to help people follow Jesus. Before we begin the message today, I think it is crucial that it is said plainly that…

A FOLLOWER OF JESUS, FOLLOWS JESUS.  

Sounds profound right? 😊 If I am a Jesus follower – that means I FOLLOW Jesus.  I have trusted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  I have turned away from my old life of sin and made the decision to FOLLOW JESUS. That means I try to LIVE the way Jesus says to live.  I try to become more like Jesus, and if you have committed your life to Jesus, so do you. Together, we try to follow Jesus through the challenges, joys, frustrations, and storms of life. By this point in Jesus ministry in Luke 8, 12 men had decided they were give up everything and follow Jesus. 

Jesus is going to sound a little frustrated with his FOLLOWERS because they were not FOLLOWING him.

Luke 8:22-25 (NLT2)

22  One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. 23  As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. 24  The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. The storm stopped and all was calm! 25  Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!” 

Storms were something that fishermen often faced.  In this region, storms appeared suddenly and could be incredibly fierce.  In this moment, the disciples faced a storm and they were actually convinced they were going to die from it! If this storm had popped up and they were safe on the shore, they would not have been afraid.  They could have been in the same storm, on dry land, and they would not have had to face any fear of death. They did not have life jackets or lifeguards.  If the boat filled with water and sunk, they would have had to swim for the shore. But the waves were so big…they believed they would never make it to the shore. 

They were convinced they were going to die…BUT their FEAR only existed because of the game of “What If” that their mind was playing with them.

What if the storm keeps going…

What if the waves get larger…

What if the boat fills up too much…

What if we have to swim to shore…

What if we die…

There is no question that the storm was fierce…but part of the fear the disciples had over the storm was rooted in “What if?”

I struggle with that.

While you and I may never be in a storm on a lake or the ocean like this – we all know we have been through many storms that have been scary…and it is made much worse because of  “What if Roulette”. We walk through a difficult storm and we make it harder on ourselves by imagining the worst case scenarios. For instance, Kristy and I experienced a storm of 6 years of infertility, followed by a miscarriage. Part of the fear we had was rooted in “What if we never have children…?” 

My family experienced a storm when I was suddenly fired from a church in Virginia in 2014 when I learned about financial corruption in the church. “What if” roulette started in my head.  

What if I have to get a job outside of ministry? 

What if people think I was fired for something I did?  

What if my ministry is over…?

I know that many of you are in a storm. Is there a storm you are going through that is shaking you to the core?  

Maybe it is your marriage.

Maybe you just learned that once again, your spouse has been unfaithful.

Maybe you have received a difficult health diagnosis. 

Maybe your doctor has mentioned that you might have Cancer and wants to blood work just in case.

Whatever storm or hardship you are facing right now, I want you to be convinced that…

STORMS ARE PAINFUL EXPERIENCES THAT WILL END.

Storms of life have the ability to rip into our hearts and shred our lives.  Storms of life can cause deep pain that changes the way we think and how we act. In my college days, a tornado went through our college campus and wrecked it. Classrooms buildings collapsed. Art was destroyed.  The entire landscape of the campus changed…but when it was rebuilt – it was better than ever.  

I know it feels like your storm has been dragging on and on – but it will end.  

It has been painful – but it will end. Now, it may not end the way we hope it would. The “health storm” a loved one faces may not end the way we would like it to. Maybe your spouse has already walked away and left you hurt and devastated. Maybe the impact of the storm you have faced has left your life in pieces. If that is the case, I am sorry. I hate that you are experiencing this type of pain. But I know God is able to rebuild our lives better than we can after a storm, if we keep on following Him. When people do face a storm or a tragedy, they often ask the question, “Where is God? Why didn’t he do something?”

Have you ever noticed that we often take credit for the good that happens in our lives and blame God for the storm? Storms and tragedies happen in our lives for three main reasons. 

BROKEN WORLD

Some of the storms we face in our lives come from the reality that we live in a broken world.  We live in a world that sin, broke. We have viruses, diseases, infertility, cancers, accidents, injuries, heart attacks, strokes, high cholesterol, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, because we live in a world that sin, broke. It was not supposed to be like this.  After God created the world, he looked around and said it was all GOOD.

Then Adam and Eve sinned and the good world, went bad. Because Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God, sin was born and sin brought death…and all of nature was impacted. When earthquakes and diseases happen, it is not God’s fault, it is because the Adam and Even did not choose to follow God, sin was born, and the Good world went bad.

That leads to the second cause of storms in our lives, 

OUR SINFUL NATURE

Some of the storms I face in my life are brought about by me.  I am a sinner.  I have done stupid things that have caused storms in my life.  The first 2 and ½ years of my marriage was a storm because I was selfish.  I wanted my own way.  I caused the storm. I created the storm. My sinful nature can create storms. So can yours. If we do not follow Jesus, we are going to create more storms in our lives. Our sinful nature can really mess things up. The third root cause of storms that we face in life is…

SPIRITUAL ATTACK

If you are a follower of Jesus, God loves you unconditionally. He is for you. He wants you to prosper, to be blessed, and rejoices over you. He loved you enough to send his son to die on the cross for you – and since God is FOR you. Since God LOVES you… you can be sure, the Devil (Satan) hates you. He hates you because he is a God Hater.  He wants to DESTROY all that God loves.

He wants to try to destroy the work of God in your life. 

He wants to ruin your story of life-change.  

He wants to destroy your faith in God.

He wants to ruin your trust and turn your story of faith and trust into a story of doubt and fear.

Sometimes when storms come it is through a spiritual attack.  

If you are making an impact and leading people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus…

If you are strengthening the church through serving. 

If you are bringing words of encouragement to other believers and making the Church stronger…

Satan is going to spiritually attack you, because you are for God.

So, storms come through a broken world, our own sinful nature, and through spiritual attack…

What can we learn from the disciples?

They were in the boat.

The storm came.

Fear overwhelmed the disciples…they woke Jesus up…he stopped the storm and the waves.

Jesus SHOWED his faith in God by rebuking the storm…and then he asked the disciples the question… “Where is YOUR faith?”

Why didn’t you do something about it?  Why didn’t YOU take action? Building up to this story, Jesus emphasized repeatedly that a FOLLOWER of Jesus DOES what he tells them to do:

Luke 6:46 (NLT)

46  “Why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?

Luke 6:49 (NLT)

49  But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation…

Luke 8:18 (NLT)

18  “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given…

Luke 8:21 (NLT)

21   “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”

All along, Jesus had been CONNECTING FAITH with ACTION.  With OBEDIENCE.  Jesus had personally been teaching his disciples to demonstrate their faith. This storm was their moment to put into practice all the things that Jesus had been teaching them.  This was their moment to face their storm by faith! This was their moment to demonstrate faith, stand up in the boat, and rebuke the wind and the waves. But instead, they chose to be controlled by fear. I want to invite you to do what the disciples did not do…

DURING THE STORM, SHOW OTHERS YOUR FAITH

That is called TRANSPARENT LIVING. Other people need you to practice your faith. In Luke Chapter 9 and Luke Chapter 10 – Jesus sent out his disciples to heal other people. To heal people of diseases. To cast out demons.  And they went out – and they worked miracles by faith – FOR OTHERS!

Not one time throughout all of scripture do we see a follower of Jesus work a miracle for themselves.  

When you and I walk through storms, AND when we don’t try to hide the storm, but we live transparently and our faith REMAINS ACTIVE, other people will be inspired, encouraged, and challenged about what they really believe about Jesus.

When you are walking through a storm, keep following Jesus! Keep living transparently. Keep serving other people. When you are walking through a storm, the last thing you need to do is stop attending worship, stop serving, and stop blessing others. You have a place to demonstrate your faith every week! From celebrate recovery, serving in local missions, children’s ministry, student ministry. Choose FAITH over FEAR and live transparently so others can see it and even when you are not in a storm – followers of Jesus practice our faith for OTHERS. 

I encourage you to read Luke chapter 9 and 10 and watch what the followers of Jesus did by faith.

Jesus taught that FAITH was POWERFUL.

Matthew 17:20b (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

So – WHERE IS YOUR FAITH? Can others see your faith when you walk through the storms?