Sermon in Seattle 13.03.2013

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen. We will begin this morning's service in thanksgiving and prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, You have brought us here together around Your Word. Father, we ask You that You would open Your Word unto us, to give words to speak and hearts to believe. We trust, dear Heavenly Father, in You, Giver of all good things, that You will continue to bless us this day and every day of our lives as You see fit.

Dear Heavenly Father, protect us from evil. From temptation, give us strength to endure trials. We even remember those who are not with us this morning, whether it be from sickness or other reasons. And we remember those who are in those places, in those lonely watchposts in Zion, that You would comfort them in their place and uplift and comfort and strengthen them.

But dear Heavenly Father, we ask the same for those of us who are gathered here, that You would comfort us, uplift us through Your Word.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Forever and ever. Amen.

For a text this morning, I thought to read from the book of Luke, from the 8th chapter, verses 34-39. With that prayer that God would open His Word unto us, would feed us, and instruct us. Amen.

And even before reading these words of God, I would like to ask if I could yet believe my sins forgiven. Amen.

When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled and went and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.

Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them, for they were taken with great fear and went up into the ship and returned back again.

Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. Amen.

The theme for this Sunday is Jesus the victor over the battle with evil powers. And in studying for this speaking turn, I read through many portions of the Bible where Jesus casts out devils. And we could even say that this was an account or showed the power that Jesus was given, that even those who were afflicted with the devils were healed by Jesus.

And this account, I didn't read the whole thing, only the end of this, which is titled in my Bible as the Gadarene demoniac healed. This man that Jesus healed was a tormented man. But we can see at the end of the text that says that now the man out of whom the devils were departed, he sat. They found this man sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.

And the characteristics of this man, this particular miracle, we could say, occurred after that time where Jesus has showed his power to his disciples where they were in that ship. And he even calmed the storm and the waters obeyed him. I think we heard of that last month when the visiting minister came from Longview, Tamhuta.

And this account happened after that where this man, where it says here, which had devils long time, he wore no clothes. Neither did he live in any house, but he lived in the tombs, those places where the dead were buried. And it says here that oftentimes he was bound with chains and in fetters, but he broke those bands and he was driven of the devil into the wilderness.

So we can certainly see that this man whom Jesus healed was a tormented man. And then it says that he was here possessed by a devil. And we can wonder what does this mean in our time? And is it so that the Word of God is still that powerful that it can drive out evil and even the devil himself? And I would have to say that yes, that God's Word is still that powerful.

But we think of this one who is tormented, who has an unclean spirit, as it says here also. We could think of that person in our time who not only is sick with sin, but also sick with those consequences of sin. And we don't have to look very far to see those in this world or maybe we have even known someone who has been close to us, who has been tormented by sin and also the consequences of sin.

Certainly, the use of drugs and alcohol in our time can put someone into this situation. And we have also witnessed that great miracle when through God's Word those who are sick with sin have been able to believe that sin forgiven. And they have then been transformed from darkness to light, and that evil spirit that has been in them has been cast out.

And how has it been cast out? It has been cast out in that same way that Jesus spoke, that he said, and with his word find that place here. Here where in this particular case Jesus with his word caused those that evil spirit which was in this man to enter into that herd of swine which then tumbled and ran violently down a steep place into the lake and were choked. And the devils came out of him.

And with his word we can read in other places in the Bible that with his spoken word Jesus drove out those evil spirits. And this same word he left with his own, and this same word which is spoken through the power of the Holy Spirit, the word of reconciliation is still here spoken in God's kingdom and still has the power to remove evil and sin.

And we also know that there are sometimes those types of consequences of these sins, whether it be alcoholism or drug use or some of these mental conditions that would trouble. There are, and it has been the instruction in God's kingdom that after those sins have been put away in the name and blood of Jesus, that one would seek those places of professional help that God even through those therapists could help heal the mind and help those who have been tormented.

But we can trust that the heavenly Father will give that power and that the most important is that this sin sickness is driven out by the preaching of the gospel, and that then when we believe that we would also be those that do the word of God, that obey the teaching in his congregation and live according to his word, and then we can live and dwell at peace in God's kingdom.

And our account of the events of this that we read in our text was the effect of that man whom Jesus had cast out. He was there the men who had been tending those pigs or swine when they witnessed that miracle, and the swine had gone down, they had lost part of their livelihood. They had gone back into the city to tell what had happened, and they came back and they found a very different man.

They had left a man who was living in the tombs, was wearing no clothes, they had chained him. We could say he was a lunatic, he had broke the chains. It even says here that when Jesus asked him what his name was, he said Legion because many devils were entered into him. He was a deeply tormented and troubled man.

But we can see the power of Jesus, the power of his word, the power of God's word, Jesus being the Son of God, that that man when those swine herders came back that man was a changed man. He was sitting at the feet of Jesus, he was clothed and in his right mind.

And we can see this picture here also of what the comforting words of the gospel when sin is forgiven, then we are clothed in that robe of righteousness that Jesus provided. This man was changed from a lunatic to one who was calm and at peace with God, who was, we could say, trusting in Jesus and traveling by faith.

And then that man who Jesus had cleansed of that wickedness, he wanted to then travel with Jesus, he wanted to depart with Jesus. And this shows to us the fruit of his faith that he recognized his Lord and Savior, he recognized that one who through his word healed him.

And isn't this the mind and the heart that we want to have also, dear brother and sister, that we would always recognize the place as a precious place, that place God's kingdom where the word is preached, the gospel is proclaimed, and that we would always want to travel together and be there at the feet of Jesus.

And how are we there at the feet of Jesus, Lord? But in this way that we travel together with our brothers and sisters in faith, that we gather at those places where God's word is spoken, where we can be fed of that word that is preached unto us through the Holy Spirit, and that we could view this gathering of God's children as a beautiful place.

And may it be that this is where we also want to be in this fellowship. And God will, God has promised that if we believe that He will bless us and continue to keep us in faith, and that He will protect us from evil and protect us from the wickedness that is in this world.

And we do live, dear brother and sister, by God's grace when we live and are able to dwell by faith in God's kingdom. We live in a sheltered and protected place. And the enemy of souls, the devil, of whom Jesus has power over, as we read here and learn of here in our text.

The devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. And he wants to make it look and appear to us that those things on the outside of God's kingdom or in this world, He wants them to appear harmless and innocent. Maybe even to partake of the drinking and drugs of this world.

Maybe the enemy of souls has even come to you with that lie that you should just try it once. It will be so fun that you could join your classmates or workmates or friends, worldly acquaintances in this activity. But this, dear brother and sister, dear tempted one, is the lie and the trick of the enemy of souls.

That place is a dangerous place to go. And there is much evil and wickedness and darkness in this world that those type activities could lead you into. And even the manifestation of those activities or the result of those activities even on the chemistry of your brain is such that it is a dangerous matter that the consequence of that sin could be so destructive.

And so pray, dear brother and sister, that you could be protected from this sin and these activities. And that is just one activity of many that the enemy of souls would paint such a beautiful picture.

But we can see in this text, we could see this real picture of one who is chained in sin, who we could say is there. One who is this is the way that sin would lead. We could say that it would lead us to that place where we would wear no clothes. We would have no house, and we would live in the tombs. And that we would be tormented.

This is where sin leads. And this is the reason that we are left with these accounts of Jesus' work, and how we can read in the Bible of these who were tormented by sin. This is a place that we do not want to go.

That we would not let the enemy, as it's often said, take our little finger. Because he is never satisfied with only that. That he would want our whole hand, and then our arm, and our whole body.

And certainly, we know that the enemy does still walk as a roaring lion, as we remembered a few minutes ago, seeking whom he should devour, or he would devour. The enemy has power in this world. But it is a power that is overcome by God and God's Word.

And God is more powerful than the wickedness that is in this world. And even though we do battle against the evil of this world, that God has given us the armor to continue and to be victorious in this battle, and he has also given us this sword, this weapon of warfare, which is his Word.

This Word of God, which we can read in another place, is quick and sharper than a two-edged sword. It is a living Word. And it is able to heal. It is able to transfer one who is tormented by sin to peace on the conscience.

The Word of God through the Gospel, which is preached through the power of the Holy Spirit, still belongs to each one of you this morning, that each of you can uplift your hearts to believe all sins forgiven in Jesus' name and precious blood, unto peace, freedom, and joy.

So that we can be as this one who was formerly tormented and troubled, but here then was at peace with God. And isn't this a blessed place to be where we can be there here living and dwelling in God's house. We have a house wherein we dwell, a place where we are protected, a place where we are at peace.

This is such a great blessing to be partakers of this peace and this peace that we even proclaim as we greet one another with God's peace. Peace. This peace of the heart, peace of the conscience, when we are able through God's great grace to have washed our sins away and have through the merit work of Jesus peace on our conscience.

But then we also see what Jesus told this man who was healed, who wanted to then travel with Jesus, had seen the power of the gospel. He wanted to live and dwell next to Jesus. But what did Jesus tell him to do? We may think it was an interesting instruction.

But Jesus sent him away saying, return to thine own house and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way and published or proclaimed or spoke throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

Jesus needed Jesus told this man to go there to his own city and to proclaim the gospel, proclaim the deeds and the words that Jesus spoke. And isn't it the same way, dear brother and sister, that we come to these places of worship, we come to services and we can be comforted and uplifted.

And maybe some of you were able to even be there in Phoenix at those winter services and were able to experience the love and the oasis, as sometimes is said, where we have when we gather with many others and are able to be there in the hearing of God's word.

But then when those services end, then we have to then go back to our own place of watching, our own endeavor of faith to our workplaces, to school, to our homes, maybe to those places where we have temptations and trials.

But this is the way it is when we are still here on this earth. We still need to travel and take those footsteps of faith in our own place of watching. And this is also what Jesus instructed this man to do.

He would have liked to stay there in that place, but Jesus said that he should go and to publish that which he had, how great things that God has done unto thee. And we, dear brother and sister, are given that same instruction that we would speak with those in our everyday lives, those on the outside of God's kingdom also about the way and that leads to heaven, about the treasure that we have been given.

And also we need to remember to uplift and comfort those in faith also, our families, our children, and our friends in faith, to visit with them and to visit around those matters which are unperishing, those matters of eternal life.

Often it is easier for us to speak of earthly matters, and this is important also. We need these friendships and these acquaintances where we speak of temporal or earthly matters, but it is even more important that we would speak of the way to heaven, where we would uplift and comfort one another and to preach the gospel one to another.

This gospel which will carry us, this word of God which Jesus spoke here, in which we continue to speak, those of us who have believed, we yet speak. And even you children, you too who have been given this childlike faith, you are such examples to us who are older, to moms and dads, to uncles and aunts.

You have also been given this faith, and you in your childlike way you can also, and remember also to preach the gospel, the forgiveness of sins to your moms and dads. They need this too, for there is none that is greater than the other in God's kingdom.

All of us live of this same grace. All of us live of this same gospel. We all need the same to feed our undying souls. And in this way we are given the strength to continue battling, to continue battling against the evil that is in this world, continue battling against Satan and his lies, and to continue battling against our own flesh.

Whether it be our minds and the doubts that come to our minds and to our flesh, or would it be the lust of the flesh that are so close to us, it is the gospel that gives the power to continue battling, that gives us strength to continue in faith.

And so, dear brother and sister, again you can uplift your hearts to believe all sins forgiven in Jesus' name and blood. Continue to battle, continue to wage warfare against the evil that is in this world. Jesus overcame evil.

And even as we move into this Easter season, we are at the third Sunday in Lent now, and this Lent is that time leading up to Easter. We can remember that greatest power that Jesus by given by God, that power that God was able to raise Jesus even from the dead.

Hell and death were not able to win, and that God and Jesus as the Son of God were stronger than even those, even hell and death. And it is this that God has given to you and to me, this faith that in believing in the resurrection and life of Jesus, that in this way we also will one day rise from the grave, that death will not be able to hold us either.

When we, this is what we have been given. Hold fast to this great treasure that God has given to you, and may God reveal unto each one of us this great, great gift that he has given. May he continue to give us this faith and strength to battle and to remain in faith in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let us join together then before our communion service in thanksgiving and prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, continue to uplift us, continue to strengthen us in faith. Thank you, dear Heavenly Father, for giving us Thy kingdom wherein we live and dwell in such a precious and protected place. We thank you, Heavenly Father, for this.

With weak words and even according to Thy great grace, we are promised those tongues of praise in heaven that will be perfect. The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make His face shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up His countenance upon us and give us peace.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, Amen.