SM150111/Chaos, Culture, or Ch

Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners to receive free email daily devotions or to become a harvest partners, please visit us online@harvest.org. Let's grab our Bibles were back in our God came near series which is a chronological look at the life of Christ pulling from all four Gospels were following Jesus event by event in the title of the message is chaos, culture, or Christ in our text is Matthew eight turn over there with me if you would Matthew it is nowhere that is it's right after Matthew seven. Hope that helps you. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for the power of Jesus Christ that he is the name that is above all names no matter what other power has a foothold in our life. His power is greater and will see that on display in the text before us. So speak to us from your word, we would pray in Jesus name, amen power you gotta love, especially if you're a man, it seems like you can never have too much power to get guys together in the gym.

It's only a matter of moments until someone mentions how much he can bench press right if you get a budget car guys together.

It's only a matter of time until they start bragging about what's under the hood.

How much horsepower. Do you have, not that you would ever even use it with.

It just gives you bragging rights to get a budget. Geeks and nerds together and they'll talk about processor power.

How much storage you have in your computer. By the way we use the mark nerds. Now we work for them. Okay. Or were completely dependent upon them, but power people like to talk about it you know.

And then there's what you can do as you seek to accomplish something. A powerful accomplishment.

For instance, if you're a cook. Maybe your goal is to one day have your own restaurant or to win an episode of chopped or something like that. I read about a budget cooks a God together for world AIDS day in Turkey.

I didn't know there was a world at David.

There is apparently in the use hundred and 10,000 eggs producing an omelette weighing 9702 pounds that just kind of icky to me. I would not want to eat an omelette like that and then if you look at the Guinness Book of World Records there some dubious distinctions. One man was able to do the most course of sin in our in England. He did 1900 consecutive push-ups, that's insane. I mean when I did my last physical I did 50 consecutive push-ups and after that I did 100 crunches seriously. Nestlé's are very good but I won an award. The most push-ups done by a balding pastor on this particular day X he just gave it to myself.

Then their site.

The award or the recognition for the heaviest car balanced on a person's head.

Why would they even have this, but apparently some guy in England with a car weighing 352 pounds. Got it on his head where you find a car that weighs 352 pounds must've been one of those little smart smart cars are to be a little one of those little fields that are out now then there's a heaviest weight lifted within ear and ear guide. Pakistan holds this record. He lifted 160 pounds with his ear.

So girls don't complain about your earrings anymore.

Overly when you get down to it, the history of mankind is been the discovery of and the using of power. First it was manpower that it was steam power that it was nuclear power.

But what we seem to lack is will power and is able to harness the powers of the universe, but he can't seem to control himself. But here's the good news. We serve a mighty God who is all powerful. The Scripture says you will call his name Jesus sees the mighty God, the everlasting father, the Prince of peace.

And you know what we need his power in our life to live.

This Christian experience. Some people say I think it's hard to be a Christian. All I would disagree with that. I think it's impossible to be a Christian without the power of God's spirit working through you and that's why we need to lay hold of that power. Why, because just as surely as there is a God in heaven who loves you. There is a Satan on earth who hates you on. Sometimes people think Satan lives in hell not true. He's headed there eventually.

But no, Satan is alive and well working in our world. The Bible says he is the Prince of the power of the year.

The spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience. The Scripture says he is the God of this world, not when I see Satan don't think of some red dude with the red skin and a pitchfork in horns and pointed ears and a tail with the point you'll run around know I'm talking about a very real intelligent spirit being. Seems like whenever there is evil on display like we saw after 9/11 or we just saw in Paris, France, belief in the devil goes up. I think right now is 70% of Americans believe in the devil you know it it doesn't really matter to the devil. If you believe in him or not your CS Lewis made an interesting statement and I quote he said there are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devil and demons. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors. That's true, you know, there are some that are obsessed with Satan living. Satan is behind everything and then there are others of Lapin say all there is no double both of those are incorrect. We need a biblical view of him. Let's start with some you need to know about Satan, he is not the equal of God, and I think we watched too many Star Wars films and we think that there's the good and the bad side of the force and and you know the devil.

Sort of like the bad side, and undoubtedly here's what it really is. God is all-powerful and Satan isn't even close. But having said that Satan is my son.

Good right now, use me so I will. I don't know what I was talking by completely lost my train of thought. But the devil is limited in what he can do, but we should understand.

He does have power now, how do you keep the devil out of your life will let me just say there's no silver bullet that's going to stop him.

There is no holy water that's gonna stop him. There is no crucifix that's going to stop him. If you hang garlic around your neck that won't keep them away. That'll keep your friends away unless I can assure Italian in the calm but the idea is none of these things will keep Satan away. The only power he respects is the power of Jesus Christ. What is the devils indicate what is his ultimate agenda.

Jesus tells us in John 10 the thief speaking of Satan comes only to steal, kill and destroy. That's what he wants to do. Ultimately, that he may initially entice you, he may get you to enjoy some of the pleasures he offers to send but ultimately he wants to steal, kill and destroy. In contrast, Jesus wants to give us life and that more abundantly will number four is here in Matthew eight is a story of two men would come under the power of Satan. They were tortured there were suicidal. There were lonely and they were in an absolutely hopeless dilemma. That is until Jesus came along this show Satan's package deal for the person he has in store or what he has in store for the person who is in the his grip. I mean, first and foremost he's going to try to stop you from coming to Christ, and he'll entice you with the things that he think of that he thinks will appeal to listen to this, the devil is big on free samples ever had a free sample of something given you have ever been to a Krispy Kreme donuts okay now here's the key with Krispy Kreme. If you've never been.

If the sign is not lit up. I don't know if it's really worth your time. But if that sign is lit up. That means are making fresh donuts and specifically fresh glazed donuts and men when you get a fresh glazed donut. It's an amazing thing. So I have pulled in more than one solid minute and I walk in. The first thing they do is so would you like a fresh glazed donut for free.

It's like is the sky blue.

I mean, you grab it, you can eat it into bites. That's the interesting thing about the Krispy Kreme donuts it's slightly smaller than a regular donut you feel as though you're not eating as much.

I think my world record is maybe eight or nine. I'm sorry that doesn't sound good at all. I washed them down with cold milk. So there it is. It's a free sample know why does Krispy Kreme give out free samples will I believe it's because they love us know it's because they want you to buy more donuts which you will know. Having said that, I hate to say this but it's a perfect picture of sin. There is pleasure in it. There is pleasure in the first donut.

Then the second then the third, but after about 20 minutes and all that does things done and your stomach and you're feeling slightly depressed from that sugar rush are your reaping the consequences of it in the same way the devil will say they wanted to check this out.

Why don't you try this other thing we so no I don't want to do now try it just wants it's a free sample iterative try again.

So we try and there's a pause there's an excitement there is an enjoyment and then there's a repercussions you might be surprised to hear me say that sin can sometimes be fun. Let me take a quick poll. How many of you have ever sin. Raise your hand if you sin. Okay, you you have ever had fun sinning, raising it, it's okay. It is your church a lot. Okay, now how many of you have ever faced the consequences of your sin.

Raise your hand, how is that not so good, so the Bible says sin is pleasurable for a season. In other words, it's fun for a time but then it brings forth death.

I'm sure would be a great euphoric rush to jump up the world. That's our that's not existing anymore old analogy, the Empire State building and without a parachute with them and when you get ground it would be a lot of fun and so that's what sin is like and that's what we don't want to even start going down that road. Now let's come to the story in Matthew eight organist C3 forces at work here, we see chaos.

We see culture and we see Christ for another way to put it. We see Satan we see society and we receive the Savior. These are two men possessed by demons. Matthew eight verse 28 when Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake in the region of the Gadarene to mineral possessed by demons met him and they lived in the cemetery and were so violent.

No one could go through that area. They began screaming. Who are you interfering with the son of God. Have you come to torture us before God's appointed time with her happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance so the demons begged if you cast us out, send us into their herd a bit. All right, Jesus says, go so the demons came into out of the men and entered the pigs of the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside in the lake and drowned in the water. The herdsmen fled within the nearby town telling everyone what happened to the demon possessed man then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone. Chapter 9 verse one Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own men. What a story this is as it begins, we find two pathetic, demented, demented demon possessed men. Luke's account, he focuses in on one in particular, he was probably the more extreme of the two.

Luke says it to me were no no no close nor did he live in a house, but he lived in the graveyard.

That would certainly discourage you from going to lay flowers at the grave of a loved one because there's a crazy naked man running around screaming and that's exactly what this man did it would be a scary place, especially at night. The amplified translation says of him night and day among the tombs and on the mountains. He was always shrieking and screaming and beating and bruising and cutting himself with stone while know it's a sad thing, but people of course are suicidal today and also people cut themselves today. I will know about cutting her self injury were widespread among our young people, kids cutting themselves lot with sharp objects like razor blades. By the way girls do it more often than boys almost teenagers and cut our young adolescents between the ages of 11 and 12 or 17 and 18. You see these kids are no and sometimes they do it just to feel something, perhaps someone is said something tumor treated them badly so they cut themselves.

Despite all of our technology and sophistication things that would change since this day.

So here is this man who is basically the finished product of the devil's agenda. Here is a man was completely under his control. He doesn't have a will any longer is like a spiritual zombie is one of the walking dead and he is an un-happy man.

And it's interesting that the demons know Jesus is coming and there waiting for him. Luke's version of the story we read these words as soon as they saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him and then he screamed, why you interfering with me, Jesus, son of the most high God, please, I beg you don't torture you see this guy was so much under the control of the devil. He couldn't even speak for himself anymore effectively. The devil was speaking through his vocal cord, the US, the question Greg can people be demon possessed today. Yes, I believe they can, especially if the are not believers. I don't believe a Christian can never be demon possessed a Christians to be tempted by the devil. We can be oppressed by the devil. We can be hassled by the devil, but he can't move you Jesus is the sole occupant of every one of his followers in the zone into a timeshare program so it's good news to know the devil can't get in. However, if you're a nonbeliever there's nothing you can do to keep them away, but there are people that are not necessarily possessed but certainly there under the influence of the devil. And sometimes when people are antagonistic or people do bad things are saying horrible things we think that person is the enemy know they are not the enemy the devil is the enemy there just a person is caught in this trap. Here's some insight as to how to deal with those people from the apostle Paul in second Timothy 225. He says God's servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey you never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and are turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the devils trap where they are caught and held captive forced to run his parents so just remember that person you're talking to. They can be reached years ago and I was a brand-new Christian, maybe a couple weeks old, my faith went to a little Bible study with other very young Christians were sitting in a little circle and singing some songs and praying and one person had the bright idea of praying for Satan. She said when we pray that Satan comes to Jesus then he won't have to list anymore pain even as a young believer. I knew that was crazy. No, no, don't waste your time praying for Satan, but certainly spread your timeframe for someone that's under his control because no one is beyond the reach of God to here's what we learn from the story your taking note, you might write some of these things down there on the screens as well.

Number one demons though wicket are quite Orthodox. Some of their beliefs. Demons though wicket are quite Orthodox and some of their believes the givers. 29 they began screaming at him wire you interfering with the son of God. Have you come here to torture us before God's appointed time.

They know he's the son of God, and they know there's an appointed time for their judgment. There actually accurate in the statement.

Mark's account of this story we read one of the men ran up and bowed down before him.

The word that is used there for bow down is from the Greek word prose can kneel, which is translated worship. It speaks of adoration and worship is in this demons loathing hate everything about God, but they're powerless to do anything but worship they have to come under the power of Christ which is greater than theirs.

And though this one day.

Everyone will bow and worship Jesus Christ in eternity. Everyone, every man, every woman, every Republican, every Democrat every independent every Christian, every eight years. Every Muslim, every Buddhist there are no exception. So how do you know the because the Bible tells me in Philippians 2 at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.

Now you might be surprised to know that the devil is neither an atheist or an agnostic.

He believes in the existence of God. He believes in the deity of Christ. He believes that the Bible is the word very word of God that he believes that Jesus Christ is coming back. I did not say that he's put his faith in Christ.

I just am saying. He gives intellectual assent to these facts.

He knows they are true and I think that's one of the reasons why people invoke the name of Jesus occurs giving notice that someone's upset nosy Jesus Christ or Jesus H Christ H what is that step four. You know you never hear person get their thumb with a hammer and say all Buddha or Hare Krishna. No or even IHR Wawa.

That's what I say no. It's always Jesus Christ.

Why do they say that in their own weird twisted way through acknowledging that there is power in the name of Jesus and Satan understands that as well. Any balance before effect.

The Bible says in James 219.

The demons believe in Trumbull that I could better be translated. They believe in shutter and the bourbon curing occurring only here in the New Testament means to wrestle the bristle. It conveys the idea of a horror causing the hair of your head to stand on it. Mikey sets one single here, but you get the idea that there is a belief there because they know his power and they asked him in verse 29. Why have you come to torment us before our time because they know the one day Jesus will come back again and they wondered is that time, already so here is the devil doing his work. He knows he's going to be judged one day so here's something to think about the next time the devil remind you of your past.

Remind him of his future.

He comes it's is all control you, and if you know what actually know.

In fact, go to hell you heard me right. That's one of the act few times you can use that without cursing because that is exactly where he is headed.

As I said earlier, he's not there yet, but he's going there one day and he knows it well, so you don't engage him in conversation you just remind him of worries going and you remind yourself of what God has done for you.

Notice that Jesus asks the name of the demon and the responses Legion, for we are many elements, strange because a Roman legion consisted of 6000 soldiers was this guy possessed by 6000 demons. I don't know, but he was clearly under the control of the devil in the process he lost everything he lost his home, he lost his family.

He lost his friends he lost his sanity even lost his very well. This is what happens.

The people go down this road number two, though not as powerful as God demons to have considerable power they say look, if you get to cast us out of the sky send this in the debtor depicts Jesus is all right. Go and in the poor. The demons go and the pigs freak out and they commit mass to the side over the side of the cliff.

It's a first recorded instance of deviled ham in human history.

Genocide really, but there's power that there's an interesting story in the book of Daniel where the prophet was praying and mean well up in heaven. God was sending an answer. The Lord dispatch the answer to the prayer of Daniel through an angel that was coming to bring it to them. But in the process. The angel will stop and overcome. From a higher ranking demon power a demon is a fallen angel and this demon can't make any headway. The Lord aware of this dispatches the mega angel. The Ark Angel Michael. He overcomes that other demon power the Prince of Persia and releases that angel to bring the answer to Daniel's prayer. So next time you're praying and you wonder why your prayer isn't being answered.

Hey, there's a lot of stuff going on. So just be patient and wait on the Lord number three Jesus Christ as power over the devil and his demons. We are ready mentioned in Philippians 2.

Because of this, God has given him a name that is above every name, and that the name of Christ every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the father. So we see three forces at work in the story. Chaos culture in Christ or Satan society and the Savior. Now we've only seen what Satan did what about culture or society. They chain them up. They didn't have any answers they could rehabilitate the sky. They couldn't get demons out of the sky they just change him up. That's really all we do in our society today. You know, we have a wave of violent crime sweeping our country and overwhelming law enforcement on many occasions and I would just like to say a word about law enforcement.

I think God for them and I think there that's right.

I think they're underpaid. I think they're underappreciated to go out there and provide for us a thin blue line protecting us will greater some bad touch others bad everything you pick the profession. There's some bad apples in it, including the ministry, but serving as a chaplain for two police departments. I spent a lot of time with police officers in a tell your overall their fine, upstanding, hard-working people that really do care, but they have a hard job because the go out there and get a bad guy or a bad girl and then that person will appear before some liberal activist judge that will send them away with no real punishment will appear in the streets again. Meanwhile, back in our school situation ethics are being taught word were telling our kids are just highly evolved animals.

There is no right. There's no wrong. There is just 50 shades of gray right and then were surprised when some kid picks up a gun and start shooting other people were surprised when the kid was Todd is a highly evolved animal begins to act like one. I tell you what our country is teetering on the brink right now and America needs God like it's never needed him before were in great need of a spiritual awakening years ago the chaplain to the U.S. Senate Peter Marshall said in many ways prophetically. This statement quote the choice before us is playing Christ are chaos, conviction, or compromised discipline or disintegration.

I'm rather tired of hearing about our rights and privileges as American citizens.

The time is come, says Peter Marshall. It is now what we ought to hear about the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship. America's future depends upon her accepting and demonstrating God's government."

That is so true. You know the choices there Christ are chaos and were seeing a lot more chaos because were seeing a lot less of Christ, but we would pray that God would send a great spiritual awakening to sweep our LAN. I'm telling you things would change right before your eyes. So look at the sky, possessed by demons. Culture can help, but would culture could not do Christ did with one word that brings us to the third force, if you will, in the story Jesus Christ and by the way we story starts with Jesus coming from the other side of the like, but if you don't read before Matthew eight and Matthew seven. You don't get the whole story because Jesus was coming across the lake effect of you go to the Sea of Galilee looks more like an ocean because it's so vast, but it's actually a freshwater lake but as Christ was coming over this like a huge storm whipped up overpowering their boat and Jesus comes up on the deck of the boat and he says peace be still, and immediately the storm stopped. It's interesting because there was a sound effect. By the way that the storm stopping and it's interesting because that phrase he uses in the original language could better be translated. He's being muzzled be muzzled as though we were talking to a ravenous wolf or dog because he wasn't speaking to the storm he was speaking to the power behind the storm, which was Satan who is trying to stop Jesus from reaching these demon possessed men.

Satan did not want these men change the stopped the tried to stop the Lord from that mission, and I was last week I went to a place with a trained police dogs and I was seen what they're capable of, which is quite impressive. You know the goal and she's a bad guy or find drugs or contraband. Things like that and so one of the ways they treat them as they have this thing in their armor. It's covered in sort of a burlap and they have a plastic thing under to protect them. So the guy puts devices, watches, and the dog runs grabs hold of this thing and the guys lifting up the legs hanging on his feet off the ground. Then the guy says to me would you like to try Greg I don't know why I did buys it. Okay, so I put it on only netted in the dog lunges in the grab put the dog thing on their see the thing is you have to know the word to say that the dog for it to stop. And here's the problem. These dogs are trained in different languages because some come from Germany and some come from other places so just remember the right word virtually the trainer near the right wording.

The dog let go of my arm Wednesday of a preacher who got a horse and he didn't want to use the conventional commands like giddy up and while he thought he would use spiritual terminology that would be better. So instead of teaching the dog or dog, horse and sensing the words giddy up he would say, praise the Lord. So whenever he said, praise the Lord, the horse would take off at a gallop whenever he said hallelujah horse would stop three like that is right or an appraisal but off he goes hollowly for more stuff. This is great. One day the horse got spooked by something and went into a full gallop, and the problem was they were right by a cliff in the horse was headed to the very edge of the clip and the preacher think I can stop the source, but he can't.

Can't remember the word what is the word for well and well horse horses and respond to that and he says oh I glory to God that doesn't work.

Thank the Lord don't know what is the word "hallelujah horse stopped at the very edge of rocks are going over the side preacher wipes his face.

Praise the Lord anyway. Jesus says to the devil behind the storm. Please be muzzled listened to this, the devil will always try to stop a person from hearing the gospel different docent, you know, when you invite some of the church. They bring in all kinds of crazy stuff starts happening you invite them to the harvest Crusade and they say they're going to common something takes place that you just have to be persistent at times like that. But no, something from the story Jesus has a mission and his mission is to go to these demon possessed man just says he was on a mission to reach the immoral woman of Samaria, just as he was on a mission to reach the conniving sake is just as he was on a mission to reach this man. He's always on a mission to reach people have ever lost something of value. Maybe a dog or a cat. She put up posters around your neighborhood dog lost the other picture of the dog.

There far worse if ever lost a child.

Maybe in an amusement park or a supermarket man that is pure panic is in it. So what you do you know some more kids at home mom's belief, I hope not though, I believe you would search for that child to you from an God is the same. In fact, Jesus says he's like a shepherd that has an hundred sheep and one goes astray and he leaves the 99 that searches for that lot sheep till he finds it, and he wraps it around his neck and brings it home rejoicing. God will always seek after that lost person what we bring this up because some of you may have lost contact with your children because it gone prodigal communication is shut down. Listen, don't ever give up on them, because God never gave up on you. Both of my sons were prodigal's for a time. Both of my sons were not walking with the Lord, but they both came back to him.

Thankfully and remember that when you go astray, God is not going to write you off. God is not gonna forget about you.

He's gonna seek you out. So here's this man, what culture could not do Jesus could what religion could not do. Jesus can and here's the account from Luke and 835. What happened to this man after the demons were driven out. They went out to see what happily came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons departed listen of this sitting at the feet of Jesus." And in his right mind, and they were afraid really seems like they should have been praising the Lord their freight you know I love the fact that some Christians a been so transformed, you would never even in your wildest dreams imagine what they used to be. We have a lot of change lives right here next to you is someone you may not know what their life is been changed by Christ of you find out if you found over the used to be. You may not even want to sit next to them. But God is so change I think of my friend Michael friend sees a former member of the mob who now is a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ just wanted to come off.

You know that something unopened. I'm getting rid here's something to consider. We should be known for who we are in Christ instead of what we were. Don't be defined by your past be defined by your present some people it's all about what they were what they were and what they did.

They only want to hang around people that also did those things and people to look just like them. They want to go to a church which is filled with people that are of that certain behavior listen. The great thing about the church as it all ages. It's all races. It's all cultures and we set those differences aside because we have something in common were new people in Jesus Christ.

That's our message that we should send out the people that don't know the Lord actually think it's a powerful testimony when a nonbeliever walks in the church and everyone is not the same but they see how they're all connected as a family.

The family of God.

So where's the city view verse 34.

They begged him to go away and leave them alone. Can you imagine that the whole city said go go away. We don't want you here in our city anymore.

Why did they do this well, frankly, Jesus was bad for business because apparently they were making their living off pics, which by the way, were forbidden in the Mosaic law. So this was hardly a kosher thing to do. And Jesus just wrecked their little industry 2000 hogs is a lot of bacon and others sit in on the bottom of the lake.

There was no more bringing home the bacon for them so they say. Did Jesus go away because you're not good for business. Let me ask you a question. Can you ask God to bless what you do in business if you can ask God to bless your business you need to get a new job because them, sometimes maybe the thing you do is not something you're very proud of what you need to say Lord blessed me as I go today and do what I didn't like it I can't do that then find another place to be employed. I would say that a lot of things you know you to go see a movie tonight they could you just say Lord bless us as we go to this movie will Greg you don't know it will be right for them to go see what maybe not go to the movie. Kenny was the Lord to bless a relationship. Well, I don't know if God would really approve, then maybe you shouldn't be in that relationship. If you can see how that would be thy name over whatever you're doing, then you should not be doing it so they don't want him around Galway.

Guess what, he went away careful what you ask for. You might get it. You know sometimes people say when we pray we should claim what we want for God from God because prayer is a force and you must take hold of the force and you must ask God to give you what you want even more demanded claimant in the name of Jesus and it will be yours. Well you can do that all you like but I don't serve a Butler in heaven. I serve a father in heaven.

I've learned by experience that sometimes God overrules my prayer for my own good to. Here's a PS I like to put in every prayer of the Lord.

I believe this is your will. I believe this would be a good thing free to do for you to do.

However, not my will but yours be done at all. Pray that some would say because you cancel out your prayer, although to pray that because Jesus taught us to pray that the Lord's prayer after this manner therefore pray our father worked in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So you know what Jesus in effect answered their prayer Galway Jesus Jesus says you sure about that. Yes Galway okay by she Jesus is a gentleman. He will force his way in anyone's life.

He says I stand at the door and I knock it if you hear my voice, and open the door. I'll come in. We have a choice in the matter, we can see just come in. We can say no Galway you don't respond to what you say to him, he offers the invitation now effectively the ball is in your court.

So there's three prayers in the story number one, the prayer of the demons.

They pleaded with Jesus to send them in the into the pigs and he did. Number two, there's the prayer of the people they foolishly pleaded with him to leave their city and he did just that and finally one of the men who is delivered asked Jesus if he can now be his follower marks version of the story says. When Jesus got back in the boat. The men would been demon possessed begged to go to but Jesus said no go home to your friends and tell them what wonderful things the Lord is done for you and all merciful. He is been is a Jesus the same son look I love you but I have a different plan for you and I want you to walk with me in this way want you to go back to your home.

I went to the tell your family member. I want you to tell your friends and want you to tell your neighbors wife because God cares about lost people. The sky would be the evangelist meant area now so just a good reminder that we should always think about those were closest to us and keep praying for them. Don't give up on that and remember that the power of Jesus Christ is greater than the power of Satan because first-run forces greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world only close with this question. Do you know Jesus Christ you know maybe you try to make yourself a better person. You try to be a moral person you try to be an educated person you hear a story like this. A guy that's possessed by demons running around naked, cutting it with everything yellow. I'm not that guy. Okay true there's different ways you can be under the devil's power. One way is to think he doesn't exist. And to think God doesn't exist and to think you are the master of your own destiny. You are the captain of your own ship.

That's a pleasant fiction, but it's a fiction and it's not true.

You say well I'm a good person and if there's a heaven.

I believe I'm good enough to get there. Okay. Are you willing to stake eternity on that unfounded belief that you just came up with in your little old head. Are you ready to dismiss the teaching of this book, the Bible and say I don't believe that.

I just believe what I believe really what if you're wrong, are you willing to spend all eternity separated from God because of this, would you consider the fact that even if you are a relatively good person. You're not good enough to get in the habit. There are good people. I'll admit that, but not good enough because one sin is enough to keep you out of heaven. But the good news is 2000 years ago Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sin, and he rose again from the dead and if you turn from your sin and believe in him, he will live in society view and one day you'll meet him in heaven. You have his word on that is a Wyman of the power of an addiction. I tried to shake it before. Will this is not about you shaking it.

This is about God changing you. You might say well I'm I'm old now and you can't teach an old dog new tricks you/you're not a dog and these are not tricks. God can change you, no matter how old you are, no matter what lifestyle you live. No matter what addiction you've had everybody can be transformed by Jesus Christ but they have to respond to his invitation to believe in the closedown prayer, to give you an opportunity to put your faith in Jesus and literally walk out of this place today a different person on the inside than when you came in and knowing that your eternal address has been changed from a place called hell to a place called heaven. Let's all bow our heads if you would everyone praying father, thank you for your word to us today.

Thank you for your love for every one of us and thank you that you never have given up on this in your calling us to yourself.

Even now, but we do have a choice in the matter, we can say yes and we can say no Lord I'm praying now that you will speak to the hearts of these that do not yet know you and help them to come to you and believe I want to hedge about in her eyes are closed or praying. How many of you would say I want Jesus Christ in my life. I want my sin forgiven.

I want to go to heaven when I die, I'm ready to open the door of my life and invite Jesus and pray for me that your desire. Wherever you are, would you just raise your hand. Let me pray for you.

You want Christ in your life bless you. God bless you lift your hand up or I can see it wherever you're sitting me pray for you. God bless you. Anybody else raise your hand appropriate for you now publish you guys that harvest Riverside in the other satellite campuses you're watching on the screen.

This still applies to you, raise your hand up.

No, I can't see you, but the Lord.take this little step of faith. Now believe in him. Raise your hand up if you want Jesus Christ in your life.

Anybody else this last moment.

One is forgiveness. You want to go to heaven when you die, let me pray for you, bless you what a heads up, still about maybe some of you would say hey I'm the prodigal you're talking about.

I knew the Lord at one time, but I've run from him that I want to return to him now that you if you need to return to Jesus Christ, would you raise your hand right.

Let me pray for you, bless you publish you. Anybody else raise your hand if you need to come back to the Lord, bless you right now when I ask all of you that a brazier can. If you would please distend your feet, lead you in a prayer right where you stand to stand up. Yes, you heard me right, stand up, others are standing you're not alone to stand up, lead you in this simple prayer of committing your life to Jesus Christ and right where you are in the lead you in the spirit.

God bless you, that are standing anybody else.

God is speaking to you.

You either say yes to Jesus or use a no you either say come in.

Are you saying in effect go away what your decision anybody else stand up, lead you in this prayer is there watching the screen stand up wherever you are. You pray this prayer to one final moment anybody else stand right you the understanding of what you do pray this prayer out loud after me.

This is a prayer of asking Christ to forgive you of your sin again as I pray pray this out loud after me. Pray this with me if you would, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner but I know you're a Savior who died on the cross for me, and rose again from the dead. I choose to follow you, Jesus. From this moment forward as Savior and Lord his God and friend.

Thank you for calling me and accepting and forgiving me in Jesus name I pray, amen