Session #9

John 4:1-30
Jesus & The Woman At The Well • 11.24.09 •Jesus Christ: The Man Of God, Session #9

Intro

- John chapter 3 is the backdrop for John chapter 4. It contains some of the most directed material about Jesus and the nature of God's salvation in the entirety of the New Testament.
- It contains an interview that Nicodemus the Pharisee had with Jesus about eternal life. It contains the gospel in one verse in verse 16.
- At the end of the chapter, John the Baptist sails off into a great teaching about his view on Jesus. He ends with a statement that parallels what Jesus had said earlier to Nicodemus.
• John 3:36 : "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.'"
- There are no clearer verses on salvation than what can be found there. But what is interesting about that is how it sets up the next chapter.
- The assertion is that belief, trust in Christ, is the basis for anyone to have eternal life. It's the most broad offer, crossing all boundaries and touching all people for all time.
- He leaves that in our hands today. Angels could do it better and be more impressive, but He chooses that we partner with Him in this enterprise.
- Within our teaching today, we'll look at Christ's example and hopefully understand the concept of full surrender in a more complete way. This chapter breaks up into 4 parts.

I. The Context (v.1-6)
II. The Conversation (v.7-14)
III. The Confrontation (v.15-24)
IV. The Conversion (v.25-30)

Text

I. The Context (v.1-6)

• John 4:1-6 : “Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.” : The Lord’s ministry was thriving, eclipsing the ministry of John the Baptist, letting us know that this was early in His public ministry.
- Jesus is in Judea and was going back into the Galilean region. He's heading north.
- Between the Judean and Galilee lies Samaria. Jews in that time would have normally opted for a more circuitous route, avoiding Samaria all together.
- Verse 4 notes, that Jesus needed to go through Samaria. He needed to go through Samaria because it was His Father’s will.
- Often in the gospels, we see this perfect obedience to God’s desire and timing. Here we see Jesus obeying in what must have tested the rest of the disciple’s patience and trust.
- We think about Jesus being driven by the Holy Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted. We think about Jesus noting to His mother that His time had not yet come at the wedding in Cana.
- As men of God, you and I have to learn to be sensitive to what we truly need to do and where we truly need to be.
- We pack our lives so densely that we spend little time asking the Lord what He might want to accomplish in His day! Jesus exemplifies the need to submit ourselves to what God wants.
- However, there was more than just needing to be sensitive to God's schedule. He needed to obey above national prejudice.
- The disciples, being normal Jewish men, shared a common hatred of the Samaritans. To understand why, we need to look back into time.
- The Assyrians took the best and brightest of of their conquered into Assyria. The best from Israel, as well as other nations, came into Assyria.
- Those that did not fit this description however, were mixed with other conquered nations and dropped off. Guess where? That’s right! Samaria, where there lived an amalgamation both of people and religious beliefs, mixed in with the worship of the “native” God, Yahweh.
- Turn with me to II Kings 17. You should read the entire story later, but suffice it to say, there is a long history of idolatry in Samaria. Their epithet is seen in verse 41.
• II Kings 17:41 : “So these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children's children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.”
- This religious duality made the Samaritans a hated people. Jews would only utter the word “Samaritan” if they wanted to curse!
- Jesus ended His journey, due to exhaustion in a city called Sychar, sitting by a well.
- There is an argument regarding the time. One commentator puts this at noon, the other at 6PM, depending on whether John is following Jewish or Roman time.
- The point here is that the Holy Spirit through John marks the time for us. This is a divine appointment if there ever was one.
- Jesus sits down in the middle of His own exhaustion and is about to expend further energy as He engages in God's mission.

II. The Conversation (v.7-14)

• John 4:7-14 : “A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink.’ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, ‘How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?’ Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’” : Jesus is alone, tired and thirsty.
- The woman approachs and Jesus talks to her. In the NKJV, it sounds like He is demanding, but the original is much more genteel.
- A Jewish man would never ask anything of a Samaritan woman. She is amazed that a Jew would even talk to her, much less politely ask for something.
- Her respons to Jesus reflects the hurt that she had experienced because of prejudice and self-righteous judgment. "You Jewish man, need something from me! There's an irony!"
- Let's take just a quick moment here and run something down. For every great encounter that a non-Christian has with a Christian, they have had at least 2 or 3 others that we not so great!
- I have had to apologize to unbelievers for the actions and unkindness of believers on many different occasions. Like the woman, sarcasm and biting vitriol are the first line of defense.
- Jesus said to her, “If you only knew who I was! I have living water!"
- This brings me to another principle for us to gather. We are to be sensitive to God's schedule, willing to work despite prejudice, ready to engage even when exhausted and here, ready to be clear when the moment arrives!
- He tells her that He would offer her more than she could give Him, for He is the source of a water that is living.
- Water provides the illustration. Picture this woman. Alone, friendless, during the heat of the day, coming to a well.
- It’s the grind, the visual reminder that this is how life will always be: I’m thirsty, I must return to this well, day after day, if I am to be satisfied!
- “Sounds like my life,” she thinks. No satisfaction. “I’m burned out, bummed out, and burdened.” There is no end in sight. That is until she meets Jesus, who unexpectedly interrupts her.
- Jesus is offering to satisfy her spiritual thirst. He is sharing a wonderful picture with her.
- The well is the picture of life. It requires you to return, again and again, to regain your fill of water. Eventually though, the water you have collected is gone, and it’s time to refill again.
- Jesus is telling this world weary soul that those who keep coming back to the well of life, looking to be satisfied, will continue to do so. Every physical need on earth requires repetition.
- What Jesus offers to this woman is a spring of everlasting, satisfied life, which comes from a right relationship with the Giver, who is the Lord Jesus. He can give her this satisfaction.
- I love that Jesus is offering this to a Samaritan woman. Any other Rabbi, bound by their own traditions, would simply have cast this Samaritan woman aside to her fate. Jesus offers her life.
- Turn with me to Revelation 22. He still offers this to the world today.
• Revelation 22:16,17 : “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”
- Sinners were comfortable around Jesus. They sat and asked Him questions and enjoyed His presence. Jesus always showed a graciousness to such people.

III. The Confrontation (v.15-24)

• John 4:15-24 : “The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come here.’ The woman answered and said, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You have well said, 'I have no husband’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’" : Here we have come to the moment of truth. This woman wants what Jesus is offering to her.
- “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” This is the true cry of every desperate, weary soul in the world. “I want relief! I want to be satisfied!”
- Don’t we all? Isn’t that our hearts desire? Nobody wants to continue to go to the well of worldly satisfaction, day after day!
- It’s difficult to understand how it is that people can refuse what Jesus freely offers them. Life, forgiveness, joy, eternal life! Who wouldn’t want that? Yet, there are many who will refuse.
- Turn back a page to John 3:18.
• John 3:18-20 : “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”
- Jesus shows us and her that satisfaction in life cannot be attained while we live in unrighteousness.
- Jesus puts His finger on the issue that would keep her from being satisfied. It was her relationship with a man that was not her husband.
- This woman is caught in her sin and the Lord bids her to give up her sin, in order to get the living water. Will she?
- Jesus’ knowledge of her true situation inspires the most obvious comment in scripture! Of course, He is a prophet!
- Then the woman at the well confesses. I know that I am a sinner, but where do I go? The question is not where, but to WHOM! Worship is not about locality. It’s about reality.
- You are the temple. Are you His, wholly, and completely? Is your mind, fully and totally focused upon pleasing and honoring God?
- The Father is seeking such to worship, who will worship in Spirit and in truth. He wants people whose life will be consistent with the truth, who will be all His.

IV. The Conversion (v.25-30)

• John 4:25-30 : “The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’ And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, ‘What do You seek?’ or, ‘Why are You talking with her?’ The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ‘Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’ Then they went out of the city and came to Him.” : This woman senses that God is in this conversation. She resigns hopefully, saying, “I know that the Messiah will come and He will carry the answers.
- She is looking to a time that she figures can’t possibly be now. Just like the person in the world today, who figures, someday, God will sort it all out.
- The desperate, thirsty soul of this world believes this. Someday! Someday it will all be right, everything will align, and I’ll be satisfied. But it’s not now! No, it can’t be!
- Jesus plainly speaks and tells her that He is the one she has been waiting for!
- Notice that Jesus says very clearly that He is the Messiah. In case anyone, ever tells you that He never referred to Himself as the Messiah, please refer them to this verse!
- What a moment! Imagine if you will the look of Jesus, as the eyes of eternity met hers. She saw truth, kindness, love and forgiveness and knew it was true. How do I know? Because she went and told others.
- She went to whomever would listen and imperatively implored them to come to this man. Could this be the Christ? Her testimony was so shocking that they came!
- Let’s look down to verse 39 and see what happened as a result of this woman’s testimony.
• John 4:39-42 : “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.’”

Conclusion

- As always, this day belongs to Jesus. You belong to Jesus. You are His vehicle through which His will is performed.
- Are you tuned to what He wants to accomplish through you? Are you ready for Him to ordain appointments? Is His will more important than your needs?
- Jesus shows us that that is the bar. How many women or men at the well will you be meeting today? How many will respond and bring others to follow the Lord you represent?

Thursday Night Bible Study

Genesis 5
"This Chapter Kills Me!" • 11.19.09 • Thursday Night Bible Study 
Intro
- Coming to chapter 5, I think it appropriate to quickly recap what we have seen over these first four chapters of the Bible.
- There is great movement in these first four chapters, from heaven and space, to earth, to the formation of Man and his garden.
- From there, the movement turns outward beginning with the man, who is given a bride, becoming a couple. They conceive and bear children, making of course, a family.
- Their two sons, Cain and Seth then branch out into two parts of society. Last week, we looked at the line of Cain, who represents "secular" society.
- In his line, great advancements are made. There are advances in the realm of cattle raising, in the realm of music and therefore, culture and in metallurgy.
- They were brilliant and gifted, made moreso by the ability at this time to live for centuries.
- But their line is set on course by what we see in Genesis 4:16.
• Genesis 4:16 : "Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden."
- Cain chose a life divorced from any relationship to God. God, who is gracious to all men, allows them to flourish on this earth, but the entire line is godless and wicked, finding it's apex in Lamech, who like his forefather Cain, becomes a murderer.
- Sin and wickedness abound to such a degree that in just another chapter, we'll see that every thought and intent of the heart of man will be evil continuously.
- Then on the other side, we see Seth. His line begins "sacred" society." It's his line that we trace tonight and his line that will ultimately produce the seed that will crush the seed of the serpent and reverse the curse.
- With this chapter, we need to step back from our normal procedure of quoting a verse or verses and commenting upon them. Moses begins with these statements:

Text

• Genesis 5:1-3 : "This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created. And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth." : The idea of genealogy is the recording of the generations that usually follow an individual.
- Adam's genealogy begins with God who created him in his own likeness, in His image. He created Adam with the ability to communicate and to create in the same way that He does.
- God blessed them and named them Mankind in the day that they were created. He named them, displaying both descendancy, as well as responsibility.
- God brought them into existence and gave them purpose and direction.
- Adam was the original image bearer, but you will notice the distinction made by Moses in the next verse. Adam begot a son in his own likeness, after his image.
- This refers to a transference of the sinful nature that man is now cursed with. God did not give that to Adam. However, version 2.0 comes with the sin virus!
- Sin, or an inclination deep in the heart of man to disobey and walk away from God, was not part of the likeness of God. There is nothing of that in Him, but there is nothing but that in each of us!
- We are all born in sin, wanting to sin, looking for ways to perfect sin! That comes from Adam.
- We still bear God's image and likeness, but sin has marred it's appearance.
- From here, we need to step back and take note of the structure of the rest of this chapter.
- There are 11 generations recorded here. Most of the men listed lived over 900 years! There are over 1600 years of history covered.
- You'll notice that this is not a complete geneaology. Adam had at least 2 other sons, but they are not mentioned. In fact, verse 4 tells that he had sons and daughters.
- Moses is not interested in giving us a complete family tree. He's just following a line.
- As you further note the structure, you'll see that there is a formula that is followed for all of the remaining verses in this chapter. Each man is given three verses. We'll take Adam's three verses, as an example.
• Genesis 5:3-5 : "And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters. So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died." : Each member is a branch of the family tree. Each one begins with the Patriarch's age when the son, the next in succession is born.
- Then, Moses details the years lived after the birth.
- The final aspect is the sum total of years that the person lived.
- With Adam, we discover that he was 130 when he saw Seth come into the world. He lived 800 years more, having more sons and daughters during that time. At the end of his days, he lived 930 years! Adam lived over 9 centuries and then he died.
- Most of us today will be "lucky" if we can make it 9 decades!
- This leads us next to the implications of this passage.
- First, we have to deal with the age factor. These men all lived an extraordinaraliy long time.
- Adam had children before Seth, but had Seth at 130 years old. Noah had his children at 500.
- These men were not simply hanging on in their later years. These were vibrant men, filled with vigor and strength. How was this the case?
- This implies a very healthy lifestyle, as well as a very hospitable planet. Disease had not yet come into play. The water canopy shielded many of the suns harmful rays.
- I heard a Pastor say this week that he thought that the earth was enclosed with a pure oxygen atmosphere which precludes the growth of bacteria.
- More than anything, God sustained them and chose for them to live in this way.
- Imagine how smart they must have been. If you lived for so many years, imagine how good you would be at certain things!
- Scientists tell us that the average human being uses just 1 percent of their brain at the end of their 70 year life. Imagine how much more of their brain was used!
- A few other things draw our attention. Notice that there is no record of what these men did.
- Contrast that with the line of Cain in chapter 4, where we are given several details about what they did. Here, there are none.
- Why is that the case? Perhaps they all followed the way of Abel, who contented himself to be a shepherd.
- It may be simply that their lives matter more because of who they are related to. Why mention their exploits when you can focus attention upon the Savior?
- Then there is the matter of Enoch, who walked with God and was no more. What happened there? Take a look with me at verse 21.
• Genesis 5:21-23 : "Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."
- He's fairly young for a Father in this line of people, at 65 years old, but this birth was sincerely profound to him. It says, after he begot Methuselah that Enoch walked with God.
- He is the only one of this group to have that distinction. Enoch is a pattern breaker!
- Enoch had a special relationship with the Lord. He walked with God. What does that mean particularly for Him, as well as for us?
- Amos 3:3 says:.
• Amos 3:3 : "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"
- The first step in walking together is agreement. I must agree with the one that I am walking with. In this case, if I am to walk with God, then I must agree with Him.
- I must agree that I am a sinner and He is the Savior. I must agree that I am a servant and He is the Master. I must agree that my ways are useless and His ways are perfect!
- If I cannot agree to these terms, I cannot walk with God.
- Turn with me to Hebrews 11. Enoch provides an illustration of the next principle for walking.
• Hebrews 11:5,6 : "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found, because God had taken him'; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
- Choosing daily, hourly to trust Christ for all is key to continuing our walk with Him.
- Notice though that this was not always the case. Did you notice the word "after?" Again, the implication is that Enoch began walking with the Lord after Methuselah's birth.
- I have seen many men turn from wicked ways at the sight of their children. Fatherhood, really parenthood, has a way of changing our perspectives, doesn't it?
- But this young child was given a name that was prophetic in nature. One commentator mentions that Methuselah's name contains a warning of judgment to come at the time of his death!
- That commentator says that his name means "when he dies, the end will come!"
- Could you imagine that? Every time Methuselah got hurt or caught the flu, the whole town probably rallied to the Lord for prayer!
- When you follow the numbers from Genesis 5 and 6, you will see that Methuselah did in fact die in the same year as the flood. His life was a reminder that judgment was coming.
- Just a side note here. Methuselah lived 969 years. Talk about the mercy of the Lord being great towards those who don't know Him!
- As a result, we see that Enoch was a man among this group of men that went from walking with God to prophecying for Him.
- Turn with me to the book of Jude. Enoch was not silent when it came to the wickedness that He saw in the line of Cain.
• Jude 14,15 : "Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.'"
- Enoch was a prophet, who walked with God for 300 years and then, he was gone. Not dead, but just gone! God took him. He is the first man in the Bible not to die.

˚ "Enoch represents all the elect, all who believe. Because we walk with God, too. We walk with God by faith. We've been reconciled to God; we're agreed with Him; we love Him; we commune with Him. We walk in sanctification and holy obedience. It doesn't say that he had thoughts about God; it doesn't say he philosophized about God; it doesn't say he believed in God; it doesn't say he talked about God; it doesn't say he read about God. It says he walked with God. And he walked with God right into heaven."

John Macarthur

- This verse shows us the wickedness that was so prevalent at this time. There was already rampant wickedness at this time of the world because of sin.
- Finally, Moses shares with us the way that God's ways were transmitted.
- He lived 930 years. That means that when Lamech was born, Adam was 874 years old. He had 56 years to communicate first hand information to the man that would be the father of Noah!
- This means that Noah would have the collective experience of men who had lived from the very inception of the creation. He would have direct information about the nature of God and Man's relationship!

Conclusion

- Now, having looked at the structure and implications of chapter 5, we come to the ramifications of Genesis 5. What should Genesis 5 mean to us?
- First, God is faithful, in the face of sin, to preserve a line of hope! In the midst of growing chaos, wickedness and evil in the world at the time of these men, God still had saints.
- Turn with me I Kings 19. Elijah is a prophet who has just singlehandedly killed 400 prophets of Baal. There was a showdown and God won. After that, Jezebel the Queen said, "Tomorrow, I'm going to kill you!" Elijah, the man of God, ran from the sole woman!
- The equation then is this: What's scarier than 400 men? Just 1 woman!!
- He's on a mountain and he feels like he's the only one fighting this fight. God steps in and lets him in on a little secret.
• I Kings 19:18 : "Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.'"
- Turn now to Romans 11. Paul applies this verse to the people of God at his time.
• Romans 11:2-5 : "God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 'Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life'? But what does the divine response say to him? 'I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace."
- No matter how bad things get, God is always working, keeping for Himself a remnant of people that are faithful to Him.
- The second application that we can make is that God's word is truth. With the excepion of Enoch, each one of these godly, righteous men died. God had said it would happen and here, like a pounding hammer, the Word proclaims over and over again: And He died.
- This is a sobering reality, but it must be mentioned. God will not be mocked. Adam's sin produces physical death. Our's brings death as well.
- Satan told a bold face lie when he told Eve that she would not surely die!
- It hangs over each of us like a dark cloud and one day, death will take each of us, no matter how godly we are. But this brings me to our final point.
- For years, there has been fanciful treatments of the names of Genesis 5. Today, it's difficult to find three guys that agree on the translations of each of the names seen here.
- But two names are almost universally agreed upon. Adam, means mankind and Noah means "rest."
- The picture is that Mankind is being led through history to rest. God promises that no matter how bad things become, how unstable things might be, He has and will always provide rest!
- This is where God is leading you and I. He is leading us to rest in Him!
- It's fascinating because Noah's life is a life that will bring judgment to the world. The picture is beautiful: Jesus' life would do the same!
- For those who love and obey God, there is rest, but in the same person, there is also judgment. We either fall on our knees and submit to Christ in this life or we will fall on our knees and be forced to confess Christ as Lord in eternity.

Session #8

Luke 8:26-39

"Man Of The Tombs" • 11.17.09 • Jesus Christ: The Man Of God, Session #8

Intro

- The day began with an order from Jesus to cross the sea of Galilee. Seemed simple enough. The disciples, being saavy sailors figured this would be one of those easy days.

- It was just their luck though, when a storm found them right in the middle of their journey. Adding insult to the episode, Jesus almost slept right through it!

- He would have had the disciples not cried out for Him to do something, which He did when with a word, He calmed the storm. The sea turned to glass and the disciples resumed course.

- Imagine, it's late in the evening. They are soaking wet. They come to shore, each speaking of how thankful they are that this day is over.

- Peter talks about wanting to sell the boat, just so Jesus won't ask them to take it across the sea again! Andrew is ringing out his wet clothes, while Judas looks for all the coins that fell out of the offering bag!

- Jesus gets off the boat and out of the shadows comes a screaming, naked man! I can just see the guys faces drop, as their dramatic day, just got an unwanted dramatic boost!

- For them, they are through. They have had it. They are tapped out! It's time to rest and be done. R & R is not the usual for those who are walking with Jesus.

- We think that God just wants to use us when we are fresh and willing, not when we are spent and not wanting to cooperate. However, It's at these times that God makes appointments for us.

- What they see is what we see: Troubled people needing a touch from a living Savior.

- Who else will go and minister? Who else is there that will even be sensitive to the need?

- The disciples are right where Jesus wants them, on time for a date with destiny.

- This story provides us with a great deal of detail that will help us to face the always consuming, but ever rewarding job of being Christ's ambassadors on Earth.

- I pray that this story might compel us to see our world a little differently. The passage breaks up for us like this:

I. The Man's Condition (v.26-29)

II. The Lord's Command (v.30-33)

III. The City's Compassion (v.34-37)

IV. The Godly Commission (v.38,39)

Text

I. The Man's Condition (v.26-29)

• Luke 8:26-29 : "Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, 'What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!' For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness." : The trip had taken them down to the southernmost portion of the sea of Galilee. Gadara was mostly known as a Gentile region.

- Luke tells us that this man approached, the moment Jesus stepped off of the boat onto land.

- He had a "demon problem" for a long time. This was no new issue.

- There are many references in the gospels to Jesus' ministry being authenticated by His mastery over demonic possession. Beside this, there are only two others that are documented for us.

- The demonic host sought to bring shame upon and the man. He was naked. He was exposed to every pain, to all of the elements.

- He lived near or around the catacombs, which to the Jewish mind, would be a cursed position. The man was more like an animal.

- The demons speak and they always recognize Jesus. They have perfect theology, but they are forever lost. In fact, they identify Jesus better than some evangelicals do today!

- The demonic presence in the man spoke truthfully about Christ's character and it's future torment. Until that time however, the demon simply wanted to torment the man further.

- The demon often seized him, the word meaning that he was no longer control of his movements or actions. The demon used his body in the same way that we might use a car!

- There was no match for the demon's strength, as chains and shackles were useless. He simply broke them and sent this man out into the wilderness, into isolation.

- Now, we are not told how this man came to be in this condition. What we need to understand from this portion of the text, is that this torment was long term.

- He lived in a perpetual state of shame, pain and isolation because of the demon.

II. The Lord's Command (v.30-33)

• Luke 8:30-33 : "Jesus asked him, saying, 'What is your name?' And he said, 'Legion,' because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned." : Jesus asks for some identification. "Legion." A hundred demons resided here within this man.

- The demons knew their place. They immediately begged Jesus not to send them to their eventual fate, the abyss, literally the bottomless unmeasurable pit.

- The abyss is the place of torment created for the demonic horde, that many without Christ will one day share. These demons needed to go somewhere and the nearby pigs were the best place.

- Jesus permitted them to go. What power and might Jesus had. At one word, with one action, He releases this man from his long torment, and sends the demons out.

- Unfortunately, there will be no bacon in the Gadara, as the demons drown the pigs.

III. The City's Compassion (v.34-37)

• Luke 8:34-35 : "When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid." : It's early in the morning and people are just waking up to the news of what had happened.

- The first thing that they see is that the man that they had known was now entirely different from the day before. Something had radically changed.

- There are three things that they noticed. First, he was sitting at the feet of Jesus. I love this. Prior to this, he had been a wanderer, alone and isolated by the choice of the demon.

- Here, he is at peace, sitting at the place where a student or a devotee would place themselves. It's a picture of submission, no longer to a demon, but to Jesus.

- When a person is delivered from sin, a life proverbially set on fire by hell itself, he is not delivered to nothingness. He is delivered from a life, to a life, for a life!

- The nature of the gospel is to deliver such men and women from a Kingdom and bring them into THE Kingdom!

- Turn with me to Isaiah 49. Isaiah is prophesying about the nature of the Messiah's mission.

• Isaiah 49:24,25 : "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? But thus says the Lord: 'Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children."

- Notice the language. Captivity, forceful removal from free life. God says, "I'll mess with the one that messes with you and I'll make a mess of them!"

- Turn with me to Acts 26. Paul is recounting his testimony to King Agrippa.

• Acts 26:17,18 : "I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'"

- Here the Messiah, Jesus delivered this man from the influence of Satan's Kingdom and brought him to sit under His own Kingdom.

- When we participate in Kingdom work, we are doing the same!

- Note secondly, that the man is clothed. This was refreshing for everyone! The man to this point was known for his nakedness.

- Scripturally, from even the first chapters of the Bible, being "unclothed" or "clothed" is always a reminder of righteousness. Adam and Eve attempted to clothe themselves and God later clothed them. Turn back with me to Isaiah 61. Look at this amazing verse.

• Isaiah 61:10 : "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

- This man, more than clothed physically, was now clothed spiritually, with the rightousness of

Christ! He had seen his deliverance performed by the deliverer Himself!

- Finally, the man was in his right mind. Literally, he was self-controlled. He was not raving

and maniacal. He made sense. He was right in his thinking.

- Jesus came into this man's life and He reversed the curse. He undid in a day, with a word,

what the enemy had been trying to do for a long time.

- Everything about this man was different and right. But then notice the last phrase of verse

35: And they were afraid? What? Weren't they afraid before?

- The guy in verse 35 is certainly less scary than the guy from verse 26 and 29!

- The people were afraid. What Jesus had done brought fear. This is strange!

• Luke 8:36,37 : "They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned." : So, let's get this straight: A man with a long testimony of demonic possession is healed and changed. A person who could affect that, you would think, would be welcomed and treated like a hero!

- Not so! These people were absolutely afraid of what else Jesus could do. More than anything, it seems that they were afraid for the loss of any more of their economy.

- After all, these were swine herders. Their entire crop, their whole herd was destroyed. What else would they lose if Jesus stayed near them.

- It's amazing to me that this is still the case today. A man or woman is delivered from their confused, isolated and depressing lifestyle. All of sudden, instead of applause, they are hated.

- "Oh, you're no fun anymore! We used to go out..."

- Jesus is not going to stay where He is not wanted.

IV. The Godly Commission (v.38,39)

• Luke 8:38,39 : "Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.' And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him." : The man from whom the demons had departed. That is his distinction. That is wonderful.

- He was this man. He was the man who had been tormented by demons.

- Each of us is a "was!" What is your "was?" You might say, "I was a drunk." You might say, "I was an adulterer." A pervert. A fornicator. A prideful man.

- We can go on all day, but whatever you were, when you came to Christ, that part of you is

history. Biblically, we may have inclinations toward certain sins but because of Christ, that is no longer what identifies us.

- Turn with me to I Corinthians 6. Paul is communicating this truth powerfully.

• I Corinthians 6:9-11 : "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."

- Turning over just a few pages to II Corinthians 5 and we have these great verses:

• II Corinthians 5:16,17 : "Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

- Here this man is a new creation. And not surprisingly, the man wants to come with Jesus.

- He wants to leave this place that has rejected Christ. He wants to remain by Jesus' side.

- But Jesus refuses him. Whoa! Hold on!? Jesus sends this great illustration of His power away? The marketer in each of us says, "No! Bring him on the stage and let's play some music!"

- Jesus says, "Go back to your family and talk about what God has done for you!"

- What's more important than following Jesus? Partnering with Him by advertising what He has done for you!

- But, could he have not gathered more information, sat under some teaching, spent some time healing, gotten a little apostolic authority?

- Jesus says, you have enough, you know enough, you are enough to change your family forever! Your mission ground will be spent among the people who never thought you could be different. The ones who stopped believing years ago that you would ever change!

- That will take you more time that you have just to communicate that to them!

- Sure enough, this man did that and a whole lot more! He told his family and went throughout his entire city speaking about what Jesus had done.

Conclusion

- The meaning of this passage is simple: No matter how long a person has been lost, with a simple touch from Jesus, in a moment of time, he/she/they can be changed forever and made instruments for His glory.

- Jesus is the answer. There is no one who is too lost, too depraved, too stubborn, too far gone, that His hand cannot reach! Is that your Jesus? How should that affect your day today?