You know, one of my favorite features of the Gospel of Matthew is how it starts and how it finishes.
It's got bookends.
And Matthew chapter 1 starts with Jesus being identified as Emmanuel, God with us.
And then at the end of Matthew chapter 28 in the Great Commission,
Jesus is commissioning all of His disciples of all time to go make disciples of the nations.
He says, go baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Teach them to observe all that I commanded you.
And then He drops this promise on us.
And lo, I am with you always.
So the Gospel of Matthew starts with God with us and ends with God with us.
God is with you, Christian.
He is forever with you.
He's with you today, and He's with you tomorrow, and He's with you on Inauguration Day,
and He's with you all the way through.
So there's never been a point throughout your day in which Jesus has not been with you.
Now, if you're not a Christian, you haven't bound the knee to Jesus,
you haven't responded to Him in repentance and faith,
Jesus' promise to be with you doesn't mean much, does it?
You need to realize that He does promise you one thing,
and that is to one day be your judge.
And so please listen as you learn something of Jesus today.
Now, if you are a Christian and either you're young or you've been away from the Lord
and you're coming back and you have a diminished view of Jesus,
you have a little view of Jesus, an atrophied view of Jesus,
this promise that Jesus is with you,
that might not mean much to you either.
And so what you need is a big dose of the real Jesus.
Now, if you're a Christian in the room,
and you have a growing realization of all of who Jesus is
in all of His authority,
you've come to the point of realizing that this promise,
that I am with you always,
it makes all the difference in how you go about your day.
He's with you.
He's with me.
Emmanuel, in all His unrivaled authority,
goes with you, Christian.
He's with you.
So you're not walking into school alone tomorrow.
You're not stepping into your place of employment by yourself tomorrow.
Emmanuel's with you.
If you're going to go to your doctor's office
and you realize there's bad news waiting,
you're not going in by yourself.
If you're a parent who's struggling with parenting
and things can go crazy,
you're not alone.
If you're a mom and you're entering the laundry room
with a 20th load of laundry,
you're not alone.
You're not alone.
And it's not just us personally.
Whatever we encounter as a church,
who knows what 2017 holds for us?
The Lord knows.
And whatever we encounter,
He is with us.
He is the storm pacifier.
He's the demon defeater.
And He promises
to be with us.
If you would open up your Bibles to Matthew 8,
we're going to be looking at verses 23-34,
which is a little bit of an adjustment.
I was going to try to tackle
all the way through 9-8 this morning,
but yesterday in writing,
I realized there's no way.
And so this morning,
the passage we're looking at
contains two distinct episodes
from the life of Jesus,
and we're traveling with Jesus.
Matthew has us getting in a boat with Him
in Capernaum,
and we're going to cross the Sea of Galilee.
And while we're crossing the Sea of Galilee,
Jesus does something marvelous.
He's the storm pacifier.
And then when we land on the other side,
the east side of the Sea of Galilee,
He does something amazing as well.
Two demon-possessed men come out to Him,
and He does something extraordinary.
He's a demon defeater.
So, and then next week,
what we're going to do is
we're going to get back in the boat with Jesus.
We're going to come back to Capernaum,
and we're going to end up in this crowded house
where these people bring this paralytic to Jesus,
and once again, He does something phenomenal.
He's the sin forgiver.
So the next two weeks,
we're going to be traveling with Jesus,
and in each episode that we see Him,
He is going to exercise His authority
in a frankly amazing way.
This morning,
as we look at Him calming a storm
and casting out demons,
I want you to remember
that this same Jesus
that we're looking back on 2,000 years ago
is the same Jesus that is with you today.
We're going to travel with Him,
but He's traveling with us.
Jesus has unrivaled authority
over nature and demons,
and He leverages that authority for you
as He expands His kingdom of disciples
on this planet.
He's all authoritative.
He's all authoritative over nature.
He's all authoritative over the demonic world.
And He's with you always.
So let's look at episode one.
On the sea with Jesus,
the storm pacifier.
Read with me verses 23 through 27.
Could just imagine being on this 27-foot
Galilean fishing boat with Him.
And when He got into the boat,
His disciples followed Him.
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea
so that the boat was being swamped by the waves.
But He was asleep.
And they went and woke Him, saying,
Save us, Lord, we're perishing!
And He said to them,
Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?
Then He rose and rebuked the winds in the sea,
and there was a great calm.
And the men marveled, saying,
What sort of man is this
that even winds and sea obey Him?
In verse 23,
Jesus gets into the boat,
and His disciples follow Him.
In verse 18,
we read that He has just told His disciples,
Get a boat ready.
And then there's a couple guys that come up to Him.
They want to follow Jesus.
This is what Billy preached on last week.
And he's like,
Okay, there's a cost to following Me.
And then in verse 23,
He gets in the boat,
and He's followed by His disciples.
And what lay before them
was the crossing of the Sea of Galilee.
And where they were going,
it would have taken about two hours
to make the crossing.
And like I just mentioned,
they're most likely in a 27-foot
Galilean fishing boat
that had one main sail to it.
So it wasn't row, row, row your boat.
It was set your sails.
And just by way of reference,
the Sea of Galilee is 13 miles long,
8 miles wide,
roughly 64 square miles.
Just as a point of reference,
Geneva Lake and Lake Geneva,
that's about 8 square miles.
And so the Sea of Galilee is 8 times larger.
Now, in verse 24,
you read these two words,
And behold.
These two words are
some of Matthew's favorite words
to signal something vivid
is about to happen.
And in the three episodes
we're going to look at
over the next two weeks,
Matthew uses this introduction
to And Behold five times.
There's a lot to behold.
It's a way that Matthew
keeps the narrative moving,
and he keeps the emphasis going.
And in verse 24,
Matthew writes,
And behold.
There arose a great storm on the sea
so that the boat was swamped
by the waves.
Another thing you need to know
about the Sea of Galilee.
The Sea of Galilee
is 600 feet below sea level.
And so, in one sense,
it's like a big pothole
with water in it
in the middle of the ancient Near East.
And so what would happen is,
as the hot air would rise
over the Sea of Galilee,
what would take place
is the desert air
would be pulled in
and drawn down.
And so when that air
was drawn down,
it creates winds,
and those winds
would come upon
the Sea of Galilee
and churn that baby up.
And so when we read,
And behold,
there arose a great storm
on the sea.
Storms weren't that surprising
on the Sea of Galilee.
It was the intensity
of this storm
that was unusual.
And Matthew uses
a very interesting Greek word
to describe the intensity
of this particular storm.
He says,
And behold,
there arose a great storm.
Now that word,
it's the word seismos in Greek.
Do you hear the word seismic?
It's a word that generally
you describe earthquakes.
The waves of an earthquake
that happened
when there's a move
and play tectonics
and waves of earth
are sent out
and a seismograph machine
registers the waves.
There are waves.
Big waves
on the Sea of Galilee.
The swamping of this 27 boat
means that there were
high crests and low troughs.
They were rising up
and dropping down low.
Now I used to own a sea kayak
and I would bring that mama out
onto the Lake Michigan.
And I brought it out
a couple times
when it was windy and wavy.
And man,
was it scary.
You'd be going up and down
on these five to seven foot waves.
You'd go down,
you couldn't see anything
and then you'd come back up.
Waves would come in behind you
or you'd paddling out
and it comes right at you.
When you drop down,
your whole inner being
drops with you.
Or maybe
you've been up
to the Wisconsin Dells
and you've been
in one of the wave pools.
I know when my family
and I would go
to the wave pools,
we would get as close
to the wave maker
as possible
to experience
the greatest sized waves
possible.
And there was always
this sense of happiness
and fear
because I'm kind of
holding on to my babies
and we're all squealing
with delight
but we're very aware
of these lifeguards
looking to jump in
and stop the wave maker
whenever someone goes under.
You know what I'm talking about?
What the disciples
were experiencing
on the Sea of Galilee
was a far greater intensity
than any wave pool
you've ever experienced.
How do you know?
Well, if you look
at verse 25,
you read that
they eventually
seek Jesus.
They wake Him up
and say,
we are perishing,
do something.
But what you've got
to realize is
we don't have land blubbers
in the boat.
At least four
of the men on the boat
who were disciples
of Jesus,
they were fishermen.
Simon,
Andrew,
James,
John,
they grew up
on the Sea of Galilee
fishing its waters.
They knew
this body
of water
and they're
freaking out!
So if you were
on that boat
and you have
these weathered fishermen
freaking out,
what do you think
it's going to have
an effect on you?
Fear can be contagious,
can't it?
You don't have to be
on a fishing boat
in a crazy storm
in the Sea of Galilee
2,000 years ago
to know what
overwhelming,
disorienting fear is.
many of you
this morning
came into this building
and you're exercising
seismic circumstances
of life
that are
stirring up
fears in you.
But look
who's asleep
on the boat.
Verse 24,
and behold,
there arose
a great storm
on the sea
so that the boat
was being swamped
by the waves,
but he
was
asleep.
Mark's gospel
tells us
that Jesus
was asleep
in the stern,
the back of the boat
on a cushion.
Now,
why was Jesus
sleeping?
How could someone
be sleeping
through this?
Well,
to be the son
of man
and to be teaching
and preaching
and healing daily
will take something
out of you
it turns out.
But,
is that all
that explains
his ability
to sleep
in these seismic waves?
Yes,
he's physically
exhausted,
but there's more.
The simple answer
to how this man
can sleep
so soundly
in the midst
of this
seismic storm
is that he knew
who he was.
And he knew
the work
that God had
for him
wasn't complete yet.
He's not threatened
by this storm.
He's not afraid
that the boat
is about to disintegrate.
He's not concerned
that the lives
of the disciples
were in jeopardy.
He's fully aware
that he is in
appointment with
two demon-possessed
men on the other
side of the lake.
He's asleep,
fully knowing
who he is
and the work
yet to be done.
But evidently,
his disciples
aren't as clear
on who he is
as he himself is.
They're freaking out.
Verse 25,
they wake him up.
They say,
save us,
we're perishing.
In Greek,
it's only three words.
Lord,
save,
perishing.
It's a stark contrast
between two states
of being.
Jesus is asleep
and his disciples
are frantic.
So they wake him up
apparently to make him
aware that they are
perishing.
And Jesus responds
with two rebukes.
The first is to the disciples.
Look at verse 26.
He says,
why are you afraid,
O you of little faith?
That word afraid
that Jesus uses there,
it carries some sense
of cowardice,
of timidity,
of a fearful shrinking back.
He's like,
why are you so timid?
And then Jesus puts
his finger on
the source of their timidity.
You of little faith.
D.A. Carson
in his commentary
sums up
it very well
by saying,
either fear
will drive out
your faith
or faith
will drive out
your fear.
And since these disciples
had such a little faith,
they were being ruled
by fear
in their hearts.
Very aware
of the seismic
circumstances
they're in the middle of.
But Jesus says,
O you of little faith.
Faith in what?
Faith in Jesus.
Jesus is essentially
rebuking them
for not trusting in Him.
He's like saying,
why are you freaking out?
Do you know who I am?
Apparently not.
And after that
comes the second rebuke.
Jesus gets up
and verbally rebukes
the winds and the sea,
the waves.
He commands creation.
And creation
immediately
and completely
obeys.
Then He arose
and rebuked the winds
and the sea
and there was
a great
calm.
In the Gospel of Mark,
Mark actually records
the words Jesus said,
Peace,
be still.
And instantaneously,
there was a great peace.
A great calm.
You had just heard
the dripping of the water
off the disciples
in the boat.
Jesus exercised
His authority
to accomplish His will
and it happened
like that.
This whole episode
moves from a great
storm
to a great peace
because of
the great authority
of this great man.
And in verse 27,
we see the great effect.
The men on the boat,
they marvel.
It's the same word
used of Jesus'
response to the centurion
in Matthew 8, 10
when Jesus was amazed
at the centurion's faith.
These disciples
are astonished
at the authority
that Jesus has
over creation
that has just been
demonstrated right
before their eyes.
What sort of man
is this
that even the winds
and the sea
obey Him?
When the disciples
got in the boat
with Him
in Capernaum,
they didn't realize
fully
who they're getting
in the boat with.
But this episode
demonstrates to them
the scale
of His authority
and it shows us
to us
as well.
When many of us
first start following
Jesus,
we're just happy
to have our sins
forgiven.
We know that He died
and He was raised,
that He's God
in the flesh,
but we don't
fully realize
the scale
of His authority.
These men
put words
on the awe
that they are experiencing.
So when you encounter
the storm pacifier,
it makes sense
that you would
marvel at Him.
That you would have
this sense of awe.
They're left asking,
who is this guy?
That He can do that?
The key word here
is in verse 27.
It's the word obey.
Even the winds
and sea obey Him.
Obedience implies
authority.
Who is this guy?
This is the guy
who has authority
over the winds
and the sea.
He has authority
over all creation.
This past December
in getting ready
for Christmas,
we preached through
John 1,
Colossians 1,
Hebrews 1.
It all points
to this huge,
great Savior
we have in Jesus.
And one of the things
that got repeated
through it is
Jesus is the agent
of creation.
He created it all
and He sustains it all.
And on account of that,
He is able to,
with just words,
bring peace
to a crazy storm.
He is authority
over all creation.
And it doesn't stop here.
You see,
what happens here
in the Sea of Galilee,
it's like a little appetizer.
It's a little preview
of what Jesus is going to do
when He comes back.
When He comes back,
He is going to set free
all creation
from its bondage
to decay,
to corruption.
In 2 Peter 3.10,
we learn that
when Jesus returns,
He's going to recreate
the heavens and the earth.
When He comes back,
imagine Him coming back
and saying,
peace be still
to the whole cosmos
and everything is made right.
No more cancer.
No more flooding.
No more wildfires.
No more earthquakes.
What we see Jesus
doing on this boat
in the middle of
the Sea of Galilee
is Him exercising
His authority
over creation.
What does that do in you?
It should cause your heart
to rise.
It could cause your heart
to rise with hope.
Here we are
looking at something
Jesus did way back then
and it's having
an effect on our hearts
to rise in hope now
for something
that's going to happen
when Jesus comes back
in the future.
Jesus has presently
authority over all
all of creation.
He is
the storm pacifier
and He is awesome.
Now,
you may have come in here
and you could have fallen
into that OU
of little faith category.
Maybe,
maybe the seas,
the storms of your life
have driven out faith.
This morning,
I just want to remind you
that the storm pacifier
is with you.
Who He was back then
is who He is right now
and He has promised
to be with you
in your circumstances.
There's nothing
that you're experiencing
right now
that is overwhelming
your Lord and Savior,
Jesus.
Nothing.
There's nothing in your life
that is not under
His authority.
All things have been
put under His feet.
Jesus is the storm pacifier.
He has authority
over it all
and He should inspire
awe in your heart.
That's who's with you.
Let's move to episode two.
To the other side
with the demon defeater.
Verses 28-34.
And when He came
to the other side
to the country
of the Gadarenes,
two demon-possessed men
met Him
coming out of the tombs
so fierce
that no one
could pass that way.
And behold,
they cried out,
What have you to do
with us,
O Son of God?
Have you come here
to torment us
before the time?
Now a herd of many pigs
were feeding
at some distance
from them
and the demons
begged Him saying,
If you cast us out,
send us away
into the herd of pigs.
And He said to them,
Go.
So they came out
and went into the pigs
and behold,
the whole herd
rushed down the steep bank
into the sea
and drowned in the waters.
The herdsmen fled
and going into the city
they told everything
especially what happened
to the demon-possessed men
and behold,
all the city
came out to meet Jesus
and when they saw Him,
they begged Him
to leave
their country,
their region.
A little surprising
turn of events there,
don't you think?
Now,
in verse 28,
Matthew just brings us
quickly to the shores
of the east side
of the Sea of Galilee
to the country
of the Gadarenes
which is Gentile country.
We're not told
of anything that happens
in the boat
in between
after Jesus calms the sea
and when they arrive
and so just imagine with me
a possible scenario.
And by the way,
before I share this with you,
this is hypothetical
and I know
that telescopes
were invented
in the 1600s
just to let you know that.
The disciples
are still in awe
at what Jesus
has just done on the sea.
And from thinking
that they were about to die,
they now realize
they need to come
ashore somewhere.
So Peter
pulls out his telescope
in order to
start scanning
the shore
of the country
of the Gadarenes.
Jesus asks Peter,
Peter, what do you see?
Peter responds by saying,
well, hey,
I'm looking up
from the shoreline
and I see a bunch
of tombstones.
It looks like
there's a cemetery there,
Jesus.
Should I veer left
or should I veer right
of that?
Because we're not going
to land anywhere
near that, right?
Jesus says,
you make a beeline
right to those tombstones.
Peter's still looking
through his telescope.
He still looks through
Jesus.
I see a large herd
of pigs
relatively close
to where we're
supposed to land
and we all know
that pigs are unclean
animals and we shouldn't
be close to them.
Keep on target,
Peter.
Jesus, you know
that the
Gerardines,
it's Gentile country.
There's Gentiles.
Come on,
Jesus.
Stay on target.
Jesus,
I'm just kind of
focusing in on the
tombs right now
and I see two naked
crazy men running
around.
They're probably
Gentiles too.
They're all cut up.
Oh,
and Jesus,
they have seen us
and Jesus,
they are starting
to make our way down
to where we're going
to come ashore.
Peter,
my father,
has an appointment
for us today
with these two men.
Jesus heads straight
for the demonic
den of death.
that's our Savior.
The country of the
Gadarenes
is a part of the
Decapolis,
a ten-city
Gentile region
and Jesus has already
encountered a Gentile
in the centurion
earlier in Matthew
chapter 8,
but now he goes
to Gentile country.
And in verse 28,
these two demon-possessed
men,
they come to meet
him.
And when he came
to the other side
to the country,
the Gadarenes,
two demon-possessed
men met him
coming out of the
tomb so fierce
that no one could
pass that way.
They were coming
to meet him.
Now,
Matthew doesn't go
much into demon
possession,
but we do know
that there are
fallen angels
who will control
men and women
in a destructive
manner.
Demons are set
against the purposes
of God.
And we read that
there are two men
here in Matthew's
account,
and if you're
familiar with Mark
and Luke,
they only speak
of one man.
And so the way
to explain that
discrepancy is just
by saying there's
most likely two men
there,
just one was more
prominent than the
other.
And we also read
that they came
from the tombs.
These guys lived
among the dead.
And to be among
the tombs,
a Jew would be
repulsed by that.
The demons who
were possessing
these men were
seeking to defile,
distort,
destroy these men.
This is modus
operandi of demonic
activity.
Demons seek to
distort and destroy
the image of God.
Now,
they must have
been,
this cemetery
must have been
by a path,
because apparently
they would not
let anybody go
on this path.
We learn from Mark
that they had
superhuman strength,
that several attempts
had been made to
bind and shackle
these men,
but they were
unable to subdue
them.
And here they are
making a beeline
to Jesus.
Verse 29,
and behold,
the people
they cried out,
what have you to
do with us,
O Son of God?
It's very ironic.
These disciples
know who Jesus is.
Coming right off
of being in the
waters,
and his disciples
not being too
clear on who
he is.
The Son of God.
What have you to
do with us,
O Son of God?
Have you come here
to torment us
before the time?
The time is a
reference to
judgment.
These demons
are aware of the
one who's just
come ashore is the
one who will
eventually judge
them and cast
them into the
lake of fire.
That's what they
know.
They know quite a
bit about Jesus,
and they're wondering
why he has come.
Has he come to make
them suffer before the
time of judgment?
And in verse 30,
if you just notice,
Matthew just kind of
puts a little narrative
piece of information
in our minds.
He lets us know
that there's a
herd of pigs
within eyeshot.
And Mark again
tells us it's a
herd of 2,000 pigs.
It's a large herd
of pigs.
They're considered
an unclean animal.
And so what you
need to understand
in this episode
is that we have
got a major pileup
of unclean stuff.
Demons,
Gentiles,
tombs,
pigs!
Are you kidding me?
And Jesus goes
straight at it.
Jesus is definitely
on the other side.
But the other side
is not outside.
His saving purpose.
He must be there.
He meant to be there.
In verse 31,
the demons beg Jesus
to send them
into the herd of pigs.
It appears as though
they knew they were
going to get cast out.
And so they're saying,
hey, send us over
to the pigs.
And why they would
prefer pigs,
we're not told.
But evidently,
demons can possess
an animal.
And at this point,
I would just like
to make a pastoral note
that this explains
a lot about cats.
Back to the text.
Notice that the demons
begged Jesus.
Jesus isn't begging
the demons.
The demons are begging
Jesus.
And this begging
is a clear demonstration
that the demons
are actually under
the authority of Jesus,
the Son of God,
who just pulled up on shore.
Jesus is all authority
over every demon.
Every demon,
including Satan.
Do you know why?
He's God,
and He created them.
So in verse 32,
with one word,
go,
Jesus exercises authority,
casts out these demons,
and allows them
to enter the pigs.
So He accomplishes His will
by His authority
immediately.
The demons come out.
They occupy the pigs
with devastating results.
They destroy
this herd of 2,000.
They rush headlong
into the Sea of Galilee
and drown.
And there's no question
that this would have been
a huge financial loss
for whoever owned
these pigs.
2,000 pigs.
In verse 33,
having seen everything,
the herdsmen
who are riding herd
over these pigs,
they bolt.
They run into the town
and they tell everything
that happened.
Guys,
you wouldn't believe it.
Our 2,000 swine are dead.
The crazy guys,
they came down.
This guy came up on a boat.
He cast out the demons
from them.
They showed up in the pigs.
They ran down the hill.
They drowned to death.
They were out 2,000 pigs.
What are we going to do?
And everybody's like,
let's go check this guy out.
It would have been
a mix of shock,
outrage,
amazement,
fear.
Nobody has been able
to subdue
these demon-possessed men.
In verse 34,
like the demon-possessed men
in verse 28,
there is this coming out
to meet Jesus.
And behold,
they come out
to meet Jesus.
They're seeking Jesus.
But unlike the demons,
they don't know who He is.
All they know is that
He's cast out these demons
and now their pigs
are floating
in the Sea of Galilee,
dead.
Dead.
But they beg Jesus.
Please leave us alone.
You turned our world
upside down.
Please get out.
We don't want you here.
Please leave.
You've cost us too much.
Please leave.
The key word
in verse 30 and 34
is the word beg.
Begging reveals authority.
The demons beg Jesus
because He's authority
over them.
And in verse 34,
the Gentiles beg Jesus.
They have this sense
that this man
is unlike anyone else
that they've ever encountered.
He's brought peace
to craziness.
They don't know
that He's the Messiah,
but they do know
that He has now upended
their financial world.
Instead of being seen
as the peacemaker He is,
He's probably seen
more like a troublemaker.
So fearing Him,
they beg Him to leave
and they do.
One would think
that such a display
of authority
over the demonic world
would result in joyous,
welcome,
and humble submission.
Oh Lord, boy,
man, these guys were crazy
and you cast them out.
You are unlike
anybody else we know.
We come,
tell us everything you know.
We will follow you
wherever you go.
No, the townsfolk
don't want His authority.
It's costing them too much.
Jesus is the demon defeater.
What we see Him doing here
is just a foretaste
of that final
and forever victory
that He will bring about
when He casts
the whole demonic world
into the lake of fire
when He comes back.
and He's with you.
The storm pacifier
is the demon defeater
and He's with you.
But we can't miss the fact
that He has a tendency
to turn worlds upside down,
doesn't He?
There are collateral costs
to following Jesus.
The Gentiles
in the Gadarenes,
Garadines,
got experience of that.
The deliverance of these two men
cost them 2,000 swine.
That was the collateral cost.
For those Jesus delivered,
it cost the community
2,000 pigs.
And they didn't want
any more of it.
It makes you have
to ask the question,
okay,
were these townsfolk,
were they happy
that these men were delivered?
I'm guessing that they were.
Do they think
that it was worth
2,000 pigs
that they lost?
It doesn't seem like it.
It cost too much.
Get out, Jesus.
Jesus,
what would happen?
What would happen
in 2017
in our city
if there was
a clear,
sustained outpouring
of God's Spirit
on the city of Kenosha?
People from all walks of life
coming into,
encountering the living Christ,
repenting,
believing,
meeting with Him,
following Him,
lives would be changed.
Worlds would be upended.
And there would be
collateral costs.
People who have found
life in Christ
coming out of a variety
of destructive lifestyles.
Would we make room for them?
Would we make space
for them here?
Would we incorporate them
into our body,
into our life groups,
into our youth groups,
into our children's ministry?
Would we find
meaningful ways
to come alongside
of these people
to help them find shelter,
help them find work,
transportation,
food and clothing?
Would we do that?
when the risen Christ
moves to dismantle
a demonic stronghold
and there are
demonic strongholds
in Kenosha,
when He moves,
there will be
collateral costs.
It will affect us.
Would we do something like
these townsfolk did?
Jesus,
this is too much for us.
It's too much for us.
We're glad you're
delivering people,
but it's too much
of an inconvenience
for us.
It's too much
of a cost.
Stop delivering people,
Jesus.
It's too messy.
No way.
If Jesus would move
in such a way,
and we pray that He does,
we would make space.
we would bring in.
We would learn how to
come alongside.
It's about His work.
It's about His glory.
It's about Him
delivering people.
The point of this story
is that Jesus has authority
over all things.
And He's shown that authority
over nature.
He's the storm pacifier.
He's shown that authority
over demons.
He's the demon defeater.
He was that then,
and He is that now.
Jesus isn't a hard tyrant
who uses His authority
for personal gain.
He is the Son of Man.
He is the suffering servant
and the King of kings
and the Lord of lords.
And He exercises His authority
with a servant's heart.
And nowhere is this more clear
than when the Son of Man
humbly went to the cross.
For sinners like you and me,
He exercises authority
to forgive sins.
What I want to point out
to you right now is this.
That the blood He shed
on the cross
not only forgives sin,
it sealed our pardon,
it also seals the promise
that He is with us always.
So yes,
He is the storm pacifier.
Yes,
He is the demon defeater.
Yes,
He's awesome.
Yes,
He upends worlds.
And yes,
He is with you.
He has bound Himself
to us
and sealed it
with the blood
of the cross.
He is with us
always.
Now,
if He is all that
and He is all that
with us,
do you know what that
means for us?
We've got nothing to fear.
Even when our worlds
get upended,
even if He should move
in profound ways,
we fear not.
He's with us.
Christian,
there will never be
a point in time
when Jesus
is not
with you.
Jesus says
at the end of Matthew,
I am with you
always.
Even to the end
of the age.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus,
we have gotten
a glimpse of you
this morning.
You are the glorious
Christ.
We've seen you
calm the storm.
We've seen you
cast out demons.
You're marvelous.
You turn worlds
upside down.
And we love it.
You're awesome.
Lord Jesus,
would you press this
into our hearts
today that
that you are this
and that you are
with us this way.
God,
would you help us
to leave this building
today in the confidence
that you'll never
leave us
nor forsake us.
we would ask
that Lord Jesus
that you would
pour out your spirit
and that God,
you would assault
the demonic strongholds
in our city.
God,
set the prisoners free
and would you
add them to our number.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.