WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.640 Mark chapter 1, I got a question for you. 00:00:01.720 --> 00:00:08.359 What if Jesus came to church here today? 00:00:08.359 --> 00:00:08.359 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:40.320 It's set apart because it's set apart for his purposes. 00:00:41.420 --> 00:00:43.399 And we ought to treat it as so. 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:49.079 It's set apart because we use it, this room, for worship. 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:54.620 But what if he walked in? 00:00:54.619 --> 00:01:01.059 I mean in flesh and blood, walked down this aisle to speak. 00:01:02.699 --> 00:01:04.179 I want to put you at ease. 00:01:04.299 --> 00:01:07.400 If I could confirm it was Christ, I'd let him speak, okay? 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:18.780 Well, that happened one day in his hometown church, and it was quite stirring. 00:01:20.219 --> 00:01:23.280 It's in Mark chapter 1, beginning in verse 21, it says this. 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:32.120 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath, he entered, meaning Jesus, the synagogue, and was teaching. 00:01:32.960 --> 00:01:39.280 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority and not as the scribes. 00:01:40.180 --> 00:01:44.319 And immediately there was in the synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:49.259 And he cried out, what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:52.159 Have you come to destroy us? 00:01:53.039 --> 00:01:57.459 I know who you are, the Holy One of God. 00:01:58.739 --> 00:02:03.619 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, be silent and come out of him. 00:02:03.620 --> 00:02:10.120 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:18.420 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, what is this? 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:20.939 A new teaching with authority? 00:02:21.939 --> 00:02:26.719 He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:36.560 And at once, his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. 00:02:38.419 --> 00:02:43.740 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he grew up in Nazareth. 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:51.800 And he was in Nazareth until he was rejected about the time he started speaking up. 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:58.460 And he relocated to Capernaum, which became somewhat of his home base. 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:04.340 As a matter of fact, Matthew 9, verse 1 says that Capernaum was his own city. 00:03:05.620 --> 00:03:09.240 Now, Capernaum means the village of Nahum. 00:03:10.220 --> 00:03:16.980 There's a great possibility that it was the home of the prophet Nahum, 00:03:17.480 --> 00:03:20.560 that little book in the back of the Old Testament. 00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:29.020 With the move, his home church, Jesus' home church, became the synagogue of Capernaum. 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:31.400 And it is a quite unique place. 00:03:32.219 --> 00:03:37.620 Whereas almost all the buildings in the Jerusalem area, in the Israeli area, 00:03:37.620 --> 00:03:43.360 are built with the limestone of that area. 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:55.380 This particular synagogue was built with a black basin block, volcanic, made from volcanic rock. 00:03:56.100 --> 00:04:03.360 And its foundation is still there today for you to see the actual synagogue in which he walked into. 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:08.800 Capernaum was a hopping little town, little village in the first century. 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:20.900 It was the home to a Roman tax and tolling station because it was halfway between Galilee and Galilitis. 00:04:21.379 --> 00:04:23.620 And it was on a major trade route. 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:28.939 Galilitis was the area east of the Jordan River. 00:04:28.939 --> 00:04:34.240 And Capernaum is on the west side of the Jordan River. 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:42.360 And it sits about two and a half miles from where the Jordan River empties in and begins the Sea of Galilee. 00:04:43.220 --> 00:04:45.259 That made it a strategic spot. 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:50.040 It was a major Roman roadway went through there. 00:04:50.040 --> 00:04:54.200 And Roman soldiers were detached there. 00:04:54.379 --> 00:04:58.040 As well as it was quite the fishing hole. 00:04:58.460 --> 00:05:06.780 There was a sea wall that stood eight feet tall that went across the shores of Capernaum for over a half a mile. 00:05:06.780 --> 00:05:13.320 And off of that sea wall, there were piers that went out into the water a hundred feet. 00:05:14.060 --> 00:05:19.939 And so off of those piers were all the boats of the fishermen of that area. 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:24.060 There was a lot of fishing going on in Peter's town. 00:05:24.540 --> 00:05:26.020 And it was the home of Peter. 00:05:26.200 --> 00:05:27.580 It was the home of Andrew. 00:05:27.819 --> 00:05:29.300 It was the home of James. 00:05:29.480 --> 00:05:30.960 It was the home of John. 00:05:31.140 --> 00:05:35.180 It was where Matthew collected taxes for the Romans. 00:05:35.180 --> 00:05:37.180 It was a strong fishing industry. 00:05:38.180 --> 00:05:40.400 And that was only enhanced by the trade route. 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:42.720 Lots of people traveled through there. 00:05:43.340 --> 00:05:45.800 And in the midst of that town was a synagogue. 00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:50.660 Now, a synagogue is different than the temple. 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:54.879 The temple was in Jerusalem and it's a place of worship. 00:05:55.699 --> 00:05:57.900 The synagogue was a place for learning. 00:05:58.980 --> 00:06:02.100 Synagogue comes from a word that means the assembly. 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:07.840 And synagogues were established during the Babylonian exile. 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:14.239 When the Israelis were in Babylonia and they could not go to the temple to worship. 00:06:14.500 --> 00:06:15.560 For one had been destroyed. 00:06:15.679 --> 00:06:17.000 Solomon's temple was destroyed. 00:06:17.699 --> 00:06:21.599 But also they were not in their own land. 00:06:21.799 --> 00:06:28.859 And so they set up these places to be able to come together and meet in small groups. 00:06:28.860 --> 00:06:35.840 And when they returned home, they were in exile for 70 years, they continued that precedent. 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:44.280 And local towns and synagogues, some of y'all will get this, was kind of like upstate meal churches. 00:06:44.939 --> 00:06:49.160 You know, every time you saw a meal on a meal village somewhere, there's a meal church. 00:06:49.300 --> 00:06:50.040 There's a Baptist church. 00:06:50.120 --> 00:06:50.939 There's a Methodist church. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:53.100 You know, they were all right there together. 00:06:53.180 --> 00:06:56.439 And you can ride through those areas and still see some of them are still churches. 00:06:56.520 --> 00:06:57.160 Some of them are not. 00:06:57.160 --> 00:07:00.780 But 50 years ago, it was very definitive. 00:07:01.480 --> 00:07:06.080 What was set up and very similar to that was these synagogues. 00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:07.740 They didn't have a high priest in each one. 00:07:07.820 --> 00:07:13.980 They had more like a director of sorts that was responsible for the activities that took place. 00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:15.460 And guests could speak there. 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:17.920 And community leaders could speak there. 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:24.900 That building was also used for small court matters and for school, which they learned the Torah, 00:07:24.899 --> 00:07:27.659 which is the first five books of the Old Testament. 00:07:28.379 --> 00:07:30.679 And it was also there for the reading of God's Word. 00:07:30.739 --> 00:07:37.199 So each Sabbath, they would gather together for prayers, for readings, and for teachings. 00:07:39.099 --> 00:07:40.099 They were faithful. 00:07:40.100 --> 00:07:43.220 Now, let's be honest. 00:07:44.660 --> 00:07:45.500 It was dead. 00:07:48.020 --> 00:07:49.060 It was flat. 00:07:50.760 --> 00:07:52.620 And it was unexciting church. 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:55.760 Now, some of you may like that. 00:07:56.200 --> 00:07:58.260 I can tell by the expression on your face. 00:07:58.259 --> 00:08:03.480 You just come into church and go, I dare you to bless me. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:10.139 But I'm just going to tell you, if you ain't picked up on it, I don't like it. 00:08:11.019 --> 00:08:12.120 They didn't have music. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:13.939 They didn't have singing. 00:08:13.939 --> 00:08:17.060 They didn't have sacrifice. 00:08:18.139 --> 00:08:19.500 They didn't have a whole lot of fun. 00:08:21.420 --> 00:08:30.079 However, people that were respected as if they could teach or could speak were allowed to speak in that area. 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:32.659 And Jesus had such a reputation. 00:08:33.299 --> 00:08:36.320 Now, it wasn't long before the scribes got mad at him. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:40.500 And he didn't get those open invitations near as much. 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:47.320 But he was welcome in the church that he often went to growing up. 00:08:47.500 --> 00:08:49.120 And so he spoke. 00:08:49.940 --> 00:08:52.020 Like no other. 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:57.379 So I want you to notice what happens when Jesus comes to church. 00:09:00.060 --> 00:09:03.860 When Jesus comes to church, the message is clear. 00:09:03.860 --> 00:09:10.320 Mark says here, immediately, I've told you before, it's his favorite word. 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:15.200 He uses it 11 times in just the first chapter, 42 times in the whole book. 00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:17.800 And it's only used 59 times in the New Testament. 00:09:18.800 --> 00:09:22.680 But there's a sense of urgency here in which Jesus spoke. 00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:26.300 His message was different than the scribes. 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:30.740 Scribes spoke with authority, but not on their own authority, 00:09:30.740 --> 00:09:33.820 but on the authority of whatever rabbi they were quoting. 00:09:33.860 --> 00:09:42.019 The man-made rules that define the commandments took precedent over the word itself. 00:09:42.340 --> 00:09:44.759 They had what was called the oral law. 00:09:46.019 --> 00:09:50.740 And so what would happen is they had the Ten Commandments 00:09:50.740 --> 00:09:54.800 and the other commandments that are in the first five books of the Bible. 00:09:55.000 --> 00:10:00.500 But the rabbis would define those laws and how they play out 00:10:00.500 --> 00:10:03.019 and how to do those things. 00:10:03.019 --> 00:10:08.079 And the oral law that was added to it was much more than the law. 00:10:08.079 --> 00:10:14.159 And they tended to spend more time on the oral law that they came up with 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:18.159 than they did the word of God that was what they were based off of. 00:10:18.899 --> 00:10:22.139 So what people heard was a lot of the oral law. 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:25.019 Now later it was written down, became the Talmud. 00:10:25.019 --> 00:10:34.340 But at that time it was the oral law because only those scribes and very few others in the community could even read. 00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:38.340 So they would teach them these things. 00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:43.299 And clarity was something that was missing. 00:10:43.299 --> 00:10:48.979 They quoted other rabbis, what this rabbi said and what this rabbi said and what this rabbi said. 00:10:49.359 --> 00:10:50.500 And worship was dead. 00:10:52.099 --> 00:10:54.979 And the worship lacked the movement of the Spirit of God. 00:10:55.079 --> 00:10:56.779 And that's not the way Jesus spoke. 00:10:57.259 --> 00:10:58.379 That's not the way he speaks. 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:01.659 Jesus didn't speak of traditions or quotes. 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:06.000 The only quotes you see of Scripture that Jesus spoke of was Scripture itself. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.860 Jesus spoke of his own authority. 00:11:10.659 --> 00:11:11.720 And it was stunning. 00:11:13.500 --> 00:11:18.759 It was obviously from a stronger source than anybody else had ever spoken that place before. 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:22.000 And this was different and it stunned the room. 00:11:22.120 --> 00:11:23.919 It shocked the people. 00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:33.259 They had not ever heard anyone with such absolute conviction, such clarity, such dominion. 00:11:33.259 --> 00:11:37.379 He had an unwavering confidence in the truth of God's Word. 00:11:37.799 --> 00:11:40.559 He didn't rest on some rabbi's interpretation of it. 00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:42.819 It was amazing. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:50.519 And the muddled minutia that they were used to hearing was nothing like the voice of the Lord Jesus. 00:11:50.899 --> 00:11:51.899 They were shocked. 00:11:53.779 --> 00:11:55.419 Something else happened as well. 00:11:57.700 --> 00:11:58.879 Demons were stirred. 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:04.759 And the reason why is when Jesus comes to church, the church gets clean. 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:12.240 In that synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit. 00:12:12.419 --> 00:12:15.539 That means that he had a filthy demon within him. 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:19.299 And when the text says that a demon was with him, 00:12:19.299 --> 00:12:24.179 it means that a demon had enveloped him, had consumed him. 00:12:24.440 --> 00:12:26.639 He was possessed by the demon. 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:34.220 When it says with an unclean spirit, that can also be interpreted in an unclean spirit. 00:12:34.699 --> 00:12:39.480 So in other words, the demon was in him and he was in the demon. 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:41.559 He was possessed. 00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:45.759 Now, I want you to be clear about something. 00:12:47.379 --> 00:12:49.100 He had put himself there. 00:12:49.100 --> 00:12:58.779 When I say he was in it, I mean he was under the influence of an unclean, filthy spirit. 00:12:59.019 --> 00:12:59.680 Do you know why? 00:13:01.259 --> 00:13:04.820 Because he had immersed himself with the filthiness of sin. 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:08.080 Now, sin seems fun. 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:08.899 It seems okay. 00:13:09.060 --> 00:13:10.899 It seems fine in moderate doses. 00:13:10.899 --> 00:13:13.039 But it's not. 00:13:15.799 --> 00:13:17.819 You play with sin before long. 00:13:17.980 --> 00:13:20.740 Sin will be in you and you will be in sin. 00:13:20.899 --> 00:13:22.319 You cannot play with it. 00:13:23.819 --> 00:13:26.079 Demons will possess the lost. 00:13:26.860 --> 00:13:29.360 They will oppress the saved. 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:35.340 And they will obsess anyone who spends too much time pondering on them, quite honestly. 00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:43.360 Ironically, you see more demon possession around Christ than anywhere else in Scripture. 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:51.620 And the reason why is because they recognized him for who he was and he recognized them for who they were. 00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:55.720 And all of hell was trying to shut him down as much as possible. 00:13:55.960 --> 00:13:59.320 We talked two weeks ago or three weeks ago about the temptations in the desert. 00:13:59.660 --> 00:14:02.500 Before his ministry ever started, Satan tried to shut him down. 00:14:03.019 --> 00:14:04.220 With no success. 00:14:04.220 --> 00:14:07.399 Because Christ quoted the word of God to him. 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:15.940 But hell got cranked up when Christ got around. 00:14:17.399 --> 00:14:20.700 Because Satan was aiming to defeat him from the beginning. 00:14:22.300 --> 00:14:25.940 Yet demons never attacked Jesus. 00:14:26.580 --> 00:14:28.399 He would defeat them each time. 00:14:28.779 --> 00:14:31.420 I want you to listen to what the demon said to him. 00:14:32.160 --> 00:14:33.480 It's in Mark 1 verse 24. 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:38.860 He said, what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? 00:14:39.560 --> 00:14:41.840 In other words, what business are we to you? 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:42.940 Please leave us alone. 00:14:43.779 --> 00:14:47.720 But notice that the demon didn't say, what have you to do with me? 00:14:49.300 --> 00:14:51.539 He said, what are you to do with us? 00:14:51.539 --> 00:14:56.519 And then he goes on to say, have you come to destroy us? 00:14:58.219 --> 00:15:00.000 He wants to be left alone. 00:15:00.179 --> 00:15:01.799 But he don't only speak for himself. 00:15:02.139 --> 00:15:04.620 He speaks on behalf of all the fallen angels. 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:06.419 Because they all knew they were in trouble. 00:15:06.679 --> 00:15:09.019 They knew how Satan had been cast out of heaven. 00:15:09.399 --> 00:15:12.799 They knew how he would be thrown into the lake of fire in the end. 00:15:12.980 --> 00:15:14.480 They knew their destination. 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:20.779 And although others couldn't recognize them, they knew that Jesus could recognize them. 00:15:21.779 --> 00:15:25.240 And the reality is, we don't recognize them today. 00:15:25.240 --> 00:15:30.860 I want to be careful how I say this. 00:15:33.779 --> 00:15:35.519 Because I'm not making light of anything. 00:15:35.899 --> 00:15:38.560 And I don't pretend to be an expert in this. 00:15:38.620 --> 00:15:39.840 Or I have expertise in it. 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:43.960 I just love to understand it more. 00:15:47.040 --> 00:15:48.960 But I want to share with you what I've observed. 00:15:52.060 --> 00:15:56.580 We live in a day with a strange combo before us. 00:15:58.420 --> 00:16:04.580 There are some who are untreated and mentally and dangerously deranged. 00:16:04.580 --> 00:16:09.879 And there are others who are drug infested. 00:16:10.980 --> 00:16:12.920 I mean the drugs have taken over. 00:16:13.980 --> 00:16:17.560 They are in the drugs and the drugs are in them. 00:16:19.700 --> 00:16:24.280 And there are others who are demon possessed. 00:16:24.279 --> 00:16:34.699 And the mentally ill are very susceptible to drugs. 00:16:36.579 --> 00:16:41.799 And drug addicts become susceptible to mental illness. 00:16:44.039 --> 00:16:50.139 And when you throw the devil in the mix of all that, and he is there by the way, 00:16:50.139 --> 00:16:59.059 it becomes dangerous and a hard to diagnose concoction. 00:17:00.419 --> 00:17:01.960 I don't speak lightly of it. 00:17:02.580 --> 00:17:04.240 I'm not equating one with the other. 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:05.579 It's not all the same thing. 00:17:05.660 --> 00:17:06.299 I know that. 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:12.539 Don't get a chemical imbalance mixed up with a chemical overload mixed up with the evil one. 00:17:12.879 --> 00:17:14.000 That's not what I'm saying. 00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:19.299 However, we have the confused masses that walk the street seeming to fight with themselves. 00:17:20.140 --> 00:17:23.740 As well as anybody else that comes along the way. 00:17:25.220 --> 00:17:26.740 And they could be fighting demons. 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:28.600 And I'm not talking about metaphorical demons. 00:17:28.820 --> 00:17:29.920 I'm talking about real demons. 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:35.700 You see it less in America than you do in other places in the world. 00:17:37.940 --> 00:17:39.960 Places that have less prayer than America. 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:43.780 Places that have less evangelism than America. 00:17:45.360 --> 00:17:47.720 Places that have less Christianity than America. 00:17:47.720 --> 00:17:48.720 Places that have less religion. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:49.720 Places that have less religion. 00:17:49.720 --> 00:17:55.079 However, you see it in more in America as the world has come to us. 00:17:56.079 --> 00:17:59.480 Because as the world has come to us, so has false religions. 00:18:00.860 --> 00:18:02.380 So has godlessness. 00:18:03.500 --> 00:18:06.819 Look at Solomon and all the thousand women in his life. 00:18:06.860 --> 00:18:11.299 And what he said about their influence upon him. 00:18:11.299 --> 00:18:17.759 You see all that on the rise as America houses the burdens of the world. 00:18:19.319 --> 00:18:21.559 And let me tell you what all those folks need. 00:18:22.700 --> 00:18:23.819 They need Jesus. 00:18:25.019 --> 00:18:26.139 They need Jesus. 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:31.440 Demons will cower to the name and the power of Jesus. 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:37.259 And when they speak to Jesus in this passage, that's not defiance, folks. 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:38.180 It's panic. 00:18:39.019 --> 00:18:39.920 It's horror. 00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:40.620 It's dread. 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:41.320 They know. 00:18:41.740 --> 00:18:44.700 Satan and his army know the power of God. 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:46.320 They know it better than we do. 00:18:46.860 --> 00:18:48.620 They acknowledge it more than we do. 00:18:49.460 --> 00:18:54.600 In the first half of Mark, the only ones that are really sure of who Jesus is, is the demons. 00:18:54.599 --> 00:18:58.519 The demons, the Jewish leaders, they didn't accept him. 00:18:59.500 --> 00:19:01.879 The crowds, they didn't really commit to him. 00:19:02.639 --> 00:19:05.459 The disciples lingered too long in half-heartedness. 00:19:05.740 --> 00:19:08.019 But the demons, they knew. 00:19:08.379 --> 00:19:10.539 Listen to Mark chapter 3 verse 11. 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:14.899 It says, and whenever the unclean spirit saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, 00:19:15.099 --> 00:19:16.179 you're the son of God. 00:19:18.259 --> 00:19:20.000 They know what's coming in the end. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:26.000 And because they can't win the war, they're trying their best to win as many battles as they possibly can. 00:19:26.740 --> 00:19:28.759 And that influences our lives too, folks. 00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:33.400 The last thing the demon says is a last-ditch effort when he says, 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:37.940 I know who you are, the Holy One of God. 00:19:39.099 --> 00:19:46.000 Now listen, it was thought that if you knew the identity of your spiritual enemy, you had power over him. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:54.079 And so when the demon declares the name of Jesus, it's his last-ditch effort to gain a mastery over Christ. 00:19:54.220 --> 00:19:58.200 But he can't because when Jesus speaks, demons crumble. 00:19:59.940 --> 00:20:01.859 Notice Jesus didn't cast a spell. 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:07.500 Notice that Jesus didn't speak over him with waving hands. 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:12.099 It says nothing about Jesus slapping him in the head. 00:20:12.099 --> 00:20:16.699 He said, nor does he speak in some chant. 00:20:17.439 --> 00:20:18.679 He just spoke. 00:20:20.500 --> 00:20:21.899 And it's clear what he said. 00:20:23.159 --> 00:20:24.399 He rebuked him. 00:20:24.459 --> 00:20:26.119 That's a strong term. 00:20:28.019 --> 00:20:30.000 And he said, be silent. 00:20:31.679 --> 00:20:36.259 Now it was not profane, but it was blunt. 00:20:38.059 --> 00:20:40.039 A little bit more blunt than what I'm going to say, 00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:42.000 because some of y'all get your feelings hurt. 00:20:42.099 --> 00:20:47.299 He said, shut your mouth. 00:20:49.439 --> 00:20:50.579 And get out. 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:53.639 That's what Jesus is saying. 00:20:55.679 --> 00:21:06.539 And the text tells us it was just as abrupt and as blunt a rebuke with no give, no take, as we can fathom. 00:21:06.539 --> 00:21:11.539 The demon came out immediately. 00:21:11.539 --> 00:21:14.220 And he came out shaking. 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:16.720 And he came out screaming. 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:20.799 And that scream was one last attitude. 00:21:21.980 --> 00:21:25.759 One last attempt to get the last word in is what he's doing there. 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:29.240 However, demons never get the last word in. 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:31.900 They never will. 00:21:33.299 --> 00:21:38.079 In all of scripture, they never are able to contest Jesus successfully. 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:39.640 Not even close. 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:41.039 And they never will be. 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:43.920 If you hadn't read it, read the back of the book. 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:49.400 Something else happens when Jesus comes to church, too. 00:21:50.700 --> 00:21:53.420 The witness is contagious. 00:21:53.420 --> 00:21:57.800 The people are blown away. 00:21:59.680 --> 00:22:03.039 An encounter with Christ will blow you away. 00:22:03.420 --> 00:22:08.800 And he teaches like no one else, like no one they had ever heard. 00:22:08.900 --> 00:22:09.960 He was spirit-filled. 00:22:10.120 --> 00:22:11.360 It was Jesus talking. 00:22:11.740 --> 00:22:13.420 I mean, they got the touch of Jesus. 00:22:14.180 --> 00:22:17.420 And when Jesus comes to church, things change. 00:22:17.420 --> 00:22:18.140 Change. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:22.700 Just tell folks the Lord is moving. 00:22:23.600 --> 00:22:24.820 It works, folks. 00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:25.420 It works. 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:30.019 People will come and people will share. 00:22:30.539 --> 00:22:34.000 God will be glorified and lives will be changed. 00:22:35.460 --> 00:22:39.320 We ought to never settle for anything any other way. 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:42.860 And I want you to hear me, Pickets First Baptist. 00:22:42.859 --> 00:22:52.399 We must be faithful to protect the movement and the freedom of the Spirit of God in our midst. 00:22:52.719 --> 00:22:53.979 Don't ever take it for granted. 00:22:55.740 --> 00:23:02.659 When the Spirit of God faithfully moves in worship, decisions are made, people leave charged, 00:23:03.659 --> 00:23:05.199 don't ever take that for granted. 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:10.000 As a matter of fact, I ask you to pray for more of it. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:13.920 And pray that God will protect it. 00:23:15.960 --> 00:23:20.819 By the humility and the holiness in our individual lives. 00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:26.019 That God will protect what he's doing in our midst. 00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:31.779 It's a privilege for God that he can easily take away. 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:37.359 And he can move on to a people that are hungry to see God move. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:41.219 Hungry to get the word out. 00:23:43.319 --> 00:23:45.919 To anticipate greater things happening. 00:23:50.099 --> 00:23:53.279 When Christ brings clarity to the word of God. 00:23:55.319 --> 00:23:58.059 When he wages war to clean up our lives. 00:24:00.259 --> 00:24:01.859 Let's be careful to be obedient. 00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:09.279 Let's be careful to leave here praying for God to do such a work. 00:24:10.819 --> 00:24:12.819 And let's leave here talking about it. 00:24:14.259 --> 00:24:15.240 It says, 00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:20.559 And at once his fame spread everywhere. 00:24:21.399 --> 00:24:24.699 Throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. 00:24:24.700 --> 00:24:27.740 And you know why? 00:24:29.259 --> 00:24:31.220 Because when people left there, they said, 00:24:31.799 --> 00:24:33.539 What is this? 00:24:34.759 --> 00:24:37.259 A new teaching with authority. 00:24:38.380 --> 00:24:41.920 He commands even the unclean spirits. 00:24:42.580 --> 00:24:43.720 And they obey him. 00:24:45.340 --> 00:24:46.759 They spread the word. 00:24:46.920 --> 00:24:48.240 And because they spread the word, 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:51.299 Christ continued to move. 00:24:51.299 --> 00:24:55.859 I ask you this morning. 00:24:58.659 --> 00:25:02.099 Whether everybody believes you have or nobody believes you have. 00:25:03.460 --> 00:25:06.359 Have you ever surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus Christ? 00:25:09.379 --> 00:25:13.579 Have you ever confessed your sin to him and asked him to cleanse you of your sin. 00:25:13.659 --> 00:25:14.379 And to forgive you. 00:25:14.460 --> 00:25:15.339 And to come into your life. 00:25:15.399 --> 00:25:16.220 And to change you. 00:25:16.220 --> 00:25:21.860 The same power of God that defeated that demon that day in that synagogue. 00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:25.240 Is the same power of God that indwells us by the Holy Spirit of God. 00:25:27.380 --> 00:25:33.920 And he allows us to have the strength to overcome the battles that are in our lives when we lean upon him. 00:25:34.940 --> 00:25:36.440 He enables us for that. 00:25:38.620 --> 00:25:42.059 If you have done that, has there ever been a time when you publicly acknowledged that? 00:25:42.059 --> 00:25:47.000 Jesus said, if you're ashamed of me before others, I'll be ashamed of you before my father. 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:51.419 So he's very clear that our Christianity is not just a private function. 00:25:51.539 --> 00:25:52.960 People like to say my faith is private. 00:25:53.079 --> 00:25:53.440 No, it ain't. 00:25:53.519 --> 00:25:55.119 Not if it's New Testament faith. 00:25:55.460 --> 00:25:56.059 Not at all. 00:25:57.679 --> 00:26:00.039 You're not only to live out your faith, you're to share your faith. 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:02.799 You tell other people about it. 00:26:04.099 --> 00:26:09.059 And by his commission and by his example, he shows us that the first step of obedience for that is baptism. 00:26:09.059 --> 00:26:12.919 It's a way of public confession of your faith. 00:26:14.099 --> 00:26:16.379 And it's also very encouraging for other people. 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:26.679 Or maybe you're here and you've sensed that God's that move in Pickens First Baptist Church. 00:26:28.139 --> 00:26:29.759 And you feel drawn to be here. 00:26:30.460 --> 00:26:31.500 And God's leading you here. 00:26:31.500 --> 00:26:35.640 And if that be the case, I encourage you to just follow his lead. 00:26:36.759 --> 00:26:37.579 Just follow his lead. 00:26:37.619 --> 00:26:39.220 We'll be happy to guide you in that. 00:26:40.440 --> 00:26:45.279 But then for the rest of us, the reality is there may be some things that God's speaking to us about. 00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:51.079 Maybe today we heard it clearly. 00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:55.880 That something he said, not in what I said and not really in what we sang. 00:26:55.880 --> 00:27:01.860 But the way the Holy Spirit, there's a synergy that happens that I don't know how to, an intangible, that I don't know how to describe. 00:27:02.100 --> 00:27:04.620 That the Holy Spirit uses whatever those things are. 00:27:04.940 --> 00:27:11.280 Sometimes it even seems off topic of sorts to just speak to our hearts about a matter in our life that we need to deal with. 00:27:13.100 --> 00:27:21.520 And I'm going to tell you, when he speaks that boldly and that clearly to us, it is a privilege that we need to respond to in obedience. 00:27:21.519 --> 00:27:26.139 That can be private, it can be public, it can be whatever God wants it to be. 00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:27.980 You just do what God tells you to do. 00:27:28.099 --> 00:27:30.079 But you need to listen. 00:27:31.400 --> 00:27:32.379 And you need to follow. 00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:35.400 There's a hindrance in your life. 00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:40.639 There's things that demonize you. 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:42.940 And I don't mean that in any flippant way. 00:27:43.039 --> 00:27:45.379 But I mean the reality is patterns of sin in our lives. 00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:48.539 Obsessions with certain things that lead us away from God. 00:27:48.539 --> 00:27:52.059 It can saturate our lives and cause us to be well off track. 00:27:52.299 --> 00:27:59.680 And God has lifted the blanket on that and shown you what that is and shows you how you need to respond to that. 00:27:59.779 --> 00:28:02.680 And you need to give that over to him today. 00:28:05.619 --> 00:28:06.859 I don't know what those things are. 00:28:06.899 --> 00:28:07.920 Nobody else knows what those things are. 00:28:08.139 --> 00:28:10.039 God knows what they are and he's shown them to you. 00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:12.599 And for you to respond to them in obedience. 00:28:15.180 --> 00:28:17.519 I'll never ask you to do more than what God tells you to do. 00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:20.019 I'll never expect you to do less than what God tells you to do. 00:28:20.319 --> 00:28:22.639 I just want you to do exactly what God would have you to do. 00:28:22.940 --> 00:28:26.480 And when you do that, we'll honor and we'll glorify him and we'll bless him. 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:29.240 And we better leave this place and tell somebody, 00:28:29.859 --> 00:28:30.960 We heard from God today. 00:28:33.240 --> 00:28:34.920 And I did what he told me to do. 00:28:36.359 --> 00:28:37.799 And that's between me and him. 00:28:40.019 --> 00:28:41.480 With every head bowed and every eye closed. 00:28:41.559 --> 00:28:42.599 Lord Jesus, we love you. 00:28:43.379 --> 00:28:44.960 We thank you for your love for us. 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:47.240 Lead us to just be obedient today, I pray. 00:28:47.900 --> 00:28:49.680 In Jesus' precious name. 00:28:50.279 --> 00:28:50.500 Amen.