God Is Bigger Than Your Problem: Spiritual Healing for Our Earthly Pain

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Visit our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org little studies above that there's a strong link between heavy social media increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness so warm and even suicidal thoughts, society has no answers.

The real source of original nature pastor Greg Laurie says we shouldn't try to fix spiritual issues earthly secular band culture cannot do.

Jesus can what you must call out way more than 100 years ago, doctors greeted many melodies by bloodletting now are so many targeted medications they have to get creative with the name cisplatin moxifloxacin Romeo was availed a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie says we should treat ritual you targeted effective treatment recommended by our Bible. It's a story of a man who'd been completely taken over by the power of the devil, tortured, miserable, suicidal show of a man in what appeared to be an absolutely hopeless situation that is until Jesus came along. What we see in this man is the devil package deal. If you will that he has in store for any person who is in his grip. You see, the devil will start with just a foothold and then he'll take over give him an inch and he'll take a mile. Once he has you worry want you to chew you up and those spit you out the story before us illustrates these points and more. We see three forces at work in the text that were going to be looking that we see Satan society and the Savior are another way to look at it we see chaos, culture, and then Christ now is our story begins, we see that Jesus is on his way to reach this tragic man who had actually been taken over for the power of demons. Not one demon not to demons but many demons as it turns out, turned out a Mark chapter 5M and read verses one through nine, which says so they arrived on the other side of the lake in the region of the Gadarenes and when Jesus climbed out of the boat.

A man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the burial caves and can no longer be restrained even with a chain. Whatever he was put into chains and shackles as he often was peace that the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles.

No one was strong enough to subdue them day and night. He wondered among the burial caves in the hills howling and cutting himself with stones.

When Jesus saw him some distance away. The men saw him and ran the medium and bound book forum, whether streaky screen.

Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, son of the most high God in the name of God, I beg you don't torture me. We see some interesting and surprising things here about the devil and demons. Number one.

This point may surprise you but it's true demons. The wicked are actually quite Orthodox in their beliefs. I'm not suggesting they believe in Jesus.

It's the opposite there in rebellion against Jesus but there are certain things they actually believe it should not surprise you to know that the devil is neither atheist nor agnostic. For instance, the devil believes in the existence of God because the Bible says the demons believe in Trumbull, the devil believes in the deity of Christ, which means he believes Jesus is God because when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Satan says to him, it appeared the son of God turn this rock into a piece of bread and a better translation would be, since you're the son of God, Satan was acknowledging the Christ is the very son of God.

Listen the double believes the Bible is the word of God.

He hates every word of it, but he knows it's true.

And the devil believes that Christ is coming back again. He's a wicked creature, a member.

One is a brand-new Christian, I mean like maybe a few weeks old, and the Lord. I was a little meeting where we were singing some songs and praying and someone came up with the bright idea. Hey, why do we pray for Satan's conversion to go. Great things will be of the devil comes to Jesus and think in this is nuts. Even as a new Christian, I thought that's that's not possible and no it is not possible Scripture is clear about the origin agenda and the ultimate destruction of Satan already mentioned this verse. James 219 says the demons believe in Trumbull.

Another translation would be the demons believe in shutter. The verb occurs only here in the New Testament it means to bristle, and it conveys a picture of a horror causing the hair to stand on. In my case it would be singular. One hair standing on end. But why did the demons Trumbull answer because they know the Christ as supremacy over here that the demons ask Jesus. Have you come to torment us before our time. The devil knows of the time of judgment is coming. He knows he's ultimately going to end up in the lake of fire. Revelation 1212 says he knows he has but a short time and that is why in these last days and I believe we are in the last days.

I believe Jesus is coming back again. That is why these last days. The devil is pulling out all the stops.

Listen to this, even as some liberal theologians don't believe it.

Satan believes that Jesus Christ is coming back again and his goal is correct as much havoc as he can until that day, as Christians, could we be at least as motivated as the demons are there out there doing all their dirty work trying to destroy lives, what are we doing for the Lord one. The last time you shared the gospel was someone so we see three forces at work in this story.

As I said, Satan, society and the Savior are another way to put it chaos culture in Christ. So we've already seen with the devil did in this man's life as he brought complete chaos was Peter Marshall, former chaplain to the U.S. Senate who made this statement years ago and I quote the choice before us is plain. Christ or chaos, conviction, or compromise discipline or disintegration."

And so true Christ or chaos. One of the devil do for this man. He brought chaos. He brought destruction. He brought bondage to what society do forum is chain them up will get society do lock him up chain them up though there's not really anything else we can bring to the table. You know in America right now we have riots in our streets in some cities, we have outright anarchy and the potential is there for her to get far worse. Those that service and law enforcement have never had it harder and they have it right now the family continues to disintegrate and break apart and by the way, that's at the root of most of our social ills today society and culture cannot cope with the problems caused by Satan and sin social media. Most of us carry one of these things around with us in our pocket smart phone social media Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, tick-tock, all these things are supposed to bring us closer together but I think social media in many ways is divided us and driven us apart.

Again, the good times I'm sitting in a restaurant. There's a family all sitting at a table. I think you'd they went to gob a meal together but everyone is just looking at their phone they're not even paying attention to one another. They don't talk anymore. I read article in Forbes magazine about this with the headline, the more we use social media, the less happy we seen to be another article said multiple studies have found that there's a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm and even suicidal thoughts, society has no answers for this man society or culture has no answers for us either. But what the chains could not do Jesus did in one word and that brings us to the third force, if you will, in the story the Savior wanted Jesus to for this man.

First of all he thought about in this spooky little graveyard and he offered him hope now here's a bizarre twist in the story. You can read it therein. Our chapter 5, but the demons actually operable requests and say to Billy Cassis out of the sky Cassis in the something and there was a herd of pigs feeding nearby, and Jesus cast the demons into the pigs and then the pigs all ran off the edge of a cliff and die. There was mass soon Lee's side but it was the first case of double him human history. But the good pigs possessed by the demons go over the side while pretty scary, so would culture could not do Jesus could what religion cannot do.

Jesus can what treatment programs cannot provide the Lord can listen, you don't need a 12 step program to be the one step program come to God through Jesus Christ and ask him to help you Mr. Greg Laurie led the second half of this message in just a moment. Sometimes, we can always make sure here's the good news church is coming to you is coming due on your TV screen or on your tablet or your computer or even your phone. We do it every weekend and it's called Harvest at Home. We worship we have a message of the word of God. If you want to find out more, just go to harvest.org enjoy this this weekend for harvest at all. What were considering the story of the demon possessed man today in Mark chapter 5 as Pastor Greg presents his message God is bigger than your problem. So this man is radically transform all these demons of love him and they got into the pigs and in the people come and see this man in his right mind, and they can't remember. This is the guy that they've known all this time look at Mark chapter 5 verse 15 when they came to Jesus. They saw the man who would been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, dressed in his right mind so it's a reaction they were afraid those who had seen and told the people what it happened in the demon possessed man and they were told about the pigs as well.

The people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. How now this man is so change you couldn't even tell he was the same guy you know you meet some Christians and it's hard to believe that they used to be who they were.

I think of some people I've got to know quite well, like Darrell strawberry great baseball player for the New York Yankees and other teams, but he became the bad boy of baseball and he was known in many ways more for what happened outside of the game arrested for drugs all kinds of problems in this life, but God ultimately got a hold of him and transformed him and I'll tell you what I think I would Darrell.

It's hard to believe he was ever that guy with the Lord is transformed, then I think of my friend Michael friend sees a monster. His father Sonny frenzies who died recently in up and that that moment was the oldest living mobster in America. He actually made it past 100 a Sunday was an enforcer or a hitman for the Colombo crime family and his son Michael was being groomed to become the next Godfather of that family. Michael was arrested. He was sent to prison and he came to Christ while he was imprisoned and finally Alice Cooper when you think of Alice you think of him as may be the godfather of shock rock you know the scary guy with the snake around his neck and Alice Cooper was living a crazy life. Believe it or not, he was a son of a pastor, but he rebelled against God, and almost died without rock of cocaine.

The size of a softball, and Doug God got a hold of Alice and turned him around and he's a different man.

Okay, so how did the people react to this amazing demonstration of the power of God. We should have read and the people all gave glory to God. But no, one of the gospel tells us commenting on the same story. The people were afraid using this demonstration of the power of God frighten them. They should have been rejoicing, but instead they were afraid and they should have been pleading with Jesus to stay with them but they did the very opposite. Apparently, the guys who own the herd of swine were pretty ticked off because they made a lot of money off those pigs pods were big business on this side of the lake in 2000 hog that so many went over the cliff is a lot of vacant another on the bottom of the lake to go him anyone. So Jesus was bad. There business is Jesus bad for your business. I hope not. Whatever career choice you've made. If you can ask the Lord to bless it. Maybe you need a new career.

I'd take that a step further. If you can't say to the Lord, hallowed be your name over what you're about to do, then don't do it. And so Jesus was bad for their business and they wanted him to go away. They didn't want him around.

Now here as we come to the end of the story is an interesting twist.

We have three prayers offer we have the demons prayer.

We have the people's prayer and then we have a prayer offered by the man who had been formally possessed by demons.

Jesus answered to their prayers with a yes and the final prayer with the no. First there was the demons prayer.

What was they said that Jesus cast us into their herd of pigs and Jesus granted their request and that's exactly what happened. So you could say this since he answered their prayer.

Then there's the people's prayer. They pleaded with Jesus to leave their city.

He answered their prayer if you will, and left their city hey listen careful what you pray for you might get it. And here's the interesting quest. The formerly demon possessed man also prays, but Jesus did not answer his prayer in the affirmative look of Mark chapter 5 verse 18 when Jesus got back in the boat.

The men would been demon possessed begged to go to but Jesus said no go home to your friends and tell them what wonderful things the Lord is done for you and how merciful he has been an interesting Jesus answered the prayers of the demons and the hardened people but not his own follower but let me say this. Thank God for unanswered prayers. Thank God when the Lord overrules your request because he knows what's best for you looping back to what I said in the beginning of the message God has a plan for you and know this. His plan for you is better than your plan for yourself. So never be afraid to commit an unknown future to unknown God and said Jesus sends this man only says go home. Tell your friends tell your family tell people what the Lord is that this guy had an amazing testimony because everybody knew he's a crazy dude that I am not of the graveyard. Run around naked breaking chains and shrieking and howling and now he's is saying man is been transformed by Christ they could say hey, remember me while God is change me. Jesus says transform my life.

This story shows that no one is beyond the reach of God.

So keep praying for them to know a person that seems to be completely under the power of the devil, and you said yourself there's nowhere could ever see that person believing in Jesus. What are you talking about. The Bible says with God all things are possible. Keep praying for that person. Look at this man that he transform and I wonder if I'm talking to somebody right now that finds himself under the power of the devil. Maybe it's an addiction. You can break free from. Maybe it's a guilt that you can't get rid of. Maybe it's a hopelessness you cannot shake.

If so, call out to him call out to him it will hear your prayer. The Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be say whoever you are, wherever you are. Christ is the answer. So you have a choice like the people in the city you can say Lord stay with us, you can say Lord go away there really no other alternatives. We either asked Jesus to come in them are our lives we turn him away. We all know that statement were Jesus says behold I stand at the door and a knock in the future my voice and open the door on commit. Now think of Jesus standing on your porch at your door knocking right now but add another thought to it.

Let's say you have a glass door which means you can see him and he can see you so you can say just ignore him.

He'll go away. He knows you see him there on your porch, knocking so do not open the door and invite him and is a clear rejection and Jesus said, you either for me or against me, these people said Galway is what you'll say that Jesus only will you say come in the my life right now. I wonder wherever you are if you would just reach out to Jesus now and say Lord forgive me of my said I don't care how powerful your addiction is I don't care how big your problems are. I don't care about how big of a mess you made in your life, God is bigger than your problems.

God can transform you but you must call out to him. Listen to this 2000 years ago Jesus Christ came to this earth on a rescue mission, and died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead bolt turn from our sin and put our faith in him we can be forgiven and we can know with assurance that will go to heaven when we die what you like to know that Jesus can come into your life right here right now and in the moment.

I'm going to pray I'm at a prayer simple prayer you can pray with me where you will be asking Jesus Christ to come into your life so you need Jesus to come in your life and forgive you of your sin, pray this prayer with me right now pray this prayer with me right now. This is our prayer. We are asking Christ to come in to your life.

Let's all pray father I pray for everyone that is watching wherever they are. Help them to see their need for you and help them to come to you. We pray now if you want Jesus to come of your life.

Pray these words after me, Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead Lord come into my life.

I choose to follow you from this moment in Jesus name I pray. Prayer Pastor Greg Laurie with those making a decision for the Lord today and if you just pray that prayer with pastor Greg and have meant those words sincerely we want to welcome you into the family of God and would like to help you get started in living the life of faith letter send you something called our new believers growth packet will answer many of the questions you might have and help you build a strong foundation for your face so ask for the new believers growth packet as you write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime around the clock again. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click the words know God and that is a real joy to make available a new book called the women of the Bible speak written by Shannon bream. Shannon, as you may know, is the anchor of Fox News at night on the Fox News Channel. She's also the network senior legal correspondent and in this new book. She surveys the lives of 16 prominent women in the Bible and highlights the lessons to be learned from their lives.

She speaking with pastor Greg's wife Kathy if I'm not mistaken I think you begin your book with the story who is unnamed in one of the Gospels, the woman who had an issue with Blatt at glad that she was ostracized and she was weak and she was poor and she was powerless but she did one thing that distinguished her that Jesus was amazed by and we all are amazed by him outweighs what little strength she had. She knew where to go for help, and we do speak to that. This is an introduction to this entire, but you sent her at as I said in the women that we need to study and learn from. I love this story so much. I really identify with it because in years. I went through physical trials in chronic pain and doctor to doctor looking for help and I think about that because this one and were told in the Gospels have spent everything she had she been from doctor to doctor Dr. for 12 years. No one can help her, but she heard his name Jesus, and she said if I can just touch the hem of his garment, I believe I'll be healed because of this issue bleeding that she had and we believe that she went and considered unclean. In many societies. She would been considered an outcast, so she probably very isolated. Not being able to be in the temple or in crowds and other places probably very much confined to her home as many of us have felt this past year cell that she decided to venture out and she found Jesus and she got close enough that she just touch his garment. The Scripture tells us immediately.

She was healed and instead exchanging her in front of that crowd and senior speak and be out here needing to ask my permission Jesus. I turned her in every town and Gospels. The first thing he says to her is daughter love that. I think it is so beautiful that he immediately shows in front of his cabinets watching he accepts her and what she's done is right. It's not wrong. There were so many people in those days who are accusing Jesus and always not following the letter of the law of the rules and he recognized that she had reached out in desperation, he said, your faith has made you whole credited to her.

It was certainly his divine power, but he credited her with that think that she had.

It was enough to heal her. Just the touch of hand and keep show the people there that he accepted her that she was and not somebody to be thrown out of society that he viewed her as precious as a daughter. I just think her story is so beautiful and so encouraging on so many different levels will I want to thank you Shannon for writing this book.

The women of the Bible speak subtitled the wisdom of 16 women and their lessons for today and you can order this from us here harvest that will send you for your gift of any size. Yeah, that's right.

And as you can tell is full of substantial encouragement for Christian women but really for all of us.

It's deep and thought-provoking but also easy to follow and find the practical principles for our lives. Letter send you the women of the Bible speak will send it to say thank you for your investment in the work we do each day and will only be mentioning this book.

A short time longer, so get in touch right away just right is that a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We are here to take your call anytime 24 seven. That's at 1-800-821-3300 online to harvest.org next time you see some examples of the simple truth that everybody needs Jesus more from Pastor Greg series and Mark called the gospel for busy people beginning to cast with meat possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God learn how to become harvest partner sign up for daily devotions and find resources to help you grow in your faith harvest.org