Snapshots of Power, Far and Near, Part 2

Most people are willing to acknowledge that Jesus Christ was a great moral teacher made a positive impact on his times, but Scripture makes it clear that Jesus was so much more than inspirational leader is miraculous moments of healing and redemption set Jesus apart as God in flesh today on Insight for living trucks one dollars teaching from Matthew chapter 8 beginning at verse five. In this passage were invited to witness an amazing conversation with the commander in the Roman army titled today's message snapshots of power, far and near, and he begins with I think it is a father for the whole have a whole that is limitless is really beyond our ability to comprehend you do things that we couldn't imagine and would never have expected you do them in a way that we could not have predicted, but always in your time and always for your purpose and plan may rehear what you have written me and make a difference. Maybe learn from it maybe be different people changed by find in us willing hearts to hear and to heed what has been given for our own admonition and exhortation, maybe see in it and beyond it magnificent love of your son for us. DT love Jesus we give enveloped in that lot today through Christ we pray these things every once study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to inside world.or/studies. Another message from Chuck titled snapshots of power, far and near the work that is done by the Godhead is always small some were awe-inspiring, usually making us quiet as we let the wonder in so we come to these three vignettes and we want to closely observe his power at work. The first is an occasion which we find healing at a distance. What I mean by that. The one who is in need is away from Jesus look closely when Jesus returned to Capernaum, a century came and pleaded with him, Lord, and my servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain. Jesus says right away. I will come in and I will healing not necessary. All you need to do is say the word and he'll be up doing fine. Verse 13 Jesus said the Roman soldier go back home because you believe it is happened.

How does he do it the power Jesus is the only thing I know to put on that line the invisible power of Christ is at work and let me say to you, will come back in the application, but let me say don't let distance hold you back from faith.

Someone you love very much is a long ways away and you can't get to them and even if you could. You can't change the you can't heal him. You can bring about a transformation of their hearts. He's able to do this the fate of the centurion speaks to all of us never let distance hinder your faith. Centurion certainly didn't and he in fact invites Jesus take care of it right. Will that passes, and Jesus decides to visit in the home of Peter another comment if you're ever in Israel you need to be at cough or not whom we know it today is Capernaum. It's on the northwestern point of the Sea of Galilee a little village and there they tell us there is a house that is Peter's house. Whether it is or not is debatable, but maybe a house like Peter Ed when he lived there. So my third Capernaum. He goes into the house and the first thing he encounters is a woman the needed speeders mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever back to your outline who is in question. Peter's mother-in-law, where are they Peter's home. She's in bed. She has a high fever. She's sick. What is it that is needed healing. Obviously, and what is a Jesus does. How does he take care of it.

He touches her hand and the fever left her altogether different than the servant of the centurion. He's right there reaches over touches her hand with his hand.

He touches her and we read the fever left her incredible miraculous. How do we know it was immediate will read on. She got up and prepared a meal for what you wish you knew what she fixed. I mean, would you like to know what his favorite meal was. Or maybe leftovers. Jesus eating leftovers. I just don't maybe they were left. She fixed a meal completely well by the power of Christ.

No big deal, no healing lines no money exchanged. No secrecy behind the curtain. No big broadcast announcing to the world come see the humor and action is not the way God does his work.

Jesus is alone in the house and we know a good because Matthew takes the time to record it and leaves it for us to see. Never doubt the Lord's ability to bring an immediate change. Never doubt that everything within us is based on our scientific upbringing teachers who had too much influence on us who were given to empirical evidence discounting things like fate and trusting in God you can't see. Here's an example of what the Lord is able to do you have someone who is in great need. Learn from verses 13 and 14, 14 and 15.

God can do it and he could do it immediately. The first proofreads is easy to pass over them because everything is sort of anonymous, with no names.

We have no numbers.

We don't even have an exact place but back to our outline who came, let me mention this very carefully. This rendering of the Bible says they were demon possessed people know such words appear in the New Testament we have oppression and possession and influence all of these are nuances we use to try to describe the depth of demonic impact. There is no such in the New Testament is only 900 so that when it's a lie we get the word demonize from hemp demons demons controlled you want to believe that is of no concern to me.

I know it's here and I believe what this says they are in torment. If you have never seen a demonized individual. You can imagine this. I have station on Okinawa. I saw a demonized woman in the city of Naha. Five people in the military could not control her the most frightening setting. I believe I've ever seen. I stood back and chill goes up my back as I tell you the story and I watched them as they did everything they could to bring this screaming out of control woman under control I learned from a close friend of mine who was acquainted with her in the family. The demons control don't make fun of demonism don't play with demonic activity.

Don't discount the power of the invisible supernatural. These people found were Jesus was in the cane that came in all of their torment.

So who are they there demonized people who else came there were those who were sick was he do with the demonized people well where are they probably on the street.

There were too many to come into the house so he went there to meet with them or they brought them to him and he cast out the evil spirits with a simple command. He exorcised the demon. I take it all of them in all of the victims. Otherwise, it would identify a few, but here we have a group here. They are coming in all of their tormented condition 80 and Eve, he relieves them of the presence he expelled them. Please notice with a simple command that is the power the awesome power of Jesus Christ. He also healed all the sick know it might seem a little innocuous. Let's go on since we've obviously come across the healing of the sick before, but this is a little different word for sickest cutoffs K a K OS, which often in the original Greek means bad bad. I was intrigued by that.

In fact I was so intrigued I checked it out carefully and I discovered that these are individuals who quite likely were social outcasts which might explain why they came to him in the street Walter Bauer in his outstanding lexicon Greek English lexicon suggests that the word cut costs refers to the socially and morally reprehensible.

Stay with me.

Those who are evil later came to mean harmful, injurious, even a few renderings dangerous harm because with evil intent.

These don't seem to be those we think of is physically or just emotionally disturbed.

These people are bent toward evil they do wrong they commit deeds that are evil and they can't stop. Apparently it is so serious that they came for some kind of healing some kind of restoration that intrigues we also because of the word used. He healed all the sick therapeutical is the word we get our word therapy from its normal word for healing, admittedly, but it's interesting that in light of this context as he restores these people in this category he does it in a way that changes the direction of their lives. It says he healed all of all, save a little bit more time than normal for application because I think this speaks to all of us in one way or another may be to some in several ways come to the three points is a close with in a moment. But let me speak generally.

Today I might be talking about someone you love very much you care very much about this individual, but that person is beyond your ability to change its humanly impossible you what if you could, but you have no supernatural power. You pray you care your love but you can't say the word. I like to think of it is throwing the switch to impossible for you to do that you may be a situation that defies human intervention can't solve it.

You can't unravel it. It's complicated. Others may know of it or it may be secret.

I'll be bold enough to say it may be you. You may be in the scene. One of the scenes some position may have told you it's terminal the physician doesn't know if it's terminal he means or she means well and based on their scientific training. It bears the marks of a terminal you and I've seen people live beyond terminal. I know those who live years beyond the date. Be careful about hinging everything on a date given you our time some other individual states. Remember the power of Jesus is limitless and authority. Maybe you and maybe an emotional struggle. It may be a raging issue that surfaces in moments that are for you.

Shameful.

As you look back on it can't change. Let me say first by way of illustration, or application limit deal with distance. Maybe physical distance, maybe a relational distance you feel from someone else. You can't bridge you can't bring the two together, maybe a spiritual distant. I have several friends who admit that they just simply cannot get close to God that cannot go there there prayers sort of reach the ceiling and they stop presaging you struggle with distance.

This application implies do not allow distance to weaken your trust in the power of Jesus commit that situation to him leaving with him like the centurion know that the Lord can say a word, or even without a word, bring a change.

Let it be leave it with him about time you're in a waiting. Like Peter's mother-in-law who knows how long she was on that bid with that high fever.

You knew the Lord's touch and it hasn't come the day to motivate remember shackled by heavy burden be the load of guilt and shame the hand of Jesus touch me and no longer say, do not be afraid to ask for the Lord's divide touch count on him to step in. In his way and at this time to do as he pleases. Now this third category. This tormenting presence. Not all demonism is as obvious as I describe the street so that capital city of the island demons are at work all the time. The demonic power of the enemy is constantly surveilling looking for chinks in the armor looking for ways to bring us down. Admittedly some of you may fight with that in your own life, my heart goes out to you. You do things that tell you cannot later explain some time things you do are harmful downright evil maybe file say to you work as therapists with people who are this troubled take heart.

God uses you. We need you. Nothing is impossible, to the one who is awesome. So let me say this third comment. Do not think your torment is true evil or too bad for the power Jesus to resolve. I waited till the end. Note the final verse in this passage from Isaiah where Matthew says this fulfill the word of the Lord. One of Matthew's favorite statements because he's presenting Messiah as King, the one who fulfills the prophecies of the prophets of the Old Testament.

Here's one through the word of the Lord. The prophet Isaiah said he took our sicknesses. He removed our diseases Bureau asked me about that passage. My first answer would be.

I believe it relates first and foremost of the cross. It's there that are our entire sin condition which includes sickness and disease is all taken care of and paid for, but I think there is a way that it might be applied for. That's what Matthew says doesn't use the word forgive Jesse as he took our sin's are our sicknesses. He removed our diseases next power to do either one to take it to remove yours. Maybe in the form of an addiction. I don't know the addiction may be severe and long-standing. He can take it.

He can remove it slowly close with words of hope known through we need to live our lives in light of this promise.

The Lord is for us, not against us. The Lord is full of compassion, understanding is not some distant deity, frowning, judging us.

The Lord is intimately interested in the details of our lives even goes into details in each of these three vignettes. Whatever it is the troubles as he's not an unconcerned power removed from us. He's intimately acquainted with all of our ways, says the psalmist 139 the Lord is capable of handling whatever were struggling with is not important power. Jesus is like nothing you've ever heard or seen measured before limitless credible inexhaustible. The Lord is ready to hear us when the call is not preoccupied with all of his own issues and affairs. I urge you to turn to him rather than living your life behind it. The shades of depression, discouragement and doubt and denial over the shade. Focus on the power of Jesus Christ and let that drive you in your life but that give you the strength to get up each morning and take on the day whatever it may involve. If you're like me and you care very much.

I know you do. Your tendency is to think about what isn't done or what hasn't changed or how long it's been. And I urge you to get beyond that shack that has you in its grip, and finally to you with addictions. There is no impossible situation with the Lord God.

Isn't that a relief that magnificent bout with me. Would you just sit very still right there you listen so carefully, I commend you.

This is a message about definitions and and and theological theories. This is a message about life claiming the power of God to intervene if not changing the life of the individual you care about changing your whole perspective on it, giving you a quiet confidence that God and God alone is having his way, though the situation is beyond your ability to understand leave it alone. Let him take the burden released, rather than living under the weight in the shadow say again what I said earlier, if it's a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

That is not improper place take care of that first believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You will be rescued will be delivered were to see eternally and saved in your life.

From the journey you're on now's the time come to him. No wonder large crowds followed your son, father, no wonder it hardens centurion would be confident that he could handle the need of beloved servant. No wonder the home of Peter was changed but the touch of the master.

No wonder the torment stopped in the street is people who came with all of those affliction left free relieved change maybe do the same.

Lord rather than this being simply another time of instruction or another worship service me this one standalone we not forget what we have heard it make a difference in how we live for your glory.

We pray this through Christ, everyone's email through our study in Matthew chapter 8 Chuck Swindoll is provided what he calls snapshots of power, far and near, and to learn more about this ministry or Chuck Swindoll. Please visit us online@insightworld.org when preparing these daily programs. We never know what suffering may have come into your household as it did for the Roman centurion as it did for Peter's mother-in-law, and yet we know God's power continues to serve his people today. I'm reminded of a recent note received from someone who listens to Insight for living in California.

Raised in a very traditional church. This woman met her challenge early in marriage. She said I lost a child it one year of age and did not understand why God would let this happen to me. I wanted him so badly.

I began to search for answers and found Chuck Swindoll on the radio and then she added.

I have never stopped reading the Bible as you taught me to do. Thank you Pastor Swindoll. I feel that you are my lifeline to the Lord and I thank you for that. I have given everything to the Lord and I have faith that he will lead me. It's a beautiful story of someone who's clearly still in process and still relying on God to sustain her and that's precisely why insight for living exists. Would you be among those who give financially so that we continue to reach men and women all around the world, even during the global pandemic.

While many churches have been restricted for meeting this daily radio program has continued without missing a single day is because people like you have stepped forward to give during this unprecedented season of isolation as God leads you to give a donation today. I can speak to one of our friendly ministry representative by calling glistening in the US dial 1-800-772-8880 or to give a donation online, go to insight.more doll delivers a bowl. It's not enough to follow Jesus. We also have to do it right. Listen Friday to Insight for living.

The preceding message snapshots of power far near was copyrighted in 2015 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited