"Valuing Pigs Over People"

This is on Solomon and I like to welcome you to our program today. You know it's a tremendous honor the God's given us to be on stations all around the nation bringing the truths of God's word as it is uncompromising and straightforward and I'm so glad you tuned in to listen and be part of them. Thanks again for your support and your generosity that keeps us on the radio and now let's get to the word of God this morning looking at the Bible to find our passage is all about the and I hope to God to challenge us to take a hard look at our own lives to take a hard look at how we treat and honor people and I'm trusting God. Maybe as a result of your being here this morning you walk out, saying, gosh I see things just a little bit differently than I saw them when I walked in. Let's look together. Luke chapter 8 verse 26 and they sailed to the region of the kerosene's which is across the lake from Galilee. Remember now when we left off last time Jesus and the disciples were in the boat and in the middle of that big storm and Jesus called the storm out the middle of the sea of Galilee will now they landed on the other side and they landed on the southeast side of the Sea of Galilee at the Gentile region and that explains why they're raising pigs on the no Jewish person would raise pigs now verse 27 when Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon possessed man from the town for a long time.

This man had not worn close or lived in a house, but it lived out in the two as we moved to Luke's gospel here we find just recently that Jesus has been demonstrating his power. First, he demonstrated his power over sickness back in Luke chapter 7, he healed the centurion's servant of sickness. Then he demonstrated his power over death. Memory went a little village called Maine and there was a widow's son there, who was dead and he raise that boy from the dead. Then he demonstrated his power over the forces of this world and the forces of the universe right here in Luke eight by stilling that horrible hurricane out on the sea of Galilee. Now Jesus is about to demonstrate his power over the devil and over this kingdom of demons because this man comes to him. The Bible says possessed by demons face a long way but hold on just a second timeout in late you know the devil is just a symbol right.

I mean, the devil is just a symbol for evil, the devil is just kind of a Christian symbol for human suffering is not right. The devil is just kind of a Christian symbol for all the bad karma bits in the world the true well the answer is no, not the way the Bible presents the devil.

The Bible teaches us that the devil or Satan as he's alternately called in the Bible is a real being that he is a real angelic being. He was an angel who revolted against God back before the world began and the demons were his fellow angels who followed him in this revolt. As a result of the revolt God through them all that I haven't but there's still on the loan, feeling the end of the age comes Jesus Christ is going to grab hold of the devil grab hold of his demons behind them and cast them forever and will place the Bible calls the abyss.

ABYSS Revelation chapter 20 says it's a place where the devil will be tormented along with the demons day and night forever and ever. So this is their final destination. Now that folks is the fastest course in biblical demonology will ever get got a minute and 1/2, but that's what the Bible teaches. Would you believe that that could happen to date of people.

Well, I believe it can happen today to Christians because we have the spirit of God inside of this and are sealed by him, but can it happen to people who aren't Christians. Yes, I do it. If you go to parts of Africa or the Third World.

There are people there who are involved in voodoo witchcraft and all kinds of demons, the that in any culture. The enemy will figure out the most effective tool to use to shape values to go his way to travel the world you will find out this is a very real problem in many places in our world.

Could this man be full demons you bent. Now what happened will look verse 28 and when he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice what you want with me, Jesus, son of the most high God, I beg you don't torture me in Matthew's gospel says don't torture me before the time you say what time was the time when at the very end when Jesus is already told them they're going to go into the abyss. They said don't do that to us. Yet, for Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it sees this man and though he had been chained hand and foot and kept under guard. That's what the townspeople did to keep this kind of control, but it didn't do any good. The Bible says he broken those chains and going out lived in the two Jesus asked the demon what is your name and the demon said my name is Legion a Roman legion was over 6800 Roman soldiers and so by saying Legion he meant.

There's a lot of us in here Legion. He said because many demons had gone into this man and day the demons begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the looksee at the abyss.

That's where they're headed. Eventually they said don't do it to us now that is two things I want you to notice here that a very interesting first of all what the demon said and second of all what the demons did first of all, what did they say they said what you want with us.

Verse 28 Jesus, you son of the most high God.

Isn't it interesting that the disciples were in the boat just a few minutes ago saying who is this man that even the wind and the sea obey him as soon as they land they get a guy full of demons come and answer the question. Nobody can keep this guy under control they change them up they put them up to the wall. They wrapped him up and rope. They guarded him. They locked him in his house and I was completely out of control. He was completely unable to be subdued. In fact, in Matthew's gospel. It says that the man was so violent and nobody could even pass by, where he was living he would come out and assault them and beat them up, but would you notice what he did when Jesus came. The Bible says that he came to Jesus and fell at his feet, babying him not to send them to the abyss is an interesting no human power or authority could tame these demons, but as soon as they saw Jesus they fell at his feet, acknowledging he had absolute authority over what happened for 32 in a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside and the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs and he gave them permission and when the demons came out of the man they went in the pigs and the pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and the whole herd was brown that many pigs were there. Here Mark chapter 5 says there were about 2000 pigs and all of them drown that represented an enormous financial loss to whoever owned those figures that will hold them well. We don't know for certain, but I think they were probably owned by the whole town because in a minute were to find a herdsman with not to tell some person your pigs are drowned. But to tell the whole town.

The pigs are gone. That explains what happens next because it says in verse 34 when those attending. The pigs saw what happened for the first time we find out there was an audience there was a people watching all of this going on when they saw what happened.

They ran off and reported it to the town in the countryside. Can you imagine how the component in the town and the people went out to see what happened and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from all the demons are gone out sitting at Jesus's feet dressed in a never been dressed before heading his right mind, and they were afraid, and those who had seen it told all the townspeople how the demon possessed man had been cured.

Let's stop for a moment think if you are part of that Crowther went down there.

What would your response been notice how would you feel here is Legion sit near finally pigs afloat out there and see in their same Jesus, this guy right here he's wanted to know what would your response. Well, you know, your response will depend on your value system. Think what you got here. You've got a single human being whose life was an absolute disaster. So who suddenly is in his right mind, and he's healthy and he's healed and is made well and you got 2000 pigs representing an awful lot of money floating out the sea of Galilee did your response for my response will depend upon which of those we value more. These people reveal their value system.

Real quick look at this verse 37 it says that all the people of the region of the kerosene's asked Jesus to leave while well look what it says here it says because they were afraid. Afraid of what were they afraid Jesus was going to hurt them on think so when they afraid that he was going to come and in do something nasty to all the people and tell no, not after he taken Mr. Monty acclimating well why would they be afraid of what were they afraid of Dante what they were afraid of.

They were afraid they were going to lose more pigs. That's what they are afraid of that already lost 2000 pigs that Artie had an enormous financial loss and anyone anymore. This is what they were afraid of which look what Jesus did, verse 37 it says so he got into the boat and he left and the man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with it. Jesus said to him know I'm sorry you cannot go use a long why would he say that to Jesus said to him know you cannot come with Jesus sending him away and said, you go home and tell how much God has done for you. So he was going, but he still left Legion there because he wanted Legion to keep trying to reach these people for Christ. So the Bible says this man went away and told everybody and tell how much Jesus had done for him telling you to stop and say here that if you're here this morning and you've never embraced Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Maybe a friend brought you here this morning or relative brought you here are some neighbor or a husband or wife brought you here you really know why you hear what you hear and you've never made a personal decision to trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I ask you to pay careful attention to what just happened here when these townspeople asked Jesus to leave. He did would you notice that Jesus never pushed himself on these people and he will push himself on you. Jesus honored their free will choice. And you know as far as the Bible tells us, Jesus never came back to this place again. This was his one and only visit. This was their one and only opportunity to have him right there can I say to you that every time Jesus Christ offers himself to a person and they decline they have done exactly what these townspeople did they have basically said to Jesus, go away were not prepared to pay the cost. Please go away at what you say and you know maybe you had Jesus Christ offered to you by people many times Xavier Wiseman offer you Jesus Christ for years or your husband maybe your parents have been offering Jesus Christ you of your young person or your children have been offering them to you if you're a parent cannot tell you this morning if you're here.

I'm offering Jesus Christ. My dear friend. The careful about telling Jesus Christ to go away because he will, but the results will be eternally tragic. Something to think about. That's the end of our passages morning but it leads us to work Christians here this morning to ask the question, so what right to now let me see if I can bring it all around and answer the limited time I got left.

You know this in great lessons.

You're one of them is that this is a great reminder about the fact that Jesus Christ has power over the greatest forces of evil in this universe and that as his children by faith in Jesus Christ.

We are never at the mercy of the devil.

We had no reason to fear because Jesus Christ is an absolute control and authority over the devil and there's not a thing for us to worry about. That is a great lesson here about but that's not what I want us to focus on what I want us to focus on this morning is the value system of these townspeople. What strikes you most about their value system.

What strikes me is that these people were pigs · people center. I mean look when they showed up were Jesus was what impressed the most was not that this poor tormented man had been healed had been restored.

What bothered them the most was that there pigs were gone. Did it ever occur to you that maybe there were other sick people in their town that maybe there were some other demonized people in their town. Did it ever occur to you that maybe they should of been concerned about all these other people's lives right there that were hurting and suffering in and being tormented and that they should've invited Jesus Christ to come into town and do for these other people all the things that he had done for the Legion out there in the two but they didn't know that all they were worried about is how many more things they might lose the bottom line is these people value pigs more than they value people. How does the attitude of Almighty God. Compare with this Jesus said in John chapter 14 the person that seen me has seen the father. In other words, see Jesus's heart on any subject you seen the heart of God.

So let's look and see how to Jesus Christ value people.

If we can answer that we can answer how God values people how to Jesus Christ value people friends he valued people more than anything else in the universe he value people more than his own comfort that you know that while book of Philippians chapter 2 says that he didn't regards the comforts and the prerogatives that he had in heaven something to be grabbed a hold of, but rather he was willing to let go of those things because of the value he placed on us and he was willing to come to earth and do something for us that we could not do for ourselves, but that we desperately needed done that everyone of us needed our sins paid for, but there was no way we could pay for them ourselves, and we desperately needed somebody to pay for them for us and Jesus and I'm willing to give up my comforts.

I'm willing to give up my prerogatives because I value those people more than my comforts and my prerogatives and I'm going to do for them what they can't do. Jesus valued us more than even his own life. Every time we look across it ought to remind us all you like a neon sign just flashing out to us every time we look across.

God loves people. The Bible says no greater love no greater value. Could anybody place on another person than this, that he would give up his life for the person and you know that's the way Jesus Christ wants our value system agreed where little thing in our family.

It's called people are more important people more important than what people are more important then anything we try to teach us to our children. People are more important.

You say have they gotten it yet know what will work in order of you agree with that. I hope you do people more important than money and material wealth. I hope so. People are more important. My wife and I were riding home from a visit to her parents. My in-laws, the study year ago.

So we started talking and one of the subjects that came up was about a little family heirloom that my wife's folks.

It had and how your families work but you know as parents are getting up in age heirloom start getting divided and handed out in this heirloom it just kinda trickled its way over to one of the other children, you know, like by osmosis. You have that happen sometimes in a family and you just kinda notice if not here anymore to parents home and suddenly moved over to one of the hello but nobody ever said anything about it. Moving or what anybody else like it to us most their way instead of the way you know I'm trying to say so irrevocable discussion about this because it irritated and the more we talked about it the more irritated and so we stopped for a second and were just riding in silence and God gave me the ability at that moment to step back for just a second, and evaluate and I said to Brenda I said you know that Stauffer to second and evaluate. Is this thing really worth damaging our relationship with family. I mean really, I mean if we put up a big stink.

And maybe if we actually got a put up a big stick would be worth the people damage we have to do to get it would be worth the messages about the value of people would be sending out anyone we do it if we get it anyway. Premise will set up on our show for 40 years until our kids fight about who gets we both sat there looking at each other and said self-worth is not worth people and family are more important than things but you know you have to be reminded that because you get out there in the heat of battle and you forget this. The heater battles good at making you forget this, so let me ask you a question this morning as we conclude our question for you is what pigs have you been valuing in your life. Above people where the places in your life or you will step on people to a larger herd of pigs. Maybe with your career would you do it there or maybe with some achievement or some goal that you had all your life and you made up your mind, your get there, not who you have to step where is it that there something in your life is more important. People you've decided you step on people to get a bigger herd Vince Lombardi, who was maybe I don't know the one of the greatest coaches of all time in football had a motto he is to say, this winning isn't everything, it's the only thing winning isn't everything, is the only thing that I am an enormous respect for Vince Lombardi but I'd like to respectfully say he's wrong. Winning is not the only thing winning is not even the most important people are the most important thing Jesus Christ did not die football. Jesus Christ did not die for your career.

Jesus Christ did not die so you could fulfill some lifelong ambition that you have in Jesus Christ did not die so you could amass all the material wealth you ever wanted Jesus Christ died for people.

This is how Jesus Christ wants us to see life in this world that people are more important.

We have 10 ministry values that shape our ministry. The first one is people matter to God and to us, and by saying that first what we trying to say is that more than any other value. We want this one to shape our ministry. Nothing is more important in helping people. Nothing is more important in caring for people seeing people come to know Jesus Christ in a real and personal way. Seeing the power of God transform people's lives seeing people's lives, reclaimed as this Domani asked life was reclaimed. This must be the driving passion and piston of this church. Nothing else I was at a social not to long ago with one of the groups in our church and it was, like a Q&A type thing and one of the people sitting out there said to me, I got a question. My question is what is the best part about being a pastor McLean Bible church and what is the worst part is pretty interesting question is what you hate the worst about being a pest one here what I said the worst part about being a pastor is church politics. I hate church politics. I despise the best part about being a pastor what you think the answers know what I said.

The best part about being a pastor is seeing people's lives changed by the power Jesus Christ seeing people's lives that were rack reclaimed and delivered, and they hold by Jesus Christ touching your life. That's the best part of this, and friends.

When it comes to us as Christians make an impact on that world out there limitation without world out there needs not another televangelist agree with that. What they need out there is not another faith healer and what they need out there is not another Christian celebrity without world needs and will make a difference out there is. Everyday Christians like you and me were willing to put people first in our lives and show the love of Christ to people, even above our own comfort, our own welfare in our own desires. Look, we can compete with that world out there when it comes to technology their way ahead of us we can pull in every sharp and new thing that's going on and be ahead of them we can compete with them on any of those bases. But the one thing we've got that the rest of the world cannot offer people is the love of Jesus Christ expressed to the lives of the people who believe that's what we've got different change that world is only where were going to do it in the 90s and I hope God will challenge your heart and challenge my heart make us change the way we see the world and people.

As a result of being here this morning. Let's bow together and pray. Heavenly father.

Sometimes the word of God confronts us, sometimes it rebukes us because we needed because we gotten out of step with you and we've lost touch with your values that should be our value as Christians and I thank you this morning for doing that very thing for us, Lord, you know, it's so easy in the heat of battle to lose sight of this very important truth that people are more important, but I pray father that she would bring us back to that value this morning and help us live it or I will pray for someone who may be here that has never trusted you as their personal Lord and Savior that he would use the story that we saw this morning to remind them how dangerous it is to tell you to go away and leave below.pray. If there are people here who been offered you.

Even if you're not sure that they are ready to take again. At least Lord. May they be willing to say Jesus, I'm not sure I'm ready to take you.

But please don't go away keep working with me. Keep talking to me. For those of us who are Christians, Lord, may you make this church in us as individual Christians effective in reaching and making an impact on this community for Christ. More than any other reason, because we are willing to go out and put people first and show them the love of Jesus Christ.

Give us the power to live differently.

Lord, if we become convinced that we need to and we pray these things in Jesus name amen been listening to their level. Dr. Lon Solomon plan is an outrage. Lines found in ministering to listen to today's message, or for more information visit our website.

Lon Solomon ministries.org.

Thank you for your support. If you would like to contact us, please visit our website or call and again 68788777 we had people join us next time in line to answer one of life's mission question