“Go and Tell Them” (Part 2 of 2)

For many mention of the word evangelist causes us to become fearful.

To be honest during the gospel can be intimidating to how we do it effectively today on Truth for Life. Alistair Begg describes one man's amazing transformation illustrates a helpful model of evangelism is titled this message go and tell the Mark chapter 5 when looking at these first 20 verses of chapter 5. Here we have a living walking vivid unanswerable demonstration of the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can set such a person free when you look at verse seven. It's almost as though this man knew that Christ could set them free, but he was in the same time, afraid of what that change would mean it's not so far removed from experience that I've encountered in 30 years of pastoral ministry figures we failed to understand the grip that sin has on people that Satan has on people.

When we suggest to them or to ourselves that one is confronted with their predicament. It will just be obvious for it will just be natural for them to surrender to Christ through but experience tells us that it isn't so obvious that apparently isn't so natural.

If you have dealt with people who will become increasingly enslaved to sexual sin increasingly trapped in the choices that they've made in relationship to the substances that they put into their bodies, you will have noticed, as have I the royal bafflement takes place in the psyche and the soul of that man without woman wear on the one hand there say Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, but I cannot face that tortuous implications of what it will mean for me to be worn away from that, upon which I have developed such independence for all these years of my life. We better not be superficial in the way we deal with our friends and neighbors concerning these things as if some are. Come along I'll give yourself a shake after a look at this, therefore, come on, let's get this dealt with. No, it's not as easy as that. It's not just as easy as that Jesus is the one who breaks the power of canceled sin. He's the one who sets the prisoner free, but it's a good Ferguson are good friend says no man yields to Jesus easily by nature.

Tragically, like Legion man often hold onto their bondage and evil rather than yield to the pain of transformation by Christ's power and grace. That's a very important phrase pain of transformation by Christ's power and grace want to say to people. This is easy and there's nothing in this we made light of where people are coming from.

We devalue the very work of Jesus. When we seek to represent the gospel in such a superficial way. Why else would Jesus say if anybody wants to become my disciple should take up their cross every day and say no to themselves and follow.

Why would he say to the rich young ruler who comes and falls on his knees is a good master, what must I do to have eternal life in Jesus is keep the commandments, he said. I kept all the commandments ever since I was small as her.

Jesus is all I need to sell everything you have given to the poor and then come and follow me and the guy I'm not prepared to do that. The issue was in the money issue was that he wanted both Jesus and his other little God and Jesus will allow no other gods before the man was unprepared for the painful transformation brought about by the grace and power of Jesus and some of us remain unconverted today here at Parkside church absolutely routinely unconverted because you're clever enough to recognize what is involved in buying your need to Jesus else at this point that we get into the pig situation and some of you are from a farming background and others of your veterinary ads and people and so I do need to be careful and moving my way around here. Some of you are on the other side of the divide when it comes to the deer in Solon and so I have to be very careful in the way I handle this. My name is Legion and he begged Jesus.

Verse 10. Don't send me out of the area.

I don't send is out of the area and a large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside and the demons begged Jesus. Send us among the pigs allow us to go into them, so he gave them permission. You see the where the power lies in the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs in the Herald about 2000 number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned by me save my behavior for PAs to help you with the pig situation number one. The fate of the pigs demonstrates the ultimate purpose of the demons. The fate of the pigs demonstrates the ultimate purpose of the demons. The demons were set on the destruction of this individual and thwarted in their attempts to destroy the man went ahead and did what they were put together to do, namely, they destroyed the pay.

Secondly, this incident demonstrates the power of Jesus over these demonic forces. They are the ones who are coming and begging and pleading with Jesus. It is not that somehow or another they have a parallel power to Jesus, but Jesus is sovereign even over these demonic activities and therefore his power is made clear.

Thirdly, the dramatic end to which these pigs come establishes without any doubt the permanence of the work of Jesus in this man. The man was tempted to doubt on the following Tuesday whether he had been radically set free. He could always in his mind's eye go back to that dramatic moment when 2000 pigs came hurtling down the side of the hill and were drowned in the lake and all as a result of the demonic activity that was represented there and he would look at that in his mind. I say that is the transforming permanent way in which Jesus sets me free for this little incident also gives us a perspective that the deliverance of one man is certainly worth 2000 pigs every culture incident later puts the volume of his animals before the volume of his people is a putrefying culture. Well, of course, you think I would get a reaction when you and I did specially amongst the big tenders those tending the pigs ran off and ran off. You have a job as a is a pink tender 2000 pigs so much on our look after the pigs you'd be concerned if three or four of them did a bunk for 2000 on them to run headlong down a cliff and drown themselves is a significant impact on the bottom line and so those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and the countryside.

Just imagine running on the road going up pigs. The pigs face. What happened in the pigs know there's something honestly happened to the pigs. What happened in the pigs were subservient to what happened to the man and when they warned of the pigs got out, and the people came to see what happened to the pigs. So something even more dramatic, namely crazy man was no when he came to Jesus. They saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there sitting there we are all sitting here was the point. The point is only as he couldn't sit this man was a roar, he was.

He was all over the place. They try to change them just to keep in one place he was here and he was there he was everywhere. If you try to talk with them. If you've gone in situations where people are being held in the grip of these think you find yourself walking with the new CNET Avenue. If you've gone in certain tragic situation. If I have to walk with a person all the time because they can stop they can set the rolling everywhere. Peace and naked. Norman has his close he's close to 30% to close this. He was always tearing and working with himself, and I was one of the reasons that the grandmother said to their grandchildren. When you come home from school come straight past the graveyard go you go in there and look at Mr. Legion you hear them shouting to come straight home here come straight home. Maybe the museum is a threat. If you don't go to sleep Legion. When he resets with his clothes on.

And furthermore, he's in his right mind he would been possessed by an aggregate of uncoordinated impulses and evil forces is now set free. Don't allow yourself to go from here to every chemically in balance. Psychiatric circumstance than you ever heard of in your existence and say all that must be this know it is in this what is being described here is what is being described here.

If you know someone stark naked in the Garfield Heights graveyard screams in the day and the night. Maybe there's a reason for us to talk to him about the nature of Mark five but if you don't that I don't suggest that you begin to use it to anybody look that you kinda strange when you were sitting next to them on the railway train. Okay as is a word of warning because some people wrest the scriptures to their own destruction. For you know where you are. You want your pseudo-psychiatrist roaming around with Mark chapter 5 try to cure every ailment that the ever saw this, lighten up. That's all parenthetical first 16 those who had seen it told the people what happened to the demon possessed man told about the pigs as well and then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region points. The screaming man in the tombs is closed.

Sitting in his right mind. He's apparently normal know was saying thank you nobody's even saying to one another in our lives will build her sleep at night now without wailing going on in the symmetry welcome for this man to see in the text where the people to go out to where the people going to mistake was glad to have you back the stigma for his family, his nieces and nephews who hear the people at school saying the things about Legion and the tombs. Maybe they're just getting up to. Maybe they're getting ready to go.

I don't know where those who are calling out to others in their need other people whose lives are messed up and say Jesus of Nazareth has done an amazing thing. And if he can deal with Legion.

I'm sure he can do with you they're not here, and where those who are falling down to the feet of Christ and say, could you please make me normal nonstandard amazed and afraid in the city. Jesus would like you to leave. I don't know why maybe was material maybe was maybe was economic and he said this is a big hit to the economy. We lost 2000 pigs here in one afternoon is with one encounter with one person. If this fella stays around here much longer are whole economies going right down the toilet so therefore we don't we. We don't want you around weekly. We can risk that kind of thing that the material matters more to us than the spiritual being with the advance of our business matters more than whether you're changing men and women's lives.

We don't really care about the fight you're changing men and women's lives with face at all the time normally, the lesser spotted owls matter more to is and whether you're making an impact on the teenage population of the community and helping them with their drug addiction and all these other things not really go away leave our region.

Would you please get out of the place how workers worked on the minds of men and women. I think one of the reasons that they send them away was because they didn't like to acknowledge the fact that the change that he brought about in this man's life was a change that was needed and there's why some of your really upset about your spouse or your son or your dad is what you've been unable to respond with alacrity. That's why you been unable to say I'm so delighted to see the change that is been brought about in you as a change of longform you've hoped and prayed long schemed for something to normalize this kid something to change in determine the right way out to make him a new person is becoming the person I know you can rejoice in it, and I'll tell you why, because you know what you wanted for him is what you need for yourself and you can acknowledge the change in him without recognizing the change that is needed and you answer, you say that's enough of this stuff my wrong. Finally, verses 18 to 20, just in order to they wanted to leave the exchange to their request. He wants to stay in Jesus vetoes his request. He doesn't grant the man his request because he has in mind something far better for understandable that a man would want the security of Jesus presents his company would be wonderful.Jesus I want you instead to go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy upon you. That's his message notices message that's the message for all of us. Once our lives have been changed. You don't need a course in evangelism to get started as an evangelist you don't need a course you don't need to read 17 books.

You just have to be turned the right way and when you turn the right way. Having lived your life upside down. People say what the world happened to you. You will tell them I met Jesus return me the right way companies had mercy upon me, and then see what you mean had mercy upon you, so I deserve help from other state. My life was in and instead give me hell he gave me. Have a nice mercy and if a person is any interest in heaven they say how you get this mercy and you will be able to tell them what happened to you.

That's how it works. Can you thousand people out of the 3000 that are here this morning taking seriously that challenge in relationship to the communities in which we live being convinced the temple was right.

In 1936 the preoccupation. The churches were those outside not with those inside. And since I know at least this one he is done for me and that is he had mercy upon me, I can just tell people that I can answer all the questions I don't know about the creation narrative. I haven't worked on the doctrine of the Trinity. I'm not sure about the intermediate state between death and end our final resting place in so long. I do know this I once was blind and I can see I once was a complete disaster zone and Jesus has had mercy on me.

That's all you need to do because people long for that kind of encounter looking for religion looking for some system. They are wondering anybody in the power in them conquered the forces that hold me in their grant. The way in which that word is out to the Gentile world is not as a result of Jesus doing large-scale evangelistic preaching events is his plan for the region starts with this little turning the right way up this territory that is given in the same way that you may send a salesman out.

Maybe you're starting a new salesman tomorrow. Salesgirl Jonas L pharmaceuticals for you as it is where I want you to start when you covered that if you could expand to hear and hope they'll give you the whole tent city region depending on how you do is what he says go first year family Luke chapter 8 was the parallel passage says that he went also.

Three all over town and then it says here that he went to the, the Decapolis, which is the 10 city region. The inroads of the gospel to the Gentile world again with one transformed life transformation that only Christ can bring about. Only Christ can bring about such a transformation.

And if you read all the way to the end of the story all the way to the end of the gospel that you find a quite remarkable thing and that is that you find Jesus naked isolated calling out in the tombs calling out in the tombs in phraseology that is incomprehensible to many who are around last night Shirley, he's saying it's finished was finished, Eli, Eli, lab, satellite TV saying it's a naked man on the cross, screaming about. He's saying my God my God why you forsaken me why naked man cross. He was so nice, so trying so all his clothes off and didn't add to him why is he there. He screams in those two so that he might silence the screams of the man in this to is the gospel that he dies in the police of the screamers with self mutilators.

Those who are alienated from themselves as well as alienated from be a strange company this morning. If there were not at least some and doubtless amongst the teenage population who have such a warped view of things that they had been known to take harm themselves every attempt to assure them of their validity, and of their purpose and other significant end of the opportunity for redemption for law is fallen on the ground. Every attempt at isolation and restraint while bring them and let them bow down to the feet of Jesus.

For by the stripes that he deals with the cuts that made me with compelling reminder Jesus Christ transforms lives. This is Truth for Life in a series titled a light in the darkness. Alister returns in just a minute to close with prayer so please keep listening the amazing change that Jesus brings about in the lives of individuals should motivate us to share the good news of salvation with others. Each of us knows someone who doesn't know Jesus but too often we lack the boldness to speak up and share our faith, author, evangelist Roger Carswell has a burden for the lost and a burden for believers to cultivate a passion for reaching people with the gospel. Carswell has written a devotional titled facing a task unfinished and in this book he lays out 52 weekly readings that will challenge you to become more proactive in sharing your faith with others. We love this book. Facing a task unfinished because it's not a step-by-step instruction book for evangelism. Instead it points us to God's word and to prayer, so that we can gain a heart of compassion for the lost and seek the help of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our efforts, you're invited to request your copy of the book facing a task unfinished when you give a gift of any amount to support the ministry of Truth for Life. Simply tap the image you see on the mobile app or visit us online at truthforlife.org/donate or call us at 888-588-7884 and with the year just beginning.

Maybe you made it your goal to read through the Bible in 2021 while you're on our website. Be sure to look for the Bible reading calendar by Robert Murray McShane the Scripture plan will take you through the Old Testament.

Once in the New Testament and Psalms twice during the course of the year. Download your copy free of charge, or if you would prefer a hard copy.

You'll find it in our online store for just a dollar is a truthful I.org/store. Now here's Alister close with prayer father. It's so easy for us just to become a gigantic marina bringing our pleasure boats in here Sunday by Sunday. The captain has a few words to say concerning navigational procedures sent the height of our flags in the state of our crafts reminders that were actually a lifeboat station send as we pray unto the sea of life's end is out. We pray to rescue the perishing to care for the dike to tell them of Jesus. He's mighty to save to me for the fallen one.

I pray Lord for people whose life's are so clearly held in the grip of that which they are unable to conquer or control. I pray that you will bring them in childlike trust to the feet of Jesus I pray for those of us who are smug and self-satisfied and think because we are we are in our clothes and we are in our right mind that this does not describe us God's we are dead in our trespasses and sins. We do follow the ways of this world. We do follow the devices of those who are leaders in disobedience show us what we are and then show us the mercy of Jesus and then Lord send is out in humility, wisdom to others who wrestle on the troubles. May the grace of the Lord Jesus love of God our father fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and remain with each one of us now and forevermore about tomorrow. Alister highlights the lesson Jesus taught using the young boys lunch in a message called you give them something Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life morning is for living