Parkland First Baptist Church
Sunday, October 18, 2020

      • Revelation 3.20NASB95

      • Jeremiah 47–49NASB95

      • Psalm 80NASB95

      • 2 Peter 2NASB95

      • Jeremiah 50–51NASB95

      • 2 Peter 3NASB95

      • Ezekiel 1–3NASB95

      • John 1NASB95

      • Ezekiel 4–6NASB95

      • Psalm 82NASB95

      • John 2NASB95

      • Ezekiel 7–9NASB95

      • John 3NASB95

      • Revelation 3.20NASB95

  • Is Your World Chaotic?

    Have you ever felt that you were or are living in the midst of chaos?
    I think we all have times like that in our lives and even more so lately.
    This week I received an email of prayer request for our NAMB missionaries.
    In one of the requests it was for “A” a chaplain that wanted to remain anonymous
    First, it’s sad that he felt he couldn’t give his name, but thankfully God knows who he is
    Second, his request was overwhelming and I’m sure chaotic for him and his family.
    My family is in dire need of prayer. Our bodies seem to be falling apart. I recently dislocated my shoulder after finally recovering from a car accident. My spouse just got off bed rest nearly two months after a work related injury. Our child has had a string of fluke injuries. We have aging parents who are in and out of the hospital. Our spirits remain high, and our faith is resolute, but our bodies are weak—so very weak. Please pray for divine intervention and healing so we can continue to serve.
    After reading that request, I thought I’m glad I’m not him and then I prayed for him.
    A few years ago, I was in Denver for an Evangelism conference and we went our knocking on doors.
    One of our leaders, knocked on the door of woman that was overwhelmed by life.
    She was dealing with a drug addiction, no employment, kids, and an nonsupporting family.
    It was she could do just to hold it together.
    The leader, shared the story we are about to read about a man whose life was out of control and how Jesus gave him healing and peace.
    She accepted Jesus that day because she saw herself in the middle of this story.
    There is hope in the midst of chaos.
    Mark 5:1-20

    A Man Living Out Of Control

    This is an eyewitness account of both the disciples, but of the townspeople as well.
    This man that Jesus met after getting out of the boat was one possessed by many demons.
    To say the least his life was chaotic and out of control.
    He was living among the tombs that were were probably cavelike rooms cut into the rocks of nearby hills which served as tombs and sometimes as haunts for demented people.
    His life was a pathetic condition.
    He lived in the tombs (an outcast); he was uncontrollable for no one could … subdue (from damazō, “to tame a wild animal”) him, not even with fetters for his feet or a chain for his hands.
    He went about night and day shrieking wildly and cutting himself with sharp stones, perhaps in a demonic form of worship.
    Upon seeing Jesus the man runs down to Jesus.
    Three things indicate that the demon possessing the man was fully aware of Jesus’ divine origin and superior power:
    He knelt before Him (in homage, not worship);
    He used Jesus’ divine name in an attempt to gain control over Him (cf. 1:24); and
    He brazenly appealed to Jesus not to punish him.
    This man was living a very out of controlled life, chaotic to say the least and a lot of it was out of his control.
    Do you feel that way?
    Today things are happening all around us that we have no control over and yet they affect us deeply.
    The virus, no one can control it, we didn’t let into our country or the world, it just happened.
    As a result, some have lost their jobs, lost their businesses, used up the savings to just to survive, and some have paid the ultimate in getting sick and some even died.
    And there was nothing that we could do about it?
    Chaotic right?
    There is no shortage of fear, anxiety and disappointment in all of our lives.
    At times, we find ourselves where we never thought we would be and don’t want to stay.
    Sometimes this is due to the decisions we have made, and at other times it is beyond our control.
    Whatever the reason, the burden is heavy, and the pain is real.
    What does our faith say about this?
    It tells us we are not alone, and there is no situation in life Christian hope cannot embrace and change for the better.
    As Christopher Reeve, of Superman fame after he was paralyzed said during rehab, “Once you choose hope, anything is possible.”

    An Encounter With Christ!

    After coming to Jesus in verse 8 we find the demon did not want Jesus to torture him by sending him to his final punishment then.
    Jesus was commanding him, the demon, to leave the man.
    Jesus wanted to know the name of the demons as a way to show power over them.
    The demon said through the man, My name is Legion for we are many.
    Many evil powers controlled this man and subjected him to intense oppression.
    They tormented him as one combined force under the leadership of one demon, their spokesman.
    This accounts for the alternating singular (“my”) and plural (“we”) pronouns.
    Repeatedly the leading demon begged Jesus earnestly not to send them out of the area into a lonely exile where they could not torment people.
    The Latin word “Legion,” commonly known in Palestine, denoted a Roman army regiment of about 6,000 soldiers, though it probably also meant a very large number.
    It is amazing to me that it appears that Jesus is compassionate with the demons by allowing them to go into the herd of pigs.
    You may ask why the pigs? Why not just send them to the abyss?
    What must be seen above all else is that the fate of the swine demonstrates the ultimate intention of the demons with respect to the man they had possessed.
    It is their purpose to destroy the creation of God, and halted in their destruction of a man, they fulfilled their purpose with the swine.
    First, Jesus knew that the ultimate vanquishment of the demons had yet come, which is the end of the age.
    Secondly, Jesus allowed the demons to enter the swine to indicate beyond question that their real perpose was the total destruction of the host.
    This man was healed and as the pigs ran off the cliff and drowned he saw that he was healed.
    Not only him, but the townspeople knew it as well.
    Yet, they were more upset with the loss of income than the miracle of the healing
    There are a lot of people who want to see us in a state of chaos.
    They in some way gain something in our state, but we can see that Jesus cares about us and wants to help us.
    The man wanted to go with Jesus, but Jesus knowing that as a Jew not being welcomed into a land of Gentiles he wanted the man to stay and tell the people what happened.
    Here’s the first Gentile missionary.
    Several weeks later, Jesus returned to the people who had so rudely dismissed him, and the Gospel writer records that they brought him the lame, the blind, the sick and the demon possessed.
    Thousands with no disability or physical need came as well with an overpowering desire to hear His words and witness His works.
    They stayed for three days, and at the end, Jesus fed a crowd of four thousand men plus women and children with just a few fish and loaves.
    That’s the power of a testimony.
    As Jesus takes care of the chaos and calms it in your life, you have a powerful story to tell others.

    How Does This Apply To Us Today?

    Now, we may be demon possessed, but we do face a lot of challenges that will make us feel as if we are out of control.
    There is no shortage of fear, anxiety and disappointment in all of our lives.
    At times, we find ourselves where we never thought we would be and don’t want to stay.
    Sometimes this is due to the decisions we have made, and at other times it is beyond our control.
    Whatever the reason, the burden is heavy, and the pain is real.
    What does our faith say about this?
    It tells us we are not alone, and there is no situation in life Christian hope cannot embrace and change for the better.
    These events, bad decisions, other people’s decisions all can lead us to feel as if we are helpless to do anything about our situation.
    This story shows me and hopefully you, that at our lowest point we can meet Jesus as He’s waiting to come to us.
    It’s up to us to trust and follow Him
    Like I mentioned a few moments ago, one of the saddest parts of this story is the reaction of the townspeople.
    They wanted Jesus to leave them because they were gripped with fear according to Luke.
    Why were they afraid, we don’t know.
    Maybe they were afraid of losing more pigs as more people were healed as people came to Jesus for help.
    Instead of asking Jesus to leave, what if they had asked him to stay and gathered the leaders and all the people together and asked Jesus to help them with other problems they were facing.
    If he could do this for one man, just think what he could do for the community as a whole.
    They could have picked his brain and had the finest training session on how to build healthy communities.
    But, they did not; they asked him to leave.
    We don’t need to make the same mistake.
    Don’t think that your problems are big for Jesus or that you are too little for Jesus to help.
    There is too much at stake.
    Life is complicated and messy. Problems are increasing. Needs are going unmet. Society is broken.
    What are we to do?
    For starters, don’t ask Jesus to leave.
    Pray as you never have before and ask the Lord for wisdom and guidance.
    Begin this journey toward wholeness with the premise there is a better way forward, and we are going to find it.
    Refuse to leave anyone behind, alone in their cave of despair. Don’t consider anyone inferior or dispensable.
    As believers open your life to others and share stories and ideas on how to address problems.
    Offer the gifts, talents and resources you have to tackle tough challenges.
    Encourage those who get discouraged with your vision of a better day.
    Most of all, don’t let fear control you and run your life.
    Fear pushes Jesus and others out of your life.
    Fear undermines your confidence and convinces you to settle for less than your best.
    Therefore, be bold and courageous in the face of adversity, compassionate and generous.
    Remember Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
    Let’ pray!
Parkland First Baptist Church
office@parklandfirst.com
253-531-0121
http://www.parklandfirst.com
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