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Hi, good morning everyone. Welcome to Strong Tower Baptist Church.
Please join me on our first hymn this morning. That's hymn number 337.
337, The Solid Rock.
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All together on the first.
🎵My hope is built on nothing less🎵
🎵And Jesus, God and righteousness🎵
🎵I cannot trust the sweetest frame🎵
🎵But wholly beyond Jesus' name🎵
🎵On Christ the solid rock I stand🎵
🎵All of the ground is sinking sand🎵
🎵When Arthur seems to hide his face🎵
🎵I rest on his unchanging grace🎵
🎵In every high and stormy gale🎵
🎵My anchor holds within the veil🎵
🎵On Christ the solid rock I stand🎵
🎵All of the ground is sinking sand🎵
On the third.
🎵His office cover and his blood🎵
🎵Support me in the whelming flood🎵
🎵When all around my soul is made🎵
🎵Blessed is all my hope and state🎵
🎵On Christ the solid rock I stand🎵
🎵All of the ground is sinking sand🎵
All together on the last.
🎵When he shall come with trumpet sound🎵
🎵Oh, may I fare in him be found🎵
🎵Dressed in his righteousness alone🎵
🎵Foughtless to stand before the throng🎵
🎵On Christ the solid rock I stand🎵
🎵All of the ground is sinking sand🎵
Can I please ask Brother Junior to do an opera in prayer?
Let's bow our heads.
Heavenly Father, today, thank you.
You are that solid rock that we can build our lives upon.
Please bless everything about today.
Help us all, Lord, to learn from being in your house.
And just bless everything that we do, Lord.
In your matchless name we pray. Amen.
Please turn your hymnals to hymn number 277.
Hymn number 277.
We have heard the joyful sound.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Spread the tidings all around.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Bear the news to every land.
Climb the stairs and cross the waves.
One where sin is the Lord's command.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Walk in on the rolling tide.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Tell to sinners far and wide.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Seek the angels of the sea.
Echo breath, we worship praise.
Earth shall keep her jubilee.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Sing enough of the matter's strife.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
By his breath and endless life.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Sing his love with perfect gear.
Lend the heart for mercy praise.
Sing in triumph o'er the earth.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Give the winds a mighty voice.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Let the nations now rejoice.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Shout salvation full of grief.
High as the heavens and deepest haze.
There's no storm or victory.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Right, good morning everyone and welcome to Strong Tower Baptist Church
and what is our Sunday morning service. If you don't have a bulletin or at least you can't see one of these
please raise your hand and one of the ushers will happily bring you one. There might be a few needed
as they only arrive late this morning. Had a few things going on this morning.
But we have our versatile week on the front there. Before we do that I'd just like to
just give a warm welcome to some first time visitors today. A warm welcome to Gary.
Nice to have you here Gary. And also Lisa and Paul.
Nice to have you here Lisa and Paul, first time visitors as well. If you haven't had a chance to say hi
and you haven't met Gary or Lisa or Paul yet then please do so after the service.
Please hang around for teas, coffees. We've got biscuits I think at the back.
We'll double check on that. I think there's even some baby shower leftovers
loitering around at the back there. So please just help yourselves.
Anything there, help yourselves and eat. If you've brought food and it's your own food
you don't want anyone touching it then maybe put it away somewhere because if it's in the fridge
or it's out on the side please help yourself. The stuff needs eating. There might be even a couple
of drinks left over there from yesterday as well. Have a look down on the front of your bulletin where
we have our verse a week which is Luke 8.35. Luke 8.35
is our verse a week which is, Then they went out to see what was done
and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed
sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind
and they were afraid. And that's going to go with the morning message and we'll be thinking about
that verse and a few others shortly. Have a look down
have a look on the inside of your bulletin sorry and where we're in our 10.30
AM Sunday morning service. Our Sunday evening service is at
4 PM and we're going to be continuing with our series going through the book of Proverbs. We're on Proverbs
chapter 22. It's going to be part one in the first half of those
that's going to be from 4 PM and then on Wednesday evening at 7 PM
we're going to be continuing with our Bible study
going through the book of Isaiah. We're up to Isaiah 18 next
and that's a prayer night as well. So please remember to send in your prayer requests
for that service. We'd love to pray for anything you need praying for during that service
as well. Like I mentioned if you're unaware that that service of prayers are
on private so you're not going to go across internet land for what you're being prayed for
but it will be prayed for within the four walls here. Have a look
down where we have our soul winning times and we've got Sunday afternoon soul winning today as usual
is from 1.30 PM. I forgot to ask but if
maybe if you don't mind Ben Bella making a note of anyone who does want a soul win
if you could just let Ben Bella know who has the register there at the back
before you go anywhere if you're going out for lunch or anything you need to pop out
just let him know that you're planning to soul win if you could after the service if you haven't already
and also whether or not you're planning to talk or not whether you're a silent partner
or a talker for the soul winning. That's going to be by 1.30
latest ideally then it's less of a kind of stress or rush getting back for the afternoon
so this afternoon at 1.30 is our soul winning time on a Sunday
on a Monday evening it's at 6.30 and that time is
well it's all the way down in Mitcham in southwest London for those that are kind of in that part
of London or near there or can make it there. That's always really receptive
down there as well. There was another few salvation's this Monday I think there
Tuesday evening is in Basildon that's at 6.30 as well
that's been pretty receptive over there there was another
two salvation's I think Tuesday just gone there Wednesday evening is close to church here
and we've recently been going to the high street here and
that's been pretty receptive soul winning as well been getting a lot of salvation's there there was
another few this Wednesday Thursday is over in Tilbury and
again receptive soul winning so in case you're wondering why you keep hearing that word receptive
well because the idea with the midweek soul winning is we're going places where we think it's receptive
people are going to want to hear the gospel and we've been getting great results on
each of those midweek soul winning times our Saturday marathons at the end
of each month the guys down in Exeter have been going out regularly
as well and there is also some soul winning going on up in Sheffield if
anyone's ever up that part of the country as well and
with that we're already off the mark so salvation's for September
was 104 that's 104 people called on name the Lord
in faith in front of one of our soul winners from this church over the whole month
of September and then October already off the mark with 8
already so that's been a great start to October hopefully that's going to continue
there was one with each of our soul winning times at least last week
it takes up to 769 for the year baptisms
we're on 24 so far and we do have another baptism
this evening after the evening service if you'd like to stick around for that
that would be great to support that baptism but the baptisms have been coming in thick
we've had a couple in the week the reason it's gone up to 24th and 20th is because I didn't count the two
from out in Amsterdam as well where there was a couple of baptisms they did out there
we're up to 24 now 3369 total salvation's
in South Africa they had a few salvation's yesterday they had a few last Sunday as well
they're up to 265 our soul winning group up there the Swiss are up to 131
they had a few I think Sunday afternoon there are
total baptisms there are attendance totals a bit quieter last week
although it seems pretty busy this morning we have
we have a few things in our announcements and upcoming events we've got our beginners men's
preaching night that's on this Friday coming on
and it's going to be from 7pm we're going to start the preaching at 7.30
so if you've never preached before and you'd like to learn how to preach you'd like to just
try and have a go at it then please come along on Friday October the 11th
and give it a try but please let me know you're coming just so we have an idea of numbers
and also I will get some food for everyone it will be a bit of a fellowship time it's a men's night
so please come along even if you just want to come and support the preachers
and be a part of that it's going to be from 7pm in the church here on Friday evening but if you plan
to preach men you'd like to preach and practice preaching
then please let me know that you're planning to come and I'll count you in that's going to be from
7pm and the preacher will start at 7.30pm there'll be some food after the service
or after the preaching at least that is and then Friday October the 18th
is our next homeschool trip and that's going to be
that's going to be local in Southend it's going to be some rock climbing
indoor rock climbing that is indoor climbing so if any of the kids would like to get involved with that
any of the parents would like to come along please just contact my wife let me let her know that you're planning to come
to that and then on Saturday October the 26th is our next
soul winning event it's an afternoon event it's going to be a by 12.30
meet up please and then we're going to be getting out soul winning from 1 o'clock
in Erith which has been receptive for us
the last time we were there we got many people saved over in Erith we'd like to continue
that as we did last time there
if you plan to come to that please let me know I will put out kind of a few more details close to the time
it's going to be the same thing in the Morrison's there to meet up we'll have a meal afterwards
that's Saturday October the 26th and then our Bible memory challenge so
if you can memorize six verses over the next six weeks and get them perfect
then you get a prize and we're on week five
which is 1 Timothy 1.19 which is holding faith and a good conscience
which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck
that's number five of those we've got the last one next week
and we'll test the following week and that's for everyone I know some people have asked me this
before is that just kids no Bible memories for everyone and the prizes are for everyone
as well so please get involved please let us know if you've done that we've got a prize
up in the office for you please turn your mobile phones off place them on silent
for the service or airplane mode please or whatever you need to do so it doesn't
disturb the service we're in a new month for birthdays anniversaries
and October is a bit of a busier one for us September was a bit quieter we had
Ida's birthday and that was sort of by now it must know
five days ago so it was last week so happy birthday again Ida if you are watching
we had Chloe's birthday so happy birthday Chloe who's over there
happy birthday Chloe again and we had David's birthday he was in on Wednesday
that was on Friday so happy birthday David as well we've got Nicky's coming up
on the 15th so we've got a week till we celebrate Nicky's
we've got Nick's on the 18th and Roderick on the 18th as well
and then we've got on the 22nd we've got Esther so
yeah if your birthday though is in October and you're not on our list please let us know if you've got a wedding
anniversary as well that's in October and we're not aware of it
please let us know as well we'd like to celebrate those as well but let my wife know those birthdays and anniversaries
let me know if you want details for online donations
we're a family integrated church and I'll just remind everyone what that means
look the kids we love to have the kids in the service
if possible however look some kids need some more training some kids
are unable to be in the service yet just because they still
need a bit more training to be able to be quiet not be a distraction so if that's the case
then we have a mother baby room which is this one here with a door on either side we have a father baby room
behind it and we have a second mother baby room upstairs as well which is a bigger room
upstairs for not just for spillover but also if you want
a bit more privacy up there and you feel like you'll probably be up there for the service
then please by all means use the one upstairs as well they're all linked up to the service
and they hopefully should be comfortable
as well there's hymn books in there etc but yeah please use them as
needed so if the kids are you know causing a lot of noise and look if a kid
breathes or a kid whispers something that's not a big deal but if the kids are causing a lot of noise
and distraction please use that because it's more effective than the
family integrated church services if the kids aren't destroying
sadly for many people if people can't hear and they're missing verse and missing
preaching then that becomes a problem so please just bear that in mind guys
use it as needed but we do have a couple of rules as well aside from that
aside from no men please in the mother baby rooms and no women in the father baby rooms
and that means no men upstairs during the preaching please as well during the
service that is where there's only a mother baby room to be used up there but we also ask
please no children unattended in the building at all times ok so we're a family integrated
church for a few reasons and one of the reasons is because we believe that it's our
responsibility to look after our own kids ok so it's not someone else's responsibility
to tell off your kid to discipline your kid to you know
find the parent because the kids somewhere they shouldn't be or something else so please just
know where your kids are especially the young kids please don't leave them unattended ok it's your job
in the church it can be look sometimes with young kids it can be a bit tough
you know we're not trying to be mean to anyone because I know I've got young
children many people here have and sometimes it can be difficult to keep an eye on them the whole
time and to be on top of them but we need to anyway right and then with
time they'll get used to the kids will get used to being in the church setting will get used to what they
can and can't do with time and we've got to train them in the meantime so please
please keep an eye on that and obviously that includes the toilets as well please with the younger children they shouldn't
be there on their own and on that I'm going to pass back over to you
Please let us all stand and please join me on our next hymn
hymn number 191 I have decided to follow Jesus
hymn 191 I have decided to follow Jesus
hymn 171 I have
decided to follow Jesus
hymnision 72 I have
decided to follow Jesus
hymn 137 I have
decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back
no not following me
me, I still will follow. No longer with me, I still will follow. Though longer with me,
I still will follow. No turning back, no turning back. I cross I'll carry till I see Jesus.
I cross I'll carry till I see Jesus. I cross I'll carry till I see Jesus. No turning back,
I'll follow him.
Heavenly Father, we come before you this day, Lord, we just pray that you would bless the offering
and bless the forgiveness that can be used to further your kingdom, Lord, through this church.
In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Amen. Amen.
Amen.
Please send your Bibles to the Book of Luke, Chapter 8.
So that's the Book of Luke, Chapter 8.
So the Bible reads, Luke, Chapter 8, starting in verse 1.
And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable.
A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden down,
and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock, and as soon as it was sprung up,
it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it,
and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit, and hundredfold.
And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God,
but to others in parables, that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
Now the parable is this, The seed is the word of God.
Those by the wayside are they that hear. Then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts,
lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy,
and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth,
and are choked with cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word,
keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. No man, when he hath lighted a candle,
cover it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed, but setteth it on a candlestick,
that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest,
neither anything hid that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear,
for whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.
And it was told him by certain which said, My mother and my brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.
And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
Now it came to pass on a certain day that he went into a ship with his disciples, and he said unto them,
Let us go over unto the other side of the lake, and they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep,
and they came down a storm of wind on the lake, and they were filled with water and were in jeopardy.
And they came to him and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish.
Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they seized, and there was a calm.
And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid, wondered, saying one to another,
What manner of man is this? For he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time,
and wear no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said,
What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God Most High? I beseech thee, torment me not.
For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man, for oftentimes it had caught him,
and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters, and he break the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.
And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion, because many devils were entered into him.
And they besought him that he would not command them to go into the deep.
And there was there and heard of many swine feeding on the mountain,
and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them, and he suffered them.
Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine,
and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.
Then they went out to see what was done, and came to Jesus, and found the man,
out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.
Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them,
for they were taken with great fear, and he went up into the ship and returned back again.
Now the man of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him,
but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and show how great things God has done unto thee.
And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.
And it came to pass that when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him,
for they were all waiting for him. And behold, there came a man named Jairus,
and he was a ruler of the synagogue, and he fell down at Jesus' feet and besought him that he would come into his house.
He had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay her dying.
But as he went, the people thronged him, and a woman having an issue of blood twelve years,
which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
came behind him, and touched the border of his garment, and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, people and they that were with him said,
Master, the multitude throng thee, and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me, for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling and falling down before him.
She declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole, go in peace.
While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him,
Thy daughter is dead, trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying,
Fear not, believe only, and she shall be made whole.
And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John,
and the father and the mother of the maiden, and all wept and bewailed her.
But he said, Weep not, she is not dead, but sleepeth.
And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called her, and called, saying,
Made arise! And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway, and he commanded to give her meat.
And her parents were astonished, but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord, so much for this great chapter in the Scriptures.
We pray, Lord, please fill pasta with your Spirit, Lord, please help us to be attentive to your word this morning,
and help us to apply what we learn to our lives, and we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
So, as is often the case with many chapters of the Gospels, there's so much in there, isn't there?
There's a lot in Luke chapter 8, so I just want to focus in again.
I'm just going to read again the passage, the story here that I want to preach out of today.
So Luke chapter 8 and from verse 26.
So we're going to look from verse 26, where we read this.
And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
And when he went forth to land and met him out of the city, a certain man, which had devils long time,
and wearing no clothes, neither abode in any house but in the tombs.
When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, with a loud voice, said,
What have I to do with thee, Jesus, our Son of God Most High? I beseech thee, torment me not.
For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man, for oftentimes it had caught him,
and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters.
And he broke the bands and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.
And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name?
And he said, Legion, because many devils were entered into him.
And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain,
and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them, and he suffered them.
Then went the devils out of the man and entered into the swine,
and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake and were choked.
When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled and went and told it in the city and in the country.
Then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found a man out of whom the devils were departed,
sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.
Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes ran about besought him to depart from them,
for they were taken with great fear, and he went up into the ship and returned back again.
Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him,
but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house and show how great things God had done unto thee.
And he went his way and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.
And I just want to focus in there on verse 35, which is our verse of the week,
which is when they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found a man out of whom the devils were departed,
sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
The title of my sermon this morning is Sitting at the Feet of Jesus, Sitting at the Feet of Jesus.
I'd like to pray and then we're going to get going with the message.
Father, thank you for your word, Lord. Thank you for the ability we have to sit at your feet, Lord.
Thank you that we see so many examples in Scripture that help us to understand what that means, what it doesn't mean.
Lord, help me to preach this message just clearly, Lord, and in a way that people will be edified in here,
will apply it to their lives, Lord, help people to just be strengthened in their faith as well.
In this room today, as I hear your word, preach, Lord, help us God this afternoon as well,
and then with that strong faith, go and reach people and get them saved and encourage them to want to sit at your feet as well.
In Jesus' name, pray all this. Amen.
So, sitting at the feet of Jesus gives you the image of someone correctly reverent, doesn't it?
I don't know, maybe it does. Draw and close, loving him, ready and willing to learn from him.
That's what I think of when I think of someone sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Now, keep a finger here, keep a finger with Luke 8.
We're going to be coming back here regularly, so maybe put something in there, keep a finger in there, ribbon, bookmark, something like that.
And jump forward a few chapters to Luke chapter 10.
So, Luke 10, where Jesus goes to see Mary and Martha.
Luke 10, 38, you're looking at. Luke 10, 38, it says,
Now it came to pass as they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word.
So, what is the result of sitting at Jesus' feet? According to Luke 10, 39, she heard his word.
Okay, she heard his word, she was sitting, she sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word.
And I don't want you to miss that, okay? She was sitting there willing and ready to receive his word.
That was the point there. She's sitting at his feet and she heard his word.
Verse 40 says, But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him and said,
Lord, does thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.
So, she's saying that lazy old Mary is doing a Bible study instead of mucking in.
Okay, she's going, what's going on? Why is she doing a Bible study when there's work to do?
There's chores to be done, there's stuff to do.
And Jesus answered, said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things,
but one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.
So, what's that one needful thing? Well, it's hearing his word.
It's needful, obviously, for salvation, okay?
If someone hears, they need to hear the word of God to have the gospel preached to them to get saved.
But it's also needful to live life properly, isn't it? To live life to the full.
Where are you going to hear his word? Sitting at his feet,
which was where this man of the Gadarenes ended up back in chapter 8.
It's sitting at his feet, she sat at his feet and she heard his word.
Now, how do we apply that today? Because Jesus Christ isn't physically here for us to sit at his feet.
Okay, in case anyone was wondering, he's not.
But he left us his preserved words, didn't he?
He left us with 1189 chapters of the Bible about him.
Okay, in one way or another, every chapter is about him, really.
In fact, every chapter was written by him.
But he left us his preserved words and sitting at his feet today is listening to those words.
Listening to the word of God. It's pausing to hear him.
Okay, it's spending time with him. It's submitting to him. It's loving him.
Okay, it's basically just wanting to be around Jesus, sitting at his feet.
And as believers, we can choose to sit at his feet.
So you have a choice as a believer. No, it's not automatic.
Perseverance of the saints, all that sort of stuff, it's a load of nonsense.
It's not automatic. You have the choice.
You have free will to sit at Jesus' feet after salvation.
Or we could choose to be careful and troubled about many other things instead.
So it's your choice. You could be careful and troubled about every other thing
and barely ever come to the Lord and barely ever come to listen to his word and read his word and pray to him.
Or you could sit at Jesus' feet.
And this guy here in Luke 8, he chose to sit at Jesus' feet.
Let's look again at what happened in Luke 8.
So back in Luke 8 and verse 26, this is what happened.
And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
And when he went forth to land and met him out of the city, a certain man, which had devils long time,
and wear no clothes, neither abode in any house but in the tombs.
So he's been possessed with devils a long time. What's the result?
He's walking around without clothes on.
And instead of living in a house, he's living in the tombs.
And we don't really have tombs here, but it's kind of like the equivalent of living around the graveyard
and finding somewhere to sleep out and camp out and everything else.
Why the tombs? Because of some probably weird infatuation for the dead.
That often goes with devil worship, with devil even being indwelt by devils, things like that.
There's a lot of that stuff. There's a lot of that stuff out there, isn't there?
A lot of people are weirdly infatuated with the dead.
All skulls and all sorts of ghouls and the undead stuff and all the zombies and all this weird stuff.
And some people have weird infatuations.
Well, all that stuff is of the devil, isn't it?
That's all satanic stuff. It's devilish stuff.
Well, this is where this guy is right now. This is verse 28.
When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him,
and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God Most High?
I beseech thee, torment me not.
So these devils know exactly who he is and are in fear of him because he's God.
So it's not, well, now he's got to battle them. Look, they have nothing on God.
God is in charge.
Verse 29 says, For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man,
for oftentimes it had caught him.
And he was kept bound with chains and in fetters,
and he braked the bands and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.
Now, there seems to be here an interesting struggle being depicted there between the man and his unclean spirits.
Even with an indwelling spirit, it's not that the devil just, right, ultimate control.
It's not like just this vessel and the devil's just doing everything he wants.
There is some battle. It's saying oftentimes it caught him.
Perhaps as well here where who he's talking to is maybe the leader of these devils that Jesus is addressing
because he commanded the unclean spirit who, and I believe, and I think you can see this in scripture,
that there's hierarchies amongst devils.
There's, you know, the prince of the power of the air and things like that.
So there's definitely hierarchies. He's commanded the unclean spirit,
but we see in a minute that there's a lot of them.
He was able to break these chains, this guy, these cuffs,
you know, sort of like handcuffs, leg cuffs, that sort of thing,
but was then driven into the wilderness.
So there's this sort of combination of some strength he gets from it,
but there's a struggle with these devils.
Verse 30 says, And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name?
And he said, Legion, because many devils were entered into him.
He's still speaking to the unclean spirit, I believe, who's talking through this guy.
A legion at this point in time was around 6,000.
That's a lot of devils. Wow, I mean, that's a lot of devils to be indwelt by.
Maybe legion is just because there's so many, maybe it's not a specific amount, maybe it is.
But it said in verse 31, They besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain,
and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them, and he suffered them.
Then went the devils out of the man and entered into the swine,
and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake and were choked.
Now, Mark's Gospel mentions them being sent into 2,000 swine.
And I don't know, maybe there were 6,000 devils and there was three per swine, or maybe not.
Maybe there was around that amount, or maybe there were, we don't know.
But I would say there's more than 2,000 because they get sent into 2,000 swine
and a whole lot of them end up going down into the water.
And there are a few potential reasons for the swine, okay?
For one, it definitely shows that God, you know, basically what God values more
when it comes to human lives and animals, doesn't it?
You've got one guy indwelt by devils, and God is willing and happy there
to just put them into this herd of swine.
2,000 pigs killed, and it's like Walter offered ducks back to him.
Now, of course a righteous man, regardless of the life of his beast,
but how contrary is that to what you'd see today?
Even with kind of smelly old pigs as well, you know?
Because people worship animals a lot, don't they?
And here he's just 2,000 pigs killed.
And God doesn't see it like the world wants you to see it right now.
And again, look, you know, some animals are cute, some animals are sweet.
People who have dogs and cats and things like that, I'm sure, you know,
I hope that you have fun with your animals.
But don't ever try and put them anywhere near the level of people.
Okay? Because God will never do that.
They don't have a soul.
Let's keep going, though.
So there's also maybe a picture there with swine being grouped together with dogs,
both in Matthew 7, 6, which says,
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you.
And also in 2 Peter 2, 22, we see the same being put together where it says,
But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb,
The dog is turned to his own vomit again,
and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Put next to each other, okay,
we know that a dog and a sodomite is used interchangeably back in the book of Deuteronomy.
And really here in both those passages, I just read you Matthew 7, 6, 2 Peter 2, 22,
they're talking about reprobate false prophets.
They're talking about in 2 Peter, it's the infiltrators in Matthew 7.
It's talking about false prophets with these devils entering the swine
with ease and destroying them.
There's probably a few things you can think about there and the reasons for that,
why it's swine, what we're seeing a picture of there
and the ease of those devils going in them and the fact that it then destroys them.
But let's move on anyway. Verse 34 says,
When they that fed them saw what was done,
they fled and went and told it in the city and in the country.
Then they went out to see what was done,
and came to Jesus and found a man out of whom the devils were departed,
sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
Okay, so we're a little time later.
They've left, they've gone inland to the city and in the country to tell people.
How long that took, we don't really know.
It could have been a long time that this guy had been sitting at the feet of Jesus, for all we know.
There's a period of time at least and it wasn't instantaneous.
So they went off into the city, they went off into the country,
they're telling people, those people eventually come together and return.
There's a period of time there.
And today I want to look at some of the results of sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Whatever period of time it was there, we see some results of sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Because there is a lot of confusion out there about what that should look like.
What should you see if you're sitting and hearing God's Word?
A lot of people have different ideas about this, don't they?
And what the picture should be of someone that clearly is submitting to the Lord,
is sitting at his feet, is wanting to hear the Word of God,
is wanting to apply it to their lives, wanting to be close to the Lord.
What should you see? What do we see here?
What do we see quite early on here in this guy's life, post-salvation?
That's what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about post-salvation.
I'm not talking about people striving to get saved.
No, you get saved when you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's easy. That's easy. For by grace, save through faith.
And not of yourselves, it's a gift of God, not of works of any measure but it's easy as anything.
We see it likened to taking a drink of a cup of water, eating a bite of bread, to walking through a door.
Getting saved is easy. However, sitting at Jesus' feet is not what every saved person does.
But it's what we should want to do, shouldn't we?
I hope everyone here wants to sit at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Saviour who saved them.
And now, if you want to sit at the feet of your Lord and Saviour,
if you want to do that, you're abiding under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91 says, I will serve the Lord. He is my refuge and my fortress.
My God and him will I trust.
If you're under the shadow of the Almighty, you can save your refuge, you can save your fortress,
you can save your trusting him. That's all part of sitting at the feet of Jesus.
When you're sitting at the feet of Jesus, point number one, you're clothed.
You're clothed. Look at verse 35.
It said, Then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found a man out of whom the devils were departed,
sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
So verse 27 said that this man wear no clothes, if you remember,
and it seems to be something that changed quickly.
OK, this was a quick change, quick turnaround after this experience,
after getting these devils cast out of him.
Perhaps there's also a picture of him being clothed with that imputed righteousness of saints by Christ's sacrifice.
I would imagine there is that picture there.
He went from being naked, ultimately a picture of being naked and uncovered,
and then he's covered, he's clothed. So there is that.
Post, obviously, salvation would be that picture.
Like, for example, Adam and Eve were clothed with coats of skins representing the sacrifice to come.
But regardless, this previously naked lunatic is sitting at the feet of Jesus and he's clothed, isn't he?
OK, he's clothed. Now turn to 1 Peter 1.
Now you might say, well, of course, most people wear clothes.
Now, most people wear some clothes, but nowadays a lot of people still aren't clothed.
OK, there's two differences there.
Wearing some clothes doesn't mean you're clothed.
If I was walking around in a pair of socks, it doesn't mean I'm clothed.
If someone here is walking around in just a T-shirt or maybe they're walking around in their underwear or whatever,
you're not clothed. Clothed is being clothed, OK?
Well, and again, don't worry, I'm not going to spend too long on this point,
because I know we hit this a couple of weeks ago in a way, OK?
So don't worry, I'm not going to go too much on this.
But when you're sitting at the feet of Jesus, you should quickly realize that God wants you clothed.
That's something that you should realize, that when you sit at the feet of Jesus, you should be clothed.
Revelation 16, 15. Revelation 16, 15.
Your turn to 1 Peter 1 says,
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.
And obviously there's some pictures there of the garments being, you know, that righteousness of Christ,
but the point being that walking, being seen naked is a shame.
Being out and about naked is shameful.
Yet nowadays there are men and women all over the place that don't seem to feel any shame.
They don't seem to have that shame or at least they bury what should be a natural shame of walking around at least half naked.
Or at least the need for attention overrides it.
That seems to be a big part of it, doesn't it?
Is the craving, the desire, the want, the need for attention overrides the fact that it should be a shame walking around half naked.
Now, I'm not just talking about women though.
So men in, like I mentioned the other week, men in next to nothing at gyms, in sports,
the sport doesn't suddenly make it okay, the gym doesn't suddenly make it okay to be half naked,
to be wearing next to nothing, to have all these short shorts showing those full thighs and all that weird stuff people wear.
It's embarrassing really, isn't it? It's embarrassing.
They should be full of shame, they should feel full of shame.
But it's not just the men and it's not just the women of the world either,
because of course you walk outside here you're going to see a lot of people half naked.
But believing women all over churches push the boundaries, they really do.
And they push the boundaries even in church, they push the boundaries outside of church, for what reason?
They push the boundaries with the length of what they wear, with the tightness, with the low cut, with the see-through stuff.
Why? Why?
If you're sitting at the feet of Jesus you should be clothed.
Look, you don't have to go the opposite way and do your best to dress like someone out of whatever period and culture you want to think that maybe is just so prim and proper.
But it's just simple stuff, isn't it? The thighs are nakedness.
Skin tight and trying to show every curve and every angle isn't of God.
Trying to be a little bit see-through and stuff like that, it's just not of God.
It's not how he wants it, it's not how we should behave, it's not how you would behave if you're really sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Why push those boundaries? Well 1 Peter 1 says how we should think, it says in verse 13,
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind.
So you're basically saying, look, basically sort out your mind, get your head straight, be sober,
and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
as obedient children not fashioning yourselves according to the form of lust in your ignorance.
So before you sit at Jesus' feet you can maybe claim ignorance, before you read through the Bible,
before you understand the standards that God does expect for his children, he doesn't want us to be like the world,
he wants us to at least look decent. No, you don't have to stand out like a sore thumb.
No, you don't have to find outfits to make you look like everyone's going to turn and look at me.
But just to be decent, right? He said here,
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.
He said in all of your behaviour, how you act, how you behave, be Christlike,
because it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy.
And Christ wasn't trying to get attention in skimpy outfits.
Believe me, he wasn't, despite what the Catholic weirdos want you to think.
And do you know what bugs me as well? Do you know something that's a real bugbear of mine?
Is when I walk, is when I go out, and I'm out and about, and I see these dads,
dads with their daughters, dressed in next to nothing.
I mean, that vexes me, because it makes you just want to grab them and go, what are you doing?
Young girls, children, dressed like 30, 40 years ago, people would have been saying, that's a prostitute.
And they're little kids, what are you doing, dad?
You feel like just grabbing them and shaking them, going, what are you doing to your children?
But that is across the world, and sadly, that will also be across God's people as well.
Because they're so infected by the world, because they're so pulled into trying to look cool,
trying to look like everyone else. Oh, well, what's the problem?
Got to be a weirdo to think that's a problem. No, you're the weirdo, because you don't see it's a problem.
It's weird. Go back to Luke 8.
When you're sitting at the feet of Jesus, number one, you're clothed.
Number one, you're clothed. And with that, if you're a father, if you're leading your family,
well, hopefully, your family is going to be clothed as well.
You have a responsibility for your children. Number one, you're clothed.
And number two, number two, like I said, I didn't want to spend too long on that.
Number two, you're in your right mind.
When you're sitting at the feet of Jesus, you're in your right mind.
Verse 35 says, when they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus
and found a man out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus,
clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
And there's a few points to make here, okay?
Firstly, once you're saved, those devils obviously aren't indwelling you anymore.
So if you put, that's how we, look, you go, well, how do we get these devils out of people?
I'll tell you how you preach them the gospel.
As we saw, there was a struggle there.
So there are times, even with someone that's indwelt,
and I believe that still goes on to this day, okay?
And let's be honest, guys, if you've been out up and down maybe this high road
or you've been out soul winning for any length, you find some indwelt people, don't you?
People who are literally wild and full of devils screaming all sorts of things.
And they're out there, right? How do we get people like that,
how do we get those devils out of those people?
Well, we get there's an opportunity often maybe when that struggle's going on
when they're maybe not as controlled at that point that you're able to preach the gospel.
That's how we get those devils out.
1 John 4 says,
You have God, little children, and have overcome them,
because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
When you get saved and you get indwelt by the Holy Spirit himself,
he's not sharing you with devils, okay?
So believers are, oh, I think I've got a devil, I think, oh, I might be back.
Look, not if you're saved.
The Holy Spirit isn't sharing his abode with some unclean spirit, okay?
Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
But having no devils doesn't automatically mean a right mind, does it?
You can still have a mind that's not right.
And this guy here, you can imagine,
he was probably pretty shaken up by the whole experience, wasn't he?
You go, well, of course he's in a right mind, he's just had the devils taken out.
He's just had something upward of 2,000 devils, maybe there were 6,000 devils,
cast out of him by the Lord Jesus Christ, sent into a herd of swan,
they've just gone hurling down the side of some sort of cliff face or something into the sea,
into that Sea of Galilee there, some might call it a lake, whatever you want to call it.
That was a pretty crazy experience.
He's just come off the back of running around naked, doing all sorts of weird stuff,
and then he's just seen thousands of pigs just suddenly die
with the devils which were in him going into them.
I can imagine him being a bit shaken.
I don't know about you guys, maybe some of you think I'm pretty stoic,
I would probably raise an eyebrow at least with that.
I think some people here would probably be pretty affected by that.
But I'll tell you why he was in his right mind though, after all of that.
Because he'd had thousands of devils cast out of him, because he'd got saved,
and because he was sitting at the feet of Jesus.
He was in his right mind sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Turn to 2 Timothy 1, and if you want to be in your right mind,
you need to sit at the feet of Jesus.
You want to get in the right mind, you want to be in the right mind,
you want to stay in the right mind, you need to be at the feet of Jesus.
And before I continue, I just want to caveat this,
that there are people out there with chemical imbalances.
There are people that have some deep-rooted problems.
There are people who have been through some past traumas and things,
and it's not just a case of, well, they must not be in the things of God then
if they still have issues with these things.
No, not necessarily, but I'll tell you how even the worst effects of those
could get at least closer to a right mind is sitting at the feet of Jesus.
So those people that have the biggest issues, the biggest problems,
the biggest past issues, the biggest maybe even physiological problems,
they will only improve themselves being at the feet of Jesus.
Remember it's listening to him, it's pausing to hear him,
it's spending time with him, it's submitting to him, it's loving him.
And when you're sitting at the feet of Jesus, you don't have to fear.
You don't have to fear.
Now, we all get fearful, don't we, from time to time.
Some will get fearful more than others, but you don't have to.
In 2 Timothy 1.7, we're told, 2 Timothy 1.7,
For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
So when you're in his will, when you're close to him, there is nothing to fear.
You know he will come through for you.
When you're doing the right things and you feel like, I'm trying to live for God,
that doesn't mean you're sinless, no one's sinless, but you're trying.
You're trying to do the obvious things.
You're in church, you're in your Bible reading, you're in your prayer life,
you're right with God in those areas, you're trying to do things right,
you're trying to get out of someone, you're trying to just live for God,
do the things he clearly wants you to do.
You don't have to fear then, do you?
Sometimes you have to be patient.
Sometimes he comes through and it feels a bit last minute,
and sometimes you feel like it's a bit of a test of your faith,
but it does work patience, and that patience, it worketh experience as well, doesn't it?
We get all that together from those things, but you don't have to fear.
And with that you can have a sound mind then without all of the anxieties and fears
that come from feeling that you're doing it alone.
And so much anxiety, so much fear in life is because people feel like they're on their own with it.
They feel like what they're suffering is, they're on their own.
There's people that don't understand, that don't know.
Well you know who understands, you know who knows, is the Lord.
And the Lord's with you, and if you're sitting at his feet, he's there with you.
And you don't have to fear, you don't have to be anxious,
you don't have to be fearful of everything and anything around you.
So it's being sane, it's thinking straight, it's being in your right mind.
It's not having wild illogical thoughts and ideas that don't make any sense.
Turn to Psalm 119, Psalm 119.
For example, and this is what I want to explain to you,
because it's not just about just being, oh well, you know, hopefully I'm not that anxious and fearful,
so I must be in my right mind.
Well no, sitting at the feet of Jesus isn't just about not being anxious and fearful.
Turn to Psalm 119.
For example, okay, is someone in their right mind who suddenly believes
that over a thousand years we've all been wrong and there's actually multiple genders.
Is that in your right mind?
If you believe that, are you in your right mind?
And when I say your right mind, because who decides what a right mind is?
The Lord.
Are you in your right mind?
Surely not.
That people are just what they identify as now.
Oh, no, no, nothing wrong with that.
I mean, that's completely normal, isn't it?
You're not in your right mind.
In fact, I think you do lally.
You're crazy.
Oh, but everyone believes, they're not all crazy.
If that is what people around you are believing, you're hanging around with crazy people.
You need to get away from those crazy people.
You need to get around some sane people.
You need to get around some people in their right mind.
You need to get around people that are at the feet of Jesus.
Because that is lunacy.
That is madness.
Are you in your right mind?
Am I in my right mind if I said to...
Oh, sodomites aren't perverts.
They're just normal people.
How's that in my right mind?
How is that in my right mind when the Bible makes it so clear?
I mean, the Bible's constantly telling us in the Old Testament, they're getting them out of the land.
Get them out of the land. Get them out of the land.
Oh, well, he was a good king because he got the sodomites out of the land.
Oh, but no, no, that's all that mean Old Testament stuff.
No, we know better now.
You're not in your right mind.
Throughout history, throughout recent history in this nation, people just knew them as perverted at the least.
The Bible says they've been given over to a reprobate mind.
Yet, would I be in my right mind if I said, oh, yeah, they just think a bit differently?
No, it's madness.
It's craziness. It's lunacy.
But just because it's pushed on you by all around doesn't mean you have to turn into a crazy guy.
You don't have to be a crazy.
If you believe that, okay, you're not sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Because when you sit at the feet of Jesus, you're going to read the word of God,
and hopefully you're going to see pretty quickly where the word of God has that standard
and where the world has that standard and their poles apart.
Because at the feet of Jesus is a timeless wisdom, the timeless truth of God's words, and it's timeless.
I don't care what modern culture, what modern society, what they want to try and threaten us as well to believe,
because a lot of it is fear-based, isn't it?
By the way, you see this a lot.
You see the liberals and those types of people and often the enemies of God just trying to bully people,
bully them into some sort of opinion, to make some sort of stand for them to be on their side.
We don't have to be bullied into anything.
Verse 97 of Psalm 119 says,
O how I love thy law, and is my meditation all the day.
That's someone sitting at the feet of Jesus, isn't it?
Thou through thy commandments has made me wiser than mine enemies,
for they are ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
I don't care what philosophy professor, what social studies professor out there,
what think tank guru or anyone else has to say, I care about what the word of God has to say.
And when you start learning from the word of God and not from man,
and that includes not from the so-called scholars and everyone else,
you just learn from the word, from what the word says, from the black and white,
well, you can be wiser than your enemies.
You can have more understanding than all your teachers, for his testimonies are your meditation.
You can understand more than the ancients.
You go, oh, well, the church fathers, you know, I don't care what the church fathers said,
I care what the word of God says.
Not what the Catholic church fathers said or anything else.
What does the word of God say?
Because you can understand more than the ancients.
Why? Not just because you read it, because you keep his precepts.
It's from living it as well, it's from sitting at the feet of Jesus.
So are you in your right mind?
Are you really sitting at the feet of Jesus?
Are you really sitting at the feet of Jesus if you're boozing?
And I know I've talked about this a bit recently, but it's just so common,
I just keep seeing it everywhere.
And because I keep seeing it everywhere, that tells me that sadly God's people will be at it as well.
Are you in your right mind really?
Are you really in your right mind?
Are you sitting at the feet of Jesus if you're getting drunk?
If you're drinking alcohol, when the Bible says in Proverbs 23,
look not that upon the wine, when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it moveth itself right.
Yeah, don't look at alcoholic wine.
Don't look at fermented fruit juice.
Don't even look at it.
So why on earth would you drink it?
When wine is a mockery, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived, thereby is not wise.
That means you're foolish, and I think someone foolish isn't in their right mind.
That's not a right place to be at least.
Are you really sitting at the feet of Jesus if you're boozing?
What about if you're doing drugs?
What about if you're trying to find...
And obviously the common one that people try and find excuses for all over the place is cannabis.
Right now.
Oh no, it's just so healthy.
Yeah, alright.
Yeah, no, because there's all those healthy stoners everywhere.
They're just a picture of health while they're sitting there on their video games with their snacks and everything else,
and all their chocolate and all the others.
They're just so healthy, those guys, while they're sitting at home for eight hours a day playing video games.
I mean, if only I could take some leaves out of their health book.
No, it's a load of nonsense.
And it's just basically to make it more acceptable.
Oh yeah, yeah, because there's health benefits.
That's why I smoke all this filthy, nasty stuff and put all that tar into my lungs.
Oh, because there's some cannabinoids, oidy, oidy, you know, THC, let's get a bit scientific and no one knows what we're talking about.
Oh yeah, because actually, God gave us it.
You know, hemp is pretty cool, yeah?
You can do a lot of stuff with hemp.
But he didn't give it for you to smoke.
He didn't tell you to smoke it.
Well, that's a nonsense.
But, again, are you in your right mind?
Because I don't think you're in your right mind.
You're out of your mind in more ways than one.
First Peter 5.8 says,
So, we're told to be sober.
Firstly, if you're drunk or if you're high, you're not sober.
Okay, you're definitely not sober.
We're told to be vigilant. You're not vigilant either.
Why? Because we have an adversary out there.
Who's like a roaring lion and he walks about seeking whom he may devour.
Wouldn't you say it's a bit crazy to offer yourself up for devouring?
Isn't it a bit crazy not to be sober?
Considering what's at stake, considering the battle that we're in,
considering the spiritual battle.
It's self-destructive, that's what it is.
Being self-destructive is not in your right mind.
Now, we could apply that to so many other things, couldn't we?
You apply it to so many sins, so many issues,
so many things that people go for in life, that people choose to do,
that they know is going to destroy them.
You're not in your right mind.
Self-destruction is not being in your right mind.
You're not sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Turn to Mark chapter 5.
Now, what if you already had trouble and problems in all these areas?
What if your mind is already a bit wrong?
Because some people might say, look, well, how quickly does that change?
How easy is it to get that right mind?
So, look, salvation doesn't mean, right, sin's gone, all done.
Of course not, okay?
Look, you could get a guy saved out there who's an alcoholic,
find him on a sober point in the morning,
or maybe take a couple of hours for last night's to wear off.
You preach him the gospel, you get him saved.
Did he suddenly, oh, was that it? Did he suddenly give up alcohol?
Oh, he must not have been saved because he didn't then choose to give up.
Well, unless you're a work salvationist.
And my Bible says, for by the works of the Lord shall no flesh be justified.
It ain't about works.
He could carry on being a boozer.
Praise God if he's put his faith in Christ.
But you know what?
We want him to stop being a boozer because we want him to start living for God.
We want him to live a life where he can do more for God,
where he can serve God, where he can be a part of the church,
where he can go out and get other people saved because that's what it really comes down to.
But is it automatic?
It ain't automatic.
What changes? What is it that changes our lives?
It's the word of God.
Because if you continue in his word, then you're my disciples indeed.
And that's talking to people that are already saved, those that have believed on him.
It's continuing in his word. It's being a disciple.
It's sitting at his feet that will get those things out of your life.
So how do you get to that after salvation?
Well, you know what?
You could have been as mad as a guy living in the tombs.
But the Lord will straighten you out, it seems.
The parallel passage – did you turn to Mark 5?
Go to Mark 5.
The parallel passage in Mark 5 shows us how bad this guy really was.
Look at verse 1 in Mark 5.
This is a parallel passage.
Talk about the same guy.
He said,
And they came over unto the other side of the sea,
into the country of the Gadarenes.
And when he was come out of the ship,
immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
who had his dwelling among the tombs,
and no man could bind him, no, not with chains,
because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains,
and the chains had been plucked asunder by him,
and the fetters broken in pieces, neither could any man tame him.
And always night and day he was in the mountains and in the tombs,
crying and cutting himself with stones.
So this guy, he's dwelling among the tombs.
No one can bind him.
He's crazy.
He's often being bound with fetters and chains.
He's breaking them.
He's night and day either in the mountains or in the tombs.
Remember, he's naked,
crying and cutting himself with stones.
I mean, if you came across this guy soul-winning,
I don't know,
you might not be too keen on trying to give him the...
because you'd be nervous, wouldn't you, to think,
am I even going to get through to someone like this?
Well, back in Luke 8, once he was sitting at Jesus' feet,
he was in his right mind, wasn't he?
He was in his right mind.
Look at Luke 8 again.
Back in Luke 8.
Even if you're as bad as that guy,
sitting at Jesus' feet is how you can get in your right mind.
Point number one was,
when you're sitting at the feet of Jesus, you're clothed.
When you're sitting at the feet of Jesus,
you're in your right mind.
And point number three is,
when you're sitting at the feet of Jesus,
it scares people.
It scares people.
Verse 35 said,
Then they went out to see what was done
and came to Jesus and found a man
out of whom the devils were departed,
sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind,
and they were afraid.
Said they were afraid in verse 35.
And one of the reasons
that I wanted to preach this passage today
is for this point, okay?
This was something I was thinking about a bit,
that these people who are from the city and the country
came along and found the man, okay,
who was previously a dangerous, super-strong, crazy guy, okay?
He's sitting at the feet of Jesus,
clothed and in his right mind.
Now, what was the result?
Because it should have been joy, shouldn't it?
Shouldn't these guys have been just full of joy,
saying, wow, this is amazing.
That guy is, I mean, sure, he's scared people.
I'm sure he's caused untold grief.
He's someone that they've all been aware of.
I'd imagine they've tried to bind him.
They've tried to chain him up.
They've tried all these things.
Shouldn't they have been celebrating?
Look, he's in his right mind.
He's sitting at the feet of Jesus.
He's clothed.
They don't have to shield their eyes.
They go past them anymore, shield their kids' eyes.
Maybe they should have been celebrating, shouldn't they?
They could have been congratulating him on the change.
Look at what's changed in your life.
Look at you.
Look at the difference now.
Amazing.
You know, great.
Isn't it a great thing to see?
Well, verse 35 said,
then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus
and found the man out of whom the devils were departed,
sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind,
and they were afraid.
And their being afraid is purposely,
I believe, mentioned in this order.
So it wasn't the swine that they're worried about losing more of.
This wasn't where we see and they were afraid.
It wasn't that while all these thousands of pigs,
it's the man sitting at the feet of Jesus,
clothed and in his right mind.
That's why they're afraid.
It said they saw him, so they've come to see what was done.
It's not, oh, they came in fear.
No, they came to see what was done and came to Jesus
and found the man out of whom the devils were departed,
sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind,
and they were afraid.
Why were they afraid?
I believe because of the power of God,
because of how difficult it is to then still deny the power of Jesus,
how hard it is to still reject him when you see that change in people,
when you see the power of the word of God,
when you see the power of the Lord.
Look, that's why your families and friends are afraid of your faith.
That's really what it comes down to, really.
That's why they block the conversations.
That's why they go quiet.
That's why, even worse, they sometimes attack it,
if they think they might have an angle in,
they think they might test a bit, see if they could weaken you.
Turn to John chapter 3.
John chapter 3, I'll tell you what, yeah,
it's not really the church that they're afraid of,
because they'll claim it's the church.
Oh, King James only, it sounds like a cult or something.
It's not like backslap Baptist.
It's not like the community church
where everyone just smiles and doesn't really do much
and then goes home and doesn't think about it again.
These people actually go in the week.
These people actually go out and do...
It's not really what they're afraid of, though.
They claim that's what it is.
Oh, well, I'm just very worried about you.
I mean, sounds a bit extreme.
It's not really those poor kids being homeschooled that they're afraid of.
Did you know that?
Because they claim, oh, well, you know, those poor things.
What about the socialisation?
What are you talking about?
Do you think that my kids don't see any other kids?
Oh, sorry, sorry, I forgot,
children should be with 100-something others
of their exact age all day every day.
That's how you socialise a child.
Well, that's funny, because most kids that I see
come out of public school can't socialise with anyone.
Most of them can't even look you in the eye.
Most of them can't shake your hand.
Most of them look so nervous and so traumatised by school.
Now, I'm not saying that's always the case.
If your kids are in school, look, you know, so be it, right?
But people come up with these excuses, these reasons, don't they, to attack,
and they claim that's what they're fearing.
Are those kids going to be OK being actually taught
by their parents, being trained up in the way they should go?
I just don't know what to do.
It's not really your extreme views on perverts that they're really scared of,
that people throughout history haven't had an issue with,
that normal people have always believed,
that growing up, when I was young, non-Christians, never been in a church,
never heard the word of God, just believed,
and that was something they were afraid of, scared of,
keep away from those types of people.
It's not really that that they're afraid of.
It's not really you not having enough fun
by not getting drunk at the family do in front of all the kids
that they're afraid of.
Oh, well, you know, they just don't seem exciting enough now anymore,
you know, because they don't get drunk at family dos,
get smashed and roll around in vomit.
They're just not having the fun anymore.
It's not really about your dressing how normal people have for centuries
that they're really afraid of.
They pretend that's it.
Oh, wearing skirts and dresses.
I'm just so afraid that...
What sort of crazy, deranged cult is this?
That women dress like women?
That men dress like men?
It's you sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in your right mind.
That's really what it comes down to.
It's you sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in your right mind.
It's the power of Jesus, it's the power of his words changing your life for the better
that they fear because they have to acknowledge it then.
They have to acknowledge it.
And that's really what it comes down to.
The more they see the Word of God changing you, that's why...
Look, people go too far with this, obviously, and I say this many times
because most churches out there will talk about being a shining light
and that's their version of evangelism.
Just be a shining light.
Just kind of look Christian-ish in some way or other
and someone might one day ask you about God.
But also there is a small truth there,
is that when they behold our good works
then they might glorify God in a day of visitation.
In that day when they are humble, in that day when things aren't going well
then maybe there is that time and, you know, ultimately they fear that.
They fear all of that, they fear having to accept actually,
yeah, there's a change in this person.
There's a change that only the power of God could do.
That person had been in and out of pubs, in and out of relationships,
fornicating, doing drugs, doing all this stuff
and now they're sitting in a church, they're dressed properly,
they're trying to behave properly, they're trying to do the right thing,
they're not doing any of that stuff anymore,
they're not in and out of trouble with the police,
they're not in and out of fights with this person, with that one,
they're not doing any of that stuff and it scares them
because it shows the power of God.
That's why they're desperate for you to backslide.
And it's not that they're all just wicked,
because sometimes you think they must be wicked
because they're trying to pull me out of church, they're trying to do this,
they're trying to put me off the things of God, they're trying to attack my faith.
They're not necessarily just the worst types of people in the world.
They are selfish and really deep down it comes to trying to justify themselves
but they want you to backslide, they're desperate for you to give up
because it makes them feel better.
Look at John 3 and verse 19, do you turn to John 3?
John chapter 3 and verse 19 says,
and this is a condemnation,
that light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light
because their deeds were evil.
Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light,
that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
They don't want to come to the light and they fear you shining that light.
They fear it, they don't want to come to it,
they love the darkness, they love the life that they feel like,
or at least they feel like they love it, they love the sin, they love that
and they feel like if they acknowledge God they've got to start assessing that
and they don't want to come to the light.
What's the answer? Keep shining that light, keep shining it.
Don't give up, don't backslide.
Because whether or not it will make a difference to them,
it will make a difference to you and it could make a difference to
thousands of people around you if you stay at the feet of Jesus.
However, here's the thing, it's not guaranteed to succeed with those family and friends.
Look back in Luke chapter 8, said in verse 35, Luke 8.35.
Then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus
and found a man out of whom the devils were departed,
sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid.
They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.
Now they're being told about Jesus and his power, his ability to save even this lost cause.
Look at verse 37, then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes roundabout
besought him to depart from them, for they were taken with great fear
and he went up into the ship and returned back again.
And that sometimes will happen with people.
The truth, the gospel, the evident power of God and they reject.
They reject, they don't want anything to do with it, they want you to leave,
they want to put you away from them.
Old friends, colleagues, they find an excuse to separate from you, don't they?
And often people jump the gun and they think I'd better separate from them
because ultimately if you're living for God and you're doing the right thing
they'll end up separating from you.
They'll end up trying to find an excuse to be away from you, to be aside from you,
not because you're ramming it down their throats.
Look, all you can do is offer someone to hear the gospel.
If they don't want to hear it, you can't force them.
You can, but when you're not called to force someone, you can offer them though.
But aside from that, just you living right, you just trying to do the right thing,
you're getting right with God will make people put you away from them.
But don't fear that because what's the answer?
Brush the dust off your feet and move on.
Plenty of people that do want to hear.
It won't always be you old family and friends and that can be sad obviously.
You don't want to say never because sometimes it can be a long time down the line
and we've seen that happen with family members more recently
who seem to just want nothing to do.
Wanted to try and felt like trying to pull us out of the faith many, many years ago
and then more recently ended up getting saved and that can happen.
But either way, we're going to lead on to point number four.
When you're sitting at the feet of Jesus, number one, you're clothed.
Number two, you're in the right mind.
Number three, it scares people.
And number four, he sends you away.
Number four, he sends you away.
Now look at verse 38, you're thinking, what on earth?
He said, now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that you might be with him.
But Jesus sent him away saying, hold on, okay,
why don't we just sit there and learn forever?
I want to be at the feet of Jesus forever.
Well, no, he also has a job.
He's got a job for us to do.
And he said to the man, return to thine own house and show how great things God has done unto thee.
And it's only so long that you're sitting at the feet of Jesus
before he's telling you to show other people about salvation.
You're only there for so long at those feet before he's saying, go and tell someone else.
And it didn't seem like it was very long here.
Okay, this guy, he's sitting at his feet.
They've gone off, they've come back, a few others have come back and suddenly he's being sent off.
That's the job that he has for each and every one of us though, isn't it?
That's the job, to show how great things God has done unto thee.
When you're truly sitting at the feet of Jesus, he sends you away.
He sends you away.
Turn to Matthew 28, Matthew chapter 28.
You say, but I still want to be at his feet.
Why is he sending me away?
Well, here's a great part of it, okay?
When he sends you away, he's still with you.
So you've sat at his feet, you're sitting at his feet.
And do you know what? Ultimately, when he sends you away, you can still sit at his feet.
Matthew 28 says in verse 18, Matthew 28, 18.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost,
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.
And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
He's always with us and he's got a job for us.
Now you're going to respond.
He's got a job for each and every one of us.
You can stay ultimately at his feet, at his spiritual feet while you do that job, but he's sending you to do a job.
Go back to Luke 8.
Are you going to be like Paul who said in 2 Corinthians 4, 1,
Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not?
Are you going to say, Look, he's given us mercy. He's given me a ministry.
I'm not going to faint. I'm going to do the job.
Are you going to be like the man from the Gadarenes that said in verse 38,
Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him?
But Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thy known house to show how great things God had done unto thee.
And he went his way and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.
He published throughout the whole city.
He didn't just go back and sit in his home and wait till someone came and asked him about the Lord.
He published throughout the whole city.
You know what he did? He went out and he did some good old fashioned soul winning.
He went out and he preached the gospel.
And he went and found people that wanted to hear the gospel.
And if only every believer published throughout the whole of their city.
Could you imagine how quickly the gospel would get out there around the whole world
if every believer just published throughout their city?
But most believers don't.
The choice is, do you want to go when he sends you?
And he has sent you. He sent every single one of us.
Or do you just want to sit around and loiter?
And ultimately, there's only so long you're going to sit at his feet before you're saying,
no, no God, I'm not doing what you want me to do.
And why don't they? Why don't people do that?
Because whatever they claim, whatever they say, however godly they pretend to be,
they're not really sitting at the feet of Jesus.
That's a few what it comes down to.
There are people all over this world, there are believers and I'm not, you know,
there are safe people all over the world.
And there are safe people all over the world that claim to be following the Lord.
There are safe people all over the world that claim to be following the Lord
that would even say, I'm sitting at the feet of Jesus.
I love the Lord. They always say how much they love God, don't they?
They always love the Lord. They always say they love Jesus.
They love so much about him. They love him. They're just so godly.
They love the Lord.
But they won't do what he tells them to do.
He said, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Once it's all out, they'll preach you the gospel.
And if you really love the Lord, you've got to get to that point eventually.
If you're really sitting at Jesus' feet,
it's not long before he says,
return to thine own house and show how great things God has done unto thee.
And then it's your choice. You're going to go your way and publish it,
or if you're not.
And, you know, with that, you know, I always like to give this caveat
because, you know, coming into a church like this and you've got, you know,
you know, we have a lot of soul winning times, we're out of soul winning
and we believe we're doing, you know, obviously we can all do more,
but we're trying to do what we believe God wants us to do.
And it can feel hard for some, you know, and we don't, look,
you know, many people here, many, you know, many soul winners here
took time to get to that point.
And I wouldn't want anyone to ever think, well, I can't come to that church
because they're constantly reminding us about God's call for us to go out soul winning.
So it can take you a while. It can take your time.
I don't want you to plan that, but there is that.
And, you know, you can come here for 20 years and not soul winning
and we'll still love you, you know, as a brother and sister in Christ.
But we want to encourage you, though.
We want to encourage you to do what God wants you to do
because the more of us that go and do it,
the more of us that just go and preach the Gospel,
the more people that get saved
and the more chance there is of some of those people coming and doing the same
and being encouraged to do the same and the more they might go out
and that's how it grows and that's how more people get saved.
And it comes from people preaching the Gospel
because how shall they hear without a preacher?
They ain't hearing it.
Unless someone goes and preaches the Gospel, they ain't hearing it.
And no, of course, Jesus Christ did the hard part.
Jesus Christ did the hard work.
It's Jesus Christ that died, was buried and rose again.
It's Jesus Christ that did everything that was required for our salvation.
However, someone still needs to go and preach that
because faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
Someone needs to go and preach that Word of God.
And when you do that, when you do what he tells you,
well, the result is more people get saved
and there's more people that are able to sit at the feet of Jesus.
When you're sitting at the feet of Jesus, number one, you're clothed.
Number two, you're in your right mind.
Number three, it scares people.
Don't be put off by that.
And number four, he sends you away.
But when he sends you away, he stays with you.
That was sitting at the feet of Jesus.
And on that, we're going to finish it in a word of prayer.
Father, thank you for your Word.
Thank you for the many lessons we can get out of stories in the Gospels, Lord.
I hope that's a lesson there that people think about, Lord.
We want to sit at your feet, Lord.
We want to be there doing what you want him to do, Lord.
Receiving your Word gladly, Lord.
Listening to it, acting upon it.
Not to be just hearers, but doers of the Word as well.
Help everyone here to want to be like that, Lord.
To want to just put you at the centre of their lives.
Church life, soul-winning Bible reading, prayer, just everything as you'd want us to do it, Lord.
And help us to just all keep that in our hearts.
To know that we're going to be different to others when we're sitting at your feet.
We're going to think differently. We're going to be in our right minds.
We're going to scare some people as well.
We're going to scare some families, some friends, those around and about, those of the world.
But help us not to be put off.
Help us to just stay at your feet.
And when you tell us to go, Lord, to go.
To find a way of getting the Gospel out to people, Lord.
Get involved with soul-winning, get involved with preaching.
Learn how to do it, Lord.
Keep growing in those areas.
Help us all to keep persevering in those areas.
And those that have maybe been doing that for many years, to never believe they've arrived.
To always know that it's so easy to fall, it's so easy to backslide.
Help us just persevere.
As a church, as a group here, help us to get many people saved this afternoon, Lord.
To get the Word out, to sow those seeds at least.
And to return back for the evening service.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
That's all this, Stan.
And please join me on our last hymn this morning.
Hymn number 327, more about Jesus.
More about Jesus, where I come.
Lord of his grace, to all who show.
More of his saving, foolishly.
More of his love, who died for me.
More, more about Jesus.
More of his saving, foolishly.
More of his love, who died for me.
More about Jesus, lend me land.
More of his holy will, this land.
Spirit of God, my teacher be.
Showing the things of Christ to me.
More, more about Jesus.
More of his saving, foolishly.
More of his love, who died for me.
More about Jesus in his word.
All in communion with my hope.
Hearing his voice in every line.
Making each faithful saying mine.
More, more about Jesus.
More of his saving, foolishly.
More of his love, who died for me.
More about Jesus, all is well.
Riches and glory, all is well.
More of his kingdom sure in grace.
More of his holy prince of peace.
More, more about Jesus.
More of his saving, foolishly.
More of his love, who died for me.
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the great teaching that we received today, Lord.
I pray that we all take heed and continue on to do your will, Lord.
For Jesus is the truth, and we are his branches.
In order to be fruitful, we should abide in him, Lord.
We pray that you bless the soul-willing and the preaching of your word in the evening service.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Thank you and have a wonderful day. God bless you.