Luke 8:26-39 - A New Business for the New Year
a new business Or a new year we're going to be in Luke chapter 8. So if you have your Bibles with you, you may go ahead and find your way to Luke chapter 8 will be picking up in verse 26, which is where we left off a few weeks back before the snow the for vacation for me and before Christmas, We're slowly but surely working our way through the Gospel of Luke.
Cast of Suicide with today will be no exception to that rule as we look into what God inspired through author here in Luke's gospel today. Do you know the name John Wesley John Wesley was a English preacher and evangelist to organization and methodology really became the foundation of a denomination is methodism. And one day Wesley was riding his horse and thinking it's his favorite hymn what a man's got him dead in his tracks now surely Wesley wondered in that moment what kind of business he had with this man who is stopped you until Wesley heard the words out of a man's mouth as he said to Wesley your money or your life. This man's business was the business of a robber which we can say is really no business at all. And so with Wesley a video of a few coins that he had invited the robber to go through the bags that were there on his horse, which were filled with books much to the robbers to this maze you might imagine it. So they delete from this scene of crime when Wesley called out. I have something more to say to you have something more to give you And so the robber turned back and Wesley said my friend you may live to regret this sort of life that you're living. And if you ever do remember this the blood of Jesus Christ God Son cleanses us from all sin. In the robber hurried silently away and Wesley Road only along with his pockets a little emptier frame with this breed exchange might have an eternal impact on this one robbers conscience. Years later at the close of a Sunday evening service a man stepped forward to speak with Wesley and Wesley was surprised to learn that it was that very same man who had robbed him all those years before? He was now a child of God. He was now working in a new line of business godhead. Use those words that were spoken by Wesley that night to turn this man to Christ. And now taking Wesley's hand the script. Turn Christian said to Wesley to you dear sucksr IO it Wesley said to the man Nae Nae my friend not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ, which cleanses us from all sin. And truly the work of Christ. My friends is the same for each and every one of us as it was for that Robert there on that fateful night when we came to know of the love of Christ there in West lease. Travels that man might not have known it but he got a business appointment with the Lord only that day because the business of the Lord it for each one of us to be cleansed from Austin to be set on a new path to find new Ambitions as we become Partners in his mission to rescue. The Lost That is what Christ calls for us to do as members of his body as Believers in his salvation partner in his And today's path is guess it's a powerful account of a man who had such a business appointment with Christ. He was a man who was possessed by many demons. He was a man who lived in a Jewish territory known as Garrus are there was something like the gerasenes demoniac Christ on this the most important day of his life about that business appointment as we looking to Luke chapter 26 reading of God's word by standing together as we hear what the Lord has to say for us today. starting verse 26 then they that is Jesus and his disciples after this great song. They survived on the sea after Jesus is taking the winning the way then they sell to the country of the garrisons, which is opposite gallery and when it came out of the land is Jesus he was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons and it would not been on any clothing for a long time. He was living in a house but in the tombs seeing Jesus he cried out and fell before him and said in a loud voice what business do you have with each other son of the most high God I beg you do not torment me or he had commanded the unclean Spirit to come out of the man. Will it be too many times and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept other car and yet he would break his bond and be driven by the data into the desert and Jesus asked him. What is your name? And he said Legion for many demons had energy. They were in flooring and not to command them to go away into the abyss. Now. There was a herd of mini swine feeding there on the mountain and the demons and floored him to permit them to enter this one and he gave them permission and the demons came out of there and entered into the lake was When the herdsmen saw what it happened they ran away and reported it in the city and Out in the Country the people went out to see what it happened and they came to Jesus and found the man who knew the demons had gone out.
It is right now and they became right? Those who have seen it reported to them how the man who is demon possessed had been made well and all the people of the country of the gerasenes and the surrounding District. Duluth for they were returned. But the man from whom the demons had gone out with Betty, man.
But he sent him on his way say return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you. So we went away proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
As I mentioned Jesus and his disciples arrived here in this country known as the ratha this passage that we find here today takes place just after Jesus has filled the storm in Luke chapter 8 from what was the Northwest corner of the theory of Galilee down to the wrath of which was coming on the Southeast corner of the Sea of Galilee and so we can see why why Luke says that the country of the gerasenes. It's opposite Galilee in verse 26, cuz geographically their opposite across that see which Jesus and his disciples have just crossed and in fact that I see We have the river that really separates the Gentiles from will then the Gentiles will be looking at a geographically in this map that I'm paying him. I'm on the south side of the Sea of Galilee. So when Jesus and his disciples cross to that Southeastern Corner in this country of the Gator scene, they're actually traveling into Gentile territory. And the fact of what Trey the gerasenes from eating pork before raising up animal. These pigs in order to sell them to other nations, and so we know that this is indeed a gentile country here in this passage Passage. Adjust on the heels of this great miracle where we see Jesus showing his power over nature his power over the wind and the waves as he speaks to them and says peace be still just as we see Jesus in his power over the natural realm now we're going as he speaks to these Supernatural demonic beings. They really show for us so much of who Jesus is how great is powered. There's the power that he has over nature In The Wind and The Wave in this package over the Demonic powers, and then we'll see his power over disease this week for further in the coming weeks at his power.
I like the way the New American Standard renders verse 28 of this passage at this demon-possessed man comes before Jesus and he falls on his face. He cried out in a loud voice and he says these words what business do we have with each other Jesus Son of the most high God Now I must confess that the original Greek was much simpler than that a literal rendering of this. But the words the Greek words that are behind this phrase in the original Greek text is a pretty terse rendering the words directly translated simply say what to me and to you but the essence of the question that is asked by this one. He was occupied by demons on this day. Is this what dealing do you and I have with each other until we find some similar translations in other popular Bible version the Christian Standard Bible. What do you have to do with Me Like Jesus the King James version says, what do I have to do with thee Jesus? And a good summary of this question as an American Standard renter. Does it is this like this do we have with each other? What business do I have to have with me? And that's an important question? It's important question for all of us. Not just for this man in this passage as we enter into a new year this coming Tuesday. That's a question that should be on all of our minds because whether we realize it or not, Jesus wants us to be all about his business. If we read about his encounter with this possessed man in Luke 8 and as we do I want you to realize that there's something greater on display for each of us. Do we need to take note off and that's it's the business of the Lord Jesus Christ is to seek and to save those who are lost and held captive and he wants you to be about his business. I want to just walk you through this packets today as we examine for answers for each of the individuals and the entirety of us as a church relating to this question business. Do you have with Jesus in this coming year? It's worse than what you to see this. His business is to heal you his business is to heal you Jesus is Les disciples on a journey into a foreign country across a tumultuous see, why would he do that? Every indication In this passage? Is that Jesus and his disciples embarked on this tumultuous trip so that they could minister to one man. He's the only one that Jesus directly ministers to in the passage is a Luke recordes it here today. Matthew's account of the same Gospel of Mark and Luke both of their emphasis on this one man. Jesus has gone to Great Lengths he and his disciples together in the one. In fact verse 27 says that when when Jesus came out onto the land he was met by this demon-possessed man. Mark's gospel the gospel of Mark immediately after Jesus got off of the boat, and it was eating. Imbibe providentially aligned circumstances. The Savior would come from far away across the sea immediately interacts with a man who is in great need of what we Jesus could provide. And this man it was typically found in the tombs are in the desert. Was there waiting for Jesus as he stepped on the land. Easy, Jesus has a mission trip plan. He has a business trip plan for this man.
And you see my friends is a lesson for each and every one of us in the very fact that Jesus crosses the sea to reach this man. Jesus does not law to see you stop. Jesus did not long to see you Bound by Satan's influence and squirming like a worm in hot ashes he has come to heal and and watch this there's no distance to Jesus won't go to to help those who are hurting. There's no storm that he won't go through to reach out to those who are in need. In fact, he is bore the greatest of all storms at the drunk the full cup of God's Wrath. On the cross of Calvary that he might take our place and break you to us in our sin sick disease.
This man's a clear example of Christ mission to reach out to those who are hurting.
What is this man sickness while he's possessed by demons, and we should take just a moment to talk about demons.
They remain on scene. So they remain out of the topic of conversation of what we were generally speak with one another about but what are demons? When the Bible reveals the demons are Fallen Angels who fell with Satan when he disobey the most high and fell from his rank as an angel.
Revelation 12 chapter 4 hints that about a third of the Angels which are as a numeral as the Stars by the way, but against the most high we also see in the Bible that some demons are free to roam about the Earth Now While others are confined in this place known as The Abyss until this coming time of Great Tribulation. But all demons function under the authority of Satan they are not visible to our mortal eyes, but they do manifest themselves in the possession of other individuals from time to time as we see in this passage here today. And Luke just a lot of attention in his gospel to Demons Inside. The Greek word is translated into our work and our English word demon that word occurs 55 times altogether in the New Testament. And that word is found more times in the Gospel of Luke than in any of the other books in the New Testament 21 x Luke uses this word in his gospel. And that's at least ten more occurrences than any other New Testament book and we learned a lot about demons from Luke about demons from this particular passage. Even for example demons have personhood. We know that because Jesus asked in particular for this Demon's name. The demons are named we see in this passage. Obviously that demons are capable of possessing individuals. In fact more pictures of them can possess a single individual. That's why would Jesus ask this man? What his name is? the demons that have possessed his body reply back and say their name is Legion for we are many they say Do in the Roman world the word legion refer to this whole company of thousands of soldiers. And so astonishingly battle division of demons has taken up residence in this one man, and it's no wonder that Jesus cuts through the Sea of Galilee to rescue. imprisoned soul We have to see in this passage the demons can speak. And by their words we see that they have a supernatural intelligence. What do I mean by that? Well when Legion speaks he says what business do we have with each other Jesus Son of the most high God this man living in a land far away from God's people and just encountering Jesus from the first time out on the kerosene beachfront would not have known what but the demons know who he is.
We read it. He that is this man possessed by the demons fill before Jesus and verse 28 the a little bit more detail and Mark V. We read the dispossessed man ran up and bow before the Lord by his actions This Man shows that one who has more power and more authority over demons has come and so the demon-possessed man balls before this one has, and my friends you should know this business meeting that we're looking at here is not a meeting among equal business partners. We are seeing the Lord of encountering those who are far below his level of authority. And as we reading the book of Philippians one day, this is just a reminder to me one day every knee shall bow and every tongue and on Earth and under the Earth that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The Demons by friends are powerful beings, but they are not all-powerful and there is one of my friends whom we can place our trust in who has every Power every authority over these creatures. I want a demon or multiple demons take possession of an individual that demon has a great impact upon his host. Demons can get individual Supernatural strength. We see that here in this passage at this man proves to be stronger than any shackles any chains that anyone would be able to capture him would be the place. Anya is super naturally break free from every bond that is placed on you. But with all of that strength with all of that knowledge comes a downside because demons typically leave the individuals they possess into self-destruct Matthew's account of this event in Garrison has some details regarding that Matthew notes that these two men were extremely by so much so that no one could pass by that way. These men had a reputation. For being very dangerous to others as a detail to this torment. The legion was bringing upon this in slaves in Stickman. We remarked 5 that this man was constantly screaming night and day dashing himself with stones. And this man is not warm clothes for a long time. Luke said he wasn't living in a house. Luke shows it he was living among the dead in the Tomb. Was it maybe an obsession with the dead let him to be possessed by these demons that start with we're not really told but it's clear that this man is sick and he is enslaved and he is harming himself and he is driving to harm others, which is a characteristic side of demon possession. Now there are a lot of mental maladies there a lot of psychological disorders that can mimic the same sorts of. Things that we would see common in demons and without the visibility of those demons, it takes a good bit of examination to know for sure whether or not an individual is possessed. But elsewhere in the Bible say about demons causing individuals to harm themselves by slamming him to the ground causing them to foam at the mouth and grinding their teeth when demon even throw through a man's son into the fire and into the water in attempts to destroy this son by burning him or drowning him before Jesus came and rescued him. And we can't see demons now with our natural eyes with the man and the pigs that they possessed In this passage show us just how dangerous they can be. And demons are still acted my friends. I can't definitively tell you that I've ever encountered anyone who has been possessed by a demon, but I have solid reliable. Truly. Found individual and friends in Ministry who have told me of their interactions with demon-possessed individuals. Now I give all of that to you as a background demons are still on the loose, but do I expect in the average day to encounter demons here in this nation to the same degree as when they were encountered in Christ day. No, I do not why I believe that the action of demons with heightened during Christ's time on Earth. Jesus said come to their target was Waging War on their buried battle for human Souls. But the good news my friend is that Jesus has come to heal this sickness because his business is to heal you and for those who know Christ as Savior is your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within and I believe that have been a demon will not possess one who is inhabited by God's holy spirit. And though we still need to be ready to engage in spiritual warfare by putting on the armor of God Christ has dealt with this disease. But my friends if you don't know Christ. You are open for attack. If you don't know Christ with a visibly or invisible e u r under the power of the evil one. If you could not entrust your life to Christ that I plead with you on this day come to Christ and be healed come to Christ and find Freedom. Come to Christ and life is great is for you. His business is to heal you that's one of the reasons why Christ has come. We also see this path is another bit of business that you have to do with Jesus in this coming year for secondly. His business is to deliver you. it's fascinating to consider why Jesus grants the request of the demons in verse 31 these demons did Jesus not to command them to go away in the abyss just as They begged him not to torment hit them back in verse 28 In the word translated abyss and verse 31 occurs only nine times and all of the Bible. 7 of those times are found in the Book of Revelations. Very last book of the Bible showing God's cataclysmic end of times activities. And the first of those examples we find in the Book of Revelation of this. word Abyss is found when the demons are released up upon the Earth out of the Abyss in Revelation chapter 9 as the first wall of the fifth trumpet been in chapter 11, the Beast comes up out of the abyss and then it Revelation chapter 20 and Angel comes down out of Heaven holding the key to the abyss and Satan is thrown in there. You see this Abyss is a plate that is reserved for Satan and his minions. It is a place of punishment in Jesus talks about this place in Matthew 25 as well. And that my friend is this concept this idea of the event becomes an item of interest for each and every one of us. Because Jesus points us to a future day, and he knows that he is actually it's separating the Lambs from the goats in that future Day gift separating those. I know him from those who look like they never really knew him and he said these words Matthew 25 verse 41 depart from me accursed one into the Eternal fire, which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. You see there's a place of great condemnation that is prepared for Satan and his demons. What you must know is that this place of condemnation is also a place for those who do not know Christ is also the place when they will spend their eternity in conscious torment.
My princess is all sorts of implications for us when it comes to sharing the gospel with those who are reached when it comes to loving our families who don't yet know Christ because I'm reaching out to our neighbors. And these demons you are loosed upon the earth. Now know that their days are numbered. Shutter to think of what that kind of nation will be like they want to prolong their destination as long as they can and so they beg Jesus not to send them into the abyss. Am I friends if the demons you have no grace extended to them through Christ beg for this salvation. How much more should we be has appeared and offered his rescue big for the same. How much more should we beg for his rescue? To be for us. In my friends you see Jesus. Doesn't send these demons into the events immediately because the time for Eternal condemnation has not yet come for them. And likewise if you are gathered here in this place today, and you are apart from Christ and you are still breathing and you are still able to hear my voice. I want to tell you have a combination has not yet, for you. But the demons know that is coming. They know that Christ has come to the liberal. They know that their days are numbered and so in Matthew chapter 8, we read that these very demons request Jesus not to torment them before the time they say you see they know their time is coming. They know their defeat is imminent. They know that Jesus is business to deliver his children permanently from their influence. So they cry out with all that is in them in hopes of avoiding hellfires for just a little bit longer. Yes, so many of us.
we hear the Christ has come to say we hear the combination will fall on those who do not receive his gift of life and a trust themselves to his rescue and still many of
Many of us are things if it's nothing important many of us leave our Eternal Destiny for a later date which we do not know for sure whether or not it will, and so I plead with you on this day Christ business is to deliver. You don't wait don't wait until you clean yourself up in this passage Lincoln was delivered from Eternal condemnation. He didn't wait until he can clean himself up. He didn't take a few minutes or a few days to wash up his wounds. He didn't wait until the healing was complete here and forth with open fresh wounds dried blood and nasty grave smelling hair and he found a deliver who was ready to rescue him in that state. It's a likewise. I urge you don't wait until you clean yourself up. Don't think I'll get my act together. I'll stop doing what I'm doing and then I'll come to Jesus when I'm good enough because my friends that day will never come.
By his grace you like your birthday. to Come Just As You Are I don't wait until you cover up some of us get the idea that we need to settle into a church. We need to do the Jesus thing and look like the Jesus people and put on the shiny exterior. Holy person that says that we are part of the community before weekend. Come to Christ. There's no need for that. Hiding what's on the outside will make you any more lovely to Christ. Then you are now with your present false. Here we have Legion who is running to Jesus Stark naked he didn't take time to cover up. He came to Jesus just as he was. And also say that you don't wait until you free up. Legion didn't wait until he had gotten rid of his demons demons were still shrieking through his voice when he spoke with Jesus.
Don't wait until the addiction is gone. Don't wait until the demons have left you alone. Come to the one who rules over all and let him Set You Free by Prince. Because that's what Christ does that's his business. He has come to deliver you. He has coming to Grant you Everlasting. Peace. And that's the piece that Legion finds here as Christ drives out his demons in about 2,000 pigs. We read in Mark's gospel rest down this steep bank and a drowned in the sea. You say that warrant for Christ. This man would have been the one who is drowning. Let me say this if it weren't for Christ this man would be the one who is draft. he has made all of the different Christ has delivered me and Jesus delivered not just in this future time of the deadly demons will be banished forever more delivers us from the real war that is going on around us here and now
And even an army that is losing a war may still try to inflict as much damage as it possibly can remember we went over and can hear me know. She was a part of that thing to do when towing can my senior year was we've been his junior year and I remember that even though we pretty I'm going to lose every game. All right, we were pretty rough-looking much. I weighed about 50 pounds less than the town. I play offensive line when you were going to lose and yet there was still guys on our team. Once we knew that the score was out of range would try to do all the damage that they possibly could bring him to the time after a play ran in and go and kick his feet right into the back for the other guys on the other team. I Like it Loud the coaching with anyone would be allowed to do that sort of thing start with but that's a mentality saying I'm going to inflict as much damage as I possibly can we see this in the professional teams win. The game has gotten out of hand the team that's losing will start to get a little bit walking so start to get a little bit feisty fight in the midst of those final place. And we Christians battle against Satan and his evil forces now.
What is this battle for the total Victory but they're still going to inflict as much damage as they can in this day and in this time and we win the spiritual battle that is going on All Around by putting on the armor of God as we read about in Ephesians chapter 6. Taking up God's armor enables us to resist the evil day and just and fur the truth righteousness the gospel of peace Faith salvation, and God's word are all instruments of our Warfare as Paul writes in Ephesians 6 Faith enables us to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one and my friends Christ business of Deliverance has granted to us an opportunity for victory even in the battles that wage on. yes Christ businesses to deliver you and if you are being led astray your business in this New Year's Abida put on the full armor of space the Christ makes available to you the next with a business that you have to deal with in this coming year.
Jesus's business is to equip you when Legions host is released from his captors. The whole city comes out this to you. And what do they find a verse 35 we read that they came to Jesus and they found the man from whom the demon had gone out sitting down at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind now in Jesus's day, they were individuals.
Rabbi Rabbi, the place of learning was to sit at the rabbi's feet. And that's the position that this man is now had probably two thousand or more demons driven out as him takes as he is in his right mind. He's been delivered and so now we takes the place of learning it takes the place of sitting at Jesus's feet and he moves on to be equipped. Because that Jesus is business for every man. Edit this business for you as well. Jesus is coming to equip you to know his truth and to be a part of his plan to save the world. This man is no longer. He's no longer the crazy man who nobody wants to be around now he's closed now. He's in his right mind. Say yes for a minute and wants you to be an outcast. He wants you to be kept away from your fellow man. The demons are glad this man to live in the two not in the house. They drove him out into the isolation of the desert. Why would they do that? What will the man who lives alone apart from God is Alexa really is on devices? He has no availability of anything beyond himself. He doesn't out God's plan to love your neighbors as you love yourself. He doesn't live out God's plan to do good to your enemies. He's not interacting with anyone. He's all alone. He's focused on himself.
a know how many individuals are focused on themselves and our day is that you? You spend most of your days in isolation. Do you stay away from the community of God's Believers and often as you can. God has given us the church. It's our family. It's this Gathering where we come together to equip one another to build one another up and help one another to find the place where God has called us to serve the function as this body together doing God's work. And straighten would love to keep you away from one another it is service. It's blatant. Would love to keep you away from this community. He would love to keep you focused on your own pleasures. And you know, I can't help but think. Why would Satan need to deploy his demons in our land when were already so driven into isolation with all of our tablets and all of our cell phones and all of our systems and all of our TV sets?
When can we when we can all find our own fleshly desires through a digital means why would a demon be needed to drive us into the desert? When the gospel is not going out, why was Satan deploys his minions to hinder men from taking hold of it. Holy not prefer for young man to grow up fighting their Wars with a game controller Revenue taking on an evil man with their real life on the line. Why would you not rather have us loving Facebook and Instagram post and Snapchat post from afar rather than taking the costly approach of loving others in person and helping a friend who is in need. Would Satan deployed his minions to do in the country of the gerasenes?
What he did? We seem to be deploying our own devices to do this. Very same thing in our day. They drive us away for my fellowman. They drive us into ourselves. I read just this week and interesting article is a little bit humorous about a shocking new development last month. You see in November a thirty-five-year-old Tokyo School administrator name hockey hoco condo married a 3D laser hologram Imaging device with artificial intelligence. All right, he had an actual wedding to be joined together with this digital hologram device and in an interview with CNN condo said Society pressures you to follow a certain formula for love, but it might not make you happy. And so in pursuit of personal happiness, he married a hologram of a popular Japanese cartoon anime personality known as Miku and Miku is produced by this device which CNN describes as a cross between a coffee maker in a large jar. And the device was created to allow these anime fans to live with their favorite characters and the anime characters that Siri or Alexa would almost smart devices that we have from Apple and from Amazon by the way is in the side.
Over a million people last year ask Alexa to marry them. All right, so don't just get the idea that this is a Japanese phenomenon. The condo as married has no sense of self and has no sense of Desires. In fact, he has complete control. marriages between his And his so-called electric electronic why? One Canadian ethicist called Neil MacArthur quoted in the article notes that this is not just the phenomenon of one goofball but is actually the next step and what is already happening on the worldwide stage. He describes people like on do as a second wave digit sexuals there people who have moved beyond the first wave of using technology like in order to involve the human element Now They removed that human element in connecting with others and they've embraced technology as an integral part of their sexual identity. And this ethicist states are concerned that you probably have when he makes this thing. He said I genuinely do worry about the impact that Tech is having on our Collective social life since we're already seeing the internet dating social media and Tech in general even Netflix people are retreating into themselves. The prince do you see the danger that we face when we become so absorbed in our selves?
Christ let us keep our focus on the one who has come to say let our business be about his business and as we do we'll see that our business will be included in his business to equip others and we will come together with a body like this one and we will build one another up and we will be more effective in furthering the kids. Can you Let us be found in this coming year both as individuals and as a church at the feet of Jesus learning from him. If I don't think you should know there's one other order of business that Jesus has for you in 2019. That's this. His business is to spend you his businesses to send you and verse 38 we find that the man has been sealed and delivered and now equipped wants to follow Jesus. But what may be a curiosity to us is the response that Jesus gives him Jesus didn't know this man's request to follow him Jesus Benton home instead. He sent him away instead of her 39 return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you. What would Jesus do that? Well, there's a couple of things going on here that I think could be in play for one when the demons bad Jesus in Mark chapter in this country that they're currently in from the City come out.
And keeping away the one you can do this great work. Then they are of actually taking this work and appropriating it to themselves. They're more concerned about the Commerce. They're more concerned about the comfort. Then they are concerned about the one who is come to save it. It's a Jesus leaves this man here as a witness. He lives in here. Is this testimony of what God can do you brings evangelism to a place that was otherwise unreached as he tales of the great things that God has done through Christ. And then I can't help but wonder if maybe got maybe Christ sending this man that goes home had to do with the fact that this man still have work to do in the home. Can you imagine that glass Union in living in the four years? He's been the crazy guy who is brought shame to the whole family right for years. He's been making everyone else away and so here in this moment. We find it. He has the opportunity to go home. And then there's no message here was this man was a husband. There's no mention of whether he was a fall. There's no mention of whether he was a child but in each and every one of those we can just imagine down the Crooked path and is the families there sitting on the front porch or thinking he's never going to come home. He's never going to break free from this mess that he's been in for so many years. I just over the horizon. Here comes dad or here comes my husband or here comes my child. And he comes home to tell of the great day that God has done through Christ. Can you imagine that were Union the kid? Can you imagine what a joy it would be to buy take in that? I'm afraid you should know the Bible tells if there is more joy and rejoiced you in the summer in the angels of heaven over one sinner who repents and that joint. Listen to Loyal Christ extends to you. This is the Christ has extended to me. And this man didn't say, you know, it's a new day. I think I'll try a little bit harder. No, he grounded his resolutions and something that was greater than a year taking over. He grounded is resolution in something greater than just a numeric number like in 2019. He grounded his revolutions to live for the Lord from this point on the fact that he had a great thing for him. And so unlike so many of our resolution. This man's resolution Burkett. It's so he was indeed transform. He became a missionary told those two were in his country in the planet didn't want Seasons around about the great thing that he passed. Am I friends you can meet you on if you've been transformed in this way God's business is for you to be about his business in that same way sharing the good things that Christ has done it. So as we prepare for 20 Jesus what business do we have with each other and I want to tell you again his businesses to heal you his businesses to deliver you his businesses to equip you and his business is to send you are you resolved to be about the Lord's business here is this coming here? Would you play with me?
Follow me. Thank you for the privilege that is ours to need be apart of your business. The thing that you would call broken yet redeemed individuals like us too big or ambassador's oh Lord. It's really humbling privilege to even think. And yet your call Remains the Same Your Grace remains strong. Follow your joy that you have shown yourself to be the guy who loves the guy who reaches out. The guy who goes to Great distance across the stormy sea to rescue those who are enslaved by sick. If anyone here today on this day who has not yet come to realize the hope would you have granted who is not yet found the rescue from Helen, Nations will not get found a savior who goes to drinking lean for the greatest missionary who ever lived to reach those if you need his saving work and I pray God is that one is here today.
Passaic , be a part of my business, received getting to you, receive Joy Everlasting and Rescue. And then one for each and every one of us here today, I pray that we would give a true examination of our hearts. Are we in your word are we are we in communion with you? Are we being equipped by studying your words? Are we being equipped by joining together with brothers and sisters and studying your word or being equipped? Oh Lord by finding other people speak to our needs and help us to work through our struggles. And I'm going out with my weed being once you are out. Speaking your truth sharing at the great things you've done. But I pray on this day that we prepare for when somebody do what is the custom do this. We make resolutions for the coming year we ground true resolution of where we are and where we stand before you not in just a change of an American your butt in the hope that is eternal in the singer who had come in the grace that you have extended that no one will be able to pluck away. Nobody even care hinder and may we all want to make resolutions that will cause us to be about your business here in this coming year.