We celebrated Independence Day this week. Today I want to encourage you to celebrate you dependence on God. ARE YOU LIVING IN DEPENDENCE? Last week we talked about how God’s love transcended everything to reach this man. Before the day is over, I would like for us to truly understand just how equipped, just how transformed, just how in dependent on God this man had become. And then I would like for all of us to apply those same principles to our life style! READ/PRAY/MISSION.
To be fully equipped, to be fully transformed, one must receive and be in dependence upon God and His spoken word.
I. An in dependent person prayerfully pursues God. (18)
“And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.”
This man remembered what it was like to be who he was. He realized that he wanted to change, and needed to change but he just couldn’t change. Out of no where Jesus appeared and healed him. He didn’t understand it, but one thing he did understand was that he wanted to spend more time with Jesus. Therefore we see him begging Jesus. Picture him crying out to Christ. Crying out, “Oh, Lord, I long for nothing else than to be with you. I have a great desire to follow you. Bless me that I might be able just to ride in the same boat that you ride. Bless me in that I might be able to follow along and be a part of this group.”
Those of us who have been healed by Christ remember what it was like before Christ. Tell story of Mary in Luke 7. Jesus has something to teach us (vs 40). 47“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” How much we have been forgiven is an indicator of the love we have for God. His love motivates us to pursue Him more. And in our pursuit, we long to be obedient because we have tasted of His love and forgiveness. Jesus even said if you love me you will obey me. Had this man been forgiven a little or a lot? Do you think he loved a little or a lot? Because of his desire, he prayed to Christ. In our longing to be obedient, we pray more.
Prayer is a unique thing. It is sort of like our checkbook. Our checkbook (show checkbook) tells us in detail where our treasure is, therefore where our heart is. Our prayer journal tells us where our trust is. We seldom pray about what we can control. Our prayer life is always on the things out of our control. Therefore the only things in our lives that we are relying on God for are the things for which we are praying. Did that sentence cause your heart to skip? In a way, I hope so. I hope that we see the significance of prayer. You can’t say that you are dependent on God in everything and then live independently. To be dependent you must pray. Praying to God is our way of showing dependence!
Notice how this man approached Christ. The word begged is the key to it all. He didn’t approach Him arrogantly. He didn’t approach Him as if Jesus owed him anything. The man approached Christ humbly, and begged Him. We can be humble and still come boldly, confidently, before the throne of grace. The verse, “ ask and you shall receive” comes to mind. To beg infers to ask. That verse is better translated to ask and keep on asking. So picture this man begging, and begging, and begging! Why is that what God wants? First, it takes a humble person to ask, but you are really humble to keep on asking! Second, it takes a diligent person to keep on asking. I believe that when we see who we are, and what we are lacking it causes one of two responses. Either pride, and a hard heart; or humility and a diligent prayerful pursuit of the One who has changed things and can continue to change them! When we recognize who we are, we are more likely to respond in the appropriate fashion!
II. An in dependent person longingly listens to God. (19)
There were two young boys that approached their hero. In awe of this gigantic person they asked him as they received his autograph, “what can we do to become a Major League Player?” His response was to play catch everyday. And so they did, all the way through high school. Here’s the point. They met their hero, but they didn’t just listen to him. They hung on every word. They memorized his body movements; they mimicked his behavior patterns. But most of all, they trusted that what he said was correct, and they obeyed!
If you were in this person’s position how would you respond to Jesus? Would you listen to Him? Of course you would! Can you imagine what this biblical individual must have felt? The one who set him free was now addressing him and giving him specific orders on how to live the rest of his life. It was definitely a time he would never forget.
Mary and Martha story in Luke 10. 41And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42“But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” There are too may Martha’s in God’s church. Too many people choose to be worried and troubled about many things. Too many job related stresses. Too many volunteer job related stresses. We have become so busy that we are getting nothing accomplished. I am not saying that we shouldn’t do anything. I am saying that when we longingly listen to Jesus as Mary did and this man did, He tells us the important things that need to be responded to immediately. And trust me on this one, if we respond to only what He tells us, then we will stay busy! Mary knew what “one thing was needed”. We need to learn what the “one thing” is!
III. An in dependent person is openly obedient to God. (20) 20And he departed and began to
proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
The blacksmith was instructing the novice in the way to treat a horseshoe. “I’ll bring the shoe from the fire and lay it on the anvil. When I nod my head you hit it with this hammer.” The apprentice did exactly as he was told, but he never hit a blacksmith again!
An old Portuguese story depicts a young Christian lad who is forced to beg on the streets of his village. One day the beggar boy is scorned and teased by a wealthy atheist’s son, “If God really loves you, why doesn’t He take better care of you. Why doesn’t He tell someone to send you a pair of shoes?” Sadly the boy responded, “I think God does tell people, but they just aren’t listening.”
If we would live like the novice blacksmith, there wouldn’t be any examples of the little boy in our world! This is how we should live openly obedient to God.
A. He departed. Is it significant that he left?
The obvious observation is that Jesus was the only person who actually showed compassion on him. It appears that even his family had left him. For this man to leave Christ would be a significant sacrifice! He was openly obedient by leaving! God always calls us to leave our comfort zones. If it doesn’t make sense it probably is God. Jesus left His throne room! Paul left his heritage. The disciples left their homes. Elisha left his oxen! (1 kings 19:21) Yes God asks us to leave. But what is just as confusing is where he asks us to go. Jesus asked him to go back to his friends. Think about that. What friends? He had no friends! They all forsook him. Left him out to die, literally! Yet Jesus is asking this man to leave Him and go to his enemies! More often than not God calls us to go back to our enemies! To go where we really don’t want to go! It doesn’t end there. Decapolis means ten cities. He didn’t just go to one, or two , or three. But he went to ten cities! Let’s realize that Jenson must be addressed, but let’s not forget Pineville, M’bor, Harrogate, Barbourville, Corbin, Va, etc.
B. He proclaimed. He was openly obedient
by leaving, but in order to be in compliance with Christ he had to proclaim the words Christ told him. To often we fall short of what Christ wants by not opening our mouths and sharing the wonderful compassions that God has had on us! We are willing to “vent” to complain. But to share the compassion of Christ? Isn’t that too zealous? We should rebuke our pride. What is man the God is mindful of him? Who are you that God looks down upon every minute and blesses? We have the “Go into all the world” down pat. We go and go and go. We love to go! We go on vacation. We go to ball games. We go to the malls. We go to other states, even other countries. But Jesus said to Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. We have simply overlooked the obvious. We have dismissed the difficult part! This man sets the precedence! Not only did he go, but he went proclaiming! We need to go proclaiming!
C. They marveled. God’s grace is sufficient!
Pay attention to what happens! This man openly obeys Christ by departing, and proclaiming. It doesn’t say that he was eloquent of tongue. It doesn’t say he produced miracles. It does say that he went and did exactly what Jesus said to do. Then Christ did the rest! The people saw Christ in him and they marveled! That is what happened to Moses! That is what happened to Peter! That is what happened to Paul! It never is about what we say! It never is about what we look like! It is always about our open obedience to Christ! He never fails us. Others will always marvel when they see Christ in us!
This man’s life had been totally transformed and equipped to do God’s will all at the same time. Today, are you fully equipped? Are you fully transformed? Are you living independent or in dependence of God today? You can be right with God today. You can be fully equipped and transformed to perform His will. Are you ready and willing to impact your world? As much as you are ready, God is more ready! He has a desire that supercedes yours. He longingly wants to involve you in His will. Do you desire to be used today? You might say, what can I do? I can’t make any difference. It just doesn’t matter. Oh but it does. Listen to this story:
Died From A Lack Of Touch
No more convincing evidence of the absence of parental affection exists than that compiled by Rene Spitz. In a South American orphanage, Spitz observed and recorded what happened to 97 children who were deprived of emotional and physical contact with others. Because of a lack of funds, there was not enough staff to adequately care for these children, ages 3 months to 3 years old. Nurses changed diapers and fed and bathed the children. But there was little time to hold, cuddle, and talk to them as a mother would. After three months many of them showed signs of abnormality. Besides a loss of appetite
and being unable to sleep well, many of the children lay with a vacant expression in their eyes. After five months, serious deterioration set in. They lay whimpering, with troubled and twisted faces. Often, when a doctor or nurse would pick up an infant, it would scream in terror. Twenty-seven, almost one third, of the children died the first year, but not from lack of food or health care. They died of a lack of touch and emotional nurture. Because of this, seven more died the second year. Only twenty one of the 97 survived, most suffering serious psychological damage.
All these babies needed were to be touched, held, loved. Could you do that? Can you love? Touch? Hold? Listen to? Let God be God, you just be His servant. There are people around you today that need to hear how compassionate God has been in your life! Will you go? Are you willing to love? Touch? Hold? Listen?
