WHEN GOD DOES A WORK
5 Year Anniversary of River of Life Church
- Read Luke 8:22-25
Jesus and His disciples climbed into a boat. He told the apostles, let’s head to the other side of the lake. After telling His disciples where to take the boat, Jesus laid down and went to sleep. He had been teaching, He had been ministering to crowds of people; crowds so large that His mother and brothers couldn’t even get to Him. Jesus was worn out, so He went to sleep.
Several of the disciples were fishermen. They knew how to handle a boat, so as Jesus slept, they began sailing or paddling the boat to the other side.
Now, the lake they were on was known for fierce storms. With hardly a moment’s notice, the winds could sweep down from the cliffs, blow across the shallow waters of the lake, and whip the waves up into a frenzy. The disciples were accustomed to storms on the lake. They had fished there many times before, but this storm was something special. It was different. It was so bad the disciples got scared.
Oh, I believe this storm was unusually bad, because the Devil knew Jesus had an appointment on the other side of the lake. He knew Jesus was going to mess with the work he was doing on the other side of the lake, so the Devil brewed up an unusually strong storm; a storm so bad that the rain and the waves began filling the boat faster than they could bail it out. A storm so bad it brought fear into the disciples’ hearts.
What did they do with their fears? They brought them to Jesus. Jesus! Jesus! Wake up. Don’t you care that we are about to perish? Don’t you care that we are about to die?
Jesus woke up. He looked around. He examined the situation, and He spoke. He spoke to the winds, and they stopped. He spoke to the waves, and they stopped. Instantly, it became calm.
You see my friend, when Jesus has an appointment, when He has a plan, not all the storms in the world can stand in His way.
5 years ago yesterday, we held the first public worship service for River of Life Church. Back then, Wallace was the head custodian for Enterprise Elementary School. He unlocked the doors for us, showed us around, made sure we had everything we needed; and then, if I remember correctly, he went somewhere else in the school and painted. Back then, I was a bit intimidated by him; with him being as quiet as he is. Now, we all know he’s just a pussy cat.
In the past 5 years, we have seen a lot of things happen. Some who attended at the very beginning, no longer attend. It didn’t turn out to be the kind of church they thought it would be. Some who were with us in the beginning, have moved away. Others, have come, made a contribution, and then gone.
In the past 5 years, there have been times when the church’s finances have been great. At other times, they have been somewhat slimmer. We have tried some outreaches that have gone great, and we have tried other things that have failed. We have thought of building a couple of times in a couple different places. So far, we have constructed no buildings.
There have been times when we have been tempted to be discouraged. Oh, but during those times the Lord has asked us, just as He did His disciples in the boat that day, “Where is your faith?”
You see my friends, more than 2000 years ago Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it!” And when God starts something, He finishes it!
Ask Abraham. Ask Moses. Ask the people of Jericho what God is capable of. Ask Noah about God’s faithfulness. Ask Elijah, or David. Ask Daniel about God’s strength. Ask Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego if God is able. They will all tell you the same thing that all the saints who have gone before us will say, “GOD IS FAITHFUL.”
Yesterday, Gladys and I were talking to Drew about today being the church’s birthday. He said, “You mean all of these people wouldn’t have known each other if the church hadn’t been started?” We said, “That’s right.” My friends, look at what God is doing.
Jesus said, “I will build My Church,” and He continues to do so today. But, He is doing so for a reason.
Look there with me please at verse 26.
- Read Luke 8:26-39
In this passage we read why Jesus crossed the lake and why the Devil wanted Him stopped so bad. In the area of the Gadarenes there was a man with a need.
Picture the scene with me that day as Jesus and the disciples arrived. As Jesus and the disciples arrive, they see before them a very small beach with cliffs immediately beyond the beach. In the cliffs, there are caves and tombs for burial. The shadows from those cliffs stretch out across the beach, reaching almost to the water’s edge.
Suddenly, even as the disciples pull the boat onto the shore, a man comes running from the edge of the cliffs toward Jesus.
On the plateau above the cliffs, a pig herder calls to his buddy, “Hey Joe, come look at this.” As his companion joins him, they watch the scene unfolding below, together. They both know the man who lives among the tombs and the caves. They have seen him many times before. People have tried to help him, but now he seems beyond hope. He has killed. He has left his family and his home. He tears off his clothes so he goes around with barely anything on. He cuts himself with rocks. He is out of his mind.
My friends, that is why Jesus crossed the lake, because this man had a need. In the first sermon Jesus ever preached, He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” Jesus came on a life-saving, hurt-healing, life-changing mission.
My friends, all around us are people just like this man. All around us are people with hurts they can’t handle, people with pain they can’t stop, people with lives out of control.
Many of them have tried everything the world has to offer to find release, with no success. For you see, Jesus is the only true answer. Jesus says, Come unto Me all ye who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
The man threw himself at Jesus’ feet and said, “What do you have to do with us? The man was filled with demons and they were scared Jesus was going to cast them into the abyss. Jesus said, “What is your name?” The demons in the man answered, “Legion,” because there were many demons in the man. Jesus told them to come out and they asked if they could go into the pigs on the hill side. Jesus told them could.
In no time, the demons left the man, and went into the pigs. The pigs decided it was better to die than to live with demons in them, so they ran off the cliff into the lake and were drowned.
The men in charge of looking after the pigs couldn’t believe what they saw. They couldn’t believe what had just happened, so they ran to town to report what had happened.
All the people in the town came down to the lake to see what had happened.
Imagine the scene that greeted them when they arrived. There sitting at Jesus’ feet was the man Jesus had helped. Before, he was out of his mind. Now, we was calm and under control. Before, he was nearly naked. Now, he was clothed. Before, he was troubled; now he had peace. In the lake behind him, forming a background for the scene, there were nearly 2000 pigs, bobbing up and down with every wave.
That day, the people were faced with a choice. They could have Jesus. They could have the Savior, who heals and helps; or they could turn their backs on Him and instead have their pigs. The people chose the pigs. The Bible says, they begged Jesus to leave. They didn’t want Him interfering with business as usual. They didn’t want Him getting in the way of their pig business.
My friend, everyday you and I are faced with the same choice. Every day we are given the choice between following Jesus, between letting Him work in our lives and be our Boss, or to pursue something else.
Let me ask you, what’s the pig in your life? What is it that you find more important, more attractive than Jesus? Is it an addiction? Is it a loved one? Is it ambition or your career?
There was one there who decided though, that Jesus was going to be the Boss; the man Jesus healed. He said, “Jesus, let me come with you.” Jesus said, “No, you stay here. Go to your home, go to your family and tell them what God has done for you.”
Can you imagine the scene that day, the day the man went home? He walked up the street to his old house. Swung open the old gate, the one he had built when he was in his right mind. He walked up the path he had cleared himself, years before. He knocked on the door. His children came and opened the door. They almost didn’t recognize the man they saw in front of them. Daddy had changed. Daddy was home.
Evidently, the man did tell his story, he did tell people what Jesus had done for him, for within 100 years, the area he lived in had one of the largest churches in the world. All because a man whose life had been changed, regularly told other people what Jesus had done for him.
My friend, that is what Jesus has called you and I to do. He doesn’t ask us to accomplish great things. That’s His department. He doesn’t ask us to work miracles. He takes care of that. Jesus didn’t tell us to change lives. He is in the life-changing business. No, you and I are to make Him the Boss in our lives and then simply tell other people what He has done for us.
