Who Then is This?

Well, good morning. Good to see you all this morning. It's good to be back here at Brunsfield.

I think anyway, it's the first time that I've ever met anyone who names their plants, but

I guess that's an Italian thing, is it? It's all right. I got a bit of Italian blood running

through me as well, but never named any plants yet. But Graziella, was that it? Graziellina.

Is that like little thank you or something, or what is it? Graziellina. Grace is a name.

That's good. All right. I won't find out the rest of your plants' names just now.

Okay. Time's marching on, so let's turn to Luke chapter 8. If you have a Bible, go to Luke

Luke 8 · chapter mention Luke 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8, where I understand you've been walking with Jesus through Galilee this morning,

chapter 8. We're going to look into two different occasions in the life of Christ here in Luke

Luke 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8. There are so many of these in the Gospels where Jesus really does stun people

with the reality of who He is. I think that's probably, if you want a big picture of the Gospels,

I think one of the major themes of the Gospels coincides with what I think seems to be the major

theme of God's revelation in all the Bible, which is Him, how great He is. I think that's really what

glory is all about. It is about something to do with the expression of the greatness of God. And so that

theme just runs through all of the Bible. And particularly, you would expect to see it so much in the Gospels,

because the Gospels are just accounts of the life of God as a man. So you would expect to see just the greatness

of who this man is, God in human flesh, right the way through the Gospels. And you're not disappointed.

You see that it's right the way through the Gospels here. Jesus, again, stunning His audience by the

things that He does. The first incident takes place, we're told, verse 22, on a certain day that He got into a

boat with His disciples. And He said to them, let us cross over to the other side of the lake.

And they launched out. But as they sailed, He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake,

and they were filling with water and were in jeopardy. And they came to Jesus and woke Him up.

saying, Master, Master, we're perishing. Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.

And they ceased. And there was a calm. But He said to them, where is your faith?

And they were afraid and marveled, saying to one another, who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water.

And they obey Him.

Way back at the beginning of the Bible, we're told that Satan employs a tactic.

We don't quite know yet exactly who this is in the form of the serpent back in Genesis chapter 3.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

But we find out as the Bible story unfolds that it is Satan.

And he is employing a tactic there that proves to be overwhelmingly successful.

Dethroning God ultimately in the hearts of men by tempting them to doubt.

To doubt. To doubt in this instance, God's word.

And to doubt, I believe, an extension of that, the greatness of His character.

So we are, in a sense, our word.

We're as good as our word.

Right? We even say that about people.

He's as good as His word.

And we mean that He's got character.

And so God's word is always tied in with God's character.

God's word is always tied in with God's spirit.

It always disturbs me when people describe churches as,

well, you know, this church has the spirit and this church has the word.

And, you know, people go around this church to get a bit of the spirit

and then that church to get a bit of the word.

It never works that way.

All these things have always been and will always be

just intricately joined together because that's who God is.

But back in the garden, Satan tempted the man and the woman

to doubt the word of God and the greatness of His character.

And ultimately, then, the faith and dependence

that the man and the woman had on God when they were created

were replaced with doubt and self-reliance.

And without wanting to be too overly simplistic here,

I'd like to suggest to you that the rest of the Bible story,

including the gospel,

is a revelation of God's design

to turn human beings back

from doubt and self-reliance,

which we're good at,

and I'll hopefully make that point as we go through this story,

to turn us back from doubt and self-reliance

to a life of faith and dependence on God.

Isn't that what the gospel is designed to do?

Because I'm not born trusting in God.

I'm not born depending on God.

I'm born with a very, very keen sense of self-dependency

and desire for self-fulfillment.

Is that not fair?

When I cried as a baby,

so I understand.

I wasn't crying because people weren't getting saved.

Because I wanted more people to depend on God

and I wanted to know God more.

I was crying because I had a need

and I wanted it fulfilled.

And as a young child,

when I threw tantrums

and I screamed and I yelled,

I wasn't screaming and yelling

because I wanted the church to grow.

I was screaming and yelling

because I wanted a toy

or I wanted a nap

or I wanted something.

It was just a very, very keenly felt sense

of what I wanted.

That's how I'm born.

That's how we're all born.

And the very point of the gospel

is for God to transform

that sense of self-reliance

that we're born with

and that we live with.

And if nothing happens,

that we will die with.

Is that fair?

We'll die

with that same sense of self-reliance

and doubt

if God doesn't do something to change us.

Wouldn't it be great

if somewhere along the line

we could just kind of get

like a doubt inoculation every year?

Wouldn't that be great

if we could just go somewhere

and get a jag

and that would be it?

One jab in January

and then we're kind of soaring

on the wings of faith

for the rest of the year.

The only problem is

the Bible doesn't tell that story.

The Bible tells a story

of men and women

who are earnest to please God

but really seriously want to do well.

Some of the songs we sang

or was it in your intro slides this morning?

I think that's what you were trying

to communicate about the church.

Just broken people

but serious about faith,

serious about Christ,

earnest to please God

and yet probably

if the truth were known

for many of us,

plagued in many ways by doubt.

From Eve to Abraham,

from David to Zechariah,

from Peter to Thomas,

even John the Baptist

succumbs to this one,

doesn't he?

Luke 7.20 tells us

that after John recognizes

that Jesus is the Lamb of God

who takes away the sins of the world,

he still asks,

Jesus, are you the one

or are we to expect someone else?

One man writes,

had the Bible been written

by a public relations agency,

they would have eliminated that verse.

It's not good PR strategy

to admit that one of the cabinet members

has doubts about the president.

I'm sure there may be

a lot of folks nowadays

that have doubts about the president

and won't go there.

You don't let stories like that

get out if you're trying

to present a united front.

But the scriptures

weren't written by personality agents,

they were inspired

by an eternal God

who knew that every disciple

from then on

would spend time

in the dungeon of doubt.

Could I suggest to you

that perhaps,

suggest to you,

this is up for grabs,

okay,

but could I suggest to you

that perhaps the real point

of this little story here

in Luke 8

isn't how flimsy the boats were

in Jesus' day

or how quick you could get caught up

in a storm on the Sea of Galilee

if you're not careful.

I'm not even sure,

and I say this carefully,

that the main point here

is how powerful Jesus is

in being able to still the storm,

although that is a main point here.

However,

I wonder if,

along with this amazing revelation

of the deity

and the majesty of Jesus

in this passage,

Luke is not trying also

to get us to see

how rotten we are

at trusting God,

but how faithful God is

at delivering us.

Now that's just a thought,

but I'd like to try

and develop that thought

as we go through here.

I don't think

the whole purpose here

is just to see

how great Jesus is,

because Jesus could have

just kind of flown in the air,

turned into a big flaming star,

and you know,

I mean,

that would have done it

for these guys, right?

But it's not.

The story here,

as is the whole story

of the gospel,

is entwined with humanity,

isn't it?

The gospel works

with just real life human beings,

and part of the real life deal here

is how quick these guys are

to doubt.

How easy it is for them

to doubt the Lord.

Where is your faith,

Jesus says in verse 25?

Or,

why are you so timid?

How is it that you have no faith?

That's how Mark records it

in his gospel.

Or,

oh,

men of little faith,

Mark's gospel says.

And so guess what?

That being the reality

that we struggle with faith,

the faith life is not an easy life,

is it?

It's a great life,

it's a great life,

but the faith life

is not an easy life.

I find it hard to keep going

when I've never yet met Christ

face to face.

And so I'm challenged

to give up everything,

all my dreams,

all my goals,

all my personal aspirations.

God challenges me

to give all those up

and I've never yet seen him

face to face.

That's not easy.

It's worth it.

And it's the way

that God has designed for us

to be reunited to him

through Christ

by faith,

right?

By grace you're saved

through faith,

but it's not an easy life.

And knowing that to be the case,

God sends a storm.

You'd think,

in a sense,

that the last thing

doubting people really need

is a storm.

You'd think they need a cuddle,

right?

Or a pat on the back.

But he sends a storm.

He knows what he's doing

to help the disciples

develop their faith.

Isn't that interesting?

Peter says,

1 Peter 4,

1 Peter 4:12

verse 12,

Don't be surprised

at the fiery ordeal

that comes upon you

to test you

as though some strange thing

were happening to you.

But rejoice

inasmuch as you participate

in the sufferings of Christ

so that you may be overjoyed

when his glory

is revealed.

Jesus had said,

we're told in the story,

Jesus had said,

get in the boat

and we're going

to the other side

of the lake.

How did the song go

that we sang this morning,

My Lighthouse,

My Lighthouse?

How was the bit about

he's going to lead us

safe to shore?

Right?

I just thought it was really good.

Somebody's been either

doing their homework,

okay,

in putting the service

together this morning

or God's just kind of

overrun the whole thing

and done what he wanted

to do anyway.

Jesus had said,

get in the boat

because we're going

to the other side

of the lake.

And off they go

across the water

and we're told

that somewhere along

the line,

Jesus falls asleep.

Just another great reminder

that Jesus was God,

yes,

but he was human.

He's tired,

he's weary,

falls asleep.

Soon as he falls asleep,

it seems,

there's this,

verse 23,

this fierce storm arises.

This fierce gale of wind

descends on the lake.

Matthew uses the word,

okay,

the terminology

that Matthew chooses to use,

the words are

megas seismos.

That's the two Greek words

that he uses

and you can almost figure out

what he's saying,

right?

Megas seismos.

Megas seismic.

This is a mega seismic storm.

Okay?

So you get the idea

that it's big.

It's big.

So the disciples

aren't being wimps here.

You know,

it's not that the boat

is starting to rock

a little bit

and they've never been,

you know,

they're fishermen.

A lot of these guys,

they know what it's like

to be on the water.

So they're familiar

with storms.

So for these guys

to be freaking out,

for these guys

to be freaking out

is big.

Is big.

The Sea of Galilee,

680 feet below sea level.

It's surrounded by hills,

some of which are

almost 2,000 feet

high above sea level.

The temperature

and pressure changes

because of all of that

result of the climate

in the area

along with the kind of

geography of the lake

caused some cracking storms.

It was just kind of

a storm center.

Really,

it was perfect for storms.

Perfectly suited

because of where it was

for some great storms.

And they're in one.

And the water is coming in

and the faith is draining out.

Isn't it?

They're in one.

It's a big storm.

And they're starting to doubt.

These are storms.

We have life storms.

And as we have life storms

and we feel the water's coming in,

it's very easy to feel

the faith draining out.

Is it not?

Anybody in a storm right now?

We've been in a bit of a storm

in our family here

for the last five years

and we're weary.

We're weary.

We're tired.

Our patience has run very thin.

We're very human.

God is showing us even more

how broken we are

and how easy it is

in those circumstances

for us to begin to doubt.

And so they wake Jesus up saying,

Master, we're perishing.

Now what are they forgetting?

What are they?

Well, they're forgetting

that Jesus is in the boat

with them.

They're forgetting

that it's not been all that long,

if you read before this account,

that he's healed

the centurion servant,

that he has raised

the son of the widow

of Nain from the dead.

But they're also forgetting

that Jesus had said,

let's go to the other side

of the lake.

How quick I am

to forget

that God has promised me

that not only

am I his treasured possession

in Christ,

Ephesians 1.14,

and his beloved child

by adoption,

John 1.12,

and his precious bride

by faith,

but how quick I am

to forget

that he is never going

to leave me

or forsake me

and that he is going

to lead me safely

to the other side.

So being aroused,

verse 24,

he rebukes the wind

and the surging waves

and they stop

and it becomes calm

and he says to them,

where is your faith?

It's not that they can't

have faith,

it's that they're looking

at the wrong thing.

My greatest need

when I get caught

in a doubt storm,

I think,

is a fresh recognition

of the power of God

in the person of Christ,

isn't it?

Many years ago,

I had a breakdown

and I was out of work

for almost a year

and one of the things

that God used

during that time

in my life

was the Gospels,

the life of Christ,

just walking with Christ

and walking with Christ

and listening to Christ

and observing how he lived

and what he said.

So glad you're going

through Luke's Gospel

just now.

It's a great place to be

when doubt storms hit,

turning my doubt

and self-reliance

back into faith

and God dependence.

Well,

that's the first scenario.

The second scenario

here in Luke 8

brings a different

kind of challenge

to the whole faith issue,

but it's still a challenge

to us,

to faith.

This time,

it's in the life

of a demon-possessed man.

So we'll pick it up

in verse 26.

And then they sailed

to the country

of the Gadarenes,

which is opposite Galilee.

And when he stepped

out on the land,

okay,

so that's just a reminder

that they had reached

the other side,

okay?

So it's just kind of

a continuation,

really,

of the last story.

But when he stepped

out on the land,

there met him

a certain man

from the city

who had demons

for a long time.

And he wore

no clothes,

nor did he live

in a house,

but in the tombs.

When he saw Jesus,

he cried out,

fell down before him,

and with a loud voice

said,

What have I to do

with you,

Jesus,

Son of the Most High God?

I beg you,

do not torment me.

For he had commanded

the unclean spirit

to come out of the man.

For it had often

seized him,

and he was kept

under guard,

bound with chains

and shackles,

and he broke

the bonds

and was driven

by the demon

into the wilderness.

Jesus asked him,

saying,

What is your name?

And he said,

Legion,

because many demons

had entered him.

And they begged him

that he would not

command them

to go out

into the abyss.

Now a herd

of many swine

was feeding there

on the mountain,

so they begged him

that he would permit them

to enter them,

and he permitted them.

Then the demons

went out of the man

and entered the swine,

and the herd

ran violently

down the steep place

into the lake

and drowned.

When those

who had fed them

saw what had happened,

they fled

and told in the city

and in the country.

Then they went out

to see what had happened

and came to Jesus

and found the man

from whom

the demons

had departed,

sitting at the feet

of Jesus,

clothed

and in his right mind.

and they were afraid.

They also,

who had seen it,

told them

by what means

he who had been

demon-possessed

was healed.

Wow.

Then the whole multitude

of the surrounding region

region

of the Gadarenes

asked Jesus

to go,

to leave,

to depart

from them.

For they were seized

with great fear.

and so he got

into the boat

and returned.

But the man

from whom

the demons

had departed

begged him

to stay.

Begged him

that he might

be with him.

But Jesus

sent him

away

saying,

return to your

own house

and tell

what great

things God

has done

for you.

And he went

his way

and proclaimed

throughout

the whole city

what great

things

Jesus

had

done

for

him.

Now let me

say

that I find

that passage

at one

and the same

time

fascinating

and frightening.

Fascinating

because

of the

insight

that we're

given

into a

world

that we

can't see.

We would

never know

what's going

on here

if Jesus

hadn't told

us.

And this

is fascinating

that so often

in the Bible

God gives

us insight

into things

that we

would never

know were

there

or would

never know

are true

or would

never be

aware of

if he

hadn't

told us.

So

fascinating.

But I also

find that

passage rather

frightening

because

this

world that

we can't

see is

real

and it's

powerful

and it's

very evil.

Paul

writes

to the

Ephesians

that our

battle is

not against

flesh and

blood.

It's not

just you

think you're

fighting all

the time

against what

you can

see.

And God

says in

actual fact

we have

to be

really

careful

not to

get sucked

into fighting

the wrong

enemy.

And this

happens all

the time.

It happens

in life.

It happens

in offices.

It happens

in communities.

It happens

in families.

And it

happens in

churches.

Where we

get sucked

into in a

similar sense

bamboozled

by the

enemy to

fight the

other guy.

Not him

but to

fight the

other guy

and to

fight the

wrong enemy.

You've got to

be really

careful.

God tells

us that our

battle is

not against

flesh and

blood.

The real

issue, the

real fight,

the real

battle, the

real warfare

that we're to

fight particularly

as those who

belong to

Christ is

the enemy.

Not the

rest of the

body.

Not those

that we're

intimately

linked to

by faith.

But so

often we

take our

eye off the

ball again

and we

fight the

wrong enemy.

Our battle

is not

against

flesh and

blood.

It's

against the

rulers,

the powers,

the world

forces of

this darkness.

This stuff

is real.

It's here.

People think

that somehow

just because

we close

the doors

of the

church,

we keep

the evil

forces at

bay.

We don't.

We do

that,

what we'll

see in a

minute,

by resisting

them,

not by just

closing the

doors.

In fact,

sometimes I

think Satan

does some

of his

best work

right here

among

believers,

just causing

disunity

or distraction

from opportunities

that we have

to grow

and to

feed and

to be built

up and

strengthened

and a

real powerful

force for

God in

the world

and in

this city.

Sometimes I

think he

does some

of his

best work

here by

holding us

down and

distracting us

from the

real goal and

the real

purpose that

God has

called us

to as

followers of

Christ.

Sometimes I

think he

does some

of his

best work

here.

We think,

oh no,

Satan's out in

the pubs and

the clubs and

the brothels and

all.

That's the lust

of the flesh

that almost

just takes care

of itself.

It almost

just self

perpetuates.

Be careful,

be careful,

be aware.

Yes,

it's fascinating

to see beyond

the veneer of

just what we

can see and

sense with our

five senses.

There's more.

Yes,

it's fascinating,

but it's also

very frightening.

These are world

forces of

darkness,

spiritual forces

of wickedness,

Paul says,

in heavenly

places.

The Bible tells

us that demons

can do many

things.

They can exhibit

superhuman strength.

They oppose

the purposes of

God in the

world.

They're incredibly

subtle and

crafty.

They promote

idolatry.

They promote

false religion.

They deceive

and move the

nations.

They afflict

people physically.

They possess

people.

They're invisible,

but they're

capable of

manifestation.

They have

supernatural

intelligence.

They cooperate

with one

another.

They slander

God before

men, but

they also

slander men

before God.

They have

access to the

thoughts of

believers.

They blind

the minds

of unbelievers.

They accuse,

they pervert,

they bewitch,

they degrade,

they attack,

they tempt.

They even

disguise themselves

as being good.

Angels of

light.

Those are all

things and

there's more

that the Bible

tells us

Satan and

his demons

do.

So whatever

you do,

don't be

fooled by

the fact

that you

can't see

them.

They're as

real as

you are,

but equally

don't be

intimidated by

them.

Don't be

intimidated by

them.

I remember,

I'm sure it

was John

Piper,

I remember

him sharing

in a

conference

once,

you know,

just about

growing as

he's grown

as a

believer,

he's grown

to respect

the power

of the

enemy,

but not

to be

afraid of

him.

And then

he just

kind of

told a

story and

he said,

you know,

he imagined

himself just

kind of

waking up

one night

with some

kind of

green-looking,

ugly,

goblin kind

of creature

at the foot

of his bed,

just, you

know,

kind of

waking him

up in the

middle of

the night

and maybe

his first

response

was a bit

of shock

at this

thing in

his room,

this presence

that was

there,

you know,

just ugly

looking

creature.

And he

thought,

you know,

once I

gained my

presence of

mind,

I think I

would just

say,

and?

Yes?

Can I

help you?

Because

that's about

the best

they can

do.

Don't be

intimidated

by them

because

greater is

he who

is in

you than

he that

is in

the world.

Don't be

fooled by

the fact

you can't

see them,

but don't

be intimidated

by them.

The New

Testament

epistles,

and I

don't have

time to

go into

demonology

this morning,

but the

New Testament

epistles,

which I

believe should

be read in

a very unique

way,

distinct in

a sense

from just

the Gospels.

We're not

to take all

of our

marching

orders

necessarily

from the

Gospels.

That's an

historical

account of

the life

of Christ,

there's

many

lessons

to

learn,

there's

many

commands

to

obey.

But by

and large,

the New

Testament

epistles

are the

marching

orders

for the

church.

They are

the

marching

orders

for the

church.

And the

New

Testament

epistles

give us

one primary

bit of

direction

when it

comes to

dealing with

Satan

and his

cohorts.

Do you

know what

it is?

Resist.

One

primary

bit of

information.

One

primary

directive.

Resist.

Because the

greatest

weapon,

it seems,

that Satan

has against

us is

temptation.

So I

guess if I

wake up

tonight and

there's some

green kind

of goblin

looking creature

at the foot

of my bed,

I want to

say,

and?

It seems

as though the

greatest weapon

he has against

us is

temptation.

And if we

resist,

think about

this,

if the

greatest

weapon is

temptation

and I

resist,

where does

that leave

him?

Powerless.

Powerless.

That's the

whole point.

Matthew 4,

11,

Jesus resisted

Satan's

temptation in

the wilderness

and we're

told that

the devil

left him.

Ephesians 6,

we're told

twice to

stand firm

and in

verse 13,

we're told

to take up

the full

armor of

God that

we may be

able to

resist in

the evil

day.

James 4,

James 4:7

verse 7

says,

resist the

devil and

he will

flee from

you.

Do you

know where

he'll go?

He'll

go and

find somebody

else who

won't

resist.

But if

you resist,

he has

no other

recourse than

to leave

you alone

because he

can't do

anything else.

In 1 Peter

5, 8,

be of sober

spirit,

be on the

alert,

your adversary

the devil

prowls about

like a

roaring lion,

always ugly,

always big,

always ferocious,

always mean.

He prowls about

like a roaring

lion seeking

someone to

resist a

picture of

that.

Oh,

it's awful.

But resist

him.

Firm in

your faith.

We defend

with the

word,

we resist

with the

will.

We defend

with the

word,

we resist

with the

will,

being strong

in the

Lord and

the strength

of his

might.

So let

me just

finish by

again suggesting

to you the

gist of the

story here.

There's a lot

of different

intricacies you

could dive into,

do that in

your own time.

Let me just

pull back for a

minute and

suggest as we

finish just the

gist of the

story here.

I don't think

the main point

here is how

powerful possessed

people are,

or how horrible

demons can be

to people,

or how fast

demon-possessed

pigs can run

down a hill.

I think the

point is,

again,

how rotten

we are at

trusting God,

but how

faithful God

is at

delivering us.

And I draw

this conclusion

from the way

that the

account ends

with the

contrast between

the people of

the region

who can't

wait to get

rid of Jesus.

They want

him to go.

the contrast

between them

and the man

who's been

delivered,

who can't

help but want

to be with

him.

He wants

him to

stay.

Verse 34

says that when

the herdsmen

saw the pigs

and what had

happened,

they took off

like a shot

into the city.

They started

to spread the

word.

The demon-possessed

man was

apparently well-known.

People had seen

his behavior.

They knew of

his crazy,

secluded existence

in the tombs.

And when they

arrived back,

verse 37,

the people of

the surrounding

country,

they're gripped

with fear and

they don't ask

Jesus to stay.

They ask him

to leave.

And then there

is a striking

contrast between

them,

verse 38,

and a delivered

man who begs

Jesus to stay

or to let him

certainly go with

him and to be

with him.

And Jesus

says in verse 39,

No, I want you

to return to

your own house

and tell what

great things

God has done

for you.

And he went

his way and

proclaimed throughout

the whole city

what great things

Jesus had done

for him.

We're not given

interestingly the

history of this

guy.

We don't know

how he grew up.

We don't know

what caused him

to become demon

possessed.

We don't know

why he's a

target.

We don't know

what it is that

goes on in his

background.

We don't know

what his

relationship to

God was.

We don't know

any of that

about this guy.

And I find that

interesting because

as a kind of

counselor, I'd like

to unpick all the

stuff that maybe I

think may have led

to this guy going

a bit mad and

just kind of, you

know, falling into

this situation that

is so awful for him

now.

We're not told any

of that.

All we're told is

his response to

Jesus.

That's all we're

told.

That as Jesus

delivers him from

the demons, he

wants nothing more

than Christ.

And I think that's

really, when it

comes to this kind

of spiritual warfare,

I think that is the

most significant

thing.

Whenever somebody

calls me into a

situation where they

think there's some

kind of demonic

activity, the first

thing I bring with

me isn't a, you

know, a smoke

incense kind of thing

or holy water or

anything.

the first thing I

bring with me is

the gospel.

The gospel.

Because what I

understand from the

Bible is that when

Jesus comes in, the

devil goes out.

When Jesus comes in,

the devil goes out.

It doesn't mean that

we stop being targets

from an oppressive

sense, but certainly

from a possessive sense.

The gospel is your

greatest weapon.

I know how rotten

it feels to doubt.

Believe me, I do.

I know how rotten

it feels to feel

weak in faith.

However, I also know

how amazing it feels

to believe.

Don't you?

I know how amazing

it feels to believe,

to trust, and to

know that God's

faithfulness in

delivering me from

my doubt is one of

the greatest things

that he has ever

done for me.

So that I can go

and you can go now

and do everything we

can to help others

know.

That's what Jesus

told this guy to do.

Just go back to the

city and tell them

all of the wonderful

things that God has

done for you.

I want to leave here

today, and I hope

you do too, just

refreshed, reinvigorated

with a vision to go

and reach this lost

city for Christ.

Tell him all the

wonderful things.

Not all at once.

Not all at once.

It's a little bit

here, a little bit

there.

Don't dump everything

on your neighbor

when you get home

today, but the next

opportunity that arises,

just tell people about

Jesus, all the wonderful

things that he's done

for you.

Let me pray.

Father, thank you for

the account that's been

preserved for us here

that I'm sure has many,

many, many things to

teach us.

But one of the

greatest things is we're

brought face to face

with our own reality

and weakness,

propensity to lack

faith, but also just

with the great faithfulness

of God in delivering

us from our enemy,

establishing us in Christ.

And Lord, we pray that we

would be like this man

and that we would want to

be with you, but also that

we would want to go where

we have to go to tell

others about you.

Help us to do that, I

pray, with a fresh sense

of urgency and faith today.

In Jesus' name, amen.