"Deliverance" Luke 8:26-29 Sunday Evening Worship Service

Amen.

Well, our text in Luke 8 is about deliverance.

Deliverance that exalts the Lord Jesus Christ.

Deliverance is one of the greatest subjects found in the Bible, from Genesis 3 all the way to Revelation 22.

And yet the typical response of many unbelievers when the subject of deliverance is raised is this I'm okay and what?

You're okay.

Most people who really need Jesus' deliverance do not initially see any need for the deliverance that Jesus brings.

And so we have to ask the question, why is that?

And as a well-taught church, you know what the reason is, why people aren't seeking the deliverance that they so desperately need.

It's what we heard in Nigel's Sunday school class today.

Sin blinds us.

Sin has a blinding effect on unbelievers, so that as unbeliever, as an unbeliever, unbelievers do not see themselves as God sees them.

You could say it differently.

They do not see themselves as they really are.

How would you describe yourself spiritually without the saving grace and mercy of God?

That's a question for you to ponder.

But the scripture makes it clear: without the saving grace and mercy of God, we are all bound in chains of gloomy darkness and powerless to deliver ourselves without the grace of God.

In this respect, before any of us are saved, we are not so unlike this man in Luke chapter 8.

Luke 8 · chapter mention

You see, here in Luke chapter 8, in verses 26 through 39, Jesus is going to demonstrate his power over the forces of darkness.

Luke 8 · chapter mention

And in the previous few verses in verse 22 and following, Jesus calms the storm to demonstrate his power over the forces of nature.

You see, when Luke wrote this gospel, he was trying to drive home to Theophilus and to remove these doubts that Theophilus may have had concerning the things that he'd been taught from his youth up.

You read that in the opening lines of the Gospel of Luke, so that you may be certain about what you've been taught.

There is a purpose that the Holy Spirit is using Luke to write these words to bring about a certainty about who Jesus is.

And here we see that Jesus is going to demonstrate in verses 26 through 39 his power over the forces of darkness by delivering a man who was completely and totally in the grip of demonic darkness.

There are two lessons, if you're taking notes, two lessons about deliverance that results in the exaltation of Jesus Christ that I want to share with you from this passage.

Two lessons about deliverance, and I have two human goals.

I don't know what the Lord's will is.

I know that he said in Isaiah 55, 11 that as his word is preached, he will accomplish all of his purposes.

But my human goals would be for those, first of first of all, for you who don't yet know Christ, that you will look to Jesus alone for your deliverance.

And for every one of you who do know and love the Lord Jesus Christ because you've been delivered by him, that you will make his name great among the nations.

So what's this first lesson that we can learn about deliverance?

It's found in verses 27 through 33.

And it's very simple, Pastor.

There's a need for deliverance.

There's a need for it.

How can we be so sure that this man here in this passage needs deliverance?

The deliverance that Jesus is going to provide?

Well, I see two details in the text that tell us and prove that he needs deliverance.

First is the man's description, and second is the man's recognition of Jesus.

Both of these things prove that this man, if anyone needs deliverance, this man certainly does.

Let's take a look at the man's description in verse 27.

There's the incidental note of his uh his local origin that he's a man from the city, and that at this particular time in the exposition, this isn't so essential, but by the time we get to verse 34 and verse 39, it's going to be very essential.

There's a description of his spiritual condition.

He had demons.

There's a his physical description.

He had no clothes, he wore no clothes.

There is his current residence that's descriptive.

He had not lived in a house but among the tombs.

And then there's his length of captivity to darkness, where only Luke's gospel tells us that it's been for a long time.

Now that duration, a long time, may not mean much to you.

It may not mean much to most people who are just quickly reading, doing their Bible reading, but this expression for a long time can easily govern all four things in this verse.

In other words, for a long time tells us the length of time that he was possessed by demons.

For a long time tells us the length of time he wore no clothes, and the length of time he did not live in a house, and it could also tell us the length of time he lived among the tombs.

In other words, this man's description alone proves that he needs deliverance.

Just by looking at him, you can tell.

But there's a second detail here in verses 27 through 33 that prove this man needs deliverance, and I've summarized it as this man's recognition of Jesus.

In verses 28 through 33, we see it.

Do you see it in verse 28?

When he saw Jesus.

When he saw Jesus.

There's three things to know about note about this when he saw Jesus.

First of all, without an introduction, the man knew Jesus' name.

Isn't that interesting to you?

It's interesting to me.

The meeting took place too soon for an introduction.

Mark 5 tells us the parallel passage that tells us that immediately as Jesus steps out onto the land, this interaction happens.

Without an introduction, this man knows Jesus' name.

The meeting was too tense.

And the parallel account of this occasion happens in Matthew 8.

And it tells us that there were two demoniacs, and Luke's gospel focuses on one.

Most scholars believe it's the ringleader of the two.

But the meeting was so tense, Matthew 8.28 tells us that they were so fierce that no one could pass that way.

So when it comes to introduction, everything unfolded too soon, and there was too much intensity.

In other words, no introductions were possible and no introductions were necessary.

But without introduction, the man knew Jesus' name all the same.

You see that.

He said, he tells us here in verse 28, What have you to do with me, Jesus?

Interesting.

This man knows Jesus' name.

Now don't miss quickly rush over the narrative part of this and miss what we see here in this passage.

Jesus' name, we started to sing the Christmas carols tonight, even, one of the songs we sing at Christmas time, and it's lovely.

We'll be able to sing those all the time, won't we, in the glory.

But Jesus' name, we're going to find out at Christmas time, right?

You're going to bear a son and you'll call his name Jesus, for he will what?

He will save his people from their sins.

Yeah, he will save.

Sodzo.

He will save.

You know, there's an alternative translation for the word save.

It means deliver.

He will deliver his people from their sins.

Jesus' name means Yahweh saves or Yahweh delivers.

It's the New Testament equivalent to the Old Testament Yashua.

Yahweh saves.

Yahweh delivers.

So I know it's right before us, but it shouldn't go without saying that this man needing deliverance is in this passage standing in the presence of the of Yahweh delivers.

He's standing in the presence of the only one who can deliver him.

But I think we ought to also make the observation that the man in need of Jesus' deliverance is not seeking Jesus' deliverance.

Do you notice that?

Jesus.

What have we to do with you?

Verse 28.

What Jesus, Son of the Most High God, what have you to do with me?

Now that's not inviting.

It's not like the man is excited to see Jesus.

This man is not seeking Jesus.

He's not seeking the deliverance that Jesus provides, yet Jesus is going to deliver this man nonetheless.

This thought alone is worthy of your unrushed meditation long after the sermon's over.

This is another example of the love and grace and mercy of our Savior seeking out the sinner who was fast bound in sin in nature's night.

Not only without introduction did the man know Jesus' name, but without explanation, secondly, the man knew Jesus' true identity.

The ESV says, Jesus, Son of the Most High God, is how this man called out to Jesus.

Now it's interesting to note that it's the demon or demons, as we'll talk about in just a moment, who are identifying, having this conversation with Jesus.

We don't know if it's the man or the demons inside, but this is how this man is talking to Jesus, Son of the Most High God.

This man knows Jesus' true identity.

And he didn't have lunch or dinner with Jesus.

He wasn't hanging out with Jesus.

We already talked about how uncanny it was that he knew Jesus' name at all, but he knows Jesus' true identity.

I think it's important to just hear this, especially in a well-taught church.

That an accurate Christology alone can never save you.

An accurate Christology alone cannot and does not save you.

You may say, I believe that Jesus is who he says he is.

I think the demon here talking through this man, I think he knows who Jesus is.

I think he, if you were to ask him, do you believe in Jesus?

The demon would say, of course.

But not in the way, not in the salvific way that you and I are commanded to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

He's not asking, do you believe Jesus was a historical figure?

Certainly the demons know that Jesus is a historical figure because he's talking right to him.

And you may say Jesus is the Son of the Most High God.

You may have an elevated view of Christ.

He's not just a man, but he is divine, just like this demon-possessed man acknowledges, and still be trapped in sin in darkest night.

You see, a correct Christology, even the highest view of Christ alone will not save you.

James 2.19 says that you believe that God is one, even the demons believe, and they have enough sense to shudder or to quake.

One preacher commenting on James 2.19 rightly said, if you think you're saved only because you believe correct things about Jesus, all that does is qualify you to be like the demons.

Close quote.

Now I've been benefited by R.

C.

Sproul's sermon at the Shepherd's Conference, I don't know, 15 years ago, when he preached on Romans 117 and 116, where he talked about how the reformers were trying to articulate what is the nature of true saving faith.

How can we know if we've been saved?

And they they mentioned there's the data of the gospel called Notitia.

There is a, you have to know accurate factual things about God and about holiness, as we heard this morning, that God is a holy God and that we are sinful people.

And that we rightly are found underneath the wrath of God, deserving hell now and forever in our fallen state.

And that without the mercy and grace of God that comes through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we will never know our sins forgiven.

We'll continue to be under the wrath of Almighty God.

So there are things, there's data, there's information that we need to have.

That's why missionaries go to the foreign field.

That's why you go to your neighbors across the street to tell them about Christ and your unsaved family members.

You tell them about Christ.

It's not religion.

You need to know who God is.

And then not only is there the data of the gospel, but you have to assent.

Assensus is that Latin word that they talk about.

That means that you agree that the information, the data about Christ, God, holiness, sin, and salvation is all true.

But you can believe the data of the gospel and you can assent that the data of the gospel is true.

As a Roman Catholic, as a former Roman Catholic, I have family members who would sign on the dotted line.

Amen.

I agree to that.

I agree to what's written here in the Bible, that the Bible's the Word of God, and these things are true.

Notitia and assensus and fiducia.

Without fiducia, without faith, it's impossible to please God.

For he that comes to God must first believe that he is, and that he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

If you don't have faith, you can know as much as the demons know and never be saved.

And by the way, this is not in the notes, it's in this draft of my notes, but the demons, there's no rescue plan for them.

There's a rescue plan for humanity.

But there's no rescue plan for the demons.

That leads us to our third point.

Not only without an introduction, the man knew Jesus' name, without an explanation, the man knows Jesus' true identity, but thirdly, without hesitation, the man knew Jesus' power.

Verse 28, I beg you do not torment me.

This word beg indicates that they knew Jesus' power.

To beg means to pray.

It's found in places in Scripture where there's desperation, like in Luke 5.12, where the man full of leprosy begs Jesus to heal him.

And it's used by other desperate human beings to beg God.

It's used here of the demons in verses 31 and verse 32.

Another word, they're making strong requests of Jesus.

They're imploring him.

This is prayer language, but the demon's not praying to Jesus.

He's begging.

And then notice without hesitation, not only does beg indicate they know Jesus' power, but secondly, notice this word torment.

That's an interesting word connected with Jesus, isn't it?

You normally don't put Jesus and torment in the same sentence.

Particularly Jesus as the one who's going to do the tormenting, as is in this verse of Scripture.

Because certainly this demon or these demons are very concerned about that.

Do you see that?

I beg you, do not torment me.

This word torment means to subject to severe distress, to subject to punitive judicial procedures.

It's used to describe the battering of a boat that's being smashed and crashed by the winds and the waves.

Sound familiar?

Previous context in Luke 8, where the winds and waves were crashing and crushing the boat side to side.

This word torment is this idea of being battered.

And Matthew 8.29 says, You've not come to torment us before the time.

Now the idea of Jesus tormenting anyone, including a demon, is countercultural to our biblically ignorant world.

Certainly we believe that our Savior is and was and is the meek and gentle Jesus, as we've been reading and hearing and singing about.

But let us be careful to maintain the balance that Scripture does so as not to create an unbiblical picture of Jesus.

Here in this context, Jesus is asked not to torment the demon.

Jesus is often portrayed as a soft, effeminate man who never stepped on an ant.

For some people, Jesus will only ever be the meek and gentle flannel graph Jesus they learned about in childhood.

Yet I suggest that if you read Revelation chapter 1, verses 12 through 18, it gives us a more up-to-date picture of Jesus.

Revelation 1:12–18

And here, Jesus in Revelation 1, 12-18 is not the suffering Savior, but the glorious Christ.

If you were to ask me, are we going to be remembering the sacrificial death of Jesus throughout all eternity?

I would say yes.

I see that in Revelation 5 and other places, that there will be always this rejoicing over the Lord who loved us and gave himself for us.

But you have to understand that the Jesus in the gospel who was crucified and spit on and mocked and taunted is not the Jesus of heaven now.

He has laid aside that suffering.

He has gone through it.

He has purchased for himself people from every tongue, tribe, and nation.

He is risen from the dead, and he is now the glorious Christ from Revelation 1, 12-18.

He is the glorious Christ.

John chapter 5, verses 22, Jesus said, The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.

John 5:22

Revelation 14, 9 to 11, speaking about those who receive the mark of the beast, that they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

Who is the Lamb in Revelation?

That's Jesus.

You know that the demons know they will face Jesus on the day of judgment.

You try to say that, you share the gospel with some people, they think that there's not even gonna be a judgment.

They're gonna get a free pass to get into heaven.

But the demons know that they will face Jesus on the day of judgment.

And my dear lost friends, so will you.

You will stand before the Lord.

The Lamb of God who died on the cross is the same Lamb who is going to judge the fallen angels we call demons who are found in this passage.

He will judge those who receive the mark of the beast mentioned in Revelation, and he will judge every unbeliever who enters eternity without the salvation that only Jesus provides.

So get this in your mind.

The loving Savior who gave himself to die on the cross is the judge.

The same one who provided, who provided the sacrifice necessary for the forgiveness of sins will be the one that judges the lost on the last day.

And finally, don't, finally, regarding torment, look at verse 28.

Don't miss the irony here.

Do you see what he says?

Look down at the text.

I beg you do not torment me.

The demon is begging Jesus not to do what he is doing to the man.

He's so twisted.

That's what we see here.

He's saying, and by the way, let's go back to that length of period of time.

He's been tormenting this poor man, and even if you add the second demoniac, these two poor men, they've been tormented by these demons.

Here it is, for a long time.

The text doesn't intend for us to have pity on these demons.

Look at Jesus' question in verse 30.

Jesus says, What is your name?

And the man replies, Legion.

Now, in the time of Caesar Augustus, a legion was the name given to a group of 6,000 Roman soldiers.

And I know what you're thinking.

Is a Roman legion the same as a demonic legion?

Are there 6,000 demons?

And really the honest answer is, I don't have a clue.

I don't know.

And quite honestly, it doesn't matter.

I mean, even if we said that, let's just cut it in half.

If a demonic legion was half of a Roman legion, that's say 3,000 instead of six?

Does Jesus ask this question in verse 30 because he lacked knowledge?

Does he?

I mean, if Jesus is God, the Son, the Son of God, then he knows everything, doesn't he?

Does he lack knowledge?

The answer is no.

So why does he ask the question, what is your name?

He doesn't ask it for his sake, but who's got off the boat with him?

His disciples.

What was the question that they just asked after he calmed the storm in the sea?

Who is this man that even the winds and the waves obey his voice?

They're still trying to figure out who Jesus is.

Jesus asks this question primarily for their benefit, but I believe he also asks.

It for hours.

You see, two worlds are on the verge of colliding in verse 30 when Jesus says to this man and asks him, What is your name?

And Jesus is about to pull back the veil of the physical world to show you what is happening in the spiritual world.

There's an analogy in the scriptures, if you will, if we were to look at 2 Kings 6, 14 through 17.

We won't do that, but you can write it down to look at later.

This is in the ministry of Elisha, and the king of Assyria was trying to kill the king of Israel and Israelites, and Elisha was regularly sent by the Lord to deliver the king of Israel and prevent the king of Syria from destroying him.

And so the king of Syria heard that it was Elisha who was opposing him and thwarting his plans to kill the king of Israel.

And so the king of Syria said, Let's go get Elisha.

We hear he's in the city of Dothan.

And so Elisha's there with his servant.

And early in the morning, Elisha's servant gets up and he sees that the whole city of Dothan is surrounded by Syrian horses and chariots.

And so Elisha's servant wakes up Elisha, apparently, and Elisha says to his troubled servant, Do not be afraid.

For those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

And then Elisha prayed, and the text says that Elisha prayed, O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.

So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

What I'm trying to say is this: I think that's the best parallel that we can have as to why Jesus is asking the question, what is your name?

Because he wants you, he wants his disciples and us by way of application to see the scene that he sees it as it really is.

You see, up until this point, we can only see the physical, we can only see what's happening on the outside.

We're not able to peer behind the veil to see into the spiritual world, but Jesus is about to make it really clear.

They need to see two things.

His disciples need to see two things, and you need to see two things.

Number one, this is it's not one man versus one man.

It's not Jesus versus one man, mano i mano.

It is not that.

It looks like that as you read Luke, but it's not that.

And secondly, they need to see that this is no fair fight.

It's no fair fight.

Even if it is 3,000 to 1.

Greater numbers do not always mean greater power.

And so what happens when a weaker army comes into the uh into the into view and sees that they are weaker and vastly outmatched by their opponent, what does a weaker army do?

They sue for what?

They sue for peace.

That's right.

And this demon-possessed man was in the presence of God Almighty, the creator himself, the one before whom they would stand in the judgment at that appointed time.

And they sue for peace.

The second lesson to learn about deliverance is that there's a response to Jesus' deliverance.

There's a need for his deliverance, but there's also a response to Jesus' deliverance.

You might say that there's three responses, because there are in verses 34 through 39.

There's the response of the herdsmen in verse 34.

They're described in two ways.

They ran away.

They seek safety and flight, as the lexicons say, to become safe from danger by looting it or avoiding danger.

And secondly, they tell what happens in verse 34.

They go away and they tell it.

This word means to make known publicly or to proclaim.

They do so in both the city and in the country.

This is where, by the way, in the city, where the man grew up, and probably where his family are located, as we will find out later.

They went and they go share it what's happened in the countryside or out here at the coast in the city and in the country.

So the herdsmen, they ran away and told it.

There's the response of the people of the city in verses 35 through 37.

They were curious.

A lot of people are curious about Jesus, aren't they?

Show us a miracle, show us a sign, do something to impress us.

They were curious to see what happened.

Secondly, they asked Jesus to depart in verse 37.

The other gospels record them making this request.

Even John Piper says, quote, Oh my goodness, the great liberator has come and they tell him to get out.

Piper goes on to say, to our utter amazement, they beg Jesus, the life giver, the devil defeater, the hope maker, the hope giver, to leave their region, close quote.

Can you imagine?

Jesus comes and does what no one's been able to do for a long period of time.

No one can pass that way.

And rather than embrace Jesus, the one who is the great deliverer, who stepped foot on their soil, they say, please go away from us.

We don't want anything to do with you, Jesus.

And thirdly, they were afraid.

You see, the people of the city, they were afraid.

Verse 35, only Luke's account tells us the reason for the request for him to go away.

It says, for, that's explanatory.

They were seized with great fear.

There are two kinds of fearing the Lord in Scripture.

There's the fear of terror, and there's the fear of reverence.

Believers, we have the fear of reverence.

The fear of the Lord is the what?

The beginning of wisdom.

God gives us a reverential fear for our Lord.

But this is not the fear of reverence that these city people have.

This is the fear of terror.

The same kind of fear that the demons had.

And then there's the response, the third response, and that is the response of the man who was delivered.

This is my favorite part of the sermon.

And this is the part of the sermon that I hope every believer will be able to take a closer look and rejoice in and enjoy in verses 35, verses 38 and 39.

Do you see the location of the man who was delivered?

He's sitting at the feet of Jesus.

That's the position of a disciple.

That's where we are.

Do you see his condition?

There are two changes in verse 35.

There's the external change.

He's clothed.

Previously in verse 27, he's unclothed, but now he's clothed.

And that's the external change.

But do you notice the internal change?

He's in his right mind.

And I dare say that if the inside hadn't been changed first, the outside wouldn't have been changed.

But there was both an internal and external change that came through the deliverance that Jesus brought this man.

Do you see his position or his petition in verse 38?

He begged that he might be with Jesus.

That's a complete contrast as to when he first spoke to Jesus when Jesus got out of the boat.

When after you've been delivered, before you've been delivered, you don't want anything to do with Jesus.

Jesus is an interruption of all your fun and all your worldly happiness and all the pursuits you want.

You don't want anything of church.

Those sermons are just boring anyway.

A big yawn, right?

You don't want any of that.

But when after Jesus has delivered you, you can't get enough of him.

You want to be with Jesus.

And then note the contrast between the man who had been delivered and now this people of the city.

The people of the city, they're terrified.

They want Jesus to go away.

And the man doesn't want to be separated from Jesus.

And do you see fourthly his declaration in verse 39, the deity of Christ is found here?

Jesus said to the man, No, I want you to go and return to the city and declare how much, listen to this, how much God has done for you.

And how did he interpret that?

What is the man's response?

He went away proclaiming throughout the whole city how much God, no, what does the text say?

How much Jesus had done for him.

It's so easy, you can easily miss it.

I believe it's a clear indication that the man knew that the only person who can deliver him was God.

And since Jesus delivered him, his conclusion was Jesus is God.

No one could do for this man what Jesus did.

And he went proclaiming, this is the word preaching.

He was made a preacher in a day.

I want to say it this way: those who are delivered are God's evangelists.

Every delivered person, in some respects, is expected to go and tell their family and everyone else all that Jesus, that God has done for them.

I know this is not a text about you.

This is a text about Jesus being the Son of God with power in fulfillment of Daniel 7, 13 and 14, that he has power over the forces of darkness, but this text certainly applies to you and applies to me.

And I dare say it's not just for the missionaries, and it's not just for the full-time preachers.

This man had no title.

He was a man delivered.

And he was sent on a mission to make disciples.

Notice he says, How much God has done for you.

Go into share it with them.

Tell them how God has changed your life in the various and multitude ways, inside and outside.

Your affections have changed, your desires have changed, your goal in life has changed.

You used to live for yourself, but now you're living for Christ.

Tell them, let them know what Christ has done.

Make him famous, or as Malachi, as the Lord will say through the prophet Malachi, for from the rising of the sun to the setting of the same, my name will be great among the nations.

And those of us who've been delivered by Christ, we have a mandate to tell our family first that we've been delivered and that Jesus delivered us.

This narrative I know is about Jesus' power over the forces of darkness intended so Theophilus might have a greater degree of certainty of who Jesus is.

And you know only Jesus can deliver, only Jesus can save.

How does this apply to me?

Well, how are all unbelievers like this demon-possessed men?

Well, I've already said that sin blinds the unbeliever.

Before I was, before the Lord saved me in 1985, the summer of 1985, as a 15-year-old young man in north central New Jersey, I was blind to my sin.

Oh, I had heard the gospel for at least 10 years in a gospel-preaching Baptist church.

But I was completely blind to it until the day the Lord saved me.

You see, Romans 6, doesn't it say that all unbelievers before you were saved and before I was saved, that we were enslaved to sin?

We were in the bonds and in the chains of it.

Doesn't 2 Timothy 2.26 say that all are held captive by Satan to do his will?

By analogy, the Bible says in Colossians 1.13 that all are held within the domain of darkness, and God the Father takes us out of the domain of darkness and brings us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.

All are Satan's offspring or children of the devil before salvation.

Genesis 3.15.

Satan has a seed, an offspring.

John 8.44, you of your your father the devil, Jesus will say.

Paul says it to the Ephesians in Ephesians 5.8, you once were darkness, but now you are children of the light.

My dear friends, we're not so unlike this man in Luke chapter 8.

Luke 8 · chapter mention

Those of us who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, we may never have been demon-possessed, but we were just as enchained, just as enslaved, just as helpless and hopeless to deliver ourselves as he was.

Humanity today needs deliverance, this deliverance that only Jesus can bring.

And my dear lost friend, you may not be demon-possessed, but without the deliverance that only Jesus Christ can bring, the clang, clang of that ball and chain of your sin holds fast to you and reminds you that you need to be delivered.

And if the Son shall set you free, you will be free indeed.

If you're a true believer, what ought to be your response to the saving deliverance Jesus has brought you through the gospel?

I contend that this man's response, this delivered man's response, ought to be your response.

I contend that this delivered man's response ought to be yours.

You ought to be sitting at the feet of Jesus.

This ought to be your regular posture.

It's the place of learning and love and worship.

Secondly, you need to demonstrate a radical change in these two primary areas of your life, internally and externally.

And thirdly, your heart's desire is to be where Jesus is.

It's not that you have a simple longing to be in heaven in the streets of gold and to put off this suffering and after a life lived of selfish pleasure.

No, it's this longing to be with the one who loved you and gave himself for you.

And finally, your deliverance ought to result in your exalting the Lord Jesus Christ by telling all of your family and friends and everyone who will listen to you, all that Jesus has done for you, like this delivered man, you've not been left behind.

You've been sent.

As the Father has sent me, even so send I you, the Lord will say in a different context.

So the townspeople, the people of the city, beg Jesus to depart, and sadly, he does.

But not without leaving them and the city.

One delivered man.

If you're still in the grip and power of darkness, only Jesus can deliver you.

And if you've been delivered by the Lord Jesus Christ, then what are you waiting for?

You have people to tell of the greatness of Christ, don't you?

I leave you with that.

Let's pray.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word.

We know, Lord, this passage is about your Son and about our Savior, Jesus.

Not only His humanity, but His divinity.

And Lord Jesus, without you coming to the aid of this man who didn't seek your deliverance, without you seeking to save the lost, this man would have never been delivered.

Nor would we have been.

We thank you, Lord, that you loved us and laid into a plan into action a plan for our recovery from sin's grip and death penalty.

Thank you that you are the merciful Savior.

You're the glorious Christ as well.

We bless you and pray that you would deliver even tonight those who are still caught in sin's grip.

And for those, Lord, who you have saved gloriously in this church and through this church's ministry of the gospel.

We pray, Father, that every delivered person might become your evangelist to tell others about your greatness and all that you have done for us.

May it be to the praise and glory of your name.

Amen.

And now, for a parting word for Pastor Jesse Johnson.

Thanks for joining us.

If you're in the Washington, D.C.

area, I would love to see you at Emmanuel Bible Church.

For more information on our church or our current service times, go to IBC.church.

For more information about the Master Seminary and their Washington, D.C.

location, go to TMS.edu.

I hope this resource has been a blessing to you and it helps you seek the Lord daily, serve others around you, and share the gospel with boldness.