Chaos, Culture, or Christ

Notes: Chaos, Culture, or Christ
SPEAKER: Pastor Greg Laurie
Matthew 8
SERIES: God Came Near
Sunday, January 11, 2015

Greg is talking about how power is an amazing thing. Like electricity is used by us all the time.

Power is also bragged about in cars or in computer speeds.

Even in cooking, power is used or people's ability to cook giant things that set records, like the worlds largest omelette. There are always strength records set.

Greg says man seems to be able to harness all kinds of power but rarely can we harness will power.

Only with the power of Jesus Christ can we live a life as a Christian.

As there is a God in Heaven that loves you, there is a devil on Earth that is after you and hates you.

Satan does not live in Hell, he will go there eventually but he is not there now. He is here on Earth as a spirit being.

To believe or not to believe in the devil is equally ok with the devil.  Both bother us and he likes that.

The devil is not the equal of God.


God is all powerful and satan isn't even close. The devil does have power, no silver bullet or holy water will keep the devil away. Only the power of Jesus Christ can keep him, away.

John 10:10 NKJV
[10] The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

In Matthew 8 there are two men that came under the power of satan.

The devil is big on free samples. Greg is using the hot donut sign at Krispy Kreme as an example. They give us free samples so that we will buy more. There is pleasure in that first donut but as you eat more and more you feel worse for eating them. It is the same way with sin.

Sin can start out fun, "pleasurable for a season". But when you face the consequences it is destroying.

Matthew 8:28-34 ESV
[28] And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. [29] And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" [30] Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. [31] And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs." [32] And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. [33] The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. [34] And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
Matthew 9:1 ESV
[1] And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.

These men didn't wear clothes,  he lived in the graveyard.

Many people hurt themselves today as if it is fun or for pleasure. This guy in the graveyard acted like that.

Can people be demon possessed today? Greg believes nonbeliever's can be possessed. Others can be under the influence of the devil. Those people are not the enemy, they need Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:25-26 ESV
[25] correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, [26] and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Don't waste your time praying for the devil but pray for those under his control.

1. Demons, though wicked, are quite orthodox in some of their beliefs.

Even demons are aware of Christ and His power.

Philippians 2:10-11 ESV
[10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The devil is not agnostic or atheist, he does not give his devotion to Christ, but intellectually he knows God is real.

James 2:19 ESV
[19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder!

Matthew 8:29 ESV
[29] And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"

The devil knows he will be judged one day.

When the devil brings up your past, remind him about his future. The devil literally will go to Hell.

2. Though not as powerful as God, demons do have considerable power.

In the book of Daniel it speaks of demons stopping an Angel and God sent Michael.

3. Jesus Christ has power over the devil and his demons.

Philippians 2:9-11 ESV
[9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

What did society do with these demon possessed people, they chained them up.

In our society we do the same things, put them in jail and such.

Greg is telling us how he respects and thanks God for our law enforcement. America needs God like never before.

It was said the choice is Christ or chaos. We need God's government.

Christ can do what culture can not.

Matthew 8:26 ESV
[26] And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Jesus Christ was not speaking to the storm, He was chasing off satan. Satan was trying to stop them.

The devil will always try to stop a person from hearing the Gospel.

Jesus had a mission to reach these men, Jesus Christ will not be stopped.

Jesus Christ is like a shepherd that is watching 100 sheep, if one wonders off, He will leave the 99 to go find that one.

If you go away from the Lord He will seek you out.

Luke 8:35 ESV
[35] Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

Some Christians are so reformed that you would not believe who they used to be.

We should be identified as we are in Christ now, not our past. Set the past behind you and don't stumble on it.

Matthew 8:34 ESV
[34] And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

They asked Jesus to go away because of what happened to the pigs. Jesus Christ was basically not good for their business.

If God can not bless you in your business then get another job.

If the Lord can not bless it, then you should not be doing it.

If we ask Jesus Christ to go away, He just might listen to you. He won't force his way into your life.

God will over rule our prayers for our own good.

There are three prayers in this story. The prayers of the demons, the prayer of the people for Him to leave, and the man that He cast the demon out of prayed to follow Him.

Jesus Christ sent that man to his family.

1 John 4:15 ESV
[15] Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

Jesus Christ gives His word that you will meet Him in Heaven if you put your faith in Jesus Christ.