Messages from Pastor Raddatz

June 19, 2022, Mount Olive Church, Houston TX, FATHER’S DAY Today’s Texts: Isaiah 65:1-9 and Galatians 3:23-4:7

GODLY INTERFERENCE, Luke 8:26-39

I invite you to pray with me, “Heavenly Father, thank you for condemning evil and still loving us.  You hate the sin, but you love us sinners.  There are times when you stop us in our path and confront problems in our life.  For this we praise you.  Move us as you wish. On this Father’s Day, may we rejoice mostly in being adopted by you into the family of faith. Amen.”

            In sporting contests, interference is a foul.  It’s not supposed to happen during the regular course of a game.  The party that interferes gets some kind of penalty.  In a much separate way, God interferes in our life for our benefit.  He desires to move us in the direction we should go and tell how much God has done for us.

JESUS CONFRONTS EVIL

              In our gospel reading for today we read that Jesus meets a man from Galilee who had demons.  Jesus knows what’s coming.  He purposely goes into a major Gentile (non-jew) area.  There he met a man from the city who was possessed by Demons.  He wore no clothes, and he lived among the tombs. 

            The interesting thing about this meeting between Jesus and the Demons is that the Demons speak first.  They acknowledge who Jesus is and show they are subservient to God, by:

• BOWING DOWN, V. 28, a sign of submission to one who is in power.
• ADDRESSING JESUS AS “SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD”.  The demons know who Jesus is.
• BEGGING HIM NOT TO THROW THEM INTO THE ABYSS, BUT SEND THEM INTO A LARGE HERD OF PIGS. The Abyss is the bottomless pit described in Revelation 9:11 in the final judgement.

Jesus gives his permission for them to enter a herd of pigs and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.  You would think that this would be welcome by the pig owners, but this was their way of making a living.  Maybe they were upset, because they just lost all their stock.  We don’t know.  We do know that the Ancient world was highly suspicious of such “magic” or power, and they could have been afraid.  Because if Jesus could do this to a herd of pigs what will he do to them?   Even though God sees all evil and sin we do he desires to interrupt it with his presence and his authority over it!   

Not only do the pig owners ask Jesus to leave, but multitude…asked him to depart.   They didn’t seem to mind having the demon possessed man in their midst, but they did mind having Jesus around--so they asked him to leave--and he did! (Spurgeon)

“When people are more afraid of what Jesus will do in their lives than what Satan does, they often push Jesus away and He may leave as asked to.” -David Guzik

One Father shared with me this reality.  He was able to save his daughter again from the trouble she had created in her life.  He said something to me I thought was very wise.  He said, “Pastor, if my daughter would only stay in her lane she would be fine!”  Meaning, if his daughter would do what is expected of her and stay with the values her family had given her she wouldn’t find herself in a lot of trouble.  He concluded his experience with the wise words, “But the decision is hers.”

JESUS CONQUERS EVIL 

      How wonderful it is that we have been adopted by God through Baptism.  Through the gift of God, Satan has no power over us.  He is defeated through Christ in us.  Christ will never leave us.  He will always forgive us and strengthen us to follow God.

• Jesus conquers the evil of sin within us and purchases the forgiveness of all our sin, John 3:16.  We do not need to fear the devil.
• Demonic spirits are disarmed by Jesus work on the cross, Colossians 2:15.

      God has chosen to heal us and not condemn us to hell.  He has made us his children and his wrath and anger is satisfied through the death of Christ on the cross.  Will you follow him?  Will you welcome his interference so that you will become more like Christ?

GOD MOVES US but will we go in the direction God wants us to go.

     Will you welcome Jesus’ interference: his correction and his direction?  He wants you to become more like his heavenly Father!

Professional baseball has been played in America since 1875, but on September 14, 1990, something happened that has never happened before or since. Late in his career, Ken Griffey, Sr., who had been a key member of the World Series champion Cincinnati Reds years before, was signed by the Seattle Mariners. His son Ken Griffey, Jr. was just starting his major league career. In the first inning of a game against the Angels, Griffey, Sr. hit a home run to left center field. His son followed him to the plate and hit another home run to almost exactly the same spot. It was the only time a father and son had hit back-to-back home runs in baseball history. Ken Griffey, Jr. said later that his father greeted him at the plate by saying, “That’s how you do it, son!”

There are few joys that can compare to seeing our children and grandchildren succeed. Whether it’s on a ball field, at a music recital, in an academic competition, or, most importantly, in a spiritual setting, seeing a child demonstrate character and competence is a true pleasure. But this victory is not something that just happens. Every right performance, every victory over temptation, every accomplishment is the result of a concerted effort to prepare for the moment of challenge.  (Ministry127.com)

The man possessed by demons, now healed, went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what wonderful things Jesus had done for him: This was a great message to tell, and a message that every follower of Jesus should be able to preach. His story showed the value of one life to Jesus, because this was the only reason why Jesus came to this side of the Sea of Galilee. His story also showed that with Jesus, no one is beyond hope, because if this man could be changed than anyone can.

Just as God was moved to confront the sin in our lives and send his son to pay for our sin, so he calls us to “DELCARE HOW MUCH God has done for you.” Luke 8:39

Will you pray with me?  Heavenly Father, on this Father’s Day we give you thanks and praise for sending your son Jesus Christ to save us from what we have done against your will and what we have failed to do!  We praise you that the cross of Christ disarms all evil powers.  Continue to mold us into your image and if there is any offensive way in us, please interfere.  Your interference is welcomed.  Amen.

Pastor John Raddatz