Pursuing Relationships
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
The culture shift here at New Hope. Move from being a welcoming and inviting church to be a church that actively pursues relationships.
This is the command of Jesus in .
Example of what actively pursuing relationship looks like.
The Pursuit
The Pursuit
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
Mark 5:
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
Mark 5:1-13
Jesus has been teaching large crowds on the other side of the lake. The crowds hungered for more of the Word that Jesus was sharing. He was in a place of prominence and hearing. Jesus intentionally leaves the crowds with His disciples to head across the lake. Jesus gets out of the boat and is immediately met by this demon possessed man.
This man had been tormented by such a great army of demons. Conventional medicine had exhausted all that it could to keep the man under control and to help him. Nothing could hold back the man.
The demons immediately recognize who it is that stands before them. . Even the demons believe and shudder.
Jesus makes the man whole again. This is the work of Christ. He pursued each of us. He met us where we are at and He made whole our heart.
The making whole of the heart comes at a cost because our brokenness is so great, but our Savior has paid that great cost. He has made the way for us to become whole.
Our Response to the Pursuit
Our Response to the Pursuit
Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Mark 5:14-
There were those who were tormented by the man who shunned Jesus and asked Him to leave. Sometimes God actually gives us what we ask for. Jesus leaves and never returns.
The demon possessed man comes to Jesus and asks to go with Him. Jesus though turns him away to go and to pursue his family and tell them of the Lord.
We are here because Jesus has sent us to pursue our families and neighbors with the good news of how He has made us whole. We all have a story to tell. We all hold the key to making others whole. These stories are not shared with a mere smile or handshake. These stories are shared in active relationship. They are shared over the table when we break bread together. They are shared in the morning coffee times. They are shared in the warm embrace in the midst of crisis.
Our lives should be defined by the intentional relationships that we are cultivating. It should be defined by the times by which we share the story of Christ pursuing our hearts. This is why we have been left here.
The people of the town had no story to share. They fade into history as the people who passed on Jesus. What if God was faithful enough to give us what we want, to live our lives in the comfort of this world.
The man now made whole I am sure had difficult times of story telling, having to overcome unbelief, having to seek forgiveness for his previous actions, having to face the impact of his brokenness in the lives of those he loved, but he had a story to tell, a mission given. This is our story. Jesus healed us from our legion of brokenness, our legion of sin and has made us whole. He left heaven to do just that.
Our prayer is that we will be a church that seeks this level of relationship with others. Our calling card as a church needs to be the church that converses with God and pursues others. This begins here and moves to our neighborhoods and workplaces and out to the utter most parts of the world.
Does your family know your story? Have you told your neighbors your story? So let’s get it done.