1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,720 Hello and welcome back to the PHSA Podcast. 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:11,720 My name is David Bigford. 3 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:13,580 I'm the pastor here at SalmonArm. 4 00:00:13,580 --> 00:00:17,760 This is a very special podcast series where I'm going to be sharing with you messages 5 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:23,280 from our most recent conference in Prescott, Arizona, the Beyond Limits Conference with 6 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:30,600 a theme of to preach the gospel in the regions beyond from 2 Corinthians 10-16. 7 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:37,000 I'm going to share all of the sermons from this conference series to include Greg Mitchell, 8 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:44,600 our head pastor, Joe Campbell, Richard Ruby, Tom Payne, and many, many others during this 9 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:45,600 series. 10 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:50,160 So I'll be sharing these with you over the next couple weeks, and I hope you really enjoy 11 00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:51,160 these messages. 12 00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:58,160 If you'd like to see these messages in a video format, you can go to prescottpottershouse.com, 13 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:04,360 where all of these will be available for you to view in a video format. 14 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:09,280 So without further ado, I'm going to go ahead and move on to the messages, and I hope you 15 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:10,280 enjoy them. 16 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:11,280 God bless. 17 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:26,240 Praise God. Mark chapter 5, I so appreciate Pastor Brown's preaching. 18 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:35,080 I know we believe by faith that whatever we're saying, you know, God's doing something in 19 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:36,800 people. 20 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:42,760 But when I hear Pastor Brown preach, it's palpable. I can feel something happening in 21 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:50,720 me just even beyond what he's saying. And that was powerful today. I'm very, very grateful. 22 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:59,360 I'm very grateful to my pastor for the invitation to preach and minister. This conference is 23 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:10,000 a very, very humbling thing. And so I'm grateful. 24 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:20,640 The Boston Globe ran an article back in May. Ten years ago, there was a small piece of 25 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:28,840 a human brain that came into a lab at Harvard University and came directly from an operating 26 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:37,720 room where it had been taken from an epilepsy patient to try and reduce her seizures. But 27 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:45,800 in the years following, Dr. Lichtman was the man in charge, methodically reconstructed 28 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:56,200 the patterns of that brain by feeding that one cubic millimeter of brain tissue, one 29 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:09,960 cubic millimeter, into a $6 million device that sliced it into impossibly thin slivers 30 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:22,000 and was able to take pictures or representative images. I want to just show you three of these 31 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:39,560 if we could. That's in your brain. Can I have another one? That is your brain. And 32 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:57,600 one more there. Now, that's just in the smallest slice of one cubic millimeter. That's a beautiful 33 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:12,560 thing. And it's a very complex thing. In our day, it is a suffering thing. And we read 34 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:24,520 regularly of the kinds of mental suffering and torment that generations, and we're particularly 35 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:30,080 focusing on the younger generations, but of course it's not limited to that. But I want 36 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:43,360 you to know that Jesus made that. He made that brain. That's His creation. And one of 37 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:50,680 the researchers said, if we could truly know what another person's connectome, that is 38 00:04:50,680 --> 00:05:01,720 the singular wiring diagram of all of their memories, thoughts, fears, and dreams, how 39 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:15,240 would we treat each other? And could we heal the brain of its countless torments? Well, 40 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:21,960 none of us is ever going to figure all that's going on inside of each other's brains. But 41 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:30,160 I know someone who does. He not only knows exactly what he made, but you know the Bible 42 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:40,220 says he actually holds it together. He sustains all things by the word of his power. And not 43 00:05:40,220 --> 00:05:51,280 only does he know how it is made, he knows how it's been damaged. He knows. Jesus knows 44 00:05:51,280 --> 00:06:03,480 how it is to be made whole. He understands. And he has the power to do something. He has 45 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:11,080 the authority and wisdom to do something. But what I want you and I to try and if I 46 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:19,800 can communicate to you, he has the compassion. He has the compassion that motivates him to 47 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:27,280 do something. We're going to look at some familiar verses. This is the Gadarene demoniac. 48 00:06:27,280 --> 00:06:33,640 We're not going to read all the preceding verses about him being in the tombs and cutting 49 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:43,400 himself and crying out and unable to be bound. We're just going to focus here in verse 15. 50 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:50,720 Then they came to Jesus and saw the one who had been demon possessed and had the legion 51 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:57,800 sitting and clothed in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told 52 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:04,440 them how it happened to him who had been demon possessed and about the swine. Then they began 53 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:09,600 to plead with him to depart from their region. And when he got into the boat, he who had 54 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:16,560 been demon possessed begged him that he might be with him. However, Jesus did not permit 55 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:24,480 him but said to him, go home to your friends. Tell them what great things the Lord has done 56 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:36,120 for you and how he has had compassion on you. And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis 57 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:49,640 all that Jesus had done for him and all marveled. Amen. Jesus' minds, abused minds, our minds 58 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:56,760 obviously are very beautiful and complex things. The Bible says, I will praise you for I am 59 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:08,280 fearfully and wonderfully made. To think that that's simply a product of evolution. That 60 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:23,000 somehow we came from a toad to paint the Sistine Chapel. It's just beyond comprehension. That 61 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:29,160 even the researchers that discovered these things that can be so helpful to help in human 62 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:40,080 brains. The music, the art, the architecture, the genius that has discovered cures for polio 63 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:52,320 and has largely gotten rid of many diseases. Like this is an amazing thing that Jesus has 64 00:08:52,320 --> 00:09:04,880 created. It is the most, in some ways, the most glorious thing in all of creation. This 65 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:12,000 brain of ours, I don't know mine doesn't feel like that. I don't know about you. I'm just 66 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:23,600 going. But just like anything in his creation, it can be abused. And Jesus really minds what 67 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:30,480 we do with our minds. We can abuse our own minds. Some of us are recovering from some 68 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:39,640 chemical abuse that we did a long time ago. Some of you, it wasn't that long ago. We can 69 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:49,040 expose our minds to stuff. What we read and what we watch, what we listen to. Media, sometimes 70 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:57,680 the people that we listen to, the images that we expose ourselves to. Social media, they're 71 00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:04,720 saying that this is a crucial influence in the mental health of young people today. That 72 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:11,200 the surgeon general is wanting to put a caution on those just like smoking cigarettes. Smoking 73 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:20,640 cigarettes can kill you. And social media can kill you. Worst of all, social media means 74 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:32,600 you might kill you. Exposing themselves to porn, horror, violence. You know sometimes 75 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:37,960 flying on a plane and seeing somebody watching on their screen next door, people being shot 76 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:48,680 and blown up. I'm sorry, there's enough explosions in my life without adding a few more. Does 77 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:56,560 that help you? I don't know. And then of course what we ruminate about. That's what we go 78 00:10:56,560 --> 00:11:10,320 over and over in our minds. The bitternesses, the hate, the pride. How we process the issues 79 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:20,560 of life. You tend to think, well I think like this because I've been wronged. And certainly 80 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:27,240 you have been wronged, but is it helping you to ruminate about it? And make one of those 81 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:34,880 connectomes stronger and stronger and stronger and stronger because you think about the grievance. 82 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:43,480 You think about your bitterness over and over and over and over again. How about thinking 83 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:52,400 about Jesus over and over and over and over again and make a really healthy connectome. 84 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:59,400 Of course others have abused our minds. Words that have been spoken, hateful, demeaning, 85 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:10,360 cruel. Words of rejection. You've heard words of error and rebellion, manipulation and control. 86 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:20,480 And physical and emotional and even sexual abuse. And so in many ways our minds are not 87 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:31,200 in the place that Jesus intended. You can disagree with me, but I think of that was 88 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:39,920 the Son of God that was in the garden forming man out of the dust of the ground. And that 89 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:47,440 it was the Son of God that breathed life. That He created the one who would become Jesus 90 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:57,520 Christ. He created your mind. And He created it not for us to damage it or for others to 91 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:02,760 damage it, but of course that's what's happened. But the same one who made it is the same one 92 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:13,600 who cares about the condition of your mind this morning. He minds. He cares. This man 93 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:21,360 has said that he was in his right mind. After Jesus touched him now he is in his right mind. 94 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:26,200 That tells us that's the center of the trouble. That's why he's cutting himself. That's why 95 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:34,000 he's howling. That's why he's spending time among the tombs. It's something, there's 96 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:45,600 this, that is how the demon powers have exploited this life. How did he get like that? The Bible 97 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:52,960 doesn't tell us. It doesn't say what happened. Was it something that happened to him? Was 98 00:13:52,960 --> 00:14:00,480 it something that he did to himself? Or a combination of both? Was it a family thing? 99 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:09,560 Generational curse? False religion? A cult? Violations? You know, not every mental issue 100 00:14:09,560 --> 00:14:17,400 is a demon. If you wake up in the morning and think life stinks until you have your 101 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:30,320 four quads latte, then that's not necessarily a demon. It's just like... But we know the 102 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:36,720 Bible talks about different conditions of the mind. The anxious mind. The blinded mind. 103 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:47,600 The corrupted mind. The carnal mind. The poisoned mind. The darkened mind. It may involve a 104 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:53,520 spirit. It may involve something in our own hearts as well. Your brain is planning to 105 00:14:53,520 --> 00:15:00,940 remind you of the stupid things you did 15 years ago in the early hours of tomorrow morning. 106 00:15:00,940 --> 00:15:05,040 It reckons waking you up with a jolt after only three hours of sleep, then it will spend 107 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:11,600 much of the rest of the night replaying the list of your greatest mistakes. That spongy 108 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:17,040 gray lump which sits between your ears is planning a real greatest hits retrospective, 109 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:22,440 which will include every dumb thing you've ever said. That time you got completely wrong 110 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:29,800 with a person you really fancied and doomed yourself to a life of regret and loneliness. 111 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:33,680 Every stupid choice you've ever made and how people are only your friends because they 112 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:40,800 pity you. It expects this will be completed about 6.30 p.m. and by which time you'll have 113 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:46,960 to get up and go to work and pretend you're just fine. And when asked, your brain says 114 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:55,160 it intends to do this randomly at intervals for the rest of your life. Thank God we have 115 00:15:55,160 --> 00:16:04,960 one who is more merciful to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. You know when I came into the 116 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:13,840 Prescott Church back in 1977, I had been a Christian for six years and actually had a 117 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:22,320 clue what that meant for about five. But you know I was a Bible reader. You know I read 118 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:31,320 my Bible every day. It's not like I was ignorant about Bible stuff. But Pastor Mitchell, he 119 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:37,320 would say these things sometimes and just a light would just go off in my mind. Like 120 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:46,160 just stuff that you've read or even heard preached and it would just bring such clarity 121 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:53,120 so that you could actually process. And I remember him and of course you have been around 122 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:58,280 forever you know this is like common knowledge to you but I remember him saying the battle 123 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:10,120 ground is the mind. And my like wow that's true. But just something about the way that 124 00:17:10,120 --> 00:17:18,400 he said it and just to realize over the years that's where the battle is. It was one of 125 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:28,280 those wow moments that I had in being under Pastor Mitchell's ministry. How are you doing 126 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:39,720 in that battle? Do we take it seriously? Are we engaging in the fight? Are we thinking 127 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:53,840 well this is just how it is? This is just life. But Jesus, he cares. He has compassion 128 00:17:53,840 --> 00:18:01,840 on the condition of your mind in this building today or those of you who might be watching. 129 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:10,240 Jesus heals a tormented mind. But he doesn't just heal a tormented mind, he gives him a 130 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:18,680 right mind. Then they came to Jesus and saw the one who had been demon possessed and had 131 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:36,480 the legion sitting and clothed and in his right mind. Jesus has power over any power 132 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:46,240 that torments your mind. There's no power in heaven or earth greater than the Lord Jesus 133 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:56,640 Christ and his authority and power to free you and me from the things that torment our 134 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:13,280 minds. Thank God. This is a legion of demons, what 600, 1000, whatever. It's a crew. And 135 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:19,960 they're thinking they're pretty hot stuff. Look at what this guy will do. Hey, I don't 136 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:24,480 know what they call, demons call each other, but why don't you make yourself hit him in 137 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:33,600 the head with a rock. They're just ruling man. They're just ruling tormenting this life 138 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:47,080 and Jesus shows up and now they're, I don't know if demons wet their pants, but now they're, 139 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:55,200 he's here. Jesus, the son of the most high God. Yeah, you got it. You got it. That's 140 00:19:55,200 --> 00:20:07,320 exactly who he is. He is the son of the most high God and you are some squirrely little 141 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:15,960 creatures of hell and you have, you are no match for the, for Jesus, the son of the most 142 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:24,560 high God. They are no match for Jesus Christ. Whatever those tormenting spirit, whether 143 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:32,080 they're in you or whether they're trying to gain access and torment you and, and they, 144 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:36,480 they want to resist, you know, like your, I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. It doesn't 145 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:40,480 feel like anything's happening, but if you could see in the spiritual realm, they're 146 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:47,360 just holding on by their fingernails. I'm not going, I'm not going, but they got to 147 00:20:47,360 --> 00:21:03,280 go because Jesus has a power and authority. That means if you want to be free, you can 148 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:09,360 be free. If you want to be delivered, you can be delivered. I just want to show you 149 00:21:09,360 --> 00:21:17,480 a picture of the, the Matthew account. If that could go up in the Matthew account, like 150 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:23,720 there's, there's actually two guys, right? So he's there. And so this is the whole story 151 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:28,680 and all the drama that's going on, right? And there's pigs and there's this and you 152 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:35,880 know, and you know, these two guys that are acting pretty crazy. And, and can you notice 153 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:44,520 in verse 32, one word, best. Campbell talked about one word last night, one word, go. That's 154 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:51,040 the only thing he says in the whole thing. And they're gone. All those demon powers, 155 00:21:51,040 --> 00:22:01,840 just one word in English, two letters, boom, and they're gone. See, Jesus has compassion. 156 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:08,000 Pastor Lamb preached so movingly about the word compassion. This isn't the exact same 157 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:15,880 word in the Greek, but of course it's, it's connected. It's linked. That his heart has 158 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:28,300 moved for you. Pastor Brown preaching so powerfully about the Father's heart for you and me and 159 00:22:28,300 --> 00:22:39,320 what life has done to us and Father's and lack thereof. And here, Jesus said, if you've 160 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:46,440 seen me, you've seen the Father, right? You can see the Father's heart and compassion. 161 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:53,000 Was it this man's fault that he was in that condition? Obviously there's got to be some 162 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:59,320 cooperation, but Jesus still has compassion. Was it stuff that was done to him? We don't 163 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:09,000 know, but he still has compassion. Sometimes in our unright mind, I don't deserve freedom. 164 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:15,560 I don't deserve help. I did this to myself for the devil is lying to you and telling 165 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:23,280 you it's all your fault. I'm just getting what I deserve. I can't be free. But it's 166 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:32,320 not about your deserving. It's about Jesus' compassion. Just put out of your mind what 167 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:40,760 you deserve. We don't deserve anything by ourselves. I think Pastor Brown also said 168 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:50,680 that, but we serve a God who loves us and has compassion for us and is moved by our 169 00:23:50,680 --> 00:24:00,440 suffering. We read of a man who was beaten on the Jericho Road and left for dead. That 170 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:09,080 was something that happened to him. And the Bible says, but a certain Samaritan, as he 171 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:17,120 journeyed, came where he was and when he saw him, he had compassion. Compassion for what 172 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:23,560 happens to people in life. Then we read about the prodigal son, right? This guy's a train 173 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:31,680 wreck. He's done it to himself, right? He's completely responsible for the condition of 174 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:40,280 his life. But he returns to the Father and the Father's, and he arose and came to his 175 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:47,960 Father, but when he was still a great way off, his Father saw him and had compassion 176 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:57,440 and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. Whether it's happened to you, whether it's 177 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:06,760 as a result of things, decisions, and actions, Jesus has compassion for you. His heart is 178 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:18,000 moved to you from his very inner being. And he offers not only deliverance, right, the 179 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:31,420 ceasing of the torment of mind, but he offers a renewed mind, a right mind, where there 180 00:25:31,420 --> 00:25:42,160 has been a darkened or a depraved mind from Romans chapter 1, right? There is now the 181 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:49,280 renewed mind that you and I can have, Romans chapter 12, where there's the mind of the 182 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:58,400 flesh, right, that is only about the satisfaction of the appetites and the motivations of the 183 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:06,040 flesh. Now we can have, because of what Jesus did on the cross, his resurrection and the 184 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:10,840 work of the Spirit of God, we can now have the mind of the Spirit. Where there's been 185 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:19,040 an anxious mind, now there can be the peace that passes all understanding. Where there's 186 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:26,780 been a fearful mind, the Spirit can give us a sound mind, and that's the exact same word 187 00:26:26,780 --> 00:26:33,480 in our text. Our text could have been interpreted, and he was there sitting and in his sound 188 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:49,320 mind. The self-involved mind, or the narcissist mind, always thinking about yourself. We can 189 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:57,960 have the mind of Jesus Christ. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. 190 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:07,800 Do you think? Really? Like I could have the same, I could have a mind that can be moved 191 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:16,480 in the same way of Jesus, Jesus was. Although he was in the form of God, thought it not 192 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:22,360 robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and humbled himself. Taken 193 00:27:22,360 --> 00:27:31,760 the form of a servant, humbled himself unto death, even the death on the cross. He didn't 194 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:42,800 do that because he was self-involved and self-absorbed. He did that because he cares about you, because 195 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:49,720 he wanted you saved, he wanted you free, he wanted you whole, and he wanted your mind 196 00:27:49,720 --> 00:28:03,480 transformed to think like his. Let the word of Christ dwell within you richly. You know, 197 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:13,120 people complain sometimes, you know, free services a week? Nobody else does that. How 198 00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:26,640 is everybody else doing? I don't know. I mean, maybe you can keep a sound mind with 199 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:36,760 just one shot a week, but I don't know. To have the word of God ministered, to allow 200 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:48,520 to give Jesus access to my mind, allow his word to dwell within me richly and transform 201 00:28:48,520 --> 00:29:00,080 this thing. The Proverbs talks about giving heed unto the words of God and for their life 202 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:07,320 and to those who find them in health or some would say and medicine to all their flesh. 203 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:12,320 Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. That spongy 204 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:25,360 gray lump in here between these two things, that can be transformed, made healthy, made 205 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:33,880 whole. You know, none of us is going to be made completely whole until the rapture we 206 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:45,680 pass into eternity. We know that right now we still see through a glass darkly. Now we 207 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:53,480 behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord. We're, we're, but still if we can behold 208 00:29:53,480 --> 00:30:01,280 the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be changed from one dimension of glory to 209 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:15,920 another even by the spirit of the Lord. But it means that I need to get my mind on Jesus. 210 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:22,440 I know we have jobs, we have children to raise, we have responsibilities. It's not like we 211 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:33,960 can be focusing on Jesus 24-7. But you know, in the times that are free that we can be 212 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:43,400 thinking about, what do we think about? Is it healthy? Is it helping? Would it help to 213 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:59,000 remember Jesus and His power, His authority, His love for us, His compassion? You know, 214 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:07,240 this man couldn't be bound by any chain. Any, they put a chain on him and with supernatural 215 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:19,440 strength, bam, he just broke the chains. But you know what he could do? He could bow down 216 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:27,040 and prostrate himself before the Lord Jesus Christ. He's not, he's not free yet. He's 217 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:38,480 not even free yet, but he did that. You and I can do that. You and I can bow before Him, 218 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:47,600 surrender to Him. That's not just a physical posture, that is a heart submitted to the 219 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:56,080 Lordship of Jesus Christ. Say, I want this mind to be made whole. I want to have the 220 00:31:56,080 --> 00:32:06,280 mind of Christ like not this troubled thing. And I believe that you care for me. And I 221 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:19,120 believe that you are at work in me. That when I hate myself the most, you still love me. 222 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:28,320 When I am beating myself up for some this or that, that that's not you doing it. You 223 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:40,680 know, Elijah had some mental issues, you know, and, you know, bread cooked by angels didn't 224 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:53,560 quite get it done. And he went to a mountain, you know, and there was a thunder and a fire 225 00:32:53,560 --> 00:33:01,600 and an earthquake. But the Lord wasn't in that. The Lord wasn't in any of those things, 226 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:06,560 but then a still small voice. Right? That violence going on in your brain, that's not 227 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:13,600 God. I know He can convict us and thank God that He does. But conviction always comes 228 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:26,800 with a hope. We surrender to Him. We ask. We believe. There's deliverance, but there's 229 00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:36,200 also the changing of our pattern of thinking. Right? Those connect tones, like we have something 230 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:43,480 to do about that. We have something to do with how, what we think about and how those 231 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:50,040 connections are made. Second Timothy 1, 7 says, for the spirit of God gave us, the spirit 232 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:57,160 God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. Or sound 233 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:03,380 mine, that's the same word as in our text. In New York Times editorial, David French 234 00:34:03,380 --> 00:34:12,000 was talking about the numbers of conversations he had, he has with people about troubled 235 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:19,960 teenage minds. And as he's thinking about this and, and what maybe teenagers are being 236 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:26,160 exposed to in the media and social media and all of these things, he began to be convicted 237 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:35,040 in his own heart. That maybe my anxiety, the anxieties of my teenagers don't come from 238 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:42,480 them, they come from me. They come from the things that I watch, the things that I talk 239 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:50,280 about, the things that upset me about the condition of the world. And he had to step 240 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:55,560 back and say, it's, you know, it's one thing for me to blame this social media, that, you 241 00:34:55,560 --> 00:35:03,560 know, and I hate the stuff, get rid of it. Just, just get rid of it. But mom and dad, 242 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:13,600 like what are the conversations about at the dinner table? It's about all the horrible 243 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:18,680 stuff going on in the world, and this one, that way, you know, you know, whatever your 244 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:27,400 politics is, or is it about Jesus? I'm not trying to make you super spiritual, we only 245 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:34,280 talk about the Lord at this meal. You know, just, but I mean, can you receive something 246 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:40,480 about that? Like, can you receive something about that? Like, how much do we make our 247 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:54,560 homes a place of stress? But here's where I wanted to go. What Jesus wanted this man 248 00:35:54,560 --> 00:36:03,560 to do was to be a testimony of his compassion. That's what God wants for every single person 249 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:12,560 here. When we talk about going beyond the limits, we're talking about going beyond, 250 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:19,600 however you have been limited by what you're going through, by what you're troubled with, 251 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:25,680 however limited by people that you see and look down upon. And I'm not talking about 252 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:32,560 going out and seeing how many gatherings you can get in your building. Like, that's, just 253 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:38,880 understand. But it says, when Jesus got in the boat, he who had been demon possessed 254 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:43,400 begged him that he might be with him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, 255 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:48,040 go home, dear friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and 256 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:58,320 how he has had compassion on you. Tell them how he has had compassion on you. And he departed 257 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:07,400 and began to proclaim at Decapolis all that Jesus had done for them and all did marvel. 258 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:14,160 Here's a mouth that had, first of all, begged to be separated from Jesus, now begged to 259 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:23,040 be close to Jesus. A desire to be with Jesus is good and right. But knowing his heart must 260 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:32,320 move us to make his compassion known. Not only because we read it here, because it's 261 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:45,320 impressed on our hearts. You know, we know what to do. We know the words to say, perhaps. 262 00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:55,400 But does our witness come out of a heart where Jesus has been revealed to us in a fresh and 263 00:37:55,400 --> 00:38:03,480 powerful way? You know, I know we allude to the Jesus movement a lot, and some of you, 264 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:09,240 you know, that are younger than boomers, oh, here we go again. But let me just think about 265 00:38:09,240 --> 00:38:18,000 the middle word of that, right, Jesus. You know, when we got saved, when I got saved 266 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:27,720 on a dance floor, right, drunk at the time, I didn't know anything. Any prayers that I 267 00:38:27,720 --> 00:38:34,880 prayed I used to pray with beads, you know. But when I got up from that dance floor I 268 00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:42,920 realized Jesus is real. That was what the testimony was about. What is about all the 269 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:49,360 issues of sin, all the things that, what's your stand on this? It was about, I'm talking 270 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:57,040 to someone who needs Jesus, and Jesus has done this thing in my life. He hears who he 271 00:38:57,040 --> 00:39:09,160 is. I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Jesus 272 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:19,280 compassion for us wants to be translated into compassion for others. You know, the man who 273 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:29,840 ripped off all his master's goods, right, to pay back the, it would have had to work 274 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:36,200 every day for 3,000 years, probably not going to happen. Then the master of that servant 275 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:45,080 was moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt. He received compassion 276 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:55,240 from the one that he had violated so incredibly. And I know we talk about it in terms of forgiving 277 00:39:55,240 --> 00:40:06,680 those who have wronged us. But the king says, should you not also have had compassion on 278 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:15,080 your fellow servant just as I had pity on you? Do you hear that? It's like, okay, go 279 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:24,600 from your encounter with Jesus and have compassion for people. Share the compassion that I have 280 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:33,080 placed, that I put in you. Declare that to people. Not everybody is going to be aware 281 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:38,080 of what we go through, what we've gone through, what we've suffered with. Most of us stayed 282 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:45,240 out of cemeteries. I am shocked. I don't know, maybe it's just a generational thing. I wonder 283 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:50,280 like how many skulls there are around. People with skulls on their shirts, skulls on their 284 00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:56,280 car, skulls with beady eyes, you know, instead of Mary on the dashboard. You know, it's 285 00:40:56,280 --> 00:41:12,600 like, whoa, are you, people are hanging around the dead. I don't think that's healthy. 286 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:19,960 Don Richie has lived beside a cliff. He was for suicidal jumps for 50 years. Every time 287 00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:24,520 someone approaches the cliff, he goes out to make sure they don't take their life. Over 288 00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:32,080 the years, he has stopped at least 160 people from killing themselves. That's just the official 289 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:38,200 estimate. The real number is said to be 400, according to his family. Don happened to live 290 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:44,160 near the gap, an ocean cliff at Sydney. It's a popular visitor destination, which has gained 291 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:51,120 infamy as a suicide spot over the years. It's estimated about 50 people and their lives 292 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:57,760 there each year. But as an individual walks up to the cliff, looking at the crashing waves 293 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:03,360 below and wondering whether to jump, Don would approach them with a smile and say, why don't 294 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:08,720 you come and have a cup of tea? Accepting his offer, these people would be invited. 295 00:42:08,720 --> 00:42:15,140 It was home where they would have a chat over tea. No counseling, no advising, no prying. 296 00:42:15,140 --> 00:42:19,560 Just one human being lending an ear to another. Some of these people had mental problems, 297 00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:24,640 and had medical illnesses. Some are just people going through a rough patch in life for many, 298 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:31,600 a listening ear was apparently what they needed as they changed their minds about jumping 299 00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:41,240 after the chat and turned back home. But how much more do you and I have to share than 300 00:42:41,240 --> 00:42:51,000 just to chat over tea? But tell them about Jesus over tea. Yes, hear their pain, hear 301 00:42:51,000 --> 00:43:01,160 their anguish. Don't just jump down their throats the moment they hear and out of compassion, 302 00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:10,160 the compassion that Jesus has shown you. You represent that. If I can use the word, you 303 00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:21,080 incarnate that like you be Jesus, compassion to those people. It's tangible. They can feel 304 00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:31,800 it. And Jesus set this man free, but he didn't leave it. He said, no, I just don't want you 305 00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:40,400 to just come and be a part of this thing right now in this boat. I want you, I want you to 306 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:47,440 go and tell people about the compassion that I have shown you. And that's why you're free. 307 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:52,720 Amen. Let's thank you. 308 00:43:52,720 --> 00:44:01,720 Thank you for listening to the P.H.S.A. Potter's House Salmon Arm Podcast. Be sure to follow 309 00:44:01,720 --> 00:44:06,480 us on Instagram at pottershouse underscore salmon arm to keep up to date on what we're 310 00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:33,480 doing. Join the conversation and discover how Jesus Christ can revolutionize your life.