1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000 [♪ music playing throughout video and video ends. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:08,000 Hello everyone and thanks for listening in to Trinity Sermons. 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:12,000 This is episode 6 of our sermon series, Jesus is the Question. 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,000 Rev. Rob Perkmans is back with us today where we will be looking specifically 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,000 at the question Jesus asks a man, what is your name? 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,000 And what would we say and what can we learn if Jesus were to ask us 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,000 the very same question? Thanks for listening in today. 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:32,000 We hope you enjoy the message and God bless. 9 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,000 Mark chapter 5 verses 1 to 20. 10 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,000 They went across the lake to the region of the 11 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,000 Jorusenes. When Jesus got out of the boat a man 12 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,000 with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 13 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:56,000 This man lived in the tombs and no one could bind him 14 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,000 anymore, not even with a chain. For he had 15 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,000 often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains 16 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,000 apart and broke the irons on his feet. 17 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,000 No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day 18 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,000 among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out 19 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,000 and cut himself with stones. When he saw 20 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,000 Jesus from a distance he ran and fell on his knees 21 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,000 in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, 22 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,000 what do you want with me Jesus, son of the most 23 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,000 high God? In God's name don't torture me. 24 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,000 For Jesus said to him, come out of this man, you impure 25 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,000 spirit. Then Jesus asked him, 26 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,000 what is your name? My name is Legion, he 27 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:52,000 replied, for we are many. And he begged Jesus 28 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,000 again and again not to send them out of the area. 29 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:00,000 A large herd of pigs were feeding on the nearby hillside. 30 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:04,000 The demons begged Jesus, send us among 31 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,000 the pigs, allow us to go into them. He gave them 32 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,000 permission and the impure spirits came out and went 33 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,000 into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand 34 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:20,000 in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake 35 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,000 and were drowned. Those standing the pigs 36 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,000 ran off and reported this in the town and countryside 37 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,000 and the people went out to see what had 38 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,000 happened. When they came to Jesus they saw 39 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,000 the man who had been possessed by the Legion of Demons 40 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,000 sitting there, dressed and in his right mind 41 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:48,000 and they were afraid. Those who had seen 42 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:52,000 it told the people what had happened to the demon possessed 43 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,000 man and told about the pigs as well. 44 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,000 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their 45 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:04,000 region. As Jesus was getting into the boat 46 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,000 the man who had been demon possessed begged to go 47 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,000 with him. Jesus did not let him but said, 48 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,000 go home to your own people and tell them 49 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,000 how much the Lord has done for you and how he has 50 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,000 had mercy on you. So the man went away 51 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,000 and began to tell in the Decapolis how much 52 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,000 Jesus had done for him and all the people were 53 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,000 amazed. This is the word of the Lord. 54 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,000 How many people here know what a 55 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,000 pick up line is? What's a pick up line? Alright, a few of you 56 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,000 know. How many have ever used a pick up line? 57 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,000 Oh, I see one or two hands down there. So just to let 58 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,000 you know, a pick up line is kind of a cheesy conversation 59 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,000 starter that people, usually guys, use 60 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,000 to try to engage a girl in conversation 61 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,000 with the hopes of getting from her 62 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,000 her name or maybe even the chance to go on a date with 63 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,000 her or something like that. And the idea being that maybe the better that your pick up 64 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,000 line is, the better chances of finding out the name of this person 65 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,000 that you've seen across the room. So today what I want to do is I want you to help me 66 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,000 rank or rate some of the best pick up lines of all time. And so what I'm going to 67 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,000 do is I'm going to share four pick up lines with you and then at 68 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,000 the end we'll vote by applause as which is the greatest or 69 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,000 cheesiest pick up line of all time. Okay, so here we go. Here's pick up line 70 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,000 number one. Hey, is your name Wi-Fi? 71 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,000 Because I'm sure feeling a strong connection. 72 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,000 Okay, that's number one. Three more. Two. 73 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,000 Hey, is your name Ariel? Because I think 74 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:00,000 we mermaid for each other. 75 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,000 Okay, three. 76 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,000 Hey, is your name Google? Because you have everything I'm 77 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,000 searching for. And then number four. 78 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,000 Hey, is your name Skywalker? Because you look 79 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,000 so good. 80 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,000 Cringy. They're all cringy. But you got to vote on which is 81 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:28,000 the best of the cheesiest pick up lines. So by applause 82 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,000 is it Wi-Fi? You've got a good connection. 83 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,000 Is it two? Is it Ariel? Mermaid for each other. 84 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:42,000 Thank you, Justin. 85 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:46,000 Is it Google? You've got what I'm searching for. 86 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,000 Okay. Or is it Skywalker? 87 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:54,000 Because you look so good. Guys, our winner is 88 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:58,000 Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is the cheesiest pick up line. 89 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,000 We've got a good connection. By the way, if I hear anybody using any of these pick up lines 90 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,000 at the barbecue after the service, you are officially banned from 91 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:10,000 Trinity forever. 92 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,000 So we're in the middle of a teaching series which we're calling Jesus is the Question. 93 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:18,000 And what we've been learning is it's quite fascinating actually, but Jesus 94 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:22,000 was much, much more of a question asker than he was an 95 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,000 answer giver. For example, just to let you know, Jesus 96 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:30,000 asked 307 different questions throughout the Gospels 97 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:34,000 to different people. But Jesus only answered like three or 98 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,000 four questions that people asked him. 99 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:42,000 Which means that if you were to go to Jesus with a problem, he's 40 times 100 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:46,000 more likely to answer your problem by asking a question than by 101 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,000 giving you an easy answer. There's something about 102 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,000 questions. They're very, very transformative. More transformative 103 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:58,000 than a simple answer. And today what we're going to do is we're 104 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:02,000 going to look at one of those questions that Jesus asked someone and we're going to see how transformative 105 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,000 it is. But what you're going to say is, well, that's not an exciting 106 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:10,000 or transformative question. But as we go through, I think you'll see that 107 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:14,000 it's actually very powerful. This question is very powerful and it can 108 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:18,000 change your life. So here is the question. The question is this. 109 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,000 What is your name? What is your name? 110 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,000 Now, if some creepy guy comes up to you at club and asks you 111 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:30,000 this question as part of a pickup line, it's totally lame. It's a lame question. 112 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:34,000 Right? Or if you go to the doctor's office and the receptionist says, okay, what is your name? 113 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,000 That's like really straightforward. There's nothing profound about that. In fact, there's a hundred 114 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:42,000 ways you could ask this question, what is your name? And they're all kind of boring 115 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:46,000 and straightforward. But when Jesus asks the 116 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:50,000 question, what is your name? Now that is a different 117 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,000 story. That is actually a very profound question that 118 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,000 can change your life. And let me explain why. Because 119 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:02,000 when you ask a question like this, when Jesus asks a question like this, first of all, 120 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:06,000 it is a question of intimacy. Because to give someone 121 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:10,000 your name is actually to give them something that is very 122 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,000 essential to who you are. It's intimate. It's your name. It's 123 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:18,000 who you are. What is your name is a question 124 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:22,000 of intimacy. But what is your name is also a question of 125 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:26,000 relationship. Because whenever you ask what is your name, it is the first 126 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,000 step in beginning a relationship. You cannot have a 127 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:34,000 relationship with someone, at least not a very good one, unless you know 128 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:38,000 their name. And relationships are completely 129 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:42,000 transformative as we all know. But there is a third reason 130 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:46,000 why what is your name is so important. And that is 131 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:50,000 because there's a connection between who you are 132 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,000 and what your purpose is. What your name is 133 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,000 and what your mission in life is all about. And I thought perhaps the best way 134 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,000 to kind of show you the connection between the question of a name 135 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:06,000 and the question of a purpose is to show you a clip 136 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:10,000 from a deeply religious film. This film is called 137 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:14,000 Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail. And in 138 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:18,000 this clip you'll see the connection between the question of a name and the 139 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:20,000 question of a purpose. 140 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,000 Yes, Bridgekeeper, I'm not afraid. 141 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,000 What is your name? 142 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,000 My name is Sir Lancelot of Camelot. 143 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,000 What is your quest? 144 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,000 To seek the Holy Grail. 145 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:02,000 What is your favorite color? 146 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:03,000 Blue. 147 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,000 Right, off you go. 148 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:08,000 Oh, thank you. Thank you very much. 149 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,000 That's easy! 150 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,000 Stop! 151 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:22,000 Who approaches the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three. 152 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,000 The other side, he see. 153 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:28,000 Ask me the questions, Bridgekeeper, I'm not afraid. 154 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:30,000 What is your name? 155 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,000 Sir Robin of Camelot. 156 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,000 What is your quest? 157 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,000 To seek the Holy Grail. 158 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,000 What is the capital of Assyria? 159 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,000 I don't know that! 160 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,000 Ah! 161 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:52,000 Stop! 162 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:54,000 What is your name? 163 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,000 Sir Gellahad of Camelot. 164 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,000 What is your quest? 165 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,000 I seek the Grail. 166 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,000 What is your favorite color? 167 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,000 Blue. 168 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:12,000 No, no! 169 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,000 Stop! 170 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,000 What is your name? 171 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,000 It is Arthur, King of the Britons. 172 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,000 What is your quest? 173 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,000 To seek the Holy Grail. 174 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:26,000 What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? 175 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,000 What do you mean? 176 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,000 An African or European swallow? 177 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,000 I don't know that. 178 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,000 I don't know that. 179 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,000 Ah! 180 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,000 How do you know so much about swallows? 181 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:46,000 Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know. 182 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:56,000 Well, I confess, I do not know the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow, but I do know that there is a connection between these two questions. 183 00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:00,000 What is your name and what is your quest? 184 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,000 Because what's really being asked here are two questions. 185 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:06,000 One is a question of your identity and a question of your purpose. 186 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:10,000 What is your name and what is your life all about? 187 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,000 They're related, right? 188 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,000 What is your identity and what is your mission? 189 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,000 It's related. 190 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,000 Who are you and why are you here? 191 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,000 Those are related, related questions. 192 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,000 So I want to start by, let's first look at this question of identity. 193 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,000 Does your name, does your name really make a difference to who you are? 194 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:35,000 Juliet in Romeo and Juliet once famously said, a rose, if it was called any other name, it would still smell just as sweet. 195 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,000 And some of you might agree with it. 196 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,000 You might say, Rob, I don't think it really matters what my name is. 197 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,000 I would still be the exact same person. 198 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,000 Others of you would disagree. 199 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:49,000 And you might agree with someone like Frederick Buechner, who says that if my name were different, I would be different. 200 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:51,000 Some people really like their name. 201 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,000 Other people maybe don't like their name very much. 202 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:54,000 I've always liked my name. 203 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,000 My name's Robert. 204 00:12:55,000 --> 00:13:00,000 I've always felt like a Robert before our children were born. 205 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:04,000 Sally and I usually had a few names in mind about what we might call them when they were born. 206 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:09,000 But we didn't actually settle on a name until they'd actually been born and we were holding them in our arms. 207 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:14,000 And we looked down and we were like to say, yes, this is a Petra. 208 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:15,000 This is Petra for sure. 209 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,000 This is Georgia. 210 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:18,000 And so on. 211 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:24,000 You might even know somebody who had a baby and they thought they knew what they were going to call that child until the child arrived. 212 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:28,000 And then they realized that name didn't fit. 213 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:35,000 And some people go through their whole life with a name that doesn't feel quite like it fits my mother-in-law. 214 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,000 Her name is Dora. 215 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:41,000 But at some point early in her life, she said, this does not fit me. 216 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:42,000 I'm not a Dora. 217 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:43,000 I'm not a Dora. 218 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:47,000 And so she started calling herself by her second name, which was Audrey. 219 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:52,000 And if she were here this morning and you met her, you would say, of course, she's clearly an Audrey and she's not a Dora. 220 00:13:52,000 --> 00:14:00,000 So to ask someone what is your name is actually to get at the essence of who you are to tap deep into your being. 221 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:10,000 And it's only when we know who we are and who God has made us that we're able then to figure out what our purpose in life is. 222 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:19,000 In fact, I would dare say that if you try to embark upon your purpose in life, your quest in life, without first having a sense of who you truly are, 223 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:25,000 what your name really, really is, then you're often going to end up going in the wrong direction or going down the wrong path. 224 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:30,000 I think of some of the young people that are here this morning that we had up on the stage, teenagers. 225 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:32,000 You're making decisions. 226 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:36,000 You're forced to make decisions about universities and programs and careers. 227 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:39,000 And you're only 16 years old, only 17 years old. 228 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:47,000 And and yet they're trying to determine their life's quest while they're still trying to figure out who they are, 229 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,000 who God has made them to be. 230 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:53,000 Often what happens is we go off to school for a couple of years and we're like, you know, this doesn't fit. 231 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,000 And we make a change or we start a job. 232 00:14:55,000 --> 00:15:06,000 And a couple of years later, we say this, this doesn't fit who I am, because it's only after you find your identity in Christ that that's your purpose in Christ kind of becomes apparent to you. 233 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,000 And I think deep down we know this. 234 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:12,000 Have you ever noticed that whenever you meet someone, you ask them two questions, you say, what is your name? 235 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,000 And then you say, and what do you do? 236 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,000 We don't start by saying, what do you do? And then say, what is your name? 237 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:20,000 We always start with what is your name? 238 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:26,000 Because inherently we know that our identity, our identity leads to our purpose. 239 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:32,000 The identity comes first, that being leads to doing. 240 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:40,000 But the problem is the world wants to define us by what we do, not by who we are, which is very dangerous. 241 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:49,000 Maybe you know someone who put all their worth and all their time into what they do, into their achievements, into their accomplishments. 242 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,000 But what happens when they don't perform well? 243 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,000 What happens when they don't succeed? 244 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,000 All of a sudden they feel like a personal failure. 245 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:57,000 All of a sudden they're lost. 246 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,000 They don't know who they are anymore. 247 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:04,000 It's because they've been so focused on the doing they forgot to figure out who they were being. 248 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:16,000 In fact, some of us maybe grew up in homes where we had people constantly forcing some kind of an identity on us, parents or our family or friends, or maybe it's just culture or social media or whatever. 249 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:20,000 And sure, you played the part and you acted along and you went along with it. 250 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,000 But deep down, you know, this isn't me. 251 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:25,000 This is not who I am. 252 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:31,000 And so for you today, Jesus asks you the question, what is your name? 253 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,000 Who are you? 254 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:36,000 What is your identity? 255 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:46,000 What Jesus is going to teach us this morning is that no one, nowhere, no thing can tell you who you really are except God. 256 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,000 Let's check out the story for a little bit here. 257 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,000 It starts when Jesus meets a man who is clearly struggling with lots of things. 258 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,000 But one of the things he's struggling with is his identity. 259 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,000 This man lived in the tombs. 260 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:58,000 No one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 261 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:02,000 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills, he would cry out and he would cut himself off. 262 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:05,000 He would cut himself with stones and so on. 263 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,000 Some of you are like, I cannot relate to the story. 264 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:12,000 Rob, how are we supposed to relate to a story of a guy who, like, is a madman living in the tombs? 265 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,000 But just think about it for a moment. 266 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:22,000 We probably all know someone who is, you know, struggling spiritually, mentally or physically in some way. 267 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,000 They're troubled. 268 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:27,000 Do you know anyone who's decided, you know, it's just better to avoid others. 269 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,000 I just want to withdraw from society. 270 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:38,000 Maybe because of drugs or alcohol or abuse or life, whatever life did to them, they just are at this breaking point. 271 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:44,000 And they now feel like, you know, the only way to exist is for me just to get away from others. 272 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:49,000 Maybe you even know someone who hurts himself, someone who cuts himself. 273 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,000 And so, yeah, this isn't so far fetched. 274 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:56,000 These people who feel like loners, maybe they spend all their time in their bedroom with the door shut. 275 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:57,000 They spend all their time gaming. 276 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:58,000 They spend all their time on their phone. 277 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,000 They're withdrawn from people, from society. 278 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:07,000 And many people, like this guy, thought that if I could get away from society, get away from those people, 279 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:11,000 then I could figure out who I truly was and I could finally have the peace I'm looking for. 280 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,000 But look, it's not working for him. 281 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:18,000 He's still in the tombs every day, crying out and cutting himself with stones, 282 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:25,000 which means that the real problem this guy is facing is not a question about society. 283 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,000 It's a question about his identity. 284 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,000 And Jesus knows this. 285 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,000 And that's why Jesus's question to him is not, hey, what's going on here? 286 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,000 Or, hey, where did you come from? 287 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:36,000 Or, hey, what happened to you? 288 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:42,000 But his question to him is, what is your name? 289 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,000 Now, this is not merely like a polite question. 290 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,000 Oh, hello, what's your name? 291 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:53,000 No, as we already said, when we ask this question, when one human being asks this question to another human being, 292 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,000 it is a question of intimacy. 293 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:59,000 It is an invitation to relationship. 294 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:00,000 You think about it. 295 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:01,000 Think about this man. 296 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:02,000 He's been exiled. 297 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:03,000 He's been forgotten. 298 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:04,000 He's been left for dead. 299 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,000 When was the last time someone asked him his name? 300 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:10,000 For years, he's probably just been known by labels. 301 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:11,000 He's the madman in the cemetery. 302 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:15,000 He's the beast, the crazy guy over the hill. 303 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:20,000 But Jesus asks, what is your name? 304 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,000 It's a question of identity. 305 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,000 But with Jesus, questions are never questions. 306 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,000 They're always invitations. 307 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,000 It's an invitation to intimacy. 308 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:31,000 It's an invitation to relationship. 309 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,000 It's an invitation to healing. 310 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:38,000 It's an invitation to life. 311 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,000 The answer he gives is also very interesting. 312 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,000 He says, my name is Legion. 313 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:48,000 Now, a legion is a unit in the Roman army. 314 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,000 6,000 Roman soldiers equals one legion. 315 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,000 And you probably know enough about Roman soldiers from the 316 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,000 history books to know that they were brutal. 317 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,000 They could be oppressive. 318 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,000 They were destructive, which means that what this man is 319 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,000 saying when he says, my name is Legion, is he is saying, 320 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,000 my soul is under attack. 321 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:12,000 My identity has been oppressed and suppressed and is being 322 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:17,000 brutalized by some other identity, some other power. 323 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,000 The way Mark tells the story, he says the man was filled with 324 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,000 demons. 325 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:24,000 Many of the behaviors as man possess could also be symptoms 326 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,000 of serious mental illness. 327 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:30,000 Whatever the case, Legion is not his real name. 328 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,000 It's not his true identity. 329 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,000 He's forgotten who he truly is. 330 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,000 But Jesus, Jesus is about to remind him. 331 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,000 And so Jesus does what only Jesus can do. 332 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:44,000 He saves the man by bringing him back to his true self. 333 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,000 In this odd twist, what Jesus does is he sends the demons 334 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,000 into a herd of pigs, which then proceed to gallop over a 335 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,000 cliff to their death. 336 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:57,000 And with that, whatever false identity this man had, it's 337 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,000 gone. 338 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:02,000 Whatever name he bore, Legion, that brutalizing, horrible 339 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,000 name, it's no more. 340 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,000 Now he's got a new name. 341 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,000 Now he's got a new identity. 342 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,000 Now he's got a new life. 343 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:12,000 Just look at him. 344 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:13,000 There he is. 345 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:14,000 He's sitting there. 346 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:15,000 He's cured. 347 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:16,000 He's dressed. 348 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,000 He's thinking clearly for the first time in his life. 349 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:23,000 We still aren't told what his real name is, by the way, but 350 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,000 he knows now who he is. 351 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,000 He's reclaimed his identity. 352 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,000 He knows he's a child of God. 353 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:32,000 He knows he's beloved. 354 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,000 And do you remember that I said that all of our doing flows 355 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:38,000 from our being, and it's only when we know what our name is 356 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,000 that we know what our quest is. 357 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:41,000 It's interesting. 358 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,000 As soon as this guy is restored to his true identity, he's 359 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:48,000 ready to launch out on a mission, launch out on a quest. 360 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,000 Now his idea is he wants to follow Jesus around the 361 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,000 countryside and stay with him. 362 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,000 But Jesus has another quest for him. 363 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:55,000 Jesus says, go home. 364 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,000 Go to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done 365 00:21:58,000 --> 00:21:59,000 for you. 366 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,000 And so the man went away, we're told, and he began to tell how 367 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,000 much Jesus had done for him. 368 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,000 And all the people were amazed. 369 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:10,000 I can just imagine this guy walking back into his hometown 370 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:15,000 back into community, back into relationships, and telling the 371 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:20,000 story of how Jesus helped him find out who he truly is. 372 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,000 And I bet he began the story by saying, you know, the first 373 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:31,000 thing Jesus asked me was, what is your name? 374 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:33,000 What is your name? 375 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,000 Who are you? 376 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:39,000 Maybe all this talk kind of gets you muddled and confused. 377 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,000 Maybe you're not quite so sure who you really are. 378 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,000 Maybe you're a young person, like I said, and you're still 379 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,000 figuring out who you are. 380 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:49,000 Maybe you're older and yet somehow you forgot who you truly 381 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,000 were. 382 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,000 Maybe today you're in the midst of some kind of identity crisis. 383 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:54,000 I don't know. 384 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,000 Yes, of course, I know you know your name. 385 00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:00,000 Your name is Bula or Naomi or Zion or your name is Julie. 386 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,000 But who are you really? 387 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:04,000 Do you know? 388 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,000 It's always so sad and it's so painful when someone we love 389 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,000 forgets our name. 390 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:13,000 But what happens when you forget your own name? 391 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:17,000 When you forget who you are, you don't even know who you are. 392 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,000 It can be scary. 393 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,000 It can be disorienting. 394 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,000 It's an identity crisis. 395 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,000 Well, today I want to end with some good news, some good news. 396 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,000 And that is this. 397 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,000 If you want to know who you truly are, there is someone who 398 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,000 knows the answer. 399 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,000 In the Bible, we read this, God says, fear not, for I have 400 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:41,000 redeemed you and I have called you by, say it with me, name. 401 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,000 You are mine. 402 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:46,000 Or in the book of Jeremiah, God says, before I formed you in 403 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:50,000 the womb, I together knew you. 404 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,000 God knows your name. 405 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,000 God knows who you are. 406 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:58,000 Jesus knows your true identity even if you don't, which means 407 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,000 that the more you get to know Jesus, you don't just get to 408 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:07,000 know who he is, you get to know who you are too. 409 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:11,000 This fall, I want to invite all of you, especially our guests 410 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:16,000 and visitors, hey, join us at Trinity as we learn more about 411 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,000 this Jesus and in the process, we get to learn more about who 412 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,000 we are too. 413 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:25,000 Unlike the man in the story, we know that these kind of things 414 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:30,000 are best learned in community and in relationship. 415 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:37,000 Here at Trinity, we believe that we mermaid for each other. 416 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,000 And we would love to get to know your name. 417 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,000 We would love to get to know a bit more about you this fall 418 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:48,000 because it's only once we truly know who we are, only then can 419 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:52,000 we embrace that purpose, that mission, that quest that God has 420 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:53,000 for us. 421 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,000 And week by week, we really can go out those doors and do the 422 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,000 thing that God wants us to do. 423 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:04,000 But remember, all of our doing for God starts with our being 424 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,000 in God. 425 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,000 I'm going to leave you with this last little tidbit. 426 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,000 Jesus had a name too. 427 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,000 Do you know what Jesus' name means? 428 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:22,000 Jesus comes from a Hebrew name, Yeshua, meaning the Lord saves. 429 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:24,000 That is his name, Jesus. 430 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:29,000 That is his quest to save. 431 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,000 And he saves people like this man in this story. 432 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:36,000 And he still saves people like you and me today. 433 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:38,000 So thanks be to God. 434 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:39,000 Amen. 435 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,000 Thanks so much for listening to our sermon today. 436 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,000 And make sure to come back next week for another reflection on 437 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,000 one of Jesus' many questions that he asks. 438 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,000 If you liked what you heard, make sure to like and follow our 439 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:51,000 podcast. 440 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:54,000 And to learn more about who we are, please check out our 441 00:25:54,000 --> 00:26:00,000 Facebook page and visit us at www.trinitystreetsville.org. 442 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:04,000 Today's sermon was taken from the August 27, 2023 service at 443 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:21,000 Trinity Church, Streetsville in Mississauga, Ontario.