Sermons

Break Down Fear

Looking at the Gospel in different ways—different time—see different things.

We have another miracle.

Jesus exorcizes this group of demons from this troubled soul of Gerasene—who was creepy and ran around naked in a grave yard. People feared him.

He sends the demons into some pigs.

The pigs go over the steep ledge into a lake and were drowned

The swine herders got all up in arms and out of fear asked Jesus to leave.

The Gerasene that was with Jesus wanted to come with him.

But Jesus said no. Go home and declare how much God has done for you.

Fear is all over this story.

The people feared the creepy Gerasene

The demon/demons feared Jesus

The Swine herders feared Jesus and told the town folk.

The town folk were seized with fear and begged Jesus to leave

However the Gerasene –now clean cut and dressed—wants to be with Jesus!

People fear what they do not understand.

People also fear bad fortune—bad luck—the will of God—the fates—the powers that are greater or the powers that are unexplained.

In this story the swine herders assumed that the power of God is against them.

The power of God killed the pigs.

What else is he going to do now?

Is this an invasion from outer space!

But the Gerasene doesn’t fear. He knows that something good has happened to him

He knows that his life is changed for the better

So the battle lines are drawn.

Group #1

The Gerasene who was healed—who was aware of the power that healed him

He knows that someone will take care of him

He has no fear.

He believes that Jesus will take care of him.

Group #2

The townspeople and the swine herders they are sized with fear—for they believe the power of God is out to get them.

They hid in fear

I think when a faith is established—when the presence of Jesus is in our lives, fear looses it grip on us. We have something to combat our emotion of fear. We get to live. We get to continue to grow.

But if we do not have faith—if we have not experienced God, then we have nothing but to watch the power that are over us defeat us.

Film Clip

Signs

It is a rather simple theology. We could poke some holes in it if we want.

But it is amazing that the same simple point about fear is made.

Fear of God seems to change the disposition of people.

There either trust in God and think it will be al right—or they fear either no God or the unknown.

Are you in group one or in group two?

People all over the world choose fear—group number two!

People all over the world look at a situation—look at life—look at God and choose to fear the unknown.

Did you noticed how locked in fear they were as they watched the TV?

Fear locks us up.

Fear robs us of joy and hope.

If we have the basis belief that someone is looking our for us—that Jesus is with us—then it minimizes our natural tendency to fear. We can relax—we can rely on the safety and comfort of Jesus for us.

We can grow. We can live.

We can face anything—even things from outer space-- with a confidence that it is not the last battle. Because the last battle was already won by our savior Jesus Christ.

I don’t want to suggest that we are all live God no God/Fear no fear life.

In fact we all have degrees of fear.

We all have phobias.

Fear motivates us—we avoid things out of fear.

We do complete ends around out of fear.

We live our lives in a maze of actions that we take out of fear.

But we can overcome those fears or any fears with our faith which gives us hope, and hope makes us live.

We can live our lives on a road of faith instead of the maze of fear.

Jesus freed the Gerasene and set him on that road with hope and joy.

The townspeople and swine herders were lost in the maze in fear.

Can we join the Gerasene and have Jesus find us too?

Cpent042007 Outline

Theme: Fear stops us short

Looking at the gospel story different ways we see different things.

Miracle story

The Creepy Gerasene

Fear is all over this story.

People fear the Gerasene

However, the Gerasene all clean cut and dressed –wants to be with Jesus

People fear what we don’t understand

Bad fortune, bad luck, curses, the will of God, the fates, greater powers

Swine herders assumed that the power of God was against them.

The power of God killed the pigs

What else is going to happen—an invasion from outer space?

Gerasene doesn’t fear.

He knows something good happened to him.

He knows that his live was freed.

He has experienced the power of God so he has been freed of his fear.

So the line is drawn: Group 1: Gerasene

Jesus has taken care of him

Likes what God has done or can do with him

Experienced and recognized the power of God

Discerned God’s presence with him

Not fearful

Group #2: shine herders and townspeople

Like things the way they are--comfort

The power of God is against them

They hide

Seized with fear

When our faith is established, presence of Jesus in our lives – fear loses its grip on us

We have something to fight our fear off—reason with our emotion

We live—we continue to grow

Without faith—no experience of God –other powers will overcome up—we can only fear.

Signs

Simple theology

It is amazing that the same point of fear is made.

People either trust in a God and live or

People have no way to fight the outer forces.

Somehow trusting God changes the whole nature of people—they are comforted—they move on in hope rather then being frozen in fear.

We are all in group #1, I hope

But people all over the world choose group 2.

I think people choose fear because God is in their life but has not been shown to them.

They do not see God—Jesus—They do not see a friendly dominate force.

Did you notice how locked in fear the movie characters were as they sat on the couch?

Lack of God in our lives makes us fear. Fear locks us up.

Fear prevents us from living to the fullest.