Too close for comfort

I um I grew up going to church. My mom took me to church when I was a kid. Um and uh somewhere late in my my teenage years, I began to live a life that was not very interested in the things of God. And um and there were a lot of actions that were ungodly in my life.

And um and yet I still being a teenager in my mom's home had to continue to go to church. And uh I didn't like going to church. And one of the problems that I actually had with church is that it made me feel guilty. And I just didn't like it because I felt guilty. And so that really was something that just bugged me. And I felt um I I knew this voice in my life that I was not living in line with the way that God wanted me to live.

And I didn't want to hear that. I wanted to live my own life, my own way. And uh so I came up with this ploy. See, I I also because I was a lifeguard, I happened to work for a Methodist church who did this summer camp program. And it was a little small church in my town.

And um and I'd been there a few times because they had functions and they invite the the camp staff to come to a service where they'd present them and things like that. And uh and I made this ploy to my mom. Hey, I I want to stop going to church with you. I'm a teenager. I drive myself these days. I want to go to this other church. I mean, I work there. It makes sense for me to be there.

But the real reason that I wanted to go to that church was because it didn't make me uncomfortable. There was it was just an old traditional church. 

Nothing wrong with traditional churches. The spirit of God just wasn't there. At least I didn't sense it. Um everything just sort of seemed wrote and religious and dead. And it made me feel okay. I didn't feel convicted.

And so the whole ploy was I want to to leave uh the discomfort that I was feeling in my my mother's church and I wanted to find comfort with uh with my own kind of life and my own kind of living and not to have so it put some distance between me and God. I wanted to be comfortable living my life even if it meant removing a God who was making me uncomfortable with my life and my choices.

We all want comfort. We all want the good life. We want to live in such a way that that uh that we are happy that we find contentment that we find joy and peace and meaning and we don't want uncomfortable in our life.

But sometimes the things in life that are the best for us can make us uncomfortable. So, how do we find the good life? And often times as we're growing up, what we'll do is we will look around the world around us for that, to find the good life, to find the comfort and the joy, the meaning that we're looking for.

And as we look around the world, we find the things that other people look to to find those things. But the problem is is that in our world, it's rampant with depression and loneliness and anxiety and all sorts of other things that are going on in our culture that that people are running from one thing to the next thing trying to find that same meaning, that same contentment, that same comfort in their life, and they're not finding it.

And if we're just following what everybody else around us is doing in the world, it's like the blind leading the blind. So maybe we look within. What do I need? We try to listen to that voice deep within our heart. Follow your heart. Heart leads us astray. It's not bringing the answer or the contentment that we need.

It's really only if we look outside of oursel to God to find those things. Because some of the the best things in this life, the things that are the very best for us though make us uncomfortable.

One of the best things for me in that moment as a teenager would have been to stay with the uncomfortable church and to allow God's voice to correct some of the things, to rebuke some of the things in my life. Oh man, I wish I had listened to that voice and allowed it to humble me, to correct me, to change me, to shape me. it would have been the best thing for me.

And so in our same as for all of our lives that the best things sometimes are the things that make us uncomfortable, especially when they are the things of God because it has a way like a sponge of scrubbing against the impurities and the brokenness in our life so that it might heal and clean and restore us.

Well, Jesus is going to disrupt the comfort of a people here uh in this story in order to bring his liberation and life to the area or his desire to do so. And so, we're going to take a look at that. Today's scripture reading comes from Matthew chap 20 uh chapter 8. Matthew chapter 8 28 to 34. Matthew 8 28-34.

And it says, this being Jesus, and when he came to the other side to the country of the gatherines, two demon-possessed men met him coming out of the tombs so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, oh son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out and send us away into the herd of pigs, uh, send us into the herd of pigs." And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the pigs. And behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.

And the herdsmen fled. And going into the city, they told everything, especially what had happened to the two demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region. This is God's word.

Today, we're going to be looking at what I call too close for comfort. Jesus is going to be coming close to the people in this land and it's going to make pretty much everybody in this passage uncomfortable in some sort of way.

So, how is Jesus making the people in this passage uncomfortable? Let's just sort of walk through as we see this passage.

The first thing is is Jesus gets out of that boat. He gets out of the boat and who does he meet? Well, the these these demons and via the two demon-possessed men come and approach Jesus and say, "What are you doing here? Why are you here?" They're freaking out. They're filled with all sorts of terror because Jesus showing up on that store that that shore being the son of God and all of his power and authority and radiance and might and goodness that spells disaster for demonic forces.

They know it's bad fellowship. Light can have no fellowship with darkness. And this son of light who has set his feet on the shore terrifies the demons. They know this is not good. This could be the end for them. This is not a battle that they're going to win. And they should not find any sort of peace with an enemy of the satanic and demonic forces of the dark kingdom. Showing uh being present there is always going to find uncomfort uncomfort with Jesus.

um the demoniac himself who's not really playing a major role in this version in 

Matthew's version versus Mark or Luke uh comes down himself. We can presume that being possessed by demons that that the life that he had lived that had led to this bondage this spiritual and physical and demonic bondage in his life. Uh that he would not be a person who wanted to hear the voice of God in his life. Maybe somewhat like my teenage self who did not want to hear the voice of God. The demon-possessed man would be uncomfortable just like the demons with the presence of Jesus on that shore because that spells some sort of change or rebuke or judgment that's going to come into his life. And he's not comfortable with that. This doesn't look like good news.

And it's just a a reminder that you can live your life in such a way that things get distorted. You can look at evil and think it's okay. Maybe it's good. And you can look at what's good and you can begin to see it as evil. And if you continue down that trajectory long enough, then everything about truth, especially when you live false ways of living becomes distorted and the view of life all of a sudden becomes in such a way that you will look to the things of God and say, "This is not good. This looks bad. This looks evil. This looks like judgment. I have no interest having God come and speak into my life. I'm uncomfortable with that. And so I want to push him and keep him at bay in in my life."

And and maybe just as a side note, this is a a good reminder for all of us that, you know, in life, you need good voices. Good voices speaking truth to you.

Because if you're just going your own way or if you're just sort of looking within the crevices of your own heart to find truth or if you're looking at the culture around you to find that truth, you're not going to find it.

And if you're just sort of sitting with yourself, maybe with truth, things you kind of get in this echo chamber and things can kind of get off over time and your beliefs can get off. And and maybe because there's no other voices around you just speaking truth to you, you can even begin to believe lies. You can begin to live lies. You can begin to not allow the spirit of God to deal with the deep rest recesses of your heart. and how life can get distorted. You need good voices.

And thankfully, God has given us good voices. Number one, he's given us his word. And there's good life and truth in that. He's given us the body of Christ. You need other believers around you. You need to be in community so that you hear other people doing what? What the scriptures say? 

Admonishing, bearing one another's burdens, speaking truth. We sing these songs and we're proclaiming truths about God to one another. I stand up here, Derek, Ronnie, we stand up here and proclaim things. We sit in small groups and talk about the truths of God. You need those voices.

Otherwise, things get off. And you never know, over time, you can start to wander and then that roaring lion known as Satan is just waiting to pounce. And maybe you find yourself like the demoniac seeing God not as your friend, not as good, but an enemy.

The pig farmers certainly also would not have had uh uh a good feeling about Jesus being there. He was too close. Obviously, the close meant that they lost their uh their livelihood and uh the pigs all perish and die. Lots of ink has been spilled on what the meaning of all of that could be. Maybe the big takeaway is is just this. God knows what he's doing. He knows that story. Did they have some sort of covert covert uh black market bacon operation where they fed Jews? I don't know. But whatever it was, God knew and he was at work. And we just have to trust for that.

The town people also were not comfortable with this power. They weren't comfortable with Jesus on the shore. You know, they they had watched what had happened to the pigs. They come out of town and they see Jesus right here and they think, "This is not good. This is not okay." You know, and and somehow they have become so comfortable with the demoniac living out there on the outskirts of town. They'd worked out a comfortable arrangement. 

They're okay with it. That's great that you healed him, but the pigs are dead. And we don't know about all this power, but it looks suspect. And rather than investigating it, rather than probing it, they just want it gone. And they let fear or whatever that comes over them keep Jesus at bay in this case, which is the exact opposite of what so many people do.

So many people rush out of town to come and investigate Jesus and they see all this transformation happen. These people don't want that. They want Jesus to leave because he's making them and the situation around them uncomfortable in ways that they don't understand. And so instead of inquiring, it's just to send him away.

So the second thing that we want to look at here though is why is it uncomfortable to them? Why are they really uncomfortable deep down about all this? And and I actually want to even look at the demons. What is it? There seems to be obviousness about it, but I just want to poke at this for just a second. Why would the demoniac and the demons feel so uncomfortable?

Well, the demons are the ones that do the speaking here. So Jesus is ultimately what makes them uncomfortable is that the kingdom has come and it means the end of thrones and dominions. The kingdom of God has dawned in this time and in this place through the birth and now ministry of Jesus. And it will mean the end of thrones and dominions.

The demons here recognize something is up. You know, they they turn and say, "What do you have to do with us? What do you have to do with us?" Like, it's you're here before the time. Why are you in this place before the time? And they're they're they're starting to to ask, "Why are you here? Are you here for us?"

But, you know, one of the things is is Jesus isn't really here for them. Now, he he deals with the enemy and with the darkness, but the big thing that he's after, the reason he came after that shore, it's for the man. It's for the demoniac. It's for this person because that is what God is ultimately about. He's in an operation of rescue. Yeah, it means defeating the enemy and the demonic forces, but God's love is driving him always to the people, to his people, to seeking and saving that which is lost.

And across the shore in this lake in Israel is a man who has suffered and been in bondage a long time. And it is time for the light of God, the deliverance of God, the salvation of God to come. He's come for this man.

And it's just a reminder in that same way the heart. I hope you can see the heart of God in this. His desire to step even into uncomfortable places maybe even we would be uncomfortable with to bring light to bring salvation. And maybe one of even the calls as a side note for us would be the willingness to come into the dark and uncomfortable places of people's lives just with love, just with God's love, just with relationship, just with light, and to let the spirit of God just direct us gently, wisely, if we'll just be willing to be open that way.

But, you know, one of the other things they say is they say, "Why are you here? Why are you here?" Right? It says, you know, "Why are you here?" And we could think it's not that Jesus showed up on the shore and they're they're confused. They're like, "I thought you were just going to stay on that side of the lake." You know, Bible commentators look at that and they said, "No, there's a there's a sense of the time is out there and yet you are here."

So, the demons understand that there is a day of the Lord. There is a coming day. And somehow they know it's before that appointed time. And the Old Testament is taught like there's a day when God will come with his salvation, but also his judgment. And it will mean the end of all things for demonic and satanic forces.

But that's then you're here now. And one of the great mysteries of God is at work right now in this place. Because what we didn't see and probably what they didn't seem to understand is that if God just came once, we're all doomed. There will be no salvation, just judgment.

So God came early. He showed up early. He came in the form of a baby. Why? For the plan of salvation to come to create a pathway that that by grace through faith, you could find redemption and forgiveness and deliverance. And through the ministry of Jesus early coming before now, the kingdom of God begins to dawn here on earth. And he begins to heal. He begins to cast out demons. He's giving everyone a glimpse into what that day will look like. It's not here fully yet, but it is here in a small now sense. It's now and not yet.

And Jesus's ministry is confounding in some ways to these demons. What are you doing here now at this place? Have you come early or something? Did you not check the time?

This is the salvation of God coming to create a pathway that we could not see that they couldn't see. Salvation and it's it means the end has already come for them. It's not them that it's going to end. It's already coming now and already through the ministry of the Jesus and through the ministry of the church person by person where the gospel is preached where people are prayed for where bondage is broken where marriages are restored where people of addictions like my own life are freed.

The kingdom of God penetrates those places. Salvation takes its reign. God takes his reign in those places. Hearts turn to him. Their thrones are laid down. And the enemy's grip on this world begins to loosen.

That's what's happening now here in this place.

Maybe something about how they are so comfortable in their own life and with the way that things are working that whatever Jesus is doing it is disrupting the flow and the norm of whatever they have become comfortable with and that messes with them and that may mean even for them like the demonic forces the end of the throne of comfort in their own lives their own way of living whatever they are you know comfortable because they know whatever this means it means is I'm going to have to listen to it and bow to it. It may change me. It may shape me. Whatever it is, I'm uncomfortable with it. And so it is.

I mean, if you think about this, we do this in our own life. We can be so comfortable. The money's good. The kids are fine. Marriage is okay. Everything's all right. We're happy. We're comfortable and I don't need God. I don't need him. I'm fine.

And then what happens? Marriage gets rocky. You lose that job. Things you maybe some depression going on in life, whatever it is. And what do we do? We start looking for answers. And people look around. And some people, they look for God. They look for spiritual answers to these things. And they come to God. They're like, I need I need a fix. I need some I need I need some help. Right? I'm going to start going to church and I'm going to start praying. Come on, God.

And they find that deliverance in their life. God begins to change and heal and restore. But God's never a one and done. He moves closer because the cancer of sin in our life is deep down and integrated into our core. And as he moves closer and he asks us to lay the idols down, to give things up, to surrender, at some point we go, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're getting too close. I liked the healing. I appreciate that. I don't need all this, though. This messing with my throne, my comfort, my way of living. I just want the healing. But don't get too close. Don't get too personal."

And so what we do is we wind up retaining our own throne, our own sort of little mini throne. Yeah, I'm giving God his thing and he's got his throne and I bow to it, but I just still have a little bit of a throne in my own life that I don't want to submit. And that's the thing that we can often do is we can become so comfortable with God and his power. We just don't want him too close and we will begin to reject that because the power of the kingdom, it rearranges your life.

So what do these people lose? What do they lose in turning Jesus away? I thought about that this week and one of the big things that I mean we we can just gloss over so quickly. The demons get it. They understand the son of God of the universe, salvation, the author of life, the great I am has set his feet on our shore. I mean the demons, that's why they're terrified.

And it's unfortunate that the town's people cannot recognize like who he is. This is one that has power over demonic forces. This is the one who is good. This is the author of life. If you could drive out demonic forces, you're the author of life and light. There's something good, not something evil about this guy. They don't even investigate. They don't come to ask or to hear his words. They're just fearful. They've already presumed things. Maybe judgment's coming. Maybe change is coming. Whatever it is, I don't know. I'm afraid of it. 

And I don't want to even investigate it. I just want it gone. And they miss out.

They miss out. And how often in our life we can fail to recognize Jesus, the author of life, as he comes close in. We can sort of distort that view as he comes and begins to ask us to lay things down and go, "Wait a minute. He's not something…" you know, we forget who he is. He's good. He knows what's best. And we go, "You don't know what's best. I know what's best. I don't want to give that up. I'm comfortable with this. It's hard. It's too hard. You're asking for too much of me." You've forgotten who he is. He deserves everything being handed over to him.

And the thing is is if we will trust him, if we will see him for who he really is, then maybe we would just have enough trust in our own hearts and lives when he convicts to let go of those things instead of rationalizing it or filling our life with so much busyness or distracting ourselves with different things that we don't hear his voice. Maybe we just need to create pockets. There's no maybe. We need to create space in our life to allow the spirit of God to probe, to speak to us, to deal with us. Because somewhere deep in there, there is things that he wants to deal with. And if we don't, we don't know who we've rejected.

He has good plans for you. He wants to work good. He's not for your demise or your destruction, for your deliverance. Will you trust Jesus in this? And the sad thing is here is what do we see? They turn Jesus away.

What do they miss? What happens when Jesus shows up in regions and places in different places in his ministry? Think about it. The forgiveness of sin. Son, your sins are forgiven. The eyes of the blind opened. The lame get up and walk. Think about like the tears of joy that took places on the shores of different places where Jesus showed up and began to minister. Think about the people who were delivered from sin and bondage and demonic oppression like these two men and like the joy that they felt.

And this town doesn't experience any of that. They miss it. And it's one of the most anticlimactic stories ever. Here's Jesus with all of his power, great salvation. Here it's come. It dawns upon the kingdom and it dawns upon this land. And we just tell him to go away. We're not comfortable with him here. And these people miss Jesus. They want to be alone. So God leaves them alone because he doesn't force his way into our life. He asks, he steps in. He moves our heart. He convicts. And then we need to decide. Am I going to keep letting him in or I'm going to keep him at bay?

The people thought in this passage that by sending Jesus away, they were protecting their lives. They were preserving something, their own comfort, but they really actually wound up sending them away to their own detriment. What a loss.

So, where does that leave us? Where does that leave us as we consider this passage and the people that were uncomfortable with Jesus and so they didn't let him get close? If Jesus shows up on the shore of your life and he begins to probe, will you allow him? Like I said, there's so many places in our heart, these crevices and areas. And if you ever think you've arrived, you've handed over enough to God, you've let him deal with enough, you're good enough, you're sanctified enough, you're holy enough, you've got it down, you believe a lie. Your heart is always prone to idols.

There are pockets of pride or greed or lust or all sorts of ways of false thinking that are wired deep within our nature. And so Jesus will come into those crevices and cracks in your life and he'll say, "Will you let me be Lord here? Will you surrender that here? I have the right."

Now we all know this. I don't want to lay that down. You don't know what they did to me. I don't want to give that up. They deserve this. You don't know how much I've already done. Jesus, come on.

And so often we begin to put Jesus at bay. But for our good and our healing, he wants to step in closer because he's a personal God. Because he loves you. He loves us. And if you can really see Jesus for who he is, your healer, your deliverer, the author of life, if you can really trust that and allow, okay, I'm going to give it up, it's actually going to birth the most good, hasn't it already?

Every time you've laid down some facade or some sin or some rebellion in your heart, hasn't it always led to more life, more experience of his presence? because that's the goal, to experience the fullness of joy in him, to glorify him, to live our lives in alignment with him. And you can't do that if you keep setting up thrones that blockade him from coming close into your life.

So when he shows up on the shore, when he starts to come inland into your heart, will you allow him to come in? Or will that uncomfortableness, that meaning that you have to lay your own throne down make you reject him? God is working to make you into a masterpiece. His masterpiece. He wants you to experience all of the good things that he has for you. All the plans. He's got to remodel us. And we don't always like the change, the correction, the adjustments, the reforming and renewing of our life. But he's sculpting something.

So the question is is will we turn him away or will we let him in? The people in this story, they didn't reject Jesus because he lacked power. They recognized that. They rejected him because his power was getting too close to the things that they did not want to change. And so, they sent away more than what they knew. And it's a shame.

Will the same be true of you and I? And maybe just a second as we pray here at the end, as we close, just I talked about space. I talked about creating space. Well, it can't happen just here on a Sunday morning. You got to create that space. But maybe just for a moment, let's just pray together. I'm going to give you just a second. Just take inventory. Just allow the spirit of God to probe your heart. Just ask him, Lord, is there something?

Let's pray.