Luke chapter 8. Luke chapter 8, starting verse
26. And go to verse 40. Luke chapter 8, starting verse
26. And they, that is Christ and
His disciples, arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which
is over against Galilee. And when He went forth to land,
there met Him out of the city a certain man, which had devils
long time, and wore no clothes, neither abode in any house but
in the tombs. And when he saw Jesus, he cried
out and fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, What
have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. For he had commanded the unclean
spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught
him, and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters, and he
broke the bands and was driven of the devil into the wilderness. And Jesus asked him, saying,
what is thy name? And he said, Legion, because
many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that
he would not command them to go out into the deep. And there
was a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain. And they besought
him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered
them. And when the devils, and went
the devils out of the man and entered into the swine and the
herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake and were
choked. When they that fed them saw what
was done, they fled and went and told it in the city and in
the country. Then they went out to see what
was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the
devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed,
and in his right mind, and they were afraid. They also which
saw it told them by what means he was possessed of the devils
was healed. Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadareans
round about besought him, that is Christ, to depart from them,
for they were taken with great fear, and he went up into the
ship and returned back again. Now the man, out of whom the
devils were departed, besought Christ that he might be with
him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,
Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath
done unto thee. And he went his way, and published
throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto
him. And it came to pass that when
Jesus was returned, the people gladly received Him, for they
were all waiting for Him." Now, there are many, many lessons
found within this passage before us. However, I want to zero in
on verse 35 and the one phrase, they came out to see what was
done, and when they saw the man, they found him sitting at the
feet of Jesus. That's what I want to look at.
Sitting. They found Him, whom the devils
possessed. Now this is a picture of salvation.
Probably the truth be told, there's more truth to this in salvation
as it happens to us. We don't like to think we're
possessed by devils, but if we don't, we're born in sin, that's
enough, as we heard this morning in Bible class. But I'm sure
there are devils within us and sometimes we are unaware of their
presence. But I would say to all of us
here this morning, if we could duplicate, if we could duplicate
this man's attitude and posture by God's rich free grace and
the Holy Spirit enabling, that that would be a good thing. If
everyone here today would be found spiritually, not literally,
at the feet of Christ. Because having devils cast out
of Him, saving grace applied. But I want to look at a couple
things. I believe this man's place, his position, and his
attitude shows us several things. It shows a place of nearness,
it shows a place of safety, and it shows a place of instruction
and learning, first and foremost. First, look at the passage again,
verse 35 in the middle. The devils were departed from
him, and he's sitting at the feet of Christ. He's clothed. He didn't have clothes before.
Now he's got, spiritually speaking, he's clothed in the righteousness
of Christ, and he's in his right mind. So even though your neighbors
and friends say you're out of your mind by your fanaticism
towards the gospel, they're the ones that are out of their mind.
But not the believer. When we fell in Adam, we lost
our mind. We lost our sanity. This is a
place. This man is sitting at the feet
of Christ. First of all, it's a place of
nearness. Look at verse 38. Now the man out of whom the devils
were departed besought Christ that he might be with them. He
wants to just be by his Redeemer. He wants to be by his Savior.
This at least pictures salvation. Obviously we've seen this before
in casting these devils out. But the sinner longs to stay
with his benefactor. Love longs to commune with its
object. Love longs to commune with its
object. We sing a hymn. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer
to Thee, Even though it be a cross that raises me, still all my
song shall be nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer, my God, to Thee,
nearer to Thee." That's what every believer, when He redeems
us, when He calls us, when He quickens us, we desire to duplicate
this man's attitude and posture. It's a place of nearness. We
sense a privilege, an obligation to the Son of God for all He
has done for our souls. We desire to be near Him. Secondly,
it's a place of safety. A place of safety. Who else could
or would afford such cover for our heads, for our souls, such
security, such a defense as Emmanuel? Only He can redeem us. Only He
can call us. Only He can quicken us. This
man, no doubt, dreaded the possible return of the devils. I'm sure
he dreaded the return of these demons. And therefore, he would
sit at the Master's feet. He would sit at the Master's
feet. We also sing, Jesus, lover of my soul, Let me to Thy bosom
fly, while the near waters roll, while the tempest still is high. Cover my defenseless head with
the shadow of Thy wing." That's where we want to be. When things
get tough, difficult, you want to be by someone who you love.
Someone who cares for you. And there's no one that loves
as Christ. The third thought, this place
that this man sat at the feet of Christ, it was a place of
instruction and learning. This pose that he showed is one
of a student, a learner. We see this in Deuteronomy 33,
Moses and Horeb speaking to the people, they sat at his feet.
Luke chapter 10, Mary and our Lord, she was at the feet of
Christ. Acts chapter 22, Paul sat at the feet of Gamaliel.
This custom is an Eastern custom, where this would show reverence
and submission to the greater. The lesser would sit at the feet
of the greater. This shows submission. It shows
reverence. And to be sure, a greater than
Solomon is standing before this center at this instant, this
example. Oh, to take notice of our kinsman
and redeemer, and sit at his feet. Everyone here today sit
at his feet in humility to learn, to obey, for safety, for comfort,
for communion and worship. This man, possessed by the devils,
sat at the feet of Christ. Now, how can we do so today? How can we do so today? Christ
is not here physically. Well, I believe by gathering
together. By gathering together. by heeding the Word spoken, by
repenting and believing upon Him. We can come spiritually
to sit at His feet by listening to His teachings, by prayer,
song, and sweet fellowship with His dear people. You're not going
to get this out in the world. You're not going to get this
out in the world. But you get it here. I pray you get it here. Get it from one another. Let
us also learn of Him who is meek and lowly of heart." In this
man, his posture, his position, we also observe the character
or attributes of Christ. Didn't He just sovereignly cast
out many demons? He spoke and they were cast out. Let us sit and learn who God
is in the face of Jesus Christ. This one-of-a-kind tutor sheds
light on his very nature, his very character, and his very
attributes. As I said, he sovereignly, easily
cast out these demons. How far did the Queen of Sheba?
come to hear of the excellencies of King Solomon. And this is, we said it, greater
than Solomon is here. Yet never a man spake like this
man Christ, never a man taught the grace of God like this man,
never did a man live, die, and rise again, and because he lives,
we shall live. This is the things we learn when
we sit at the feet of Christ. We're not always yakking, always
talking. It's today's world. And I'm sure it was when I was
younger. Just talk, talk, talk. Talk. All fullness of the Godhead
dwells in Him bodily, says Colossians. Isn't He the greatest tutor? Do we need instruction of a high
priest? He is our high priest. What about
a prophet? Deuteronomy says He's that prophet.
What about a king? We need a king to listen and
proclaim to us that we're free. And no more penalty of sin that
will be attached to us. He is the King of kings. So whether
He's king, prophet, or priest, He's all of these. This One who
is standing and speaking, and this One, like I pray us this
morning, are sitting at His feet. Sitting at His feet. Secondly,
observe this in this One, who is speaking, we observe his ability
and his accomplishments. Other instructors may be wrong
in their deductions, and they can only teach without the capacity
to perform. I'm not picking on teachers,
but... If I go back and list the teachers
I had, you've got some, they were great teachers. They could
put anything on that blackboard, whatever, and then, can you do
this? Did you actually do that? Well, no. I'm teaching it. I didn't do it. But of our Lord,
it is said, in Him are hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2 verse 3. And He competently fulfilled
and satisfied all those things which we failed or could not
fulfill. So learn of Him. Sit and learn
of Him. He knows everything and He knows
everything perfectly. He executed totally and without
error every jot and tittle that the Father laid down for Him
in order to be both just and justifier of his church or his
bride. Scripture says heaven and earth
may pass away, but his word shall not pass away. And teachers are
about words. His word shall not pass away.
Therefore, sit at his feet. Thirdly, observe Christ's manner
of kindness or pity. Many a teacher or tutor does
not possess the kindness, meekness, or tenderness to instruct." I
found this, I talked to them a little and I said, did you
have mean teachers? Did you have harsh teachers? Yes. You wonder,
you know, they talk about a career, it's a job. A lot of athletic teachers are
this way. They like to holler and shout.
And they think because they can holler and shout, they're going
to be heard. They can be harsh or mean, and
thusly they intimidate or scare their pupils. Linda's told me
instances many times, teachers have to say, now there's no wrong
question, and then you ask a question, and then they make you feel like
an idiot. And I'm sure it still goes on today. Yes, our God is
sovereign, but He is full of mercy and grace. He is the Father
to the fatherless. He is a shelter in the storm,
a good shepherd to the wayward, a benevolent and healing balm
to the wounded and the sick. He stoops to teach. A smoking flax He will not quench,
nor a bruised reed He will not break. He is the ultimate Teacher. May we sit and learn of Him. His condescension equals His
greatness. Let me say that again. His condescension
equals His greatness. I had some excellent teachers. They commanded respect. They
didn't have to shout. They didn't have to raise their
voice. And they were tender. They were
tender. Fourthly, we notice in this man's
posture and this teacher, the power of his directives, what
I mean by that is others may teach, but cannot place what
they said in the heart. Right? When we teach, when we
teach our children, you can teach them, you can teach them, but
you can't change their nature. You can't do that. Now, I know
Armenians think they can, But God deals with the heart. Not
only does He teach with the assistance of the Holy Spirit of grace,
He can open the heart to receive all manner of grace. Only He
can do that. We can only reach the ears. Us
preachers can only reach the ears. He can penetrate the heart,
change it to flesh, remove that stony heart, He only can create
a new creature that has a heart that beats and pants after righteousness. To know Him is to know of God
and ourself and sin and the Savior. To be taught by Him is true wisdom
the world knows nothing about. The world knows nothing about.
We were talking about depravity and back there and I got thinking
this world You talk about Adam's original sin? They don't know
what you're talking about. What do you mean, I fell on Adam?
I like what Henry said years ago, I'm not going to take that.
I'm not going to take that. Well, if you don't take that,
you're not going to take what happened at Calvary. You weren't
there either. He teaches us to, as he says,
this is a direct quote, teaching us to deny ungodliness, worldly
lust, and to live soberly, righteously and godly in the present world,
Titus chapter 2. That's what He teaches. Not about
self, not about us, what we can get, what we can do, all these
different things. But He teaches us. Are we willing,
because He makes us willing in the day of His power, are we
willing to be taught by Him? Are we willing to Take in the
world because we live in this world. Don't be monastery. No,
we live the world. We're not of the world. There's
a big difference. So we go and do our things and
be ourselves or whatever, but learn of Him. Learn of Him. I
ask you and I ask myself, how long will we come here in this
place and listen and then get up and go and never truly sit
at the feet of Christ. Never sit at the feet of Christ.
Perhaps today is the day of salvation. Or perhaps, as we heard before,
that He's piped and played to us and we won't dance, Matthew
11. We're not dancing here, but I'm piping and playing. The Gospel's
being heard, the Gospel's being taught, the Gospel's being sung. Do we not observe the cities
of Sodom and Gomorrah? Hear the wailings and the cries?
These are those who refuse to sit on the feet of Christ, to
hear His Gospel, to pay heed. This scares me here. Could this
be said of us? O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Now that
killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee,
how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as
a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not. You would not. We don't, one
thing about this life is we don't know if we've got tomorrow. We
don't know if we've got tomorrow at all. The obituaries are full
of people from ages 20 and younger. May our Lord show Himself kind
and gracious unto us as He's allowed this church to be here.
He's allowed this church to go through trials and still He's allowed us to stand. It's
to stand for Him. Speak of Him. May we not be found playing games
with Him or His Gospel, but may He show us personally that He
is merciful and He's gracious. And may we come to Him and sit
at His feet. May God be the glory. Bruce,
would you close us?