The Son of Man Crushed the Prince of this World

We Are Set Free

It is easy, sometimes, to think of spiritual warfare as angels vs. demons. Or maybe as God battling the devil, with us as humans stuck somewhere in the middle. But this is not quite right. The real battle is between Satan and mankind. After all, what could a demon do to God? He is the Creator while they, as powerful as they are, are just a small bit of his creation.

Because of this battle between mankind and the devil, God took on a body and become human — we know him as Jesus — in order that we might win this war. And it’s a good thing he did, otherwise what chance would we stand? Satan is thousands of years old, cleverer than us, and a being that we can’t even hurt directly.

Just like the man who had demons, the victory is ours because Jesus, true Man and true God, came and won all the battles for us.

Thanks be to Christ!

Here is today’s sermon text from Luke 8:

²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” ²⁹ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) ³⁰ Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. ³¹ And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. ³² Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵ Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. ³⁶ And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. ³⁷ Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. ³⁸ The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹ “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Click here to open the bulletin in a new tab or scroll down to view it here.

Announcements

Potluck: We will host a summer potluck on Sunday, June 26th following the church service. Please bring a dish to share. All are welcome!

Bible Study: Our midweek Bible study meets on Wednesdays at 7 pm via Zoom and is covering the book of Revelation. Our Sunday morning class meets at 9:45 and is currently discussing the papacy.

Donations: Even during the pandemic and with a decline in attendance, the expenses still go on. If you wish to make a donation please mail them to the St. James post office box as that is a secure location. You may also donate online.

Prayer requests. Bring your prayer requests to Pastor Jenson, Deacon Poe, or Loyd Harris (bulletin typist). They will be printed in the bulletin and prayed in the Sunday service. The deadline is Tuesday. Remember to obtain permission if you are bringing a prayer request on behalf of another person.