ResponsiveReiding

From the Tyranny of the Urgent to the Eternally Important

Matthew 8:28–34

AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

In 1984 Charles Hummel, published an intriguing book, “The Tyranny of the Urgent.”

His premise was simple, sometimes, because some things seem to scream for our immediate attention, we are unable to pay attention to the things that are really more important.

In the book he writes: “Several years ago an experienced cotton mill manager said to me, “Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important.” He didn’t realize how hard his maxim hit. It often returns to haunt and rebuke me by raising the critical problem of priorities.”

It is the line about “letting the urgent things crowd out the important” that caught my eye.

He’s right.

It is a critical problem of priorities. How to assign things their proper priority so that we do not end up only dealing with things that scream for attention – when in fact, on the grand scale, they are not nearly as important as others things.

One person who understood this well made a sign that pushes back a bit: “Attention: A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.”

The Bible has a classic example of that in Luke 10. You are all familiar with it no doubt: Luke 10:38–42 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴² but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Martha was “distracted” by the urgency of seeing a meal was well prepared and hospitality carried out.

But at that moment – God in human flesh was sitting in her living room.

And if there was anything MORE important, it was hearing what He had to say.

Mary got it. She knew Jesus would willingly wait for His sandwich after His teaching was over – but her soul could not wait to hear what He had to say.

Not everything that presents itself as urgent, is necessarily important.

Temptation to sin – Fear, Lust, Greed, Anger, Pride – whatever – always knocks on the door of our heart with urgency: ANSWER NOW OR LOSE SOMETHING OF GREAT IMPORTANCE!

But everything that is truly important, also brings some urgency with it.

Sorting out the difference has a massive impact on how we live and deal with temptation.

What in the world does that have to do with our text today?

Just this – neither the demons Jesus encountered in this account, nor the people in the village nearby had any sense of how to judge what this moment in time really meant – because they were so wrapped up in their own plans, purposes and desires.

What was urgent to them, was not that which was of the greatest importance.

And what was truly of greatest importance, seemed to have no urgency in their minds.

Such is the twist in our thinking that sin has brought about in us.

So God was with them – and the result of failing to reckon with the fact God was with them – right then – ended in disaster.

And I want everyone within the sound of my voice today, to be able to reckon with what is truly important AND urgent in this regard –  right now.

I want you to be able to take full advantage of it to your eternal good, and NOT to your eternal destruction.

 

There is no question this passage is rife with material that makes it quite enigmatic.

Jesus seems to go out of His way just to get to this place.

No sooner does He step foot on shore than He is met with 2 men the text says were “demon-possessed.”

Yes, the Bible attests to the reality of demonic spirits – beings who were originally created as angels – what Hebrews 1:14 calls “ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who are to inherit salvation”.

In other places in Scripture we find that a number of these angels rebelled against God, and 2 Peter 2:4 notes: “God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.”

We don’t have time to explore that topic in depth this morning – but note simply that the Bible says this is a reality, and that some people, can give themselves over to the influence of these fallen beings, to the degree that they are “possessed” – or as the Greek has it: δαιμονίζομαι – demonized.

Mark’s account of this same event teases out the horrifying condition of one in this state:

In this state – as these 2 were, one is completely given over to sin so as to have it dominate the life fully and so as to crowd out even normal routines of living. This man had:

 

Mark 5:2–5 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. ³ He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, ⁴ for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. ⁵ Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

1. He had an unclean spirit. His fallen condition was not left to itself, but was energized above and beyond the norm so as to totally characterize him.

2. He lived among the tombs. He dwells and is fixated upon the macabre. Life does not interest him, only death. Decay and solitariness fascinate to the point of dominion.

3. He had no normal restraints. Conscience was not binding. Law was not binding. Love was not binding. No outward human structures had any effect upon him.

4. He was in constant inner pain and turmoil. Literally, his soul howled in its bondage. He could not divest himself of his uncleanness, and mourned the same lack of feeling he delighted in when harming others.

In any event these two met Jesus and cried out: Matthew 8:29 “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

And this, as Luke notes, was because the moment Jesus saw these 2, He began commanding the devil to come out of him.

So 30-31 tell us that this herd of pigs was close by, and the demons asked to be given permission to go into them.

32 And when Jesus said “Go!” – the pigs ran down into the water and drowned.

33-34 So the herdsmen who saw this, went and told those in the town what happened – ostensibly the owners of the pigs.

And the Townspeople came out and asked Jesus to leave them.

 

Three observations and applications:

 

1. Everyone has an innate sense that a day of judgement is ahead of us.

As much as many want to try to avoid the thought, the reality that a final day of reckoning is coming is the stated Biblical reality of life in God’s Kingdom.

The devils knew it.

Literature is filled with people wrestling with the fact.

Everyone – deep down knows that if there is anything called justice at all in the universe – the good and bad in this world must be judged. And the Bible proclaims this repeatedly.

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

Romans 2:6 He will render to each one according to his works:

Romans 14:12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

And each will either stand cleansed from sin in the blood of God’s Lamb – Jesus Christ, or be condemned in their sin and perish in a Christ-less eternity.

Here is an issue of both the utmost importance AND urgency.

 

2. We have no idea how amazing this present day of grace is.

The wording right here is really important to see.

Matthew 8:31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.”

And Jesus responds: “Go.”

They asked permission, and He gave it!

The time of final judgement had not come.

Whatever the final disposition of these demonic entities, while they know they are already cast down and awaiting an end – it is not yet.

Note then how great is this day of grace in which we live.

What or who is more despicable and liable to judgment than the very demons of Hell.

Yet the day of judgment has not yet come.

And so even they find temporary reprieve from their immediately just due.

That is where you and I stand today – in the day of Grace, in the day of temporary reprieve.

A day when we can still hear the Gospel and believe – repent, turn from our sin and self-government and flee to Jesus for forgiveness.

And if they – the demons – found Christ so willing to stay His hand in their case, then how much more those made in the image of God, yet still bound in their sins?

There is grace to be had!

Today!

For every sinner within the sound of my voice.

This is the moment as well, for Christians who have too long played with hidden sins – like the Jews with their pigs… you have one last time to repent this morning. Don’t let the moment go!

The townspeople at the end of this said don’t bother us with these things now – go away.

And perhaps the most tragic words in all the Bible are then written: in 9:1 – And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.

He did just what they asked the way He did the demons.

And this is the moment for you who are still outside of Christ –

The hand of The Lord has been withheld by grace.

Judgement hasn’t yet been poured out.

But it is coming!

All who hear may come now, still.

But – and this is where the vast and eternal importance of the Gospel finds itself welded to the urgency of the hour – the day will come when such hope is withdrawn.

Unbeliever listen to me: you need to hear and respond in this extraordinary season of the Gospel.

Before it is too late.

Don’t worry that you are too far gone in your sin to be recovered and made His – beyond forgiveness.

The blood of Christ is sufficient for any and all sin.

If He will grant permission to the very demons of Hell before the Day of Judgement – how much more compassionate will He be to those made in His image?

Forsake your sin now.

Leave your self-will and self-government and self-righteousness behind – and run to Christ!

There is a fountain – filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel’s veins

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

Lose ALL their guilty stains.

Jesus Christ will save you from your sin and His just wrath that you deserve for rebelling against His right of Lordship over your life – and He calls you now – while it is today – to come and be made new.

 

3. Some will reject God’s deliverance because they believe the cost is too great.

While it is true that there were many Gentiles living in this area at this time – nevertheless, this was Jewish soil.

According to Jewish Law, it was not permitted for Jews to herd and traffic in swine as they were unclean animals.

But here was this herd of 2000. Something the Jews should never have had – in direct defiance to God’s expressed will.

But the cost of seeing these two men delivered from the bondage to demons was too steep for them.

It would cost them the perceived benefits of their sin.

1000 unclean pigs per person was too much to pay for the souls of men to be freed from demonic oppression.

The Bible is clear – we should all know the cost of following Jesus before we profess to do so.

It WILL cost us something.

It will cost us a life surrendered to God’s Will – above our own.

It will cost us our sins and the temporary and defiling pleasure we take in them.

So – how much is your soul worth?

A few more fleeting moments of the pleasures of sin?

A few more pigs?

Is that all?

Don’t be fooled by the urgency of your sinful desires – yielding to them is not important – hearing and yielding to the call of the Gospel is infinitely important – and in this moment – all encompassingly urgent.

Let’s pray.

ANCHORING THE SOUL

PROVERBS 3:5, 6

THE AUDIO FOR THIS SERMON CAN BE FOUND HERE

Proverbs 3:5–6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

 

A WORD OF EXHORTATION – Trust in the Lord with all your heart

A WORD OF WARNING – And do not lean on your own understanding

A WORD OF COUNSEL – In all your ways acknowledge Him

A WORD OF PROMISE – And He will make your paths straight

 

1. A WORD OF EXHORTATION / Trust in the Lord with all your heart – Trusting in the trustworthy One

2 Things.

1. NOTICE 1^st, In the text we are being asked to trust someONE, not to simply have blind faith or trust in trust.

Nothing strikes more directly at the heart of saving faith than this statement.

This is neither naked nor religious optimism.

It is not the bare hope that everything will just turn out OK.

It is a personal trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ at Calvary.

Trust in WHO He is.

Trust in His atoning sacrifice.

Trust in His Word and Promises.

Trust in God’s own character.

You can believe every word of the Creed we just recited is true…

You can believe every word of the Bible is true…

And still perish in a Christ-less eternity.

For it is not merely that we give mental assent to the truthfulness of these things – this, the Devil and all the demons in Hell can and do –

It is believing that Christ died for our sins…

And then actually and personally turning away from every other hope in religion, goodness, works, doctrine or anything else – and resting your entire hope on His sacrifice as in your stead.

When Jerry Bridges was here for our conference, I asked him what he thought was the biggest change he’d seen in evangelism on college campuses? : “We’ve stopped asking people if they are Christians or even Believers, we now ask: Is Jesus Christ your sin-bearer?”

And this is the question before every one of us this morning: Is Jesus your sin-bearer?

For if you cannot answer that in all honesty and reality – you are not yet a Christian no matter what you may profess, or hold to be true.

And the rest of this passage is of no use to you.

Personal Trust in the Person and Cross-work of Jesus Christ.

Nothing else is saving faith.

We must trust in the LORD with all our hearts.

 

2. 2ndly implicit in this exhortation is: THAT WE NEED TO KNOW THE ONE WE ARE BEING ASKED TO TRUST.

You cannot truly trust anyone you do not know.

And our trust must be in the Christ of the Bible, and not an imaginary one or a fake one.

If you were to need an operation, you’d want a real surgeon to do it, and not someone who plays a surgeon on TV.

And so it is vital that we put our trust in the REAL Christ, the Jesus of the Bible, and not the Jesus fabricated by false religions, cults OR, our own imaginations.

 

The Jesus Christ of Mormonism for instance is the spirit brother of Satan – and was a man who became a god even as God the Father was once a man and became a god.

That is an abominable and soul damning invention.

The Jesus of Jehovah’s Witnesses is an angel – the Archangel Michael and not God. A kind of secondary divine being.

The Jesus of Christian Science is just a man who demonstrated what they call the “Christ ideal.”

In Scientology Jesus is just a human teacher who realized his potential.

In Islam he was merely one of the prophets, and superseded by Mohammed

And in Baha’ism  He’s just one more manifestation of God  but not God.

John Owen: But the ancient Christians told [others] the truth,—namely, that “as they had feigned unto themselves an imaginary Christ, so they should have an imaginary salvation only.”^[1]

The one we are to trust in with all our hearts – must be the Lord Jesus Christ of the Bible if we are to have a true salvation, and true help in our time of need.

Running to the wrong Jesus is as helpful as a wrist watch tattoo.

It may have the appearance of the real – but in the end, it is an utter fake.

The Jesus we need is the Jesus of the Bible – so magnificently above all the fakes as the heavens are above the earth.

Listen to how old John Flavel writes of the Biblical Christ: We ought dwell often on the glories of His divine nature.

“It is a special consideration to enhance the love of God in giving Christ, that in giving him he gave the richest jewel in his cabinet; a mercy of the greatest worthy, and most inestimable value, Heaven itself is not so valuable and precious as Christ is: He is the better half of heaven; and so the saints account him, Psal. 73:25. “Whom have I in heaven but thee?” Ten thousand thousand worlds, saith one,* as many worlds as angels can number, and then as a new world of angels can multiply, would not all be the bulk of a balance, to weigh Christ’s excellency, love, and sweetness. O what a fair One! what an only One! what an excellent, lovely, ravishing One, is Christ! Put the beauty of ten thousand paradises, like the garden of Eden, into one; put all trees, all flowers, all smells, all colours, all tastes, all joys, all sweetness, all loveliness in one; O what a fair and excellent thing would that be? And yet it should be less to that fair and dearest well-beloved Christ, than one drop of rain to the whole seas, rivers, lakes, and fountains of ten thousand earths. Christ is heaven’s wonder, and earth’s wonder.

Now, for God to bestow the mercy of mercies, the most precious thing in heaven or earth, upon poor sinners; and, as great, as lovely, as excellent as his Son was, yet not to account him too good to bestow upon us, what manner of love is this!

(4.) Once more, let it be considered on whom the Lord bestowed his Son: upon angels? No, but upon men. Upon man his friend? No, but upon his enemies. This is love; and on this consideration the apostle lays a mighty weight, in Rom. 5:8, 9, 10. “But God (saith he) commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,—When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.” Who would part with a son for the sake of his dearest friends? but God gave him to, and delivered him for enemies: O love unspeakable!

(5.) Lastly, Let us consider how freely this gift came from him: It was not wrested out of his hand by our importunity; for we as little desired as deserved it: It was surprising, preventing, eternal love, that delivered him to us: “Not that we loved him, but he first loved us,” 1 John 4:19. Thus as when you weigh a thing, you cast in weight after weight, till the scales break; so doth God, one consideration upon another, to overcome our hearts, and make us admiringly to cry, what manner of love is this! And thus I have shewed you what God’s giving of Christ is, and what matchless love is manifested in that incomparable gift.^[2]

 

It is The Lord we are being exhorted to trust in – and He is worthy of such trust.

You will not read Christ exalting words like these in any religion or cult, and you would certainly never invent them yourself.

THIS, is the Jesus of the Bible.

Trust HIM with your salvation.

Trust HIM in all His promises and that the rewards of Christ are greater than any pleasure of sin.

Trust HIM in His holiness, faithfulness, power, goodness, grace, mercy and love.

Trust the LORD, with all your heart. Trust Him as God eternal – one with the Father.

If you are not a Christian today – this is the one you must trust in order to be saved from the wrath of God for your sin: Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

And if you are a Believer today – then there is no one else you can absolutely trust with every care, burden, need, concern and trial: Psalm 112:6–8 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. ⁷ He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. ⁸ His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

 

Let me mention 1 or 2 more helps in this regard: REHEARSE THE HISTORY OF HIS PROVISION IN YOUR OWN LIFE AND THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS

1. BIOGRAPHIES of the Saints, in Scripture and outside of it.
2. PSALM 42:5-6 – ⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation ⁶ and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. ^[3]

JORDAN – THE CROSSING OVER

HERMONITES – WHERE GOD DEFEATED SIHON KING OF THE AMORITES AND OG KING OF BASHAN

MIZAR – A PLACE OF PRIVATE BLESSING

RECOUNT HIS PROMISES TO KNOW WHAT KINDS OF THINGS WE ARE TO TRUST HIM FOR

Psalm 121:3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.

Hebrews 13:5 for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Matt. 28:20 And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

 1 Cor. 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Psalm 18:30  This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Psalm 34:22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalm 25:3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame

Psalm 115:11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.

We can trust in WHO He is, and WHAT He has promised.

And beyond that, we leave everything in His hands.

There is no assurance of tomorrow, or a better diagnosis, or the salvation of a loved one beyond what His Word says.

 

1. A WORD OF WARNING / AND DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING – TRUTH VERSUS PERCEPTION

1 – OUR UNDERSTANDING IS ALWAYS LIMITED – Isa. 46:10 – He declares the end from the beginning.

2 – OUR UNDERSTANDING IS OFTEN DEFECTIVE – 1 Cor. 13:12- “now we see through a glass darkly”

EXAMPLE: ATTRACTION AT DARIEN LAKE

3 – OUR UNDERSTANDING IS OURS, NOT HIS – I.E. CENTERED IN US, NOT HIM – Isaiah 55:8–9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. ⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

And we are not to lean on our own understanding when it comes to things hard to be understood in His Word.

Trinity

The hypostatic union of Christ – how He was both very God and very man.

Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

The resurrection.

The New Heavens and New Earth.

Do not over scrutinize your circumstances as tho living in a tit-for-tat universe where everything can be tied together in an immediate cause-effect relationship.

Do not lean on your own understanding – but believe His Word – even where it is hard.

 

1. A WORD OF COUNSEL / IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM – TOTALLY LIVING BEFORE HIM

1 – SEEING EVERYTHING IN HIM – Luke 12:6–7 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

2 – CONFESSING EVERYTHING TO HIM – FEAR, DOUBT, FAILURE, SIN, WRONG ATTITUDE, GRIEF, SHAME, CONCERN, WEAKNESS, WRONG DESIRE, EVERYTHING!

Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

3 – LAYING EVERY PLAN BEFORE HIM – Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

4 – CASTING OUR WHOLE CONFIDENCE UPON HIM – 1 Peter 5:7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

 

1. A WORD OF PROMISE / AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT – TOTALLY LIVING BEFORE HIM

1 – HE – NOT “IT”, NOT “THINGS” / GOD HIMSELF PROMISES TO ACT

2 – HE WILL – NOT “CAN” NOT “MIGHT” / GOD HIMSELF PROMISES

3 – HE WILL MAKE – NOT “WATCH” NOT “HOPE” / GOD ACTUALLY PERFORMS

4 – HE WILL MAKE YOUR – NOT “GENERIC” NOT “ONE SIZE FITS ALL” / GOD PROMISES AND PERFORMS CONCERNING YOUR UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE

5 – HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS – NOT “JUST THIS THING” NOT JUST THIS ONE TIME” / HE PROMISES AND PERFORMS IN BRINGING YOUR WHOLE COURSE UNDER HIS CARE

6 – He will make your paths straight –   Not “CRYPTIC” not “ETHEREAL” / He

He promises and performs this by bringing your whole course under His care so that having walked,

You can look back and know that the way He took you was right.

Proverbs 3:5–6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

 

^[1] Owen, John. The works of John Owen. (Ed.) William H. Goold. . Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

^[2] Flavel, John. 1820. The Whole Works of the Reverend John Flavel. . Vol. 1. London; Edinburgh; Dublin: W. Baynes and Son; Waugh and Innes; M. Keene.

^[3] 2001. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.