Intersections: Part III"Intersection with Holy Ground"
Posted by Church of God of Carmichael on Sunday, August 30, 2020
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Intersections or Crossroads of decisions will be made forward, to the right, or the left. Our ideas, decisions, and our thoughts all belong to God. Then the question is, “Am I using them for the glory of God?” For the order of things are that we are to be bought back from sin, and placed on Holy Ground. That’s the subject of our message this morning. We’re going to be speaking of Intersection Part III, ..of the human, with Holy Ground. This is the third part of a series. which we covered the first two 1) Intersection Part 1, of the Human and Morality of ethical decisions or choices, of a walk with God, or not with God. Moral Choice, and the inherent knowledge of good and evil. The tree of good and evil, a choice. The first intersection. 2) Intersection Part 2, where we confront “The Self,” where we travel down this road of life, where we are confronted with our own motives, our relationships with God, whether we are helping or hurting someone, ..we face “The Self.” We discussed how “The Self” can be conquered by the Spirit of God This morning will be the third part. 3) Intersection III, (The Intersection with Holy Ground.) We call these messages “Intersections” or crossroads, a place where we come, to where decisions need to be made, our relationship with God, where we confront the self we inherited naturally is in opposition to God. This applies to every man,woman, boy and girl. The Self is meant not to be an outside influence of God, but to be governed inside by the Spirit of God! For that to happen The Holy Spirit must take up residence in the human. Today now, we are confronted by the spirit to do wrong, which is human nature. But then we are confronted by The Spirit of God to walk on Holy Ground. That’s the natural order that God has designed for humanity. That we would obey and walk with God on Holy Ground. That is the subject this morning. We also will speak how Holy Ground is unchanging, but we are in a changeable world, and we are subject to change. How does the unchangeable nature of God meet the changeable nature of human. We’ll discuss the confrontation that happens at the intersection of changing and unchanging, and the ultimate conclusion …whether we can walk on Holy Ground. I believe God wants us to do this, and empowers us if we choose it. What happens there at that intersection, and what does that have to say to us?
TEXT: MARK 5:1-20
1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains.
4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him.
7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousands;) and were choked in the sea.
14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country; And they went out to see what it was that was done.
15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
16 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee; and hath had compassion of thee.
20 And he departed, and began to publish to Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
Verse 2; Everyone that has come to this intersection of life, has an unclean spirit, even tho this man’s unclean spirit condition was far more severe than many. If you don’t have the Spirit of God, you do have an unclean spirit. The man ran and worshiped at Jesus feet, while the devils asked “what have I to do with thee Jesus, the Son of the most high God?.” (Verse 7). Later when Jesus had cast the legion of spirits of devils out of the man, (which violently filled the hogs, causing them to run into the water and drown), it caused the observers of the town to become afraid with trembling, praying that Jesus would depart from their coasts.(Verse 17). The delivered man, wanted and asked to be then with Jesus, (verse 18) . But Jesus instead directed him to go and tell his friends what great things the Lord in compassion had done for him, (Verse 19). The man then departed into the countryside of Decapolis in great excitement, testifying of the great miracle Jesus had performed in casting out the many demons. The man had, had an “Intersection” with Holy Ground, ..and he passed the “test!” This is meant to happen to each of us… that when we find ourselves separated from God (sinners), at a point in our life, that way that we are, we are meant to come to this “intersection,” of Holy Ground, we are then meant to pass over and then step on Holy Ground. And in this moment of confrontation/intersection of Holy Ground, it is meant to change us! Not just in that moment, but it is then meant to give us grace, that day by day, even in temptation, we can walk on Holy Ground! Yet still the choice remains to us…to leave Holy Ground. Otherwise no one could ever backslide. Otherwise Demus would never have left Paul, to return to the world, and Judas would never have betrayed Jesus. Otherwise Peter would have never betrayed Jesus at the arrest and trial. Etc. If they were never afforded the decision to leave Holy Ground, then none of those things would have happened. We are meant to step onto Holy Ground. We are meant to stay on Holy Ground. But it is possible to leave Holy Ground. Where Jesus walked, there was Holy Ground. Not the physical dirt of ground, or piece of “real estate,” but Holy Ground is a “state of being.” A place of time where we “walk,” and where there is an intersection of “eternity.” Where there is an intersection with Holy Ground, there is a crossroads with eternal things. We are meant to walk there!
Holy Ground is sacred…there is no sin there! If we say there is sin on Holy Ground, we profane the Gospel! Where God is, there is no sin! When stepping onto Holy Ground we will recognize there is a change that happens here! But the human is able to stand on Holy Ground without being consumed. Stepping on Holy Ground presents us with a decision to be made to stay there. If we allow self to be confronted with Holy Ground, there is safety there! Wherever God’s children walk, the light goes with them. A state of being that is Holy. Nothing can hurt us there. The essence of who we are is not in danger on Holy Ground. There is love, which castest out fear. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love castest out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. ” 1 John 4:18 Fear is replaced by love! But self must be sacrificed so the Spirit of God can control! If everything else goes wrong, and if you are founded or steadfast on Holy Ground, you will not be overcome by self and sin. It will take submitting yourself to God’s will. Then the devil has to leave you alone. :”Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” James 4:7, 8 Self is confronted by holiness. This is meant to happen. For it isn’t mean that there will be no temptation. Temptation is not sin. Acting upon it is sin. Step onto Holy Ground. Stay on Holy Ground. Don’t close the door of God’s benefits by stepping back off of Holy Ground. Be willing and allow change from God’s Holy Ground. How are we this morning?
The Intersection of the Human on Holy Ground…..