The Invisible War

0:43 Would you turn in your Bibles, please, this morning to the Gospel of Mark. This time, chapter 5. Yes, after 20 weeks, we have made it now to Mark chapter 5. Mark chapter 5. I stole the title for this message from a book, I'm just going to be honest, written in 1965. It's a fabulous book. It's called The Invisible War by Dr. Donald Gray Barnhouse. He covers the panorama of the struggle between good and evil from the very beginning, the fall of Lucifer and heaven all the way to the very last battle in the book of Revelation, the invisible war. And so I've decided to call my message the invisible war because from time to time that invisible war, which is very real, makes itself known in the visible realm. In fact, I would say in some cases there is evil in our world that can only be explained by the fact that there is an invisible war going on. Mark chapter 5 highlights that, a very, very dramatic story about a man who was demon-possessed.

2:02 there's a story about a girl and her brother who are having a fight and she was on top of she was the older sister on top of her brother pulling his hair and kicking him and mom heard it and ran in and pulled her daughter off of her son stood her daughter upright and said why did you allow satan to put it into your heart, to pull your brother's hair, and to kick him in the shins. A little girl looked up and said, well, maybe the devil did put it in my heart to pull my brother's hair, but kicking him in the shins was my own idea. We don't need much help in terms of doing evil, but we are helped along by the evil one. There is a supernatural world. Some people deny that that is a reality because they cannot see it. I would simply say there's a lot of things that are real that you cannot see. Gravity you cannot see. It's very real. Electromagnetic radio wavelength is unseen, but it is very real. It works your cell phone and the internet.

3:23 There are many things that, although you do not see them visibly, they are invisible, but they are very, very powerful. Paul reminds us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness that are in the heavenly places. I realize that there is a whole group of people that think this whole idea of the devil and demons is not real. Gallup Poll Organization discovered that about 55 to 58 percent of American adults believe in a literal devil, which means not quite half do not believe in a literal devil. They just think it's a symbol of evil. The idea of the devil is a force of evil existing in our world. But Jesus would beg to differ. Jesus said, I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning.

4:33 He knew he was very real. In fact, he spoke more about the devil and about hell than anybody else in the Bible. Not to freak people out, but simply to warn people and to win people. I think when it comes to demonology and demons, Satan, that there are two extremes, both of which would give the devil great satisfaction if you believe in one or the other. One is denial. The other is preoccupation. Some just flat deny him. They just say, the idea of the devil is what uneducated people use to explain bad things.

5:20 I'll just say to you, if you believe that, you are exactly where he, the devil, wants you to be. There is no more powerful an enemy than one who is there that you can't see and don't believe he's there. He's got you at an advantage. But the other is preoccupation. There are some people that see the devil in everything. She has the demon of nail biting, or he has the demon of obesity. They just make the devil what's behind everything. An inordinate fascination with all things demonic. Now, I will say that I, at one time in my life, embraced both of those extremes. When I was growing up, I didn't pay much attention to the devil, and I probably didn't even believe he existed. But then when I was in high school, I developed a fascination for the occult. Got involved in spirit writing, astral projection, and that developed within me an irrational fear of the demonic. So I will say this, no matter who you are, you all have some relationship with the devil. Just make sure you have the right relationship. Make sure he's your enemy, not your friend. You are either A, his ally, or B, his adversary. If you're his ally, you're walking in lockstep with him. You are, as Paul said, going according to the course of this world. Or, and here's the better choice, you're a defector from his kingdom, his grip, and you are following the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, we're in Mark chapter 5, where we're going to begin in verse 1 in a minute, but let me just tell you that this event takes place in the morning.

7:17 They've had a pretty rough night the night before, right? They were going through the Sea of Galilee, a six-mile journey from one side to the other side, from Capernaum to a place called Gadara. And there was a storm at sea. Jesus calmed that storm. But I'm guessing nobody on that boat had any sleep. Well, except one. Jesus was fully in control, and for a while he was asleep. But it had been a rough day, a rougher night. They now come to the eastern side, and as that boat is pulling into calm waters to the shoreline, I'm sure the disciples are just sort of letting down going, finally some R&R, only to be met by a raging lunatic running to them from a cemetery where he has been living. Now, you know the story, but what I'd like you to notice this time around are four desires that are at play simultaneously.

8:21 And I would say that these are four desires that are at play at any given moment in time. First is Satan's desire to ruin, to ruin people's lives. We see that in the opening verses. Verse one, then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when he had come out of the boat, that is Christ, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit who had been who had his dwelling among the tombs no one could bind him not even with chains because he had often been bound with shackles and chains and the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, what have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God. I implore you by God that you do not torment me.

9:43 Okay, Jesus and the disciples are on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, the eastern shoreline, a place called Gadara. It's Gentile territory. It is what Isaiah described as the Galilee of the Gentiles. That's because way back in the 8th century BC, the Assyrians swept in and took the people out and placed Gentiles from other countries in that region. And so that area is still known as Gentile region. There's a man there, it says, with an unclean spirit. What does that mean? It means he's demonized, demon-possessed. Verse 15, 16, and 18 will give us that designation. He was demon-possessed. That is, he is under the influence of a demon spirit. Now, demon possession is when one or more demons inhabit a human body and control the thoughts, the voice, the actions of that body. This man is demon-possessed, not just hassled by the devil, demon-possessed. If you were to compare this with Matthew's gospel, and I'm bringing this up, just in case somebody will bring this up, Matthew's gospel doesn't have one man that's demon-possessed, but two. Same story. Matthew says two, Mark says one, Luke says one. Now, somebody will read that and go, aha, we found a contradiction. No, you didn't. You found a complimentary story, as often happens when people report similar events or the same event. There were two men who were demon-possessed, but there was one more prominent who was the spokesperson, and that is the one that Mark and Luke deal with. By the way, I think the reason there are two mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew is Matthew is a Jewish author writing to a Jewish audience,

11:52 and in Judaism, it's important that every truth get established by two witnesses. So two are mentioned. Mark focuses in on the one. There's another important thing you need to know about this whole idea of demon possession. It is virtually unheard of in the Old Testament, except for really one occasion when King Saul is troubled by an evil spirit. But demon possession shows up like crazy in the New Testament. In fact, in the Gospels, in the Messianic era, in the time of Christ. Matthew mentions it seven times. Mark mentions it four times. Luke once and John once. now that makes perfect sense it makes sense because Jesus has shown up and there is a response from the invisible world in the visible world why because God had made a promise the very first promise after Satan brought the fall in Genesis Genesis 3 15 God said I'm going to put you on notice I'm going to send the seed of the woman who is going to come to this world one day and crush your head. And he has been unnoticed ever since. And so now that Jesus has come, unmistakably he is the son of God. There's lots and lots of demon activity.

13:26 This man is in a cemetery. He's living in a graveyard. He's in the tombs, rock-hewn caves that can still be seen today. If you come with us to Israel, you'll be able to see the same stone caves etched into that landscape that are still there. The locals are terrified of this guy. This man has superhuman strength. He can break metal chains like they were threads.

13:57 And here you have a picture of what Satan likes to do. He likes to ruin people's lives. Look at what Satan did. He robbed him of sanity, robbed him of self-control, filled everyone around with fear, robbed him of the joys of a home, the joys of friendship, and if possible, condemn him to an eternal hell. Also, this shows us pretty much how society reacts to people who are this bad off. We don't know what to do with people like that. We isolate them. We restrain them. We can do everything except change them. And that's where Jesus steps in.

14:44 I'm going to take your attention now down to verse 9, where Christ asked the man, what is your name? And he answered, saying, my name is Legion, for we are many. Now, Legion is a military designation. A Roman Legion was comprised of over 6,000 foot soldiers. But it was a very well-organized company of men, a Legion, a Roman Legion. The fact that this demon's name is Legion and that there are many of them, the idea is not only are there a lot of them, but they're very well-organized. And demons are very well-organized. Paul speaks about principalities, powers, rulers of darkness. All of those are military designations that describe a highly organized group of beings. So then you get the picture.

15:43 We have a whole host of very powerful, well-organized, demonic spirits controlling not just one man, but two and a whole region. bringing fear throughout. That's what the devil does. That's what he does. Jesus said in John 10, the thief, speaking of the devil, the thief does not come except to steal, to kill, and to destroy.

16:15 I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly. So here's the bottom line. Satan would love to ruin your life. Now you're on notice. We used to begin our sharing the gospel with people on the streets. We would say things like, did you know that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life? That's true. But did you know Satan hates you and has a miserable plan for your life? We didn't begin that way. But it is true. Let me tell you a personal story. I had a friend growing up named Richard. I'll not give you his last name for family purposes. Richard was a buddy of mine. He was not a good guy. That's okay at that time because I was not a good guy. And one day we were both completely stoned on LSD. Of course, you know, this is my BC days.

17:18 and we are just completely hallucinating. Richard, under the influence of this drug, rushes out from the house into oncoming traffic on a nearby roadway to grab the vehicles and remove them from the street. That's what he thinks he can do. Now, I'm also off the charts loaded, but I had at least enough presence of mind to go, he's gonna get killed, and I pulled him back.

17:46 He could have been killed that day. And a couple years later, I gave my life to Christ. One of the first phone calls I made was to Richard, telling him what I had done, telling him that he could and should do the same as I have done. He listened to me. He asked a few questions. I could tell that he was getting convicted by it, and he hung the phone up. I called him back. He picked it up. I got a few more words in. He hung up the phone. I called him back. He did not answer. I called him again, did not answer. Two days later, I read in the local newspaper, my friend Richard had been shot in the head and killed. Bad drug deal. That is what Satan would love. The thief comes to steal, to rob, to kill, to destroy. This is Satan's desire to ruin, and he has ruined this man's life.

18:45 An interesting note to be aware of, it says in verse 6, we read through it but didn't comment on it, when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him. Literally, he bowed down before him. This is not the worship of repentance or the worship of love. This is just the worship of subjugation. This is the worship of, I recognize there's a greater authority than what I've done in this man's life. The demons are powerless, powerless before Jesus. And when Jesus casts people out, it's not like, this is really hard. He just says, get out. What no human being could do by chains, Jesus did by just showing up. Now, a couple little nuances that you don't get from Mark, but you get from Matthew and Luke.

19:47 In Matthew, the demons say, have you come to torment us before the time? And Luke says, they begged him that Jesus wouldn't command them to go into the abyss. And this is fascinating. Demons are astute theologians.

20:09 They know their theology. They know their eschatology. They know they're on borrowed time. They know Revelation 20, that one day they're going to be consigned to a lake of fire, the bottomless pit. And they're aware of that. In fact, you know, the Bible says the devils believe and tremble. Remember that in James? The devils believe. Have you ever stopped to analyze the demon's theology? They believe all the right things. First of all, they believe in the existence of God. There's not a demon in hell that says, you know, I doubt God exists. You? Every one of them believes in the existence of God. Every one of them believes in the deity of Christ. They confess here that he is the son of the almighty God. third they believe in their future judgment they know the time is coming when they'll be put out of business completely and number four they believe in the power of prayer because in this story they beg Jesus to do something so just keep that in mind they're not saved but they have all the right theology so on one hand you got the disciples who the night before in the boat, after Jesus calmed the sea, stepped back and said, who can this be who calms the wind and the waves? Whereas the demons know exactly who this is.

21:38 so Satan has a desire to ruin second desire to make a note of is Jesus desire to rescue verse 8 he Christ said to him come out of the man unclean spirit that's all it took and then he asked him what is your name and he answered saying my name is legion for we are many. I don't know how he said that. My name is Legion. I think he probably sounded like, I don't know.

22:12 Also, he begged him earnestly that he would not send them out of the country. Now, a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged him saying, send us into the swine that we may enter them. And at once Jesus gave them permission. And then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine. There were about 2,000, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea and drowned in the sea. now Jesus focus here is not the demons not the pigs but the man he wants to rescue him now if if I were preaching to a a politically correct audience and thank God I'm not at this point you would have been more concerned about the pigs who just died Jesus is way more concerned about the man who has been terrorized by these demons that's why he came into the world you know he came into the world to stop and arrest the devil's grip on people's lives listen to it first John 3 8 for this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. That's why he is here with this man, to destroy the works of the devil, to rescue him. In the synagogue at Nazareth, our Lord went in and he preached a sermon. You remember in Luke chapter 4, he's quoting Isaiah 61. He said, the spirit of the Lord God is upon me. He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. That's what we're seeing happening here. So he casts him out. I'm going to take you ahead again to verse 15

24:21 this time. And notice afterwards, they came to Jesus, saw the one who had been demon possessed and had the legion sitting and clothed. That's important. Luke says the man was living a long time in the tombs and he was naked. So he's exposed to the elements. Now he's sitting and he's clothed and in his right mind, in his right mind, in full control of his senses, attentive, alert, smiling at all the right places. This is a mark of Jesus' touch. transformation that's what he does life change that's what he does there's a profound reorientation of this man's entire being now i want that truth to sink into your heart if you think that you have sunk too low if you think you have gone too far if you think i have sinned too much, if you think my habits have survived way too long, there's no hope, you're wrong. He can rescue you and only he can rescue you.

25:36 He wants to save. He wants to give you what the graveyard of this world has been unable to give to you, even though it's promised. Thing is, you have to be willing. Jesus said, come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, I'll give you rest. You want rest? You got to come to him. he said, behold, I stand at the door and I knock. If anyone will open the door, I will come in and have fellowship with him and he with me. But you have to open the door.

26:18 He said to the city of Jerusalem, weeping over them, weeping, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks, but you were not willing. You've got to be willing. now I'm taking you back up to verse 9 then he asked him what is your name he answered my name is legion for we are many and he begged him earnestly that he would not send them out of the country now just pause on that these demons understand they cannot stay in this guy they have ruined his life but they cannot stay now they're looking for a new home and you may remember what our Lord said in Matthew 12 he said when an unclean spirit leaves a person it wanders through the dry places looking for a place to rest so they know they can't stay but they like the area they like that eastern side of the Sea of Galilee because there's enough Gentile pagan worship systems to continue their work. So they want to stay there, but they're looking for a new host. Over there's a bunch of pigs. They don't want to go into the abyss. They're afraid of that. So they asked Jesus, can we enter the swine? And it's interesting, Jesus, it says, permitted them to do it. You may wonder why our Lord would say yes to their request.

28:00 I can't be entirely specific, but I can tell you this. Raising pigs in Israel is an illegal business. Jesus, in one fell swoop, just shut down an illegal business. A couple things to make a note of.

28:24 Satan can only operate by permission. He is under the sovereign control of God. Job, remember that story? We're studying it on Wednesday. There's two instances where the devil comes to God and says, look, you put a hedge about Job. Remove the hedge, let me at him, and he'll curse you to your face. God said, okay, up to a certain point. so the devil has a leash i know i know we all think it's way too long but there are certain parameters that the devil has to operate within for god's own purposes that's number one he operates by permission second thing to make a note of i believe what you are seeing here with these demons going into the pigs and then rushing into this lake is a preview of coming attractions. We call it a trailer in the movie industry.

29:20 We read about in Revelation 20 that Jesus one day will exercise sovereign authority over Satan, but in a different lake. The devil who deceived them, Revelation 20, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are tormented day and night forever and ever. The same power that brought those pigs into the lake by Jesus sending the demons there will be exercised one day with the beast, the antichrist, the false prophet, Satan himself. So they have Satan's desire to ruin, Jesus' desire to rescue. Let me take you to a third desire that is also true. People's desire to resist. Resist the pull of the spirit, that resist the work of God in their lives. It is our default position.

30:15 I'm taking you to verse 14. So those who fed the swine fled. They ran away and they told it in the city and in the country. And then they, those in the city and the country, went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus and saw one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion sitting and clothed in his right mind. and they were afraid. And what did they do? Those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed and about the swine. Then they began to plead with him to depart from their region.

30:58 Really? No joy? Not somebody going, Thank you. Thank you. After all that torment, relief at least, or how about this? I think a revival should have broken up. Listen, it did in Samaria. When our Lord went to Samaria and spoke to that woman and told her her entire past, which blew her mind, and she gave her life to Christ and told the townspeople, they came out in mass and they did the same. you think a revival would break out. No, what happens? They were afraid. The word is phobos. We get our word phobia from it. They are Jesus. This is Jesus phobia.

31:51 You know, sometimes we Christians get accused by the media and by unbelievers for being homophobic, transphobic islamophobic they like to use that term phobic these people are christophobic they don't want jesus around they are afraid now this fear to be fair is a reflexive fear it's sort of similar to the same fear the disciples had the night before when jesus took the storm and calmed it and a great fear came over them because they realize this guy can do that and he's in my boat. They realize they are dealing with somebody who has complete control over supernatural forces, and they are afraid. But they resist him. They reject him. And here's why. Yes, he just did a notable miracle. Yes, he just rescued this guy. But there are other considerations.

32:51 There are commercial considerations. There are financial considerations. A huge business has just been destroyed in a single blow. The bar just got shut down. The dispensary just got shut down.

33:11 They prefer pigs to people. They prefer swine to souls. They prefer animals over humans. They would rather have demons in their town than have Jesus in their town. Get rid of Jesus. There's a poem. I'm going to put it up on the screen. I found this. It's by John Oxenham. He's a British novelist and poet who captured this little story poetically. Rabbi, be gone. Thy powers bring loss to us and ours. Our ways are not as thine. Thou lovest men, we swine. Oh, get you hence, omnipotence, and take this fool of thine. His soul, what care we for his soul?

34:08 What good to us that thou hast made him whole since we have lost our swine. Sadly, the transforming effect that the gospel has is not appreciated by the world.

34:30 In fact, it is not met with any kind of enthusiasm. Have you had that experience? I had that experience. When I came home and announced to my parents I'm saved, they were not happy. They didn't know what I meant. They felt like they were threatened by that. And I didn't get along with them very well after that because of that for a while. My brothers ridiculed me. My friends were not enthusiastic about my decision. And this happens to be the default position of humanity. People by nature do not seek God. I know you might have somebody say, oh, I'm seeking God. The Bible says nobody seeks God. No, not one. They may be seeking peace and prosperity and peace of mind, but nobody is seeking after God. The default position of humanity is to reject him, to resist him. First Corinthians two, the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, they are foolishness to him. The truth is God's seeking you.

35:38 Just a little note. I mean, it may or may not have anything to do with it, but I found it ironic. It's ironic to me that the demons begged Jesus to let them stay. The townspeople begged Jesus for himself to go.

36:00 Very, very interesting. Very ironic. Let me take you to the last, the fourth and final desire that is also happening here, and that is the desire to reach people. Heaven's desire to reach, to reach out. Verse 18. And when he, Christ, got into the boat, so he's going back to Capernaum, he who had been demon-possessed begged him that he might be with him. However, Jesus said no, did not permit him, but said to him, go to your friends, tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and how he has had compassion on you. Here's a guy who's been transformed, reborn. He does not want to spend another day apart from Jesus, unlike everybody in town. He wants to be with him. Now, can I just tell you really quick, God used this text in my life, this very text. When I did come to Christ, when I got saved, when I announced it to my parents and my friends and I was kind of rejected. I just thought I'm leaving home. I was going to say I'm running away from home, but I was 18. So I technically I could leave, but I just determined I can't stay here any longer. I got to just leave. And I went to my friend's house that day to tell them I was going. And this text came up, go home, be a testimony and a witness to friends and family.

37:31 and it was this text that drove me back home to do exactly that. Now, I would say if I were on the disciples team, if I was one of the disciples and I hear this guy saying, I'd like to come with you, I would have probably said, Jesus, this guy'd be a great guy to have on the team. I mean, this is a dramatic testimony. A demon-possessed dude now set free. Bring him on the team with us. You can't shut this guy up. Jesus thought, nope, I have a better idea. I'm going to make him a missionary. Now, I'm going to explain that. Jesus denies his request, says you can't come with me. That denial, listen, listen, that denial became the pathway to a future ministry.

38:27 And I'm bringing that up because how many times have you prayed for something and you said, man, I've been praying for this for months and there's been no answer. Did you know the word no is an answer? Jesus said no to him. The denial, the no, opened a door, and that's how it works. When one door closes, another door swings wide open. So Jesus sent him back home. I'm guessing he is a Gentile. He's on the Gentile side of the Sea of Galilee. I'm guessing he lived in the area of Decapolis because verse 20, and he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him and all marvel. Let me tell you about Decapolis. Decapolis is a Greek word that means 10 cities, Decapolis, 10 cities. There were 10 Greco-Roman cities east of the Sea of Galilee, mostly on the other side of the Jordan River.

39:32 And they were put there by General Pompey, the Roman general who wanted to create a cultural buffer zone in a Jewish area. And so he created Decapolis. everybody in Decapolis must have known about this guy and saw the dramatic conversion and heard his testimony because when we get to Mark chapter 7 which I don't know is in several months from now but when we get there Jesus goes to the area of Decapolis he goes outside the boundaries of Israel to the Decapolis. And what's interesting is when he gets there, there's a huge crowd that are interested in hearing from him and seeing him work. How would they learn about him? How in the world could they have known? I'm going to venture a guess. This guy couldn't shut up. This guy went through the Decapolis and they knew about him. They knew his life before and he shared with them and they saw a transformed life.

40:42 So the demoniac of Gadara, listen, becomes the first missionary to the Gentile world. What were his qualifications? What's your qualifications to be on our mission team? Where have you gone to school, demoniac? Well, nowhere. I haven't graduated from any university. Well, did you at least go to the SOM at Calvary of Albuquerque? No, I didn't go there either. Well, what's your education? Well, I don't really have many. I've been hanging out in a cemetery. but he had a testimony. He had a life.

41:20 I once was lost, but now am found, was blind. Now I see. All the qualifications needed. I think of a story with that little last line of that hymn. There was an ophthalmologist. He had just graduated medical school. He was trying to set up his practice. Nobody knew about him. He had no clients. He got very, very discouraged. But one day he's out like at a coffee shop and he notices a man who has trouble seeing. He's partially blind and the doctor looks into his eyes and said, have you ever considered getting surgery for your condition? I think I could help you and restore your eyesight. Come to my office tomorrow. Man came the next day. Doctor re-examined him, set up a date for the surgery, performed a surgical operation that was successful. The man could see. Doctor comes into the hospital room to kind of make a post-op evaluation. And the man says, doctor, I hope you understand. I can never afford to pay you for this.

42:29 Doctor smiled and said, oh, you'll pay me. Just tell everybody you know what has just happened to you. You were blind, but now you see. And his business went off the charts. Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. That's his mission statement. Still is.

42:52 To seek and save those who are lost. And he plans to use you to do it. So, So, taking it all down to the bottom line, the irreducible minimum, there's two factors at play. Satan is pursuing you. you say I came to church to hear that yeah Satan is pursuing you Jesus the Bible says Satan roams around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour but Jesus is also pursuing you So you and I were caught in the middle of an invisible war. My question to you is who's winning that war? Who's winning that war in your life? Well, Lord, that's where we leave this message, with that question, with that thought.

43:52 We want to declare Jesus the victor instead of us being the victim of the enemy's prowess. Lord in this war you can be victorious with one word it takes our cooperation our willingness to say yes and I'm just going to simply pray for anybody who has come Lord who doesn't know you or has walked away from you who's struggled for a number of reasons but they've come now to a place where things are pretty settled that they don't want to stay where they are and they would love to know that you would touch their lives and transform them.

44:39 How eager and willing you are to do that. For you are described as one who is not willing that any should perish. So if some are in the midst of perishing, Lord, would you just rescue them? And like a drowning man, Lord, would they just reach up to you and say, Lord, save me. And I don't know your relationship with the Lord today. I don't know if it's real. I don't know if you've just come to church, but not come to Christ. I don't know if you have never given your life authentically and personally to Jesus, but I'd like to give you a chance to do that. And it's something you should do. our heads are bowed, our eyes are closed. If you're here this morning and you have never yet surrendered your life to him, or if you've wandered from him and you need to come back home, either way, I'm going to leave my eyes open. And if you are willing to give your life to Christ or come back to him, I just want you to raise your hand up in the air just for a moment, raise it up high so I can notice it. And then I'll pray for you as we close the service. Just Raise your hand up.

45:50 By raising your hand, you're saying, Skip, pray for me. Anybody at all? Just raise your hand up. Only you can decide. God bless you. Thank you for that. Right in the middle. in the balcony a couple of you god bless you guys if you're outside go ahead and raise your hand there's a pastor out there just raise it up that's it just raise it up Now, right where you are, I want you to pray this prayer right where you're at. Mean it from your heart. Say this to him. Lord, I give you my life.

46:33 I admit I'm a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe in Jesus. I believe he died on a cross for me. I believe he rose again. I turn from my sin. I turn to Jesus as my Savior. I want to follow him as my Lord. Help me. I ask that in his name.