We are in the series encounters with Jesus, and in the series, we're just looking at different encounters that people have with Jesus. It says it in the title, right? Like, we're looking at ways that Jesus interacted with people, the people he interacted with, and what happened within those interactions. And so we've been doing that by walking through the book of Luke, not necessarily verse by verse, but kind of like moment by moment, kind of taking things as they come up. And we're going to be in Luke, chapter eight. And so you guys can turn there. And while you're turning to Luke, chapter eight, I want to just kind of ask a question for you to kind of think about who is the last person that you would ever expect to become a Christian? Who is the last person that you would ever expect to become a Christian? Or maybe someone was like, who's someone that you look at and you're like, they're too far gone or they're unsavable. There's no way that they would ever follow Jesus. Maybe it's a family member, a child that's kind of gone off and done their own thing, a spouse that doesn't follow Christ or a parent. Maybe it's a couple of coworkers that you work with. Maybe it's your neighborhood, maybe it's your barista. I don't know. But maybe there's just people in your life that when you look at them, you're like, I don't. I know. Like, I know theologically, God can save you, but I don't know if God can save you. Like, I know we're all in need of grace, but it's like, you might need a little more than grace. It's like, if I. If you think about it, I bet you can think of a couple people that fit in that category for you. And so while you're thinking about that person, how do you respond to that person? Or, like, how do you treat that person? What is your reaction to that person? Because I can tell you my reaction to the people in my life who. It's like, ooh, I don't know if they would ever become a Christian. Like, my reaction is there's been times where it's varied. At times, it's like this deep sorrow and pity of just, like, man. I want them to know Jesus. I want them to come to know Christ. I want them to have a relationship with their maker and savior. But then there's other times. There's other times where instead of, like, desperately wanting them to know Jesus, there's times where I'm just like, man, they don't really deserve to know Jesus. And like, that's a sinful response. Like, I'm letting you know, like, that is a sinful response to have. And it's like, man, they've done so much. Like, I don't know if they should be saved. You ever feel that way about someone or maybe you know someone who doesn't know Jesus and you kind of, like, take it into your own hands and you're like, if only I share the gospel well enough, then they'll know Jesus. Or if only I serve them well enough, then they'll know Jesus. If only I say the right things, do the right things, man, then they'll know Jesus. And we kind of take it into our own hands. But if we're honest with ourselves, there's a lot of times where we encounter people who don't know Jesus, people that are close to us, people that we think, man, they're just so far gone. I don't know if they have hope. And we, and we respond incorrectly, we respond sinfully. And so how should we respond to people that seem too far gone? How should we view them? Or what's the right way to view people that seem like they're unsavable? That's kind of the encounter that we're going to see with Jesus this morning as we pick up in Luke chapter eight. We're going to be picking up immediately after the text from last week. Last week, Jesus calmed a storm. The disciples are scared. They're terrified because they think they're going to die. Jesus calms the storm, and now they're questioning. They're still scared. They're like, oh, who is this man? And Luke doesn't tell us what happens, like, immediately afterwards. Like, do you think jesus went back to sleep? Like he was tired? Do you think he went back to sleep? Do you think he used it as a teaching moment for them? I don't really know what happens right afterwards, but where we pick up in our text is the boat has just landed on the shore, and so we'll read a couple verses so we can see what happens next after this storm is calmed and they reach land. So it says, then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 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 of. So their boat lands. The storm has been calmed. The boat lands. Don't really know how much long afterwards. And as the boat lands, I'm assuming the disciples are a little like, they're scared, right? They were scared and terrified that Jesus has dominion over the waves and the wind. And now they land across the sea of Galilee. And this would have been gentile territory. And if you remember, Gentiles and Jews did not get along very well. Gentiles were unclean people. And so now these disciples and Jesus are in this unclean territory amongst unclean men. And now one of these unclean gentile men comes to them. And not only is this a gentile man, but this is a gentile man who has a demon or an unclean spirit in him. And so just to kind of help paint the picture of what's happening a little bit more, because I think we can read a. There was a man from the city who had demons. And it's like, okay, that's kind of weird, but let's just move on with it to help paint a better picture, I want us to really understand what this guy was like. It said that he was naked and did not live in a house, but among tombs. This guy's already kind of weird, right? In verse 29, it continues. For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man for many a time. It being the demon had seized him. Being the man, 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. And so he couldn't be contained. He couldn't be chained. This naked, wild man could not be controlled. And Matthew gives us another account of the story in Matthew eight says this. And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarene, it's the same place, just referred to differently. Two demon possessed met him coming out of the tomb so that no one could pass that way. And so we see that these demon possessed men were so fierce that no one would come around them, that they would keep people far away from them. They were isolated. And then in mark five, we get this account. He, being the man with demons, lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 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. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. Like, this is the picture of the man that we see here. And this dude is wild. Like, if there's anyone that's a wreck, it's this guy. Like, you think your life is in pieces. This guy's got you beat, right? He's naked. He doesn't live in a house. He lives among dead people in the tomb. Everyone is scared of him. He is isolated. He can't be bound by chains. He can't be contained. He is sent out. He is an outcast from his community. This guy is tormented by demons. This guy has it rough. He is in pain, wailing and crying all the time. Tormented, demonized, and helpless. And everyone knew it, right? Like, it's one thing to be that way, but it's one thing to be that way, and everyone knows about it. It says that people tried to tie him down. People tried to contain him, people tried to subdue him, but everyone knew that he was a wreck. And it seems like it got to this point where everyone was just like, you know what? It's not even worth it anymore. Let's just let him be. Let him go to the tombs. Let him stay there. Let him keep hurting himself. Let him keep staying isolated. Let him keep off doing his own thing. We won't even go near him. They didn't try to help anymore. They didn't try to control him anymore. They just came to the conclusion that maybe this was just the way that it was going to be for this mandehead, that he was just too far gone. Maybe you're in that place with someone right now where there's people in your life that you think about, you look at, maybe you even live with them. And you want them to know Jesus. You want them to know Jesus so bad. But every time you share the gospel with them, it just falls on deaf ears. Every time you try to bring them to church, they just kind of say, no, thank you. And the longer you've tried, the less it seems to work. And over time, you just grow kind of tired of it. And you're kind of like these townspeople, and you're just like, what's the point anymore? They don't seem to get it. They don't seem to understand. I don't know if they ever will. Just let them go. Do their own thing. Make their beds in their own tombs, so to speak. Do you have people like that in your life? Because that's what's going on here. This man is possessed with demons. He's been given up on isolated, tormented, and left there to be tormented alone until he dies. If anyone fits the bill for unsavable, it's this man right here, this gentile man, this unclean man living in an unclean land with an unclean spirit. And so that man, demons and all, approaches Jesus, and this is what we see happen. Look at verse 28. It says, 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 think Luke is using a little bit of irony here, because the very last thing that gets spoken in the gospel of Luke is back in verse 25, what we looked at last week. And it says, this was right after Jesus calmed the storm and says they were afraid. And they marveled, saying to one another, who then is this man that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him. And so the last thing recorded in Luke's gospel is being said, is the disciples saying, who is this man? Like, he has command over the wind and the waves. Like, who is this guy? And now Luke is kind of getting us to the point where it's like, hey, the disciples were a little slow. And so I'm just going to use some demons to kind of catch you guys up to speed on who this Jesus is. And the demons say, what have you to do with me, Jesus, son of the most high God? The demons know who Jesus is. Then we see them say something interesting. He says, I beg you, do not torment me. And so they come to Jesus. The man comes to Jesus, falls down at his feet, cries out, Jesus, son of the most high God, I know who you are. Your disciples don't quite know yet, but I know who you are. What have you to do with me? Like, are you. Are you here to torment me? It reminds me of our series in James and James two, where it says that you believe that God is one. You do? Well, even the demons believe and shudder. Like, we see that happening physically in this account right here, that this demon knows who Jesus is, knows that he is God in flesh, and falls before his feet, scared. Who are you? Like, what do you want to do with me, Jesus? Have you come here to torment me? The demon is terrified. There's a couple things that I want you to see from this just beginning part of this encounter. And the first one is that demons are real. Demons are real. And I know that's kind of weird to talk about here in America in the 21st century. We don't talk about demons a whole lot. We don't think about them a whole lot. We don't acknowledge their existence. And when we do, it's in horror movies like the Exorcist, and that's kind of like what we think about when we think about demons. But scripture is very clear that demons are real. This account is very clear that demons are real, that they work on behalf of Satan to do his will here on earth, because demons are real. This world is more than just physical. There's a spiritual dimension to it. I want to read Ephesians chapter six, because Ephesians chapter six kind of fills us in on some of this, if I can get there. Ephesians 610, it says, finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Because this world is more than just physical. There's a spiritual dimension to this world that we need to be aware of. And as part of the spiritual dimension is that there is a real enemy that we have, that Satan is a real being, a real enemy that is working against the people of God and using his demons to work against the people of God. Christian, we have an enemy. We have a real enemy. And according to scripture, this spiritual world, this spiritual enemy, is far more dangerous and more serious a threat to us than anything physical on this earth. We have a real enemy. It's not physical. It's not familial, it's not racial, it's not political. Our enemy is not against flesh and blood. We have a real enemy, and it's spiritual. And demons fall into this category. They're real and they are active. But that leads to the second thing that I want us to see from this, that they are no match for Jesus. That demons might be real, but they are no match for King Jesus. Like, even, just look at the attitude the demons have here. What are they? They're scared, right? They're terrified. They fall at Jesus feet. They're thinking, you're going to torment us. I know it. Like, please don't torment us. The demons don't stand a chance against Jesus here. The demons aren't tormenting Jesus like they are the man. They're begging Jesus not to torment him. They aren't trying to attack Jesus. They're begging in complete submission to him. Jesus isn't the one on the defensive here. The demons are. And so while, yes, demons are real, and yes, demons are our enemy, and yes, we should be on guard against spiritual forces of evil. But we have hope, because we know that he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. So demons are real. Demons are active. Demons are working. But demons are no match for Jesus. And these demons understand that. These demons know who jesus is. They know that he is the son of the most high God. They know that he is the one with all authority over everything. We saw last week that he has authority over wind and waves and storms, and we're seeing this week that he has authority over all spiritual things. He has authority over all evil. And the demons know this. And so let's see how Jesus responds to them. They say, what have you to do with me? Jesus, son of the most high God, I beg you, do not torment me. For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the mandev for many a time. It had seized him and kept. 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. Jesus then asked him, what is your name? And he said, legion. For many demons had entered him, and they begged him not to command them to depart to the abyss. Now, a large herd of pigs was feeding there on a hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 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. What a waste of bacon. Gosh. Is it bad that that's, like, my first thought. It's like, that's so much bacon, so much pulled pork, man ribs. There's so much good food there. And I'm assuming the herds, people were pretty upset about the exact same thing, right? But what we have here is that Jesus is begged by the demons. Hey, don't torment us. Like, don't send us to the abyss. Don't send us away yet. In fact, like, instead of sending us into the abyss where there's eternal torment, Jesus just, like, send us into those pigs. Like, send us into those pigs so that we don't have to go into the abyss yet. And so Jesus grants them permission. They enter. They leave. The man enter, the pigs jump into the lake and drown. Now, there's a couple things I want to address really quick about this chunk of passage. The first is that at first glance, it can seem like Jesus is negotiating with demons. Do you see how people could say that? It's like, oh, why is Jesus giving in to the demands of these demons if he has all authority and all power? Like, why didn't he just deal with them once and for all there? But I think reading this as Jesus negotiating isn't the right way to read this. Luke leaves out a detail that Matthew puts in his account of the story, and I want you guys to see it. It says, and behold, they being the demon, cried out, what have you to do with us, o son of God? Have you come here to torment us? And look at those last three words before the time. Before the time. You see, the demons knew that their time was limited here on this earth. The demons knew that their time of torment was a limited time, that they had a short window of opportunity to have their fun here on this earth, doing the thing that they were doing. But they knew that there was a time ordained by God for demons to be dealt with, judged, punished. The demons understood that there was a time coming where all this would happen. But they also knew that it wasn't that time yet. But they're not the only ones who knew that it wasn't that time yet. Jesus knew it wasn't that time yet. Jesus knew that it wasn't time to judge and punish demons. And so essentially, Jesus isn't negotiating with demons. What Jesus is submitting to the plan of the father. He's not negotiating with demons and giving in to what demons want. He is submitting to the plan of the father. He's essentially saying, demons, I'm going to deal with you later. But right now, I'm worried about this man. I'm worried about this man that is being tormented. I'm worried about this man that you have possessed. I'm worried about this man who has been an outcast. I'm worried about this man who doesn't know me. He's saying, demons, I'm going to deal with you later. Right now. Going to those pigs, whatever. I'm worried about this man. Your time hasn't come yet, but it will. Right now, it's this man's time. So that's the first thing. And then people also use this passage every once in a while to try to make the point that Jesus wasn't perfect, that he showed cruelty to animals by sending the demons into them, and that makes him not a perfect mandeh. I just want to say, like, if you hear that argument, just know that that's kind of a silly argument to make, I think. But if you want to make that argument, here's what I think. This passage is more so showing us that this is less about the death of animals and more about the life of man. That this isn't about the loss of pigs, but about the gain of a human soul. Like Jesus is affirming the created order that we see back in Genesis one. Look at Genesis 128. It says, and God blessed them. And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. Jesus is affirming that the soul of a man is worth far more than the life of an animal church. And you can love animals all you want, but at the end of the day, the soul of a man is worth more than thousands of pigs, maybe even cats. But the soul of a man is worth more to Jesus than anything else, worth more than the life of the animals. This isn't about the pigs. This is about the man. This is about Jesus showing grace and compassion and bringing salvation to this man who was once possessed by demons. In this encounter, we get to see this beautiful truth that Jesus is showing, that this man who appeared too far gone, too lost, unsavable. This man who would have fit the bill for all of those things. Jesus is showing us something beautiful, that no one is too far gone for God's grace. No one is too far gone for God's grace. This man was not too far gone for God's grace. This man was a gentile man already not part of the jewish people, God's chosen people. He was a gentile. He was unclean. He was filled with a demon. He was outcast from his city. He wasn't too far gone for Jesus. Jesus pursued him. Jesus went to him, and Jesus saved him, cleansed him of his demons. No one is too far gone for God's grace. And, guys, it's actually sinful to think that they are. And so if you're struggling right now with thinking, oh, that person's too far gone, they'll never be saved. They'll never be a Christian. They'll never know Jesus. They're unsavable, whether it's based on what they've done or what they believe or what's been done to them, know that that is a sinful heart to have towards the lost people. That is a sinful attitude to have to think that someone could be too far gone when we see clearly in scripture that no one is too far gone to think that someone else is too far gone, even though you were just as far gone, you were just as lost in your sin, you were just as dead in your trespasses. You were just as helpless on your own. Luke is showing us this encounter with Jesus to let us know, to fill us in on this beautiful truth, that no one is too far gone for God's grace. That person you were thinking about earlier, they're not too far gone. That brother or sister, that spouse, parent, child, they're not too far gone. God's grace can go further than you could ever imagine. No one is unsavable to God. And listen, if you're in this room and you think you're unsavable, you think you're too far gone. Please hear me. You're nothing. You are not too far gone for the grace of God to open your eyes to the beauty of Jesus. You are not too far gone for him to reach his hand of grace over you, to open up your eyes to who he is and your need for him. No one is too far gone for God's grace. But this encounter with Jesus doesn't end here. It keeps going. So let's read how the story ends. We'll read verses 34 37. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it to the city and in the country. 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 in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country, of the garrisons asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. So the herdsmen, they're pretty angry. Their pigs just died. They lost out on money and meat. They go and tell everyone what has happened. They go into the city, they go into the country, they tell everyone what they just saw happen. All these people come and see, like, rightfully so. If you see a man who is demon possessed and crazy and naked now, not that way, and a bunch of pigs just run off a cliff, you're probably going to go check it out. And so they go and they see what happened. And when they come out, they see the man who is notoriously naked, crazy, homeless and dangerous, sitting at Jesus feet. Not naked, not crazy, not dangerous. And their response is fear. Like they are terrified by what they see. It's like we get this idea that they are more scared of the man Jesus, who can cast out demons than they are of the demon possessed Mandev. Like they're terrified. They don't want anything to do with Jesus, which, honestly, is probably the proper response for someone who doesn't know him. Seeing the authority and power of Jesus should cause some fear and awe to be built up. But they're so fearful, they don't know what to do except ask Jesus to leave. They're like, hey, Jesus, you just kind of ruined our economy a little bit. You've done some weird thing, and now this guy who is crazy is not crazy anymore. We don't know what to do with all this. We don't know what to do with who you are. So could you just leave? Go back to where you came from, get out of here. We don't want you here anymore. And so Jesus gets in his boat and returns. Well, then we see this in verse 38. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away. So this man who is demon possessed, they're sending Jesus away, and they're like, he's like, no, don't send him away. Like, do you see what he's done for me? Like, I want to be with him. And so he goes to Jesus. He's like, jesus, let me go. Let me go with you. I can learn how to, like, do the things you do. I can follow you. Let me on the team. I can even be on the bench. I don't even have to, like, play. Just let me go. But Jesus, Jesus says no. This man that he had just healed, this man that he had just rid of demons, this man whose life he had just completely and forever changed, he does not let this man go with him, which is kind of crazy, because at this point in this encounter, Jesus had said yes to demons, and he has said yes to a city that is rejecting him, but he is saying no to the only person that he's really helped, to, the person that he has saved. Like, what kind of sense does that make? But then we see why, as this story closes, Jesus sent him away, saying, 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. And I think it's sweet to see how this man responds. Like, Jesus says, hey, go and tell everyone what God has done for you. And this man makes the connections in his head. He's like, oh, if this man can get rid of my demons and save me. This isn't like this man is God. So he goes and he declares not just what God has done for him, but what Jesus has done for him. He already has a clearer picture of who Jesus is than the disciples do because he's experienced the saving power of Christ. And so this man, instead of being able to join the team on the boat, get sent back home to go tell everyone what God had done. And he goes declaring the work that Jesus had done in his life. The man who was once seen as unsavable is now an evangelist. The man who is crazy and out of his mind is sent back to the people to proclaim the freedom that he has. The man who was an outcast, the man who was an outcast is now sent back to the people who has outcasted him. Because what we see in this encounter is that no one is too far gone for God's grace, and nowhere is too far to go to share it. Or a little more simple, no one is too far gone, and nowhere is too far to go. No one is too far gone, and nowhere is too far to go. And I know going to the city that he was from doesn't seem like the furthest distance to go, but it had to have been the last place he wanted to go, right? Like, these were the people that chained him. These were the people that made him an outcast. These are the people that isolated him. And honestly, these are people that he had probably hurt. Like, I'm assuming some people got hurt when they were trying to chain him. He was labeled as dangerous. I would assume that him going back to his hometown is the last place that he wants to go. Him going back to those people was the last place that he actually wanted to be. Back to the people who mistreated him, who chained him, who made him an outcast, had to have been the furthest place from the place he actually wanted to be. But he goes. He listens to Jesus and he goes. It wasn't too far for him. Church. I think we can be really quick to say amen to no one is too far gone, but we can be really slow to share about the grace with those who need it. We can be really quick to say no one is too far gone for God's grace, but really slow to declare that to the people who really need to know it, to the people who really need to hear it. I think maybe it's because we miss what the demon possessed man got. We forget how much God has done for us. We forget how much God has done for us. Like, we see this man, we're like, of course he would go and share what God has done for him. He was possessed by demons. The dude who was naked in caves like, he had it pretty rough. And God changed his life drastically. Like, of course, he would go and share what God had done for them. And we fail to see that we were the exact same. We may not have been possessed by demons, but we were chasing after evil ourselves, following the same spirit. Ephesians two says this, and you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the heir, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. That's who you were. You were dead. You were dead. You were following the same spirit that was at work in the demons. And if you're a christian, fear Christian. Ephesians two continues. But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved. You were dead, following the prince of the power of the air. But God showed you grace. He saved you. He brought you to life. The same thing that he did for the demoniac, he has done for you. You're no longer bound in chains, but you've been set free from your sin. You're no longer shameful in your nakedness, but you've been clothed in the righteousness of Christ. You're no longer out of your mind and crazy, but you've been given the mind of Christ, like the things that Jesus did for the demon possessed man, he has done for every believer. And I think far too often, we are so quick to forget it. I know I am. I am so quick to forget all that Jesus has done for me, so quick to forget how needy I am for him, how desperate I am for salvation. Forget that I was once dead in my sins, but I now have been adopted into the family of God. I think part of the reason why we are so slow to go and share the grace that has been shown to us is we forget about the grace that's been shown to us. Church no one is too far gone and nowhere is too far to go. No one is too far gone and nowhere is too far to go. Because if he can do it for you, if he can save you, a wretched sinner like me, he can save anyone. No one is too far gone. So we should be willing to go everywhere and anywhere. So here's where I want this to land with you this week. Maybe you need to remind yourself again of all Christ has done for you this week. You just need to spend some time and you need to remember all that Christ has done for you. Maybe you should memorize Ephesians two. You can remember who you were and who God has made you to be. Spend time remembering the life that Christ has given you, that he lived a perfect life, died the death you deserved on the cross so that you could be reconciled back to God. Remember what he has done. And some of you, you don't need to be reminded, but you need to have your eyes open to that. For the very first time this morning, you need to have your eyes open to the fact that God has grace for you, found in Jesus Christ that you're not too far gone, that he left heaven put on flesh, endured the cross so that you could be made right with goddesse. And I pray that the Holy Spirit reveals that to you this morning we need to remind ourselves again of all Christ has done for us. And after we reminded ourselves, we'll be more ready and excited to share that with others. Because when you remember that Jesus can save even you, you're so excited to go and share that with those who are far off, with those who are lost. And some of you, maybe you're called to go to a different country or a different state to proclaim the news of Jesus and praise God for that. Like blessed are the feet who go, beautiful are the feet and hands. But also maybe some of you, you're not supposed to get in the boat, go overseas, or in our day, the plane. Maybe. Maybe you're just supposed to go home. Maybe instead of going somewhere else to share the good news of Jesus, maybe you're just supposed to go home. Maybe you're supposed to start with your family and you're supposed to tell your family of what God has done for you. Tell your kids, tell your spouse, tell your parents what God has done for you in Christ Jesus. Maybe you're supposed to go to work tomorrow and you're supposed to tell your coworkers what God has done for you. Maybe you're supposed to go next door, lean over the fence, have your neighbor over for a barbecue and tell them what God has done for you. Because when you know that no one is too far gone, you're willing to go anywhere. You're willing to go home. You're willing to go next door. You're willing to go to work proclaiming the goodness of God to the people who need it. Could you imagine what God would do with a bunch of people living that way? Like, think back to that person that you were thinking about that doesn't know Jesus, that you're like, I would be surprised if they ever do one, like, repent of that thought, that you'd be surprised that God would save someone, like, repent of that because he saved you. But then, now I want you to imagine. Imagine if that person that you consider too far gone was sitting right next to you this morning, and not just as a guest, not just as a visitor, but as a member of our church. Someone that you'd get to pray with, someone that you would get to take communion with, someone that you would get to sing about the wonderful works of our savior with. Because Jesus can save anyone. And I'm confident that some of the people that you think are too far gone, he wants to save them. And what if he wants to use you to do it? How sweet would it be to be a church full of people who everyone thought could never be saved? Because we understood the truth, that no one is too far gone and nowhere is too far to go to share that. Let's pray. God, you are good to us. It's easy in this world to be distracted by all the things going wrong. But you have been so good to us. And we see that clearly through the person of Jesus that you would send him to earth to die for us. God. So thank you for saving me. Thank you that you called me out of darkness, called me out of death, called me into life. God. I ask that that would never get old to my heart and that would never get old to the people in this church. God. That you are a God who saves and that you have saved them. God. And may that overflow into a life lived on mission for you as an everyday missionary, whether it's overseas or next door or in our own home. God. That we would be people declaring at all times what you have done for us. It's in Jesus name we pray. Amen.