Matthew 8:28-34
They Sent Jesus Away

Get what the Bible says of this city \\#34\\ - "the WHOLE city came
out…."  That sounds like most everyone.

And "…they besought him that he would depart…."
They sent Jesus away.

That is an incomprehensible statement to me. Most figure the reason
they sent Jesus away was because He had cut into their finances.
    Never mind the fact that the great miracle-worker of Nazareth had
     come to their small village.
    Never mind the fact that two men who had been torment for years
     were now clothed and in their right minds.
    Never mind the fact that now their village was a safer place for
     their children and wives.
    Never mind the fact that a great miracle had been done and that
     miracle would indicate something important was happening in
     their lifetimes.

The bottom line was their bottom line and that had been cut into so
this Jesus fellow had to go.

Believe it or not, this is NOT the only time this kind of thing happened
    1. \\#Luke 9:51-53\\ - A Samaritan village refused to allow Jesus
        to come because he was just passing through.
    2. \\#Luke 4:16-30\\ Jesus own city physically drug Jesus out of
        the city and would have thrown Him down a cliff to kill Him.

When I came across these passages, several questions came to my mind.
    1. Who would send Jesus away?
    2. How would they send Jesus away?
    3. Why would they send Jesus away?

I. Who would send Jesus away?
    A. The easiest answer is the lost would. Jesus told many parables
        all with a similar point.
        1. One is about a king who invited others to a great feast.

Matt 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a
certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that
were bidden to the wedding: and they would not
come.

            a. In this parable, Jesus is describing the lost.
            b. The feast they have been invited to is not just any
                feast but the feast of salvation.
            c. The king who has invited them is not just any king.
                It is the Lord God almighty.
            d. However, you don’t need to decipher any symbols to
                understand the people’s response.

5 But they made light of it, and went their ways,
one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and
entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

            e. They’re not only not coming, they wanted the King
                gone!
        2. In the preceding chapter (Matthew 21), Jesus told a
            similar story where the owner of a large house sent his
            son to the ungrateful and rebellious servants as a last
            attempt to reconcile with them.

Matt 21:38 But when the husbandmen saw the son,
they said among themselves, This is the heir;
come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his
inheritance.
39  And they caught him, and cast him out of the
vineyard, and slew him.

            a. Again, the owner represents God and the son represents
                Jesus.
            b. They not only weren’t going to come to God’s feast,
                they wanted His Son GONE!
        3. For whatever reason, this lost world—-as a whole—-has no
            use for God or His Son.
            a. What Jesus was telling in parables happened in reality
                when Jesus was on this earth.
            b. The world was not content with just rejecting Jesus.
            c. They wanted to kill Him.
            d. According to these parables, the motive for them
                crucifying Jesus was to get Him out of here.
            e. They were trying to send Jesus away.
    B. The saved would.
        1. I would hope that your first reaction would be, "No,
            Preacher!  I would never send Jesus away."
        2. However, Christians do it every day!

II. How does one send Jesus away?
    A. The lost send Jesus away today just like they did when He
        walked on the earth.
        1. They refuse to let come Jesus in.
        2. In Bible days, they refused to let Jesus into their
            village.  Today, the lost refuse to let Jesus into their
            heart.

Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and
he with me.

    B. The saved also send Jesus away.
        1. Jesus has promised us to gather with us when we, as
            Christians, assemble.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

            a. When we refuse to gather, in essence, what we are
                saying to God is, "I don’t need you.  Don’t bother
                coming to see me."
            b. If one of my children says, "I’ll meet you at such and
                such place at such and such time," and I miss that
                meeting, not just once or twice, but 2 or 3 times a
                week for a several months, I believe my children
                would get the idea that I don’t want to be with them.
        2. Remember, going to church is not about listening to a
            preacher or getting entertained.  It is about going to
            worship Jesus!
        3. Please, don’t send Jesus away by not being at His house.
    C. But we also send Jesus away by offending His Other.
        1. Jesus told His disciples that He was leaving but that He
            would send "another Comforter."

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It
is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go
not away, the Comforter will not come unto you;
but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

        2. He also told us that the other Comforter would be the Holy
            Ghost.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things, and bring all things
to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto
you.

        3. So, how we treat the Holy Ghost is how we are treating
            Jesus.
        4. The Bible warns us that we can treat the Holy Ghost very
            badly.
            a. The Bible describes four sins that can be committed
                against the Holy Ghost (although there are likely
                others.)
                (1) We can rebel against the Holy Ghost.

Isaiah 63:10 But they rebelled, and vexed his
holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be
their enemy, and he fought against them.

                (2) We can resist the Holy Ghost.

Acts 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in
heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy
Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

                (3) We can blaspheme the Holy Ghost. (That is
                     probably a lost person’s sin.)

Matthew 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All
manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven
unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy
Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

                (4) We can lie to the Holy Ghost.

Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan
filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and
to keep back part of the price of the land?

           b. The Bible also describes two effects our bad behavior
               can have on the Holy Ghost (although I feel certain
               that there are others.)
               (1) We can grieve the Holy Ghost.

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of
God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption.

               (2) We can quench the Holy Ghost.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.

        5. How many of these sins can we commit against the Holy
            Ghost and the Son before they get the message behind our
            actions?
            a. How many times can the Holy Spirit speak to us about
                something and we ignore Him, or make up excuses for
                not doing, or put something else ahead of Him before
                we grieve Him to the place of leaving?
            b. How many times can God start doing a work and we
                sit still, sit silent, sit sullen, sit in a spiritual
                stupor, quenching the mighty moving of His Spirit
                before God just packs up and leaves?
        6. Even the wife of the reprobate priest, Phinehas understood
            enough to know when God’s presence had left His people!

1Sam 4:20  And about the time of her death the
women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not;
for thou hast born a son. But she answered not,
neither did she regard it.
21  And she named the child Ichabod, saying,
The glory is departed from Israel: because the
ark of God was taken, and because of her father
in law and her husband.
22  And she said, The glory is departed from
Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

                (1) As she bore Phinehas’ son, she named him,
                     Ichabod, which means NO GLORY and she said,
                     "The glory is departed from Israel."
                (2) God had left Israel!  Why?  Because the people
                     had sent Him away!
        7. Friend, do not reject the work of the Holy Spirit of God
            and be self-deceived.
            a. Some are saying just as surely as the village by
                the Sea of Galilee, "Depart!  Depart!  Depart!"
            b. Christians are always bemoaning the condition of this
                world, but when we have opportunity get near to God
                we can often be heard telling God, "Go away and leave
                me alone."
            c. If you want God…
                (1) …to save you and change your life…
                (2) …to save a family member…
                (3) …to heal a sickness…
                (4) …to keep your family together…
                (5) …to revive your heart…
                (6) …to save this nation…
                (7) THEN COME TO HIM!

III. Why would anyone send God away?  I can only think of three
      reasons.
    A. Some send Him away because they do not believe in Him.
        1. This would primarily be the lost.
        2. I suppose a saved person could be bitter at God over
            something where he felt God had wronged him and no
            longer believe in God’s goodness, mercy, or
            willingness to answer prayer; but mostly, it would the
            the unsaved person who did not believe.
        3. If you are a God doubter, that is your God-given right;
            but be sure that is the way you want things for you
            will surely live with that decision forever.
    B. Some send Him away because they will not yield to Him.
        1. Another of the parables like the ones I mentioned at the
            opening of this message has a telltale line in it.

Luke 19:14 But his citizens hated him, and sent
a message after him, saying, We will not have
this man to reign over us.

        2. Both lost people and extremely backslidden saved people
            desire to control their own affairs.
        3. In almost identical behavior, both groups would just as
            soon Jesus be out of their village so they can be free
            to do as they please.
        4. The best I can say to you right now is YOU
            ARE MAKING A HUGH MISTAKE.
            (a) But you’re probably going to have to find it out for
                 yourself.
            (b) I hope you do before it’s too late.
    C. Some send Him away because they will not love Him.
        1. Christians, if you too busy to put God first in your life,
            then you love something else more than Him.
        2. Anyone or anything you love more than God is a false god
            and you are challenging God to remove it out of your
            life.

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