Matt. 8:28-34 The Whole City The Whole City Came Out To Meet Came Out To Meet Jesus Jesus

In different places in the Bible, we read of Some came to hear Him Mtt.5:1 Some came to be healed by Him Matt. 4:23,24 Some came to ask him to leave….Matt. 8:34

Two Men..Met Jesus..They came out of the tombs..They were exceeding fierce..No man could pass by that way..Questions asked of Jesus: What have we to do with you, Jesus, Thou Son of God? Have you come to torment us before the time?

Swine were a great way off—feeding.v.30 The requests of the devils in these two men: If thou cast us out, suffer (allow) us to go away into the herd of swine. Jesus said: Go. The devils came out of the 2 men, they went into the herd of swine.

..Behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters...The keepers of the swine went their ways into the city, and told everything, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.

V.34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. Instead of asking Him to stay, they wanted Him to leave. Chapter 9 tells us that he did.

A lot of people are like that today.. When the truth is taught, instead of Accepting it, obeying it, and following it, Many want nothing to do with Jesus. So so many think it doesn’t matter What one believes!

Does It Make Any Difference What One Believes?

In Our World Today…. Different beliefs. Different doctrines. Different practices. Different churches.

Does it make any difference about What we believe?

Paul, Peter, Stephen, Philip… They understood one thing: JESUS CHRIST HAS ALL AUTHORITY.. Matt. 28:18-20 It matters what He says in religion. Col. 3:17; Matt. 7:21-23; Luke 6:46

All Wrong ideas: What the devil wants you to believe… 1. No need to study...2 Tim. 2:15 2. Issues are not important..2 John 9 Just be sincere and feel comfortable You don’t have to do anything to be saved….Acts 2:40 4. You have plenty of time to think about going to church or getting serious about religion..Jas.4:13-14

In Business: If you invest in a business and you Believe it to be a good investment and don’t do everything that you can to find out about the business, your just believing that it is a good investment Is no comfort when you lose everything you have!

Does it make any difference what we eat or drink? A glass of water Or A glass of poison (You may believe it is just water)

Believing A Lie 1 Kings 13 Truth: Do not eat bread Do not drink water Do not return by the same way Lie: “Bring him back to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.” I Kings 13:18..But he lied unto him!

In the Day of Judgment 2 Cor. 5:10 If It Doesn’t Make Any Difference If It Does Make A Difference Doesn’t matter whether one believes or not. Doesn’t make any difference whether one believes the Bible. What Bible says - unimportant What God says - unimportant I need to know the truth (John 8:32). I need to study & examine what I am taught (Acts 17:11). I need to obey truth (1 Pet. 1:22) I need to be careful (Eph. 5:15)’See that you walk circum- spectly,not as fools, but as wise,

Our Practice Must Be Authorized in the Word of God According to the pattern (Heb. 8:5) In the name of the Lord (Col. 3:17) Within the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9) By the rule (Phil. 3:16)

Does it make any Difference? What we believe affects our Relationship with God….fellowship! 2 John 9 2 John 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

What we believe affects our Relationship with God here (2 John 9) and our Eternal Destiny in Eternity (Matt. 7:21-23)

Does it make any difference who you believe? Does it make any difference who you believe? Jesus or Satan? Jesus tells you one thing, the devil tells you something different concerning sin: who will you believe? Check with Adam and Eve. Gen. 3:11 “And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat!.

About being faithful in your service to the About being faithful in your service to the Lord. Lord. Does it make any difference… Check with Heb. 10:25 About how the Lord’s money is to be used? About how the Lord’s money is to be used? Check with Paul in I Tim. 5:16

words Does it make any difference in the words that you say? Check with Jesus in Matt. 12:36,37 Does it make any difference if you pray or not? Does it make any difference if you pray or not? Check with Paul in I Thess. 5:17

Does it make any difference about your Does it make any difference about your Marriage? Marriage? Check with Jesus in Matt. 19:9 Check with John the Baptist to Herod. Matt. 14:4 “For John said unto him, “It is not lawful for thee to have her.”

Does it make any difference how you eat the Lord’s Supper? Does it make any difference how you eat the Lord’s Supper? Check with Paul I Cor. 11: 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body

Consquences The Consquences of what you believe! You believe there is One God---the devils believe that and tremble. Jas. 2:19 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. You believe that you can have a little religion and that will get you by with the Lord… Laodicea was told differently. Rev. 3:16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

What we believe and practice is important… It does make a difference what you believe And what you practice. The difference will be to be pleasing to God or displeasing to Him. Heb. 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Christians must believe the truth and practice it.

Ask Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5:3-6 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? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

Ask Demas 2 Tim. 4:10 having loved this present world 10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;

Ask Moses…did not enter the promised land… Exodus 20: 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

Ask Herod …eaten with worms Acts 12: 21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

Diotrephes Ask Diotrephes …3 John I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. I will remember his deeds which he doeth 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

Man who picked up sticks Man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath day…Num. 15: And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. 33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. 34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. 35 And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. 36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses.

On the Judgment Day… 1. You believe in Jesus - or disbelieve in him. John 8:24 2. You have had faith in God’s word. Rom. 10:17 3. You have complied with God’s Word To be saved. Believe in Jesus. John 8:24

Repented. Acts 17:30,31 Confessed Jesus before men. Matt. 10:32,33 Been baptized. Mark 16:15,16; Acts 18:8 Lived faithfully in the service of the Master. I Cor. 15:58; Rev. 2:10

On That Day On That Day… We will all see the great Importance of the difference in believing God and obeying Him (Heb. 5:8,9) and Not believing God and not doing His will, suffering the eternal consequences. ( Eccl. 12:13,14) LOST

What do you believe? What do you believe? And What are you practicing?