There are all kinds of euphemisms and idioms that we're going to spend some time going through that help us understand this. The first one - there's no order of importance. First euphemism, Hebrew euphemism, the first one: binding and loosing. Binding and loosing. Now listen, I am all for deliverance and I am all about getting people free from the spiritual things that are running their life. And listen, if you're here and you can get devils off people which I know you can, and I know that your pastor is great at it. If you can do that I say great, okay. I'm not the best at it alright. Actually all that growling scares me okay [laughter] but I'm - they start growling and...
[Mike Connell] That's just your own stomach.
[Shane Willard] Yeah, I know. [Laughter] No, it's not - you know. The first time I ever tried to get a demon out of somebody I didn't know what I was doing. I was 19. I still wouldn't know what I was doing, but I really didn't know what I was doing then, so I didn't know but I was the only pastor in the room and this woman started growling and going on. I saw her throw a 240 pound man up against the wall and I thought wow, we've got to do something here. [Laughter] I didn't know what to do, so these men tackle her and hold her down and they look up and they say Shane, do something. So I got up over her and this is all I did. I said you loose her in the name of Jesus, and this is what she did. She went NO! Okey dokey, I don't know. [Laughter] I don't know. That's my ace of spades, I don't have anything more than that. I don't know. [Laughter] Just kidding. [unclear 00.17.34]. Huh? [You got it right. 00.17.36] Yeah, so I sort of got scared - sort of nothing, I got scared. Then something came over me that was bold and so I sort of grabbed her and I just said you WILL loose her - because then it hit me, demons can lie. Like it's okay, like demons just lie so she could say no. It's like a three year old; go to your room. No! No, you are. Yes! [Laughter] So we were able to help her. We got her completely free. About seven or eight of them came out of her that night and got her completely free.
So whatever, if you're delivering somebody whatever you need to say to get them out say it. If it helps you to say Mary had a little lamb to them and they come out, fine. [Laughter] It's fine. Seriously, like do whatever you've got to do. [You're a worry Shane.] [Laughter] I know, but the phrase binding and loosing at it's core is simply this. It is a specific rabbinical phrase that talks about what a rabbi would allow, what a rabbi would loose, would forbid or allow in his way of life okay. So it doesn't necessarily - it has applications to deliverance but it's not limited to deliverance. You with me? A demon is a repetitive thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ. A demon is a spiritual force that rules your behaviour when you keep giving into it, so when you're talking about deliverance what you're typically talking about is getting someone to resist that way of living, come against it, renounce it and then the devil flees. You turn on it, right, so it has applications but it has further reaching applications.
It has to do with what we allow and what we forbid in our yoke, what we allow and what we forbid. A rabbi's way of living is called his yoke okay? That was his way of living, his way of interpreting scripture and this included the things that he binded and the things that he loosed, binding and loosing.
Now I've got to be very frank with you. I'm assuming I'm talking to mature believers okay, so if you're not a mature believer just shut me out for a second, but I'm assuming I'm talking to mature believers. This is so important. This is a very important facet of establishing the kingdom of God in your life. This is a very important facet of creating a new culture that's going to show the whole world what God will look like. This is an important facet of Bay City Outreach Centre. This is an important facet of what this church will look like in this community exhibiting the kingdom of God. It has to do with binding and loosing. Let me tell you what I mean by that. People who look up to you take their cues on how to behave from what you bind and what you loose. Binding and loosing was a very common thing. Let me give you an example. The Torah says don't work on the Sabbath. Do NOT work on the Sabbath. Well that has some questions left doesn't it? If I say to you don't work on the Sabbath, it's a commandment of God, what's your first question? Somebody said it - what's work? Can we define what work is and what work isn't?