In his sermon titled 'Failing Methods,' Tate Pierce addresses the theme of the inadequacy of human methods in the face of spiritual and societal challenges. Using biblical references from Mark chapter 5 and 2 Timothy, Pierce highlights the necessity of preaching the Word of God as the only enduring solution. He shares personal anecdotes, including stories of his ministry to youth and a girls' home, to illustrate the transformative power of Jesus Christ. Pierce critiques society's reliance on superficial solutions and emphasizes that true healing and deliverance come through faith in Christ. He challenges the congregation to actively engage in preaching and sharing the gospel, emphasizing that the Word of God remains effective and powerful in changing lives.

I am glad to be here this morning and I got to take these off. I got to see your faces once, that's good. You can see the clock. I've learned brother and preaching sometimes it better not to see the faces. But I am very much thankful to be here.

And Brother David wanted me to point out the clock. And it is, I think from here, it says 1030. So now it's about 22 till 12. But I don't think there'll be any worry of that because what I have to speak to you about this morning is a this sort of topical but I'm gonna tell you something it's on my heart preach the word is the theme Preach the word is what brother David and he called me and told me that's what it is. Preach the word.

He said so anywhere within the Bible. Preach the word. And as he read that text this morning, it stood out to me and this has been something I've tried to encourage brother Hilly with is to be a soldier. As he laid there with that mask on him and tubes all over him and machines going beep, beep, beep and not knowing what was come. This is when life was in the cusp right there.

And for whatever reason, Ms. Cassie, I was one of two people that could go in there. I had the medical code, even if she wasn't there, I could give them the code and go in and I'm not one of those guys I don't like doing that I like staying in the shadows praying what's the update but as I stood there I tried to encourage him even as he was under endure hardness as a good soldier. Now I understand text, but I was trying to motivate him reading the scriptures to him. And I wanna share this.

As I read the scriptures to him, would you believe his eyes started moving? His breathing increased and he squeezed his dear wife's hand. When it's in there, when God comes in your life and He fills you with the Holy Spirit, it's a wonderful, wonderful thing. And I will tell this, and this is my last update about Brother Hilly, he's doing good, which you've heard. And when he came to, would you like to know what he spoke about?

He was witnessing the whole time. I witnessed him witnessing. And so just a wonderful thing. But these are the times that we need to be soldiers. A lot of preachers sitting in here, a lot of a lot of Christians sitting in here, and it's times for us to preach the Word.

I want to give you the title and text so that I do not fail to meet the requirements of Brother Green this morning, but it is failing methods is the title, failing methods. And my text will be the gospel of Mark chapter five versus one through 19. And as you write that down and you think about this, again in 2 Timothy I think about this, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound." And what a glorious truth, and then obviously in verse 10, therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. But I want to get your mind sort of stimulated to where mine is and where my heart is this morning and it is on this. How's it going America?

How's it going society? How are we doing with those youth courses to stimulate positive thinking? How's it going with our country as we want to decrease and devalue what is right, law and order? I saw a funny meme as I was up there in Boone, Bible camp. I saw a little meme they had on the wall and they had it there for humorous purpose obviously.

But it's a picture of a woman pulled over by a police officer and I sort of thought what the mentality could be. And she says, no Thanks officer. I'm under grace not all And I thought what a simple thought And that's about how simple our country has gotten that to think that you they need not God Yeah, I tell you we're in a weird a strange time. Where I'm going with this, and I'm careful, but I gotta share this with you. I'm really green, since you know, when a preacher has a study, he shares a lot of stories, not though, oh, I'm in trouble.

But here's the fact. Preach the Word, and I wanna ask you this morning, will you? Would you? There's youth, There's teens, there's young 20-somethings that need you to go to them and tell them about the wonderful Savior Jesus Christ. You say, well a lot of preachers say that, are you doing it?

Here's what happened, the Lord made me keenly aware that I need to go to the youth. When I surrendered to the ministry, the youth was, I had one man tell me, you just need to go write the pastor. He says I wasn't gentle enough for the youth. But what happens is God makes you what He wants you to be. He molds you.

He shapes you. So I go to this place looking for concrete lentils to improve our building. We've been improving our structure there where we meet. And God puts me there at His time, in His way, by His sovereign hand, through His providence, He put me there. I walk in, I say, I'm Pastor Pierce of faith Baptist Church of Sethner, Florida the man starts bawling I Said I Did I do something and he says you're the one I've been praying for and I thought oh here we go because I'm bad at y'all here we go but when he told me the story I realized I'm the one he was praying for you see there's the girls home that we go to these girls have been trafficked abused beaten abandoned left for no good And I said well I'll pray about this, but the Lord led me there.

Been there for over two years. I was thinking about my text. I think about those girls. The only hope they had is Jesus Christ. And would you believe this?

Because this, I want to stand before you as a testimony of, I stand before God and I let you know it still works, folks. It still works. We go, we're the only church group that goes to that home that has not bought them a bouncy house or slides or whatever you can stack in a yard. All we do is take this precious word, go before them, teach them out of the word, explain to them what the words mean and how it works and what their need is. And we shut the book and we just eat a country supper.

Amen. After two years, what has happened, and I am now bragging on the word now, and get this now, this is not about me. I had the man that over, he stays there, he's like over the place, and then there's two or three women that say They're going with them. They can't do anything without permission. It's like a compound he says Pastor Peter's gonna speak to you and I thought well something's wrong because I'm out there just you know and he said I want to fill you in on something I want to fill you in on something he says I know my girls I know them he said your church is the only one they get excited about coming out here because they're learning God's Word so I want to there's my story and I want to share that with you.

It still works. Preach the word. Would you? Could you? Mark chapter 5.

Mark chapter 5. Jesus Christ in chapter 4, he's been coming off of teaching and teaching in parables and teaching doctrine through that and the things going on there. He's about the seed. He's talked about the ground. He's talked about the light.

And then I think it's interesting right before the text that I would like to get into today, right before that, with no mistake, we see in the same day, in verse 35 of chapter 4, it says, in the same day when the evening was come he saith unto them let us pass over unto the other side and when they had sent away the multitude they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship asleep on a pillow and they awake him saying unto him master carest thou not that we perish and he arose and reduct the wind and said unto the sea peace be still And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful?

How is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, what manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? And now we enter our text. And they came over unto the other side of the sea into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs, and no man could bind him, no, not with chains, because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces.

Neither could any man tame him. And always night and day he was in the mountains and in the tombs crying and cutting himself with stones. Let us pray. Our heavenly Father, Lord, We do pray that you would challenge us charge us father and Encourage us through this text this morning father. I pray that you would use me as I am nothing but a weakened bass vessel, but Father I do pray that your word would be exalted, Jesus Christ would be exalted, and that you would receive all the glory from it.

Well we love you and praise you. In Jesus name, amen. Jesus comes. I think it's very interesting there. I see this a lot and I hear it and I've even seen it there when I minister to the girls.

There's this idea that I got saved. I have decided. And these things like that, which we know, and I don't have to preach that to y'all. You're up to date with that. But the fact is, I think it's very interesting that Jesus comes.

And That is the cure for today The methods the first point is that the reason for this is the people are in need But Jesus comes because the people are in need the methods of man are failing The methods of man come short. I think about ourselves, you've heard it preached this morning. Come short of the glory of God. If man has come short of the glory of God and he has not God, how can his methods work? They cannot work.

They cannot work. The only cure to heal a country, a people, a world is Jesus Christ being preached and put forth before people. I've been challenging our church lately. We are trying to lead them into the... It's a fearful thing to go into society and tell people you need Jesus.

If you say it's not, well, I'll pray for you. But the fact is it is a fearful thing because the guy with this got shrapnel in his face, he needs Jesus. The guy that's got tats all over him, he needs Jesus. The guy that's got cornrows in his hair and whatever, he needs Jesus. Would you tell them?

The reason I'm bringing that up is because we gotta look at who Jesus went to. Right. Who'd he go to? Did he go to the guy in the suit just hanging around the church? I mean, listen, everybody needs it.

We've heard it this morning. I think Brother Tom brought it out. There's people who go to church every Sunday that need Jesus. So I'm not saying we're above that. But the fact is, I thought it was interesting that it comes right off of calming the seas and then it turns to a man.

Verse 2 it says, And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. The methods of man of short lived, They are most times, they most times will fail and then they can cause more damage. I praise the Lord that He came in and He fixed me. I praise the Lord that He sought me out. He drugged me unto Him kicking and screaming.

That he pulled me to him and cleaned up what was within. I just heard it recently said, you know, we call when the power goes out, we call it blackout. You know, after I've heard this terminology, we really is another evidence of America having it backwards. It's not a blackout. It's a black-in.

If the power goes out right now, what happens? The light goes out. The black comes in. The fact is, we have a light in. Isn't that what Christ is?

He's the light of the world. Has he come into you? Then the black is out. And that's what he did for this man. Listen, this man was crying for help.

He was hurt. We're in bad times, folks. I'm dealing with young people. I'm dealing with middle-aged people. I've even dealt with some aged people that are just as This man, miserable, looking for an escape from the pain.

Willing to try everything. Well, let's look at man's methods for just a few moments. Man's methods. Look at verse four. Or let's start at verse three so we understand where we are.

Who had his dwelling among the tombs and no man could bind him? No, not with chains because that he had been often bound with feathers and Chains and the chains had been plucked asunder by him and the fetters broken in pieces, neither could any man tame him. There's no man walking this earth that can remove sin from anyone. People come to me pray for me pastor, I say I'll pray for you but have you prayed well I don't pray a whole lot then you ought to but the fact is is man has a method I'm not going to get into it maybe you have family maybe you're into psychiatry I think there are some issues that can be helped with medicine But I want to talk to you about the medicine I'm running into people that are medicating their seven eight nine year old Well, they're a DD. You know what I got an attention-giver that's what the book of Proverbs tells me I got an attention-giver you want to straighten that path out and get them focused what you want them on this works still though oh don't say that preacher you get arrested.

Paul was arrested for standing for truth. The fact is we got to get back to the proper methods. Back to preaching the Word, God's Word. Verse 4, he's bound with fetters, shackles, having ankles, shackled. Has anybody ever met a man strong enough to do what Legion has done?

I call him Legion. We understand what Legion has, but have you ever met a man strong enough? I have not. My father has. My father was a detective for 28 years, ended up retiring as a captain, but he had to go pick up a man.

And I will say on earthly standards, there's no man that I know that my father's ever been scared of. He's been scared of getting beat, but he's never been scared of any man. There's always someone bigger, I'm not saying that. But he went to pick up this man, he says, I have a warrant for your arrest. He shows the warrant, he says, I'm gonna need you to turn around and put your hands behind your back.

He arrests him, he puts the cuffs on him. They're walking to the car and the guy goes... So the dad pulls out his other set. He says, now, I don't know what happened there. And he puts the cuffs on him and the guy goes...

He says, you ride in front seat with me. We can't imagine that kind of strength. But I'm going to tell you something, a man out of his mind and full of wicked spirits. Amen. You're right.

It happens. You say, do you think this is still happening in 2023? I don't know, but I know it's happened in 2021. Have you ever looked into the eyes of someone full? Yes.

I have too. It's ugly, isn't it? It's empty. It's called a black end. There's no twinkle, no spark.

It's scary and I've been preaching and then they get to contorting. Why? They don't want this. They don't want this. Why?

This is the cure. Preaching of the Word. Giving them Jesus Christ. Giving them, showing them the only way you can be cleansed of your blood is through Jesus Christ. But he comes.

He comes. The people are in need. Many are crying out. I just have been dealing with some young folks. We talk about the cutting now.

He's burst the chains and the things, but we talk about the cutting, the cutting of the wrist. Every time I see that, I've experienced it a few times with youth every time you see that it that's not if they say well they're very suicidal yes it can lead to that but that's the first sign of saying help first sign of saying help The Bible even says crying out verse 5 and always night and day he was in the mountains and in the tombs crying and cutting himself with stones. Man's methods won't work. The chain. They tried to chain.

He broke those. They tried to shackle him, that wouldn't work. Think about this chain. You say, well we ain't chaining nobody these days. Well we should, but we don't.

But the fact is, we do. I told you little one, seven, eight, nine, medicated, pill after pill. Have you ever taken pills and put them on a table? End to end, see what they look like? Looks like a chain.

And that's all they can try to do is chain you down from the problem. It doesn't fix the problem, it masks the problem. It doesn't heal the problem, it holds the problem. That's all it's doing. This man, he didn't need man's help.

He needed the help of Christ. The only thing that will rid him of the problem that darkness that's within the black end the only thing that will rid it is of that is the light coming in Why are we medicating children at seven years old? Well, they've got ADD. I told you, I got an attention getter. But mom, dad don't want to hear that.

Well, they have this, they have that. They have anxiety. At seven? You know why they have anxiety at seven? Because you're playing buddy system with them.

They are your child. They are not... What are you saying to that? Should we do this? Should we do that?

You don't want to? He doesn't want to, folks. I'm just like, look, it's right here. It does not work. You go against the word, it will not work.

But we continue to just walk into the wall and walk into the wall and walk it Wow, we have the word the word heals the word cures the word Sets you free So we have and we know that people today are in denial. Look at verse 6. It says, but when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped him. You know, I think about that verse and I have had that happen at the girls' home. They come up.

Listen, I think one has professed Christ as her savior since I've been there. But they're learning and they're getting closer and I'm not in the numbers games. Two years and I've had one profess Christ. The world says, well, you must not be preaching right. Yeah, by the world's rule, that's not the word.

Amen. But they come. I told you about the man. He says that we're his favorite church. Why?

Because there's just something about the Word. There's just something about the power of God. It's different than anything else they're offered. Look, this is real, folks. When I got there, the CEO of the place come out and says, Pat Spears can I talk to you?

I said, sure. So I come in. Now, and they're learning who I am. They found me two years ago. They got it.

They said, would you do us a favor? Would you anoint this place I said look you know I mean this is I'm not like a month in I might I don't get right here already so how do I work this I said I'll tell you what I'll pray I'm gonna pray because you all do have some issues here. I'm gonna pray for this place. Okay, so I was there for a few hours. I was doing something else.

I went back in. I said just so you know I have prayed for it. Oh, really? I didn't see you walking around. I said I don't have to walk around.

Yeah. He's everywhere. Amen. I said, let me tell you something. I said, while I was walking around, I do think there's something wrong here.

I'm glad you said that. I said, what is that room right there with all that stuff in the window? She says, oh, there's a lady from Scientology. I said, get her out of here. She said, you're serious, aren't you?

I said, yes, I am. Would you believe by the power of God? I went out two weeks later, that room was empty. She's gone. Amen.

That's what the power of God will do. That's what the power of the Word will do. And you know why? Because I can get in there with them, with the CEO and all those ladies, and I show them Bible that backs up what I'm telling. I said, You have allowed these people to come in here and they are working with these girls.

You don't want that. Yeah so The people are in need but the people are in denial Look at what happens after he said verse 6 it says But when he saw Jesus far off, he ran up and worshiped him. It literally means he fell before him. But look at the next verse. And cried with a loud voice and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou son of the most high God?

I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not. You've got to understand, we know he's living in the tombs literally, where they bury the dead, where the place of interment is. He's living in the tombs and the unclean spirit is there. How'd he get there? It don't say he's in the middle of the city.

He's out there. They've tried, it's not working. So what happened? In my mind, I just pictured Jesus coming. Because see, people are making fun of the word nowadays.

They're saying they're gonna party in hell. Say they're gonna party with their bodies. It's already there. There will be another torment. You know that.

Yeah. Because the Bible declares that the devil knows who's in charge. Right. He falls down before them. He's proclaiming the name Jesus Christ.

But the first thing that happens is the blackness within speaks out. What have I to do with thee? Think about it, this man's been in the mountains and walking around and crying out, oh, oh, and putting himself with a painless within him, And now Jesus is here and he falls before him and starts to worship. But what happens? The blackness within him tries to stop him.

That's the world, folks. The world's trying to stop this word, but it can't stop the word. The world's trying to stop Jesus Christ, but they cannot stop Jesus Christ. Because God is in all power. The devil wants to deny the Lord.

The devil wants to lead. The devil wants to destroy. The devil wants to defend. But Jesus, but Jesus. Amen.

And cried with a loud voice and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, the son of the most high God, I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion, for we are many. See, we're from two to six thousand, depending on what book you look look it up five thousand three thousand But the fact is as many And that's what legion means it means a Roman legion of soldiers Verse 10 and he basalt him much that he would not send them away into the country who who is that who's asking that evil spirits those evil spirits the devil he's showing the power of God He's showing the power of Jesus Christ.

Don't send us out here. Don't send it. Look at it. It's right there. It's in the Bible.

And he bestowed him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding and all the devils besought him say send us into the swine that we may enter into them." and to think that people think they're gonna stand. I've heard Christians say, I said, you know, because I don't go around looking for a debate, I don't go around looking for a fight, but if you come up and ask me what do I think, and I start telling you, and then I tell you what the Bible says, and after that I say, well, I'll just have to answer to the Lord. You're gonna stand speechless before him. You're gonna stand there and have to look at him.

You won't be bold. You won't be bold. Praise the Lord, We won't be judged for our sins, but we're going to pray. What have you done? We're going to be looked at for that.

So you won't have that attitude, well, I just have to answer. So here we are, The devil's sent into the swine. I'm fast forwarding here because I'm watching the time. In verse 13 it says, I'm forthwith Jesus gave them leave. I love that.

It's all about Jesus. Jesus gave them leave. You think Jesus knew what was gonna happen? Oh, I do. He knew what was gonna happen when he came to you if you trusted in him.

He endures all things for who? Or we're to endure all things as a soldier for who? The Alexic. I'm thankful, thankful for his calling. So here we are, 4th of which Jesus gave them leave and the unclean spirits went out and entered into the swine and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea and there were about two thousand, so see I did get in there, two thousand, and were choked in the sea And they that fed the swine fled and told in the city and in the country, and they went out to see what it was that was done.

And they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil and had the legion sitting enclosed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil and also concerning the swine and they began to pray him to depart out of their coast." Sounds like America. Oh when the bad is happening we need the Lord. Pray to the Lord.

The Lord help us. Listen I just told somebody this week, you may not agree with this, but they hear something going on, well, we'll pray for you. There's some people I don't want praying for me. But the fact is, they're not reaching to where he is anyhow. But we use that term so much.

But I want to talk about the swine for just a moment. I happen to hunt hogs. I happen to trap hogs. I happen to hunt in the swamp. And the thing you need to understand about this why it makes it so much more beautiful Pigs will go in water swine.

They will go in water. They will not go in deep water most times They they like for their feet to feel That's one reason big farmers can all they got to do is build a four-inch slab keep them on that slab and they even They're not long enough. They can leave the doors open they don't step out. They don't like that transition. But to have hogs plunge off into deep water, they won't do it.

Unless something has called for it. Have you ever heard of pigs being the best swimmers? No. You've got to get the picture here. Ran down.

They were about 2, 000. And they were choked in the sea. Why? A steep place, violently down a steep place into the sea, as if a cliff off. They don't like their feet to not touch the ground and they ran off.

Break it down however you like. But my mind was really on this picture of America. They see what works, they know, and they can't deny what works, but what happens? They don't want it. They don't want it.

So we've seen the need of the people and that the people are desiring some, but look and think about this, the people need deliverance. So, think about preaching the word. Preach the word. Preach. The word has power.

I want to challenge you and I'm not telling you what to do. I just want to give you something to consider. I'm gonna be very honest with you. It's not easy to go to that girl's home Tuesday 9 6 30 when I got to be there. There's yard, yard needs mowing, things I put off.

Because they didn't get this high without watching it. There's times I just don't feel like it. Sunday was heavy, something happened Monday, and my wife, my lovely secretary says, Girl's home. What? I'm gonna tell you, every time I have struggled to go there, God's power is on those nights.

The nights I'm ripping and raring already, all ready to go away, It's good. Those nights that I want to say no, maybe my throat's not ready, you know. When I go, the power of God is unleashed because of His Word. It just happened to me recently. I was tired.

I had a headache, eyes burning. Any other excuses? You can see me later. I'll give them to you. But I just did not want to go.

But this time, I'm... They're girls. We're going through the book of Esther. I'm trying to get them to see that this compound you're in, this place you're in, this hardship you're in, it's not your last stop. This is temporary.

And you can be like Esther, you can do something great for God. This sign I didn't feel like going, would you? Well I think you could believe. They had read ahead, so when I was stopped to ask the question. I'm talking about public school girls.

Some of them looking a little stiff, a little rough, this and that, answering vital questions. How does that happen? Jesus will send someone. He came to this maniac. He came to this man with the unclean spirit.

He calls men, saves their souls. He calls some to preach. Then what do we do with it? We got to go to the place where there's been a black in. And we got to move the light in.

Watch what happens here. And I tell you on the authority of word that this is what we're supposed to do because what happens it just continues to roll. Here we go. Verse 16. And they saw that it told them how it befell him that was possessed with the devil and also concerning the swine, and they began to pray him to depart out of their coast.

And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee and hath had compassion on thee." in the closing of that as he went home went to the cop the cop was he goes and what do you think he did he told him about the one that brought the light in he told him about the one that pushed the blackness out. He told him about the one that has healed his soul. I go to that girl's home. We go out in the area.

Look who does not want to see it. It's a beautiful sight. It's cues full. Who doesn't want that? Yeah, But we don't go out for numbers.

We go out to put that light in dark places. Some of these girls I'll never see again. I've already been there long enough to understand and see, and I always leave my email address. If you ever want to email me, email me. I've had one recently.

I gotta call her father next week. She wants to go to Bible camp whether it'll happen or not. I brother Troy says it. Well, time will tell. That's what he is saying.

I remember you saying that time will tell. Time will tell. She'd been home for about three weeks. She wanted to go. She may not now, but I got to call daddy who said he would never step foot in the church.

Looks like a place in white needs to shine and doesn't. Does it feel real good for me to do that? Absolutely not. But Jesus came. And Jesus will be there.

The world. It's just a challenge and an encouragement. It's an encouragement to be saved by the Lord by his sovereign grace. Him calling you out him finding you. Yeah, it was.

I just I can't write my brain around it. I know, I was full of blackness. Once I was saved and I lived perfect, no, I fell down. But as a father does, he makes you dust it off, set you on your way again. My challenge, my encouragement to you is we have the truth.

We preach we have the truth. We as staunch baptist know we have the truth. Let's not be mad about it. Yeah, let's be excited about it. So excited you tell someone It works.

It works. I pray you be blessed this day. Thanks for watching!