A Graveyard Revival

TITLE: A GRAVEYARD REVIVAL

SCRIPTURE: ST. MARK 5:1-8

What an exciting text hidden in the midst of the New Testament. This narrative is shared by three (3) of the synoptic gospels. The writer Mark provides us with the most detail of all the writers.

• Matthew gives the account 7 verses

• Luke 14 verse

• Mark 20 verses

It is fascinating to me to understand that Three worlds meet in this strange narrative: THE UNDERWORLD OF EVIL SPIRITS – THE VISIBLE WORLD OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE – THE UPPER WORLD OF DIVINE CONTROL. Evidently this encounter made quite an impression on the disciples because it is found in three gospels—MATTHEW – MARK - LUKE. The disciples never forgot how Jesus liberated a man infested with demons.

We don’t know how this man got into the condition that he was in. A person that is degraded and weakened by sin will open themselves to the devil. The Bible warns us not to give place to the devil. You remember that simple New Testament text don’t you? EPHESIANS 4:27 “NEITHER GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL.” We start out playing with the devil, next thing we know he takes charge of our lives.

• We start out innocently with a Ouija board

• We start out have our Palms Read

• We start out with Tarrant Cards

• We start out with a back in the woods Séance

• We gave the devil place and now he has control of our lives

This man living in the tombs in the midst of the local graveyard had been excommunicated from the town of Gadara. They had tried to restrain him with chains and fetters but they could not hold him. The people of Gadara could not rest or be at peace as long as they knew that this man was on the loose. There would be an errie feeling to come over the town as they heard his hellish cries and demonic laugh throughout the night. It all sounds like the page out of a horror story… but it is reality. A man that got so far into sin that demons took possession of his body. Can I tell you that Sin will always, always bring you down!

• Jonah

• He went down to Joppa

• He went down into the ship

• He went down into the sea

• He went down into the belly of the whale

• The Prodigal Son

• He went down into a far country

• He went down into immorality

• He went down into the hog-pens

• This man went down into the tombs!

• He left the land of the living to dwell among the dead

Of all the places in which to live…..Why was this demon possessed man living among the Tombs? I believe the wealthiest spot on this planet is not:

• The oil fields of Kuwait, Nigeria, Iraq or Saudi Arabia

• Neither is it the gold and diamond mines of South Africa

• It is not the uranium mines of the Soviet Union or the silver mines of Africa

Though it may surprise you, the richest deposits on our planet lie just a few blocks from your house. They rest in your local Cemetery or Graveyard. Buried beneath the soil within the walls of those sacred grounds are:

• Dreams that never came to pass

• Songs that were never sung

• Books that were never written

• Paintings that never filled a canvas

• Ideas that were never shared

• Visions that never became reality

• Inventions that were never designed

• Plans that never went beyond the drawing board of the mind

• And purposes that were never fulfilled

Our graveyards are filled with potential that remained potential. This is a tragedy. And this is where our chapter opens in an EXPLOSIVE FASHION. The disciples’ boat beaches near a GRAVEYARD and a herd of pigs. Both are RITUALLY and CULTURALLY UNCLEAN for Jews. As Jesus steps out, a crazy man storms out of a cavern.

• Wild hair

• Bloody wrists

• Scratched skin

• Fury encased in flesh

• Naked bedlam

• Arms flailing

• Voice screaming

The apostles gawk and gulp and put a foot back in the boat. They look at Jesus to take his lead. Jesus does not back away. He does not Retreat to the Boat. As this Wild Man approaches, Jesus walks and approaches this Crazed Man. Jesus recognized that this man had an inner spiritual problem.

• The people tried to help this boy by restraining him physically when his problem was spiritual

• All laws and regulations can do is treat the outer man

• It just affects the behaviors without touching the source

• No laws could change this man