Demons Among Us

Demons in our midst

Mark 5:1-17 (NIV)

Run the story

1. Jesus was on his way across the Sea of Galilee and a storm came

a. Jesus rebukes it and it stops

2. Then he land in the region of Gad-ar-re-nos

a. A man possessed meets him at the shore.

i. We don’t know why mark only record one man when Mathew and Luke record two we can only speculate

ii. Maybe it was this one particular man that struck something special in him

iii. Maybe it was because how the story ended for the one man

1. How he ended up sitting at Jesus feet

2. How he ended up wanting to follow Jesus

3. How he ended up being an witness for Christ as he went and told the world what Christ had done for Him

4. Maybe that made him special in some sort of way

iv. But we know he was in a messed up state

1. Full of many demons

2. It would cause him to run around unclothed

3. Un-bathed

4. To be very violent

5. Someone no one wanted to be around

a. People couldn’t help but tried

b. He would be bound in chains because of his problem

6. He was sitting there cutting himself with rocks

b. Jesus gets out of the boat and commands the demons out of him

1. He falls down writhes on the floor and begs

2. Please don’t send us into the abyss

a. Send us into the pigs

ii. Jesus asks him his name and he says Legion

1. Meaning many demons

2. The man was really bad off

3. Talk about having problems

Point 1: Demon possession and Demon influence are real

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

1. I know many after reading this story are amazed at the idea of demon possession.

a. Just thinking about being possessed by demons make people shutter.

b. Many disbelieve it

i. But the bible records demon possession many times and the writers write it in such a way that seems very nonchalant.

ii. Like it was common knowledge of possession.

c. Now I am not saying everything is demon possession.

d. But we need to be careful and watch because demons are real

e. And their influence is strong

i. We wage war not against flesh and blood but and powers and dark forces

D. W. Whittle tells of a man who came to Charles Finney and said: "I don’t believe in the existence of a devil." "Don’t you?" said the old man. "Well, you resist him for a while, and you will believe in it."

2. They come at us in different ways

a. Some time through possession

i. Where they take hold of the person an reside in them

b. Mostly through influence

i. Temptation

ii. Enticement

iii. Lies

iv. deceit

3. We see it in different ways

a. He tries to divide.

b. He tries to get us focused on anything but the truth.

c. A little whisper her and a little whisper there and we fall for It and he has us.

Examples: Anyone ever think about why sometime whenever things are going well for you why things all of a sudden go wrong? Fight with your husband? Loose a job?

He always shows up.

You want to read your bible and the phone rings are you get distracted. You can think. You can’t remember.

Story: I was praying the last two nights and the phone rang both times

Demons today

4. look around us

a. We see people who are bound by

i. Fear

1. To many people live in fear

2. Afraid to go outside

3. Afraid to try something new

4. Afraid of the future

5. Fear is not of God

ii. lack of trust (paranoia)

1. Can’t trust God

2. Always thinking someone is out to get them

iii. Panic (attacks)

1. I understand there are physical sides to this

2. But many live their whole lives in a panic attack

3. They can’t go anywhere

4. Always on pills

iv. Dissensions

1. Always causing trouble

a. You know those people

b. Just always negative

c. Can find the bad in everything

v. Shame, guilt,

vi. doubt

vii. Depression

1. We know this is a big demonic influence on the world

a. So many people committing suicide

b. Self mutilation

c. Always feeling down

i. When God says we should be happy and at peace

Window: Many believe that demonic influence is always the cause of severe depression that leads to suicide and self mutilation. It was causes himself to hate himself, God says we are His beloved children, Demonic influence says we are worthless