Grab Hold Of The Authority And Power Of God

Grab Hold of the Authority and Power of God

We live in a time when so many in the church have taken on the attitude of the people who lived in the Land of the Gadarenes in Luke chapter 8.

I won’t go into the history of the land of the Gadarenes except to say that many of those who lived there were descendants of the Tribes of Gad, Rueben and Manasseh but they had become so intermingled with the other idolatrous people in the area that they had forgotten who they really were. History tells us that these tribes of Israel became known as the “Lost Tribes of Israel”. They may have been lost among the nations, but God knows who they are and the prophet Ezekiel says that they will have their own Gates into the New Jerusalem from the South.

At the time of Jesus, the Lord made only one journey into that area, landing at the shores of the Gadarenes and there he was met with the man from the tombs who was possessed of legions of devils. This was an indication of the powers of Satan that had come to influence not only this one demoniac, but all of the people in the area. Jesus had come to confront the devil and had shown his awesome power and authority over the demonic spirits by setting the demoniac free and giving him his right mind.

But the hearts and minds of the people that Jesus went to deliver and to save were too much in love with the life and prosperity around them to accept Jesus and allow him to move in their midst. They loved their pigs, representing the things of this world, more than the presence of the Lord in their lives. They missed the hour of their visitation and never allowed the power and authority of Christ into their midst. There is nowhere that it is recorded that Jesus ever went back because of their rejection and lack of faith.

Oh how that man, delivered from so many demons, must have wanted to follow Jesus! He had nothing where he was! He was forsaken by everyone around and was known for his life under Satan’ influence. Would he ever be accepted where he was? He wanted to remain in the presence of the Lord! He didn’t feel at home in his world anymore!

Don’t we all want that? We once were lost but now we are saved! I was blind but now I see! We lived in a world that was lost in sin and we had no hope within, but Jesus came along, lifted us out of the miry clay and set us free.

Oh how wonderful it is to dwell in the presence of the Lord, and our desire is to go and be in his presence always. But Jesus says, “No! You are to remain where you are. Stay in your place and be a witness to what I have done for you.” We are to go into a hostile, dark and sinful world and spread the hope of the gospel, preparing the way for the Second Coming of Christ! But we were not left without the presence of the power and authority of God, and neither was this former demoniac. His testimony of the power of Christ had a great impact in his own land and among those who would listen.

After the resurrection of Christ the church was born, the Holy Ghost fell, and there was revival in the area of the Gadarenes through the ministry of the Apostles. Churches were formed and gospel spread, and it was seen that the testimony of the delivered demoniac had been spread through the land, paving the way for the gospel.

When Jesus was rejected and asked to leave the land of the Gergesenes, he turned back, entered into a ship and sailed back across the Sea of Galilee to go and minister to people who were much more open to his presence, and that’s where we begin this morning.

Luke 8:40 Now as Jesus was returning [to Galilee], the people welcomed Him, for they had all been expecting Him.

Jesus had groupies and fans who thronged him wherever he went. He was a “Rock Star” in the eyes of the Jews who were always searching for a signs, wonders and miracles. Jesus, the great teacher and Rabbi, and the True Prophet sent from God filled the bill for what they searched after. But few of them ever saw him for who he really was. He was never, and has never been, accepted as the Messiah of Israel by the crowds; only by a small minority; a remnant who became the New Testament Church.

As Jesus walked from the shore of the Sea of Galilee toward the city of Capernaum the news spread before him like wildfire and out of the crowd that followed there began to appear those who were in great need of his power and authority.