Children today have so many toys, electronics, and video games that the days of making up your own games for fun and entertainment are almost lost forever. I’m not saying I’m old or anything, but I do believe that I’m a part of one of the last generations that has scars on our knees from playing outside. Playing outside allowed you to have an imagination that went beyond the sky which provided countless days of fun throughout the entire summer. And I wanted bring your minds back to those childhood days to see if you remember playing a game of rescue. The game of rescue didn’t have any rules at all; however you played was the right way to play.
The game of rescue didn’t always have to be played outside, but one of your friends hanging from the bed post always made a good rescue situation. Some of you looking at me like you’ve never played this game as a child, and maybe I was the only one crazy enough to come up with such a game. Now, for those men who had toy soldiers and G.I. Joes I know for a fact that you played rescue. But the game was simple, one person would pretend like they were in a dangerous situation while the other person would play the cop or firefighter who was sent to rescue that individual. The days of pretend are gone, and the reality is that we live in a world where people need to be rescued all the time.
This coming Tuesday, we as a country will remember the 6th year anniversary of the World Trade Center bombings in New York city. A day in which America’s heart was saddened by the unnecessary tragedy and loss of thousands of innocent lives. On September 11, 2001, and many days following there had been hundreds of rescue missions, and in some cases the rescuer’s life was lost trying to save someone else’s.
There are many types of rescue situations that exist. There are confined space rescues, rope rescues, cave rescues, fast water rescues, ice rescues, mines rescue, search and rescue, wilderness rescues, and vehicle rescues. Rescue operations require a high degree of training and are performed by those who specialize in rescuing people. The rescue situations that I just mention all happen in the physical world, and it seems like everyone in here this morning isn’t in need of a physical rescue. But there just might be somebody in here that is in a dangerous spiritual situation or condition, and needs to be spiritually rescued!
If you would peruse with me through Mark chapter 5, you will discover a man who is in need of such a rescue. A man who is demon-possessed and who has made his dwelling, or should I say his crib is a tomb.
• If this isn’t enough to make you say that this man is in bad shape, what about the fact that he was so violent that the locals had to place him in shackles and chains. Obviously, the shackles and chains weren’t approved by the American Iron and Steel Institute because he tore them apart and broke them into pieces.
Constantly, night and day, this madman was screaming in the graveyard and in the mountains causing people to take the long way home because they didn’t want to be bothered with him when they passed by. To make matters worse, he was known as a cutter, for he would gash himself with stones. This man was crazy and deranged, he was strange and in need of a change.
• He was like the town drunk, nobody wanted to be around him, and society had cast him out. He was such a lunatic that the Salvation Army turned him away, and the Dallas Life Foundation lied to him and told him that there was no more rooms for the night.
• This man got the picture and made himself at home among the tombs. He was the talk of the town and a horror story for all the kids who would dare one another to visit the graveyard at night. Nobody went to visit grandma’s grave because they didn’t want to be confronted by this madman.
Now, in your responsive reading I had you read from Matthew 8:28-34 because it is one of the three gospels in which we read about this demon-possessed man, except in Matthew it mentions that there were two demon-possessed men, while Mark and Luke talks about only one man.
• I want to assure you that there isn’t an error in the Word of God and that what you read in the Bible you can place your total faith and trust in. The Bible is the Holy Word of God and God inspired these authors’ hearts to write what He wanted us to know.
So why the difference in the gospel stories? Keep in mind that out of these three authors, Matthew, being one of the 12 disciples, was the only one who was there in person and so he mentions that there were two demon-possessed men. Mark and Luke, who were both friends of Paul, who weren’t eye-witnesses at this event, chose to write only about one of the crazy men, perhaps it was the man who was the craziest out of the two.
If Rev. Sutton and I were out in the church parking lot talking loud, screaming and acting a fool, and Rev. Franklin sees us. Most likely he will go back and tell Pastor Sheppard, “Pastor, Sutton and Comeaux were showing out after church being loud and disruptive.
• Now, Rev. Wilson wasn’t there, but he heard that Sutton and I was acting crazy, but the person told him that it was really me who was being the loudest and running around the parking lot doing flips. When Rev. Wilson tells Pastor Sheppard who do you think the majority of the conversation will be about? It will be about me because I was showing out more than Rev. Sutton.
In our text, Mark focuses (I believe) on the craziest out of the two men. Perhaps this man was screaming louder while the other wasn’t. Maybe this man was the only one cutting himself, and the other man wasn’t. Whatever the case was, the man in our text needed Jesus to come to his rescue!
Jesus was living in what had to be one of the busiest days of His life on earth. Jesus was teaching in a boat off of the shore of Galilee. There he shared with His disciples and the gathering crowd four parables and explained the spiritual truth behind each one of them.
• Later that evening Jesus told His disciples to prepare to go to the other side of the sea. As Jesus and His disciples journeyed to the other side, there arose a great storm that tossed the boats back and forth to the point that the boat began to take on water and the disciples, like many of us, became afraid. And, like many of us, they forgot that they had the Saviour on their side.
Jesus was asleep at the bottom of the boat and was awakened by the terrified disciples. Jesus got up as if nothing was wrong and said, “Peace be still!” Without delay the winds and the waves died and the sea was calm. Jesus had to shake His head and asked His disciples the question that he asks us at times, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” After the storm had ceased and they crossed over to the other side, Jesus was immediately met by the demon-possessed man who ran up and bowed down before Jesus.
The first principle I want you to tattoo on your hearts and brand in your minds is that when Jesus comes to the rescue He give us hope. Verse 6 says, “Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him.” This demon-possessed man had met his deductible and visited every psychiatrist in town. Nothing seemed to have fixed his demonic condition.
• This man had already given up because instead of living in town, he felt that he would be better off living in a tomb, not to mention the locals didn’t want him around. His friend was in the same condition but when this man saw Jesus from a distance, he immediately met Him as soon as the boat was docked the demon-possessed man bowed before Jesus.
For just a split second the arrival of Jesus gave this man hope. Yes, demons tremble at the name and presence of Jesus, but this man bowed in reverence. This man for just a moment was able to subdue the power of Satan in and over him for just an instant. This was enough time for the man to reverence Jesus and see a little light at the end of the tunnel.
• Jesus knows how to speak to our spirits and let us know that there is hope for our situations that at times seem to grow worse every week. As Jesus approached the shore, the demon-possessed man was able to connect to that spiritual hope long enough to show Jesus that he desired to be rescued.
If this man would have ran from Jesus, what would have that said about his desire to be rescued? The demons inside would have ran knowing that in the presence of Jesus they would have to flee, but because this man was able to grab a piece of his life back for a moment, his heart reached out to Jesus giving Him hope in what seemed like a hopeless situation.
• When you see Jesus coming to your rescue, do you run to Him and acknowledge His power to rescue you? Or do you run from Him because you feel like hope is gone?
• This man grabbed on to the little light at the end of the tunnel, and sometimes we don’t see that little light as the safety line that Jesus has thrown into our situations so that we can grab on of that rope of hope and allow Him to pull us to safety.
There hasn’t been any communication in your home between you and your spouse, children, or maybe your roommate, and when they tell you good morning once a week when before they didn’t say it at all, you don’t recognize that as the little light at the end of the tunnel and you complain and lose hope.
• If a person speaks to you once a week when before they said nothing to you, grab on to that hope until one the day you hear them acknowledge you every day without you speaking first!
• Your boss hasn’t given you a project to do on your own and you been there for 5 years, and one day you get to have total control over a portion of a new project, but you’re complaining about that portion when that’s your little light of hope that you need to grab hold of and one day baby, you’ll be the H_IC!
This demon-possessed man fought through the power of Satan and recognized the first sign of hope when he saw Jesus, and when Jesus comes to our rescue he gives hope!
Not only does Jesus give us hope when he rescues us, but look at verse 15, when Jesus comes to the rescue He gives us peace. Verse 15 says, “They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened.”
• Now for a split second the demon-possessed man was able to subdue the power of Satan in and on him just for a moment, enough time for him to receive hope from Jesus, but look in verse 7, after the man had bowed down before
Jesus immediately the demons took control over him once again and with a loud voice they told Jesus, “What business do you have with us?”
• And notice that the demons, keep in mind that have possession over this man, called Jesus the Son of the Most High God.
The demon-possessed man didn’t know who Jesus really was when he ran up to Jesus, He knew that Jesus could offer Him hope, but the demons recognized Jesus because God is their creator.
• No, God didn’t create evil, but when satan was kicked out of heaven because of his sin of pride that made him believe that he could take over the throne of God, the bible says that one third of the angels were kicked out with satan.
• Satan had managed to persuade a few angels to go against God, but look what the consequence of their choice has become, a destructive end. So some of these fallen angels who had possession over this man knew who Jesus was and begged Him not to torment them. They didn’t want Jesus to cast them in Hell before the final judgment.
Jesus had been telling them to come out of the man, and then Jesus asked, “What is your name?” “Legion; for we are many.” A legion was the largest unit of the Roman army that consisted of 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers. The demons identified themselves as this indicating that they were many.
• This man was known as Legion because he was possessed by many demons, what is it that possesses you in which you are identified? Are you called gossip, backbiter, or two-face? But that’s another sermon titled, “What is your name?”, so let’s move on.
• The demons continued to beg Jesus not to send them of out the country, instead they asked for permission to enter a large herd of swine that were feeding on the mountain.
• You see the demons knew that Jesus had come to rescue this man and give him peace, and they had to possess something in order to carry out their evil deeds so they asked to enter the pigs.
The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that we don’t wrestle nor fight against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places. In other words, when we as Christians quench the Holy Spirit and fall to the temptations of satan, we are then allowing those evil forces to operate through us to carry out their evil deeds.
• The demons who had possessed this man where operating through him, but Jesus with His power and might gave permission for these demons to enter the swine who then became out of control and ran down the steep bank and drowned in the sea. It was at this moment that Jesus gave this man peace.
Observe now in verse 15 that this once demon-possessed man is sitting down (not running around screaming and cutting himself), he’s clothed (not naked or half dressed as he once was), and in his right mind (his conversations now made sense). Jesus gave this man peace and when He comes to our rescue peace is what we receive as well.
• When Jesus rescues you from smoking cigarettes, you don’t have to worry about your friends who still smoke; you have peace knowing that you won’t be tempted to ask them for a square when you’re around them.
• When Jesus rescues you from that negative attitude, every little thing doesn’t get on your nerve; you’re able to handle whatever it is and go on about your business in peace.
• When Jesus rescues you and give you peace, those who know you will become afraid because they won’t be able to comprehend the God given peace that you possess.
Look at the end of verse 15, when they observe the once demon-possessed man acting normal and in peace, they didn’t know how to react and they became frightened. This whole time this man was acting crazy they weren’t really afraid, I mean they got close enough to him to try and bind him with shackles and chains, but as soon as Jesus rescues this man from his demonic condition, they became afraid.
• They didn’t even want to take time to understand who Jesus was and this was probably because Jesus was in a Gentile region. These people had a herd of pigs which was unlawful and unclean for a Jew to touch and eat. They ignored the rescuing power of Jesus and were more concerned about the pigs that had been drowned.
Jesus allowed the destruction of these pigs to show that man’s soul is more important than any other thing that He created and that material things will be lost and regained, but if you lose your soul, there is nothing that you can do to change that. Instead of these people praising Jesus for how he changed this demon-possessed man, they begged Jesus to leave their region.
Finally, as I get ready to sit down and be happy all by myself, Jesus doesn’t only give us hope and peace when He rescues us, but when Jesus comes to the rescue He gives us an assignment. Because the people of the region begged Jesus to leave, He got in the boat to go back to the other side of the Sea of Galilee where His busy day wasn’t over because on the other side He would heal the women with the issue of blood and bring Jairus’ daughter back to life. But as he prepared to leave, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to come along with Jesus.
Jesus could have easily told the man to come along; instead He gave the man an assignment. This assignment was to go to his people and tell them the great things that the Lord had done for him, and how Jesus had mercy on him.
• Remember this was a Gentile region and very little if any of the people knew who Jesus was. We must realize that witnessing starts at home. How can you tell another person about Jesus, when you don’t say a word to your spouse whose laid up on the couch when you leave for church.
• How can you correct another person’s child when your child is the devil in disguise? Jesus commissioned this man to share the good news and because the people knew who he was previously, they were amazed when he told them the great things the Lord had done for him.
Why when Jesus rescues us from old habits, we want to keep them to ourselves? When Jesus has cleansed us from sin, we’re so ashamed to tell someone that Jesus rescued us and made us whole. Whenever Jesus comes to your rescue know that you have an assignment. That assignment is to share the mercy that God had on your life and how He can do the same for others who are in need of a spiritual rescue.
• It is those individuals who people knew of their past before Jesus changed their life, who are more effective in reaching others for Christ.
• Because when you witness first hand that a one-time crack head is now a preacher, a prostitute was changed and now teaches Sunday School, and that the one-time gambler gives more tithes than anyone else in the church, then you will appreciate and recognize the mighty power of God and know that He can do anything for you.
When Jesus rescues you, you have an assignment to tell a dying world that Jesus can do anything but fail! Jesus traveled 8 miles across the Sea of Galilee just to change these two men. This lets us know that there is no distance too great for Jesus to come to our rescue.
• I don’t care how fall you think you’ve fallen from the throne of grace; Jesus can reach wayyyyyy down and pick you up, turn you around, and place your feet on solid ground.
When Jesus comes to your rescue he gives us hope, when Jesus comes to our rescue He gives us peace, and when Jesus comes to our rescue He gives us an assignment. I’m so glad, that one day
• Jesus rescued me from my sins, I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, I was stained deep within, sinking to rise no more, but the master of the sea, heard my despairing cry, and from the waters he lifted it me, now safe, safe, safe, safe, safe safe, safe am I, it was love that lifted it me. When nothing else would help love lifted me….
