Mark 5:1-20
(Also found in MT 8:28-34; LK 8:26-37)
Jesus: Master Over Demons!
Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had [his] dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me." For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" Then He asked him, "What [is] your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name [is] Legion; for we are many." Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him [who had been] demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled. Mark 5:1-20
Introduction – Accidents
The dictionary defines ‘accident’ as “an unforseen event or one without apparent cause.” Any Christian who understands the sovereignty of God will immediately determine from this definition that there is no such thing as an accident.
It’s like the cowboy who goes to buy some life insurance. The broker asked him if he had had any accidents in the past year, to which the cowboy replied “No. But I was kicked by a horse, chased by a raging bull and bitten by a snake - that laid me up for a while.” The agent said, “Weren’t they accidents?” To which the stockman replied, “No, they did it on purpose.” You see this stockman realized that there are no such thing as accidents.
Through the years, I have had the opportunity to encourage and lead people through the “Experiencing God” study authored by Henry Blackaby. One of the items he discusses are the God-cidents in our lives. There is a reason, although many times unseen, for everything. They are not just coincidences. People will question: Why was the man possessed; why did the pigs have to die; why didn’t Jesus just cast the demons to the netherworld? Simply put, we don’t really know all the answers. That is where faith comes in to play. There are some things we simply won’t know this side of heaven.
The MISERY of a Soul 1-5
He was UNCLEAN
He was probably a gentile living in this area. It appears that he was obviously demonized. We don’t know what led him in this direction and the Bible doesn’t clarify. We just know he was unclean and had sunk to the lowest depths of degradation.
He was UNCIVILIZED
He lived alienated in tombs and roamed all night long. This area was possibly Gerasa on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee where they were near the mountains. He resided within the tombs and roamed with another man of like character. My mom had a saying years ago that “birds of the same feathers always flock together.” This man ran with someone just like him. Aren’t we like that today?
He was UNSTABLE
There was great darkness mentally, physically, and spiritually. We certainly don’t know what caused the “possession” but we do know the scripture indicates this was a severe case.
He was UNCONTROLLABLE
This man had a dangerous, disturbing, and destructive nature. He had been chained by both hands and feet. He could not be restrained so he was driven in the wilderness.
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” Ephesians 1:1-2.
There are none of us who can cast stones at this man. All of us are sinners and it takes the same amount of grace for us as it did for him!
He was UNFORGETTABLE.
This man had an impact on his community. Unfortunately, it was the wrong kind. In my B.C. (Before Christ) days, I am sure I had a negative impact on people. But we don’t have to stay that way.
There were signs for a demonized individual. Listed below are the signs this man exhibited.
(1) Severe personality change.
(2) Anti-social behavior.
(3) Spiritual insight.
(4) Super-human strength.
(5) Torment.
(6) Tendency towards self-destruction.
“Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers or extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you have been washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1Cor 6:9-11
Illustration – Addictions
Often we are addicted to many things. Here are a few: Ego, Food, Fame, Gambling, Greed, Illegal Drugs, Internet, Job - work, Laziness, Legal Drugs, Lust, Occult, Pleasure, Pornography, Prescription drugs, Sexual addiction – both heterosexual & homosexual, Smoking, Shopping, Television, Tobacco, Video games.
The MASTERY of the Savior 6-13
The demons DECLARATION 6-7
The possessed man recognized his need. Although controlled by evil, he ran to fall down at the feet of the One who was holy! The word for worship here means to prostrate oneself before a superior. The demons knew who Jesus was and wanted to control the situation.
The Savior’s CONFRONTATION 7-10
When the demons were told to leave, they attempted to manage Jesus. He had a brief conversation with them and commanded that they leave after He learned their name. Of course, they wanted to stay in the area and not be confined to the abyss so they requested permission to enter the unclean pigs. The name Legion is a picture of the Roman legion which consisted of 6,000 soldiers plus 120 other horseman and technical personnel. The numbers indicate that there were a “whole bunch” of demons occupying this forsaken and forlorn man.
The pigs ANNHILATION 11-13
Upon entering their new host, they proceeded to reveal their destructive nature. What they were slowly doing to the demonized man they now did to the pigs. The swine rushed into the waters and drowned themselves.
The man’s REGENERATION 15a
This man was not originally seeking Jesus but He knew his need. He was not changed through rehabilitation in a facility, nor education in a center for higher learning, nor politicians throwing tax dollars at society, or psychologists promoting a new “How To” book on “Releasing the demon Within You.” He was “born from above” and became a new creature in Christ.
Illustration - Conflicts, Escaping
In the 1980’s a retired couple was alarmed by the threat of nuclear war so they undertook a serious study of all the inhabited places on the globe. Their goal was to determine where in the world would be the least likely place affected by a nuclear war -- a place of ultimate peace and security. They studied and traveled, traveled and studied. Finally they found the place. And on Christmas they sent their pastor a card from their new home -- in the Falkland Islands. However, their "paradise" was soon turned into a war zone by Great Britain and Argentina in the conflict now recorded in history books as the Falkland War.
We can never escape all conflicts. We can simply take our problems before the Lord and learn to trust Him even when we do not understand.
The MYSTERY of Salvation 14-17
Why did God choose me? How does He do it? I know some aspects of salvation. My sin was placed on God’s Son. My sin was imputed upon Him as His righteousness is imputed upon me the moment I repented of my sins and trusted in Christ for my redemption. It is a matter of faith. Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)
For some it is UNBELIEVABLE 14
For most believers in their walk with Christ, they pinch themselves daily because they know they don’t deserve salvation. I am sure this demonized man was surprised when the demons left him.
For many it is UNKNOWABLE 15
Because salvation is faith-alone through Christ-alone, many people will not trust Him. They desire to “earn” their way to heaven. They choose to not believe. He becomes unknowable to them.
For most it is UNACCEPTABLE 16-17
Grace alone through Christ alone by faith alone is not what mankind wants to hear. If I can’t have it my way (Burger King mentality) then I won’t have it! Therefore, the grace God offers is not acceptable.
Illustration - Saved only by grace
A man dies and goes to heaven.
Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates.
St. Peter says, "Here’s how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven
You tell me all the good things you’ve done,
and I give you a certain number of points for each item,
depending on how good it was.
When you reach 100 points, you get in." "Okay," the man says,
"I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart"
"That’s wonderful," says St.Peter, "that’s worth three points!"
"Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."
"Terrific!" says St.Peter. "That’s certainly worth a point."
"One point!?!!" "I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that’s good for two more points," he says.
"Two points!?!! "Exasperated, the man cries. "At this rate the only way I’ll get into heaven is by the grace of God"
"Bingo, 100 points! Come on in!"
We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and duct tape. God did it with nails and His only Son!
When a person has been changed, their outlook and priorities in life changes. Notice verses 18-20.
The MINISTRY of Serving 18-20
A changed life gives new direction. Jesus sent (missions) the man back to his people to share His story. It is a story of serving others.
His deep APPRECIATION
He begged Jesus to let him follow and serve Him. He was appreciative for his changed life. Interestingly, it seems that many people take for granted the salvation provided for them. They behave inappropriately calling themselves believers and show little appreciation for the One who gave His all for them.
His sincere ADORATION
He knew who Jesus was. He was changed. A radically changed life will always know who He is. He wanted to go but in obedience he returned to his family and community. He would model a believers life to them and they marveled!
His new VOCATION
He now became the missionary in his region. God doesn’t call everyone to be a missionary or preacher but He does call us to be faithful to Him where we live and serve.
Illustration - Why Some Churches Grow and Others Don’t
Ever wondered why that’s true? Why do some churches in America grow and others struggle, decline and die?
A recent survey by the Faith Communities Today 2005 survey found that 46 percent of congregations "strongly agree" with willing to change experienced the highest level of attendance growth. Among those who disagreed, only 15 percent are growing.
The survey gave several key factors contributing to growth. Churches located in growing suburbs are more likely to grow. The composition of the congregation was another key factor in growth as well. The older a congregation is, the less likely it is to grow. Here’s a surprising finding: a higher proportion of women in the congregation is associated with decline rather than growth in the church. Churches that attract larger proportions of men tend to grow more. (Christian Post, 1-5)
Hmmm. Maybe that deal in the Bible about men being the spiritual leaders in the family and in the church is not so far off base after all. (FILE: CHURCH/GROWTH/DECLINE/MEN/LEADERSHIP)
I am convinced that the obedience and faith this man exhibited resulted in many people coming to know Christ. He possibly started his own house congregation. Whatever he did I am sure it was intended to glorify the One who changed his life.
