Mark 5:1-20 (NKJV) Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3who had his dwelling among the tombs (his dwelling was among the dead); and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4because 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. 5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7And 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." 8For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" 9Then He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many." 10Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country (demonic authority). 11Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." (when the head demon lost his authority all the demons were speaking for themselves) 13And 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. 14So 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. 15Then 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. 16And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. 18And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19However, 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." 20And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
Introduction
Discuss how people get labeled by others and the concept of changing seems impossible.... Satan would like for you to think that you can’t change!
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
It doesn’t matter what you have done, or where you have been, Jesus Christ can deliver you and break the chains of bondage in your life!
Pigs
Pigs are viewed with the utmost disgust in Judaism.
• A pig is a real garbage gut. It will eat anything.
• Unlike other mammals, pigs don’t perspire.
• Since a pig does not perspire, the toxins remain trapped within its body and in the meat.
• Pigs have over a dozen parasites within them, such as tapeworms, flukes, and trichinae.
• There is no safe temperature at which pork can be cooked to ensure that all these parasites, their cysts, and eggs will be killed.
• Swine carry about 30 diseases which can be easily passed to humans.
It’s no wonder why scripture classify pigs as UNCLEAN!
When we read the story of the Demoniac, we find a man living in a world of religious compromise that began a LONG time before.
Separation from God brings Compromise
• If you go back in your Bible to the book of Joshua 22 the children of Israel were getting ready to cross the Jordan River.
• It was at this point that the tribes of Rueben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Mannaseh decided not to cross over the Jordan, choosing instead to settle the area known in Mark 5 as Gadara
o They made the decision to separate themselves from the tabernacle and the presence of God.
• They told Joshua that they would remember the ordinances of God and to prove that they would establish an altar...an altar that they called ED, the purpose of this altar was not for sacrifice, but for remembrance.
• Remembering the things that the Lord has done for you is important...but there are times in our lives when we absolutely have to sacrifice some things on the altar.
o We need to get into the presence of the LORD!
• When you get away from an altar of sacrifice and are separated from the presence of God...you will soon forget about some of the things you chose to be consecrated from!
• When you separate yourself from the church, it won’t be long before compromise sets in and people begin to be bound again by the things that they had previously been delivered from.
The tribes of Rueben, Gad, and the ½ tribe of Mannaseh soon began to forget the laws of God and they eventually ended up raising pigs.
Jews raising Pigs
So we find them as Jews raising pigs. They had compromised the things of God.
In this environment we find a man full of the Devil.
• He was possessed.
• He was tormented.
• He was in despair.
• He was so bound by the devil that chains could not hold him.
But Jesus came into his environment immediately after speaking peace to the storm of a sinking boat...
He arrives on the beach of the country of the Gadarenes.
He is immediately confronted with a heart wrenching site. A Man that had been possessed of devils for a long time, naked and living in the grave yard.... he would cut himself and cry and moan in the misery of this spiritual bondage.
This shipwreck of a human life falls at the feet of Jesus
As strong as he was, and able to break the chains and shackles placed on him by human hands, he was helpless and unable to break the spiritual bondage that tormented him day and night.
• He cried
• In anguish, he would take sharp stones and cut himself
• He fled from the presence of the living and made his dwelling among the dead, perhaps wishing that he could join them and cease from his torments
Many people struggle with things in their lives that have them bound.
• Some actually believing that even in their bondage, they are free
• And yet, they know they are not living with the peace and liberty that they could be
• Something deep inside is unsatisfied. Something is holding them back. Spiritual chains of darkness have them bound!
Jesus Christ is the Chain Breaker
But let me tell you something this morning!!!
JESUS CHRIST IS THE CHAIN BREKER!!!!
Luke 4:18 ESV "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed"
2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
I would like to take you back to our text.
• Jesus had just been awakened by His fearful disciples in a boat
o Jesus gets up and faces the storm and says, “Peace, be still!”
o His disciples are amazed and begin asking each other, “Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?!?!”
• They arrive at Gadara and immediately Jesus has a confrontation with a man possessed with devils.
• It wasn’t a confrontation between one demon and Jesus. It was Jesus facing off with a legion of demons (thousands)
o And at the very beginning there wasn’t a question of the outcome
o The possessed man was compelled by the power of God to fall down at the feet of Jesus and worship Him
o The head demon in control immediately loses his authority in the presence of Jesus Christ and they all begin pleading with Him not to torment them
JESUS IMMEDIATELY BEGINS BREAKING THE CHAINS OF DEMONIC POSSESSION AND SETS THE MAN FREE!!!
Mark 5:15 ESV And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
Mark 5:18 ESV As he (Jesus) was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.
Conclusion
Is there something in your life holding you back from serving Jesus Christ?
Do you feel like something is tying you down spiritually from being able to live for the Lord like you desire to?
