Main Idea: God has called, equipped, and empowered every Christian to be a missionary.
Introduction: Today, all over our state, many churches are observing volunteers in missions Sunday. This is a time set aside to recognize those who have participated in volunteer mission work, and promote volunteer missions. It is also a time to focus on this years theme: “Every Christian A Missionary: Let Your Light Shine”
When I read today’s scripture pertaining to the demon-possessed man of Gadara, this scripture from 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 came to mind. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” That is certainly what happened to this man; he became a new
creation.
But, also another scripture comes to mind. Acts 1:8 says: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
May I suggest to you that this story very plainly illustrates that every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has been called to be a missionary? I am not talking about going to Africa, or South America or some foreign country, or some pagan country.
But in the Words of the famous hymn, We Christians are to “brighten the corner where you are.”
I. Introduction
1. Jesus and disciples left Capernium going to other side Sea of Galilee
2. When they landed, they encountered a man with an unclean spirit
II. His condition (vv 2-5)
1. Living in the graveyard (v. 3)
2. No one could restrain him, even with chains and shackles (v. 3-4)
3. He was constantly crying out and cutting himself with the stones he found in the cave (v. 5)
4. He was possessed with many demons, perhaps as many as 6,000
(1) (v. 9) When Jesus asked him what his name was, one of the demons within him responded: “Legion, for we are many”
(2) In Jesus time, a legion of Roman soldiers was equal to 6,000 men.
5. He was probably naked, as (v. 15) seems to indicate.
6. No one had been able to help this man, and he was an outcast from his society, a hopeless case
(1) Until that day when he encountered Jesus!
III. His cure (vv 6-13)
1. When the man saw Jesus from afar off, the scriptures say that he ran and worshiped him, or he bowed down before him.
2. He cried out with a loud voice “ What have I to do to you Jesus, Son of the most High God? Implore you by God, that you do not torment me.”
(1) Jesus had already commanded that the unclean spirit leave this man, but apparently, these were some stubborn spirits!
3. It was then that Jesus asked the demon what his name was
4. These demons begged Jesus not to send out of the country, that is not to confine them to the place where they would await their final judgement, but instead, allow them to enter into a herd of swine that were grazing nearby.
5. They left the man immediately, entered into the swine, which in turn caused the swine to drown themselves in the sea.
6. That man indeed became a new creation on that day when he met Jesus.
IV. His confrontation (vv 14-17)
1. Those who were standing nearby tending the herd fled into the city and country and told others just what they had seen,
2. It caused such a stir that many people came out to see if what they were told was true
3. (v. 15) They saw that this man’s life had been totally transformed by the power of God!
(1) For the first time in a long time, he was clothed and was completely sane.
(2) What a powerful witness,
(3) May I suggest to you that there is no more powerful a witness than a life that has been transformed by Jesus!
4. The ones who say what had happened began to tell again just what had happened to the man, and about the swine.
5. And when they heard it, instead of rejoicing with the formerly demon possessed man, they begged Jesus to depart from their region.
6. So Jesus and his disciples decided to get back in the boat and depart.
V. His commission (vv 18-20)
1. When Jesus got into the boat to leave, the man who had been demon-possessed was so grateful for what He had done, he begged him that he might leave and go with them (v. 18)
2. Instead, Jesus commissioned him (v.19)
(1) That is the same commission that the Lord Jesus gives us as his believers! Go home to your friends and tell! What the Lord has done for you! if He is real to you!
[1] “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,...
[2] Hymn 567 verse 2 READ with the congregation
(2) I think sometimes we preachers commit a grievous sin, we make our congregations think that they need to attend this course on evangelism, and that course, but in reality, what they need to do is simply tell what the lord has done for them, and how he has had compassion on them.
[1] When the people see how God has worked in the persons life, and how he has transformed them, then they have no excuse, they cannot deny the power of God.
3. How did this man react to the commission of Jesus
(1) Did he go home and say:
[1] “Well, that is the preachers job to go out and witness?”
[2] “Well, I really don’t know the “Roman Road” yet, so I’ll wait
(2) NO, not only did he go home and tell his family and friends, but it says that he went into the ten cities of the Decapolis, and proclaimed what Jesus had done for him!!!!
(3) Let me ask you something, when you go home today to eat your fried chicken, and as you go about your business this week, will you tell your family, friends, coworkers and etc. what the Lord has done for you? Or will you wait for someone like me to get around to it???
(4) “...you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
VI. Conclusion
1. God has commissioned every Christian to be a missionary
2. It is up to each one of us to accept that challenge and obey His command.
3. I hope you will choose to Go home and tell!
Invitation
Publicly commit to being better witnesses?
Publicly commit to missions service?
Some here today that need to become new creations in Christ?
