OUT OF CONTROL
Text: Luke 8:26 – 39
Today is Father’s Day. Probably one of the most common texts that is used for Father’s Day is Luke 15 in the parable of the prodigal son. Although today’s text is a miracle story about a man with many demons we can still address Father’s Day.
There is the story about a missionary, Dick Hillis who was interrupted while he was preaching at a Chinese village. The missionary’s assistant, Mr. Kong went to see what the commotion was about. When he returned he whispered to Hillis about a local man that was demon-possessed. Hillis was ready to dismiss the information as a heathen superstition. Then a woman pushed through the crowd and begged for help saying, “An evil spirit has possessed the father of my children and is trying to kill him”.
Hillis and his assistant went to the location of the demon possessed man. Kong stepped over a filthy dog as they entered the room. They could sense the presence of evil. They explained to the onlookers that they could help. They said “Our God, the ‘Nothing-He-Cannot-Do One’ is more powerful than any spirit, and He can deliver this man. First, you must promise that you will burn your idols and trust in Jesus, son of the Supreme Emperor”.
The onlookers agreed. Kong asked Hillis to sing “There Is Power In The Blood.” Hillis seemed to be stunned and hesitant, but finally he began to sing, “Would you be free from your burden of sin ….” Kong began to say “Now, in the name of Jesus we will command the evil spirit to leave this man.” Kong began praying fervently as the dog “vaulted in the air, screeching, yelping, whirling in circles snapping wildly at its tail. As Kong was still praying the dog abruptly dropped over dead.
Hillis recalled a similar story in Luke 8 where the demons left the possessed man and went into a herd of swine. As Kong finished praying, Farmer Ho, the man who was possessed was delivered. When the demon-possessed man Farmer Ho got strong enough he burned his idols. Shortly after his baptism, Farmer Ho testified saying, “I was possessed by an evil spirit who boasted he had already killed five people and was going to kill me. But God sent Mr. Kong at just the right moment, and in Jesus I am free”. (Robert J. Morgan. Nelson’s Complete Book Of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Pubilshers, 2000, p. 198). How many are there in the world today who doubt or are in denial about the existence of evil spirits and their destructive forces?
Today, we are going to talk about demonic forces and deliverance from those forces.
DEMONIC FORCES
Where do demonic forces dwell?
1) Someone (Elaine A. Heath) made the point that “Every city has its Gerasenes.” (David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor. eds. Elaine A. Heath. “Theological Perspective”. Feasting On The Word. Year C. Volume 3. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2010, p. 170).
2) William Barclay noted that how the Jews and people of the ancient world “believed strongly in demons and devils”. They believed that “demons filled the atmosphere in every phase and form of life”. They also believed that the demons who filled the atmosphere “ruled” in every phase and form. They believed that demons “sat on thrones and hovered around cradles”. The earth [to them] was literally a hell." (William Barclay. The Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of Mark. Revised Edition. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975, p. 33). 3) Some might argue that demonic forces are nothing more than figments of our imagination. However, if we look around, there is no doubt that we can see the work of their destructive forces.
Demonic forces have an agenda. 1) It is obvious that the agenda of demonic forces is always about deception, dividing, devouring and destroying God’s people. 2) We were created in the image of God. Satan’s agenda is to distort and destroy that image.
3) If Satan cannot possess you, then he wants the next best thing and that is to oppress you.
Who is in control?
1) There is not an explanation as to why this man with many demons (a.k.a the demoniac) was possessed. We just know that he was without clothes, homeless, helpless, hell-bent and obviously “out of control”. (David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor. eds. Richard J. Shaffer, Jr.. “Pastoral Perspective”. Feasting On The Word. Year C. Volume 3. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2010, p. 168).
2) We like to think that we are in complete “control” of our lives. We look at the man in this passage of scripture and see a man that is “out of control”. We see what happens as a result of his possession. He became unclothed, unfit, unclean and as we mentioned before “out of control”.
3) Are living under the illusion that we are in complete control?
4) Do we have “voices that are raging at us from inside and out” that are distorting and harming how we are created in God’s image? (David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor. eds. David J. Lose. “Homiletical Perspective”. Feasting On The Word. Year C. Volume 3. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2010, p. 169).
5) How many people do you know that feel overwhelmed and are “chaining” themselves while being driven to places of extreme “loneliness and despair”? (Jose, p. 169).
6) Someone (David J. Lose) has pointed out that “Odd as it may sound, we often prefer the devil we know to the freedom we do not” know. (David J. Lose, p. 169). It is so easy to look at this story from the outside in, but when we look at it from the inside out, only then do we begin to see how we might have things in common with the man of many demons.
DELIVERANCE
Only Jesus can break the chains and restore us.
1) Someone (Leslie B. Flynn) tells the story of a father who was liberated. He gives snapshots of the old dad and the new dad. One of the children sees and him and yells, Father’s coming! The mother urges the children to get furniture and barricade the door. All they can think of is his past. He had a track record of demonic destructiveness.
Seeing him approaching the house conjures up the old bad memories. Each of them recall how he had beaten them and things. Formerly, he had beaten the wife, the children and had broken chairs into pieces. One of the children notices something different in his appearance and behavior. Even his body language is different. “Why, Mother, he looks different! See his clothes! And his eyes are not wild!”
As he arrives, he knocks on the door and says, “ “Wife, let me in. It’s your husband. I don’t blame you for being afraid. But, I’ve a story to tell you. I’m a different man. I’ve met Jesus, and now I am in my right mind.” With much apprehension, his wife opens the door. He takes her in his arms, calling her by endearing names of their happier years. He embraces his children one by one. “You won’t need to be afraid of me anymore,” he says. “You have a new husband--- a new father. And we have a new home. No more demons. Jesus will run our home from now on”.” (Leslie B. Flynn. The Miracles of Jesus. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1990, p. 88). Only Jesus could have made this man right with God. The same is true for us---only Jesus Christ could make us right with God! How many people do we know that are still “chained”?
2) As someone (Clovis G. Chappell) has noted real victory only happens through genuine surrender. This man finally learned that “we win not by we fighting with God, but by surrendering to Him.” (Clovis G. Chappell. Sermons From The Miracles. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1927, p. 138). How many people do we know that are still fighting with God?
Not everyone will respond to deliverance positively. Since today is Father’s Day, I would like to point out some fathers who could have made a difference for the better .
1) Unless I am mistaken, I once read where the fathers of Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin were alcoholics. Alcoholic fathers or not, it seems that neither Hitler nor Stalin had a good relationship with their fathers.
2) Apparently, they all had demonic forces working in their lives.
3) Incidentally, according to Billy Graham in his book The Holy Spirit, Hitler and Stalin were both baptized. Imagine how history might have been different if Hitler’s and Stalin’s fathers had been Christians.
4) Demons do not like to be evicted. They seek to wreak havoc wherever they can.
Consider the response of the people in the country of the Gerasenes.
1) As someone (James W. Thompson) has noted “the salvation of some creates hostility in others” (David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor. eds. James W. Thompson. “Exegetical Perspective”. Feasting On The Word. Year C. Volume 3. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2010, p. 171).
2) The factor of hostility in this story comes from the cost---the loss of the swine herd. They seemed to value the swine herd more than this person. It appears that they had a love of money. Consider I Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows” (GNB). The people of Gerasenes were possessed by “demon greed.” (Leslie B. Flynn, p. 87).
3) The most disturbing part of this miracle story was that they asked Jesus to leave (Luke 8:37).
4) How many people are there in the world who prefer idols over salvation?
It is possible for people to possess a Jekyll and Hyde mentality.
1) They are the kind of people who “fight” with themselves, and even “wound” themselves, because “they are their own worst enemies”. (Clovis G. Chappell, p. 138).
2) These are the kind of people who lead double lives. They appear to be free, when the truth is that they are out of control.
3) Again, how many people do you know that feel overwhelmed and are “chaining” themselves while being driven to places of extreme “loneliness and despair”? How many of them are leading double lives?
4) Actor Bob Crane and FBI agent Robert Hansen were men whose double lives caught up with them. Bob Crane who was deeply involved an immoral lifestyle was murdered. Robert Hansen became a traitor by becoming a spy for the Soviet Union. Robert Hansen will live the rest of his life in prison for his crimes.
Jesus wants us all to be a living testimony once we are delivered.
1) Most of the time when Jesus would deliver a sinner, they usually became itinerating disciples.
2) The man in this story with many demons (a.k.a the demoniac) was an exception to that rule. Once Jesus delivered him, Jesus wanted him to stay behind and become a missionary to his own native land. How well are we doing as missionaries in our town?
3) Again, “the salvation of some creates hostility in others.” (David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor. eds. James W. Thompson. “Exegetical Perspective”. Feasting On The Word. Year C. Volume 3. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2010, p. 171).
4) Like Jesus, people may ask us to leave, when people get saved because of the gospel.
