Who is in control of your life?
November 4th, 2001
Mark 5:1-20
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. [2] When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. [3] This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. [4] For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. [5] Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
[6] When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. [7] He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!" [8] For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
[9] Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." [10] And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
[11] A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. [12] The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." [13] He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
[14] Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. [15] When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. [16] Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man--and told about the pigs as well. [17] Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
[18] As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. [19] Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." [20] So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Illustration: Paul Harvey told a story about a lady who was overweight and blamed it on the traffic on the city street. She would go to bed at night and the traffic outside her window would keep her awake. So, rather than lay there awake, she’d get up and eat. Her reason for being overweight wasn’t her overeating or a physical problem she had, but rather the traffic
This story is in all three synoptic gospels. Matt 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-39
Matthews account is more abbreviated than the other two and mentions 2 men rather than one. Although this is the same story it is told from 3 different points of veiw.
However, the main point is that this mans life was being controlled by something else.
Let’s look at His behavior
1. Lived in the tombs—graveyard
2. Had been chained up several times and broken free
3. Could not be subdued
4. Was naked -
5. Screamed day and night— Was in agony
6. Cut himself. - Probably trying to end his life
When he met Jesus He was freed from all of this. The old controls on his life were released and he was then controlled by the spirit of God.
He can safely be assumed that this man had some control issues. The residence of his body did things to and through him as they pleased.
This morning I want to ask “ Who is in control of your life?”
We will look at four different things that control us today.
I. Is Satan in control of your life?
a. Demon possession - As we read the gospel accounts we see a lot of demon possession. Today the only time you hear about demon possession is in relation to sci-fi or from a few radical nuts.
I feel that demon possession is as real today as it was then. I think Jesus was the only one with true spiritual discernment to really know and expose these forces.
I am not real sure how one becomes possessed but I would imagine that they some how allow it to happen. I do not want to dwell on the theology of demon possession this morning.
b. Influence of the world - Satan is known as the prince of this world. Whenever we allow the evil influences of this world to control us, we are guilty by association.
c. Self control - I think to truly say that we can totally control our own lives without the help of God or anyone else, we are also under the satanic delusion of this world. Satan is just as happy that we do not believe in him or God and determine that we can rule and control our own lives.
However, we are unaware of the influences that truly determine our life choices.
II. Does the economy control your life?
In the crowd that day must have been the owner of the pigs. He could not have been happy with Jesus at all. His lively hood just took a swim in the local swimming hole.
Do we allow money, wealth and the pursuit of wealth control our lives?
Can you imagined what the pig owner missed out on by dismissing Jesus with the crowd. He could have been a part of the gospel story and the new kingdom. Instead, he is not even mentioned here.
Do we allow the economy to control our lives?
III. Do you allow fear to control your life?
The towns people had the greatest opportunity of their life time in front of them. They could have met the messiah. They could have believed and become a part of the kingdom of God. They could have become disciples.
They allowed their fears to cause them to miss out on something wonderful.
We allow fear to control us in many ways.
a. Our attitude towards ourselves and others
b. Our life choices
c. Our behavior
Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
IV. Does the holy spirit control your life?
From a sermon by David Wilkerson - Demons can’t swim
I believe those hogs - suddenly possessed - were compelled by the Spirit of God to run pell-mell down the hill and plunge into the sea. Jesus is Lord over all of nature - and He commanded the swine, "Go! Take them now into the sea!" That was the end of that demonic possession - the Gadarene man was saved and delivered. Yet as the hogs ran into the water, the legion of demons went screaming in terror, out into dry places because they hate water!
Jesus Himself said, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this he spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive)" John 7:38-39).
The Holy Spirit is living water! He falls like rain (both the former and latter rains). He springs up like a well within thirsting believers. And His life is poured out as a flood upon the world - like streams in the desert!
When I say demons can’t stand water, I am talking about the Holy Spirit! Every demon in hell knows that water in the Bible represents God’s Spirit. And they know that since Jesus is now bodily with the Father, their arch enemy is His Spirit - and wherever He abides, they must flee! They can’t stand the water of the Holy Ghost - in you, in the church or in the world. And the sea that the swine were driven into was a type of the Holy Spirit! This was to serve as an object lesson to all succeeding generations.
Yet dryness represents one who is void of the Spirit of God. Dry places are a type of spiritless people - God’s Spirit does not dwell in them. David said, "The rebellious dwell in a dry land" (Psalm 68:6). This is true of the believer who has neglected the Lord: he has become "dry," empty of all things of God. And dead, dry churches and Christians become the dwelling places of unclean spirits. Demons roam about them, looking for rest - because dryness opens one up to demonic harassment.
When we allow the comforter to control our lives, Demons cannot set up residence, money is not and issue, and fear has been conquered.
The demoniac allowed the spirit to have control of his life. It is evident in his actions.
[18] As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. [19] Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." [20] So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Illustration: A fellow who had been reared in the city bought a farm and several milk cows. In the feed store one day he complained his best cow had gone dry. "Aren’t you feeding her right?" asked the store owner. "I’m feeding her what you’ve been selling me," said the man. "Are you milking her every day?" "Just about. If I need six or eight ounces of milk for breakfast, I go out and get it - I just let her save it up." The feed store owner had to explain it doesn’t work that way. With cow’s milk, like God’s presence, you take all that’s there, or you eventually have nothing.
Conclusion
Will you allow the Spirit to control your life?
