From A Sermon By Roger Griffith
From Death to Life
TEXT: Mark 5:1-20
INTRODUCTION: Today, I’m talking about what demons can do, what the Lord can do, and what you can do.This man was hurting. He was in terrible shape. He had demon troubles. Notice…
I. LOOK WHAT DEMONS HAVE DONE
A. WHO WAS THIS MAN?
1. We don’t know much about him-- somebody’s son.
2. He was undoubtedly someone’s relative.
3. He was probably somebody’s husband.
4. He was probably somebody’s daddy.
5. But, he was bound by demons!
6. Notice what the demons had done…
B. HE DWELLED AMONG THE DEAD (v.3)
1. He lived in the tombs.
2. The devil likes to keep you in the tombs.
3. The devil likes to have you hang out with those who
are dead.
4. He wants them to influence you.
6. He wants them to drag you down.
Illustration: Fear - President and Mrs. Benjamin Harrison were so intimidated by the newfangled electricity installed in the White House they didn’t dare touch the switches. If there were no servants around to turn off the lights when the Harrisons went to bed, they slept with them on.
Jane Goodsell, Not a Good Word About Anybody, Ballantine
C. NO MAN COULD TAME HIM (v. 4)
1. Think about that.
2. Many people today: men and women, both young and
old who have a violence about them.
3. It seems that nobody can tame them.
4. Nobody can do anything with them.
5. They are intent on destruction.
6. That’s what the devil does.
7. That’s what demons do.
8. Notice what else demons had done.
D. HE WAS CONTINUALLY CRYING (v. 5)
1. The text says, he was always night and day in the
mountains and in the graveyard crying.
2. Have you noticed how many people cry today.
3. Tears stream down their faces.
4. They cry over what the devil is doing to their
daddies.
5. They cry over what the devil is doing to their
mothers.
6. They cry over what the devil is doing to their
children.
7. The devil wants you to cry!
8. But God said I’m gonna wipe away all tears from
their eyes.
9. This man in our text was always crying in the
graveyard.
12. That’s what the devil had done.
E. HE ABUSED HIMSELF
1. Notice he was cutting himself.
2. There he was filled with demons and cutting
himself.
4. He wanted to destroy himself.
5. He didn’t feel like he was worthy to live.
6. The devil has convinced him thathe don’t have
any right to live.
8. If you don’t think you have any self-worth, It is a
lie from the devil.
9. You are precious in the sight of God,You’re the
King’s Kid (Jesus Christ)!!
10. That’s what the devil had done.
II. LOOK WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE
A. NOTICE WHAT JESUS CAN DO
1. This man saw Jesus afar off and the demons in him
cried out,"Don’t torment us before the time."
2. The demons were obviously afraid of Jesus.
3. Jesus commanded the demons to come out.
4. He said, What is your name?
5. The demons said, Our name is Legion, (A legion of
Roman soldiers was about 6,200 men.)
6. Imagine having 6,000 demons in your son, daughter,
husband, wife or whoever!
7. I’m telling you, Jesus is the deliverer.
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.
10. Jesus commanded those demons to come out of that
man AND THEY CAME OUT!
B. NOTICE WHAT ELSE JESUS HAS DONE IN MARK 16:17
1. Jesus went back to heaven
2. But He said, "In my name you will cast out demons."
3. Demons won’t go out if I say in the name of the
Assemblies of God…
4. …the Baptist
5. … the Methodist
6. … the Presbyterians
7. …the Church of God
8. … the Nazerene
9. …the Four Square Church
10. Those may all be good names, but Demons don’t obey
those names.
11. There’s only one name they bow to and that’s the
Name of Jesus.
C. NOTICE HOW JESUS DID IT.
1. That man didn’t have to have a psychiatrist or a
medical doctor or anyone else.
5. All he had to have was Jesus. And they came out.
6. The people saw this man, this maniac who would
strip off all of his clothes and run naked through
the streets.
7. …this man who no man could tame.
8. …this man who cried night and day.
9. …this man who cut himself and mutilated his own
body.
10. …this man who was deranged and driven by demons.
11. When Jesus got through with him, the people saw
this man sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus.
12. He was clothed and in his right mind.
13. I want you to know there’s anyone anywhere
– there is no one who is beyond the touch of
Jesus!
14. That’s not just what Jesus did, but that’s what
Jesus can do.
III. LOOK WHAT WE CAN DO (v.19)
A. GO HOME
1. Your faith in God should affect your homelife.
2. In 1Tim.5:8, the Apostle Paul said that if a man
doesn’t take care of his own family, he is worse
than an infidel.
3. I always put the Lord first, but right after that
comes my family.
4. My family comes before the church and before anyone
or anything else.
6. When we get saved, we need to turn our attention
towards our homes.
7. Next, we need to:
B. TELL WHAT GREAT THINGS THE LORD HATH DONE
1. When some people are asked if they have ever given
their testimony, they say they don’t know how.
ILLUSTRATION: ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN?
Addressing a national seminar of Southern Baptist leaders, George Gallup said, "We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are not active religiously...The levels of lying, cheating, and stealing are remarkable similar in both groups.
Eight out of ten Americans consider themselves Christians, Gallup said, yet only about half of them could identify the person who gave the Sermon on the Mount, and fewer still could recall five of the Ten Commandments. Only two in ten said they would be willing to suffer for their faith.
SOURCE: Erwin Lutzer, Pastor to Pastor, p. 76
2. It is a simple thing to give a testimony.
3. You just tell WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE.
4. Tell about the difference that Jesus Christ has
made in your life.
5. There is a song which expresses this thought.
LOOK WHAT THE LORD HATH DONE
He healed my body, he touched my mind.
He saved me just in time.
Oh, I’m gonna praise His name.
I’ll never be the same.
Come on and praise Him!
Look what the Lord hath done!
C. TELL OF HIS GREAT COMPASSION
1. The Lord is full of compassion.
2. It reaches to the highest mountain and flows to the
lowest valley.
3. His love has reached me and He will do the same for
you!
