We’re renewing the series dealing with the questions people asked Jesus. [The first four messages in this series were delivered in March of 2003.] These questions are important because the people asking them had issues just like you and I.
We learn the keys to living a purposeful life from Christ’s answers. And that’s something we can really use. We sorely need to know how to live life on purpose. So many people know how to exist but they really don’t know how to live. There’s a big difference! Jesus gives us the answers for how to really live!
The question today comes from a man so deeply consumed by demons that he lived in a graveyard, ran around disrobed, and injured himself with rocks. He must have been a sight before Jesus met him. But then again, so were we.
The question he asked Christ in this instance is very pointed: "Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" (Verse 7)
This question arises jointly from the man and from the demons that were using his vocal apparatus for their communication. They had different reasons for asking the question but they agreed that Jesus was intruding into territory they had mapped out for themselves.
This wasn’t some sci-fi movie where an alien took over a human body. This really happened! Evil spirits had taken up residence in this man’s life and body and were making his existence and the lives of everyone around him unbearable.
You know it’s actually a good question. Why was Christ bothering him?
Of course, Jesus wasn’t really there to bother him – He was there to bless him! But the demons taking up residence in the man were bothered by the presence of Christ because they knew He was God and He wasn’t going to put up with their corruption. This man was going to have his life radically favored by God but the demons knew they were getting their eviction notice!
Why doesn’t God just leave you alone? Why doesn’t He just let you live your life the way you want to without interfering with all of His pronouncements about how you’re supposed to live, and how you’re supposed to treat other people, and how you’re supposed to love Him, and how you’re supposed to love others? Why does the Word of God challenge you? Why does the Holy Spirit pressure you to improve and become a better person?
Why is the hound of heaven on your trail? Why does God seek you when you’re lost and then even after you’re found keep on trying to hold you to the straight and narrow lifestyle? Why doesn’t God just leave… you… alone?
A guy I once shared Christ with years ago asked me a related question. "Why don’t you Christians just leave me alone?" And I told him, "It’s because God doesn’t want you left alone."
Why is that? Why does God get involved in your life? It’s a good question. And of course Christ has solid answers.
Christ’s answers to this demon possessed man’s question gives us Three Reasons God Doesn’t Just Leave You Alone AND Three Ways You Consequently Need to Respond to God.
The first is this: God won’t leave you alone because…
1. YOU CAN’T OVERCOME EVIL ALONE - SO RESPOND TO GOD WITH WORSHIP.
You need to show some appreciation and admiration for God loving you enough to help you overcome the evil attempts to mess up your life.
Mark 5:6 (NLT) When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him. He ran to meet Jesus and fell down before him. 7 He gave a terrible scream, shrieking, "Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? For God’s sake, don’t torture me!" 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, "Come out of the man, you evil spirit."
Jesus wasn’t debating the demons over this man’s soul. He simply made a command to which the demons had to acquiesce.
Just like that man there’s an ongoing spiritual battle for your soul. You may not always think about it but it’s there. Furthermore, it’s a battle you can’t possibly win without God!
This man knew this. So he ran to meet Jesus and fell down before him – an act of worship as well as a plea to be exorcized. The demons were yelling but the man was kneeling.
As I’ve already said, the demons were bothered because of Christ’s clear superiority over them and because of His holiness confronting their evil.
The man may have been bothered for other reasons.
Reasons you might be bothered by Christ’s attempts to free you from the chains of sin:
1)You don’t really want to give up your sin.
Sin gives you some things you don’t want to part with. Temporary pleasure. False security. Worldly status. Jesus said something about this problem in
John 3:19 (Msg) This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for darkness because they weren’t really interested in pleasing God. 20 Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure.
Jesus said people wouldn’t come to His light because they don’t have any inclination at all to give up their sin.
2)You’re still proud enough to believe you can conquer sin on your own.
Two Texans were trying to impress each other with the size of their ranches. One asked the other, "What’s the name of your ranch?" The rancher replied, "The Rocking R, ABC, Flying W, Circle C, Bar U, Staple Four, Box D, Rolling M, Rainbow’s End, and Silver Spur Ranch." Duly impressed, the questioner exclaimed, "Wow! That’s sure some name! How many head of cattle do you run?" With a sad shake of his head, the rancher answered, "Not many. Very few survive the branding."
You may think you can conquer sin without Christ’s help but the Bible says you won’t survive on your own.
John 8:34 (WEB) "Truly I say to you, everyone who does evil is the servant of sin. 35 Now the servant does not go on living in the house forever, but the son does. 36 If the Son makes you free, you will be truly free."
Jesus wanted to bring liberty to this man’s life and He wants you to be set free as well! But you’ve got to let go of pride. Pride is thought to be a positive attribute in our culture. Consider these quotes:
Ted Turner – "If I only had a little humility I’d be perfect."
David Lee Roth (Van Halen)- "I’m not conceited. Conceit is a fault and I have no faults."
Now these guys may have been speaking tongue in cheek at the time, I don’t know. But be careful you don’t fall into the pride trap!
3)You’re addicted. You want to quit but sin has power over you.
Don’t brush this narrative aside and think that just because foul demonic spirits haven’t inhabited you that it doesn’t have any application to your life.
Sin’s exploitation doesn’t only occur in cases of demon possession. If you have a sinful habit of thinking or speaking or acting in the wrong way you need Christ’s power to set you free.
You may have more in common with this man than you think. We’re all in need of God’s grace. You not only can’t make it to heaven without God’s grace – you really can’t live as God intended you to live here on earth without it! Because we’re all sinners we’ve all done and said dumb things.
An article in the Wisconsin State Journal illustrates what I’m talking about. Vice Presidents and Personnel Directors of large corporations were asked to share their most unusual experiences interviewing prospective employees. Their stories included the following:
·A job applicant who challenged the interviewer to arm wrestle with him.
·A job candidate who said he had never finished high school because he had been kidnapped and kept in a closet in Mexico.
·A balding candidate who excused himself, then returned wearing a full hairpiece.
·A candidate who wore earphones to the interview and, when asked to remove them, explained that she could listen to the interviewer and the music at the same time.
·A candidate who said she didn’t have time for lunch, then started to eat a hamburger and fries in the interviewer’s office.
·An applicant who interrupted the questioning to phone her therapist for advice.
·A candidate who dozed off during the interview.
·A candidate who muttered, "Would it be a problem if I’m angry most of the time?"
You may not have said or done anything stupid at a job interview but we’ve all said and done dumb things sometime. We’ve all done really stupid things when it comes to sinning. We look back over our lives and we want to kick ourselves. Satan has exploited our weaknesses, even if his imps do not possess us. That’s bad news.
Even worse news – you simply cannot overcome this tendency toward self-destruction on our own. You can’t defeat the power of evil. You need God. God knows it. You need to admit it. You need to worship God. You need to let Him know He is worthy of your admiration, your affection, your loyalty, your praise, and your obedience. You need to do what the man in the Scripture did. You need to bow down at the feet of Jesus as this man did.
The Good News is - God is willing, ready and able to help you overcome evil just as he was this man!
1. YOU CAN’T OVERCOME EVIL ALONE – SO RESPOND TO GOD WITH WORSHIP.
And the second reason God doesn’t leave you alone and the consequent way you need to respond to Him is:
2. GOD CREATED YOU FOR SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY – SO RESPOND BY BEING A PART OF ONE.
Mark 5:9 (NLT) Then Jesus asked, "What is your name?" And the spirit replied, "Legion, because there are many of us here inside this man."
A "legion" was a Roman regiment of foot soldiers, numbering between 5,000 and 6,000. It was the basic military unit of ancient Rome. The spokes-demon was in effect saying, "there are thousands of us inside this man." Truly remarkable! No wonder his life was such a shambles.
For further evidence of the vast number of evil spirits in the man consider how verses 10-13 describe the demons entering a herd of 2,000 pigs when Christ forced them out of the man. To Satan a pig is as good as a man. The pigs on the other hand were so upset they ran down a steep hillside and drowned in the lake!
Satan knows and uses a principle you need to utilize in your life. The devil knows there is strength in numbers! The evil spirits isolated this man – that is the plot of Satan for all of us. He knows that if he gets you alone he can work you over and eventually take control of your life.
First, you need God, and second, you need a spiritual family – a spiritual community to help you ward off the attacks of Satan on your life.
Just like there are reasons you might be bothered by Christ’s attempts to free you from the chains of sin. There are also…
Reasons you might think you don’t need spiritual community:
1)You think you’re too busy.
Let’s face it. Being a part of a community takes time. We’re beginning a Small Group Ministry in our church. You need to take the time and effort to be a part. Please don’t say you’re too busy. Satan counts on you being too busy. He wants to isolate you. He wants to gang up on you and outnumber you. God wants you to be a part of a small group where others can watch your spiritual back.
Hebrews 3:13 (NIV) Encourage one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
"If we don’t spend time together our fellowship becomes shallow. If you want to cultivate real fellowship, it will mean meeting together even when you don’t feel like it, because you believe it is important. The first Christians met together every day! They worshiped together regularly at the Temple each day, met in small groups in homes for Communion, and shared their meals with great joy and thankfulness. (Acts 2:46 LB) Fellowship involves an investment of time." (Rick Warren, "The Purpose Driven Life")
2)You think spiritual community doesn’t have much to offer.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (LB) Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better. 10 If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he’s in trouble. 11 Also, on a cold night, two under the same blanket gain warmth from each other, but how can one be warm alone? 12 And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
3)You think only of yourself.
At times you won’t need the help of a spiritual community as much as at other times. But – it’s not all about you – others may need the spiritual community benefits that you offer even when you don’t need their help.
Jim Henderson, Executive Director of "Off the Map," tells of a friend of his who was recently walking through a village in India when he noticed an older woman sitting by herself. He approached her and asked her name, which in India denotes your caste (social class). She told him that she was an untouchable. He responded, "I didn’t ask your caste. I asked your name. My God doesn’t care about caste." The woman then asked what God he served. "Yeshua (Jesus)," he said. The woman’s eyes softened. She said, "I know that God. He is the one I pray to every day. When I was eight years old, two white women came to my village and taught me a song about Yeshua. I have been singing that song every day since then but until now, have never met another follower of Him." Henderson says that later on that same day, his friend baptized the woman’s entire family. When you think you don’t need spiritual community – please remember this – you are needed in spiritual community.
When Tammy Harris turned twenty-one, she began searching for her biological mother, who had also been searching for Tammy for twenty years. The Associated Press reported that what Tammy didn’t know was that her mother was a coworker at the store where she worked! Through conversation, the two learned of their similar searches and began comparing backgrounds – and in a short time fell into each other’s arms in a joyous reunion. (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 2/15/05)
Why doesn’t God leave me alone?
1.You can’t overcome evil alone – so respond to God in worship.
2.You were created for spiritual community – so be a part of one.
And the third reason this Scriptural story enlightens you to why God doesn’t leave you alone and consequently how you need to respond to Him is this:
3. GOD NEEDS YOU TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT HIM.
Notice the last thing Jesus says to the man.
Mark 5:18 (NLT) When Jesus got back in the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go too. 19 But Jesus said, "No, go home to your friends, and tell them what wonderful things the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been."
Jesus gave into the demon’s request to go into the herd of pigs but he refused this thankful man’s request to go with Him on the boat. Jesus had no use for the demons but He did need a witness of His love, mercy and grace in this area. He needed a representative. This man who had received so much from Jesus made a great witness.
Mark 5:20 (NLT) So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to tell everyone about the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.
Reasons you might think you can’t share your experience with Christ.
1)You might think you’re not qualified.
This man’s credentials did not consist of a degree in theology, a long list of references or an ordination certificate from his denomination. His credentials were: "Hey, see this scar on my wrist? That’s where I tried to cut myself and bleed to death! I was so empty until I met Christ." Or, "See the bags under my eyes? That comes from hardly getting any sleep because of the demons that tormented me in the cemetery!" I’d better stop before you start believing you have to have a sensational testimony before you can witness for Christ.
The point is, at the behest of Jesus, he shared his personal experience with others. He simply told what God had done for him. Since the people here owned swine, they were most likely Gentiles. This man became one of God’s first missionaries to non-Jews!
2)You might think no one is interested.
If you’re a believer – you were interested. People don’t turn away from the Good News about Jesus because they’re not interested. They may turn away because they have the hang-ups like those mentioned in the first point of the sermon - they don’t want to give up their sin; they’re proud; they’re addicted.
They may act disinterested because of the way some Christ followers have misrepresented Christ and the Good News. Sadly that happens sometimes – but there is an interest in God’s forgiveness.
Ernest Hemingway tells the story of the Spanish father who wanted to be reconciled with his son who ran away from home to the city of Madrid. The father misses the son and puts an advertisement in the local newspaper El Liberal. The advertisement read, "Paco, meet me at the Hotel Montana at noon on Tuesday. All is forgiven! Love, Papa." Paco is such a common name in Spain that when the father went to the Hotel Montana the next day at noon there were 800 young men named Paco waiting for their fathers! Every one of them was looking for forgiveness from their father.
Don’t ever believe that no one is interested in the Good News of The Heavenly Father’s forgiveness!
John 12:32 (NLT) "And when I am lifted up on the cross, I will draw everyone to myself." Jesus and His cross haven’t lost their drawing power!
3)You might think there is another way.
But there is no other way for people to come to know Christ if someone doesn’t tell them.
Romans 10:13 14 (NLT) For "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
God won’t leave you alone because He needs you to take the Good News about Him to those who have never heard! Whether the person is across the aisle from you at work, across the street from your home or across the ocean – God is always stirring things up in order to get us ready, willing and able to spread the Good News about Him!
First, you need God. Second, you need a spiritual family. And third, you need to help that spiritual family grow by telling the Good News about Christ.
Where are you in this process today? Do you still need God? If so He is ready to forgive your sins today and cleanse you just as he did the man in the Scripture we read.
Do you need a spiritual family? If you’re a Christ follower who wants to become a member of this church family we welcome you today. If you’re already a member of this church family and you are not committed to a small group you need to make a commitment today.
Perhaps someone needs to commit to telling others today. Let’s pray.
