There Met Him A Man

(Mark 5:1-20) "There met him out of the tombs a man..."

In this passage we find one of the most remarkable stories in the New Testament.

Three of the gospel writers mention this story.

This is not a fairy-tale, it is an actual event witnessed by the disciples.

In this story we find a man experiencing FOUR conditions:

1. POSSESSED by satan.

2. REJECTED by Society.

3. TRAUMATIZED by Self.

4. And, DELIVERED by the Savior.

We find that there are few that can really help a man.

AND EVEN FEWER THAT WANT TO HELP A MAN.

The devil wants to destroy man because man is loved by God.

Society wants to take all it can from man, and therefore will never help man.

EVEN SELF is out to destroy ITSELF!

> Man is self-deceiving, self-effacing, and self-destructive!

Mankind has but ONE TRUE FRIEND!

That’s why the songwriter wrote:

There’s not a FRIEND like the lowly Jesus, No Not One; No Not One!

It doesn’t take a genius to see that mankind is in trouble!

We have grown exponentially Scientifically; Medically; and Technologically...

> And yet we need more jails than ever before...

> We have more mental problems than ever before...

> And crime has increased 300-400 percent.

Why is it that Science, Medicine, and Technology have not been able to solve mankind’s most basic needs?

> Because mankind’s most basic needs are spiritual...

> But he is to Scientifically Stupid to realize it!

The world is going to hell in a handbasket and doesn’t even see it happening.

The average person is too caught up with this world to even see that he is being slowing destroyed by it!

> Like the proverbial frog being boiled one degree at a time...

(v. 2) "there met him out of the tombs a man..."

THERE MET HIM A MAN...

I. A Miserable Man.

A. His Plentiful Pain.

1. The Inward Struggle of satanic Possession (v. 2-5).

> He had trouble sensing how much was him and how much was satan.

> No doubt he struggled to regain control of his life.

> Many struggle with control of their life and emotions...

> Few of us even consider what kind of oppression we might be under.

2. The Outward Sorrow of Physical Oppression.

> satan had caused this man much physical sorrow.

> he had caused him to injure himself...

B. His Evil master. What does satan have to offer a man...

1. A preoccupation with death.

> Suicidal tendencies among people.

> Songs and depictions are about death.

> Why so many school shootings...?

2. A preoccupation with nakedness.

> Luke tells as that he "ware no clothes..."

3. A preoccupation with piercing and cuttings.

> Tattoo parlors all over most major cities.

> Piercing most body parts.

> Hanging from hooks to get a euphoric high!

4. It left him very UNHAPPY (v. 5).

> "And ALWAYS, NIGHT AND DAY, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, CRYING..."

> The devil is going to promise you so much fun and happiness...

> BUT HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF LIES!

5. You serve the devil so vigorously, and you think you will have fun and be happy...

> But, the devil will never do one good thing for you, that he doesn’t expect 1000 times more in return!

> "AND ALWAYS, NIGHT AND DAY, he was CRYING!"

C. His Terrible Condition.

1. Unclean (v. 2).

> Impure, Foul, Filthy...

> His nakedness, and dwelling among the tombs made him an object of abhorrence.

> His family had forsaken him; No one wanted to be his friend.

2. Unsettled (v. 3).

> Incapable of making a living and fending for himself.

> He was an outcast of society.

3. Uncontrollable (v. 4).

> "No man could tame him."

> He was OUT OF CONTROL.

4. Unhappy (v. 5).

> This is a sad statement.

> This man was some mother’s son.

> He was someone’s brother.

> How can we not have compassion on this tormented man?

5. Unstable (v.6).

> There was a possibility that he could hurt himself or someone else.

> There was a wild man living in the neighborhood.

6. Unclothed (v. 15).

> Nakedness, pornography, lust and immorality are the BANE of society.

> Everywhere you look nakedness is the common dress of the world.

> WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY POSSESSED OF THE DEVIL!

BUT LET US NOT FORGET THAT THIS WAS NOT A MONSTER; THIS WAS A MAN!

There Met Him a Man!

II. A Friendless Man.

A. Society did not care for this man.

1. They bound him (v. 4a).

> They tried to help him by physically binding him with chains.

> The world does not want you to be well and healthy...