Are we willing to come out of the captivity of the evil one and allow Jesus to set us free from whatever binds us? Are we ready to surrender our lives to Him and experience His transformative power? Join us for this sermon as we dive deeper into the story of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5:1-20 and discover how Jesus can break the power of darkness in our lives. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to find freedom and share in the amazement of all that Jesus has done. Tune in and let’s journey together towards liberation! Jump in with us in Sections 88 of the Gospel Harmonies @ https://www.harmonychurch.cc/tracking-jesus-timeline/. IT’S EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ).
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OPENING ILLUSTRATION:
You know the phrase, “Let’s talk about the elephant in the room,” have you ever wondered where that came from? I mean, because I’d think if you had an elephant in a room, it would be all you would talk about. I mean did someone show up at a rotary club meeting and there was a pachyderm sitting in the corner, everyone sipping their tea and NOT talking about the elephant in the room?
I just don’t get it
But I’ll tell you this
Humans have an incredible capacity to ignore big issues to not have to deal with the dissonance they create in us.
-How many companies should have bit the dust years ago, but still hang on
-Married couples, unwilling to deal with the issues in front of them
What we do we do?
We let there be elephants in the room…
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Today, I want to take you into a story from the Gospels and then show you an “elephant in the room”
SCRIPTURE
Mk 5:1-20
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a]
Remember what has just been happening with these guys we talked about it a couple weeks ago – they have been on the lake, there has been a terrible storm – they thought they were going to die – likely the sky is still dark as clouds have receded – likely the shore is wet, mud everywhere… This is gentile – not a jew territory…
I want you to get this…
Jesus has put their life on the line to get here. Why?
2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, 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.
Mark gives us the picture of this man – when you are at the Sea of Galilee – you will see there are all these cliffs surrounding it with caves, etc. This guy has been living in these. People have tried chaining him – they can’t hold him. They are living in a cemetery. Who has been trying to bind him? Does he have kids? A wife? He’s tortured by what’s going on inside of him.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.
I picture him slipping and sliding in the mud and stopping in front of Jesus. Can you imagine the disciples – you’ve just come through the storm on the lake, you land on shore and you hear [wild scream] baked Bart coming at you screaming and stumbling at a full run..
I’d be like, “later Jesus!” Ha
the man comes up
7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
I want you to get this, Jesus tells the impure spirit to come out of the man and it DOESN’t. It’s actually negotiating with Jesus.
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 impure 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.
Do you know what a Legion was? 3-6,000 soldiers…
This man is riddled with demons…
I’ve heard people get upset about all the pigs that die. “If Jesus knew they would all die, it seems cruel”
Why are you blaming Jesus? The demons are the ones that drove the pigs to their death – I have the suspicion it’s because the demons wanted to be free of their bodies so they could go an infest someone else.
Listen to what happens next…
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.
These pig farmers have just watched as a terrible storm receded. They have probably come out to check on their flock? of pigs. They see Jesus with Baked Bart and he’s in his right mind. Their pigs all of the sudden start running over the cliff and drowning…
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.
I get it, the people want him to leave – “I don’t know who or what you are, but we can’t have you here…”
This is where I want you to pick up the story…
Listen…
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 own people 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[b] how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Can I ask you a question I’ve never heard anyone talk about? To me, it’s the elephant in the room…
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Why didn’t Jesus just send the demons to hell?
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Why did He allow them to move on to possess another?
It’s a good question right?
It’s the part of the story that has always bothered me…
I want to remind you of a passage we read several weeks ago…
Hebrews 2:14-15
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Jesus was not just after ridding one man of the infestation of evil in the world. His goal was all of humanity.
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One person at a time!
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On the cross, Jesus dealt a blow that broke the hold of the evil one on all who would turn to Him
CLOSING ILLUSTRATION:
Can I tell you my brother’s story?
My brother was a cool kid growing up. He was always popular – he was the kid in the late 80s who would throw the ragers with 700 kids at it. By the time I was in high school, he was doing ever drug under the sun and selling it to make money. He was baked more often than not. My parents kicked him out of the house. I remember coming home and hearing the music he listened to about killing your parents and crazy stuff.
My brother was in town where we had grown up, there is some interstate that creates a loop around the city and my brother and his buddies had been on this loop going around the city – over and over again until they ran out of gas – because they were so messed up – they had taken crazy amounts of Peoti. my brother’s buddies told him to wait at the car because he was so baked. But he started walking and caught up to them, they sent him back to the car – but he walked past it not knowing it was his car. He said, on the interstate, he saw his buddy standing in the middle of the road, in a black hoody with a face that looked like a skull, calling him out to the middle of the road. He went out and his buddy told him to play chicken with a semi that was coming. So, my brother did. He said the last thing he remembered was seeing these bright lights in his eyes and then he woke up on the side of the road with police all around him and handcuffs on. He said the police told him later that a trucker had called in and said he saw this kid step in front of his semi and go under the grill – he thought he’d killed my brother…
My brother went to jail and started to turn to Jesus.
He eventually moved back into our house. I can remember days where he would go into his room and come out and be like, “I just read the Old Testament.”
Why?
What really hit my brother on that day was that Jesus wanted His heart and God had the ability to free him.
Jesus has the ability to free you too! Jesus died to set you free from whatever it is that binds you – set you free from sin, from destructive thoughts, etc.
It doesn’t mean your body won’t still bear the scars of the life you’ve lived, but it means you no longer HAVE to live in the captivity of the evil one!
Come out!
