Lost And Found Drowning The Demons Mk.5

LOST & FOUND: DROWNING THE DEMONS

MK 5:1-17

INTRO: (EX: MAN WALKED THRU CEMETERY & FELL IN GRAVE) THIS SCENE IS IN CEMETERY AT NIGHT WITH A WILD & CRAZY MAN CONTROLLED BY DEMON.  MANY OF YOU KNOW STORY OF JEKYLL & HYDE.  DR. JEKYLL IS CONVINCED HE HAS FOUND SERUM THAT WILL ISOLATE EVIL IN HEART OF MAN. HE THOUGHT BY TAKING THE SERUM A PERSON COULD GET RID OF EVIL. WHEN HIS FELLOW DR.S WOULDN’T LET HIM TEST IT ON A CRIMINALLY INSANE PATIENT—JEKYLL USED THE FORMULA ON HIMSELF—BUT THE POTION INSTEAD OF RIDDING EVIL RELEASED ALL THE EVIL IN HIM & HE BECAME MR. HYDE & IN A DEMON LIKE VOICE HE SAID “I’M FREE!”—OF COURSE HE WASN’T—HE WAS UNDER THE CONTROL OF EVIL. WE LIVE IN A SIN-STAINED WORLD—BIBLE SAYS “ALL HAVE SINNED—THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH—WE CANT CONTROL THE FLESH NOR CAN WE CLEANSE OUR SIN---BUT JESUS CAN! AND HE SEEKS OUT THE LOST—HE FINDS THEM—LOVES THEM—HEALS & FORGIVES THEM!

I.                  LOST IN DESPAIR

JESUS HAD JUST CALMED A VIOLENT STORM IN THE SEA—THE DISCIPLES WERE IN AWE—“WHAT KIND OF MAN IS THIS?—THE FORCES OF NATURE OBEY HIM. NOW THE STORM WAS WORK OF SATAN—JESUS “REBUKED” THE WIND & SEA—SAME WORD USED TO CAST OUT DEMONS.  THE DISICPLES WERE AFRAID AFTER SEEING JESUS’ POWER. THEY LANDED ON EASTERN SHORE OF SEA—GENTILE COUNTRY (DECAPOLIS)—NEAR VILLAGE OF KURSI (GERASA) WHERE THERE ARE STEEP CLIFFS WHICH FITS THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS ACCOUNT.  THIS WAS A RITUALLY/CULTURALLY UNCLEAN AREA---CEMETERY (TOMBS)—PIGS—DEMONS. IT WAS AN INFESTED PLACE—A SPIRITUAL BATTLEGROUND---(EPH. 6:10-13)

          WE KNOW THERE ARE PLENTY OF DARK PLACES IN WORLD (OCCULT—VIOLENCE—DRUGS)—YOU CAN WALK INTO SOME OF THESE AREAS & FEEL THE OPPRESSION.  MANY MISS. KNOW THIS—THEY DEAL WITH IT EVERY DAY (EX: RON MORSE IN BURMA/THAILAND )---INNER CITIES THAT ARE FILLED WITH DDRUGS—VIOLENCE—PROSTITUTION.  AND WHENEVER BELIEVERS GO INTO THESE AREAS WITH GOSPEL THERE WILL BE OPPOSITION---THERE IS THIS STRUGGLE TO BE RELEASED FROM DESPAIR & SALVERY TO SIN.  WE ARE CALLED TO BE SPIRITUALLY PREPARED & EQUIPPED.

          THERE ARE DARK AREAS OF THE HEART—ADDICTIONS TO DRUGS/ALCOHOL—SEX---POWER---GREED. SATAN TRIES TO GET A STRONGHOLD ON SOME AREA OF THE HEART/MIND AND IN EXTREME CASES PEOPLE CAN GET IN SO DEEP THEY LOSE ANY SENSE OF SHAME OR GUILT.  THE HEART BECOMES CALLOUSED OR HARDENED TO WORK OF SPIRIT.

          MATT. SAYS THERE WERE TWO MEN—MARK & LUKE FOCUS ON ONE—MAYBE THE WORST OF THE TWO. HE LIVED IN TOMBS—ISOLATED FROM PEOPLE. HE HAD BEEN BOUND BY ROPES & CHAINS BUT EASILY BROKE THEM.  HE WOULD SCREAM LOUDLY & CUT HIMSELF. HE WAS OFTEN NAKED –AGAIN WITH NO SHAME OR DIGNITY. (EX: JEWISH DOCUMENT LISTS TEST FOR MADNESS—DEMON CONTROL) HE TORTURED HIMSELF & OTHER PEOPLE. HE WAS SUICIDAL & HOMICIDAL. HE WAS MISERABLE AND VERY LOST.

II.               DELIVERANCE

ON SEEING JESUS THE MAN/DEMONS? RAN TO HIM. IMAGINE THE SHOCK OF DISCIPLES WHEN T HEY SAW THIS YELLING MANIAC RUNNING TOWARD THEM! IT SEEMS LIKELY THE DEMONS FALL IN SUBMISSION BECAUSE OF THE POWER OF JESUS—THEY RECOGNIZED HIM AS SON OF GOD—JAMES WRITES “EVEN THE DEMONS BELIEVE GOD AND TREMBLE!” THE DEMONS PLEADED NOT TO BE SENT TO THEIR FATE (ABYSS) BEFORE THEIR TIME (2 PET. 2:4; JUDE 6) THEY CALL HIM “SON OF MOST HIGH GOD” –O.T. TITLE FOR GOD. IT WAS BELIEVED TO KNOW & SAY NAME OF GOD/PERSON/DEMON WAS TO HAVE POWER OVER THEM---THE NAME IS “LEGION” LIKELY NOT LIT. NUMBER BUT SUGGESTS GREAT NUMBER OF EVIL SPIRITS—YET EVEN WITH THAT MANY THEY ARE AFRAID OF JESUS WHO HAS THE REAL POWER---AND JESUS ORDERED THEM OUT BYT HIS WORD—NO RITUAL OR FORMULA.  CONTROL OVER SATAN (DEMONS) WAS PROOF THE MESSIAH/KINGDOM OF GOD WAS PRESENT.  THE DEMONS BEGGED TO BE SENT INTO PIGS---THEY CRAVE BODY CONTACT & THEY ARE DTERMINED TO DESTROY—ANIMAL OR HUMAN IT DOESN’T MATTER. JESUS PERMITTED THEM TO ENTER THE PIGS—HE DIDN’T COMMAND IT.  AND THEY RAN OFF CLIFF—COMMITTING “SUICIDE”

          BUT WHY ALLOW THIS?  DID THE DEMONS KNOW JESUS WOULD BE BLAMED FOR THE LOSS? 

1.     THIS WAS CLEAR PROOF THAT A MIRACLE OF DELIVERANCE TOOK PLACE

2.     IT WAS ASSURANCE TO THE MEN THAT THE DEMONS WERE GONE 

3.     IT WAS A LESSON TO THE PEOPLE THAT TO SATAN A PIG IS AS GOOD AS A MAN—AND SATAN CAN MAKE A MAN INTO A PIG—BUT TO JESUS A SOUL IS MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN 2000 PIGS—SO THIS WAS AN ACTED OUT PARABLE OR SERMON—JESUS CAME TO SAVE/RESTORE

4.     CHRISTIANS CAN BE INFLUENCED/OPPRESSED BY DEMONIC ATTACKS. WHEN CHRISTIANS CHOOSE TO GET INVOLVED WITH EVIL ACTIVITIES THEY CAN GRIEVE SPIRIT AND WEAKEN THEIR SPIRITUAL DEFENSE—THEY OPEN A DOOR FOR SATAN TO GAIN A FOOTHOLD AND USE HIS LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. SO JA.4:8 REMINDS US WE ARE TO “SUBMIT TO GOD FIRST AND THEN RESIST DEVIL”

III.           DISBELIEF

WORD OF THE MIRACLE WAS CARRIED TO TOWN—ESPECIALLY TO OWNERS OF THE PIGS. AND THE RESPONSE WAS “FEAR”---THERE WAS NO JOY OR PRAISE FOR THIS MAN WHO WAS NOW FREE & WHOLE. IT WAS OBVIOUS THIS MAN WAS CHANGED---DRESSED—SANE—UNDER CONTROL. THE WORD “SAW” HERE MEANS TO LOOK ATTENTIVELY, CONSIDER OR DO SEARCHING INVESTIGATION (C.S.I. TEAM)—BUT THIS MAN WAS CALM & CONTROLLED LIKE THE SEA WAS EARLIER---THIS MAN (MEN AS MATT. SAYS) BECAME NEW CREATURES (2 COR.5:17)—THE EVIL WAS EMPTIED AND THE LIFE OF JESUS ENTERE IN---ONLY J ESUS CAN COMPLETELY TRANSFORM A LIFE!  THIS MAN WAS DESPERATELY LOST BUT HAD BEEN FOUND

     THE DEMONS PLEADED WITH JESUS TO LEAVE THEM ALONE AND NOW THE PEOPLE PLEADED WITH JESUS TO LEAVE THEM ALONE.  THEY WERE AFRAID OF HIS POWER! THEY PREFERRED THEIR PIGS AND THE DANGER THIS MAN BROUGHT THAN A  HEALTHLY/WHOLE PERSON. WHY WOULDN’T THEY REJOICE AND PLEAD WITH HIM TO STAY & HELP OTHERS? WERE THEY AFRIAD HE WOULD DO MORE DAMAGE TO THEIR ECONOMY?  AFTER ALL MUCH IS TIED TO MONEY.

     SO JESUS LEFT. HE WILL NOT FORCE HIMSELF WHERE HE IS NOT WANTED---THE PEOPLE THOUGHT THEY HAD CONTROLLED/ISOLATED THESE MEN—IT HAD BECOME TOLERABLE BUT NOW THE POWER OF GOD DISTURBED THEIR WAY OF LIFE AND THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT?  THEY WERE INTIMIDATED (EX: PRES. HARRISON & ELECTRICITY)---PAUL MET THE SAME RESISTANCE IN EPH.  (ACTS 19:18-34)  A DEMON CONTROLLED SALVE GIRL WAS DELIVERED AND IT UPSET THE INCOME OF SEVERAL MEN & ALSO UPSET THE ECONOMY OF THE CITY. FREEDOM & WHOLENESS CAN BE DISTURBING TO MUCH OF THE WORLD. JESUS LEFT BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF

CONCLUSION:  THE HEALED MAN CONTINUED TO ASK JESUS IF HE COULD GO WITH HIM---HE WAS DEEPLY GRATEFUL BUT ALSO PROBABLY WANTED TO STAY CLOSE TO JESUS SO DEMONS WOULDN’T COME BACK—BUT WITH HIS SCARS & REPUTATION WHO WOULD HIRE HIM OR TRUST HIM?  HE WANTED A NEW START & NEW IDENTITY. PEOPLE WOULD HAVE A TOUGH TIME FORGETTING HOW HORRIBLE HE HAD BEEN. BUT JESUS REFUSED HIS REQUEST. (V.39) THERE WAS SOMETHING MORE FOR THIS MAN TO DO. HE WANTS HIM AS WITNESS—GO BACK HE SAID & TELL WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU—HOW GOD HAS HAD MERCY ON YOU.  THIS MAN WHO WAS LOST IN DARKNESS HAD FOUND THE LIGHT. HE HAD NO FORMAL TRAINING OR TEACHING BUT HE KNEW JESUS HAD OVERCOME POWERS OF DARKNESS/HELL. AND WHAT A TESTIMONY!  SO WHEN JESUS CAME BACK TO THIS REGION (MK. 7:31-37) THE ATTITUDE OF PEOPLE HAD CHANGED—THEY WERE RECEPTIVE & ACCEPTING.  JESUS WOULD FEED 4,000 PEOPLE.  THE TESTIMONY OF A FOUND/HEALED MAN HELPED OTHERS FIND JESUS!