Share Your Story
Notes
Transcript
Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
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Have you ever heard the story of the Christian and unbeliever on an elevator?
The Christian asked the other person, “Are you going up?”
The unbeliever answered, “Yes”, and stated the floor number, to which the Christian asked again, “No, I mean, are you going ‘up’?”
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It’s a terrible pun, I know.
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My understanding is, however, that some Christians have actually used this line to start a spiritual conversation with unbelievers.
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I have a related question for you today. No, I’m not going to ask if you are going up… but I am interested in knowing… do you have an elevator pitch version of your salvation story?
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An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive summary of an idea, product, or yourself that can be delivered in about 30 to 60 seconds—the time it takes for an elevator ride. Its purpose is to quickly capture a listener's interest and encourage a follow-up conversation, whether in networking, job interviews, or sales scenarios.
(Source: Google AI)
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We took a break from our BLESS series last week for Cooper’s baby dedication, but today, I would like us to look at the fifth simple practice we can adopt to be blessing to our community - our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers.
As you may recall, the practices of BLESS are…
Begin with prayer
Listen
Eat
Serve
Share (your story)
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Some years ago, I attended an Evangelism Explosion seminar that taught how to share one’s faith with unbelievers. This seminar (and the witnessing method it taught) were quite comprehensive, but one of key elements we were taught was quite simple.
Basically, we were taught how to construct an elevator pitch version of our testimony. This elevator pitch testimony is useful to engage a person in a longer and deeper spiritual conversation.
But, it was noted, sometimes all you will have time for is an elevator pitch of a testimony. There are three basic elements of such a testimony: before, after, and the ending.
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Our scripture text from Luke 8:26-39 is a great example of an elevator pitch testimony. We see a man - before he met Jesus - in desperate straits.
Then, we see the change Jesus made. And at the end, we find Jesus commissioning this man to be his witness, his ambassador to the world.
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Our text records the second of four miracle stories from Jesus’ ministry that are recorded from Luke 8:22-56. These four stories demonstrate Jesus’ power over nature, demons, disease, and death.
The first of these stories is of the time that Jesus and his disciples took a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee only to be beset by a storm. Jesus was exhausted, and sleeping in the back of the boat.
The disciples were panicked, and didn’t understand how Jesus could sleep through such a terrible, menacing storm. Some have wondered if that story was picturing spiritual forces of darkness attempting to prevent Jesus from reaching the demon-possessed man.
Bible scholars are uncertain exactly where Jesus and his disciples landed, although the present-day town of Kursi??? seems the most likely location.
Regardless, when Jesus reached shore, Luke tells us that he was met by a demon-possessed man. Notice with me…
The Condition Jesus Found the Man In, vv. 27-29.
The Condition Jesus Found the Man In, vv. 27-29.
When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.)
Today, with all that we know about science, some have questioned if this man were truly demon-possessed or if he simply had mental illness.
While there may be some similarities between certain mental illnesses and demon possession, scripture does clearly make a distinction between the two.
Holman Bible Dictionary states:
The Scripture writers are careful to distinguish between demon possession and disease. In Matthew 4:24 demon possession is listed with a variety of symptoms of other diseases including pain, epilepsy, and paralysis. The Gospel writers could distinguish between demon possession and these other diseases.
The features demonstrated by those who are demon possessed are incompatible with a theory of mere bodily or mental illness. Lea, T. D. (n.d.). Demon Possession. In Holman Bible Dictionary. B&H.
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Consider the terrible plight this demon-possessed man was in.
Notice his loss of identity and personhood. When Jesus asked him his name, apparently the demons responded, saying, “Legion.”
Legion was not a first name. Rather, a Roman legion of soldiers was a complement of 5,000-6,000 soldiers. This was utterly consumed by evil spirits!
Notice also his shamelessness and loss of personal dignity. Verse 27 says, “For a long time he had worn no clothes.”
Verse 27 also states that he had not lived in a house for a long time. Instead, he lived in the tombs.
Verse 29 also explains that there had been numerous attempts to chain this man and keep him under guard, but he would break loose and the demons would drive him into the desert. So this man lived isolated from society.
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While this man’s plight was extreme and a result of demon possession - not mental illness or merely a result of sinning, consider how his symptoms are mirror the effects of sin in our lives.
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God created humanity in his image. But due to sin, the image of God was marred. And as sinners, we are no longer the children of God, but children of Hell.
Due to sin, we lost the understanding of our identity as people created by a loving God to live, work, and play for His pleasure. Instead, we have sought out our own understanding of identity, and that has led us down many destructive paths.
In Romans 1, Paul summarizes how sin has resulted in the degradation of humanity.
Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Due to this, Paul wrote in verse 24 …
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
The downward spiral became even steeper.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. …
This sin led to greater sin.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
Paul writes in Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death,…
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
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Let us be clear. There is a big difference between mental illness and demon possession, even though there may be some similarities in symptoms.
There is an even bigger difference between demon possession and the consequences of sin, even though you might see some points of comparison.
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But just like the demon possessed man was in desperate straits, our sin puts us in a desperate condition spiritually, whether we know it or not… whether we look like it or not.
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This is true, even for the person who has not gone “deep into sin”, even for the one who lives quite a “respectable and good” life.
ALL have sinned.
In our sin we are all spiritually dead. As sinners, the image of God is marred. We do not belong to God; we belong to sin and Satan.
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Yes, some may want to say they are nothing like the demoniac. That may be true. But all who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are truly in slavery to sin and headed to an eternity in Hell.
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We have looked at the “BEFORE” of this man’s testimony. But let us now look at the “AFTER”.
The Change Jesus Made in Him, vv. 30-35.
The Change Jesus Made in Him, vv. 30-35.
Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
We’ve already noted that “Legion” was not truly a first name, but rather indicated the overwhelming number of demons that lived inside this man.
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It is fascinating to see the demon’s response to Jesus. They did not want to go back to the “abyss” - to Hell! One commentator I studied made the comment, “Even demons want to be free.”
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So… the demons saw a large herd of pigs nearby and begged Jesus to inhabit them instead of the man. The pigs, in turn, preferred death to demons. They rushed off the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
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Some have questioned why Jesus would allow the demons to enter the pigs, which then resulted in their loss of life. One commentator notes…
Only Gentiles or nonobservant Jews considered “apostates” raised pigs, which Jewish readers would consider among the most unclean animals and thus rightful hosts for evil spirits.
Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Lk 8:32). InterVarsity Press.
Someone else asks…
But what about the ethical aspect of the pigs’ destruction? Obviously the good of the man was more important than that of the pigs. Moreover, the demons themselves insisted on entering the pigs; Jesus permitted them to do this but did not actively send them there. Inevitably the discussion moves from exegesis to theology and the problem of evil—why it exists and why God in his wisdom, power, and love permits evil in this world.
Liefeld, W. L. (1984). Luke. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 914). Zondervan Publishing House.
We don’t want to get bogged down in a discussion that is truly not the point of this story … or this message. So we will leave this here: Jesus told the demons to leave the man; they begged to enter the pigs; Jesus allowed them; the pigs drowned… but the man was forever changed.
When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
In verse 35, we find three marks of wellness in the once demoniac. He was sitting quietly. Instead of running around out of control, he was in control.
Instead of being enslaved to multitudes of demons, he had surrendered his life to the lordship of Jesus Christ. And in surrendering his life and his will to God, he gained true freedom.
He was also clothed. Nakedness is a sign of shamelessness, of throwing off moral restraint and social norms. In contrast, he now understood what was decent and proper.
A third mark of wellness was that he was in his right mind. Instead of being paranoid about everything and everything, he looked at life rightly, seeing things for as they truly are.
In a similar way, when we repent of our sins and trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God’s grace makes a lasting change in us.
While the unbeliever often argues that living for God is strict - slavery - the true spiritual slavery is the person who is bound by his carnal passions and evil desires.
By surrendering to Christ, we are freed to be the person God created us to be - and truly who we desire to be.
God’s grace changes our understanding of life. We see life for what it truly is. Instead of living free of restraint, wild, rebellious and focused all on Self, we live in the holiness of Christ.
And we find that holy way is where we experience real hope, lasting joy, and true peace.
The grace of God cleanses us from sin. God forgives our debt of sin. Our guilt is removed. We stand righteous in the sight of God. We are adopted into the family of God. We become members of Christ’s Church.
And because our relationship with God has been restored, we now can have a restored relationship with others. We make restitution for wrongs done in the past. We ask for forgiveness. We live at peace with God and man.
Consider now the ending to the demoniac’s story.
The Commission Jesus Gave to Him, vv. 35-39
The Commission Jesus Gave to Him, vv. 35-39
The herdsmen for the pigs fled, terrified, when the pigs were possessed by the demons and killed themselves. These herders told everybody they could in both the city and the country.
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Curious, drawn by this dramatic story, the people streamed out the city and country to see this changed demoniac. But instead of praising God for this wonderful miracle and welcoming Jesus as a great Healer into their midst, they reacted differently.
Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.
Apparently, Jesus felt the mission His Father had sent him on to this Gentile country was done. He complied with their demand and prepared to leave.
The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
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Consider how surprising Jesus’ response was, how different from how we would have probably responded to the man.
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This man, most likely a Gentile, would have known little about God’s Word. He would have known just a little about Jesus. Surely, he needed to follow Jesus daily - become a disciple like the Twelve - in order to grow spiritually and be established, right?
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But Jesus simply told him to go home and tell others what God had done for him.
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We should not take this story as an excuse to fail to do proper follow-up of new converts. Neither should we use this scripture to excuse proper discipleship for growing believers.
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But this scripture does reinforce a couple lessons we may tend to forget:
1) the Holy Spirit is more than capable to teach the earnest believer how to live as Jesus’ follower, and 2) the importance, the expectation, that Jesus’ followers will share their story of God’s grace to others.
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Why was it important for this demoniac not to go with Jesus but to go back home instead?
By going back home, where he was known as someone else - a demoniac - he would be compelled to confront his past. There were most likely restitutions to be made, confessions of sins against others.
By going back home, he could experience the forgiveness of his family and community. He could be reintegrated into society.
Instead of being on a publicity tour with Jesus, he would demonstrate life as Jesus’ disciple in the humdrum of the everyday.
Furthermore, this man’s testimony would be most effective at home where everyone could witness the change God’s grace had made in his life.
Notice also that Jesus told the man to be vocal, to be proactive, in telling others about the change he had experienced. “Declare” - don’t hide away from curious eyes, don’t be shy.
Jesus did NOT tell the man to be obnoxious. But Jesus DID tell the man to be a witness. He had been changed; he should give God the glory.
Indeed, Jesus went on to say, “declare how much God has done for you.”
The point of sharing the Good News - while we should tell how God has worked in our lives and changed us - the focus is not US, the focus is GOD.
The grace of Jesus has changed our lives - whether we grew up in the church and never went out into deep sin or we rebelled against God and lived a wicked life.
We only have hope of salvation due to the grace of Jesus, provided through his death on the Cross and resurrection on the third day. Therefore, as recipients of his grace, as witnesses of the change God makes in our lives, we are called to share that story with others.
Indeed, this story teaches us that …
Big Idea: To follow Jesus is to be sent as His witness.
Big Idea: To follow Jesus is to be sent as His witness.
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We have been talking for awhile about how to be a blessing to our community. We should always begin such efforts with prayer.
But we’ve talked about other very practical ways to be a blessing. We can often be a huge blessing simply by being willing to listen to others.
We can be a blessing by spending time with others - eating with them even! We bless our community by serving in practical ways.
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All of these methods are good, necessary, and valid. By doing these things, we can be a powerful testimony and witness for Jesus.
But at some point, people need to hear the Good News. And when we are given such an opportunity, we need to be ready.
And so, our challenge today is to write an “elevator pitch” of our personal testimony. We can use the demoniac’s story as our example:
First, we should talk about what life was like BEFORE we were saved. You might want to talk about the guilt you felt for sin, fear of death, or maybe the lack of joy, peace, or hope.
Then, we should talk about what life was like AFTER we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. We can share how the guilt for sin was lifted, how you could sleep peacefully at night, the joy that filled your life, et cetera.
Then, add a connecting statement, something like: But then one day I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
Then, write a short paragraph for each element - the BEFORE and the AFTER of your testimony. Then you can end with a statement saying something about the confidence you have of going to Heaven when you die.
An example would be something like, “The greatest thing about all of this is that I know for sure that if I died today, I’m going to Heaven.”
All in all, your personal testimony doesn’t need to be longer than a couple minutes or so.
But the statement at the end is key, because it naturally leads the person to ask: “How can I know that I will go to Heaven?”
Or, if they don’t ask you about how you are so certain, you can ask them, “Would you like to know how you can be sure you will also go to Heaven when you die?”
And if/when they say “yes”, then you are given the permission to share more - that we have all sinned, the wages of sin is death, but Jesus died on the Cross, paying the penalty for our sin, and rose from the dead on the third day, now offering us forgiveness of our sins if we will put our trust in Him as our Savior and Lord!
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The demoniac was changed dramatically by God’s grace. He wanted to follow Jesus - get in the boat with him and cross to the other side of the lake.
But Jesus’ message to the demoniac and us today is this:
Big Idea: To follow Jesus is to be sent as His witness.
Big Idea: To follow Jesus is to be sent as His witness.
So I challenge you to prepare to share your testimony. Write your BEFORE. Write the transition - One day, I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Write your AFTER. Then, write the conclusion: “Now I know for sure that if I were to die today, I would go to Heaven.”
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Write your testimony. Practice it. Live your testimony before others. And when the Holy Spirit gives you opportunity, share how God’s grace changed your life!
