More Than A Label
Luke • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Handout
FCF:
Reflection Question:
“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.
What has God done for you recently? Who are you telling?
Sermon Opening:
"Have you ever noticed how quickly we give people labels? At school, there’s 'The Jock,' 'The Nerd,' or 'The Class Clown.' But sometimes, the labels get heavier. Maybe for you, the label is 'The Mess-up,' 'The Anxious One,' or 'The Quiet Kid who doesn’t fit in.'
The scary thing is that after a while, we stop fighting the labels. We start to believe that our problem is our name. We think, 'I’m not just someone who struggles with anger; I am an angry person.' We lose our true identity to our struggles. Today, we’re looking at a man who was so lost in his struggle that he forgot his own name. But we’re also going to see what happens when the immediate presence of Jesus walks onto the shore of our lives."
Text Opening:
Today’s story takes place in the region of the Gerasenes. This was 'Gentile territory'—the 'other side of the tracks' for the Jewish people. But Jesus specifically sailed across a stormy lake just to get there. He didn't wait for the broken to come to him; he went to them.
They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.
Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him.
Point 1: Identity in Bondage
Explain:
When Jesus steps off the boat, He’s met by a man who is the definition of "too far gone." For a long time, this man hadn't worn clothes or lived in a house. He lived in the tombs—literally sleeping where people are buried. He was isolated, chained up for his own protection - they didn’t have modern sedatives, and driven by his demons into solitary places.
It’s a lonely life.
When he sees Jesus, he cries out, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?"
I want you to notice something interesting in the original language here.
The Bible says Jesus "had commanded" the spirit to come out. The Greek is written in a way where the healing had already begun the moment Jesus showed up.
Jesus didn't even have to say a word yet—His mere presence was already pushing the darkness back.
Then Jesus asks him a simple question: "What is your name?" The man replies: "Legion."
A "Legion" was a Roman military unit of about 6,000 soldiers. This man had so many struggles that he didn't even give a human name anymore. He responded with his problem. This man no longer had a name; his name was his problem.
Point 1: Identity in Bondage
Then Jesus asks him a simple question: "What is your name?" The man replies: "Legion."
A "Legion" was a Roman military unit of about 6,000 soldiers. This man had so many struggles that he didn't even give a human name anymore. He responded with his problem. This man no longer had a name; his name was his problem.
Illustrate:
Have you ever known somebody who got a mean nickname and then turned it into a reputation.
What started as a joke become a label that they own.
Their friends joke becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We begin to measure ourselves not as,
Sam, the good friend, but Sam, the failure.
Apply:
We can lose our true identity to our struggles. We start to believe we are only the sum of our problems.
To some degree we all measure ourselves by our deepest flaws and failures.
Jesus though walks in and sees beyond the labels, beyond the flaws, and the failures.
We need to stop identifying ourselves by our "demons" and start looking at the One who is standing on the shore.
The Where: Think of that one thing you’re most ashamed of—the thing that makes you want to hide in the "tombs" of your room and stay away from everyone.
The Why: You aren’t 'too far gone.' The demons in this story recognized Jesus before the disciples did! They know they have no power when He is present.
The How:
Healing starts with presence, not performance.
You don't have to 'fix' your name before talking to Jesus. Just like the man in the tombs, you just have to be where He is. His presence begins the work of peeling off the 'Failure' stickers we’ve worn for years.
Point 2: The Authority that Breaks the Chains
Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.
A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside,
Explain:
Point 2: Authority that Breaks the Chains
The story takes a weird turn here. The demons beg Jesus not to send them to the "Abyss," so He gives them permission to go into a large herd of pigs nearby. The pigs then charge down a hill into a lake and drown.
That’s a strange story.
There are some cultural things happening here that don’t happen in our culture that make this strange.
The first is that pigs are unclean. Jews can’t eat pork. Pigs don’t chew the cud so they are unclean.
So the demons get sent from a thing that is so supposed to be clean, people and they choose to go into the unclean pigs. Jesus gave them permission to go into the pigs, he didn’t send them.
Illustrate:
Let me put it like this.
Imagine I’m at a barn dance and some guy yells, "I’ll believe in God if someone can wrestle me to the ground!" I feel God telling me to go for it.
It’s my story, I get to make it up how I want.
We square off, I bear-hug him, and we roll around until I win. He gives his life to God.
Praise God, Amen? It’s my story.
But in the process, we accidentally roll over and crush your expensive, illegal marijuana plants. Honestly? I’m not going to feel bad at all. Because a human life is worth infinitely more than some plants.
Apply:
In this same way that human salvation is more important than marijuana plants, the salvation of this man possessed by a demon is more important than a heard of pigs.
For Jesus, this human life is more important than the local economy
Point 1: Identity in Bondage
Point 2: Authority that Breaks the Chains.
Jesus has the authority over all.
We must realize that Jesus values a single human soul more than any amount of property, money, or "normalcy."
The Where: Sometimes we worry more about our reputation or our 'stuff' (our 'pigs') than we do about people getting or being healthy.
The Why: Jesus allowed the pigs to be lost to show that this man’s freedom was worth more than a whole industry. In God’s Kingdom, people are the priority, not products.
The How:
Trust Jesus’ authority to 'mess up' your comfortable life if it means setting you free.
If Jesus has to knock over a few of your 'idols' or 'pigs' to get to your heart, let Him. He’s not being mean; He’s being a Savior.
Point 3: The Restoration and the Mission
When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.
The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.
Explain:
The pig farmers run to town and tell everyone. The whole town comes out to see the chaos, and what do they find? They find the man who used to run around naked in the tombs, now sitting at the feet of Jesus, fully clothed, and "in his right mind."
And how do they react? They’re terrified. They ask Jesus to leave. They were more comfortable with a man living in the tombs than they were with the power of God standing in their town.
Jesus agrees to leave, and the man begs to go with Him. Who wouldn't? But Jesus says something unexpected: "Return home and tell how much God has done for you."
Point 1: Identity in Bondage
Point 2: Authority that Breaks the Chains
Point 3: The Restoration and the Mission
When Jesus restores us he sends on a mission to tell others.
If you don’t know how to share the gospel, this is it.
Tell people what Jesus has done for you. That’s it.
When Jesus heals us, most often he will send us back to our home, so that we can show the people who knew us at our worst, what Jesus has done for us.
Illustrate:
Imagine a guy who was known in town for being the 'troublemaker.' He was the one parents told their kids to stay away from. Then, he goes away for a summer, encounters the radical love of Christ, and comes back. He doesn't come back with a degree in theology; he just comes back... different. He’s kind. He’s calm. He’s 'in his right mind.' People are going to ask, 'What happened to you?' He doesn't need a 10-step plan to explain it. He just says, 'I met Jesus, and He changed me.' The best evidence for the Gospel isn't an argument; it's a changed life standing right in front of people who knew you when you were broken.
Apply:
The What: Your mission isn't to be a perfect person; it’s to be a 'pointer' to a perfect Savior.
The Where: Your 'home' is your mission field—your family dinner table, your locker pod, your group chat.
The Why: The people who saw you 'naked in the tombs' (at your lowest and messiest) are the ones who will be most amazed by your restoration.
The How:
You don't need a pulpit. You just need a story.
When Jesus heals you, your job is simply to 'declare how much God has done for you.' Your transformed identity is the loudest sermon you will ever preach.
Closing:
Today we saw a man who had lost his name to his pain—he called himself 'Legion.' But Jesus saw the man behind the mask. We saw that Jesus has the authority to break any chain, even if it costs something valuable to the world. And finally, we saw that a life restored by Jesus is a life sent on a mission. Jesus didn't just cast out demons; He gave a man his life back and gave that life a purpose.
Last week, Evan preached on Jesus calming the storm.
Jesus sent his disciples through a storm on the sea, one in which professional fishermen were scared for their lives.
Jesus knew what he was doing.
When he reached the otherside, he cured this one man. The rest of the crowd sent him off. All the other people asked Jesus to leave.
Jesus put his disciples and himself through this storm to reach this one man.
Jesus did the same for you.
On the cross, Jesus put himself through hours of torture leading to body being put in the tomb. So that on the other side you would be healed.
Jesus is present with us today. His presence is the beginning of the healing you need in your life.
Closing Application:
My challenge for you this week is this: Stop introducing yourself to God as your problem. Stop saying, 'Lord, here is your Failure,' or 'Here is your Addict.' Instead, sit at His feet. Spend time in His presence this week—just 'sitting' like the man in the story. And when you go back to school or back home, don't try to be a 'perfect Christian.' Just be a person who tells the truth about what Jesus is doing in you. Go home, and tell them how much God has done for you.
