The Overpowering Power of Christ

Intro: Last week some of our eyes were glued to the TV.

We were watching The Arkansas State Redwolves against The Alabama Crimson Tide.If you are like you are watching knowing that Saban and the Tide were going to put a beat down the Redwolves. They were gonna do what ever they wanted. The overpowering power of the Crimson Tide laid the smack down on some wolves. There was no doubt!

What we find in is the overpowering power of Christ on display. As soon as we are introduced to the main characters in our narrative we know without a shadow of doubt that a power greater than Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, a power greater than demons, a power greater than a legion of demons, a power greater than satan himself has arrived on the shore of the country side of the Gerasenes and this overpowering power of Christ will be put on display once more to show that this Jesus is the Christ, the son of God.

Before we move notice that little 1 by the word Gerasenes in your Bible. What does it say and what does it mean?

There is disagreement as to where “the country of the Gadarenes” actually was. Matthew even identifies the site as “the country of the Gergesenes” (8:28). Simply put, there are textual variations about the location of this place, leaving scholars unsure as to where this encounter happened. Likewise, archaeology provides little help. We know there was a town called Gadara southeast of the Sea of Galilee and a town called Gerasa even farther southeast, but the actual site may have been a village called Khersa that was right on the eastern shore of the lake. It was in Decapolis, a largely Gentile area where there were several Roman garrisons.

Sproul, R. C. (2011). Mark (First Edition, p. 100). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.

Crossing a now-calmed Sea of Galilee, Jesus and the Twelve arrive in the area of the Gerasenes. Gadara was a major city in the region (cf. ; , ). South of the town called Gerasa was a steep slope only 40 yards from the shore. Two miles from there were cavernous tombs. Christ-Centered Exposition - Christ-Centered Exposition – Exalting Jesus in Mark.

I want you to notice where we left off last week, because I think it is key for us to understand why Mark puts this event where it is. Jesus and his disciples are crossing the sea of Galilee and a storm hits, the winds and the waves have everyone in fear except for Christ, he is sound asleep. The disciples come to him and ask “dont you even care that we are about to die?” Jesus gets up and rebukes the wind and waves Peace! Be Still!

Then he turns to his disciples, with that look, you know that look, the look that parents give when they are thinking “son/daughter you still don’t get it?” You still don’t understand in whose presence you stand? Notice the disciples reaction, they ask “who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Who is this guy?

After all they have seen and heard they are still wondering, trembling in fear, but still asking who is this Jesus. Well Mark is about to let us know again, through this story, who this Jesus is. He is going to point out for us, not only does the overpowering power of Christ have power over the storm, but the overpowering power of Christ

destroys the works of the devil

Restores broken lives

unsettles the comfortable crowd

empower you to continue on with his mission

I. The Overpowering Power of Christ Destroys the Works of the Devil.

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

A. The thief comes to steal

Satan stole this mans quality of life

Satan stole this mans sanity

Satan stole this mans capacity to interact socially

Satan was robbing him of the imago dei God created him with.

B. The thief comes to kill

The scripture tells that this man was cutting himself. It is only the mercy and common grace of God that this man is alive

Have you ever had those experiences in life, where it was only by the grace of God, you are still here?

The thief comes to kill

John 8:44 ESV

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

C. The thief come to destroy

This was the plan the Devil had in mind for this poor demon-possessed soul. He was howling like a wild animal and cutting himself against the jagged rocks of the land. Some believe this is depraved pagan worship. Others see wild but futile attempts to drive out the demons. I believe it is a failed attempt to end his pain and suffering by suicide. Running about wild, naked, and unkempt, he was by now a mere shell of cuts, bruises, lacerations, scabs, and infected tissues. He tried again and again to end his unbearable existence in death. This was the agenda of the demons inside him. Perhaps the only thing that prevented his death was the last vestiges of the image of God in him and the common grace of God about him. Defiled and defaced, he was daily staring death in the face. A more miserable existence could hardly be imagined. Christ-Centered Exposition - Christ-Centered Exposition – Exalting Jesus in Mark.

This man was not filled with a demon, but when Christ ask the demon his name his response was Legion for we are many. Legion

D. The thief knows who Jesus is and his coming doom

isnt it amazing that the whole world is trying to make sense of who this man Jesus is, yet the demons he comes in contact with know exactly who he is.

Not only do they know who he is, they know their time is limited.

Matthew 8:29 ESV

And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

1 John 3:8 ESV

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

The conjunction hina is employed with the subjunctive form of the verb luō, “destroy” in order to form a purpose-result clause that indicates both the intention and accomplishment of the action of the verb phaneroō.

What is offered in throgh the life and death of Christ is the destruction of the power of sin and the devil has over your life. Listen to the words of Paul

Ephesians 2:1–4 ESV

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. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

But God....

II. The Overpowering Power of Christ Restores Broken Lives

A. God reaches down into the depths of the sin, darkness and hell we are in to pull us out, cleanses us from our unrighteousness.

You were dead

once you walked in a pattern of sinfullness now you are empower to walk in rightousness.

Once you walked according to the systems of this world, you talked like them, thought like them, lived like them.

You were following after the will of satan himself, you were his son/daughter of disobedience, it is only by God’s grace we were not all like this man legion.

But the overpowering power of Christ restores broken lives, he takes broken pieces and turns then into master pieces.

Ephesians 2:5–8 ESV

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Eph 2:58

Ephesians 2:9–10 ESV

not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

B. We are saved from, but we are also saved to

Mant times we focus on what we are save from, but we are also saved to, saved to love God with all our heart sul mind and strength.

Notice where we find this man when he is set free

He was clothed

in his right mind

sitting there, where?

With Jesus, listening to his teaching

with God’s people, fellowshipping

When Jesus was leaving, he begged Jesus to go with him

do you desire to listen to the preaching of God’s word?, Do you desire to be in his word daily?

Do you desire to be with God’s people? Are you an active member of a church living the one anothers?

Do you feel the need to beg to be with Jesus? If you took away all the time you spent with Christ what would be different in your life?

III. The Overpowering Power of Christ Unsettles The Comfortable Crowd

A. The herdsman spread the word

B. the villagers came and saw and were afraid

C. They beg Jesus to leave

Acts 16:16–24 ESV

As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Acts 16:16-

IV. The Overpowering Power of Christ Empowers You To Continue on With His Mission

A. Jesus commissions this man

tell them how much the Lord has done

tell them about his Great mercy

B. He becomes the first missionary sent out to the Decapolis.