Untitled Sermon (20)

Good morning. It is a joy to be with you today. We are contuing our series in the gospel of Mark this morning. Last time Ross preached in mark we find Jesus and his disples crossing the sea. They are in the boat and a increadible storm comes there way

The storm was so frightining at one point the disciples wake Jesus up and ask him whether or not he cares anyting about whether they live or die.

Jesus gets up and speaks to the storm saying in “Peace! Be still!”

and we are told the wind ceased and there was a great storm.

it’s in that moment he turns to the disdciples and asked them why they were so afraid? Have you still no faith?

and in verse 41 Mark says they are filled with great fear and say to one another Who then is this?

It’s the question that is asked over and over in mark and it’s a question people sitll struggle with today. They want to know who Jesus really is?

IN mark 4 with the storm we see Jesus divine power over the naturl over the storm over the physical. In we begin to see Jesus power over the super natural, over evil, and over the spirtual

Build some tenesion(Ullustration) Work harder to connect

So I will be honest with you. Weeks been long. Elizabeth was gone. And as I preperraed for this talk I was struggling. I was sititng downtown just looking at the chair across from me wondering what am I even going to write or say on Sunday?

I was struggling. What I knew was what God would give me to say was important. We have someone in this passage who is abadaonded, who has be overcome be evil, who is living among the tombs and alone.

But in some ways that’s what I was feeling I was feeling alone, I was feeling discouraged. I was feeling pretty defeated. and I was just wondering if I’d have anything meaningful to say today.

I even had someone asked me “Why do you come here”

I didn’t know how deep that would be before I drank my coffee

and it’s at that moment I look up and one of my best friends is walking towards me. He knew what I was doing and he was like you are crushing it.

and I was like nah I can’t really get started and he moved toward me. Put his hands on my shoulders and prayed for me.

man it’s what I needed. So encouraging and it reminded me this is exactly what Jesus does. He moves into the storms of our heart when we feel defeated and maybe a little hopeless and he moves towards us not away fofrom us

and that’s a good reminder for all of us. It’s probably something we all share in common in this room. We all have moments where we are left alone, where people try and fix us, where we feel hopeless and in thsoe moments we need hope, love, mercy, encouragement and Jesus

Let’s allow him to move towards us this morning

Let’s read

English Standard Version Chapter 5

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.1 2 And when Jesus2 had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 vHe lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and wfell down before him. 7 And xcrying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, ySon of zthe Most High God? aI adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is bLegion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed3 man, the one who had had cthe legion, sitting there, dclothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And ethey began to beg Jesus4 to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and ftell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in gthe Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Right away we see that Jesus encourter with the demon possesed man took place the morning following his calming of the great storm on the sea of gallee

This is most likely Jesus first step into gentile territory

and as Jesus moves away from the confrontation with the storm in nature he confronts the storm evil produces in the world

He moves from the wild sea to a wild man

and really the guys we meet is heart wrenching. I think it’s easy to read stories like this in scritpure and not be moved. to Distance ourselves from a person like this

To think that doesn’t really sound like anyone I know and it’s almost like we move through them too quickly

but it’s important to slow down and remeber this is a person. A person who is created in the imagie of God and a person who has gone through so much torment

we are told by mark He is living in among the tombs

In other words he has made his home the place where death reings.

and then we are told no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain

He has often been bound with shackles and chains but he tore them apart and broke these chains into pieces

THis man was so overcome by evil and so repulisve to the pepole who lived in this region there soltuion was to just chian him up and leave him for dead yet they couldn’t even stop him.

Their solution was to train and contain this evil.

Most likely we are told that people wouldn’t even go near where he lived anymore that they would completly avoid this area. that they would take longer routes to just not have to deal with this man.

Ultmently the people in this region ar adding to his suffering. They have no solutions for this man.

and we are told by mark not only are the people who lived in this region trying to bring harm to this man, he is trying to bring harm to himself.

we are told thtat he would crying out or SCREAM unrecongizable sounds and he would cut himself with stones. In an attempt to drive out the evil spirts

So here mark gives us a devasting picture. A man who is completly broken, poor, naked, wounded hurting, hopeless, most likely having infections also overcome by demons, left for dead by the pepole who could no longer just put shackles and chians on him, living in a place of death

and maybe in his lucid moments he realized how repulisve, how unloved, how unwelcomed he really was.

Maybe we've been there. Maybe there have been those moments where people are tryint to use natural methods for a supernaturl problem in our lives. Maybe we feel outcast, alone, living in a real place of death not sure what to do next.

but this passage can bring us great hope because

it’s this place Jesus goes to.

and we are told when he gets there

THe demon possessed man sees Jesus from a distance and he ran and feel on his knewes in front of him.

Imagine the scene if you are one of the disicples this is bizarree. YOu’ve just survived the worst storm of your life you get to the other side of teh sea of Galliee and a naked man comes screaming at you

The man begs Jesus not to torment him. But Jesus speaks and tells the unclean spirit to come out of the man. and then he asked the demon what the demons name was. The demon replies and says my name is legion for we are many

This is a chilling admission. the reply show teh depthy of this mans misery. He is under the control of not just one demon but an entire host

most likely the term legion is spoken here to give us a vision of an army of occupation, cruelity, and destruction.

and the request of the demon? to be allowed to enter a herd of pigs. This seems strange. Some have said this was a yearing to be destroyed? Or a hope that the owners of the pigs would become angry with Jesus. And the answer isn’t reveled but what we do know is this

that the demons were fully aware of the fact that without the permission of Christ they would not be able to enter the pigs

The dramatic end of the swine was also powerful visual testimony to the ex-demoniac that he had been delivered. For the rest of his life he would tell about this with all the relish of an Eastern storyteller. It would never be forgotten!

Like imagine his baptism video at rivertree.

I wsa in a bad place, People tried to put me in chains, I was demon possed, and then Jesus came, he freed me

and the next thing I know 2,000 pigs ran off a cliff

This is UNREAL

guess we wouldn’t want to eat that bacon

and it’s intersting right.

Something about Jesus power here that is amazing. He had just calmed the storm which in some ways makes more sense to us then this.....but it's what he came to do

is the passage Jesus read from in

English Standard Version Chapter 61

sThe Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

because the LORD has tanointed me

to bring good news to the poor;1

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and uthe opening of the prison to those who are bound;2

This was his mission. Mark is making it clear Jesus is God. Jesus has come to do this work. Jesus has power to transform. Whether it is a nautral storm or supernatural storm Jesus is soverign over it all.

After the pigs go off the cliff the heards man run into the city and the country to tell everyone what had happen

verse 14 tells us The people cam to see what it was that had happened

and what did they see?

English Standard Version Chapter 5

15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed3 man, the one who had had cthe legion, sitting there, dclothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid

Luke tells us in he was sitting at the feet of Jesus

What a beautiful picture

No longer was this man roaming around with no purpose among the tombs as before.

sitting fully clothed

in his right mind

at the feet of Jesus

What an increadible picture of the Power of Jesus Christ

He completly blew away evil.

His contest with the demons, even though it was very serious isn’t really even that spetacular

the same words He spoke to the storm Peace be still he know speaks over this mans heart

Jesus also showed his increadible healing power. He restores this mans image

once demon possessed is now rational, controlled, at peace and in communon with God

This is amazing. This is what grace, mercy, love look like

and in reality such transformaiton is impoosbile except for God.

This mans story is at the heart of the gospel! His expierence of exorcism is a dying and rising one!

It’s what Jesus does he brings life to places of death becasue of his life, death and resurection

and it’s at this moment we would expect revial to take place in the regigion. We would expect rejoicing.

but instead the opposite happens

Mark tells us they were afraid

this is the same reaction the disipcles had when Jesus calmed the storm in

they begged Jesus to leave their region

and while it might be suprising it’s not really. IN fact in it’s what Jesus perdeicted in the parable of the sower.

There hearts where hard. The seeds of the gospel had not falling into fertiale ground with the people in this region at this time

Mark is showing us that even the most powerful healing miriacles, do not by themselves casue faith or even provide a foundation for it

The only person who can cause faith, and be a foundation for faith is Jesus himself

It seems those seeing the miricale resented Jesus. It’s a story we see even today. So often people seem to want to hear the story of the Love of Jesus. Just as long as the implications of the gospel don’t impact the way they would live

They realized they could not control Jesus. he was to powerful and the gospel had cost them something.

They should be celebrating this transformation in this mans life but instead the gospel had cost them a heard of pigs and they are unsure that they want anything to do with Jesus

As Jesus begins to leave the man who has been deleivered begs to go with Jesus.

English Standard Version Chapter 5

18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him

Makes sense right? The person who came to him, who gave him freedom, who broke his chains and bondage would be the person I’d want to get in the boat with

It seems like a resonable request.

I think we can all relate to this. It’s in those first moments of salvation we just want to be with Jesus

and Jesus respone in v 19 is almost suprising

English Standard Version Chapter 5

19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and ftell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.

In the orgianl text the word Freinds is omitted. Most likely because this guy didn’t have any left.

Instead Jesus is saying go home and tell them what I’ve done for you, The mercy I’ve had on you

In other words go back to the people who’ve abadoned you, who tried to put you in shackles, who avoided this area, who added to your suffering and Tell them about me

Jesus is showing a great kindness, and this not only to the former demoniac but also to the entire community that had so shamefully rejected him

. These people wanted nothing to do with this guy. They had rejeceted him, tried to chain him, left him for dead among the dead and know made new by Jesus he is to bring this Jesus to them.

They had asked him to leave, but he, in his great love, cannot completely separate himself from them. So he sends them a missionary, in fact the best kind of missionary, one who can speak from experience

That’s what the gospel does right? This only happens when someone has a true encourater with Jesus

We can get “healthy” Expierence our own delieverence but if it’s apart from Jesus we in our own strength would enver go to the people who had abadonded us or added to our suffering.

What a story that would be. What a powerful testomony. That’s what Love demands. That’s a great picture of mercy

and it’s what Christians have done for centruies

It’s the good news of the gospel and our confidence in the gospel that allows us to go into places where Christians are unwelcomed or unwatned and share the story about how Jesus has completly transformed us.

To go to people who want nothing to do with Jesus because of what he’s done in our lives we have great confidence.

IT’s what my friends in southeast asia are doing right now

There among a people group where it is 99.9% muslim. They are rasisng their kids there. They have been robbed and persucuted

but teh sweetest moment my friend shared a video of the first person they’ve seened baptized among this people group

35 milliion people. 99.5 % muslim. Yet JEsus is still saving people becasue that’s what he does

He sends his followers to the abanded, to the left out, to the ones everyone has forgotten, to the hurting, to the places where evil is, to places where Christian may even be unwelcomed

and they proclaim good news. ANd people lives are changed forever!

Our comissions look different. The disciples Jesus said follow me. This man he said go back to your home.

But we can have an unshakable confidence in the gospel

Ross and I at SC3

Everyone shared.....putting all sorts of things on the board

and we have that right? So whether it’s downtown, the inner city, the marketplace,our nieghborhoods, our families or even those who have hurt us we can have confidence that when we go to share Good news more often than not Jesus will already be there

becuase he goes to the brokeness, the darkness, the hopelessness, and the places of death and he brings LIFE

and the next time you think someone is to far gone, the next time you think evil is winning remeber this story and Jesus great authority, power and mercy

Remeber what Paul would write in

English Standard Version Chapter 2

13 aAnd you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God bmade alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by ccanceling dthe record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 wHe disarmed the rulers and authorities2 and eput them to open shame, by ftriumphing over them in him.3

that’s where our hope is

but maybe you are in this room today and you need to let this story go directly to your heart

You have descended so low in sin and the marks are so profound that you cannot believe you can be made whole.

You are naive. You know nothing of the grip of evil upon me. You cannot feel my hopelessness. If you could, you would not speak so confidently

and friend I’m not trying to minimilize what’s happening in your life

but my answer to those objections is this

I know Jesus

I have expierenced his healing power and I have this testimony in his word. NO one is beyond his power

Maybe you have been hurt, scared and wounded and you feel beyond help. The same Jesus who calmed the stormy seas can calm the storm tossed soul

Why because of his wounds.

allow his wounds to heal yours

allow his scars to tell a greater story in your life

CS LEWIS mere chrisitinay

Same friend who prayed for me shared this qoute with me this week

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

Let’s pray

Peace be still