Deliverance in the Desert

There is song that I like by Israel and New Breed called Grace. The chorus says, “Where would I be, if not for your grace, carrying me every season? Where would I be, if not for your grace? You came to my rescue and I want to thank you for your grace?” I like this song because it speaks to my life. It is true of all our lives. That God’s grace is what has carried us and kept us in every season in our life. Grace is God’s free gift and activity of love in our lives. Grace is when God shows up and does something for you that you don’t deserve. Whenever you can say as the saints used too, “He didn’t have to do it but He did” you have experienced the grace of God. Grace is not limited to salvation. Although that is grace at its best. But, Grace is more than that. Grace is when God woke you up this morning, you didn’t have to wake up this morning but here you are. Grace is when… (Run). And maybe you’re like me. God didn’t’ just use ordinary grace to save me. No, no. God had to use Amazing Grace, “how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me” I can talk about Grace all day long but here is the key. Grace is not reserved just for you. Sometimes we get so high and mighty that we forget that grace is not exclusive to us. We are so excited to be forgiven but then we turn and don’t forgive. We are so excited to be saved that we question whether or not somebody else is really saved. We get so excited to be in church that when others show up we look at them as if they don’t belong. Don’t get it twisted God didn’t run out of grace when He blessed you but you should celebrate when someone else has experienced the grace of God. Now it’s easy to limit God’s grace to the four corners of the church. But the grace of God knows no limits. Grace is like water, it runs downhill and pools up in the lowest places. Where you think that Grace is missing is precisely where God is. In this text we meet a brother who had found grace and he found it in the Graveyard.

1. Demonic Problem v.1-6

· The Man. The man was possessed by an unclean spirit. This is a problem. The demon has a hold of his body, his mind, he ability to relate and survive. This is a problem. But, the demonic problem just isn’t personal is communal. This demonic problem is more than just what it has done to him but also how it has damaged the community. It had caused this man to be ostracized from his family and his friends. He wasn’t always like this. He once had a life. He once had family. He was a normal person but at some point in time he was overtaken by the enemy and demon possessed. Now, he lived amongst the tombs. He hides in the mountains and he cuts himself with stones. This is not the man his friends remember, this is not the man his mother remembers but this is who he has become. And as a result of this condition people don’t reach out to help the man. They didn’t take him to the temple to pray for him, they didn’t make sacrifices for him, they didn’t lay hands on him instead the solution to the problem (in their eyes) was to lock him up and bind him with chains, to incarcerate him.

So often do we handle people and their issues the wrong way. Instead of getting them the help, they need, instead of giving them the love the deserve, we throw them away in the name of handing them over to God. But James is clear when he says, “If a brother or sis ter is without clothing and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

2. Display of Power v.7-13

I’m so glad today that even when things are at their worst Jesus still will show up. The bible says as soon as Jesus got off the boat immediately… That just makes my soul happy because Jesus presence has already begun to fix the situation. (Preach that) And the demoniac comes and falls down at Jesus feet because even demons have enough sense to know what to do when in the presence of Jesus. And as Jesus is casting out the demon, we see that Jesus does something that he never did before, nor does he do again. But the message is timeless. He asked him, “What is your name?” because in asking him his name He does two things: 1) makes the man face his condition. Facing it is fighting it. Because denial is not deliverance. 2) And he makes the demon face his creator. (Preach) When you know somethings name and you face it, it takes the power away from it. And when you can call it by name, then you and speak to it and tell it get out. You can speak to that thing because you know its name and can say:

Cancer, diabetes, Hypertension, unbelief, alcoholism, drug addiction, poverty, racism, sexism, class-ism, illiteracy in our children, teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, miss-education, bullies, sexual predators, hypocrites, legion.

I know who you are now and you’ve got to go.

Get out of my body, get out of my family, get out of my house, get out of my children, get out get out get out.

· Herd of Swine-2,000

3. Dignified Presentation v.14-17

The first thing that happens after the man is made well is that the people of the city who saw it went back into the city to tell everyone that the pigs are dead. They were not testifying about the goodness of Jesus healing the man, no they went to snitch on Jesus for ruining their economic and social stability. And because the feat was so amazing everyone came to see if it was true. And it was! Here is where I get excited, the bible says, “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.”

· Came to Jesus

· …from whom the demons HAD gone

· Sitting at the feet of Jesus

· Clothed

· In his right mind

4. Disciple’s Proclamation v.18-20