“Jesus, the Lord Over All”

Scripture Introduction

Good morning! I appreciate the opportunity to be with you this morning, and to have the privilege of looking at God’s Word with you. I have enjoyed the time I have been able to spend with your lead pastor, and I encourage you all to be praying for his refreshment as he and his wife are away this morning.

Please turn with me in your bibles to Mark 5. Pastor Jim has been walking you all through the book of Mark, encouraging Bellevue to journey with the disciples in discovering who Jesus is and what He has done, in seeing that we too are His disciples, and to gain some on-the-job training for what we are to do in His kingdom.

Last week you all were in the last part of Mark 4. Jesus showed His authority over the wind and the sea. When Jesus spoke, He spoke as the Creator of the wind and sea, and they recognized the authority in His voice, so they obeyed.

This left the disciples asking the question that you and I are supposed to ask along with the disciples: “Who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” There is no more important question!

And by design, this question is still ringing in our ears as we look to Mark 5.

Here, we find an immediate answer to this question through the story of an outcast Gentile man with an unclean spirit.

Read with me in Mark 5:1–8

Mark 5:1–8 (ESV)

1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He 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 fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

Let’s pause here and pray. Heavenly Father

· Thank you for writing us a book, that we may know You.

· Open our eyes this morning to hear the truth about Jesus, and embrace Him.

· Help us to believe this gospel more deeply

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sermon Introduction

Chaos, and darkness. What do these words make you think of? What pictures come to mind?

With today being Halloween, you might be thinking about what it will look like for many walking around tonight in costumes and collecting candy.

Some of us have experienced life in large or small portions as chaos, and darkness.

This experience comes about for a variety of reasons.

Our sin.

The sin of others.

The fallen nature of the world because of Adam and Eve’s sin.

Sickness

death

... on and on we could go.

In these desperate situations, God’s purpose is to help us recognize our need for God’s intervention. He desires to turn our hearts to our Father in Heaven, and He is glad to come to us.

But Satan, as the enemy of our souls, wants to influence us in the other direction, to drive us away from God. He would prefer anything else, just so long as we are not submitting to and following the Lord Jesus.

So, if I was to summarize what we see in this passage for us today in one sentence, it would be this:

Because Jesus is the good and true Lord, we should turn from darkness, confess Him as Lord, submit our whole being to Him, and spread the news of what He has done.

[repeat]

So I have entitled the message “Jesus, the Lord Over All”.

Now, I really want to draw your attention to these verses we just read. There we see that Jesus invades this dark place, reaching this man who is in such a desperate place. So ….

I. Jesus invades our darkness (5:1-13)

What do I mean? Notice that he enters…

A. He enters the territory of the dead (5:1-8)

[

Mark 5:1–5 (ESV)

5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He 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 tombsand on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himselfwith stones.

]

Notice:

1. (1) The Geresesnes were Gentile territory. And they were considered outsiders, not in God’s family.

2. (2, 3, 5) Lived among the tombs (repeated)

3. (2, 4) Unclean spirit (demon), giving strength that people could not subdue

4. (4, 5) Bound with shackles and chains, not free. Outcast, and demons were destroying the image of God in the man, for he was in agony, crying out and cutting himself.

Get the picture –

Jesus, the Creator steps onto the land, and man is it a dark place!

Darkness, death and destruction are all around

And a man whom some would envy for his worldly power and strength is there (but he is not to be envied)

The power is destructive, and Satan’s intent is to steal, kill, and destroy the man

Yet, this dominant force in the area runs to Jesus and bows down…

…knowing who has just invaded the darkness.

Read vv.6-8 again with me.

Mark 5:6–8 (ESV)

6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

Do you see?

Jesus has come into the territory where this unclean spirit had its way, but now it knows the good and true Lord is on the scene! Even out of this vile mouth came true words: “Jesus, Son of the Most High God.

And it can’t help but try something, claiming that the Son of the Most High God really has no business with demons in this area of the world.

But the King, the Son of God, is Lord over all, even here in the territory of the dead.

What will Jesus do now that He is there? He subdues the dominant power.

B. He subdues the dominant power (5:9-10)

Mark 5:9–10 (ESV)

9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.

Wow, so not just one, but an army of demons is present, and begging Jesus. They know that with a word Jesus could doom them to the eternal darkness of the abyss. Or, He could send them to an unfamiliar place where they have less of a stronghold.

But, even an army of demons does not match the power of the good and true Lord, the Son of God, the One through whom all things were created. So the demons

(6-7b) Bow and confess Jesus is the Son of God

(7c, 10) Beg not to be tortured or sent out of the country

(7d-9) Are subdued under the authority of True King

In my mind’s eye, the man is bowed in front of Jesus, but Jesus’ foot is on the neck of the demons.

Now it is time to further strengthen the faith of the disciples. So Jesus shows them that this man is set free with a dramatic displays of His work.

C. He displays His work (5:11-13)

Look at vv.11-13.

Mark 5:11–13 (ESV)

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.

Satan’s purpose was merely destruction. God’s purpose was a display of His work and love.

This photo is of one of the 2 or 3 sites they have the even narrowed down to.

These pigs, considered unclean by Jews, were going to be plain ol’ food. But Jesus re-purposes them.

He shows the value of one image-bearer, one human – worth more than 2000 pigs. And they’re now an illustration of Jesus’ dominion over chaos and darkness, and His love for image bearers of God, even those outcast from society.

[

R.C. Sproul: “Only in a culture of death [like ours], where human life is denigrated, do people value animals more than people.[1]

]

This whole scene is pretty shocking, isn’t it? Jesus has invaded our darkness, raised His flag to demonstrate He is the good and true Lord.

We can’t hear this and not respond in some way. So…

II. Jesus invites our response (5:14-20)

The first way to respond is …

A. The sad but natural response (5:14-17)

Mark 5:14–17 (ESV)

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-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed 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 they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.

The herdsmen immediately feel the need to get off the hook for this disaster. You can understand the difficult place they are naturally in now, right? They’ve lost a LOT of pigs.

So they give their report in the city and country. “We were sitting just minding our own business, tending the pigs. There was some commotion down by the water. It was that demoniac and like a dozen other people. Suddenly our pigs just went rushing down into the water and drown.”

So they come to check it out for themselves. They see Jesus and the man. But the man is different. Now he has clothes on and is in his right mind.

And now they’re afraid.

They listen to the report of witnesses. And they begin to beg. Not beg Jesus to do more. Not beg him to teach them the truth. But, they beg him to leave.

This, church, is the natural man’s response to Jesus. This is the way we responded to Jesus before He made us new.

“You scare us. You’re bringing light into this, and we were comfortable with the darkness here. Things would have to change. I would have to change. I’m more comfortable with the chaosthan your great power. It would be better for us to just stay the same, keep what we’ve got going. We don’t want you around here.”

It is so sad really. Instead, we should let Jesus change us.

Thankfully, by God’s grace, not everyone responds to Jesus according to the natural man…

There is ONE there. This newly-freed man has a joyous response.

B. The new man’s joyous response (5:18-20c)

Mark 5:18–20

Mark 5:18–20 (ESV)

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 tell 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 the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Notice

(18) The freed man begs to be with Jesus

(19a) Jesus does not permit him to come

Surprising, isn’t it?

Jesus says, I have another plan for you!

(19b-e) And He commissions the freed man to go tell what the Lord has done

kurios, a title used in Greek to translate GOD’s holy name in the OT, and this man….

(20a-c) tells all Jesus had done

20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Jesus is probably looking at the disciples, and you and me, and asking, “You get it? Got your answer yet?”

Jesus is showing that He is God the Father’s eternal Son. He is the good and true Lord.

Will you respond like this? This man willingly submits to the directive to go and tell.

Therefore, like we read about in Ch.4, …

C. The seeds of the gospel are scattered (5:20d)

And the response there is that everyone in the Decapolis marveled.

Notice that the good news of who God is and what He has done is spreading now in Gentile territory. The soil is being tilled and prepared for further ministry of the gospel being sown deeper into the hearts of people for the rest of their lives.

I want to make sure we clearly apply ourselves to this text.

Some of you may be saying to yourself, “This is so far from where my friends, family, and I are in life. We’re not like the demoniac. I’m not cutting myself and living among the tombs.”

But, I beg to differ. This man is a picture of us too, church.

As Sinclair Ferguson states, “not all men are demon possessed, yet all men by nature are ruled by dark and sinister forces.“

For those of us who are followers of Christ, Jesus shows us what we too have been saved from. He shows us what we were like apart from Christ. Think about what Ephesians 2 says about the state we were in when Christ rescued us, and suddenly we see many parallels:

He lived among the unclean people, in an unclean land, among the unclean dead. We were dead in our transgressions and sins.

He was under Satan’s control. would not be bound. We followed the prince of the power of the air, i.e. the spirit at work in the sons of disobedience.

He was a Gentile, and an outcast from his people. We too are Gentiles, we were separated from Christ and the commonwealth of Israel.

But God!

Just as Jesus did not leave this man in this state, he intervened in the lives of all Christians as well.

Ephesians 2:4–5

Ephesians 2:4–5 ESV

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Ephesians 2:13 ESV

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

So God has spoken into our darkness, subdued our enemies, and claimed us as his own through the work of Christ on the cross.

So then, how important is it for us to see that….

III. Jesus is the true Lord, worthy of our submission

Believer and sceptic: What will submission look like?

We marveling at this good and true Lord. When was the last time you marveled at the grace of God to you in Christ?

We trust Him to subdue our darkness and redeem our souls. Do you trust Him enough to be honest with Him about your past, turn from it, and trust Him to forgive and redeem?

We entrust our whole being unto His great mercy. What areas have you claimed as your own, and disinvited Jesus from having dominion there?

We share the good news we’ve found among the peoples.

That’s what God is calling us to this morning.

If Jesus is the good and true Lord, He is worthy of our submission in at least these ways.

I admit that you have to see him as good and true Lord in order to even desire to do these things.

So, maybe you’re asking, “How do we know he is a worthy Lord?” It’s what we read in this passage.

But, this story is not just one pearl among many stories tossed upon the table for our examination. This story supports the overall storyline of Scripture. I want you to see this, because I think you hearts will be lifted to see Jesus is a worthy Lord.

In Genesis 1:1–2 we read this:

Genesis 1:1–2 (ESV)

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

God goes on to bring order and life out of this formless, empty, (we could say chaotic) and dark state. He creates light, mankind, all things...

And he charges the man, Adam, with filling and subduing in the creation mandate... Expand the boundaries of the Garden of Eden, to subdue the chaos that needed subduing, and make God’s temple-garden (where His presence dwelt) cover the whole earth. Spread the image of God over all territory, all country. God would be the Great King over all, and man would be the represetative king over the earth, representing God on the whole earth.

This is why not only Adam but the kings of Israel are spoken of as sons of God.

Adam failed in this assignment, choosing instead to allow the darkness and chaos to enter in. Death and uncleanness came into the Garden, so all of mankind has been separated from God to some degree ever since. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, sent outside where death and chaos would try to have the final say.

But God promised to not leave them in the darkness, He promised to crush the head of the serpent and expel him again, and thus bring salvation through one of Eve’s children.

That offspring would do a perfect job at what Adam was supposed to do. He would crush the head of Satan, and lead God’s people in the way of righteousness, lead them on a new exodus into fellowship with God, subdue their enemies of sin, death, and Satan, and even renew the image of God in the redeemed, which had been defaced at the Fall when Adam and Eve rebelled against God’s good Word.

So when Mark records the historical activity of this better Adam, the eternal Son of God, he announces it as good news:

Mark 1:1 ESV

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark tells the readers, “I have good news for you! The eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, is on the scene! Your life’s failures, sin, disappointments, misplaced hopes – all of the fallout from the Fall in the Garden – these can all be resolved in Jesus! The long awaited Savior and serpent crusher is here!”

And that is why in today’s passage, Jesus is subduing the very real and powerful enemies of God’s people, Satan and his demons.

Do you see how it fits with the theme that Jesus is the promised offspring, the better Adam who represents mankind, who accomplishes the creation mandate and re-commissions us to go in his power in the Holy Spirit to spread the image of God over the whole earth as we make disciples?

How are you going to respond? as the natural man? Or, joyfully as being made new?

Is Jesus truly the Lord over your whole life? What is keeping you from submitting to Him?

You see, it’s not just demons that can control us, though that is a real thing. It’s also “natural” stuff that can control us.

[helped here by Keller[2]] There is a book on evangelism that helpfully points out that “whatever controls us is really our god – even if we hate it.” This could be blow anger that we despise. IF it controls us, it is our god.

“The person who seeks power is controlled by power. The person who seeks acceptance is controlled by the people he or she wants to please. We do not control ourselves. We are controlled by the Lord of our life.”

-Becky Pippert, Out of the Salt Shaker and Into the World, end of Ch.3]

Do you see what this highlights?

Whatever you seek, put your time into, what you think about – that is your lord. Whatever or whoever we look to in order to find our sense of worth, purpose, meaning…. That is our lord. It can be good things that we do, but not for God’s glory.

And this is not just true for the religiosu types, but for secular too. Everybody has one. It could be what your kids think of you, your job performance, having your name called out at the ceremony. Anything that pushes you toward greater achievements.

So, does Satan have to possess you in order to have you rebelling against the Lord Jesus? No. He has other schemes that we are often blind to. All he has to do is make something else other than the Lord Jesus to be our first thought, our motivation, our highest pursuit.

Bellevue… Jesus is the only true Lord who will not destroy you.

He is...

A. He is the glorious Lord – be in awe of Him!

Look at His undeserved love for us, coming into our darkness rather than leaving us to our own destruction.

Not only was He God’s Son in the sense that he represented God to mankind like a king would, He is also God’s Son as eternally existent, highly exalted, ...

...and yet humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross.

So we get His righteousness by repenting and believing in Him, and He takes our sin! That is grace – getting what you don’t deserve!

So…

B. He is the merciful Lord – turn from your sin!

This repentance is not just for new followers of Christ, but for all of us throughout our life.

He has delivered us from darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of light, and we battle the darkness with endurance.

When we are truly alive and made new in Christ, we are not the same, but we’re changed!

We are not perfect, but sin and death have no hold on us!

Now we can live freely, joyful, and confident of our eternity in Christ! He is for us, and has given us a mission to share all that the Lord Jesus has done for us.

C. He is the good Lord - trust everything to Him!

D. He is the Sovereign Lord – so boldly sow the seeds of the good news!

If God is for us – and He is! – who can be against us? No one.

[big idea] Being in awe of this glorious Lord Jesus, turn from darkness, trust Him with your whole being, share this good news, and watch God continue to work!

Let’s pray

I want to invite you to reflect on how the Lord is calling you to respond to Him today.

· If you are so led, you may pray here at the alter.

· If you would like to speak with me or a staff member, find one of us during this time or after the service. We would love to talk with you.

If you are able, I invite you to sit or stand and respond to the Lord.

[1] R. C. Sproul, Mark(First Edition.; St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary; Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2011), 105. [2]Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013). [3] John Piper, God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 47.