Mark Sermon Week 13

adds

illustrations

getting that song stuck in your head, passing it along

3 question

What am I hearing?

would God say that to me?

is it true? What is the truth?

3 Points

the presence of the deominc

Intro/Welcome

1 John 5:19 (ESV)

19 ...the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Do you believe this?

I mean “The whole world...”

....in the power of the evil one.

Let that sink in. Let’s think on this.

Exercise: Sit in silence and listen:

What do you hear when you think about this? (write it down)

The whole world lies in the power of tee evil one

disbelief? impossible? not true? fanatical?

Book

We’ve been studying the book of Mark and we’ve seen Jesus do remarkable things.

He has healed people, he has taught with authority, he has even calmed a storm by his voice

From the beginning of his ministry he has been at battle with the spiritual forces of darkness

actually it hasn’t been much of a battle, he simply casts demons out and they leave.

Today we have perhaps the most detailed and specific instance of Jesus waging war against the unseen demonic realm.

When Jesus arrived on the scene after his defeat of satan in the wilderness he declared:

Mark 1:15 (CSB)

15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

The Kingdom of God as opposed the the Kingdom of Darkness

There is a clash of Kingdoms.

Jesus came to wage war.

1 John 5:19 says that the “whole world is under the power of the evil one”

But look what else John wrote in the same letter

1 John 3:8 (ESV)

8 ...The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

You and I were born into a war

In our text today we see Jesus winning a decisive victory.

With he begins a covert invasion into enemy territory.

Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil, and you and I are his foot soldiers.

Today he will show us how to wage war by demonstrating:

The Presence of the Enemy

The Power over the Enemy

The Plan for defeating the enemy.

Bible

We’ll be in Mark 5:1-20.

my name is Justin

Welcome everyone and online

Let’s Pray

Pray

2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (CSB)

4 since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Context

Remember where we are in the Book of Mark

Jesus begin his ministry in Mark 1-3

In Mark 3:13-19 he calls the 12 Apostles

In Mark 6:7 he’s going to commission them to go and do the works he has been doing.

In between he is training them.

Jesus wasn’t just training the apostles.

2 Timothy 2:2 CSB

2 What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

He’s discipling, disciple-makers.

Today’s lesson is on the Spiritual War we are all in.

The Presence of the Enemy

Mark 5:1 (CSB)

1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes.

Jesus just calmed the storm, they responded with fear!

They grew in their wonder of Jesus

Mark 5:2–5 (CSB)

2 As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit (a man having demons - Luke 8:27) came out of the tombs and met him. 3 He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain—4 because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

Luke 8:29 (CSB)

29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was guarded, bound by chains and shackles, he would snap the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.

Matthew 8:28 (CSB)

28 When he had come to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.

This is a severely disturbed man and the towns people knew of him.

He lived out among the dead (the tombs) — in the caves in that region

real place, real event, at a real time

Demon-possessed

this man was possessed by a demon — lit. had demons with him.

Jesus is in enemy territory here.

This is about as bad as it gets.

Super-human strength, violent, isolated and would inflict self-harm (cutting)

these are all demonic manifestations

what you might call ‘extraordinary manifestations’

but most often, as we’ll see, there are the ‘ordinary manifestations’

Look what happens next

and try to imagine what this would have been like for the disciples to witness.

The Power over the Enemy

Mark 5:6–13 (CSB)

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!”

8 For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

9 “What is your name?” he asked him. “My name is Legion,” he answered him, “because we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region. ( Luke 8:31 “31 And they begged him not to banish them to the abyss.”)

11 A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. 12 The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”

13 So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits (demons) came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.

This super-human strength, violent demon-possessed man takes off running towards Jesus

can you imagine what the disciples were thinking?

they were probably half-way back in the boat.

Then it says he knelt down — the word there is “worship”

as in to lay prostrate and worship something.

Jesus commands the demons to leave —

and the demons begin arguing with Jesus

Legion is probably not their name just an allusion that there were many of them.

in fact enough to incite 2000 pigs to plunge to their own death.

The demons beg Jesus to not banish them, but to send them into the pigs?

why pigs? — maybe b/c in Jewish culture pigs were already unclean animals

in fact, Jewish readers would have cheered at the notion of pigs dyeing.

Jesus clearly demonstrates his authority and power over the legion of demons.

they must obey him.

This man experiences complete deliverance from demons.

in fact, it says he is in his right mind, sitting there before Jesus and properly clothed.

the man has undergone an complete transformation.

And is now sitting at the feet of Jesus learning from him.

How does one get possessed by a demon?

Maybe you are wondering as I was, how does this sort of thing happen?

How did the man find himself in this condition?

I think there are a number of factors:

1 John 5:19, Eph 2:1-3

1 John 5:19 (ESV) 19 ...the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

We are all born into the world in a condition of spiritual deadness

We are not alive to God we are dead in our trespasses (Eph 2:1-3)

Ephesians 2:1–3 (CSB)

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

People can open themselves up to more of the demonic

Practices in the Occult, witchcraft, wicca, Quija boards (sold as a kids game)

channeling, spirit guides, manifesting, tarot cards, etc.

Lev 18:9-15, 19:24-32 prohibit and warn against these kinds of things.

Gal 5:17ff mentions sorcery as a work of the flesh

Jesus point is that we are in a War the the spiritual forces of Evil: Satan and Demons.

This is a reality — the deepest reality.

The Majority of the World believes in and practices spiritism.

It is here in the West that in our pride, we think such things are foolish.

The Greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist.

If you don’t believe you have an enemy, you won’t resist him.

But when you openly invite them into your life bad things can happen.

We don’t know about this man

we do know that he lived in a gentile region with pagan rituals.

Application: See the Reality of the War

Now maybe some of you are already rationalizing this sort of thing away.

it must be a story, or it must be an exaggeration, or it must be just a misunderstanding.

These sorts of stories aren’t real.

Let me just point out “who benefits by you believing that?”

Jesus, who is the truth, is clearly engaging and defeating a spiritual enemy.

Zuti - Miraculous Movement: Written in 2012

Tells of how God is powerfully moving in predominantly muslim lands. (not unlike our story today)

Zuti’s Story

Jesus power and authority is demonstrated here and in Mark 6:7ff it will be delegated to the disciples.

But Jesus isn’t done yet.

Why the incident with the pigs?

I’ve tended to over-think this, but I think we see the reason by what happens next.

The Plan for defeating the enemy.

Mark 5:14 (CSB)

14 The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened.

These guys are watching this whole thing take place

They watch their entire head of pigs, in a frenzy run off a cliff

It says they ran

different from when the man ran to meet Jesus

This word is used of running in order to ‘avoid danger’

They hightail it out of there

Mark 5:15–17 (CSB)

15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and told about the pigs. 17 Then they began to beg him to leave their region.

Everyone comes out to see what happened.

Their Experience of the man

They knew this man, his violence, his power

and here he is sitting before them, totally changed.

Their response: fear

This man was powerful, but something even more powerful is here.

This terrifies them.

It is something they can’t control

The Story

Then the eyewitness tell exactly what happened.

what happened to the man

what happened to the pigs.

their Response:

‘please leave’ — in fact they beg Jesus to leave their region.

Why?

This was something unknown to them

therefore uncomfortable and uncontrollable.

I think this is the ‘ordinary’ manifestations of the demonic.

They want nothing to do with Jesus

This Jesus who might disrupt their lives

cause them discomfort

They just want him to go away

don’t mess with my life

I’m perfectly comfortable where I am.

they are deceived and spiritually blind.

But Jesus has a plan.

he’s going to grant their request — they are not ready to accept Jesus for who he is yet.

It’s too much, it’s too dramatic.

So what does Jesus do?

send an emissary

Jesus sends the man

Mark 5:18–20 (CSB)

18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged him earnestly that he might remain with him. 19 Jesus did not let him but told him, “Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.

This man has experienced radical transformation and all he wants to do is be with Jesus

Jesus says Go, I have a mission for you.

Go and tell all that God (Jesus) has done for you

and the mercy (forgiveness) he has had on you.

This man will be a much more effective witness for Jesus to his own people.

His family and friends, all those who knew him

would not be able to deny the radical change and freedom that this man had experienced

over time they would soften to the message of the Gospel.

He went all over the Decapolis = Ten Cities

MAP - Region to the South East

The list of cities in the Decapolis is inexact but most include Damascus, Raphana, Dius, Canata, Scythopolis, Gadara, Hippos, Pella, Gerasa, and Philadelphia. They were under the administrative control of the Roman governor of Syria and were distinguished from their surrounding environment by their Greek way of life, in culture and religion. Passages in Josephus suggest that their relations with Jews was one of hostility (Life 65 §§ 341–42; 74 § 410).

He was now a missionary and all were amazed.

In fact, in Mark 7:31 Jesus and the disciples will return to the Decapolis to preach the Kingdom of God

He has been enlisted into the Kings Army

Dealing with the Demonic

What have the disciples learned?

The Presence of the Enemy is real

Jesus has the power to defeat the enemy

Jesus had a plan to defeat the enemy.

What does that look like for us today?

I believe there are at times extraordinary manifestations of the demonic

But for us, in the west, most of the warfare we will experience is in the so called ‘ordinary’ and will be subtle.

All demonic activity begins with Deception.

Satan is called the father of lies.

The demonized man probably begin through some form of deception

His entire gentile culture was deceived into not seeing Jesus for who he was.

this is Satan’s most predominant scheme. Deception

it is so powerful because people don’t realize they are deceived.

and how do we know the truth? — God’ Word

perhaps that is why it is always under attack.

But if we learn the recognize the schemes of the enemy we will be victorious.

Illustration: General Patten

Recognizing Deception

What are some ways you may have been lied to?

This often occurs in the lies that have been spoken over us.

We are not good enough

Nobody will love you

Nobody wants to be around you.

I hear this stuff comes from my girls at times.

I always ask, ‘who told you that’?

Words have power

and we have all had words spoken over us.

When these words are combined with powerfully destructive experiences like verbal, physical or sexual abuse

they can create very deep patterns of viewing oneself

This is the work of the enemy.

Steps

So step #1

Pay attention to what you are hearing.

and ask: Where is this thought coming from?

You know that some of the thoughts you have did not come from your own mind, but have been demonically influenced.

Step #2

Ask based on what I know of God in the Bible, is this something he would say to me?

God so loved the World.

Conviction is from the Holy Spirit — it draws us to God to experience mercy and forgiveness

Condemnation is from the Enemy and it draws us away from God and into isolation, shame and patterns of self-harm.

like the demon possessed man.

Step #3

Speak the truth into the lies.

Speak — demons cannot read your mind — they are not omniscient, but they can influence your mind.

but the Truth destroys the lie

1 John 3:8 (CSB)

8 ...The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works.

2 Corinthians 10:4–6 (CSB)

4 since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds.

We demolish arguments 5 and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. 6 And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

What do we know about God?

He is loving and kind

He will punish the wicked — but Jesus was punished for our wickedness and sin

He died for us b/c he loves us even while we are sinners

OThere is no condemnation

Our sins have been nailed to the cross

Once the lie is recognized we demolish it with the truth.

the truth of God’s Word — of Who God is and what God has done in Jesus.

the power is in Jesus the truth

we cast out the demonic lie by the truth and power and authority of jesus

it is casting our demons

we’ve be got to say it out-loud

praying over your household

the gates of hell will not prevail

Practice

so let’s try a little something.

Close your eyes — take a deep breath.

Answer this question in your mind:

Who are you?

Does God love you?

How does God feel for you?

What sort of things came to mind? What did you hear?

write them down

Are they true?

What does God say.

Now this sort of thing is happening in a 1000 different ways all throughout your days.

This is what it means to engage in warfare.

to Fight the good fight

It’s why God’s Word is so important — the TRUTH

It’s why the Spirit is given — to lead us into TRUTH

to empower us in our weakness

to remember the Cross

Closing

Maybe some of you are deeply affected by this.

Maybe you have messed with the occult and have opened some doors into your life

I want to give you an opportunity to speak to someone, to be prayed for.

You can text this number and I will reach out to you.

You can come talk with us right now if you need prayer or to just talk.

We have a team of leader standing by

Closing Prayer

praying for freedom.

LIke a House:

you can let an intruder into your house.