What is your story you are telling.

Everybody has a story

This morning we will be looking at Mark 5:18-20 “18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." 20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.” Are you telling your story? We need to set goals as a congregation. We have been commissioned to make disciples. It will never happen unless we as the church get on fire and understand that each one of us must take the story of the gospel into our hands and share it with everyone that we can. Here in Mark 5. Jesus encounters a man that was under the destructive power and influence of the devil. I want us to follow the story as we try to make some practical applications.

Mark 5:1 “1 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.” I want you to see how this is a fitting description of humanity separated from God. It is a picture of the havoc, destruction, and chaos that the devil brings into the life of a person who does not have God. Look at this man. Where is he living? The bible tells us he is living in the graveyard among the tombs where the dead people are buried. And the reason he is living there is that he is dead in his spirit. He has lost his home. He was cut off from his family and friends. He has no fellowship with anyone because his life was a complete mess.

Now when you look at Luke’s account of this demon possession. We will find that there were two demon-possessed men. But Mark takes up one. He does not denounce the fact or deny the fact that there were two but he focuses on the one in the most critical condition. I want you to know that when the devil gets into a person’s life. When the devil really has a grip on a person’s life. The devil is a destroyer. Jesus said in Jn 10:10 that the thief comes to steal to kill and to destroy. What is he talking about? He is talking about the devil. How the devil destroys our lives. Satan will steal your joy. He will steal your peace, your freedom, and your happiness. Satan will kill your dreams. He will kill your drive and he will kill any instinct in you to do better. He will destroy your mind, your body, your family, and your finances. Your friendships, your morals your marriage, your morals. Your self-control and your self-image and untimely he will destroy your relationship with God. Everything the devil touches he destroys. You list the behavior. IF it is sinful and destructive, whatever it is. Adultery, fornication, lying, drugs, alcohol, gambling, homosexuality. Just name the sin, name the lifestyle. Name the behavior. If it is destructive then it is of the devil

Since Satan does not have the power to possess a person as he did before Jesus went to Calvary. He deceives us into thinking that he does not have the power to gain control over our lives. But I want you to know that the devil can still gain control over our lives. I want you to see this because you do know that the devil cannot possess us as he did in NT times. Jesus came and Jesus bound the devil. Turn to Matt 12:22- “22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."” In other words, he is in league with the devil, the chief devil. The bible says “ 25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

Now Jesus said first you guys are talking nonsense. Common sense tells you that if Satan is casting Satan then he is cancer to himself. And his kingdom cannot stand. So, what’s transpiring is not Satan casting out Satan. But a stronger man has entered the scene. Now Satan is a strong man. And he uses this analogy. He says commons sense tells you since you see his kingdom is being plundered and his house being wrecked. That must mean that somebody bigger and stronger has come on the scene. If you break into my house. And you are not equipped to deal with me and what I might have. But the point is, let’s say that you have a shotgun in your house. And someone breaks into your house with a slingshot. They are in trouble. Now am I saying. What Jesus is saying is this. The devil is no stronger than I am. I have bound him, and I am coming into his house and I am taking his possession. So, I want you to know that the kingdom of God is making a surge upon this world. So, what has taken place is Jesus came to bound the devil.

The devil has always been limited ever since God kicked him out. Even when he came and tried to attach Job. God said to him you can only go so far. God has never lost His sovereign power. He has always been sovereign and he will always be sovereign. So, we do understand that the devil cannot just come in and possess a man. If he can do that, he would take a whole lot of people. Why wouldn’t he do it, since it is his goal to take captive as many souls as he possibly can.

So how the devil does gains control over a person’s life. A person must willingly give their lives over to the devil. But it is not demon possession as it was in the 1st century against a man’s will where he has no deliverance other than Jesus coming on the scene in delivering or someone in that day in time like the apostles. Jesus gave them the ability to cast out demons. But that does not exist today. So when the bible tells us that the devil is in a man’s life now. It means that person has allowed the devil to have control of the life of their own free will. They are choosing to abide in sin and darkness and sin and darkness is the devil’s territory. The dog can’t eat you up unless you get in his pin. You start dibbling and dabbling in demonic things. What you are doing is opening yourself up for the devil to devour you. You are dibbling and dabbling in drugs altering your mind. Alcohol alters your mind. Going to these palm readers trying to conjure up spirits. All of that stuff is demonic in nature, and you are putting yourself in the devil’s territory. So, you need to stay away from all of that garbage.

The man that we are reading about was possessed by the devil. But his life is symbolic of so many today who are under satan’s dominion. They’re hurting themselves. This man was restless, and he was suffering from severe mental anguish. The bible says he cried day and night. He was in the tombs and in the mountains cutting himself and crying. And that is the life of a person who is under satan/s power. There is an anguish in their soul that wants to be free.

Mark 5:6-7 “6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me." I love this picture. Jesus just comes on the scene. And the devil knows when Jesus was in town. I want you to know the devil knows when Jesus is in your house. You have heard the illustration before. There was a man who invited Jesus to come to his house. But he took Jesus into the bedroom and said this is your room you can stay up here. So, the man when downstairs. The devil came and knocked on the door and whipped the man up good. And he went upstairs and said Jesus did you hear the devil downstairs whipping me. Jesus said yea I heard. It. Well, I just want to make sure you heard it. Jesus stayed in the room. The devil came back and knocked him around. He went back up to Jesus’ room and said did you hear. Jesus said yeah, I heard it. You told me to stay in this room. You did not give me free rein in your house. He let Jesus out. That same night the devil came, and Jesus answered the door and the devil said the wrong address. I am just saying the devil knows when Jesus is in town. He knows when Jesus is in your life and in your house.

The devil came and bowed before Jesus. Jesus did not say a word. But the devil must honor God. He has no choice but to bow to the creator of the universe. He came and he bowed, and he said I don’t want anything to do with you. Lord don’t torment me. I love this. Are you glad that the devil is no match for our Savior? That is why I can go to sleep at night without worrying about someone putting a hex on me.

Mark 5:8- “ 8 For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!" 9 Then He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many." I want you to see this. A legion is from anywhere from 6 to 12 thousand. Let’s take the low end of a Roman legion of 6 thousand demons. 6000 evil spirits abiding in this one man. You are talking about somebody messed up. Just tormented evil all the time. No wonder he was walking and cutting himself trying to cut the devil out of him. He was in terrible condition. And there are people just like that today. IN terrible condition. Their minds are messed up, there live are messed up. They have no rest and peace They are tormented. He said my name is legion for we are many.

Mark 5:10- “10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. 11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying,” they begged him, the devils must pray to God. I just like that picture, because you see the strong man. A strong man is in the house. And all these demons, these 6 thousand or 12 thousand demons are begging Jesus. And the master just stands there. Knowing all that he has to do is say a word and the devil is gone. That is an awesome God. That is who I have with me in this battle. “ 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them." 13 And at once Jesus gave them permission.” The devil can’t do anything unless God allows him to do it. He gave them permission “Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.” Some people try to use this verse to speak against pork chops. Some say see Jesus sent those devils into the swine, into the hog. So, the devil is in the hog. Well, if I use that logic then the hogs ran into eh water, and the devil is in the water and you can’t eat seafood either. Everything the devil gets his hands on, he destroys. He cares no more about you than he does a hog.

Marks 5:14“14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.” They said Jesus cast some demons into the hogs that we were watching. I want you to know we are not responsible. Jesus was responsible for killing your hogs. Your money just went into the lake. Now it was obvious that these people were in business. They were hog farmers. No doubt they were providing meat for the idol temples and for the Gentile territory. The was Gentile territory. So they did not have a problem with that sweet porkAnd now when you see 2000 hogs go into the water. You are talking about dollar bills going out the window. My research said it was about 250 thousand in that time. Some people would be upset. You lose 250 thous, I would want to see and know who cause this. So, they came out to see who was the culprit. Who cased this?

Marks 5:14“14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. 15 Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.” When you are out of your mind that is when you walk around in public half-naked. Exposing stuff that supposed to be covered. Now when the devil was gone and he was in his right mind, he clothed himself. Verse 16 “ 16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. 17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.” This does not make sense to me. Why are they afraid of the man when he is sitting in his right mind clothes. They are afraid now. There is no need to be afraid now. And instead of them saying what an opportunity to have a man like Jesus in town who can perform such marvelous miracles, they tell Jesus to get out to town, we do not want you here. Their problem is, that they care more about money than they did people.

There are people like that in the world. They care more about stuff than they do souls. And they said Jesus you have to go because you are causing too much trouble. You have caused us to lose too much money. If we get some more hogs, you might run them off too. You must go. So Jesus leaves. Jesus will not stay where he is not wanted. He will not force himself upon us.

Mark 5:18“18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.” That is common sense to me. I was naked until you came along Jesus. And I just want to just be with you. Where you are that is where I want to be. That’s why I can’t understand why people who were once messed up. And God has freed them and fixed their lives. Why would you have a hard time coming to worship? You should be the first one at the building. Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wed night. You should say I am coming; I want to be with the Lord, I want to show him how appreciative. You should never have a problem giving or doing anything for the Lord. Has the Lord fixed anything that was messed up in your life? This man said don’t leave me, Jesus, I want to be with you.

Mark 5:19“19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." Jesus said I understand, but you must tell a story at home. You must go back home. Let your friends see. Let those people who saw you ragged, naked, running around. Let those people who saw you drunk, drugged up, and out of your mind, destroy your life with gambling, and your relationship with infidelity. Go on back home. And let them see I am not on drugs anymore. I am not an alcoholic anymore. I do not gamble anymore. I am not running around anymore. They will look at you and say that kind of look like him. He kind of favors Courtney. But I remember him like this, and he is all cleaned up now. Are you certain it is him? Yes, it’s me because Jesus has come into my life and made a difference.

This is personal evangelism defined. This is how it is done. And what should motivate us to do it? Brethren personal evangelism starts at home. He said to go home, go back to your family. And that is where you start telling Your story. If you have someone in your family that is lost, why are you talking about going to Africa and being a missionary? Your mission field is right in your own house. There are people in this city lost and in your family. That is rich fertile ground then expand it. Do you remember what Jesus told the apostles? He said it will start in Jerusalem, then it will go to Judea, then to Samaria, then to the utter most parts of the earth. It will start right at home and then go out. Tell the people that you used to run around with and get in trouble with. Go tell them what the Lord has done for you. I don’t do what I used to do anymore. The reason that I am not, is because Jesus has come into my life and made a difference.

Jesus said in the text “and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you” Great is abundant, huge in measure, many multitude. G tell your family. Go tell your friends how largely God has blessed you. Are you telling your story? Can you say Lord I thank you that I am not what I used to be? God has delivered some people from some stuff.

Jesus said to tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and how he had compassion. It does not take you to know Gen to Rev before you tell your story. All you must do is have zeal to begin talking. I have heard people tell me their story. Where God brought them from. How they were on the brink of destruction and God snatch them back from the presipus of death. Tell that story.

Christ saved us when we were lost in sin. He delivered us, he saved me from a devil’s hell. We must tell our story. If Hayward will get on fire telling the story. Every Sunday, every week I believe that we can trouble the waters. I believe that. But we must get on fire and stay on fire for God. The way the fire is ignited is to remember where you used to be and where God has brought you out of. If you are not a Christian, I want to invite you to become one. Jesus wants to bring deliverance. How can you get this deliverer in your life?