WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.140 Mark chapter 5, Mark chapter 5, man, we talked about Jesus in the storm and how when we thought 00:00:11.140 --> 00:00:14.880 ! He was just sleeping in the boat not knowing what was going on. He got up and calmed the storm. 00:00:16.260 --> 00:00:20.800 ! And how every storm that we face in our life, He knows what it is. He's right there in the midst of 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:26.620 it. Sometimes He's silent in the midst of it. Sometimes it appears that He's not concerned, 00:00:26.620 --> 00:00:36.700 but He's always in the midst of it. He can always bring calm. He did and they sailed to the other side 00:00:36.700 --> 00:00:49.540 of the sea. And chapter 5 picks up on what happens when they come ashore. It is a chapter filled 00:00:49.539 --> 00:00:59.200 with impossibilities. The place that He sailed to was called the Decapolis. It was 10 cities that 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:08.299 Alexander the Great had either developed or redeveloped four centuries earlier. It was Gentile 00:01:08.299 --> 00:01:17.519 land. It was a change of ministry and pace for Christ. There's first a man that comes to Him that 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:25.079 is filled with thousands of demons. And then there's a woman who is very sick and cannot be healed. 00:01:26.420 --> 00:01:37.000 And then there's a girl that dies, therefore that cannot live. So one belongs in a mental institution, 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:47.299 another in a hospice house, and yet another in a cemetery. It would seem like impossibilities. 00:01:47.299 --> 00:01:55.439 However, there are no impossibilities with Jesus. Demons, disease, and death are no match for the 00:01:55.439 --> 00:02:04.299 deliverer. And so let's look at what evil does and what Jesus does about it. It's in Mark chapter 5, 00:02:04.379 --> 00:02:11.819 beginning verse 1. It says this, they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of Jereus. 00:02:11.819 --> 00:02:18.239 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately they met Him out of the tombs, 00:02:18.459 --> 00:02:25.959 a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind Him anymore, 00:02:26.099 --> 00:02:34.139 not even with a chain. For He had been bound with shackles and chains, and He wrenched the chains 00:02:34.139 --> 00:02:42.839 apart, and He broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue Him. Night and day among 00:02:42.839 --> 00:02:48.699 the tombs and on the mountains, He was always crying out and cutting Himself with stones. 00:02:50.299 --> 00:02:53.839 And when He saw Jesus from afar, He ran and fell down before Him. 00:02:53.840 --> 00:03:01.420 Crying out with a loud voice, He said, what have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:09.199 I adhere you by God. Do not torment me. For He was saying to him, come out of him, the man, 00:03:09.420 --> 00:03:17.300 you unclean spirit. And Jesus asked him, what is your name? And He replied, my name is Legion, 00:03:17.300 --> 00:03:25.900 for we are many. And He begged Him earnestly not to send Him out of the country. Now a great herd of 00:03:25.900 --> 00:03:32.480 pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged Him saying, send us to the pigs, let us enter 00:03:32.480 --> 00:03:38.460 them. So He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs, and the herd, 00:03:38.920 --> 00:03:44.800 numbering about 2,000, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:55.640 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country, and people came to see what it was that 00:03:55.640 --> 00:04:01.520 had happened. And they came to Jesus, and they saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:08.700 Legion sitting there clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it 00:04:08.700 --> 00:04:14.240 described it to them, what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:19.300 to beg Jesus to depart from the region. And as he was getting into the boat, 00:04:21.639 --> 00:04:27.259 the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:35.079 He didn't permit him, but said to him, go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done 00:04:35.079 --> 00:04:42.900 for you and how He has had mercy on you. And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis 00:04:42.899 --> 00:04:56.439 how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone marveled. Evil is horrible, but it can, 00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:06.399 and thank God it will, be defeated. I want you to see the havoc of evil. 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:13.699 Jesus gets out of the boat on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. That is Gentile land. It is a 00:05:13.699 --> 00:05:19.779 different area. It is filled with bare mountains that rise above the sea. It is an area that is 00:05:19.779 --> 00:05:27.620 called the Golan Heights. The mountains in that region are very poorish, and they are filled with 00:05:27.620 --> 00:05:34.000 caves. You can stand in one place and can count dozens of cave entrances there. 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:43.920 And apparently some of those areas were used for tombs. It made for a hillside cemetery. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:57.279 He probably lived in a walk-in grave site that was filled with decomposing bodies and skeletal remains. 00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:08.179 A horrific place to live. And it was seen as an unclean area. They had tried to bind him. 00:06:09.299 --> 00:06:17.739 He was in shackles. That speaks of ankle chains. He was in chains. That speaks to a handcuff type situation. 00:06:18.739 --> 00:06:23.699 Because it was believed that if you could chain demons and contain them. 00:06:23.699 --> 00:06:32.240 However, both sets of chains were broken by his supernatural strength. Scripture says that he was 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:42.240 crying out. He was shrieking. Some even interpreted as howling. He was miserable. It had to be horrifying 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:48.899 to others because it never stopped. It was night and day. And in addition to that, he was cutting 00:06:48.899 --> 00:06:59.919 himself with stones. Now, cutting yourself is a sign of internal agony. It's a sign that people need some 00:06:59.919 --> 00:07:08.359 type of release of what they're feeling. They're trying to gain a sense of control, of feeling pain 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:21.660 because they feel so numb. Luke tells us that he was without clothing and had been run to solitary 00:07:21.660 --> 00:07:33.699 places by the demons. So what we have is a naked wild man running around the tombs, screaming out, 00:07:33.699 --> 00:07:43.800 breaking chains, surely a threat to many. How does a man get to such a state? 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:49.980 Well, many may think he's mentally ill. 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:56.300 And I, he needs help. And I agree with you. 00:07:56.300 --> 00:08:05.780 However, scripture is clear that he got to that point because he was demon possessed. 00:08:07.180 --> 00:08:18.680 They had taken him over. That means that he was a part of things that he should not have been in. 00:08:18.680 --> 00:08:24.840 There was an entry point here. There was a beginning. 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:36.240 He had dabbled in sin until he had become so engrossed in sin that the sin took over. 00:08:38.539 --> 00:08:43.000 I've spoken before recently about this mysterious link in our world today 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:51.820 between drugs, alcohol, mental illness, and demonic influence. 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:59.100 There's a correlation there. I'm not saying that they're always together. I don't mean that. 00:08:59.179 --> 00:09:01.519 I mean there's often a correlation there. 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:06.220 It blends together. And it's not easy to figure out, 00:09:06.220 --> 00:09:13.480 is this a demon doing this? Is this, is this mental, mental illness doing this? 00:09:14.139 --> 00:09:16.240 Is this an addiction that's causing this? 00:09:16.460 --> 00:09:20.440 What, what, what's causing these things? 00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:24.240 But I want you to be clear about something. 00:09:25.899 --> 00:09:31.259 A drug addicted lifestyle today that leads to mental instability will open a door 00:09:31.259 --> 00:09:35.659 to demon, at least demonic oppression. 00:09:36.919 --> 00:09:40.639 And if one don't know the Lord, could easily open the door to demonic possession. 00:09:43.240 --> 00:09:44.200 If not worse. 00:09:46.779 --> 00:09:48.580 Suicide's on the rise today. Why is that? 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:49.279 That's demonic. 00:09:50.360 --> 00:09:51.039 That's demonic. 00:09:53.639 --> 00:09:55.819 I'm not saying that people that do it are all demon possessed. 00:09:55.939 --> 00:09:57.100 I'm not, I don't mean that at all. 00:09:57.159 --> 00:09:59.080 I mean it's a demonic influence to destroy you. 00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:00.480 He wants to destroy you. 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:02.360 The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:05.440 And he'll do it any way he can. 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:13.399 Hollywood tends to ruin lives. 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:15.100 You know, it appears they got everything. 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:20.860 It appears they have no need in the world. 00:10:20.920 --> 00:10:23.279 But it's amazing to me, I'm amazed. 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:31.539 And how because of the concoction of drugs and pagan ritual and immorality and a loss of restraint, 00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:35.079 the devil thrives in those atmospheres. 00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:42.480 You want to understand the Epstein situation? 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:45.820 It's demonic. 00:10:47.460 --> 00:10:48.200 It's demonic. 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:52.240 But it's also right here in Pickens. 00:10:54.560 --> 00:10:57.080 I mean, it affects too many of our loved ones' lives. 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:03.580 So I want to warn you about tampering with drugs, tampering with a flagrant immorality, 00:11:05.660 --> 00:11:08.420 tampering with cultic practices or alternative lifestyles. 00:11:08.419 --> 00:11:13.039 It all leads to a demonically controlled atmosphere. 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:17.500 It's what I call the havoc of evil. 00:11:17.500 --> 00:11:23.899 But I want you to also see the help for evil. 00:11:24.139 --> 00:11:26.559 Because when he sees Jesus, he runs to him. 00:11:28.659 --> 00:11:31.879 Everything he does in response to Jesus shows submission. 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:36.759 However, please understand, he was so influenced by demons, 00:11:37.100 --> 00:11:42.759 so overwhelmed by them and conflicted by them that they were working through him. 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:46.139 And they led him to run to Jesus. 00:11:46.139 --> 00:11:50.139 That in itself is inappropriate and shows desperate submission. 00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:53.240 It's like a beggar pleading for a dollar. 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:56.519 When he got there, he fell down before him. 00:11:56.939 --> 00:12:00.139 Literally, the word there used means to kiss before, 00:12:00.819 --> 00:12:06.039 as if one was kneeling to kiss the ring of royalty in submission to it. 00:12:07.419 --> 00:12:09.139 At the least, it is a respectful welcome. 00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:14.399 At the most, it is the inappropriate welcome of a conqueror 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:17.279 who has just arrived on shore. 00:12:18.419 --> 00:12:20.299 The demons knew who he was. 00:12:20.299 --> 00:12:26.279 And the demons were admitting defeat. 00:12:26.379 --> 00:12:31.059 It's the same question that was asked by the demon-filled man in Mark 1, verse 24. 00:12:32.319 --> 00:12:33.299 Here he asked, 00:12:33.799 --> 00:12:36.199 What have you to do with me, Jesus? 00:12:36.200 --> 00:12:42.640 And then to show the conflict of demonic possession, 00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:47.300 he starts screaming commands to Jesus as if he was attacked. 00:12:48.660 --> 00:12:54.020 In just a few verses, he'll be speaking of a we instead of a me. 00:12:54.019 --> 00:13:03.759 Watch him plural personal pronouns when only singular is appropriate. 00:13:05.019 --> 00:13:06.220 It ain't right. 00:13:10.299 --> 00:13:16.059 The reality is, it's a convoluted mess. 00:13:16.059 --> 00:13:23.979 And he asked, they asked, not to be tormented. 00:13:25.979 --> 00:13:27.779 Calling on God to help. 00:13:27.879 --> 00:13:29.119 Now, that's weird, isn't it? 00:13:29.219 --> 00:13:29.779 I mean, it is. 00:13:29.819 --> 00:13:30.459 It's strange. 00:13:30.939 --> 00:13:31.779 The whole thing. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:33.059 It's just back and forth. 00:13:33.199 --> 00:13:34.500 It's beyond this world. 00:13:36.519 --> 00:13:40.279 And verse 8 tells us that Jesus is commanding the demons to come out. 00:13:40.919 --> 00:13:42.599 They're asking not to be tormented. 00:13:42.739 --> 00:13:44.019 They're asking not to be tortured. 00:13:44.019 --> 00:13:45.720 They're asking not to be harassed. 00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:47.419 They're asking not to be punished. 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:50.279 In other words, they can dish it out, but they can't take it. 00:13:51.419 --> 00:13:56.120 They instead cower before the threat and try to bluff their way by screaming loudly, 00:13:56.379 --> 00:13:58.139 by screaming authoritatively. 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:00.360 And so Jesus asked their name. 00:14:01.379 --> 00:14:04.199 And we don't catch the significance of that today as much 00:14:04.199 --> 00:14:08.439 because in that day, to know the name of an opponent in war, 00:14:08.939 --> 00:14:11.039 it was as if you knew their very essence, 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:13.360 as if you could gain control of them 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:15.340 and had influence over them. 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:20.580 And he said, they said their name was Legion. 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:27.360 Legion is the equivalent to 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers of the Roman army. 00:14:29.220 --> 00:14:32.360 That fellow was possessed by many demons. 00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:34.180 Was it thousands? 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:36.320 Well, consider this. 00:14:36.500 --> 00:14:37.759 Satan's a liar, by the way. 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:40.080 He always blows himself up to be more than he is. 00:14:40.279 --> 00:14:44.460 And he's a liar, and he loves to embellish his power and try to intimidate. 00:14:44.539 --> 00:14:45.120 Remember that. 00:14:45.220 --> 00:14:48.360 However, it later says in Mark that the man, 00:14:49.179 --> 00:14:51.220 they identify him as the man with a legion. 00:14:52.220 --> 00:14:54.200 So it gives a believability to it. 00:14:55.500 --> 00:14:57.000 Either way, it's a bunch of demons. 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:02.879 And they ask not to be sent away. 00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:07.700 And Christ sends the demons into a large herd of pigs. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:09.259 2,000 head. 00:15:09.700 --> 00:15:11.080 That's a bunch of pork, folks. 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:12.279 It's a bunch. 00:15:14.820 --> 00:15:16.980 The demons obviously entered them, 00:15:17.059 --> 00:15:19.460 and either the pigs would rather die than be possessed, 00:15:19.740 --> 00:15:21.899 or the demons drove them to their death. 00:15:21.899 --> 00:15:25.079 So what does all that tell us? 00:15:28.679 --> 00:15:31.759 The demons left the man, and the swine was destroyed. 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:38.819 And so somebody is going to ask me one of two questions, if not both. 00:15:41.699 --> 00:15:43.360 One is, what happened to the demons? 00:15:45.620 --> 00:15:46.720 Were they destroyed? 00:15:49.579 --> 00:15:50.720 I don't think so. 00:15:51.899 --> 00:15:56.240 Demons were thought to be in chaotic places. 00:15:57.559 --> 00:15:59.299 It's identified in two different ways. 00:15:59.439 --> 00:16:04.419 One is uninhibited desert wilderness places. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:07.399 Like where Jesus was tempted. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:13.879 He even told us this about demons in Luke 11, verse 24. 00:16:14.220 --> 00:16:16.740 He said, when the unclean spirit has gone out of the person, 00:16:16.819 --> 00:16:19.740 it passes through waterless places seeking rest. 00:16:19.740 --> 00:16:24.139 And finding none, it says, I will return to my house from which I came. 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:27.840 Looking to possess something, somebody. 00:16:29.779 --> 00:16:33.440 When the demon returns, he wreaks more havoc, the scripture goes on to say. 00:16:35.860 --> 00:16:39.159 The second spot is deep waters. 00:16:39.159 --> 00:16:39.319 Deep waters. 00:16:39.559 --> 00:16:41.719 And deep waters were mysterious. 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:44.819 They didn't have the sonar technology that we have today. 00:16:44.860 --> 00:16:45.799 They didn't know what was under there. 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:49.699 They didn't know what would, they didn't know why those storms cropped up. 00:16:49.959 --> 00:16:54.139 And I mean, look, with all our technology, people, fishermen that fish on Joe Cassie tell me, 00:16:54.179 --> 00:16:55.139 you don't know when a storm's coming. 00:16:55.219 --> 00:16:56.100 You better brace yourself. 00:16:56.219 --> 00:17:00.199 There's only a few signs you can get because the water's so deep and the valley's so, all that stuff. 00:17:00.319 --> 00:17:01.559 You better watch it, you know. 00:17:01.559 --> 00:17:04.339 It was very more susceptible to that. 00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:08.179 They just knew sometimes people go on boats and go out and they never come back. 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:18.200 So the mystery and the storms they produced were horrifying. 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:28.720 Therefore, the thought would be that the demons would hover there until they could embody someone else. 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:32.299 Now, I want to admit something to you. 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:35.880 I've studied this and I've had time. 00:17:35.980 --> 00:17:39.880 I ain't preaching in a month, so I've had some time to study it again, you know. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:49.799 There is so very much that we do not know about the underworld of demonic activity. 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:54.960 Don't believe everything you read. 00:17:57.079 --> 00:17:58.339 I want to give you a warning. 00:17:59.720 --> 00:18:02.680 Some people write books to sell them. 00:18:03.900 --> 00:18:04.579 They do. 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:06.620 Whether they're true or not, they just want to sell books. 00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:08.720 So they'll tell you what you want to hear. 00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:12.220 They'll give you answers to mysteries that don't exist. 00:18:13.420 --> 00:18:16.539 And the reality is there's only so much that we know. 00:18:17.779 --> 00:18:18.860 Don't believe all you read. 00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:19.839 You know what you need to believe? 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:20.940 The Word of God. 00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:23.220 You need to believe the Word of God. 00:18:23.220 --> 00:18:32.620 And the Word of God says that Jesus cast them out and the man was made whole and the swine were destroyed. 00:18:32.619 --> 00:18:36.179 And that didn't go over well. 00:18:36.180 --> 00:18:41.200 2,000 head of swine is a bunch of pork. 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:50.039 Some even suspect that this swine was being raised to feed the Roman army. 00:18:50.039 --> 00:18:56.319 If so, this makes for a mighty unclean mess. 00:18:56.399 --> 00:18:57.200 I want you to get this. 00:18:57.500 --> 00:19:10.059 An unclean man living in an unclean land with an unclean home around unclean animals that are provided for an unclean people. 00:19:10.059 --> 00:19:13.679 It's hard to get a clean take on all that. 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:19.599 But I want you to know what's the real message. 00:19:22.099 --> 00:19:27.279 The help that Jesus brings is that he steps into unclean places, thank God. 00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:31.339 That he confronts unclean powers. 00:19:32.460 --> 00:19:37.339 And he leaves a man whole because nothing is stronger than the Lord Jesus. 00:19:37.339 --> 00:19:41.859 Finally, I want you to see the healing from evil. 00:19:44.220 --> 00:19:46.459 Because those who owned the pigs were devastated. 00:19:46.619 --> 00:19:47.359 They were herdsmen. 00:19:47.480 --> 00:19:48.459 This was their trade. 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:49.399 It was gone. 00:19:52.259 --> 00:19:53.899 Somebody's going to tell me it was an injustice. 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:55.599 Why did they have to suffer for that? 00:19:59.779 --> 00:20:01.799 Swine herdsmen were not well thought of. 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:02.699 I will tell you that. 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:05.500 These animals were not pinned up. 00:20:07.339 --> 00:20:10.919 They had a tendency to roam into other people's property. 00:20:11.059 --> 00:20:12.459 Plus, they raised swine. 00:20:13.679 --> 00:20:17.839 Pork was forbidden among the Jews who lived in close proximity to them. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:19.939 The herdsmen did not appear to care. 00:20:20.099 --> 00:20:23.179 They were frowned upon for raising pigs. 00:20:23.180 --> 00:20:40.620 If I heard that a wildfire took out a poppy field in Afghanistan, where until very recently, 2023, when it became illegal, most illegal opium was produced. 00:20:40.820 --> 00:20:45.740 80 to 90% of illegal opium was produced in Afghanistan before that. 00:20:45.799 --> 00:20:46.519 I'll just be honest with you. 00:20:46.519 --> 00:20:51.720 If I learned that their fields burned up, I would not feel sorry for the farmers. 00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:55.200 They're killing people. 00:20:57.700 --> 00:21:00.359 And that's how the Jews felt about these pig farmers. 00:21:02.019 --> 00:21:03.660 These herdsmen were wrong. 00:21:03.660 --> 00:21:08.620 However, as wrong as they were, they became powerful witnesses of the work of God. 00:21:09.420 --> 00:21:10.940 God works in mysterious ways. 00:21:11.220 --> 00:21:12.320 They went and told other people. 00:21:12.700 --> 00:21:14.800 And I feel sure they described it as a scandal. 00:21:15.820 --> 00:21:18.420 Marlarkey news showed up and everyone came running. 00:21:23.540 --> 00:21:25.060 But what did they see? 00:21:25.059 --> 00:21:40.879 They saw a formerly possessed man, no longer naked, no longer insane, no longer screaming, no longer running at people, and no longer possessed. 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:42.159 He was in his right mind. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:48.740 His child, if he had one, came in saying, Mama, it's Daddy. 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:50.059 And he's got his clothes on. 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:53.359 And he's not screaming. 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:55.679 He's not saying mean things. 00:21:56.099 --> 00:21:57.359 Mommy, Dad's changed. 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:15.599 And that kind of composure and that kind of soundness of mind shows that the power of God is much, much greater than evil powers and principalities of this world. 00:22:17.559 --> 00:22:20.479 Do you remember when Jesus stilled the storm, the disciples were afraid? 00:22:20.719 --> 00:22:21.639 This was after the storm. 00:22:21.639 --> 00:22:22.679 They were afraid. 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:24.899 They were no longer afraid of the storm. 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:26.479 They were afraid of the power of God. 00:22:27.939 --> 00:22:35.439 Verse 15 tells us that the same kind of fear filled the witnesses of this refreshed and changed mind. 00:22:35.779 --> 00:22:38.659 They were overwhelmed by their fear. 00:22:39.059 --> 00:22:40.500 And they asked Jesus to leave. 00:22:42.839 --> 00:22:44.699 And Jesus got in the boat to leave. 00:22:44.700 --> 00:22:51.100 And as he did, the healed man begged Jesus to let him go with him. 00:22:53.680 --> 00:22:57.360 Instead, Jesus sent him to his own people to make a difference. 00:22:58.440 --> 00:22:59.880 It says in verse 19, 00:22:59.880 --> 00:23:15.200 I got a question for you this morning. 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:17.540 Some Bible trivia. 00:23:17.539 --> 00:23:24.819 Who was the first missionary sent out by the Lord to go to the Gentiles? 00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:28.319 Was it the Apostle Paul? 00:23:29.319 --> 00:23:33.700 The great leader that bridged the gap between Jews and Gentiles among Christians? 00:23:35.700 --> 00:23:36.259 No. 00:23:36.259 --> 00:23:39.160 Was it Peter? 00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:39.220 Was it Peter? 00:23:39.940 --> 00:23:41.740 That went to Cornelius' house? 00:23:41.799 --> 00:23:43.559 A Gentile by the command of God? 00:23:44.779 --> 00:23:45.379 No. 00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:55.079 The first missionary that Christ sent out to the Gentiles was no other than this healed demoniac that wandered naked among the tombs. 00:23:55.420 --> 00:24:03.500 Cutting himself and howling like a pack of wolves until Jesus came and saved his life. 00:24:03.500 --> 00:24:06.200 And scripture says, 00:24:06.299 --> 00:24:16.619 And he went away and began to proclaim in the ten cities how much Jesus had done for him. 00:24:17.259 --> 00:24:19.660 And everyone marveled. 00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:25.500 He did exactly what Jesus told him to do. 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:32.579 And everyone marveled at the difference the Lord makes. 00:24:33.500 --> 00:24:37.619 My friend, that is marvelous hope. 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:43.740 It's not only hope for a first century demoniac. 00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:47.319 It's hope for me. 00:24:49.859 --> 00:24:51.339 It's hope for you. 00:24:53.099 --> 00:24:55.460 It's hope for that one that you have a burden for. 00:24:55.460 --> 00:25:12.279 I want you to understand that we can be demon, demonically influenced much more than we ever imagined. 00:25:12.279 --> 00:25:22.480 And without Christ, Satan is untethered in our life. 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:37.960 The first step to get past the demons, whether metaphorically or real ones in your life, is to give your life to Christ. 00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:44.779 And if there's never been a time, I don't care if you've been in this church since you was born. 00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:55.000 If there's never been a time when you've said, Lord, I am a sinner and I need you to forgive me and to save me and to change me. 00:25:55.000 --> 00:26:00.700 I'm telling you, Jesus will radically change your life. 00:26:00.940 --> 00:26:01.759 He did this man. 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:06.220 And that same power has not went away. 00:26:07.220 --> 00:26:10.940 He works in just as powerful ways today in our hearts and lives. 00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:15.519 If you've never given your life to Christ, today's the day to do it. 00:26:15.519 --> 00:26:18.200 He will not reject you. 00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:20.639 You surrender to him. 00:26:20.700 --> 00:26:22.500 He'll come into your life. 00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:26.759 Maybe you're here today and you have done that. 00:26:28.099 --> 00:26:29.660 But you've never made it public. 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:30.680 You've never told him about it. 00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:32.240 It's just been a private thing for you. 00:26:34.019 --> 00:26:38.980 And Jesus says, if you're ashamed of me before people, I'll be ashamed of you before my Father. 00:26:39.059 --> 00:26:43.039 And the reason why he says that is because private faith is not real faith. 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:45.079 It's just not. 00:26:46.519 --> 00:26:55.420 And Jesus, by his commission and by his example, show us that the first step of obedience after we give our lives to Christ is to be baptized as a believer. 00:26:56.879 --> 00:27:01.539 And if you've never been baptized as a believer, I want you to know that's a hindrance in your walk. 00:27:02.900 --> 00:27:05.639 Maybe you realize you were baptized and then later you got saved. 00:27:05.700 --> 00:27:07.819 And so you've never really been baptized as a believer. 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:09.960 That's a hindrance in your walk. 00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:12.279 It's a step of disobedience. 00:27:12.279 --> 00:27:15.940 So if you've never been baptized as a believer, I encourage you to come. 00:27:16.059 --> 00:27:16.579 Settle that. 00:27:17.539 --> 00:27:20.480 Why give the devil that stronghold in your life? 00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:23.139 He can build on that. 00:27:23.980 --> 00:27:25.539 Because it's a point of disobedience. 00:27:25.539 --> 00:27:30.420 Maybe you're here and God's leading you to Pickens First Baptist Church. 00:27:30.579 --> 00:27:32.859 God's doing wonderful things here and I'm thankful for it. 00:27:32.940 --> 00:27:36.039 And maybe God's leading you to be a part of this church. 00:27:36.099 --> 00:27:36.440 You come. 00:27:36.519 --> 00:27:37.940 I'd love to guide you in that. 00:27:37.940 --> 00:27:44.400 Or maybe you're here and you got a burden. 00:27:47.019 --> 00:27:56.500 As I preached this earlier this morning, that's what struck out to me so much is that as we listen to me talk about this demon-possessed man, 00:27:56.500 --> 00:28:04.279 and as I think about this demon-possessed man, I think about people that I know that are too demonically influenced. 00:28:04.380 --> 00:28:05.099 Let me put it that way. 00:28:07.539 --> 00:28:09.839 That person might be looking at you in the mirror. 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:17.000 There might be a stronghold in your life that you've let go and you've not been serious enough about it. 00:28:17.019 --> 00:28:19.579 Or maybe there's somebody else in your life that you're burdened for. 00:28:19.579 --> 00:28:25.460 We're going to stand and sing in just a moment, but let's get hearts right first. 00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:28.319 Let's make that a priority to us more than singing. 00:28:29.500 --> 00:28:33.099 And if there's a burden that you have for someone else, then lay that before the Lord. 00:28:33.740 --> 00:28:34.759 You can do it at this altar. 00:28:34.839 --> 00:28:35.720 I'll be happy to pray for you. 00:28:35.779 --> 00:28:36.579 You can do it where you are. 00:28:36.699 --> 00:28:38.039 You can just do what God tells you to do. 00:28:38.039 --> 00:28:55.519 It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit of God that demonic influence is hindered and beaten. 00:28:58.539 --> 00:29:00.099 So let's just depend on Him. 00:29:00.099 --> 00:29:09.679 For everything that you're fighting, for everything that you're struggling with, give it to Him. 00:29:11.259 --> 00:29:12.279 It'll change your life. 00:29:13.639 --> 00:29:15.000 Heavenly Father, I love you. 00:29:16.359 --> 00:29:21.219 And I thank you that you tell us about a man who ruined his life. 00:29:22.819 --> 00:29:28.639 By the touch of the Spirit of God, by the words of Christ, he was forever changed for all of eternity. 00:29:30.099 --> 00:29:42.139 God, I pray today that His example will be one that will work in our hearts and lives to help us to see the need to do whatever we need to do to make it right, to walk with God correctly. 00:29:43.459 --> 00:29:46.119 Lead us right now to be obedient, Father, I pray. 00:29:46.939 --> 00:29:49.019 In Jesus' precious name, amen.