Place: Lurgan Baptist 27:2:2005. Reading: Mark 5:1-20 WHAT A WONDERFUL CHANGE IN MY LIFE HAS BEEN WROUGHT

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Ginger Doyle
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1 Place: Lurgan Baptist 27:2:2005 Reading: Mark 5:1-20 WHAT A WONDERFUL CHANGE IN MY LIFE HAS BEEN WROUGHT In Recife, Brazil on Friday 9 th June, 1995, Geovane Soares a 29 year old unemployed Satanist, was arrested and charged with violating corpses in the local cemetery. On the day he was arrested for he had eaten the foot and leg of a three month old baby who had died the previous week. Geovane by his own admission was possessed with demons, and every three days he felt the compulsion to eat human flesh removed from the graves of a cemetery where he slept at night. On the following day in Brazil a Satanist group attacked a defenceless Jos Rodrigues Pinheiro with machetes and chopped him to death just for the fun of it. My. demonic activity is not something unrelated to our lives. All around us satanic activity is evident. In fact, some Bible teachers believe that demon possession is becoming even more prevalent in today s modern society. One thing is absolutely certain, the Bible affirms the reality of Satan and his host. Look at this scene. The Lord Jesus has just crossed the Lake of Galilee. He has just come straight from His confrontation with the storm on the lake to confront an equally violent storm in human nature. His first glimpse of the limestone caves and tombs in which this poor, wretched man made his home would be at night. What a scene. Caves and tombs, unearthly screams piercing the night air, and a man possessed with an evil spirit cutting himself with stones. Yet the story is far from eerie, for the central figure is our precious Saviour whose power dispels all fear and apprehension. It is not until the next day when the heard of swine are feeding in the fields, that the Lord Jesus actually confronts this man of Gadara, who is possessed by an evil spirit. The story of this man illustrates well the saying, God forms a man, sin deforms a man, society informs a man, but only Christ can transform a man. My. have you been transformed by the wonder working power of Jesus Christ? Can you testify this. what a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart? Have a look at this incident and (1) THE DESPAIR THAT SIN BROUGHT This is a picture of what sin does to a life. Can you see him? Broken chains are hanging from his wrists, his naked and gaunt body covered with scars and bleeding sores. His hair is knotted with dirt and blood, wild terror is seen in those deep sunken eyes. Sure the local townspeople had attempted to restrain him but with terrifying Herculean strength he had broken the fetters which bound him. He was uncontrollable and dangerous. Inside he was totally wretched. What despair filled his soul. My. do you see what sin can do to people? Do you see what Satan can do to people? Satan is a thief who is ought to destroy your life and dam your soul! ( Jn 10:10 Rev 9:11 ) We are not told how the demons entered this man and took control, but possibly it was the result of him yielding to sin. One day a little girl had a terrific fight with her

2 brother. When her mother came in and pulled her off, she said to her daughter, Why did you let the Devil put it into your heart to pull your brothers hair and kick him in the shins? The little girl thought for a moment and said, Well, maybe the Devil put it into my head to pull my brother s hair, but kicking his shins was my one idea. My. we are very capable of being sinful all by ourselves! Indeed do you see, (a) THE SPIRIT OF SIN IN THIS MAN: He was a man with an unclean spirit, ( 5:2 ) He was not a maniac, but a demoniac. He was possessed with demons. Of course everybody is going to be possessed with something. God made the human heart but He never intended the human heart to be a vacuum. The Lord s plan is that the human heart be occupied by Christ. God wants His Son, in the person of the Holy Spirit to occupy your heart and fill it with goodness, and grace, and glory! Yet if we do not open our hearts to Christ we open up our lives to the influences of Satan and sin. When Christ asked this man what his name was he replied, my name is Legion for we are many. ( 5:9 ) The word Legion refers to a contingent of approximately 6,000 Roman soldiers. My. the soldiers of Satan were trampling on this man s heart. Troops of terror were occupying his life. He was controlled by an unclean spirit. Is this not what we are witnessing in society today? Think of the moral filth that Satan is pouring out on this earth. My. Satan has taken our society and opened up the sewers of filth and poured them on it: unthinkable crime, rampant dishonesty, pornography, obscenity. The demons of drink and drugs are taking control of the lives of human beings ruining and wrecking them. My. do you know what I am speaking of this.? Do you know this from practical experience? Of course we must not think that human beings must be possessed by demons to descend to the depths of this man. My. sin is endemic to all humanity. Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust. ( James 1:14 ) Someone has said, I do not know what the heart of a bad man is like, but I know what the heart of a good man is like. and it is terrible. You see, unless Jesus Christ is living in your life you are possessed by the spirit of sin. The Bible tells us that the whole world lieth in wickedness. ( 1 Jn 5:19 ) Or the whole world lies under the sway or in the lap of the wicked one. Paul says that men and women are taken captive by him ( the devil ) at his will. ( 2 Tim 2:26 ) Is that where you are this.? You would do good but you find evil present in you. You try to live a pure, upright life, but you discover that you are dragged back by a power that you cannot understand or diagnose, because your eyes have never been opened by the fact that you are possessed by the spirit of sin. (a) (b) THE STRENGTH OF SIN IN THIS MAN: For we are told no man could bind him, no not with chains. ( 5:3 ) They put chains on him, bound him with fetters, and like a spiritual Samson he just tore them apart. No one could restrain him. Isn t that a picture of our society? Isn t that a picture of a generation that says, If it feels good do it. No discipline. No authority. No restraint. We read about even more terrible crimes in our newspapers. My. here was a man they could not handle. All that society

3 could for this problem person was isolate him. They saw him as a maniac, but the Lord Jesus saw him as a man. You see, with all of its wonderful scientific achievements society still cannot solve the problems that are caused by sin and Satan. Indeed there is no law or power on earth which man has devised that can breaks the chains of sin in a persons life. My. only Jesus Christ can set you gloriously free. Have you not tried to reform? Have you not sought to break the chains of sin that bind you? Only to discover something of the strength of sin in your life. I heard about a father son who were driving up the motorway in England. The little decided to stand up on the front seat of the moving car. After warning his son several times to sit down, the father pulled over to the hard shoulder and stopped the car in order to get the little boy to sit down. One the lad was seated and the seat belt fastened, the father started to pull away into the fast lane of the motorway. Thank you, said the father to his son. The little boy turned and looked up at his father and replied, I may be sitting down on the outside, but on the inside I am still standing up. Do you know something of this inward rebellion against God? This rebellion that springs from the strength of sin in your life? (c) THE SUFFERING OF SIN IN THIS MAN: And always day and night, he was in the mountains and in the tombs crying and cutting himself with stones. ( 5:5 ) The idea is that he cut himself up by hacking and cutting at his body. Have you ever done that? Have you so despaired of life that you have contemplated suicide? Have you ever cut yourself with a blade? Listen, wherever there is sin there is sorrow. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, the Lord said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and conception, in sorrow thou shalt bring forth thy children, and thy desire shall to be thy husband and he shall rule over thee. ( Gen 3:15 ) Oh, can you imagine the shrieks, hollering and screaming in the night of this poor, burdened soul? What if you had lived in one of the villages near by? I imagine that many a night some little boy would jump from his bed, and run into his father s bedroom and cry, Daddy, Daddy is Legion going to get me tonight? No son, I ll take care of you. Legion is not going to get you tonight. You see, where is sin there is suffering. One of the saddest men who ever lived was Elvis Presley. By his own admission he had no peace in his heart. He had wealth untold, selling over 400 million records and he had Cadillac s galore, he had Graceland. Yet he did not have peace in his heart. My. Satan promises the best but pays the worst, Satan promises honour and pays with disgrace, Satan promises pleasure and pays with pain, Satan promises profit and pays with loss, Satan promises life and pays with death. Has Satan and sin brought you down this.? Are you just where this man was? Well, listen on and (2) THE DELIVERANCE THAT CHRIST WROUGHT How did Jesus Christ handle this situation? Well, did you 1. Christ saw His Humanity: (a) HOW CHRIST SAW:

4 Society saw this wretch as a maniac, Satan had made him a demoniac, but the Lord Jesus saw him as a man. Sin had made him anything but a man but He said unto him. ( 5:8 ) You see, Christ sees us not for what we are but for what we can become by His grace and power. Its amazing what Jesus Christ can do with human beings. Its amazing what He can do with that life of yours. My. if you repent of your sin and trust Christ just as you are, you ll be amazed at what He will gave you back. Give Jesus Christ your thorn and He will gave you back a beautiful rose. Gave Him your acorn, and He will give you back a mighty oak. Gave the Saviour your Jacob, the schemer, and He ll gave you back an Israel, a prince with God. Gave the Lord Jesus, Simon, the cursing fisherman, and He ll gave you back a Simon Peter, a mighty preacher. Gave Him Saul, persecutor of the church, and Christ will gave you back Paul, militant missionary and apostle. My. do you know something? The Lord sees you this. not as you are but what you can become through His grace? 2. Christ saw his Hesitancy: One moment he was worshipping the Saviour, the next moment he was saying, What have I to do with thee? He saw his vacillating spirit. He saw that a spiritual struggle was going on. You see, when the Lord comes on the scene, the devil starts a battle. Do you know what I am talking about? You know that you need Jesus Christ as your Saviour. You know you need to be sure of heaven. You know you are miserable in your sins. You know Christ is pressing His claims on you but you are hesitant. Is there a battle going in your soul this.? (b) WHAT CHRIST SAID: For He said. thou unclean spirit. ( 5:8 ) Here was a man who was in the very power of the devil, but Jesus Christ had power over the devil. I heard about a little boy who was taught about the devil in Sunday School and came home worried. He said, Daddy is the devil stronger than I am? His dad responded, Yes son, I think he probably is. The little boy said, daddy is the devil stronger than you are? The father replied, Well, in and of myself I think he probably is. The little boy said, Daddy is the devil stronger than Jesus? The father answered, Oh, no son, the devil isn t stronger than Jesus. The little boy then said, then I m not scared of the devil. My. only Christ can break the power of Satan in your life. Maybe you are saying, Preacher you are naïve. You know nothing of the grip of evil upon me. You cannot feel my hopelessness. If you could, you would not speak so confidently. My. answer is I know my Saviour. And I have this testimony in His Word. He can do it. Are you deeply scarred? Do you have filthy habits? Does drink or drugs control you? Is your scar sexual? Maybe heterosexual or homosexual. Do you feel that you are beyond help? Not so! For the Christ who calmed the stormy sea, can calm your storm tossed soul, for look at, (c) WHO CHRIST SAVED:

5 The demoniac! But look at him now! Is it the same man? Is this same person? What a change. 1. His MIND is Changed: Do you see him at the feet of Jesus? sitting and clothed and in his right mind. ( 5:15 ) He was no longer deranged but teachable, able to think clearly and rightly. Do you know something? Salvation is an inside job. Some of you are saying, I d like to get saved I am going to give up smoking and drinking and get saved. My. giving up those things is not going to get you saved. Your problem is not primarily an external one its an internal one. Get Christ in your life, have you life changed on the inside, and He ll take care of the outside. 2. His MANNER IS CHANGED: For he is sitting, and clothed and in his right mind. The man who had roamed naked in the tombs is now in the presence of Christ clothed and in his right mind. Do you know something? The devils business is always to unclothe people but God s business is to clothe you in the garments of salvation and the robe of Christ s righteousness. Now tell me, do you not think that this man could now sing, what wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart? Do you see how the story ends? (1) (2) But don t miss, (3) THE DESIRE THAT GRACE SOUGHT For this man had now experienced the grace of the Lord and he wants to be with Christ. Did you (a) THE REQUEST OF THE MAN: He. prayed Him that he might be with Him. Has a change been wrought in your life? Well then, do you want to be with Christ? Do you want to be with the Lord as He meets with you in the light of His Word and in the atmosphere of prayer? Do you want to be with Him as He meets with His people in public worship? Foe He says, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. This man wanted to travel with the Saviour but Christ had something better for him, for did you (b) THE RESPONSE OF THE MASTER: Go home to thy friends., thee. ( 5:19 ) Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem called Mulholland s Vow. Mulholland was a cattleman working on a ship. At one time a violent storm broke out and the cattle in the hold broke loose. Mulholland s life was in danger, as the cattle began to

6 stampede in the hold. So in prayer he bargained that if God would save his life he would spend the rest of his time preaching Christ. His life was saved and when he got to land he proposed to keep his side of the bargain. It was his idea to find a comfortable church in an attractive part of the town and to establish there as a preacher. Then came God s command, Back to the cattle boats and preach my gospel there. You see, the Lord sent back to the place that he knew and where he was known to serve Him. Did you notice that, 1. The Man of Gadara now had Purpose: Go home to thy friends and tell them., ( 5:19 ) Has Christ saved you? Has He changed you? You say, Yes he has. Have you made it public? No! Why haven t you? Are you ashamed of Jesus Christ? Are you afraid? Go home and tell your friends. 2. The Man of Gadara now had Power: And he departed and began., He was able to do as the Lord commanded him. 3. The Man of Gadara now had Passion: And he departed and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him. Decapolis meant a ten cities area. He turned those ten cities into ten bells where he rang out the glories of his Saviour. Are you passionate to make Christ known? A Christian man approached a man standing in front of a church building. He invited him to attend a service. He did and he trusted the Saviour. Later he confided to his friend, I ve lived in this city for seven years and you are the first person to invite me to hear the gospel. Who did you invite this. to hear the gospel? My. can you picture how it was when Old Legion got to his village? The kids were playing in the street. About that time someone shouted, Legion is coming. The streets emptied. Doors closed. Windows were bolted. Then a little boys said, Mummy, its Daddy and he s got his clothes on. His hair is combed. The boy walked cautiously out of the house. The villagers began to ease out of their homes. In a moment that boy was in his fathers arms. He said, Daddy you re different. You re changed Daddy. Then the villagers took it up. What s happened to you Legion? You aren t the same man. You have a smile on your face. You are in your right mind. Dear friends, old Legion replied. You all know I was a wild man. But a few days ago I met a man named Jesus and He cleansed me, He changed me, He controls me and I am going to spend the rest of my life telling folks what the Lord has done for me. My. in my lifetime I have seen this story repeated time and again. Will it be repeated in your life this.? Christ can cleanse you through His precious blood, Christ can change you through His amazing grace, Christ can you control through His abiding Spirit! Christ can deliver you from anything if you will come to Him. The only thing that will stop Him is what the people of Gadara did, they sent the Saviour away. Tell Christ to leave you alone and He will. at least for a season. But tell Him enough, and there will come a time when it may be too late. Why put it off? Come to the Saviour now!

Life Change: Change that Leads to Freedom Mark 5:1-20

Life Change: Change that Leads to Freedom Mark 5:1-20 *Dog in a Cage For Christmas this year, Santa brought us a puppy. Puppies are cute, but at the same time, they re a lot of work; barking in the middle