… not too long ago the geldarts … we think he’s awesome benjamin geldart
TRANSCRIPT
… not too long ago
The Geldarts
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… we think he’s awesome
Benjamin Geldart
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Mark 5:1-20 HCSB
1Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 As soon as He got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met Him. 3 He lived in the tombs. No one was able to restrain him anymore — even with chains — 4 because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had snapped off the chains and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 And always, night and day, he was crying out among the tombs and in the mountains and cutting himself with stones.
Mark 5:1-20 HCSB
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 kept begging Him not to send them out of the region.
Mark 5:1-20 HCSB
11 Now a large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. 12 The demons begged Him, “Send us to the pigs, so we may enter them.” 13 And He gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs, and the herd of about 2,000 rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there. 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. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed by the legion, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were
Mark 5:1-20 HCSB
afraid. 16 The eyewitnesses 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.18 As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed kept begging Him to be with Him. 19 But He would not let him; instead, He told him, “Go back 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.
Perceptions of Reality
NATURALISM SPIRITISM
“Demons don’t exist”
THE WEST• Only the Physical is real• The Spiritual is an illusion• We are essentially only
biological beings• All things are explainable
within the natural order
“Demons are everywhere”
THE EAST• Only the Spiritual is real• The Physical is an illusion• We are essentially only
spiritual beings• All things are explainable
as the actions of spiritual beings
MATERIALISM
What Does the Bible Say? BOTH the Physical & Spiritual are real;
REALITY Satan’s goal is to keep people deceived
from the truth and plugged into this world’s fallen system of living (the KOSMOS) He can do this many different ways!
Blind materialism can be just as effective as demon possession in achieving his ultimate goal
In the West: He is more stealthy; materialism
In the East: He is more overt, open displays of power and demonic possession
What Does the Bible Say? There are other spiritual beings in the
universe (besides us) And they are not neutral
What Does the Bible Say? There are other spiritual beings in the
universe (besides us) And they are not neutral
Rev 12:3-4,7-9 3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. …
7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. 9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
What Does the Bible Say? There are other spiritual beings in the
universe (besides us) And they are not neutral
Rev 12:3-4,7-9 3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. …
7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. 9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
Eph 6:12 “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
What Does the Bible Say? There are other spiritual beings in the
universe (besides us) And they are not neutral
Demon Possession ≠ mental or physical illness The Bible is quite clear and (surprisingly)
unanarchic The Israelites understood the difference Matthew 4:24 HCSB: Then the news about
Him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to Him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And He healed them.
Coming to the Text
“What would it look like to be influenced and controlled by pure evil?”
“What would you do with someone who could actually free you from that evil?”
JESUS gives us freedom from evil …at infinite cost to Himself
Putting Ourselves In the Story Jesus has just calmed a hurricane! The disciples are terrified They land on “the other side” Then, the demoniac runs up to them
Lives in cemetery Buck naked Crazy screams Terrible pain Progressive decline Isolation Possessed by THOUSANDS of demons
Spiritual Bondage
Can take many different forms Raw demonic power & possession Subtle Naturalism / Materialism Individualism Entertainment / Amusement
TV, movies, video games, music, internet, shopping, …
Addictions alcohol, drugs, porn, sex, control, money, …
Back to the Disciples
Dominated by Fear Unclean Ethnocentrism / bigotry toward gentiles They don’t want to move toward this man
This is a TEACHABLE MOMENT for the disciples! Would they hold to their fear, or move
toward this man out of love? They were S L O W learners
Jesus Frees the Man from Evil Casts the demons out into the pigs Restores the man on all levels Jesus has ultimate authority Jesus has authority over storms
outside and inside us
Mark WANTS us to make this connection!
What’s the Deal with the Pigs? Demons are hell-bent on
destruction Jesus ultimately values every
human life Restoration & freedom
comes at a cost Powerful reminder to the man Foreshadows the Cross
The Man Goes Back Home Jesus wanted more for him than he
wanted for himself Go tell everyone what Jesus has
done for you The demoniac becomes GOOD SOIL Genuine encounters with Christ
make missionaries Stay IN your culture & group of friends as
a witness for Christ No one can argue with changed
lives
The Man Goes Back Home Jesus wanted more for him than he
wanted for himself Go tell everyone what Jesus has
done for you The demoniac becomes GOOD SOIL Genuine encounters with Christ
make missionaries Stay IN your culture & group of friends as
a witness for Christ No one can argue with changed
lives
Do people see the unarguable marks of God in OUR changed lives?
The Gospel is Here
The terrible irony: Jesus trades places with the demoniac!
It’s “Good News!”
Jesus trades places with US! He takes YOUR place So you can take HIS
Jesus does for us what we could never do for ourselves Freedom for us, free of charge, at infinite cost
to Himself
Conclusions
How will you respond to Jesus? Are you moved to share about
how He’s changed your life? Do people see the unarguable
marks of God in your changed life?
Have you forgotten what He’s done for you?
See the Jesus of this story – maybe for the first time
Conclusions
What evil are you in bondage to? Materialism Individualism Entertainment / amusement
TV, movies, video games, internet, shopping, … Addictions
alcohol, drugs, porn, sex, control, money, … Sin guilt and shame
Jesus can free you from evil