Invite Jesus Into Your Storm - Mark 5-1-20

[0:00] Good morning. Welcome. Welcome to our family, Tri-State Community Church.! Thank you.

[0:15] Thank you. Yes, us guys like to eat food, so come to the men's get-together. We have lots of food.

[0:32] We like food, don't we? Alright, so we're going to continue on the book of Mark.

[0:48] The story I'm going to share today kind of parallels the story that Pastor John shared last Sunday about a storm. He shared about an outward storm, the sea, and outside of the affecting the disciples.

[1:04] And now we're going to look at a storm inside of a person and see what Jesus does with that. It's really interesting and powerful and full of love. And that's exciting to me.

[1:16] You get to see more of God's incredible love for people. How important that is that we learn that. But before we start that, let's have a word of prayer.

[1:27] Lord, we thank you again for your goodness and how kind you are to us and how gracious you are to us and how much you love us and so desire to take care of us.

[1:44] We're your children, children of God. When we accept you by faith, we become your children. And you take care of us, you guide us, direct us, lead us, comfort us.

[1:58] Thank you so much for that, Father. Continue to show us this truth today. As we know, as we know, we need to continue the journey. We need to continue to get the Word of God folded into our hearts daily, hourly.

[2:13] It's so important for our livelihood and staying strong in you to do your work. Lift up some sick people again, Jim Potter and Trish.

[2:27] Just please, God, if you would, intervene for the cancer and do a healing. Continue to help us comfort these people and others that have been sick and going through sickness and others that are going through trials in their life, storms, Lord, we're talking about.

[2:42] It feels like that sometimes, God. Help us to comfort each other and seek your face. And as we learned last week, invite you in. Invite you into the storm, God.

[2:53] Help us to do that. We praise you today. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[3:04] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[3:15] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[3:26] out so much throughout all these teachings it's really incredibly powerful I hope you get a lot out of this today like I did that I am getting out so let's let's read this 20 verses broke it down in in the sections let's go ahead and read this then they came to the other side of the sea into the region of the garrisonis and when he got out of the boat immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him who had his dwelling among the tombs and no one was able to bind him anymore even with the chain because he had often been bound with shackles and chains and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces and no one was strong enough to subdue him and constantly night and day among the tombs in the mountains he cried out and gnashing himself with stones and seeing Jesus from a distance he ran up and bowed down before him and crying out with a loud voice he said what do I have to do with you Jesus son of the most high God I implore you by God do not torment me for he had been saying to him come out of the man you unclean spirit and he was asking him what is your name and he said to him my name is Legion for we are many and he began pleading with him earnestly not to send them out of the region now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby in the mountain and the demons pleaded with him saying send us into the swine so that me we may enter them and Jesus gave them permission and coming out the unclean spirits entered the swine and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea about 2,000 of them and they were drowned by the sea and their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside and the people came to see what it was that had happened and they came to

[5:41] Jesus and observed the demon-possessed man sitting down clothed in his right mind and the very man who had the Legion and they became frightened and those who had seen it recounted to them how this had happened to the demon-possessed man and all about the swine and they began to plead with him to leave the region and as he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed was pleading with him that he might accompany him and he did not let him but he said to him go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you and he went away and began to preach and the Decapolis with great things Jesus had done for him and everyone was marveling so begin the story and I'm gonna bring up a map here saw one last week and I think this is just always nice to see where things are happening and so last week we saw the storm they got in a boat and they started going someplace and I believe that they're heading over this region over here and so they started somewhere over here probably

[7:00] Capernaum somewhere in that region and they're headed across the sea over to this region now this region over here is not Israel so this is one of the few times maybe the only time Jesus leaves Israel to minister some people so that's kind of an interesting note we know his ministry was all about the Jewish first and we saw him healing different people that weren't Jewish the woman at the well ministered to her and different ones she was a Samaritan and primarily primarily he was with the Jews starting out and then he started spreading his message to the Gentiles and praise God for that and we see that because we're Gentiles we're non-Jews we see the the tiny mustard seed that we saw starting to grow budding and it's gonna start to grow as ministry we know it's gonna get really big so anyway that's kind of a rough idea where that's happening and let's go back now to the first verse then they came to the other side of the sea into the region of the garrisonis we just showed you the map there and it's interesting the verse starts out then then they came so it's a continuation I believe from the story we learned we learned last Sunday of the storm they're out in this having this big storm and Jesus calms the storm and brings quiet and peace and like I said there's a strong parallel between last Sunday's message and this Sunday's message about storms you'll see that in this passage so then then they came to the other side of the sea and Jesus is intent on helping the demon possessed man even if it means going through a violent storm to get there okay so this town lives on the northeast shore I showed you the picture

[8:55] I believe around 1970 that there was an earth mover somewhere in that region uncovered a city they found a city there and a steep steep bank was nearby and that's where the pigs went went down the swine went down this into the into the sea of Galilee so it's very very interesting let's continue to read here and when he got out of the boat so they're out there over to the other side of the of the sea of Galilee immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him who had his dwelling among the tombs and no one was able to bind him anyone even with a chain because he had often been bound with shackles and chains and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces and no one was strong enough to subdue him and constantly night and day among the tombs and in the mountains he was crying out and gnashing himself with stones this is the third and most graphic exorcism so far an exorcism where Jesus casting out a demon this is a very graphic probably one of the most deplorable demonic circumstances of humanism we see in the Bible bound with chains couldn't hold him found among the tombs gnashing himself crying out night and day this is like something you might say of a wild animal you know thrashing trying to catch it was so horrible the story parallels the violent storm we saw last Sunday it was a violent man except the storm now is inside the man very violent

[10:49] I was pondering this last night and I don't know what it's like to be demon possessed and probably no one here does either but I just wonder amongst all that thrashing and all that stuff was there moments of just being lonely you know was he lonely living by himself couldn't be amongst anyone no one could control him it's horrible to be lonely I recently watched kind of a documentary movie but it was about a woman named Regina Luis I'd encourage you to watch it it's not really a Christian movie necessarily but the themes are all Christian for sure about love and this young woman she just wanted to be loved and she was thrown out from her parents it's a horrible marriage and she was from foster home to foster home and she was in about 30 different homes and institutions growing up she was probably this all started her whole life but in her teens she was a young black woman and in this home that she was at for young girls there was this other woman that started to be friends that worked there and she loved Regina she loved her a lot and Regina so wanted her to be her mom and she wanted to be her mom but they wouldn't let her because she was white they wouldn't let a white woman adopt a black girl they went to court and it failed and she just wanted this woman to love her and she wanted her to be her mom and finally the end of the story after she's adult she's successful with hairdressing

[12:42] Regina is and finally there's a place where they lost touch with each other but they found each other at the end and you know all this wonderful ending it was amazing where the woman did get to adopt her like 20 years later even when she was adult at the same courthouse that got rejected I would encourage you it's just a really inspiring movie it just made me think of that this man that's demon possessed and he's out all alone for all this time and there's no one there with him and that's just a horrible place to be in it's called Regina Luis Story yeah really I saw it on Amazon Prime so it just warmed my heart so here we have this story and it's a lot of this story is about uncleanliness uncleanliness this is a this again he's out of Israel over on this side of

[13:47] Sea of Galilee he's out of Israel this is a Gentile town which would have been from the Jewish point of view would have been unclean people and he's has an unclean spirit he's banished to the tombs I don't know exactly what that means did he break into a tomb to live in a tomb or not I don't know he was demon possessed who knows what he did I do know that the Jewish people it was unclean to touch a dead person it was unclean to touch a dead person in Numbers 1911 I don't know if he did touch a dead person or not but it's possible the one who touches the corpse of any person shall be unclean for seven days we know there's a herd of swine nearby they're considered unclean Jewish people didn't eat eat pigs eat pork Deuteronomy 14.8 and the pig because it divides the hoof but does not chew the cud it is unclean for you you shall not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses 2,000 pigs we learn in this story that's a lot perhaps the Romans were hired these people for food as they occupied this country don't really know that's a lot of pigs so here we have a man that Jesus comes to see with an unclean spirit living in unclean tombs surrounded by unclean people occupation of unclean swine in this unclean Gentile territory and Jesus has to go through the storm to get there on top of it

[15:37] I wonder what the disciples kind of conversations the disciples had with Jesus as he entered this land and they saw all this unclean unclean who is this Jesus that would go to this place our savior he cares we know it this is an amazing story let's continue to read and seeing Jesus from a distance he ran up and bowed down before him and crying out with a loud voice he said what do I have to do with you Jesus son of the most high God I implore you by God do not torment me so Jesus comes to this place to help this man he penetrates the wall of uncleanliness the man comes and falls on his knees please don't torment me don't bother me what are you doing here the demons controlling him the demonic eats the spiritual Jesus please don't torment me they say this is this shows the power of Jesus they know that the power Jesus has they call him the most high God they even know who he is it's interesting we have a hard time knowing who Jesus is sometimes certainly the people we reach out to don't know who Jesus is do they demons know who he is he's the most high God see they know that Jesus created them he created angels demons are likely fallen angels he created them let's not forget the power that Jesus has and let's not forget the power in us what the Holy Spirit what the Holy Spirit can do in us we're going to see the power he did here we saw the power he did with the storm he lives in us the transformational

[17:47] Holy Spirit power is in us it is amazing sometimes we just don't see it slowly surely little things happen in our hearts that's a miraculous John would say supernatural power it is supernatural power working in us every day Acts 1 8 you know what Acts 1 8 says you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you it's easy to forget the power of God living in us power that's amazing verse 8 for he had been crying for he had been saying to him come out of the man you unclean spirit and he was asking him what is your name and he said to him my name is Legion for we are many and he began and he began pleading with him earnestly not to send him out of the region again we see the power of of God and Jesus there over the demons

[18:53] Jesus wastes no time in casting out the legion of demons and how were they cast out by his word they were cast out by the word of God I love that story in Matthew 8 you remember the story there's a centurion in Matthew chapter 8 he goes to Jesus and he says Jesus my servant's really sick could you heal him and I'm paraphrasing here a little bit Jesus says sure I'll come and we'll heal him and he says no you just say the word and he shall be healed God's word is powerful this book of the bible is incredibly powerful to learning God's word how it affects us through the Holy Spirit's work doesn't feel like it at times that's why you just faithfully read and learn coerce with each other go to bible studies help each other it's not a it's not an individual game you know when I wake up early morning it is it's me and

[19:59] God and then I go to work and I meet people at night and phone calls and text changes to get the word out Jesus asked asked asked the name and they are called legion this term legion means something really big really big it's the biggest unit of a Roman army could be thousands of men a legion Jesus uses the word I forgot where it's at I think it's in Matthew he uses the word there's a he goes I could call legion of angels if I wanted to this is that term legion it's not the only place here something big powerful is the name of this demon it has a lot of power over this man and again it's interesting that the demons offer no challenge to Jesus Jesus has the full authority here and they know it now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain and the demons pleaded with him saying send us into the swine so that we may enter them and Jesus gave them permission gave them permission and coming out the unclean spirits entered the swine and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea about 2,000 of them and they were drowned in the sea so on the east side of the lake there is a steep embankment next to the lake likely that would have been the place again they need permission

[21:41] Jesus is the authority so to me I've read this a number of times perhaps you have too the drama of this part is is the waste of the 2,000 pigs why did the 2,000 pigs have to suffer and die and how about how would that affect the economy of the farmers I'm just asking a question you know why did that happen you know that's a lot of pigs 2,000 gosh I don't even know what that would even look like I've been to a pig farm before I don't know if there was 2,000 there the good done to the demon possessed man at the expense of the pig farmers was it worth it I think we know the answer to that the importance of one man far exceeds the importance of animals doesn't it sometimes we put a lot of emphasis on animals don't we maybe too much again I'm not saying don't have a dog or a cat

[22:59] I love those little guys right you know we like them but it's good to keep it in perspective people are more important when it comes down to it let's remember not to forget that the loss of swine is nothing compared to a man's life and of course we cannot forget the expense that Jesus took for us right his death and resurrection on the cross an amazing expense that he went through for us very important Jesus talks about the story of leaving the 99 going after the one lost sheep he's intent to go across the lake to help this one man very important he puts great value on the one you're here today and you don't know the Lord God's coming after you maybe right now if you haven't put your faith in him you can do it right now he's coming after you we're here to love you be part of the family you can do it he's coming and their herzman ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside and the people came to see what it was that had happened and they came to Jesus and observed the demon possessed man sitting down clothed in his right mind the very man who had the legion and they became frightened that happened with the storm they were frightened at what they saw happens again they're frightened and those who had seen it recounted to them how this had happened to the demon possessed man and all about the swine and they began to plead with him to leave their region they came and saw what happened 2,000 pigs going down to the water this man they couldn't even hold the shackles was in his right mind he was clothed does that mean he was naked before perhaps not in his right mind salvation came to this man he finally got peace this is metaphorically exactly what happens to all of us when we did not know the

[25:29] Lord before we're not in our right mind he may at the time I thought I was in my right mind but I wasn't my mind wasn't of God doing my own thing had my own passions and dreams before I knew the Lord now I now I now I'm learning to have his passions and dreams we recall the storm and in this story both end in fear we just mentioned who is this man that calms storms and expels demons they want Jesus to leave and they don't see the good in what he has done they just see the loss of the pigs this is really important both stories end in calmness and peace by Jesus authority an outside storm in the lake and an inside storm of this man the Lord is creation of the storm and he is creation of man both his power is over both he restores and brings order to creation and he restores and brings order to man if we want it we can have it our salvation if we want it it's the only way we can get the true order in our life that we need is by coming to know Christ look at the last section here and as he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon possessed was pleading with him that he might accompany him and he did not let him but he said to him go home to your people and report to them what great things the

[27:18] Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you and he went away and began to preach in the Decapolis with great things Jesus had done for him and everyone was marveling the story ends with a restored man asking to come with Jesus that seems like the right thing to do doesn't it I want to come with you instead Jesus wants him to go home and tell people how great the things the Lord has done for you we recall most of the time when Jesus does a healing or some miraculous thing he says don't go and tell anybody remember that here he's saying go and tell them well we know he's not even in Israel so here's a chance for an evangelist this may be the first Gentile evangelist that we see one of them for sure going to tell everything they saw likely he doesn't plan to return to this region well we know he doesn't one of our first evangelists let's read verse 20 again and he went away and began to preach and preach preach in the

[28:38] Decapolis with great things Jesus had done for him and everyone is marveling honestly that's kind of what happens to us when we come to know Christ we go tell everyone except God wants us to continue to go and tell everyone I remember I was excited when I first got first got saved and knew the Lord I remember I told my family I told all kinds of people about it it hasn't changed we're still supposed to do that recall here in Mark 16 15 and he said to them go into all the world all the world and preach the gospel to all creation command from Jesus I remember the woman at the well the Samaritan is another example of a Gentile that Jesus was reaching what did she do she went and told everyone everything Jesus knew everything about me he went and told told people Jesus cares about all people and he needed to show his disciples how important this was he cares for them in the storm we invite we learn we were to invite Jesus into the storm now now likely none of us are demon possessed but we have storms in our hearts don't we at least it feels that way

[30:09] I'll say the same thing we learned last Sunday let's invite Jesus into that storm cares for all people to come to know him all people made a special trip right to this unclean territory to get to this guy Jesus likely will allow storms on the outside or storms on the inside of our life to happen for reasons he's not going to put a demon in us not that kind of a storm but you know what I'm saying metaphorically he's going to allow storms on the outside and on the inside and going to come into our life for reasons won't necessarily be a wrong turn as we learned as well he wants to be there for you love this verse come to me Matthew 11 28 come to me all you are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest

[31:12] I didn't have verse 29 but let's read verse 29 take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will you will find rest for your souls you can be at peace in a storm you can get peace he gave the man rest clothed in his right mind he restored his soul fresh with God this is an amazing story it's what Jesus does he restores hearts and souls to him so I'm just going to end there and hope that the word of God penetrated your heart if you are going through a storm let's invite Jesus in let's remember he's there he's there for you every day every day and you have the power of the

[32:15] Holy Spirit there to take charge of that situation to help you rest in him let's pray father I want to say thank you for your goodness thank you for this story it's a true story that took place you continuously show us how valuable each and every person is every person that we work with the person that irritates us you want that person to come to be with you you want us to reach out and love that person we can't go there they're unclean nope everywhere is good a good place to go if there's people there they need Jesus Lord that's our job proclaim the gospel message help us to do that Lord help us to do it as a team as a family we give you the glory Lord today amen to