Love vS Legion
090628 Love vs. a Legion
Mk 5:1-20
Tim Franklin
Introduction
· Revival before July. What I believe that I received from God on the morning of May 22nd. I am going after this thing, and I want this church to know that we will not stop just because revival arrives or July 1st arrives.
· I want to take us into an interesting passage of scripture this morning that most of you will be familiar with. It is a scripture of contest. Everyone likes a good contest! We love to see the undefeated teams go head to head to see who has the real stuff.
o The contest I want to look at this morning is the contest between Jesus and the demoniac of Mark chapter 5.
o At first glance if you did not know who Jesus was, you would say that one man against that demoniac does not stand a chance.
o The recording of this event by the writer Mark serves to give us insight into a much bigger picture that will happen later.
o This contest is between one man and a whole legion of demons.
1. In The Face of Overwhelming Adversity. Vs. 1-5
A. When Jesus stepped out of the boat he was immediately met with blatant adversity. Everything was good. Jesus had just calmed a stormed, calmed his disciples down who were panicked in the storm. He was taking them somewhere to show them something.
i. We are literally living in a time of ever increasing adversity.
B. Jesus is met by a man with an unclean spirit. Unclean simply means he is of another spirit other than God’s Holy Spirit. If it is not of God it is unclean, nasty ol’ spirit. Let define what this man was like.
i. He was unclean. This word unclean has to do with anything that is physically, religiously, or morally impure. Anything that was defiling or defiled by something declared unclean was considered itself to be unclean. Unclean can be as simple as separated from God and as complex as this man’s life in the tombs.
a. If you are dabbling in the unclean you are separating yourself from God. If you are doing this you need revival.
b. You do not wake up one day like this demonic. It take time to get there. Some people go much faster than others. Meth will take you there. Silver screen sex will take you there. James 1:14-15 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. NKJV If you want to one day live among the tombs or have a life that resembles the tombs, keep separating yourself from God.
ii. He lived among the tombs. How many would agree that is not normal? It was full of dead men’s bones and according to the law if you went into the tombs you were considered unclean and had to go through the cleansing process to be considered clean again. To live among the tombs is to get yourself familiar with the spirit of death. This man liked hanging out with death. In our day he would have a morbid infatuation with death, vampires, skulls, as it is glamorized before taking you down.
iii. He could not be bound. He had a supernatural strength that man could not bind.
a. They tried chains. They tried ropes. He just broke them and torment all who came near the tombs.
b. That is intimidating know that this guy could not be bound.
iv. He could not be tamed. It comes from the Greek word I “damazo” meaning subdued, tamed. It is what happens to a wild animal that is brought into a home and domesticated. It could be a dog, a horse, a cow. When the wild is subdued or tamed the animal is considered domesticated. It’s nature is changed. This guy could not be helped.
v. He cried out night and day. He was tormented and other spirits spoke to him and made his life miserable. Ie. Red the drunk who lived by my uncle Milburn. He would cry out all night long. Yell at things and people that were not in his house. He would talk to things we could not see and shout at things that we scaring him.
vi. He cut Himself. I Kings 18:28 The false prophets cut themselves to satisfy their gods. Young people today do not know it, but the cutting craze that continues to plague our youth is demonically driven.
vii. Demons steal life and put us in a self destruction mode. All of these demons were inhabiting one man.
a. This man’s life was over. He was finished. He was possessed by hell itself.
b. You may be thinking this morning that you can never change. That you are so bound there is no help. That is a lie!
C. My Name is Legion
i. Legion was threatening Jesus. He was not a threat to Jesus. He was threatening Jesus.
2. No One Wanted Anything to do With Him
A. No one could bind him. Vs 3
B. No one could tame him. Vs. 4
C. No one wanted to be near him.
D. No one knew what to do with him.
E. They left him to his own destruction.
3. Love Conquered a Legion!
A. Jesus took on a Legion single handedly! And he did it by love. Have you ever noticed that Jesus crossed the sea. Delivers this guy and turns right around and goes back. He made the trip just for this one guy! Love took him across a stormy sea. Love brought him face to face with the legion. And Love conquered a multitude of evil.
i. John 15:13Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. NKJV
ii. 1 John 4:17-19…as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Himbecause He first loved us. NKJV
iii. Matt 5:46-47For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? NKJV
B. Legion was no match for the Son of God.
i. Prov 10:12…But love covers all sins. NKJV
ii. 1 Peter 4:8And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins."NKJV
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