25-0316p Transcript

Preacher: Jim Lokenbauer

(0:41) Well, good evening, everyone. (0:43) Good evening.

(0:44) Back for part two. (0:47) Okay, this morning’s lesson, we have the storm without. In other words, the storm raging outside of our control that we go through.

(0:59) And this morning’s lesson took place on the Sea of Galilee, and it demonstrated how Jesus was able to calm a sea that calmed many souls. (1:11) In his disciples' eyes, they were in danger of losing their lives because of the abnormally violent wind and waves that caused their boats to fill up with water. (1:23) In a fearful state of hysterics, they woke their sleeping master, who was on the back of the boat, asleep.

(1:33) And they accused him of not caring for their lives. (1:40) Jesus rebuked the wind and calmed the sea, and there was instant peace. (1:47) Jesus then chastened his disciples for giving in to fear, which was evidence of their weak faith.

(1:58) After this event, the disciples were in awe of him because of this great miracle of calming a raging sea. (2:07) It was demonstrated to the disciples that even when things outside of our control create trouble in our lives, (2:15) we need to faithfully and patiently appeal to our God for help. (2:22) And now we’re going to look at how Jesus can calm the storm within us.

(2:28) I’m using these stories to illustrate that Jesus can solve all of our life’s problems, no matter what form of trouble they may appear as. (2:40) As I did this morning, I’ve combined the three Gospel writers' versions of this story that we’re going to be going over. (2:49) And it’s what happens when Jesus and his disciples land on the other side of the sea.

(2:58) And by combining, we’re going to get a larger picture of what’s going on. (3:04) So this evening’s text will be from Matthew 8, Mark 5, and Luke 8. (3:10) And each of these writers add unique aspects to the story. (3:16) For example, Matthew is the only one of the Gospel writers who mentions that there are two men possessed by demons.

(3:26) All the others only wrote about one. (3:29) And so you would think that there was some kind of discrepancy in their stories. (3:36) But the other guys who only wrote about the one didn’t say there was only one.

(3:43) It happens that there was a spokesman. (3:50) Demons and angels all have rank. (3:53) And there’s a chief demon within legion, and he did all the speaking on behalf of them all.

(4:06) So there was no discrepancy at all. (4:09) So the chief of these demons who possessed these men was their spokesman, who talked with Jesus, (4:15) even though at times they were all shouting and screaming and pleading with the Son of God. (4:23) We’re going to see that legion wasn’t an individual demon’s name, (4:31) but it was a collective name for all of them, for they were many.

(4:43) A Roman legion was the largest division of soldiers in the Roman army. (4:50) There could be as many as 5,000 soldiers, quite often 3,000 soldiers on foot and 3,000 soldiers on horse. (5:00) Actually, there could be up to 6,000, but quite often the number was 5,000 in the Roman legion unit.

(5:09) So if the chief demon referred to their number as a standard military unit, (5:15) those unfortunate humans, they had no chance of becoming healed except without the Savior’s help. (5:27) Only the Savior could take care of their state they were in. (5:32) This event is what happened right after this morning’s lesson of the storm.

(5:38) And here’s the combined story, so I’ll read that. (5:41) If you try to read along, it’s not going to sound the same, because I cut and pasted it all together. (5:48) Sit back and enjoy.

(5:51) When Jesus arrived at the other side in the region of the Gerardines, (5:56) two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. (6:02) These men lived in the tombs and no one could bind them anymore, (6:09) not even with a chain, for they had often been chained hand and foot, (6:15) but they tore the chains apart and broke the irons on their feet and the fetters broken in pieces. (6:23) Nobody had the strength to tame them.

(6:27) Night and day among the tombs and in the hills and in the mountains, (6:31) they would cry out and cut themselves with stones. (6:37) They were so violent that no one could pass that way. (6:42) For a long time they had worn no clothes and they did not live in a house, but in the tombs.

(6:49) When they saw Jesus from afar, they ran and bowed down to him. (6:54) They shouted at the top of their voice, (6:56) What do you want with us, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? (7:02) We adjure you, swear to God that you won’t torture us before the appointed time. (7:11) Jesus then asked him, What is your name? (7:14) He said, My name is Legion, for we are many.

(7:19) For many demons had entered him. (7:20) They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. (7:27) Now there was at a distance from them a herd of many swine feeding, (7:32) and the demons began to entreat him, saying, (7:36) If you are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.

(7:40) At once Jesus gave them permission, and he said to them, (7:44) Be gone, come out of the men, you unclean spirits. (7:47) And they came out and went into the swine. (7:50) Behold, a herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, (7:57) and they were drowned in the water.

(8:01) Those who fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the country. (8:06) The people came to see what it was that had happened. (8:09) They came to Jesus and saw those who had been possessed by demons (8:15) sitting clothed and in their right mind, (8:19) even him who had the Legion, and they were afraid.

(8:23) Those who saw it described to them what had happened (8:27) to those who were possessed by demons and about the pigs. (8:31) They began to beg Jesus to depart from their region, (8:35) for they were seized with great fear. (8:40) As Jesus was entering the boat, (8:43) he who had been possessed by Legion begged him that he might be with him.

(8:49) Jesus didn’t allow him, but said to him, (8:51) Go to your house, to your friends, (8:54) and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, (8:57) and how he had mercy on you. (9:01) He went his way and began to proclaim in Decapolis (9:05) how Jesus had done great things for him, (9:08) and everyone marveled. (9:12) So let’s break this story down.

(9:14) We’ll take it chunk by chunk. (9:17) First, when Jesus arrived on the other side of the region of the Gadarenes, (9:23) two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. (9:29) Gadara is the closest city in the Gerasenes country area of the Decapolis, (9:36) and both of these areas are mentioned in these gospel accounts.

(9:41) This is the modern-day Golan Heights that I mentioned this morning, (9:46) which is on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. (9:51) Matthew mentions that the two demon-possessed men came and met him. (9:58) There was something about Jesus that they recognized him (10:02) as the son of the Most High God, (10:05) and this was no chance meeting on Jesus' part.

(10:10) Jesus is omniscient and one-third of the Godhead (10:17) and is aware of all demon-possessed people. (10:23) Demons cannot just willy-nilly enter into any living creature (10:28) without God’s express permission. (10:31) Jesus was there to free these men from their spiritual bondage.

(10:37) They came from the tombs because they actually haunted these tombs. (10:42) That’s where they lived. (10:44) That’s where the demons chose to be among the dead.

(10:50) Continuing on, (10:52) these men lived in the tombs and no one could find them anymore, (10:57) not even with a chain, for they had often been chained hand and foot, (11:02) but they tore the chains apart and broke the irons on their feet (11:05) and the fetters broken in pieces. (11:09) Nobody had the strength to tame them. (11:12) Night and day among the tombs and in the hills and in the mountains, (11:16) they would cry out and cut themselves with stones.

(11:21) They were so violent that no one could pass that way. (11:26) For a long time they had worn no clothes (11:28) and they did not live in a house but in the tombs. (11:37) This shows the utter cruelty of these demons.

(11:44) They would make these men injure themselves with stones (11:50) and they would just scream out like the banshee of lore. (11:57) They no longer wore any clothing, shameful before all who passed by. (12:03) Like angels, these demons had supernatural power.

(12:08) They could have just willed those chains and fetters to fall off, (12:14) but instead they chose to make these men yank and pull (12:21) and then with the demon’s strength break those fetters. (12:31) You can imagine what that did to their skin and their bones. (12:38) We see heavenly angels helping the apostles often.

(12:41) In the book of Acts chapter 5, when the apostles were arrested, (12:47) an angel from God willed open the locked gate to their prison cell (12:53) and set them free to go back and preach in the temple. (12:57) Also in Acts 12, when Peter was arrested and put in prison, (13:02) he was chained hand and foot and put in between two guards. (13:07) At nighttime, an angel from the Lord came to Peter (13:11) and he made Peter’s shackles just fall off on their own.

(13:15) And then as he was walking, taking Peter out of the prison, (13:20) the angel made the locked gates open on their own. (13:25) But these cruel demons supplied the possessed men with the strength (13:29) to physically break those shackles. (13:34) So you could imagine how bloody and raw the wounds were from doing that.

(13:43) They must have looked a mess. (13:45) They had to struggle and tear at those chains, flesh versus iron. (13:51) Even though the iron shackles were broken, (13:53) it was probably done with great damage to these men.

(13:59) These men were so violent to other people (14:03) and the people of that region knew of the great danger of passing by that way. (14:11) One evil spirit in a man can wreak havoc on people, (14:17) such as what happened in the book of Acts, chapter 19, verses 11 through 16. (14:24) God worked special miracles by the hand of Paul, (14:29) so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, (14:36) and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out.

(14:41) But some of the itinerant Jews, traveling Jews, (14:45) they were exorcists and took on themselves to invoke over those who had evil spirits (14:52) the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, (14:55) We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches. (15:00) You can imagine what happened. (15:04) There were seven sons of Sheba, a Jewish high priest, who did this.

(15:11) The evil spirit answered, (15:13) Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you? (15:19) The man in whom the evil spirit was leapt on them, overpowered them, (15:25) remember, eight guys, and prevailed against them, (15:29) so they fled out of that house naked and bleeding. (15:36) So could you imagine the danger that men with a legion of demons would have been like? (15:47) How utterly violent and repulsive they must have been. (15:54) Let’s look at the next section.

(15:57) When they saw Jesus from afar, they ran and bowed down to him. (16:01) They shouted at the top of their voice, (16:04) What do you want with us, Jesus, Son of God, the Most High? (16:08) We adjure you, swear to God that you won’t torture us before the appointed time. (16:16) Jesus then asked him, What is your name? (16:18) He said, My name is Legion, for we are many.

(16:22) For many demons had entered him. (16:24) They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. (16:31) James tells us that demons believe and tremble.

(16:37) And here is an example of that. (16:41) Somehow they recognize Jesus, the Son of God. (16:44) How? We can only speculate.

(16:46) But they bowed down to him. (16:50) And the Greek word for bow is proskuno. (16:56) Literally, or figuratively, to prostrate oneself in homage, due reverence to, adore, worship.

(17:09) Can you imagine? (17:11) Many of the Jews of Jesus' day wouldn’t even acknowledge that he was a prophet, (17:16) let alone Messiah, who is God in the flesh. (17:21) And here thousands of demons worshipped him. (17:27) They bowed before the King of the Universe.

(17:33) As the disciples were in a state of panic on the turbulent sea just moments ago, (17:38) so are these demons in a state of panic in the presence of Jesus Christ. (17:47) They know that Jesus is the very one that they themselves witnessed create the world and the universe (17:56) by the power of his word in the beginning. (18:01) And they know also he has the power to judge and condemn.

(18:07) They know what their end will be in hell, for they feared the bottomless pit, the abyss. (18:18) In this section of hell, the Greeks call it Tartarus, and it’s where the demons have a reservation. (18:29) That’s where they will be.

(18:32) Though the leader of this demon horde was afraid of Christ, showing his true nature, his malice and arrogance, (18:40) he adjured Christ. (18:43) He was trying to get him to swear an oath to God that he would not torture them before their time. (18:53) I don’t think this demon was in a position to order Jesus to do anything.

(19:02) Yahweh Christ, Jesus Christ, should be feared. (19:09) In Jeremiah 5.22, God asks, (19:12) Do you not fear me? declares Yahweh. (19:16) Do you not tremble in my presence? (19:19) In a similar way, Jesus says in Luke 12, 4 and 5, (19:25) And I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who can kill the body, (19:30) and after that have no more than they can do.

(19:33) But I will warn you whom to fear. (19:36) Fear the one who, after he has killed, has authority to cast you into hell. (19:43) Yes, I tell you, fear him.

(19:47) He was basically saying, fear me. (19:55) That’s exactly what these demons were doing. (19:59) They knew Jesus.

(20:03) Whether Jesus kept the same look through all the ages, we don’t know. (20:11) We can only surmise. (20:12) But they recognized him.

(20:15) Perhaps they recognized that the fullness of the Godhead was in him. (20:19) Maybe they could see things, spiritually, that us humans cannot see. (20:26) They recognized him.

(20:28) And they feared him. (20:34) Our next text says, (20:36) Now there was at a distance from them a herd of many swine feeding. (20:41) And the demons began to entreat him, saying, (20:46) If you are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.

(20:50) At once Jesus gave them permission, and he said to them, (20:55) Be gone, come out of the men, you unclean spirits. (20:58) And they came out and went into the swine. (21:01) And behold, the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, (21:09) and they were drowned in the water.

(21:12) To entreat is to plea earnestly with, or to pray, or to petition. (21:21) Non-believers use this passage as an example that Jesus sinned, (21:28) by being responsible for destroying the swine herders' private property, (21:34) by sending the demons into the pigs who made them jump off a cliff and drown in the Sea of Galilee. (21:41) But if you carefully examine the text, (21:44) Jesus did not send them into the pigs, (21:51) as if by his power he caused the pigs' death.

(21:54) That was just how legend requested it. (21:58) Send us! (22:00) Jesus granted them permission to do so. (22:04) Even though they had permission, the choice was still with the demons, (22:09) whether to enter the pigs or not.

(22:11) God gives intelligent beings a free will, the freedom to choose. (22:19) And they did. (22:20) And they entered.

(22:21) The unclean demons entered the unclean swine. (22:26) How fitting. (22:27) That just popped in my head.

(22:29) Very fitting. (22:30) Maybe that’s why Jesus did it, and said, (22:33) you unclean spirits, go into the pigs. (22:43) And as soon as those demons hit those pigs and possessed them, (22:47) they ran headlong to their death.

(22:52) Secondly, God says in Psalm 50, 10 and 11, (22:57) For every beast of the forest is mine, (23:01) the cattle on a thousand hills. (23:03) I know every bird of the mountains, (23:05) and everything that moves in the field is mine. (23:12) This takes away the skeptic’s argument.

(23:14) Who gave Jesus authority to say that this could happen to another person’s property? (23:20) Jesus is the Son of God and is the creator of all life. (23:27) And guess what? (23:28) Everything belongs to Him. (23:33) Jesus was not guilty of sin.

(23:36) Let’s read on. (23:38) Those who fed them fled and told in the city and in the country. (23:43) The people came to see what it was that had happened.

(23:46) They came to Jesus and saw those who had been possessed by demons (23:50) sitting, clothed, and in their right mind. (23:54) Even him who had the legion. (23:56) And they were afraid.

(23:58) Those who saw it declared to them what had happened to those who were possessed by demons (24:03) and about the pigs. (24:05) Then they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region, (24:11) for they were seized with great fear. (24:16) When people witness an amazing event, news spreads quickly.

(24:21) Think of all those shepherds in the field who saw one night a bunch of angels from heaven (24:27) announcing the birth of the Messiah. (24:32) What did they do? (24:33) Did they keep it to themselves? (24:36) No. (24:36) They ran, verified what the angels said would be the coming Savior, (24:43) and then they told everybody about it.

(24:46) Likewise, the Samaritan woman, when she had met the Messiah, (24:52) the only person that Jesus said, I am he, revealing that he was the Christ, (24:59) she went and told everybody, come see the man who told me everything I have ever done. (25:07) And a crowd came and stayed with them a couple of days. (25:11) No different with the swine herders.

(25:14) They told everyone in the city and in the surrounding country, (25:18) and a crowd came to see Jesus for themselves. (25:24) They heard what happened and saw the men restored fully, (25:30) dressed and in their right mind, (25:33) and that caused them great fear. (25:40) Rather than be happy for the men and welcome and believe in Jesus, (25:45) they begged him to leave.

(25:48) Jesus obliged them. (25:50) Let’s read on and finish this story. (25:53) As Jesus was entering into the boat, (25:56) he who had been possessed by a legion begged him that he might be with him.

(26:01) Jesus didn’t allow him but said to him, (26:03) go to your house, to your friends, (26:06) and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you (26:09) and how he had mercy on you. (26:13) He went his way and began to proclaim in the Decapolis (26:16) how Jesus had done great things for him, (26:19) and everyone marveled. (26:23) Only one of the former demoniacs wanted to go with Jesus, (26:28) and that was the man who had legion, the legion in him.

(26:32) We don’t know how many demons were in the other guy, (26:35) but I would imagine there were plenty enough. (26:41) But Jesus wouldn’t permit him. (26:46) I could understand if it was out of fear (26:49) that this man wanted to go with Jesus, (26:52) fearing that maybe the demons might come back, (26:56) and that if he was with Jesus, he would be safe.

(26:59) The very one who healed him showed authority over them, (27:05) or perhaps it was out of deep gratitude (27:07) that he wanted to be with him and serve him. (27:12) I’d like to think maybe it was a combination of both. (27:16) Whatever his reason was, it wasn’t in Jesus' plans.

(27:20) Our Lord is about restoring people and relationships (27:24) and spreading the gospel. (27:26) He told this man to go back to his home and to his friends (27:31) and to share the good news that happened in his life (27:36) and how merciful Jesus was to him. (27:40) This man was more than happy to do just that (27:43) because he immediately started telling everybody he saw (27:48) in the Decapolis what happened to him, (27:53) giving Jesus glory.

(27:56) He didn’t have to know everything about the Bible (27:58) to share the event that he went through. (28:03) That was enough to get people to believe in Jesus. (28:08) Start with what you know.

(28:11) He had quite a story to tell. (28:15) He could tell them that he was in the absolute worst condition (28:19) a human could ever be in, (28:23) and Jesus, the Son of God, had mercy on him and healed him. (28:28) I don’t know why demons seem to have a need to inhabit humans.

(28:36) When Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees one time, (28:41) he called out their stiff-necked unbelief and wickedness. (28:46) They told him that they wanted to see a sign, (28:48) and Jesus told them the only sign he would give them (28:51) was the sign of Jonah. (28:54) And after healing a man in front of them of demon possession, (28:59) they charged Jesus with casting out demons (29:03) by the power of Beelzebub.

(29:06) They blasphemed the Holy Spirit. (29:10) They blasphemed God the Father and Jesus his Son. (29:18) Jesus told them a story of demon possession (29:20) to illustrate their wicked condition.

(29:26) In Matthew 12, 43-45, Jesus said, (29:29) Now, when an unclean spirit goes out of a man, (29:34) it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, (29:37) and does not find it. (29:39) Then it says, I will return to my house from which I came. (29:43) And when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.

(29:48) Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits, (29:52) more wicked than itself. (29:56) And they go in and live there. (29:58) And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.

(30:03) That is the way it will also be with this evil generation. (30:10) And he was talking about those unbelieving, wicked Pharisees. (30:16) And who were the Pharisees? (30:17) They were the religious leaders of that time.

(30:22) If you’ve come to believe in Jesus as your Savior, (30:26) and have had your house swept clean, (30:30) but you’ve gone back to the way you were living, (30:34) you are in danger of becoming worse off than you were before knowing Christ. (30:41) You will become repulsive to God. (30:44) And as the wise man said, (30:47) A dog returns to its vomit, (30:49) and pigs go back to their wallowing in the mud.

(30:55) These two stories today illustrate two of the worst situations we can find ourselves in. (31:03) We get bombarded by situations outside of our control that can affect us negatively, (31:10) which is the storm without. (31:12) And we can be in a sinful and wretched state inside the storm within.

(31:17) And we’ve seen that belief and trust in Jesus is the key to deliverance and healing, (31:25) and keeping ourselves clean. (31:29) Believe it or not, we can actually learn something from our enemy, Legion, tonight. (31:37) Here is what the demons know and acknowledge about our Savior, Jesus.

(31:43) One, Jesus is deity. (31:46) Two, He should be worshipped. (31:50) Three, Jesus is the Son of God.

(31:55) Four, Jesus has the authority to punish. (32:01) Five, God has set an unknown time for Judgment Day. (32:07) Six, Jesus has the authority to grant or deny permission for demons to request.

(32:14) To live inside of a person, be it a human or an animal. (32:21) They had to ask. (32:25) Seven, Jesus has the authority to send demons immediately back into the abyss in hell.

(32:33) And eight, Jesus will judge the living and the dead. (32:39) Those demons screamed out publicly what they knew about Jesus Christ. (32:45) When was the last time that you publicly professed Jesus as the Son of God? (32:54) Don’t let the enemies of God out-evangelize you.

(33:00) Share the Gospel. (33:02) The man who was healed from being possessed by Legion, (33:06) preached only what he knew that what Christ had done for him, (33:10) and that is enough to glorify God and share with others. (33:14) We offer the invitation.

(33:16) If you need, come forward. (33:18)