Glory in Your Story

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
Mark 5:1–2 (ESV)

There’s a lot of uncleanness in this text. The man is defiled. He is living among the tombs which are unclean. This is the man's reality.

He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
Mark 5:3-5 (ESV)

He didn’t just happen to be near the tombs when Jesus got off the boat…he lived there (Mark 5:3). Among the dead, as though he was dead. In a lot of ways he was.

He is in a hopeless situation. Far beyond the point of being able to be helped.

It wasn’t just that this impure spirit was tormenting him. He was tormenting himself. That’s how the enemy works. He is an accuser. He constantly shouts accusations and condemnation at us to turn us against ourselves.

And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
Mark 3:6-13 (ESV)

The man sees Jesus from afar, runs towards him, and rushes out to challenge him. But instead of challenging him he collapses and bows before him in submission. He realizes there is no competition here. “Son of the Most High God?”

Let that encourage you: what intimated you…bows to Jesus. No competition. No battle. Just submission.

Jesus asks him what his name is. Jesus didn’t need to know his name. He is Jesus. But it illuminates the seriousness of the situation and ultimately illuminates the miraculous healing.

Scripture says that the man's name was "Legion." A legion is a Roman military unity made up of 5,800 troops. This doesn't necessarily mean this man had 5,800 demons, but it does mean there was a host of them.

The man fully recognizes that he is outmatched. No comparison. No competition. He begs Jesus.

What torments and terrorizes us has to bow before Jesus and ask him for permission. This is the kind of power and authority that our king has.

 They ask not to leave the region and to go into the pigs. The pigs run off the cliff and drown.

This is what the unclean and evil one does. His intention is to destroy God’s creation.

We are living in a spiritual battle. We must live in light of that.

We have an enemy. We tend to live in two extremes and both are dangerous.

1. We pretend the spiritual world doesn’t exist.
2. We live in total fear of it.

We can’t be biblically informed people and pretend that it doesn’t exist.

We also have no need to live in fear of it. Because as biblically informed people we know that we win!

The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Mark 3:14-20 (ESV)

We are more similar to this man in the text than we’d like to admit apart from Christ. Also living among the tombs. Dead in our transgressions and sins.

But the text continues. But GOD.

So all the people come. And how do you think they would respond? They were afraid. Filled with fear. In the same way, the disciples were when Jesus calmed the storm. That much power causes fear. When unholy people encounter a holy God the only response is fear and trembling.

Our fear can lead us to two options: fall down and worship him, or try our best to escape him.

How did the people respond? Surely like in Luke 15 when the prodigal comes home. They are going to throw a party. Kill the fattened calf. This man has been restored. We can’t believe it!

NO. It says they begged Jesus to leave their region.

While witnessing the supernatural power of Jesus…Their response was. Please, just leave us alone. Go.

What? How could that be their response?

A few reasons:

1. 2,000 pigs is a lot of pork. That big money with a significant impact on their local economy. The material world was worth more to them than the spiritual world. How foolish. "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliott
2. It was evident that this man would disrupt their comfortable little lives. He said that with him, everything was going to change. And they didn’t like that. Their lives would have to change if he stayed and they didn’t want their lives to change.

We are God’s plan A to reach a hurting and broken world. If you have a story of God changing your life, you have the only weapon you need.

Don’t let the enemy sideline you with fear.

What if I don’t have the right thing to say or know all the right answers? Just tell people how God has changed your life. That was this man's assignment and apparently, it was enough for him.

John 4- I met a man who told me everything I ever did.

John 9- I once was blind, but now I see.

Questions to ask yourself:

1. Has God done anything in your life?
2. Did He replace anger and rage with peace?
3. Has He brought your marriage back from the brink of falling apart?
4. Has He repaired your relationship with your kids?
5. Has He provided for you when you really needed it?
6. Set you free from an addition?

Great…start with that.

Watch the story of the Gospel compel people to the not just to your story but to the one who is responsible for your story. 

3 Applications: 

1. Write out your story. Where would I start? Practice
2. Ask someone their story. Take time to be interested.
3. Share your story with someone. As we head to easter. Let’s be winsome.