May it please Almighty God to
bless us together this evening as we meditate in His Holy Word. Let's turn to the Gospel of Luke
chapter 8 and we'll read verse 35. The Gospel according to Luke
chapter 8 and reading verse 35. Then they went out to see what
was done. and came to Jesus and found the
man out of whom the devils were departed sitting at the feet
of Jesus clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid. The picture we have here is of
the townspeople of the Gadarenes coming to see this man who'd
had all those devils in him and to realise what a change had
taken place through the wonderful work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed he was a man who was greatly
afflicted, greatly afflicted indeed in his soul and in his
body. And what a wonderful account
we have here of how the Lord graciously cured him. What a wonderful thing it is
to read such accounts in the Word of God. As we're told that
They came to the country of the Gadarenes, which is by Galilee. And when he went forth to land,
they met him out of the city, a certain man, which had devils
long time, and wear no clothes, neither abode in any house, but
in the tombs. And when he saw Jesus, he cried
out, fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What
have I to do with thee, Jesus thou Son of God, Most High? I beseech thee, torment me not. Clearly this man was conscious
of the Lord Jesus and who he was. And indeed he, we're told
then for He had commanded the unclean spirits to come out of
the man. For oftentimes it had caught him, and he was kept bound
with chains and in fetters. And he broke the bands and was
driven of the devil into the wilderness." A very extreme case,
wasn't it, really, of this man. And Jesus asked him what his
name was, and he said it was Legion. because many devils were
entered into him. And they besought him that he
would not command them to go out into the deep. And there
was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain. And
they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them.
And he suffered them. Then went the devils out of the
man and entered into the swine. and the herd ran violently down
a steep place into the lake and were choked when they that fed
them saw what was done they fled and went and told it in the city
and in the country just a point of interest really these the
people that were keeping the swine were obviously keeping
them contrary to the law because It would appear that they were
Jews and the Jews were not allowed to eat swine's flesh. So they were keeping this vast
herd of 2,000 swine. It would seem illegally. But
nonetheless, they were all choked in the lake or in the sea. And
now we come to this 35th verse which tells us, then they went
out to see what was done. Well, they went out to see this
man. No doubt they probably went to
see if it was true that all the swine had perished. And they
came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed. Well, It's a glorious picture,
isn't it? We think they come and they came
and they found Jesus. And they found the man. The man
out of whom these devils had been cast. And we see a wonderful
picture before us. Because we're told this Gadarene
was sitting at the feet of Jesus and he was clothed and in his
right mind. Three very distinct things. First of all, he was sitting
at the feet of Jesus. Secondly, he was naturally clothed,
but also, no doubt he was spiritually clothed. And also, he was in
his right mind. Well, surely we have a picture
here of a converted person. We have the picture of the wonderful
change that the Lord brings about in the life of his people. Because
in one sense, we're all devil-possessed. We do not possess the Spirit
of God. And we're walking contrary to
God. We're doing those things which are wrong and evil. And
yet what a wonderful blessing if you and I can trace out in
our lives a change like this. And the first scene we see is
this man sitting at the feet of Jesus. He was in a calm state. And sitting at the feet of Jesus,
he would hear the words of Jesus. And it would seem very clearly
he wanted to hear the words of Jesus. Well, we see there what
a change the Spirit of God performs in the lives of people. And although
we may think this is rather extreme, yet in another sense it's typical
of all those who are truly converted. I use another term those are
called by God's grace what a wonderful mercy what a wonderful blessing
then if you and I in our lives can remember a time when there
was a change and whereas the name of Jesus meant nothing
to us Yet the time has come when now we want to hear about Jesus. We want to hear what he's done. We want to hear what he's doing. And we come, as it were, not
in a physical way, but in a spiritual way. And we come and sit at the
feet of Jesus. well it's good for us all tonight
to look into our hearts and see whether that is true whether
there has been this tremendous change it was in this man's life
a tremendous change the truth is there is a tremendous change
in every truly converted soul a tremendous change you may ask,
well what do you mean? why is there a tremendous change? a tremendous change is this we've
passed from spiritual death to eternal life we've passed from
spiritual darkness to the glorious light of the gospel and that
is an amazing change and that is something that you and I cannot
produce ourself but what a wonderful blessing it is if we look back
in our lives and it's good to do just that and may we all do
it look back in your life to see whether there's been a change
like this a glorious change which has turned our attention away
from self, away from all the things which are, as Solomon
said, vanity of vanities, to the Lord Jesus Christ. So that we come in all humbleness
of spirit and we're found sitting at the feet of the Saviour. well only you can answer that
no one else can it's not just an outward change usually there
is an outward change but the reality is it's an inward change
it means there is spiritual life where there was spiritual death
in this man's life it was very dramatic and in one sense it's
always dramatic perhaps not so evident in some as others but
there is a change and it is a marked change and we should thank God
and praise God if we have the evidence of it in our own souls
because if we do possess this this change has brought about
a wonderful blessing Because it means our soul is right with
God. Not because of what we've done,
but because of what the glorious Saviour has done on our behalf
to take away all our sins, all the evil, all the sins that do
so easily beset us. He died to take away every sin. Well, tonight, I don't know.
But you might feel, perhaps, like this man. This man who was
full of devils. You may feel like that. Other
people can't see it. But you can. And you can recognize
it within you. And then to first of all realise
you have a great cry that you might be relieved from it. You see, this man, he said with
a loud voice, what do I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the
Most High? I beseech thee, torment me not. He didn't want to be tormented,
because the Lord had commanded the unclean spirit to come out
of the man and that's the same with us the Lord commands and
bless God when God commands the devil can't disobey because the
Lord is King and is Lord of Lords and what the Lord commands it
comes to pass And so what a wonderful blessing for you and me tonight,
or as we look back in our lives, to observe God's wonderful mercy
and wonderful grace to us. So unworthy of any blessing. This man was not worthy, was
he? But the Lord came to him. And
what a blessing it is when the Lord comes to us and breaks down
all the barriers and makes us willing in the day of His power
to do His will and instead of being an enemy to realize that
now by the grace of God we are a friend and Jesus is a friend
to us and we're able to say what a friend I have in Jesus If we
don't have a friend in Jesus, he is our enemy. So it's very
important that we do have Jesus as our friend. And so here we
find then, the first point here, he was indeed found sitting at
the feet of Jesus. Yes, in a right position and
in a right way. And then we're told, he was clothed. He was clothed. Well, we can
think of that, of course, as a physical way, but more especially,
we can think of that clothing, the righteousness of Christ. before he had no clothing to
cover his nakedness. What a great blessing it was
to think that the Lord Jesus had clothed him. And to think
the need we have of being clothed. And it's a good thing when the
Holy Spirit convinces us that what perhaps we were relying
upon, our own abilities, our own righteousness the good deeds
perhaps which we thought we were doing bless God when he shows
us that all our righteousnesses are of no value they are indeed
categorised as filthy rags worthless but oh what a blessing it is
to have the realisation that God has blessed us with his righteousness
and in order to do that as we meditated recently in our
prayer meetings he has imputed our sin every sin every sin have
a bad have a terrible have a small every sin he's taken upon himself And He's given us a glorious
exchange. What a wonderful clothing it
is. He's given us His righteousness. That's pure. The Lord never sinned. He never sinned once. He was
greatly tempted. He was greatly reviled. But my
friends, He never sinned. And so what a mercy for us to
know that we are clothed. Clothed in the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. That means we are covered in
that spotless robe. Not a spot on it. Not a sin. Wonderful, isn't it? So this
poor man was clothed. A great blessing. It is then
to be clothed. What a mercy it is to realise
that we are clothed. And what it really means is putting
on. The Lord Jesus Christ. Again,
in the Romans, the Apostle Paul gives us some very wonderful
truths. And he tells us in the 13th chapter
of Romans, and the very last verse, but put ye on the Lord
Jesus Christ. and make not provision for the
flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof. No provision for worldly lusts. And what a blessing it is then
to put on the glorious Saviour. And the previous verses are instructive
to us. Verse 12 tells us, The night
is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the
works of darkness by nature. That's what we engage ourselves
in. the works of darkness and let
us put on the armour of light purity what a great blessing
that is and let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting
and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife
and envying all those things which are natural to us. And then we have this word, but,
which ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the
flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof. There is a vast difference between
the blessings which Christ gives and the poor things of this vain
earth which perish with the using. The things of the Saviour The
Saviour's dress, the Saviour's clothing is eternal. And what
a wonderful favour then for us to be found desiring and seeking
after this wonderful blessing. Then to be clothed. Well this
man was clothed. Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
clothed. And then we're told, and in his
right mind. God had given him a right mind. God had given him a mind to desire
spiritual blessings. Well, I wonder whether that's
so in our lives today. We've had a mind which has desired
earthly things. right and proper as they may
have been in their place but then to realise the Lord has
given us a true desire after spiritual
blessings yes, so that we are in our right
mind a heavenly mind not an earthly mind a heavenly mind and it's
encouraging for us as an evidence of this glorious change as we
find that our attentions are changed well we all have to stand
before God you all have to answer before God but can you examine
your hearts and see there has been a change that you now have
a right mind, a good mind a mind that seeks after spiritual blessings
a mind that desires to know the Lord Jesus Christ a mind that
goes along with that verse of the hymn to know my Jesus crucified
by far excels all things besides these are not the things of nature
these are not the things which our old nature looks to and longs
after but they are the things of the new man the new woman
of grace the blessing of God the favour of God so that we
do then possess this wonderful blessing that we are then in
our right mind a God-given mind how blessed it is to know that
change It is a change. It's a glorious change. But all
of us must know it. It's not something to cast aside
and say, well, I don't understand anything like that. I don't understand
that. I'm not going to listen to all
that stuff. My friends, it's vital. It's
vital. The devil will stand alongside
you and tell you these things are irrelevant. he will tell
you don't worry it's not necessary you can carry on doing all the
things that you want to do naturally but bless God when the Spirit
of God touches our heart and it is the Spirit of God and we
find then there's a change our minds are changed from earnestly
seeking after the fleeting things of time to the
eternal things of glory it is the wonderful work and blessed
work of the Holy Spirit and my friends strive after it seek
after it give God no rest until you have the assurance that the
Lord has done that for you, which he did for this gathering so
many years ago. And therefore, to be able to
come and recognise that you do possess what we can speak of
as a true conversion, It's converting from that which is of the flesh
to that which is of the Spirit. It's converting from that which
is of the devil to that which is of God. And it's a glorious
and a blessed and a wonderful and a necessary work to be desired,
to be sought after, and to be thankful for if in our lives
we have the wonderful experience and the wonderful blessing of
it and so we find this verse telling us that he was sitting
at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind and they
were sore afraid all the people that had come they suddenly saw
this is an amazing scene this is something that makes us fear
they were so afraid now then I want to just run on because
it's very instructive they also which saw it told them by what
means he had possessed of the devil's was healed he was healing
spiritual healing. And that's what all of us need,
to be healed. And when the Lord heals, it is
a complete healing. Yes, the sores produced by sin
are healed. healed through the precious sin-atoning
blood of the Saviour. And what a blessing it is that
this man was seated at the feet of Jesus, looking to Jesus, listening
to Jesus. And that's what the blessing
of God brings into the true believer. A desire to hear what the Lord
will speak. it's good news from a far country
it's eternal blessing and it far exceeds all the things of
this poor vain world in which we find ourselves well Isaiah on a number of occasions
in his prophecy tells us about our situation and what we are
and he tells us in the 44th chapter as one 43rd chapter is also it
occurs twice but in the 44th chapter and verse 8 this is what
we're told fear not fear ye not neither be afraid have not I
told thee from that time and have declared it ye are even
my witnesses Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God. I know not any. Now that's put
before us, isn't it, in very simple English. So we don't have
to get a dictionary out to examine it, to see what it means. It's
very clear and very encouraging. Fear ye not. Neither be afraid. have not I told thee from that
time and have declared it ye are my witnesses and that's a
very important statement you and I should not think that when
the Lord comes and grants to us that newness of light we're
not to hide it as we read together in that chapter we're not to
hide it we're not to put the light, as it were, under a bed
We are to display it. And what do we display? We are
to display God's glorious grace, God's glorious love toward us,
His wonderful mercy. We are in this world. We are
to shine as lights. We are to evidence that we are
the children of God. We are to show forth His praise. What a wonderful blessing it
is then to receive that grace. And as the Prophet goes on to
tell us, Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God. I know not any. Well that's a
wonderful statement. It's a true statement. And I
hope you and I can enter in to the reality of it and truly bless
God for it. Because it is a wonderful statement.
And so the Lord goes on in this 8th chapter. Well, that's not an unreasonable
request, is it? You know, the Lord had wonderfully
blessed him and therefore he wanted to be with Jesus. And
that's a good request really, isn't it? To want to be with
Jesus. But Jesus sent him away saying,
and this is what he said, and we should recognize the relevance
of it for all of us today. Return to thine own house and
show how great things God hath done unto thee. Not to hide what
God's done. And he went his way and published
throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto
him. Well, if the Lord has done these
things for us, if he's brought us to that place where we're
sitting at the feet of Jesus, where we're clothed indeed with
his righteousness, where he's given us a right mind, Surely
our concern, surely our desire should be just like this. And
the words of Jesus were to return to his own house and show how
great things God had done unto him. But he didn't stop there.
He went and published it throughout the whole city. This news was
so important to spread abroad. Sadly, sadly, sadly today often
people are reluctant to testify of the Lord's goodness, of the
Lord's mercy and the Lord's love to unworthy sinners. So my friends
may we listen to these words of the Saviour and listen to
the reaction that came about through them So this man was
blessed. And this man wanted to display
the blessing. He didn't want to hide it. He
wouldn't want to keep it close to himself. He wanted to declare
what God had done for him. This morning, you may remember,
we referred to that third chapter in the Galatians. And we read
the last few verses in that third chapter. And this is what we
read, and perhaps we can understand it more specifically now. Verse 26 tells us, For ye are
all the children of God, by faith in Jesus Christ. And of course
we were homing in on faith this morning. Then it goes on, verse
27, For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ,
this means in a spiritual way, and also it can mean in a natural
way, have put on Christ. Yes, to think that you and I
are privileged to put on Christ, to show forth that we are his
disciples, that we are his servants. we are those for whom he has
died and shed his most precious blood well then here we have
this wonderful statement and the wonderful effect of what
occurred and so we read return unto thine own house and show
how great things God has done unto thee and he went his way
he didn't think well I'll think about it I'm not sure whether
I want to do this or not. He did it immediately. He went
his way and published throughout the whole city how great things
Jesus had done unto him. Now, if God has done these things
for you and me, they are great things. and don't think well I've only
got a very very small thing my friends a very very small thing
is a great thing because that small thing redeems
our soul the evidence of life within and therefore It must
be a great thing. Wonderful, isn't
it? To think of that. Wonderful truth. Wonderful blessing. You know,
we didn't read on in this chapter, but there were A number of blessed
things referred to. There was a woman that had an
issue of blood and spent all her living and was not healed
at all. And she came behind Jesus and
touched the border of his garment. She just had, we might say, faith
to stretch forth her hand And just a touch, the board of
his garment, and immediately she was healed. And Jesus said,
Who touched me? When all denied, Peter said,
Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude
thronged thee and pressed thee, and thou sayest, Who touched
thee? And Jesus said, Somebody hath
touched me. what a blessing it is when you
and I by faith stretch out our hand to touch just as it were
the hem of the garment of the Saviour the Lord knows, He said,
I perceive that virtue has gone out of me and when the woman
saw that she was not hid she came trembling And falling down
before him, she declared unto him, before all the people, for what cause she had touched
him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter,
be of good comfort. Thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace. What a blessing,
isn't it, to know that today we have the same Almighty God
who healed that woman, who did that marvellous work in this
gathering, and for the glorious testimony that they were both
able to set forth. They were not ashamed of their Saviour. They wanted to declare what he
had done. And it's a good thing and it's
a wonderful blessing when you and I are able to declare what
God has done for our souls. Come and hear all ye that fear
God and I will declare what he has done for my soul. You and I owe the Lord Jesus
a debt We will never be able to repay because the
Lord Jesus Christ gave his life in order to redeem our souls. What a price that was. How willing
was Jesus to die that we fellow sinners might live. Oh my friends, what love there
was, what mercy, what grace. And so may you and I be able
to trace out in our lives the wonderful evidence of the work
of God, perhaps in these three points, that he was sitting,
and he was clothed, and that he was in his right mind. a change, a glorious change,
to the honour and glory of God. Then, they went out to see, they
went out to see what was done, and came to Jesus. That's a great
blessing, isn't it, for you and me. Came to Jesus, and found
the man out of whom the devils were departed, sitting And the
feet of Jesus clothed, and in his right mind, and they were
afraid. Amen.