The message is, we're going to
look at Mark chapter 5, but I want you to look with me first at
the end of Mark chapter 4. Here we read, beginning in verse
35. And the same day, when the evening
was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other
side. When they had sent away the multitude, they took him,
even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him
other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind,
and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And
he was in the hindered part of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And they awake him, and say unto
him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose
and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace. The wind ceased, and there was
a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are
ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?
And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What
manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? a display of our weakness and
our fear in times of trouble. When we see our Lord's sovereignty,
His great power over His creation, He spoke to the wind, to the
sea, and said, Peace be still. Peace be still. And as a result,
the wind ceased and that storm was calm. There was a great calm. The storm was raging, and the
disciples were scared. They were scared. They feared
the worst, and they went to our Lord. They said, carest thou
not that we perish? Don't you care, Lord? You know, they thought they were
going to die. And yet, and we're critical of
them, but who did they go to? They went to the master, didn't
they? They went to the master, and he spoke the word. They went to Christ. The psalmist
wrote, thou hast been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the
enemy. They went to Christ. He spoke
the word, and the storm ceased. The great, that great calm. And
the disciples said, what manner of man is this that even the
wind and the sea obey him? What manner of man is this? He's
more than just a man, isn't he? He's Almighty. He's Almighty
God. Well, after this demonstration of power over the wind and the
rain and the sea, in Mark 5, we see that our Lord He went
across the sea to the land of the Gadarenes. And in this country
of the Gadarenes there was a man to whom the Lord is going to
show mercy. Listen to God's word concerning
this man's condition. Beginning in verse 1 of Mark
5. And they came over unto the other
side of the sea into the country of the Gadarenes. Now consider
the Lord, He crossed the sea of Galilee on purpose. for a purpose. Though the sea
raged, though that storm was there, he crossed the sea. He crossed over to the other
side. Nothing, nothing is going to keep him from his sheep, from
crossing the path of his sheep. In verse 2, when he was come
out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs
a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the
tombs. And no man could bind him, no, not with chains, Because
he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains
had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces,
neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he
was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying, cutting himself
with stones. Now, four things I'd have us
see of this man. First, this man had an unclean
spirit. We read that. Second, he dwelt, he lived among
the tombs. Third, he couldn't be bound with
chains. He could not be bound with chains.
And fourth, though we don't read it here over in Luke's account,
we read that he wear no clothes. He was naked. He was naked. Now this is very much a picture
of our condition before a holy God. We don't like to admit that,
but it's here in God's Word. This is a picture of us by nature,
how we stand before a holy God. This is a picture of a sinner. First, he had an unclean spirit. Turn over to Isaiah. Isaiah 64, look at verse 6, But we are all as an unclean
thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. We all do
fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us
away. We're unclean. Unclean. And the best, the absolute best
we can muster is as filthy rags in the sight of God. They may look good to our neighbors.
They may look good to the folks we work with. But our best righteousness
is as filthy rags in the sight of Almighty God. Second, we read
that he dwelt among the tombs. He dwelt among the tombs. We
have a cemetery right up the hill from us. It's the best neighbor
you could have because there's nothing there. Nothing but dead
men. Dead men, that's what you find
in the tombs. And that's where this man of
the Gadarenes dwelt. He dwelt among dead men, the
dead men in the tombs. Ephesians 2, 1, and you, Kathy
Quicken, given life, who were dead, dead in trespasses and
sins. Third, he couldn't be bound with
chains. Couldn't be bound with chains.
Several years, I worked in a prison. One thing I learned is that you
can bind men, and you can get them to do just about anything
you want them to do while they're bound. But when those chains
come off, it's a whole different story, isn't it? You can put
a line in a cage, and you can get up right up next to it, and
it won't hurt you. But you take him out of that
cage. A whole different story, isn't it? Religion. Men use religion
to bind men. To bind men. They use the law
to bind men. It doesn't change the heart.
It doesn't change the man. He's still the same man, just
as wicked as he was before. You can clean him up, but you
can't change him. You can't change him. The law
can't change a man. This man of the gatherings, he
could not be bound with chains. No man, no man could bind him. No man, he couldn't do anything
for himself and there was nothing man could do for him. No man
could bind him. And fourth, fourth he'd wear
no clothes. He was naked. He was naked, no
covering. Just as Adam and Eve as they
attempted to cover their nakedness. There's no covering this man.
Nothing to cover him. Well, back to our text. On this day, we read, look at
verse 6. When he saw Jesus afar off, he
ran and he worshipped Him. Listen to that verse. When he
saw Jesus afar off, he ran and he worshipped Him. He saw Him. He saw Jesus. He saw the Lord
Jesus Christ. His eyes were opened. There were other folks around,
but we only read of this man that ran to Him. In Proverbs
20, 12, we read the hearing ear In the same eye, the Lord, He's
made both of them. And when he saw Him, when he
saw the Lord Jesus Christ, he ran and worshipped Him. He saw
Him as one that was mighty to save. He saw Him as one with
power to save. One who's worthy of praise. And
he worshipped Him. Let's read on. In verse 7, cried
with a loud voice and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus,
thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, that thou
torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out
of the man, thou unclean spirit." Now there is a lot written about
this unclean spirit, much of which I'm not going to pretend
to understand or just recite something that I've read somebody
else write. I do know this. I do know this. Just as our Lord displayed his
sovereign power when he calmed the sea, he's going to display
it again right here. Right here. Just as he caused
the winds and the waves to cease and they obeyed, he commands
that spirit to come out of this man. And it's going to come out. It's going to come out. That
evil spirit can do nothing. Nothing. It can't leave the man. It can't go into something else
until Christ gives leave. Turn to Job 1. Look at verse
8 of Job 1. And the Lord said unto Satan,
Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like
him in the earth, perfect, complete, and upright man, one that feareth
God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord
and said, Doth Job fear God, for not? Hast not thou made a
hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he
hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of
his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But
put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, till curse
thee to thy face." And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all
that he hath is in thy power. Only upon himself put not forth
thy hand. So Satan went forth from the
presence of the Lord. Nothing, nothing could be done.
Nothing without God's consent. These devils, they can't even
go into a herd of pigs without God's permission. Back to our
text, verse 9. Let's just read beginning with
verse 9. And he asked him, What is thy
name? And he answered, Say, My name is Legion, for we are many.
And it besought him much that he would not send them away out
of the country. Now there were nine to the mountains,
a great herd of swine feeding, and all the devils besought him,
saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
And forthwith Jesus gave them leave." Again, they can do nothing
without him giving them leave. And the unclean spirit went out
and entered into the swine, and the herd ran violently down a
steep place into the sea. There were about two thousand
and were choked in the sea. They that fed the swine fled,
told it in the city and in the country, and they went out to
see what it was that was done. And here in verse 15, look at
verse 15, we see this man. We see this gathering man after
he saw Jesus. He's a new man. He's a new man. Remember what we read earlier?
He was a man with an unclean spirit. He dwelt, he lived among the
tombs, couldn't be bound with chains. He was naked. Look at verse 15. They come to
Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil. That's the only
name we know him by. Him that was possessed with the
devil and had the legion. sitting, clothed, and in his
right mind. And they were afraid. He's sitting
at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. No chains. Doesn't have to be bound now. He's clothed. Clothed. Turn over to Isaiah 61.10. Isaiah 61, verse 10, I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God, for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation. He
hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom
decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself
with jewels. He has clothed me, clothed me
with the garments of salvation. Covered me. Covered me with the
robe of righteousness. City, he's clothed and he's in
his right mind. In his right mind, he's a new
man. He's a new man. This man that
was once under the dominion of sin and Satan is now washed,
sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Turn with me. to 1 Corinthians 6. Beginning with verse 9, Know
ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate, nor abusers themselves of mankind, nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revelers, nor extortioners, shall
inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you're washed, you're sanctified,
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit
of our God. This wild man that dwelt among
the tombs, this man with an unclean spirit, this man that could not
be bound with ropes or chains, he now sits at the feet of the
Master, a place of submission. He's been turned from darkness
to light. He's been delivered from the
power of sin and Satan, and here he sits. at the feet of our Lord. He no longer desires to dwell
among the tombs. He has a new desire. Fourth,
he has a new desire. And this desire is much different
than that of the others in that country. Look at verse 16 of
our text. And they that saw it told them
how it befell them that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning
the swine. And they began to pray Him to
depart out of their coasts. Instead of marveling at the great
work that had been done, instead of praising Christ and begging
mercy for themselves, they desired that He would depart. We read this portion of Scripture
in this gathering, and we think of His terrible condition. and overlook the rest of the
place. Think of that. They wanted our
Lord to... They were more concerned about
their pigs than they were about the Lord Jesus Christ. And they
asked Him to depart, to go away. More taken up with the things
of this world than the Savior. Over in Luke 8, we read that
the whole multitude of the country, the whole multitude of the country,
ask him to depart, to go away. But not this man. Not this man
that was healed. Not this man to whom the Lord
showed mercy. Listen to his desire. Look at
verse 18. And when he was come into the
ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that
he might be with him, that he might be with Christ. The desire
of the people? Depart. Go away. But this man says, I want to
be with Christ. I want to be with Him. David
said, when my mother and father forsake me, those that are nearer
and dearer to me than anyone on this earth, when they forsake
me, the Lord will take me up. The Lord. He's my shelter. He's my strong tower. He's deliverance. His salvation, I want to be with
Him. I want to be with the Lord. Over
Philippians 1.23, Paul says, I have a desire to depart, to
be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to abide
in the flesh is more needful for you. To be with Him, to have
His presence, to be near Him. have fellowship with him, to
know him as his Savior. Turn over to Philippians 3. Philippians 3, beginning with verse 8. And I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, the knowledge of Christ
Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them but done, that I may win Christ and be found
in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith. that I may know him, and the
power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings
be made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead." I want to be with Christ. Back to our text here. This man,
our Lord speaks to him. He says, howbeit Jesus suffered
him not. But if ye saith unto him, Go
home to thy friends, go home to thy friends, and tell them
how great things the Lord hath done for them, and hath had compassion
on thee." He says, go home. Go home. Go back to your house. Go back
to your family. Maybe it's your mom or dad. Maybe
it's your brothers and sisters. Maybe he had a wife and children.
We don't know. But he says, you go home. You
go home to your friends. And you tell them. You tell them
what great things the Lord's done for you. Go tell it. You know, we'll go tell people.
We'll give them advice on about anything, won't we? We'll tell
them where to go watch a movie. We'll tell them where to go buy
a car. We'll tell them where to go eat,
where to go to school, what they should go to school and do. We've
got advice for everything. See what it says here? He says,
you go tell what great things, great and glorious things the
Lord's done for you. Brother Wayne, he read from there
in John 4, that woman at the well, she went and told the people. She said, come see a man told
me everything I ever did. Later, we read that they came
and they heard. And then later we read that they
said, we believe. Not because of what she told
us. We've heard it ourselves. This is the Christ. This is the
Christ. Go tell what great things, and
we can't miss this, the Lord hath done. The Lord, He's done
it. He's done it. But there be no
confusion about that. These are the great things the
Lord hath done. When He suffered on the cross
for the sins of His people, He did it. He accomplished salvation
for His people. He did it. When God's wrath and
judgment was poured out upon Him, it was poured out upon Him. He suffered in my place. He suffered
in my room instead. We read over in Isaiah, he said,
I've trodden the winepress alone, and of the people, there was
none to help. He did it all. He did it all,
and he keeps and preserves his people, and we make no contribution. We make no contribution. It was
Christ. It was Christ that shed his blood
for the sins of his people. And he says, go tell what he's
done for you. It's personal, isn't it? He did this. He did it for me. He did it for
me. This man of the Gadarenes, he
says, Christ says, go and tell what great things the Lord hath
done for thee. Well, consider this. He cast
out all evil. He took away my sin. That man
of the Gadarenes, he could have said that. He cast out all evil.
He took away my sin. He brought me to Himself. By
the Spirit of God, He brought me to Himself. I'd run around
naked in the cemetery. He came to me. He brought me
to Himself. I was naked. And He clothed me. He clothed me in His righteousness.
He washed me in His own blood. cleansed me from all sin, and
clothed me in His perfect righteousness. He brought me to the city of
His feet. He did it. He did it. To rest. To rest, knowing that
the work's finished. That He's done it. He saved me. And now I'm safe and secure. by His grace in Him, in Him. Go tell what great things the
Lord hath done for thee. Well, let's read on here. Go tell what great things the
Lord hath done for thee and hath had compassion. He had compassion. No merit in me. Nothing in me
that would deserve these things. He had compassion. Romans 9,
15, I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I'll have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. It's all his work. Look at verse
20. And we'll finish here. And he departed. What did he
do? And he began to publish in Decapolis
how great things Jesus had done for him. And all men did marvel. All men did marvel. Well, consider
what great things the Lord, what He did for this man, He did for
us. He's done for us. May He be pleased to bless our
hearts from His Word. and calls us, give us desire
to go and tell what great things He's done for us and had compassion
on us.