Mark 5:1-20
THE MANIAC WHO BECAME A MESSENGER
Intro: Jacob Koshy grew up in Singapore with one
driving ambition: to be a success in life, to gain all the
money and possessions he could. That led him into the
world of drugs and gambling, and eventually he became
the lord of an international smuggling network. In 1980,
he was arrested and placed in a government drug
rehabilitation prison in Singapore.
He was frustrated beyond endurance. All his goals,
purposes, dreams, and ambitions were locked up with
him in a tiny cell, and his heart was full of a cold
emptiness.
He was a smoker, and cigarettes weren't allowed in
the center. Instead, he smuggled in tobacco and rolled
it in the pages of a Gideon Bible. One day he fell asleep
while smoking. He awoke to find that the cigarette had
burned out, and all that remained was a scrap of
charred paper. He unrolled it and read what was
written: "Saul, Saul, Why do you persecute me?"
Jacob asked for another Bible and read the entire
story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. He suddenly
realized that if God could help someone like Saul, God
could help him, too. There in his cell he knelt and
prayed, asking Christ to come into his life and change
him. He began crying and couldn't stop. The tears of a
wasted life washed away his pain, and God redeemed
him. He started sharing his story with the other
prisoners, and as soon as he was released he became
involved in a church. He met a Christian woman,
married, and is now a missionary in the Far East where
he tells people far and wide, "Who would have believed
that I could find the truth by smoking the Word of God?"
N our text, we are presented with a man who had no
ambition in life. He was lost in his sins and was headed
to Hell. Until Jesus intervened. On the way to Gadara,
Jesus has demonstrated His power of nature by
calming the sea. Now, He will demonstrate His power
of sin and Satan by claiming a sinner. Allow me to
share with you the story of The Maniac Who Became
A Messenger.
I. V. 1-7 THE MAN'S CONDITION
A. V. 3 His Home - This man lived his life among
the dead. He was a sad, lonely, hurting, longing,
unloved, unwanted individual. His was a tragic
existence!
(Ill. He is a picture of that person who is
separated from God be the gulf of sin - Eph. 2:8-9; Eph. 2:12; Col. 1:21.)
B. V. 3-5 His Helplessness - He is a man who is
out of control. Others had tried to intervene in
his life, but to no avail. His passions were
stronger than his ability to control them. No man
could change him. He was a man sold under the
influence of the evil in his life. (Ill. Again, he is a
picture of that lost person who is out of control
and under the strong influence of sin, Eph. 2:2-3. Though people who care try to intervene in
their lives, it does no good, but only creates
resentment and rebellion in the life of the person
they are trying to help.)
(Ill. That doesn't mean we should not pray, care
or reach out to them, but we should not take it
personally when they reject our efforts. Lost
men are just what they are until Jesus changes
them by His power!)
C. V. 5 His Hopelessness - Notice that his torment
was continual. Day and night he cried out. Day
and night he was in that place of isolation. Day
and night he did his best to injure and harm
himself. What a pathetic scene is painted by
Mark concerning this man and his lost condition.
Surely he wanted a different life, but he was
absolutely powerless to accomplish that by
himself.
(Ill. So it is with the lost man. He may not
understand why he is driven to drink, use drugs,
curse, or whatever it is that he does. It is a
lifestyle that he becomes so hopelessly trapped
in that he is unable to free himself. He literally
becomes a prisoner of his own vices. Every day
brings with it more of the same pain and
suffering. Every day drives the wedge between
himself and God deeper and deeper. He has no
way to free himself. Every day his torment
grows. Every day, like a man struggling with
quicksand, he falls deeper and deeper into his
pit of isolation, wretchedness and entrapment.)
D. V. 6-7 His Helper - He needs someone to
rescue him. He needs someone to do for him
that which he cannot do for himself. He needs
someone to reach farther down than he can
reach up! One day a boat lands just outside the
graveyard. This tormented man doesn't know
the occupants of that boat, but the demons who
live within him do, James 2:19. He finds himself
at the feet of the only One in the universe Who
could help! Thank God that Jesus wasn't
content to leave that man to wallow in his
wretched condition! Thank God Jesus crossed
that sea, through that storm, just to reach this
one, solitary individual. (Note: Jesus did nothing
else while He was here! He came just for this
man!)
(Ill. Thank God, that the Lord is not willing that
any should perish, 2 Pet. 3:9. But, He comes to
where we are and calls us to come to Him, John
6:44. He enters the squalor of our sin because
He knows that we cannot get to Him on our own.
Praise God for the Lord Jesus Christ Who loves
sinners, comes to where that are trapped in their
sins and offers them a way out! In the midst of
Job's trial, he declared his need for a Daysman,
Job 9:33. He was looking for one who would
stand between him and the Lord, join his hands
with theirs and bring them together. This is just
what Jesus has done for every sinner who will
come to Him. On the cross, Jesus was our
Daysman. He took fallen humanity in one hand
and He took a holy God in the other, and He
brought them together in Himself, Eph. 2:14-16.)
I. The Man's Condition
II. V. 8-17 THE MAN'S CONVERSION
A. V. 8-10 It Was Divine - That which this man, nor
anyone else could do, was accomplished by the
Lord Jesus Christ. One word from Jesus and
this man was free. He was forever changed by
the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we will
see in a moment, his life was totally and radically
changed.
(Ill. You see friends, it is Jesus that makes all the
difference in life! A person is saved solely by
trusting the Lord Jesus Christ. When we place
our faith in Him for salvation, we are saved. It is
a gift of pure grace, Eph. 2:8-9. There is no way
to earn it by works. There is no way to secure it
by religion. The only way to get it is by faith,
Acts 16:31.)
(Ill. This is the kind of thing that happens when
Jesus passes by! Remember, this seems to be
the only reason Jesus came to this side of the
lake. He came so that one man might be saved
by the grace of God. Oh, but what a difference
it makes when Jesus passes by! Just ask:
1. The woman at the well - John 4 (Ill. "Must
needs go")
2. Bartimaeus - Matt. 10:46-52
3. Woman with issue of blood - Luke 8:43-48
4. Lame man at Pool of Bethesda - John 5:1-9
5. The Leper - Mark 1:40-45
6. The Blind man - John 9:1-38
7. Saul of Tarsus - Acts 9:1-9
8. The Disciples - Matt. 4:18-22
9. Lazarus - John 11:1-44
10. Me - May 23, 1983! (Ill. It wasn't as dramatic
as some of those others, but it made the
difference when Jesus passed by where I
was!)
B. V. 11-14 It Was Dramatic - These verse tell us
that those demons left that man, entered a herd
of 2,000 swine, drowned the swine and left!
That's pretty dramatic conversion! Fact is, I've
never seen on quite that dramatic! It grabbed
their attention! It caused a stir. Those who saw
it ran to tell the news!)
(Ill. That's the way salvation is! Anytime it
occurs, it is dramatic! A life is changed! Hell is
robbed of another victim! Death is cheated!
Satan loses another battle! God is glorified!
There is rejoicing in Heaven! A sinner is forever
redeemed, changed and made a member of the
family of God! That's pretty dramatic! Swine
may not die by the thousands when a sinner
repents, but greater miracles than that take
place in the heart, life and future of that
individual. When Jesus moves into a place and
starts redeeming sinners, word will get out about
it! It's dramatic! It's exciting!)
(Ill. Nothing is more dramatic that what happens
is the life of a person who trusts Jesus. That old,
dead sinner is made alive in Jesus and becomes
a brand new creation, 2 Cor. 5:17. They get
new life, a new family, total forgiveness of their
past and future, deliverance from the prison of
sin and a home in Heaven when they leave this
world. That's pretty dramatic!)
C. V. 15-17 It Was Definite - When those who ran
to town to tell about what had happened
returned with the townspeople, they were
greeted by an amazing sight: that wild,
uncontrollable demoniac was just sitting there
looking around with a big smile on his face. He
wasn't crying out! He wasn't hurting himself! He
wasn't naked. He was just sitting there,
fellowshipping with Jesus, acting as if he was as
normal as anyone else! There was no mistaking
the fact that something big had happened!
(Note: What they observed about this man is a
picture of what happens when a person comes
to faith in Jesus Christ. Notice what they
observed concerning him.)
1. He Was Calmed - He is sitting. Peace has
replaced torment. Instead of being driven
about by the demons and desires of his flesh,
he is just sitting there as calm as can be.
(Ill. This is what Jesus does for those who
trust Him. He takes their torment and turns it
into peace. All the oppressions and
obsessions are replaced with a peace that
passes all understanding. Peace for the
saint is the promise of Jesus, John 14:27.)
2. He Was Clothed - Even if they hadn't noticed
how calmly he was sitting there, surely they
noticed the fact that he was no longer nude.
The work Christ had done on the inside of
this man, produced changes on the outside
of him as well.
(Ill. So it is when a person comes to faith in
Jesus. The outer appearance and manner of
life will conform itself to the new inner life
created by Jesus. In other words, when you
get right with God in your heart, it will change
the way you act, look and live! Your desires
will change! Your appetites will change! You
sense of right and wrong will change! You will
prove the reality of your salvation by the way
you live your new life! As I have already
said, you will become a new creature, 2 Cor.
5:17.)
3. He Was Controlled - Now they see that he is
in his right mind. He is no longer out of
control, driven about by the power of the
demonic forces within. Now, he is completely
sane and in the possession of a rational
mind! What a difference!
(Ill. This is just what happens when a sinner
comes to faith in Jesus! Their heart is
changed. Their outward man is changed.
Their mind is changed as well. You see,
when a person is born again, a new "Spirit"
takes over in that person's life. At the instant
of conversion, the Holy Spirit takes up
residence in the saved person's life. He is
there to guide, John 16:13; to comfort, John
14:16-18; to teach, John 14:26. He begins
a process that results, over time, in the
"renewing of our minds.", Rom. 12:2. That
is, He helps us to come to think about things
like God thinks about them. Instead of
filtering everything through our own wicked
set of filters, where everything is seen from
the vantage point of personal advantage or
self-indulgence, He teaches us to see things
from God's perspective. We learn to look at
life through God's eyes. When this occurs,
we are saved from much grief, pain and
sorrow. When this occurs, we are growing
strong in the Lord. When this occurs, we are
finally in our right minds. It is a long process,
but I am thankful that he Lord doesn't give up
on us!)
I. The Man's Condition
II. The Man's Conversion
III. V. 18-20 THE MAN'S COMMISSION
(Ill. There isn't a single one of us that God saved to
do nothing, Eph. 2:10. In fact, one of the surest
evidences of the reality of your salvation experience
is a desire to be active in the Lord's work. We see
this truth manifested in the life of this newly
converted man.)
A. V. 18 The Man's Wish - This man wanted
nothing more than to be with Jesus. Look at all
Jesus had done for him! It is no wonder that he
wants to be in the presence of the Lord.
(Ill. From a human point of view nothing says as
much about your love for Jesus and the reality of
your salvation that does a burning desire to be
near Jesus. The things of God are precious to
those who love Him. His Word is a treasure
chest to be explored and enjoyed. His worship
is an event that must not be missed. His songs
are precious because they afford us the privilege
of lifting our voice in praise to Him. His House is
a special place for which our hearts yearn. His
presence is delightful and eagerly sought as one
passes through life. The redeemed soul just
wants to be with Jesus and nothing more. Is that
the burden of your heart? Is being near Him the
deepest longing of your soul? Oh, those who
are redeemed, as in a close relationship, know
the bliss of a few moments spent with Him!
What a Savior! After all He has done for us, how
could we not want to be near Him?)
B. V. 19 The Master's Will - While surely the Lord
was thrilled by the man's love, Jesus knew there
were others who needed to hear what God had
done for this man. Therefore, Jesus sends him
home with the instructions to tell others what the
Lord had done for him. He was to give his
testimony and tell the lost that he had been
found. He was to tell the captives that there was
freedom in Jesus! He was to tell the wounded
that there was balm in Gilead. He was to bear
the good news of salvation to a lost and dying
world.
(Ill. By the way, this is still the Lord's desire for
every redeemed person in the world today! If
you are saved, you have a story to tell! It is a
story of a person who was hopeless and
helpless until Jesus came by and made the
difference! Jesus wants you to tell someone
else about what He has done for you, Matt.
28:19-20; Mark 16:15. Haggai 2:19 asks this
question, "Is the seed yet in the barn?"
Friends, it cannot grow until it is sown into the
fields. Jesus told His disciples to "cast their
nets." Why? He knows that a net lying in the
ship can enclose no fish! Who will sow the
seed? Who will cast the net? Who will come
before God today and surrender to tell a world
about Jesus? As the Lord asked in Isaiah 6,
"Who will go for us?")
C. V. 20 The Man's Work - When this redeemed
man heard the will of the Lord for his life, he did
not hesitate. He arose and returned home and
began to preach the good news of salvation
through the Lord Jesus Christ. This man proved
his conversion by obedience to the will of God
for his life, John 14:15; 21. He simply did what
the Lord commanded without question. What an
example!
(Ill. Remember what James said: "Yea, a man
may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works:
shew me thy faith without thy works, and I
will shew thee my faith by my works.", James
2:18. Nothing proves love for Jesus any more
clearly than a life that just jumps to do the Lord's
will. Can the Lord count on you? If Jesus has
made the difference He can!)
Conc: On one occasion, while traveling in the West,
Evangelist "Uncle" John Vasser visited the home of a
praying wife whose husband was an infidel. She
begged for a Bible, and Vassar, giving her one, went his
way. He had no sooner left when the husband, coming
home, saw the book and was enraged. Seizing the
Bible with one hand and the ax with the other, he
hurried to the wood-pile where he placed it on the
chopping block and hacked it crosswise in two.
Returning to the house, he threw half of the destroyed
Bible at his wife, saying, "As you claim a part of all the
property around here, there is your share of this."
The other half he tossed into his tool shed. Months
later on a wet winter's day, the man, wanting to get
away from his Christian wife, retreated to his shed. The
time passed slowly, and in boredom he looked around
for something to read. Thumbing through the mutilated
Bible, his attention was caught by the story of the
prodigal son in Luke 15. He became absorbed in the
parable only to discover that its ending belonged to his
wife's section. He crept into the house and secretly
searched for the bottom half of the book, but was
unable to find where his wife had hidden it.
Finally he broke down, asked her for it, and read the
story again and again. In the process he came to the
Heavenly Father like a penitent prodigal returning
home.
That's the difference Jesus makes in every life He
touches. Has He made the difference in you?
