In this sermon, we’ll remember how God has had mercy on us, and then we’ll go to tell the story. We’ll consider Mark 5:18-20.
Matchless #3 - A Scary Power
That’s what they saw when the whole town ran out to see what had happened out there on the cliffs. Then, the story was told. Perhaps, they told the story with staggered sentences and short-word gasps. Demons. Pigs. Cliff. Sea of Galilee. Look!
How would you respond? What emotions or thoughts would rush through your mind as you gazed out at the pigs floating in the Sea and the man sitting there, dressed and in his right mind?
This man was a peace and just glad to be with Jesus. He would follow Jesus to the moon. But the rest of the people had other thoughts. They were afraid and wanted Jesus to go.
What about you? Jesus is God in the flesh. They saw his divinity peeking from beneath his skin, and it scared them.
Today, we’ll consider the various reactions to God-in-the-flesh and to Jesus-with-skin-on (the church). We draw near to him like beggars. A sermon Mark 5:14-20.
Matchless #2 - The Stronger Man
It’s easy for us to forget where we live. But I’m not talking about your address. I hope that you remember the location of the place where you lay your head at night. I’m talking about this world and what faces us in this world. It’s easy to forget that we live in a world where the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. He is up to mischief and harm and murder and lies. We are his desired victim.
It’s good for us to remember this, to remember where we live.
More than that, we should know and be aware of his schemes and deceits. And that is exactly what we’ll do this weekend as we keep on wrestling with Mark 5:1-20. The sermon will be a military brief about the Enemy - his character and his tactics. It will be about our strength (or lack thereof). It will be about our Captain, our Savior Jesus, the right Man who is on our side.
Matchless #1 - Demons? Really?
So much is going on all around us. Most of it is easy to explain as physical problems. But what if there were more going on than we can see? What if there was a spiritual component to everything? The apostle Paul assures us that there is a spiritual component to everything. He reminds us that “our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against… powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6.12). Sometimes those spiritual forces inhabit and possess a person. We see it clearly in the Scriptures, but does it still happen today? Over the next month, we’ll spend our time in Mark 5:1-20, considering demon possession and spiritual warfare. More than that, we will fix our eyes on Jesus, the stronger man who has tied up the strong man (cf. Mark 3:27). A sermon on Mark 5:1-13.