Tag 4 Cry From Tombs (1)

Americans spent over a billion dollars on costumes representing evil, death, the devil, sensuality, and other nefarious things, all in the name of fun.

Yet what they don't realize is that this dark underworld considered by most to be only fantasy is real!

The story we just read presents a real-life Halloween complete with authentic evil spirits and scary happenings enough to put Friday 13th to shame!

Here we have a man utterly bound and tormented by the supernatural forces of darkness.

He is the poster boy for what the devil would do with each of us if he could.

We don't know how he came under such terrible demonic possession, But...

I. The Bible gives a blow by blow description of what it looked like...and it's very unpleasant to read...

FIRST, he dwelt among the tombs---This poor man was preoccupied with death.

In those days there were no tombstones bearing the names of the deceased with nice things about them chiseled into the stone.

Instead, there were holes or caves in the sides of mountains where the dead were laid.

There they decayed and wasted away, and this is where our demon possessed man spent his time.

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SECOND, he had supernatural strength.

When the townspeople tried to restrain him by shackling him with chains, he had broken the chains into pieces as if they were made of PAPER MACHE!

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THIRD, he could not rest.

We're told that "night and day" he was in the mountains and in the tombs "crying out."

The phrase "crying out" is from a Greek word used to describe, "a raven's piercing cry;" It means "to cry out loudly with an urgent scream or shriek..."

So, if you had been outside on any given night you may have been startled to hear the distant, tormented shrieks of this man piercing the darkness.

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FOURTH, he had no self-control.

The gospel of Luke tells us he was "driven by the demon into the wilderness..."

The word "driven" is from a word used to describe the way a ship is helplessly driven by a fierce wind where it doesn't want to go--driven out to sea, or driven against the rocks and destroyed.

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FIFTH, he was self-destructive.

The Bible records that as he cried out, he "cut himself with stones."

Any time you see a person involved in a self-destructive lifestyle, you can bet the devil has some level of influence over them.

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SIXTH, he was indecent and obscene.

Luke tells us "he wore no clothes" and hadn't done so "for a long time." This torment of his had apparently been going on for years, and over time he had lost all sense of morality, propriety, and normal shame.

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SEVENTH, Matthew's gospel informs us that he was very violent.

He is described as "exceedingly fierce," so much so that no one dared pass by the graveyard where he stayed, lest they be attacked.

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And EIGHTH, when Jesus demanded the name of the spirit tormenting him, the reply was "we are legion." A legion could range anywhere from three to thousands.

So this poor man had multiple evil spirits tormenting and destroying him.

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So there you have it! Our demon possessed man of Gadara was---Fascinated with death, supernaturally strong, unable to rest, had no self-control, was self-destructive, obscene, and violent...

This man with multiple demons had an existence that is impossible to imagine.

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Now, it's important to remember that...

II. He wasn't always this way.

Following his deliverance, Jesus told him to "go home to your friends and tell them what I did for you."

So....He had a house, he had friends; and having these things it is highly likely he had a wife who had witnessed his awful transformation into someone she didn't recognize...

And having a wife, he likely had children who had witnessed the same thing.

It had finally reached the place where he could no longer stay in the house, and was driven from home and hearth into a life of pure hell.

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Perhaps you know someone like this!

Due to a radical, personal transformation, they are no longer the person you once knew.

Alcohol, drugs, involvement in some cult, whatever the cause...

Their life has careened out of control, and now they live among the dead--among the lost of this world--in a self-destructive life style, and they need Jesus just like this man did!

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I can easily imagine this man's wife bowed in prayer at night saying, "Dear God, please help my husband..."

I can imagine his children getting on their knees as he roamed the graveyard just outside town and praying, "God, please help my daddy..."

His friends prayed as well, "Oh God, help him; We don't what has happened, but please do something."

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And you know what?

III. God heard those prayers!

As all this was going on, we see Jesus way on the other side of the sea teaching the multitudes and performing miracles when suddenly He changes direction.

Without any warning He commands His disciples, "Get into the boat and let's cross over to the other side" (Luke 8:22).

The other side was the town of Gadara...

The other side was where this poor man cried out in torment...

The other side is where the prayers of loved ones had come from that reached the throne room of heaven!

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I believe Jesus, being God, heard the cries coming from Gadara and that's what brought Him there!

We should look at this and realize that when we cry out for a loved one, Jesus hears that cry!

And when someone bound by the devil cries out for help, Jesus hears that cry!

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I wonder how many here today cried out to heaven even last night for help!

I wonder how many listening by radio or watching from our website have already cried out to God today for deliverance, for healing, for relief from some unbearable situation!

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We don't have time today to look at how a great storm arose against the ship The Lord and His disciples were in as they headed for Gadara, And how it is usually just before a great victory that storms arise to stop our miracle...

But The Lord Jesus was more than a match for the storm that rose against them!

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Now, We see that as soon as Jesus stepped off the boat.....

IV. This man, all bruised and bloodied, naked and wild, ran toward Him.

"When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran up to Him, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, 'What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me" (Luke 8:28).

This was not the man talking, but the evil spirits within him were speaking out.

Nor was this was one man meeting another man...

This was light confronting darkness, truth confronting a lie, the kingdom of God confronting the kingdom of Satan....

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I want you to notice that these demons knew exactly who Jesus was!

They called Him "Jesus, Son of the Most High God!"

Though this man had never met Jesus, the spirits operating in his life knew His name!

And look what they knew about The Lord...They knew that it would be He, Jesus, Who would one day cast them into the pit of Hell!

"Have you come to torment us before the time?" they asked.

Before what time? Before the time when they will be eternally judged by Christ Jesus who will one day say to people who rejected His offer of salvation....

Matthew 25:41 “Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.”

These demons in Matthew 8:29 are admitting that a time is set for their torment.

They're not fighting in hope of a possible victory; They fight to drag as many human beings as they can down with them!

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Amazingly, these demon spirits make a prayer of sorts to Jesus...

The evil spirits "begged Him, saying, 'Send us to the swine, that we may enter them'" (Mark 5:12).

"Immediately the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea" (5:13).

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Stunned by what had happened, those whose job it was to feed the pigs ran into town, broadcast what they had seen, and the owners of the swine along with all the townspeople ran out to the spot....

And what did they see?

A set free man! Notice how this once pitiful man is described...

"Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion...

SITTING--no longer frantic, no longer unable to rest, no longer running wildly through the mountains and tombs, but sitting.

This describes not just his posture, but a disposition--he had peace!

CLOTHED--his shameful, indecent lifestyle was gone. He was clothed, which signifies restored morality with a sense of decency. And...

IN HIS RIGHT MIND--He who had been insane was now SANE.

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The story closes with two prayers made to Jesus--one sad, the other glad..

First, the sad prayer. The businessmen and townspeople prayed that Jesus would go away--"Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region" (5:17).

Watch this--they chose business, money, and swine over the presence of the Son of God----Much like America is doing today!

Jesus answered their prayer..."He got back into His boat...and sailed away..."

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The second prayer was from the delivered man; "...he who had been demon possessed begged Him that he might be with Him..." (vs.18)

Jesus answered, but not with what the man wanted to hear...

"Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things The Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you" (vs. 19).

This set free man did exactly what Jesus commanded...

"And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all MARVELED!" (vs.20)

Decapolis was a region of TEN CITIES.....This man took his testimony of deliverance to TEN CITIES and many believed on The Lord!

LET'S PRAY

Are you tormented today?

Do you need deliverance?

Is your life out of control?

Does something drive you against the rocks of destruction against your will?

And for the rest of us, let's do what Jesus told this man to do..."Go home and tell your friends!"

Do you have an untamed spirit today? An untamed heart? An untamed life? An untamed mind? If so, come running to meet Jesus, knowing that He will answer your every need, that He will forgive your every sin, that He can wipe away your every tear and that He can heal your broken heart.

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