The Maniac (Part A)

Wickedness is wickedness and is going to do what it does. And here we are seeing it happen. I am for you by God that you do not torment me will gave you the idea that he's like torment you understanding is high, holy and clean you are not. They did not care that they were tormenting the man. Yet they wanted to be shielded from such agonies, such as evil, such are evil people. They want mercy, they just don't want to give any of it off. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick in the gospel of Mark chapter 5 with a brand-new study called the maniac Mark's gospel chapter 5 will take verses one through 20 beginning in verse one. Then they came to the other side of the sea in the country of the Gadarenes and when he had come out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit who had his dwelling among the tombs.

No one could bind him, not even with chains because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. The chains had been pulled apart by him in the shackles broken in pieces. Neither could anyone tame him and always night and day.

He was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him and cried out with a loud voice said, what have I to do with you, Jesus, son of the most high God, I implore you by God that you do not torment me for he said to him, come out, of the man, unclean spirit. Then he asked him what is your name and he answered, saying, my name is Legion we are many. Also he begged him earnestly that he would not send them out of the country. A large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains so all the demons begged him, saying, send us to the swine, that we may enter them in at once Jesus gave them permission.

Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine. There were about 2000, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea and drowned in the sea, so those who fed the swine fled the toll within the city in the country and they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus and saw the one who had been demon possessed and had the Legion sitting and clothed in his right mind, they were afraid those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon possessed, and about the swine.

Then they began to plead with him to depart from their region.

When he got into the boat you had been demon possessed begged him that he might be with him.

However, Jesus did not permit him but said to him, go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord is done for you, and how he has had compassion on you and he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him and all bottled in preparation I said no. Maybe I can reach us. 10 of the verses and the Lord said read it all storms which are subject to Christ was the last event we read in chapter 4, and it's directly linked to what we getting here in chapter 5 Jesus had been in Capernaum. He had been teaching and preaching parables, and he said to his disciples. Let's get into the boat and there they sailed across the sea of Galilee, about 6 miles or so to get the arrow where they now are, and Christ as King.

He is Lord is Lord over storms is Lord over demons. He is Lord over death. These were hung over disease. Everything has a plan and is working it out, and so here they go through that Rachel storm that goes straight line. The wind that hit the boats they survived it because he stood up and he said, peace be still.

He told the storm to be muzzled and have to do that.

He could've just willed it into submission, but he stood and did it in front of his disciples so that they would know that they were in the presence of one who was greater than any profit that they ever read about and that effect is just what happened. Because at the end they were single. Could this be the commands the weather was so much going on because the air they survived the storm, are they going to survive this maniac that is the title of this morning's message. The maniac I think there are lessons for all of us. There are limited amount of information given to us, but is sufficient concerning the demons that are being faced here and remember there were other little boats with him is not just the boat with Jesus and his apostles but other believers had tagalong so in this fifth chapter after the storm on the sea. We have this encounter with the demons. Then we have the woman with the disease, and finally the child that had died, demons, disease and death and storms very terrorists that mankind is faced with in each of these four events for the storm to the raising of the child. Desperate souls were driven in distress to Jesus Christ. Remember the last chapter, master do you care that we carry state they here he was sleeping on a pillow and they woke him up in the middle of the storm now is faced with the demon. One of the lessons that comes out of this fifth chapter is that a demonic soul is recoverable in Christ that a disease individual is curable in Christ and that the dead can rise again because of Christ.

These are the lessons we look for because we need all the help we can get to build up the spiritual man to look beyond the things of this world and remember we serve an eternal King, not on a temporary throne somewhere on earth is on the throne of heaven over the earth. So here I maniac that he is faced with is the a dictionary's definition of a maniac.

A person exhibiting extreme symptoms of wild behavior, especially when violent and dangerous Matthew in his account of the same event says in Matthew chapter 8 that this man was exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass by was violent and dangerous. That Matthew mentions there were two of them was a tagalong with this. There was one that was the primary upkeep assented to the one that Jesus is centered on here and Mark understanding that by the time he was done.

Both men were in their right minds that we look at verse one. Then they came to the other side of the seed to the country of the Gadarenes of this other side is Decapolis. As we get at the end of this chapter primarily non-Jewish people are on this side at this time in the history of Israel and so you know you look at the storm. They survived the storm and now this soon as they get out of the boat. The maniac could see them coming and so he rules rushing at them. My feelings were that if I were in the boat and I saw maniac coming towards me. I grabbed one of the oars I'd sell it as quickly as possible, not the style of our Lord not necessary with him. They again survived the storm and Mark says immediately as all great soon as we come ashore is another threat.

Another problem such as life you get through one storm and there's something crazy waiting for you after it. Christ is expecting you with him to make it through verse two and when he had come out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. So from the crazy weather to the crazy man the disciples of faced with both on purpose. Christ is intentionally doing this and he's doing it in front of them and he has a plan for more souls to be ministered to by what he is doing than just those that are with him that comes out in the story to just these 20 verses this intentional arrival at this shore for this man, not the first time Christ did in John's gospel we read in chapter 4 it says he needed to go through Samaria, not some area Samaria and he needed to go through that area because it was a woman who's going to be at the well and Christ was going to reach her and that he did and he did not stop there. He reached the whole village through her. This is going to be a little different to reach this one maniac but the village will not come along with him. In fact, the village will chase away as we just read moments ago, but this is deliberate and he comes to meet this hopeless man as he met the woman because he's giving them a chance. He gave the seminarians in their village a chance and he is giving these people in the Decapolis region a chance getting ahead of myself as an interesting part.

They blow this. Most of them but he's coming back again twice more.

At least he comes back to the compass.

He doesn't give us just one chance to get it right gives us many chances in verse three. Speaking about the maniac he says who had his dwelling among the tombs and no one could bind him, not even with chains because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. The chains had been pulled apart by him shackles broken in pieces. Neither could anyone tame. Maybe somebody is offended at the man was a maniac. What would you like to call him a gerbil.

I mean, this is serious stuff in this trying to constantly water down were to get away from what they mean is not helpful. I said in the way to insult. Getting to the fact this man was destabilized in a very drastic way was a little crazy was big crazy is dangerous. He was a menace not only to others and to himself. He had the wrong kind of reputation. This is the kind of reputation you don't want in life. Luke adds this, he was kept under guard. That's before he broke away to the tombs because again he was a big problem for everyone else beyond human help couldn't help himself.

In fact, he was hurting himself nowadays. They tried therapy and they try drugs on cases such as this. At best they can stabilize the individual through the drugs they cannot deliver them. This is outright demon possession and man does not have a physical solution to spiritual demon possession.

There's a spiritual element introduced into the mind that only God can deal with and that is what we are learning from this and how God does deal with it through his people through his work, but it is a very serious thing and there are heightened times in history where the demon possession is ramped up. It seems from reading in Scripture.

But, look at history and you wonder you scratch your head is at the edges shifts from place to place in its intensity from time to time, but it always seems to be here somewhere here about some of the atrocities committed just saying of some of the other countries of the world and you just say that's not human that's demonic, even bad people do not go to that extreme. There are devils there are those that are spiritual. They are active and the Bible is not apologizing for does makes no attempt to covering it up. In fact, it brings it to the surface to deal with it doesn't tell us all we want to know about them because we don't need to know all that there is about what we need to know is what Scripture tells us it is sufficient.

We don't read about the disciples, then pulling Jesus aside and say get some more details about these demons. Yet after Christ ascends to heaven. The apostles themselves are dealing with these demons.

Verse five and always, night and day. He was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

That's an odd thing that if today somebody is spiritually possessed that to say that there spiritually possessed is somehow an insult or you know, mean-spirited that they can only be diagnosed that can give fancy titles to elements without cures of the world of psychology and psychiatry, they got a bunch of titles for everything.

I don't think they've got many solutions while the world's gonna have some response to these things of the don't have Christ in the mercy of God is given them something to dress it, but why hurt himself. Zero love going on there. Would demons do the demons themselves are out of their mind anyone here wanting to hurt themselves want to hurt yourself.

Can you just skip that step. Can you just skip the step of hurting yourself and line up with Christ and be useful because to him, everything is there for you to be useful to him.

It's your choice.

Satan wants you to hurt yourself wants churches to hurt themselves. He hates humanity. Christ loves humanity.

These self inflicted wounds.

They could be seen by everybody that was in the boat that day that came ashore sure to watch what was going on scary monuments on his body to the work of Satan in the fall of man. How do we know everybody could see them.

Luke tells us in Luke chapter 8 in his account parallel account, and he wore no clothes.

Luke 827 verse six when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him. Just a glimpse at the son of God, just a glimpse of him demanded submission demanded from created beings. The man who is now monster like sees Christ and bows before him because every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess, and this, in microcosm is a picture of all humanity. In the end will bow to Christ, some to benefit others not. They were not free to ignore him and they were not free to escape from him. They were compelled by forces greater than themselves or I should say a force greater than themselves to come and bow down before him and that force was his divinity who he was. Even in his humanity and never let go of his divinity. So the man with demons inside was now bowing before Jesus Christ in front of everybody and the translators taking the words from the Greek are very clear that he came to Christ and he worshiped him. Now the Jehovah's Witnesses in their watchtower renderings or corruptions of the Scripture like to change that word because they do not want anyone to think that Christ is worthy of worship because that would put him on the level with God the father, but you can't edit it out because it's illustrated in so many other ways even just when you get to the book of Revelation towards the end start speeds but telling us about the Lamb of God. He puts him on the same level of God the father because he is equal with the father, not counting it robbery well inside this man was a soul ready to be freed. Christ knew it but there are those that are not ever ready to be freed in less horrid conditions. Some are not. Demon possessed want to be free from their own carnality from their self from the world. This man, he's not scoffing. The man inside their multiple personalities here there is the man in the news, the personality of over 2000 demons that seem to have a spokesman does not a human being on earth that could deal with something like this, not without God's body is mentioned covered with scars self-inflicted wounds that he had acquired over a period of time. His hair, his beard likely matted and dirty and feel what a sight just to look into his eyes. If any of you ever been let her know you might have seen elsewhere, but I know you'll see it in the big cities you will see demon possessed because bride subways New York City.

I don't mean the commuters.

I mean there are people living in the subways that aren't behaving like human beings. And you can see some of this in the some of the cities in this country.

I think more easily than you can see them elsewhere. Verse seven and he cried out with a loud voice and said what have I to do with you, Jesus, son of the most high. I implore you by God that you do not torment me who's talking here demons overruling the man the host at this moment is a war. This is intense conflict inside so the demon is saying when he says he cried aloud was what have I to do with you, Jesus, son of the most high God.

Is this why are you bothering me.

I'm not bothering you sassy little punk you are bothering the Lord by bothering humanity. God is not indifferent to these things and so they were yeah they were bothering fact evil spirits who appear in the New Testament. They make no mistake about the person of Christ I know who he is. That mistake is reserved for humans who enjoy scoffing at the Lord pretend that he is not who he says he is, but the demons knew who he was.

We covered this in chapter 1, and now recovering it again, but hear the voice of the evil one confesses Christ to be the son of the most high, that is linked to Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar had become so full of himself he was going crazy and didn't even know it has this dream. Daniel comes in and explains it to him since you're the one going to go nuts what you going to be restored, but within that dream. Daniel chapters for over 17 we read what Nebuchadnezzar heard in order that the living may know that the most high rules in the kingdom of men gives it to whomever he will. God is most high is sovereign and his people must learn to be content with that other Christians before us have suffered and died. Horrid deaths attached to that understanding, refusing to let go. Looking beyond this life talks about in Hebrews chapter 11 the world wasn't worthy of these people.

It says in chapter 11 and so the demons call him the son of the most high, putting him equal with God the father and without hesitation, after they say this, you know, why have you come to us to some those high without hesitation. They slander him accuse him of being a tormentor.

They can help themselves.

Wickedness is wickedness and is going to do what it does.

And here we are seeing it happen. I implore you by God that you do not torment me will what gave you the idea that he's good torment you understanding that he is high and holy and clean and you are not.

They did not care that they were tormenting the man.

Yet they wanted to be shielded from such agonies, such as evil, such are evil people. They want mercy, they just don't want to give any of it up they will accuse the innocent of the guilty things that they are doing. I know I'm not going. I'm trying not to go into the immuno news media and all of the rest of the wind.

That group of liars and treacherous treasonous is the word I want. Verse 84 he said to him, Christ speaking now come out of the man of unclean spirit, and again Scripture makes no effort to hide the fact that evil spirits exist and that they target human beings and inhabit them and create such a disaster as this. We don't know how the man got into this condition were not told, it really is not relevant, except we can say observation collective observation over the centuries that dipping and dabbing in the rock cult. Your cult will open that door, drug abuse, egregious immorality, I mean immorality that is over the top that is animalistic and of course some of the cults that are out there these open the mind to evil spirits and once they get in. They don't leave of their own accord.

They get hold of people because they invade bodies. They are a menace to the mind. They refused to leave and I must adhere where I lose some of the audience born again believers cannot be demon possessed. They can be a nuisance. They can be pretty stupid. They can be dumb and that the opposite today can be wonderful.

They can be smart. I mean it goes both ways, but they cannot be demon possessed a light in the darkness cannot dwell together.

So when we read of demon possessed people in the Scripture they're not born again yet this man's case is going. He's going to be quite a tool in the hands of the Lord.

So the rules and the rulers of darkness. Rules are often beyond us.

Paul keeps it short is we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. The spiritual place that in heavenly places, translated heavenly was really spiritual places the unseen world that is around us. There are laws that we know about that are spiritual and there are many laws that we do not know about. That was the case with Joe since he got to the stomach and laid out to you there laws you just don't know about.

But here's what happened and he tells hope you know you were battleground for my glory, for the benefit of countless multitude gauges the regional story and gain strength in the faith and remain strong in the face while they endure the most awful circumstances and attacks by the underworld and other human beings as well because Satan was not the only one that attacked you move thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com what you there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio you could search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast app that's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of Mark Rocky on cross reference radio