Harvest Pointe Christian Church, Milford Ohio is a non-denominational Christian Church (Church of Christ) on the Eastside of Cincinnati OH

People Who are Possessed | Series: The People We Meet | 06-08-08

People Who are Possessed
Luke 8:26-39
Series: The People We Meet

  I.  All Sin Ensnares.

 II. Keys to Escape.

        Step # 1: Admit the problem.

        Step # 2: Give your life completely to Jesus Christ.

        Step # 3: Determine that you want to be liberated, not just forgiven.

        Step # 4: Be accountable to another believer.

        Step # 5: Be willing to pray and fast for victory.

        Step # 6: Remove the source of temptation.

        Step # 7: Anticipate opposition from some of your former friends.

        Step # 8: Look for some opportunity to serve others.

III. Jesus Endangers.

Full Text 

Let's begin by looking at a map of Israel during Jesus' time.

At the bottom you see Jerusalem,
the heart of Jewish worship.
Up north, at the top on the left (west) you see Galilee.

And you also see a few cities we have seen Jesus in
Nazareth, Capernaum, and Nain.

Jesus had begun his ministry by
selecting 12 disciple, also called apostles, and by
traveling throughout this region
preaching and healing and raising the dead.

Jesus is exhausted so
last week we saw Jesus trying to get some sleep
as He and his disciples
 sailed across the Sea of Galilee.

Along the way a ferocious storm struck.
The ship was in danger of sinking, so
the disciples woke Jesus up.

But the King of the Universe wasn't worried.
He simply commanded the wind and waves to be quiet
and they did!
Then He laid back down and fell asleep again.

The disciples had been afraid of drowning.
Now they feared Jesus.
They asked,
"Who is this.  Even the wind and waves obey Him!"

But they also had a faith in the awesome power of Jesus
that would carry them through the rest of their lives.

Now, look to the right of Galilee.
There you see a region called the Gerasenes.
The Gerasenes are on
the opposite side of the sea of Galilee,
which is actually a large lake.

Now we come to Luke 8:26-29.  "26They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.  28When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, 'What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!' 29For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places."

Some suggest that
it was Satan that had sent the storm.
Satan did not want Jesus to meet this star pupil of his.

But, you talk about a wild man! 
This guy ran around naked.
Filthy, un-kept, naked men are not nice to look at.

He lived in tombs.
They must have been able to smell him
before they saw him!

This man was the terror of the region.
Matthew tells us he was so fierce that
no one could pass by there.

The locals tried chaining him hand and foot, and
placing him under guard.

But he broke the chains and
escaped.
This was one bad dude.

Everyone knew you stayed away from this man, and
you stayed away from his area, especially at night.
This guy was scarier than Darth Vader.

Luke 8:30-33.  "30Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?'
'Legion,' he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. 32A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. 33When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned."

Did you catch back in Verse 28 that
the demon possessed man
fell before Jesus?

Mark tells us this was an act of worship.

The demon knew Jesus is the Son of God.
The demon knew Jesus had the authority
to do whatever He wanted to him.


This maniac who could break chains feared
the One that
even the wind and waves obeyed.

So when Jesus asked his name,
the demon had no choice but to obey.

The demon's name was "Legion".
A legion was typically over 6,000 Roman Soldiers.

Suddenly we find out it is not just one demon,
but many who possessed this man.

I'm certain Jesus' disciples had
the hair on the back of their necks standing up
 just landing where they did.

Now they find out
it isn't just one demon they're dealing with,
which is scary in itself,
but many!

Could the one who commanded the wind and waves
command a bunch of demons as well?

Demon possession is one of the few things
that makes me uneasy.
We know so little about demons.

We do know that
a demon cannot take over a Christian.





For instance, John wrote in 1 John 4:4
"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."

The abyss is a bottomless pit where
the demons can be locked up.
It is mentioned 9 times in the Scriptures.

That's about all I know about it.
The rest is a mystery of the spirit realm that
one day I'll be in and
learn all about it!
[I'll be in the spirit world,
not the abyss!]

There are some opinions on demon possession
that are worth thinking about.
A big question is why we don't see demon possession
in our world today.

Some say that some of the people in insane asylums
that don't respond to counseling and medication are
demon possessed.

Some say the reason we don't have as much in Americaas there is in other parts of the world,
is because we still have
a large percentage of our population as Christians.

Some say that Satan knew that
Jesus had come into the world and
he was sending everything he had at Jesus.
That's why Jesus met demons everywhere he went.
I don't know.

But I do know that the Bible makes a distinction between
disease and demon possession,
though sometimes the demons caused
certain ailments.

I also have had some
very unemotional, very intelligent, logical men tell of
dealing with a demon possessed person. 

And as far as I know it was
a one time event for each.
That's scary.

When the communists took over Cambodia
they turned a Jr. High School
in the suburbs of Phnom Pen
into a torture chamber.

When I went through it,
there was a feeling of oppression there that
I had never felt before.

I wonder if evil spirits
are still there.
So much evil was there, and maybe
because Cambodia is a Buddhist country,
without Christ, the evil spirits remain.

In Cambodia and Thailand the people
speak of evil spirits
like we speak of someone having a heart attack.
It's serious stuff.

Do evil spirits exist?
Very definitely.

Do I want to talk to one?
Absolutely not!

Well, these demons beg Jesus
to be permitted to enter a herd of pigs nearby
instead of going into the abyss.

Jesus is even merciful to demons.
He grants permission.

But when the demons entered the hogs,
they drive the pigs so crazy that
the herd starts running blindly and
it hurdles over a cliff, drowning in the Sea of Galilee.

Matthew tells us there were about 2,000 pigs in the herd.
That must have been an awesome sight!

Before we complete this passage,
let's look at being possessed and
how to over-come it.

Hopefully none of us will be possessed by a demon,
but there are many things that can possess us and
can devastate us spiritually.

First of all,
I.  All Sin Ensnares. 
It possesses us.

James 1:14-15.  "14But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."


Notice in Verse 14 that it all begins with
our "own evil desire."

Circle the word, "desire" in Verse 14.

Within each one of us is a weakness.
There is a vulnerable spot where Satan can
tempt us.

We have a desire to do something that
God does not want us to do or
to not do something we should.

Satan plays upon the desires within us.

When Adam and Eve ate of
the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil,
they had been tempted by
their desire to be like God.

I used yellow on "desire" because
it is our warning light.

If we let ourselves be drawn more and more by the desire,
there is a real danger that we will be
"dragged away and enticed." (Verse 14)

Circle the word, "Enticed."

"Enticed" is like what a fisherman does
when he dangles bait in front of a fish.

Satan has a sharp hook
hiding under whatever it is you like.
-----------------------------

You are like a fish.
As you eye the bait,
your desire draws you to it.

You circle the bait, eyeing it,
as desire grows.
Then you start to nibble on the bait.
You are being enticed.

The danger is growing,
which is why there is red showing in this yellow circle.

In Verse 15 we read,
"Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin."

Circle the word, "Sin."

Now are circle is red.

Notice the familiar illustration here.
Desire is like a woman that you flirt with for a time.
but eventually, you go too far and
when she conceives,
your daughter is born and her name is sin.

Desire can take a long time to become sin.

You eye it.  It is desire.

And then you fantasize about it.
You are moving closer and closer to the hook.

Next, you see how close you can come
without actually doing it.
You are nibbling at the bait.

Finally, you decide to take a bite and
you find there is a hook inside.
You have committed the sin.

You have grabbed the bait and
Satan is about to set the hook.

It's time to shake off that hook fast,
or you are going to be Satan's next meal.

We all get to this point as Christians,
but it's time to wake up and run.

If we continue on,
we will be putting ourselves in grave danger.

Notice the progression:
Your mistress, Desire, conceived and
gave birth to your daughter named, Sin.
But in the end of Verse 15,
when your daughter, Sin, is full grown,
she gives you a granddaughter
worse than any of them.
Her name is Death.

Circle the word, "Death".

There are some misconceptions concerning
the security of our salvation.

One extreme is that all you have to do is
believe in Jesus and
you can live as you please because
you are saved.
Today it is called, "Easy Believism."

The other extreme says that
"Oops!  I sinned. 
I'm Hell-bound until I ask Jesus for forgiveness. 
I wonder. 
If jet has to make
an emergency landing on the interstate. 
And he's coming from behind me so I don't see him. 
And a split second before he lands on top of me,
killing me instantly,
I have a sinful thought, or
I tell a lie on my cell phone, or
I cuss out the guy who just cut me off.
Since I don't have time to ask for forgiveness,
am I going to Hell?

Scripturally speaking neither is accurate.

Just one of many Scriptures.
Hebrews 10:26-27.  "26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God."

First of all, catch the word, "Deliberate."
We are talking about a person who
decides to turn away from Christ.

Satan cannot snatch you from Christ.
No one else can pull you from Christ.
(John 10:28-29)
In fact, Romans 8:28-29 tell us
nothing in this world or
the spiritual realm
can separate you from the love of Christ.

Your salvation is secure.
But you can decide to turn from Christ.

You can decide that you love sin more than Christ.
You can throw away the offer of grace.

More than once I've been told by
someone who grew up in the Church,
"I know what I should be doing,
but I like my beer and women too much.
Someday, when I get older, I'll change.
Just not now.
I'm gambling I'll live a while longer."

He's grabbed the bait and
Satan has set the hook and
is reeling him in.

Notice also in this passage that it says,
"keep on sinning."

This is a present tense in the Greek meaning
it is a continuous, normal way of life.
There is no end.

This is opposed to the aorist tense which
has a definite beginning and a definite end.

It may be over a period of time,
but there is a beginning and an end.

Sometimes we slip up and sin.
Sometimes we sin over a period time.
Satan has enticed and deceived us.


But that does not mean we are not saved.
Stupid, yes!
Damned, no.

It means we are in a very dangerous position
because somewhere along the line,
we might decide that
we prefer the sin
to the love of Christ.

Do you see the difference?
Yes, I slip up and sin sometimes.
Is Jesus still my Savior?
Am I still Heaven bound?
ABSOLUTELY!
I am still His child.
I have not chosen to turn away from Him.

O.K.  Let's say we just decided to take a bite and
Satan has us hooked on sin.
We are possessed by sin.
How do we get away?

Bob Russell gives these
II. Keys to Escape.

He is actually talking about addictions. 
But in a very real sense,
all sin can become an addiction.

It's not just the drug addict
who is possessed by Satan.

From lying to gossiping,
it can all be addictive.

Wayne Smith, who was the overweight minister of
the great Southland Christian Church used to say,
"When some people get up from the table they say,
'Please excuse me.'
When I get up from the table I say,
'Please forgive me!'"
He was possessed by food!

Step # 1: Admit the problem.

Admit that it's your problem.
You are not going to be able to overcome it
by sheer willpower.
Don't blame other people.
Don't claim to be the victim.
Openly admit, "I am into something by my own choice that is out of control. It has the potential to destroy me and I need help."

B. Step # 2: Give your life completely to Jesus Christ.

You can't just stop that behavior and
leave your life empty.
You've got to fill it with the Holy Spirit of God.

Step # 3: Determine that you want to be liberated,
not just forgiven.

C.S. Lewis once said, "Some people pray,
'Lord, help me to overcome this sin…but not yet.'"

Do you really want to break the chains that bind you?
Jesus is not going to force himself on you.
He wants to cast the demon out but
you've got to want His help.

Step # 4: Be accountable to another believer.

This is probably the hardest.
This is proof of your desire.
This takes a lot of humility.

In James 5:16 James tells us, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

It takes denial and secrecy
to keep an addiction going,
but confession and openness can
help break those chains.

Have the courage and the humility to
select 1 or 2 Christians that you totally trust.

Say to them, "I'm struggling with something that
nobody knows about.
I've got to tell you.
I want you to pray for me and
I want you to hold me accountable every week."

Step # 5: Be willing to pray and fast for victory.

Joel 2:12.  "'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.'"

Step # 6: Remove the source of temptation.

One man was asked how he quit smoking and
he said, "I wet all of my matches."

Jesus said in Matthew 18:8, "If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire."

Folks, understand the consequences.

Step # 7: Anticipate opposition from some of your former friends.

You become a threat to their lifestyle.
You've gone off the deep end.
You've exaggerated the problem.
You were more fun before.

There's a country song that says,
"You ain't much fun since I've quit drinking."
And it goes the other way, too.

In fact, they will probably try to take Satan's side and
try to lure you back into the sin.

Step # 8: Look for some opportunity to serve others.

As you focus on others,
you take your focus off yourself and
your struggle.

The more the desire is removed from your mind,
the easier it gets.

Finally,
III. Jesus Endangers.
Luke 8:34-39.  "34When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town

and countryside, 35and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.  38The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39'Return home and tell how much God has done for you.' So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him."

Our focus has been on Jesus,
but what about Jesus' disciples?
Put yourself in their sandals.

Jesus had purposely taken them
to a dangerous place.
Talk about being out of your comfort zone!

Hey, guys!  Let's land where that crazy man is.
The one who lives in tombs and
breaks chains with his bear hands and
attacks people!

Now, I'm certain they were thinking,
"Jesus, you've got to be crazy!
Do you have a death wish?"

But Jesus had just commanded the wind and the waves.
They were afraid of the awesome authority of Jesus.
They were more afraid of Jesus than they were of
a demon possessed man.

So reluctantly they went.
And what happened?

The demon possessed man was healed.

The pig herders ran into town,
which was about a ½ mile away, and soon,
everyone had come out to see
the terror of the region
wearing clothes and
in his right mind.

A whole town had an opportunity to
repent and be baptized by Jesus' disciples!

But just as the disciples feared Jesus
after he calmed the storm,
The towns people feared the One
who was more powerful than all of them together.
A man that demons obeyed.

So they humbly asked Jesus to leave.
They didn't want any trouble.
Jesus is dangerous!

I think it is interesting that
they didn't seem concerned that
they had just lost 2,000 pigs.

If anything, they should have thrown a big party
to celebrate the terror of the region
being healed.
It would be safe to travel at night again!



But they were more afraid of Jesus than
they had been of a demon possessed man.
Jesus is more powerful than many demons.

If Jesus is really your Lord,
He will endanger you.
He will draw you out of your comfort zone.

He will compel you to invite that
friend or relative to come to Church with you.
That's scary.

He will compel you to
help the people you meet who are in need.
That can be frightening.

As Hebrews 12 tells us,
Jesus will compel you
to throw off the sin that so easily entangles us.

Are you ready to fight the good fight,
battling against any sin that would enslave you?

If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior this morning,
He can become just that.
He has that awesome authority.

If you're ready to give your life to Him,
shaking off the hook of sin,
come forward when we sing,
believing Jesus is the Son of God,
repenting of your sin,
being baptized into Him,
letting Him wash all your sin away
with His blood.

If you are ready to do that this morning or
if you are an immersed believer and
would like to place your membership with us,
come forward as we stand and sing.