GADARENES DEMONIAC

By Rev. Dr. Jerry Schmoyer  jerry@schmoyer.net 

 http://india.christiantrainingonline.org/

 

INTRODUCTION

Welcome everyone back.

In the morning we talked about being a pastor

            Being a pastor is a great privilege

            We said it isn’t easy

                        One reason it isn’t easy is because we have an enemy, Satan, who opposes us.

 

Before God created the world He created angels.

            He made them perfect, to serve Him

            But one of the angels didn’t want to do that, he wanted to be worshipped instead

            He wasn’t able to defeat God so God cast him out of heaven.

                        ½ of the angels followed him

            We call him Satan, the fallen angels demons

 

Their whole purpose is to oppose God and get attention from God

            He isn’t a god like God, just an angel

            He is more powerful than us, but not more powerful than God

 

He wants to keep people from following God.

            He blinds people to the truth and keeps them in sin

 

The only people he doesn’t control are Christians

            He hates Christians because we aren’t under His control

                        And because we bring light into darkness

            We have a greater power than his kingdom

So for Satan’s kingdom to grow they must stop the church

 

In order to stop the church, which Christians do you think they must stop first?  PASTORS

            PASTORS are the ones they would like to destroy

            God is greater, but we must know how to have victory in Him.

 

We want to look at an example of God’s power over demons – Mark 5:1-6

 

JESUS GOES TO GADERENES – Mark 5:1-6

 

Jesus left everyone He was with to take a boat across the lake.

He wanted to go help a man who couldn’t come to Him.

Satan didn’t want Him to go free that man so he sent a storm to sink the boat.

            Jesus spoke to the storm and got safely to the other side.

 

Read MARK 5:1-6

 

When he got there there was a man with an evil spirit

            Luke and Mt said he was demon possessed

            He had many demons that were living in him.

When we look at this man’s life we can see some of the things demons do to people

SYMPTOMS OF DEMONIZING

 

    1. DARKNESS & DEATH

Mark 5:3 This man lived in the tombs,

Mark 5:5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills

Luke 8:29b he had been driven by the demons into solitary places.

 

Where did this man live?  Graveyard

That isn’t natural, living with dead bodies

Satan loves death and darkness

 

God is light and life, Satan is death and darkness

They will do anything to avoid the light

 

Demons love to bring pain and suffering

 

    2. ANGER & VIOLENCE

Mark 5:3b-4 and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.

 

Luke 8:29b Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains

Matt 8:28b   They were so violent that no one could pass that way.

 

This man was violent

He loved to bring pain and destruction

If anyone came near he would chase them and badly harm them

          They hadn’t done anything, he just had hate and anger inside

          There are people like that today – they are cruel and enjoy seeing others suffer

                      They go out of their way to hurt people, animals or children

                      Some men beat their wives or children

                      This man was like that.

 

They tried to chain him to stop him, but the demons were so strong they broke the chains.

 

    3. OUT OF CONTROL

Mark 1:5b he would cry out

 

 

The man had no control over himself.

He was continually doing evil things

 

There are people today who have lost control

            They are into sins and they can’t stop

            It just keeps getting worse and worse and worse

Demons want to cause pain any way they can

 

 

 

    4. PAIN & SELF-DESTRUCTION

Mark 5:5c and cut himself with stones.

They even make this man hurt himself

Demons make people want to hurt and destroy themselves

They cause them to do things that aren’t natural

          Like want to kill themselves

 

 

    5. SENSUALITY, SEXUAL PERVERSION

Luke 8:27 For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house,

 

Luke tells us this man didn’t wear clothing – that isn’t natural either

Some people get into sexual sins and they just get worse and worse and worse

 

    6. THOUGHTS INTO MIND

 

This man had many sins because he had many demons

            We see the results of what they did              

 

They start by putting the thought of an awful sin in a persons mind

            The thought keeps coming back and back

            The person doesn’t want that thought but it keeps coming

            Its not a thought God would give him

            So if it’s not from the man and not from God it must be from Satan

 

The thought leads them to do awful sins

            It could be anger and violence

            It could be fear and worry

            Sometimes the thoughts are blasphemous thoughts about God

                        The person keeps getting the thought that Jesus is not God, they won’t go to heaven,

                                    It could be thoughts against Jesus, doubting our salvation

            Or it could be thoughts of lying or stealing

 

The demons keep repeating the thoughts until the person acts on them

 

THEY CAN DO THAT IN CHRISTIANS AS WELL AS UNBELIEVERS

            When we become a Christian we receive a new nature, Holy Spirit lives in us

            But we still have our Old Nature from before

                        In our sin nature we can still sin as much as we did before salvation

                        We don’t HAVE to sin any more for we have a greater power

                                    But we still CAN sin as we did before salvation

            Its in that area of our old nature that demons work

 

HOW CAN WE TELL IF IT IS A DEMON OR OUR SIN NATURE?

            When it is our sin nature we can have victory by confessing it and growing

                        God helps us to gradually have victory over it

            But when there is a demon trying harder doesn’t help

            There was a young man in my church who was a fine Christian man.  He studied the bible and spoke to everyone about Jesus.  He even wanted to be a pastor.  But after awhile he would stop coming.  He get back into a terrible sin he had done in the past.  I would try to talk to him and pray for him but nothing helped.  After awhile he would come back and confess his sin.  He’d repent, cry, and promise to never do that again.  He really wanted to change.  For awhile things would be good but then he’d be gone again, back into the sin.  This kept happening over and over.  That was hard for me as his pastor.  I’d pray for him and talk to him.  But all I could tell him was “try harder,” “try harder”.  I knew he was trying as hard as he could.  There was a demon drawing him back into that sin.

 

            So if a person can’t have victory through prayer and following Jesus it probably is a demon

 

That’s what was happening to this man in the graveyard.

            You couldn’t go up to this man and say “try harder” for demons take control.

 

WHY DO DEMONS AFFECT SOME PEOPLE MORE THAN OTHERS?

We don’t know why this man was affected but the Bible does give us reasons why demons can enter

            Demons look for a reason to move into a persons life, a door that is open for them to enter

 

SIN IN OUR LIFE

If a person turns to another power other than God, a demon will come in and be that power

If someone worships idols the Bible says there are demons behind the idols that receive the worship

            Then they become that person’s god and control them

A demon will use any sin where you give control over to another power

When you give up your control, even if you don’t know it is a demon, the demon will use that

(bindi dot)

 

SIN IN OUR FAMILY LINE

When a person opens themselves to a demon the demon claims everything in the persons life

When they have children the demons claims the children and does the same work in them

When they have children and they have children, demons moves down family line

That is why in some families you see the children committing the same sin the parents commit

If you struggle with a sin your parents or grandparents struggled with, that may be why

It could be through your father or mothers family

 

LOCATION

            PASTOR IN INDIA:

Satan has his demons organized like an army

Some are assigned to different groups, countries, churches or family

They are very powerful and thy know how to keep their area under control

There are many strong demons keeping India in darkness for years

            They do all they can to keep the light out of India

            When you become a Christian and have God’s light they will try to destroy you

            They don’t want you or your church to live for Jesus

            They claim India and want to keep it in darkness.

Because you are a pastor in India they are committed to stopping you any way they can

 

 

            LAND HOME OR CHURCH ARE ON

Some parts of India are really under their control

When I go near a shrine or land that has been dedicated to demons I can feel the darkness

Any land that has been used for worship of idols or another power is claimed by demons

They claim the land and if anyone later lives there or builds a church there they will attack

If something was done on that land that opens it to demons they will continue to claim it

If you live there or have a church there awful things can happen:

            Sickness, poverty, fighting among family members, confusion, anger, sin, etc.

            Church will have problems, not be able to grow

            Demons claim that land and have strength to oppose you

 

CURSES AGAINST US OR CHURCH

If someone puts a curse on you or your church demons see that as a prayer to answer

It might be a person that doesn’t like that you or your church are Christians

            They say “I hope that man/church fails” – demons take that as a prayer to answer!

 

There are many ways we can be attacked by demons:

            Sin in our past or family line

            Because a pastor in India

            Because of land home or church is on

            Course someone put on you or church

 

Before we are done today we will pray and break all that.

 

Before we do that I want to finish my story.

            The story reminds us that Jesus is greater than any other powers

 

 

JESUS DEFEATS THE DEMONS

 

When Jesus landed the man knelt before Him.

The demons couldn’t stop him

            The demons also knew that Jesus is God

Jesus is greater than any number of demons

            Read I John 4:4

                        This is a good verse to memorize and use for spiritual warfare

                        It reminds us that Jesus is greater than any power of Satan’s

 

There were many demons in this man

The demon who was the leader is the one who spoke for all of them

            You know what he said his name was?  Legion = 5,000 or 6,000 soldiers!

            This demon telling Jesus there are thousands of them

            But Jesus is greater than thousands of demons

They couldn’t resist Him

They had to leave when He told them.

 

They wanted to go in some pigs nearby

            If demons can’t indwell a person they want to indwell an animal

Jesus let them go into the pigs.

 

What happened to the pigs when the demons entered them?

            When a demon comes in he brings destrouction

            Even pigs felt that and wanted to kill themselves!

 

How many pigs were there?  2,000 – so at least 2,000 demons

 

What happened to this man when they left?  V. 15

            Man now dressed and in right mind

            He is completely changed

            It isn’t because he tried harder

            It was because when the demons were gone he was himself!

 

That’s what God did for him

That’s what God will do for us

 

THE PEOPLE WANT JESUS TO GO

 

He could have done it for the other people there

People came from everywhere to see what had happened

They came from every where – they knew what this man had been like, they saw how he changed

You would think they would want Jesus to do that for them as well but they didn’t.

BUT THEY DIDN’T WANT JESUS TO STAY

            They were afraid

                        -of upsetting the demons

            Demons use fear to control people

                        Their power isn’t as great as they want us to think

                        So they try to use fear to have us think they can do more than God allows

            Some people are afraid they will hurt them or take their life,

                        But if they could do that they would have done it already

                        JOB: Satan must have God’s permission to act

                        Demons can’t do anything without God’s permission

                                    He only allows it for our growth and His glory

 

People here didn’t want the light, they wanted to stay in darkness

            There are lots of people like that today

            You tell them what Jesus can do to set them free but they don’t want to be free

                        They prefer to stay in the darkness

Jesus didn’t force Himself on these people

            They didn’t want Him so He left

 

 

 

THE MAN STAYS TO TESTIFY

 

But He did keep a missionary there

That was one of the reasons He went there in the first place, to give them a witness to the light

You think He would have chosen someone popular, well educated

            But look at the man He chose!

Sometimes we think, god how can you use me?

            I have this awful sin in my past

            I don’t have any education, I’m no influential

But those are the very people God chooses to use

 

He has an important job for this man

The man wanted to leave and travel with Jesus

It seems strange Jesus wouldn’t let Him

Jesus wanted Him to stay right where He was

            He knew the people and the people knew him

God put you right where you are to minister.

 

Jesus told Him to tell the people what happened.

He had never been to Bible school

All he knew is what Jesus did in his life?

Has Jesus done anything in your life?

God wants you to tell others what He has done for you.

 

Jesus wants you to be a witness for Him

In a  court of law a  witness tells what he knows

There are lawyers in a court of law as well

What is the difference between a lawyer and a witness?

A lawyer tries to convince other people he is right, he tries to argue with people

A witness just tells what he saw, what he knows

Does Jesus want us to be a lawyer or a witness? –  a witness

 

This man stayed and told everyone what Jesus had done for him

Jesus went back to his country and continued teaching

            A little while later He was crucified and then ascended to heaven

The early church started growing in Jerusalem

As they grew they started sending out missionaries

Most of the missionaries had a hard time witnessing to the people

But when Philip came to the area where this man was there was a great revival

            Many turned to Jesus

Do you know why?  This man had been faithfully telling what Jesus had done for him

 

This man had faithfully prepared the soil

He had been planting seeds in peoples hearts for many years

So when Philip came he could harvest the crop

 

This man didn’t see the harvest, he may not have been alive any more

But he kept faithfully telling what Jesus had done.

 

 

 

God has called many of you to a ministry just like that man

You are in a place of darkness and are sowing the seed for the first time

Its hard, you don’t see many results. 

But stay faithful and keep telling people about Jesus

One day God will use that to bring a great harvest where you are.

You may not bring in the harvest, you may not even be here any more

But God will use what you started to bring great results.

 

Don’t get discouraged, stay faithful.

Don’t think there is something wrong with you as a pastor because you don’t see lots of results

It’s a special privilege God gives you to start the soil in a place

You’ll be blessed and rewarded for the harvest the same as the man who brings it in

 

Some of you have big growing ministries

Don’t think that means you are a better pastor than these who are struggling

That just means god is giving you the privilege of reaping where someone has sowed before you

Thank Him for that privilege but don’t take credit for that yourself

Do all you can to encourage and help your brothers who are struggling.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Jesus used this man for His glory and His kingdom

His power is greater, He completely freed him

He wants to do that for us as well.

He wants to free us from our bondage to sin and Satan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

C t O Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
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