Bible Passage: Mark 5, Mark 7, Isaiah 57
Words from the audience & Online that describes Christ in your relationship:
Companion
Caring
Courageous
Compassion
Character
Communication
Charity
We will see how four things became their “commission” in their relationship and walk with Christ.
Christ – Number 1
When you encounter Christ, you are never the same.
The day Jesus saved you, it was a miracle.
I remember one Home Bible Study I attended and a dear man was sharing his testimony, and speaking to all of us, and I thought this is nothing short of a miracle, because I knew the history and background of this man. We had been praying for him, with his wife, and now he speaking about Jesus, how his life was touched through his wife, and her walk with Jesus. To me this was just as great as witnessing the lame to walk and the blind to see.
Now is the right time to surrender to Christ. No one is ever sorry for following Him, ALL THE WAY!
Moment of Prayer……
Mark 5:1-20
Jesus crosses the other side…to the pagan region of Decapolis.
[JESUS AND THE DECAPOLIS
The Bible records two of Jesus’ visits to the Decapolis. It also mentions crowds of people from the Decapolis following Jesus. Understanding the pagan world represented by these city-states helps us see the significance of Jesus’ response to it. His message clearly was for the inhabitants of the Decapolis, for they heard and followed. He confronted the darkness of the pagan world in choosing to visit its people. Footnote from blog, www.thattheworldmayknow.com]
A common place for the unwanted, tormented, possessed and poor to dwell was cave tombs.
It is so sad to see the torment take over this man dwelling in the tombs. The evil spirits recognized Jesus, questioning His purpose. He just didn’t ask, bowed and screamed at Jesus. The spirits did not want to torment yet, they spoke of Jesus tormenting them. Legion was the name – [This Legion (Greek word. From the Latin term legion, which designates a division of the Roman army, 5,400 infantry and 120 calvary) requested you take homage in this herd of pigs.]
Jesus demonstrates the ultimate power over all authorities, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.” Vs. 8
The Legion begged to be cast into the pigs, 2000 pigs rushed down the steep bank, one by one drowned. The herdsman told the city and the country, people came to see what happened. Of course they are shocked to see the man usually screaming and self-harming himself all hours of the day, is now clothed, calm, sitting down. This had the reverse effect on those that came to enquiry, they wanted Jesus to leave!!
Jesus stepped back into the boat, and this man that had been delivered wanted to go with a Jesus, become His disciple, but Jesus commissioned him with a mandate, “go home to your family and tell them all the great things that the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you”. Wow!
Commit to the Commission – Number 2
Read Mark 5 Vs. 19 – 20
This man as Jesus disciple away from Him could do more away, going back to his family. His family knew of his mental instability. Did he run away from them? Did they cast him away? Now this man is a testimony, what more of an impact could he make than to those that knew him. No longer an outcast of embarrassment but he had a new identity in Christ. (Just like the woman at the well)
[When Jesus had cast out the demons, he commanded the man to return home to tell others what God had done for him. The territory to which Jesus sent the man was certainly one of the most challenging mission fields to which he ever called anyone. Later, crowds from the Decapolis followed Jesus. This crowd of followers was a testimony to the effectiveness of the healed man’s witness. (Mark 7:31-36 and Matt. 15:30 record the same event. Matthew referred to crowds of people, but he did not mention the place.)”
CONCLUSION
Many visitors to Galilee are amazed at how close Jesus’ area of ministry was to the pagan Decapolis. Jesus did not avoid the people living in darkness (Matt. 4:16). He went to them and pierced the darkness of their sinful lifestyle with the light of God’s message of salvation and love.
Jesus wants us to follow his example in confronting the darkness in our own world. The power of Satan and his demons seems overwhelming. It would be easy for us to isolate ourselves in safe, rule-bound communities and just let the outside world destroy itself. But even though rules can be good and community is necessary for Christian living, Jesus used neither as an escape. He modeled another way for us as his followers. He left the familiarity of his community and confronted evil on its own turf.
Such a display of God’s power still can and does happen today, when we confront the darkness in our society with the message of what God, through Jesus, has done for us (Mark 5:19) foot note from blog, [www.thattheworldmayknow.com]
Community – Number 3
We need community to survive, we need the church, God’s people, corporate worship and fellowship. The man delivered in Mark 5, needed to go back to his family, and community to share the light of Jesus.
When we are isolated, we are vulnerable & weak. The condition of the man delivered from the Legion was isolated because of his condition, but Jesus restored to him his family, and community.
Let’s read about the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5:20-34 – [faith life study Bible – Mark 5:25–43 (FSB): 5:25–43 The narrative about Jairus’s daughter (vv. 21–43) frames the interrupting story of a hemorrhaging woman (vv. 25–34). Both stories show Jesus’ incredible and surprising power. These two lives, Jairus’s (age 12) and the woman battling the issue of blood for 12 years collide, both will encounter the power of Jesus!
It’s ok to interrupt Jesus for your miracle!
Read Mark 5:20
Daughter of Jarius, one of the rulers of the Synagogue. Jarius sees Jesus and falls at His feet, Jesus does not tell him to stand. Jesus is God’s Son, to be worshipped.
On the way to Jarius home, where his daughter lies dying, the crowd moves in on Jesus, and the woman with the issue of blood, heard of Jesus, and now He is near, she presses through the crowd, coming up from BEHIND Him, vs. 27, and just touches His garment. If she could but touch His robe, she would be whole. She felt the healing right away!
Jesus knew virtue (force, miraculous power) left Him, and questioned, who touched Him. Of course everyone is touching Him, He is pressed by the throng! Did He question so the disciples would learn of this woman, to call her out, so Jesus may speak to her? He looked for her in the crowd, He knew. She touched Him on purpose. His eyes searched for her! He knew who she was!!
Even this woman that is not named, was fearful, perhaps because she was unclean, and came to Jesus, fell at His feet, told Him the truth. 12 years, visiting one physician after another. Isolated because of her hemorrhaging, weak, alone, and poor. [Mark 5:25 (FSB): Lev 15:19–33 would have made the woman ceremonially unclean—preventing her from worshiping in the temple or joining her people in everyday activities]
He calls her, daughter. She is not an outcast, she is family, she is included not secluded. Jesus brings her in. He speaks peace to her, and gives her healing not just from a sickness but a plague (being whipped and scourged by this disease ‘Strongs Greek). Her identity is restored as well as her body.
We are privileged to be here together tonight, part of a community, the family of God, where we are called sons, and daughters.
I encourage you, if you have something that you are struggling with that is causing you to isolate yourself, there is healing for you. It doesn’t matter how big it may seem, or how impossible, Jesus is ever present to heal, deliver and restore.
Maybe you feel unworthy to be part of a community, a church because you feel your circumstance has merited you “unclean”, that’s ok? You can approach Jesus, interrupt Him! Just reach out and touch Him!!
Be restored to a community, Find your community, your family of God.
1 Corinthians 12:25-27
You are not alone, we are here to help restore you.
Conquer – Number 4
After we are restored, no longer an out cast, let’s make our community our commission, adding to the Kingdom of God, His Body, His Church.
May the Kingdom of God expand through our commission of spreading the Good News, Jesus. May we conquer the darkness, walk right into it with the salvation Light of Jesus.
May we be “Glory seekers”, conquerors through this land, our feet shod with the Gospel of Peace.
Our test has become a testimony, spread the WORD, the Good News.
Jesus is our only HOPE.
He has crowned His children with crown of loving kindness and tender mercies – Psalms 103:4 reads, “Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth the with lovingkindess and tender mercies.” (Amplify Bible “Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy.”)
Isaiah 56:7
House of Prayer for all people.
There is room for you, sons and daughters!