Graveyard Grace

 

Mark 5:1-8 (KJV)

1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

 

This is an exciting text hidden in the midst of the New Testament. This story is shared by three of the gospel writers, but Mark provides us with the most detail of all the writers.

 

It’s in this story that three worlds meet: the underworld of evil spirits, the visible world of human experience, and the upper world of divine control.

 

Without a doubt, this encounter made an impression on the disciples, because it’s found in three of the four different gospels; Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

 

The disciples never forgot how Jesus liberated a man infested with demons. We don’t know how this man got into the condition that he was in. We do know that a person who is degraded and weakened by sin will open themselves to the devil.

 

The Bible warns us not to give place to the devil.

 

Ephesians 4:27 (KJV) Neither give place to the devil.

 

This man living in the tombs in the middle of the local graveyard had been exiled from the town of Gadara. They tried to restrain him with chains and fetters, but they couldn’t hold him. The people of Gadara couldn’t be at peace knowing this man was on the loose. There would be an eerie feeling that would come over the town as they heard his cries and demonic laughter throughout the night. It all sounded like a page out of a horror story, but it was reality. This man got so far into sin that demons took possession of his body.

Sin will always bring you down!

 

This man went down into the tombs; he left the land of the living to dwell among the dead. Of all the places to live, this man chose to live among the tombs? He chose to live where things go to die.

 

Though it may surprise you, the richest deposits on our planet lie just a few blocks from your house. They rest in graveyards.

 

Buried beneath the soil are: dreams that never came to pass, songs that were never sang, books that were never wrote, paintings that never filled canvases, ideas that were never shared, visions that never came to pass, inventions that were never designed, plans that never went beyond thoughts, and purposes that were never fulfilled.

 

Our graveyards are filled with potential that remained potential; this is a tragedy of sin.

 

The disciples’ boat beached near a graveyard and a herd of pigs.

 

Jesus stepped out and a crazy man storms out of a cavern. As this man approaches, Jesus walks towards him. Jesus recognized that he had a spiritual problem.

 

The people tried to help this man by restraining him physically when his problem was spiritual.

 

Mark 5:3 (KJV) Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

 

Apparently, at one time they could subdue him, but all he did was grow worse; so much worse that he was a hopeless situation.

Has anybody here ever feel like they have ever been in a hopeless situation? Anybody ever feel like there was no hope?

 

When things seem hopeless; we have hope in God.

When everybody else has gave up; the time is just right for God.

When the doctor says ‘No.’; God says ‘Yes.’

When it’s too hard for man; it’s too easy for God.

 

I believe when Jesus said, “Let us go over to the other side,” He knew exactly why He was going there. I believe He heard this man’s cries.

 

Aren’t you glad that Jesus knows when we are in despair? When we’re hurting, hopeless, and even shedding tears? Aren’t you glad that weeping made endure through the night, but joy cometh in the morning?

 

We see in verse eight that Jesus first commanded the demons to “come out of the man.” Through this, we get a glimpse into the unseen world of the spiritual warfare going on around us.

 

For just a few minutes, the invisible conflict becomes visible and we’re offered a position over-looking the battlefield.

 

Isn’t it interesting that we hear nothing form the disciples throughout this whole encounter?

 

The disciples did the best thing they could have done by sitting back and letting Jesus fight the battle.

 

Peter didn’t draw his sword like he did in the garden, he didn’t vow to protect Jesus like he did a few nights before the Last Supper, he didn’t jump out first like he did when he briefly walked on water, he and the other disciples kept one foot in the boat and spoke not a word.

 

If this man could break chains, then he probably could brake some bones. All the towns people were afraid of this troubled man, but Jesus went straight to the point. He said, “Come out of that man, thou unclean spirit.”

 

Jesus knew that it was a spiritual issue.

 

Matthew 11:12 (KJV) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

 

The word violence found here is ‘Biozamai,’ meaning forceful and aggressive without indifference and apathy.

 

The towns people had bound the man in chains; it would subdue him on occasion.

 

Jesus didn’t even touch the man. He spoke a word of deliverance and that was enough.

 

He didn’t need a twelve-step program. He didn’t set up a counseling program or ministry. He used a one-step program for deliverance; He simply spoke a word.

 

A word from the Lord is always enough to set the captives free.

 

Luke 4:18 (KJV) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

 

Jesus knew this man had no chance on his own. Jesus knew it would have to be a word of deliverance.

 

Sometimes we think that we no longer have anything in common with those that are still lost. But we were all this man at one time. No, you might not have been living among the tombs, we may not have been cutting ourselves with rocks, but we were controlled by the power of Satan.

 

Because of sin, you and I were both hopelessly lost until someone came to our rescue. We had no method of helping ourselves. There was no way that we were going to be able to pull ourselves up out of the quicksand of sin that we were drowning in.

 

The gulf that was between us and God was one that we had no ability to cross.

The chasm that separated us was one that we had no means to bridge. We were hopeless. There was no possibility of us making our way to God. But the day came when a bridge was built to cross that great divide. The day came when someone did come to our rescue.

 

God knew that it was impossible for us to make our way to Him, He chose to make His way to us. 2,000 years ago, Jesus came to this earth and walked in our shoes; lived in our humanity. He died on the cross that would bridge the great divide between us and God.

 

Hallelujah! When I could not come to Him, He came to me!

 

I’m so glad that even though Jesus saw my sin, He decided to come anyway. I’m so glad that even though He knew how many times I was going to reject His humble plea, He still came to make it possible for me to accept it. I’m so glad that even though He heard the words of hate that were going to escape my mouth before I spoke them, He still came. I’m so glad that even though He knew how wicked and vile I was going to be, He still made that journey to the cross.

 

It’s time for somebody to let the Lord deliver them from their graveyard. Grace has shown up in the graveyard today for revival.

 

This man couldn’t come to Jesus on his own, but Jesus came to Him.

 

Jesus is on the ship. He crossing to the other side this morning. He’s looking in the graveyard and saying, “Come Forth, I am here to deliver. I am here to set you free.”

 

It’s time for a Graveyard Revival.

 

God will meet you right where you are at; God will deliver you right where you are… Let us pray!