Sharing My Story | Mark 5:1-18

Good morning, Church! Welcome to the Crossing.

My name is Austin & I’m the Associate Minister around here. I have the honor of preaching this morning because our Senior Minister, Adam, is one sabbatical this month. Don’t worry — he’ll be back in September and I’m sure he will be fired up and ready to jump right back in, full force.

We’ve been in a sermon series called POUR ME — which is the attitude that we all should adopt. Not a poor me attitude that the rest of the world seems to throw on. But a “pour me” attitude, the one that the Apostle Paul demonstrated for us when he said: “I am being poured out like a drink offering!”

Our text for this morning is one of the craziest, most cinematic stories in all of Scripture, but before we get there, let me pray for our time together.

Pray.

Our text today is from Mark 5. If you’ve got a Bible, go ahead and turn there. It’s on page _________ in the house Bibles.

I told you this story is cinematic… so in order to help us understand the story at hand, I’ve divided our text into three chapters.

Here’s the first chapter — one that I’ve titled THE MESS.

Go ahead & look at Mark 5, starting in verse 1:

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.

If you thought our church greeting team was scary, here’s the greeting team for the Gerasenes - a demon possessed man.

This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 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. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

This man is homeless. He lives in a cemetery. He’s been chained up for a long time, but he’s so strong that neither chains nor humans can contain him.

He’s like an ancient near eastern version of the Incredible Hulk.

Day and night, he cries out in agony and cuts himself with stones. This is a grim scene. Can you picture it in your mind? Can you hear the wails of agony? Can you picture his wounds, see the pain in his eyes?

This man’s life was a complete MESS.

This guy reminds me of a story I once heard…

One time there was this woman who owned a very foul-mouthed parrot…

Every day the bird would curse, insult guests, and say terrible things. Finally, after one especially awful tirade, the woman lost her temper, grabbed the parrot, and tossed him into the freezer.

The parrot screamed, squawked, and banged around for a few seconds. Then everything went totally silent.

After only a minute, and feeling extremely guilty, the woman opened the freezer door. The parrot stepped out slowly, feathers ruffled, shivering.

And in a very polite voice the parrot said: “Ma’am, I’m terribly sorry for my behavior. I sincerely apologize for all the offensive things I've said. From now on, I promise to be respectful and well- mannered.”

The woman was stunned. "Well... thank you. I appreciate that.”

The parrot nodded and then asked:"If you don't mind my asking... What did the turkey in there do?"

Guys - I’m really sorry for that. That was as painful for me as it was for you. But when Mark Magee tells you to tell a parrot joke, you tell a parrot joke.

Hard transition — The man, a lot like this parrot, was kind of a mess.

It’s not difficult or unfair to assume that very little has gone this guy’s way in life. He’s possessed by a demon and it’s affected every part of his life.

He’s in pain. He’s isolated. He is homeless. And he’s just wandering around, surrounded by death everywhere he goes.

You might not live in a cemetery, but you probably know what it feels like to experience struggles in life.

You’ve probably encountered seasons where it feels like you can’t catch a break.

A bout with chronic illness. Broken homes. Friendship breakups. Unexpected expenses. Job uncertainty. Car troubles.

One year, after a stretch like this, Hannah and I tried to get away for a family vacation & even our vacation was taken away because of a hurricane!

There are plenty of moments in life where we’re left wondering, “Why me? Could this possibly get any worse? Why can’t I catch a break?”

Sometimes, life feels like a mess.

And after a while, we start to wonder… “am I the mess? Am I the problem here?”

That had to have been part of this man’s agony — life hadn’t gone his way. He seemingly couldn’t catch a break. His life was a mess… until he encountered Jesus.

As we move to chapter 2, I’d like to call this chapter THE MESSIAH.

Let’s keep reading, Mark 5, verse 6:

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”

Before Jesus can say or do anything, this man runs to Him and throws himself onto the ground. He recognized the power and authority of Jesus, even from afar.

But Jesus quickly realized - this man is not the one at the wheel right now: For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”

This part is creepy. “Legion” was a military term used to describe a unit of soldiers numbering about 2,000 people… so many Biblical scholars believe that this man was not simply possessed by a single demon, but rather 2,000 demons. An entire legion.

I’m not sure if the Legion spoke in unison like the twins in the Shining, but it’s terrifying nonetheless.

And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Imagine you’re just hanging out at the beach one day. You’re relaxing. Maybe reading a book, maybe taking a nap.

In the distance, you hear a noise. You turn around to look and see two thousand pigs running at full force off of a cliff overheard, only to drown in the water below. Imagine the scene with 2,000 pigs — a full legion — doing the ‘dead pig float’ in the water.

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.

As one would.

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

They were used to the old version of this man. But the truly terrifying thing for the people of this town was how quickly this man had transformed into someone entirely new.

Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

Before you do any more harm to our economy, property, or livestock - get outta here, Jesus!

I told you this story was crazy and cinematic, right? Can you picture all of this unfolding in your mind?

This is the part of the story where the Mess meets the Messiah.

Messiah is a Hebrew word that means “anointed one” — and who would have been anointed at this time? A King.

This is one of the most common titles connected with Jesus — and is one that he claimed about Himself.

Here’s the first thing I noticed as I read through this — this man’s mess didn't scare Jesus away.

Did you catch that? Do you realize the power and the beauty in that?

This man would have scared us senseless. If we saw him walking down the sidewalk, many of us would cross to the other side of the street to avoid him. But Jesus didn’t do that.

He leaned in. He engaged with the man. When everyone else had deserted him, Jesus talks to him. And the mess didn’t scare him.

I think what we learn here is that when the Messiah encounters the Mess, everything changes.

With just a few words, Jesus changes this man’s entire life trajectory. He brings freedom to this man and writes a beautiful new story.

Friends — that’s true of us too.

We were one way before Jesus. We bring our own mess to the table. Romans tells us that “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That means YOU! You got some stink on ya. And it’s okay… so do I.

But the gift of God is that, when we encounter the Messiah, when we encounter Jesus, everything changes.

I once was arrogant, but Jesus has made me new.

I once was searching for meaning and belonging in all the wrong places, but Jesus has made me new.

I once was trapped in unforgiveness, but Jesus has made me new.

No one encounters the Messiah and stays the same. That’s what happened for the Gerasene demoniac… that’s what happened for me… and that’s what happens for all of us who place our full trust in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come.”

If you want to experience the fresh start of life with Jesus, come find me on the patio after service. I’d love to talk to you about how we can experience new life with Jesus through baptism.

When the Messiah encounters the mess, everything changes. When we’re in Christ, we are a new creation. Not a better version of ourselves — something completely new.

Which brings us to the third chapter of our story — THE MESSENGER.

Look at Mark 5, verse 18:

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.

Jesus has changed this man’s life and he wants to follow Jesus wherever he’s headed. That sounds about right. Jesus has to be so excited about this man’s commitment level, right?

But our text says this:

Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Jesus doesn’t let him join.

Why?

Because Jesus has given this guy a task. A purpose. A mission. A calling.

“Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

The Messiah encountered the Mess… and then sent the man to be his Messenger. Forget Paul Revere! This is the perfect image of a messenger!

Which, by the way, is what the Lord wants for each one of us — to be his messengers, to tell the world “what the Lord has done for you.”

And please hear me when I say this: Your past does not disqualify you for service in God’s Kingdom.

This man had spent years plagued and tormented by demons. He’d seen things. He’d done things. He’d terrified people for years. People couldn’t stand to look at him or be around him, so they sent him to a graveyard. This man’s got a past.

Yet Jesus chose him to be his Messenger.

Most people today think they can't share their faith because “I’m too messed up!” And to be completely frank, this was me for a long time.

Growing up, I made lots of mistakes. I did things I wasn’t proud of. I was a ministry kid - I knew better. If I shared my story, how will people think differently of me? How will that reflect on my mom? Or, even worse, will I lose all credibility with people? Will they immediately write off the message of Jesus because I’m more of a hypocrite than I’ve ever let on?

But this formerly demon-possessed man reminds us that the Lord doesn't only use experts.

This man had no seminary degree, no ministry training, no polished testimony, no platform of influence. He hadn’t memorized the Roman Road nor did he have a polished confession of faith to lead people through.

Instead, the Lord uses people who have encountered and experienced His goodness firsthand. He’s got a track record of it, all throughout history.

This man was one way… his life was a mess… and then Jesus entered the picture. From that moment on, everything changed.

So how does the man respond to his new Kingdom assignment? Here’s how our story ends:

So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

He went on a preaching tour throughout the Decapolis—the surrounding region of ten cities—telling people what Jesus had done.

And now, those who once heard this man’s screams of agony are now listening to this man’s testimony.

“Here’s what Jesus did in MY life…”

And ALL the people were amazed.

He wasn’t just “willing” to tell his story — he was compelled. He HAD to tell his story.

It’s like when you and I go on vacation — whether you’re hiking, exploring a city, or enjoying a nice leisurely stroll, sometimes we’ll stumble across something really cool.

Like a beautiful view of the mountains at Silver Lake in Utah… or an 85 year old green sea turtle in Hawaii… or something as simple as a great cup of coffee in Greenwood, DE — shoutout Amity. I love you so so much.

When we encounter something beautiful and amazing, we are compelled to tell others about it.

And no shade to the mountains, turtles, or cups of coffee — but a life changed by Jesus warrants a bit more of a response.

Which is exactly what this man did. The town hung on every word. That’s pretty effective messenger work, if you ask me.

The Messiah encountered the Mess… and then sent the man to be his Messenger. So church, I want to leave you with a question this morning:

What is your story? What has the Lord done for you? What is your message?

You have a story. The Lord has done something in your life. So when it comes time to share your story, are you prepared? Are you ready?

1 Peter 3:15 commands us to be ready for such a moment:

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

You need a message that is ready to be poured out!

How would you sum up your story, your message in a sentence?

My message something like — “In Jesus, we have everything we need.” Or maybe it’s “The Lord is a loving Father who cares for us more than we can comprehend.” Or maybe even “Walking with the Lord is the only way to experience the good life.”

Behind those statements? A lifetime of learning at the feet of Jesus. Pain from learning lessons the hard way. But in those statements, I’ve created opportunities to share my story & the corresponding goodness of God with anyone I meet.

This week, I want to challenge you to do the same.

Based on your life story - what’s your message?

Always be prepared to give an answer to ANYONE who asks to give the reason for the hope you have.

That’s not a nice suggestion, this ain’t extra credit — that’s a command from God’s Word!

Pray about it. Think about it. Write it down. And then start to look for opportunities to share your story, to take the posture of a messenger.

And then actually do it.

The Lord pours into us… so we can pour into others on His behalf.

What if the most powerful tool for KINGDOM WORK that you possess isn't your Bible knowledge… but your story, summed up in a single sentence?

What’s your message?

The man in our story began with a POOR ME mentality. Life was a mess… why me? Could it possibly be any worse?

But after an encounter with Jesus, he ended the story living life with a POUR ME mentality, ready to unashamedly share his story with anyone with ears to hear.

What would happen if one coworker heard your message this week? One neighbor? A lifelong friend? That estranged family member? What might happen?

You never know what the Lord will do with one faithful witness. With one person willing to say, “Here’s my story. Lord, use it how you see fit.”

THAT is a POUR ME mentality.

And THIS is the pattern of grace.

Jesus takes broken people, of which I am one of, and redeems them, makes them into a new creation…

And then He sends them out with a message — go and tell the world what the Lord has done for you!

When the Lord’s people pour out their message, their stories of transformation?

Lives are changed. An entire town encountered the Savior & was forever changed as a result!

In the same way, may the people of Lewes, Milton, Rehoboth, Millsboro, Long Neck, Milford, and beyond have an encounter with Jesus because you took the bold step to share your message with a world in need.

Let’s pray.