Gtcotr/ss031520
So
far in this series we have established:
1.
Jesus
paid for us to be healed and healthy. Healing is God’s ultimate and perfect
will.
o We must believe in
something before we can believe for something.
o Every blessing we
receive from God in this mortal life is temporary.
o Heaven has its own set
of eternal rewards, one of which is eternal healing and health.
2.
We
cannot live in sin and expect God’s blessings in life.
o Repentance from sin is
a solid Bible teaching
o Not every sickness is
the result of personal sin.
o However, sin can open
a door to sickness and disease.
o Repentance will close
that door.
Today
is the 3rd teaching in our series this month. Today we will discover
where deliverance from demonic possession and/or oppression fits in the plan of
God for us to be healed and sound in mind and body. The authority for our
teaching comes straight from the Bible, God’s Holy Word.
Throughout
the Gospels we see Jesus doing the same things over and over. We see Jesus:
· Teaching to Correct
Doctrine
· Preaching the Gospel
of the Kingdom
· Healing sicknesses and
diseases
· Setting people free
from demon spirits
Acts 10:38 “How God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing
good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
Deliverance
from demonic activity was and is a fair portion of the ministry of Jesus and
His disciples.
Matthew 10:1 And when He had
called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over
unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all
kinds of disease.
7 “And as you go, preach,
saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
8 “Heal the sick, cleanse the
lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
Luke 10:17 Then the seventy
returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your
name.”
It
is evident from any simple reading of the New Testament that some trouble
people face is directly connected to demons and demonic activity in or around
them. And, Jesus gave us the authority to make demons leave people alone. To
believe anything else would be to believe a lie …
Two things the devil wants you to believe:
1.
Demons don’t exist or they have no power or influence today.
2.
The teaching you are about to hear applies to somebody else.
So
without further proof text, let’s get into our message for today – “Naked
and Afraid”.
The
story of Mark 5 is an account of mental and emotional trauma and harmful
behavior. It’s the account of a man instilling fear in the lives of his family
and friends who had tried to help him, but he broke through every restraint.
It’s
not normal, it’s not healthy for people to be afraid you are going to
physically hurt them. Intimidation, manipulation and control aren’t good
qualities. Yet some people suffer with an inability to change their abusive
behavior. As well, the man who was demon possessed in this account began
cutting himself. Why would a person ever do something that hurts them?
This
story is the end of what demonic influence can do in your life. An unclean
spirit finally took complete control of this man’s life. It didn’t start here;
this is where it came to. No doubt the anxiety and mental instability caused by
these demons in this man’s life over a period of time drove him to want to harm
himself and others.
The
majority of time sickness and disease, as well as mental or emotional trauma,
may have nothing to do with the literal presence of a demon. It may have
biological, chemical or environmental roots. However, some problems in life are
directly related to demonic oppression, and when it is so, only deliverance in
the name of Jesus will remedy it.
Mark 5
1 ¶ Then they came to the
other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.
2 And when He had come out of
the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean
spirit,
3 who had his dwelling
among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains,
4 because he had often been
bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him,
and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.
5 And always, night and day,
he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with
stones.
This
is but one picture of a demon-possessed man. There are other examples
throughout the New Testament.
The
story continues …
Mark
5
6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and
worshiped Him.
7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said,
“What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by
God that You do not torment me.”
8 For He said to him, “Come out of the man,
unclean spirit!”
9 Then He asked him, “What is your
name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”
10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would
not send them out of the country.
11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there
near the mountains.
12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send
us to the swine, that we may enter them.”
13 And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then
the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two
thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned
in the sea.
14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they
told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it
was that had happened.
15 Then they came to Jesus,
and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting
and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
16 And those who saw it told them how it
happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.
17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart
from their region.
18 And when He got into the boat, he who had
been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.
19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said
to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has
done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”
20 And he departed and began to proclaim in
Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
If
you are sick; have disease in your body; are experiencing mental or emotional
trauma; engaging in harmful behavior; unable to control your urges; resist
every attempt others make towards helping you; or if people in your family or
community are afraid that you’re going to hurt them or hurt yourself … you may
be in need of deliverance.
How
can we know if the problem we are experiencing is demonic or not? If it is
demonic, deliverance will destroy it’s roots and the fruit will dry up in your
life and you can begin to build a new testimony.
Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give
you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power
of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
The
Disciple of Christ has been given authority over all of the devil’s abilities.
You can take charge of your life, rebuke the devil and command him to leave
your mind and body in the name of Jesus.
If
you feel you need help with a demonic problem, ask a minister or another strong
believer in Jesus to pray for you to be delivered. The voice of command from a
Believer has power in the name of Jesus. In fact, let me pray for you right
now …
