Introduction Personal Tell The story. Textual This story is pieced together from: Matt 8:14 - 9:1 Mark 3:31 - 5:20 Luke 8:19 - 39 In Luke, it comes between important statements "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it." Mark 3:21 Luke 8:21 and the first time that the apostles where sent out to preach. Mat 10:5 Mark 6:6a Luke 9:1 Legion Setting: Jesus took His disciples out of Jerusalem to a Gentile land called Gerasenes. No historical or archeological evidence to conclude exactly where this land is. The text only says that it is in the Land of the Ten Cities (Decapolis). a.k.a.: Gergesenes. Major Character: - Read Mark 5:2-5 Have you ever known anyone like this? Have you ever felt like this man? Unclean Spirit (Mk 5:2): your life is being run for you by circumstances out of your control; work school kids PTA, FFA, Sports, 4-H, Volunteer organizations you belong to. Nude (Lk 8:27): exposed to the world and vulnerable. Everyone can see right through you. Out of Control Exposed to the world Lived among the Tombs (Mk5:2): According to the Mosaic Law, nothing more unclean could have been walking around under it's own power. Gentile in a pig farming community. Unclean Spirit Lived among the dead. It was physically and religiously impossible to get any further away from a relationship with God than this man was at that time. You feel as though you work with "deadbeats", or perhaps live with them. Out of Control Exposed to the world and far, far way from God. Bound with chains (Mk 5:4): Almost as if to keep him or lock him into this terrible state of being. It seems as though everyone is trying to chain you down to something that you really don't want to do, or they are forcing you to be someone that you don't want or shouldn't be. peer pressure drugs or alcohol food disorders pornography Crying and self abuse (Mk 5:5): Have you ever been so depressed that you just sat and cried, or perhaps cried out at others? Have you ever abused yourself with drugs, alcohol, food, sex, bad or abusive friends or spouse? Have you ever decided to try to take your own life? Have you ever been Legion? The Three Beggars Mk 5:10 - Legion Begs Jesus. Then when Legion saw Jesus, he recognized Him for who he was and begged Jesus not to heal him! Now, there's a lesson for us! Have you ever had the solution to your problem right in front of your face only to kick it out of your way? Mk 5:9 - Legion - in Roman times this would have been 4 - 6000 men. Mk 5:11-13 Swine heard - NOT a Jewish land. Legion seeks permission from Jesus, He has the power. Who is the one here with the real power? Jesus is the one who "gave permission." Mk 5:14-17 - The Village People Beg Jesus. Jesus affected the lives of the pig herders and they had to tell someone. Now the people feared Jesus' power and they begged Jesus to leave their land. "Better the Devil you know." It would seem that if Jesus had hoped to spread a little gospel in this area, He just blew it by showing off His power with Legion. Summary of Beggars Legion begging Jesus not to heal him and ... the people begging Jesus to leave. "We can't have all these healed people walking around here or they'll start calling this a church, by god!" Mk 5:18 - The Man They Called Legion Begs Jesus. Now that the man is in his right mind... he knows a good thing when he sees it, and he begged to stay with Jesus. Jesus does not permit it, however. Why? This Gentile would not be accepted in Israel and Jesus has enough trouble as it is? This Gentile would not be accepted by the other 12? This Gentile has more God-given abilities than he realizes and Jesus sends him back to his own people to discover those abilities; preaching teaching evangelism. Mk 5:19 - Jesus charges the Gentile to go and tell "what great things God has done for you." Notice Mark 7:31 - 36. The result of the preaching of the Gentile? A former foul-mouthed, dirty, homeless, delinquent, pig farming Gentile who couldn't hold down a job, became history's first recorded, successful, Christian missionary. Is it time for you to cast your off demons? Jesus is standing looking you square in the face. Make your choice, Legion. ARE YOU LEGION?