SERMONS and LESSONS

Pastor Smith preached this stirring sermon about what God has done on Sunday morning October 3rd.  You can listen to this sermon and others when you visit our audio page!

Listen to this Sermon

LOOK WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE

TEXT: (Mark 5:1-20 KJV) 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. (9) And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. (10)  And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. (11) Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. (12) And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (13) And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. (14) And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. (15) And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. (16) And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. (17) And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. (18) And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. (19) Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. (20) And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

INTRODUCTION:                     
Today, I'm going talk about what demons can do, what the Lord can do, and what you can do. This is a hurting world that we live in, and this man was hurting. He was in terrible shape. He had demon troubles! Notice…

I. LOOK WHAT DEMONS HAVE DONE!

A. WHO WAS THIS MAN?

1. We don’t know much about who he was, but we do know that he was somebody’s son.

2. He was undoubtedly someone’s relative.

3. He was probably somebody’s husband.

4. He was probably somebody’s dad.

5. He for sure was bound by demons!

6. Notice what the demons had done…

B. HE DWELLED AMONG THE DEAD (v.3)

1. He lived in the tombs.

2. The devil likes to keep you in the tombs.

3. The devil likes to have you hang out with

those who are dead.

4. Not necessarily physically dead, but he loves to have you hang out with those who are spiritually dead.

5. He wants them to influence you.

6. He wants them to drag you down.

7. The devil likes to get you to live among the dead and become the type of person that no man can tame.

C. NO MAN COULD TAME HIM (v. 4)

1. Think about that.

2. There are a lot of people today: men and women and young and older who have a violent nature.

3. It seems that nobody can tame them either.

4. Nobody can do anything with them.

5. They are inclined toward destruction.

6. That's what the devil does.

7. That's what demons do.

8. Notice what else demons had done.

D. HE WAS CONTINUALLY CRYING (v. 5)

1. The text says, he was always night and day in the mountains and in the graveyard crying.

2. Have you noticed how many people are crying today.

3. Tears stream down their faces.

4. They cry over what the devil is doing to their daddies.

5. They cry over what the devil is doing to their mothers.

6. They cry over what the devil is doing to their children.

7. They cry over drugs and they can't get out of the situation they're in.

8. The devil wants you to cry!

9. But God said I'm going to wipe away all tears from their eyes. 

10. This man was always crying in the graveyard.

11. That’s what the devil had done.                                                 

E. HE ABUSED HIMSELF!                                                                              

1. He was cutting himself.

2. That's self-abuse.

3. The devil and his demons pushed him to cut himself.

4. He wanted to destroy himself.

5. He doesn't feel like he's worthy to live.

6. He didn’t like his body or his life so he cut himself.

7. This sounds eerily like what a lot of folks are doing to themselves today.

8. They aren’t satisfied with what God gave them…

9. This causes people to do some drastic things!

10. The basic problem in those people is no sense of self-worth.

11. The devil has convinced them that they aren’t worth anything.

12. If you think that you aren’t worth much, I want to tell you, that the devil is a liar!

13. You are precious in the sight of God, no matter what your appearance or education or talents or lack of these things may be.

14. Now that’s a pretty good look at what the devil had done.

II. NOW LOOK AT WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE!

A. NOTICE WHAT JESUS CAN DO.

1. This man saw Jesus afar off and the demons in him cried out, Don't torment us!

2. The demons were afraid of Jesus.

3. Jesus commanded the demons to come out.

4. Jesus asked the demon his name?

5. He declared his name was Legion.  He told Jesus that there were 6,000 more devils in the man with him.

6. Think about 6,000 demons in your son or your daughter. 

7. Think about 6,000 demons in your husband or your wife.

8. Think about 6,000 demons wanting to get inside of you and drive you to destruction.

9. WE need to learn what Legion already knew… Jesus is the deliverer!

10. Jesus commanded ALL 6000 demons to come out of that man!

11. And they ALL, IMMEDIATELY came out!

B. LOOK AT WHAT ELSE JESUS DID IN MARK 16:17… (Mark 16:17 KJV)  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

1. After His resurrection, Jesus came to the Apostles and gave them this advise…

2. But He said, "In my name you will cast out demons."

3. Demons won't leave if I say in the name of the Christ Sanctuary…

4. …the name of the Baptists

5. …in the name of Methodists

6. …in the name of Catholics

7. …in the name of Pentecostals

8. …in the name of Charismatics

9. …in the name of Episcopalians.

10. Those are all good names, but Demons don't obey those names. 

11. There's only one name that the devil and his demons will bow too… JESUS! 

C. NOTICE HOW JESUS DID IT.

1. That man didn't have to have a psychiatrist.

2. Thank God for psychiatrists, but he didn’t need one.

3. That man didn't have a physician.

4. Thank God for medical doctors, but that

man didn’t need one.

5. He didn’t have to have any medications… There aren’t any medications available that would have helped him!

6. All he needed was JESUS! 

7. People knew this man as the maniac who would strip off all of his clothes and run naked through the streets screaming!  

8. No man could tame him!

9. He cried night and day.

10. He cut himself and mutilated his own body.

11. He was deranged and driven by demons.

12. When Jesus got through with him, the people saw this man sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus listening to Him teach.

13. He was clothed and in his right mind.

14. NO BODY is beyond Jesus help!

15. What Jesus did then… He still will do today!

16. Can I have a good Amen?

III. LOOK WHAT WE CAN DO (v.19)                                      

A. TAKE JESUS HOME WITH US!

1. Your faith in God should affect your home life.

2. In 1Tim.5:8, the Apostle Paul said that if a man doesn't take care of his own family, he is worse than an infidel (an unbeliever).

3. All of us need to put Jesus FIRST right in the middle of our family!

4. When we get saved, we need to turn our attention towards our homes.

5. Next, we need to:

B. TELL OTHERS WHAT GREAT THINGS THE LORD HATH DONE.

1. Every Christian has been given the great commission from Jesus… (Mark 16:15 KJV)  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

LOOK WHAT THE LORD HATH DONE
He healed my body, he touched my mind. He saved me just in time.
Oh, I'm gonna praise His name.
I'll never be the same.
Come on and praise Him!
Look what the Lord hath done!

C. TELL OF HIS GREAT COMPASSION.

1. When you tell of His compassion, you are telling them not only what He has done for you, but how He will do the same for them.

2. The Lord is full of compassion.

3. It reaches to the highest mountain and to the lowest valley.

4. His love has reached me and He will do the same for you!

WHAT HAS THE LORD

DONE FOR YOU?