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Text: Luke 8:26-39
Exorcism. Movies have been made about this subject. It’s a fascinating subject. It’s a mysterious subject. It’s a wild topic. Sometimes a scary thing. But while this is all true, the exorcism in these verses only serves to explain the power and authority of the LORD Jesus Christ.
Condition of this poor soul (vss 26-27)
- This poor man lives in darkness. He’s aggressive, loves death, supernatural physical strength, unclean, excessive crying, self-mutilation, nakedness. He’s a prisoner in his own mind.
- He lives among the tombs. He screams and cries day and night. He has no rest. He’s tormented and probably wishes for death just to silence the voices in his mind.
- Devils in the bible consistently do three things.
- They cause self-destructive behavior.
- They cause people to feel trapped in their condition.
- They separate and isolate people from family and friends.
- Maybe you’re this man this morning. Tormented by your own thoughts. A perverted fascination with death. Fighting your own demons and you need help. Let me tell you that Jesus Christ and his words are the help you need.
Confession of this possessed man (vss 28-30)
- These devils know Jesus is the Son of the Most High God.
- They understand that Jesus Christ is the King
- Before you say you don’t SEE him sitting on a throne, let me remind you that the just live by FAITH, not sight.
- Jesus Christ has all authority, just as he said when he commissioned the apostles. All power is given unto me… That sounds like the King to me!
- Paul would explain that all things are measured and judged by Jesus Christ making Him the rule and ruler!
- They know that he has power over them to assign them their place.
- They know that their end is destruction.
- The devils believe there is one God and they tremble, but they aren’t transformed!
- Their belief does not affect who they are or what they do.
- Sometimes people change religions, but they don’t change who they are. If you were a liar as a Roman Catholic and now you’re a Baptist, but you’re still a liar, your faith, by definition, has not changed you. It changed your group, but it has not affected who you are or what you do.
- James 2:18-19 Show me your faith without works, and I’ll show you my faith by my works. You believe there is one God… the devils also believe and tremble. Don’t you understand that faith without works is dead?
- That is a devil’s religion.
- Maybe this is where you are today. You have this belief in Jesus that has never really transformed you. You know some facts about Jesus being the Son of God and dying for your sins, but none of that has any real effect on your life.
- You were sick but your health got better, which could be said of nonbelieving people, but you’re still the same gossip you were.
- Your health improved but you’re still the same angry proud soul you were before.
- What I’m saying is you know some facts about Jesus and you even believe them. But there’s never been a conversion because of Jesus Christ.
- My hope for you is not that you confess Jesus like these devils, but that you allow him to CONVERT you into a child of God!
Conversion from the power of darkness to light (vss 31-37)
- It’s the words of Jesus Christ that affect the change in this man’s life. Not because the words are a magic spell, but because they are the words of the King.
- These words powerfully change this man’s life.
- Translate a possessed dominating, aggressive, confused, depressed man into a meek, generous, kind man. He’s sitting at the feet of Jesus. He’s clothed. He’s in his right mind!
- Translate a devil into a saint.
- Translate a fierce man into a kind man.
- Turned physical strength into moral strength.
- Translated excessive crying into a man in his right mind.
- Turned a man running around naked into a clothed man.
- Turned a man who was cutting himself and sacrificing his body to devils into a man who would use his body to serve God.
- The most convincing thing about this man is not his confession about Jesus Christ, it’s his new behavior.
- The most convicting thing about faith is behavior.
Commissioning this preaching saint (vss 38-39)
- Go tell what great things God has done!
- What was this man’s message about Jesus Christ? This man isn’t going around asking if people want to go to heaven when they die because this man’s Christianity is about the conditions of his present life. A life eaten up with darkness and devils that would have probably ended in suicide was completely changed into light, hope and liberty!
- He’s not waiting to die so his Christianity can kick in, his message is look how Jesus Christ changed my life! Behavior is your testimony, what you do with your mouth is the explanation for the hope that’s in you.
- People will need to be able to observe your life.
- Jesus tells this man to go back to his home where they know him and tell them how you’ve been changed. It’ll have the most impact on the people you know.
