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Every Chain Broken

Song- Power in Jesus to break every chain- Two different kinds of singers- one who had chains broken- and one who hasn’t. the one who had- sang differently

Jesus still breaks chains.

1. Demon possession is real

• Read v1-5
• Jesus and his disciples have just spent the night out on the sea- Jesus calmed the storm and the dudes are much better off
• And here he meets a man possessed by demons- classic demonic possession- – The man had been demon possessed for a long time (Luke 8:27). wore no clothes and lived like a sub-human, wild animal (Luke 8:27). lived among the decaying and dead, contrary to Jewish law and human instinct (dwelling among the tombs). had supernatural strength (chains pulled apart).was tormented and self-destructive (crying out and cutting himself with stones). uncontrollable behavior (neither could anyone tame him). Strangely, some Christians
• This demon possession was 100% real. He didn’t have an issue or a problem- he was possessed
• There are people who were possessed by demons in the Bible- there are people still today
• Think about this- this guy was part of this community at some point- he hadn’t bound himself in chains- it must have been the people who lived about him
• Worried about what he would do to himself or the others around him- but he kept breaking them
• READ Matthew 12:43-45 Its REAL
• What does it mean to you?

• Demon possession is real- its biblical and it happens- some people don’t want to believe it- but it’s a real phenomenon
• You must realize that sometimes you are dealing with demonic powers- everything isn’t a demon- but sometimes it is
• Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
• There’s a reason that Jesus gave the power to destroy demons to his disciples
• Luke 9:1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
• Demon possession is real- if you don’t believe it- read your bible- you’ll see many stories of it.
• The demon possession of this guy was real- 5 And always, night and day, he was in the
• mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
• “Don’t torment me” These demons considered it torment to be out a body, because they LONG to posess people!
• Why? Because bodies are a tool that they can use to destroy the things of God!
• They HATE God- so they will do whatever they can! Now- a Christian CANNOT be possessed by a demon- but can be oppressed-
• 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1. Jesus is real

• Read Mark 5:6 -10
• Few things here-
• Notice- The Man comes and begins to worship him- even under the influence of demons- I don’t know if it was the demons or the man- but the knee is bowed- No fighting the king
• Notice- there was a superstition during this time that when dealing with spirits- that if you called a spirit by their actual complete name- you could control them- superstition
• That’s why the demons said “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God”
• The demon believed that if they used the full name- they would have power of Jesus- nope
• This is why Jesus asks his name “Legion” which was an evasive way to say that there are 100s
• Notice though- Even the demon possessed man realizes that Jesus is the son of God
• To the demon possessed man- he saw in Jesus, the power that he IS as the Son of God
• As much as Demon possession is real- the power of Jesus is GREATER and just as REAL
• Paul saw it- Acts 16:16-18 READ

• What Does it mean to you?
• And because JESUS is REAL- his POWER IS REAL and Available for YOU to deal with DEMONS
• Always must clarify- this is a power that is ONLY for Born again Christians- Don’t do it if you’re not a believer
• Folks- this Jesus thing is real- and if its not- what are we doing here? And if it IS- then we should take it seriously and appropriate the POWER of Jesus in our lives!
• Luke 10:17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
• As a Christian- are you walking in the power of Jesus that is available to you?
• Are you living like Jesus is real and coming back one day?
• Mark 16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
• Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil
• The Devil is already defeated when the child of God comes in contact with him because of Jesus!

1. Jesus way is right way

• 11-13 READ
• One- These demons wanted to stay in that region- in the same way that the Gospel struggles in certain places- Satanic powers flourish in some places and these demons wanted to stay
• Two- even without a body- the demons would rather be in something living- pigs
• Three- the pigs run violently into the sea and they all die- Satan’s only goal is to destroy-
• John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
• Four– Jesus gave this demons permission- why? To show the destructive power of Satan, and to demonstrate the value of temporary riches in light of someones eternal destination
• 2000 animals are not as valuable as one soul in Jesus eyes. Animals are not as valuable
• The lost cost of the owners of the animals was not nearly as important.
• I understand that many animal lovers don’t like this truth- but animals are not human
• Here’s the thing to understand about this we may not understand WHY but we must understand the WHO- if Jesus wants a farmer to lose 2k head of swine to prove a spiritual point- then that’s his prerogative-
• What does it mean to you?
• Firstly- recognize the destructive power of Satan- take it seriously
• John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

• Do you think this faith thing is a game? We just hang out and sing songs and argue over parking spots?
• This is heaven or hell here- Everlasting life or everlasting damnation.
• People say that we may take it too seriously- but seriously, how else can you take it?
• 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
• People take their kids sports more seriously than their spirituality
• Satan wants to destroy your marriage, your health, your friends. He wants to to give up on serving God- control and destroy your whole life
• He gets no pleasure from you flourishing so he does everything to destroy you- even pastors
• Secondly- live knowing that Jesus is allowed to do whatever he needs to do to keep satan from tormenting you- Say “Thank you Jesus from keeping me from that”
• 2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
• Yes- the man who was possessed Got delivered, but the pig owner got a sermon as well
• Let Jesus preach whatever sermons he needs to preach through your life- hopefully good ones

1. Jesus is scary to some

• Read v 14-18
• 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.
• Two main points- They were afraid
• Isn’t that interesting? These people didn’t have any problem with demon possessed guy- throw him in chains and shove him in a tomb
• Dude gets delivered? Guys in his right mind? THEY ARE AFRAID
• Somehow- the mans calamity was comfortable to them- they appear to prefer him in chains v being free and living among them
• Real moves of God often strike fear into the hearts of those who live in superstition
• Remember- the names game was here- people figured Jesus would go down
• But these people had put their faith in superstitions that weren’t real- and when real showed up it scared them- they didn’t want anything to do with it
• So what do they do? They asked Jesus to leave- Good job taking care of our demon problem Mr Jesus- but could you please leave? We’d feel better if you weren’t here
• What does it mean to you?

• One- don’t be afraid with authentic moves of God- EMBRACE THEM- that’s why we’re here
• Don’t be afraid when God changes something or someone- LET GOD CHANGE THEM
• IF God changes YOU you’d sure like to have people receive you
• There are people out there that don’t understand the things of God- even “Christians”
• Christians that don’t like it when God changes things- (This church better be diff in 10)
• 2 Peter 3:16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
• Two- Don’t push Jesus away when he does powerful stuff
• What crazier than people not accepting this guy delivered- is that they actually ask Jesus to LEAVE- Don’t push Jesus away when he’s moving- Many people Reject When he does EMBRACE
• The modern day example is Church- when things get real in life, people flee
• Just as Jesus solved the demon problem in this town and he was rejected- he solves YOUR problems- don’t reject him after he does
• 18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.
• That’s changed life! JESUS TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!! He just wanted to be with JESUS

1. Proclaim deliverance

• READ V 19-20
• This guy wanted to leave with Jesus- wanted to go wherever he was going
• I get it- if I had just been delivered- I’d want to leave with Jesus too!
• But Jesus doesn’t permit him- tells him to stay in the Decapolis (a ten city area) to proclaim what Jesus had done in his life-
• Few reasons for this- one- I think Jesus wanted to establish with this guy that he didn’t need to physically be near Jesus to maintain his deliverance
• Secondly- Jesus needed him THERE to share with the people what had happened in his life
• If the guy had left- he never would have been able to proclaim what God had done for him
• What does it mean to you?

• Realize you have Jesus near you ever hour of every day
• Acts 17:27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
• He’s not far from wherever you are! Draw near to him hourly!
• Deuteronomy 4:7 “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?
• PROCLAIM
• This guy got delivered and Jesus told him to go and declare to the people what happened
• That’s what we’re supposed to do! We got saved so we can tell other people what Jesus has done for us in our lives!
• What good is it if we’ve been delivered that we don’t tell anyone?
• I don’t know about you- but if I’d been delivered- I’d tell everyone I met about it.