Everything Changes

MARK 5:1-20
¹So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes ²When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. ³This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. ⁴Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him.⁵Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.⁶When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. ⁷With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” ⁸For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.” ⁹Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name? “And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” ¹⁰Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.¹¹There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. ¹²“Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”¹³So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.¹⁴The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. ¹⁵A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. ¹⁶Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs.¹⁷And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.¹⁸As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” ²⁰So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

Mark 5:1-5
¹So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. ²When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. ³This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. ⁴Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him.⁵Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

Mark 5:6-13
⁶When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. ⁷With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” ⁸For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”⁹ Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name? ”And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” ¹⁰Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.¹¹There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. ¹²“Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”¹³So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

John 8:12
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

Romans 8:22
For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

When light hits the shore our STATUS changes

Mark 5:14-15
¹⁴The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. ¹⁵A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.

2 Corinthians 5:17
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Ephesians 2:1-6
¹Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. ²You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. ³All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. ⁴But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ⁶For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

When light hits the shore our DESIRE changes

Galatians 5:16-17
¹⁶So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. ¹⁷The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

Romans 7:21-25a
²¹I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. ²²I love God’s law with all my heart. ²³But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.²⁴Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? ²⁵Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

When light hits the shore our MISSION changes

1 Peter 2:9
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

Few things could be clearer—the purpose of the body of Christ is to extend the mission of Christ in the world.  Christ has passed on to the church His mission to seek and save the lost.  As long as this age lasts, our charge from Jesus is to tell of His salvation with our lips and show His love with our lives so that people from every tongue and tribe and nation will be saved by faith and give Him glory for His mercy.

–John Piper