TEXT: Luke 8:26-40
INTRODUCTION:
THE MAN JESUS SENT AWAY: ...What a title for a sermon.
Didn't Jesus say, " come unto me all you that are weak and
heavy laden" (Matt. 11:28)?
Didn't he say, "And the Spirit and the bride say come.
And Let him that heareth say come. And let him that is athirst
say come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of Life"
(Rev. 22:17)?
Didn't Jesus  stand in Jerusalem any cry out, "If any man thirst,
let him come unto me and drink" (Jno. 7:37)?
What horrible deed could a man have done that was so
heinous and odious that Jesus would send him away?
Nothing....And yet, Jesus sent him away. In fact, the act of
sending him away was a blessing to him and to the cause of
the Lord. 
By now you may be asking who, on earth, could Jesus have
possibly sent away and in the process made him a blessing to
the Lord, himself and all those who knew him?   The Gardenian
Demoniac.
The Gardenian Demoniac??? Who in the world is the Gardenian
Demoniac and what could a study of him possibly have to do we me?
The Gardenian Demoniac was a pathetic demon possessed
individual whom Jesus encountered in Mark 5 and Luke 8:26-40.
As we study this tragic figure many questions, most of which
deal with the subject of demon possession, are called forth.
However this is not the time to answer those questions. 
There are many questions that must remain unanswered
until the judgment (Deut. 29:29; II Pet. 1:3).
At a later date,  we will discuss what we can infer on the
subject of Demon Possession in greater detail--complete with
scripture references. For now, suffice it to say that Demon
possession (an event in which spiritual servants of Satan invaded
the mind and body of a human being against his will and caused
him to perform bizarre and often  self destructive actions)  is a
phenomena that did not occur in the Patriarchal age, did not
occur in the Mosaic age, and is not now occurring. It was a
phenomena that appeared during the earthly ministry of Jesus,
began to vanish away after his crucifixion and disappeared by
the end of the first century.
Many, when studying Our Lord's encounter with the Gardenian
Domoniac, become entangled in philosophical speculation about
the demon possession.
Our task, however will be to glean those lessons from the text
that are applicable to  our lives.
DISCUSSION:
Mark 5:1-5.
We have no way of knowing whether this man had been wicked
or good before the demons took up their abode in him; whether
they had entered his body by consent or not.
Here we have a case where the demons were able to have free
reign within the confines of the body of a man.
These verses give us some idea of the character of Satan and
his servants.
If the Devil (there is just one Devil and many demons [explain])
could have his way with you: this would be your lot.
We look at the Nazi Gestapo with their terrifying torture tactics
and we ask, "Was there ever a more discussing degenerate
breed of men?"
No one in his right mind would ever dream of dealing with such
people just to get ahead in life.
Yet, consider the kind of degenerate that you are dealing with
when you bargain with Satan and his agents.....Could the
Gestapo have tortured a man any more sadistically than Satan's
Demons did this poor pathetic person????
All the pain and suffering of this world is the direct result of
Satan's work in this world (Adam and Eve's temptation).
The pleasures of sin are for but a season (Heb. 11:25).
It would appear, from the text that Satan and his minions are
sadists of the worst kind.
The story of the pig and the acorns.
Teach your children, AND YOURSELF, "Your sins will find you
out" (Num. 32:23).
Teach them not to be deceived (Gal. 6:7-9)
Study with Burt and his alcoholism one year later.
Mark 5:6-7.
This event gives a remarkable testimony to the power of Jesus
over the powers of Darkness.
"Torment me not"???? (8-10)
"Out of the country" ='s into the abys (Luke 8:31).
It appears that the Hell God has prepared for the Devil and his
angels is so horrible that they preferred the life of a Hog to
the habitation of Hell (Mark 9:41-44).  Mark 5:11-19
People often think If only we could see a miracle as they saw
a miracle then we would believe. The miracles did not make the
Gardenians believe.  Luke 16:29-31, Acts 4:16 Rom. 10:17.
Mark 5:18-20.
The Lord sent him away. WHY???
He was the only Gardenian willing to follow him.
Jesus was telling him to start where you are. Bloom where you
are planted
You don't have to be a missionary in India to serve the Lord.
Start where you are.
Article, "If you can't be a sun etc.
Legion was so overwhelmed with the wonderful work Jesus
had performed on him that he was saying, in essence, let me
serve you, let me repay you.
Jesus answer (v.19-20).
If we are to convert people they must see both the beauty
and the joy of the Lord in us.
And they must see it in our daily encounters with them.
Luke 8:39-40.
APPLICATION:

The Lord has done a great thing for you. Now, tell  others...
present them with the good news.
Sermon History
11:29 AM June 2, 1988 Waterford, MI