STAY AT HOME
Luke 8:26 And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. 27 And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. 29 (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) 30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. 32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them. 33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. 34 When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.
Luke 8:35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.36 They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. 37 Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. 38 Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.
In the present pandemic situation we are all advised to stay at home. At one time there were 300 Americans dying every minute from this virus. And we see in our scripture passage, as recorded in verse thirty-nine, that our Lord instructed the brother, out of whom he had cast a legion of demons, to “Return to thine house.” He was not to come along with the Lord and his other disciples. He was to “return” – go back to the home, from which the demons had driven him, as recorded in verse twenty-seven.
We must fully realize that our Sovereign Lord has designed all things for our entire benefit. {This is especially true for the church. 1 Corinthians 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;} He has set both the times and the place of our dwelling that we might be both physically and spiritually cared for. Ester’s Uncle Mordecai instructed her to be faithful in her responsibilities to God by reminding her of God’s placement of her at that time in the palace of the king. Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
And the Apostle Paul preached on Mars Hill in Athens that same thing concerning man’s coming to know God! Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
And the Wisdom writer has set it forth in his well known instruction. Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die;
The Prophet Elijah was commanded of the time and place where he was to hide from the wicked intents of King Ahab and Jezebel. 1 Kings 17:3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. He and the ravens were instructed to the same time and place. That is where the ravens would bring the food, so he had to be “there” in order to receive it.
And even though that brook dried up in the place provided him by God, he did not panic. He awaited the Lord’s instruction for the next ‘place’ of his provisions. For we must learn not to depend just on the provisions of God, but upon God the Provider! Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
1 Kings 17:7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
And just how did there come to be demons in the first place? They are the fallen angels! But how did that occur? It occurred when the angels were not content to Stay At Home! Jude 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
And how did a fine, privileged, Jewish son become so low as to consider eating the slop which even the pigs wouldn’t eat? He left home! Luke 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
And what was involved in his salvation? He went back home! Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Take careful note how the Father described his son while he was away from home. He stated that he was “dead!” But in his coming back home he was “alive again!”
“I wandered far away from God.
Now I’m coming home.
Too long the paths of sin I’ve trod.
Lord I’m coming home.
Coming home, Coming home.
Never more to roam.
Open wide Thine arms of love;
Lord I’m coming home.”
William J. Kirkpatrick pub.1892
And what is it that makes an apostate, an antichrist? Is it not in leaving the place where God has designed for his gospel to go forth for that individual? How many souls have been withered, or even eternally lost by abandoning the place where they were receiving the gospel? 1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
But why did they leave? Some were offered a promotion in another city and favored a more prosperous lifestyle more than they did the “washing of water by the word of God.” But were they starving before? Were their children naked or hungry? Were they homeless? Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
They now eat finer foods. Their children go to ‘better schools’. They live in a bigger, more modern house, and drive a more expensive car. Their wife has more money to shop at finer stores. But in exchange, they received leanness of soul! Psalm 106:13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: 14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. 15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
May the Lord God help us to “come to ourselves,” like the prodigal did. So that before it’s too late we might think again of our Father’s house. For at one time he was not content to be a son, an heir, but now he seeks contentment at just being a hired servant. Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Consider these words given to one of the seven churches. Revelation 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Now what about our previously demon possessed preacher? The Lord Jesus instructs this gospel servant where to go and what to do when he got there. He was to “Return to thine own house,” and to “shew how great things God hath done unto thee.” Therefore we see the great importance of abiding exactly where we are placed, and in being ourselves there. 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
For as the “pig preachers,” (those who fled with the pigs), had spread abroad “in the city and in the country” a false impression of the Lord; this one, single voice would be enough to dispel the darkness of this area and bring forth the life and light of the gospel of Christ! We see that the demons were highly fearful of being dispossessed of their human ‘homes.’ So when we see these pig providers fearfully fleeing with the pigs at the command of the Lord, we know that they were also possessed.
And as they had filled the city and country with their lies, therefore this one preacher would publish throughout the whole city – that is throughout “Decapolis” (see Mark 5:20) – the glorious gospel of which he had most certainly experienced! Now the very word, “Decapolis” means, “ten cities.” So his gospel affect would be spread throughout this “whole” city area.
The most powerful preaching is accomplished by those who have experienced both the powers of darkness, and the wondrous liberty of the applied atonement! For a man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with a theory!
And it was our Sovereign Lord’s purpose for this elect sinner (Ephesians 1:4) to be given first into the hands of Satan in order that he might not be ignorant of Satan’s devices, and then be enflamed by the experiential deliverance into spiritual and eternal life. For he was sent to minister by this preparation to a people “who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
The Apostle Paul writes of this in his letter to the Galatians. Galatians 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
This man’s nature was changed by the powerful word of Christ. He would never again be seen as a fierce, naked, crazed person from Hell. But now he would be seen as a new creation in Christ Jesus as he Stayed At Home! 2 Corinthians 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Pastor Gene Breed
April 8, 2020
