“No Longer Bound”
By
District Elder M. L. Maughmer, Jr.
Mark 5 : 1-9 & 15
Opening: It is often said that the greatest accomplishment the devil has done is that he convinces people that he does not exist. What the devil does so many times is he tries to cause people to believe that some of the events that happen in your life simply are accidental, fate, or happenstance, because he knows that if he can convince you to believe that lie then he knows that you are one step closer to killing your destiny. Destiny simply is the plan God has for you, in you, and through you; therefore, to kill your destiny is the abortion of God’s plan in you, for you, and through you.
Understand that the mission of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. He doesn’t care anything about you, he just wants to try to abort God’s plan for you. He tries to keep you bound, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He understands that if you are free that you will realize the potential God has placed in you, that you will realize that because you are free and through Jesus Christ that you can turn this world upside down and he does not want that. Therefore, he places a stronghold on the minds of people today not just the people of the world but sadly the church folk also.
You must first understand that a stronghold is a mind-set that is impregnated with the spirit of hopelessness, helplessness, depression, discouragement, despair, and anxiety that causes a person to accept as unchangeable and irrevocable a situation in their lives even though they know it goes contrary to the Will of God. This is the nuclear weapon of spiritual warfare the devil use today. He understands that if he can cause you to accept a situation in your life that is contrary to the will of God that you will never be able to raze hell (RAZE) and tare his kingdom down. It is because of this stronghold and deception by the devil that people are being bound in their minds thinking this is the way it is supposed to be.
Because of this way of thinking people are bound physically, emotionally, and spiritually unable to do what thus saith the Lord. Many in society and even in the church are being incarcerated mentally, physically, and spiritually. Although free from the human judicial system, they are regretfully imprisoned in a far crueler and ultimately eternal prison. They are sentenced with a life sentence of emotional emasculation, depression, anxiety, low/no self esteem, and phobia’s; some are on the habitual death row of deadly narcotics, alcohol, and careless, unsafe, and uninhibited sexual activity. Others have been placed in a solitary confinement of physical pain, discomfort, and disease. They are being held captive behind these seemingly impenetrable bars and inescapable walls, being made to believe that this is all there is to life. Mentally messed up, emotionally emasculated, and spiritually lost, they are aimlessly wandering through life bound hopelessly waiting to die, imagining that if everything would be over, if what they have experienced to be life would just cease from being that they would be free. They are disappointedly unable to see that God has a far more excellent and abundant life. They are bound.
When I was working on this message God took me back to a childhood story that we all are familiar with and that is the Disney story of “Pinocchio”. Pinocchio was the creation of a man named “Geppetto”. Geppetto had a desire that this wooden puppet was in fact a real boy. Well as fairy tales go a blue fairy unexpectedly grants Geppetto’s wish somewhat, but instead of turning Pinocchio into a real boy she animates him, which simply means that on the outside he looked like a real boy. He didn’t have any strings like all the other puppets, he seemed by all outward appearances to be a real boy, he could move his arms, legs, head. He could walk and talk without having someone working strings. So when people saw Pinocchio because he had a form, the outward appearance of a real boy people thought he was something that he wasn’t. Even his own perception of himself was wrong, he felt he was free because he even began to sing “I’ve got no strings to hold me down, to make me fret, or make me frown. I had strings but now I’m free, there are no strings on me. Hi ho the merio that’s the only way to go. I want the world to know nothing ever worries me I got no strings on me”. On the outside he looked free, but he was bound by a spirit on the inside. I like to call this the Pinocchio spirit.
He begins to hang out crowd and begins to act like those whom he begins to associate himself. They begin to drink, gamble, smoke, and destroy Pleasure Island and on top of all of this he lied, the truth was not in him. The Bible says in John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil and the lust of your father your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it”. You remember the story of Pleasure Island the premises of Pleasure Island was “ If you act like one you would be turned into one”. Pinocchio got the ears and tail of a donkey, why because even though on the outside the strings were gone he was still bound by something on the inside.
Today we have church folk that have a form of godliness. On the outside they look like church, they clap their hands and speak in tongues, they sing the song “I’m free thank God I’m free no longer bound, no more chains holding me”, but on the inside they’re bound and being controlled by a spirit that’s not God. They come to church shout, play the instruments, and some are even preaching in the pulpit, but when they go home they are bound by pornography, cigarettes, alcohol, homosexual tendencies, cursing, whoremonging, spousal abuse, lying, malice, envy, strife, and jealousy. They are controlled on the inside by a spirit that needs to be cast out.
The sad thing is the church has become fearful and many within the church don’t want to deal with the spirit world because of fear. The underlying theme of this chapter deals with the spirit of fear. The church folk are like the people of Gadara that simply just want to push the hurt, spirit controlled, menace to spiritual society aside. They are fearful that there will be a disruption to their flow, fearful that if we challenge in the name Jesus the spirit that is controlling them that they will no play our instruments, they will not sing in our choir, or be a member in our congregation. Therefore the church is being bound by the fear of not being popular and controlled not by the spirit of God, but by the spirit of assimilation. They are trying to be like the world. The church feels that they have to have a hip-hop praise party to attract the young people, we are so bound with being like the world that we actually are now ineffective in the world. The devil is a lie.
When we look at our text we find some very unique:
1. First of all when you see the phrase in the Bible a man or a woman, or a certain man or certain it’s different than saying there was a man named Job. When the name of a person is given there is something about that person that God wants us to see, but when there is not a name given there’s something about the atmosphere or the surrounding that God wants us to catch. That is the underlying theme of fear I mentioned earlier. Although here we are going to be dealing with the man and the unclean spirit controlling him, the atmosphere or the mind-set of the people is fear.
The Bible reads: “And they came over to the other side of the sea into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit”.
WATCH THIS: This man was citizen of Gadara. Gadara is the name given to this place, because this is where the tribe of Gad settled after the exodus from Egypt. Remember God told Moses to go tell Pharaoh to let my people go. God had heard their cry and remembered the covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and He was going to bring the Children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and bring them to Canaan to a large land flowing with milk and honey. However, the tribe of Gad decided not to settle in Canaan but to settle on the East side of the Jordan. So they settled on the East side of the Jordan and began to assimilate themselves with the world around them. They began to eat that which God told them not to, that is where the swine come in to play. Over the course of time they had become so worldly that they were ineffective in the world anymore. Instead of changing the world around them the world changed them. Gad represents the church today.
2. Second this man is in a horrible, pathetic, and pitiful condition. The condition we find this man in is literally beyond human conception. He is inundated with an unclean spirit called “Legion”.
a. The word “Legion” is a military term to describe a regiment of five to six thousand soldiers. Although we have read about many different people in the Bible that have been delivered from unclean spirits like the lady whose daughter was vexed by an unclean spirit, and we read about Mary Magdalene that was delivered from seven demons, this man was by far the worst of them all.
This man is embodied with the worst satanic, the most horrific, violently intimidating, hopeless existence of fallen man. He was shunned by society, misunderstood by his family. He was naked, no doubt felt unloved. He probably smelled horrific. His hair was unkept and dirty. He was feared by the people. He was tormented and controlled by a legion of demons. We are not given details of how he became possessed and bound by such a vicious complex of spirits.
Maybe he was a father that lost his job do to a failing economy.
Maybe he was the victim of child abuse in the past.
Maybe he was molested as a little boy.
Maybe he was a 40 ounce tottin, pill poppin, marijuana smoking, crack dealing, street hustling, and gang banging brother that got caught up, whatever it was it was something happened that caused a separation of his mind, body, and spirit. He was possessed and out of his right mind. The Bible says he made his dwelling among the tombs. The tombs are the place of the dead.
Although this man was a citizen of Gadara but he made his dwelling among the dead. Sadly we have folks in church that make their dwelling among the dead stuff. They may be members of the church but they make their dwelling among the dead stuff. They come to church and look on the outside like something that in all actuality they are not. Because when they leave the church they dwell among pornography, alcohol, illicit sexual activity, they dwell among lying, jealousy envy, strife, all manner of dead stuff. The citizens of Gadara tried to control this man with chains and fetters, but no man could bind him with chains or fetters, because these were worldly methods used to try to bind a spiritual being. Always day and night he was in the mountains and tombs crying and cutting himself with stones. Psychologist and Psychiatrist say that cutting is a method that people use trying to find a release from pain.
Sadly we have church folk that are being tormented day and night with the stones of discontent. They are crying silent tears on the inside saying please somebody help me. They come to church bound only to leave bound returning to dead stuff. They are bound by emotional, psychological, and spiritual chains tormented beyond comprehension. The devil has placed a stronghold on their mind and they are believing that this is just the way it is supposed to be even though it is contrary to the Will of God, they are bound.
Then the church is like the people of Gadara that try to bind them with traditionalism or man-made doctrine, but their souls are tormented and need to be delivered right now. They have tried the drug house and it didn’t work, they have tried the illicit sex and it didn’t work, the tried the alcohol and it didn’t work. They are tormented and out of their right mind just about ready to throw up their hands and give up but they come to the church looking for their last bit of hope. They walk in the door with a legion of demons seeking help and we want to bind them with traditionalism. We say you have to go through six months of membership class, 3 months of new converts’ class, 3months of how to receive the Holy Ghost class. They are thirsty and hungry looking for deliverance, they are hurt and need help now. They say you don’t understand if I go back out that door I’m not going to make it back here. See the gun is in the car and before I get to the stop I will blow my brains out if I don’t get some help. I tormented inside and I am sick and tired of feeling this way. Day and night my mind is being plundered, emotionally I am emasculated, mentally I’m messed up I need help and I need it now I’m bound and I want to be free.
This is how no doubt the man at Gadara felt he was tormented day and night, he was cutting himself looking for some relief. The citizens of Gadara tried to control him with worldly stuff but to no avail; however, when we get to the 6th verse we see how deliverance comes.
It is in the 6th . The number 6 is the number of man. Here we are going to see something about this man of Gadara. The 6th verse we find the crux of this scripture and the process which truly brings deliverance. And what will make the statement “No Longer Bound” a true statement.
VS 6: - “But when he saw Jesus afar off he ran and worship him”. WATCH THIS:- here is a man that was possessed by about 6000 demons. He is like Pinocchio, there are no chains controlling him on the outside, but he is violent controlled on the inside. Yet when he sees Jesus afar off he ran to Him, understand that this is not the unclean spirit controlling him, but like the song says when I see Jesus AMEN. He ran and worshipped him. Now when he ran and worshipped he fell down at his feet. Every time someone came in the presence of the Lord they fell down and worshipped.
Moses said And I fell down before the LORD. Num 22:31 says Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, (Theophany) and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. Job 1:1 says Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped. Ezekiel 11:13 says Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! Dan 3:23 says Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down. Mark 3:11 says And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. Rev 7:11 says And all the angels stood round about the throne, and [about] the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God. Rev 19:4 says the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. Here this man saw Jesus afar off, no doubt he said Amen, Halleluiah. He ran and fell at the feet of Jesus and began to worship Him.
Understand that when this man fell in worship at the feet of Jesus he broke the control the unclean spirit had on him. He fell down in the natural realm; however, in the spiritual realm the unclean spirit was still standing. Standing in fear, trembling in the presence of the Lord.
Now the 7th verse. The number 7 is God’s perfect number, it represents perfection. In this verse we see the perfect work of God. We read theses words:- “And he cried with a loud voice (who cried – not the man but the unclean spirit), and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, [thou] Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not’. Understand this is not the man speaking this is the unclean spirit, because the man is in worship he is in a spiritual atmosphere that he hasn’t been in for a long time, he’s in the presence of God in worship. The word worship comes from the Hebrew word “YADAW” and means to extend your hands and “BARAK” which means to bless God or Praise. This man is in total praise and worship. I like to believe in my mind that this man is in worship speaking in tongues.
The Bible says and he cried out with a loud voice, understand this was the unclean spirit and it is having now a conversation with the Lord Jesus, all while the man is in worship. The unclean spirit trembles at the name of Jesus, but in His presence it understands that its time is up that a change is about to take place. So it says to Jesus, “What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God”. The unclean spirit, that thing that was controlling the man had to acknowledge who Jesus was and then it began to plead for it life. I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not. Here these unclean spirits tormented this man for a long time yet they plead their case with Jesus and say torment me not.
The 9th verse says “And he asked him What [is] thy name?” This is Jesus talking to the unclean spirit that was controlling the man, because when the man fell in worship he broke the control the unclean spirit had upon so when he fell in the spiritual since the unclean spirit is left standing face to face with Jesus. We have done left the natural and have gone now into the spiritual realm. So now Jesus is talking to that which was controlling the man on the inside and said what is thy name. And he answered, saying, My name [is] Legion: for we are many”.
You know the story Jesus commanded the legion to come out of the man, they begged Him send us into the swine. A heard of 2000 swine were on the hillside, the unclean spirits got in the swine and the swine ran violently down the hillside and drowned themselves in the sea.
But what I want you to see here is when and how this man received deliverance. This man received his deliverance when he was in worship. Understand that when he was in worship, Jesus was dealing with that spirit that was controlling him.
When he was in worship Jesus cast out the unclean spirit.
When he was in worship Jesus changed his life.
When he was in worship Jesus fixed it.
When he was in worship Jesus restored his right mind.
When he was in worship Jesus clothed him.
When he was in worship Jesus turned it around.
When he was in worship deliverance came.
When he was in worship victory was given.
When he was in worship that which held him bound on the inside was cast out of him.
When he was in worship old things were cast away.
When he was in worship he was given a new lease on life.
When he was in worship change happened.
When he was in worship joy was restored.
When he was in worship peace that passeth all understanding was placed in him.
When he was in worship out of his belly flowed rivers of living water.
When he was in worship Jesus worked it out didn’t He didn’t He work it out.
The 15th verse says “And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid”. When the citizens of Gadara heard what had happened they came to see what was going on – just like nosey church folk. When they got there they found the man that was possessed ( PAST TENSE - NO LONGER BOUND) by the legion, the one that use to cut himself with stones, the one that they tried to control with worldly methods, the one that lived among the tombs with the dead stuff, the one they thought was lost forever sitting (This word “sitting” comes from a Greek word called “egiro” and means to be awaken or aroused from death, sleep, ruins, or non-existence) at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind all because he worshipped God in the midst of all his troubles.
What are you saying preacher: well you me be like this man or like Pinocchio on the outside you look as though you have it going on. You may even have come to church like so many times before played the instruments, clapped your hands, and even spoke in tongues only to leave here bound by something on the inside. However, if you would just begin to give God praise, enter into the realm of worship and watch God deal with your situation. I believe that when you get into worship that thing that was controlling you on the inside will begin to have a conversation with Jesus. Your situation, that thing that has been controlling you and your mind has to acknowledge who Jesus is. And while you are in worship He will work it out in your life. You might be having financial problems and don’t know how your going to make it, and that has been controlling your thoughts and your actions for some time now. You find yourself crying wondering how long Lord how long, but if you just began to worship, just begin to YADAW the Lord and BARAK the Lord He will show up and begin to talk to that spirit of bondage in your life and set you free. You might be here tonight and no body knows just what it is that has you bound. You may have been able to hide it from they eyes of people only you and God know just what you o behind close doors. Only you and God know that you have a sexual perversion. Only you and God know that you are hooked on prescription drugs. Only you and God know that you struggle with homosexual tendencies. Only you and God know that you struggle with the molestation that happened in your life as a child. Only you and God know that abusiveness is controlling your life, but if you just begin to worship God He will work it out. Then you will be able to say like the man of Gadarenes No Longer Bound. I am free no more chains holding me.
I don’t know about you, but there was a time in my life when the devil had a control on me. I was controlled by the devil so much so that I myself even tried to take my own life. I was emotionally emasculated and grown man of the age of 21 crying. I was mentally messed up because I was not thinking right or else I would have tried to do what I did. I was spiritually suffering separation from Jesus Christ. I was doing my drugs thinking I was cool. I was running the women playing sexual roulette with my life. I was young thinking that I had plenty of time before I had to get it together. I was doing every thing I thought I was big enough to do and even some things I wasn’t. I was on my way to a burning hell and I deserved it. However, I was bound and needed to be set free. I will never forget this part of my life. I was out one Friday night and I was doing what I wanted to do or so I thought, not realizing that the devil was controlling me. I drank my alcohol, I did my drugs, and I was not caring about the consequences that were going to come. About 4:00 in the morning I was so drunk and high that I literally could not see straight. I know what happens next was God. I went to a restaurant about 4:00 in the morning because I now had the munchies. I couldn’t see straight and I still don’t know how I drove the car to get, but when I got there at 4:00 in the morning my sister God rest her soul, who has died and gone on into glory, was at the restaurant. She said that she couldn’t sleep and God told her to come to the restaurant at that time in the morning. I believe that God had her be there at that time just to drive me home. Well while sitting there with my sister I got up to go to the bathroom sick and out of my mind. After a while my sister tells someone to go into the bathroom and see if I was all right because I was gone for a long time. When the person came into the bathroom I was on the floor of the bathroom lying in urine and vomit. The devil had me bound, but I thought I was living my life. The next week I went to a revival I was standing in the back of the church. The preacher called me up to the altar. As I tried to walk down the isle of the church to get to the altar the shackles that held me bound began to break free. The stronghold of my mind was broken. The yoke of the bondage of sin was destroyed by the anointing and on that night I was made free. I no longer was bound. I could have been dead sleeping in my grave, but I am free. No longer bound I’m free.
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr
Southern Ohio District
Boanerge Ministries
Assistant Pastor
O.G.C.O.G.I.C.
