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We don’t know his given name. He may have used the name legion a
long time. That is the way people knew him. Legion, swarmed by a
cloud of demons. Now he was healed, free and in his right mind. I
want to call him Marty. we'll find out why later. Marty wanted to follow Jesus. He wanted to be
close to Jesus. Marty wanted to live a life of radical obedience. But Jesus
told him to stay, not to go. Do not follow me.
As Jesus got into the boat Marty began to beg Jesus to let him
go with Him. I can imagine he walked into the water and stood holding
on to the side of the boat pleading for Jesus to let him climb in with
Jesus and the disciples. Did the disciples look at each other hoping
Jesus wouldn't let this crazy man in the boat? Or, did they think with
his testimony, it would be easier to draw the crowds?
He was the perfect one to leave everything and join in on Jesus’
mission. He had no belongings, no real tie to the village. He was an
outcast, a loner, everyone had written him off a long time ago. No one,
not even Jesus said a word about his family. He wouldn't be missed.
He was the type of man that the FBI or CIA recruits for
dangerous missions– they have nothing to lose. It is also the type of
person we expect to on foreign missions and share the gospel. Send
him, I have family, a job, friends, a reputation, I have roots here and I
won’t do well being transplanted in a foreign country. Besides, I don’t
like to speak in front of crowds. I don’t have an amazing story of
healing or insight like this man. Send Legion or what’s his new name?
Marty, send Marty. It’s a win-win for everyone. He’s worn out his
welcome here and you can take the one formerly known as Legion and
show him to everyone.
Jesus said “You can’t go with me” Mark 5:19 "Go home to your
friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had
mercy on you." Jesus said go home. Even though he may have thought he
had nothing, Jesus knew he still had a home to go to. He also had
friends. He had a place to go and people to talk to. Jesus gave Marty
a mission. “Go and tell” that is why I name him Marty–because the Greek word
for witness is Martyro. Jesus told this man “You still have people who
care. A place to go. Tell them your story - what the Master did, how he
had mercy on you."
You see telling the Good News is not just for foreign missionaries, or
for pastors going to the slums. It is for each of us. In our homes and
with our friends, we have a story to tell a bout Jesus.
We will look at 4 reasons why we should tell the gospel to
friends, close to home, even why we should tell others who are already
Christians.
1. Because the Gospel is a message to be given, not just received.
Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Matt 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
Luke 24:47 repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name
to all nations,
Acts 1:8 you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and
to the end of the earth."
Jesus said He would make the disciples fishers of men, and He told
them to pray for laborers for the harvest. You fish where the fish are
and labor where the harvest is. We must start where we are and tell the
good news.
Another reason to tell the Gospel to each other is the matter of
discipleship. I once saw a t-shirt that said “Fishers of Men, we catch
em, God cleans em.” While it is true that Jesus alone saves by God’s
grace through faith; every Christian must grow to maturity in the local
church with local believers. Part of that cleaning can only happen as
Christians share their stories. Prov 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man
sharpens another. Heb 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another
to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
In addition to bible Study and worship, discipleship is an often
overlooked but very important learning experience for every Christian.
Tell your story of being lost, then redeemed, forgiven, and saved. This
will encourage others. Tell what God is doing in your life today, to help
others who are weak and discouraged so that they are prepared to
expect great things from God and equipped to do great things for God.
Give your story, give the reason of your hope, give back to God
because He has given to you.
Heb 3:13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that
none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
2. Build up the church with the Gospel Ephesians 4:11-16 He gave the
apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the
saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all
attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature
manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may
no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind
of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather,
speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head,
into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint
with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow
so that it builds itself up in love.
A young immature Christian is an easy mark, a rag doll in a
hurricane of false doctrine and empty promises. That person is
unprepared for the assault of the devil. So when we speak the truth in
love it is not just constructive criticism for someone else, but it is an
opening up of our failures in the flesh and victory through Jesus Christ.
We are to remind each other of the saving and holding power of Jesus
Christ, of His constant and undying love for us. You are a whisper in a
darkened cell, a hand to hold when someone stumbles, you speak tear
filled prayers for the one who feels weak and discouraged. you are the
one to remind them of the same verses they first believed in. When you
help one believer, you help the entire church.
3. We encounter Jesus face to face. When I am reading the Bible, I
try to understand the people in the story. I ask who, what, why, when
and how questions. When I understand Legion/Marty I understand my
own place in God’s Kingdom. When others see Jesus in your life they
are comforted that they too can encounter Jesus face to face. Jesus is
a personal Savior. It is one thing to talk of the Jesus of the Bible. It is
a whole different experience to describe the Jesus of my relationship.
One of the best ways to understand something is to tell
someone else. Written or out loud, when our brains struggle with each
word to communicate how our lives are changed, we gain a better
understanding of our past need of a Savior and Jesus being that perfect
Redeemer. When we communicate with someone else we are
communicating a more organized and tangible impression to ourselves.
We gain confidence as we repeat our story. We are drawn back into a
personal encounter with Jesus as we help others experience Him face
to face.
A lot of Christians struggle at telling their story of Salvation.
They claim Jesus as the Lord and Savior, but agonize over telling that
to another person saved or not. There are a lot of Christians who can
tell you where to meet them at their favorite restaurant after church, but
can’t put into words how to meet Jesus.
4. We assume everyone knows the Gospel. In an article by Derek
Heibert, he says there are a lot of Christians living “un-gospeled” lives.
The reality is that just because Christians are attending church services,
or a bible study, or are showing a joyful disposition, does not mean they
are well-versed, actively speaking and living out the gospel. I would say
that there are a lot of Christians who feel spiritually that they are barely
getting by.
Are we regularly provoked with the immensity of God's glory,
holiness and wrath? Are we aware of the stark reality of hell and heaven,
Satan and demons, sin, idolatry and punishment? Are we at rest in the
all-sufficient power and sweetness of the cross of Christ? If we go about
assuming that all our Christians friends are OK, then we are neglecting
the very real truth that we are all deeply sinful and flawed. We miss out
on telling each other that we are desperately in need of God’s
Grace–and the daily blessing of His generosity.
It makes some people uneasy, to speak about their personal
relationship with Jesus. They would rather talk about the different
names of Jesus or how He told off the Pharisees. It confronts us with
our weaknesses to talk about Jesus and us, Jesus and our sin, Jesus and
our daily walk. That is why it is so important to tell others the Gospel
and me, to tell Christians what Jesus has done for you, so that they can
know what to expect what Jesus will do for them.
We need to be like Marty. Jesus didn't abandon Marty. As
Marty went and told what Jesus had done for Him, he would realize
what Jesus was continuing to do for him and in him. Marty and Jesus,
they had a history. Every time Marty told of that history, he realized
that he also had a Jesus filled future.
