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[0:00] The word from which I shall speak, as the Lord may help me this morning, is in the chapter that we read, the fifth chapter in the Gospel according to Mark.

[0:11] And at verse 19 you will find these words. Go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee and hath had compassion on thee.

[0:34] The 19th verse in the fifth chapter of the Gospel according to St. Mark.

[0:44] Now, the subject of the Mad Gadarene is found in three of the Gospels.

[1:07] Matthew chapter 4, verse 25, here in the fifth chapter of Mark at verse 19, and again in Luke chapter 8 at verse 39.

[1:23] The three different accounts give to us a more comprehensive view of the situation, and it pleases God in his wisdom to cause these three penmen to record for our instruction this narrative from the personal point of view and remembrance as by the Spirit of God directed.

[1:59] My mind has been on this particular fifth chapter in the Gospel by Mark.

[2:11] Now, what a wonderful illustration we have of the power and purpose of God to save a sinner.

[2:26] And as we read down the history this morning afresh, or the fact that such was the strength of the Gadarene by reason of the power of the devil in him, that there he was bound with chains and restraint and so forth, the various means that were imposed upon him to restrict his devilish activities were insufficient to prevent him from expressing the evil that was established in his heart.

[3:16] Let me use the scriptural record that when the Lord was dealing with him, he was dealing with the implantation or the indwelling of sufficient devilish power to destroy 2,000 swine.

[3:50] You must bear with my infirmities, I'm sorry, but sometimes I get a little off track. 2,000 swine.

[4:00] 2,000 swine. Chains imposed upon him. Every restraint, as it were, of a human application, he tore apart.

[4:16] He won the fight. He retained his liberty. And there he was, a spectacle of misery, spiritually considered, in bondage to the power of evil, to be destroyed ultimately, except as the one saviour of sinners brought him from darkness to light, from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God's dear Son.

[5:04] What a wonderful history. What a history, shall I say, reenacted in the experience of fallen mankind, whose names are recorded of God in the Lamb's Book of Life, and everything essential to the deliverance of each individual is similar.

[5:32] Not perhaps in the detail, but in its effects, as was present in the experience of the mad gathering.

[5:48] 2,000 swine, under the power of evil, that dwelt in one man's soul, was sent to destruction.

[6:07] My friends, we can never find words to exaggerate, so to speak. The awful captivity of sin and death and hell that is present in our nature.

[6:34] And had the whole human race been left of God, we should have all been identified with the swine, who under the influence of evil, ultimately were destroyed.

[6:54] There's only one way of deliverance. There's only one power that's stronger than the power of sin and death and hell.

[7:14] And I'm here as a messenger, I trust, of the Most High, to use this record to show to you the condition I was in.

[7:33] the condition. The condition that you are in by nature. And that the one and one only that is superior in power and in purpose who says to the great adversary loose him loose him and let him go.

[8:04] And let him go. What a solemn thing it is to be in captivity to the power of evil whose soul whose soul purpose in the Garden of Eden and right through the subsequent generations of time has been the destruction of souls.

[8:36] And my friends, all that are born by natural generation are possessed of a nature that carries with it an awful prospect.

[8:50] A prospect into which some by God's grace are introduced in the reality of it. The solemnity of it.

[9:01] And the ultimate effect and consequence of it. They are brought out of darkness. The darkness of sinful ignorance into the light and liberty of the gospel of God's grace.

[9:22] That out of the human race all deserving banishment from God by reason of the sin that dwells in them the transgressions of God's holy law who created them for his glory they've denied as it were the great end for which they were created and they've chosen the broad road to destruction and they go on hellbound until ultimately they are the subjects of the awful purpose and intent of evil in being lost souls.

[10:07] things I'm putting this side to you because it's an awful ignorance that goes on through life thinking about your body thinking about your pleasure thinking about your possessions thinking about your positions in life everything associated as it were or gravitating to this one central objective your own natural pleasure your own prosperity your own satisfaction of those inward desires that are natural but in many ways and many many identities contrary to the glory of him that made you and to your own eternal spiritual well-being the mad gadarene was in a condition that is not just distinct and peculiar to him it's a common condition in the human race what a mercy to be made alive to it the

[11:39] Lord in his purpose of love and grace here in his pilgrimage from Bethlehem to Calvary came where this man was and when he came he brought all with him that was necessary to this man's salvation he couldn't save himself no human agency was sufficient to change the situation the one that is possessed of all power came into his presence and into his life and into his very soul and made him a new creature a new creature the

[12:44] Lord had done great things for him he brought him from justly deserving banishment from God by reason of his disobediences and he brought him into a relationship which that dear man is now in heaven enjoying to the full in the presence of God what a wonderful deliverance taken from just condemnation under God's holy law into the very joy and peace and endless pleasure of the presence of the Lord and holiness in the world that is to come well now having put the dark side as it were this dear man was wonderfully blessed wonderfully blessed because what no human power could do he couldn't do in himself no man could bind him he had restraints brought upon him many and various doubtless over a period of time and he broke away he didn't want it my friend do you want

[14:19] Jesus do you need Jesus in the knowledge of your own soul look you need Jesus I tell you that above everything else beside everything else beside and if you became the owner of the whole universe you'd be a poor person if when you can't come to the end of life's journey you're still a stranger to Jesus and are in bondage to this awful power of evil that seeks the destruction of souls what a mercy what a mercy that this man was ordained to receive at a certain point at a certain time in a certain place in his life he was brought into the presence of

[15:24] Jesus he was brought into personal contact with him that has all power in heaven and in earth that Satan has to give place to that superior authority with which the son of God is given to exercise and by which he saves sinners from the penalty of their personal transgressions well now you've you've got your Bibles you can read in Matthew Mark and Luke a detailed account of this meeting of sinner and saviour saviour and sinner and my friends there are various facets in the history that are worthy of our prayerful consideration and prayerful meditation let me come the text says verse 19 go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee and hath had compassion on thee what a wonderful word is that word compassion compassion look how wonderful it is

[17:12] I remember in my experience and I do introduce some of my experiences because they're very clear illustrations I had glandular fever at one point in my experience we had a family doctor and he came to my old home with father and mother and he gave me a thorough examination he went away he said I'm sorry but he said I can't identify his trouble but he said I'll go back to the surgery and I'll bring my partner this afternoon and two doctors came the afternoon they're both were there together and they gave me a thorough examination they looked at one another they said

[18:16] I really don't know what your problem is we're going to play safe and we're going to send you to the isolation hospital at Whitley Coventry and an ambulance comes and takes me up as to never forget the journey in ambulance I said goodbye to my parents I said it was a last goodbye according to my feelings and I went along the pinley road at Coventry and turned down Humber road toward the Whitley hospital hospital and I saw the school where I went till I was 11 it was known strangely enough as Folly Lane School no folly I learned some things that have been beneficial all my life but we went up past the school and I said goodbye Folly Lane School I saw it out of the ambulance window and I thought

[19:16] I'm going to die I'm going to die and I was going down past what was then the Humber Car Factory gates the Lord came and the Lord said this I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord compassion I thought I was going to die and that would be the end I didn't feel altogether comfortable about facing death because I had a knowledge of the power of evil in my nature that I hadn't felt absolutely assured was remedied by the one who alone could but the Lord gave me that word and you know I felt I'd got a future my friends that was in 1948

[20:20] I think it was 1948 and 49 and here I am today compassion but compassion the Lord he can speak just a word he can convey an impression he can appear when all human agencies negated as far as bringing any comfort and hope into your heart and he speaks to the point and he speaks with power and purpose and the whole situation changes compassion all the doctors were well meaning when I went into the hospital there was a foreign doctor came as he spoke broken English I was in an isolation ward of course on my own he stood in the doorway and he described my condition to the detail in broken

[21:31] English I should never forget Zoo has pain here Zoo has pain there and he described my physical pain because every gland in my body that he said was affected with the disease glandular fever perfect perfect specimen of glandular fever he said and he prescribed penicillin in those days every two hours night and day and I was spared raised up again all these years to prove compassion compassion compassion compassion my friends if you've got Jesus as your friend you've got one whose compassion compassion is not just saying they're sorry not just as it were giving words of sympathy but yet are impotent to exercise a suitable deliverance oh he that speaks has power to remedy the problem he has all sufficient understanding and every resource that is essential to heal and to restore and to as it were make you a new creature again and send you off in his will and way appointed for your future days now I've used that

[23:29] I hope it was a wonderful wonderful deliverance that is one of my waymarks that one has to cling to amidst the frailties of the flesh the temptations of the devil and an alien world well now go home to thy friends go home to thy friends he got something to say hadn't he he knew what it was the miserable situation of being the subject of the power of darkness exercising his influence in the wrong direction the wrong direction got nothing really to offer that was of any lasting benefit all as it were under the termination however pleasurable and the prospect and satisfying the achievements everything to be forfeited when the

[24:47] Lord calls from time into eternity you know a millionaire is a poor person when the Lord calls them from time into eternity a person that I was going to say use the expression that the present president of the United States throws his weight about as though he's king of the universe if the Lord doesn't have mercy on his soul he'll realize at the end that he's the poorest man on the earth instead of being the most powerful and rich man with respect universal my friends Jesus is the only answer whoever whoever however however high however important however wealthy however highly respected among men there's only one that can say go home to thy friends go home to thy friends oh what a wonderful thing that there are such people on the earth as friends that are prepared of

[26:11] God to receive the message those that have experienced in their own hearts and lives the Lord coming personally to them opening the eyes of their understanding showing they've got a soul within them that must live forever showing them as it were in the light of the truth of his holy word that they're transgressors of God's holy law instead of living for the Lord they've been living against the Lord we will not have this man to reign over us the last person I'd want anything to do with is Jesus Christ because he doesn't satisfy my fleshly desires he doesn't as it were cater for the wretched lust of my fallen flesh or if you've come out to

[27:20] Borough Chapel this morning for me to dress you up in Pharisaic garments my friends you've come to the wrong place oh wretched man that I am one of the most gracious men that ever walked in a pair of shoes on the face of the earth surely was the changed Pharisee of the Pharisees the apostle Paul he says oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death he got a message he went home to his friends didn't he declare what the Lord had done for his soul if you got a message who are your friends who understands you who's ready to listen to you who rejoices in the fact that they're in fellowship with you they're no more strangers and foreigners the fellow citizens of the saints and of the household of God they know what it is to feel lost and say

[28:32] I've got a soul and there's nothing I can do there's nowhere I can go naturally speaking to find an answer there's no physician on the face of the earth that's got the remedy but there is a physician there is a physician blessed be his holy name and his perfection in his remedies whatever threatens you with ultimate death and destruction and banishment from God my friends go home and to thy friends and tell them sinners can say and none but thy how precious is the saviour is Jesus precious to you is Jesus precious to you because you look beyond the limits of time you look beyond the assets

[29:52] God God in his good providence has prepared and given to you to see you through this world you look beyond eternity tremendous sound for malefactors doomed to die eternity who alone has the remedy to cure you of all the consequences of your sins and make you fit for the presence of a holy God and where holiness holiness holiness reigns everlastingly there shall enter heaven no thing which defileth the remedy is so complete it's so absolute it's so suited by the wisdom and knowledge and power of God to meet the need of sinners to all the saints as they die are found fitted and prepared to dwell in the pleasure of true holiness in the presence of

[31:25] God in the presence of angels in the presence of just men made perfect by God himself given to know Jesus his name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins their sins and iniquities will I remember no more says the Lord concerning those whom he saves he saves to the uttermost all that come unto God by him my friend if there's not in your heart this morning a desire to know Christ saving oh may my simple exposition of the truth regarding our condition by nature be a means in

[32:38] God's hand to show you the worth of Jesus Christ and his power to save you you'll need him one day what a mercy when you come to that greatest of all needs you find he's there he's there full of compassion full of pity full of pardon full of grace absolute the absolute answer I've said sometimes the perfect saviour to meet the need of what of who are brought to feel they are perfect sinners God be merciful to me a sinner is a wholesome prayer and I can't think of that prayer from any heart reaching the ear of the almighty and the almighty turn away

[33:53] I thought sometimes about the just condemnation that is due under the law for every transgression of God's holy law we sing sometimes though by my sins deserving hell I'll not despair for who can tell the perfect answer God has made to meet the perfect need of one who is perfectly unworthy of the least of God's mercy yet loved loved from eternity and to eternity no enemy being suffered to gain the mastery or rob the Lord of the possession which he has bought with his own heart's blood go home to thy friends go home to thy friends oh don't cast a veil over what you are by nature what you've been brought to see in yourself what as it were is to your condemnation as you reflect upon your words your ways your life and especially the thoughts of your heart and mind and bring you into unity and harmony with the great apostle who says oh wretched man that

[36:01] I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death he got the answer I thank God through Jesus Christ my Lord go home to my friends the apostle Paul was constrained of the Holy Spirit to write it to the Roman church wasn't there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit they are more concerned about the welfare of their souls than they are the welfare of their bodies and everybody knows that natural sickness soon gives rise to a sense of need of help a doctor or surgeon or somebody qualified to come and administer a remedy a deliverance my friends there

[37:02] Jesus stands in the midst of all that is to the condemnation of the Adam race and says come unto me come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden your sins are your greatest problem your sins give you more anxiety than anything else that has ever darkened your mind or troubled your spirit my sins my sins I remember at 525 binley roved in the year 1948 feeling feeling condemnation condemnation and such was my sense of guilt as I lay on my bed in that bedroom and I expected any minute

[38:14] God would call me to his bar of justice and I should go to hell and my friends there was only one word in the whole English language that I could give expression to under the awful condemnation of God's holiness mercy mercy mercy I was in agony of spirit laying on my bed ostensibly to sleep but further off than from sleep I suppose that ever I've been in my life mercy mercy and the Lord came so wondrously and in his compassion he said this my grace is sufficient for thee my grace free unmerited favour

[39:16] I haven't got to bring as it were certain qualifications of religious profession or I've always been to chapel and I've always said my prayers and I always read a chapter of the Bible nothing of that nothing of that it was all of grace it was all in Jesus Christ and from Jesus Christ my grace is sufficient for thee I've said of that experience I went in my own feelings from the gate of hell to the gate of heaven that's why I preached the gospel of the grace of God because I know what it can do go home to thy friends and tell them tell them don't be silent it's a message it's good for them to hear it's a message better still if the

[40:26] Holy Spirit opens their ears and hearts to receive the message because if they're brought to seek for grace they'll find it ask and you shall receive seek and you shall find knock and it shall be open unto you for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened my friends the trouble is not in the heart of the Lord the trouble is in your heart what a mercy when the Lord breaks your heart and convinces you as was the Gadaree oh he was so strong but when it came face to face with Jesus he was so weak he could hardly lisp a cry for mercy could he but the Lord showed mercy he delights in mercy he hates to put away those that sink to hell choose for themselves to have nothing to do with this saviour what does a natural man see in Christ well he's a root out of dry ground without form or comeliness and there's no beauty in him that they should desire he's got no mind or spirit that appreciates the one that can do more for him than anybody else they treat him as a root out of dry ground without form don't keep talking to me about

[42:13] Jesus ah my friends there'll come a day when you wish you'd listened when you wish you'd listened yes I know I've got to look at the clock haven't I or I've got to clear have you got anything to say go home and tell your friends has the Lord had anything to do with you are you different from what you once were you see in some measure what the wise man Solomon saw vanity of vanities all is vanity all is vanity what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul eternity eternity in the presence of these terrible enemies that were sufficient strength to break his chains as it would attempt to find deliverance for a little moment and then to be in bondage again and again no man could help him no man could help him

[43:36] Jesus says I am the door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved he shall be saved he shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins I don't know how many of you are attracted to Jesus Christ for the right reasons God has shown you you've got nothing to commend yourself to the to a holy God but he's provided a mediator whose blood takes away all the stain of sin whose meritorious righteousness who came subject to the law and he lived perfectly obedient to that law in every thought in every word and every deed providing a spotless righteousness he took our sins to himself and he died in the sinner's place but by imputation his righteousness is imputed to those who look to him for righteousness look to him for a clothing fit to present themselves before a holy God in heaven

[45:21] I'm clean just God I'm clean washed in the saviour's blood clothed in the saviour's righteousness finding a place prepared I go to prepare a place for you if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again you'll never come again for the last time when it comes finally it'll be to take you to be with him and like it forever it's a full gospel it's an absolute salvation it's as perfect as anything ever could be perfect it's God's work and God's work is eternal everlasting in its benefits amen

[46:26]  Ab poking and fromят two v are in the hole is right tus for are the other yes I know