An Unlikely Preacher Part 6

 We have come a long way in this series and to be honest, I've enjoyed it a lot. I hope you have too. We are in the final part. We have seen the many facets of this unlikely preacher and we have explained it one by one. He lived in an unlikely place, he had an unlikely strength, he had an unlikely encounter with Jesus, he was around an unlikely crowd, he had an unlikely restoration and finally, he had an unlikely commission from Jesus. This latter is where I got the name for the series because he, in fact, becomes a preacher. (Mark 5:19-20)

Before I start talking about his unlikely commission, I would like to spend a few a minutes on Mark 5:18 which says: "As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with Him". This man had a deep desire to be with Jesus. He was ready to go wherever Jesus went. He wanted to be close to the One who had delivered him from the many demons and never depart from Him. His heart now belongged to His King. He begged to be with Him. Dr Tony Evans, in his Bible commentary on Mark 5, mentions that there's been a lot of begging in this chapter. First, the demons begged twice. They begged Jesus not to send them out of the country (Mark 5:10) and they begged Jesus to send them into the pigs (Mark 5:12). Secondly, the people of the town begged Jesus to leave their region(Mark 5:17). Lastly, the newly born again man begged Jesus to go with him and that's definitely the best kind of begging. The kind that makes you want to be with the Lord all time. 

Now, despite this man's desire to go with Jesus, he was declined to do so because Jesus had a better plan (Mark 5:19-20). He had an unlikely commission for this man.

Why an unlikely commission?

Because there was no way that the people in his town would have ever imagined that he would become a preacher. They were probably thinking: "How in the world such a derranged person, full of demons, naked, violent and many more adjectives that we can add, can become anything? They were baffled. In fact, they were afraid because of he sudden transformation (Mark 5:15). They couldn't believe that this man was back to his senses considering his former estate.

So he is commissioned by Jesus. He is commissioned with a message (Mark 5:19-20). John Macarthur says that he was the first missionary to ever being sent, even before the disciples. Holtz. (H. C) calls him "the first apostle of the heathen" since he was from a gentile country. What an honor to be the first one sent by Jesus to preach the good news. It was truly something.

Now, what is the content of his message?

1. He told them his story.

"...Tell them how much the Lord has done for you"

In other words, tell your own personal story. Obviously this man had a lot to say about what Jesus had done for him and you know the story very well by now. The fact of the matter is that all the things he had to say marveled the people (Mark 5:20c) and gave them a clear presentation on what the saving power of God can do in a person's life.

I'm pretty sure you have a story to tell on how God saved you. When the Holy Spirit gives you the green light to tell it, go ahead and spell it out. I guarantee you they will not be wasted words. You would either be planting a seed or you'll be bringing someone to the feet of Jesus and that is a marvelous thing to do. "...He who wins souls is wise" ( Proverbs 11:30).

 2. He told them about God's mercy.

"...and how he has had mercy on you.”

Other translations use the word "compassion" and it makes me think of Jesus in other occasions:

"When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had a compassion on them and healed their sick.(Matthew 14:14 ESV)

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."(Matthew 9:36 ESV)

This man was harassed, helpless and without a shepherd but now he was to tell of the compassion that the Good Shepherd showed him by healing Him from his tormenting situation. That was something he will never forget. He had a way to keep that fresh in his mind, and it was to continuously tell his story  on how God had turned his life around in a very powerful way. 

To whom did he tell his story?

First to his family. The word "home" in the Greek means household, family, relatives. This man was to go to his family first. The ones closest to him. They had probably missed him for a long time and he came to reunite with them but with a message from Jesus. Do you share the good news of Jesus with the ones you love the most? Have you ever experienced  any friction because His message confronts people about their sinful nature? You see, it's not always easy to do this with family since they know you very well and might not take you seriously but you'll be surprised! Sometimes God creates divine appointments when you yourself bring your loved ones into the Kingdom of His Son and that's an amazing experience. Other times, you just need to plant the seed and let somebody else lead them to the Lord.

Second to his home city. "...And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him." (Luke 8:39)

This man did something that I believe has been lost in our days. He did street preaching. But there are other ways to reach your city for the Lord. Be a part of your church evangelistic efforts. Pass out tracks. Go door to door. Create digital media evangelistic messages. Share the good news of Jesus with your neighbors. Be creative. Do anything that gets the message of Jesus out.

Third to the the rest of the world. 

"And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled." (Mark 5:20 ESV)

The Decapolis was a group of ten cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire in the southeastern Levant in the first centuries BC and AD. So this man " went away" to other cities to preach the good news of Jesus.  

This man was so obedient to Jesus about spreading the good news that he made a great impact. Look at Mark 7:31-32: "Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him."

Jesus came back to the region where the former demon possessed man was preaching. This man was busy making Jesus Christ known to the point that, when Jesus came back to that region, people started bringing their sick to be healed. They already knew about Jesus because of this faithful man testimony. Are you being faithful to Jesus about witnessing for Him? Are you telling the great things he has done for you? You'll never know how much of an impact you can make in people's lives just by being obedient to share the good news like this man was.

Don't let your past run your life. Let Jesus run your life. Maybe you can be the next unlikely preacher or maybe the next unlikely anything for the benefit of His Kingdom. It's not up to you. It's up to Him. This man wanted to go with Jesus but He said no, I have another plan for you.

Let this be a story of encouragement to all of us. No matter what your situation is, Jesus can do anything to transform your life. He is the God of the impossible (Luke 1:37). Let this be a story of Grace. As long as you're alive, you have the opportunity to be touched by the grace of God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the God of all grace (1 Peter 5:10). Let  this be a story of amazement. People can marvel at the things God does for you and through you.  He is the God who works wonders. (Psalm 77:14). 

This man had a very unlikely past but he didn't stay there. God entered the scene and he became an unlikely preacher. Maybe God has things in store for you and why not? Maybe He'll give you the opportunity to enter into the world of the "unlikely". 

"To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude1:25 ESV)