People You Know
The Gospel travels the quickest amongst people that we know and that know us. We can see this principle at work several times throughout the Gospels and in the book of Acts.
Let’s read one of the times that Jesus immediately made an ambassador from someone who had been made into a new creation:
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
Mark 5:1-20
Question: What did Jesus do for this man?
Discuss this question together as a group and then click on this box and read the answer below.
Jesus drove the demons out of the man, leaving him clean and made into a new creation!
Question: Why wouldn’t Jesus let the man go with him to be his disciple? What did he want the man to do?
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Jesus wanted the man to go back to his home town and tell the other people of the mercy that God had upon him. He wanted the man to become an ambassador!
Question: Who does Jesus tell this man to specifically go and speak to? Why do you think he gives him these specific instructions?
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Jesus tells the man to go to his own hometown and to his own people. The man was likely very well known because of his demon possession, so Jesus wanted the people that knew him the best to see the change in the man and believe!
We believe that God wants us also to go to our own people. We must pray for, and share the Good News of the Gospel with our families, our friends, and those that are close to us. Watch the video below to learn how you can take your first steps toward those around you with the Good News: