HOCF SERMON 2023

Mark 5 Guard Your Testimony

Mark 5:18-20 GUARD YOUR TESTIMONY.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 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." 20 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.

18 Sang manugsakay na si Jesus sa sakayan, ang tawo nga gin-gamhan anay sang malaot nga mga espiritu nagpakitluoy sa iya nga kon mahimo paupdon siya. 19 Pero wala siya pagtuguti ni Jesus, kundi ginsilingan siya, "Magpauli ka sa imo pamilya kag sugiran mo sila kon ano ang ginhimo sang Ginoo sa imo kag kon paano siya naluoy sa imo anay kahimtangan."

20 Gani naglakat ang tawo kag nagkadto sa Decapolis. Kag didto ginpanugid niya ang ginhimo ni Jesus sa iya. Natingala gid ang tanan nga nakabati sa iya.

SERMON:

Good morning Church! Today we are on Mark 5 and this tells about the time when Jesus came to the region of Gerasenes and there we was encountered by a man who was demon possessed for quite a while. He was possessed by Legion because there weremany demons that entered him.

There was no one to subdue him becasue the demons were so strong. And he would cry out day and night and hurt himself by cutting himself with stones in the tombs and in the hills. For quite a while this man suffered until the moment that he had an encounter with Jesus.

The moment the demon-possessed man saw Jesus, even at a distance, layu pa ang Ginuo, nakilala na siya sang demonyo. And he shouted in acknowledgement, "What do you want from me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?. and he even begged Jesus not to torture him.

But of course, Jesus casted him out and sent the Legion to a herd of pigs that were nearby, because that's what the Legion begged Jesus to do, to send them to the pigs and so Jesus did that and the pigs ran off the cliff and drowned. Then, at that moment, the man was restored to his right mind.

But you see, even when Jesus did that amazing thing, the people in that region were not happy. They were terrified that they beg Jesus to leave their town. People are naturally afraid of things they do not understand. And some people would choose to remain ignorant because they fear the unknown. And so out of fear,, they begged Jesus to go. And so Jesus decided to go,

However, the man set free from the demons knew who Jesus is. He knows what power and authority lies in Jesus because he has experienced it. He was delivered from the power of darkness and brought into the freedom of God's light that he so wanted to be with Jesus when Jesus decided to leave the region.

Sang osaka na sa baroto si Jesus, gusto ya ya mag-upod. Kay sa tawo nga nakahibalo kung sino ang Ginuo, indi na gid na ya gusto magbuya. Amen? Anyone who had a real encounter with the Lord, will always want to be in the Presence of the Lord. Kay kung kaupod mo ang Ginuo, ano pa pangitaon mo? Amen?

This man understood and so gusto-gusto ya gid mag upod sa Ginuo. Pero wala siya gisugtan. Wala siya ginpaupod because Jesus deemed it better for the man to stay in his hometown and proclaim the goodness of God in his life.

And so the man remained in his hometown and told the people about what Jesus had done for him and they were all amazed by his testimony of the God's goodness. And I believe that because of that man's testimony, many turned and started to believe that God is real.

You know, the Word of God is so alive! Just last Friday, I told some people that I received a revelation from the Lord and I know in my spirit nga dali na lang magpuli ang mga kauturan naton nga ginpadala sang Ginuo from Cebu. Their mission is almost done in a few weeks and they would be going back to Cebu to serve the ministry in their hometown.