Loud & Chaotic

We dive into the unexpected tantrums that reveal deeper spiritual battles. Starting with a lighthearted personal story about a Happy Meal gone wrong, we transition into a powerful moment in Mark 1:21-28, where Jesus confronts an unclean spirit in the synagogue. What happens when evil faces the authority of Christ? We explore how loud and chaotic resistance from the enemy is a response to the power of God at work—and how we, too, can endure these moments of spiritual conflict, standing firm in our faith. Join us as we discuss the reality of spiritual warfare and the victory available through Jesus, even when the noise around us seems overwhelming. 

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Chapters

• 0:00 Trailer
• 0:10 Theme song--"The Dirt Path" by Jeremy Edwards
• 1:14 Introduction: Happy meal gone wrong
• 4:36 Reading of the Passage: Mark 1:21-28
• 5:41 v21-22 Jesus goes to the synagogue
• 9:00 v23-24 An evil spirit goes to the synagogue
• 12:51 v25-26 A person finds freedom in the synagogue
• 17:19 What does this teach us?
• 27:46 Invitation: Will you decide to follow Jesus?
• 30:20 Wrap up
• 32:28 Outro

Transcript

LOUD AND CHAOTIC

     Temper tantrums can be funny and cute with kids at times. I remember one time Ben, who was only five or six at the time, got a Disney princess in his Happy Meal. He looked at it, then threw an eighty-mile-per-hour fastball back into the box because he got a girl toy. He got in trouble, although Nicole and I had to hide our laughter. But most of the time, tantrums are not something to be tolerated. When it comes to adults, they are never cute and always reveal selfishness in the heart that causes harm.

     In most cases, these tantrums are venting emotions in an unhealthy way having no intention to harm. But when tantrums are intended to cause harm, they become sinister. It is a reaction to superior authority, seeking to undermine or hold on to one’s power. Such reactions do come from the spiritual realm. This is what we will see in today’s passage.

     Mark 1:21-28(CEB):

     21 Jesus and his followers went into Capernaum. Immediately on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and started teaching. 22 The people were amazed by his teaching, for he was teaching them with authority, not like the legal experts. 23 Suddenly, there in the synagogue, a person with an evil spirit screamed, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the holy one from God.”

     25 “Silence!” Jesus said, speaking harshly to the demon. “Come out of him!” 26 The unclean spirit shook him and screamed, then it came out.

     27 Everyone was shaken and questioned among themselves, “What’s this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands unclean spirits and they obey him!” 28 Right away the news about him spread throughout the entire region of Galilee.

This is the word of God

For the people of God

Thanks be to God

     On the Sabbath, Jesus went to the synagogue. The synagogue was a place where the Jews gathered to worship, like you and I gathering for service on a Sunday except the Jews gathered on Saturday. A Jewish official ruled over the synagogue, but they could select anyone to share from the scriptures. Jesus was chosen on this occasion.

     Verse 22 says, “The people were amazed by his teaching, for he was teaching with authority, not like the legal experts.” The legal experts were students and teachers of the law, but when they taught their practice was to quote respected and influential scribes to bolster their authority. Jesus did not do that, He simply read the text and shared the words of God.

     Jesus goes to Capernaum on the Sabbath, goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath, and He is teaching in the synagogue. People are responding to what He is sharing. All seems to be going well when “a person with an evil spirit screamed” in verse 23. We do not know if this person was a regular attendee or a guest who was there to challenge Jesus. But make no mistake, someone with an evil spirit was sitting in this church service. Is this not the hope though?

     “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the holy one from God?” This is what the response from this person with an evil spirit to Jesus and His teaching. The response uses the word “us.” Are there multiple demons in this person? Or is this person working in full surrender or complacency with the evil spirit inside them? Regardless, the forces of evil know that Jesus is the Son of God! In this response, we can sense fear and defiance at the threat of evil’s power.

     Jesus responds in verse 25 with “Silence!” This is the same Greek word the gospel Mark will use later in 4:39 when Jesus speaks to raging wind and sea. It means to “hold thy peace,” “be silent,” “muzzle it,” or in our modern slang “shut up.” Then with no special trinkets or song and dance, Jesus uses words to free the person from the evil spirit.

     Verse 26 continues with, “The unclean spirit shook him and screamed, then it came out.” The evil spirit obeyed the words of Jesus, but not without a loud and chaotic temper tantrum. Where the CEB has “screamed” your translation may have two words like “loud voice.” There are two words in Greek to describe this sound, which looks like our English word “megaphone.” If the loudness was not enough, “the unclean spirit shook him.” The evil spirit sent the man into convulsions. They could have been like epileptic seizures or the term could be referring to convulsions of the stomach as if the person was attempting to vomit. Either way, the evil spirit’s response was begrudging obedience. It had no choice.

     What does this teach us? First, is this not the point of gathering with one another in the presence of God? We want to see people set free from the chains of sin and darkness. The person with the evil spirit was in the synagogue, listening at the feet of Jesus. 1 John 3:8 says, “God’s Son appeared for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil.” In this case, Jesus did that. Our church is here so anyone, regardless of race, gender, social status, and appearance can encounter the transformational grace of Jesus Christ.

     Second, verses 27 and 28 record the response of the people to this event, “Everyone was shaken and questioned among themselves, ‘What’s this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands unclean spirits and they obey him!’ Right away the news about him spread throughout the entire region of Galilee.” They were in a worship service receiving teaching that they had never heard before from the mouth of God’s Son. As God’s Word penetrated their hearts, evil was stirred up because its dominion was being threatened. These people watched as evil was powerless to withstand the authority of Jesus over it. When the evil spirit sent the person into convulsions, the people got to see the loud and chaotic temper tantrum as evil was forced to flee. This shook them with amazement at what Jesus did and could do.

     The point for us in this is when God moves evil will respond. Whenever God stirs in the hearts of people, the enemy is forced to submit to God’s power. But if evil can be loud and chaotic enough, then perhaps it can influence the hearts involved to choose the chains over freedom. We do not have to choose the chains but choose freedom in Christ because His power in us is greater than all the loud noises and chaos the enemy can send at us.

     When trials and difficulties confront us as a church, it is not a sign to turn back or remain complacent. It is evil’s loud and chaotic temper tantrum as its power is being washed away in the might of Jesus. This does not mean the battle will be easy, but it does mean we keep pressing forward. The Bible refers to keeping our faith as a race and spiritual battle because endurance is required. Not endurance reliant on our strength, but strength that flows through us by the Holy Spirit.

     Over the last month or so, we have experience so many incredible moments together. Gathering at a camp for worship, parties, and celebrating achievements, all great moments of God’s people rejoicing in worship to God. But at the same time we have endured losses, a broken church van, and outbreaks of sickness. Yes, all those things can be explained in human terms. Some of them could have been prevented. However, I ask you what would those preventions have prevented? I am not saying the devil is in my Big Mac, but do we think for a second all these happened at this precise moment by accident? Rather than despair, we can rejoice because God has counted us worthy to endure such things because of our faith.

     As we dwell on this thought, I invite you to examine your own life. Are you wanting to be free from sin? It is possible through faith in Jesus, but the removal of evil from your heart and mind is going to be loud and chaotic. Do you trust Jesus to have the power despite all the noise? Are you trying to break free from habits and attitudes? It is possible through faith in Jesus. There will be an internal struggle as we yield up our sinful patterns to make way for God’s ways, but He who is calling you is faithful. And He will do it. Do not let evil’s temper tantrum scare or fool you, it has no choice but to submit to His reign.