Freedom in Christ — No One Is Too Far Gone

_{Mark Week 6 — October 12, 2025
by Pastor Travis Young, Frontier Church}

Some stories you never forget.

Not long ago a man pulled into a dark church parking lot after midnight. Twenty years of
addiction had taken nearly everything—home, family, hope. He put his head on the steering
wheel and whispered the only prayer he had left: “Jesus, if You’re real, I need You now.” No
worship band. No preacher. Just a broken man and a mustard seed of faith. That night the chains began to break. Today he helps others find the same freedom he found in Christ.

Mark 5:1–20 tells a story like that—only louder, darker, and even more dramatic. Jesus steps out of a boat into Gentile country and meets a man who lives among the tombs. He’s cut off from people, tormented day and night, and so strong that no chain can hold him. If you’ve ever wondered how far the love of Jesus will go, this chapter answers it: all the way to the
graveyard.

Bound in Darkness (vv. 1–5)

The man is a living picture of what sin and spiritual bondage do: isolate, distort, and destroy. He lives where the dead live. He cries out and harms himself. Society tried to restrain him, but nothing worked. It’s a hard truth, but an honest one—some battles are spiritual battles. Human strength and strategies aren’t enough. We need a Savior.

Maybe you don’t live in the tombs, but you know the feeling of being stuck—habits you can’t break, shame you can’t shake, thoughts you can’t tame. Chains can be visible… or invisible.

Encountering Christ (vv. 6–13)

Then Jesus arrives.

The possessed man runs toward Jesus, not away. Even the demons recognize the Son of the Most High God. With a word—no rituals, no theatrics—Jesus commands the darkness to leave. The unclean spirits flee, and the man is freed.

The same Jesus who calmed a raging storm in Mark 4 now calms a raging soul. Storm or spirit, ocean or tomb—He is Lord over all chaos. That’s good news for anyone who’s ever felt out of control: your chaos is not king. Jesus is.

Restored and Sent (vv. 14–20)

When the townspeople arrive, they find the man “sitting there, clothed and in his right mind” (v. 15). That’s what Jesus does: He restores dignity, soundness, and peace. The man begs to follow Jesus onto the boat, but Jesus gives him a different assignment: “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.” (v. 19)

Freedom becomes mission. The one who once terrified his city becomes the first missionary to the Decapolis. No seminary. No platform. Just a transformed life and a simple message: “Look what Jesus did for me.”

What This Means for Us

1. No one is too far gone. If Jesus crosses a sea and steps into a graveyard for one man, He
will meet you wherever you are.
2. Jesus’ authority is greater than your bondage. Chains break where Christ speaks. “If
the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
3. Freedom comes with purpose. We’re not just rescued; we’re sent. Your story might be
the key to someone else’s freedom.

How to Respond

Bring your chains to Jesus. Be honest. Name what binds you—addiction, anger, bitterness, fear, secret sin—and bring it to Him. Sometimes the breakthrough comes with prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29). Not to earn God’s favor, but to depend on His power.

Tell your story. Start at home, like Jesus told the man: “Go to your friends.” People don’t need polished speeches; they need real testimony: “This is who I was. This is what Jesus did. This is who I am now.”

Join the mission. At Frontier Church, we’re people becoming kingdom servants. We serve
because Jesus is still on the move—setting captives free in Aledo, Fort Worth, and beyond.

A Prayer for the Week

Jesus, You crossed every boundary to rescue a man no one could help. Cross the boundaries of my life too. Speak to the places that feel dead. Break the chains I cannot break. Heal my mind, restore my heart, and fill me with Your Spirit. Then send me to my friends and neighbors to tell how much You have done for me. I surrender to Your mercy and Your mission. Amen.

Friend, if you feel like you’re living among tombs, hear this: freedom in Christ is real. Come as you are. Bring the chains. Watch Him break them. And when He does, don’t keep it to yourself—go home and tell the story.

—Dr. Travis Young
Frontier Church