The Supernatural Church - The Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Pt 5 - The Distinguishing of Spirits

Notes
Transcript
GREET EVERYONE-
If I have not had a chance to meet you; My name is Scott and I am a follower of Jesus and have the privilege of serving Him as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.
Our Vision:
We Desire see every follower of Jesus well equipped and fully deployed on the mission of Jesus.
What mission? - This questions leads us to articulate His mission for His church in a simple way.
Our Mission:
Is to engage people into a multiplying relationship with Jesus!
INVITATION
1 - When God People Pray
2- Baptism Class is Sep 8th
3 - September - Small Groups Kick-off first couple of weeks in September.
LETS GRAB OUR BIBLES IF YOU HAVE ONE AND
Open it to The Gospel of Luke Chapter 11 and verse 14 This morning as we come to the conclusion of our current preaching series “The Super Natural Church”
In this series we have been Exposing what God says about the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The reality is that all the gifts, all 22 of them, including these 7 that seem to be supernatural phenomenon have three main purposes.
Glorify God -
Build-up - Strengthening by adding to numerically - The Church
How does that happen - They are used for the Common Good -
Everyone say “The Common Good”
PRAYER OVER SERIES
is and has been that as we Expose What God says in His word about these 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit
That we would allow the Bible to change us in one of two ways:
1st Change- Some of us find our selves boundaries by the scripture. What we believe and how we handle these things needs to be limited by what God says in His word.
2nd Change - Is that others of us will be set free from teaching that is in error and not based on what the bible says at face value.
Set free from any negative effects in us experiencing the very power of God.
ALL of this under the complete blanket of Unity in Christ as we lock arms together in loving relationships and advance the Gospel together in every thing we do.
PRAYER OVER MESSAGE
Is that we would see Truth - That the Gift of Distinguishing of Spirit would become more and more prevalent today among us as the people of Stonewater Fellowship
ENGAGEMENT –
I have some pictures -
Let me ask you this question -
Can you tell the difference between an apple and an Orange?
Better yet do you know the difference between an apple and an orange?
Yea - Fairly simple - Apples have thin skin. Meaty meat - Small amount of seeds in the center. Usually red or green and
Oranges on the other hand - Come with thick skin that can in most cases easily been pealed - The Meat in the under the skin is in sections that can be separated by simply pulling them apart - underneath the skin of each section they have little pockets for the juice - Those pockets usually end up as pulp in your juice glass and their seeds are usually something that cannot be ignored. And not to mention - The are usually the color ORANGE.
Here are some other fruits that I don’t know all that much about.
PLUMS and PLUOTS
Now if you gave me a plum and a pluot side by side and I ate one - I think I might be able to tell the difference - But give me a plum one say and a week later a pluot - Not sure I could tell ya the difference.
How about these - Peaches and nectarines -
I don’t know other than peaches are fuzzy - what the differences are in these two.
How about his one -
Anybody know what these are -
Bananas?
Well yes - The bananas are on the right and the other thing is a Plantain.
Here is the only thing I know about these two. One you can eat raw and the other one you wouldn't want to do that unless you had too.
Ya know when we are distinguishing between fruits the Differences might become so small to us that we really begin not to care all that much.
But here is the deal - IF you don’t know the difference between a banana and a plantain and you buy a bunch of plantains at the store and you get them home and think to your self - Man oh man I can’t wait to have a great smelling ripe banana and you bite into a plantain raw - You will then understand not only the differences but also Why knowing the difference is SO very important.
TENSION
The Apostle Paul says that we should not only be eager for spiritual gifts but that we are to desire them and he says we should desire the gift of Prophecy the most; second only to Love. Which is the most excellent way.
Loved ones: There is a give that I believe we have totally forgotten or miss used and miss labeled.
That is the Gift of Distinguishing between Spirits.
IN some circles this has been called the gift of discernment -
Its not the gift of Discernment between what to do and what not to do. Which way to turn right or left. To do this deal or not to do that deal. That would be better classified as either a word of wisdom or a word of Knowledge - Or even better that might be best categorized as plain old street smarts.
This gift of the Holy Spirit is the Distinguishing between the Spirits.
In the Original Language of the New Testament - Distinguishing is a word that means: The Ability to evaluate and the judge and to make decisions with distinction, appraisal and exposition. The word Between does not appear in the original language but is implied in the word that we translate Distinguishing.
The Next word Spirits - This word - means: In the Plural form - “Supernatural, non-material beings - Sometimes it is used in the new testament to mean “human emotional disposition” It is used in the word Holy Spirit.
So in general terms this is a gift Given by the Holy Spirit to glorify God - build the Church by using it for the Common Good
A Gift that can evaluate and make a decisions with distinction by appraising and exposing whether what is happening is becasue there is a Fallen Angel involved. If it just a human emotional disposition or if it is the Holy Spirit at work.
Now A fallen angel is commonly referred to as a demon.
Here is the definition: demons are fallen angels who rebelled against God and who propagate evil in the world.
Many of us are just too uncomfortable with the whole angels and demons thing.
You see many and I mean many - Have taken this same “its just not that important” framework into our understanding of what God says and we now we have this huge thing happening in our culture where there is evil that is so out loud and so em brazened and so in your face that most of us are shocked about what is happening.
WE are in so much turmoil as a country and in the whole world that I think many people who claim to be Christians believe that we all we have to do is keep our head down and it will all work out and God will do something someday.
Loved ones - It is a delusion to think that Neutrality is an option!
WE must stop thinking that if we keep our head down and go to church and practice our faith at home They will leave us alone.
I promise they won’t just leave us alone.
In our culture it is no longer enough that we just stop being out loud about our faith and what ewe believe about right and wrong, that we be silent that we just leave them alone -
But they NOW are demanding that you and I bow the knee and confess their leadership and their ideas and their definition of right and wrong as Lord.
AND it is all Spiritual -
A Spiritual battle that has been going on since the beginning of time and will continue till the end of time.
Ephesians 6:12 ESV
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
THE DEVIL IN THE BEGINNING AND END
If you read your bible there is something very interesting that you will see:
in addition to Jesus being all through out the narritive of the Bible. There is also one other that is there in the beginning and there at the end and makes appearances several times through out. That is the Leader of the falen angels, the one for whom hell was created, the created creature, a fallen angel named Satan, the devil, Belelsuebul .
THE ULTIMATE REALITY
Here is the reality of what we must grab onto the truth of and no longer be afraid of.
- I love the way Matt Chandler put this.
“Angels and Demons and an Ultimate reality that exists is in this room right now. The Problem is that most of us in evangelical Christianity are completely unaware of it.
The reason is we have pushed so far away from what the bible says about it and the truth of that reality that most of us, if not all of us, are seemingly somehow embarrassed to be viewed as overly spiritual - And the Problem that has created in our world and in our culture and in our lives is that we have cut ourselves off from the very power of God that beings about the things that only God can bring about.
Loved ones there is something critical happening in our culture right now and for us to know it, recognize it and war against it, the distinguishing of Spirits is oh so helpful.
BACKGROUND
In Mathews Gospel he has also confronted the religious leaders about healing on the sabbath.
And After this he retreats to a place of Prayer and a deaf and mute mad is brought to Him and He heals Him -
UNPACKING
Some of the religious leaders said -
Luke 11:15–16 ESV
15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven.
Here is what is interesting -
This doesn't make any sense at all -
Lets take it to the very rational -
Cleaning people don’t bring in dirt while they are cleaning.
Bug exterminators don't carry around large buckets of crickets while they are killing all your bugs.
Its the very same issue here - There is no rational reasonable conclusion that these guys could land on this statement.
But you know - A Prideful Spirit AKA a Haughty spirit can bring about Irrational - Illogical conclusions in someone life and they are convinced that they are not only right but they are rational in their thoughts - Seemingly throwing out all of the rules of logic.
How many of us see that today in our culture?
But see Jesus bring clarity to our rational mind - Jesus provides Reasonalbilty to our thoughts and He does to them as well.
Watch what He says:
Luke 11:17 ESV
17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.
Here is what Jesus begins with - He Begins with and over all understanding of what happens when there is division,
And it is oh so true - A country that is not united Fall, A house that is not united Fails - A corporation that is not united fails - A church that is not united fails.
There is really no exceptions to this rule!
Jesus then draws this truth down to the current accusation.
And he begins by asking a rhetorical question.
Luke 11:18–19 ESV
18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
Jesus then turns their own logic against them - IF I do it by the devil then your sons do it by the devil -
They will be your judges - Basically says to them - If what you say is true then there are whole lot of people that are in coo-hoots with the devil and that would include your kids.
Jesus in Vers 20 then gives glory where glory is due.
Luke 11:20 ESV
20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Then Here is what Jesus Does is He uses a very real illustration to set up a very important framework by which he will bring to our understanding the importance of Trusting Jesus to save not your self or what we have.
He uses this word picture. A Strongman -
Here is the reality - Strongmen of every type are really challenged to trust anything but their own strength -
This is why over and over what God does in our lives is to bring about weakness -
Jesus says this in verse 21:
Luke 11:21 ESV
21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe;
and this is True - When A person who is strong in Physical strength - is well armed - If this type of Guy Guards His own place. The Truth is that His goods are safe.
BUT there there is a threat - A stronger man with more weapons.
Luke 11:22 ESV
22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.
You see the truth about life - In this world, in this physical world, There is always a threat - The threat is always someone or something bigger and stronger.
Jesus is just speaking truth about reality.
But watch what Jesus said - the Stronger one attacks and overcomes him and watch - “Takes away his armor in which He trusted”
This is where Jesus begins to bring in the Spiritual Rhelm - You see we are not to trust in the things of this world.
Now they may be helpful and they may even be provided by the Lord - But we are to Trust in God and in God Alone.
Reality is loved ones; that Satan and the company of fallen angels are much stronger than any human being could ever be in His or her own strength.
Look around in our culture - WE bring this Strongman and Strongman problem forward to the 21 century - This is the problem with all the self help - self improvement that we are placing our trust into today.
and What Jesus says next is something that for must of us seems a little out of place.
Watch and listen to what He says:
Luke 11:23 ESV
23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Its like - OK Jesus -
Reality is this is one of those cases where chapter and verse and description divisions don't help us at all.
So if we were to talk away the verse and description divisions look at what Jesus is doing.
He’s healing people from demonic spirits that are causing havoc here in the physical world. He talks about who is actually removing the demons - The Finger of God. He is talking about division and what that brings to people and kingdoms and households to fall.
he then Addresses this real and natural thing about well armed and guarded strongmen and what happens if they are attached by stronger men and trust in their armor that the bigger guy now has.
And then He lays down the gauntlet and ties it into a transition into the next point He will be making.
Luke 11:23
Luke 11:23 ESV
23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Jesus has just eliminated the fence. He has drawn a clear line in stone - HE has Just said “There is nothing neutral”.
there are only two teams - My Team and the Anti Christ team -
The Disciple-making gospel advancing team or the team that pushes people away from Jesus.
You see I think there are a lot of us claim Christ and we think because of Grace there is this big gray area that we can just dance and frolic in and it really doesn't matter - Like we ask - What harm does it do? It really cant make that big of a difference?
Jesus just said - There is no gray - With me or against - Only two choices - and you and your life will only do one of two things - Gathering with Him or Scatter against Him.
And Jesus then ties this all into the Spiritual battles
Luke 11:24 ESV
24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’
The Unclean Spirits - the demonic spirits, the fallen angels are restless - They have been removed from the presence of God and the rest of God. and when they have left a person - This is a clear indication that it is possible that demons can be in a person effecting that person becasue Jesus says “when they have gone out” They then seek rest and when they continue to not find rest they make a decision. They decide to return to their old house. To the place or person they used to be in.
Ever known anybody that was in self destructive behaviors and they get help and they stop doing it for a while and then they go back over and over and over. And each time they go back it gets harder and harder to quit.
Ever known a smoker or maybe some of us have been smokers or even are smokers today and if we have quit once we have quit a dozen times and each time it gets harder and harder to quit.
Watch what Jesus says -
Luke 11:25–26 ESV
25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
So when the unclean spirit leaves and then comes back and find you smoke free? - But here is what else it found and it is mentioned in Mathews Gospel as Matthew writes about this very same story.
It also found it empty -
Matthew 12:44 ESV
44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.
And what happened -
he brings 7 more to help - They enter in and they dwell and they make it worse than before and quitting smoking became harder and harder each time.
Listen Loved ones - I smoked for a long time - The only way I quit was by complete submission.
We get some self help - The demon leaves - Comes back to find our lives clean and neat because of the self help but it is also empty - no holy Spirit - The demon goes and gets 7 friends and to get things back on track the next time more difficult.
If you are dealing with an addiction problem - You can take 12 steps but if the first step isn't to surrender all of your life to Jesus. It is very likely that you will end up taking 24 or 36 or 48 or even 72 steps. becasue there is a great likelihood that you will do it again and again and again.
You see it is a spiritual battle that could only be won by repentance and submission to the Lordship of Jesus.
There are many ways this can manifest itself and lack of submission to Jesus is a the big one.
I believe this that most if not all the problems we have in our personal lives can be navigated best only when they are fully and totally submitted to Jesus.
FALSE TEACHING
There is another area where Distinguishing between Spirit is critically important.
And ya know we really have to acknowledge and admit openly that we have an enemy -
1 Peter 5:8 ESV
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Sober minded doesn't just mean clear thinking - It means Rational in your thoughts -
Be rational - Be on the lookout - This is what watchful means -
Your advisory - Meaning the one that is against you is looking for someone to devour -
Devour means to swallow whole - Not take a little nibble of but swallow whole.
Sometimes we think that is an all out attack - A frontal attack that is obvious and clear -
But watch what happens in Ephesus - Ephesus was the epicenter of demonic worship and Paul planted the church there and spent three years there building the church and He left Timothy there to be the pastor/ Elder and to continue to make disciples to build up the church.
Paul tells Timothy
1 Timothy 4:1–5 ESV
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
And one of the things that the Devil does is He counterfeits truth - False Teaching - this is another reason that Distinguishing between the spirit is a needed gift today.
There are people, in this world today, who are teaching not only our culture but also teaching among Gods people unbiblical truth. Teaching that is directly opposed to what Jesus says.
And Here is the weird part, Not only does that sound good there may be some truth laid down by the devil in our ears before the lies of the false teaching is exposed.
Brandi and I encountered a predominant influencer that was among the church many years ago. He was at the time leading a large mega church. He produced a set of videos and they would start out by asking some interesting thought provoking questions and then laying down solid biblical truth. Then when it came time to make the conclusions to deal with the opening questions -
Ub-biblical philosophy would come into the conversation.
Jesus says something very interesting about the devil and the demons that have fallen with the devil
John 8:44 ESV
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Jesus says “When He lies - He speaks out of His own Character, for he is a liar and the father of lies”
Here is what Jesus had Just said - When He lies - Meaning He doesn't always Lie. What the devil can so easily do is cover his lies under a blanket of truth.
Remember - The Devil is more crafty than anything else that God had created.
PAUL IN ACTS
Look at what Paul deals with and does in the Book of Acts - Acts 16: 16-18
Acts 16:16–18 ESV
16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
What She was saying was true - Here is what is missing - We don’t know how she was saying these things.
She could have been hugely sarcastic when doing this - maybe maybe not
What Paul may have seen is a great reduction in the number of conversations He was having.
But here is what happened - Paul recognised, after several days, that although she was proclaiming truth - IT was a demonic spirit that was no only causing her to say it but was also tormenting he life and had her in slaved.
Paul - prays against the spirit in the Name of Jesus - The girl is now set free.
The church really has to recognize the demonic when it happens.
DEMONIC TODAY
In our day - The Demons of old and doing the same things they always have done - Same activity different names.
IN the OT there are these two demons - False Gods - Ashtoroth and BAAL
Ashtorath - The goddess of futility - She was worshipped by unhindered sexual activities by groups of people together. What did that yield? Un -wanted babies - What did you then do with those you gave them over to the fires of BAAL worship.
Loves ones Planned Parenthood and the adult entertainment industry as well as the over sexualized culture is doing the exact same thing - Same demons different day different names.
APPLICATION
We are left with the question: How do I know?
4 ways loved ones:
1st is something that you need in an over arching way over all these three things. PRAYER - Pray that God would open your eyes so that you can see in the Spirit rhelm and, distinguish between the spirits - and then pray in a way that is appropriate. Remember - Sometimes its demonic, Sometimes its just plain ol human stubbornness and Sometimes it is the Holy Spirit.
2nd is be in community - Not everyone has the gift of distinguishing between the spirits all the time all of us need community where there are people in that community who have the gift in a stronger way. WE need them in our lives. We need to be known and we need to know them. This involves transparency, patience, grace, and choosing trust, mostly choosing to trust jesus with our problems and story -
We do that by doing what the Bible tells us to do. Confess our sin, our problems, out difficulties to one another and pray for one another.
3rd thing - Again do what the Scripture says when Paul tells the Thessalonian church:
1 Thessalonians 5:20–22 ESV
20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
But we have to answer the question: Test everything against what?
This is the last way we know -
4th We must know our bibles - The reason that we can all see the deception of the enemy so pervasive and even among those who claim Christ and it all seems to be at like this all time High - Is becasue among those who claim christ biblical literacy is at an all time low.
The Bible says we would know them by their fruits.
James 3:14–17 ESV
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
This is one of the reasons, we as a church, come together through the Bible app and we read the bible together every day.
We must all know the word.
THE GOSPEL CONNECTION
Ya know loved ones this is where the Gospel Comes in. The Demonic only go and grab 7 others to refill the house that is clean and swept when the house is empty.
When we hear the goodness of God - That God has done all that is needed to do to reconcile our relationship with Him, by Jesus, God in the flesh, willingly and joyfully taking our guilt and placing it upon Himself, and at the same time satisfying all of the wrath of God against us by being crusifyed and validating that is is all true and that it is all finished, and He was God doing all the work, by being physically raised from the dead.
And we look to Him and that finished word and we realize the phenomenal love that He has for us - And we surrender to Him becasue He loves us so - We are filled with the holy Spirit of God - Regenerated from spiritual death to being made alive in Christ New Creatures created in Christ Jesus.
When we are in that state - When the demonic brings back their 7 friends because they though the house was empty. They flee becasue we belong to the one who Has the power over the enemy.
SMALL GROUP LEADERS PRAYER
PRAYER TEAM
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