The Good News Of A Strong Jesus Week 34

Here me… I don’t care what any popular preacher says, I don’t care how many times he’s appeared on FOX News, I don’t care how many city blocks his church takes up… Hear me… we are in a spiritual battle, not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, against a present darkness, against rulers and authorities in the heavenly/spiritual realm, against the domain of darkness, against hell and the forces of the demonic. And in Christ Jesus we take up our spiritual weapons against these demonic forces.

Ephesians 6:10–20 CSB

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.

We would not be given weapons to fight. Is we were not in a battle.

We would be given instruction on our weapons if we weren’t intended to use them.

We would not have been given Kingdom authority and Pentecostal power over thone demonic spiritual forces if we weren’t to war against them.

Now, the power and the authority is not mine, it’s not by might or by power but by my Spirit says the LORD.

Zechariah 4:6 CSB

So he answered me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by strength or by might, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of Armies.

You and I will not rebuild what the enemy has broken in our own strength.

You and I will not tear done what the enemy has built us in our own strength.

We need a someone stronger than the enemy.

We are in a spiritual battle.

Before we even get into our text I want to remind of what Paul said in

2 Corinthians 2:10–11 CSB

Anyone you forgive, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for your benefit in the presence of Christ, so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.

We must recognize the schemes and strategies of Satan.

Satan’s Names

• Abaddon (“destroyer”) (Rev. 9:11)

• The god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4)

• Accuser (Rev. 12:10)

• Great Dragon (Rev. 12:9)

• Adversary (1 Pet. 5:8)

• Lawless One (2 Thess. 2:18)

• Apollyon (“destroyer”) (Rev. 9:11)

• Liar (John 8:44)

• Beelzebul (Matt. 12:24)

• Morning Star (Isa. 14:12)

• Belial (2 Cor. 6:15)

• Murderer (John 8:44)

• Deceiver (Rev. 12:9)

• Prince of the power of the air

(Eph. 2:2)

• Devil (Luke 4:13)

• Ruler of this world (John 12:31)

• Enemy (Matt. 13:28, 39)

• Satan (Acts 26:18)

• Evil One (Matt. 13:28, 39)

• Serpent (Rev. 12:9)

• Father of lies (John 8:44)

• Tempter (1 Thess. 3:5)

What are some ways the enemy attacks?

Ordinary Demonic

Puritan Thomas Brooks, in his book Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, speaks of the ordinary demonic as Satan coming to us as our Tempter and baiting our hook with various pleasure and temptations, including:

• Sexual sin (2 Cor. 7:5)

• Marriage between Christians and non-Christians (2 Cor. 6:15)

• False religion, false teaching, false Jesus (1 Cor. 10:14–22; 1 Tim.

4:1–2; 2 Cor. 11:1–4)

• Bitterness (Eph. 4:17–5:2)

• Foolishness and drunkenness (Eph. 5:8–21)

• Idle gossip and busybodying (1 Tim. 5:11–15)

• Lies (John 8:44)

• Idolatry (1 John 5:18–21)

Extraordinary Demonic

• Torment (Acts 5:16)

• Physical injury (Matt. 9:32–33; 12:22–23; Acts 8:4–8)

• False miracles (Acts 8:9–23; 16:16; 2 Thess. 2:9–10)

• Accusation (Rev. 12:10)

o Vain regrets and condemnation (Rom. 8:1)

o General guilt vs. specific conviction

o Second person (“you” language instead of “I”)

• Death, e.g., food, sex, drink, recklessness (Prov. 8:36)

• Murder/Suicide (John 8:44)

• False spirits (1 John 4:1–6)

Again church, hear me, we are in a battle against a strong man.

We need a stronger man.

We are fighting against hell, death, and the grave.

We need Jesus, he has all power and authority, and he has conquered hell, death, and the grave.

We are fighting against The world the flesh and thedevil.

We need Jesus, at his name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is LORD, master, ruler, authority, king, GOD.

We need Jesus because Jesus has authority of the the kingdoms of this world and the domain of darkness.

We need Jesus!

We are going to get into our text this morning. Now Luke 11:14-33 is one event. Let’s dig into it. First let’s look at 14-23.

Now He Was Driving Out A Demon

Luke 11:14–16 CSB

Now he was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon came out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” And others, as a test, were demanding of him a sign from heaven.

When The Demon Came Out

Hear this, Jesus has authority over the demonic.

The demon may have resisted but the demon could not stop it.

if your the demon your thinking, Jesus you cannot stop him you can only hope to contain him.

But you can’t even contain him.

Jesus has the final word.

The demonic bow to Jesus.

The demonic submit to Jesus.

The demonic stand in judgement to Jesus.

When the demon came out the man who had been mute spoke.

Jesus changes things.

Jesus reverses the curse.

Jesus flips the script.

Jesus put things right.

Jesus reverses the schemes and plans of the enemy and sets things in order.

When the demon came out it was obvious.

There was transformation.

There was new speach.

There was change.

What the enemy hide silenced was silent no more.

When the demon came out people were amazed.

Crowds were astonished.

When the demon came out some folks called him a devil.

When the demon came out some demanded a sign that he was from God.

We will come back to that.

Kingdom Divided

Luke 11:17–20 CSB

Knowing their thoughts, he told them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul. And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges. If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Jesus calls them on their hypocrisy and illogical charge.

Why would Satan drive out Satan?

Why would Satan give up ground?

Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church.

Satan doesn’t give up ground willingly becasue Satan knows he will never regain that ground.

When Jesus advances against hell hell always loses.

If a kingdom is divided against itself it is headed for destruction.

Satan isn’t ignorant.

The fact that Jesus was driving out demons by the finger of God it was evident that the kingdom of God has come.

Stop fighting against Jesus.

The Kingdom of God is here.

Jesus explains it is way.

Who Is Stronger

Luke 11:21–23 CSB

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure. But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he takes from him all his weapons he trusted in, and divides up his plunder. Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.

In this illustration the devil is the strong man.

Those is darkness and sin are his possession.

He guards them.

He has them secure in his domain of darkness.

But there’s a stronger man.

That’s Jesus.

Jesus was able to expel demons because he had bound Satan, the strong man. Beginning with Jesus’ victory over Satan during the temptation in the wilderness (4:1–11), Jesus demonstrated that Satan was powerless to prevent him from proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and demonstrating the reality of its presence through his work and his words. Satan’s house represents the sinful world over which, until the coming of Christ, he had such power.

Jesus has come to plunder his house and rescue people for the kingdom of God.

The weapons Satan trusted in our powerless against Jesus.

Satan tempted Jesus in all things as Jesus did not sin.

His best weapons were powerless.

Tempation, fear, death.

The best weapons in Satan’s arsenal were rebuffed and rebuked by Jesus and Jesus takes the plunder, sets captivity captive, frees us from bondage, and Paul puts it,

Colossians 1:13 CSB

He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

The strong man is no match for the son of God who is stronger, better, greater, and more beautiful.

We have been set free.

We are now Kingdom of God people and there is no middle ground.

With Me Or Against Me

Luke 11:23 CSB

Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.

There’s no middle ground.

You either belong to the strong man or the son of God.

You either live in the darkness or the Kingdom of the Son.

You are either with Jesus or against Jesus.

Who either gather with Jesus or you scatter.

What’s that mean?

Jesus is telling these challengers that if they do not join him in gathering, rescuing people from darkness they are guilty of scattering them, of pushing them away from the Kingdom of God.

Either you affirm Jesus and His teaching and his work of redemtion or you are pushing people away from the Kingdom of God.

Clean But Empty

Jesus continues this thought.

Luke 11:24–26 CSB

“When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest, and not finding rest, it then says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ Returning, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first.”

Jesus came to clean the house of Israel.

They can recieve or reject.

Jesus can put things in order but if they don’t make him LORD of the house, their condition will be worse.

I’m reminded of Hebrews 10:23-30

Hebrews 10:23–30 CSB

Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching. For if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries. Anyone who disregarded the law of Moses died without mercy, based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, who has regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know the one who has said, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge his people.

What Paul is saying lines up with Jesus in Luke 11.

Remember Paul has the Hebrew people in mind in Hebrews.

If we continue in deliberate sin, if we don’t do not confess when we sin, if we don’t live in daily repentance, if we ignore the Spirit’s conviction, we are in danger of judgment.

We are either for Jesus or against Jesus.

Now, I’m not saying that if we sin after we confess Christ we are without hope.

I am saying that if we deliberately continue in sin we are on dangerous ground.

But as long as you confess and repent we have an advocate.

1 John 2:1–2 CSB

My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

Here me, you are not hopeless.

But you have to choose.

For me or against me.

Jesus states it a different way a few verse down when responding to the affirmation from a woman in the crowd.

Luke 11:27–28 CSB

As he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the one who nursed you!” He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”

Hear It & Keep It

Jesus is saying it’s not enough to hear it.

Follow his teachings.

Keep his word.

Love God.

Love others.

Keep yourself from sin.

Live our the faith.

Thsoe are they that will be blessed.

Those are they that will walk in peace and hope and love and faith.

Follow Jesus!

Now, all of this conversation and teaching has happened and is in the context of a demand the crowd made of Jesus earlier.

They Demanded A Sign

Luke 11:16 CSB

And others, as a test, were demanding of him a sign from heaven.

Luke 11:29–32 CSB

As the crowds were increasing, he began saying, “This generation is an evil generation. It demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look—something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching, and look—something greater than Jonah is here.

They demanded a sign.

And then Jesus says, you are either for me or against me.

A house divied cannot stand.

I am the stronger man plundering the property of the Devil.

Here’s your sign.

I am your sign.

That I defeat the enemy is your sign.

That I defeat the grave is your sign.

I am your sign.

As Jonah was in the fish for three days before he preached deliverance to the people of Nineveh I will be in the belly of the earth for three days and deliver those in enslaved to sin.

Thats your sign.

As Nineveh had to repent you will have to repent.

This is your sign, death and resurrection.

Thats the sign.

Thats our sign.

Jesus death and resurrection is our sign.

The empty tomb is our sign.

It’s our sign of hope and freedom and faith and trustworthiness.

Jesus is our sign.

As the Queen of the South travelled a long distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon she will sit in judgment of those who hear the teaching of Jesus and reject Him.

He is greater than Solomon.

The people of Nineveh will stand in judgement over those who reject Jesus because he is greater than Jonah.

You are either for him or against him.

But here me church, those against him, will ultimately bow their knee to him.

Satan is powerless to to hold onto those who have been delivered by Jesus.

There is a Stronger Man, the Son of God,

Jesus the Christ is stronger, better, and more than able to deliver you from the strong man and transfer you to the Kingdom of the Christ.