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• Total dependence on Jesus and commitment to following Him as a disciple |
• The need to remain in Jesus like a branch remains in the vine to bear fruit and overcome spiritual battles |
• Trusting in Jesus who is more powerful than anything faced, rather than trying to solve problems alone |
• Praying for humility, being real followers of Jesus with whole lives, and receiving God's blessing on the church |
[0.00 --> 4.10] What a wonderful day. |
[4.42 --> 8.14] And even as the sun is coming up, we get to celebrate, as James prayed, |
[8.80 --> 14.28] that we get to celebrate this beauty of inviting and welcoming new members of our church, |
[14.50 --> 17.54] grafted into this family that we get to grow together in faith. |
[17.98 --> 23.74] So it is a privilege for me to come and witness to God's word. |
[24.34 --> 25.84] And right now, during the summer months, |
[25.84 --> 29.08] we are preaching through a series called The Hard Sayings of Jesus. |
[29.08 --> 34.04] And so we're picking difficult, maybe more difficult passages that we wrestle with. |
[34.64 --> 40.06] And today, I get the light and fluffy topic of casting out demons, aka exorcism. |
[40.64 --> 44.52] And with that in mind, I think before we go anywhere, |
[44.82 --> 51.28] it is very crucial to start with the mindset that we have to look at each passage |
[51.28 --> 55.76] and the grand narrative of the Bible in its context. |
[55.76 --> 61.00] We can't just pick and choose passages that we like or avoid the ones that we don't like. |
[61.80 --> 65.98] And so with that in mind, even last week, Pastor Sid, I know we were away from the church camp out, |
[66.06 --> 67.38] but I listened to Pastor Sid's sermon. |
[67.98 --> 75.32] And it was so good that he provided us with the overall context of how Jesus sends out the 72, |
[75.32 --> 79.60] the missionaries to spread the gospel, the good message of salvation. |
[79.60 --> 82.40] And that was the downfall of Satan. |
[82.82 --> 87.44] And the important part of that passage, along the same lines as today's passage, |
[87.78 --> 93.34] is that we need to keep our focus and our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. |
[93.94 --> 96.54] That's how Satan falls. |
[96.68 --> 97.70] That's what it means. |
[97.70 --> 106.66] And so like this, like last week, today's passage provides for us a sign of victory over the enemy. |
[107.08 --> 113.30] And it gives us a specific picture of Christ's identity and authority over the enemy. |
[113.92 --> 116.70] And so again, the key, the focus is Jesus. |
[117.22 --> 120.86] Surprise, surprise, everything's about Jesus in the Bible. |
[120.86 --> 124.76] And so if you have your Bible or follow along with me on the screen, |
[124.92 --> 127.82] we are going to read Luke chapter 11. |
[128.14 --> 132.20] We're back in Luke and we read chapter 11, verse 14. |
[134.34 --> 137.86] Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. |
[138.50 --> 142.36] When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke and the crowd was amazed. |
[143.06 --> 147.14] But some of them said, by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons. |
[147.14 --> 150.96] Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. |
[152.10 --> 154.16] Now Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, |
[154.56 --> 157.18] Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, |
[157.40 --> 159.86] and a house divided against itself will fall. |
[160.64 --> 164.08] If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? |
[164.90 --> 168.48] I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. |
[168.88 --> 171.52] Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, |
[171.66 --> 174.68] by whom do your followers drive them out? |
[175.28 --> 176.86] So then they will be your judges. |
[177.92 --> 181.08] But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, |
[181.20 --> 183.84] then the kingdom of God has come upon you. |
[184.68 --> 187.80] When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, |
[188.02 --> 189.30] his possessions are safe. |
[189.92 --> 193.22] But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, |
[193.42 --> 197.50] he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder. |
[198.28 --> 201.42] So whoever is not with me is against me, |
[201.42 --> 204.90] and whoever does not gather with me scatters. |
[205.24 --> 206.90] And this is the word of the Lord. |
[207.14 --> 214.26] On initial reading of this passage that we just read, how does it sit with you? |
[215.88 --> 219.14] Do you wrestle with the question that I've wrestled this past week with, |
[219.56 --> 221.30] of what is demon possession? |
[221.30 --> 228.36] What does it mean when this seeming demon possesses this person to cause them to be mute? |
[229.66 --> 234.04] This question, specifically this question about demon possession and spirituality, |
[234.04 --> 238.48] can really pull our attention away from the focus of the text, can't it? |
[238.48 --> 244.70] We'll touch on that question of what it means to be demon possessed. |
[245.24 --> 247.68] But before getting any further into it, |
[247.88 --> 252.06] I think and I suggest that the most important question to even start with here, |
[252.26 --> 254.32] as we read God's word again, |
[254.70 --> 255.72] is this question. |
[256.04 --> 259.82] What does this particular miracle of exorcism in this case, |
[259.82 --> 263.64] what does this miracle show us about who Jesus is, |
[263.96 --> 267.24] and what does it tell us about the good news of God's kingdom? |
[268.44 --> 273.70] And my hope is that that foundation is where we start with, |
[273.78 --> 278.36] and where it guides us as we receive this maybe more difficult text. |
[278.36 --> 284.56] So, thinking about exorcism and this battle between Jesus and Satan, |
[284.94 --> 287.40] has anybody seen this picture that's going to be on the screen? |
[288.08 --> 289.68] This is Jesus arm-wrestling Satan. |
[290.00 --> 291.06] Has anybody seen this before? |
[291.50 --> 293.42] If you Google like Jesus versus Satan, |
[293.52 --> 296.06] this is sort of one of the pictures that come up first. |
[296.66 --> 297.96] And in my youth days, |
[298.22 --> 300.16] many youth pastors, unfortunately, |
[300.56 --> 304.12] use this image a lot to teach us about spiritual warfare. |
[305.30 --> 306.86] And when I was young, I had no thoughts. |
[306.86 --> 308.62] I was like, okay, Jesus versus Satan, I get it. |
[309.16 --> 310.88] But then, as I grew in my faith, |
[310.96 --> 312.52] and then as I did some more studies, |
[312.70 --> 314.92] I have so many issues with this picture. |
[315.80 --> 318.04] Starting with, I'll start with a sillier one. |
[318.12 --> 321.44] The sillier issue that I have is that Satan is so ugly here. |
[322.62 --> 324.02] Now, my understanding, |
[324.32 --> 325.72] and what I would suggest is, |
[325.94 --> 328.62] Satan, if I were to ever draw a picture of Satan, |
[328.86 --> 329.92] would not be this ugly. |
[330.54 --> 331.58] Now, I'm a terrible drawer, |
[331.66 --> 333.90] so I couldn't express it in an image. |
[334.36 --> 336.14] But to describe it, |
[336.14 --> 340.22] it would be, Satan would be some sort of beautifully deceptive figure. |
[340.82 --> 341.84] Good to the eye, |
[342.64 --> 344.70] but in reality, deceptive. |
[344.88 --> 347.66] Pulling us away from shalom and righteousness. |
[348.92 --> 350.14] And so that's his mission. |
[350.80 --> 351.56] But in any case, |
[351.70 --> 354.84] I don't think a portrayal, an image would be as ugly. |
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