"And John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder him because he does not follow along with us." But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder him, for he who is not against you is for you."
Now it happened that when the days for Him to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He set His face to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. But they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them."] And they went on to another village."
Good Morning beloved,
We welcome you to worship today in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We're so glad you're here with us today to study the Word of God. Our goal is to glorify God, to see Christ lifted up and exalted, so that we might have a deeper fellowship with Him, instead of some kind of shallow, superficial relationship which has become prevalent today. Which, as you know, can be very challenging in this world of constant distractions that we live in today. I would also like to encourage you to join us in praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing severe persecution for their faith in Christ, pray as they continue to endure significant hardships, they would witness to their persecutors, and embody the teachings of Jesus through their actions.
Over the last several weeks, and even months really, in one way or another I’ve been passionately preaching on the foundational principles that delineates the kingdom of light from the kingdom of darkness; and obviously, they’re diametrically opposed to each other. One of the most profoundly impactful statements that continually keeps echoing through my mind, and certainly serves as a reminder of our higher calling comes from John 18, where Jesus says to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world." The way we look at life is inherently different from that of those who do not share our faith. This declaration from our Lord highlights the radical difference between the two, they don't share anything in common. This is not just a spiritual dichotomy; it manifests in tangible ways; the kingdom of Light, is characterized by selfless sacrificial love, compassion and love for one's neighbor whereas the kingdom of darkness, is marked by deception, moral corruption, chaos, division, and malevolence. The world looks at us, and they instinctively hate everything about us and they don’t necessarily understand why. It's because we are indwelt by Christ, the King of the kingdom of Light.
While believers and unbelievers may have certain things in common like family, jobs, hobbies or pastimes, but when you get down to the core of it, the believer and the unbeliever are in stark opposition. We are the children of God, they are the children of Satan, these two are so diametrically opposed in the way we live our lives that it severely limit our relationships, it can never be anything more than superficial at best, because there is no common ground. Tragically, this is the very principle which the church is in violation of by trying to reach the world and be more inclusive, we have kicked the doors of the church open wide, allowing false teachers to enter and spread their misleading doctrines and damning pagan worship. False teachers flourish where there is no discernment. Paul's teaching in Romans 12:2 is a cornerstone of Christian living; "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect." As Christians, we would like to believe that we know better than to cooperate with Satan and become part of the world's corrupt system, but sadly that’s not the case.
Embracing the worlds values and behaviors, trying to redefine church on a cultural level so that unbelievers feel more comfortable is the antithesis of everything Scripture teaches because the risk of spiritual contamination is so high. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, Paul instructs believers not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers using vivid contrasts to illustrate this point, "for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" Paul point is so obvious and so straightforward; you would think the church couldn’t miss it. It is a serious issue for believers to entangle themselves with sin because the Lord Himself takes sin seriously. In fact, sin is deadly serious.
However, in recent years many Christians have found themselves aligning with individuals who deny the inerrancy and authority of Scripture, who reject that the doctrines of salvation is by grace through faith alone, in Christ alone, the motivation behind these alliances stem from a desire to form some sort of collaborative spiritual enterprise by leveraging the strengths and resources of multiple religious organizations for a more inclusive evangelistic approach, even if it means standing alongside those who espouse a demonic doctrine, denying the deity of Christ. These inconceivable syncretism has sparked numerous debates among church leaders, as they grapple with the long term implications of such ungodly associations which have previously been considered forbidden by God. Wickedness and righteousness cannot fellowship together, a warning repeated in twenty-six of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament. It has become increasingly apparent that these strategic compromises on issues such as LGBTQ+ inclusion, and egalitarianism are being made more frequently within so-called liberal Christian churches, while progressive seminaries are updating their curricula to include more diverse perspectives, to remain relevant and to embrace the culture in a rapidly evolving world.
Anyone who dares to question this blatant corruption of true Christianity is viewed as being disobedient to the biblical principals of loving your neighbor and is considered an enemy of the church. So, you better just sit there and take it. Make no mistake, when you're setting your mind on man’s interests and not God's, you are in partnership with Satan, and they’re going to be marked out for judgment based upon their deceptive deeds. Amos 5:21, says God hates hypocrisy and false religion. And, when it comes to false religion and spiritual deception, Satan the most seductive and the most powerful deceiver. That is something I believe the church today desperately needs to understand, gullibility more prominent in the church than anywhere else. The problem is most Christians do not know the Truth, and without Truth, there's no capability of discerning error, especially if you package the error in the right language.
If you want today's Christian to believe a lie, just refer to God, Christ and the Word of God, you know terms that sound familiar and they won't question a thing. Then, you can blur the lines between truth and error even further, a little at a time. Folks, that is exactly what has happening in the church, and now, we don't even know what the Truth is. That is until someone speaks the Truth, then, we're offended. One thing I've learned in recent years is, if you want to be criticized in the church, just speak the Truth. And, those who have strayed from the Truth will come at you with fury. The truth is always intolerable to those who are trapped in error. The truth is always intolerable to those who are marked by heresy. Those embrace error won't stand for the Truth, they will become angry and fight back against the Truth to protect the error because error best serves their purposes. And, when all else fails, they'll resort to personal attacks and name calling.
These false teachers have already come into the church to devastate the flock and destroy it, beware, these wolves in sheep's clothing are disguised as those who claim to speak for God. They always have some new revelation, a fresh word from God. The brashness of these religious deceivers is actually quite astonishing. I'm no longer surprised by their ravenous lies. They just keep deceiving and being deceived. Satan's most effective attacks are not when he comes not as an enemy of the church, but as a false friend, standing in the pulpit. If he can conquer the shepherd, the flock will follow. Christian's today will get all jazzed up about various causes, ranging from social and political issues, climate change and gender ideology, making them ready to fight for anything except the Truth. Satan's plan for getting all religions together is for Christian's to abandon the thing we disagree most on, doctrine. And so, we’ve abandoned the Truth of God for the sake of "unity." It is truly remarkable how far people will go to obscure the words of Satan. Don't be deceived by spiritual sounding words, just because they mention God and Christ, Satan will always use orthodox terms to mask his damning deception. False religion is a very lucrative enterprise, so remain vigilant against those who are persistently soliciting money, make sure you know how it is being spent. Keep an eye out for anyone who displays a lavish lifestyle. In this world of deception, now is not a time to be naive.
Let's pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, we are so grateful for Your Word. Lord, grant us the discernment to understand and help us to see the application to our lives in every situation, lest we conduct ourselves disobediently. We recognize that a true transformation of the heart is the goal but that can only occur if we faithfully preach the Gospel and do not allow ourselves to become distracted by the worldly matters going on around us, even those that appear beneficial on the surface. Lord, cleanse us from all physical and spiritual defilements and make us holy, and keep us separate from worldly influences so that our testimony is believable to those who have yet to embrace Christ as their Lord and Savior. We know this is not the time for complacency or for tolerating sin. Strengthen us in the power of Your Word, equipping us to stand firm against the malevolent forces of Satan in the ongoing battle for the Truth and for Your honor and the glorification of Your name without growing weary in drawing others towards Your grace and mercy. We ask and pray this in Christ's precious Name.
Amen.
Today's Message: Measure What Matters: True Greatness
As Christians, we frequently find ourselves in a continual struggle with what is deeply ingrained in human behavior, selfishness and self centeredness. Yet, as the children of God we are called to lead lives marked by humility and selflessness, resisting the natural inclination to prioritize our own desires over the needs of others. We face the challenge daily to emulate Jesus, Who embodies the virtues of humility, compassion, empathy, and altruism. It’s a battle we all have to fight, even in Christian circles, among those who claim that they belong to God, where many are relentlessly promoting themselves and their latest book. That's why I firmly believe it's really very important to be anchored in the truth, and equally important that we hold each other accountable, in both our words and our actions. A process that involves being honest with ourselves and others, even when it is difficult or uncomfortable. As those who represent Christ, I believe it is essential that we uphold biblical standards and maintain integrity in our personal lives, especially when it is challenging. It's important for Christians to recognize that the world is watching, scrutinizing our every move, but more importantly, all of heaven is watching us, so we need to own our hypocrisy, and live out our faith with integrity like never before. If you are going to profess to be a Christian, I want to remind you that you are a child of God, we have a responsibility to behave like it. Before you can understand how you are to behave, you have to know who you are in Christ. You have to continually work on becoming in practice who you are in position, perfect, holy and righteous. On this side of eternity, it's an ongoing process. That's why Paul writes in Philippians 2:12-13, "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; or it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." I’m afraid there is a significant number of professing Christians in the churches today who are hateful and loveless, I have to question if they even know their position in the Lord Jesus Christ, Who emphasize Truth, grace, mercy, love, kindness, and compassion.
Take out your Bibles and open them with me to the Gospel of Luke, as you know, we’ve been studying chapter 9, today we have the privilege of looking at verses 49-56. I pray that you will follow along with me as I read to set the text in our minds. Luke 9:49-56.
"And John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder him because he does not follow along with us." But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder him, for he who is not against you is for you."
Now it happened that when the days for Him to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He set His face to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. But they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them."] And they went on to another village."
Let's look at verse 49, "And John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder him because he does not follow along with us." Pride, though broken at the point of our salvation, doesn't die, it continues to rear it's ugly head, even in the life of a believer. John, along with Peter and James had just come down from Mount of Transfiguration. Being part of Jesus' most intimate circle, encounters somebody casting out demons in the name of Jesus Christ and tried to hinder him. One of the ways we see pride manifest itself is exclusivity. You've probably heard the expression, "Us four and no more, close the door," which has been used in various contexts but it is most often used to emphasize exclusivity. "Us" is all that matters. Although we tend to love the idea of growth in the Body of Christ, we usually prefer the togetherness aspect of small groups within the local church. And quite frankly most I've seen are not overly friendly to outsiders. John doesn't seem to like the fact that someone who is not part of the group is having some spiritual success, considering the nine failed in their attempt to cast out a demon, but since we don’t know who that someone is, we can't be dogmatic, but I believe that he may have been part of seventy the Lord ordained to cast out demons, sending them out in pairs. One thing we do know, if he was successfully casting out demons, it was God that was doing it. Many Christians disown others who identify as Christians that are outside of their group. While it's tempting to want to sort out the "good guys" from the "bad guys" Jesus warned us in Matthew 13 in the parable of the Tares Among Wheat to allow both to grow together until the harvest, at which time He will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn." Personally, I love hearing how God is using His people to do something for the glory of Christ, however, it's important to mention that does not mean we are to compromise on sin. As a pastor, it would be a very solitary existence if I only interacted with people who belong exclusively to my particular group or community. It would also restrict experiences and perspectives that enrich my understanding of the world and those in it, better equipping me to offer guidance to anyone in need, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling ministry.
Verse 50, "But Jesus said to him, "Do not hinder him, for he who is not against you is for you." Jesus made it clear in Matthew chapter 12, there's no neutral ground, you're either for Him or against Him, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. I don't want to hinder anybody that is truly for Christ, in line with Scripture, I want to be a part of assisting them in their mission to spread His message. I've learned over the years that the Lord possesses the divine ability to grant credibility to anybody He wants to, even someone who may not belong to my immediate circle. It is a humbling reminder that God’s plans are far greater than ours, He can raise up anybody from anywhere to serve His divine purposes. The Lord can do as He wills, He certainly doesn't need anybody's approval. The shared goal is to glorify God, exalt Christ and make Him known throughout the world, even if they speak evil lies about me. Someone recently said to me, "You're so hardline, it's either black or white with you." That's right, there is no middle ground in Scripture, something is either Truth or it's error. I believe that concept has been lost in the church today, we've created a gray area to blur the lines between right and wrong. There's no gray area in John 3:3, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Differences don't need to divide us. Make no mistake, doctrine does matter, which is why I won’t partner with certain church leaders but we don’t have to agree on every fine point, just because somebody doesn’t do it exactly the way you do and I do, doesn't necessarily mean they're doing it wrong. So let's stop arguing over every little thing and start giving thanks to God, accepting the fact that He is at work in in the hearts and lives of others throughout the world, that aren't part of our group.
Verse 51, "Now it happened that when the days for Him to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He set His face to go to Jerusalem." The lesson of humility goes on but the setting changes, this verse marks a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry
the beginning of His Judean ministry, where He will devote the remainder of His earthly life, apart from a handful of brief visits to Galilee along the way. From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus' has been inviting people to become a disciple and into the kingdom of heaven through sincere repentance and a profound transformation of one's life. Radical discipleship requires radical love, radical purity, radical sacrifice, and radical obedience. In fact, from the moment He began His ministry, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Now, He moves toward Jerusalem, where the path is not just a physical journey as He faced opposition from those who felt their power and authority threatened by His revolutionary teaching. Despite this opposition, He remained steadfast, knowing His profound spiritual sacrifice would impact countless lives throughout the centuries, and continues to do so even today.
Verse 52, "And He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him." This is a profound lesson in humility and demonstrates the inclusive nature of the Gospel. They’re headed back toward Jerusalem apparently through a village in Samaria, to preach the kingdom because the Gospel was always intended for the whole world, and He sent messengers on ahead of Him to make the necessary arrangement for Him. By passing through a Samaritan village, Jesus is underscoring the significance of breaking down barriers and extending grace and truth to everyone, regardless of ethnic or cultural differences. The Jews hated the Samaritans because they intermarried with pagans, leading to a blend of cultures and religious practices and, the Samaritans hated the Jews because they rejected their race and their faith. This mutual hatred had been brewing for centuries, with roots tracing back to the Assyrian conquest in 722 B.C.
Verse 53, "But they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. They knew Who He was, they despised anybody headed to Jerusalem because they were not permitted to worship there. They had their own worship which was kind of a mixture of paganism and Judaism in their own temple at Mount Gerizim, which was considered to be the holiest place to adore God, however, it was destroyed by the Hasmonean priest-king John Hyrcanus around 128 B.C., leading to the suppression of Samaritan religious practices, which only exacerbated existing tensions and made them hate the Jews all the more.
Verse 54, "And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" Well, that's a missionary heart if I've ever seen one, "Lord, we’d like permission to incinerate these half-breed Samaritans." Have you ever noticed, that as Christians, we seem to have a tendency to go on the attack against everyone who disagrees with us, on virtually everything. I believe it's important to recognize, they’re not the enemy, they’re lost, how do you expect them to act? We must stop alienating everyone who disagrees with us, the mission field in need of conversion. Instead of being angry with everyone who disagrees with us, we should feel compassion toward them, and show them mercy. Tell them about our great God and what He has done for them too! Jesus did not come to obliterate people for the unbelief. Having just come back from seeing Moses and Elijah with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, they were probably feeling Elijah-like.
If you will remember, back in 2 Kings 1, when Moab revolted against Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber, which was in Samaria, and became ill. So he sent messengers and said to them, "Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will live from this sickness." Why on earth is a king in Israel telling his messengers to go ask the god of the Philistines whether or not he’s going to recover? Is there no God in Israel? So, the angel of the LORD says to Elijah, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Now therefore thus says Yahweh, ‘You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’" Then Elijah departed. The messengers went back and explained to the king what had happened and he was a hairy man with a leather girdle girded about his loins and said "Yahweh says, "‘You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’" Well, he was obviously extremely upset, so, he sent fifty men with a captain of fifty to take Elijah prisoner. When they found Elijah, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And the captain said to him, "O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’" Elijah answered the captain saying, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Guess what happened? Fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
Well, the king decided to send another commander of fifty with his fifty, and he gave Elijah the kings message, saying "O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.’" Well, you can just imagine what happened next, right? So, Elijah said "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." And, then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the commander and his fifty. So, he sent the commander of a third fifty with his fifty. This time, the third commander of fifty went up and came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and he begged him and said to him, "O man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two commanders of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight." Then the angel of Yahweh spoke to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So he arose and went down with him to the king. Then he spoke to him, "Thus says Yahweh, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.’" And, he died according to the word of the Yahweh.
They're in Samaria, so you can tell what they were thinking, right? "Lord, let's just call down fire from heaven just like Elijah did. And God will destroy these unbelievers!"
That brings us to verses 55 and 56, "But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them."] And they went on to another village." Some manuscripts add He said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them."
The point is, pride restrains mercy. It can act as a barrier to compassion and kindness. You can't go around doing ministry for the Kingdom with that kind of an attitude every time somebody doesn't accept Him. It's important to recognize that those who do not share our beliefs are not our enemies to be destroyed, they are the lost, whom Christ came to seek and save. They didn't reject Jesus because He claimed to be God, they rejected Him because He was Jewish and going to Jerusalem. They didn't even understand Who He was. I love the end of verse 56, "And they went on to another village." There never should be a holy war when someone rejects our presentation of the Gospel. Our Lord extends mercy to those who are ignorant of the truth, and so should we.
Today, it is our mission is to proclaim the Gospel with love and humility to these precious lost souls, even to those who are opposed to our beliefs, offering them the same path to forgiveness and salvation we've found, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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