Tag Archives: Spiritual Warfare

Keep Keeping – Sermon on Luke 11:14-28 for the Third Sunday of Lent

Luke 11:14–28

14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 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. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 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. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 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. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

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.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26Then 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.”

27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.” That is why the demons try to make our Lord mute after He opened the lips of this mute man.

Demons are persistent. They don’t just give up and throw in the towel. Jesus casts out a demon that stopped a man’s lips from declaring God’s praise. But as soon as Jesus loosened that man’s tongue, the demons regrouped because people started wondering if Jesus was the promised Messiah and Son of David (Mt. 12:23), the One whose kingdom and throne would be established forever (2 Sam. 7:12-13; Is. 11:1-10). The demons don’t want people believing that, so they quickly marshaled together. They influenced some of the unbelievers who surrounded Jesus to accuse Jesus of casting out demons only by the power of the prince of demons.

This gives us some insight into the tactics and strategy that demons still use today. Notice, they do notattack the reality of the miracle. They do not try to minimize what happened and say that Jesus is tricking everyone. “Well, Jesus planted that mute guy. They were working together. That guy could actually speak, and Jesus just used him to make it look like He had power over demons.” That’s not what they do. Instead, Satan and the demons flip things upside down by calling evil good and good evil (Is. 5:20). Here they take a good thing, casting out a demon, and call it “evil.”

We see this same demonic relabeling of evil and good all around us today. Today, people will say that if a woman can’t murder her baby in the womb, then that woman, somehow, isn’t equal to a man. That’s demonic. Today, people will say that the rioting and stealing that goes on at various times and places in our country is a good thing because those people are oppressed. That’s demonic too. People will say that having pornographic literature in school libraries for young children is necessary so other children with mental disorders don’t kill themselves. Again, totally, completely demonic. I’m not saying that people who are arguing for those things are demons, but they are being influenced by and are tools of the demons.

The cosmic powers over this present darkness (Eph. 6:12) continue to use these tactics to silence you, Christian. The spiritual forces of evil want to mute you and your tongue so they can be at peace and go about their malicious activities. That’s what they did with the crowds here in this text, and they continue to do that in our culture today.

Again, the accusation that Jesus only has power over demons is because He is in league with the devil is completely irrational, and Jesus highlights that absurdity. But the thing to notice here is that the demons’ goal with this accusation is still the same. They want to silence, they want to mute, they want to make Jesus shut His mouth and stop talking. Jesus has set this man’s lips free, so they can’t silence the man anymore. They acquire a new target and try to silence Jesus. But they couldn’t silence Him either. So, now, they try to silence you, Christian.

Today, demons still want to silence you – especially when it comes to making distinctions between what is right and wrong, what is good and evil, what is righteous and what is sinful.

Dear saints, God’s Word has always made distinctions. In creation, God’s Word made distinctions when He separated light from darkness (Gen. 1:4), when He separated the land from the sea (Gen. 1:9-10), when He made different plants and animals each according to its kind (Gen. 1:11, 21, 24-25), and when He set mankind over it all (Gen. 1:26-27). But remember that in those separations and distinctions that God was putting creation into order. Satan and the demons work to bring disorder and chaos to the places where God has created order. There is no peace when God’s Word is silenced. That is why God was at work through Jesus, the Word who became flesh, to put things back into order and in their proper place.

This fallen world resists the order that God’s Word brings because it is influenced by demons. One of the goals of the evil one is to silence, but God is the God who speaks. Because God speaks, His people also speak. God wants you to speak and confess boldly. And what should you speak and confess?

First, God wants us to speak to Him that we are poor sinners who are by nature, sinful and unclean in thought, word, and deed. God wants us to confess that we need saving. He wants us to confess that Jesus came to bring the redemption we needed through His death and resurrection. As we speak and confess that, God listens and forgives.

Then, God sends us out as those who confess His saving name to others. God wants others to know what you know, to believe what you believe, and to receive what you have received so more lives would be set right and put back into order again. God calls you to speak. 

So, how will you respond when the forces of evil throw their accusations at you? Will you remain faithful? Will you be willing, like Elijah was, to be called the troubler of his nation (1 Kgs. 18:17)? Will you confess Jesus before others as Jesus confesses you before His Father in heaven (Mt. 10:32)? I pray that is the case for all of us because there is no peace apart from the peace that God’s Word brings.

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.” Both of those are present tense. It could be translated, “Blessed are those who are continually hearing the Word of God and are continually keeping it.” Blessed are you who hold on to the Word of God and treasure it above all other things in this life. God’s Word not only puts everything into order, it gives life here and now (Jn. 5:24; 1 Tim. 6:12), and it also gives life in the world to come. 

Dear saints, hear God’s Word and keep it. Hold on to it. Continually hear and keep keeping it. Because Jesus promises that when you stand trial before anyone – even authorities, kings, and rulers in this world – you do not need to be anxious of what you are to say because the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you are to say (Lk. 12:11-12).

So, remember that this doesn’t depend on you. It depends on God and His Word. Jesus has set you apart and made you a member of His kingdom. He has made you holy and placed you in His holy family. And He invites you now to find nourishment for your journey through this world because the tasks are beyond your own strength to handle (1 Kgs. 19:7). So, God feeds you now with supernatural food. He gives you His own Body and Blood given and shed for the forgiveness of all your sins. Here, you have what you need to keep keeping God’s Word. And here you receive all the blessings that come with it. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Unmuted – Sermon on Luke 11:14-28 for the Third Sunday of Lent

Luke 11:14–28

14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 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. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 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. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 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. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

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.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26Then 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.”

27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The past few weeks including today, the Scripture readings have had us considering temptation, the devil’s work, and demons. Even though we might prefer to think about other things, Jesus wants us to know about and beware of the devil and the demons. Christ takes demons seriously. Our Lord doesn’t spend a lot of time warning us about our finances, sickness, or wars. But Jesus regularly and repeatedly warns against false doctrine and against demons. So, demons will be part of our focus today because that is what the text has for us.

Almost everything we know about demons comes from the New Testament. Demons are creatures; they are fallen angels. They, just like everything else, were created by God, and we know that they were initially created good because when God looked over everything He created, He saw that it was good (Gen. 1:31). Satan, who is nothing more than the chief demon, led the rest of the demons in rebellion against God. Demons are real, powerful, malicious, and malevolent. Scripture calls them the “cosmic powers over this present darkness” and the “spiritual entities of evil” (Eph. 6:12). But even if they all worked together, they would not have more power than God. They all flee from and melt before God’s Word.

Now, I want to clear something up from the sermon last week, but I want to preface it with this: If you ever have a question about anything I preach, please feel free to talk with me about it. I am not immune from preaching incorrectly. So, if you ever hear anything from my mouth as I preach or teach that doesn’t line up with Scripture, please point it out to me. And I’ve said this before, and it’s time to say it again. If you find that I am preaching contrary to Scripture and won’t receive correction, run me out of here for the sake of your soul.

In last week’s sermon I went off script for a bit and said that the demons, “are God’s demons.” I was very politely asked about that statement, and I want to make sure that statement isn’t misunderstood. God does not direct the demons to torment us. God tempts no one with evil (Jam. 1:13). To anyone who got that impression, please forgive me. That is not what I was trying to convey, and I should have been clearer than I was. What was meant by that is that the demons are completely under God’s control, and they cannot do anything unless God allows it. We know this because even Satan had to get God’s permission to torment Job (Job 1:6-12, 2:1-6). The other thing we should see is that God can even use the attacks and assaults of demons to bring about good. God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Ro. 8:28) – even the work of demons.

Now, to this Gospel text. We don’t learn about the tactics of demons here, but we do learn about one of their objectives or goals. A demon has made a man mute. Other places in the Gospels, demons will make people throw their bodies around (Mk. 5:1-5, 9:25-27) and speak through their voices (compare Mk. 5:7, 9). Demons seem to want to influence people in certain ways. Again, here the issue is this man is unable to speak. One of the reasons demons want us to be mute is that with the heart one believes and with the mouth he confesses and is saved (Ro. 10:10).

The demons do not want us to confess or praise Christ. They want us to be silent – especially when it comes to God’s Word. Demons do not want us to speak up for the unborn, about marriage existing only between a man and a woman, or even about the God-created differences between men and women. None of those are things are “political.” If you think those are only political issues, it shows that the demons are gaining ground over your thinking about those things. Satan and the demons want us to think that moral issues are merely political issues. Dear saints, Scripture and theology should be used in all aspects of life. Abortion, marriage, and gender issues are not political issues. Not even climate change is a political issue. God promised that until Christ returns to make all things new, “seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Gen. 8:22). God does call us to take good care of the creation He has given us, but we cannot destroy it. We aren’t that powerful, and thinking we are is a form of idolatry. But the demons want to make us mute on a whole host of topics so they can deceive the whole world.

All of us, at times, have fallen into the demonic temptation of being mute. Instead of speaking the truth in love, we fear losing friends, offending family members, or missing out on a promotion. Instead of fearing God, we fear being called judgmental, bigoted, sexist, homophobic, etc. The world needs Christians to speak the truth out loud now more than ever.

And, dear saints, here is why you can be bold when it comes to the truth. The demons are real, terrible, malicious, and dangerous, but they are also utterly defeated. Jesus says that He casts out demons by the finger of God. By His death and resurrection, Christ has disarmed the demons and put them to open shame (Col. 2:15). Jesus is the stronger man who has defeated Satan and all of the demons. And because Christ has won the victory over them, we can easily defeat them too. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

To see how defeated the demons are, pay attention to the little parable Jesus tells in this text. He says that when a strong man (and there Jesus is referring to the devil), who is fully armed guards (and keep that word ‘guards’ in the back of your mind because it comes up again in a little bit) his house (which is the world), his goods (I.e. sinners) are safely under his lordship. But Jesus says that when one stronger than him (and Jesus is referring to Himself) comes and attacks him, Christ takes away his armor, and divides the spoil (and that is you).

Just think about that. Jesus says that He has come to rob the devil’s house and you are the spoils, the treasure, the plunder that Jesus wants to rescue out of the devil’s cellar. Christ has won, redeemed, purchased, and grabbed you from the devil’s clutches. All by the power of His finger. And Christ opens your lips to declare His praise (Ps. 51:15) and the truth. He has pulled you out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

So how do you know if you are in the kingdom of God or in the kingdom of the devil? Well, Jesus answers that. A woman says to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that nursed you.” Now, Mary was certainly blessed. She is the mother of our Lord. But Jesus says, even better than being His mother is to hear the Word of God and keep it. Though you were guarded by Satan, Jesus has come and rescued you with His finger transferring you into His kingdom. Now, you keep – which is the same word Jesus used to describe what Satan, the strong man, did with his goods he guarded and kept them. Now, you keep and guard the Word that Jesus used to deliver you from Satan.

With His little finger, Jesus destroys the stronghold and armor of the devil and claims you as His own. And He will never leave you or forsake you. Instead, Christ guards and keeps you now and for all eternity. This is why keeping, guarding, confessing, being unmuted when it comes to God’s Word is so important. With the shield of faith, you are able to quench all the flaming darts of the evil one (Eph. 6:16). Your voice unmuted and you open your lips so that you can boldly proclaim the excellences of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). May God grant us the boldness to speak the truth in love. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Ask & Receive – Sermon on John 16:23-33 for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

John 16:23-33

23 [Jesus says,] “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

I’m a complete sucker for advertisements. My wife will confirm this. If I hear about a product, a service, or food on one of my favorite podcasts or on social media and the ad makes that thing even slightly appealing, I’m probably going to give it a try. Well, in this text, Jesus gives the best advertisement for prayer in all the Scriptures. Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

Jesus means what He says here. Whatever you ask of God the Father in Jesus’ name, God will give it to you, so ask and you will receive. But we sinful humans take this statement from Jesus and tend to fall into one of two errors.

Some fall into the name-it-and-claim-it error. Some will preach that this statement of Jesus means that God will give you whatever you want. All you have to do is ask and believe enough. And it’s no wonder that those types of preachers are popular on television and make a lot of money preaching that. They’re wrong. And if you want that type of preaching, you’ll have to find another preacher because that isn’t what Jesus is teaches.

Jesus says that whatever you ask of the Father, in Jesus’ name, God will give it to you. This does not mean that throwing a quick, “in Jesus’ name,” to the end of your prayers is the magical “abracadabra” that gets God’s attention and make Him your slave so He must do your bidding. No. We have a sinful nature that does not desire the right things. So, if you pray for $500 M, if you really want it, and if you ask for it in Jesus’ name, that doesn’t mean that God is obligated to give it to you. (More on this later.) To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray according to Jesus’ will.

That leads us to the other error. And, in my opinion, this is more common among us (myself included). Too often, we have a fatalistic approach to our prayer, and here’s what I mean by that. We know that God is omniscient. He knows everything; He knows everything that will happen – past, present, and future. And we know that God is omnipotent, or all-powerful, and He rules over everything. Those are important truths that the Scriptures teach. But when we take those doctrines with us into prayer, we can come to the wrong conclusion that our prayer isn’t going to do any good or change anything because God has already determined what He will do and will do it no matter how we pray. But that line of thinking makes prayer pointless because our prayers won’t change anything. Well, that view is also just plain wrong.

The Bible teaches the opposite. Christian, when you pray, you pray as a child of God, and God reacts to your council and input on what is going on in the world. Picture it this way: When a president or king is fighting a war, he has advisors. They sit around a table and strategize, consult, and plan together. Those advisors are important, and the person in charge values their input and alters his plans based on that discussion.

Scripture teaches that you, Christian, you, child of God, are at that table. When God commands you to pray, He is inviting you into His war room to give your input as to how things should be handled on the battlefield. God wants your thoughts and ideas on how situations should be handled. God turns to you and asks, “My beloved child, what do you think we should do?” And your prayers are your response.

For your sermon homework today, you can chose one of three optional assignments (you’ll get extra credit if you do all three): The first would be to read Gen. 18:22 to the end of the chapter. There, God lets Abraham know about the judgment He is going to rain down on Sodom and Gomorrah. And Abraham intercedes for those cities and negotiates with God in prayer. Through Abraham’s intercession, God agrees to not destroy those cities if He finds ten righteous people there (Gen. 18:17-33). Prayer works.

Your second optional assignment is to reread our Old Testament lesson (Num. 21:4-9). There, God’s people sinfully complain about being in the wilderness and about the mana and quail that God daily provided for them. When God sends the fiery serpents to punish and judge them, the people ask Moses to intercede and pray for them. And God answers Moses’ prayer by providing the bronze serpent. And if anyone was bitten by the venomous snakes, they could look at the bronze serpent and be saved from death. Moses’ prayer worked and saved lives.

Your third optional assignment is to read Jonah 3. There, the people of Nineveh have heard Jonah preach about God’s impending judgment for their sins. After they hear that sermon, the king of Nineveh orders all the Ninevites to pray as a last resort. The king says, “Everyone needs to fast, pray, repent, and stop being evil. Who knows? Maybe God will relent of the disaster and judgment He is bringing upon us.” The Ninevites pray, and God responds by changing His mind. Jonah 3:10 says that prayer worked, “God relented of the disaster that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it.”

I could have you look at a whole bunch of texts, but the reason I mention those three is because of the different degrees of proximity between the one praying and those being prayed for. Abraham prays that God would be merciful toward the people of Sodom and Gomorrah even though Abraham has no connection to their sin, and God responds. Moses prays for God to be merciful to the sinners all around him, and God responds. The king of Nineveh prays for God to be merciful to him (and, yes, the sinners around him), and God responds.

It is true that God always knows what is best to do, but when we pray, we are at the table as God’s advisors and counselors. He desires your input through your prayers. Now, I promised you that I’d come back to this. Again, God hasn’t bound Himself to answer every prayer exactly how we pray for it.

As a congregation, we’ve been praying for our dear sister, Phyllis. We’ve asked God to heal her and give her strength. Nine days ago, she died and is now with the Lord. But God has answered and is answeringour prayers. When Christ returns, Phyllis will rise again. Her body and soul will be put back together, and she will live eternally with no more pain, sorrow, tears, fatigue, etc. We have prayed and interceded for her. We have asked in Jesus’ name, and we are receiving the answers to those prayers. Maybe it isn’t the timing we wanted or in the way we wanted. But God always works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Ro. 8:28). He has promised!

Remember, even Jesus had one of His prayers denied initially. Jesus prayed to not go to the cross, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Mt. 26:39). That prayer from Jesus, your Savior, was the most futile and impossible prayer that has ever been prayed or will ever be prayed. Jesus’ death was the only answer for our sin. But God listened to Jesus’ prayer, and He loved to hear it. Jesus prayed that prayer without sinning, and God still answered Jesus’ prayer because Christ also prayed, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Dear saints, don’t ever be embarrassed about praying to God for trivial and simple things. If you want something, it doesn’t matter how small or silly it is, pray for it. Whenever you ask God for something, you’re going to the right Source! You are asking your merciful, loving, generous, and kind heavenly Father for what you want. God will listen to your prayers and answer them to mold and shape what happens in this world, and He will use your prayers to help mold and shape you. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” When the Lord is what you want and desire, when His good gifts are the object of your delight, you have everything you want and desire.

So, pray. Prayer is your ultimate weapon against evil. Prayer is your defense spiritually and physically. Your prayers spring God into action with His divine power. So, be people of prayer, and if you haven’t been praying, start.

Before I conclude here, I want to give you three quick and easy prayers to put in your back pocket. I’ve preached this before, but it bears repeating. I think one of the best ways to be more regular and faithful in prayer is simply to do it more often, and these three little prayers can help with that. It might not feel like these prayers are important, but they absolutely are.

The first little prayer is for whenever you see something good happen. Pray, “God be praised.” It is good and right for you to verbally and mentally acknowledge and recognize that that good thing, whatever it is, has come from God.

The second little prayer is for whenever you see something bad or evil. Pray, “Lord, have mercy.” This is a perfect prayer in the face of any evil or disaster because God always desires to give you His mercy.

The third and final little prayer is for whenever you are making plans or looking to the future. Pray, “Lord willing,” or “If the Lord wills” (see Jam. 4:13-15). I think one of the most important lessons God was teaching us through COVID was a reminder that we are not in control. And I sincerely hope and pray we all take that lesson seriously. That prayer will help you remember that everything is in God’s merciful hands.

Dear saints, you have the ear of the One who created and rules all things. Jesus promises that whatever you ask in His name, God will give to you. So, pray and watch how God acts for your good and for the good of others. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Shout & Sing for Joy – Sermon on Isaiah 12:1-6 for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

Isaiah 12:1-6

1 You will say in that day: 

     “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, 
for though you were angry with me, 

     your anger turned away, 
that you might comfort me. 

2   “Behold, God is my salvation; 
I will trust, and will not be afraid; 

     for the Lord God is my strength and my song, 
and he has become my salvation.” 

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day: 

     “Give thanks to the Lord, 
call upon his name, 

     make known his deeds among the peoples, 
proclaim that his name is exalted. 

5   “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; 
let this be made known in all the earth. 

6   Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, 
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.[1]

The day of salvation that Isaiah speaks about is today (1 Cor. 6:2). Because Christ has died and risen for you, now is the day of salvation. God was angry with you because of your sin, but now His anger has turned away. Jesus lives and reigns in heaven. He is your salvation. God is your strength and your song. And here, today, you will draw water from the wells of salvation which will never run dry.

So, “Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,” (i.e. you Christian), “for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” The Scripture readings today have called you – in fact, they have commanded you – to sing to God five times (Ps. 98:1, 4; Is. 12:5, 6).

Now, why does God command us to sing; isn’t speaking good enough? Apparently, no. There is a great passage in Zephaniah 3:17, listen to this, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” It is an absolutely beautiful picture. But the reason I mention this passage is that this is the one place in all the Scriptures where God sings, and the reason He sings is His joy over you. When God expresses His joy over you who have been redeemed by His beloved Son, God sings. He sings because nothing else will do.

Music and song is the only thing capable of expressing the joy that God has because of you. God sings in joy over you, Christian. So you join with God and sing back to Him for joy. This is why we sing in church. We don’t have music in our services to make them more interesting or entertaining. The music may do that, but it isn’t why we do it. Instead, we sing because music and song is, in fact, a form of spiritual warfare that fights back against the sin, the devil, and demons.

Remember how God removed His Spirit from Saul because of Saul’s disobedience. In place of the Holy Spirit, Saul was regularly tormented by a harmful spirit. Some of Saul’s servants suggest that someone come and play music to drive that harmful spirit away. One of Saul’s servants is familiar with David and suggests that he come to play music for Saul. And whenever the harmful spirit tormented Saul, David would play, and the evil spirit would depart (1 Sam. 16:14-23). And this isn’t the only place in Scripture where music and singing is a weapon against the enemies of God’s people.

In 2 Chronicles 20, faithful King Jehoshaphat is ruling in Judah, and his kingdom was threatened by the armies of the Moabites and Ammonites. The king doesn’t know what to do, so he calls all the people of Judah to come to the Temple to pray. While they are praying, a prophet comes in and says that the people don’t need to be afraid of the armies that are coming to fight against them. That prophet says that Judah’s army won’t even need to fight because the Lord will fight for them. When the people hear this, they all bow down with their faces to the ground. Suddenly, two clans of priests, the Kohathites and the Korahites, stand up and begin singing loudly. Those two classes of priests had been appointed by King David years earlier to be the singers in the Temple. Basically, they had been appointed to be the church choir.

The next morning, the battle lines are formed. And Jehoshaphat appoints the front line to be – guess who – the Kohathites and the Korahites, the choir. Since the Lord was going to fight for them, why not have the singers be the first into battle? The army marches out behind the choir and listen to what Scripture says, “And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon [and] Moab… who had come against Judah, so that they were routed” (2 Ch. 20:22) Through singing, God defeated the enemies of His people.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas have been beaten with rods, arrested, and thrown into prison for preaching about Jesus. While they are there in that dark, dank, stinky dungeon, guess what they do. Of course, they prayed, but then they began, you guessed it, to sing hymns (Act. 16:25). Now, they wouldn’t have had a hymnal with them, so this impromptu hymn sing would have been from memory. They weren’t worried about the other prisoners hearing them sing. In fact, Acts tells us that the prisoners were listening to this powerful witness of song in the dungeon. Paul and Silas sing, and God acts. God sends an earthquake that opens all the prison doors, and the shackles of all the prisoners in that jail fall off.

So, we have several examples of singing as a means through which God’s power is active, and Scripture says similar things about music. The end of Psalm 96 says this, “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it!” and listen carefully now, “Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness” (Ps. 96:11-13). Here, and several other places in Scripture, give us a picture all creating singing at the return of Christ to make all things new.

I included a quote in your Scripture insert from Peter Leithart about music and musical instruments.[2]Leithart says something there that I think is very insightful; he says that musical instruments are a foretaste of when Jesus will come and make all things new because, at His return, all creation will be turned into an instrument of praise to God for what Christ has done through His death and resurrection. Remember how the Pharisees asked Jesus to rebuke His disciples for singing His praise as He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, but Jesus responded, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Lk. 19:40). Every time a musical instrument plays, it is a sign and reminder of the New Heavens and Earth becoming an instrument of praise. Now, when a guitar or cello or piano or flute is crafted from wood and metal and makes music, it is a foretaste of your eternal life with God in the new heavens and earth because creation is being turned into an instrument of praise.

Dear saints, I hope you see from Scripture that music and singing is powerful in the fight against the devil and the demons. So, it isn’t surprising that Satan uses all sorts of tricks to keep all of us from singing and making music. He uses our culture to get men to think that singing in church is for women and children. Men, don’t believe that lie. The most important thing you can do for your family is to daily spend time with them in God’s Word. And it is good to have that time in God’s Word also include both prayer and singing. And let your singing be songs that are richly filled with the very Word of God that speaks clearly and powerfully of Jesus and the victory He has won on the cross because that is what the Bible says our Christian songs and music should do (Col. 3:16).

If Satan tries to get you embarrassed of your voice or ability to sing, get over it. God doesn’t care how good of a singer you are. He gave you the voice and ability you have. He’s not looking for Grammy winners or finalists from American Idol or The Voice. Just sing.

Sing when you are happy. Sing when you are depressed. Sing when you are apathetic. Sing of Jesus. Sing of His victory. Sing of His deliverance and forgiveness. Sing how His right hand and holy arm have rescued you. Sing because the battle belongs to the Lord, and He has won the victory over Satan, sin, and death. Sing and watch the devils flee. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] This sermon was reworked from 2019.

[2] “A musical instrument is a real presence of the eschaton, an effective sign of the destiny of all things, creation transformed into an instrument of praise.” – Peter Leithart

Today in Paradise – Sermon on Luke 23:39-43 for Good Friday

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The disciples, James and John, had asked Jesus if they could sit at His right and left when Jesus entered His glory, but Jesus told them that they didn’t know what they were asking. Besides that, Jesus said that it wasn’t His to grant, and the heavenly Father had already determined who would have those seats of honor (Mk. 10:35-40). In a few minutes, we will hear who gets those positions – two criminals one on Jesus’ right and another on His left (Mk. 15:27; Lk. 23:33).

At first, both of these condemned men mock Jesus as they hang there with Christ on their own crosses (Mk. 15:32). But something happens as the thief on the right watches Jesus suffer. This thief hears Jesus’ words as He hangs on the cross. Maybe, it was when he heard Jesus say, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk. 23:34). And faith sprouts in that criminal’s heart. He is converted and is a Christian.

Now, instead of mocking Jesus, he prays to Jesus. And his prayer sounds absurd, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Here Jesus is beaten, bloodied, stricken, stripped, hanging, and dying on a cross. He is about as far from obtaining a kingdom as you could possibly be. But through faith this thief knows that Jesus isn’t done. He knows that the cross won’t be the end of Jesus. Somehow, and this can only be by the working of the Holy Spirit, this man believes that death won’t be the end of Jesus. He is a king who is coming into His kingdom. And even in that moment this thief believes that Jesus is a Savior who can save him from the condemnation that is the due reward for his deeds (Lk. 23:41).

Jesus looks at him and says, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

And when Jesus dies, His body is run through with a spear, taken down from the cross, and laid in the grave. But Jesus’ soul goes to be with the Father in heaven, and the thief goes with Him. Jesus and this thief meet up that very day in Paradise. Scripture says that to be away from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). 

The separation of body and soul that Jesus and this criminal experience when they die is the same separation that you and I will face unless Jesus returns first. Our body will go to the grave, and our soul will go to be with the Lord. But when Jesus returns, He will put you back together. Your body will be raised from the grave. Your soul will be rejoined to your body, and you will live forever. This is our hope and comfort.

But there is something more comforting to learn from the thief on the cross, and it is this: You are saved, not by your works, but by God’s grace. You are justified, not by your deeds, but by God’s promise. You are delivered, not by your efforts, but by God’s mercy. And this is only possible because Jesus takes all your sin and suffers in your place on the cross.

That thief’s story preaches this to you today. He lived a life that earned him capital punishment. But the Holy Spirit got a hold of him. He believed and was converted. And he’s right into heaven. 

The thief isn’t saved because of his works, deeds, or efforts! Even if he wanted to do a good work, he wouldn’t have been able because his hands and feet are nailed to a cross. All he had to face the judgment of God was the promise of Jesus, and that was enough for him. And it is enough for you.

When you stand before God’s holiness and perfection to be judged, there is nothing you can offer – no excuse, no self-justification, no good work. Nothing. 

You have nothing except the promise of Jesus. And, again, that is enough. Jesus says to this condemned criminal, “Truly, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” And Christ says the same to you, dear saint. “Truly, you will be with Me in Paradise.” Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Disturbing the Peace – Sermon on Luke 11:14-28 for the Third Sunday in Lent

Luke 11:14-28

14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 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. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18And 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. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 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. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

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.’ 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.”

27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

This text is so full and rich, I could easily preach 847 sermons on it, but you’re only going to get one today. To some of you, “Sorry,” and to the rest of you, “You’re welcome.” Today, we’re mainly going to focus on the little parable that Jesus tells in v. 21-22 and then carry what we learn there to the blessing that Jesus gives to you in v. 28. But to do that, let’s quickly highlight a few things from the opening of the reading to get the context.

Jesus has cast out a demon that made a man mute. Some of the people marvel at this exorcism, but some (Mt. 12:24 tells us that they are Pharisees) say that it is only by the power of Beelzebul, which was a name for the devil, that Jesus can do this. Earlier this week, Anna asked me what text I was going to be preaching on I summarized the text. When I told her about the Pharisees’ accusation that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of demons, she said, “That’s so dumb.” Yup. And Jesus addresses the absurdity (v. 17-20). Then, He says something very important to set up the parable. “If it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” The grammar there makes it clear that Jesus says that it is, indeed, by God’s finger that He casts out demons which means that the kingdom of God has arrived. Christ the King is bringing the kingdom of God with Him as He throws out the demons He has defeated. Then, Jesus tells everyone what is going with this little parable.

“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than [the strong man] attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides the spoil.” Let’s dissect this. The strong man with all his armor is the devil, the palace that the devil is guarding is the entire world which is under his power, and the goods that he is guarding are all sinners. Until Christ claims us as His own, we were under the rulership of Satan and the demons. Col. 1:16 says, “[God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.”

Now, please don’t misunderstand this. Typically, when we think of people demons influencing people, scenes from the movie The Exorcist come to our minds. We do see that a few times in the Gospels. In this text, the demon makes the man mute. In Mt. 17:14-15, there is a demon-possessed boy who is repeatedly thrown into fire and water. Or the man who was possessed by the demon, Legion, who lived among tombs and could not be bound (Mk. 5:2-5). But that type of extreme demonic possession is extremely rare in Scripture; in fact, it never happens in the entire Old Testament. We only see it a few times in the Gospels and a couple of times in the book of Acts (16:16-18, 19:15-16). Most of the time, the Bible links what we think of as common illness with unclean spirits (Mt. 4:24, 8:16, 10:1; Mk. 1:32-34, 6:13; Lk. 9:1; Act. 5:16, 19:12). I’ve got a whole slew of references for that, and if you’re interested, just ask me after the service.

So yes, this extreme demonic possession does happen, but it is rare. What we do regularly see, throughout Scripture, is demonic influence and temptations. Just think of Job. When the devil went after Job, it was manifest with loss of property, children, and health. Because Job’s friends and wife only see that and can’t see that the devil is behind all of this, they wrongly think that Job has some secret sin that he must confess and repent. But they’re just plain wrong.

So, for you Christians here today, remember demons are real, and they do pester us trying to get us to fall into unbelief. But normally, they do so with things that disguise their evil intent. But Scripture helps us see through their disguise. It is right to recognize that the pandemic, the divisions in our families and country, and the wars and rumors of wars[1] are all demonic. And it is right to see every stolen car; every case of cancer; and every addiction, struggle, temptation, and fear we have as a demonic attack. Recognizing this will help us do two things. One, it will drive us to prayer, and two, it will help us to have sympathy and patience when others wrong us instead of hating them.

Now, the eeriest part of this little parable is the condition of those who are guarded by the devil. Our translation reads, “his goods are safe,” which makes it sound like Jesus is saying there that the devil’s very powerful in his armor and palace. But that isn’t what Jesus is highlighting with that phrase. What Jesus says there is literally, “his goods are in peace.” The picture is that those under the control of the devil are content, safely tucked away, and quietly and lying there with no desire to leave the devil’s palace. Those who are under the control of the devil and his demons have grown so accustomed to being under his watchful eye with his strong armor that they don’t like it when they see Jesus, the stronger man, stripping the devil of all his protection and leaving him in nothing but his underwear. Those under the guardianship of Satan don’t like seeing their fellow goods are being plundered and taken away.

But, dear saints, here is the good news: Christ has come to disturb the evil, demonic peace of Satan’s kingdom. In fact, the devil has been dealt a fatal blow; his head has been crushed by Jesus, the promised Seed of Eve (Gen. 3:15). And as the days get more and more evil, that evil is a sign of Christ’s victory over all the forces of darkness. The kingdom and domain of Satan is chaotic today precisely because Christ come bringing the kingdom of God with Him. The kingdom of God disrupts the peace of the devil’s goods and brings true peace. What the crowd was witnessing in this text – and, quite frankly, what we are witnessing today – is not some demons fighting against other demons trying to see who is the strongest. Instead, we are witnessing Satan being unseated. Jesus is the stronger man who flicks away the demons with His finger and brings God’s true peace.

Dear saints, the battle is won. You are the prize, the treasure, and the spoil. Christ has come and given His life for you. His blood covers you and cleanses you as a bride adorned for her husband (Eph. 5:25-27, Rev. 21:2). The war has been won by the Word of God. The Word of God speaks you righteous and clean, which brings us to that final verse.

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.” We know what it is to hear God’s Word, but what does it mean to ‘keep’ it? A lot of times, we think to ‘keep’ God’s Word is equivalent to obeying it. Yes, of course, we absolutely should obey God’s commands. But the devil wants you to think that only those who perfectly keep God’s commands are blessed so you think this blessing of Jesus isn’t for you. In other words, Satan wants to steal this blessing from you and make you think it doesn’t really apply to you. But the devil is a liar.

The word that Jesus uses here for ‘keep’ is the exact same word Jesus used to describe what the strong man did with his goods in v. 21 – he ‘guarded’ and protected them. Jesus’ blessing reads like this, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and guard it.”

Dear saints, Jesus calls you to a life of faith which wars against the demons by guarding the promises God has spoken to you. So, hear God’s Word and guard it, hold on to it, and treasure it. That is precisely what you are doing now. As you sit there listening to this sermon, you are engaging in spiritual warfare, and the devil is losing. So, keep listening, keep learning, keep repenting, believing, and trusting that God is good and that He loves you and has bought and won you through Christ’s death and resurrection because He has.

The spiritual warfare you are called to is made up of the little things of hearing God’s Word, coming to church, attending Bible study, talking with your children about God, and praying. In these quiet, simple things, the devil is stripped of his armor and his goods are plundered. By hearing and guarding God’s Word, you set up a barrier and sanctuary for yourself and your children. When you hear and guard God’s Word, you are engaging the enemy and reinforcing the defenses of the saints.

It doesn’t matter how strong the forces of evil appear to be. They have lost. Jesus has come bringing His kingdom with Him. Christ flicks away the demons like flies. Their demonic peace has been disturbed by Jesus. And He has freely given you true, eternal, abiding, and everlasting peace. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] The wars and rumors of wars are demonic even though they are signs that Jesus gives us to be looking for His return (Mt. 24:6, Mk. 13:7) and should cause us to raise up our heads because it means our redemption is drawing near (Lk. 21:28).

Sing – Sermon on Isaiah 12:1-6 for the Fifth Sunday of Easter

Listen here.

Isaiah:12-1-6

1 You will say in that day:

“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
for though you were angry with me,

your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.

2   “Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the LordGodis my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,

make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.

5   “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.

6   Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The day of salvation that Isaiah speaks about is today. 2 Corinthians 6:2states that, because Christ has died and risen for you, now is the day of salvation. God was angry with you because of your sin, but His anger has turned away. Jesus lives, and God has given you His comfort. Christ reigns in heaven, and God is now your salvation. Jesus has delivered you. God is your strength and your song. Whether or not you realize it, you are here today to draw from the wells of salvation which will never run dry.

Higher Things - Singing.jpgSo, “Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” The Scripture readings today have called you – in fact, they have commanded you – to sing to God five times (Ps. 98:1, 4, Is. 12:5, 6).

Many places in Scripture, you are commanded to “sing a new song.” There are some Christians (and they may have good intentions) some Christians who say that we should be singing songs that appeal to people’s current taste in music. In other words, we should always be writing songs that will make people tap their toes or something. Other denominations go so far as to say this command to ‘sing a new song’ means that we should only sing songs that have been around for so long – say fifty or one-hundred years. And once a song reaches that age, it should be retired, put out to pasture, and not sung anymore. But that is not what it means to ‘sing a new song.’

When Scripture tells us to sing a new song, it always goes on to tell us, not about the musical style of the song, but about the content of the song, and the content of the song is always God’s deliverance. We sing of how God has delivered and rescued us from our sin and the devil. In other words, we sing of Christ who has saved us.

God’s salvation is always new. An ancient Greek philosopher (Heraclitus) said, “You never step in the same river twice,” because it isn’t the same river and you aren’t the same person. In a similar way, the best Christian songs, no matter how old they are, are always new. It doesn’t matter how long the song has been around because the salvation Jesus has won for you means something different to you now than it did yesterday. Yes, you have sinned again, but God’s steadfast love never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning.

Songs that you have memorized and have been singing your whole life can bring new comfort in a different way than they had before. None of this is to say that we shouldn’t be writing new songs. No, no, no. Christians should be the best artists – especially when it comes to music. Until Christ returns, the church should always be writing songs that speak clearly of God’s deliverance and salvation while we continue singing the faithful songs of our ancestors in the faith.

Zephaniah 3_17 - Quiet you with His loveNow, why does God command us to sing; isn’t speaking good enough? Apparently, no. There is a great passage in everyone’s favorite Old Testament book, Zephaniah 3:17. Listen to this, “The Lordyour God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” It is an absolutely beautiful picture. But the reason I bring this up is that this is the one place in all the Scriptures where God sings, and the reason He sings is His joy over you.

When God expresses His joy over you who have been redeemed by His beloved Son, He does it with singing because nothing else will do. Music and song is the only thing capable of expressing the joy that God has because of you. God sings in joy over you, so you sing for joy to Him. And this is why we spend time in our services singing. We don’t do it to make our service more interesting. Rather, we sing because singing is, in fact, a form of spiritual warfare against God’s enemies and your enemies. Let me give you two quick examples:

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat ruled in Judah. His kingdom was threatened by the armies of the Moabites and Ammonites. Jehoshaphat doesn’t know what to do, so he calls all the people of Judah to come to the Temple to pray. While they are praying, a prophet comes in and says that the people don’t need to be afraid of the hoard coming against them. That prophet says that the army won’t even need to fight because the Lordwill fight for them. When the people hear this, they all bow down with their faces to the ground. But then, suddenly, two clans of the priests, the Kohathites and the Korahites, stand up and begin to sing loudly. Those two classes of priests had been appointed by King David years earlier to be the singers in the Temple. Basically, they had been appointed to be the church choir.

The next morning, the battle lines are formed. 2 Chronacles 20_21 - SingAnd Jehoshaphat appoints the front line to be – guess who – the Kohathites and the Korahites, the choir. The Lordwould fight for them, so why not have the singers be the first into battle? The army marches out behind the choir and listen to this, it’s from 2 Chron. 20:22, “And when they began to sing and praise, the Lordset an ambush against the men of Ammon [and] Moab… who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.” Through their singing, God defeated the enemies of His people.

And don’t think this is an isolated event. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are beaten with rods, arrested, and thrown into prison for preaching about Jesus. While they are there in the dank, stinky dungeon, guess what they do. They prayed to God, but then they began, you guessed it, they began to sing hymns (Act. 20:25). They weren’t worried about the other prisoners hearing them sing. They sing, and God acts. God sends an earthquake, the prison doors are all opened, and all the shackles of all the prisoners fall off.

We could also talk about how David used to play his harp to drive away the demons that tormented King Saul (1 Sam 16:23). Or how Jesus and the disciples, in that dark hour before Jesus was arrested, sang a hymn before they departed the upper room (Mt. 26:30).

The devil hates music and flees when God’s people sing. So, the devil tris to get us to not sing. If Satan tries to get you embarrassed of your voice or your ability to sing, get over it. God doesn’t care how good of a singer you are. He’s not looking for Grammy winners or finalists from American Idol or The Voice. He wants you and commands you to sing.

So, sing. Sing when you are happy. Sing when you are depressed. Sing when you are apathetic. Sing of Jesus. Sing of His victory. Sing of His deliverance. Sing of His forgiveness. Sing how His right hand and holy arm have rescued you. Sing because the battle is the Lord’s. He has won the victory over Satan, sin, and death. Sing and watch the devils flee.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds inChrist Jesus. Amen.

The Last State – Sermon on Luke 11:14-28 for the Third Sunday in Lent

Listen here.
[Apologies for the poor quality of this recording, we had some known technical issues.]

Luke 11:14-28

14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 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. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.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. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 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. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

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.’ 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.”

27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

These first few Sundays in Lent have a strong focus on spiritual warfare. And here Jesus is teaching us very pointedly that there is no neutral ground spiritually – there is no spiritual Switzerland. Christ says, “Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.”In other words, if you are not in league with Jesus and fighting againstthe devil, you are fighting with the devil.

To strengthen and encourage us in the battle, Jesus tells two short parables in this text. The first parable (in v. 21-22) describes the new reality in this world. And we have to understand this first parable because it lets us know the playing field. Jesus says, “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides the spoil.”

We heard about the Fall a few weeks ago. Adam and Eve brought sin into the world by rebelling against God and believing the devil rather than their Creator. When Adam and Eve fell, the devil entered his palace and the kingdom of darkness began. Satan now owned them and everyone who would be born from them – that is all of us. The armor of the devil that Jesus talks about is our sin, our guilt, and our shame. And, according to Jesus, the devil trusts in that armor. Satan thinks that because your sin and guilt is so great that he is immune from invasion and attack. He thinks his palace is impenetrable and that you are safely in his possession forever.

But Satan is wrong. Jesus, the stronger man, has stormed the devil’s castle. Christ attacked him and overcome him. Your Savior has taken away the armor that the devil thought protected him, what the devil trusted, what he thought would always be there – this is the most important part of the parable. Jesus has removed your sin, guilt, and shame which was the devil’s armor. And the devil is now weak and extremely vulnerable.

But the spiritual battle is still ongoing. The demons are defeated but they still fight against us even though they have no power and no armor. And this is what Jesus addresses in the second parable (v. 24-26). Jesus says that when a demon has gone out of a person – in other words, when someone becomes a Christian, when a person is Baptized, when they are given the gift of faith in Christ and have the Holy Spirit – that demon passes through waterless places seeking rest because it has been expelled. The demon doesn’t like that. The demon would rather be connected to that person.

Now, I need to make a quick distinction between demon possession and demon oppression. In the Gospels, we often see people who are actually possessed by demons. In cases of demonic possession, demons live inside that person and can make them mute (like in this text), throw people into fires (Mk. 9:22), or cut themselves and make them live among the tombs (Mk. 5:2-5). That is demonic possession. But just because someone isn’t possessed by a demon does not mean that they are not influenced or oppressed by demons. The main point is that you are either going to be influenced by a demon or the Holy Spirit.

So, most of you became Christians when you were baptized. The Holy Spirit came and removed the demons and their oppression from you. And those demons wander around seeking rest, but they find none. So, they come back to you, the house from which they were cast out. If that demon finds you swept and put in order, it will come back and bring seven more demons even more evil than itself and the last state is worse than the first.

So, here is the picture Jesus gives, Christian. When you came to faith, Christ drove the demons away from you, but those demons have had their eye on you ever since. They have been watching you to seek reentry. If the demon comes back and finds your house clean and (as Jesus says in the same context in Mt. 12:44) empty, it moves back in and throws an evil, sinister party, and again the last state is worse than the first.

Remember, you are either with Jesus or with the devil and demons. There is no neutral ground. Christian, as you live out your faith and devote yourself to God’s Word, Satan and the demons have no power over you. Jesus, the stronger man is with you. The Holy Spirit has filled you and the demons cannot stand the presence of His holiness. But, if you stop filling yourself with God’s Word, if you neglect the work of the Holy Spirit, you can evict Him. You can fall away. Beware and repent.

The most effective strategy, in fact the only strategy, the devil has against you is to make you think that you don’t need Jesus and His blood shed for the forgiveness of your sins. And the way that the devil does this is to harden your conscience against God’s Word. So, guard your conscience, and actively work to soften your conscience so that when you hear God’s Word, you are driven to your Savior’s mercy and grace.

Let me give you an analogy to make this point. The last few weeks, we’ve finally had temperatures above freezing. Compared to the temperatures that we had in January and February what were in the -20’s, it feels really nice. So now, when the thermometer hits 38°, our bodies are ready go out without coats, or at least much lighter coats. In the Spring 38° is glorious. But when August comes and we are used to the heat of summer, 38° makes bodies feel bitterly cold. Your conscience is similar.

Imagine each of the Commandments as a thermometer, and for this example, let’s take the 5thCommandment, “Thou shalt not murder.” Instead of numbers marking the side of the 5thCommandment thermometer, there are different sins that all fall under the 5thCommandment. Way up at the top you have a mark for genocide. A little blow that is a mark for mass murder. A little below that you have a mark for murder, then punching. And because Jesus teaches us that hatred for our neighbor is the same as murder (Mt. 5:21-22) you have a mark for that way down toward the bottom. You get the idea?

Now, all of those sins – from genocide all the way down to anger – all of them make us guilty before God. We need the shed blood of Jesus to cover all of those sins, and know, Christian, that you have that. But you still have to fight against your sinful nature in this life.

So, just think with me here, where does your conscience register on the 5thCommandment thermometer? Maybe, you are somewhere between the marks of punching and anger. The devil and the demons are at work tempting you to harden your conscience. But they don’t tempt you straight to commit genocide. Instead, they tempt you just a little higher than you already are. They tempt you to more anger. They tempt you to punching and violence. And once they have you there, they tempt you to harden yourself a little more, to go up another little step. And they do this with all the Commandments – with adultery and lust, with stealing, and lying.

But you, Christian, you need to be constantly working to soften your conscience. Let me switch to the 3rdCommandment about keeping the Sabbath holy. You’re a Christian, so going to church is simply what you do each Sunday morning. The devil isn’t going to come straight at you and say that going to church isn’t important at all. Instead, the devil will work like this:

Let’s say that one Sunday you were very legitimately sick, so you don’t go to church, but you feel bad about it in your conscience. The devil is right there telling you, “You don’t need to feel bad. You were sick, and it’s better to not risk getting other people sick. So, don’t feel bad. You listened to the sermon later, and it was boring anyway.” And so, you decide to put that little feeling of guilt and loss away. The devil has just hardened you a little bit. So, when a couple of months go by, and you wake up with a headache – something that isn’t going to get passed around to anyone else – the devil will tempt you to skip church again. A little more hardened. Then, you have that family reunion and nothing bad happened when you skipped church because of your headache – God didn’t send a bolt of lightning to smite you. And the Bible says that family is important, so you skip for that. Hardened again. The devil’s goal is to make going to church seem like one option among many options so that being in God’s house becomes nothing more than a matter of choice so that your last state is worse than the first.

Repent. Now, I do have to say that it’s not as though you should carry around guilt for missing church when you have the flu and try to do penance or something like that. No. Jesus loves you. He has disarmed the devil. He has removed your guilt, and Christ forgives you all of your sin. He remembers your sin no more. What I am saying is this: don’t give the devil a foothold. Resist his temptations to harden your conscience.

You do that by memorizing the Ten Commandments and meditating on them. Consider each of them and what Jesus says about them in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7). In this way, your house, which is your heart, does not remain empty. Rather you are filled with the Holy Spirit through the study, consideration, and meditation of God’s Word. In this way, may your last state be better than the first. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.