A Weak Man, a Strong Man, and the Stronger Man

What you remain standing at all of our campuses here together. We want to spend a little time this morning as we begin just praying through some very important things that are going on our society some things happening right here in our church on first today is sanctity of life Sunday. This is a nationally recognized Sunday on which we lament with thousands of churches across the nation would lament the terrible tragedy of abortion, the date for this Sunday is always whichever Sunday is closest to January 20 when the Supreme Court legalized 1973, the killing of children in the womb summit. We want to be a place that is clear place that is clear about the tragedy and the unqualified injustice of abortion but also a place that extends forgiveness and healing, and who seeks to understand that often those decisions get made in the midst of a lot of pain and confusion. So it not only want to be clear about what is right and wrong. We want to be a help in a resource to those who feel like they have nowhere else to turn maxi going to be preaching a message on this subject next week.

Lord willing. But today we just want to acknowledge this because like I said this is national sanctity of life Sunday. Secondly this weekend and Monday of this coming week is Martin Luther King Jr. day that is a day in which we express gratitude for the progress that has been made in becoming a more just and fair society.

That's a day in which we affirm the dignity of all peoples in a day in which we acknowledge the ongoing work that needs to be done in this regard and we recommit ourselves to it, so we want to pray for that. Also, by the way, we don't commemorate these two dates together sanctity of life Sunday and Martin Luther King Jr. Monday because we believe that you can't talk about about one without the other is simply that these are both nationally recognized day on our calendar which we force have no control over. So we want to pray about both those things.

Third, I want us to pray for our nation. What an incredibly difficult couple of weeks probably more than ever we are aware of spiritual forces at work in our society that are seeking to divide to so anger and hatred. What a great time for us as a people, as a local church to be given ourselves to the 21 days of prayer and fasting and by the way, regarding the events of the last couple weeks. Let me just say that's okay want to urge you to avoid any temptation to excuse evil as a means of accomplishing good. The apostle Paul warns in Romans three about God's wrath that comes on those he says who say we must do evil that good may come.

None of that. Some may have the legitimately righteous things that you are worried about in this election concerns many of which I share. But we as the people of God must avoid the temptation to wink at to excuse or justify evil lies, slander, and the like as a means of accomplishing good there's a time to vote. There is even a time peacefully to protest but there is never a time to excuse evil in the name of good and there's always a time to pray. So I thought. I want us to do now. The one thing we are confident most competent in the one thing we know that we always can do so in all of our campuses, or if you're joining us a hold online. There at your computer by yourself.

Even I want you just to bow your heads be open your hands as a sign of her desperation to God and you follow me as I lead.

I voice of prayer in our behalf to God.

But we are aware of just how broken our society is and how desperately father. We need you got three things on our heart. Many more, but these three I want to express God's representative vision of the church father first. We mourn, we laments we were confess God this horrible tragedy of abortion, God forgive us for not seeking to protect the most vulnerable in our society, from what is so clearly and injustice. W. Pray for a change in the national laws that sanctified this and that protected God. We pray that there would be a awakening of our conscience in our country that would be grieved by this W pray for young ladies right now.maybe in our midst that are considering this in God we want to be a resource up with each of its help them see that there is hope in Jesus and that there is healing and there is forgiveness in there is help, even in a moment like this one got a predator given the faith just asked the question what Sue commemorate and thanks God for the ways you worked in our society helping make it a more just and equitable nation that would lament the trip. Terrible tragedy of slavery and Jim Crow laws and things that are followed on with that until we thank you that you've accomplishing things we recognized that there is still so much racialized polarization were asking for humility and forgiveness and a sense of Christ likeness in this God that would seek to honor and serve one another better than ourselves. Recognizing that in Christ there is an acute or Greek or black and white original or young or old, there is just oneness in Christ Jesus, so that we ask that you continue to do that but we pray for our nation that we know that that the moments of darkness of the times were you can show your light to God as you torn down the idols for many on the right and the left in the hopes that they place in our country and our government got a pray that you would turn that got you the only one who can give life and health and peace let us see that every solution every solution on earth is doomed to fail, lessor, Jesus, you are at the center got make us a church proclaims faithfully the truth of Christ, the grace of Christ.

The message of Christ, the eternal hope in Christ, in the midst of all these empower us God in this season 21 days of prayer and fasting.

Give us a hunger, desperation, desperation to pray.I desperation that would consume us even more than our desire for food.

Have a sense of how badly we need you probably asked for that. We ask that help believing that you are ready and willing to give it pray in Jesus name in all God's people said amen and amen.

You may be seated. If you haven't already done so. Luke 11 if you got your Bible with you this weekend if you're joining us their home.

You can even pause me if you want to go run grab your Bible and dilute Chapter 11 as your attorney there. It is hard for me to believe that this year will mark 20 years since the 9/11 attacks.

They say that those attacks rewrote the book on how nations think about warfare in previous war floors. You have an identified entity like Germany or Japan, but the 9/11 attacks were carried out by the citizens of countries who were our allies, some by by by people who live right here within our own borders after the attacks, Congress felt like a declaration of war was appropriate but but the dilemma was they were quite sure what to call this war.

Previous wars have been called the war with England or the war against the axis powers. But this was a war against terrorist so the media dubbed it the war on terror. The strategies for fighting it were different. You could just amass an army and go after the enemy there were no territories that that the enemy really called home so we started to hear about things like sleeper cells and race radicalized operatives be read these realities required different strategies for fighting in different security protocols and of course I give rise to the new dangers like the invasion of privacy or racial profiling. Many of the hit drama shows of that era.

Shows like 24 or alias played on the premise that this new war is very dangerous.

We better learn the new rules of engagement we just will not survive.

I share that because I think you can find parallels and how Jesus instructs instructs us the church to approach the Christian life dilute Chapter 11.

He says if we don't realize the real nature of the enemy really were ill equipped to serve to survive the battle. She just like in the war on terror. Our enemy in this battle is not one entity that we can isolate and identify it and have a headquarters somewhere like Hollywood or the New York Times or Wall Street. He's not at work and only one particular culture or people, nor is he isolated to one political party you're solidifying him at work in all of those things but he's also going to be at work in our churches and our small groups in our families, and even in our own hearts, and that requires different rules of engagement by the way in eliminating these things for us. Jesus also is going to answer a question that a lot of us ask, particularly around the new year and that is why we struggle so much to bring to affect real change into our lives.

I would say that one thing almost all the seven, maybe all of us is that is that there are things in our lives.

We would love to change. Many of us are are are so discouraged at our persistent inability to do so that some of you didn't even make a New Year's resolution this year because you didn't need anything else to feel guilty about failing at that after 2020 us want to come out some big wins and so that means I'm not even a play the game. Amen.

Jesus explains that.

That's because spiritual forces are working on us and around us. And so, apart from his power. Any attempted changes, doomed to fail, even if for a while it looks like it succeeds that little but let's take a look at Luke chapter 11 universe 14.

Now Jesus he was driving out a demon that was viewed or that was making the man you want to stop right here and and and because I have a feeling that some of you might might read that what Sen. to say, really. I mean, Jesus actually believe that some physical and psychological problems were caused by demons. Short answer yes and that is consistent throughout the Bible.

There's a lot more going on behind the scenes in situations like this than many of us realize. And maybe that strikes you as na�ve and you like what we now know we now know that diseases have viral causes emotional and even spiritual problems can be explained by psychological or physiological causes are the result of past trauma. By the way, I don't think Jesus would disagree with you all. That is certainly not inconsistent with what the Scriptures teach about these things is why God gave us the scientific method is to discover there's next. But Jesus would say that if you think that all of life's issues can be explained by merely physical factors, then maybe you maybe you were actually the na�ve. What do you really think that the root of the Holocaust was just a man with chemical imbalances about forgot article. Do you really think that the strife and division.

We experience in our own society simply owes to differing political ideologies when we see the rage that animates the discussions that we are in. How can we not see the evidence of spiritual evil spiritual forces at work whose intent is to divide into destroy or today when we look at our societies disregard for the for the lives of innocent babies in the womb and the dogged determination to celebrate our right to discard the how we not see evidence of spiritual forces at work we think about anything about the tragic history of our blindness on racial injustice. How do we not recognize that and the yes evil in our world has physical causes. But if you think that physical factors alone explain all human evil and suffering. Perhaps you're the na�ve point and that's why the vast majority of people throughout history. Even today I recognize the reality of supernatural spiritual forces at work. That's not because everybody else around the world so na�ve and we alone are so sophisticated now, just to be clear with UK. This is not to say that every problem, every problem is directly connected to demonic activity is not what I'm saying at all. Just that, according to Jesus, these things are sometimes at work back to verse 14, when the demon came out the man who had been mute spoke and the crowds were amazed at some of them said no. He drives out demons by the eligible ruler of the demons now quick note here be eligible, means the ruler of the demons or some translations, a Lord of dung scholar say was a bit slain calling someone the Lord of dung, but using the curse word for dunk calling Jesus the Lord of the demons or the Lord dung with the weight of the religious leaders could explain away his power. Jesus obviously had supernatural powers but they didn't want to acknowledge that he was from God to the only way to the only alternative.

The only way around.

That was to say that he got his obviously supernatural powers they had to come from Satan. Verse 17. Knowing their thoughts.

By the way, have you noticed how many times in in the book of Luke at that phrase occurs is another hint by Luke that Jesus is God because he always knew what everybody was thinking so he tells them every kingdom divided against itself was headed for destruction in the house divided against itself falls if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand now know this is as logically simple as it gets right. How does it make sense that Satan would empower Jesus to destroy his other works. If Satan is the one behind certain diseases and afflictions if he loves to spread dung be eligible if you love to spread dung into people's lives in the form of disease and death and strife.

Why would he empower Jesus to clean up those very things. Jesus's works are going the opposite way of Satan's verse 19 he continues, and if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons dried them out. For this reason they will be your judges. Right now, here's the second piece of reasoning. The second reason reason is if I cast out demons by Satan's power, then, by whose power do your people cast them out by what standard do you say that my power is from Satan and beers is from God. If my powers to do the things are from Satan within maybe your people's power to do those things are from Satan.

Also, he's showing them the inconsistency of their accusation bears is not an honest intellectual objection there just making up objections because they don't like Jesus. By the way I have found that same insight really helpful when talking to people about the gospel today so nice people come up with objections to the gospel but they're not real objections because they would never apply those same standards to themselves. Many Muslims, for example, apply a historical cynicism to Christian history that they would never apply to their own. They believe all these crazy conspiracy theories about the Bible, but they would never look at their own history to that same lens for you college students on your college campus to hear Prof. apply a cynicism to the historical evidence for the resurrection that they would not apply to any other event in history. They assume that for this one event for this one event that there was some elaborate almost inexplicable historical roots or they'll raise objections from Christian history like what about the Crusades and no imply that those things invalidated Christianity itself, and when you respond wherefore yes the Crusades were a tragic chapter were Christians departed from Jesus teaching but but see what I'll see your Crusades and I'll raise you mouse at times, China and Stalin's Russia, which, in the name of atheism committed genocide exponentially larger than anything that happened in the Crusades and you say that they'll respond say well that's got nothing to do with the intellectual integrity of atheism and Jesus would say to them, just like he says of these people. Why are you applying a cynicism to me but you never even apply yourself. This is not a real objection. This is a a a a rationalization for decision you've already made that as you like. Jesus perhaps her cynicism has less to do with intellectual honesty and more do with the dislike of Jesus and his claims about authority over your life.

That's the point Jesus continues verse verse 20 if I drive out demons by the finger of God when it's logical for you to conclude that the kingdom of God is come upon you this finger of God image. Here is a reference all those religious leaders would immediately have recognized the phrase finger of God was a phrase that was used by the Egyptian sorcerers in Exodus 8 to describe the power that Moses was displayed in the Exodus and the Exodus God had done a series of miracles to convince Pharaoh to let the Jews leave Egypt, remember this for the first couple of plagues the Egyptian magicians use some trickery to replicate some of those things. Moses, for example, Thursday, and a staff of the grant of gum snake and the Egyptians magicians. They got little trick rod where they could make it look like they also had that power. It was it was, it will be by the way the Bible and tell us about was just an optical illusion or fill some kind of actual sorcery about either way. In Exodus chapter 8 Moses raises the stakes. Moses then take the staff and he throws it on the dust is a dustproof stop. The turns into into what your member version and that's and from their naps multiplied and covered the land will be Egyptian magicians.

They couldn't duplicate that created an optical illusion where it looks like a staff turns of a snake is one thing but this creating naps out of dust. They can't touch that, and so they tell Pharaoh privately.

Exodus 819.

There like this is the finger of God. We just can't do this. Even the pagan magicians knew the finger of God when they saw it. And Jesus is saying your Jewish exorcist can do some pretty impressive things, but they cannot do anything like what you are seeing here and it's safe to conclude that the finger of God is present and so is the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is here, because the king is here. Verse 21 Jesus continues when a strongman fully armed guards his house is a state his possessions are secure one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him he takes from all the weapons that he trusted it many divides up his plunder.

Now, in this analogy get lost in this analogy, who is the strongman Satan is a strongman and who is the stronger man that's Jesus right Jesus is the stronger man that overpowers Satan and plunders all his possessions now important in this parable. Who are you you are the property was first owned by the strongman but then liberated by the stronger man.

The implication is and this is so important. You were either going to belong to one or the other. You cannot be free of the strongman until you were under the control of the stronger man if he says in verse 23. Look at it. Anyone who is not with me is against me and anyone who does not gather with me scatters neutrality toward Jesus is not an option. And so if you are not actively pursuing and serving Jesus you are against him because you are still under the control of the strongman to see that will come back to that. The first was finished. The parable because Jesus can make this point even more clear. Verse 24 when an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams the waterless places looking for rest and not finding rest of says it back to my house that I came from returning finds the house. Swept important in order Jewish wall demanded rigorous cleaning techniques. After you got rid kind of gotten rid of any kind of disease or defilement even applied your property. For example, if you have a mold problem in your house. You couldn't just clean that area with soap and water, a bottle of Clorox.

The book of Leviticus said you had removed that whole section of the wall and the mold came back you had to burn the whole house down.

Jesus uses this is a picture of the person who tries to use the law to clean their life up to the make a bunch of resolutions.

They get rid of their bad habits. They bring their addictions under control to get rid of bad relationships and they turn over a new leaf. They are serious about change what happens. Verse 26 then then that unclean spirit goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself and they enter and settle down there.

As a result, the person's last condition is even worse than the first or worse after you get rid of the demon them before they got rid of the demons don't mind is cleanup. In fact, they, like it and it certainly does not stop them from coming back in much bigger numbers. The use of the number seven.

By the way, is meant to imply completion. That's what the number seven usually indicates in Hebrew is like saying the last state of that man is infinitely worse than the first listening what you hear a pastor in the church say this religion and self-improvement apart from Jesus, opens the door to more deceptive and more dangerous demons religious change don't care how eloquent or good-looking or multimillion dollar the person that is peddling it to you is religious change or self-improvement is often accompanied by pride and judge mentalism and a sense of self-sufficiency and those things are infinitely worse than alcoholism or bad temper, Tim Keller uses this as an illustration. He says he got a little boy who falls Dennis grazes me and let's say that is really being overly emotional about it, so his dad comes over in his death his son get up. Be a man you want to be a little pansy in your life do you stop crying okay here's a question 10 that motivation help that little boy stop crying. Yes again I his dad's words help him sweep his house contain his emotions get some control, but what happened now little boy didn't just take himself back from being overly emotional. No, now he's given himself to a new master and that master is the fear of looking weak. I want to say that that becomes a driving force in his life never look weak, because weakness makes you look deficient. As a person. So cover any weakness at all costs. Now I want you to imagine this guys marriage. You cannot have a healthy marriage. If you're always scared of looking weak or you refuse to be vulnerable for you despise your wife when she does so yesterday that dad's motivation little boy was freed from being overly emotional but it did so by giving himself to a new master were smashed the medication had worse side effects than the disease you conquered alcoholism but you developed a judgmental and arrogant spirit. Seven more demons you overcame your insecurity by becoming a driven, domineering and self-sufficient person.

Seven more demons you avoid conflict by retracting inward shutting yourself off and just not having friends anymore.

Seven more demons you avoid pain by never committing anybody seven more demons. By the way we see the same thing politically. People on the left will say the problem in our society is the institutions of capitalism. They serve the interest of white supremacy for the patriarchy. So let's tear down and redistribute all the well seated at make us what you're left with people saw the same simple heart of greed and exploitation will use whatever power they had to subvert the week around the that is been the history of every Marxist country in history seven more demons on the rights and under the government is the problem itself just make everybody free and that'll take care of, and we might agree that the debt power distributed a bunch amongst a bunch of corruptible people is less dangerous than power isolated in the hands of a few corruptible people, but even then you haven't dealt with the problem.

Selfishness and greed and corruption still feel the heart of man, and Satan still find those things and uses them to create the despair and loneliness comes from materialism, self-sufficiency, seven more demons see the point as what you're talking individually or politically. Jesus is the only master who can free you from your demons and make you whole again.

It is ironic, but freedom in the Christian life only comes from giving yourself fully to Jesus said again. The irony is this freedom only comes from surrender. So again, let's ask, what does this passage teach us about change. What is it teach us about how to bring change, both in ourselves and in others, Jesus teaches us in this passage that there are two conditions for real spiritual power and one is in verse 23 and encourage you to write about these down number one total surrender total surrender again. Verse 23.

Anybody who's not with me is against me and anyone who does not gather with me scatters until you are under the full possession of the stronger man's authority, you are powerless to defend all the domination of the strongman who was Satan cleanup yourself performer pledges to do better are not going to do it your reader. All limiting Jesus or you're still on team Satan and to be on team Jesus meeting you surrendered 100% of who you are all your hopes and your dreams all your ambitions are your ideas go to motor him. Now you're like hold hold a whole new way. I may not be a fully committed Christian, but I don't belong to Satan. This you the arguments on major arguments for Jesus. He who is not actively pursuing me actively serving me still on the same when I was a student pastor.

My first chapter of ministry. We used this illustration actually try to re-create for your thought about get people up next thought to complicated to do it all by myself, when an actor here so I would always get always put somebody here on the set years. This represents offense okay and on this property. The side of the fence represents complete and total devotion to Jesus this other property represents is given myself to Satan as will happen in this I would I do it for your students as you have people come out from the different sides to represent you the different teams and so some I will come out from team Satan and they were like hey writer party and get drunk and do all kinds of legal stuff and you want come with us in verse right now I just not you I'm I try to I believe in God. I try to be a good person so I did. Number things on the other side absentee Jesus in there like you know something like hey what's let's reader Bibles ought to be involved in the church is diminished. Now I'm not really a Jesus freak in early Bible banger.

I'm not really all in that way.

But it's not really comfortable there either. And so you have three or four people that come in a represent one note person besides essay looks. Let's get rid of the belief in the Bible. It is through this office for years better without not want to do that is to a lot of my beliefs and this represents, where the majority of freshly Christian teenagers are teenagers and churches are where there like I'm not really going with the world.

But I'm also not fully devoted to Jesus, I'm just kinda here on the fence with the end of the little thing you know, somebody will come out representing Satan or a demon and they're there to collect all their people, and an angel comes out to take all the people that you are on team Jesus and that you, last move, the team comes up and grabs his person on the fence insert up on their way in this person search object are not on. I never I never threw off my belief in Jesus and never I never wanted to be on team Satan. I never got rid of my faith. I never really plunged wholeheartedly sent out that my morals the last thing that this demon says is what you don't understand is that the devil Satan owns the fence that you're standing on. Luke 1123 makes it clear that if you're not actively serving Jesus in that field.

The fanciest monster belongs to Satan. The point is, whatever part of your life is not surrendered to Jesus is still under the domination of Satan. A fully surrender to him or you're still his possession even care if you recognize that you belong to him, you still live this out. Why wouldn't you like those religious rulers who call Jesus the Lord of dawn and crucified him issue. What is only two teams is like we often say here. The summer church in every heart there is a throne and across every heart. There's a throne and across if if Jesus is on the throne was he that means that you gotta be on the cross, vice versa, if you are on the throne of your life. That means Jesus must be on the cross. There is no neutral ground.

There's no third territory. Christianity is not about self-improvement it's about surrender to see the only question is are you fully surrender this. The only question there is neither fully surrender to team Jesus or you're still on team Satan unclear how many times you commit your drug of a person you think you are. It reminds me of CS Lewis's analogy where we come to Jesus like people whose houses are in disrepair managing dirty and smelly and the carpet is old-fashioned and worn-out so we hear that Jesus can fix those things and so we come him and ask him to help us clean it up and he does but then Jesus starts knocking down walls in your lie way way way to manage Jesus. I just want to clean up one little help tidying up my room help tidying up my marriage, my habits, my career wanted purpose which help my kids.

Jesus says I can help you with all those things but but to get that help this house has to belong entirely to me.

I didn't just come is your divine servant to help you become a more better you.

I came as the owner on my here to take request. I'm here to take over so it means that if you come to Jesus. The only way to come to him is in total surrender doing ways to come and say Lord Jesus. All that I am all that I have all that I ever hope to be now and forever offered to you. We don't come to God CS Lewis. It will come about as bad people who need to be made into better people. We must, as rebels to lay down our arms, PC the Lord of all, he's not Lord at all come to Jesus and turn over new leaf. You come in surrender to receive a new life total surrender. I want to play someone to take this one other short point.

But before we do that I actually do something here right now at this point metas wants to take communion together as those of us who are followers of Jesus on the comes with a special invitation for there to you were not yet followers of Jesus and need to surrender when you came in. If you're one of our campuses, you receive one visible COBIT proof communion things here if you're watching at home. Feel free to pause this run grabs something represent the bread and the cup for you and and in and turn it back on when you get here, what you take this one should open it up because these things represent the body and blood of Jesus to listen to me.

Here's what I want it to highlight for you right now. Total possession by the stronger man.

This represents the fact that I will have to be free to be afraid of Satan's control my life.

But it is because I've given myself fully to Jesus, the truth, you taking this. Can you say all that I him all that I have all that I have all that I ever hope to be chores is not listen is not not meet talking is the Bible don't take a replica. This is something for those who are active followers of Jesus something for those who surrendered themselves. I do have an invitation for you to this actually can be your surrender those others around you are taking the bread and the cup symbolizing their surrender in the receipt of Jesus Christ for you.

This moment can be about giving yourself to him reporting. This is not the bread and the copper point is the fact that I belong to Jesus. Busy 2000 years ago. He gave himself to me, spread his arms and he died. He broke his body so that he could pay for my sins because he was my only hope of salvation conversion is giving myself back to him saying you're the only one that can save me if you done that once you take this moment, in remembrance of him and if you haven't done that Jesus moment right now to actually surrendered him for those you did.

Knowing if there's you that a surrender Jesus to take any doing in remembrance of me.

Jesus then took the cup races this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Hold anything back to God who gave his all for you deserve nothing less than your all back for him. If you done that and you know that when you take it as a symbol of his giving himself to you in your giving yourself to him take it, in remembrance of him. So what you want to buy your heads wherever you are. Just take a moment right there. Just you stare in the quietness of your heart in this moment to express thanks to God for this gift of salvation. Thank you Lord Jesus for saving.

Thank you that I belong to thank you.height or depth principality power. Anything else in all creation to separate me from the love of Christ appears want to do this we should pray that God would open your heart right now to apply this point will make your from Luke chapter 11 God speak to my heart. Show me desperate for you in your power desperate enough to give myself to fasting and prayer helping Holy Spirit help me in his next few brief moments, Jesus name, amen, amen right on number two taken notes by Don prayer real quick. This second way to access this divine power, according to this chapter is to prayer honest unrelenting prayer we can read it, but in the passage right before this one. The first 13 verses of this chapter.

Jesus had been teaching up about the power of prayer a little story about a man who had unexpected visitors late one night and he needed some bread to feed them so he goes over to his neighbor's house in the middle the night he knocks he knocks the Knoxville box until his friend finally gives up and gets up and gives them the love that he's asking for, and this Jesus says that is how you should pray. Many concludes that whole teaching by saying listen, how much more if a friend would respond to your persistent knocking any parents would respond to their children and their children are crying out in the how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit the stronger man should conduct comfortable we give the stronger man to those who ask him.

Then Jesus tells a story about the demons. If you want the power the Holy Spirit.

If you want the spirit of Jesus the stronger man in and through your life. You get it, not only through surrender and active surrender.

You also get it desperate urgent unrelenting prayer Jesus reinforce this in another place. By the way, Mark nine was a man who brought his son who was afflicted by demon that cause convulsions brought him to Jesus's disciples with the disciples couldn't cast the demon out so they brought the father in the end the boy to Jesus and Jesus cast the demon out and after the incident was over when they were debriefing the day the disciples are like a Jesus, why couldn't we drive them out. Why when the ball the when we shot it was wrong with us. Jesus told me like this kind can come out.

Mark 929. This comes out only by prayer. Some manuscripts add the words and fasting, prayer and fasting.

God unleashes the power of the stronger man into the lives of others through desperate urgent unrelenting prayer and only that listening what your friends when your kids what your spouse needs is not your sweeping and cleaning efforts in their lives what they need is the presence of the stronger man your cleaning efforts cannot expunge the demonic activity from them. It takes the power and the presence of the stronger man and that comes only through prayer, so why some a church why we spent so much time thinking about how to talk to people about God and so little time talking to God about this. People you bring your friends here to let them listen to me for 45 minutes talk to them about God. How often weekly. Do you talk to God about them. That's the reason that we begun this year with 21 days of fasting and prayer, we want to see the finger of God in our community. Amen we want to see it in our church.

We want to see what a group of talented people can do. We want to see what God tended to see the finger of God in our families do see that you want that in your own family you want in your life that comes out only by fervent unrelenting prayer. The good news is that the strongman Satan more powerful, though he may be than us is no match for the power of the strongman using verse 22 but when one stronger then he attacks and overpowers them he takes from him. All the weapons that he trusted in and divides up his plunder its route. Jesus plunders and he humiliates them. Was I both love and kind of resent little but how the book of Revelation depicts the last battle, I'm a little disappointed because it's kind of been diplomatically to say that there are a revelation. He had always battle forces arrayed against Jesus and his people and you think you're in for this, epic Lord of the rings style battle when Jesus walked onto the scene and just speaks and all his enemies basically evaporate a little more action. But the point is there power is no match for his Easter stronger man. He's the finger of God. The good news is that God is called you when I bring the power of the stronger man into other people's lives again.

Verse 22 when the stronger man takes over the divides up his plunder was Satan's plunder is the souls of people around us and signaled captive picture children it's friends that are headed toward destruction. His friends and decimated marriages there held captive by the strongman. We want to bring them the power of the stronger man befriended me figure this out yet Jesus wants to do more than help you survive and endure the Christian life. He wants to use you to plunder Satan's kingdom income just to give you peace like a river in your soul. One fuzzies on a cold night. He wants to use you to plunder the works of the enemy around you. But when one stronger than he overcomes the attacks and overpowers them he takes from them all the weapons that he trusted it and divides up his plunder.

If you write if you respond to those requested people you love. How much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit stronger man to those who those who ask missionaries at work and places all around the world.

Satan hold people captive under earthly governments. The key people in bondage from hearing the gospel. This promise is for you to some of you were listening to me this morning for those you who are working our city in places where there is poverty and injustice in pregnancy centers where women consider what to do with a precious unborn baby that Satan wants to destroy this promise is for you to parents who were discouraged by the influence of the world on your children, your husband's concerned with what is happening in the life of your your wife or vice versa. This promise is for you to those you know somebody that is that is it is in one sense afflicted physically, emotionally, spiritually, buyer enemy. This promise is for you. He's ready to use you but these kind go not out but by prayer and fasting.

This event two-part imitation will repeat this again. Are you ready to surrender to be ready to surrender what you by your heads. If you would. Everybody at all campuses by your heads are you ready to surrender right now. Even if you're by yourself in front of the computer want you to do this if you like. Today I'm giving myself to Jesus fully. I believe he died for my sin. I believe he don't want to can save me. I'm giving myself fully to him right now. Raise your hand. Okay we you like. I'm by myself on my computer. I don't get to raise your hand today I'm giving myself fully to Jesus. Raise your hand and hold it up. I wish I can see I can see everybody asking some of you but I can't see everybody that I praise you and thank you for those people who have hands raise indicative of the fact that no religion can help them reform can help in getting better can help them. Jesus, you will thank you God for those who raise their hands in faith and surrender. You had better listen to raise your hand got a request for you to plot your phone right now I want you text the word ready Re: 80 wider 33933. You can even sneak a peek appear at the screen text word ready, 33933 and somebody will follow up with you later talk this through with.

Usually what's next. If you're serious about this really serious text word ready, 33933 second part of the invitation you need to pray for doing your life.

You sense the presence of the strongman in use want to say on.

I give myself to prayer. This day may mark a new desperation, a new consistency in my prayer last THE prayer counselors come right out front at all of our campuses here like we did a couple weeks ago just here for you to pray with just to help carry this load with you, whatever people at all campuses want you to stand, stand at all of our campuses. You got something on your heart. I want you to look at a couple weeks ago.

Don't wait only two variants come right now is the people you see, down here just common to keep their mascot, we would ask that you keep yours on as well, since you'll be talking there for a minute and just just pray together succumb right now okay just just about right now all over campus.

No way worshiping him to come and amenable words can turn this into a time of prayer you got a son or a daughter that you see the stronger working. Maybe physical you thought you need healing. You're not sure what's going on but you like. I know that I need God's help in this. Maybe there's a marriage or somebody else is falling apart.

Maybe it's a financial need. Maybe somebody who's lost a friend that just needs to come home and you know you know that only God can help told waste a moment, we would give you just to bring it in the house of God, to God himself. You come here to worship teams, by the way, if you are joining us online. You can click the request front prayer, but right there on the street alive hose for privity right now or in private chat. You're watching OnDemand you can email prayer@summitchurch.com is my from her team reach out to you are over campus you, sir, in this place and it is the tabernacle prayer for a while as worship teams, the latest