A Weak Man, a Strong Man, and the Stronger Man, Part 2

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer 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 seven this is the only question is are you fully surrender this. The only question there is beautifully surrendered to Jesus or you're still on team site not care how many times he comes her drug of a person.

Another day of Christ is teaching here on Senate life pastor Jeannie Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly bit of edge you know it can be frightening to think about battling the rulers and authorities in the cosmic powers of this world seems demonic forces that are at work all around us seems like everywhere we turn we are met with opposition harsh word or temptation that feels too great. But Jesus tells us in the gospel of Luke that as believers we have nothing to fear the strong a Satanist he is no match for the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within where rejoining pastor Jeannie in the middle. The message we began yesterday, so grab your Bible independent and less listen in as he continues teaching in Luke chapter 11. Jesus is the stronger man that overpower Satan and plunders all his possessions important in this parable. Who were 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're 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. She says in verse 23 what got 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 them because you are still under the control of the strongman to see that will come back about the first was finished. The parable because she's make this point even more clear. Verse 24 when an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it runs the waterless places looking for rest and not finding rest and says how to back to my house that I came from returning finds the house, swept, and put in order Jewish wall demanded rigorous cleaning techniques. After you got rid kind of gotten rid of any kind of disease or defilement. It 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 were a bottle Clorox the book of Leviticus said you had removed that whole section of the wall. The mold came back yet 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 so to 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, no mind is going up. If I like how I can 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. Listen to me 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 down and scratches me. What say that is really being overly emotional about it, so his dad comes over and 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 by 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 a were smashed the medication had worse side effects than the disease you conquered alcoholism but you developed up 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 as the institutions of capitalism. They serve the interest of white supremacy for the patriarchy. So let's tear them down, redistribute all the well so you do that. But guess what you're left with people saw the same simple heart of greed and exploitation will use whatever power they have, to subvert the week around the that is been the history of every Marxist country in history seven more demons on the right say none of 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, 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. One is in verse 23 at 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 clean up 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 all your dreams all your ambitions all your ideas you give them all to him. Now you're like hold hold a hold on the way. I may not be a fully committed Christian, but I don't belong to Satan. This you the arguments on the 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 to this illustration actually try to re-create for your thought about getting people up next� Obligated to do it all by myself, one then I. 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 in this other property represents is given myself to Satan is what would happen in this when I do it for her 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 a 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 tried being a person so I did number was on the other side absentee Jesus in there like you know something like hey what's let's read our Bibles. What's be involved in the church is diminished. Now I'm not really a Jesus freak. I'm not really a Bible banger. I'm not really all in that way. But it's not really comfortable there either. So you three or four people to come in a represent one note person besides essay looks must get rid of the belief in the Bible.

This is through this office for years, but without not want to do that is to hold onto my beliefs and this represents, where the majority of special 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 what 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 you have the time.

The last mold edema comes up and grabs his personal offense and served upon their way in this person search object are not on II I'm never I never threw off my belief in Jesus and never have I never wanted to be on team Satan. I never got rid of my faith. I never really plunged wholeheartedly sent out to 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. The fully surrender to him or you're still his possession even care if you recognize that you belong to him. You still go you say why wouldn't you like those religious rulers who call Jesus the Lord of dawn and crucified him if she would. There's 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 a gift. 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 by 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 and you live 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 will come to Jesus and turn over new leaf. You come in surrender to receive a new life total surrender and then right on number two. You're taking notes by don't prayer the real question this second way to access this divine power, according to this chapter this the prayer honest unrelenting prayer we didn't read it. But in the passage right before this on the first 13 verses of the chapter.

Jesus had been teaching up about the power of prayer. He told a story about a man who had unexpected visitors late one night and needed some bread to feed them so he goes over to his neighbor's house, and middle the night the Nazi Nazi Nazi box until his friend finally gives up and gets up and gives them the lows 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 not team any parents would respond to their children when 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 a 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 were 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 hey Jesus, why couldn't we drive them out. What when the bottle 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 want 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 I summer church. Why do we spend 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 can do. We want to see the finger of God in our families, you'll 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 him and divides up his plunder its route. Jesus plunders and he humiliates them. Was I both love and kind of resembled about 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 were a revelation, he can 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. Want a little more action. But the point is there power is no match for is these the stronger man these the finger of God.

The good news is that God is called you and I to bring the power of the stronger man into other people's lives again.

Verse 22 when the stronger man takes over the divides of his plunder was Satan's plunder is the souls of people around us and signaled captive that your 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 you 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 request people you love. How much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit stronger man to those who, to 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 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 computer want you to do this if you like. Today I'm giving myself to Jesus fully.

I believe he died for my Santa believe you 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 was you I can't see, I can't see everybody asking some of you but I can't see everybody cut 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 your second part of the invitation you need to pray for you and your life. You sense the presence of the strongman in this one essay on I give myself to prayer this today may mark a new desperation, a new consistency in my prayer. The two conditions of real spiritual power. Total surrender in prayer and he surrendered your life.

First, and who do you need to pray for those are not two things we just do today.

We must live lives marked by surrender in prayer daily. You're listening to Summit life with pastor and author Jeannie Greer if you missed any of this message, you can always catch up free of charge@jeanniegreer.com Pastor Jay were always looking for new ways to help others integrate the truth of the Bible into their everyday lives. Can you tell us about our latest resource get whatever goes here. Summit life is to is to equip people who listen to Summit life to become a disciple making disciples and God's word is power the Holy Spirit. They're the only ones that can actually produce the kind of change in your heart but uses tools as gateways for his power, you can manipulate the power of God that you can create the channel for him to working lives, like I've ever described like a wire to connect to electric outlet on the powers not in the wire but the wire connects the power to what you need to be be spiritual disciplines like a wire that connects us to the Holy Spirit's power and were the most effective tools Scripture memory is what we've been offering this pack of 50 Scripture memory cards that make it easy to memorize scripture about the rate of one per week.

A promise of warning of Scripture. Something about the character of God that the Holy Spirit can use what you memorize it to activate his power to change your thinking and releases power in your heart if you go to JD Greer.com you'll see how you can get a copy of these. I think the be extremely helpful in your spiritual life, Scripture memory is one of the most life-changing things I've done. One of the things I'm most thankful for that. My parents and my teachers early on in life need an essential part of my night we'd love to send you the things listed new set of cards you are bringing in reverse cards make it easy to memorize Scripture perfectly uses a weekly resource throughout the year. Or is it daily encouragement. These Scripture cards remind you of God, steadfastness and unchanging promises and then can help you connect into your mind and your heart ask for the rejoice. Only Scripture memory cards. When you get today by calling 866-335-5226 five 224.

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