The Gospel of Luke #17

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.320 Need him to direct us, and so let us pray to that end. 2 00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:11.919 And now again, are great and glorious God. You are higher than the 3 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:18.359 heavens, higher than we can imagine, more glorious than we can take in. 4 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:25.640 Lord, you deserve our honor, or worship, our praise. And 5 00:00:25.719 --> 00:00:29.719 Lord, we also want to hear your word, for you have given it 6 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:35.240 to us and you have ordained ministers of the Gospel to proclaim your word to 7 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:39.960 your people that they might be strengthened and edified. And so, Lord, 8 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:43.439 as we come to your word this morning, I confess that I am not 9 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:48.479 worthy or able to rightfully divide the word of truth on my own, but 10 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:53.719 I need you to guide me and direct me as I deliver your word to 11 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:58.039 your people. I pray, God, that you would indeed keep me from 12 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:03.039 error and, Lord, help me to preach only your truth. And Lord, 13 00:01:03.079 --> 00:01:06.200 I pray God that you would be lifted up, that the Gospel would 14 00:01:06.200 --> 00:01:08.920 be lifted up, that Christ would be lifted up in the words that I 15 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:15.480 speak this morning. Again, illuminate us. Lord, let your word be 16 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:19.239 a lamp to our feet, light to our path. Let your word indeed 17 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:23.920 direct us in all that we do. If we pray and ask these things 18 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:30.200 in Christ name. Amen. We're looking at the gospel of Luke Chapter Four 19 00:01:30.439 --> 00:01:36.280 this morning and we'll be looking beginning with verse thirty one of that chapter, 20 00:01:36.439 --> 00:01:44.040 and we'll be going through Um so again, beginning with verse thirty one of 21 00:01:44.120 --> 00:01:48.519 Luke Chapter Four. Here, I remind you once more, is God's own 22 00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:53.200 word. And he went down to Capernaum, the city of Galilee, and 23 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:56.519 he was teaching them in the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, 24 00:01:56.599 --> 00:02:00.640 for his word possessed authority and in a sin God, there was a 25 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:04.120 man who had the spirit of an unclean demon and he cried out with a 26 00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:07.719 loud voice, ha, what have you to do with us, Jesus of 27 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:10.960 Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, 28 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:16.960 the holy one of God. But Jesus rebuked him, saying being silent and 29 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:21.280 come out of him. And when the demon had thrown him down in the 30 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:23.960 midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And 31 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:28.240 they were all amazed and said to one another, what is this word? 32 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:32.719 For? With authority and Power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out, 33 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:38.560 and reports about him went out at every place in the surrounding region, 34 00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:43.439 and he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother 35 00:02:43.479 --> 00:02:46.080 in law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on 36 00:02:46.120 --> 00:02:52.000 her behalf, and he stood over her and rebuked the fever and it left 37 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:55.919 her and immediately she rose and began to serve them. Now, when the 38 00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:00.280 sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with the barious 39 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:02.919 diseases, brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one 40 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:07.000 of them and healed them. And Demons also came out of many crying you 41 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:10.840 are the son of God, but he rebuked them and would not allow them 42 00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:15.680 to speak because they knew that he was the Christ. And when it was 43 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:19.759 day, he departed and went into a desolate place, and the people sought 44 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:23.280 him and came to him and would have kept him from leaving them, but 45 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:25.400 he said to them, I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of 46 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:30.680 God to other towns as well, for I was sent for this purpose, 47 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:35.520 and he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. Thus we are in the 48 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:44.879 reading of God's word. Please be seated. So last week we looked at 49 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:50.000 Jesus visit to his hometown, the synagogue and Nazareth, and we saw that 50 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:54.280 that really didn't end very well. Uh. He was rejected by the people 51 00:03:54.319 --> 00:04:00.639 of Nazareth because they knew him growing up there, they knew his family and 52 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:03.159 they did not believe that, therefore, he could be a prophet and they 53 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:08.719 rejected him and even got so angry that they sought to kill him, but 54 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:13.800 he was, of course delivered and was not killed. And so this morning 55 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:18.920 we come to Jesus moving to Capernaum and we're gonna focus on the Authority of 56 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:24.000 Christ, and I'll speak in a little bit to that word. But we 57 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:27.680 will look in versus thirty one and thirty two at the authority of his teaching, 58 00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:31.800 and then we'll look at versus thirty three through thirty seven for the authority 59 00:04:31.800 --> 00:04:36.319 over demons, and then we'll look at versus thirty eight through forty four to 60 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:43.160 see his authority over disease. So let's begin with versus thirty one to thirty 61 00:04:43.160 --> 00:04:46.560 two. We come to another Sabbath, but this sabbath now is in Capernaum, 62 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:51.759 which appears to be beginning from the beginning here and going forward. The 63 00:04:51.800 --> 00:04:59.480 headquarters of the Ministry of Jesus. In Matthew Nine one matthew refers to Capernaum, 64 00:04:59.560 --> 00:05:04.360 not now Erith, but Capernam has Jesus own city, and since this 65 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:11.240 was the city that Peter Lived, some speculate that Jesus actually lived with Peter 66 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:16.360 in his household. But we don't know that. The name copernam basically means 67 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:23.079 a city of Nahom, but whether that city had any correlation to the Old 68 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:27.680 Testament Prophet by that name, we're not sure about that Um but that is 69 00:05:27.720 --> 00:05:30.800 the name. It's an important city. We know it's important because there is 70 00:05:30.839 --> 00:05:35.240 a centurion who was stationed there, Roman Centurion, which would mean he was 71 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:40.680 a ruler over about a hundred men, and so that cluses in that the 72 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:46.199 Romans considered it an important city. And later on Jesus will speak in the 73 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:50.279 Gospel of Matthew of Copernam and he will say you are Exalted to Heaven, 74 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:58.920 which indicates that indeed Capernam had a high reputation in those days. The reception, 75 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:02.600 however, of Je us it's going to be much different in Capernaum than 76 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:09.240 it was in Nazareth, and almost to the opposite extreme. Now I'll point 77 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:13.879 out to you once more luke gives no time markers. He doesn't use time 78 00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:18.160 words, so we don't know when things happen in correlation to others and all 79 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:21.639 that. So we have that simple word that you note, that you can 80 00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:27.079 look down on you in your scripture and see how luke just continues to use 81 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:31.279 the word and kind Greek, which is just basically a conjunction that doesn't say 82 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:35.399 anything about time. And so luke doesn't do that, and so he is 83 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:41.120 not trying to give us any indication of how the time in Capernam relates to 84 00:06:41.160 --> 00:06:45.040 the time in Nazareth, where it was before or after. None of that 85 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:48.199 matters. And at Verse Thirty One it says he went down to Capernaum, 86 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:55.160 and that is a literal down. Okay, when he says down, Nazareth 87 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:59.959 is about twelve feet above sea level. You might know the city of two 88 00:07:00.040 --> 00:07:04.759 son is about twice uh that amount in its elevation, but Kapernaum is about 89 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:12.920 seven hundred feet below sea level. So Jesus is going about nine hundred feet 90 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:17.240 down when he goes from Nazareth down to Capernaum. And it is the sabbath, 91 00:07:17.319 --> 00:07:23.399 we are told. Again Luke actually where record for us five different miracles 92 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:27.879 that Jesus does on the Sabbath. Remember, that's a bonus contention between Jesus 93 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:31.199 and the Pharisees and the other leaders, because he is doing miracles on the 94 00:07:31.240 --> 00:07:35.319 Sabbath. And so luke will mention that. And so it says in our 95 00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:41.120 thirty two of the people at Capernaum are astonished at his teaching. Now that 96 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:47.519 word astonished actually means to expel by a blow. It's a strong word uh 97 00:07:47.720 --> 00:07:54.399 in what it means, and so these people are absolutely amazed at his teaching. 98 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:58.279 And I do like the E S V translation here better than the King 99 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:01.759 James. The King James says his word was with power, and I'm sure 100 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:07.399 it was, but the E S v Um says uh different, talks about 101 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:11.000 authority. I told you I had come back to this Um, to this 102 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:16.240 kind of concept of authority. Some of you maybe know that there are two 103 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:20.240 main words in the Greek language that are used in the New Testament for power, 104 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:24.839 and one is dunamous, and dunamous is where we get our word dynamite 105 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:28.800 and Dynamo. Dunamous is a word that seems to UH conjure up ideas of 106 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:33.080 power and strength. So dunamous is that? The other word is Excusia, 107 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:39.320 and that word means more authority than power, and that is the word that 108 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:43.519 is here. It is the word that's found in Matthew Eighteen, where the 109 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:46.399 King James says all power is given to me, where the E S V 110 00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:52.840 again translates all authority is given to me. Now, why do I like 111 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:56.840 the Word Authority? There's a reason here and it has to do with what 112 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:00.879 I think is Luke's point in what he's telling us here, and it's an 113 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:05.279 important point, about the Ministry of our Lord and how he did it. 114 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:11.240 When a rabbi would come to a town like this and teach, and these 115 00:09:11.240 --> 00:09:13.799 would be all different than our Lord. When they would come, the way 116 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:18.919 a rabbi taught was by quoting other rabbis. That's what they would do. 117 00:09:20.039 --> 00:09:26.200 Their whole message would be just quotations from other rabbis. Rabbi a liaiser said 118 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:31.399 in the Talmud nor have I ever in my life said a thing which I 119 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:37.399 did not hear from my teacher. Never said anything that I didn't hear from 120 00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:41.960 my teacher. Another Rabbi Johanna and Bizaki, said he never in his life 121 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:46.600 said anything which he had not heard from his teachers. So that's what the 122 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:50.480 rabbis did. Now I use quotes in my messages, obviously, but I 123 00:09:50.519 --> 00:09:54.840 don't make the whole message quotes from other people. Uh. But Jesus was 124 00:09:56.279 --> 00:10:00.960 uh the exact opposite. He said he taught. He didn't quote anybody, 125 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:03.600 he just he would say things like you have heard, it was said of 126 00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:07.879 them and old but I say unto you. Well, no rabbi would ever 127 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:13.159 dare say anything like that. And he was speaking about life and death issues. 128 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:16.480 He wasn't talking about how many angels can dance on the head of a 129 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:20.159 pandre any of those kind of quarrels. That came up later on in the 130 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:26.360 church. But but his teaching had eternal consequences, so mark puts it this 131 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:30.279 way. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as 132 00:10:30.360 --> 00:10:37.799 one who had authority and not ascribes. Kent Hughes, in his commentary tells 133 00:10:37.799 --> 00:10:43.279 a story about Harry ironside who for many, many years was the pastor of 134 00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:48.960 Moody Church. And UH, one Sunday after ironside has delivered his sermon, 135 00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:52.919 there was a visitor in the congregation that came up to him afterwards and said 136 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:58.360 he he really enjoyed the service, but he said to uh, to to 137 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:01.799 pastor ironsides. He said, uh, but you know you're not a very 138 00:11:01.799 --> 00:11:05.840 great preacher. and Uh ironside said. Well, he said, I know 139 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:09.000 I'm not a very great preacher, but he said, I'm curious what makes 140 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:13.600 you say that? And he said, well, I understood everything you said. 141 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:20.000 So I guess that's how he well, I try to make my messages 142 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:22.919 understood. Hopefully they are, and there might be some things that maybe some 143 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:26.639 of you are but we even want the children to understand, of course. 144 00:11:28.279 --> 00:11:31.799 And UH. And so as we saw, we were seeing for those of 145 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:35.399 you that are in the parable study in the fellowship group, that Jesus taught 146 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:39.840 the crowds and parables, but here he's speaking very directly. Okay, this 147 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:43.120 is the time when he's speaking directly to the crowds and we are uh, 148 00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:46.720 to teach that way. The pastors, Paul Tells, Timothy and second Timothy, 149 00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:50.519 for to preach the word, be ready in season out of season, 150 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:56.960 reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching. You have to be 151 00:11:56.039 --> 00:11:58.600 ready. I remember years ago. I didn't have this in my nose, 152 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:01.759 which just came to my mind, so I'm gonna say it anyway. But 153 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:03.720 I was I was visiting a friend. This was back when, as any 154 00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:07.039 assembly of God church and I and we kind of surprised him and came to 155 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:11.399 their church on Sunday night for the service and and he said to me, 156 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:13.879 do you want to preach? I said why? I didn't come prepared to 157 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:18.639 preach. I said I don't have any notes or anything, and and he's 158 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:20.840 uh, he said. Oh, he said, well, I was just 159 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:24.159 going to read some of these scriptures in the twenty translation Bible and maybe make 160 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:26.879 some note comments on it. And I said, you know what, I'll 161 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:31.720 preach. I decided I wanted something more than that. But but anyway, 162 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:35.159 we need to be able to preach that. They thus say at the Lord. 163 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:37.799 That's why we use his word. So we move on to our thirty 164 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:41.039 three, where there's a man who's possessed of an unclean spirit or a demon, 165 00:12:41.639 --> 00:12:46.639 and he cries out Ha is, how our translation puts it. What 166 00:12:46.759 --> 00:12:50.120 have you to do with us, Jesus and Nazareth? Some translate that phrase. 167 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:56.360 Don't meddle with me. The literal Greek, is what to us and 168 00:12:56.480 --> 00:13:00.720 you. That's literally, in other words, what do we have in common 169 00:13:01.080 --> 00:13:03.720 with each with each other? In other words, this has nothing to eat 170 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:07.639 to do with you. You Go away, Jesus, you just you go 171 00:13:07.799 --> 00:13:11.679 your own way. And then they asked the question if you come to destroy 172 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:16.879 us? And Uh, there's different ideas about that Um as to what he 173 00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:18.960 means, means by that. But I side with those that say, uh, 174 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:24.039 is this the purpose? You've come into the world, to destroy us? 175 00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:26.600 And the answer is yes. First, John, three, eight, 176 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:31.679 the reason the son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 177 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:35.519 And finally, he says, I know who you are, the holy 178 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:41.399 one of God. And indeed the demons did know who he was and they 179 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:45.840 knew what was the truth. When when heretics like Jehovah, Witness says, 180 00:13:46.039 --> 00:13:50.039 or reprobates or apostates come and try to tell us that Jesus was not God, 181 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:56.039 they showed that they know less than the demons. The demons knew indeed 182 00:13:56.120 --> 00:14:01.639 he was God. And so Hendrickson said, as when radicals deny Christ's deity, 183 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:07.399 they show less insight than the demons, for they are constantly acknowledging it. 184 00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:11.559 And so the demons called Christ, at various times in scripture, the 185 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:15.919 holy one of God, the son of God, the son of the most 186 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:18.480 high, and this saying of the of the demon, saying I know who 187 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:22.639 are, the Holy One of God, Causes Christ to respond by saying be 188 00:14:22.840 --> 00:14:28.519 silent. The literal word here be muzzled. The word actually means it's non 189 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:33.799 form of muzzle, and Jesus says be muzzled. It's that word in the 190 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:37.559 scripture, as it says you shouldn't muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads 191 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:41.120 out the corn. That's the exact word, uh, that we have here. 192 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:45.279 So the question is, why does Jesus tell the demons to be silent? 193 00:14:45.399 --> 00:14:50.919 Why does why does he say that? And there are different ideas about 194 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:56.080 this because, you see, of all the groups that surrounded Christ and had 195 00:14:56.159 --> 00:15:01.720 various ideas about who he was, the one group God it right, were 196 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:05.159 the demons. Uh. Now, Peter would confess later, of course, 197 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:07.799 that Christ is the holy one of God, but but at this point the 198 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:11.840 only people that are, only beans, I should say, that are saying 199 00:15:11.879 --> 00:15:16.600 that are the demons. They confess with the people of Nazareth. Wouldn't confess 200 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:20.679 that. We saw last week. They're willing to say that. Um. 201 00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:24.759 And so why does he say be silent? Well, some say there's a 202 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:28.480 messianic secret that he doesn't want that getting out right now because it could cause 203 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:33.200 his death to come sooner than he knows the time is in regards to that, 204 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:37.840 Um and others say he doesn't. He doesn't want, UH, who 205 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:43.480 he is to be broadcast by a demon. Uh You know, if if 206 00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:48.759 there's someone you know that is known to be a very untrustworthy person, you 207 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:52.320 probably don't want them telling other people what a Greek guy you are or what 208 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:54.960 a great woman you are because, uh, you know, you go. 209 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:58.120 Well, that's gonna make everybody think just the opposite. So you don't want 210 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:03.759 certain people telling people who you are. Kelvin says he refused to have his 211 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:08.120 heralds and witnesses of his divinity those whose praise could have no other effect than 212 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:15.000 the soil and injure his character. Other people think that Christ was just saying 213 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:18.279 be silent because the Demon was interrupting the synagogue teaching. We don't know. 214 00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:22.320 Well, the Gospel Writers don't tell us why. So that's all right, 215 00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:26.360 we can we can go without that. And remember there was a time in 216 00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:29.960 the book of acts when Paul and Silas are at Philippi and there's this servant 217 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:33.480 girl who's got a demon and she's going around saying, you know about these 218 00:16:33.480 --> 00:16:37.080 men, are showing us their servants of the Most High God who were claimed 219 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:41.159 to you. A way, by the way, she says, a way, 220 00:16:41.240 --> 00:16:44.480 not the way of salvation, but a way of salvation. And we're 221 00:16:44.519 --> 00:16:48.879 told, uh, in in very uh humorous fashion, that after a while 222 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:53.679 Paul gets annoyed with her and turns around and cast out the demon. Why 223 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:56.759 he didn't do it before, what, I don't know, but at some 224 00:16:56.840 --> 00:17:00.159 point he just said, like pop ie, take to all I can stand 225 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:03.079 and I can stand no more. However that goes, but anyway, Um, 226 00:17:03.359 --> 00:17:06.880 and so the demon comes out of the man. Throwing them down. 227 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:11.079 Luke mentioned throwing them down and doing no harm. This is again the physician. 228 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:15.559 Uh Luke is talking about them, and so probably Luke had asked people 229 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:18.960 who were there present at this time, because it's doubtful the luke was, 230 00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:21.640 and he said, Hey, when that demon came out, what what happened? 231 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:22.960 That? was any harm done to the man when he fell to the 232 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:26.400 ground? And the people was a Nope, nope. And of course when 233 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:32.640 Christ does something he doesn't right and doesn't where there is no harm. And 234 00:17:32.680 --> 00:17:36.920 so Christ has conquered Satan and the wilderness, the temptations. So now he 235 00:17:36.920 --> 00:17:41.559 can take over his minions as well, into your authority. I uh memory 236 00:17:41.559 --> 00:17:48.000 I have my Bible College days was with a very proper English professor by the 237 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:52.839 name of Professor Snow, who taught us theology, and I remember one time 238 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:56.440 he was talking about the theology of the devil and uh, as he did, 239 00:17:56.519 --> 00:18:00.160 one of the students walked into the class a little eight and came and 240 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:07.720 sat down and remember Dr Snow saying speak of the devil and his IMPs to 241 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:14.279 appear. So anyway, from the hierarchy we get from scripture it's clear, 242 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:17.440 though, the devil is at the apex. He is the head of the 243 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:21.599 Kingdom of evil and and Jesus has already conquered the Goliath. So of course 244 00:18:21.640 --> 00:18:26.880 these others have no ability to withstand him. And so later when Paul will 245 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:30.720 speak of Christ's work on the crossing Collossians to fifteen, you'll say he disarmed 246 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:36.599 the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in 247 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:41.279 him. So earlier they were astonished or struck with his teaching. Now they 248 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:47.119 are amazed or astounded in his power that even the demons are subject to him. 249 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:52.640 And there says this word astonished means to render immovable, again a very 250 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:57.559 strong word. So his fame goes all over the country where you are told, 251 00:18:57.880 --> 00:19:00.960 and who is doing this reading? All the people, not just the 252 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:04.359 apostles. In fact, the apostles aren't really going places, they're staying with 253 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:07.680 Christ. But it is a common people, that the lay people, that 254 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:14.119 are going out and proclaiming the word about Christ. And again I say that's 255 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:17.960 what the way it should be today. Paul says Philippians to fifteen, that 256 00:19:18.039 --> 00:19:21.960 you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish, in the 257 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:26.079 midst of a crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as lights in the 258 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:33.119 world. Well, let's move to verses four. So we see that Jesus 259 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:37.960 goes to Peter Maybe Andrew's houses. Well in Capernaum, and Simon's mother in 260 00:19:38.039 --> 00:19:45.319 law is ill with the fever. Note that mother in law. Okay, 261 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:51.079 Um, we learned that the first pope was actually married okay. So because 262 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:55.359 he had a mother in law and UH. Also, luke notes that it's 263 00:19:55.400 --> 00:19:57.400 not just a fever, but again, as a physician, this is a 264 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:03.160 high fever or danger fever, and so all of the people are appealing to 265 00:20:03.319 --> 00:20:07.160 Jesus on her behalf. It appears that she's a well loved woman, like 266 00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:11.279 Dorcas and in acts. And so in verse thirty nine, Luke again gives 267 00:20:11.319 --> 00:20:18.359 us the doctor's view. The physician with normally treating the patient stand over the 268 00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:22.880 patient, as Jesus does to Peter's mother in law. And Jesus rebukes the 269 00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:27.359 fever same word we had earlier when he said to the demon be muzzled. 270 00:20:27.559 --> 00:20:32.559 It's the same word for muscle, and so he muzzles, uh, the 271 00:20:33.079 --> 00:20:38.119 fever at this point as well. G Campbell Morgan wonders whether Jesus said be 272 00:20:38.279 --> 00:20:44.160 muzzled to the fever as he did earlier to the demon. But the only 273 00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:48.839 other instance that we have in scripture of Jesus actually saying to be muzzled to 274 00:20:48.920 --> 00:20:55.200 an inanimate object is when he calms the Raging Sea. Again he uses that 275 00:20:55.319 --> 00:20:59.640 same term and uh, and that's in mark four, where he says be 276 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:04.680 Zl to the sea. And so the healing which took place must have been 277 00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:10.079 very quickly is told to us in just a few words and so complete as 278 00:21:10.119 --> 00:21:14.160 the healing we're talking this morning. UH, some of us about covid and 279 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:18.799 how the the fatigue that sometimes hangs on after you've got rid of most of 280 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:22.400 the UM symptoms. But she gets up right away. High fever, she 281 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:26.680 gets up and what does she do? She starts serving them. That's pretty 282 00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:30.160 interesting that that that she was able to do that. I remember another Bible 283 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:36.200 College teacher of mindset that he thought that if Jesus was going to take Peter 284 00:21:36.279 --> 00:21:38.680 Away from his house for three years, it's a good idea to get the 285 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:41.839 mother in Law on board. Um. So I don't know if that's true 286 00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:45.519 enough, but that's another thing. I remember humorous things from Bible College. 287 00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:48.079 I'm not sure if I remember serious things, but there must have been some 288 00:21:48.119 --> 00:21:55.119 things. But anyway, Calvin says about this. The synoptic gospels all recording 289 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:59.799 this miracle. He says the evangelists appeared to have taken particular notice of this 290 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:03.599 here called not that in itself it was more remarkable or more worthy of being 291 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:08.240 recorded than other miracles, but because by means of it. Christ gave to 292 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:15.359 his disciples a private and familiar illustration of His grace. That's an interesting take 293 00:22:15.400 --> 00:22:21.880 on that. It's a private illustration to the apostles of His grace. And 294 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:25.480 so in verse forty, apparently the news from the healing of the mother in 295 00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:30.160 law and the casting out of the demon has reached everyone in the city, 296 00:22:30.279 --> 00:22:33.440 so that all of them, whoever had any kind of illness or sickness or 297 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:37.839 deformity, came out at sunset. Mark describes it as the whole town. 298 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:41.200 You might say, well, why did they wait till sunset? Well, 299 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:47.599 remember, it's the Sabbath, and so they wouldn't travel until sunset and then 300 00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:49.920 they would come out when the Sabbath was over. And here we have what 301 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:53.680 appears to be rare in the Ministry of Jesus, at least from what we 302 00:22:53.680 --> 00:22:57.839 were told by the Gospel Writers. And that is what we have, a 303 00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:04.400 wholesale healing that Jesus said, everyone that comes, everyone is healed. Um 304 00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:11.160 that that's pretty amazing. I don't see faith healers today doing that at all, 305 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:15.279 healing everybody that that comes to them. Do you ever wonder why faith 306 00:23:15.319 --> 00:23:19.480 healers don't? You just go to hospitals, you know, and just heal 307 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:22.759 people there. If what they have is real, why don't they just do 308 00:23:22.839 --> 00:23:26.599 that? But for some reason, uh, they don't do that. But 309 00:23:26.680 --> 00:23:30.079 not only those who have diseases, but those who are possessed of demons are 310 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:34.279 delivered and like the previous demon, they are also crying out you are the 311 00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:38.519 son of God. And again we're told that Jesus doesn't allow them to speak. 312 00:23:40.039 --> 00:23:42.160 And in verse forty two of the beginning of the next day, Jesus 313 00:23:42.200 --> 00:23:48.680 departs to a desolate place. Um Luke doesn't tell us why, but mark 314 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:52.839 does. Mark tells us that he goes out when it is yet dark and 315 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:56.559 he actually goes out so that he could pray. But has he is praying, 316 00:23:56.599 --> 00:24:00.480 the people come out and interrupt him and start praying that he would not 317 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:03.440 leave them. They wanted him to stay in Copernaum. Then I don't want 318 00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:07.440 him to go anywhere. But Jesus says that he has a mission to preach 319 00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:11.759 the Kingdom of God in other places as well, and this is the first 320 00:24:11.799 --> 00:24:17.480 time to phrase Kingdom of God appears in Luke. It's a very common phrase 321 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:22.720 in the Gospels. Matthew usually uses the more euphemistic Kingdom of Heaven, because 322 00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:26.680 he's writing to the Jews who had a sensitivity to the name of God being 323 00:24:26.839 --> 00:24:30.960 used. Um. But it is the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God. 324 00:24:32.680 --> 00:24:37.720 Yet they are both very um common phrases in the Gospel. So copernam 325 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:40.440 is doing the opposite of what Nazareth did. Nazrath said, let's get him 326 00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:41.279 out of here, if we have to kill him, let's get him out 327 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:44.759 of here, and Copernaum is like no, no, no, don't, 328 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:47.920 don't leave. Stay with US forever, do you know? Be Here, 329 00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:51.599 be our resident healer and be all this. Well, both are wrong, 330 00:24:51.880 --> 00:24:55.599 both of those reactions. Now, probably the Nazareth reaction is worse, but 331 00:24:55.720 --> 00:25:00.880 they're both wrong because nobody has authority over Jesus. Nobody you can tell Jesus 332 00:25:00.920 --> 00:25:03.519 where he can go, not even his disciples, and they're wondering what in 333 00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:07.480 the world is he going to a Marria for? We don't have any dealings 334 00:25:07.480 --> 00:25:11.039 with Samaritans. But nobody has the right to tell Jesus what to do and 335 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:15.640 where he can go. He has to go where his father directs and so 336 00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:18.759 he can't even follow his own disciples. So he goes to all the various 337 00:25:18.799 --> 00:25:23.400 synagogues of Judea. Well, let's make some application from the Texas morning. 338 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:30.279 I'm gonna just deal with something and when I'm done here, I feel free 339 00:25:30.279 --> 00:25:33.319 to go to your pastor and get correction because because I'm gonna freely, I'm 340 00:25:33.319 --> 00:25:37.960 gonna tell you stuff I'm not I'm not an expert on this, so okay, 341 00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:40.720 but but it's in the text I want to at least deal with it. 342 00:25:41.160 --> 00:25:44.880 The question that has often asked about this text and others like it is, 343 00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:51.240 are there still demons today and, if so, do we need those 344 00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:55.000 who can cast them out? Now, as I said, I'm not the 345 00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:57.519 expert on this and I don't think Sunday morning is the best way to give 346 00:25:57.519 --> 00:26:02.119 a theological treatise on some thing like this, but I do want to provoke 347 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:07.359 our thinking just a little bit. It does appear that demonic possession was something 348 00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:11.680 very common in the days of Christ and in the Ministry of Jesus we see 349 00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:17.720 it often. Some think that because this was a time when Christ was manifested, 350 00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:22.160 so God was manifested on the Earth in a unique way, that it 351 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:29.400 also provoked the demons and Satan's kingdom to also become more manifest at that time. 352 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:34.240 It does appear also that the UH there are demonic episodes in the book 353 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:40.960 of acts where the apostles also reached these but it might be it seems perhaps 354 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:48.680 less prevalent in regards to that. Some would say that this still exists today, 355 00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:53.160 but because of the limited number of demons and the expanded population that are 356 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:57.920 in existence today, that they're still there, but we don't run into it 357 00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:03.799 quite so often now. Um Not. It's kind of interesting because we run 358 00:27:03.799 --> 00:27:11.799 into Um, characteristics that we would consider to be natural, Um kind of 359 00:27:11.880 --> 00:27:17.200 diseases that are said to be caused by a demon. and Um, we 360 00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:21.799 have things like not being able to speak or mutinous. We have deafness ascribed 361 00:27:21.799 --> 00:27:26.200 to a demon, seizures ascribed to a demon, insanity described to a demon, 362 00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:30.839 deformity described to a demon in the Gospel accounts. Now, please hear 363 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:34.079 me very carefully. One thing I want to make a couple of things really 364 00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:37.400 clear in this, because I'm gonna Muddle the other things. But these things 365 00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:41.200 you need to be clear on, and that is not everybody who has those 366 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:45.559 conditions has a demon. Okay, if we, I don't know who does 367 00:27:45.640 --> 00:27:48.880 or if they do. But but you can't say what. That person has. 368 00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:52.400 Has Deafness, so they must have a demon, because the guy in 369 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:56.319 the gospels had a demon. No, we can't. We cannot do that 370 00:27:56.480 --> 00:28:00.319 at all. We cannot say that, and so we we want to be 371 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:06.480 careful on that. And again, not even all those who had those conditions, 372 00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:10.920 even though at times it is ascribed to demonic, other times it is 373 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:15.720 not ascribed to that. So we have to look at that scripturally. And 374 00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:21.440 the second thing I want to make absolutely clear to you is I firmly believe, 375 00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:26.640 and the Bible teaches, no Christian can have a demon, no Christian 376 00:28:27.000 --> 00:28:33.000 can be possessed. The Holy Spirit and an evil spirit cannot dwell together in 377 00:28:33.079 --> 00:28:37.160 one now I used to believe them. I used to believe that Christians could 378 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:40.799 be demon possessed, and so I believe that I had a demon. Um, 379 00:28:40.920 --> 00:28:44.559 and so I went to a guy who was known to be able to 380 00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:48.200 cast demons out of Christians, and so I went to him and Um, 381 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:52.720 he uh, he cast this demon out of me, I guess, Um, 382 00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:56.599 and for three days I had like a euphoric experience after he cast this 383 00:28:56.640 --> 00:29:00.480 demon onto me. But then things change back to normal. Now you might 384 00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:03.319 think, well, yeah, pastor, because you left your house empty, 385 00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:07.119 swept and Garnage, so the demon came back because you hadn't put anything in 386 00:29:07.160 --> 00:29:11.839 there. Well, Um, but there is no example in the Bible anywhere, 387 00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:15.200 no teaching anywhere that would ever lead to the idea that the true believer 388 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:18.680 could ever have a spirit, not a demon. That could not happen. 389 00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:25.240 Now it's certainly not inspired scripture, but Martin Luther's great him says, the 390 00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:30.759 Prince of darkness. Grim we tremble not for him his rage. We can 391 00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:37.599 endure for low his doom is sure. One little word will fail him. 392 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:41.480 Well, the question is, if indeed there are still demons around, do 393 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:47.599 we need people in the church that can cast them out? John MacArthur says 394 00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:51.960 after Jesus and the apostles passed from the scene, the only way to be 395 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:56.279 delivered from demons is through saving faith in Jesus Christ. Now, Reverend MacArthur 396 00:29:56.319 --> 00:30:03.279 has been very good about highlight in the excesses of the charismatic movement, but 397 00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:07.920 I don't know that I agree that he has scripture, uh, to back 398 00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:11.599 up what he says there. And I'll just say in my own life there's 399 00:30:11.640 --> 00:30:15.839 been a couple of instances where I have met things that are very, very 400 00:30:15.880 --> 00:30:21.039 suspiciously like things I read in the Bible and I had my very great questions 401 00:30:21.079 --> 00:30:25.640 about what was going on there. And I don't know, I don't know. 402 00:30:25.960 --> 00:30:27.240 So what am I telling you that I believe? I guess. I'm 403 00:30:27.240 --> 00:30:32.000 telling you I don't know. Um, I'm not sure. It's it's something 404 00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:36.200 that in fact, my my son was preaching his PC church here a few 405 00:30:36.200 --> 00:30:38.200 weeks ago and and he called me to ask me what I thought and I 406 00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:41.880 said I don't even know. Um, I don't know what to say. 407 00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:45.240 I'm not sure. It's a difficult question. But so I say you have 408 00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:51.119 your pastor here and you can always ask him after sabbatical was over. Um. 409 00:30:51.240 --> 00:30:53.440 But we want to know it here also as well, that what Jesus 410 00:30:53.480 --> 00:30:57.759 does, what he teaches, the Kingdom of God. And what is the 411 00:30:57.880 --> 00:31:02.240 Kingdom of God? There's there's different you can run into all kinds of different 412 00:31:02.240 --> 00:31:06.559 definitions of the Kingdom of God, but I think the simplest and best definition 413 00:31:06.599 --> 00:31:10.000 of the Kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God in the hearts 414 00:31:10.039 --> 00:31:15.160 of God's people. That is the Kingdom of God, and of course it 415 00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:18.039 can mean the church, you can mean the kingdom we're praying for in the 416 00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:22.799 Lord's prayer. But the important point is, is the Kingdom of God ruling 417 00:31:22.839 --> 00:31:27.319 in us? Is it reigning in us? Is Jesus reigning in our life? 418 00:31:27.440 --> 00:31:32.039 That's the important question about the Kingdom of God. Is He for sure? 419 00:31:32.119 --> 00:31:34.200 Can you say yes, I have made him the savior and the Lord 420 00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:37.119 of my life. He has changed my life, he has come into me 421 00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:41.319 and the Kingdom of God has established in me and he is my Lord and 422 00:31:41.400 --> 00:31:45.759 my God. That is what's important. Even the demons confess he is the 423 00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:49.119 holy one of God. So don't let the demons make a confession that you 424 00:31:49.160 --> 00:31:55.799 won't make, but make that this morning, that Jesus is indeed the Lord 425 00:31:56.000 --> 00:32:00.000 of our lives. And then we learned, as I said, that had 426 00:32:00.039 --> 00:32:07.680 authority over everything that he came in contact with in his life. He had 427 00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:13.079 authority and his preaching, Authority over demons, authority over sickness, and this 428 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:15.920 was true not only then when he was on the earth, but it remains 429 00:32:15.960 --> 00:32:21.519 to our day. He still has authority over everything. There is nothing in 430 00:32:21.559 --> 00:32:25.839 our lives we encounter that Jesus doesn't have authority over we saw earlier. He 431 00:32:25.880 --> 00:32:30.279 had authority over temptation, he has authority over demons, he has authority over 432 00:32:30.359 --> 00:32:35.480 sickness, he has authority over sin, he has authority over death. And 433 00:32:35.559 --> 00:32:42.880 First Corinthian Paul says the last enemy to be destroyed is death. Have you 434 00:32:42.920 --> 00:32:45.799 ever thought about in our Lord's ministry, he as far as we're told by 435 00:32:45.799 --> 00:32:51.759 the Gospel Writers, he encountered three people that were dead and they were all 436 00:32:51.799 --> 00:32:57.759 in various stages of death. Right in uh he went into the home of 437 00:32:57.799 --> 00:33:00.680 Gyrus, the ruler of the synagogue, and he encountered his twelve year old 438 00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:06.640 daughter who had recently, just within probably minutes or hours, had just died. 439 00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:10.559 and Jesus, and some of the most wonderful words uh that he ever 440 00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:15.880 uttered, raises her from the dead as well. Then, secondly, he 441 00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:21.319 comes to a widow of Nane. Now this a son of hers, has 442 00:33:21.359 --> 00:33:24.799 been dead for a while because they're having the funeral procession and however long that 443 00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:30.640 took. But Jesus now encounters this one who is a little further along in 444 00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:36.640 the death process. And Uh, he encounters that and has authority over death. 445 00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:40.480 And then the KUDATA. He comes to Lazarus, who has been dead 446 00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:45.000 four days and they don't even want to open the grave because they're afraid of 447 00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:50.400 the smell and the stench would be there. But four days he has been 448 00:33:50.440 --> 00:33:53.559 there in the grip of death, and Jesus, in three words, says 449 00:33:53.640 --> 00:34:00.720 Lazarus comes forth, come forth, and he comes out wrapped in his grave 450 00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:05.200 clothes. Now, why do you think the Gospel Writers Record this for us? 451 00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:09.280 I think there's, of course, various reasons, but one that I'd 452 00:34:09.320 --> 00:34:15.400 say is the one enemy that probably all of us, at some time or 453 00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:22.039 another, have feared is death. It is something that we wonder about and 454 00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:25.840 we have questions about. It is the last enemy that we're going to face. 455 00:34:28.159 --> 00:34:30.639 The writer to the Hebrew says in Hebrews too, since therefore the children 456 00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:36.000 share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, 457 00:34:36.039 --> 00:34:40.119 that through death he might destroy the one who is the power of death, 458 00:34:40.599 --> 00:34:45.320 that is the devil, and deliver all those who, who, fear of 459 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:52.280 death, were subject to lifetime slavery. In our life we encounter weakness, 460 00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:58.199 we encounter temptation, we encounter sickness, and our Lord shows us he has 461 00:34:58.239 --> 00:35:02.079 authority over all of that, and I'm not saying that means you're always going 462 00:35:02.119 --> 00:35:06.679 to be healed of his sickness. That's still in his providence and his will 463 00:35:06.719 --> 00:35:10.159 as to what he does. But there's still looms out there. Are Mortal 464 00:35:10.280 --> 00:35:15.719 enemy, the last enemy, and that is death. But we need to 465 00:35:15.800 --> 00:35:22.760 understand our Lord has authority over death as well every enemy we face in this 466 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:30.039 life. Our Savior has authority over and we don't face the enemies alone, 467 00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:35.639 but he is with us. And so Paul and that triumphant scripture at the 468 00:35:35.719 --> 00:35:39.840 end of Romans Chapter Eight says. No, in all these things we are 469 00:35:39.880 --> 00:35:44.639 more than conquerors. Through Him we loved us, for I am sure that 470 00:35:44.719 --> 00:35:49.639 neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, 471 00:35:49.719 --> 00:35:53.360 nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor 472 00:35:53.440 --> 00:35:58.760 anything else in all creation we'll be able to separate us from the love of 473 00:35:58.840 --> 00:36:02.239 God in Christ, Jesus, Our Lord. I don't know what you're facing 474 00:36:02.280 --> 00:36:07.320 this morning. Some of you are maybe facing great temptation for something, some 475 00:36:07.400 --> 00:36:12.079 of you may be facing a weakness, some of you may be facing a 476 00:36:12.199 --> 00:36:15.320 sickness. I don't know, but I want to assure you, whatever it 477 00:36:15.480 --> 00:36:22.480 is, Jesus has authority over and however it ends, it ends because he 478 00:36:22.599 --> 00:36:27.440 has deemed it to end that way. But let us put our faith, 479 00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:31.639 in our trust into one who has all authority in Heaven and earth. Let's 480 00:36:31.679 --> 00:36:36.760 pray. Lord, we thank you for your word. Thank you, God, 481 00:36:36.920 --> 00:36:40.119 that you do have authority and Lord, that when we, Lord, 482 00:36:40.280 --> 00:36:45.920 are regenerated by your spirit and when we come to the place, that we 483 00:36:46.039 --> 00:36:51.320 indeed pray that prayer that asked you to be the Lord over our life, 484 00:36:52.000 --> 00:36:58.320 the Lord indeed you come, it's the triumphant king who rules and reigns over 485 00:36:58.360 --> 00:37:04.519 everything. And Lord, that we can do all things through Christ, who 486 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:09.639 strengthens us. And Lord, that you are able to do exceedingly abundantly above 487 00:37:09.719 --> 00:37:14.679 all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work 488 00:37:14.800 --> 00:37:19.679 in us. And so, Lord, we thank you for the Authority you 489 00:37:19.719 --> 00:37:24.440 have shown on earth and the authority that you still continue to wield at the 490 00:37:24.519 --> 00:37:29.079 right hand of the father. And we praise you, God, that the 491 00:37:29.159 --> 00:37:34.280 things we face we don't face alone, but you are there with us, 492 00:37:35.079 --> 00:37:39.239 and we give you praise in Christ name. Amen. Can