He Who Is Not Against You Is For You

For He Who is not Against You is For You

Luke 9:50

FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor

Introduction

A There are a lot of things done in Jesus’ name that He has nothing to do with.

1 Jim Jones, David Koresh...actions of church people, too.

2 Not all church splits, policies, attitudes, spirit glorifies God

3 Jesus’ name is used, but He’s no where around.

B Other times, God’s moving/blessing/anointing us, & we discount the move/blessing/anointing because it doesn’t have a particular brand on it

1 God only moves with/blesses/anoints Baptists!

2 Sadly, many Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, Assembly of God, non-denominational, Pentecostals probably believe the same thing (God only blesses their group).

a Feel threatened by perceived competition

b Maybe feel a sense of self-importance brought on by spiritual arrogance (intellectuals vs. emotionals)

3 14 "Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. Gen 6:14

When I read [Genesis 6:14, about rooms in Noah’s ark] I thought it would serve for a point in the parable… Those who lived in one room did not stand or sit with those who lived in another, but they were on the same ark. So I have sometimes thought, there are our Wesleyan friends, some of them love the Lord; I have no doubt they are in the ark, though they do not occupy the same apartment as we do. There are our Baptist friends, who love the Lord; we welcome them in our room. Then there are our Independent friends, those also love the Lord; they are in another room. And our Presbyterian and Episcopalian bretheren—in all these various sections are some who are called of God and brought into the ark, though they are in different rooms. But, beloved, they are all in one ark.

C A similar thing happened with Jesus’ disciples.

1 And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2 And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. Luke 9:1-2 (NASB)

Given authority & power over all demons & to heal.

a If demons still exist, would Jesus give His followers any fewer weapons to battle the enemy today?

b I believe if you are following Jesus, that anointing/power/ authority over demons & disease is still a weapon against the enemy today.

2 In 9:28, Jesus takes 3 disciples up the mountain & leaves 9 at a base camp (remember what He gave them: authority & power over demons & disease).

Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. Luke 9:28 (NASB)

a The 3 had a moment with God (Transfiguration), the 9 had a fight with each other (pride, greatest, most important, top dog, running the show).

b I believe they were so busy with pride, they couldn’t operate in the authority, blessing, power, Jesus had given them.

c After Jesus & the 3 come down from the mountain, a man told on the disciples!

aa And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, "Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy, 39 and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. 40 "I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not." Luke 9:38-40 (NASB)

bb The boy’s need is to be released (obviously), the father’s need is to get his son healthy.

cc Your people couldn’t do anything for me! Why?

I believe there are two reasons (transitional sentence)

I Out of focus

A Jesus healed the boy & the people were amazed at the greatness of God. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. Luke 9:43 (NASB)

1 What an atmosphere for revival, evangelistic harvest

a Jesus tells His disciples about the cross.

"Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." Luke 9:44 (NASB)

b It should have driven them to their knees, humbled, stirred them-NO!

c Arguing about which of them was the greatest.

2 They were so worried about where they ranked & so unconcerned about how to serve others who needed God (out-of-focus).

a Inward focus (them, maintaining their spot)

b No outward or upward focus

B Instead of focusing on the greatness of God, “Aren’t we great?”

II Spiritually arrogant (John, no 3rd string disciple, speaks in v. 49).

John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us." Luke 9:49 (NASB)