Part 7 - Matthew 10:5-8 - How To Defeat Your Dragon! Series

Part 7 - Matthew 10:5-8 - HOW TO DEFEAT YOUR DRAGON!

We have been waiting for the movie called "HOW TO TAME YOUR DRAGON" to come out in the cinemas. It is a kids movie about Vikings and dragons. The amount of advertising saying that it was coming was phenomenal. Talk about good marketing! Their target audience is children. Jesus has His own marketing team in Matthew 10:7 and His target audience is the LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL. He tells His disciples to "Go and announce to them (ie the Lost Sheep of Israel) that the Kingdom of Heaven is near."

In the movie "HOW TO TAME YOUR DRAGON" there is a dragon problem. The great Viking leader, Stoick the Vast, CAN'T SAVE THE SHEEP. The Viking leader's son is Hiccup and not exactly a dragon killer, but that doesn't stop him from trying. He invents a net and catches a dragon, but when he takes out his knife he can't bring himself to kill it. Instead he tames it.

Forgive me for the analogy but it seems to me that the world is into trying to TAME THE DRAGON too. Jesus, the Son of God, on the other hand, is into DEFEATING THE DRAGON. In Revelation 20:2 (NLT) it says "He SEIZED THE DRAGON-that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan-and bound him in chains for a thousand years." Some time later it speaks about hell as "...the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons." (Matthew 25:41 NLT) No domesticating any dragon mentioned here.

Jesus is the only one capable of saving lost sheep and it isn't because He is trying to tame the dragon! Far from it! It's about kingdom authority to CAST OUT DEMONS, heal the sick and preach the good news.

The message is simple - "THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR" Your dragon problem is over!

God's son is a King. Kings have authority and people who serve Him are ambassadors who represent Him. Jesus is the King of kings who has given His ambassadors the unique authority to heal the sick and cast out demons as a demonstration that the Kingdom is near. The authority of the King of kings is present to change lives. As I represent Him, He gives me His power and authority to bring healing and wholeness to others. THE SHEEP ARE SAFE, man. All I have to do is listen to and obey my King.

Romans 14:17-19 (NLT) spells out more about this kingdom authority. "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, (ie it's not something physical) but of living a life of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Notice that it comes from God not from our own efforts). If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up."

Now that sounds all sweet and nice doesn't it. But what it is talking about is living a life that brings peace from the marauding influence of the dragon. For me, the Kingdom of God is an inner change brought about by the Holy Spirit which enables me to live a life that pleases God today. It is coming under the authority of the King, submitting to the changes that He makes in me. That involves repentance on my part and that enables me to exercise great authority in Jesus' Name. Mark 6:12 (NLT) says that the disciples "went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil."

This is astonishing! I like their style. Imagine one of these guys walking through a hospital. No problem with not having enough beds then! REPENTANCE FIRST, HEALING NEXT.

What can I take away from this? The principle is simple. I can't help but have a positive impact and influence on those around me as I represent Jesus. As I humbly repent and come under His authority, I can't help but DEFEAT THE DRAGON AND SEE LOST SHEEP SAVED.

We have a dragon problem. God bless you Church as you have victory over the dragon in Jesus Name today.

Pastor Ross