TITLE: AN ELECTRICAL STORM
SCRIPTURE: ST. LUKE 10:17-18
I promised Rev. Luther Kitchen that I would give him a tag-line for this mornings message. We looked at a portion of this scripture text this past Tuesday evening during our A.M.E.N (men’s ministry). We had a time; brothers, if you have not placed this ministry on your calendar for attendance, I encourage you to do so. You are missing a treat and a great opportunity to further our understanding of the Word of God. PPWC you need to know the men of this church are committed to become Spiritually Strong by learning more about God. This will make us better – HUSBANDS – FATHERS – MEN – LEADERS.
This is an exciting passage of scripture that we will examine. Many times we fail to remember that, according to Scripture, Jesus did have more than 12 disciples that followed him. Remember what Jesus said in ST. JOHN 10:16 “AND OTHER SHEEP I HAVE, WHICH ARE NOT OF THIS FOLD: THEM ALSO I MUST BRING, AND THEY SHALL HEAR MY VOICE; AND THERE SHALL BE ONE FOLD, AND ONE SHEPHERD.” The spirit of this verse is found in our text this morning as we find Jesus encountering 70 of His disciples that just returned from witnessing throughout the region.
• We don’t know how long the seventy were gone
• We don’t know where they went
• We don’t know how people responded in each place
• But we do know that VS. 17- reports the high spirits they returned in
• The disciples were overjoyed that they have been used as instruments of God’s power
When Jesus sent out seventy of His disciples to PREACH and HEAL, they returned EXUBERANTLY to report that even the demons were subject to them in His name. They should not have been so surprised, however. Jesus informed them that in His PRE-INCARNATE state, He had witnessed a very revealing demonstration of the Father’s supreme power over Satan: When the all-powerful God decreed Satan’s expulsion from heaven, Satan could not resist.
• Jesus chose the metaphor, like lightning, to emphasize the speed with which Satan fell
• He fell, not like molasses, but like lightning
• He didn’t fall like a leaf from a tree or a rock from a cliff – but like lightning
• Satan was in heaven one second, and in the next—BOOM!—just like that, he was gone!
• Just like AN ELECTRICAL STORM – one second the flash of lightning is there, next second it is gone
If God can so quickly and easily expel Satan himself, it should have been no surprise that His commissioned servants could also quickly and easily EXPEL DEMONS. When it comes to Demon Possession, I believe the average Christian is Fearful. Matter of fact most Christians prefer not to even believe in Demon Possession by saying this is Old Bible Stuff and certainly not prevalent today. Previously, those 70-disciples possessed great respect for the horrible power that demons exercised over their victims, but now they had witnessed a far greater power, causing their joyful amazement.
• How some of us need this same revelation today
• Too many Christians have a great respect for the perceived power of the devil and have not yet grasped that God’s power is far, far, far greater
• Too often we recognize devil in our testimony before recognizing Power of God
• God is the Creator, and Satan is only a creation
I am sure you can tell already, that we will be dealing with a subject today that we are VERY FAMILIAR WITH and on the other hand, FREQUENTLY, WOEFULLY IGNORANT OF. One of Satan's masterstrokes of deception has been to succeed in getting most of the world educated to believe that he doesn't even exist—that he is merely used in the Bible as a SYMBOL or a FIGURATIVE EMBLEM to explain the presence of evil. But the Bible, on the other hand, shows him not only to exist, but also to be the chief of a huge army bent on destroying God's plan.
We must not take him lightly or for granted. According to an article entitled “Dare to Dream Again”:
• He is your worst nightmare
• He is more cunning than a serial killer, more dangerous than a terrorist, and more powerful than all the armies of the world, combined
• He is sneaky, underhanded and covert
• He is the demise of many a good man, woman, and nation
• He is very good at what he does
• In fact, he’s the best
• He’s a killer, a liar and a thief - but most people never even know they’ve been taken by him
• He’s stolen your self-esteem, damaged your relationships, and crippled your walk with God
• He’s been in your house, in your car, in your bedroom, and in your heart
• He fights dirty, hits below the belt, and doesn’t play by the rules
• He has one goal in life: to destroy you and everything you love and hold dear
• And he won’t stop - until he sees you burn in hell – forever
• What is his name?
• He is called Lucifer or Beelzebub, the ruler of darkness, the prince of this world
• He is called Belial, Abaddon, and Apollyn
• He is called “the god of this age”
• He is our accuser, our adversary, and our enemy
• He is referred to as ‘the serpent’, ‘the tempter’, and ‘the Evil One’
• He is ‘the angel of the abyss’, ‘the prince of demons’, ‘the ruler of the kingdom of the air’
• He is the devil, and his name is SATAN
Aren’t you glad to know that satan is no match for God. There is no comparison between God’s power and Satan’s power. Satan cannot even struggle against God’s great power, as Jesus so aptly put it - “I SAW SATAN FALL LIKE LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN.” It was just like An Electrical Storm. A quick flash and it was gone.
So here are 70 jubilant disciples who have returned with joy and excitement. Many exciting things happened during their witnessing ministry – obviously more than they expected. They had an expectation but not at such a Magnitude. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we as Christians had expectation that God would use us to advance his Kingdom? These followers of Jesus made the journey and followed the instructions that they had received in advance from Jesus.
• They visited hostile places and survived
• They visited receptive places and were well treated
• They healed the sick along the way
• Most excitingly – they had power over demons
• They did things many regarded extremely difficult or even impossible
Demon possession was regarded the most difficult form of sickness, as it still is today. But here is the KEY, my brothers and sisters, in JESUS name they could do that which rarely happened. Can you imagine what a sense of power they must have felt? Can you feel their sense of excitement when they said “LORD, WE WERE UNSTOPPABLE! WE REALLY DID SOMETHING SPECIAL!” They looked at the Savior and said IN YOUR NAME we were able to do all of this.
• We have such a lack of power today because we want to use our own name
• We have such a lack of power today because we want to use everyones name but Jesus
• We want to use the name of our Titles
• We want to use the name of the Church we attend
• We want to use the name of the various Conferences we attend
• We want to use every name except for the name of Jesus
It is a bad day for the devil when a Christian discovers their authority through the name of Jesus. It is a great day for the Church and for the work of God when one more Christian takes up that authority and steps into a new realization of who they are through Jesus.
Let me tell you church if we had to fight against the devil without God on our side, we would not stand a chance. We are equipped through the power of Christ. It is more significant than simply using the name of Jesus. Look with me at ACTS 1:8 “BUT YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER, AFTER THAT THE HOLY GHOST IS COME UPON YOU….” Without the Power of the Holy Ghost operating in us we don’t have the power to cast out demons in Jesus name. It is that Power, married to name of Jesus that sets the devil to flight.
• Lest we be deceived, we set him to flight for only a season
• He will be right back
• It takes the Power of Holy Spirit in us
Do you mind if I spend a minute to PRESS MY CLAIM? - ACTS 19-13-17
Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
14And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
16And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
These seven boys, sons of the Chief of the Priests, had seen and heard of the miracles God was doing through Paul, and assumed that Paul was doing the miracles himself. So naturally, because he was just a man, and they were just men, they thought they could do anything Paul could do, and become famous also – even their motives were incorrect. The devils spoke out of the person, using his vocal chords. They heard the sons refer to Jesus and Paul. So it looks like these men TRIED GETTING THE BENEFITS WITHOUT HAVING GIVEN THEIR LIVES.
So, these 70 Disciples of Jesus had it right when they said in your Name did we send the devil to flight. Sometimes you hear the argument that miraculous powers were reserved to Jesus and his Apostles, and when the last Apostle died, miraculous powers died out, since they were for another age in order to establish the faith. Now that the New Testament is written, these teachers contend, WE DON’T NEED MIRACLES, and that is why we don't see them in our day. Unfortunately (or fortunately!) neither the Bible nor church history over the last 2,000 years support this. Certainly, Apostles were known for their signs and power, but miracles were seen among other disciples and preachers in the New Testament age. The Early Church Fathers are peppered with credible accounts of miracles. And if some of the accounts in the Middle Ages and in our own day seem a bit far fetched, many others are sound, credible, factual, authenticated accounts of God's miraculous power.
Listen again to words from these 70 -- LORD EVEN THE DEMONS ARE SUBJECT TO US IN YOUR NAME. Jesus now needs to focus their attention to ensure they understand this spiritual realm in which we walk. Jesus response was somewhat challenging - You would think Jesus would have Commended them for a Job Well Done - You would think Jesus would have given them a Pat on the Back - You would think Jesus would said, You Guys are Really on the Ball -- “I SAW SATAN FALL LIKE LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN.”
• Like a great lightning bolt streaking out of the sky
• This brilliant angel, shining with all of his glory
• Glory that had been given to him by God and he was cast to the earth
• Where did he fall?
• He fell right where we are and now we have to deal with him
Lucifer is one of three archangels mentioned in Scripture. He was created by God just as all angels were, but his role was different from the other angelic hosts. Lucifer was referred to as the 'covering angel.' Just as the cherubim covered the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant, Lucifer was established by God to be the angel of worship.
• One whose ministry surrounded the heart of heaven
• Lucifer was created to dwell eternally in the throne room of heaven
• In the very presence of God
To dwell in the awesome presence of a perfect and holy God, Lucifer had to be perfect. There was nothing ordinary or plain about his appearance. Adorned with gold and precious stones, he truly fit the name, 'SON OF THE MORNING.' He was a step above the other angels, not only in appearance but also in intellect. Lucifer's wisdom far exceeded that of other angelic beings. He understood the ways of God. But Lucifer's splendor and beauty did not last forever. While ministering, he began to consider his OWN POSITION of PROMINENCE. Lucifer became prideful, believing that he deserved more than what he already had. He wanted to become like the Most High.
• When we begin to think God owes us something
• When we begin to think we Deserve more than what God has already done for us
• Pride enters – PRIDE GOETH BEFORE DESTRUCTION
Lucifer had – WISDOM – BEAUTY – ABILITY – PERFECTION - and yet he wanted more; he wanted to be worshiped like God. But God does not share His glory, nor does He permit another to receive worship.
• So before Lucifer had a chance to make his move, he was removed from the presence of God
• Cast out of heaven like a bolt of lightning
• Lucifer was stripped of his beauty, his position, and his rights to heaven
• Satan's constant attempt ever since has been to oppose the mighty plan of God
• He even went out to tempt Jesus to sin and worship him
Jesus response to his 70- disciples was to take care to ensure they did not end up like Lucifer and begin to think that they had the power instead of Christ. I believe it was KING DAVID that said it best - PSALM 62:11 “GOD HATH SPOKEN ONCE; TWICE HAVE I HEARD THIS; THAT POWER BELONGETH UNTO GOD.” Even David and all that God had blessed and given unto him. King David realized it all belonged to God.
• If we are not careful we think we have accomplished all that we have on our own
• If we are not careful we begin to Pat Ourselves on the Back
• If we are not careful we will remove God from the Equation
• Look what I have Accomplished
• Look at What I Have Become
This is what Lucifer tried to do – Remove God from the Equation -- REVELATION 12:7-10 -
7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
--Satan was cast out of Heaven just like lightning
--In the midst of a storm lightning strikes quick
--That’s how fast satan was cast down to the earth
--Jesus told the 70 disciples – I Saw Satan Fall Like Lightning From Heaven
--Jesus did not say I fought Satan and cast him out of Heaven
--He said “I SAW”
--Well Lord, why didn’t you participate in that War in Heaven
--Michael and the angels fought
--Just beyond that Lightning that fell, I saw Calvary’s Cross
--Victory would be won not in the battle but on the Cross
--Michael and Angels fought battle in heaven - Jesus will win the War on the Cross
--After Calvary there would be An Electrical Storm
--Every time my people feed those that are hungry - diminishes the power of Satan – An Electrical Storm
--Every time you visit those that are in prison – diminishes the power of Satan – An Electrical Storm
--Every time you help your brother or sister in need – diminishes the power of Satan - An Electrical Storm
--Every time you visit those in the hospital, nursing homes – diminishes the power of Satan – An Electrical Storm
--Every time you Preach the Word – diminishes the power of Satan - An Electrical Storm
--Reminded Satan that he fell from heaven just like Lightning
--When I love my enemies - An Electrical Storm
--When I pray for those that persecute me and say all manner of evil against me - An Electrical Storm
