CATLETTSBURG SOUTHSIDE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
AM MESSAGE
SUNDAY- FEBRUARY 23, 2014
SERIES: “LOVING PEOPLE INTO THE KINGDOM”
SERMON IV
TEXT: LUKE 10:17-21a
OPENING STATEMENT
This is the last Sunday in a series that we have been preaching through the month of February about “Loving People into the Kingdom.” Sub-title, “Don’t Just Go To Church But Be The Church.”
REVIEW
First Sunday we looked at the story of the Good Samaritan found also in Luke 10.
Second Sunday we looked at Jesus Mission Statement found in Luke 4, His first sermon He preached when He declared that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him and had anointed Him to:
• Preach the gospel to the poor
• To heal the brokenhearted
• To proclaim freedom to the captives
• To recover sight to the blind
• Set at liberty those that were oppressed
• To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord or what was known as the Year of Jubilee.
• The key to that sermon was this, “Jesus looks at people with compassion.”
Last Sunday night we looked at two of Jesus Parables, in fact they are the two shortest parables that Jesus told; the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Parable of the Leaven, found in Luke 13.
Jesus teaching that it is not always the big things that matter. Bigger is not always better. God sees little things that are done with the right motive than the big things that are done for vain glory.
Location or size of service has little to do with how God measures our service. Obedient service is always in response to what Christ has already done for us.
Our small acts of compassion are in reaction to Christ’s redemptive actions at the cross.
TEXT - LUKE 10:17-23
BACKGROUND
THE SEVENTY SENT OUT
Jesus has sent 70 disciples out to visit every city and place where He Himself was about to go.
The ordination for these 70 disciples to be honest wasn’t very encouraging. Jesus made statements to them like:
• You will drive a new Cadillac?
• You will live in a great big mansion with an air conditioned dog house?
• You are going to be rich and have everything you want?
No! That is not what Jesus said at all.
• I am sending you out like lambs among wolves
• Don’t take anything extra with you like purses, suitcases or extra shoes. Some of you ladies would be saying, “Oh wait just a minute.”
• Don’t get attached to people along the way.
• Stay with the people who receive you and eat and drink what they set before you.
THE SEVENTY COME BACK
When the 70 came back they are pumped. They are into this ministry.
VERSE 17
“Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."
They were probably whooping and hollering, excited, talking about all the things that had happen on their evangelistic crusade.
TAKE HOME TRUTH #1- FAITH WITH GOD’S POWER MAKES AN IMPACT!
Jesus said something to them, which has always bugged me until I prepared for this sermon.
VERSE 18
“And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
Jesus is saying I saw more than you saw. Jesus is saying, I saw the battle going on in the Heavenly Realms.
ILLUSTRATION
How many remembers when we had Steven Manly for revival a couple of years ago and we spent a month talking about the Heavenly Realms?
Paul writes much in the book of Ephesians about the “Heavenly Places” or the “Heavenly Realms”
Paul mentions the Heavenly Places or Heavenly Realms four times in his Ephesians’ letter.
Ephesians 1:3
Ephesians 1:20
Ephesians 2:6
Ephesians 3:10
• It is where all the battles are fought this morning.
• It is why when you start coming to church with your family disunity sometimes sets in.
• You are running late and you can’t find the kids shoes. Sometimes you can’t find the kid.
• The devil starts long before you ever get here to fight in the heavenly realms against you.
• While I am preaching in the principalities and powers of the air there is a battle raging.
• One minute your mind is on the service and the next minute you are wondering how big the line is down at Golden Corral right? Wonder if the Baptist church is already down there? Wonder if we get there before the Pentecostals?
Jesus is saying, you are rejoicing because the devils are subject to you, but if you could just see what I saw. If you could just see what was going on in the spiritual realms. “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
My friend let me tell you, Satan has power but he does not have power over our God. Jesus is saying to these disciples when you were out doing the work that I sent you to do, I saw Satan falling.
I want you to help me preach this morning, every time I point to you, and I want you to in unity to say, “SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!”
• When you hear of prayer being answered like we heard this morning, SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!
• When you hear of foster parents taking children out of unfavorable conditions and praying over those children and prayers being answered, SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!
• When a church decides we are not going to sit by and be passive any longer but we are going to take a stand in our community, SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!
• We have a church in Martin County, the Turkey Creek church that has started a weekly prayer meeting about the drug problem in their community, when a church bombards heaven in united prayer against sin, SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!
• When an individual comes to Christ, confesses and repents of their sin and starts a brand new life in Christ, SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!
• When any Christian decides I am not going to be bound down any longer by the weights and the sins that so easily besets me but I am going to lay them aside and look to Jesus the author and finisher of my faith, SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!
• When the church serves others with a heart of love. SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!
• When we decide to forgive someone who has wronged us rather than hold a grudge, SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!
• When we live a life of putting others needs in front of ours and living a life in God’s marvelous adventure of faithful living, SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!
• When any family couple decides we are not going to let the devil have our marriage. SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!
• When any generation of believers rises up and declares we are not going to let the devil have our kids but we are going to claim them for God. SATAN LOSES HIS POWER!
It is time the church gets off of the defense and goes on the offense.
It is time we quit being passive and start being proactive
HERE IN LAYS A TRUTH I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS MORNING.
TAKE HOME TRUTH #2- FAITH PUT INTO ACTION WITH GOD’S POWER KNOCKS SATAN DOWN.
19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
God will give a church that responds in faith everything they need to overcome the power of Satan. This doesn’t mean we handle snakes and scorpions. Snakes and scorpions is not the center focus of this verse, “THE POWER OF THE ENEMY” is the center focus of this verse.
Jesus saying, you react and respond in faith and I will give you power over the enemy.
Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Then on down in verse 35, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Then Paul gives a list: This morning can you help me preach again? Every time I point to you this time in unison, just say “NO!”
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall…
• Tribulation
• Distress
• Persecution
• Famine
• Nakedness
• Danger
• Sword
Verse 37- “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
The greatest thing to rejoice about this morning is being a Christian. Jesus is saying, I know you are thrilled about the devils being subject to you, but that is not the greatest blessing. The greatest blessing is:
• Your name has been written down in Heaven.
• You are registered as one of God’s own
• Jesus said the real reason to celebrate is this, “we belong to Him!”
I HAVE GIVEN YOU TWO TAKE HOME TRUTHS THIS MORNING!
TRUTH #1- FAITH WITH GOD’S POWER MAKES AN IMPACT
TRUTH #2-FAITH PUT INTO ACTION WITH GOD’S POWER KNOCKS STAND DOWN
HERE IS THE LAST AND FINAL TRUTH THIS MORNING
TRUTH #3- FAITH PUT INTO ACTION BRINGS GOD JOY
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit
In the Gospels, we see a lot of the emotions of Jesus while He was hear upon the earth.
• We see Him sometimes when He was angry.
• Sad
• When He was at the tomb of Lazarus He was overwhelmed with grief
• When He was in the garden He was filled with anguish
• But in this scene we Jesus rejoicing.
I like the song Mark Lowery sang several years ago, “I See Him Laughing”
Here you could put that image, “It makes God rejoice when faith is put into action.
CONCLUSION
On Wednesday nights we are studying the Book of James together.
The word “FAITH” is mentioned 16 times in the Book of James.
5 chapters and the word “Faith” is used 16 times.
We have decided early in the study this, “Faith without works is dead and a dead faith is worse than having no faith at all.”
Some people this morning needs to put their faith into action.
• There are some people here that have put off giving their heart to God for a long time. Today is the time to put your faith into action.
• There are some here that have strayed and waivered from the faith. Your just not as excited about being a Christian as you once were, you need to come and put your faith into action.
• There are some living defeated lives over some sin or some stronghold on your life and you need to come and put your faith into action this morning.
Heads are bowed and eyes are closed pianist and organist is coming this morning.
