Theme: NOTHING SHALL HURT YOU
Text: Luke 10:17-24
Luke 10:19. “BEHOLD I GIVE UNTO YOU POWER TO TREAD ON SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS AND OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY; NOTHING SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU”.
This verse has three important words: Serpents, Scorpions and Enemy; Power and No Hurt. Let me leave with you three themes with you.
1. ADVERSARY
Who is an adversary or enemy? In a given battlefield, identifying an enemy is crucial. Failing to identify an enemy in full can cause to fall victim of an ambush because not able to see them coming. Misidentifying the enemy could also cause a tragic friendly-fire incident, where we may mistake an innocent person, or even a member of our own team, as an adversary.
Can we say all those who do not profess our faith? Are Jews, Muslims, Hindus or Jains or Buddhists or atheist or scientist or ...? Are all those who do not worship with Methodist church?
Illustration: The Secret to Having No Enemies
A pastor preached on "Forgive Your Enemies". After a long sermon, he asked how many were willing to forgive your enemies. About half held up their hands. He was not satisfied so he continued for another twenty minutes and asked how are willing to forgive. The response was 80%. Still unsatisfied, he lectured for another 15 minutes and repeated the question. All responded except an elderly woman of 87 yrs old. Pastor asked the "Why are you not willing to forgive your enemies?". She said "I don't have any" Said the old lady. Pastor said ‘its very unusual. Please come and tell the congregation how a person can live long even without an enemy in the world." She said: "It's easy, go away from them".
Jesus Christ clearly established SATAN as our Enemy. We have enemies within and outside, enemies are invisible and visible. Jesus also affirmed that the enemy has powers. The word all the power of the enemy is very strong and powerful word expressed by Jesus Christ.
Powers of the enemy:
Our invisible and inner enemies are Lusts of the eyes, Lust of the flesh and Pride of the Life (1 John 2:16). They are our enemies within. Attraction towards riches, wealth is unavoidable but beware of covetousness, for man’s life consists not in the abundance of things which he possesses (Luke 12:14). The world teaches to ease, eat, drink and be merry, which are foolish acts according to Jesus’ teaching (Luke 12:19-20). Power of the enemy is to make you worldly and make you to forget the kingdom of God (Luke 12:36,40).
The invisible outer enemy is Satan: Satan bounds anybody with his power in the form of sickness (Luke. 13:16). Satan steals the salvation, steals the word of God, steals holiness, and steals relationship enjoyed with God. He shows illusions and creates confusions in the heart of the believers. Satan was author of first lie and a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). Satan shoots relentless, fiery darts at Christians and wants to chew them up like a hungry Lion (1 Peter 5:8).
Apart from the above invisible internal and external enemies, Jesus Christ taught his disciples about the visible enemies to the Gospel work.
Snakes-Scorpions and Powers:
Snakes have poisons on head mostly. The Scorpions have venom on their stings. Scorpions have eight feet, eight eyes and a powerful sting at the tail. Jesus refers the snakes with Pharisees and Scribes in Mathew 233:31,33 and John the Baptist in Mathew 3:7 calls them as Children of the Vipers. These reptiles refers to the crafty men with malicious mind but moving with you as innocent.
The Snakes and Scorpions are symbolic expressions of our day today struggles and problems; it may refer to the frontal and posterior attacks of the enemies. Some attacks may cause greater damages and some attacks may give lesser effects. Powers of the snakes and scorpions means authority, order, and majority, claims of seniority, popularity and familiarity. Don’t worry about all those things. God is greater than all those things. God can overturn everything in a twinkle of an eye.
The snakes can be interpreted as equivalent to our cruel bosses and people who are above us in our profession. Our team leaders, our section officers, our supervisors, etc, The Scorpions can be interpreted as equivalent to our office assistants, our subordinates, and people at lower cadres. Often we struggle either with snakes or scorpions.
Jews and Christians faced powerful people in the History. Where are those powerful pharaohs of Egypt, Brutal Roman Emperors, heartless Adolf Hitler? What happened to the enemies of Mordecai and Daniel? Just in an overnight things have changed, their powers had gone they are dead and lie on the graves.
Illustration: I had a scorpion sting when I was 11 years old. The poison lasted for few days. Then I had to consume the bitter leaves to remove the poison from my blood.
We lived with 16 vipers in our tiled house in the year 1996. I was serving in a village Church by then. Snakes were in my office and in my bed room. I was exhausted killing all of them. Then I shifted my house. But the power of God prevail all those venomous situations.
Are you worried about your enemies? God is great to change everything in your life, because, we have authority and an advocate.
2. AUTHORITY
Jesus said that I have given you authority rather than give you authority. Authority is already with you, only we need to realize it now.
During the wilderness journey the Israelite rebelled against God. So, God sent serpents among them out of his anger; at the same time he gave them remedies. Moses was asked to make Bronze snake and lift it up; they have to look upon that lifted up Bronze serpent and then they will live (Read: Numbers 21:9).
Our advocate, Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross as Moses lifted up a snake in the wilderness. They had to look upon the snake on the tree to be saved, the same manner; God would save us from all our enemies who are like snakes and scorpions when we look at Jesus Christ. The promise is “NOTHING SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU”.
Deuteronomy 20:1 “When you go to war against your enemies…. I will be with you”. Exodus 23:22 “… I will be an enemy to your enemies…” Here, Jesus gives the assurance and confidence in this year that neither snakes nor scorpions shall hurt you. All their evil devices, plots and plans against you shall not prevail; either they will go away from you or will be no more. No weapon and not tongue (Read: Isaiah 54:17). “For enemy will come as a rushing stream, but the breath of Yahweh will drive him away”. (Isaiah 59:19).
You will soon see that either they would change their nature or they would leave from you. During the Millennium the babes will play with the snakes, the lions will lie down with lambs. The same manner God would change your deplorable conditions to desirable conditions. Our advocate Jesus Christ is present in our life as an Emmanuel and Jesus. He will be our Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah shammah, Jehova Jireh and Jehovah shalom. With him we can do adventures things in this year 2020.
3. ADVENTURES
We are called to win, called to victory called to rule and called to success and glory. So, in this year the promise is you will have power over your enemies and you can do great adventures by the power of God.
Little David killed Goliath was an adventure (1 Samuel 17:49-54). Moses divided the Red Sea like tearing a monster was an adventure (Exodus 14:21-22). Joshua stopped the Sun and Moon for a day was an adventure (Joshua 10:12-13). Samson killed a Lion and caught 300 foxes were adventures (Judges 14:5-6, 15:4). Elijah killed 450 priests of the Baal was an adventure (1 Kings 18:19,40). Daniel living in Lion’s den was an adventure (Daniel 6:16-17), three brothers walking in fire was an adventure (Daniel 3:24-25). Peter preaching in Jerusalem was an adventure.
So, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” are adventures. (Ephesians 6:12)/ Adventures are possible when you Put on the whole Armour of God, and “stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11), and “resist the devil”(James 4:7). Jesus gave powers over all the devils and diseases (Luke 9:1), claim them tonight. Faith changes everything.
You can Overcome:
a. By strong power, that is Prayer must be importunate and strong, with trust and grace (Luke 11:21-22 & Ephesians 6:18 ).
b. By using the Word of God, quote often in the prayers and in the fights: Jesus used the word of God to overcome every temptation (Luke 4:1-12 and Mathew 4:1-11).
c. By using the Blood of the Lamb: Revelation 12:11 Blood is life, blood is security and safety. Blood is powerful and vicarious.
Jesus Says: “BEHOLD I GIVE UNTO YOU POWER TO TREAD ON SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS AND OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY; NOTHING SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU”. (Read the verse before closing and say Amen).
