Sermon – "Know What Manner Of Spirit You Are Of”

Sermon – “Know What Manner of Spirit You Are Of” (Spirit of the Culture or the Spirit of Christ)

Scripture Lesson - Luke 9:51–56 “ And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.”

Introduction - The spirit of a culture is the prevailing attitudes, values, and behaviors around us are exceptionally powerful and almost inevitably spills into the church. Because believers live within a particular society, they are naturally influenced by its spirit before they even walk through the church doors. The disciples of Jesus found themselves under the same pressure.

Luke 9 marks a turning point in Jesus' ministry, shifting focus toward his impending death and the cost of discipleship. Jesus send out the twelve apostles to preach the Kingdom of God and to demonstrate its power through healing the sick and casting out devils. After witnessing and participating in the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, Peter had confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God. Nothing confirmed Peter’s testimony more than the Transfiguration. In describing the event, Peter said, “For we have not followed cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when a voice came to Him from the majestic glory, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we ourselves heard this voice, which came from heaven, when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And we have a more reliable word of prophecy, which you would do well to follow, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of the Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:16-20)

Leaving that mountain-top experience, with a fresh view of Elijah and Moses, the disciples were awed and overwhelmed thinking they were ready for anything. Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem, but desired to go through Samaria on His way. With much enthusiasm the disciples went ahead to prepare the way. How disappointing it was when they encountered rejection in Samaria. They knew that rejection was a part of the high cost of following Jesus. Jesus had prepared them in advance. When rejected, they were to shake the dust from their feet and keep it moving. Yet somehow, it seems like these “Sons of thunder” were following the spirit of the culture.

In Luke 9:55-56, Jesus rebukes disciples James and John for wanting to call down fire on a Samaritan village that rejected him. He clarifies his mission as a ministry to save lives, not destroy them. Jesus wanted His disciples to be different from the culture, different from Elijah of old and even different from Jonah at Nineveh. They must rid themselves of the pain of rejection and the desire for vengeance. They must demonstrate patience in the face of rejection and be willing to move to another village and proclaim the good news.

Rejection, criticism and insult can stir up moments of intense emotions in the strongest Christians. James and John displayed an eagerness to call down divine judgment on the Samaritan village that rejected Jesus. This reflects their misunderstanding of Jesus' mission and an impulsive zeal that was not aligned with the heart of His message. After the Samaritans refused to welcome Jesus, James and John were insulted and asked Jesus to call down fire like Elijah had done.

Elijah had called down fire upon a water-soaked altar, and the fire of God consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and licked up the water. An unbelieving nation declared that Jehovah alone is God. Then 1 Kings 19, Elijah was discouraged, and on the run from Jezebel, and had requested that God take his life from him. He was down and depressed, but not out completely. It appears that though Elijah was discouraged in 1 Kings 19, he had picked himself back up, and was still calling down fire from Heaven right up until the Lord took him home. The ministry can be very discouraging at times, but we must not quit. Later in 2 Kings 1, Elijah calls down fire from Heaven twice and destroys one captain and 50 men that were sent from King Ahaziah to apprehend him. Elijah had previously sent word to the wicked king that his days were numbered, and the king wanted to speak to Elijah personally about it, so he sent an army to get him. Elijah didn’t feel “led of God” to go, so he called down fire and destroyed the army. The king then sends another captain and another fifty men, and Elijah does the same thing. A third captain and another fifty soldiers are sent, but this time they very humbly beg Elijah to go with them and Elijah does so. However, the message to the king does not change and Elijah personally tells Ahaziah that he is about to die.