The Power To Undo

THE POWER TO UNDO

1 Jn. 3:8

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: Back-seat drivers

1. It was a beautiful summer's day and Blake decided to take his wife Emily and his mother Grace for a ride around Hempstead.

2. Grace and Emily got into the back seat of his car and Blake waited until they both buckled their seat belts.

3. Then, almost as soon as he put the car in gear, Emily shouted, "Blake, you're going too slow. Can't you speed up?" After which Grace shouted, "Blake, please slow down!"

4. A little later, Emily shouted, "Blake, you need to keep closer to the curb." And Grace shouted, "Blake, don't you think you are too near to the curb? You might hit it!"

5. Then Emily shouted, "Blake, could you please put on the radio." And Grace shouted, "No Blake. I don't like the radio being on. I want peace and quiet in the car."

6. Finally Blake couldn't keep quiet any longer and said, "Emily, who’s driving this car, you or my mother?”

7. Nobody likes back-seat drivers. But the worst is someone who wants to harm us. Let’s read this morning’s scripture from 1 John 3:8.

B. TEXT

“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” 1 Jn. 3:8, KJV.

C. ILLUSTRATION

1. One of the things I loved to do when I was in elementary school was to write on the blackboard.

2. Whenever the teacher wanted a volunteer to write on the blackboard, I would regularly raise my hand.

3. One of the beautiful things about a blackboard is that if you make a mistake with the chalk, there's always an eraser to get rid of your error.

4. Forgiveness works the same way. It’s the cancellation of something. It is the removal of an error. It is the ability to erase a mistake and start over again.

D. THESIS

1. The Greek word translated “destroy” in the KJV and the NIV is not a word describing tearing things up, but is the Greek word “lu-o” from which we get our word “loose.”

2. It’s translated as “destroy” because that would be better than saying He came to “loose the devil’s works.” The Amplified Version supplies the best meaning when it says,

3. “The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].” Amp. Version.

4. So Jesus came to “UNDO” the devil’s works in our Past; He’s commissioned us to undo the works of the devil in other’s lives.

5. The subject of this morning’s liberating message is: that you have “The Power to Undo.”

I. TO UNDO THE WRONGS IN OUR LIVES

A. TO UNDO OUR PAST

KEY POINT: ALL THAT SATAN TOOK FROM US AT THE FALL OF MAN IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, JESUS RESTORED TO US AT HIS CROSS & RESURRECTION.

1. HE UNDID THE SEPARATION BTW GOD & MAN

a. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve became separated from the Presence of God because of their sin. Isaiah said, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear” (59:2).

b. But when Jesus died on Calvary, God tore the veil – the symbol of our separation -- from top to bottom, signifying that the separation between God and humans had been removed.

c. Adam & Eve never got to eat from the Tree of Life in the Garden, but Jesus promised that we will eat of it in heaven! Rev. 2:7.

2. HE RESTORED OUR STANDING BEFORE GOD

a. Because of the Fall, Paul said we were “separate from Christ…foreigners…without hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12).

b. But because Christ atoned for our sin we can be new creations in Him, Children of the Most High, washed in the blood of the Lamb & heirs of God!

B. SCARS

1. JOKE. In a lot of ways, adults are like kids; we make mistakes and sometimes get hurt.

a. A young boy, Jayden, came into the house covered with mud after finishing a rough day of play. "Mom," he shouted at the top of his voice, "if I fell out of a tree, would you rather I broke a leg or tore my pants?"

b. "That’s a silly question," his mom answered from the next room. "I'd rather you tore your pants!"

c. "Well, I've got good news for you then," Jayden said triumphantly. "That's exactly what happened!"

2. SCARS WE HAVE. My scars serve as mile-markers in my life.

a. On thumb. When I was about eight, I was using a large hand saw when it jumped from the groove and sawed partway through my thumb.