Evil's Diabolical Countermeasure
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Protecting ourselves and our church from satan's diabolical response to the Cosmic Initiative.
Text: Luke 11:24-28
Date: 08/13/2023, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 116
Description:
In the last message we spoke of heaven's "Cosmic Initiative" to describe the military-like mission Christ launched when He took on the attributes of a human and came to earth. We established that He had a twofold purpose: to destroy evil and set the captives free, leading them back to heaven to present to His Father. Jesus made it clear through His "strong man" analogy that His objective was not to negotiate with evil, but destroy it. But satan is diabolically brilliant and quickly developed a nefarious countermeasure. Knowing that he has no power over Christ and His Gospel, he clandestinely established a false gospel fashioned after the external "moralism" of the Pharisees to undermine the integrity of the Christian church. We will study Jesus' simple parable of what happens when moral reformation is used to combat evil rather than a true transformation of the soul in Christ. Ultimately we will celebrate, as Luke in a masterful shift, reveals the only way to protect ourselves and our church from satan's diabolical countermeasure-- by filling our "house" with Christ!
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 11:24-28.
A. Context, Luke 11:23.
B. Two preliminary questions.
1. The persistence of evil, Matt. 24:30, Rev. 20:10, Luke 19:10, John 10:16, Matt. 24:14, Psa. 68:18.
2. The nature of the initiative.
C. Satan's "countermeasure", vs. 24-26, Gen. 3:1, Rev. 6:1-2.
1. The failed exorcism, vs. 24.
a. The nature of the exorcism.
i. A "moralistic" self-exorcism.
ii. A phony exorcism, Luke 11:19.
iii. A true exorcism.
b. A demon without a home.
c. The decision to return.
2. A swept house, vs. 25, Matt. 23:25-26, 27-28.
3. The worse state, vs. 26.
a. The nature of the return, Luke 8:2.
b. Interpreting the meaning, Luke 5:32, 15:7, 18:9-14.
D. Protecting the clean and swept house, vs. 27-28.
1. The blessing, vs. 27.
a. A transitional verse.
b. A typical feminine blessing, Luke 1:41-42, 30-31, 46-48, Gen. 3:15.
c. Integrating the blessing.
2. The application, vs. 28.
a. Defining the blessedness.
b. The indicators, Luke 6:46-49.
i. Looking at the words, James 1:22.
ii. Another switch, John 6:28-29, 1John 3:23.
E. The interpretation.
III. Application
IV. Conclusion, Isa. 59:20-21.
