Nowadays, we are bombarded with wacky warning messages. There are so many that people have begun collecting them and placing them into books and on websites. Guys, if you buy an Ace Hardward garden hose nozzle there is a message in the packaging that says, "Do not spray water into an electrical outlet. Severe electrical shock could result." If you buy a Murray snow thrower it says, "Do not use snow thrower on surfaces above ground level such as roofs of residences." A Swedish chain saw warns, "Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands." An electric router made for carpenters warns, "This product is not intended for use as a dentist’s drill." So much for that idea!
Ladies, Palmolive dishwashing liquid warns, "Do not use on food."A baby stroller warns, "Remove child before folding." A household iron warns, "Never iron clothes while they are being worn." A toilet bowl brush says, "Do not use orally." Of interest to those of us from Springfield is a blanket from Taiwan that says, "Not to be used as protection from a tornado." Yea, the lawyers must be doing a pretty good job these days! Sometimes I wonder how seriously we take warning messages. We get desensitized.
Which warnings do we ignore?
The other week as tornados were ripping through Springfield, I was sitting at homeworking on my computer and listening to the television. In the distance, I could hear the sirens. But I wasn’t all that concerned. Suddenly, News Channel 20 announced that a tornado had been spotted by Knight's Action Park. That is practically in our backyard, so I went to the window to look outside. My neighbor’s aluminum soffit was peeling offhis roof like a candy wrapper. I told Lara to put on her wedding rings and get the dogs on a leash. But it was only when we heard a roaring sound in the distance that we decided to take complete cover.
What warning messages do you take seriously? Which ones do you shrug off? What do you do when the people you love do not take warning messages seriously? Nowadays we are inundated with silly, frivolous warnings. In contrast, Jesus’ words of warning are of eternal consequence. Now just think about that for a moment.
Warnings of great consequence.
Typically, spiritual warnings are taken the least seriously of all. When a tornado strikes you can see the destruction. Trees are uprooted. Roofs are torn apart. Homes are smashed. Cars are flipped upside down. In some cases, lives are lost. But spiritual devastation? It’s not always as tangible or obvious. You don’t necessarily see it or hear it. Sirens aren’t blaring. Gus Gordon, the weatherman, isn’t freaking out over it. But does that mean spiritual warnings are any less real?
In our text Jesus offers words of warning from an eternal perspective. What we find is that there is nothing more important than submitting to the authority of Christ’s kingdom. There is nothing more important thanhearing Christ’s words and then obeying them. In Luke 11:28 (NIV) Jesus says, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." How seriously do you take Jesus Christ’s words of warning? What parts of God’s word do you hear and obey? What parts do you shrug off? Why?
In our text in Luke 11:14- Luke 12:12 Jesus confronts several areas of a danger for the believer. The goal isn’t to exhaust all the possible applications of Jesus’ words here, because there are many. The goal is to simply hear Jesus’ words of warning and obey them. The first words of warning pertain to spiritual lapses.
Jesus' words on spiritual lapses.
In Luke 11:14 Jesus is accused of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons. In Jesus’ day Beelzebub was a popular designation for Satan. Jesus explains how a kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and how a house divided against itself will fall. It doesn’t make any sense to suggest that Satan would destroy himself. No, the very finger of God was at work in the life and ministry of Jesus. The kingdom of God was overthrowing the lesser kingdom of Satan.
In Luke 11:21-22 (NIV) Jesus likens Satan to a strong man who is defeated. "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils."
Make no mistake about it. Satan is stronger than any of us, but Jesus Christ is greater than Satan. Satan’s stronghold has been thoroughly defeated and Satan has been driven out. If you are a believer you have tasted Christ’s victory over evil first-hand. In Jesus Christ’s name, Satan’s power has been broken in your life. You’ve been forgiven. You’ve overcome evil with good. Your relationships have been reconciled. Your appetites have been put in check. You body has been surrendered to the control of the Holy Spirit. We all have a testimony of how Christ delivered us from the kingdom of Satan. But look out, because Jesus describes what can happen once we’ve been delivered.
After experiencing victory, don't turn your back on evil.
In Luke 11:24-26 (NIV)Jesus says, "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
What a frightening prospect. Jesus comes into our lives and overthrows the strong man, Satan, who has been oppressing us for our entire lives. Jesus then sweeps our houses and puts things back into order. But then the evil spirit that was driven out returns with seven others and gains access back into ourlives.
Jesus is describing someone who after experiencing victory, is once again overcome by evil. But this second time around, the grip of Satan is seven times stronger! I don’t want to give any glory to Satan this morning, but Jesus is warning us here. When a believer is delivered from evil, but then returns to that evil, itrequires seven timesmore strength to deliver that believer the second time around. With God, all things are possible. Christ is infinitely stronger than Satan. That is not the issue. The issue is what Jesus says in Luke 11:23 (NIV). "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters."
Being a part of Christ’s kingdom means submitting to and obeying Christ’s authority. We have a strange way, after coming to Christ, of no longer obeying Christ. Satan is driven out, but our antagonism against Christ’s lordship invites him back into our lives. You should be deeply alarmed if after being delivered from evil, you are lapsing back into that evil. Your condition is becoming worse than what it was initially, and the only recourse you have is to immediately repent and ask Christ to come order your house.
Jesus' words on seeking the sensational.
Jesus next confronts a crowd of people who were seeking miraculous signs from heaven as a condition for whether they’d believe in Jesus Christ’s claim to be the Son of God. In Luke 11:29 Jesus tells them that no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale before being vomited up unto dry land and preaching to the Ninevites, so Jesus would spend three days in the grave before being raised from the grave and ascending to the right hand of God.
Some sensational things transpired in the life and ministry of Jesus, but all of them pale in comparison to the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection from death to life. Jesus staked everything on his own resurrection. By the resurrection, the Father would vindicate Christ’s claims as being the Son of God, the promised messiah, and the savior of the world. We needn’t look any further than the resurrection to believe or trust in Jesus Christ.
You are in a dangerous position if your faith is based on sensational things. Jesus uses the example of the Queen of the South who traveled from afar to listen to King Solomon’s wisdom. Could you imagine being taught by the wisest man the world has even known? Solomon was so eloquent and polished. Jesus also uses the example of the Ninevites, who repented upon hearing Jonah preach. Do you realize that after spending three days in the belly of a whale, Jonah would have been bleached white from the acids alone? Could you imagine the tale he would have told about God sending that storm and the whale and all that? Solomon and Jonah would captivate modern audiences. But Jesus points out that he is infinitely greater than Solomon and Jonah.
Don't base your faith on sensational things.
Our tendency is to seek the sensational while missing the infinite and eternal. We're drawn to signs, miracles, and wonders. We're drawn to polished pulpits, dazzling brilliance on the stage, big buildings, large children’s programs, moving testimonies, the symbols of success, high-impact events, and conferences. We want to feel God!
Friends, all of it is just a flash in the pan. If you are basing your faithon sensational campfire experiences, you are destined for disappointment. Our faith is not to be grounded in the sensational. Itis to be grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is the ultimate proof of Christ’s identity as the Socn of God and savior of the world and it is the only sign God will give. We have to wean ourselves off of the sensational, off os the superficial, and off of the sizzle. Because of seeking the sensational, church shopping can be spiritually lethal. In shopping for the sensational you can completely lose the core and the substance of your faith. What really matters is getting your heart right before God and trusting in Christ’s resurrection.
Jesus' words on being filled with darkness.
Jesus next pushes on our relationship with the light,referring tothe words of truth Christ speaks. In Luke 11:33-36 (NIV) Jesus speaks these words of warning. "No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you."
One of our tendencies, even as believers, is to cover up and even hide Christ’s light. There is Christ’s lightin all its brilliance, blazing in the center of the room. Christ’s light exposes everything in the room and every sin in our lives. The light of Christ convicts us and it calls us to righteousness. The light brings healing into our lives! But the light of Christ isn’t always pleasant. In fact,it can be downright uncomfortable.
When the light of Christ makes us uncomfortable, our tendency is to cover it up or to turn away from it. We stop reading the Bible. We stop listening to Christian music. We stop going to church. We stop worshiping Christ in all his holiness and perfection. We stop praying. We no longer fellowship with other Christians. We surround ourselves with feel-good preachers and touchy-feely Christian literature.
Darkness makes us comfortable with our sin, and that is why we love the darkness! As painful as it can be, we have to love the light more than we lovethe darkness. Day after day, we need to fill our eyes and bodies with the truth of Christ. Christ’s words may be painful at times. They may be overwhelming. They may be convicting. But make no mistake about it; the light brings healing and wholeness. What is your relationship to the light?
Jesus' words on keeping up religious appearances.
In Luke 11:37-54 Jesus confronts religious hypocrisy. Thisrefers toour tendency to put on religious appearances when in reality, our hearts are far from God. In Luke 11:39-41 Jesus describes how the Pharisees cleaned the outside of a cup or dish, but not the inside! Outwardly they looked clean but, inwardly theywere full of greed and wickedness. They were not giving their hearts to God!
In Luke 11:42 Jesus describes how the Pharisees would give a tenth of everything, down to a tenth of their mint, rue, and other garden herbs. They were incredible stewards of their wealth, possessions, and goods.But they were majoring in the minors. They were neglecting justice. They were not showing the love of God. Inwardly, they were cold, unsympathetic, uncompassionate, and hardened.
In Luke 11:43 Jesus describes howthe Phariseesjockeyed for position and clout in the marketplaces and in their religious gatherings. In Luke 11:44 they unknowingly, unconsciously, and recklessly make men unclean before God by virtue of their hypocrisy.
Where are you pretending?
Now let me just pause here for a moment, because we're talking about appearances. And we should ask ourselves, "Is our religion a mask we hide behind? Are we merely actors?" One of the best things you can do for yourself is to read through Luke11 once a month and identity any hypocritical tendencies in your life. Where are you pretending?
You look great in your Sunday suit, but what is in your heart? You are a disciplined steward financially, but do you love God and genuinely love people? You say and do all the right things, but is it coming from your heart? Are you only conforming to the religious expectations of those around you? You are in a position of leadership, you are popular, andpeople are drawn to you. But who is really getting the glory? You hold yourself out as an example to others. Are you doing more good than harm? Just so you know, these questions keep meawake at night. The words Jesus spoke to the Pharisees are the words he would speak to us today.
In Luke 11:45-53 Jesus takes on the experts in the law. The experts in the law loaded people down with rules, laws, guilt, and shame. They were more interested in beating people up than in helping them spiritually. They held up the standard of God’s holiness to crush people, instead of calling them to holiness. They honored the prophets who had been martyred, but sought to kill Jesus. They set themselves up as the experts in all things of God, but stood in the way of people coming to God. They were horribly incompetent! They were blind guides.
Jesus' words on fearing men instead of God.
This last point of warning can serve as a summary. In Luke 12:2-5 (NIV) Jesus says, "There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do not more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him."
Our greatest concernshould beour relationship with Jesus Christ, because Jesus sees the heart. Jesus alone has the power to grant us eternal life or to throw us into hell. No one else has that power except Christ alone. We only have this life to submit to the authority of Christ’s kingdom. We should not only be hearing Christ’s words, but genuinely obeying them. In conclusion, here are some pointers for those caught in the danger zone.
Getting out of the danger zone.
- First, fortify your soul by trusting Jesus Christ. Jesus can defeat any strong man of Satan.
- Second, ground your faith in the simple resurrection of Jesus Christ. Avoid the lure of the sensational, the superficial, the dazzling, and the consumerist church.
- Third, fill your mind with the things of Christ. Look full into Christ’s face, no matter how difficult it becomes. Keep filling your mind with the truth andthe light.
- Fourth, remember that the inside is just as important as the outside. Jesus didn’t condemn the Pharisees' external devotion. He sought to deepen it!
- Last, we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. We only have this life to let Christ order our house and take up permanent residence there.