Dealing with the “Spiritual Terrorists” in the church
Deut 18: 15-20; 1 Cor 7: 32-35; Mark 1: 21-28
Intro: In today’s gospel we read about a great move of God that took place in the city of Capernaum. This took place at the beginning of the second year of our Lord’s ministry – what scholars commonly refer to as the “Year of Popularity.” Year one of His ministry was a “Year of Obscurity” and year three was the “Year of Rejection,” but year two was the year when Jesus became popular with the people, and this awakening in Capernaum was the beginning of that popularity. Jesus obviously spoke with authority that the scribes often seemed to lack in their teaching. They (the scribes) obviously had what someone has labelled as “positional authority” that seemed to lack in its ability to satisfy spiritual hunger. “Positional authority without spiritual power leaves churches suffering. It also leaves hurting people unchanged in a world where people need to be healed” .
What happens when Jesus takes over?
- Satan’s kingdom is shaken up- We are told that Jesus taught with authority. Declaring God’s truth without compromise stirred up the kingdom of Satan. Imagine what was going on in Capernaum. Jesus is speaking and acting with divine authority. This, no doubt, got the demons in the city of Capernaum upset. They had people whose lives were given over to sin and immorality people enslaved to alcohol and drugs; marriages falling apart; children disrespecting their parents…Yes, they had things under control . . . Until Jesus started taking over Capernaum. When Jesus takes over, Satan’s kingdom is shaken up.
- Sinners are freed – The Bible tells us that before the day was over, “the whole town gathered” to Jesus. This is something that always happens when Jesus takes over. Now, we are called to be like Christ in this world. And the key to that is allowing the Lord Jesus, who dwells within us through the person of the Holy Spirit, to live His life through us. In other words, if Jesus is going to be free to take over, he must first be allowed to take over in the lives of His people. God’s people must straighten up! During the Welsh revival, Evan Roberts preached a sermon time and again that God used to challenge His people in Wales to “straighten up.” It was called “The four points.”
- You must put away any unconfessed sin.
- You must put away any doubtful habit.
- You must obey the Spirit promptly.
- You must confess Christ openly.
If we really want to see Jesus take over, we must determine who we are and whose we are! Are you a Child of God or a child of the world? Do you belong to the Lord or to the world?
3) “Spiritual Terrorism” encountered-This ministry modelled after Jesus’ preaching, teaching, and prophesizing also has to confront the ugliness of its opposition. Strangely, the ugliness or “spiritual terrorism” is not always found outside but it’s found within the church. There is a spiritual war going on that exists to hinder the work of God. We have our own unclean spirits working to divide the church, “Spiritual Terrorists” who destroy God’s ministry are those who are always arguing, fighting, gossiping and complaining.
The word Mark uses here for ‘unclean’ implies a “desire to be filthy”. To be unclean means to have a desire for filth over that which is holy. Any time we choose to do the wrong thing rather than choose that which is right we desire filth. The good news is that we serve a Jesus who likes to get up close and personal and have direct contact with those people and places that seem unclean. Jesus sought to make the filthy fit for the kingdom. He sought to make the dirty a declaration of God’s love and kindness. Jesus was God’s detergent for a dirty humanity. He reached into the places that other agents could not and would not go. He would reach people that the prophets couldn’t get to, the priests couldn’t get to, and the kings couldn’t get to. And that is what he is calling the church today to do. We are to be the cleansing agents for a filthy world. He wants us to reach those who others will not touch because the world has deemed them unclean.
“I am far within the mark when I say that all armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of mankind on this earth as powerfully as that One Solitary Life“. (Massey Mott Heltzel. The Invincible Christ. Nashville: Abingdon Press).
This statement tells us about the ageless authority of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ is Lord of all! Others may have authority and power. Only Jesus has the power to save people from their wages of their sin which is death (Romans 6:23). The authority of others is limited by time and boundaries as their authority will one day come to an end. But, the authority of Jesus never ends!
No king or kingdom, ruler or dictator, government, organization or individual can ever give us eternal life! No one else has conquered sin, death and the fear of death! God only gave this authority to Jesus Christ! We are powerless and hopeless without Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior! That is why without Jesus we can do nothing (John 15:5)!
Benjamin Franklin once said that “God helps those who help themselves”. But, the truth of the matter is that without Jesus we would be helpless and hopeless. When we as Christians pray we almost always end our prayers saying, “… in Jesus’ name. Amen.” We do that because we know that Jesus is the name of our Savior who saves us from the power of sin. We also do that because we know that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). God’s grace through Jesus Christ is all that we need: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”