You know there comes a moment in the night, which happens quickly, when the sun begins to rise and the darkness starts to retreat, that nature joins in and the birds begin to sing and the flowers begin to open and the fresh perfume of the morning fills the air that you can see the world outside again and you know with excitement that a new day has arrived. The light keeps getting brighter and we go into the day refreshed and ready for work.
We have reached that type of moment in the Gospel of Luke. Up until Chapter 9, it has been Jesus who is doing all the ministry of preaching the Good News of the arrival of the Kingdom of God and proving it by healing the sick, raising the dead and casting out demons. Suddenly in Chapter 9 a new dawn arrives and Jesus sends his disciples to work.
As a young person starting out, that first day at work is one of learning the ropes and at the end of the day you are pretty tired having not worked an 8 hour day before. Even though they had success on their first Mission, when the disciples arrived back it was easy for them to let Jesus do the work again and sit back and watch as he did the ministry. But at the end of the that day, he told them to feed the crowd and maybe for the first time they realised their responsibilities in the Kingdom of God.
In order to do the work in the Kingdom of God, you need to know that you have the backing of Heaven. You need to know who Jesus is and the authority delegated to you and then you need confidence to step out in that authority.
Luke 9:18-20
And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”
Peter had been given the spiritual eyes to see Jesus for who he is before anyone else. You have to know Jesus is the Christ of God when you go out in His Name.
You’ve also got to know of the challenges you will face, this work does not succeed without opposition and suffering and that will continue until Jesus comes again.
Luke 9:21-27
And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”
It was around this time that many disciples turned back. In the Gospel of John, John specifically says that was because they found his teaching on him being the Bread of Life offensive (John 6:66). However when you put the Gospels alongside each other in the same timeframes you can see other events going on that led to the many disciples turning back because the Mission was not going to turn out as they had been expecting. Many followers were seeking a political leader who would overthrow Roman rule and provide material benefits (like the free bread from the miraculous feeding), not a spiritual Savior demanding self-denial and sacrificial commitment.
We need to persevere through difficult times with Jesus. When that day arrives and we see Jesus come on the clouds in his glory, we do not want to be ashamed because we couldn’t face the pain and do the work. In order to endure, we need a vision of hope for without a vision, the people perish.
Luke 9:28-33
Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.
What a surreal moment that was to have the curtain pulled back and get a glimpse of Heaven.
But the 3 disciples were half asleep having just woken up from heavy sleep.
When you first wake up you stagger around not really knowing what’s going on. How true that must have been when Peter woke up and saw Jesus transfigured in his glory talking to Moses and Elijah. He must have thought he was still dreaming and just blurts out some nonsense about making 3 tents. I think we’ve all done something like that when we’re half asleep and someone has to bring us out of dreamworld and into reality.
Luke 9:34-36
While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
When a new day dawns, we need to hear the voice of God to bring us clarity for the day. We need to at the beginning of the new day to listen to Jesus before we listen to anyone else.
I hope you remember that before you come to Church and listen to me on Sunday mornings !
Now the second part of today’s message is on spiritual warfare which will be a sub-series for the next few weeks.
Last week we read how the disciples were sent out with nothing but the clothes on their backs to preach the Good News of the Kingdom, heal the sick and cast out demons. Like me, you might feel a bit inadequate in these areas but the Lord has all the resources we need. In our day, more than ever, we need to learn more about spiritual warfare.
For a long time in our generation, the Church lived comfortably in New Zealand. Life continued peacefully and we didn’t have much to contend with as Christians other than to witness to the people around us. The Church had no competition with other religions like Hindu and Muslim. Most of our witnessing was based on winning rational debate with people of no religion on the authenticity of Jesus, evolution, atheism, morality and so on and of being of good character to shine a light and draw people to Christ. Most people we met were living steady lives with similar daily problems to us and encounters with disturbed people seemed rare. Compare that to today. People are living in isolation through broken families, in distress brought on by the media and social media, job losses, explosion of debt, the cost of living, drugs and pornography are mainstream. We have a mental health crisis in New Zealand like never before.
When we think of the doors to the demons that we talked about in the last couple of weeks, looking down the list, would you agree there is more of all of those things in New Zealand today than there was when you were growing up? The Devil is having a field day and is it any wonder when people don’t believe he exists and do the things that open the door to him. The nation has not heeded the warning.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
It is to be expected that as the end of the age draws near that we will see an increase in the intensity of this spiritual conflict. More than ever before in history, I believe all Christians need to learn how to combat the enemy.
In bygone years, we had a few specialised ministers like Bill Subritzky who took care of spiritual warfare, but encounters with the demonic were few and far between for most of us unless we went to a Bill Subritzky service.
I mentioned last week how the Wesley Methodist Church played Onward Christian Soldiers at the ANZAC parade. It was quite funny considering the audience but most of us underestimate the scale of the war we are in which is not limited to a single campaign like Gallipoli or a Global war like World War I, but is in fact Universal.
Ephesians 6:10-13
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
The picture of Satan’s Kingdom is of one that is highly organised and structured. With different rulers and sub-rulers responsible for different areas of their territory.
Paul shows that Satan’s Kingdom extends to places in the heavenlies, into countries and regions (principalities) and governments (rulers, powers and authorities) and without doubt even into organisations.
This statement Paul makes about spiritual wickedness being in the heavenlies is surprising since doesn’t it say in Revelation and in Isaiah 14 that the Devil has been cast down to the Earth?
Revelation 12:10-12
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
Derek Prince explained this by saying that this passage refers to the future and possibly our very near future, during the last 3.5 or 7 years of the age depending on your eschatology since what it really shows is that the Accuser of the Brethren, that is the Devil, is still able to accuse the brethren day and night in the presence of the Lord, that is in the heavens, but he will be cast down and literally all Hell will break loose on Earth.
How is it possible that the Devil is in the heavens? Derek Prince explains this by saying that there are different heavens, pieced together by the following scriptures.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Heavens is plural therefore there is more than one heaven.
Job 1:6-7
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
In Job’s time, Satan had access to God and was able to move between Heaven and Earth and was able to come into the Lord’s presence, possibly unrecognised by the other angels because he is able to transform himself into an angel of light.
Solomon said at the dedication of the temple
2 Chronicles 2:6
But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?
This also indicates more than one heaven and even a highest heaven which can also be heard in
Luke 2:13-14
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Paul also spoke of a 3rd heaven.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
So there are at least three heavens, and Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God in the highest heaven.
Ephesians 4:10
He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
The word all can only be used if there are at least 3. If it was one it would be singular not plural. If it was 2 it would be “both”. But “all” indicates at least 3.
Derek Prince concluded that
• The first heaven is the sun, moon and stars that we see.
• The third heaven is God’s dwelling place
• The second heaven is the heavenly place where Satan dwells.
We know from our earlier study from the letters to the churches that Satan had his throne at Pergamos. The overall picture is that Satan can still move between the earth and heaven during this age.
Derek Prince summised that this would explain why sometimes we have difficulty in our prayers getting through from Earth to God in Heaven because Satan has blocked the way at the 2nd heaven. Daniel gives an intriguing peak into the spiritual warfare that goes on in the unseen realm and shows that our prayers are powerful in defeating the enemy.
Daniel 10:12-13
Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
This is why we need to have the armour of God because he is the only one who has defeated Satan and help us to do so in our daily living.
1. The conflict involves all Christian’s not just a few leaders
2. The conflict is ongoing (even though Satan was defeated at the Cross)
3. When you drive out demons, Jesus said it was a sign that the Kingdom of God has come
Luke 11:14-20
And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Driving out demons established the Kingdom of God. It is impossible to live with your feet in both Kingdoms since the two are in complete contradiction to each other. So the Devil must be driven out of areas he controls. When a person or a group of people get saved, the Kingdom of God takes over and the Darkness is driven out.
Colossians 1:13-14
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
We are not to fear our enemy. The Cross is the most powerful weapon against Satan. He is reminded that he has been defeated once and for all, he cannot be restored back to his previous place at the throne of God.
Colossians 2:13-15
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Satan’s total defeat at the Cross and through the Resurrection is final and one day he will be thrown into the Lake of Fire once and for all.
In summary, we need to understand our enemy and our position in this universal war. We need to prepare ourselves as individuals and as a Church to be equipped for the fight even more so in the time we are living in. We will dig deeper into Ephesians 6 and the armour of God in the upcoming weeks.
Please pray for us as a Church to be strong and ready for battle so that little old Papatoetoe will be established in the Kingdom of God in New Zealand.
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