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“THE COMPLEX GOSPEL”
Luke 11:29-36 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas March 18, 2018 29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.” — Luke 11:29-36, ESV Though we often refer to it as “the simple gospel,” there is truly nothing simple about it. The gospel is complex. It is not only difficult to comprehend, it is impossible to understand. That a remnant of the human race has come to accept the gospel is owed exclusively to the miraculous grace of God. Grace begets faith, and faith comes from hearing the gospel, and in these words from the Lord Jesus Christ you can hear it loud and clear; or, at least loud. The Complexity of People God is not an optimist when it comes to human nature. He was in the garden when we fell (ref. Genesis 3). When He became flesh and dwelt among us, He did not trust us, because He knew what was in us (ref. John 2:24-25). And as Jesus addressed one of the last big crowds He would face before His crucifixion, He called us what we really are: “an evil generation.” This is no simple accusation. It is accurate and complex. The Greek word Luke uses for “evil” means inwardly flawed and/or outwardly bad. Something has happened to us on the inside that makes us selfish by nature and prone to commit deeds that dishonor or disregard God and harm or ignore other people. Theologically, this is known as sinfulness or total depravity. Psychologically, this is called selfishness or narcissism. Sociologically, this is referred to as dysfunction, abuse, racism, sexism, just to name a few. As you can see, it is a complex problem and the problem is the people, us, one “evil generation” after another. This dark canvas provides the background for some enlightening good news. In spite of the fact that we are sinful, God loves us and has done something specific and quite complex to forgive, redeem, and save our souls. The Complexity of the Gospel In context this crowd gathering was an insult to Christ. They demanded a sign (miracle) from Jesus in a bargain for belief. Had He not performed a plethora of signs and wonders in front of them for three years running? Yet they still did not believe. So He gave them a sign, alright, but not the one they were expecting. The sign Jesus gave is the gospel, but the gospel He gave is complex, both pulling from the past and pointing to the future. It is simple enough on the surface, for the sign Jesus gave is the fish. Pulling from the past, Jesus invokes images from the Old Testament fish tale called Jonah. The reluctant prophet spent three days in the grave-like belly of a great big fish, only to be spit out on the shore for a select preaching assignment in Assyria. “So will the Son of Man,” or the Messiah, said the Messiah Himself. Sure enough, not long after this episode, Jesus would lie in the belly of a grave over a three-day period. That’s the gospel, or at least a prime part of it. Pointing to the future, Jesus presents Himself as the fish. Fish in the Greek of the New Testament is “Ichthus.” From first followers to twenty-first century Christians, the fish and its acronym — Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior — is a simple symbol for the complex gospel. Jesus is the gospel, in all of its miraculous complexities. He is the eternal God, was born from a virgin’s womb, lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death, experienced a bodily resurrection, ascended into Heaven, and will return one day to resurrect every human being from every generation to experience either everlasting salvation or condemnation. Our destiny will be determined by our response to this complex gospel. The Complexity of the Response to the Gospel Responding to the gospel must be complex because of the varieties of opinions on the subject. Most people think no response is necessary, since if there is really a God, He is a big, nice man or woman who would never judge, punish, or condemn anybody. About half of professing Christians, according to modern day polls, say no real response is really necessary, either, because the road to Heaven is traveled by just being a good person. Catholics say seven or so sacraments must have their i’s dotted and t’s crossed to escape hell, skip Purgatory, and cross over into Heavenly bliss (admittedly this is a simplistic understanding of complex Catholic doctrine). The Protestants of my early experience stressed their own sacraments of walking an aisle during the emotionally charged ending of a service, repeating the sinner’s prayer, and signing a card pledging to be a good church member. I’m not sure if this is complexity or confusion. Jesus answers this question, once again, by going to the Bible, a simple and complex gesture. He appeals to the Old Testament, once again to Jonah and also to the Queen of Sheba. And, He contributes to the New Testament with His parable of light. Two principles emerge which are often called two sides of the same coin. Wait a minute, are they two or one? This is complex. God requires many things for worship and work in His kingdom. But He only requires two things in one moment to properly enter in. They are repentance and faith. The Ninevites changed their mind about God in response to the gospel preaching of the fish-smelling prophet Jonah. The Queen of Sheba believed in the superiority of Solomon’s wisdom when she heard it for herself. When the light of the gospel is turned on in a person’s mind, heart, and will, it changes them entirely and eternally. The gifting and giving of repentance and faith unto salvation may seem simple but it is more complex and more significant that the discovery of the big bang or the splitting of the atom, for it has eternal ramifications. Oh the simplicity and complexity of the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ! The Complexity of God The gospel is truly complicated because God is true and complex beyond our wildest imagination. He is three and He is one. He is Father and Creator, Son and Savior, Spirit and Regenerator. God the Father has chosen every person who will ever be born again before they were ever born. Jesus bore our sin on the cross and imputes His righteousness to the elect. The Holy Spirit comes in, changing the heart with the gifts of faith and repentance, so that we can be born from above into the kingdom of God. Amidst all of these complexities are simple truths. You and I are sinners. We are in desperate need of the salvation provided by the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You must choose to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Your free and willing choice, or lack thereof, will simply decide your fate before our complex, almighty, eternal God. It is not a simple gospel, but the simple choice is yours. Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today. Copyright © 2018 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
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THE DANGER OF DANCING WITH THE DEVIL
Luke 11:14-28 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas March 11, 2018 14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.” 27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” — Luke 11:14-28, ESV In the previous passage I admonished you to dance with the Lord as you listen and respond to Him in prayer. Now I want to warn you about dancing with someone else. No, this is not an old school Baptist harangue “agin the dance.” It is a solemn warning against going cheek to cheek with a most dangerous fellow and his followers: the devil and demons. The last mention of demonic possession in the Gospel of Luke merits a long look. It is a matter-of-fact story mixed with a little Christological controversy then punctuated with peculiar praise for Jesus’ mother. All of the words work together to warn us against dancing with the devil and point us to the only thing that can ensure our escape from sharing old slewfoot’s eventual damnable destination. The Devil is Stronger Than Us The devil and demons are not foreign to the Old Testament, but demonology is fundamentally a New Testament doctrine. Of the thirty-four appearances of the word “devil” in the Bible, not one is in the Old Testament and all but one in the New Testament refers to a singular, spiritual, sinister being (the other refers to Judas Iscariot). Of the eighty mentions of one or more “demons” in Scripture, only three are in the Old Testament (referring more to false religion than fallen angels) and sixty-nine of seventy-seven in the New Testament are in the Gospels. Luke leads the way in bringing them into the narrative. So, demonology is fundamentally a New Testament subject and overwhelmingly a study in the Gospels. This is because, in my opinion, the devil and every demon from Hell ascended upon Palestine during the three-year ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan and demons are real, they really hate God and man, they do real harm, and there is really not much most people can do to stop them. Now would be a good time to queue up the scary music from “The Exorcist.” But Luke’s Gospel is no fictional movie, it is the factual account of the interaction between God, devils, and mankind. The weakest link in the chain is us. We are certainly no match for the omnipotence of God and we do not possess the supernatural powers of the devil. James wrote, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (ref. James 4:8). I’m afraid the same is true of the devil. And if a person gets too close, if he or she begins to dance with the devil, the devil or one of his minions will not only lead, he will take control. Demon possession is a Gospel, biblical, and historical truth. In Luke alone, multitudes near a synagogue (ref. 4:33ff), Mary Magdalene (ref. 8:2ff), men living in the Gadarene tombs (ref. 8:27ff), a young man at the foot of the Mount of Transfiguration (ref. 9:42ff), and this mute (ref. 11:14ff) were all possessed by the devil or devils. We do not know exactly what they were doing when the devil came in, but obviously somehow or some way they got too close. Be careful, for the devil is stronger than us. But be hopeful, for Jesus is stronger than the devil. Jesus is Stronger Than the Devil In this and every case, when Jesus encounters the devil, Jesus wins. He casts them out and heals the harm done to the humans. Demons may be stronger than us, but they are no match for the Lord, if you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. Many of the people surrounding this event did not. They had three years to weigh Jesus’ preaching and teaching. They had witnessed His miraculous abilities, on this and perhaps other occasions. They had heard people call Him the Son of God, but they called Him the son of “Beelzebul,” another name for the devil. C.S. Lewis coined the concept that all people must commit to one of three concepts when it comes to Jesus of Nazareth. He was either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. He was either a conman like contemporary televangelists, a madman controlled by the devil himself, or the one and only God-man. Of these three options in this episode, it was obvious by now that Jesus was not getting rich from His ministry. That leaves only two, and as the Lord said so Himself, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (ref. vs. 23). If you by grace repenting and believing in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, you are safe from the enemies of the devil and demons. They cannot possess a temple filled with the Holy Spirit. They can only tempt you, and the Lord is with you to deliver you from temptation. You are saved and you are safe. If you have not been born again through the Spirit and the word and converted into a Christ follower, they you are in grave danger. And, as the next lesson from the Lord allows, you may not even know it. The Devil is Smarter Than Us In the second story Jesus told in this text, devils are so familiar with lost people that they call them, “my house” (ref. vs. 24). Saved people belong to God; lost people belong to the devil (ref. also John 8:44). The devil is smarter than them both, The saved rise above him through the IQ of the Spirit, but the lost remain deaf and dumb (and in this case for a while, mute) to his schemes, two of which are hinted at in this story. One thing the devil does when he comes into a lost person’s life is raise hell. He makes a lot of noise (or in this case, none at all) or motion in some kind of weird way. This gets the attention of Jesus, or some other exorcist, and out he goes. This is the most common way to think of demon possession and is oft demonstrated in the Gospels. But I think this story reveals a second way of demonic possession which is actually most common, because most lost people do not seem that bad. How many people do you know who can turn their head all the way around and shoot vomit a mile away? That’s what I thought. But how many lost people do you know who live relatively normal, clean, law abiding lives? They are everywhere. And that’s where the devils most like to live, in clean houses. They camp out seven-fold. They don’t make too much noise or mess, or else they might get kicked out. Their scheme is to lull their house, their lost person, into a spiritual slumber, a delusion that tricks them into thinking that the devil does not even exist. And, neither does God. This is the most dangerous kind of demon possession of all, and it is all around us. Jesus is Smarter Than the Devil So, what can we do? The woman at the end of this text tells us to just praise the Lord. Praise His mama. Bless His name. Bless His mama’s name. Let’s just turn up the music and praise and bless the Lord, and the devil will go away, right? The devil does not care about our music. As a matter of fact, I think he likes most of it. But there is one think that strikes fear in his heart, one thing that can cast him out, one thing that can take a house of the devil and turn it into a temple of the Holy Spirit. That one thing once again is the word of God, the Holy Bible, inspired by God and written through His providence and the personalities of the human authors, rightly preached and rightly taught. That’s why Jesus, infinitely smarter than the devil or man, concluded, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (ref. vs. 28). I’ve often said that the worst theology I’ve ever heard was in the summary statement, “God votes for you, the devil votes against you, and you cast the deciding vote.” Try that on this text and you’ll see how it does not work. You and I are no match for the devil, the devil is not match for God, and God is sovereign and infinitely greater than all. The only way to defeat the devil is to have faith in and faithfully serve the Lord Jesus Christ according to the word of God. You do have a free and willing choice to make in the matter: You’ll either defeat him or dance with him. Just remember the danger of dancing with the devil and put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. DO-SI-DO
Luke 11:1-13 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas March 4, 2018 1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” 5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” — Luke 11:1-13, ESV The “Do-Si-Do” is a common call in square dancing, not that I’ve learned this from experience. You begin by standing still, then move around your partner, then wind up standing still where you started. The basic disciplines of the Christian life are like this, listening to God and speaking to God. You begin by listening to God, primarily to His word, as beautifully illustrated by Mary in the previous passage. Then, you respond by moving your mind and mouth in prayer to God. Finally, you end where you began, by listening to God, who has promised to speak to us in person. It is a spiritual Do-Si-Do that keeps you in close communion with God through the divine communication of prayer. Prayer (fifty-eight mentions in Luke and Acts) and parables (more in his Gospel than any others) are pillars in the Gospel of Luke. Here he records a model prayer and a meaningful parable to teach us how to listen and speak and listen to God. Prayer as a Response Prayer, very much like worship, is essentially a response to the presence of God. God is omnipresent, so worship and prayer should be ever present in the Christian life. God is always worthy to be worshiped, and God is always available to talk to in prayer. When God became flesh and dwelt among His twelve disciples, Jesus’ teachings and actions were conversation starters for Him and the Apostles. Christ would teach and his followers wanted to know what He meant. Christ would act and his followers would want to know why He did a certain thing, or how they could do it, too. In this case, Christ was praying, and the disciples responded by asking for a tutorial in prayer. Prayer begins with God’s initiative and is fueled by godly curiosity. God speaks, primarily through His word, the Holy Bible. We listen or read the word of God and respond with words of our own, usually questions, because we are curious as to the meaning of the text. We see some activity in the world or in our lives. We know God is sovereign and provident over all things, so we want to know what He is doing or what we should do. So we ask, in prayer. We get up in the morning, which in and of itself is a gift of life from God. We want to know what to do with our days, we want direction, meaning, purpose. The best place to go is to God, in prayer. When dancing through life, let God lead. He takes the initiative in every chapter in the book of your life. Often, however, His teaching is hard to understand or His providence hides a smiling face. That’s when you need to go to Him, face to face, in prayer. Respond to His word, to His leading, with your best speech. Prayer as a Speech Jesus’ response to their response to Him praying was to teach them to pray. Our Lord constructed a model which we Protestants refer to as “The Lord’s Prayer.” Our Catholic friends call it the “Pater Noster” (Latin for “Our Father”). Both of us misuse it often. Protestants tend to be too loose with the prayer (saying it meaninglessly and horribly fast in football locker rooms), while Catholics tend to be too legalistic (prescribing a certain number of repetitions for penance). While it can be and should be used verbatim in personal prayer and corporate worship, Jesus meant it as a teaching, a model, an outline to be fleshed out by His flesh and blood disciples in the discipline of prayer. We use His speech to write our own speech, our own prayer, to God. Every good speech has three simple parts: a beginning, a middle, and an end. Jesus’ model prayer offers structure for the first two, but we have to build the end ourselves (under His leadership and direction, of course). Here are some principles for prayer, according to the Lord: Begin as a child talking to his or her Father and a subject addressing his or her King. Of course, to do so requires being a born again child of God who has submitted to the Lordship of Christ. Though God knows and hears everything, unbelievers cannot actually pray to a God they do not believe in nor a Lord they are in rebellion against. So, prayer begins by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. It is spoken by people who consider God to be the most important being in the universe and whose kingdom matters more than anything else on earth. That’s what it means to say, “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.” By the way, praying should be as casual and easy as speaking with your parents, spouse, family, friends, or anyone to whom you feel especially close. But it also should be formal, reverent, and humble as if you were speaking to a U.S. President (that you respect) or other VIP. Sometimes it is more one than the other, depending on the setting, but it’s really always a combination of both. I think of worship in the same way. Now that you’ve made a beginning, get to the body of your prayer. You and those you pray for have material and spiritual needs. Tell them specifically to God. Ask with a clean heart, especially clean from the sin of revenge or hatred. Ask not only for things but for guidance, for God to put guardrails along your path to steer you away from bad choices and bring you to His more perfect will. That’s what it means to say, “Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” By the way, I like the way Luke uses the word “sin,” whereas Matthew takes the metaphor, “debt.” Sin is a debt to be sure, but I like to call sin a sin, especially when I’ve done it and am confessing it to God. Unconfessed sin is a barrier to prayer and fellowship with God, so prayer should serve to get it out of the way. Once we’ve made a beginning in prayer and communicated the body of our requests, it is time to bring it to a conclusion. That’s what it means to say, “For Thine is the power, the kingdom, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.” Wait a minute, Jesus did not say those words, at least not in this episode. Luke did not record it, and neither did Matthew. It comes from the Didache, an excellent first century document of Christian thought and teaching. It is not inspired Scripture, but it is an inspiring end to this model prayer. After all, in prayer we call upon the Lord for certain things, because He controls all the power. We call upon the Lord to magnify His name in us and use us to improve and expand His kingdom, for He owns and rules it. We call upon the Lord to answer our prayers in such a way that our lives, and the lives of others, bring more glory to God. I like ending prayer this way, and do so almost every day in my life and every Sunday in our church. Soli deo gloria! Right prayer is a response to God’s sovereignty in our lives. Righteous prayer includes the right ingredients, reverence and requests. And we are right to except that for every prayer, God has an answer. You may be surprised to learn that the answer is always the same, as revealed in the parable that follows this model prayer. Prayer as an Answer The parable that follows the prayer reveals the character of God and the key to answered prayer. Like almost all of Jesus’ parables, the Lord tells it with figurative characters and leaves us wrestle with the meaning. However, the last character mentioned in this parable is not figurative at all, but quite literal, and is the answer to all of our prayers. The first take from the parable is the love, kindness, and generosity of God. He is infinitely greater than any neighbor and gives better gifts. He neither slumbers nor sleeps, so He does not have to get out of bed to answer our prayers. When we pray, we pray with confidence to a God who loves us more than we can know, and He will answer our prayers. The second principle from the parable is that God encourages persistence in prayer. He often does not answer the first time, but bids us to keep on asking. This filters out senseless prayers, usually for material things, and makes us focus on the truly spiritual, vital, important prayers that serve to make us more holy, advance the kingdom, and glorify God. When persistence paints our prayers in the right color, God sees and answers. The third and final teaching from the parable is one of the most powerful truths in Scripture, if we are able to comprehend it. God answers every prayer of His children, He answers it before we even ask it, and He Himself is the answer. Look closely at the conclusion of the passage: … “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” The answer to the Spirit-filled Christian’s prayer is the Holy Spirit living inside of him or her. The Holy Spirit is giving you the answer, whether you should stay or go, keep or give, this way or that way, yes or no. That’s right, He is telling you the answer after you pray, you just have to Do-Si-Do. Listen to the word of God, pray with all your might, then listen to the Spirit of God. Admittedly, this is one of the most difficult disciplines in the Christian life. It can only be honed after mastering the first two, Bible study and prayer. Even then, it is often hard to tell the difference between the silent voice of the Holy Spirit and the strong human feelings and emotions we possess. I have gotten it right and wrong in my Christian experience, and I so want to get it right going forward. So do you, I know. So Do-Si-Do. Dance with God in prayer. Begin with hunger for the word and feast upon it regularly. Let your prayers be short and sweet, personal and powerful, specific and consistent. Then listen to the Holy Spirit within and look for an answer that gives you peace, is going to be good for others, and glorifies God. Copyright © 2018 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. |
AuthorDr. Charles F. "Chuck" DeVane, Jr., is the Pastor of Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. His weekly sermon article, "The Gospel Truth," has been published in newspapers in Arkansas and Georgia. Dr. DeVane is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has served in the pastorate for over 20 years. Contact Pastor Chuck at PastorChuck@lakehamiltonbaptistchurch.org
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