The Need for Biblical Faith: 2016 Gospel of Luke #43
(We are sorry, but this message did not record.) This is an exposition of Luke 11:14-26. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, January 15, 2017.
Intro:
It has happen to all of us. At one time or another others have misrepresented what we said. They have mischaracterized our views. They have soiled our good name. In an attempt to elevate themselves they have sought to destroy us. I vividly remember the first time it happened to me. There was an honest discrepancy. Two versions of the story were being told. I remembered something one way. He remembered it another. The discussion became heated. Soon others were drawn in. The crowd became unruly. The authorities were called in. Finally Kenny Aman’s mom said, “Boys stop it! Now, Rodney, what happened?” I recounted the events. That’s when it happened. Kenny Aman, my best friend, shouted for the whole neighborhood to hear, “That’s not true you big fat fibber!” Slandered. I was outraged. Why in all my nine years no one had accused me of such wickedness. I cried all the way home.
If that had been the worst thing anyone ever said about me or to me – I would consider myself most fortunate. I look back on that and laugh. But the truth is when it happened it cut like a knife. The truth is today when things are said, inside, I still feel what that nine-year-old boy felt. You’ve been there. They say, “Sticks and stones may break your bones but names will never hurt you.” You and I both know that is not true. Names can devastate you. When someone falsely accuses you or twists your words there is anger and hurt. And I suppose nothing is worse than doing good for another and then having your motive questioned, your actions slandered. Such was the case for the Lord Jesus in Luke Luke 11 and beginning at Luke 11:14.
Our Lord had come upon a man who was possessed of an evil spirit. A spirit who had robbed him of his ability to speak. When we consider the parallel accounts in Mark and Matthew we discover that this man was both deaf and dumb. He could neither hear nor speak. Not everyone rejoiced in the deliverance of this tormented soul as we will see in our exploration of the text.
Text: Luke 11:14-26
Luke, the careful history and traveling companion of the apostle Paul, was writing, for his good friend Theophilus, an accurate and orderly account of the life and ministry of Jesus. Luke wanted his Gentile friend to understand that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah of the Jews and the Savior of the world. Thus he pulled together certain stories, events and teachings from Jesus’ life and, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, woven them together into a compelling argument.
The immediate context is our Lord’s teaching on prayer. He concluded his teaching by saying that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Then Luke inserts our text to again demonstrate the growing animosity between the Lord Jesus and the religious establishment. The Scribes and Pharisees were again present and intent on finding grounds on which to get rid of this troublesome teacher from Galilee.
There is an old adage that says, “If you can’t defeat the message, destroy the messenger.” The religious establishment could not touch His message. For He spoke only truth. Truth will withstand any amount of scrutiny and attack. The establishment recognized that the message of Jesus contradicted their message at numerous points. Believing they alone laid claim to the truth of God, they had no option but to silence this rebel prophet. In our own day there are those who would silence the message of the Lord Jesus. And I am not talking about those nasty secular humanists. Of course they want His message silence. I’m talking about those who claim to speak for God. Those who enjoy the respect and admiration of the world. Those who seek a “kinder, gentler Christianity.” One that is not so narrow minded and particular. That places a great responsibility on those of us who know the Lord Jesus, who know the truth. We must stand for biblical faith. We must maintain the integrity of the message. As we look at the response of our Lord to those who slandered Him we are reminded of an important truth:
Thesis: Every genuine child of God is called to embrace, live and declare authentic biblical faith.
It is not enough to say, “Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.” It is not enough to intellectually know the truth. It is not even enough to say you “believe” the truth of the Gospel. The person who is genuinely born again, the person whose life has been radically changed by the grace of God is the person who passionately embraces the Lord Jesus Himself, lives out the claims of Christ and openly declares the truth of the Gospel.
Am I suggesting that every Christian should be seminary trained? No.
Am I suggesting that every child of God should be in full time Christian service? No.
Am I suggesting that every child of God should be a wild-eyed fanatic? No.
But I am suggesting that when others find out you’re a Christian their response should not be, “You sure fooled me!”
In our text we find three aspects of this biblical faith we are to embrace, live and declare.
- Biblical faith affirms the power and authority of the Lord Jesus over the forces of evil. (11:14-22)
- Biblical faith exhibits an unyielding allegiance to the Lord Jesus. (11:23)
- Biblical faith demands a thorough conversion. (11:24-26)