I. the Crowd Responds to the Question: Who Is Jesus? (11:14-16)

“No Middle Ground!” Luke 11:14-26

I. The Crowd Responds to the Question: Who is Jesus? (11:14-16)

A. An account of a miracle:  A man has a demon that makes him mute.  Jesus casts the demon out.  The man speaks.

B. Response #1 – Jesus does what He does by the power of Satan!  Accuse Him of being in league with the devil!  Many see Christianity & the Bible as a bad and even evil force today.  Significant that the people making the charges against Jesus are the religious leaders of the day!  That happens today as well… and the culture embraces it!

C. Response #2 – Agnostic  Don’t deny that Jesus is from God, but don’t accept it either.  Demand more evidence (a silly demand, in light of the miracle).

D. Real issue with both groups:  Has nothing to do with proof.  It has to do with sin and a refusal to believe.  Point: they don’t trust Jesus in faith, so they are separated from God by their sin.  God gives more than enough evidence of the reality of Himself, Jesus, and the Gospel.  Human sinfulness prevents us from accepting it.

II. Jesus’ Response: a Three-Point Argument (vv 17-20) A. Their argument is logically absurd (vv 17-18)  Principle: a Kingdom divided will not stand  A proverb (though not from the book of Proverbs).  Reminder of Israel after Solomon  Point: Since Satan stands opposed to God, it’s logically absurd for them to assume Satan will help God by casting out demons.

B. Their argument is inconsistent. (v 19)  Other Jewish men are casting out demons too.  These same leaders say they do so with God’s power.  Yet, when it comes to Jesus, they say it’s Satan’s power.  Therefore, their argument is inconsistent: if they say Jesus uses Satan’s power, they have to say the other Jews use Satan’s power.

Application: ALL arguments against God are ultimately illogical and inconsistent, because we’re trying to use brains given to us by our Creator to prove there IS no creator!

C. What if it’s true? (v20)  The great “trilemma:” Is Jesus “Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?”  Given the first two points, what if Jesus does what He does by the power of God?  Answer: “then the kingdom of God has come to you.”  Even though we are sinners, Jesus came to suffer and die to pay for our sins.  That changes everything!

III. A Parable Explaining the Significance of the Healings (11:21-23) A. The Parable:  When a strong man guards his own house, his possessions are safe.  Unless a stronger man comes by.

B. Explanation of the Parable:  Satan is the “strong man.”  Jesus is the “stronger man.”  WE are the possessions!  Jesus’ power to cast out demons proves His power over Satan.  At the cross, Jesus has total victory over Satan.  Therefore, WE can receive the Kingdom of Heaven and all its benefits: o Forgiveness o The Holy Spirit living in us o Eternal life with God in Heaven.

C. Point of the Parable (v. 23)  Though Satan is defeated (because Jesus IS that powerful), Jesus will not take us anywhere we don’t want to go.  We must believe in Jesus - Trust Him as our Lord and Savior.  The warning in verse 23: There is no middle ground!  When we refuse to live for Him, we stand against Him!  When we refuse to gather with Him, we scatter.  We must choose a side. And by not choosing, we’re choosing.

IV. Refusing Christ Puts Us in Grave Danger (vv 24-26)

A. If we take this literally, Jesus is telling us:  Demons can enter people, leave, and then later return.  Demons are restless creatures always looking for a place to stay.  The place they like best is in human souls.  A person can be afflicted by MANY demons.  Demons can be driven out of a person without that person turning to Christ.  That’s dangerous, because they can return with a bunch of friends.  Things are worse, because the person is still separated from God, and now has more demons to deal with.  The solution is to turn to Christ. o Holy Spirit indwells you… o Making it impossible for demons to return.

B. If we take this figuratively, Jesus is telling us:  There is great danger in drawing near to Christ without turning to Christ.  There is great danger in experiencing life in the Church without trusting Jesus as your Savior and Lord.  Sin is not forgiven.  People are not liberated from “Satan’s palace” by Jesus, the “Stronger One.”  Old sins and habits come back greater than before.  Things are worse because the person is still separated from God, and now past sins and habits return to inflict even more pain.  The solution is to turn to Christ. o Holy Spirit indwells you… o Cleaning up the life.

C. Which way should we read this?  Dan thinks literally, but it really doesn’t make much difference.  Figurative way can be supported by other Scripture passages.  Point in either case is that there are devastating consequences when we refuse Jesus.  There is no middle ground!

Application: Where do you stand with Christ? Bethel Church April 13, 2014 project: Deeper Pastor Dan Reimer

No Middle Ground Luke 11:14-26

The big idea: In the battle for the souls of men and women, there’s no such thing as a non-combatant!

1. Who is Jesus? The crowd’s answer.

2. Who is Jesus? His answer.

3. A parable about healing.

4. Application: don’t refuse Christ! Homework and Discussion Guide Knowing Each Other Can you think of a time when you tried to stay neutral in a fight between two people and got sucked into it? What happened?

Understanding the Word How do you feel about the people in today’s passage who were just looking for a sign from Jesus? How does that feeling change when you consider that they’ve already seen or heard numerous stories about his healings and miracles?

Jesus says that if he is casting out demons by God’s power, then the kingdom of God has come upon you (v. 20). How do you think that should affect the way we look at the world and the power of God?

The parable Jesus tells about the return of an unclean spirit clearly shows that simple healing doesn’t bring permanent results. What do you think that should tell us religious-based relief programs that make a great point of not sharing the Gospel when they help people in need?

Was there anything in this week’s message that struck you as particularly important or challenging?

Connecting with Scripture: “Who Overcomes the World?”

Read 1 John 5:1-13 carefully, jotting down any important notes or thoughts below. Once you finish, go back and read it again. (Read the passage in another translation if possible.)

In the first 5 verses, John links being “born of God” with overcoming the world. What signs does he mention that distinguish those born of God?

According to this passage, is it possible to be “neutral” in your beliefs about Jesus? (See specifically verse 10) When you consider this passage alongside the parable in Luke 11, it’s clear that we do not need to fear the demonic world. Based on what authority do we claim victory over Satan?

John refers to water, blood, and the Spirit that testify about the reality of Christ and his work. For us, when we partake in water (baptism) and blood (communion), we testify that we are in Christ. Why do you think that the testimony of the Spirit would be more important than those two (v. 9)? (Hint: think in terms of who is testifying with each of those things)

Bring it to Life If you consider the impact your actions have on the world, would you say they testify that you are for Christ or against Christ? Why?

Have you ‘cleaned up’ any areas of your life without replacing them with godliness/God-honoring habits? Based on the parable in Luke, why do you think it is so important to do so?

Which of your character traits or actions are so undeniably for Christ that you know they have to be the result of the Holy Spirit inside of you?

For the Bold

If you have not yet been baptized, talk to someone at church this week about adding that public testimony that “I stand with Christ!”

Review Matthew 6:33. Memorize 1 John 5:10.

Pray Together Be bold, and specific, and expectant! project: Deeper project: Deeper is a Life Group initiative intended to take your Sunday Worship experience beyond a 75-minute service. While this study guide is intended to be used in relationally-oriented Life Groups, you can also use it individually, with your family, or with a couple of friends.

Remember:

Spiritual knowledge does NOT equate to spiritual growth. This material aims to influence action more than simply knowledge. This is an exercise in becoming more like Christ!

Here’s how to use it:

1. During the message: Take notes on the front to help you process what you’re hearing.

2. At home: During the week, work through the Study Guide alone or with a partner. It will refresh your memory, and help you connect those ideas with other portions of Scripture. Take the time to do this sincerely, not just to get the work done.

3. With your Life Group, Family, Spouse, or Friends: Talk through the highlights of what has been especially relevant or important to you in the study guide. Feel free to ask questions if things were unclear. Unless you have a very small (or shy!) group, you won’t get through all the questions each week, so be wise in your use of time.

Some of these questions may require a lot of trust to answer. We encourage you towards ever-deepening transparency as you continue to meet together, which will help you to love, support, encourage, and pray for those you’re meeting with.

Additional Help:

1. We publish a 5-10 min. weekly audio segment for Life Group leaders with advice on running small groups and information to clarify and expand on the study guide. You’re welcome to listen in! You’ll find them linked with each sermon in our archive at www.bethelnp.org, or search the iTunes store for “Extra Dirt” (a free podcast).

2. The pastoral staff and elders at Bethel are more than willing to help you work through any theological questions that may arise during the course of your study. If your group can’t help you fully understand the ideas you’re studying, please give us a call!