Heaven's Champions
Theme: You can be a winner if you are on the right team.
Text: Luke 11:14-28
Here’s a thought: Doug Sherman advises, “Application of Scripture is to the Christian what exercise is to the muscle.”
Snow covered the ground where three boys were playing. A man asked them, “Would you like to try a race and have the winner receive a prize?”
The boys agreed, and the man told them that his race was to be different. “I will go to the other side of the field,” he explained, “and you will start to run when I give you the signal. The one whose footsteps are the straightest in the snow will be the winner.”
The race began, and the first boy kept looking at his feet to see if his steps were straight. The second young man kept looking at his friends to see what they were doing, but the third boy ran with his eyes fixed on the man on the other side of the field.
The third boy was the winner, for his footsteps were straight in the snow. He had kept his eyes on the goal ahead of him.
Jesus describes the keys to being a champion in Luke 11:14-28:
14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. 17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. 19 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when
someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armour in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils. 23 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters. 24 “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” 27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” 28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” NIV
You can be a winner if you are on the right team. Success in the competition includes:
Offence (Luke 11:14-22)
In the latter part of Luke chapter 11 and the first part of chapter 12, we see Jesus’ conflicts rising to new heights. Unable to deny that Jesus had power over demons, his enemies declared He got this power from the ruler of demons, Beelzebub or Satan. Jesus calmly showed how ridiculous this conclusion was.
A description of how wars were sometimes fought in the Middle East would help. Consider 1 Samuel 17:3-9:
3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. 4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armour of bronze weighing five thousand shekels [about 126 pounds]; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels [about 15 pounds]. His shield bearer went ahead of him. 8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” NIV
Baal-zebub is, literally, “the fly god.” Some suppose this god to have been one
of the medical idols of the Philistines, receiving the title from its imaginary influence over pesky insects, which are said to have infested the nation of Philistia.
The heart of every unconverted sinner is the devil’s palace, where he lives and rules. When Jesus cast out the demon from the mute man in Luke 11, He broke its power over the man, and he spoke. The conversion of a soul to God is Christ’s victory over the devil and his power in that soul, restoring it to liberty and its original purpose.
A football coach complimented his new star player, “You’re fantastic! How you hammer the line, dodge, tackle and weave through your opponents is great!”
The modest player explained, “I guess it all comes from early training, sir. You see, my mom used to take me shopping with her on sale days.”
Good and evil angels exist. Jesus invites us to join His team and become a champion. How will you respond to His invitation? Will you say, “Thanks but no thanks,” then attempt to battle the forces of evil without Him? Perhaps you have already invited Jesus Christ into your life. We can subtly reject His leadership in our lives by:
• Prayerlessness.
• Worry.
Embracing philosophies that emphasize human potential.
Refusing to follow His revealed ways.
Victorious disciples know where their source of strength is - Jesus Christ - and fall behind His leadership.
Success in the competition includes: Offence
Defence (Luke 11:23-28)
Jesus describes here in Luke 11 the condition of a hypocrite. The house of the human heart is swept from common sins by an insincere confession, a faked repentance or a partial reformation. The house is swept, but it needs to be scrubbed clean. Sweeping takes off only the loose dirt, while the cherished sin that strangles the sinner is untouched. The house is decorated with outer goodness but needs to be furnished with genuine transformation. It was
neither surrendered to Christ nor dwelt in by the Holy Spirit. As a result, wicked spirits enter without any difficulty. They are welcomed, so they dwell, work and rule there.
Phillip Myers, in “Rome, Its Rise and Fall,” observed:
Almost from the beginning, the Roman stage was gross, and immorality was one of the main agencies to which must be attributed the undermining of the originally sound moral life of Roman society. So absorbed did the people become in the indecent representations of the stage that they lost all thought and care of the affairs of real life.
The Apostle Paul warns us against giving the enemy of our souls any opportunity in Ephesians 4:22-27:
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. NIV
While the scribes and Pharisees despised the teachings of Jesus, a godly woman admired them along with the wisdom and power with which He spoke. Christ led the woman to a higher consideration: though it is a great privilege to hear the word of God, only those who hear, remember and obey it are truly blessed.
Doug Sherman advises, “Application of Scripture is to the Christian what exercise is to the muscle.”
“Okay, men,” said the football coach at the end of a discouraging practice session, “There’s one more formation I want to teach you. It’s pretty simple. Everybody form a circle around me.” The players gathered around him. “Now start running toward the locker room,” he ordered.
“But coach,” exclaimed one puzzled player, “when will we need a formation like this?”
“If things go as I suspect,” replied the coach, “it’ll be needed for every game - to get me past our hometown crowd.”
The Lord calls us to read and study the Bible to encourage and equip us to fulfill the Great Commandments (to love the Lord and people) and the Great Commission (to make disciples of all nations). Is your study of the Bible daily but dry? Some of us know what it is like to practice our good habits of Scripture intake but without a sense of genuinely connecting with God and the
kind of changed life that the Bible is meant to inspire. Maybe our times in the Word of God need to become more “on purpose.” Whenever we read the Bible, it should be with a purpose that coincides with God’s purpose – that we might be conformed to Christ.
We need four ingredients for the Bible to connect with our lives:
The Holy Spirit. He is the greatest teacher!
Bible knowledge. We must know how to find our way around the Bible and locate the passages that deal with a particular life problem.
Proper interpretation. Once we find the pertinent passages, we must interpret them accurately. This means avoiding the two extremes of relying too heavily on the work of others or relying totally on our understanding. Make sure the interpretation of a given passage agrees with what the rest of the Bible says. Examine the words, the passage and the purpose as we read.
Application. Ask yourself, “In what way does God want me to change? Where do I start? How do I continue? What steps must I take? What will tend to hinder me?” Make a plan, complete with a timetable, goals and accountability. To prevent becoming “hearers of the Word and not doers,” we are well advised to approach the Bible with a purpose and a plan.
Bill Bradley reflects on champions, “Becoming number one is easier than remaining number one.”
Has Christ done a work in your life? Have you become a follower by accepting Him as your Lord and Saviour? Has He chased demons away that once tormented you? Our responsibility is to lock the door behind the evil as it leaves. Our best defence is obedience to the Holy Bible. As we practice its principles, the powers of darkness will lose their grip on those entry points that they once enjoyed.
Seal up these entry points against the opposition:
Bitterness and unforgiveness.
Poor stewardship of time and money. • Addictions.
• Sexual uncleanness.
After the Japanese captured American General Jonathan Wainwright in World War 2, he was held prisoner in a concentration camp. At the time of his capture, Wainwright was the highest-ranking American prisoner of war. He suffered from malnutrition and mistreatment for three years. Cruelly treated, he became “a broken, crushed, hopeless, starving man.” Finally, the Japanese
surrendered, and the war ended. A United States army colonel was sent to tell the general that Japan had been defeated and that he was free and in command. After Wainwright heard the news, he returned to his quarters and was confronted by some guards who began mistreating him as they had done in the past. However, with the announcement of the allied victory still fresh in his mind, Wainwright declared with authority, “No, I am in command here! These are my orders.” From that moment on, General Wainwright was in control.
Have you been informed of the victory of your Saviour in the most significant conflict of the ages? Remember the victory over evil that Jesus Christ has already won. Assert your rights - never again go under when the enemy comes to oppress.
Let us learn from the three boys who raced in the snow toward the man – particularly the boy who focused and ran straight toward the goal.
Success in the competition includes:
Offence Defence
You can be a winner if you are on the right team.
