#1051. Whoever is not with me is against me (8/5/24)
This week, we continue in our Luke series by reflecting on Luke 11:14-28. Today, let’s consider Jesus’ call to join Him in His mission, rather than be against Him.
‘“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.’ (Luke 11:23)
Lesson: If we are not following Christ in His mission, we are against Christ.
To listen to this devotional, go to:
Yesterday we considered the idea of plundering the kingdom of darkness. We saw how Jesus is the ‘stronger man’ so can overcome the devil. We saw how Jesus binds Satan so He, and we, can plunder the devil’s kingdom. Today’s short text is Jesus’ call for us to make a choice to actively join with Him in His war on evil and plundering the kingdom of darkness.
Are we with Him?
What does Jesus mean by being ‘with me’? In the context, He is speaking about being with Him - joining with Him - in His mission to plunder the Kingdom of darkness. At this point in Luke, Jesus is experiencing a lot of attack. Those who claim to be God’s people are accusing Jesus of being in league with the devil - ‘Beelzebel, the prince of demons’ (v.15). These religious opponents are the primary target of Jesus’ condemning words; to be in right relationship to God, it’s not enough for them to carry out their strict religious duties! To be right with God one has to receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour! To reject or ignore Christ is to ignore and reject God. John writes very strongly on this:
‘Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.’ (1 John 2:22-23)
Are you gathering or scattering?
Jesus says that, ‘whoever does not gather with me scatters.’ In 2007, The Guardian ran a story entitled, Boy drowned as police support officers 'stood by’. The account tells of how two police support officers failed to jump into a pond to help a drowning child because they had not been properly trained! This was a ridiculous attitude and excuse! However, the story illustrates the point of Jesus’ word that if one does not actively seek to help and save, you are, in effect, leaving them to drown! If you are not gathering, you are scattering! If we are not helping people to come to the gospel, we are condemning them.
Response
If we are not following Christ in His mission, we are against Christ. Jesus is inviting us to actively join Him in His mission and war on the kingdom of Satan. We work with Him to plunder Satan’s kingdom and ‘gather’ through prayer and ministry. Specifically, are we helping to ‘gather’ people into Jesus kingdom through the gospel? Are we helping to set people free from the power and influence of the devil through casting out demons and discipleship? All of us, according to God’s gifts and call, need to be actively involved in Jesus’ war on darkness. Let’s not be distracted from this most important calling on all of us.
COMMUNITY GROUP NOTES AND STUDY
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
Please ensure that the members of your group are aware and familiar with using the daily devotionals, which are accessed in Church News, the Teaching button on the website and are now available on the major podcast platforms.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Our message from our series in Luke on Sunday, based upon Jesus’ teaching from Luke 11:14-28. Here, we continue to see hostility toward Jesus continue to grow as they accuse Jesus of doing His miracles by the power of the devil.
Please read Luke 11:1-13, and discuss:
Did God speak to you about anything specifically from Sunday’s message?
Read Luke 11:14-22. How is Jesus’ greater strength and power over demons revealed in His ministry? How are we to continue, in Jesus’ strength, to ‘plunder’ the kingdom of darkness?
Read Luke 11:23. Who is this aimed at, and how are we to be ‘with’ and ‘gather’ with Jesus?
Read Luke 11:24-26. Here, Jesus is warning against allowing the influence of demons back into our lives. One can be set free from demons or the teaching of demons only to go back and become worse off than before! To protect ourselves, those who are cleansed must be filled; In what ways are we to fill the ‘house’ that is our minds, souls and lives?
Read Luke 11:27-28. Jesus responds to this woman’s praise with a correction about obeying God’s Word. How does this relate to our previous point about filling the ‘house’ of our mind? And how are you doing on this theme (of hearing and obeying Jesus) that has been repeated throughout Luke?
SIV - What does this section teach us about how we may be treated as we seek to share the gospel?
SIV- What promise of success does this section give us regarding the mission of Jesus?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
Let’s pray together that, this week, we will have opportunities to SIV; and pray for anything else that's come out of our time in God’s Word.
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