Three Specific Applications

Introduction: The Authority of Christ in Capernaum

0:03 This sermon was preached on Sunday morning, February 26th, 1984, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now as we continue our studies in the Gospel of Mark, our reading this morning, for the last time, will be the paragraph bounded by Mark 1, verses 21 through 28. Mark chapter 1, verses 21 through 28. Mark, describing the activity of the Lord Jesus, in company with the four fishermen, who have been called into a closer bond of intimacy in preparation for their peculiar office, ultimately as apostles, says of our Lord and his companions that they go into Capernaum, and straightway on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. And straightway there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us?

1:28 I know you who you are, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold your peace, and come out of him. And the unclean spirit, compulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, insomuch that they were questioning among themselves, saying, What is this?

1:56 A new teaching. With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. And the report of him went out straightway everywhere, into all the region of Galilee, round about. Now let us once again seek the face of God, conscious dependence upon his grace, that we might understand aright his holy word.

2:23 Let us pray.

2:28 Our Father, we do praise you that forever your word is settled in heaven. We thank you for the blessed deposit of this, your holy word, which we are able to hold in our hands, set before our eyes, and receive into our minds and hearts. We confess that we cannot begin to think, nor do we desire to think, what darkness would settle upon our minds forever, did we not have the light of your word. We thank you especially for this inspired record through the pen of Mark, concerning the doings and the sayings of our Lord Jesus, we pray that the holy spirit who has been sent to take of the things of Christ, and to make them real to men, will be present this day, causing our minds and hearts to behold him, and to learn from your word those lessons of reproof, of correction, of instruction in righteousness, which you know we as your people need. Speak to us then, O Lord, Lord, as we bring our way, and expectant hearts to this portion of your holy word. Amen.

3:50 Now, for the past two Lord's Day mornings, our meditations have been focused upon Mark's spirit-inspired account of a synagogue in the city of Capernaum on a specific Jewish Sabbath day. And in the paragraph read in your hearing, Mark records that on that day, in that synagogue, our Lord Jesus Christ was engaged in two major activities. The first activity is recorded in verses 21 and 22, the activity of his teaching, and then the response of the people to that teaching, one of amazement. They were blown out of their minds. They were struck out of their minds for this reason that he taught as possessing authority in direct contrast to the teaching of the scribes. And then in verses 23 to 27, we have the record of the second major activity, one that we examined in detail last Lord's Day, namely our Lord's casting out of a demon. A casting out of the demon in which our Lord simply

5:13 spoke in two terse words of command, be muddled and come out of him. And in seeking to expound that passage last week and trying to bring into Americanese something of the force of the original, I said that we could well conceive of the Lord Jesus saying to that demon, shut up and come out. And afterwards, on the way home, my own family said, you know what's going to happen, honey? My wife said, honey. The other kid said, dad. They said, you know, they're going to have kids go home and start saying shut up to one another. And when their parents rebuked and say, but pastor said it when he was preaching. Well, you children, I should have given a word of qualification. It's right for Jesus, who is God, to say to a demon, shut up. But

6:06 it's never right for you to say to one another or anyone else to shut up, is it? That's not right for us to do that. And so perhaps we should say the best rendering that would be acceptable for us is something like a father who turns to a child who's beginning to mouth off in a way he shouldn't, and with a stern look simply points the finger and says, quiet. That's the force of what the Lord is saying. And having said that, the demon obeyed and convulsing the body of this man whom he possessed, and then causing a horrible shriek through his vocal cords, he comes out. The result is that they're amazed again. And in that amazement, they speak to one another, as it were, they jab one another in the ribs and say, what is this? Here's someone speaking with authority. And he even cast out demons with his word. And then the ultimate result

7:03 is given to us in verse 28, the report of him from these very witnesses in that synagogue that day now spreads throughout the entire Galilee. The result is that they're amazed again. And in that amazement, they speak to one another, as it were, they jab one another in the ribs and say, what is this? Here's someone speaking with authority. And in that amazement, they speak to one another, as it were, they jab one another in the ribs and say, what is this? Here's someone speaking with authority. And they jab one another in the ribs and say, what is this? Here's someone speaking with authority.

Application 1: Miracles Validate the Messenger and Message

7:15 Well, as we opened up the passage last Lord's Day, we concluded by stating that there is one central and fundamental point of application, and it comes very naturally out of the text. It is that this passage, containing the two incidents, there in the synagogue at Capernaum on that Sabbath day, points us very powerfully and eloquently to behold both the power and the mission of Jesus his fame went abroad and that fame was one concerning this Jesus who taught with authority and who conquered demons with a word of authority wonderfully underscoring what he had come to do to be God's final prophet who speaks the word of life and salvation saying I say unto you and who conquers the devil and his works however I intimated that there are secondary and vital applications that should be drawn from the passage and this morning as time permits I want to direct your attention to three of the secondary lessons contained in this passage

8:34 and the first one is this this passage contains a lucid or clear demonstration of the relationship between miracles and the spoken word the passage contains a clear demonstration of the relationship between miracles and the spoken word now it is not without significance that as the Holy Spirit guides Mark to set the Lord Jesus before us as God's mighty worker you you He chooses an incident in which the spoken word and the miracle of casting out this demon by the sheer word of his own authority are brought into the closest relationship and in the minds of these synagogue worshippers that day they understood the proper connection between those two look back at the text now when he teaches with authority they are simply

9:44 they are they are they are they are they are they are and after they behold him with that same word casting out a demon the issue of authority is again central in their thinking they cry out what is this a new teaching with authority he commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him, or it could be translated, what is this? A new teaching with authority. He even commands unclean spirits, and they come out. That would be a very legitimate structuring of the words and rendering of the passage. But this much is clear. They made a connection between the miracle, that mighty deed of God which caused awe and wonder, and his speaking of the word of God. They recognized this fundamental principle that the miracle validated the messenger.

10:55 The miracle validated the messenger and his message. They sense when he speaks in the opening of that synagogue worship and activity that day, that there is something peculiar about this one. He is not just another young rabbi appearing on the scene. There is a qualitative difference. He appears as a messenger of God, like one of the old prophets come back from the dead. For you remember, that was the thinking in the minds of many. Who do men say that I am? Jeremiah, Elijah, one of the prophets. Why? Because they spoke with divine authority.

11:40 They said, thus saith the Lord. They did not come quoting the opinions of men. They came with what is called the burden of the Lord. The word of the Lord had come to them, and they came to the nation. Well, they sensed that here was a messenger of God. And in the context of sensing that here is a messenger of God, speaking with authority, when they see the miracle, they recognize that that miracle gives added validation to the messenger and to his message. And so though he has cast out a demon, they say, what is this? A new teaching with authority. And they recognize that behind that authority, which caused amazement in the earlier part of the synagogue service, is indeed a true messenger of God, whose identity has been validated by the miraculous. The Jews understood

12:42 that relationship. Now, to underscore that this is not just a conclusion that I'm forcing out of the text, I remind you of the familiar words of John chapter 3, verses 1 and 2. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus. The same came to Jesus by night, and what were his first words? This is what he says. John chapter 3, verse 2.

13:11 Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing, except God be with him. Nicodemus reasoned from the miracles to the validation of Jesus as a unique, special messenger of God. And you find our Lord making that appeal based on that connection again and again, particularly in the book of John. Just a couple of specimen passages. John 5 and verse 36. John 5 and verse 36. But the witness which I have is greater than that of John for the works which the Father has given me to accomplish the very works that I do bear witness of me that the Father has sent me. In other words, his works, his miracles were the validation of his identity as a unique messenger sent from God. Chapter 10

14:24 and verse 25 in the gospel of John. The same emphasis. Jesus answered them, I told you and you believed not. John 5 and verse 36. John 5 and verse 36. John 5 and verse 36. John 5 and verse 36. John 5 and verse 36. John 5 and verse 36. John 5 and verse 36. John 5 and verse 36. John 5 and verse 36. John 5 and Donc 11 and Dre. The works that I do in my Father's name. These bear witness of me, but you do not believe. The works were bearing witness of the uniqueness of the Messenger. The works were validating the message, but in their obtur累ing penitence and unbelief they still would not believe, though they saw the miracles and they understood the significance of those miracles. So in this psalmist that Judge John Chapter 10, verses 37 and 38. If I do not the works of my Father, don't believe me. But if I do them, though you don't believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I in the Father.

15:23 He says my own unique identity as well as my mission are validated by my miracles. Now what was true of our Lord was also true of his apostles. In Hebrews chapter 2, hang in there with me while I seek to establish this because this is a vital principle and it's set before us in the very opening chapter of Mark's gospel and we'll see the relevance of all of that in a few moments. In Hebrews chapter 2, we are being warned not to treat lightly and not to let slip from us the great truths of the gospel.

16:05 Verse 2 of Hebrews 2, For if the words spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which having at the first been spoken through the Lord was confirmed unto us by them that heard, that's the I, the witnesses, the ear witnesses, the apostles, God also bearing witness with them both by signs and wonders and manifold powers and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his will. Do you see what the writer is saying? Jesus Christ spoke the word. His apostles spoke the word and their message and their unique place as messengers was validated by the miraculous. The miraculous has significance as validation of the messenger and of his message. That's why Paul can say in 2 Corinthians 12, 12 the signs of an apostle were wrought in me and similar words in Romans 15, 18 and 19.

17:27 So here in this opening passage in Mark, in which we find our Lord speaking with authority and then performing a miracle, that relationship between spoken word and miracle is set before us in the clearest terms possible. Now you say, Pastor, I see it. You've demonstrated. Now don't beat it thin at the edges.

17:54 What is the relevance of all of that to us? Well, you and I must grasp this principle for, for several reasons. First of all, so that as we study the book of Mark and confront one mighty deed after another, we will understand the intention of God in giving us the record of those mighty deeds. Mark has the least amount of extended discourses of our Lord.

18:27 He has the most intimate detail in his description of many of the, the doings of our Lord, but the least amount of detail in the overall record of his discourses. We are beholding in Mark's gospel the mighty worker. That's how he comes before us in this opening chapter. His first recorded miracle is not a domestic miracle.

18:54 John chapter 2, turning water into wine, it is a miracle of confrontation with the devil himself. Be quiet. Come out. And they're amazed.

19:05 Even the demons are subject to him and to his word. And we're going to come across one miracle after another. What's the purpose of all of this? The purpose is that we might know from the record of eyewitnesses, from the record of those who saw them, that Jesus Christ is precisely who he claimed to be and his message is indeed validated.

19:33 Eliminated by the miracles he performed, so that on the day of Pentecost, Peter can say, a man of God approved among you by mighty signs and wonders which he did in your midst. Now, granted, the miracles were in a secondary sense expressions of the genuine compassion of Christ in the face of human suffering. There was an element of genuine benevolence in the miracles of our Lord, and with but one exception, the cursing of the fig tree. All of His miracles are benevolent miracles. They are miracles of healing, miracles of relieving human suffering, miracles of coming to people in their desperate need. And that in itself was a noble deed. But the main purpose is not to show us the heart of our Lord as a compassionate Savior. Furthermore, the miracles have as one of their functions to get attention. Miracles are mighty acts of God that command attention and elicit awe.

20:47 You don't have to think about it. Behold a miracle, and your jaw drops open. And again and again our Lord was drawing attention to Himself by the miraculous, and it is true that many miracles become asceches. it were an object lesson on the stage of human need and suffering, a beautiful object lesson of the greater inner truths of the saving power of Christ. And as we examine many of the miracles in Mark, we're not going to spiritualize them in an unwarranted way. We have warrant from the Bible itself. You remember the multiplying of the loaves and the feeding of the five thousand Jesus used as a framework within which to teach that he was the bread of life and to urge men to labor not for the bread and the food that perishes. So it is proper to see in the miracles, many of them object lessons of God's salvation and principles of the Christian life. But though those are all legitimate functions of the miracle, the

21:54 primary, the overarching, the fundamental purpose is to live. To validate the messenger and his message. And we must understand that as we study through any portion of the gospel records. Furthermore, we need to understand this principle so that we will be immunized against the widespread notion that what the church most desperately needs in this hour is a return to miracle workers. Ever heard that?

The Insufficiency of Miracles for Conversion

22:33 There's the world out there this morning. Right here in Montville and Pinebrook and Boonton and up in Butler and over in Pequonic and Pumpton Plains. And for the most part people could care less that the church exists, that Jesus Christ lives, that he has claims over them. And some people say yes and the world will continue to go on that way until we begin to be miracle workers.

23:03 And if you, Pastor Martin, could say, stretch out your hand and touch someone who was paralyzed and it had been demonstrated by medical science and x-rays that the spinal cord was severed. They were irretrievably, irreversibly paralyzed. If you could put your hand upon them and say, in the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk, then we would see a mighty revival. Is that so?

23:29 Who was the greatest miracle worker who ever lived? The Jesus of Mark's gospel. And in spite of that, he was the greatest miracle worker who ever lived. And in spite of that, he was the greatest miracle worker who ever lived. And in spite of that, he was the greatest miracle worker who ever lived. And in spite of all those miracles, there came a point in his ministry, he turned and looked at twelve people and said, will you also go away? And the very people who crucified him said, we cannot deny that a notable miracle has been done. The resurrected Lazarus was right in their midst and they couldn't deny that he had been dead. The miracle has no inherent power to change the human heart. The reason men do not believe is not that the message of the gospel is not the message of the gospel. The message of Christ has not had enough validation or that he as God's messenger has not been validated. It's because they have an indisposition towards the message which alone can bring life. In the language of John 3, this is the condemnation that light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Let me illustrate it

24:36 or attempt to. And always pick on poor spinach. You know, if spinach is not good for you, spinach could speak. I'm sure spinach would say, I've gotten a raw deal. Because whenever people want to use illustrations about a food kids don't like, they pick on poor spinach. Now, I wouldn't pick on spinach. If I were setting the stage, I'd pick on something like maybe parsnips. But a lot of you wouldn't know what parsnips are. So we'll talk about spinach. Here's a kid. He has got a tremendous aversion to spinach. Just the name spinach makes him go yuck.

25:11 Well, on a given day, his mother, convinced that there are certain vitamins and minerals in the spinach that are in his best interest to have in his system, says to her little darling, now honey, here's your bowl of spinach. I want you to eat it. He says, I can't stand the spinach. He has an aversion to spinach, the sight of spinach, the thought of the taste of spinach. He has an aversion. He has no affinity of desire toward spinach. Now, suppose She says, well, I know what the problem is. If I can only do something unusual around the spinach, then he'll eat it. So suppose she had the power to make the spinach plate levitate three feet off the table.

25:58 And lo and behold, the spinach bowl goes up, and then it comes down again. She says, now, honey, see what happened? Isn't that amazing? See what happened to the bowl of spinach?

26:05 He says, but Ma, it's still spinach. She says, oh, but I'll show you something a little more spectacular. And then all the leaves of spinach separate and spread out like little fans and arrange themselves in a circle right in front of his eyes. And the little kid's eyes get big, and he's watching this, and all of a sudden they all come together and plop in that gushy mess in the bowl again.

26:26 She says, now, isn't that amazing? But he says, Ma, it's still spinach.

26:33 You see, what's the problem? The problem is he has a disinclination towards spinach. And no amount of unusual things surrounding the spinach, or happening with the spinach, until something happens to overcome his aversion to spinach, he's never going to eat it with delight. Now, he may eat it if his reluctance is overcome with some other pressures, but he'll never eat it with delight.

27:00 Now, you see the point? What's men's problem with the gospel? It's that they have an aversion to its content. It is a gospel that says you're a sinner, accountable, to God you have broken His law.

27:18 You have a nature that is utterly unfit for communion with God now, or in the world to come. You are utterly powerless to change your nature, or in any way to alter your guilty record. The only way you can have your nature altered and your record changed is to acknowledge that you are what God says you are, that you've done what He says you've done, and turning from all hope in yourself, and in your own life, and in your own works and your own performances. Cast yourself in the flesh-withering exercise of true repentance and faith upon Jesus Christ alone who died and rose for sinners.

27:59 Cast yourself upon Him that He, by His own almighty grace and power, will give you a new nature, will give you a new record, and will give you a disposition to love truth and righteousness and uprightness and holiness, and until that indisposition is overcome, there can be ten million miracles, and men will never believe the gospel, because there is a native disinclination to the contents of its message. This whole notion that the Bible, the Word, is not enough, you know where that was spawned? It was spawned in hell itself. You read about it. In Luke 16. You remember the incident in the teaching of our Lord?

28:53 The rich man is in hell, and he expresses some concern for his brothers, and says, send someone to warn them. Jesus said, they have Moses and the prophets. Well, that's not enough. If only someone will go back from the dead.

29:11 If only there will be the miraculous. Then they will embrace the message of Scripture. What was Jesus' word? If they will...

29:19 If they will not believe Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe the one be raised from the dead.

29:30 The Word has been sufficiently validated. The message and the messengers have been validated. God validated them in the life history of His own Son, and in the history of that apostolic band who were the specially chosen representatives of Christ. And now, are we to say, God must revalidate in every successive generation with miracle workers?

29:57 No! Because He has no additional message to give. Where you find a miracle worker, you have a message. A message of authority.

30:08 A word from God. And He attests that word by the miraculous. But God's final message has come in Jesus Christ. And having been validated, once for all in His miracles and in the miracles of the apostles, there is no more miracle worker.

30:29 I did not say God does not perform miracles. God has done amazing things in answer to the prayers of His people. He has done things that cause astonishment and wonder. But the direction is not, or the attention is not directed to a miracle worker to validate some new revelation.

Application 2: Wretched Patterns of Satanic Activity

30:50 It is directed to the ascended and glorified Christ who has deposited in his word all that we need for faith and life. Now for some of you who may be shaky in your commitment to that basic biblical perspective, I commend to you the excellent little book by Pastor Chantry called Signs of the Apostles for your further study. But I must hasten on, for there is a second word of application that we need to consider. Not only does this passage that we've examined in the past couple of weeks contain a lucid demonstration of this relationship between miracles and the spoken word, but it contains some graphic illustrations of the wretched patterns of satanic activity. It contains some graphic illustrations, of the wretched patterns of satanic activity. You who were here last Lord's Day will remember my word of caution. The moment we come to a passage in which the devil or demons are mentioned, we can so quickly fall into the trap of having an unsanctified curiosity about the devil and about demonic activity.

32:06 The great task of a preacher and of the church is to preach Christ and him as crucified. However, the same Apostle who wrote 1 Corinthians 2.2, I was determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified, also could write in 2 Corinthians 2.11, we are not ignorant of his devices.

32:29 With respect to a very delicate pastoral matter, Paul says I'm doing what I'm doing because I know enough about the devil to know that in this situation, this is how he'll work and I'm going to cut him off at the pass. And my only purpose, in directing your attention from this passage to some of the graphic illustrations of the wretched patterns of satanic activity, is that we might not be ignorant of his devices. And as we seek to fulfill the directive of 1 Peter 5.8, we'll be wise in that obedience.

33:05 Be watchful, be alert, be sober. Your adversary the devil is a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour. Now, what do we learn about his wretched patterns of behavior? We learn, number one, that the devil is no respecter of sacred days, sacred places and sacred people.

33:28 The devil is no respecter of sacred days, places or people. All of this activity, as we saw again last week, was initiated by the demon on a Sabbath day, in a synagogue, and in the immediate presence of the incarnate God Himself, Jesus Christ our Lord. And all of that activity was initiated by him. Remember that the text says that straightway there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out!

34:03 The initiative came from this demon who was but a lackey, a little servant boy of the devil. And from that we learn that the devil is indeed no respecter of sacred days, no respecter of sacred days, no respecter of sacred days, days. Here was the ancient Jewish Sabbath, the high day in Israel. On a Sabbath day, the demon speaks out in a synagogue, the place where the sacred scrolls of Old Testament scripture were jealously guarded, where they were continually read and expounded. Those synagogues were the place where the most light that was disseminated in Israel and throughout the Roman Empire was disseminated. Didn't bother the devil. No such thing as a sacred place to him, a sacred day. And worst of all, even as Satan himself confronted our Lord in the wilderness, so here, one of his servants, a demon, has no scruples about taking on Jesus Christ face to face, as it were, in hand-to-hand combat. We learn that vital principle that

35:16 the devil is no real devil. He was a respecter of sacred days, sacred places, or even sacred people. He says, we know who you are, holy one of God. Brothers and sisters, as then, so now. Would to God the devil was a respecter of this sacred day, the Lord's day. Would God that on this day the devil would declare a truce and say, I'll leave. At least. The people of God alone on their high day. Or if he wouldn't agree to that, if he would simply agree that when we gather as God's people, his church in a building set apart to meet, he would agree that he would never seek to exert any influence within these walls.

36:17 That where he sees anyone in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, he would say, I won't trouble that person. But he's no respecter of days, places, or people. And some of the most vicious satanic activity goes on in a Christian assembly on the Lord's day. That's right. That's right.

36:45 Jesus said, whenever the word is preached, then cometh the evil one. The word is sown, then comes the evil one. You know how he works in this place? Even with children of God. It's an area where God's been dealing with you. The word of God begins to home in on that area. And your pride begins to feel the withering pressure of the word of God. Your stubbornness, your waywardness, that darling lust, that unmortified ambition, that disposition or attitude that's utterly contrary to God's revealed will. The word and the spirit begin to push you away.

37:27 Begin to press in upon it. And what happens? It's as though all the powers of heaven and hell begin to engage within your own breast. And you feel that struggle. Who is he to talk to me that way? Who does he think he is? Oh, you'd never say it. You sit in your faces like this, but inwardly, the raging of the powers of hell itself, with its spirit of rebellion, its spirit of antitrust.

Satan Provoked by Authoritative Preaching

38:01 God and antichrist. We learn from this passage that devil is no respecter of persons, places and days. But we also learn that the devil's always provoked to aggressive activity when his kingdom is threatened by authoritative preaching and teaching. We learn that he is always provoked to aggressive activity when his kingdom is threatened by authoritative teaching and preaching. Mark records that it was after they were astounded at the authority and the teaching of Jesus that straightway there was in their synagogue a man possessed with an unclean spirit. It's as though the devil said, this will never do. If these people go on shattered and captivated and humbled before the authoritative word of Jesus, then they will be a mess. They will be a mess. They will be a mess. They will be a mess.

39:03 They will be a mess. They will be a mess. They will be a mess. They will be a mess. They will be a mess. They will be a mess. In jesus, I'll lose my subjects. If this goes on, I'll have a shattered kingdom. This will never do." And so the devil stirs up one of his imps to cry out through the vocal chords of that man whom he possessed, What have we to do with thee, Jesus? What have we to do with thee? Have you come to torment us or to destroy us? You see the devil was quiet until the authoritative word of Jesus began to evade his kingdom.

39:36 kingdom. And then the devil became very active. You see, the devil maintains his kingdom through ignorance and empty religious ritual. And as long as men are held in the grip of empty religious ritual, ignorant of their own hearts, ignorant of the character of God, ignorant of the one way of approach to God, ignorant of what is involved in true repentance and faith, the notes that Jesus sounded all through Galilee according to verses 14 and 15 of this chapter, the devil is pleased. Let that word begin to burn into men's consciences. Let the basic truths of God and sin and righteousness and repentance and faith and atonement and the necessity of a holy life, let those truths begin to grip men. You will find that the devil is stirred into vicious activity. It's true both with individuals and it's true corporately.

40:48 Some of us can well remember when the word of Jesus was coming to us with power and if we never believed there was a devil before, we believed it then. Oh, as we contemplated responding to the call of Christ to leave our sins and irrevocably, unreservedly to give ourselves to Christ. We've never believed there was a devil before. We believed it then. All of the fears that began to flood our hearts. Will I be able to hold out? What if in giving myself to Christ he calls me to this or to that, and what if beset with fears, with doubts, and then where some of us reared in Christian homes who perhaps never doubted for a moment the validity of the Bible as the inspired inerrant word of God for the first time, those words had become Those words began to be whispered in our ears, yea, hath God said? Why are you in all of a tizzy over these things?

41:47 Can you really believe those things? Can you really believe a book that talks about a fish swallowing a man? Can you really believe a book that talks about the sun standing still? Can you really believe a book that talks about a sea opening up and a whole nation passing on dry ground?

42:06 Come on now! All of this disturbance is because you're starting to take that book seriously. You really can't take it seriously, can you? Am I echoing what some of you have gone through?

42:18 What was that? What is that for some of you? It's a reflection of this principle. The word of God has begun to come with authority to your conscience and to your heart.

42:29 And the devil knows if that goes on, he's going to lose you. And as one very perceptive commentator has said, he only made a little illusion, but I want to amplify it into a full-blown illustration. Some of you have read in the history of our own nation that before the slaves were freed by national proclamation, there was a whole system of seeking to have slaves leave their masters, go in the underground contacts that would bring them into areas, free states where they would not be, under their masters' heel. And it was often the case that, or sometimes the case, that the owner of those slaves had a brace of bloodhounds. And if he knew that some of his slaves were missing, he'd send the bloodhounds out after them to get their scent and track them down. Well, this commentator said, those doubts, those fears, those apprehensions that come to a soul that is contemplating for the first time with real surprise, heaven and hell and God and sin and the cross and repentance and faith, the fears, the doubts, the reservations, the objections, he said they're nothing but the devil's bloodhounds

43:55 to try to call back the slaves whom he's losing.

44:02 Is the devil sending his bloodhounds after some of you this morning? Remember what they are, bloodhounds. That if you allow them to track you down, they'll bring you back into bondage and into slavery. It's what happened here.

44:18 And it happens not only to individuals, but it happens corporately.

44:23 You let a church be committed to nothing less than a ministry marked by an accurate, balanced, authoritative, spirit-anointed preaching of the word addressed to men's consciences and all the powers of hell will be arrayed against that congregation.

44:43 And the more there is of the presence of Christ and the power of his spirit, the more there will be of the church. And the more there will be of satanic efforts to undermine what God is doing in that assembly. The history of revivals is living monument to this. You see it in the mighty movement of the spirit throughout the book of the Acts.

Satan's Destructive Intentions and Fanaticism

45:03 You remember what happened? God was doing a mighty work there at Ephesus and the devil couldn't stand it. So one day he stirs up this girl whom he possesses and enables her to be a little fortune teller. And she starts taunting the people of God.

45:18 Until finally Paul got mad one day and turned around and he rebuked that evil spirit and drove it out. And this has happened again and again in seasons of revival right at the point when it seems that multitudes are about to be swept into the kingdom and what will happen? The devil will stir up some emotionally weak person who mistakes the impulses of that weak emotional constitution for some fresh inspiration and then they begin to blabber and call it speaking in tongues.

45:47 Or they begin to speak in an elevated tone and think that it's possible that it's a prophecy.

45:53 Read the tragic history of Edward Irving. If you want a living monument of that it will make you weep. And in other so-called revivals people began to feel strange feelings and began to bark like dogs and they called it barking in the spirit. We laugh and say ridiculous.

46:09 It wasn't ridiculous. Your heart would have been broken if you were a discerning man of God and recognized what had happened. The word was coming with authority. The devil's kingdom was being invaded and the devil was turning.

46:23 If he can't lead people off into rationalism and skepticism he'll lead them off into a fanaticism.

46:33 We better beware of that as we cry to God to fill that phase too by the authoritative preaching of the word. As we cry to God to pour out of his Holy Spirit and rescue the devil's slaves in this community. Mark it dear people of God if we are not intensified in our watchfulness in our watchfulness. If we are not given to greater intensity of prayer we'll be so vulnerable to an angry devil who's going to lose his subjects because of the preaching of the word.

47:11 But then there's a third thing we see about the devil here in his wretched ways. The devil's intention is always to destroy those who are his subjects. The devil's intention is always to destroy those who are his subjects. You'll notice what happened.

47:29 When Jesus speaks and says quiet come out what happens? It says that immediately upon those words that the spirit convulsed him and crying with a loud voice came out of him. He sought to do harm to his body but Luke gives us this lovely little stroke probably because he's looking at it as a physician and in the parallel passage in Luke chapter 4 Luke adds this verse 35 of Luke 4 Jesus rebuked him saying hold your peace come out of him and when the demon had thrown him down in the midst he came out of him having done him no hurt. Luke says I could have gone over and examined him from head to foot and I would have declared him fit as a fiddle.

48:24 Now that was only by the restraining power of Jesus. What the demon was trying to do was to do with him when he was in the midst of the devil. When he was leaving his body what he ultimately would have done with him had he remained in his body. The thief comes not but for to steal to kill and to destroy and as we shall see in that vivid picture in Mark chapter 5 of that demoniac who is in the tombs and cuts himself that whole picture of the devil's activity is always destructive of all things.

49:01 All that is noble and uplifting and godlike the devil's intention is always to destroy those who are his subjects. Now I don't know how this man came to be possessed of the devil. It could well be that in his early days through his own sinful nature he was led into thinking that the path of pleasure and ease and the path of fulfillment was one of sensual delight and that means that he was not possessed by the devil. He was possessed by the devil and that may be why it is said it was an unclean spirit.

49:40 He may have been possessed of a devil that drove him to all kinds of indescribable excesses of sexual dalliance. I don't know. But one thing is clear the devil has one intention no matter how modest and how impressive his initial proposals may be to your mind and heart. He has one intention to destroy you.

50:02 And this is the intention that has been destroyed by Jesus. Have you come to destroy us? Have you come to destroy us? We know that we are slated for destruction in the final day.

50:14 Have you come now on that mission? They're determined to take his many with him and that's why the devil has one of his names Apollyon. Destroyer. Oh dear children hear your pastor this morning.

50:28 The devil will set all kinds of proposals to you through the world through your friends Kids in the neighborhood. Oh yeah. Come and listen. Let me tell you some dirty words.

50:42 Let me tell you how you can cheat at school. And get good marks and fool the teacher. Let me tell you this. Let me tell you that.

50:49 Always promising something for our good. But the devil has one intention. That's to destroy you. To destroy everything that is godlike and noble in you in this life.

51:02 And then to take you down to hell with him forever. He has no other intention whatsoever. And we learn it from this passage.

Application 3: Orthodox Views and Constrained Obedience are Not Saving Faith

51:12 Well let me hurry and touch very briefly in closing. This passage not only contains this lucid illustration of the relationship between miracle and spoken word. This graphic description of the wretched patterns of satanic activity. But it contains a sobering declaration.

51:37 Hear me now. A sobering declaration. That orthodox views on cardinal doctrines joined with constrained obedience are no evidence of saving faith.

51:55 Notice. The demon on behalf of all of his demons makes a declaration of orthodox doctrine on some cardinal points. They first of all recognize there is an antagonism between God and Christ. And themselves.

52:13 And the devil. What to us and to you. What is there between us. That terse opening statement of the demon.

52:22 What to us and to you. They recognize there is an antagonism. They haven't given over to the notion that the devil is just some idea. That evil is just some idea.

52:33 They confess there is a real bona fide antagonism between God and right and truth and Christ and the devil and sin and unrighteousness. Furthermore. They recognize the supreme authority of Jesus. Have you come to destroy us.

52:49 They acknowledge he has the right to destroy them. And the power. Thirdly they recognize the ultimate punishment that will be theirs in hell. Fourthly.

52:58 They recognize the uniqueness of the person and mission of Jesus. Holy one of God. Elsewhere they call him son of God. Son of the most high.

53:07 And furthermore. They even render constrained obedience to his word. When he said. Be quiet and come out.

53:14 It says they obeyed him. Now they had a pretty good creed. And they even had something that looked like obedience. We learn from that it's possible to have a pretty good creed.

53:29 And be doing a lot of things that look like the free spiritual obedience of a Christian. When in reality we may have nothing more than the demons had. You see it was the same word that spoke worlds into being that said be quiet and come out. And that's the word that will cause all men to bow in the last day.

53:51 Every knee shall bow. Every tongue confess. And that voice that spoke worlds into being spoke in the synagogue that day. And that's the voice that will speak in the day of judgment.

54:04 But now follow closely. There's a sense in which. We hear the echoes of that voice now in our conscience. And there's many a man woman boy or girl.

54:15 Who gives a constrained obedience to conscience. Simply to keep from the terrors of an accusing conscience who knows nothing of the free spiritual obedience of a child of God. Obedience flowing from love to Christ. Obedience flowing from a renewed nature.

The Mark of True Christian Obedience

54:34 It is the constrained obedience of the voice of God in conscience. Now follow me closely. And because that's true. They only obey at the points.

54:46 That. That their training. Their teaching has made their consciences sensitive. But let the word of God touch other areas.

54:56 They refuse to obey the voice of God. Because their consciences do not trouble them. They feel they have no obligation to obey. And even when they see their duty in the Bible.

55:12 The mark of the obedience of a true Christian as the old writers continually remind us is. That it is universal. Obedience. I will have respect unto all thy commandments.

55:30 The heart of a true Christian is as shocked at the thought of envy. As it is at the thought of lust. It seeks to steer clear as much of the sin of covetousness as the sin of murder. And if your supposed obedience.

55:54 Is calculated and categorized. Only in the areas where your conscience really troubles you. Because of your naked constitution. Your training.

56:05 And your past teaching. It could well be. It's nothing more than the constrained obedience of a demon. Why are you so different today.

56:17 Than you were five years ago. You cannot say that you have no more light about the will of God. Why are some of you husbands. No more gentle to your wives now.

56:30 Than you were five years ago. Is it because you haven't heard passages. Expounded from this pulpit. About how you are to dwell with your wife according to knowledge.

56:38 Lover as Christ loved the church. No. You have your duty laid before you. But your conscience is impervious.

56:46 To the word of God. Serious business isn't it. But I believe Christ is the son of God. So did the demon.

57:02 And I believe in the antagonism between God and the devil. So did the demon. Well I believe that Christ is Lord. So did the demon.

57:09 James 2.19 says. The demons also believe. And they tremble.

Self-Examination and Genuine Submission

57:17 Now the last thing I want to do. Is upset the faith of any true child of God. Few things bring me more delight as a pastor. Than to try to minister comfort.

57:26 And encouragement. And help a soul. Struggling with assurance. To be able to read more accurately.

57:34 The freeness of God's salvation in Christ. Help him or her. To read more accurately. The evidences of God's own grace.

57:42 In them. Help them to discern. What the witness of the spirit is. I believe I can honestly say.

57:50 Few pastoral duties bring more delight. Than to be a helper of someone's faith. Than to be a helper of someone's faith. Unto a settled well grounded assurance of salvation.

57:58 Unto a settled well grounded assurance of salvation. But my friend listen. My Bible is full of warnings. Be not deceived let no man deceive himself.

58:06 Let no man deceive you. This passage teaches us. Sets before us the sobering declaration. That orthodox views on cardinal doctrines.

58:14 That orthodox views on cardinal doctrines. Joined to a constrained obedience. Joined to a constrained obedience. Are no proof of saving grace.

58:22 And unless you can say from the heart. By God's grace. It is my longing. And I can back it up.

58:30 With my own conscience. In the presence of God. With an open Bible. Look in all the revealed ways of God.

58:38 Look in all the revealed ways of God. If I have got to alter. Kind cherished views. About myself and life.

58:46 And things and people. I don't care. One thing matters. To me to live is Christ.

58:55 And that being so. For me to live. Is obedience. To the word of God.

59:03 No matter what the cost may be. No matter what the cost may be. Is that where you stand. Is that where you live.

59:14 And can you make your profession stick. By how you conduct yourself. May God write upon our hearts. May God write upon our hearts.

59:24 These vital lessons of this passage. And bring us around full circle to see. And bring us around full circle to see. That in this passage.

59:33 Christ and his mighty works. Are displayed. That Christ lives today. He is amongst us by his spirit.

59:41 On this his special day. And he is here. And I hope and pray. That his word has come to you.

59:49 Not as the word of men. But as his own. Word of authority. May you respond in faith and obedience.

Prayer for Truth, Deliverance, and Preservation

59:57 And find Christ precious. To your heart. Let us pray. Our Father we thank you.

60:13 For the richness of your word. We praise you for. It's abiding relevance. O God our heavenly father.

60:23 We pray that the word of truth. Will invade the kingdom of darkness. And release slaves. And with all the barking.

60:32 Of the bloodhounds in their ears. May they be determined. To run to him. Who is a safe refuge for sinners.

60:40 We pray as your people. You would keep us. From a morbid preoccupation. With the devil.

60:48 But Lord keep us. From a naive ignorance. In his ways. And we know that if you are pleased.

60:57 To answer the prayer of many of us. And continue with increasing measures. To pour out of your spirit upon us. We will know as we've never known before.

61:05 What it is to wrestle. Not with flesh and blood. But against principalities and powers. We thank you.

61:13 We do not wrestle in our own strength. We thank you that our mighty captain. Is with us. And still can say to every.

61:21 Manifestation of the devil. And his power. Be still and come out. Oh we thank you.

61:29 Oh we praise you. For our exalted and glorified head. We pray. That he will preserve this congregation.

61:37 In days to come. Preserve us from deadness. And ritualism on the one hand. And fanaticism.

61:45 And the intrusion of excesses on the other. Oh Lord how the mighty. Have fallen in the history of the church. Look upon us.

61:53 As the apple of your eye Lord. Prepare we pray. The hearts of your people. For days of greater usefulness.

62:01 And oh by your mighty. Spirit. Guard us from all the subtle. Machinations of the enemy.

62:09 Lord for those. Who do not have a true. And a living relationship to your son. Who have a head full of orthodox.

62:18 Doctrine. Who have patterns of external. But merely constrained obedience. Who know nothing of that.

62:26 Free open faced. Universal spirit of submission. And obedience. Oh Lord unmask them to themselves.

62:34 That they may flee to you. For a new heart. Seal your word. And may the spirit himself.

62:43 Bring eternal profit from our meditations. This morning. Hear us as we plead these mercies. Through our Lord Jesus Christ.

62:51 Amen.