Good Neighbors Create Good Neighborhoods
Notes
Transcript
Creating a Christ-like Neighborhood
Luke 10:17-24
1/10/21 am
Intro: Jesus was asked the question, who is my neighbor in Luke 10:29? Looking at the chapter, I saw that the question is answered in the context of this passage. Neighbors live with a commission to go and bring the kingdom of God (10:1-9). We also share good works, and we share the message of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world (10:10-16).
1. We Are Good Neighbors with Rejoicing (17, 20)
2. We Are Good Neighbors with Royalty (18-19)
3. We Are Good Neighbors with Revelation (21-22)
4. We Are Good Neighbors with Responsibility (23-24)
I. WE ARE GOOD NEIGHBORS WITH REJOICING (Luke 10:17, 20)
A. They returned with joy (chara). The word means joy and rejoicing, a heart full of gladness. Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). The Gospel according to Luke (p. 205). Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
B. The disciples were surprised by the display of authority over demons that was seen. The recognized it was the name of Jesus and not in their power the miracles happened.
1 Heb 12:2; Lu 10:21 - Jesus rejoiced (egalliasato). The word is much stronger than the English rejoice. The Greek means great joy and exultation. It means to be filled with joy or thrilled with joy. There is the idea of victorious joy because of the glorious triumph over the arch-enemy Satan (vv. 18–20). Note: this joy comes only from the Spirit; it cannot be worked up. It is a joy of confidence and assurance that arises from down deep within—a confidence and assurance that all is well with God and the victory is won over evil. This was the joy experienced by Christ when the seventy returned. Souls had been snatched from the grip of sin and death, for the power of God over evil had been exercised by men. Satan’s fall was assured. God would be victorious within the world as the gospel was carried forth by His servants; the Spirit of God stirred Jesus to rejoice greatly over the victory won.
C. People love to be around those who are positive and joyful
1 Beaming Faces Revealed Gold Secret
2 This story is told regarding the beginnings of the Anaconda Mining Company:
3 Setting out from Bannock, Montana in search of gold, a group of prospectors went through hardships. Several of their company died en route. They were overtaken by Indians who took their good horses. Discouraged, the prospectors sought to make their way back to Bannock.
4 As they journeyed back, one of them casually picked up a little stone from the creek-bed. Upon cracking the rock with a hammer, he declared, "There may be gold here."
5 The company panned gold in the same creek and realized fifty dollars—a great sum in those days. They said: "We have struck it rich!"
6 Making their way to Bannock, they vowed not to breathe a word concerning this gold strike—and they kept their word. Quietly they equipped themselves with supplies for another prospecting trip. But when they were ready to go back, three hundred men followed them. Who had told on them? No one! The writer of the book accounted thus for the incident: "Their beaming faces betrayed the secret!"
7 Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
D. Joy and rejoicing are important themes in this passage
1 Disciples joyful over having authority over demons (17)
2 Jesus says to rejoice that your names are written in heaven (20)
3 Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit (21)
4 Jesus calls the disciples blessed (23)
E. We have reason to rejoice
1 We can be thankful that we do have power over the enemy
2 Our identity is in Christ (Eph 2:6)
3 Our names are written in heaven (20)
a Our names are written in heaven. This speaks of our identity in Christ. We've been lifted from an earthly, carnal, and worldly frame of view to a heavenly, spiritual, Christ-like frame of view. Eph. 2:6. We function from a place of authority and victory, not a place of need and defeat. We have God's provision at our fingertips. We are not paupers.
b On our worst day and satan’s best day, he is still under our feet
c Jesus' disciples have reason to rejoice because of the authority, position, and revelation we have, but we also have a responsibility to share it.
d We can rejoice because we know we are going to heaven
1) Heb 2:14-15
2) 1 John 5:13
3) The only other option is going to hell
a) We can’t imagine the terror of that predicament
4) Hell IS:
a) A Place of Consciousness (Luke 16:23-24)
b) A Place of Torment (Luke 16:23-24, 28)
c) A Place of Darkness (Matthew 8:12)
d) Eternal Separation from loved ones who are believers (Luke 13:28)
e) Without the Slightest Hope of Release (Matthew 25:46, Hebrews 6:2)
f) The Torment of Memory in Hell (Luke 16:27-28) Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
5) So, yes, we can rejoice that our names are written in heaven
e We have struck it rich, we’re on our way to heaven!
II. WE ARE GOOD NEIGHBORS WITH ROYALTY (Luke 10:18-19)
A. Satan is a fallen angel (18)
1 Satan was kicked out of heaven
a This is one way of interpreting this verse
b Isaiah 14:12
2 Some interpret this verse to mean that each time the disciples were ministering and casting out demons and healing the sick, Jesus could see satan fall like a lightning bolt out of heaven
3 Jesus saw satan being defeated by
a Souls were being touched by the power of God and believing in Jesus
b The Gospel was spreading, and people were responding to it
c Jesus saw death defeated by His cross and resurrection
d Sickness and disease was being defeated by the kingdom of God
e Jesus saw satan defeated at the end of the world with the ushering in of the eternal kingdom of God
B. One characteristic of Royalty is they have Authority
1 Jesus has delegated authority to the believer
2 The authority is in the name of Jesus
3 There is authority in the Word of God
C. Satan is pictured as a serpent and scorpion (19)
1 Because of the venomous qualities of both scorpions and serpents, they are feared and avoided. Some serpents are harmless, but most people would not know the difference between the harmless ones and the dangerous ones. Scorpions inflict a lot of pain with their sting and sometimes can be fatal. Serpents can be fatal. Both are likened to the devil, but Jesus says He gives us authority over the devil so that when we exercise that authority, he cannot harm us.
a Psalm 91:13
2 We have authority over him – trample on serpents and scorpions
D. We need to see ourselves as ambassadors of the kingdom of God bringing His peace and power to bear on the lives those we contact
1 We can make a difference in our neighbor’s lives
2 We can make a difference in our neighborhoods
3 Phil 4:19
III. WE ARE GOOD NEIGHBORS WITH REVELATION (Luke 10:21-22)
A. Jesus rejoiced in Spirit – Holy Spirit inspired utterance
B. Who God has revealed “these things” to
1 Not the wise and prudent, the scribe or Pharisee
2 But to babes – not the scholar but the humble in heart = revelation
3 Humility is a key to receiving revelation from God
C. The key revelation – is of Jesus Christ (22)
1 From Gen. to Rev, Jesus is revealed
2 He is the key to all of scripture – John 5:39
3 1 Cor. 2:14
D. We owe the world a revelation of Jesus Christ
IV. WE ARE GOOD NEIGHBORS WITH RESPONSIBILITY (Luke 10:23-24)
A. What would we do if we saw a house on fire?
1 We’d warn the people and call 911
2 Knowing the danger people are in without God, we have a responsibility to warn the people
a We also have a responsibility to share the blessings we have been blessed with
b 2 Kings 7:8 – the lepers who discovered all the food and clothing of the enemy that was free fro the taking
B. We are blessed – we have the privilege of knowing these things
1 That we have authority over the devil
2 That our names are written in heaven
3 That we know Jesus, the Savior of the world
C. Many mighty people have desired to know these things
1 It’s been a mystery to many
2 We are privileged
3 We owe it to the world to give them Jesus
D. We have so many blessings, and privileges, we have a responsibility to tell the people
1 Just like the illustration of the house on fire, the people will go to a place of fire if they don’t know Jesus.
V. ACTIVATION/ALTAR CALL
A. PRAY FOR SALVATION
B. PRAY FOR US TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS THAT GO IN THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS, THAT BRING THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND DEFEAT THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS. THANK GOD THAT WE KNOW JESUS, AND WE SHARE HIM WITH OTHERS.