Latest / Fairview Presbyterian Church (PCA) Sermons / The Two Natures of Christ Illustrated in His Teaching, Healing, and Power Over the Devil (Mark 1:21-34)- Pastor Kenneth Collins Maple

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The Two Natures of Christ Illustrated in His Teaching, Healing, and Power Over the Devil (Mark 1:21-34)- Pastor Kenneth Collins Maple · Fairview Presbyterian Church (PCA) Sermons

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And as we go to God's Word, we go specifically
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to Mark chapter 1, Mark chapter 1, 21 through
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34. What we've been doing of late is looking
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at a sermon series through some of the miracles
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of Jesus. Typically within this church, we do
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consecutive preaching where we take a book, We
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take a passage and we make our way through it
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kind of systematically. With this sermon series
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we do it a little bit differently in that we're
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not marching through one book, but we're seeing
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the miracles of Jesus throughout all four Gospels.
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And so the last two Sundays we have been in the
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Gospel according to John. Today we go to the
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Gospel according to Mark. And as you look at
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this here, you see Mark waste no time jumping
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into the action, right? There is so much that
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is jam -packed into Mark chapter 1. So as I read
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this from 21 to 34, I want you to listen for
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the three components of Jesus' ministry that
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he does within this text. And would you please
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listen, because this is God's holy word. Mark
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1, 21 through 34. And they went into Capernaum,
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and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the
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synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished
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at his teaching, for he taught them as one who
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had authority and not as the scribes. And immediately
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there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean
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spirit. And he cried out, what have you to do
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with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to
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destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One
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of God. But Jesus rebuked him, saying, be silent
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and come out of him. And the unclean spirit convulsing
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him and crying out with a loud voice came out
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of him. And they were all amazed. so that they
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questioned among themselves saying, what is this?
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A new teaching with authority. He commands even
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the unclean spirits and they obey him. And at
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once, his fame spread everywhere throughout all
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the surrounding region of Galilee. And immediately,
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he left the synagogue and entered the house of
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Simon and Andrew with James and John. Now Simon's
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mother -in -law lay ill with a fever and immediately
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they told him about her and he came and took
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her by the hand and lifted her up and the fever
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left her and she began to serve them. That evening
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at sundown they brought to him all who were sick
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or oppressed by demons and the whole city was
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gathered together at the door and he healed many
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who were sick with various diseases. cast out
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many demons and he would not permit the demons
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to speak because they knew him this is God's
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holy word let's pray father we thank you for
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your word we thank you that it's true we thank
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you that you give us what we need and yet we
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also ask that as we now study this text Lord
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You would help us to hear it well, to interpret
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it well, and to apply it well. These things we
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pray in Jesus' name, amen. As this is the season
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of Advent, we've got our candle lit. Some of
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you will show up on Tuesday to help decorate
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the sanctuary. We might ask an important question.
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What happened in the incarnation of Jesus. What
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happened in the incarnation? It's simple in a
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way, but it's also very complex. It's a bit mysterious,
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isn't it? How to explain it? That Jesus, who
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is eternal, took on flesh. Jesus, as you know,
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has always been. Jesus is one with the Father.
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equal in power and glory. So Jesus, the second
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person of the Trinity, who has always been, takes
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on flesh and becomes a man. This has been a challenge
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for many to understand. This has been a challenge
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for many to communicate to others. And so the
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church recognized very early on, hey, we need
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to know what we're talking about. We need to
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study the Bible on this. And so if you know your
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church history, you know that there were different
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councils that were held in the early centuries
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after the ascension of Jesus, councils like Nicaea
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and Chalcedon, where the church gathered together
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to discuss these important matters, especially
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the matter of the hypostatic union, how Jesus
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can have two natures, a divine nature and a human
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nature. in one person, that the Son of God, what
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he did when he came to earth is that he who is
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divine, who is God, added this human nature.
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And what all of this means is that Jesus is fully
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man and Jesus is fully God, completely. He is
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of the same essence. He's the same substance,
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as some have said, as the Father. Jesus is of
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the same stuff as the Father. And so Jesus, when
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he speaks, he speaks as having the authority
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of God. In Mark chapter 1, you see people confronted
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with this for the very first time. Who is this
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who speaks with this authority as the people
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listen they realize something this Jesus He is
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unlike any teacher we have ever heard before
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Jesus is not one of many great teachers Jesus
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is one of one in that category Now as they listen
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not everybody is converted right then and they're
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on the spot But they realize they are listening
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to one who has supreme authority. Now before
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I read the text, I asked you to listen for three
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components of Jesus's ministry. This is what
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he does within the passage. Jesus teaches. Jesus
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casts out demons. And Jesus heals. And Jesus
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accomplishes these three things as the God -man.
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Let's look at his authority to teach in verses
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21 22 and 27 You see verse 21. Jesus is in Capernaum
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He's in the synagogue Where else would you expect
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Jesus to be on the Sabbath? He's in the synagogue
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on the Sabbath and he enters in to do some teaching
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The text says the word immediately three times
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Jesus doesn't waste any time. When he gets to
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the synagogue, he begins to teach. Now, I'm not
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exactly sure on this about why he immediately
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teaches, but I imagine it would be because there
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are other teachers, right? There are other rabbis
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within the synagogue. And so Jesus goes there
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to teach. And this highlights what I said about
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Jesus's humanity and his divinity. Jesus... who
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is divine takes on flesh so that he can stand
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in the synagogue and rightly teach people Jesus
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is the greatest teacher and at the same time
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if we say that Jesus is only a teacher we do
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a great disservice to him and we speak in sin
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because Jesus is more than a great teacher he's
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the divine teacher he is the godly teacher when
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Jesus teaches mouths drop open. People are astonished
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at his teaching. Jesus teaches in a way that's
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completely different from every other teacher.
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Now, this text does not tell us what Jesus is
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teaching. Jesus doesn't give us his study guide,
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right? But we see how his teaching contrasts
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that with others. For you might remember in Jesus'
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greatest teaching, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
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will say something like, You have heard it said
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this, but I say to you this, right? He says something
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like, you've heard it said, love your neighbor
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and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your
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neighbor and pray for those who persecute you.
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God's word never says to hate your enemy. But
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the religious leaders don't have the right interpretation.
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And so they would continue to teach things throughout
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the years, throughout the generations. That's
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just simply not true. And yet at the same time,
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the religious leaders, the scribes, were kind
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of the experts in the law. And so people listened
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when they taught. They were the authority. And
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yet the way that they taught does contrast how
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Jesus teaches. Because what the scribes would
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do in Jesus' day, how they would teach, is they
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would actually take what others had taught, what
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other scribes had taught and teach it themselves.
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So they wouldn't speak with their own authority
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and they wouldn't speak always on the authority
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of scripture, but they would reference some other
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scribe, some other rabbi. And this is how they
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would teach. Kind of like how I might use a quote
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within preaching or how a newspaper article might
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reference somebody else. But notice something
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about Jesus. He doesn't reference anybody else.
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He only speaks what is true to the Scriptures.
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He preaches, he teaches what he knows to be true
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from the Bible, right? And so Jesus doesn't have
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to appeal to other teachers because he is the
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authority on Scripture. We know from John chapter
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1 that Jesus is the Word. The Word made flesh.
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So he doesn't appeal to the authority of others.
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I like how Matthew Henry put it. He said, Jesus
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taught as one who knew the mind of God and was
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commissioned to declare it. Friends, when we
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hear the Bible rightly taught, rightly preached
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When we hear the Bible read, this is how we should
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be. We should think this is the Holy Spirit talking.
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Most of you probably cannot remember when you
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first heard the Bible taught to you, rightly.
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Most of you probably cannot understand the very
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first time that you understood the incarnation
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of Jesus. Maybe some of our children can remember.
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when you first heard the Christmas story, imagine
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what it would be like to hear the birth of Jesus
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rightly taught and comprehend it for the very
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first time. You would be astonished. The word
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became flesh and dwelt among us, mind completely
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blown. If we could only take ourselves back to
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the first time. that we ever heard this, because
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the incarnation of Jesus is astonishing news,
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isn't it? And yet I'm afraid that many of us
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have become apathetic to the birth of Jesus.
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We've heard it all before, haven't we? Friends,
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this Christmas season, Would you receive the
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good news with the excitement of the shepherds
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hearing from the angels? Would you be amazed
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by the Bible in the incarnation that Jesus came
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to be with us and came to be one of us? Receive
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it in that way But also as you receive Jesus's
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teaching on these things Notice the authority
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that Jesus has to cast out demons Look in verses
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23 through 27, as well as 32 and 34. So Jesus
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is teaching in the synagogue and there is one
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in the synagogue who's paying very close attention.
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This man with this unclean spirit. A word on
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unclean spirits. It seems that when the Bible,
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especially in the Gospels, when it refers to
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an unclean spirit, it's using this in the same
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way as a demon. meaning that unclean spirits
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and demons can be one in the same. Who are demons?
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Demons are those who fell with Satan, those who
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rebelled against God and continue to rebel against
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God. And yet, as we look at this text here, we
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should note something, that the Bible doesn't
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always speak of demonic activity. It doesn't.
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Actually, it's quite rare within the Bible except
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for in the Gospels. In the Gospels with Jesus,
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you see the unclean spirits and you see the demons
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very, very often, right? Why is that? Why do
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we see so much demonic activity at the time of
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Jesus? I think R .C. Sproul is correct here.
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He says at the time of Jesus, it's as though
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all hell broke loose. And this is true, I think,
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because ultimately, what did Jesus come to do?
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He came to destroy Satan and he came to destroy
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the works of the devil and evil and the demons
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and all of it. And so one by one through the
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Gospels, Jesus casting out demons, healing people
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of unclean spirits. And really, what is this
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but just a foretaste of what Jesus would do on
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the cross. When we look, Jesus casting out demons.
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We should be thinking of the cross of Christ
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But look at this Look at what's going on here
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with this one unclean spirit verse 24 What have
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you to do with us Jesus of Nazareth? Why does
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the unclean spirit speak of us? the man may actually
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have multiple unclean spirits within him. That's
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an interpretation. Two, it could be that the
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unclean spirit is speaking for all unclean spirits,
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as if to say, well, I have the attention of Jesus,
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let me speak up for all of us. And then the third
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view is that the unclean spirit is speaking about
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everybody in the temple, as if to say, Jesus,
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Are you here to destroy everybody in the temple?
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I think we can definitely say that that is not
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true. So I think the view that is correct is
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view number two. Jesus is speaking for all unclean
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spirits and all demons. That this demon is saying,
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what have you to do with us referring to everyone?
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And as we refer a little bit further down in
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our text, you see that there are many who are
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a impressed by demons later on within this passage,
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and so he speaks up for all of them. But there's
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something here that's very important to understand.
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The unclean spirit knows who Jesus is. I know
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who you are, the Holy One of God. J .C. Ryle
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comments on this, and this is an important Quote
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listen up the mere belief of the facts and doctrines
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of Christianity will never save our souls the
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mere facts He continues Such belief is no better
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than the belief of demons They all believe and
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know that Jesus is the Christ they believe that
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he will one day judge the world and throw them
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down To endless torment in hell, it is a solemn
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and sorrowful thought that on these points, some
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professing Christians have even less faith than
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the devil. James 2 .19, the demons shudder. Friends,
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there is no unbelief among the demons. There
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is no unbelief among the demons. What they do
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not have, though, is saving faith in Christ.
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And so, friends, we must not treat our faith
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like it's just head knowledge. There are some
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who do this. Some who say, well, I know about
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Jesus. I went to Sunday school. But saving faith
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doesn't come to those who only know about Jesus.
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Saving faith is for those who trust in Jesus
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for salvation. And so if your approach is to
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only know about Jesus, you are in danger of hearing
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the words of Jesus when he said, depart from
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me, for I never knew you. That would mean that
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your faith is no better than the demons. We must
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have a relationship with God through Jesus by
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the power of the Holy Spirit. We must know more
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than just facts about Jesus. We must know him.
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I like how Luther put it He said the life of
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Christianity Consists in possessive pronouns
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It is one thing to say Christ is a Savior It's
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another thing to say he is my Savior and my Lord
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The devil can say the first But only the true
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Christian can say the second for instance Who
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is the first one in our passage to say something
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true about Jesus? It's the unclean spirit Again,
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there's no unbelief among the demons. They knew
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who Jesus is Do you do you know Jesus do you
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have that relationship with him? Have you trusted
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in him for salvation? Have you repented of sin
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this Christmas season? Stop busying yourself
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with all the periphery stuff and walk humbly
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after your God as a disciple of Jesus. Give your
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heart to Jesus. Receive the teaching of the gospel
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as good news. And friends, for those of us who
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are prone to unbelief, remember what comes later
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in the book of Mark. In Mark chapter 9, you have
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the Father who has the Son with the unclean spirit.
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And the Father says to Jesus, I believe. Help
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my unbelief. Let that prayer be on your lips
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during seasons of doubt. Help my unbelief. And
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so we see in here Jesus' authority to teach.
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Jesus's authority to cast out demons and now
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let's look in verses 29 through 34 his authority
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to heal you see here the words getting out about
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Jesus and people are amazed but there's a great
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moment that happens next a moment that shows
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us that Jesus never forgets his disciples because
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he leaves the synagogue to go to Peter Andrew's
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house. Peter's mother -in -law is there. She
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is sick with a fever and I'm not gonna make any
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mother -in -law jokes here. He simply takes her
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by the hand and he lifts her and the fever leaves.
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Now in Luke, I think it's chapter 4, we see the
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same episode there. Jesus taking the fever from
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Peter's mother -in -law. But in that episode,
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within that passage, Jesus rebukes the fever.
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And so some have said, well, look at Mark 1 and
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look at Luke 4 here. These things are in contradiction.
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One says that he rebukes. The other says he takes
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her by the hand. These things are not at odds.
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There is no contradiction. You can rebuke something
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while touching something at the same time. And
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so we must see here that these accounts of the
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miracles of Jesus are wholeheartedly, completely,
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fully true. There is no contradiction. The Holy
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Spirit is working through the writers of Scripture
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to describe exactly what happened. And exactly
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what happened is Jesus, in all of his power as
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the Son of God, with the authority of God, he
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exercises great humanity. He exercises great
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compassion. in tenderness, doesn't he? We don't
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have much information on this fever from Peter's
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mother -in -law. We just don't know much more.
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And so in some ways, this miracle seems a little
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less miraculous than others, doesn't it? Taking
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a fever away doesn't seem to be on par with walking
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on water or turning the water to wine or multiplying
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the bread or the fish. And yet this is still
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very, very miraculous. Because look at her response
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in verse 31. And he came and took her by the
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hand, lifted her up, and the fever left her,
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and she began to serve him. She exhibits how
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free she is of this fever because she has complete
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healing in order to serve Jesus. and to serve
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the disciples and so friends her response should
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be ours her response should be ours we who know
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of the power and the authority and the salvation
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in jesus those of us who if i can say this way
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have a heart transplant where god has removed
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the heart of stone and give us in a heart of
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flesh we should use our hearts in order to serve
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jesus and others her response is part of the
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miracle. She is raised to serve Christ. And even
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though this removal of the fever doesn't seem
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as miraculous as some others, it's miraculous
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in its impact. Look in verse 33. That evening
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at sundown, they brought to him all who were
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sick or oppressed by demons. Peter's house becomes
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kind of a mash unit here all kinds of people
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from town showing up to the door now you might
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say why do they wait until sundown well because
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of the Jewish calendar the new day begins when
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the Sun goes down and so they waited until the
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Sabbath was over did they need to do that well
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no because Jesus is actually already healed on
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the Sabbath as we saw earlier but they wait They
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wait until the sun goes down. That's when the
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needy show up and he heals many and he casts
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out many demons And then look what he says to
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these demons he casts out Verse 34 he would not
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permit the demons to speak because they knew
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him If Jesus allows these demons to speak The
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word gets out even more, perhaps speeding up
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the cross. It's not time for that yet. You see,
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Jesus doesn't go around telling every single
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person who he is. He humbly goes about his work.
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And he is able to command that the demons not
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speak and they obey him, showing us that the
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devil and his minions don't have authority over
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Jesus. Jesus has authority over them. And so
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friends, as we look at texts that have demonic
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activity, I think we're prone in our hearts to
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fear, aren't we? It sounds terrifying. And yet
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Jesus has power over them. And so I don't want
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you to fear this at all. I want you to recognize
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the reality of these things. But we ought not
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fear. Why? Because God is with us. And Jesus
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has conquered sin and death on the cross. God
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permits the devil to have some authority. This
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is true. But even the devil knows that his authority
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is limited in capability and time allotted for
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his rebellious work. So I want to encourage you,
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do not fear, for God is with you. He will strengthen
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you and help you. He will uphold you with his
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righteous right hand. And so be aware. Be aware
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of this kind of activity. But do not fear. The
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question is often asked, can a Christian be demon
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possessed? And the answer to this, I believe,
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is no. For where the Holy Spirit is, there is
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no room for demon possession. R .C. Sproul said,
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demons can oppress us. They can harass us. They
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can tempt us. They can attack us and so on. But
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thanks be to God, He who is in us is greater
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than he who is in the world. And so friend, Christian
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know this, that Jesus protects you. And this
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is all possible because of Jesus's victory on
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the cross and because of his ministry. For we
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remember that Jesus went toe to toe. He faced
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off with the devil in the wilderness, defeating
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the devil each time by the power of the Holy
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Spirit. in the power of God's Word and so you
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can be certain that Jesus's divinity and his
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humanity did this the book of Hebrew says that
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Jesus was tempted in every way as we are yet
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without sin so that just at the right time the
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humanity and the divinity of Christ all in one
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went to the cross as a sacrifice to atone for
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your sins and to defeat sin death and the devil.
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You see, the humanity of Jesus allows him to
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do it, but his divinity allows him to do it with
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the authority of God. And so Christian, this
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Christmas, trust in the God man. Trust in the
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one who is fully God and fully man and know of
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his mission to defeat sin and death. that it
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was completed on the cross, that he said, it
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is finished. And as this time is described as
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Advent, Jesus's arrival. Know and trust this,
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that as Jesus has come once, so he will come
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again to put a bow on it all and to lock away
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Satan and the demons forever. Let's pray.