[0:00] today's reading is from luke chapter 11 starting at verse 14 and this can be found on page 1043 of the church bibles.! so that's luke chapter 11 starting at verse 14.
[0:14] and the crowd was amazed but some of them said by beelzebub the prince of demons he is driving out demons others asked him by asking for a sign from heaven jesus knew their thoughts and said to them any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined and a house divided against itself will fall if satan is divided against himself how can his kingdom stand i say this because you claim that i drive out demons by beelzebub now if i drive out demons by beelzebub by whom do your followers drive them out so then they will be your judges but if i drive out demons by the finger of god then the kingdom of god has come upon you when a strong man fully armed guards his own house his possessions are safe but when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up as plunder whoever is not with me is against me and whoever does not gather with me scatters when an impure spirit comes out of a person it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it then it says i will return to the house i left when it arrives it finds the house swept clean and put in order then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself and they go in and live there and the final condition of that person is worse than the first as jesus was saying these things a woman in the crowd called out blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you he replied blessed rather are those who hear the word of god and obey it this is the word of the lord well a very good morning uh saint silas thank you catherine for reading and let me add my welcome to josh's my name is andrew i'm a leader in training here at the church if you've not met before and i hope you're able to join enjoy some good rest over the festive break let me wish each and every one of you a very happy new year as we get started in 2026 and will you join me in prayer as we look at god's word together heavenly father we praise you for your son the lord jesus christ who came down to earth that we might live in relationship with you so we come now to consider your word we seek your help wherever we're at however we're feeling we ask that your spirit would be working powerfully in our hearts transforming us to greater love and worship of you in jesus mighty name amen to keep your bibles open at page 1043 as we go through and luke this morning whose side are you on it's a question that we ask a lot from the desperate cries on a fiber side pitch because someone forgot to bring the bibs you've just passed to the wrong person whose side are you on how am i meant to know from the more serious accusations that fly around social media of are you really taking the side of the guilty instead of the innocent or the side of the powerful instead of the vulnerable whose side are you on we care a lot about what people use their power for who people use their power for we love someone who uses their powerful voice their influence to champion the voice of the marginalized the voice of the voiceless we roll our eyes when we see a celebrity using their influence to try and convince us that
[4:20] we should really all be drinking coke instead of pepsi surely they've got something else better to use their influence for when we see people that they have power we need to know who are they using that power for what are they using it for and it's that question it's that issue that prompts our passage this morning whose side is jesus on who is he using his power for we've not been in this part of luke for a while since before christmas so let's get our bearings again together if this is your first time here is in silence don't worry you'll be able to catch up alongside of us jesus is on his way to jerusalem he sat out there in chapter 9 verse 51 as he turned and set his face resolutely towards that a big turning point in the book and on his way we've seen that he's been teaching those who follow him what it looks like to be a disciple of christ and just before our passage this morning he's given his disciples an extraordinary promise sets the context for our passage just look back at verse 13 with me jesus says if you then though you are evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your father in heaven give the holy spirit to those who ask him christ promises the gift of the holy spirit to those who ask the father father so that they may be equipped for following christ the gift of the spirit in each and every one of us is what we need to live for god in this world and it's with that promise ringing in the disciples ears in our ears if we're reading through luke that luke introduces a series of controversies that we're looking at the start of this morning we've got two points this morning you'll find them up on the screen there's space in your notice sheet on the other side if you'd like to take notes that's of use to you our first point whose side is he on verses 14 to 22 jesus popularity has been growing he sent out 72 disciples in his name back in chapter 10 with the ability to do miracles and so no doubt word had been spreading about this man who could do things that no one could explain who seem to be able to give authority to others people would have been talking and whenever there's a new power on the scene people want to know where do i stand with them there's a new kid on the block should i be afraid are they on my side are they on someone else's side they are forced for good they are forced for evil the same with this crowd read verse 14 with me jesus was driving out a demon that was mute when the demon left the man who'd been mute spoke and the crowd was amazed we get a context for most of the passage but it's harder to get a shorter account of a miracle than that just one verse and we're told all about it snap jesus is driving out a demon bang the demons is gone the man speaks the crowd's amazed there you go bish bash bosh that's it done it's an incredibly short account whereas earlier in luke we got detailed accounts of the miracles that jesus did the acts themselves now we find that this only takes up one verse but the fallout from it gets far more attention as luke focuses us in on how people are responding to christ but before we move on i think it's important that we stop and think for a moment about demons in general jesus drives out a demon who made a man mute and the man could speak again demons and especially demon
[8:27] possessions are not something that we tend to think about in 21st century scotland doesn't come up often in life but it would be naive of us to consign this kind of evil activity as something in the past something that doesn't happen in 21st century scotland across the wider world or to dismiss it as fiction god's word is very clear that there is a hidden unseen spiritual battle being waged in this world demons wage war against god against his people on behalf of satan aiming to stop his people from worshiping him aiming to stop more people from coming in to worship him this demon possessed mute man certainly couldn't have lived a life of worship he would have been cut off from where the places and the society he needed to be a part of and even if he wasn't he wouldn't have wanted to with a demon possessing him and we do see evil in our world today it's evil forces trying to stop people from worshiping god and while it's pretty unhelpful to say that's definitely demonic activity and that definitely is as well we do know that there are evil forces at work that stop people from having anything to do with god some people just have such hatred in their heart towards god some people just cannot understand it no matter what we say no matter what we do however we explain it however much it seems like they should just get it they just can't fathom their need for a savior resolute blindness to the gospel and the bible is clear there are evil spiritual forces at play in the world until christ returns again there was then there are now just because it might look different doesn't mean they're not there and unbelief isn't neutral back to our passage though with that in our minds the crowd upon seeing the man be cast out react initially in amazement they see the man speak and they're amazed but we then get a division in response we get at the verse 15 camp and the verse 16 camp in 15 some get suspicious about whose side jesus is really on and accuse him of being a demon himself working for beelzebul just another name for satan that probably means prince of demons and then the verse 16 camp well they test him looking for another sign from heaven the crowd all respond in amazement but both reactions were skeptical of jesus power for now we'll content ourselves with how verse 15 camp responds and jesus reaction to them but for those who test him jesus responds to them in verse 29 we'll get there in future weeks we shouldn't lose sight of some of the unreasonableness of their reactions jesus has just driven out a demon he's visibly restored someone who couldn't speak and yet they demand another sign and they wonder is he really a demon too as if it's some for some form of false flag operation they'll trust him because he cast him out maybe that will trick them and that is not to miss the fact that in verse 17 we're told jesus knew their thoughts without them voicing it to them but what's really behind the accusation i think it's it's a concern of whose team is jesus really on is this new power good news for me or is he really just one evil taking over from another where do i stand with him
[12:31] and jesus tackles it head on keep reading verse 17 with me he says any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined and a house divided against itself will fall if satan is divided against satan how can his kingdom stand i say this because you claim that i drive out demons by beelzebul i think that's generally agreed upon logic isn't it anything with internal division and conflict collapses into chaos very very quickly board members turn upon each other and before you know it the stock price plummets and the company's barely worth anything sons inherit their family business from their father but they cannot get on they are not on the same page by anything and before you know it a thriving healthy business has collapsed because it's just sheer chaos in the management a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand and if jesus gets his power from satan to go and drive out other agents of satan then surely satan's kingdom would collapse as well and with that jesus has addressed their skepticism of him their logic makes no sense but he's about to go on the offensive he's about to probe the foundations that this crowd are basing their lives upon and verse 19 he points out they're not consistent with their reasoning at that time it would be in common for some jewish people to be able to drive out demons as well and people would have followed those with that ability and jesus says their guys who drive out demons also need to be from satan they're going to say that or is it double standards there's one rule for their guys one rule for everyone else they're going to reject christ for and this is jesus kick in the tail to them verse 20 but if i drive out demons by the finger of god then the kingdom of god has come upon you if jesus is on god's side if he's doing god's work then in rejecting him they're rejecting the kingdom of god and that leaves them under judgment jesus work with the finger of god is bringing the kingdom of god it's here it's come upon them and if they reject jesus power as satanic they reject god's power in god's kingdom as well they've been waiting for years for god's kingdom to come and yet the one who brings it they determine is on the wrong side and this is very much the clash of two kingdoms god's kingdom versus satan's kingdom and god is very much on the offensive his kingdom is on the march to liberate those under satan's rule read verses 21 and 22 with me jesus says when a strong man fully armed guards his own house his possessions are safe but when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder might sound cryptic at first but we can get into it together we've been talking about two kingdoms satan's and god's the bible tells us elsewhere that satan's kingdom is on earth and that he is doing all he can to stop people from believing in god he is a strong man he is fully armed with all his weapons with lies with twisting god's word with demons with death and much more and he guards his house and all those who are in it all those who are on earth who don't trust in god but jesus is a stronger man he is here to over attack to attack and to overpower satan he disarms him he defeats his armor and divides up his plunder
[16:36] jesus says that he's come to plunder satan's kingdom for his own he's bringing the kingdom of god and he's come to save people out of satan's kingdom into his own this is a rescue mission this is the rescue mission jesus is firmly on god's side he's using his power for the greatest rescue mission ever we've seen fights between jesus and satan already in luke jesus was out in the desert and he was tempted yet didn't sin jesus sent out 72 of his followers with authority over demons and satan and they were able to do much but the defining battle is still to come in luke jesus mission is to liberate captives of satan and he will go resolutely to jerusalem with that exact goal he will die on a cross and he will rise again breaking the chains of death that hold all of humanity captive in satan's kingdom so that all who turn to him all who actively take his offer of rescue are set free there is a great battle going on around us the world is not a neutral place that our spiritual forces at work but is not an even one jesus here launches our full frontal attack on satan with his earthly ministry and he's continuing this day to press his decisive advantage home until he returns again and brings the final judgment on satan's kingdom the final blow we can be absolutely confident that jesus is on god's side he's using his power for the greatest rescue mission known to man and he will come again and finish it off life in this fallen world with so much hurt pain and he's short in comparison to the new creation that is coming when he returns and so we must keep on going we must fix our eyes upon that knowing the reality that we live in now amongst satan's kingdom but knowing the eternal reality is the new creation that is the new creation that is to come whose side is he on the victorious side the side that defeats evil and rescue souls for the perfect new creation in god's kingdom when he returns again and from that arises a critical question whose side are you on our second point this morning verses 23 to 28 whose side whose side are you on that's how jesus continues verse 23 he says whoever is not with me is against me whoever does not gather with me scatters there are two sides no more no less there's no middle ground there's no way to hedge your bets and we're either actively with christ gathering or we are against him scattering passivity is not neutrality if we're not gathering in we're scattering just being amazed at christ like the response of the crowd isn't in itself positive he goes on to say why with a mini parable let's remind ourselves verse 24 have a look down there when an impure spirit comes out of a person it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it then it says i will return to the house i left when it arrives it finds the house swept clean and boot in order
[20:37] then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself and they go in and live there and the final condition of that person is worse than the first what on earth is going on here that has had me stumped for a while as i've been prepping but i think the nub of it is this jesus offer of rescue is only beneficial to those who seek the holy spirit in response jesus offer of rescue is only beneficial to those who seek the holy spirit in response let's walk through it together and you can see if you agree we've got a person who's just had an unclean spirit come out of them we don't know why it goes out seeking rest presumably in a new person to possess having had no luck it decides to return to the person it left when the spirit left the person the person became new became ready for a new inhabitant a new master of their life jesus speaks of it being swept clean and boot in order a bit like how you hope to find an airbnb no matter if you had a massive stag do in the night before who trashed the place when they leave at 11 if you come in at four you expect the place to be tidy regardless of how much chaos has happened before when they leave the place is turned round only with this person no one else has moved in after the demon left upon finding the person ripe for possession again the spirit gets seven friends worse than it and takes up residence the person is in a worse condition than they were before they've had no benefit from being set free it's been like if you go and free a hostage you could go and take off all their chains all their ropes and invite them to come with you to freedom but actually if they don't leave if they still sit there they've not actually been rescued they have to positively take it for themselves otherwise they're really still just a hostage nothing has changed i think this is where verse 13 comes instructive for us in the context of our passage luke has just recorded christ's promise of the holy spirit if they ask god the father for him we have two sides we have satan who possesses people with evil spirits to stop them from worshiping god and we have god who offers the free gift of his holy spirit for all who ask him for him to help them live a life of worship jesus mission is to offer rescue for all out of satan's kingdom but if you don't actively accept it and seek his holy spirit to dwell in you there is no benefit to you you don't become neutral you stay in satan's kingdom and against christ and there is judgment coming for all who reject him there is a sure and certain day when christ will return and judge all who haven't taken him up in his offer of rescue unless we seek the holy spirit from the father we don't accept christ's rescue it's not enough to be offered freedom you have to take it for yourself jesus says whoever is with is not with me is against me and whoever does not gather with me scatters whose side are you on let me encourage you to make this year a year where you actively join in with christ accept his offer
[24:37] of rescue and if you've never done for before ask the father for the gift of the holy spirit to help you do so if you're not a hundred percent on jesus side if you're not sure if you are i'd love to chat to you afterwards about what that looks like come and grab one of us don't leave this morning without talking us through what that might look like at this stage things have gone pretty awkward amongst the crowd they sure don't seem like they're with jesus they've been showing up for thinking he's a demon that's pretty awkward when someone knows you thought that and challenged on their attitude but cutting through that is a brave woman who calls out verse 27 blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you a fulfillment of mary's song back in chapter one that we looked at at christmas this woman recognizes that jesus is a special man he's on the side of god and jesus extends her saying of blessing two more verse 28 isn't a rebuke of the woman but it's a yes and it's a yes mary is blessed but it's not limited to her verse 28 blessed rather are those who hear the word of god and obey it mary certainly did that she received the word of god to her concerning the child of jesus that she would birth and she believed and she obeyed as do all who side with christ whose side are you on this year will you hear the word of god and obey it will you be all in with jesus he offers not just rescue from satan's kingdom and the impending judgment upon it but a blessing too there's no neutral way there's no middle ground passivity is not neutrality it's to remain under the looming judgment that is to come but christ came to earth as the greatest rescue mission we have ever known and the father gives the holy spirit to help us join him in that mission since silas be encouraged that true blessing this year is found in hearing the word of god and obeying it whatever else the world might offer and look like blessing true blessing is found in the word of god at the end of 2026 we will all be much more blessed if we have listened to the word of god together and obeyed it christ's mission to rescue us to rescue all those who turn to him is successful without us perfectly obeying and keeping god's word but our response to that should be to want more of the word and for that to flow throughout our lives we need to hear it we need to obey it i don't know exactly what that looks like for you in a room of this size everyone will be in different situations maybe you're a part of a growth group or a roots group but you find yourself going less and less towards the end of last year maybe you're a member but really in name only you very rarely get there maybe you're not one in the first place maybe for a while you couldn't be but actually now circumstances have changed you're more able to be but you haven't got yet haven't yet got around to it wouldn't it be great if as a church family this year every week we heard and listened and spoke the truth and love to one together to one another midweek think of how god might bless each and every one of us in that
[28:40] satan doesn't want anyone hearing the word of god let alone obeying it he hates the thought of people gathering together to do that and so sometimes it's hard sometimes it feels like it's the last thing that we want to do but true blessing is found in hearing the word of god and obeying it and if we really believe that we really believe that that's where blessing is that alters how we view life that alters how we view the year ahead what we want for ourselves what we want for each other what we want to talk about even when we don't feel like it it's to our benefit to dwell in god's word it might feel like blessing is found elsewhere but in reality it's found in god's word and we have the holy spirit in us he gives us the power to keep on going and he helps us we can pray for his help so as a church let's keep treasuring god's word this year and seeking to obey it together and let's join with christ in his mission to rescue people from satan's kingdom into his own the lord jesus says whoever is not with me is against me whoever does not gather with me scatters people are perishing without christ they need to hear jesus words need to know of his offer of salvation and so with renewed vigor and expectation of what christ might do in glasgow this year let's keep going and making christ known of gathering people to him let's keep taking a step forward together and flying the flag for christ being well aware that we live in satan's kingdom knowing that it will be hard but taking a stand knowing that actually whatever happens here to me this year i am safe for christ has won and he is certainly coming back let's pray together heavenly father we praise you for the lord jesus for his death and resurrection that has rescued us from satan's control and into your kingdom thank you that you let us share in his mission though you you don't have to help us to trust that christ has won the war he keeps us safe and so to fight to make him known would your spirit in us be working powerfully to make us more and more useful instruments in your work amen