'DISARMING AND DEFEATING DEMONS'

Rev. Canon George Sinclair

by Rev. Canon George Sinclair                           

 Pastor of the Church of the Messiah, Ottawa, ON.
 www.messiahchurch.ca 

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Podcast of CFRA broadcast on Sunday, May 7th,  2017:

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/53265/good_news_259_may07.mp3

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Broadcast Notes:

Today we give a shout out to Wills Transfer, whose donation allowed this show to go on the air. Thank you!

This talk is a shortened version of a sermon that I gave at Church of the Messiah, Ottawa:

https://messiahchurch.sermons.io/sermons/the-disarming-and-defeat-of-demons-in-the-the-death-and-resurrection-of-jesus-christ

 

Disarming And Defeating Demons

Colossians 2:6-15  -- English Standard Version (ESV)

Alive in Christ

⁶ Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits^[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. ¹¹ In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³ And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities^[b] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.^[c]

Footnotes:

1. Colossians 2:8 Or elementary principles; also verse 20
2. Colossians 2:15 Probably demonic rulers and authorities
3. Colossians 2:15 Or in it (that is, the cross)

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NOTES:

1.       Human beings are not alone. Invisible beings do exist, and they do influence human beings.

2.      To become more powerful, people seek “spirits”.  But “spirits” are really demons, and they will only hurt you.

3.      My past, present and future “debts” (caused by my wrongdoing), were nailed to the cross, so they are paid in full by Jesus Christ’s death on my behalf.

B.L.A.S.T. Blaspheme Lie Accuse Slander Tempt
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Rev. Canon George Sinclair

Church of the Messiah

www.messiahchurch.ca
613-235-0596
messiahchurch.office@gmail.com

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To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/53265/good_news_259_may07.mp3

'THE DISCIPLE'S BIG FAIL'

Rev. Brent Russett

By Rev. Brent Russett

Pastor of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church in Ottawa:

http://www.sunnysidechurchottawa.com/   

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LINK to CFRA broadcast - Sunday, April 19^th, 2015:

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/31588/good_news_153_apr19.mp3

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‘The Disciple's Big Fail’

  

            Good morning. And welcome to good news in the morning.  My name is Brent Russett. I am the Senior Pastor at Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. It is my pleasure to look at some of life’s challenges, and then bring you some good news in the morning.

            I am glad that you tuned your dial to CFRA. I want you to know that you can also find Good News in the morning on the internet at Goodnewsinthemorning.ca . There you can hear past episodes and find interesting articles.

            This morning’s program is Sponsored by FaithAnglicanChurch located in Embrum. There is a church that makes a difference.  Thank you so much for your generous support. Your partnership with us in the gospel is really appreciated.

            Good News in the morning is sponsoring a wonderful event that is taking place on Saturday May 2^nd at Noon. At Bethany Baptist Church.  It is “Ask the Preachers” day. There is going to be a light lunch and a chance to hear from and interact with the Pastors from this program. The event is free, but  we will be taking up an offering which will go towards helping fund this program.

            It looks like it will be a wonderful time. If you want more information, you can find it at www.goodnewsinthemorning.ca

            This morning I am going to be looking at a passage of scripture from Mark 9 and I want to talk to you about the disciples big fail.

            There have been times in my life when I wondered if the gospel worked.

            It is not that I don’t believe in the existence of God because I do. It is not that I don’t believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ, because I do. But there have been times in my life when I wondered about the power of the gospel.

            Those times usually come when I see a profound disconnect between the life that I am living and the life that I know I am called to live. I know that God’s call is to love him and love our neighbours. I know that God has shone his love in our heart by the Holy Spirit. Yet there have been times when I have struggled to love certain people. There is a disconnect there.

            I know that one of the fruit of the Spirit is joy. I know that joy is different than happiness. Happiness depends on circumstances. It would be absurd to be happy at a funeral of someone you really love. But joy is deeper than that. It is an underlying sense of well-being. It is like Horiatio Spafford testimony. He was financially destroyed in the great Chicago fire of 1871. He planned to travel to Europe but he got held up and so he sent his wife and 2 daughters ahead. Their ship was in a collision and only the wife was rescued. He sailed to meet his wife, deep in grief. But when his ship passed close to where his daughters drown, he penned the words to this song.

Listen to the Words Of it is well with my Soul as Sandi Patti sings it.

Music – It is well with my soul (4:23)

            That is the definition of joy in grief. That is the power of the gospel. There is an underlying sense of well being in the middle of life’s circumstances. But there have been times in my life where circumstances have been bad – and I haven’t been able to honestly say it is well with my soul. And in those times I wondered about the power of the gospel.

            Have you ever been there?  Maybe you thought that prayer should work in a particular way, but it didn’t. Maybe you thought that the gospel should give you strength to live above sin, but you find yourself returning to your own pet sins. Maybe you thought that the gospel should make you feel good about yourself, but you find your ability to accept yourself is still out of reach. Maybe you thought the gospel would give you strength to get by, but the strength didn’t come through. And in those times you wonder about the power of the gospel.

            What do you do when you can’t seem to do what you are supposed to be able to do through the power of the gospel?

           

            To help us with that question we are going to get to our passage in Mark 9 – but before we get there I want to take you to Mark 6.

Mark 6:6–13 (NLT)

Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people. ⁷ And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil* spirits.

(He gives them instructions)

¹² So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. ¹³ And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.

            So Jesus gave his disciples the power and the authority to cast out evil spirits. So they embarked on their ministry and preached and cast out evil spirits and healed people.

            But now we get to Mark 9. Jesus had taken Peter James and John up to the top of the mount of transfiguration where they had this great spiritual experience.

            While they were at the top of the mountain, the other 9 disciples were at the bottom of the mountain. When Jesus came down the mountain with Peter James and John, he saw the other 9 disciples in an argument with some of the religious teachers. So Jesus asks what they were arguing about.

VERSE 17

Mark 9:17–18 (NLT)

¹⁷ One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. ¹⁸ And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.* So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

 “So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

            What do you do when you can’t seem to do what you are supposed to be able to do through the power of the gospel.

            They had been given the power to cast out evil spirits. They had done it before. In fact they had done it a number of times. But now they couldn’t do it. So what do you do when you can’t do what you are supposed to be able to do.

            Well the disciples first move was to argue about it. We are not told what the argument was about, but we are told who the argument was with. It was with the teachers of the religious law. These were the people who were already critical of Jesus – so by extension would be critical of Jesus’ disciples. But I would note that it takes two sides to argue.

            When it is you alone who can’t seem to do what you are called to do, it is disheartening. Then what often happens is that you start to argue with yourself. We call that rationalization. You tell yourself all the reason why you can’t do what you are supposed to be able to do. We are just like the disciples.

            If a group of people can’t seem to do what they are called to do then conflict and bickering and arguing is one of the first things to take place.

            I have been on the sidelines of a number of church conflicts. There are some things I have learned by observation. One thing I have learned is the issue is rarely the issue. The conflict may be over a particular program or it may be around a particular person, or it may be around the colour of the carpet. But the issue is seldom the issue.

            If you look close at what is going on, often, not always, but often, the church can’t seem to do what is supposed to be doing through the power of the gospel – so it turns in on its self. The last thing we really want to focus on is why we don’t have the spiritual power we should.

            We are  often like the 9 disciples. When we can’t do what we are supposed to be able to do we argue.

             The response of Jesus was quite different.

Mark 9:19 (NLT)

¹⁹ Jesus said to them,* “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

            Ouch! This is not the gentle Jesus meek and mild. He hasn’t stopped loving his disciples. He hasn’t stopped caring for his disciples. But he sure scolds them. I don’t like when Jesus scolds.

            The disciples haven’t quite figured it out but he is preparing them to take over the ministry when he leaves this earth. He has just been up on the mountain for a short time and you disciples are stymied.

            He calls them a faithless people. Or a faithless generation. He has given them the authority but exercising authority in the spiritual realm is always connected to faith.

            You have to know that faith matters. Your ability to live out the gospel, is dependent on your faith in the gospel. Your ability to access the promises of God is dependent on your faith in the promises of God. But sometimes we hit situations that we just don’t have the faith for. We end up not being able to do what we believe we should be able to do. You want the faith – you need the faith – but you just don’t seem to be able to exercise it. What do you do.

            Then Jesus says, bring the boy to me.

            I have noticed that when I feel powerless, and haven’t been able to do what I was supposed to be able to do through the power of the gospel, - I end up feeling helpless. Whether it is that I need more love, or peace, or joy, or patience, or strength , or endurance – and I don’t seem to have what it takes. After coming to the end of myself, and my strategies, and my self-pity,  I end up saying “I can’t do it” then I come to Jesus. I don’t have the answers but in my mess I come to Jesus. It is the prayer of surrender. Lord, I have come to the end of myself, and my ways, and even my faith, I give it all to you. Surrendering to God is a good thing.

VERSE 20

Mark 9:20 (NLT)

²⁰ So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

            So they brought the boy to Jesus – and it gets worse. The boy starts thrashing on the ground.

            Isn’t that just the way. You come to Jesus. You pour out your heart to Jesus, you surrender to Jesus, and it gets worse.

            Life can be messy and difficult and hard, but when you come to Jesus, sometimes it becomes all out war. The demons of hell don’t want you to come to Jesus. They will do their best to make sure you don’t come to Jesus.

            Now you have felt helpless because you haven’t been able to do what you thought you were supposed to be able to do. Now you come to Jesus and put the mess in his hands – and it gets worse. But at least the 9 disciples could say – it’s Jesus responsibility now.

            That is a great definition of surrender. It is Jesus’ responsibility Now.

Jesus takes a step back  and says,

Mark 9:21–22 (NLT)

²¹ “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.

He replied, “Since he was a little boy. ²² The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

            That sounds like some of my prayers. God, if you can do anything about this – I would sure appreciate it. Meanwhile, the boy is thrashing on the ground. Meanwhile our lives are as messy as ever.

Mark 9:23 (NLT)

²³ “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

            Again it is back to theme of faith.

            But I am with the Dad in this story. This has been going on for a long time. I came to people who have a track record of being able to help and they couldn’t help. Jesus if you can do something…

            Jesus comes back – it is a matter of faith. Anything in possible for those who believe.

            The father gives, what I think to be one of the best replies in the bible.

Mark 9:24 (NLT)

²⁴ The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

            That seemed to be enough for Jesus. I do believe help my unbelief.

            That is a humble response. That is a response that asks Jesus for even help with faith. Before Jesus dealt with the boy he dealt with the father.---- Before Jesus deals with the stuff in our lives he often deals with us.

            He often brings us face to face with who we are in order that we can see his power at work in our lives.

Mark 9:25–26 (NLT)

²⁵ When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil* spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”

²⁶ Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.”

            So the boy is in horrible condition, they bring the boy to Jesus and he gets worse – falls down and thrashes on the ground, --- and then Jesus becomes actively involved in the situation and thing look like they are getting worse still. The boy looks dead.

            When God is at work, things are not always what they seem. What you see and what is happening in the spiritual realm may be very different. Jesus had just talked to the boy’s father about having faith – it is a good thing, because in this moment, when all seems lost, what the dad needs more than anything else is faith.

Mark 9:27 (NLT)

²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

            Jesus came through. After things went from bad to worse to really bad, Jesus came through.

            Some of you find yourself in middle of this story. We get to hear this story with the end in mind. But when you are in the middle of the story it is harder. But I want you to know that Jesus has a habit of coming through.

Mark 9:28–29 (NLT)

²⁸ Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”

²⁹ Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.*”

            What do you do when you can’t do what you feel you should be able to do through the power of the gospel. The disciples asked why? Why couldn’t we do it.

            When Jesus talks to them in public he talks to them about faith. When he talks to them in private he talks to them about prayer. Prayer is that which undergirds faith. Faith is built through prayer.

            Some of you are at a place where you can’t seem to do what you should be able to do through the power of the gospel. You first inclination is going to be argue about it, or rationalize it.

            But Jesus comes and says, there is a faith issue here, will you surrender it to me. Bring the issue to me. Are you willing to do that. You surrender to him. You put it in his hands. Sometimes when you do that  it gets worse, ----- but in the middle of that difficulty Jesus will deal with who you are – like he did with the father. Part of surrender is admitting that you don’t have what you need.

            Jesus will be at work in a situation, but it might not look like it. But you can trust him. Are you ready to surrender are you ready to trust.

            Remember that the foundation of trust is prayer. Or as Jesus puts it in this story, much prayer. Remember to pray. When life get hard remember to pray more. When life gets really hard surrender trust pray.

            So you have been in a place where you know you should love, but don’t seem to be able to. You know you shouldn’t doubt, but you do. What does that make you. It makes you just like the 9 disciples. Jesus continues to love them. He continues to teach them. He continues to work with them, just as he will with you.

            In the process, he has something to teach you about yourself, he has something to teach you about himself. He has something to teach you about trust. He has something to teach you about prayer.

            So for those of you who have been struggling – hear this very clearly – Jesus cares for you.

Let’s pray…

Lord Jesus, I pray for those who are in the middle of a struggle, and, Lord, they’ve been thinking, “I should be able to do this, but I can’t.” And so, Lord, I pray that they would see themselves in the faces of the disciples and, Lord, that you would take them from where they are, and teach them, and walk with them, and help them surrender to you. Teach them about faith. Give them faith. Help them to walk this through, in Jesus’ name, AMEN.

If Good News in the Morning has been a factor in your journey of faith, we would love to hear your story. Nothing could encourage us more in this work.  Contact us by e-mail or Twitter via the web site –goodnewsinthemorning.ca

            Again, a special thank you to Faith AnglicanChurch  for sponsoring this program.

            Mark your calendars for May 2^nd, at noon at Bethany Baptist Church, for the Good News in the morning Ask the Pastors Luncheon. For more information you can check it out on line as well.

            And thank you for listening this morning. This program is on the air by the grace of God and donations of many faithful people. If you can help financially we would really appreciate it. You can make a cheque payable to Good News Christian Ministries,  and send it to Box 184 , Rideau Ferry , On. K0G  1W0. Or you can give online by going to goodnewsinthemorning.ca  Thanks for considering this.

May you know   Jesus Christ personally and profoundly.  May the Holy Spirit reside deep within your heart .  And may the heavenly Father surround you with His constant and abiding and accompanying love

MUSIC:   Jesus lover of My Soul (3:38)

By Rev. Brent Russett

Pastor of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church in Ottawa:

http://www.sunnysidechurchottawa.com/   

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PODCAST LINK to CFRA broadcast - Sunday, April 19^th, 2015:

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/31588/good_news_153_apr19.mp3