The Devil’s Recognition of Jesus
The message focuses on what can be learned from the devil in Luke 4:31-37.The devil knew more about God than many people do today.James 2:19 – devils believe and tremble.The devil’s purpose is to destroy people, but he works in different ways today.He convinces people that religion is all there is to it.He blinds people to God, even if they think they know how to get to Him.Going to Church
The man possessed with the unclean devil went to church (synagogue).He had been there many times before.He found peace in religion but never met Jesus.There was a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof.The hope is that unclean spirits would be uncomfortable in the church.They would see Jesus in the hearts of the people.Responding to Jesus
People have grown quiet on God.The Lamb of God is worthy of praise.It’s important to be in a place where the Holy Ghost can move.In the synagogue, the only one crying out was an unclean devil.He acknowledged the glory and lordship of Jesus Christ.When Jesus moves in the midst, people should respond.Many churches are controlled by the enemy.People hunt for comfortable places where Jesus isn’t present.Worship must be from the heart.When Jesus shows up, people often sit there without responding.They link their experience to how someone else gets blessed.Need to pay attention to the devil, who cried with a loud voice and acknowledged Jesus.It’s a problem when a devil responds better to Christ than His own people do.The man possessed with the devil was convinced that showing up at the synagogue and listening to the Old Testament reading was enough.Worship is about opening one’s heart and acknowledging the reality of a king.He has written our name in the book and given us eternal promise in heaven.The Holy Ghost abides within us.When the Spirit of God begins to move, there ought to be a response.Grateful for God’s faithfulness.Do your best to praise and honor Him.Acknowledge the King of Glory when He shows up.Jesus is in the midst of this place.When people of a glad heart and a humble spirit come before Him, He’ll show up.The unclean devil went to church, but when Jesus showed up, he responded with a loud voice.Some people in the church used to shout and run up and down the aisles.They were responding to Jesus.Don’t be ashamed to honor God’s name when the power of God shows up.You can’t worship God in the flesh.Pray, and God will give you what you pray for.Get hooked up with the Holy Ghost.When Jesus came in the room, the devil got nervous and cried out with a loud voice.He said, “Let us alone. What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth?”The devil knew Jesus’ voice.He had likely been cast out with Lucifer.He was one of the demonic angels and had possessed this man.There ought to be some kind of response for Jesus.If it didn’t come from the heart, keep your mouth shut.The real thing ought to produce some kind of movement in our soul.He’s a living spirit, not a dead one.He is alive and well today and lives in our hearts.Fear of Jesus
When Jesus is present, there ought to be some fear.The devil had his own reason for fear.Like the devils in old legion, they knew who Jesus was and feared Him.They asked if He had come to cast them into the abyss before their time.The heart of the problem in most churches is the lack of worship and response to Christ’s presence.People sit back and let others do the hand raising and the amen.If you’ve been born again, you’ve got something to shout about.If you ain’t going to hell, you ought to be happy.The devil knew that Christ had the power to cast him into the place that had been prepared.He said, “Let us alone.”He wasn’t trying to start a fight.People should come into the house of God knowing that the Holy Ghost is after them.Recognize that He loves you and wants to rescue you and save you.See and know that He is wanting for Him to make you His own.There ought to be a fear in the hearts of men today concerning Christ.The devil understood who Christ was and recognized that He was the judge, ruler, and creator.He understood that his days were numbered and that this man would cast him into the lake of fire.People take their lives into their own hands every day.They go out into this world unprepared to meet God.They’re not saved and live as if they’re going to live forever.If you ain’t been born again, you’re condemned already in your sin and headed to hell.The same king that saved me from that place is going to put you in that place if you reject Him.When the devil found out he was in the presence of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, he began to squabble.He said, “Let us alone. Have you come for us to destroy us?”Thank God for every tremble that I had the night I got born again.I could hear hell and knew I was headed there.I began to fear and tremble.Before that night was over, I got born again.I feared God and responded to God and got saved.People convince themselves that church is just emotionalism and sentimentalism.Just because you come to the house of God don’t mean you’re saved.You can figure out who’s got it and who ain’t a lot of times because when the Holy Ghost shows up, they go to respond.The Spirit of Christ will bear witness with our spirit.Some people cry, laugh, raise their hand, stand, or shout.If God’s in it, it’s in order.Pay attention to who’s in the room.If the Holy One has showed up, there ought to be enough fear and reverence in our heart to give praise unto the King today.Jesus told the devil to hush up, be quiet, and come out of him.He said it with an authority that gave the devil no option.You have a choice, so you sit there as if you are a god.You make decisions about eternity that you will regret one day.God said that Adam and Eve had become as gods, knowing the difference between good and evil.The devil knew that the man standing among them was Jesus, the Holy One of God, and he feared Him.He cried out from fear for mercy.If we’d go from the fear of God and begin to cry out for mercy, we’d find some help.The devil obeyed Jesus.The devil ain’t got a choice.The devil can’t get saved, but you can.You still have opportunity tonight to be born again because you have a choice.All you got to do to find peace tonight is what Jesus says.Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.If you’ll come to me, I’ll help you.Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.The devil did what he was told, but God asks you.You heavy laden? You burdened down? You sinned and got the best of you now? Come to me.You’re being asked and given a choice as a human being to decide when the Holy Ghost comes to you and gives you the opportunity to be saved.When you get that opportunity to be born again, what do you do with it?Do you fear God and tremble and respond to the gospel?Are you willing to give of your own heart as you bow yourself and die to self and receive Christ as Lord and Master?The devil had to do what he was told to do, but either way, he obeyed God.If you’re here tonight and you don’t know in your heart that you’re going to heaven, time’s running out for you.The day is going to come when you will have no more opportunities to be saved.The only time that you can get born again is when the Holy One of God speaks to your soul.He’s given you a grand privilege of choice.He made you in His own image, breathed into you the breath of life, unlike any other creature He made, including the angels.If your heart’s not right with God, please consider that eternity is real.You’re going to die one day, and there is no more remedy for your poor soul if you die without Christ.You must be born again.There are none good, no, not even one.We are sinners, hopelessly lost without God, on our way to hell until He saved us.Pay attention to the response of this unclean devil.He knew who Jesus was and didn’t mess around with Him.When Jesus showed up in his midst, he begged for mercy.There’ll be a day you wish you had one more chance to say, “Save me, please save me.”It’s going to be too late.If you’re lost, don’t wait.Fall on your knees and say, “God, save me right now. Save me from hell.”
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