Angelic Conflict part 250: The Carrier of the kingdom of God – Luk 11:20-26; Joh 10:1-18; 16:28-33; 1Joh 4:12-19 .

Title: Angelic Conflict part 250: The Carrier of the kingdom of God - LUK 11:20-26; JOH 10:1-18; 16:28-33; 1JOH 4:12-19 .

 

 

 

LUK 11:20 "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

 

LUK 11:21"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own homestead, his possessions are undisturbed;

 

LUK 11:22but when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied, and distributes his plunder.

 

LUK 11:23 "He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.

 

The particular sermon in Joh 10 is on the heels of the man born blind who was healed by Christ.

 

The man born blind was scattered by the false shepherds, but Christ, the True Shepherd, gathered him. The Church is commissioned to continue to gather.

 

Jesus opened His, sermon with a familiar illustration, one that every listener would understand. The sheepfold was usually an enclosure made of rocks, with an opening for the door. The doorkeeper would guard the flock, or sheepfold, at night by lying across the opening. It was not unusual for several flocks to be sheltered together in the same fold. In the morning, the shepherds would come, call their sheep, and assemble their own flocks. Each sheep recognized his own master's voice.

 

The true shepherd comes in through the door, and the doorkeeper recognizes him. Christ came exactly as was foretold of Him.

 

The thieves and robbers could never enter through the door, so they have to climb over the wall and enter the fold through deception. But even if they did get inside they would never get the sheep to follow them, for the sheep follow only the voice of their own shepherd.

 

The false shepherds can never lead the sheep, so they must steal them away.

 

JOH 10:1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.

 

JOH 10:2"But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.

 

Christ came exactly as was foretold of Him.

 

JOH 10:3"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.

 

JOH 10:4"When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

 

JOH 10:5"And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." 

 

JOH 10:6This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

 

This sheepfold is the nation of Israel. Verse 16 contains the other sheep who are the Gentiles, but Christ first came to the Jews.

 

They did not understand so the Lord continues to explain.

 

JOH 10:7Jesus therefore said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

 

JOH 10:8"All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

 

JER 23:2

Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: "You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds," declares the Lord.

 

EZE 34:2

"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord God ," Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?

 

JOH 10:9"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

 

JOH 10:10"The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.

 

JOH 10:11"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

 

JOH 10:12"He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters them.

 

JOH 10:13"He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep.

 

satan’s ministers care nothing for the sheep but only care for themselves.\

 

God’s ministers, or under-shepherds, are to care for the flock and work hard to protect the sheep from the thief. They do this through the preparation of doctrine, through prayer, and their own spiritual growth.

 

JOH 10:14"I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me,

 

This reveals the intimacy that our Lord has with every sheep. The shepherds of the east knew each sheep individually, their tendencies, health, age, etc. and he cared for each one.

 

The Lord knows you personally, more than you will ever know yourself, and He cares for you more than anyone ever could.

 

JOH 10:15even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

 

JOH 10:16"And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold [Gentiles]; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock [Church] with one shepherd.

 

JOH 10:17"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

 

JOH 10:18"No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."

 

Christ did not die as a martyr but as a willing substitute.

 

LUK 11:23

"He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters [skorpizo = scatter, to disperse abroad].

 

The other passage where the word for scatters is used is in:

 

JOH 16:31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?

 

JOH 16:32 "Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

 

The disciples scattered because of fear. Christ makes it clear that they lack faith in His victory.

 

JOH 16:28 "I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again, and going to the Father."

 

"going to the Father" is Christ's ascension in victory. He plundered the strong man and so we also have overcome the world.

 

JOH 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

 

Through Him, His word and Spirit, we overcome all world systems that once had us in bondage. satan can no longer hurt us, unless we hurt ourselves.

 

The disciples had faith in Christ, but not a strong and unwavering faith in His total victory, which they would have later on. What they did not yet understand is that they were not to be just spectators of the kingdom of God but participants.

 

God does something in us. We are not merely students reading a book, or spectators watching a deeply moving event. We are participants in the great conflict of God's love.

 

1JO 4:12 No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

 

1JO 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

 

The Church is the only dispensation in which God indwells every believer. Salvation is union and agape love is communion/fellowship.

 

1JO 4:14 And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

 

1JO 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

 

1JO 4:16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.