Confrontation and Correction • 09.06.26
Confrontation and Correction
Luke 11:14-36
Receiving pointed instruction for our eternal good
- Recognize the source of Jesus’ authority and follow him
- Beware of the danger of deliverance without authentic faith
- Understand true blessedness is in hearing and obeying God’s Word
- Heed the greater revelation of Jesus before it is too late
- Pay attention to your response to Jesus
Manuscript:
Good morning, church family! Welcome guests + introduce self
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Ushers + Bibles (Luke 11; page 1033)
As you turn to Luke 11, I want to share with you an important change coming to our church in October. It was already mentioned in the announcement video earlier, but we are going to move our Sunday morning services earlier by 30 minutes to 8:30am and 10:30am. This is something the pastor team and church staff have been discussing for months now to help spread out attendance between the two services. I apologize that you are only now hearing about it. I should have made sure we were talking about this earlier in the calendar!
Here’s why we are doing this. We want to make the second service, which is historically our lower attended service, a more viable option for more of our congregation. As we aim to make the most of our current facility, it will be helpful to balance out our services so there is room for new guests. There are some Sundays where the 9am feels very full!
We will be updating our website, outdoor signage, and print materials to reflect these changes over the course of September. October 4th will be the first Sunday these new service times are in effect. For the rest of this month, it will still be 9 + 11am.
Let’s turn our attention now to the reason we are here – the worship of God through the study of His Word! As we pick back up in Luke 11, remember that Jesus is heading to Jerusalem. And as he travels, he continues to provide instructions for those with ears to hear and rebukes for those who are hard-hearted. He is training his disciples to faithfully follow him, and he is giving everyone else an opportunity to repent before it is too late.
By this point in his ministry, Jesus has already performed many miracles, but he isn’t done yet. Once again, we will see his authority on display which becomes an opportunity for the hearts of the crowd to be revealed and for Jesus to confront and correct them. Let’s read now in Luke 11.
Luke 11:14–23 (ESV)
14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Jesus’ interactions with the crowds in this portion of his life and ministry are tense. Rather than responding in faith, some are beginning to accuse Jesus of being allied with Satan and others are trying to test him by demanding miraculous signs according to their whims. These are serious accusations and foolish ways to respond to the Son of God, the Savior of the world. In what follows, Jesus reveals that he knows their thoughts (which is a miracle!) and corrects their illogical argument. He concludes with a very pointed confrontation – if you are not for him, you are against him.
This section and what follows are united by the theme of evaluating your response to Jesus. As we study them today, I want to encourage you in…
Receiving pointed instruction for our eternal good
Last week, we benefited from Jesus’ teaching on prayer. This week, we benefit from receiving his confrontation and correction where needed for our eternal good. In this first section of Scripture, Jesus is telling the people that a decision must be made. They and we must evaluate and answer – Who is Jesus and where does his power come from?
Some in the crowd were asserting that Jesus’ power over demons was given to him by Satan, who they called Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Jesus cannot let this accusation stand. This is a ridiculous, illogical argument. A kingdom cannot work against itself and be successful. It makes no sense to claim that Satan would work against himself in this way. Furthermore, their own priests were known to cast out demons, so are they going to claim that their power is from Satan as well? Of course not! They would say that God is the one who has authority to drive out demons. Which is the same with Jesus. His authority is from God. And that is why they need to pay attention to his ministry and message! The kingdom of God is upon them in ways they’ve never witnessed or experienced before.
I just love the imagery that Jesus uses of himself as the stronger man who has come to attack and overcome Satan, plundering his armor and his house. This is exactly what Jesus accomplished when he defeated Satan in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. We read about this back in Luke 4. From the very start of his ministry, Jesus is victorious over our greatest foe! Jesus is confronting the lies these people are believing about him and challenging them to…
- Recognize the source of Jesus’ authority and follow him
The truth is that Jesus’ authority is from God because he has been sent by God and opposes Satan. This is the logical conclusion from his teachings and the mighty miracles that Jesus repeatedly does. He has demonstrated authority over the spiritual and physical realms. It is imperative for us to recognize the true source of his authority and then respond rightly – by following him in faith!
Let’s make this personal. Who do you say Jesus is? And where does his power come from?
And before you answer, be careful about making illogical arguments or propagating lies. As we’ll hear in the next chapter, Jesus warns against accrediting the miracles from God the Holy Spirit to Satan.
Luke 12:10 (ESV)
10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
It is a serious matter to speak against God in any manner, but it is especially evil to observe what is clearly the work of the Holy Spirit and say, “Satan did that!”
Jesus’ confrontational conclusion in Luke 11:23 is “whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” There is no neutrality when it comes to your response to Jesus. If you are not with Jesus, you are against him. There is no such thing as a neutral response. You are either following him and joining in the work of calling people to repentance and faith, or you are opposing him and leading people further from him.
Whew. Have you thought about your response to Jesus in these terms? It changes things, doesn’t it?
We live in a world that loves ambiguity and to ride the fence about the objective truth claims of Christ. “I believe in Jesus, but I also believe in Buddha and Mohammed and Krishna… There are many ways to God. All religions lead to the same place…” You’ve likely heard these kinds of comments if you spend time talking about faith with people. But Christ confronts such illogical thinking! He won’t allow us to live in the ambiguity of religious pluralism. There was plenty of that in his day too. This is a binary decision. Are you with Christ or against him? And to be with him is to believe in Him as Savior and Lord and to joyfully follow him all your days. If you do not confess Jesus as Savior and Lord and seek to joyfully follow him in your daily life, then you should not assume you are with Christ. If that describes you, please understand that it is loving for Christ to expose this through this text. What is eternally good for you is to be confronted with Jesus’ identity and power. Your greatest need is for faith in Jesus! Believe in him! Follow him!
Please realize there is incredible danger in playing around with the things of God yet not submitting your life to him. Jesus is about to warn of the dangers of having your life impacted by God only to fail to believe in him. Listen to what he says next:
Luke 11:24–26 (ESV)
24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
Do you hear the warning implicit in this teaching? If you receive the benefits and blessings of God in your life, yet fail to believe and be filled by God, then you are vulnerable to even greater spiritual ruin. Jesus is speaking to those who have experienced the blessing of being delivered from demonic hostility or possession yet failed to believe in God and follow him in faith. Such people have experienced a great blessing in being freed from spiritual tyranny, perhaps have even gone on to great moral reformation, yet, in the long run, end up in a worse condition!
Please receive this second pointed instruction for your eternal good today…
2. Beware of the danger of deliverance without authentic faith
The situation Jesus is describing is not unique to 1st century life. There are plenty of people in our day and age who have cried out to God for help in time of need and experienced incredible deliverance or reformation of character. Perhaps helping them to overcome addiction or escape some sort of demonic influence, yet even though their life improves dramatically for a period of time, they never actually believe in and submit to God in faith.
The result is that they are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. They do not have God’s Spirit living in them, protecting them from the ongoing attacks of the enemy. And, as Jesus points out, this is an incredibly dangerous position to be in. The inevitable outcome will be falling into greater ruin when the spiritual warfare resumes.
Now, this teaching may make many 21st century folks very uncomfortable. We like to pretend that only the physical realm matters. But that is simply not true. We are composed of both body and soul. Jesus assumes our understanding of such things. There is a physical and spiritual realm, and both are important. We must not discount either or fail to understand what is happening in either. There are real spiritual enemies, Satan and his demons, who are seeking to lead astray and destroy as many people as possible. They delight to cause havoc for image-bearers of God. They want to see God’s glory diminished in as many people as possible by leading them away from God.
The Apostle John speaks to this same issue in his first epistle:
1 John 4:1–6 (ESV)
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
The Apostle John warns that false teachers are led by demonic spirits. They deny Jesus Christ. And they are in this world all over the place. You don’t have to look hard to find them. Every other world religion is full of them – denying Jesus as the Son of God, the way, the truth, and the life. The new age practices and spiritual mysticism that is so popular in our day is filled with false teachers led by demonic spirits.
But for those who have faith in Christ, they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is what John is speaking about when he says, “for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” When Jesus ascended to heaven after his D/B/R, he sent God the Holy Spirit to live in every believer, to protect them, to convict them of sin, and to help them know and obey God’s Word. This is how Christians are radically changed! God is at work in us to produce a changed and changing life. And we have incredible hope that we are protected from the attacks of the enemy. If this is true for you, give thanks to God for his provision and protection!
But if you’ve only been around the things of God… you’ve attended church, you’ve been blessed by the fellowship, you’ve experienced increased joy as you hear the Word taught and join the church in prayer, perhaps you’ve even been delivered from a particular sin struggle you previously had, but you have not confessed your sins and asked Jesus to forgive you and be your Lord and Savior… then you are in danger! Do not settle for moral reformation or deliverance without authentic faith. Listen to Jesus’ warning here and trust in him today!
Now, to continue with the narrative, it seems the crowd in Jesus’ day may have felt the tension just as we do this morning… because what happens next is a woman interjects with this outburst:
Luke 11:27–28 (ESV)
27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
What an interjection! It may seem odd to us, but it was a way for this lady to show honor to the mother of Jesus and affirm honor to him as a teacher. But did you notice how Jesus responded? He shifted the focus by pointing out that true blessedness comes from hearing the word of God and keeping it!
What seems to us a random comment turns out to be an important teaching moment. Jesus wants the people to understand how to receive true blessing – hear and obey God’s Word! This is what God honors. This is the path that leads to the good life. Those who hear and obey God’s Word will be those who, one day, hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master.”
Jesus is consistent in this teaching. Back in Luke 6, he had rebuked the people for calling him, “Lord, Lord”, yet not doing what he told them. He used the parable of two builders, one who dug down deep and built their house on the rock – signifying those who hear and obey God’s Word – and another builder who built his house on the ground without a foundation – signifying those who heard but did not obey… The results could not have been more different. The one who heard and obeyed stood firm in the faith when the floods of life came, but the one who merely heard but did not obey experienced total ruin…
Here is the pointed instruction to receive for our eternal good…
3. Understand true blessedness is in hearing and obeying God’s Word
Jesus intentionally says, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it” using present active participles for hear/keep. This means they are both ongoing actions that continue into the future. Keep hearing and keep obeying. As you walk in these ways, you will experience the blessing of God.
This teaching has a striking resemblance to Psalm 1 in the Old Testament. Listen to this:
Psalm 1:1–6 (ESV)
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
I love the consistency of the Word of God from Old to New Testament! God has not kept hidden from us the way to the good life. It is by hearing and obeying His Word.
Does your current lifestyle indicate that you agree with God on this? Do you prioritize spending time in His Word so that you can hear and obey it?
If you’re not sure how to start, we have an annual Bible reading plan that you could jump in on. Or you could simply pick a book of the Bible, like the Gospel of Luke, and begin reading it day by day. Those who have been around Harvest for some time know that I am fond of recommending 4 questions to ask yourself as you study God’s word:
- What does this teach me about God?
- What does this teach me about humanity/myself?
- How do I need to change because of what I’ve read?
- How can I give thanks because of what I’ve read?
These aren’t the only ways to interact with the Word, but they are a way to do so. And I guarantee you that if you ask and answer these questions in faith, you will grow.
What evidence would you point to from this past week that you are actively engaged in hearing and obeying God’s Word? Do you believe that Jesus is telling the truth here? Then take him at his word and protect/prioritize time to hear and obey. Do not dishonor God and deny yourself blessing by neglecting obedience in these areas.
If you are actively seeking to hear and obey, then praise God for that! This is evidence of his grace at work in you. Do not grow weary in doing good. Perhaps a good takeaway for you is to remain humble and give the glory to God by sharing with others what he has been teaching you or how he is changing you. May our lives be bright testimonies for the glory of God, not the glory of self! How sweet it would be to spend our time in small group this week testifying to God’s grace in our lives!
Let’s keep reading to see what happens next:
Luke 11:29–32 (ESV)
29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
The crowds are growing, but Jesus’ confrontation is not over! He isn’t interested in attracting large groups of people, but in faith that leads to repentance. Jesus rebukes them for seeking additional signs, treating him like some kind of magic genie for their entertainment. He tells them that the sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah and then connects Jonah’s ministry to the Ninevites to his ministry as the Son of Man to them.
If you’re not familiar with the Old Testament prophet Jonah, he was sent by God to the Assyrians, the ancient enemy of Israel, to proclaim a call to repentance before it was too late. Jonah did not want to obey God and ran from this calling, taking a boat heading in the opposite direction. However, God would not allow him to run, so he caused a big storm to overtake the boat, resulting in Jonah willingly being thrown overboard to save the rest of the crew. By God’s grace, he appointed a large fish to swallow Jonah and keep him alive for 3 days before spitting him back out onto dry ground. It’s an incredible story that Jesus affirms as true by citing it during his life and ministry. When Jonah made it to Ninevah, his call to repentance was met with receptive hearts/ears. They heard and believed and were spared.
Now Jesus is saying that his ministry serves a similar purpose. He has come to call the people to repentance. They ought to hear and respond in faith before it’s too late. Jesus is also foreshadowing his death, burial, and resurrection, as he will stay 3 days in the tomb before rising again. If they will not hear and repent and believe, then they will be condemned by those who came before them and believed with far lesser revelation available to them! Jesus is the greater revelation and they/we must…
4. Heed the greater revelation of Jesus before it is too late
Jesus bluntly calls them evil for demanding additional signs when he had already come and revealed his authority in incredible ways. He was living proof of the plan of God. He demonstrated his power and authority over creation, sin, sickness, death, and the Law many times. And not in small, obscure settings. He did these things in the public eye, in front of hundreds and thousands of people!
Their demands for more signs are blatant and wicked unbelief. If they do not repent and believe, they will receive judgment because they have more evidence than pagans from the past (Queen of the South; Ninevites) yet refuse to repent. These words of warning are necessary for people in every age. We must not think that we are in a position to demand more from Jesus. We are not the ones in authority, he is! Demanding things from God when he has already sent His Son is the height of folly and rebellion. It only serves to reveal our wicked hearts rather than to justify us in our unbelief.
If you are here and you continue to hold Jesus at arm’s length, demanding more evidence of him… then realize this is speaking to you. You are part of the evil generation who is dead in unbelief. You are in danger of judgment if you do not repent before it is too late.
Jesus’ confrontation and correction in these passages may be hard to hear, but they are for our eternal good. The reality is that judgment is coming. When Jesus returns and ushers in the end of all things, he will return as the Righteous Judge.
Listen to this incredible account from the vision of the Apostle John:
Revelation 19:11–16 (ESV)
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
At his first coming, Jesus was meek and mild as he patiently called people to turn from sin and follow him. Yet he also faithfully warned of what is coming if we persist in rebellion. When he comes again, he will judge the living and the dead as the Righteous King of Kings and Lord of Lords. None who oppose him will stand before him. And this will be the outcome:
Revelation 20:11–15 (ESV)
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Those who refuse to repent and believe will be rightly judged for their rebellion. This is the outcome that Jesus warned about at his first coming – which the people of his day and ours must heed.
And please realize the alternative is glorious! For those who turn from sin and follow Christ, there is the hope of eternal life in glory with God. Listen to this beautiful vision:
Revelation 21:1–4 (ESV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
What a glorious hope! Once again, God will dwell with us and we with him. Like the Garden of Eden but without the possibility of sin ruining it. This is the hope for all who trust in and follow him.
So, receive Jesus’ confrontation and correction. If your faith is not in Jesus, heed the greater revelation available in him and believe! If you have questions or objections, let’s meet and talk through those. I promise you there are compelling answers.
If your faith is in Jesus, then look forward to what is ahead. And allow that hope of future glory to inform the way you live for Christ here and now. Share this greater revelation of Jesus with your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors… because they need to hear the same call to repent and believe!
Let’s turn our attention to the last teaching in this section:
Luke 11:33–36 (ESV)
33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”
Jesus’ final instruction for our eternal good is a call to…
5. Pay attention to your response to Jesus
This teaching is connected to what has come before it as Jesus rebuked the unbelief of the crowds. The revelation of God is publicly apparent in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ! He is the lamp put on a stand so that all may see the light. The works of God have not been done in isolation or secret.
But the response of the people is their responsibility. They are either going to set their eyes on the light and thereby radiate the light, or they are going to have a “bad” or “evil” eye that rejects the light and focuses instead on darkness/wickedness and thereby live wickedly. The call is to be careful or to pay attention to where your focus is!
Are you responding to Jesus in faith and repentance? Beholding the light and radiating the light? Or are you skeptical and hostile to Jesus? Do you prefer to walk in the ways of the wicked?
The theme of your response to Jesus is woven throughout the teaching in this section of Scripture. Your response matters.
The proper response to Jesus is to keep your eyes on him. Take in the light. Allow the light to transform your life and radiate light to others. This is what Jesus does for every Christian through the power of the Holy Spirit.
On the other side is the promise that if you set your eyes on other things, your whole life will be full of darkness. Choosing to remain in rebellion against your Creator will not end well for you. It will not lead to the good life here and now. The promises of this rebellious world and the enemy behind it are lies intended to deceive you. And I am willing to bet that every single Christian here today would be willing to share how we used to believe those lies. But God rescued and redeemed us. By God’s grace, we have beheld the light of Christ and believed. And nothing is the same. There is only the hope of a changed and changing life ahead of us. And it is our greatest delight to be increasingly conformed to Christ and to be radiating his glorious light to the world around us.
Hopefully that is what you experience when you interact with Christians here (or anywhere for that matter). There is no hiding the light! It ought to show up in the way we speak, in the ways we handle conflict, in the ways we serve others and share the hope that we have. As we each keep our eyes on Jesus and seek to hear and obey his Word, there will be a lot of light shining in our lives. And to God be the glory.
If you are a Christian and you realize that you’ve been struggling to focus on Christ. Perhaps your life has a lot of darkness in it right now… please seek help. Do not stay stuck in darkness. Ask your small group for help. Let our pastor team walk with you and protect you. Sign up for our free biblical counseling ministry to get practical instruction on how to grow and change to glorify God. But whatever you do, do not stay focused on darkness!
Let’s pray.
Pray