If you will, turn back with me
to Luke chapter 11. The subject contained in these
verses has to do with the conversion of chosen sinners. There is a lie that every man
lives with and shall continue to live with until the Lord's
pleased to intervene on his behalf. He lives with the mindset that
he's free. He's free. I thought that. Didn't you at one time think
that? That's what I was told. And I was told by people that
meant the most to me, that was the closest to me. You're free. That's what they
told me. That so long as he is breathing, as long as a man is
breathing, so long as he can think and reason, he's free to
choose his destiny. Free to decide what he wants
to be. That he can, if he so desires,
be a good Christian man, or if he sees fit, he can serve himself. serve this world, or even become
the worst of men, but regardless of what he does, he's free to
decide for himself. I'll never forget, I got invited,
we had a member when I pastored down at Ball that lived up in
North Louisiana, over toward Vicksburg. Had a big farm up
there, 2700 acres of land that he farmed. And he had sold that
farm and was building his retirement house, and he had some painters
in there, and he'd been trying to witness to them about the
gospel and tell them something about our church down in Ball.
They wanted to know why he drove 100 miles to go to church. And
so he told them, and then he told them, he said, well, my
pastor's coming up to visit. So if you got any questions,
you can ask him. So I didn't know, I just got
ambushed when I walked in the house. They just blindsided me
right off the bat. They said, so you don't believe
that a man is a free moral agent? And I said, I don't believe he's
free or moral either one. Do you? All have sinned and come
short of the glory of God? That don't sound like a moral
man to me. I don't sound like a man with
a mind who knows how to choose or how to pray or how to do anything. But it sounds logical, don't
it? It does to natural men. Nothing sounds more logical than
that. The problem is man is not what he thinks he is. That's
the problem. Man's a falling creature. He's
not a knowledgeable. When you talk about man's knowledge,
you can compare him to a goat or compare him to a hog or a
dog or something. Then you can talk about his intellect,
his ability to reason, but not when you're talking about God.
Man is a falling creature. And he's certainly not free.
He has the nature of sin. Everything he does is biased
by sin. Our Lord looked at those Pharisees
and he said, I know you, that you will not come to me that
you might have life. Man has a nature of sin. Turn
with me just for a minute over to Romans chapter three. I know
that you know these verses by heart, but let's just read them.
Let's read God's testimony about this thing. Let God be true.
That's what Paul says in the beginning of this chapter. Let
God be true and ever man a liar. Paul had talked about the heathen
Gentiles in the beginning of his book of Romans. He tells
us that they shut the door on the testimony of God in their
conscience and in creation. They refused to walk in the light
God gave them. And they become vain in their
imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. We're in
Romans chapter 3. I'm just making some statements
here before we read. They changed the glory of God
into an image made like unto corruptible man and four-footed
beast and birds and creeping things. And then the Jews who had even
more light than they had, They had the prophets, they had the
testimony of godly men, all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
They had the priesthood, the sacrifices, all the pictures
and types, they had the word of God, they had great advantages,
great advantages. Now watch this, Romans 3 verse
9. What then? Having stated these
things, Paul says, what then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise. For we have before proved, both
Jews and Gentiles, that they're all under sin. They're under the curse of it,
they're under the power of it, they're under the influence of
it, and they're under the rule of it. Look here at Romans 3 verse 10,
as it is written, they're unrighteous. Yeah, but no, not one. Not one. There's none that understandeth. There's none that seeketh after
God. They're all gone out of the way.
They are together become unprofitable. There's none that doeth good.
No, not one. Their throat is an open grave,
an open sepulcher. You know what he's saying there?
If you go out here and bury somebody, but you don't cover them up,
and you wait four or five days, and you go out and lean your
head over that, you know what's gonna come up and fill your nose?
The awful smell you ever smelled in your life. Their throat is
an open sepulcher. the savor, the stench that comes
out from that heart. It's corruption. It's corruption. Their words are deceitful and
the poison of vipers, he said, is under their lips. Their mouths
are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed
blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. And the way of peace they have
not known. And probably worst of all, there
is no fear of God before their eyes. Does that sound like a
free man to you? Does that sound like a man capable
of choosing his own destiny? Rationalizing out things between
heaven and earth? In Ephesians 2, he talks about
God's saints and whom God did intervene. And he says, you hath he quickened
who were dead. Dead in trespasses and sins. Well, what do you mean dead?
Well, he goes on and tells you in verse 2, Ephesians chapter
2. wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this
world." This world is on a course to hell. That's where they're
going. That's where they're headed. That's where they're walking.
That's the direction. They're going straight into hell.
They're not out here in limbo floating around waiting on something
to happen or waiting on, they're gonna reach the age of accountability
and make some decisions. They're on their way to hell.
They go astray, David said, as soon as they be born speaking
lies. They don't know the way of peace.
There's no fear of God before their eyes. There's none that
understandeth. You're not going to go lock yourself
in the closet and learn the truth. It's not going to happen. You walk according to the course
of this world. According, he doesn't stop there.
Now watch this. According to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit who now worketh in the children
of disobedience. Living out his days in the lust
of his flesh, fulfilling the desires of his flesh and of the
mind, and you were by nature children of wrath, even as others.
But God, but God. Luke 11 is about God's intervention
in the lives of chosen sinners. They brought a man to Him. This
man was demon-possessed. He was dumb. He couldn't talk. And Christ cast out this devil
and the dumb spake. And it says the people wondered.
They were filled with wonder. You see, what possesses a man
becomes the man. This man was possessed, the Bible
says, by a devil. And it was dumb. But when he
cast him out, he used the same name for the man. He that was
dumb spoke. What possesses a man becomes
the man. You see, that's the truth about
sin. Sin is not what you do nearly
as much as it is what you are. We're sinners. Everything we
do is sinful. It's because we're sinners that
our prayers have sin in them. What possesses the man becomes
the man. And there's all sorts of things
that make us make up the personality of men and women, all sorts of
things. Some things are visible and some things are not. And
whatever possesses him becomes him. Legion was a man with a
thousand demons. All kinds of demonic spirits. But the spirits were not called
Legion, the man was. And after Cassius After Christ
cast out the devil in that man, it says the people wondered.
They couldn't explain it. He couldn't cast out his own
devil. And they didn't believe Christ was the Christ or that
Jesus was the Christ and they couldn't explain it and they
just wondered. They'd never seen anything like
it. And so some who were in worse shape actually than the man he
cast the devil out of, They said he cast out devils through Beelzebub,
the chief of devils. And others, tempting him, sought
of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thought,
said unto them, every kingdom divided against itself is brought
to desolation. If Satan be divided against himself,
how shall his kingdom stand? And then he works his way down,
and finally he said, but if I with the finger of God cast out devils,
no doubt, No doubt, the kingdom of God is coming to you. Now, I wanna give you four things
this morning, just briefly, concerning the kingdom of God, the conversion
of a sinner. He's translated us from darkness
into the kingdom of his dear son. That's conversion. That's conversion, and only God
can accomplish it. So let me give you four things
about the kingdom of God as it's established in the hearts of
chosen sinners. And the first thing our Lord
tells those who would not submit to him is that a kingdom necessitates
power and authority. It necessitates, you can't have
a kingdom in this world without power and authority. Russell,
you can't just get on the internet and find a design there and hit
the button and start a kingdom. You can't do it. It takes power.
It takes authority. In Luke 11, 21, he said, when
a strong man arm keepeth his palace, his goods are at peace. But when a stronger than he shall
come upon him and overcome him, He taketh from him all his armors
wherein he trusted, and divideth his foes. I know it sounds strange
and perhaps even unbelievable, but sin reigns in the nature
of men, and Satan's at the helm. He's right at the helm, using
men and women to further his rebellious resistance to God. Every son of Adam walks according
to the prince of the power of the air, which the scripture
says, now worketh in the children of disobedience. And the strong
man arm, what's he armed with? We can't even see him. We don't
even know he's there, except by the effects of it. What's
he armed with? He's armed with man's ignorance.
and man's superstitious nature. He's armed with logical lies. You ever heard of a logical lie?
Religion's full of it. You can take that any way you
want to. It's full of it. He's armed with logical lies.
He's armed with reasonable untruths and practical heresy. He's armed
with multitudes of antichrist proselytes, thousands upon thousands. He's armed with the temptations
of evil. Boy, nobody like Satan knows
how to tempt man. Oh, he knows, he knows exactly
how to tempt you. He's armed with food for the
evil imaginations of men, and he's armed with sensual things,
freely given to make us feel good about ourselves. A fella
told me one time, he said, well, I, pastor, he said, boy, you
really raked us over the coals this morning. He said, I kind
of think a man ought to leave church feeling a little better
about himself than he did when he went. I said, not necessarily. Not necessarily. There comes
a time when a man has to be convinced of sin. And I tell you, when
God convinces you of sin, you won't feel better about yourself,
I guarantee you that. You'll hate yourself, that's
what David said, I hate myself. This strong man is armed and
this king will not surrender until a power and authority greater
than his come upon him and overcome him. There's gonna be a battle.
A battle must be fought. And he's gonna overcome him and
he's gonna take his kingdom from him. He's not gonna give it away. Won't you give your heart to
Jesus? That strong man ain't gonna give his kingdom away.
The only way that kingdom's gonna change hands is when one's stronger
than he takes it from him. This is the first thing. A kingdom
necessitates power and authority. That's how conversion comes to
be. The gospel is the power of God
unto salvation to everyone that believeth. It's the power of
God. God comes in and takes over.
He slays the strong man. He takes him down. And then secondly,
to be a member of this society or kingdom of God demands surrender
and submission. It says in Luke 11, 23, he that's
not with me is against me. Ain't no gray area there. And
he that gathereth not with me scattereth. Everyone brought into the kingdom
of God comes by way of surrender and submission. The Lord spoils Satan's palace. He takes from him those things
that he wants on. And we bow to the will and the
way of King Jesus or we're bound and destroyed with the wicked
in the day of his coming. John said they went out from
us. But they weren't of us. Had they
been of us, they no doubt, no doubt would have continued with
us. Paul said in Romans 6.16, know
you not that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants you are, to whom you obey, whether of sin unto
death or of obedience unto righteousness. But God be thanked, you were
the servants of sin. But ye have obeyed from the heart
that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made
free from sin, you become the servants of righteousness. Now
I'm telling you as simply and as plainly as I can that to be
a member of Christ's kingdom demands submission and surrender. And then thirdly, Realizing or
being brought to the truth, knowing my condition, knowing that I've
been fighting against God, a rebel, a God-hater. What can I do? What can I do? You remember Peter
preached that glorious message. Man, on the day of Pentecost,
the Holy Spirit rose up in him and he stood up and he preached
one of the best messages Peter ever preached. He preached it
on the day of Pentecost. And he said, this same Jesus
whom you crucified, God has made him both Lord and Christ. And
they looked at each other and they said, what are we going
to do? We killed the Prince of Glory. What are we going to do?
Well, what does a man do? What can a man do? He realizes
what he is and what he's been doing and realizes the truth
about those things. What can he do? Well, here it
is. A gracious king only needs to
be asked. Look back at Luke 11, verse 9. He said, I say to you, ask and
it shall be given you. How to get it? Ask. Just ask. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened
to you. For everyone that asketh receiveth,
and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened. Now if you will go back to verse nine, and read
the first five words. I say unto you, unto you. You see, only God's elect will
seek. Only God's elect can pray our
Father. Only His children will ask, and
only His people will not. And the only reason they will
is because they've been made willing in the day of his power.
He took down the strong man. He did the work. He converted. Now you have a mind that understands. Now you have a mind that can
perceive. Blessed are your eyes, they see,
and your ears, for they hear. Now you have a voice to ask. All that the Father, Christ said,
hath given me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I'll
know why is cast out. I hope you're hearing what I'm
saying. Satan's children do his bidding, not God's. They do his
bidding. Old Pharisees told Christ, we
have one Father, even God. And our Lord said to them, if
God were your father, you'd love me, for I proceeded forth and
came from God. But you're of your father the
devil, and the lust of your father you will do. John said, he that is of God
heareth God's words. You therefore hear them not,
because you're not of God. And then lastly, There's the
means of this victory over Satan and sin. The very power to unseat
the prince of the power of the air. And it is the presence and
power of God's Holy Spirit. Look back at Luke 11, verse 13. He said, if you then being evil
know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more
shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that
ask him? Now he told them to ask for their
daily bread, he told them to ask forgiveness from their sins,
he told them to ask all these things, but here he said what
you're really asking, you're asking God, God's gonna give
you the gift of his Spirit. And if he gives you the gift
of his spirit, you'll forgive your enemies. And you'll find
your daily bread. You'll find everything you asked
for. And you'll ask for it because the spirit himself maketh intercession
for you, because you don't even know what to pray for as you
ought. That's in Romans chapter eight. We don't even know how
to pray or what to pray. That's the first thing they said,
teach us how to pray. They were listening to him pray,
and man, wow. They said, we want to learn how
to pray like that. Oh my, our Lord said, it is the
spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. Natural man, he'll remain being
the palace of the devil, serving under his wicked rule, because
he receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. With their
foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they're
spiritually discerned. Paul said this, he said, the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God. They're mighty through the Spirit
of God. What I'm preaching to you this
morning, I might as well read a dictionary to you, but for
the spirit of God. But I have his promise in the
scripture that his spirit will bless his gospel. It'll bless
his word. It'll accompany his word. Weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, they're mighty through God. What's he do? He pulls down
the stronghold. Boy, Satan's got a stronghold
on men, don't he? Man, you can't get to first base
with him now. You can't get rid of the first
lie. You can't get rid of it. He'll
butt, butt, butt, butt, butt, butt the whole time you're talking. He pulls down the strongholds
and he casts down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth
itself against the knowledge of God. And he brings into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ. The gospel's the power
of God unto salvation. It's the means by which Satan
is unseated from his throne and kicked out of man's hearts. And
Christ takes his rightful place On the throne. Our election,
now listen to me. This is what Paul said to the
Thessalonians. Our election is established as
the gospel comes in power and the Holy Ghost. Isn't that what
he said? I know your election of God.
Because our gospel came not in word only. It came in power and
in the Holy Ghost. What's the next thing he tells
us? you become followers of us and the Lord. You know what that
means? Surrender and submission. That's what that means. I believe
that's why God ordained those names. He gonna establish in your heart
that he's God. And he does things his way, not
your way. We become followers. We surrender, we submit, we're
children of God. May the Lord teach every one
of us that lesson today.