A House Divided

• Matt 12:22-30
• Abraham Lincoln in the “house divided speech” famously quoted this scripture and said “a house divided cannot stand” in regards to slavery- “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”I believe this  government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved – I do not expect the house to fall – but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other.
• The 16^th President quoted the Bible to describe what we all know- you can’t live in duality. You cant. Something will always overtake the other- you can’t live in a divided state and expect to flourish
• We see Jesus addressing the pharisees (not quoting Lincoln) and using the example of a divided kingdom in regards to the deliverance of someone from demons- You cant live a divided life
• Today we live in a divided America- or at least an America that loves divisiveness and a “us v them’ mentality- its not sustainable. You can’t live divided. Not in a nation, home, relationship, work. One side always wins out or the house itself is destroyed and no longer exists.
• every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
• In these short momentes, lets see what divides a house and how you can get some unity

What divides a house

1. Struggles for power Divide a house
2. 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
3. Pharisees did not want things to change and they did not want Jesus to do what he was doing
4. The pharisees were the power brokers of the day so when Jesus showed up, they really didn’t care about the truthfulness of his claims, because he was an threat to their structural power
5. Lets drift back to 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.- Judaism was in a rift then and now because of the rejection of Messiah-
6. This is not the mindset of someone who is trying to find out the truth of the matter. These were learned Jews who knew Moses/the prophets and chose to ignore the messianic claims of Jesus.
7. John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
8. Mark 3:6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
9. I don’t know much, but I know human nature and what I know is that groups that have no importance that suddenly have importance will fight to keep their importance- and will reject attacks on them
10. If you are at your job and what you do is seemingly insignificant, and all of sudden you’re important- you like that- and you don’t want to lose that- MeHealth in the Army v now- Public Health, CDC, Fire 9/11
11. So when I see the pharisees- they aren’t even listening to the claims of Jesus- they just want to maintain their power.
12. What does it mean to you
13. Struggle for power in your life is between you and Jesus Luke 9:23-24 READ
14. This is THE struggle for all who are not Christians, and those who are-
15. If you’re here and you’re not a Christian- you’re in a power struggle with God- you don’t want to submit because you want to control your own life you don’t want something or someone to control you
16. So you resist- you fight- you don’t give yourself over to it. Be it from Trust, fear, worry, ignorance- whatever- your ‘house’ is not really divided in this sense- but your heart may be
17. For the believer- The “house divided” can be a daily, hourly mindset that we all constantly struggle with- How deeply am I going to honor God with my life? Mind, actions, resources etc? whom do I serve
18. And the proverbial devil on the shoulder is constantly there- “should I be thinking about this” “how should I respond” and sometimes you give yourself over the flesh- and that becomes a divided house
19. Jesus says- that house will not stand- He used the example of satan driving out satan- he can’t be the same one who is possessing and the same one that is delivering- it doesn’t work that way- cant stand
20. High School football- I reflect back on it- think about that lack of team cohesion- everyone wanted to start- no one encouraged anyone- threw people in the mud- so we were a bunch of losers- didn’t work
21. This bleeds over into work, politics, neighborhoods, clubs, teams, schools and the church-
22. 1 Corinthians 1:10 READ that there be no divisions among you,.
23. We can’t be divided in the church and expect to honor God- it just doesn’t work- so you need to check yourself- “am I being divisive against what the scriptures plainly speak?” “am I defending my power structure because I do not want to realize the truth of the matter?” also- “am I being hypocritical in my own life- not forgiving like I have been forgiving, loving like I want to be loved, serving like I want to be served’
24. Struggle for power in your relationships
25. People want to control their own lives- and Jesus makes it clear- that anything (a house in this mention) cannot stand if its divided against itself.
26. If your house is in disorder- it may be because there is a divided house that is out of order
27. Get back to what the Bible teaches about love, forgiveness, service, and humility
28. Everything in your house is not a power struggle- just meet the biblical needs of your spouse
29. Discipline your children- do not allow them to talk to you a certain way, dress a certain way, hang out with bad kids, watch bad stuff, be slovenly or lazy. They are your kids and its your job to have congruency in your house- you are the power broker and you shouldn’t have power struggles- own it
30. Jude 1:16 READ
31. TAKE A PERSONAL INVENTORY of your DIVISIVE SPIRIT and then CHANGE it- don’t be a pharisee

• Inconsistent beliefs
  • 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.
• Jesus rhetorically asks- if I’m casting out demons, how do you guys do it? His implication is that they drive out demons by the power of God and so does he-
• What he is illuminating tho- is the inconsistency in their argument- how can you admit I’m driving out demons, you guys drive out demons, but I do by satan and you do it by God? That doesn’t work.
• Satan doesn’t drive out Satan. That would make no sense. He would be against himself
• And anyone or anything that is against themselves isn’t going to stand
• Its like creating a disease and then selling the cure- clogging toilets and selling plumbing
• Who does that? That business isn’t going to stay in business very long. Not going to work.
• Which one is it, its either the power of God or it’s the power of Satan- it can’t be both
  • 1 Corinthians 14:33 says God is not the author of confusion but of peace,
  • Revelation 3:16 Jesus says that he vomits the lukewarm out of his mouth
  • James 1:8 says that the doubting man is “unstable in all his ways’
  • Its inconsistent beliefs that God has called his people out on since the beginning. It’s the pinnacle of hypocrisy is saying one thing and doing another- it’s a life that believes and preaches something but lives totally and completely opposite. This is what a divided house does- it talks out of both sides of its mouth- it is for something and against something at the same time
  • You cant be for God and Satan at the same time. You cant believe Satan and God delivers.
  • 1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
  • Being in sales- you got to believe in the product. If you don’t you can’t sell it. People can see it.
  • What does it mean to you
  • Are there inconsistent beliefs in your life that are keeping you and your house divided?
  • Do you believe the power of Satan is the same as the power of God? Do you think that God is the author of evil? Do you believe that Satan is equal to God?
  • But also- do you believe that someone can’t be forgiven? Do you think only certain people deserve your love and attention? Do you show partiality to those you deem less than?
  • Do you enjoy sin and make excuses for it and deem is as a normal part of your life?
  • James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
  • Part of unifying a divided house is to have unity in thought, belief and action. Its consistency across all areas of your life
  • Matt 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
  • This is a right now scripture! Who do you trust for your provision? Who do you think is in charge of taking care of you? Do you love your money and trust it more than you trust God? Divided!
  • 2 Kings 17:33 They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.
  • What idols do you serve in your life and give equality in your own life? What inconsistencies?
  • When Jesus spoke to the pharisees- he revealed the inconsistencies in their hearts- namely they believed that Satan could drive out Satan while simultaneously driving out by the power of God
  • Self inventory- what inconsistencies do I have in my own life that I need to change?
  • For parents- how inconsistent are you with your children? Do you have church persona and home persona? One of the reasons My kids serve the God I serve is they saw the same man
  • 2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

• Not getting at the root
• 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
• You cannot solve a spiritual problem with a physical answer
• What Jesus is describing to these pharisees is that overcoming the demonic oppression starts with binding up the strong man (Satan) and then plundering his house
• Now this is exciting to me- Jesus describes what we know to be true- that Satan must be dealt with. You can’t ignore him. You can’t not deal with him, his minons and his ways.
• Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
• Some of ya’ll have been fighting physical divisive problems the wrong way-
• When is the last time you prayed it through? Bowed the knee? Took a praise break?
• Jesus knew his ministry needed to take down the kingdom of Satan to be able to be effective and so that’s what he did- he went to the root- he went straight at Satan.
• 1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
• What does it mean to you?
• Jesus bound the strong man and plundered- you bind the strong man and plunder
• Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and [a]conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
• Jesus already delivered us- WALK IN IT
• What roots need to come out?
• Root of bitterness Heb 12:15 READ
• You can’t serve Jesus, have a unified house if you are bitter- Bitterness comes from unmet expectations that are typically not known or not forgiving people. PULL OUT THAT ROOT
• Love of money 1 Tim 6:10 READ
• Wanting more, not being satisfied- longing for things, experiences, stuff. Wanting MORE
• You got to get DRASTIC and pull out the ROOT- You have to get to it and destroy it.
• Jesus goes drastic- You get drastic- throw that in the fire which doesn’t bear fruit in your life
• Matthew 3:10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
• Go after the strong man- don’t let your house be divided anymore- all the way for JESUS
• Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

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