JESUS: "I BEHELD SATAN FALLING."

Click here to listen to this sermon read by Greg McAbee.

Would you like to see Satan utterly defeated? Would you like to see him flounder helplessly in total confusion? Would you like to see him fall flat on his face completely disoriented? Would you like to see his power evaporate, his strength fail, and his throne destroyed? Most Christians would love to witness that happening!

Would you like for the Lord to use you personally to help cause Satan's defeat? Would you like to put "the hurt" on Satan without him being able to hurt you? Would you like to do things that would tumble Satan?

It would surprise me if those ideas did not appeal to most Christians. Why? Most of us have witnessed tragedies that Satan caused. We have seen good people betrayed through evil. Through evil, we have seen godly people fall to their ruin. We have seen heartache and pain caused by evil. Many of us have felt helpless as we observed Satan's deceptions.

It would be wonderful to "get even" with Satan just once. It would be wonderful to see him suffer the pain he delights in bringing to us, to destroy his influence, to frustrate his efforts. Just once would you not like to witness Satan receiving what he deserves?

If God used you in that way, what would happen? If God used you in that way, what would you have to do to Satan? If Satan were beaten, what would have to happen?

There was a time when Jesus used people to do exactly that! Consider what happened in Luke 10.

1. Jesus used seventy (70) men as "advance men" to prepare villages and cities in Galilee and Judah to get ready for his coming.
   1. These men would go throughout the entire Jewish region to build a sense of expectation for Jesus' and his message.
      
      1. To each of the places they visited, they would inform people, "Jesus is coming here!"
         
         1. An announcement of this type was necessary in a time without printing, radio, or television to create a sense of expectation.
            
         2. They wanted even small villages to know they would not be passed by.
            
         3. The objective was information, not profit.
            
      2. Jesus wanted the men to know they were going on a dangerous mission.
         
         1. The opportunity was enormous!
            
         2. However, the risk was great! The hatred of some was not to be underestimated!
            
         3. These men would be defenseless--like lambs among wolves!
            
      3. There were some conditions they had to accept.
         
         1. They would trust Jesus as they represented Jesus.
            
         2. They would not travel as usual with extra provisions and clothing.
            
         3. There would be no bag with extra food for an unexpected situation.
            
         4. They would not talk to people as they traveled.
            
            1. Their mission was too urgent!
               
            2. They must not be delayed as they announced Jesus' coming.
               
         5. When they entered a house, they extended the family peace.
            
            1. If the family accepted their peace, that peace would rest on the family.
               
            2. If the family rejected them, their peace would be denied the family.
               
         6. "When you are accepted, stay in that one place--there is no time to move from place to place."
            
         7. "Wherever you are:
            
            1. "Eat what you are served.
               
            2. "Heal the sick.
               
            3. "Inform everyone that God's kingdom is near" (the expectation of Israel was close to being a reality).
               
         8. "If you are rejected:
            
            1. "Publicly declare they are responsible for the consequences of their rejection--do not even carry dust from that place on your sandals!
               
            2. "Still let them know God's kingdom will come soon.
               
            3. "In the future, God's condemnation will be terrifying!"
               
      4. Their basic awareness about their message should be this:
         
         1. "When they listen to you, they listen to me."
            
         2. "When they reject you, they reject me."
            
         3. "If they reject me, they reject God."

2. The seventy (70) returned with joy and excitement!
   1. Many exciting things happened--obviously more than they expected!
      
      1. They made the journey just as Jesus instructed them.
         
      2. They visited hostile places and survived.
         
      3. They visited receptive places and were well treated.
         
      4. They healed the sick.
         
      5. Most excitingly--they had power over demons; they did things many regarded extremely difficult or impossible!
         
         1. Demon possession was regarded the most difficult form of sickness.
            
         2. In Jesus' name they could do that which rarely happened.
            
         3. Can you imagine what a sense of power they felt?
            
         4. Can you hear their sense of excitement when they said: "Lord, we were unstoppable! We really did something special!"
            
      6. Jesus' reaction to their report is so important!
         
         1. He agreed something special happened.
            
         2. In the time of their mission, Jesus said he saw Satan falling as lightning from heaven.
            
         3. That likely meant Jesus saw Satan losing his position of power and control.
            
         4. The unstoppable process of dethroning Satan had begun!
            
         5. Satan's total defeat had begun.
            
         6. Satan's defeat had begun, and nothing bad occurred to Jesus' messengers.
            
      7. Jesus' warning is critical!
         
         1. "Do not rejoice in the wrong thing!"
            
         2. The wrong thing was having power over demons!
            
         3. "Rejoice that your names are written in heaven!"
            
   2. What was the significance of Satan falling as lightning?
      
      1. Did it mean Satan could do no damage to Jesus or his followers?
         
         1. Certainly not!
            
         2. Jesus was still betrayed, denied, and crucified.
            
         3. The 12 were still scattered and disillusioned.
            
      2. However, Jesus' resurrection meant an end to the power and reign of Satan over all this world--and that was a powerful, glorious moment!
         
         1. However, not even that moment meant the death of Satan.
            
         2. It means it is impossible for Satan to defeat Jesus Christ.
            
         3. It means Satan cannot spiritually destroy people who belong to Jesus Christ.
            
         4. Yet, Satan still can afflict those in Christ who remain in this physical existence.
            
         5. That evil power will not end until God's final judgment.

3. We must remember two things.
   1. First, Satan--though eternally defeated--never stops fighting us.
      
      1. When the situation looks promising, we are tempted to feel, "We are really sticking it to Satan!"
         
      2. With faith, courage, and sacrifice, we can inflict damage on Satan in many ways.
         
      3. Satan will fight us every way he can as we seek to capitalize on God's opportunities before us.
         
      4. You can be assured that Satan also has some special obstacles in store for us.
         
      5. He will not let us capitalize on opportunities for good without resisting us in every way he can!
         
      6. He will not give up parts of his kingdom without a fight!
         
      7. His primary ground for waging war against God is within the church itself!
         
   2. Second, we must not rejoice in the wrong things.
      
      1. Do not rejoice in our accomplishments as congregations or individuals--that is not the ultimate war against evil!
         
         1. Every battle we win at this moment will be fought again by other people.
            
         2. Every lesson this generation learns in its war against evil must be learned again by future generations.
            
      2. Rejoice that you let Jesus be your Lord as you pursue God's will.
         
         1. Rejoice in belonging to Jesus.
            
         2. Rejoice as you see others willingly yielding to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
            
            

It always is important for us to rejoice in what Jesus has done and continues to do for us, not in what we think we do for Jesus.