The Gospel of Luke: A House Divided | Miracle | Conflict - Video

Sermon notes - 10/19/25 Luke: 11: 14-28 . Check us out at: https://citylightvicksburg.org/ Or check us out here: https://www.facebook.com/citylightvicksburg . 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.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.”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!” Jesus teaches that every house divided falls. We often experience this conflict within our own hearts. The text opens with a miraculous display of power. No one is disputing the authenticity of the miracle. A mute demon was thought to be immune to exorcism. So, this exorcism was of unparalleled power. The one with ultimate authority doesn’t need the name of the demon (as it was mute) to cast it out. Immediately the crowd splintered into groups based on their responses: One group had a positive response, marveling at the miracle. Another group was skeptical, and thought to slander the source of the miracle. In that slander, they claimed that Jesus was in league with demons. Yet another group wanted to test Jesus, seeking a sign from Heaven. This third group was treating Jesus like a man on trial, even after he already performed an amazing miracle. Jesus later says that persistent skepticism is from an evil heart, and we know that even a redeemed people sometimes feel the pull to wander and question or test the God we love. Faced with a divided crowd, Jesus answers simply and logically: How dumb would Satan have to be to work against himself? Jesus exposes that evil is many things, but it is not stupid. Satan does not undo his own work. In this moment, the Jewish leaders have revealed to them that their lack of faith was not about skepticism, but rather the hardness of their own hearts and the love of their own power. They were accusing Jesus of being in league with Satan, but in reality, Jesus was waging an assault on Satan’s territory by casting out the demon. Satan is armed and strongly guarding his treasures and territory. The devil is not a feeble enemy. The kingdom of god - the image we’ve seen in Luke - is a kingdom on the offensive, attacking the strongholds of Satan. When Jesus says whoever is not with me is against me, he’s calling you to Him. He’s showing that there’s no safe middle ground when it comes to Him. You must surrender your allegiance to anything else. Remember that being against Him doesn’t mean hating Him. It means withholding your devotion. Refusing to follow Him is being against Him. As a warning, Jesus gives the parable of the empty house. After the spirit is cast out, seven spirits return. The empty space must be filled with Jesus and not left empty to prevent the enemies from returning.