Stratagems To Subvert The Truth
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Exploring four nefarious stratagems designed to battle the Truth of the Gospel.
Text: Luke 11:53-54
Date: 10/15/2023, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 122
Description:
In what seems like a simple transitional paragraph, Luke reveals four stratagems that the enemies of Christ instigated to battle against the Light of His Truth. When the fullness and color of the underlying Greek words are explored, we will realize that these are more than mere "strategies", but nefarious "stratagems"-- designed and employed by Israel's religious leaders to drive Jesus to the Cross. After defining these stratagems and studying how they were used against Jesus, we will discuss how the agents of evil are still using them to subvert the truth and confuse, corrupt and impede the church today. Finally, as we prepare our hearts to take the Lord's Supper, we will discover how these stratagems unexpectedly relate to the sacrament of Communion.
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 11:53-54.
A. Context, Luke 11:1,2,28.
B. Evil's stratagems against Jesus.
1. Setting the scene, vs. 53a.
a. Changing location, Luke 10:38, 11:1,37.
b. Identifying the antagonists, Luke 11:42,46.
2. Evil's reaction to the Truth, vs. 53b-54.
a. Harboring a "fearful" grudge.
i. A crescendo of hatred.
ii. Defining the terms.
1) Defining "hard", Matt. 8:6.
2) Defining "press", Luke 11:45.
b. Questions as weapons.
i. Defining "provoke".
ii. Questions with malicious intent.
iii. Evil loves to provoke, John 10:10, 8:44.
iv. Focus on the "words".
c. Planning nefarious ambushes.
i. Defining "lying in wait".
ii. An illustration from mythology.
iii. Aptly describing the enemies of Christ.
d. The Hunter becomes the hunted.
i. Defining "catch", Psa. 140:4,5,11.
ii. Once again focusing on the words.
C. Summary
III. Application: Evil's attack on the church.
A. Holding a 2000 year old grudge, James 4:4, 1John 2:15-17.
B. Weaponized questions out of context, Luke 11:38.
C. The dangers of false teachers, Matt. 7:15, 24:24, Gen. 4:7.
D. Hunted for the Truth, John 8:45-46, 3:20, 15:20, Luke 21:17.
IV. Conclusion: How these stratagems relate to Communion.
A. The road to the Cross, Acts 2:23, Isa. 53:10,11, 1Cor. 5:7, Luke 4:13.
B. The mirror of Truth, Rom. 1:18,28-31,32, 8:18,35-39.
