Invincible Church

05/24/2026

05/17/2026

Invincible Church Sermon Notes

5/17/2026

God’s Government vs World Government- Part 5- Ephesians 6:12

The GOD of the BIBLE, the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is the one and only true, holy, sovereign, almighty, perfect GOD! He is omniscient (He knows all things), omnipotent (He is all-powerful), and omnipresent (He is present in all places at all times).

He is one GOD who consists of three Persons, sometimes called the Trinity. He is one triune GOD of three coexistent, co-eternal Persons who are GOD. The BIBLE describes these Persons as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The BIBLE tells us that:

There is subordination within the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son, and the Son is subordinate to the Father. This is an internal relationship, so it does not deny the deity of any of the three Persons of the Trinity. It simply means that, within the triune relationship, the individual members of the Trinity have different roles. The Father is the ultimate source or cause of the universe, divine revelation, salvation, and the human works of Jesus. Therefore, it is through the Father that all these things are initiated.

The Son is the agent through whom the Father accomplishes the creation and maintenance of the universe, divine revelation, and salvation for all who choose to submit their lives to Jesus as their Lord and Savior and become a true follower of Jesus, also known as the elect.

The Holy Spirit is the means by whom the Father accomplishes the creation and maintenance of the universe, divine revelation, salvation, and the works of Jesus. Therefore, the Father accomplishes all these things through the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, our finite minds still cannot know everything about the infinite GOD. However, He has given us an incredible and powerful brain so that we can know and understand some things about Him. This is how we have the ability to freely choose to submit our lives to Jesus as our Lord and Savior for eternal salvation from our sins.

All of these truths should make it obvious to us that if GOD, who is perfect, has order and structure within Himself, then He is a GOD of perfect order and structure in everything He does. This means He has perfect plans and systems for everything He does.

The way GOD’s plans and systems operate in order and structure is through authority, dominion, subordination, and obedience. All of this requires governance, which calls for systems of government in each part of His perfect plan.

And GOD intends for the government systems within His plan to be small, simple, and efficient. Over the past few weeks, we have been in Mark 3, looking at GOD’s perfect plan for some of these government systems and how the world is always scheming to corrupt them. So far,

We have talked about:
#1) Spiritual Kingdom Government
#2) GOD’s Sovereignty/Natural Government
#3) Civil Government
#4) Family Government
#5) Church Government

If we follow GOD’s commands and instructions for each one, all of these government systems will keep us ordered and structured within GOD’s plan.

We also know that Satan tries to counterfeit and corrupt everything GOD does. We are called to withstand the enemy. So today, we are going to look at the structure and systems the enemy uses to attack us, trying to hinder us in our responsibility and participation in GOD’s plan. The BIBLE tells us in:

1 Peter 5:8–9 NIV — “8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

Paul also warned us that mankind is always going to struggle with following the “letter of the law,” and he knew that Jesus did not come to abolish the Law. Therefore, procedural law cannot sustain us on its own. The only way to secure our relationship with GOD is through a true, unconditional love for Jesus in our hearts, and this only happens through the power of the Holy Spirit at salvation.

2 Corinthians 3:6 NIV — “6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

Satan also knows that Jesus did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. He knows all of GOD’s laws, commands, instructions, and moral standards. Therefore, he twists and falsifies GOD’s structure and systems, trying to trip us up and influence us to do wrong. So we see:

5 Demonic Influences Inside Satan’s System

We could be under attack from any of these influences in our lives at any given time. They can either be obvious and evident or subtle and hidden. The scary part is that most professing Christians never discern the fifth one. Let’s start with:

Ephesians 6:12 NIV — “12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Remember, the BIBLE tells us that GOD’s government systems exist in two different realms. One realm is earthly and visible, while the other realm is supernatural and invisible. All government systems have laws and rules, whether for the purposes of good or evil.

Notice here that the BIBLE does not say “devil.” It says: rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world, and spiritual forces of evil. GOD operates with structure and systems to maintain order, while Satan operates with structure and systems to create chaos.

This means hell operates with structure. Satan has a kingdom and a ranking system, so there is a method to his madness. Many people are fighting symptoms without discerning the spiritual influence of the system behind them. The first one to look out for is:

1) Fallen Angels

Revelation 12:7–9 NIV — “7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”

Fallen angels are demonic spiritual beings that follow Satan in rebellion against GOD. Their assignment is influence, corruption, false revelation, and perverting truth. This is why Satan transformed himself into an angel of light, so a fallen angel does not always appear evil.

Sometimes it looks enlightened, mystical, clever, and empowering. The way it usually approaches someone is through pride, unnecessary spiritual rituals, “new revelation” about GOD, or an obsession with spiritual knowledge that does not align with the BIBLE.

We can tell if someone is being influenced by this demonic spirit when they are drawn to power without holiness, revelation about holiness without repentance, or spirituality without prioritizing Jesus. Any spirit that causes someone to crave power more than purity is not from GOD.

2) Demons!

Luke 11:24 NIV — “24 When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’”

Demons look for habitation. They want embodiment, expression, and function through human vessels. Demons attach themselves to obsessions, trauma, agreement, and open doors. Therefore, demons try to magnify and influence the bo***ge of sin that is already present in the flesh.

A demon of lust amplifies lust. A demon of rage amplifies anger. A demon of addiction amplifies captivity. The way they gain more influence is through a person’s persistent sin, drama, bitterness, paganism, hedonism, generational iniquity, and willing agreement with darkness.

The self-checks we all need to do for this are: sin habits we cannot break, irresistible desires that we secretly hate, doubt about our identity, or sin bo***ges that intensify when we try to pray. A demon’s greatest weapon is making us think our sin habit is simply our personality.

3) Impure Spirits!

Mark 1:23–24 NIV — “23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 ‘What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know Who You are—the Holy One of God!’”

Impure spirits specialize in contamination and perversion. Their assignment from Satan is impurity, defilement, and pollution of the soul. These spirits corrupt thoughts, desires, speech, sexual desire, and spiritual awareness. An impure spirit also wants us to be unable to distinguish what is holy from what is unholy.

Impure spirits enter through po*******hy, sexual impurity, perverse entertainment, foul conversations, and unholy soul ties. The self-checks we all need to do for this are: normalizing what we used to feel convicted about, purity feeling uncomfortable, darkness feeling familiar, or feeling spiritually impure in certain environments or around certain people. Impure spirits do not always make us angry or violent. Sometimes they simply make us comfortable with certain sins.

4) Pagan Authorities!

Daniel 10:12–13 NIV — “12 Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.’”

The “prince of Persia” being discussed here was not a human prince. It was a territorial dark spiritual resistance taking place at that time. Pagan authorities govern regions, cultures, systems, cities, and patterns over territories.

Some cities are ruled by violence, lust, religion, witchcraft, or poverty. Pagan authorities have influence over environments. Therefore, pagan authorities operate through corrupt systems, the normalization of perverted culture, mass deception, socialist strongholds, and worldly government influence.

The way we can recognize pagan authorities operating in areas is when entire bloodlines repeat the same destruction, cities are trapped in cycles of murder, debt, and perversion, many families are under consistent spiritual warfare, and many churches are spiritually asleep.

Also, pagan authorities and principalities do not just attack people one at a time. They also try to spiritually influence entire territories toward perversion, corruption, and general darkness.

5) Rulers of Darkness!
This is the most dangerous type of demonic influence. Again:

Ephesians says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. We wrestle against the rulers of darkness of this world in deep spiritual realms. Rulers of darkness govern ignorance. They assign blindness—not physical blindness, but spiritual blindness.

2 Corinthians 4:4 NIV — “4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Their goal is to:

Keep people from seeing, discerning, recognizing, and identifying the truth about Jesus. This demonic spirit loves confusion. It wants people calling evil good and good evil. It enters through persistent rejection of truth, hatred of conviction, and love of darkness over light.

It is simple to recognize when they are influencing us: we resist correction, truth irritates us, darkness feels safer than exposure, and we become spiritually numb. The greatest evidence of darkness is not demons screaming—it is when people no longer recognize light.

Luke 10:19 NIV — “19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

So, the wrong response is panic, anger, anxiety, denial, or depression. The right response is discernment, repentance, holiness, deliverance, and submission to Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives. What you expose to the light, you can expel from the darkness; and what you discern as a demonic spirit, you can stop agreeing with.

These are the five demonic influences that may be affecting your life, and you may not even realize it. Hear me clearly: Jesus never told us to fear demons.

As a true follower of Jesus, we should have no fear of the enemy or his systems of demonic influence because we are indwelled by the power of the Holy Spirit and can call on His help and discernment in all situations, at all times.

05/15/2026

Invincible Church Sermon Notes

5/10/2025

God’s Government vs World Government- Pt 4- Mark 3: 1-35

As a true follower of Jesus, we should always be working to know God better. Jesus gave us nine basic instructions that will help us know God better, and it is also the strategy we use to get His work done. Jesus told us to: love unconditionally, pray continually, and be thankful for everything.

He told us to: go into the world, make / mold / mentor disciples, and teach them to be obedient to God’s plan. He told us to: ask for opportunities and direction, seek God first in all things, and knock on the doors of opportunity as God guides us to them. It is the strategy for God’s plan.

Once we recognize an opportunity that God makes available to us, we discern how He would have us speak His truth, words, wisdom, and ways. We also have to remember that listening to Him, and listening to others, is a key component in handling the opportunity well. Now:

God is a God of perfect order and structure. The way His order and structure operate is through authority, dominion, and obedience. It is why Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commands” (John 14:15). So, God’s plan for everything is perfect and simple. Jesus tells us that:

God’s plan for us is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love others the way we love ourselves (Mark 12:30–31). The Bible tells us that God made us in His image, and since He is a God of order and structure, He wants us to live an ordered and structured life.

Following God’s plan is simple: just do what Jesus says. The list of commands and instructions is small. The principle is: small is simple, and simple is efficient. When we carry out the small, simple list of commands and instructions that Jesus gave us, we are following God’s plan.

And when we follow God’s plan, we bring Him glory, honor, respect, and pleasure. Simple. Now, all followers of Jesus have responsibilities as ambassadors, warriors, servants, or saints. The two primary roles in each area of responsibility are as a leader or a support person.

Both roles are equally important in God’s plan, and the roles for each true follower of Jesus are interchangeable as God commands, calls, and guides. We also have to be positive, flexible, and always ready, because enemy attacks are continual, and circumstances and situations change.

Another important factor is that maintaining order and structure in any plan, organization, or entity requires governance, which calls for a system of government. God intends for the government systems working inside His plan to be small, simple, and efficient.

The Bible tells us in Romans 13 that God establishes governing authorities to maintain order and restrain evil. Civil government exists to punish wrongdoing and promote good so that society functions in an orderly way. This allows God’s people to live and work peacefully as they carry out His purposes. That is why the enemies of God are always scheming for a: large, complicated, chaotic, pagan form of government, because they want to disrupt, destroy, and corrupt God’s design for order and governance. Jesus continually dealt with pagan, worldly governments and politicians, and it is still going on today. This is what we see in Mark 3.

This passage gives us six points of context and a series of four parables that Jesus uses to teach us about the severe conflict that has always existed between God’s plan and governments that are influenced, compromised, and corrupted by pagan, hedonistic, and evil politicians and people.

In verse 2, it is pagan laws and mandates. In verse 5, it is compromising God’s sovereign, perfect, and holy plan. In verse 6, it is compromising God’s church and people. In verse 11, it is complete disrespect and irreverence toward Jesus. In verse 14, it is Jesus implementing God’s plan for standing against the pagan political agenda of the Herodian government.

In verse 21, it is the attempt to tear down the biblical family structure. This gives us a clear view of the environment at that time and sets the stage for the actions Jesus takes in Mark 3. Also:

These four parables give us the facts about God’s four government systems that exist in two different realms. One realm is earthly and visible, while the other realm is supernatural and invisible. The politicians or leaders in each one of the four systems of government must decide whether to follow God’s plan for each government or follow a corrupt, pagan, worldly plan for each system of government.

All governments have laws and rules, whether leaders, politicians, and citizens choose to follow them or not. Jesus said He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. This means God’s law will always exist because:

It is part of the foundation of His plan. God is law. God is love. Love requires law, and love is justice. Therefore, God’s justice is rooted in love. These principles cannot be separated because God’s law is perfect, eternal, and loving. This is what Jesus is teaching here.

God’s plan calls for civil government to manage and enforce lawful order. It is how societies maintain structure and order. Therefore, Parable #1 is about civil government, and Parable #2 is about family government. Both are in the earthly, visible realm of government, but both can be influenced by supernatural forces, whether for good or evil. We covered these two in detail last week.

Parable #3 is about the principle of a divided kingdom, and in this example, it is a supernatural kingdom. The Pharisees had seen the power of Jesus in action, casting out demons, but they did not believe He was the Son of God. Instead, they claimed His power came from demonic forces.

Jesus called them out for their false and foolish claim. We see this in Parable #4, which is about the principle of God’s omnipotence, authority, and dominion. Obviously, both Parables 3 and 4 are in the supernatural, invisible realm of government here.

Parable #3 is found in Mark 3:26: “And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.”

Parable #4 is found in Mark 3:27: “In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.”

First, in Mark 3:24–26, Jesus spoke about the principle of a divided kingdom, which cannot stand under the pressure of internal conflict and division. Then He told them about the strong man’s house in verse 27. Jesus is responding to their claim that He was possessed by Beelzebul.

Their argument in Mark 3:22 was: “By the prince of demons He is driving out demons.” In other words, they claimed that the reason demons listened to Jesus was because they were supposedly working together on the same side. In their minds, the demons recognized Jesus as their commanding officer, so to speak.

But Jesus refuted their blasphemous argument with plain logic in Mark 3:23: “How can Satan drive out Satan?” Then He gave them a parable. Jesus is referring to Satan as the strong man, and to Himself as the One who enters the house and plunders it. This is an analogy, not a comparison. Jesus is not equating Himself with a thief.

It is the fact that before Satan would allow his domain to be compromised, he would have to be incapacitated. Jesus could do this because of His unmatched power. It is obvious that Jesus was not working with Satan, as the Pharisees implied.

God has given Satan temporary dominion over the earth. Therefore, Jesus came to bind Satan and plunder his belongings, which are the souls of lost people. As it says in:

1 John 5:19 NIV – 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

John 17:15 NIV – 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

Luke 4:18 NIV – 18 “The Spirit of The Lord is on me, because He has Anointed me to proclaim Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free …

Ephesians 4:8 NIV – 8 This is why it says … “When He Ascended on high, He took many captives and gave gifts to His people!

Satan is jealous of God, and he does have supernatural power. So he is going to fiercely guard the possessions he does have. But Jesus is the only One who can bind the strong man and rescue lost people from his control.

John 12:31 NIV – 31 Now is The Time for Judgment on this world … Now the prince of this world will be driven out! ... Some CHRISTIANS … Usually in The ‘CHARISMATIC or PENTECOSTAL’ DENOMINATIONS

They apply this parable to spiritual battles that believers have to fight every day. They teach that Christians are the ones who have to “bind the strong man” in their lives or in their cities and win spiritual victory in the name of Jesus.

Some of these charismatic preachers will even name the “strong men” that need to be addressed and attempt to identify the cities or areas that they believe those forces have influence over. These teachings go way beyond the principle that Jesus is teaching here.

The parable was used by Jesus to show the Pharisees that He was not “in cahoots” with Satan. Jesus never instructs us to “bind the strong man,” nor does He tell us how to do it. We do not have authority to reinterpret the parable as permission to claim spiritual leverage over things in that way.

Also, Mark emphasizes a sense of secrecy about the identity of Jesus Christ more than any other Gospel writer.

Mark 1:34 NIV – 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Mark 5:43 NIV – 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her

something to eat.

Mark 7:36 NIV – 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more He did so, the more they kept talking about it.

Matthew 12:16 NIV – 16 He warned them not to tell others about Him.

Mark 8:30 NIV – 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him.

Mark 9:9 NIV – 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until The Son of Man had risen from The Dead.

Not only did Jesus command demons to be quiet … but he also told people he’d healed … and warned the disciples not to tell anybody who he was! … the first time Jesus told demons to be quiet was in

Mark 1:23-26 NIV – 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

A possessed man starts crying out in the synagogue: “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebukes the demon, commanding it, “Be quiet!” and “Come out of him!”

After causing violent convulsions in the man, the evil spirit came out of him with a shriek. Then in Mark 3:11–12, whenever the impure spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” But Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell others about Him.

There are several possible reasons Jesus silenced evil spirits from proclaiming who He was. Jesus silenced the demons because He did not want the truth to come from an unclean source. Jesus could speak for Himself, and the demons would most likely distort or deceive in some way.

Then in (vs 22-30) … this is one of the rare times in scripture that Jesus defended himself against the pharisees allegations … he said … “How can satan cast out satan? . . . A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive”

Jesus explained in (vs 27) [parable 4] that it takes somebody more powerful than satan to cast out satan! They have to obey Jesus. When he commands an evil spirit to leave somebody , it has to go! Jesus outranks everything!

Colossians 1:16 NIV – 16 For In Him all things were created … things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and

for Him.

The secrecy of the identity of Jesus also had to do with god’s perfect timing … as news about him spread and the crowds grew larger, it became more difficult for Jesus to minister to people!

Mark 1:44-45 NIV – 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere.

Matthew 9:30-31 NIV – 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him all over that region.

Mark 2:20 NIV – 20 But the time will come when The Bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

Mark 8:31 NIV – 31 He then began to teach them that The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again.

There was also the matter of His enemies. Jesus told the demons to be quiet because He knew the ultimate revelation of who He was as God’s Son would lead to His death.

Another possible motive for concealing His identity may have been, in part, to avoid a violent political uprising early in His ministry.

Jesus’ power and authority over demons proved that God’s kingdom rule had come in His Son, the Messiah. But in His first advent, Jesus did not come to earth as a triumphant king, but as a suffering servant.

Primarily, Jesus commanded the demons to be quiet and did not allow evil spirits to speak about His identity as the Son of God because He would not allow God’s purposes to be thwarted or distorted by demons. Jesus came to do the Father’s will.

Matthew 26:39 NIV – 39 Going a little farther, He fell with His Face to the ground and Prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this Cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I Will, but as You Will.”

John 4:34 NIV – 34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do The Will of Him Who sent Me and to Finish His Work.

John 6:38 NIV – 38 For I have come down from Heaven not to do My Will but to do The Will of Him Who sent Me.

John 14:31 NIV – 31 but He comes so that the world may learn that I love The Father and do exactly what My Father has Commanded Me!

Hebrews 10:9 NIV – 9 Then He said, “Here I Am, I have come to do Your Will.” He sets aside The First to Establish The Second.

Jesus was fully obedient to that mission, which involved a deliberate and gradual disclosure of His divine identity. Jesus was always conforming to God’s perfect plan, and He did not allow a pagan, corrupt, hedonistic, or evil government to stop Him.

The Bible is also clear about how He designed His church to be organized and managed. First, Jesus is the Head of the Church and its supreme authority. Second, the local church is to be autonomous, not tied to any external authority or control.

This includes the right of self-governance and freedom from interference by any hierarchy of individuals or organizations. Third, the church is to be governed by called spiritual leadership, consisting of elders and deacons.

The New Testament refers many times to elders who served in church leadership, and churches had more than one elder, as the term is typically plural.

It is also important to note that it is not biblical for there to be a dictator-type leader in a church who makes all decisions, whether called elder, bishop, or pastor.

There is also no clear biblical support for a purely congregation-led structure that excludes the leadership of elders. Rather, Scripture consistently reflects shared leadership and accountability within church governance.

All of this fits within God’s design for order and structure, which He uses to keep His work functioning in unity and purpose. For believers, this means:

As a true follower of Jesus, we have the honor, privilege, and responsibility of participating in the work He began on earth as part of God’s perfect plan.

05/08/2026

Invincible Church Sermon

5/3/2026

God’s Government vs World Government Part 3- Mark 3:1-35

This life we’ve been blessed to experience is all about Jesus. And Jesus has already won the spiritual war over sin, death, and Satan. So, if we’ve made the intentional decision to submit our life to Him as our Lord and Savior, then God allows us to be in a salvation relationship with Jesus so He can forgive us of our sins, and we can be made right in the eyes of God (righteous). Which means our identity is in Jesus, and we have the guaranteed hope of eternity in Heaven with Him.

But until God calls us home, or Jesus returns from Heaven to establish His: Millennial Kingdom, a New Heaven, and a New Earth. We’re still in the earthly part of our life journey, and we’re going to be subjected to spiritual battles. Jesus warned us about it. It’s: Good vs. Evil, Order vs. Chaos, etc. The good news is God has a plan for us in it. And God is a God of perfect order and structure. So, God’s plan for everything is perfect. God’s plan isn’t about politics and government, but God’s plan includes politics and government.

While Jesus was carrying out His mission work and ministry plan for God, He had to deal with pagan worldly politics and government all the time. So, pagan politics and government have always been a hindrance for true followers of Jesus.

The Bible gives us a perfect example of it in Gospel of Mark 3, where last week in verses 2–21 we saw six points of context for conflict between God’s plan for government and corrupt worldly government.

Mark 3:1–22 (NIV)

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
1 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched Him closely to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” 4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. 5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Crowds Follow Jesus
7 Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard about all He was doing, many people came to Him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd He told His disciples to have a small boat ready for Him, to keep the people from crowding Him.
10 For He had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch Him. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But He gave them strict orders not to tell others about Him.

Jesus Appoints the Twelve
13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach
15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law
20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When His family heard about this, they went to take charge of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” 22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons He is driving out demons.”

Six points of context:

In verse 2, it’s pagan laws and mandates. In verse 5, it’s compromising God’s sovereign, perfect, and holy plan. In verse 6, it’s compromising God’s church and people. In verse 11, it’s complete disrespect and irreverence for Jesus. In verse 14, it’s Jesus implementing God’s plan for standing against the pagan political agenda of the Herodian government. And in verse 21, it’s the attempts to tear down the biblical family structure.

So, this gives us a clear view of the environment at that time and sets the stage for the actions Jesus takes in Gospel of Mark 3.

Also, these six points of context help us understand the series of four parables that Jesus uses to teach us about, and address, the severe conflict between God’s plan for government and what was going on in the corrupt Herodian government at that time, which all parallels what governments are doing today.

The next part of our passage shows us the four parables about the four forms of government in God’s plan in:

Mark 3: 23–35 (NIV)- 23 So Jesus called them over to Him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” 30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.” 31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call Him. 32 A crowd was sitting around Him, and they told Him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” He asked. 34 Then He looked at those seated in a circle around Him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Parable #1 in verse 24: “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.”

Parable #2 in verse 25: “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

Parable #3 in verse 26: “And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.”

Parable #4 in verse 27: “In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.”

These four parables give us the facts about the four individual forms of government which exist in two different realms. One realm is earthly and visible. The other realm is supernatural and invisible. Then, the politicians or leaders in each one of these four forms of government have to decide whether to follow God’s plan for each government, or follow a corrupt, pagan, worldly plan for each form of government.

Now, all governments have laws and rules, whether all leaders, politicians, and citizens choose to follow the laws and rules or not. Jesus said He didn’t come to abolish God’s Law, but to fulfill it. Which means God’s Law will always exist because it’s part of the foundation of His plan.

God is Law. God is Love. Love requires law. So, love is justice. Which means God’s justice is love. And these principles cannot be separated. God’s Law is perfect, eternal, and beautiful. It’s what Jesus is teaching here.

And God’s plan calls for civil government to facilitate His Law to help keep societies structured and ordered. So, Parable #1 is about civil government, and Parable #2 is about family government, both of which are in the earthly and visible realm of government. But both can be influenced by supernatural forces, whether for good or evil.

And Parable #3 is about the principle of a divided kingdom. In this example, it’s a supernatural kingdom. The Pharisees had seen the power of Jesus in action, casting out demons. But they didn’t believe He was the Son of God. So, they claimed His power was from demonic forces.

Jesus called them out for their false and foolish claim, and He used Parable #4 to show it, which is the principle of God’s omnipotence, authority, and dominion. Obviously, both Parables #3 and #4 are in the supernatural and invisible realm of government here. And we’ll get into more detail on Parables #3 and #4 next week, but today we’re going to focus on Parables #1 and #2.

So, our passage has a whole lot packed in it about God’s perfect plan, and Jesus is teaching us part of the fundamental foundation of it in parable form. The basic truths are: God is perfect, and we’re not. But we can be made right (righteous) in God’s eyes through salvation in Jesus.

Since God is a God of perfect order and structure, and He made us in His image, He wants us to live an ordered and structured life. Order and structure require authority, dominion, and obedience.

God’s plan for government is to protect His people who are doing the work of Jesus and to keep order in society so His people can get the work of Jesus done efficiently. The principle is: small is simple, and simple is efficient. God intends for His government to be small and efficient.

So, the enemies of God want to disrupt and corrupt everything about God’s plan, including His plan for government. So, the enemies of God are always scheming for a large, complicated, chaotic, pagan form of government.

And we see here that Jesus was obedient to God’s assignment to heal the withered hand, but He had to break the secular laws of the Pharisees to do it. So, it gives us something to consider and discern, which is: when do we bypass the secular laws of man to complete an assignment from God? It also reminds us of how we’re to address disobedient believers.

When somebody commits an act that we know for sure is unbiblical, or out of alignment with God’s Word and plan, there are two things that we’re called to do as true followers of Jesus. First, we are supposed to directly address it with them in truth and love. And if they admit and acknowledge their fault with sincere repentance, then we forgive them and move on.

But if they will not acknowledge their fault, or they continue in their pattern of sin, then we apply spiritual forbearance. Which means we can still love them as a brother or sister, but we cannot hang out with them as a close friend because of the way they are choosing to behave.

And since we should always be working hard to do things God’s way, which means we cannot be passive and tolerant when somebody is living in a way that dishonors God, or somebody continues in a pattern of sin that is out of alignment with God’s Word.

If their conduct affects us personally in some kind of way, we can and should forgive them. But we can’t continue functioning in the relationship like everything is “okay” when it’s not. And this is not talking about abandonment or termination of the relationship, especially if it’s a marriage or immediate family. It simply means we can’t continue in the normal fruit of a relationship as if nothing is wrong when there is no genuine repentance of sin, or there is not a sincere effort to stop sinful habits.

Because the Bible makes it clear that there cannot be genuine repentance of sin if a person is unwilling to follow that repentance with obedience to God’s Word and the instructions of Jesus. We have to go as God guides us in this, which means it is not okay for us to tolerate or accept a brother or sister in Christ who is choosing to live a lifestyle that dishonors God. Otherwise, we would be guilty of enabling their sin.

This is called spiritual forbearance. And it is not judging a person’s heart; it is discerning their actions. This is something all true followers of Jesus should faithfully practice with fellow believers.

But many professing Christians fail to practice this critical principle in the church today, and it is one of the big reasons why our society is in the condition it is in. Because without spiritual forbearance, there can be no righteous judgment.

The principle of righteous judgment is another biblical principle that is often misapplied and misinterpreted by many professing Christians. We hear it all the time: “Judge not.” So, many churches have stopped addressing the things we are supposed to be scripturally discerning.

And that is a big part of the mess we are in. A lot of the situations and circumstances we see today have happened because many churches have been passive and tolerant of sin for a long time. And it is not so much about what has been preached, taught, or proclaimed, but what has not been preached, taught, or proclaimed.

Judging the actions of people, governments, schools, churches, or any entity in the way God instructs us is part of our responsibility as true followers of Jesus. It is part of accountability in any valid relationship.

This is especially important in the structure God designed for the biblical family. Parents have the responsibility to determine whether a child’s behavior is right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable. And when a child’s attitude becomes rebellious or their behavior is wrong, parents are called to correct it.

Proverbs 13:24 - “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.”

If a parent refuses to discipline an unruly child, that child will grow accustomed to getting their own way and develop an attitude of entitlement. They become spoiled. God’s wisdom teaches that disciplining a child is a means of loving them, and failing to discipline is a lack of love for the child.

In other words, allowing a child to always do as they please is not beneficial to the child. God’s way of loving action is to guide a child away from sinful ways into a more beneficial path. So, God’s remedy for extreme or continual foolish behavior is physical discipline.

Proverbs 22:15 (NIV) - “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.”

The Bible teaches that discipline is critical for wisdom. And since it is better to be wise than spoiled, when discipline is needed, parents should love God and their children enough to discipline them God’s way. A child who is taught to obey their parents will be wise.

Proverbs 13:1 (NIV) - “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.”

Parents are sometimes tempted to think that a more passive approach is the best way to raise children. But parents who truly love their child will provide wise, biblical discipline.

If a child develops sinful habits such as laziness and dishonesty, then much worse patterns will most likely follow. Let’s let the Bible speak for itself:

Proverbs 3:11–12 (NIV) - “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”

Proverbs 12:19 NIV – 19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

Proverbs 12:24 NIV – 24 Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.

Proverbs 13:4 NIV – 4 A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

The primary point of these biblical proverbs is that loving discipline, both corrective instruction and appropriate consequences, will always benefit the child.

The pain and consequences of correcting a child for bad behavior now will be far less severe than the pain and consequences of correcting that same behavior in the adult they will become later.

This reflects a principle that Jesus also applies to His disciples in verse 23, where it says, “So Jesus called them over to Him and began to speak to them in parables.”

So next week we will get into Parables 3 and 4.