Calvary Chapel Cottage Grove
May 17, 2026

      • Psalm 29NKJV

  • Hallelujah (Your Love Is Amazing)
  • Your Love Oh Lord

  • Luke 11:14-26

    I want to encourage you to vote this week. This is a pivotal moment—either we move in the right direction or we go backward. It’s the sin of omission if we fail to act.
    Proverbs 14:34 LSB
    Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
    Proverbs 29:2 LSB
    When the righteous increase, the people are glad, But when a wicked man rules, people groan.
    This isn’t about Christian nationalism—it’s about Christians who care about their nation. We know that one day the Kingdom of God will govern the earth but until then, we should strive for freedom and righteousness here and now. That’s why we vote—not to impose anything, but to align ourselves with His righteousness, not with forced ideologies.
    Well, if you have bibles or bible software devices in airplane mode let’s turn to Luke 11. I am reading from the LSB an update of the NASB translation, but it should be easy to follow with an ESV, NKJ, NIV or NLT.
    Luke 11: verse 14
    This study is entitled “the danger of an empty house”.
    Last week, we saw the disciples asking Yeshua to teach them to pray. As we continue, it may seem like He shifts from prayer to demonic activity—from persistence to spiritual warfare—but He’s not changing topics. It’s one continuous thought.
    Last week we learned that prayer must be heaven-centered, God-centered, and kingdom-centered. Because true prayer is not just about “me,” but about “us.”
    This doesn’t mean we never pray for ourselves:
    This doesn’t mean we never pray for ourselves.
    Philippians 4:6 LSB
    Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
    Mark 11:24 LSB
    “For this reason I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you.
    But Yeshua was teaching a healthier pattern of prayer—one that prioritizes God’s kingdom and the needs of others.
    Paul told the Philippian church Phil 2.3 we should do nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind to regard each other as more important than ourselves.
    God’s Provision and the Gift of the Spirit
    Jesus uses simple, powerful imagery: But If a child asks for bread, will you give him a stone? If he asks for a fish, will you give him a serpent? If he asks for an egg, will you hand him a scorpion?
    Of course not.
    In the same way, God desires to provide, pardon, and protect. And if we, being imperfect, know how to give good gifts, how much more will our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
    The Holy Spirit is the gift that we need most as our study will prove. He guides us on how to pray, what to pray, and why we pray. He brings conviction, comfort, truth, and power. And Jude agreed - we read this during prayer yesterday....
    Jude 20–21 LSB
    But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
    Jesus reminds us it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the Kingdom as well as our personal needs, but the difference is that we trust His greater purpose:
    Romans 8:28 LSB
    And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
    The Rejection of Truth
    What happens when people resist God and demand more proof? Paul explains in Romans:
    Romans 1:18–20 LSB
    ... God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
    This was the condition of the Pharisees. By this point, they had seen undeniable evidence—miracles, authority, truth. Yet they responded with hostility. WHY?
    The people saw the Pharisees’ as authorities, as experts on Scripture and tradition
    but Jesus threatened their influence teaching with divine authority—It drove them crazy!
    not quoting tradition, but speaking truth directly. And it exposed them.
    Luke 11:14 LSB
    And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. Now it happened that when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the crowds marveled.
    Luke 11:15–16 LSB
    But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” And others, testing Him, were seeking from Him a sign from heaven.
    This reveals both accusation and skepticism—much like what we see today. So who’s Beel-ze-bul?.
    Originally it was spelled Baalzebub = “exalted lord” -he was the mythical Philistine god of Ekron -
    When the Jewish scribes were copying the scriptures the re-spelled “Beelzebul” as a mockery of a Philistine god’s name, meaning “lord of the flies,”
    symbolizing corruption and decay.
    This is what the Pharisees accused Jesus of.
    A HOUSE DIVIDED
    So when they said
    Luke 11:15–16 LSB
    “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”
    Luke 11:17 LSB
    He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house divided against itself falls.
    This is true about anything today. A marriage divided, a company divided, a church divided, a nation divided.... Verse 18 He continues...
    Luke 11:18–19 LSB
    “But if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. “And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason, they will be your judges.
    If Satan were casting out Satan, his kingdom would collapse. And then He confronts their logic:
    The Apostle John said it this way in
    1 John 3:8 LSB
    ... The Son of God was manifested for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
    Jesus didn’t just come to teach or inspire — He came to invade enemy territory.
    So...“He who is not with Me is against Me and he who does not gather with Me, scatters
    Luke 11:20 LSB
    “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
    Note the term “finger of God” because it would take the Pharisees back to the Exodus story when the magicians could not replicate the plague of gnats claiming “This is the finger of God.”
    When YHWH gave Moses the tablets of the law
    When King Belshazzar was judged by God
    Daniel 5:5 LSB
    Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand came out and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.
    Verse 6 says the color of Belshazzar's face was changed, and his terrifying thoughts troubled and alarmed him; That night Belshazzar was defeated by The Persians!
    And in John 8 when these Pharisees brought Him a woman caught in the act of Adultery to test Him on what He says? He said Let him who is without sin cast the first stone at her.” Then He stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger My pastor suggested that Jesus was probably writing down the dates these men had been with this prostitute!
    In essence, Jesus was declaring divine authority.
    So in Luke 11.20 it appears Jesus is saying He is God!
    But this is where Yeshua drives home His point:
    Luke 11:21–23 LSB
    “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. “But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. “He who is not with Me is against Me and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.
    So this illustration A strong man guards his house—until
    someone stronger overtakes him, removes his armor, and plunders his possessions.
    The meaning is clear
    There was a time when Satan once held dominion, rule was largely uncontested. He ruled the demons and his possessions were the souls of humanity.
    You see, before Jesus died for our sins no one could go to heaven but they went to Hades or Sheol; a universal place where both righteous and wicked would go.
    The righteous would go to Abraham’s bosom or Paradise while the wicked were sealed for torment. As with the rich man and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31
    But Jesus is the stronger man - At the cross, He stripped Satan’s authority, exposed his defeat before heaven and earth and took away Satan’s ability to hold onto the righteous souls as plunder!
    This is why it says in Eph 4 HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES and gave gifts to men!
    yet Satan still has authority over those who reject the Lord’s salvation until his final demise in Rev 20 - when the devil is thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
    This explains why our heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! He is the seal of our salvation.
    Ephesians 1:13 LSB
    In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise!
    In other words, the greatest thing we can ask for is salvation through the Lord Jesus!! Then we become a temple of the Holy Spirit. But sadly, there are many who feel all roads lead to God. SO after Jesus says “He who is not with Me is against Me and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.
    The Unforgivable Sin
    Matthew 12 includes this important statement from this event
    Matthew 12:31–32 LSB
    “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. “And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
    That is, the millennial age -
    Why? Because it is the rejection of the very means of salvation—attributing God’s work to evil. If you reject the Spirit, you reject the only path to forgiveness.
    ....by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
    This next illustration speaks of those who choose to live in an Empty House
    Luke 11:24–25 LSB
    “When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ “And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.
    In other words, this is a warning about empty religion.
    Moral reform, discipline, and where such false sayings originate like “cleanliness is next to godliness” but Saints, cleanliness isn’t enough. Without the Holy Spirit, the heart remains empty.
    Many pursue new age philosophy, transcendental meditation, pagan religion or traditional church with rituals traditions, and structure—Religious pluralism states many religions are to the same ultimate truth or equally valid paths to heaven but these lack true transformation. In Christ you become a new creation, old things are passed away....but religion says “do good works” to stay saved - it’s empty devotion. It may be swept clean and put in order but it still lacks the spirit of God!
    And watch what happens....
    Luke 11:26 LSB
    “Then it [unclean spirit] goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.
    Sadly, I wonder just how many devoted religious people will be shocked when they open their eyes in eternity and realize they remained an empty house, duped into a religious order without the Holy Spirit!
    Folks, as born-again believers, we are not empty houses—we are temples of the Holy Spirit. He’s our seal, our protection, our power, and the presence of the Stronger One within us. We aren’t just swept clean, He who knew no sin became sin that we might become “more religious”? No! That we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
    So let’s not settle for some outward order without an inward life change that is needed first. For there is no one righteous - no, not one!
    Let’s believe who Jesus is, find forgiveness and be filled with the Spirit and then as we walk in the Spirit, He will empower us for effective service. No more emptiness!!
    Next week we will continue from Luke 11:27 to the end of the chapter - so read ahead Jesus will have more to say to these blasphemers!
    COMMUNION

      • Proverbs 14:34NASB95

      • Proverbs 29:2NASB95

      • Philippians 4:6NASB95

      • Mark 11:24NASB95

      • Jude 20–21NASB95

      • Romans 8:28NASB95

      • Romans 1:18–20NASB95

      • Luke 11:14NASB95

      • Luke 11:15–16NASB95

      • Luke 11:15–16NASB95

      • Luke 11:17NASB95

      • Luke 11:18–19NASB95

      • 1 John 3:8NASB95

      • Luke 11:20NASB95

      • Daniel 5:5NASB95

      • Luke 11:21–23NASB95

      • Ephesians 1:13NASB95

      • Matthew 12:31–32NASB95

      • Luke 11:24–25NASB95

      • Luke 11:26NASB95

  • Once Again
  • Draw Me Close To You
Calvary Chapel Cottage Grove
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