What I Would Do If I Were Satan
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV 1900)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
This verse refers to a being that most of the world does not believe in this evening. However, as I preached this morning, there should be no doubt in your mind, the devil is real!
The devil is compares to a “roaring lion” in this verse. Why a lion? Well, there are some similarities between the devil and lions.
1. Lions Are Forceful—They are 14 to 21 times stronger than a man. Satan is far stronger than we are as well! We cannot fight him on our own. People today talk about binding Satan, listen to me, even Michael the Archangel wouldn’t fight the devil—Jude 9.
2. Lions Are Ferocious—A mature lion can consume 30% of his own body weight at one setting. They are famous as the king of beasts and as the king of the jungle. All those who encounter them treat them with fear and respect. By the way, God’s children would do well to learn to respect the devil! We do not need to fear him, but he does have power that is far superior to our own natural abilities. He is a ferocious foe who is never satisfied with his conquests. He feeds on the carcase of the fallen ones and he rises to hunt more.
3. Lions Are Fearful—A mature lion’s roar can be heard up to 5 miles away. Lions do most of their roaring at night. The reason they roar in the first place is to create fear in the hearts of those who hear them. This is just what the devil does too! He roars to create fear in the hearts of God’s children. Why? Because fear paralyzes faith! If the devil can get you to listen to his roar, he can keep you from hearing God’s Word. If he can paralyze your faith, then he can attack your life.
Back in 1965, Paul Harvey, a courageous and devoted American broadcast a message to his listeners that served as a harbinger for where our nation was headed societally and culturally.
In this broadcast, Harvey stated what he would do if he were the devil…It’s quite the prophetic piece…Here’s what Harvey said:
“If I were the devil … If I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I’d have a third of its real estate, and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — Thee. So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. I’d subvert the churches first — I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.
To the young, I would whisper that ‘The Bible is a myth.’ I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good, and what’s good is ‘square.’ And the old, I would teach to pray, after me, ‘Our Father, which art in Washington…
And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. I’d pedal narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.
If I were the devil I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves; until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames. If I were the devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions — just let those run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.
Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography — soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and deify science. I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money. If I were the devil I’d make the symbols of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.
If I were the devil I’d take from those who have, and give to those who want until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.
And what do you bet I could get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? I would caution against extremes and hard work in Patriotism, in moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on the TV is the way to be. And thus, I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure. In other words, if I were the devil I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.”
I want to expound a little tonight on what Mr. Harvey said, and preach on the thought of “What I Would Do If I Were Satan”
I-I Would Cause Discredit To The Word of God
I-I Would Cause Discredit To The Word of God
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
God’s Word is a powerful thing…It sinks into the hearts of men and women and brings them to Christ…No wonder Satan wants to discredit it.
Eve’s first mistake was in even carrying on a discussion with the serpent. In Eve’s reply to the serpent, she adds to God’s Word. She says she will die if she eats of the fruit or touches it. God said nothing about touching the fruit.
Satan’s see his chance and takes it.
Satan effectively laid the groundwork. He drew Eve into a discussion with him and planted the seed of doubt about God’s Word, and he exposed Eve’s incomplete understanding of God’s Word.
Now he moves in for the kill, with an outright contradiction of what God said.
Satan first wanted Eve to forget all about what God said about the consequences of sin. He did this by discrediting the Word of God, and after doing this, he then plants doubt concerning the wisdom of God.
II-I Would Cause Doubts To The Wisdom of God
II-I Would Cause Doubts To The Wisdom of God
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
1. In Satan’s direct challenge, he tries to get Eve to doubt the goodness of God. If God lies to her, how can He be good?
2. In Satan’s direct challenge, he tries to get Eve to doubt the badness of sin. If this fruit is something good for her, why doesn’t God want her to have it?
3. Satan wants us to see sin as something good that a bad God doesn’t want us to have. His main lie to us is “sin is not bad, and God is not good.”
Satan is working hard right here to cause doubt in Eve’s mind to the intentions of God.
As we looked at this morning, this right here is how Satan fell, wanting to be equal with God…Just like Satan, Eve tried to become a god by rebelling against God.
III-I Would Cause Division Among The Workers of God
III-I Would Cause Division Among The Workers of God
For the sake of time, I’ll not read this entire passage, but
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
A healthy church is a body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). And a healthy body functions from the largest organ to the smallest fingernail.
In order for the body to function each cell must work in unity. And their relationship with Christ must be healthy for the whole body to be healthy.
Satan knows that one of the best ways to destroy the power of a church is to cause division among the workers of God.
When the Jerusalem church was flourishing, Satan tried persecution, but the church still grew. So he thought, "I will start a quarrel on the inside."
Some of the people began to murmur over the neglect of a certain widow, and in a little while the church had a quarrel on its hands.
25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
If I were Satan, I’d cause a division among the workers of God...
IV-I Would Cause Disloyalty To The Work of God
IV-I Would Cause Disloyalty To The Work of God
A. Disloyalty in our studying,
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
B. Disloyalty in our supplication,
1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
17 Pray without ceasing.
C. Disloyalty in our services,
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
D. Disloyalty in our stewardship,
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
V-I Would Cause Distraction In The Way To God
V-I Would Cause Distraction In The Way To God
Here’s what I mean by that…If I were Satan, I’d give the world another gospel...
You know Satan doesn’t even care if you are religious and go to church, if you just leave out that one saving element…Jesus Christ.
Thousands of preachers today are preaching a bloodless gospel!
Without the blood of Jesus, it is no gospel though!
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Satan preaches today that God is too good to allow a man to go to hell!
Satan’s gospel says, that a man should be good and honest and treat his family well, and thus he shall be saved, but the Bible says,
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Satan’s gospel says, join a church, but forget all about this matter of salvation…There are many doing just that today, but the Bible says,
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Satan preaches today that everyone will be saved!
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
The Bible simply doesn’t teach that all will be saved! But there is much preaching today on universal salvation.
Yes, If I were Satan, I’d distract people in the way of God and tell them there are many ways to get to Heaven...
John 14:6 (KJV 1900)
6 ...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Satan is no fool tonight…He’s cunning and intelligent.
He knows how to work on people, how to work on me, he knows how to work on you, and he’s had a lot of practice in doing so.
We need to commit ourselves tonight to the power of the Lord that Satan would have no place to work in our lives.
27 Neither give place to the devil.
How do we do this? By staying close to the Shepherd...