Good News Week 54: Good News Has An Enemy

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”

Remember Jesus embraces this title, this mission, this Messiah.

He came to proclaim and demonstrate the Good News of the Kingdom.

He preaches the Good News of the Kingdom.

He does the Good News of the Kingdom.

Preaching the Good News of the Kingdom is a direct challenge to the rulers and authorities of this broken kingdom.

Doing the Good News of the Kingdom is a direct overthrow of principalities and powers of this broken kingdom.

Hear me, the principalities of powers, the cosmic rulers Paul speaks of in Ephesians were under attack by the proclamation and demonstration of the Good News Gospel of the Kingdom.

Jesus came to overthrow the Satan and to free us from the domain of darkness.

His death defeated the Satan and freed us to become citizens of the Kingdom.

His resurrection was the public proclamation and demonstration of His victory over the forces of darkness.

But while Satan understood the mission of Jesus to bring the Kingdom he didn’t understand that the mystery of Christ was that Jesus would be the first fruits of the resurrection.

Satan’s scheme was to kill the messenger hoping to kill the message.

Wednesday, Heather led us through the account of Joseph being sold into slavery.

Jospeh’s brothers were jealous of Joseph’s favorite-son relationship with their father and they plotted to kill Jospeh.

One of their brothers convinced them not to kill him but to throw him in a pit and then sell him into slavery.

Long story short - Jospeh goes from the pit to the prison to the palace.

Joseph become the second in command in Egypt under Pharaoh during a 7 year famine.

And because of Joseph’s position he is able to save his family.

What his brother’s meant for evil, God meant for good that he would bring about the salvation of many people.

Jospeh’s brother’s had no idea that their act of violence against Jospeh would bring about the exaltation of Joseph and the salvation of the people.

God made a promise to Jospeh that he held on to despite the pain, the pit, and the prison that led him to the palace.

God had a plan that the brother’s didn’t understand.

What they believed would be Jospeh’s demise ended up being their salvation.

In Luke 22 we see a similar situation beginning to play out.

What Satan schemes to bring destruction becomes being the salvation of many.

God is playing chess while Satan is playing checkers.

God is always steps ahead.

Satan doesn’t even realize he’s playing right into a checkmate.

So here we go. Look at Luke 22:1-6 with me

Luke 22:1–6 CSB

The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, was approaching. 2 The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put him to death, because they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was numbered among the Twelve. 4 He went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple police how he could hand him over to them. 5 They were glad and agreed to give him silver. 6 So he accepted the offer and started looking for a good opportunity to betray him to them when the crowd was not present.

Passover Was Approaching

Alright, we don’t have time to preach a Passover message this morning, but Passover isn’t something we can just pass over (pun intended).

Passover was the festival celebration the deliverance of the Hebrews from bondage in Egypt.

It required the death of a sacrificial lamb and the blood being applied to the doorposts of the dwelling.

At the original event that the festival remembered, the Angel of Death brought judgement to Egypt.

The firstborn of the land would die.

But if the Angel of Death saw the blood of the sacrificial lamb it would Pass Over that home.

And checker-playing Satan thought this Passover Festival was the perfect time to have Jesus killed.

This was the his first move.

So Satan entered Judas.

Why Judas?

Because Judas was numbered among the Twelve.

NUMBERED AMONG THE TWELVE

The twelve.

Jesus 12 disciples.

Those He had entrusted to do the work of the ministry.

Those He had invested in to do the work of the ministry.

Those He had taught, empowered, anointed, commissioned, and discipled.

Judas was one of them.

Judas was one of the twelve.

He had spent 3 years with Jesus.

He had seen miracles.

He had witnessed Jesus cast our demons.

He had heard Jesus with authority.

He walked with Jesus.

He ate with Jesus.

He lived as part of this traveling ministry around Israel.

He was numbered among the 12.

And he was the one Satan chose to carry out his plan to stop this Kingdom Work of Jesus.

Here’s what I want us to focus on for the next few minutes - Satan likes to work among the 12.

Satan likes to sneak his way into the church to silence the Proclamation and Demonstration of the Kingdom of God and His Christ.

He couldn’t silence the Savior until He infiltrated the twelve.

This isn’t a one time scheme.

Satan is still scheming to silence the Proclamation and Demonstration of the Good News of the Kingdom.

He is still seeking to infiltrate the 12.

How does he do it?

DECEITFUL DOCTRINE

2 Corinthians 11:13–15 CSB

13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.

The enemy like to silence the Gospel by using deceitful workers.

False prophets.

False teachers.

False miracles.

False signs.

False doctrine.

We shouldn’t be surprised that deception is a key tool in the enemies arsenal.

He’s been deceiving from the beginning.

He deceived Eve in the Garden and has be a deceiver from the start.

Do you know how people are trained to spot counterfeit bills?

They are trained not by studying the fakes and the frauds but by studying the real thing.

2 John 7–11 CSB

7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves so that you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching but goes beyond it does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and do not greet him; 11 for the one who greets him shares in his evil works.

Jesus.

Study Jesus.

Know Jesus.

Seek Jesus.

But here’s how the Satan works thru deceptive doctrine

Arrogant Agendas

1 Timothy 6:3–5 CSB

3 If anyone teaches false doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.

False teachers are often more concerned with power and influence than truth and godliness.

Prophet’s For Profit

1 Timothy 6:10 CSB

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

The Love of Money drives their ministry.

Listen it takes money to do ministry, but a false teacher manipulates the Gospel for their own material gain.

Devious Desires

2 Timothy 3:1–8 CSB

But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people. 6 For among them are those who worm their way into households and deceive gullible women overwhelmed by sins and led astray by a variety of passions, 7 always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth. They are men who are corrupt in mind and worthless in regard to the faith.

They are led by their passions.

Manipulative.

Sexual predators.

Leading people away from Jesus.

People Pleasers

2 Timothy 4:2–5 CSB

2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

These false teachers are more concerned with gaining a following for themselves than making followers of Jesus.

They preach only what makes people feel good.

They don’t preach godliness.

They don’t preach holiness.

They only preach what is going to give them applause.

Dirty Doctrine

Titus 2:1 CSB

But you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching.

Satan schemes to in the church to deceive the preacher and the prophet, the teacher and the thinker to teaching dirty doctrine, doctrine inconsistent with the faithful doctrine of Christ and His church.

Some examples in scripture

2 Timothy 2:16–18 CSB

16 Avoid irreverent and empty speech, since those who engage in it will produce even more godlessness, 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are among them. 18 They have departed from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and are ruining the faith of some.

Hymenaues and Philetus, they began to Teach that the resurrection had already taken place.

This type of teaching had made it’s way to the Thessalonians and caused them great confusion.

There is much dirty doctrine in the church today.

Some doctrine that I’d call dumb and some doctrine I’d call dangerous.

Stay away from both dumb and dangerous doctrine.

Listen, we believe in the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.

The Apostles Creed has stood the test of time for over 1,500 years.

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

This is good and right doctrine.

As a member of the Church of God we believe the whole Bible to be completely and equally inspired and that it is the written Word of God. The Church of God has adopted the following Declaration of Faith as its standard and official expression of its doctrine.

In the verbal inspiration of the Bible

In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

That Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor.

That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that repentance is commanded of God for all and necessary for forgiveness of sins.

That justification, regeneration, and the new birth are wrought by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.

In sanctification subsequent to the new birth, through faith in the blood of Christ; through the Word, and by the Holy Ghost.

Holiness to be God’s standard of living for His people.

In the baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to a clean heart.

In speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and that it is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

In water baptism by immersion, and all who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Divine healing is provided for all in the atonement.

In the Lord’s Supper and washing of the saints’ feet.

In the premillennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the righteous dead and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years.

In the bodily resurrection; eternal life for the righteous, and eternal punishment for the wicked.

This is good and sound doctrine.

We must hold fast to our confession.

We must hold fast to the doctrine that Jude declared once and for all delivered to the saints

Jude 1–25 CSB

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James: To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write, appealing to you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all. 4 For some people, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into sensuality and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. 5 Now I want to remind you, although you came to know all these things once and for all, that Jesus saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe; 6 and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day. 7 Likewise, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns committed sexual immorality and perversions, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. 8 In the same way these people—relying on their dreams—defile their flesh, reject authority, and slander glorious ones. 9 Yet when Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil in an argument about Moses’s body, he did not dare utter a slanderous condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these people blaspheme anything they do not understand. And what they do understand by instinct—like irrational animals—by these things they are destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, have plunged into Balaam’s error for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These people are dangerous reefs at your love feasts as they eat with you without reverence. They are shepherds who only look after themselves. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead and uprooted. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever. 14 It was about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: “Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against him.” 16 These people are discontented grumblers, living according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage. 17 But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They told you, “In the end time there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires.” 19 These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. 22 Have mercy on those who waver; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. 24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

Listen to Jude.

This scheme of Satan to deceive the church is to confuse the church sexually.

To give false vision and prophecies.

These false teachers…

They are reject accountability and authority.

They slander true teachers.

They blaspheme but make it sound prophetic.

They are selfish.

They create division because it gives them power.

They are ungodly but declare themselves righteous.

They are hypocritical.

The church has always has to push back against dirty doctrine.

Whether contending for the Eternality of Jesus; or the Equality, Distinction, Unity and Oneness of the Trinity; or the fullness of Divinity and humanity in Jesus; or more recent dirty doctrine such as Good Deeds Satisfy Salvation; or Prosperity False Gospel, or an old heresy making a strong comeback - is one which sees a distinction between the body / mind / spirit so that sin in the body doesn’t have spiritual ramifications; or heretical teaching on gender and sex (God and nature teach us the we were designed with two genders, male and female, each gender is biological and physiological and each gender compliments the other biologically and physiologically - any sexual activity or gender ideology that rejects this natural biological binary and embraces a sexual ethic or sexual activity outside this binary is heretical. Because of the fall there is a spectrum of sexual proclivities and gender ideologies that one may very well experience or identify with, I’m not denying the reality of the sexual sin and gender experience, but saying that our created design speaks to/testifies to/reveals our sexual and gendered intent. To claim that God created us without regard for our physical anatomy and embodied gender is bad doctrine and for us to disregard God’s creative design is dangerous praxis.); progressive theology, fundamentalist theology, Christian Nationalism, Sinful Nature of Jesus, Denominationalism, and others.

The Enemy wants to sneak in to destroy the mission of the church.

DIVISION

Romans 16:17–20 CSB

17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them, 18 because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words. 19 The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

The enemy loves to cause quarrels and strife and division.

He did it with Paul and Barnabas, Euodia and Syntyche, Peter and Paul, and countless other throughout church history.

He wants churches to split.

He wants folks to fight and argue and not get along.

He wants to make the church weak and inward focused.

He loves to sow seeds of bitterness and unforgiveness.

It weakness the church.

It harms our witness.

It consumes our energies.

When we are always trying to put out fires inside the church it gives us no time or energy to snatch others from the fire.

Satan wants to divide and conquer.

That’s why over and over and over again the Apostles remind to maintain the bods of peace, and to walk in love and unity.

Jesus said the world would know that we are his disciples if we have love for one another.

A United Church, a Church United in prayer and purpose gives the Spirit room to work.

When the Holy Spirit shows up, transforms our lives, moves us from enemies of God to friends of God, children of God; He transcends barriers.

We are United In the Spirit.

The Psalmist describes this Spirit Unity like this.

Psalm 133:1–3 CSB

1 How delightfully good when brothers live together in harmony! 2 It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard onto his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord has appointed the blessing— life forevermore.

Unity brings anointing.

Like the oil of the priest that saturates and brings purity.

Like the dew of the mountain that runs down as a stream and brings life to all who are near.

Unity brings Spirit Power.

But our enemy, Satan, hates unity.

His favorite scheme to slow down the church is to cause division.

He wants to divide and conquer.

He wants to cause racial division.

He wants to cause economic division.

He wants to cause gender division.

He wants to cause generational division.

The enemy wants black folks and white folks to worship separately.

The enemy wants men and women to not understand their God-given image-bearing nature.

The enemy wants young people to distrust older people and older people to look down on younger people.

The enemy wants rich folk to look without compassion on the poor and the poor to look with distrust at the rich.

He wants to cause vision division.

He wants to get out attention away from what unifies.

He wants to get our attention away from the mission of the church.

He wants folks to focus on nonessentials to slow down the essential work of Kingdom advancement and Gospel proclamation.

But that is not how the church is to live.

That is not who the church is.

The church is called to be United on Kingdom Mission.

The church is supposed to offer glimpses of the Kingdom of God until the King returns.

And part of Kingdom living is living united in Kingdom work while demonstrating the diversity of the body..

Rich associate and give to the poor.

White folks and black folks and brown folks share the Table of fellowship together.

Millennials and Baby Boomers share a common goal.

Republicans and Democrats serve together for the good of the local church and the advancement of the gospel.

We are witnesses, Acts says, of the unity that brings the Power of Pentecost.

We are witnesses.

Look around.

There's racial diversity.

There's economic diversity.

There's generational diversity.

There are 4 generations of folks in this room.

Intentionally.

All who have chosen to be here.

On a Sunday morning.

Together.

The church is one of the only places in our culture were you see generational unity.

And we are witnesses.

Pursue Together

The Holy Spirit, the Kingdom Mission, has even more diverse unity in mind.

Galatians 3:27–28 CSB

27 For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. 28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.

The Holy Spirit through the work of Jesus death and resurrection empowers us to become unified with folks we weren't unified with before.

When we are baptized into Christ, we have put on Christ.

We are united in Christ.

And we are United with one another.

Jews and Greeks didn't eat together.

Didn't worship together.

But the Cross brought them together.

Greek slave and free are on equal footing and have equal value in the Body.

It's this kind of radical doctrine of unity in Christ that led to the abolishionist movement.

Male and female are equal image bearers of God..

Both equally qualified and gifted by the Holy Spirit.

Satan wants to bring division.

Division weakens the church.

Satan wants a weak church because a weak church will not live out it's Kingdom calling.

A weak divided church will not walk in love.

A weak divided church will not advance the Kingdom.

A weak divided church will not experience the fullness of the Spirit's power.

Paul Teaches Us That A Lack of Communal Love Within The Church, This Disunity, Grieves the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 4:25–32 CSB

25 Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don’t give the devil an opportunity. 28 Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. 29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Disunity, lack of community, lack of oneness, lack of genuine fellowship and love in the Church grieves the Holy Spirit.

We Pentecostals use that phrase, grieving the Holy Spirit, usually to mean not letting the gifts of the Spirit operate in church.

Paul uses it to let us know the level at which unity, brotherly/sisterly love matters in the church.

Unity matters so much that a church without unity is a church that grieves the Holy Spirit.

A church at war with itself- a church that isn't a gospel-centered, Kingdom-advancing, member-loving community, can never live up to its calling because the Holy Spirit is grieved.

The Spirit isn't free to do Spirit things.

The Spirit isn't free to transform the individual or transform the church.

It's only when the church is unified in Prayer, Promise, and Purpose that Pentecost can happen.

That the Holy Spirit is no longer grieved but welcomed.

Pentecost doesn't bring unity.

Unity brings Pentecost.

And Pentecost changes the world!

If you want freedom- Pentecostal life-changing, world-shaking, Jesus-glorifying freedom - you have to make room for the Spirit, you can't push out the Spirit. (Eph 4:25-32).

DIVERSION

Another tactic the enemy sneaks into the church is diversion.

He wants to get us off course.

He wants us to loose focus.

To sidetrack our mission.

To major on minors.

To set our eyes on other churches and what they are doing.

To set our eyes on other people and what they are doing.

To get us fighting with each other.

To get us to make molehills into mountains.

To get us too busy to serve.

To get us too busy to attend church.

To tempt us toward a critical spirit.

To tempt us toward an arrogant attitude.

All of these are diversion tactics.

Christian, Satan is not so much concerned with convincing you to walk away from your salvation, but he is very much concerned with getting you to walk away from your mission and purpose.

Diversion.

Hebrews 12:1 CSB

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,

Lay aside every hindrance - every weight and the sin.

Listen not every diversion is sin.

There are many diversions that in themselves are not sinful, but when they divert our focus from our purpose they are dangerous.

So we throw off the diversion.

We resist the sin.

The Sin.

That sin you’ve been battling, that sin you are prone to - Satan is going to throw it in your face to divert you from the fullness of God’s goodness for you.

Don’t be diverted.

Don’t allow the enemy to use diversion tactics on you.

Instead,

Philippians 3:13–14 CSB

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

Don’t get sidetracked.

Keep running your race.

Forget about those things in the past that the Enemy wants to get you to focus on because they bring shame or fear or guilt or they paralyze you.

No.

Reach forward.

Don’t be diverted.

Don’t get of course.

Chase the prize.

Finish the race.

Look to Jesus - he is the Author and Perfecter of your faith.

Don’t allow the enemy to divert your mission or the mission of the church.

Stay focused on Christ and him crucified.

There’s one more way the enemy likes to work in those numbered among the twelve.

DISCOURAGEMENT

Another tactic the Enemy uses to silence the voice of the Church is discouragement.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 CSB

7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

See this?

A messenger from Satan.

It would have been easy for Paul to grow discouraged.

He prayed.

And he prayed.

And he prayed again.

Intense prayer.

But God answered him and said “My Grace Is Sufficient”

What could have been a cause for discouragement - a prayer answered in a way he didn’t want, a continuous spiritual battle, perhaps even a physical ailment - but instead of discouragement he rested in the grace of God and perfecting work of God in his life.

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 CSB

17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Paul can tell us not to be discouraged because he knew that discouragement would derail our purpose.

Don’t be discouraged.

What you are facing right now is nothing compared to the glory that is still to be reveal in you.

Hold on.

Don’t give up.

The enemy wants us to give up on the church.

He will use discouragement to try to get us to give up.

Something did go the way you hoped - so you become discouraged.

Someone says something that hit you the wrong way - so you become discouraged.

You’re prayer hasn’t been answered the way you wanted - so you become discouraged.

You’ve served the church faithfully but its still a struggle - so you become discouraged.

The pastor did something that didn’t sit right with you - so you become discouraged.

Then messenger of Satan sores to poke you, to discourage you, to magnify that thing because he wants to discourage you so that you’ll give up.

So that you quit serving, quit worshiping, quit praying, quit showing up on Sunday.

The Enemy wants to discourage you because discouragement can kill mission.

But hear this - Hebrews 10:24-25

Hebrews 10:24–25 CSB

24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

If you will keep on keeping on, if you will love one another, if you will stay committed to the church, if you will do good, and encourage each other, the scheme of the enemy will be defeated and you will walk in the mission and purpose God has for you.

Its His good and perfect and pleasing will for your life.

The enemy will step into the church to discourage you, but give him no voice.

Instead, do what David,

1 Samuel 30:1–7 CSB

David and his men arrived in Ziklag on the third day. The Amalekites had raided the Negev and attacked and burned Ziklag. 2 They also had kidnapped the women and everyone in it from youngest to oldest. They had killed no one but had carried them off as they went on their way. 3 When David and his men arrived at the town, they found it burned. Their wives, sons, and daughters had been kidnapped. 4 David and the troops with him wept loudly until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had also been kidnapped. 6 David was in an extremely difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. 7 David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him,

David’s enemy had secured a victory.

David’s people were angry, sad, overwhelmed and David was distraught, discouraged so he

1 - Encouraged Himself in the LORD

2 - Put on a Priestly Garment

These two things go hand in hand.

When you feel discouraged - remind yourself of God’s faithfulness.

Isaiah 61:3 CSB

to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify him.

Some translation say “a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness”

You want to give the Enemy a black eye, you want to walk in victory over the enemy, instead of walking is discouragement begin to praise God even in the hard moments, even in the valley, even in the darkness, even when the world laughs at you, even when it doesn’t make sense, PUT ON PRAISE and ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD!

Good News For Those Facing The Enemy

James 4:6–7 CSB

But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Submit to God.

You cannot defeat the enemy outside of surrender to Jesus.

You cannot defeat the schemes of the enemy outside of repentance and faith.

But Once you have submitted to God, resisting the devil becomes your lifestyle.

He will flee from you.

Once you have submitted to God, you can resist the devil.

Decietful doctrine, Division, Diversion, and Discouragement will not prevail against the church.

Because the same Spirit that raised Christ up from the grave has empowered the church and Jesus is the Head / the Source of the Church, and Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church.

Be alert.

You adversary the devil Ramos around like a roaring lion seeking whose he may devour, but the God of peace is crushing Satan.

So what do we do?

We love one another.

We forgive one another.

We submit to God.

Why?

2 Corinthians 2:11 CSB

11 so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Satan will not defeat the church.

And he doesn’t not have to defeat you.

Don’t be ignorant.

Don’t be taken advantage of.

Jesus has overcome the enemy.

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