The Thief Cometh Again

Preliminary:

Turn with me to John 10:10 tonight

We have faced as a church -the reality of being broken into on several occasions.

The thief

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 5992 Nagging at Bank Robbery

All the guy was trying to do was rob a bank. And all the little, old lady was trying to do was a good deed.

She saw this young man park his car in the lot of the Crocker-Citizens National Bank branch in Whittier, Calif., and noticed that he had left his keys in the ignition switch. So she grabbed the keys and trailed him into the bank, where she found him talking to a teller. “Young man,” she scolded, “somebody’s going to get his car stolen if he doesn’t stop leaving the keys.”

The young man, who had just told the teller he had a gun and wanted a lot of money, stared at her—and gave up. Snatching the keys, he dashed out of the bank, got in his car and drove away.

—UPI

I realize that all robberies don’t end that way -

There is always a sense of loss even if they don’t take something of great value

There is a sense of invading our sacred space - disturbing the peace, feelings of being violated

What is to be a place of safety becomes a place of anxiety

Jesus talks about that

John 10:10 KJV 1900

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

In our passage - Jesus in a parable was no doubt referring to the religious leaders who didn’t really care for those under their ministry - just what they could get from them.

And he likens them to a thief -

but you can also see a parallel reference to the GREAT THIEF of Satan

We tend to either overestimate the devil’s strength or underestimate God

I have also seen some underestimate the devil’s power

Satan has three titles in the Scriptures, setting forth his malignity against the church of God: a dragon, to note his malice; a serpent, to note his subtlety; and a lion, to note his strength.

Edward Reynolds

God is the Great I AM. Satan is the great ‘I am not’; and he is never happier than when he has convinced people that he is non-existent.

Havner, Vance

I preached a sermon earlier in my ministry - someday if I feel led I may bring it out, brush it off and preach it again - but the devil is a created being - he makes mistakes - he is fallible - he is finite -

God is uncreated, uncaused, and eternally existent.

God is all powerful, all mighty omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient

We see further comparrisons in this passage between the Great Shepherd and the great thief.

John 10:10 KJV 1900

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The devil is big but God is bigger

Devil steals God restores

“Only two things have ever changed the human soul: the fall and grace, the power of Satan and the power of God. And God is infinitely more powerful. Nothing is stronger than grace. Satan doesn’t have any. God is defined by it.” Larry Crabb

Devil kills God resurrects

Satan does not care whether he drags you down to hell as a Calvinist or as an Arminian, so long as he can get you there.

Kicking Against The Pricks, Volume 12, Sermon #709 - Acts 9:5

Charles Spurgeon

Satan is very clever; he knows exactly what bait to use for every place in which he fishes.

Arthur Walkington Pink

Devil destroys God rebuilds

To Satan no sight is beautiful but deformity itself, and no smell is sweet but filth and nastiness.

John Calvin

Satan has no constructive purpose of his own: his tactics are simply to thwart God and destroy men.

J. I. Packer

The best way to keep the enemy out is to keep Christ in. The sheep need not be terrified by the wolf; they have but to stay close to the shepherd. It is not the praying sheep Satan fears but the presence of the shepherd.

Isaiah 40:11; John 10:11–15, 27–29; Revelation 7:14–17

Born After Midnight, 43.

A. W. Tozer

9858 Satan must be the most frustrated personality in the universe! His army of demons is compelled to obey Jesus, and whatever the devil does to discourage a Christian, God can use for the Christian’s benefit.

Billy Graham

The whole history of the world is discovered to be but a contest between the wisdom of God and the cunning of Satan and fallen men. The outcome of the contest is not in doubt.

A. W. Tozer