Be Alert!
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Turn to 1 Peter 5:5. Last week, we laid a foundation that Christians are called to live a virtuous life. I wanted to continue that topic but felt the need to head in a different direction this morning. Keep it simple and practical.
In chapter 5, Peter addresses the leaders of the church. He tells them to lead well by living well. Then he tells the young people to submit to the elders. Then he writes,
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Years ago when I was a youth pastor, Saturday evenings were tense in the Wintringham home. There would be an argument over something stupid, Brandon would misbehave, Susan would get cranky – I was always the angel. Saturday nights were just enjoyable. Eventually we caught on. The enemy was disrupting our lives prior to Sunday morning. So we learned to pray against the enemy – we learned to identify what was going on with our emotions and attitudes. We learned how to head the enemy off at the pass.
Eventually, Saturdays calmed down. We could relax a little. Then something happened that caught us off guard. We had a peaceful Saturday and a good Sunday worship service. I remember thinking, “Ah, we made it.” Then we got home – bam, boom, blindsided! WWIII. I don’t recall the details, but I was like, “What just happened!” I learned something.
The enemy can and will change tactics when necessary.
We were so focused on the enemy on Saturdays, we kind of forgot about the enemy during the rest of the week. This is basic warfare. Got to watch the front door and the back door with the enemy ….
After I had been at my previous church for about a year or two, we were experiencing a movement of God and the church could sense it and we were excited and anticipating. I don’t remember what, but something happened that stopped (delayed) what God was doing. About two years later - same thing. We could sense another movement of God. Then bam! Completely caught off guard, my “right hand man,” a very loved and respected man in the church ends up in jail and then prison. That literally took all the wind out of our sails. That was difficult to recover from – personally and as a congregation and the family. We worked through that and then a couple of years later - same thing and then Covid …. I found out from others that this had been a pattern even before my arrival – movement of God – enemy derailed - movement of God – enemy derailed.
Last Saturday, several of us gathered for evangelism training. The days leading up to that Saturday were difficult. I struggled to write a sermon (which I usually finish by Wednesday night or early Thursday. I didn’t finish until Saturday. Same thing this week). By Thursday afternoon (last week), a dark cloud was over me, wanted to crawl in a hole, didn’t want to go to EE class …. I knew the enemy was behind it. In times like that it can even be a struggle to fight back. At EE, I told Bruce about what was going on. Bruce said, “Me too!”
This got me thinking. When does the enemy want to disrupt Christians or the church? When God is doing something, when He’s stirring hearts and people are responding, and they’re following Jesus, when they’re growing spiritually, when ministries are beginning …. Think of it like this -
When God is reviving, blessing, and building, the enemy is killing, stealing, and destroying – at least attempting to.
We must be attuned to God’s activities and aware of the enemy’s schemes. I believe God wants to revive, bless, and build this church; therefore I don’t want this church caught off guard.
Where can a church (individuals and congregation) get caught off guard?
Typically, when a church becomes either comfortable, complacent, and/or critical, the enemy can strike.
What do I mean? I need to keep this short –
A comfortable church / Christian is apathetic to the gospel of Christ, the Great Commission and Great Commandment.
The comfortable Christian believes, “The Church exists more for me, rather than me for the existence of the Church.” Be aware of becoming comfortable.
A complacent church / Christian is indifferent to solid Biblical principles.
They believe biblical principles such as holiness, virtues, sin don’t matter. Complacent Christians can be dangerous to a church because they give a lot of space for sin. Be aware of becoming complacent.
A critical church / Christian complains and criticizes without offering themselves as a solution.
In my experience, the people who complain the most do the least to help.
This calls for honest, personal, Spirit-directed examination and self-awareness.
“Am I …?” Those are broad definitions, but the enemy will seek to capitalize on any weakness within the Body of Christ.
These three categories (and more) can fall under one word – pride.
Pride says I don’t have to worry about the Great Commission. Pride says I don’t have to worry about holiness, or sanctification, or …. Pride says life is all about me so I have the right to criticize and complain, and gossip, and point out everything that’s wrong with the church and leadership and society. Listen very carefully,
Pride, more than anything else opens the door for the enemy to disrupt a movement of God (personally and corporately).
However,
Authentic humility before God, more than anything else opens the door for God to move and to revive, bless, and empower (personally and corporately).
Peter’s letter is all about humility.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
It’s through humility that we resist the devil so that he must flee.
Take a moment with the Lord – any pride, comfort, complacency, criticism sneaking in?
In addition to humility, Peter tells us to be alert and sober-minded. This is called situational awareness, being watchful for where the enemy might move or through whom he might move. In my experience, the enemy is subtle and crafty, almost imperceptible. A little pride there, a little complacency here, a little criticism there, a little sin …. Need to be alert and think clearly. Fix our eyes on Christ, but alert for the enemy.
Peter tells us that the enemy is looking for someone to devour – individually or corporately. Again, in my experience,
The enemy often looks for the comfortable, the complacent, the critical, and the distracted.
– the person focused on the wrong things or who has let their guard down.
V7 says cast all anxieties on Christ. The Greek word for anxiety is very broad. In general, it means excessive thinking, excessive worrying and so on. Bottom line –
Anxieties - giving head space for excessive distracting thoughts that are primarily concerned with self and self-preservation rather than trusting God.
Think of our own kingdom instead of God’s Kingdom. In other words, if we’re not careful, we can easily lose sight of what’s most important. Phil. 4. Think about this:
A focused soldier kills the enemy. A distracted soldier kills the allies.
So much more we can talk about. So, where do we go from here? I want us to be aware that God is moving here, and so is the enemy.
Be alert. Resist the enemy. Practice humility. Be aware of the enemy’s schemes (Eph. 6). Seek first the Kingdom of God. Pray in the Spirit. Above all, love one another.