Influence of the Enemy
Notes
Transcript
Last week we discussed the power of - INFLUENCE.
We look out into a world that is SATURATED with - EVIL..
As EVIL has influenced every corner of our world.
We mentioned it briefly last week...
Businesses
Government
Institutions
Universities
Schools
Kindergarten classes
Television
Movies / Entertainment
Our Food
Medicine
it’s EVERYWHERE...
And today - today is actually going to be a continuation to what we heard last week.
LAST week - we stayed high level with it - the POWER of INFLUENCE...
Men As Standards - LEADS TO FALLEN OUTCOMES...
BECAUSE - when MAN is our standard - we have a FALLEN STANDARD.
And so - let’s get to our text TODAY… but before we do - Just know that if we were to keep reading - -
Last week were in 2 Kings 14...
If we were to keep reading chapter 14 and all of 15...
We would see KING after KING coming into power.
TODAY - we break into chapter 16....
1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign.
2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done,
3 but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.
4 And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.
10 When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, he saw the altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details.
11 And Uriah the priest built the altar; in accordance with all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Uriah the priest made it, before King Ahaz arrived from Damascus.
12 And when the king came from Damascus, the king viewed the altar. Then the king drew near to the altar and went up on it
13 and burned his burnt offering and his grain offering and poured his drink offering and threw the blood of his peace offerings on the altar.
14 And the bronze altar that was before the Lord he removed from the front of the house, from the place between his altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of his altar.
15 And King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering and the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. And throw on it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice, but the bronze altar shall be for me to inquire by.”
16 Uriah the priest did all this, as King Ahaz commanded.
With today’s sermon being a CONTINUATION of last week’s sermon… under the banner of INFLUENCE...
TODAY - we see the INFLUENCE of the ENEMY...
SIN - influencing - doing its thing!
We’re going to see this influence TODAY - in our text - build - and we’re gonna get to see the wake of its destruction...
SLIDE: Influence of the Enemy: Within Man
Influence of the Enemy
Influence of the Enemy
We see King Ahaz begin to reign here…in Jerusalem.
NOW - the text TELLS US who his father was...
1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign.
JOTHAM - the father of king Ahaz...
BUT - HOW did AHAZ fair as a king…did he do what PLEASED the Lord?
2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done,
So Ahaz didn’t do what was RIGHT in God’s eyes...
SO his father must have been a bad king as well...
Let’s look
32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, Jotham the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, began to reign.
34 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
Huh - - So Jotham did what was RIGHT in God’s eyes...
BUT his son - AHAZ - did not!
SO YES - Influence is POWERFUL - but for AHAZ - we see maybe his father wasn’t VIEWED as a MODEL to FOLLOW...
WHY?
influence.
And for AHAZ - as with ALL of us - EVEN Ahaz’s dad -
That INFLUENCE is sin!
SLIDE:
The playground of sin is the heart of man.
And Sin STOPS at nothing to make US - It’s OWN!
And what does SIN DO - to man - on a PERSONAL level??
Let’s go back to the very beginning!
- Adam and Eve SINNED...
- And eyes were opened in the garden - SIN poured IN...And here we go...
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
Let's stop there...
How did Adam and Eve respond to God ONCE SIN entered humanity?
They HID from the Lord!
This is what SIN does!
It AVOIDS the Lord...
There’s SEPARATION from God.
I can't tell you how many people I know -
who DON'T KNOW God (Christ) - and will REFUSE to talk about Him...
They will AVOID Him at ALL cost!!
SIN - hides from God!
But what else?
11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
God asks Adam what happened...His response?
The women that YOU gave to me - SHE gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate!
WOW
Adam - the first man - tossing Eve UNDER the DIVINE Bus...
And all the ladies said - OF COURSE He did!!
OH but don’t get to high on yourselves…it’s your turn…
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Another deflection of blame here…
This is what SIN does!
Listen - SIN will NOT admit wrong doing….
WHY?
Because sin…is saturated with - PRIDE
SIN - Proclaims - DECEPTION
The SERPENT deceived me...
That WOMAN YOU gave me God - SHE made me do it!
LIES - deceipt!
We saw this LAST week -
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
So BY NATURE - we are full of DECEIT!
AND part of the MANIFESTATION of this deceit … is the ELEVATION of SELF!
And we don’t even HAVE TO LEAVE the garden to see this very thing!
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
When the woman saw that the tree was...
good for food - FOR WHO? for EVE
a delight to the eyes - WHO’S EYES? - Eve’s
DESIRED to make one wise - Make WHO wise??
EVE!
SELF - ELEVATION = is what’s on DISPLAY here!
SIN will elevate US in our own minds...
We saw it in the garden...
We saw it in the Israelites murmuring in the wilderness
We saw it in Israel asking for a King to rule them
We saw it in the constant “going astray” after idols
We saw it in Pharisees
We saw it in the apostles - at times
SIN wants us to think that WE’RE ON the THROWN...
And THAT INFLUENCE will - WORK IN US - until we drop.
That INFLUENCE will work in us - EVEN if we have a GREAT standard we hold to - in Christ.
it’s the ENEMY WITHIN
But it goes DEEPER than just - being something - MAN deals with.
SIN is NOT - partial!!
In our text today - we find a man named - Uriah...
Remember what he did?
10 When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, he saw the altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details.
Uriah was a priest...
And it seems that king Ahaz wanted this priest to HELP HIM...
11 And Uriah the priest built the altar; in accordance with all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus, so Uriah the priest made it, before King Ahaz arrived from Damascus.
SLIDE: Influence of the Enemy: Within the Priesthood
Influence of the Enemy
Influence of the Enemy
Here we see the Influence of the Enemy - NOT JUST within man..
But specifically within the priesthood.
*When we look at our current government - and the institutions that are connected to the government = By THIS TIME - we’re not surprised to hear that...
Food that is processed in the U.S. is FULL of chemicals - harmful chemicals.
We’re not surprised… because by now we know that people’s health isn’t MOST IMPORTANT…to these companies…to the FDA…
MONEY is most important...
We KNOW this.
We’re not surprised… to find out that Assassination attempts in our countries past have been connected to the government itself!
Not surprised...
BUT - it’s taken us some time to GET THERE.
For the LONGEST TIME - the common perception was - the Government is OUT TO PROTECT the citizens.
And EVEN THE THOUGHT - that THOSE in AUTHORITY would PUT PEOPLE IN HARMS WAY - to earn a dollar - was - - maybe hard to swallow....in the past.
But why?
Because the natural / default THOUGHT - would be - our government is ON OUR SIDE!
And so WHEN WE COME to realize that’s not the case...
THAT CORRUPTION is DEEP within government...
We’re REMINDED that - - SIN runs deep…and that - EVEN those we look to for HELP - can INSTEAD - HARM us.
Uriah the priest - demonstrates this VERY thing.
He’s a member of the priesthood -
He’s looked to for GUIDANCE in life...
AND YET - He’s . being . guided . by a king.
NOW - because we KNOW that SIN is not partial...
We know that ANYONE is susceptible...
BUT in scripture we see an EMPHASIS placed on...
False Prophets
False Teachers...
20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’
Pretty to the point - no?
The Apostle Paul was constantly fighting against the Judaizers...
Who kept trying to PUSH a FALSE GOSPEL on the people...
the word Judaizer comes from the Greek verb which means - to live according to Jewish customs!
And so the Judaizers taught that in order for a person to GET RIGHT WITH GOD - the person needed to GET CIRCUMCISED...
AND = adhere to the Law of Moses.
And so ACCORDING to the Judaizers - - GENTILES - - had to become JEWISH first - and THEN they could come to Christ!
The doctrine of the Judaizers - was a mix of - GRACE (Jesus) PLUS WORKS (the law)
But Paul DEALT with this in Acts 15...
1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
How does it play out?
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.
7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,
9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
Paul GIVES his argument - and then JAMES responds...
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,
20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.
So the RESPONSE to these Judaizers was - NO - the gentiles DON’T need to be circumcised to become FOLLOWERS of the Way.
BUT MUCH of Scripture is dedicated to these battles between the TRUE Gospel - and FALSE Gospels...
And PAUL - among many - spent a LOT of time trying to GUARD - ?
SLIDE: Influence of the Enemy: Within the Church
Influence of the Enemy
Influence of the Enemy
When SIN impacts man...
It can IMPACT ANY man…including (OT - priest) - (NOW - pastors)
And if it can impact a pastor -
then it can IMPACT the church.
Something that Paul made it a POINT to SPEAK to - was the GUARDING of the church… the FLOCK...
3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,
The church in Ephesus was under attack...
And Paul tells Timothy - GUARD the truth...
And in DOING SO - protect the church…God’s people!
Was Ephesus the only TROUBLE SPOT?
Of course not...
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Here AGAIN - Paul says - NO - hold fast to TRUTH...
Don’t let the INFLUENCE of the ENEMY INFILTRATE the walls of the church!
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
See a theme?
TRUTH MATTERS - and if SEEDS of ERROR are planted in the church...
What will GROW??
AND SO - we understand the importance of TRUTH in the church...
the importance of handling SIN - in the church
In our TEXT TODAY - what was URIAH the priest TEACHING others - by WAY of his actions?
He promoted...
Idolatry
Disobedience
The Dis-honoring of God
Error
Man OVER God
SIN
Other gods
And BEING a priest - one that OTHER LOOKED TO for guidance - He would have been TRAINING people in these things.
When we look out at the LANDSCAPE of church today...
We see the vast array of ways that the INFLUENCE of the ENEMY has made it’s way INTO the church.
SLIDE: Influence of the Enemy: Prosperity Gospel Within the Church
Influence of the Enemy
Influence of the Enemy
First thing - WHAT IS IT?
the Prosperity Gospel is a CONCEPT that says - God wants you to be healthy…God wants you to be wealthy…and God wants you to prosper…THEREFORE - COME to Jesus…BELIEVE in Jesus - AND YOU WILL BE Healthy…Wealthy....and prosperous!
The problem with the prosperity gospel - is that it LEAVES people UNCHANGED in their OLD appetites (desires) - and it PROVIDES JESUS to come and FULFILL those desires!
I want to be RICH - Well - come to Jesus - and He’ll MAKE you rich!
I want to be HEALTHY - Well - come to Jesus - and He’ll MAKE you healthy!!
The word Gospel - MEANS - Good News...
And so the Prosperity Gospel - is what?
The Good News of - Wealth / Health / Prosperity
That’s Idolatry!
And Jesus dealt with this very thing
At one point in Jesus’ ministry - He decided that He was gonna feed LOTS of people - using 5 loaves and 2 fish...
AFTER THAT HAPPENED - the people - who were able to EAT - came looking for Jesus!!
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
These people were - SEEKING JESUS!!
They had DRIVEN to church that day…!
They WANTED - JESUS!!
But why?
So He could - SATISFY their EARTHLY desires!!
AND YET - THIS is the posture of the CULTURE!
The CULTURE - exists in a POSTURE of Idolatry!
And so - we can SEE the danger that the CHURCH has - when it tries to CATER to the desires of the culture!
Some churches have made - NUMBERS - the definition of success...
And so - when NUMBERS become the measurement of success - the Prosperity Gospel can become the MAIN COURSE meal offered to the people!
That’s damning!
And how IRONIC it is - to know that The Prosperity Gospel actually LEAVES people - POOR!
How ELSE have we seen the INFLUENCE of the ENEMY within the walls of the church?
SLIDE: Influence of the Enemy: Celebrating the Judgment of God Within the Church
Influence of the Enemy
Influence of the Enemy
What do I mean by this…?
There are 2 judgments of God that I’d like to look at...
Judgments of God - that CULTURE NOW Exalts in…EVEN in the CHURCH
1st - - I want to do is look at homosexuality - as a Judgment from God...
SLIDE: Homosexuality: Influence of the Enemy
Homosexuality
Homosexuality
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
What does it say here - in v28?
It says - God GAVE THEM UP - to a debased mind!
God pulled back His MERCY and GRACE...
And let them follow through in their passions!
God’s JUDGMENT CAME on them!
And that Judgment was - Ok - I give you over to DO WHAT OUGHT NOT BE DONE...
Homosexuality!
And so - Homosexuality - is a JUDGMENT of God!
Now - with that in mind - think through what we see in our culture today - EVEN in the CHURCH?
We see our CULTURE - And even the CHURCH - PROMOTING what ought NOT be done!
32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Now - I know the typical conversations out there about this...
One side says - I was BORN this way.
The other side responds - No you WEREN’T!! It’s a CHOICE!
Can I address that?
I want us to THINK THRU this...
Why do Christians always side with - NO YOU WEREN’T BORN that way?
Here’s my question: What if some people REALLY ARE born that way?
My THOUGHT IS - MOST Christians believe that people CAN’T be born with those desires - BECAUSE IF they WERE...
THEN that would be UNFAIR that God would ask them to NOT LIVE THAT WAY!
Is that the thought?
Ok - Here’s my response to that!
Thought experiment!
I am - a MAN!
Would you all AGREE - I was born with specific desires - FOR Women?
YES - that’s correct!
NOW - As (i think all of you) know...
I am married.
To a woman.
NOW - BECAUSE I got married…does THAT MEAN that my DESIRE for WOMEN - DISAPPEARED?????
No - of course not...
Just because I’m married to ONE WOMAN - doesn’t mean I’m now NOT ATTRACTED - to women.
Well - QUESTION - why am I STILL attracted to WOMEN - EVEN after getting married??
ANSWER? - Because I was - BORN that way!
OK - well since I was BORN that way - Do I get to LOOK AT GOD and say -
"I know that I’m MARRIED God - BUT - as YOU know…I was created to be attracted to WOMEN - not just ONE woman…SOOOOOOOO - I’m going to EXERCISE that desire for ALL WOMEN!
Does that work?
See - Christians are USUALLY afraid to think that Homosexuals might be BORN that way - because they feel IF THEY WERE - then we can’t EXPECT THEM to honor God in their sexuality!
So make the connection...
I know that YOU expect me - as a married, heterosexual man - to STILL HONOR GOD in MY Sexuality…right?
I’m MARRIED - BUT HEY - I was BORN to DESIRE ALL WOMEN!
Can I LIVE THAT OUT - because I was born that way?
No...
Why?
See - its the difference between Rights and Responsibilities.
The homosexual community would stand up and say to Christians...
I was BORN this way - and THEREFORE - I deserve (have the RIGHT) to be happy!
And so - MY response to “I was born that way” - is this...
So what.
So what.
It doesn’t CHANGE ANYTHING....
Whether you’re BORN THAT WAY OR NOT...
...What their missing - is their RESPONSIBILITY before God!
I - a MARRIED heterosexual man - am RESPONSIBLE to God - in how I handle my sexuality.
A homosexual man - is RESPONSIBLE to God - in how he handles his sexuality.
See - We’re IN THE SAME BOAT!
So listen - would it be difficult for a homosexual man to honor God in his sexuality - his whole life long? To never fulfill that desire… YES!!
YET - he’s still responsible to do that.
At the same time - IS IT DIFFICULT for a heterosexual man to HONOR GOD in HIS sexuality?? YES!!
We’re all BORN sinners, in REBELLION against God - BY NATURE - - YET - we’re also all ACCOUNTABLE to God for our sin.
YET - the Culture pushes and PROMOTES / and celebrates this Judgment of God… Homosexuality.
But there’s another judgment of God that the Culture is celebrating and promoting…and it’s making its way INTO the church.
__________________________________
__________________________________
SLIDE: Women Pastor/Elders: Influence of the Enemy
Women Pastors/Elders
Women Pastors/Elders
Not sure if you’re aware - but a trend that’s been gaining traction within the church is this idea that women can be pastor/elders.
Many churches around here even - churches pretty close to us - have now jumped into these waters...
And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Let’s look at what Scripture says first - about this issue.
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
Pretty clear that an elder/pastor - is to be a Man...
But what we’re seeing today - IN THE CHURCH - is this push for women to do the OPPOSITE of what Paul just said here in v12...
The push is for women...
TO TEACH
AND to exercise authority or men in the church!
Now - you might be wondering where the Judgment of God comes into play in this...
Let’s go ALL the way back - to the garden.
Eve is deceived in the garden - she and Adam eat of the forbidden fruit…
AND - SIN comes into the world.
You know what else came at that time?
God’s judgment!
Let’s go to it...
16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”
It’s the end of this verse we need to focus on.
God says..
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband...
BUT he shall rule OVER YOU...
[THIS] is why - marriage is so hard!
This phrase here – Your desire shall be contrary to your husband…
· The Hebrew word here is found only twice elsewhere…
· Once in Genesis and the other in the Song of Solomon
The usage in the Song of Solomon points to “Sexual desire”….but that doesn’t actually fit well here in Genesis 3:16
· The other usage connotes this idea of – a Desire to Control…
THAT’s the usage that fits with God’s judgment here in Genesis 3:16
The verse could literally say:
SLIDE:
Your desire shall be to control your husband, but he shall rule over you.
What’s the DESIRE of the woman?
to - RULE OVER the man..
To exercise Authority over the man!
Remember!! - this is a JUDGMENT of God!
SIN - caused Eve to want to RULE over her husband!
TO have control...
SIN caused that...
AND NOW - the CHURCH - TODAY - instead of listening to the clear words of God in relation to the structure of church eldership...
…TODAY - we have churches celebrating the RESULT of SIN in the function of MANKIND!!
We have churches saying - YEAH God - we read where You say the man will RULE OVER the woman...
BUUUUTTT - we’re gonna appoint SUZIE to RULE over the men!
These things -
The Prosperity Gospel
Celebrating of God’s Judgment
Within the church… SEEPING into the fabric of the church...
THESE THINGS - symptoms of the Influence of the Enemy
And WHERE did it start?
SUMMARY
Influence of the Enemy
Within Man
Within the Priesthood
Within the Church
So how do we FIGHT THIS?
It starts in the HEART of MAN...
And so it takes us - LIVING out Hebrews 3:13
13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
In LOVE - we are to encourage…elevate…pray for…to BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR…to help each other - stay close to Jesus.
We’re called to INFLUENCE those around us - TOWARD Jesus
In other words...
SLIDE:
Our influence toward others should combat the influence of the world toward others.
May our influence proclaim Jesus to the world!
Let’s pray
