Their Story: The Story of the Deciver
so
Before we can dive too far into our series called. I love to tell the story. I think that we need to understand the why that we need to tell the story The why behind telling the story see the reality is for most of us. We already understand it. But for some of us we may not quite be aware of the fact that there is an enemy out there. Who is the Bible says is seeking whom he may devour.
And if we don't understand or know that he exists. Then there's no impetus to tell the story. There's no reason there's no Drive. There's no push to tell the story and you go will preacher. I love to tell the story. That's great. Hey, did you notice it's working at least for now. Okay, we're going to keep the blessing over that but you know, I love to tell the story. That's great. Why why tell it what? What's the big deal? Why such a hard push? Why are you constantly talking to us about Sharon because there is another side to this. I'll be at an uneven one. But there is another side and there is a deceiver who is coming and who tries to destroy and the kill and to take away and tear down everything that God has done and everything that God wants to do in. This world now. I mentioned to you last week that if you have the Faith Life Bible app or the logos Bible app installed on your phone that we were going to be interacting with it this year. Now. I fully expect probably not everybody went and downloaded it. Like I asked and that's okay. We love you anyway, and so we'll probably kind of do a two-fold today. But here is our first question our first interaction if you will the question is, this is Satan a real being yes or no is Satan a real being if you're following along in the app, you choose a free sb4 know or I added C4. I don't know. Okay, and so I don't want you to share your answers right now. I want you to kind of keep that a follow along and if you can I want you to answer in the app. If not, we'll take another quick poll just of by hand but At the end and won't will come up with our results at the end of our message. So this is our question want you to be thinking about is Satan a real being Satan the devil Beelzebub Lucifer. Any name. You may know him by all of them are. Who he is called by but it is so important for us to know something about the enemy so that when we go and we tell the story we know who he is where he comes from and where he's going. Don't you think what you think it's just a little bit to know your enemy. It's important to know who you're fighting against in early October 2001 of our Navy ships. The USS Cole was seriously damaged and 17 minute men and women were killed by some men who are on a suicide mission. Now they've done lots of research and they know who's it at at fault for it and things like that now go forward just a month. And we have what those of us that were alive Noah's as the 911 Terror attacks a year in a month. And we have that attack and we knew relatively soon on not not super fast, but who was at fault or who was taking credit for that attack?
Why did we why was it important that we as a country knew who perpetuated these kinds of crimes on us people US citizens? It's so we could take action. We could take definitive action. And to help ensure that this never happened again, or at least to the best of our ability wouldn't happen again. Should knowing who the enemy is and knowing something about them helps us understand why telling the story.
Is so crucial. So today is kind of our first day into this for raid of what is the story what story are we telling and salt before we get too far into it? I want to stop and I want to lay down a foundation of understanding not only of what the story is that we're going to be telling but who were working against and so today I titled the message the story of The Deceiver. Hey Google, why are we giving time to him? Because I think it's important that we at least have a foundation of what we're working on. So if you have your Bibles turn to Ezekiel. Yes, that's a real book in the Bible Ezekiel chapter 28 and verse 1 now, if you have orange and brown Bibles, I believe I looked it up and it's on page 467. So if you're not familiar with your Bible or you don't know where Ezekiel is it is about halfway through the Bible and it's just before Daniel and it is right after a Lamentations. So I don't know if that helps some of you maybe maybe it doesn't but we are going to be in Ezekiel chapter 20 verses 1 through 19. Let me tell you this. Unlike a lot of my messages. I hope you don't. I hope you agree with this. I try to keep them light and and kind of moving this is going to be one of those messages where you're going to have to put on your thinking cap a little bit cuz you're going to have to make some connections that would not otherwise be a parent and so I'll explain that as we go along but just kind of know you're going to want to stay engaged a little bit mentally with our topic today to get everything out of it that we need to get out of it. This passage is one of those areas in Scripture that We've spoken of before that while on the surface appears to be talking about a historical figure just somebody in the history of the Bible. But it really in reality. It is a word picture. a Satan of the enemy so our passage talks about the king of Tyre. In this reference the king of Tyre is no no one other than Satan. So let's take a quick look and take a quick read Ezekiel chapter 28 verses 1 to 19. The word of the Lord came to me. Son of man. Say to the ruler of Tyre. This is what the Lord God says your heart is proud and you have said I am a God I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea yet. You are a man and not a god though. You have regarded your heart as that of a God. Yes, you are wiser than Daniel. No secret is hidden from you by your wisdom and understanding you acquire wealth for yourself. You have acquired gold and silver for your treasuries by your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, but your heart is become proud because of your wealth. Therefore this is what the Lord God says because you regard your heart as that of a God. I am about to bring strangers against you ruthless men from the nation's they will draw their swords against you against your magnificent wisdom and will pierce your Splendor. They will bring you down to the pit and you will die of violent death in the heart of the sea. Will you still say I am a God in the presence of those who slay you yet? You will be only a man not a God in the hands of those who kill you you will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of strangers for I have spoken. This is the Declaration of the Lord. God keep going The word of the Lord came to me son of man lament for the king of Tyre and say to him. This is what the Lord God says. You were the Seal of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in Beauty. You were in Eden the Garden of Gods every kind of precious stone covered you Carnelian topaz, Diamond Barrel Onyx and Jasper lapis light turquoise and emerald your mountings and settings were crafted in Gold. They were prepared on the day. You were created you were an anointed Guardian cherub for I had a pointed you you were on the Holy Mountain of God. You walked among the fiery stones from the day. You were created you were blameless in your ways until wickedness was found in, you know, the abundance of your trade through through the abundance of your trade you are filled with violence and you send so I expelled you in disgrace from the Mountain of God and banished you. Guardian cherub from among the fiery Stones your heart became proud because of your beauty for the sake of your Splendor you corrupted your wisdom. And so I threw you down to the ground. I made you a spectacle before Kings you profaned your sanctuaries by the magnitude of your iniquities in your dishonest trade. So I made fire come from within you and it consumed you I reduce you to ashes on the ground in the sight of everyone watching you all those who know you among the peoples are appalled at you. You have become an object of horror and will never exist again.
the rough Passage
But again, it's it's one of those areas that if we if we read it just for what it was on the surface if we just were reading one day and we were mindlessly going through we would go. Okay. This is some of those judgment things. God did to some guy way back when and it doesn't really apply to me. But again, this is a a word picture. I say not that first section 1 through 10 is more of a an accusation to the person that the physical body person king of Tyre, but that second half verse 11 through verse 19 is really speaking of of the enemy of Lucifer of Satan. It's all want us to take a look and kind of Pull-A-Part some of this passage of who the enemy is. How do we gain wisdom? How do we gain knowledge on how to tell the story? Knowing who this person is who's coming against it? So the first thing I want us to look at is Satan's creation. Satan is a created angel. We know that based on our passes. All the Angels including all the ones that we know including the one that we know is Satan were created by God.
and by him only the Bible makes it clear. If you look at John chapter 1 verse 3. It'll be on the screen here. You don't have to turn to it. John chapter 1 verse 3 says all things were created through him and apart from him. Not one thing was created that has been created then if you were to flip over to Colossians chapter 1 verses 16 and 17 says for everything was created by Him in heaven and on Earth the visible and the invisible weather Thrones or dominions are rulers or authorities. All things have been created through him and for him, so he was created by God. We know. We know that from our passage from these two passages. God made all things. Now here's the flip that we don't talk about a whole lot saying it was a created being who was wonderfully and beautifully made made. Holy. We talk a lot like that about ourselves. We are beautifully and wonderfully made. We are created by God In, His Image.
Now angels are not created by God In His Image.
But they was created by God. And we have these pictures if you were to go back to verse 15th stats from the day. You were created. You were blameless in your ways until wickedness was found in you.
God says he was blameless you he was just this beautiful thing.
Even goes on if you look at verse 14 and verse 16 surrounding where we just read.
God called who we know is Satan an anointed cherub. a protecting a warrior Chia cherub Go to verse 14 says for your anointed Guardian cherub for have appointed you and you are holy you are on the Holy Mountain of God. You walked among the fiery Stones. Skip 15 that we just read and go to six through up the abundance of your trade. You were filled with violence. And you send so I expelled you in disgrace from the Mountain of God and banished you Guardian. Sheriff's got over two different times. God is speaking and calls him this Guardian cherub this guardian angel.
Now, why does that matter? because the Cherub the reference to the type of angel that that Satan was speaks to God's presence his glory his Holiness and his sovereignty.
God placed this Angel God created him God placed him as a guardian. Now what I want to make a connection for you if you will. something you should be relatively familiar with Remember back in our passage. It says you were there in the garden of God In the Garden of Eden. But then sin happened right sin happened at the hand of the deceiver.
Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden and what happened after that you remember?
There was an angel in a sword placed at the entrance to the garden. If you go back and you look up the language that is used at Angel was this. The type of angel that Satan is this Guardian cherub is what was used. It is one of those angels that were placed at the entrance to the Garden. So now we have this connection of we have this one Angel and we don't know that they were not one in the same. That's pure speculation. I'm not making that leap if we wanted to study that out and be happy to sit down with somebody and do that but it's two types of the same angel you have won this Guardian this protector who is tempting Eve and causing her to send and then when that's done God has to banish him out or caste, or is already cast my God has to put him away and you have this new one.
Who's guarding the entrance?
And so what happens you have this this creation?
So Satan before his fall. Was a high station Guardian forgot he was he was one of these protector angels.
The passage said he had been full of wisdom and an imperfect and beauty.
To see just because we gain wisdom doesn't protect us. That's one of the things that we're trying to help you have as we go week after week. And I think it's important that we have this little segment that we call words of wisdom. Because it helps us put on a guard of protection. But that by itself isn't enough.
because the enemy had wisdom and he still send so second thing. I want us to look at it Satan sin.
cheaper version happened
in this being that was created.
in this most wonderful high-ranking beautiful angel perversion got its way in.
Without explanation as to how or why it happened. We don't have a whole lot of understand we have little bit but not a whole lot of understanding of when Satan fell and how and and all of the details that go along with it. We know at least in our passage in verse 15. We read a minute ago said that wickedness was found any wickedness rose up in this exalted being In this exalted Angel of the Morning, there's one reference to why? The only clue that we get. As to what happened is found in verse 17. So if you go down there and let's take a look there since your heart became proud because of your beauty for the sake of your Splendor you corrupted your wisdom. So I threw you down to the ground and I made you a spectacle before Kings. She descended Satan had or at least that we can infer from this this particular reference. Was a proud heart. Pride welled up inside of him proud of himself and self occupation vanity.
Look at me. How wonderful I am, you know.
I look good. I sing. Well, I have all this beauty why wouldn't people want to follow me? I could be like him. I could do what he does. It's really not all that hard. You know, he claps his hands together a few times and it says a few magic words and things happen.
See Satan took a look over himself in size Beauty as wisdom is perfection. His power is high station. This this well. I'm God's right hand man. I kind of have some of that Authority I could probably do this.
He became enthralled with who he was. They began to lift himself up. This ultimately became his downfall.
From our passage that we read. Some of the things that we know to be true. I think we can safely say that pride in oneself. Now, we're not talking about the good kind of Pride where it's like. Hey, look what God did through me. I'm thankful that God is doing that cuz this is God not me. The pride in oneself that Pride to pushes God aside.
Probably with the original sin cuz we're talking before Adam and Eve. We're talking before the issue in the garden.
It was a sin all the way back then and we talked about eternity past. We talked about Ancient of Days.
We're talkin pre-creation. Pre Genesis 1:1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth before that. the existence of time
it's because of Satan's arrogance and violence. I didn't allow him to remain in his privileged position near the Throne of God. God cast him out. That's something that we don't talk about a whole lot. Is God can't be present in the presence of sin?
God is there he is everywhere he is with us. He never leaves us. He never forsakes us but when there is sin in your life when they're sending the camp. God has to act as a holy and just father as a holy and just ruler is a holy and just God. She has to act when citizen involved.
And so I would behoove us.
To repent of that sin now you go. How does this apply this actually brings us back to our I love to tell the story. What's the story of Jesus and his love?
What's Jesus in his love? What's tits telling about Jesus? Yes, and he loves us. But how does he love his he loves me? Because while I was still a sinner while my guns Alles was still lost and dead and sent Jesus loved me enough to coming to save me out of that sin. While the enemy was still trying to deceive me in to pull me down into tearing me apart and seeking as much as he could devour. God loved me enough. the common to save me
that's how that all applies.
Satan's Pride
in his wonderfulness in his abilities is ultimately what perverted him. If you think about the sin that is still today this this issue still exists within us today.
He would begin to pick apart. All of the issues that our society is dealing with. Almost all of them at their absolute foundational core. Really can come back to this. This issue of me. Look at me. This is what I want. This is what I need. This is how I act this. There's an awful lot of I and me.
When we talked about and we're going to hit a few of these through this series this series today starts. In our loving to tell the story before we can start into telling his story. We have to tell their story. What's their story? It's the story of a lost and dying world. And so we have to understand their story so that when we tell our story. We can lay it over and show how his story fits. That's how we're going to do. We're going to take this until we're going to spend a few weeks talking about some of these issues these stories that the world has and I'll just tell you now parents. We're going to deal with a couple of issues that are probably going to be a little more will say candid. And so understand I got children as well. We're going to deal with them in an appropriate way, but we are going to deal with them than the last so you may if you want to know which ones they are come and see me if you want to stay home or watch by you're welcome to do that will be appropriate but we will deal with things. I've told my boys. There's nothing I won't talk about there's nothing to talk the table. I will talk about absolutely any and everything because that's how I see God dealing with me. He deals with whatever the sin is and he loves me through it and he works meatworks on through it. All of these things that we're dealing with all of these issues that the world is is is dealing with really can come back to this original idea of Pride the last thing I want to look at it. I want to look at at Satan's casting out Satan is cast out.
She's been perverted. He's been Twisted in all of this stuff.
We just talked about God can't tolerate sin. Holy and just God. Can't tolerate the mud in the muck of sin, but you want him to really if you nod your head or shake your head or what would you want a pure and holy God? Tainted by the mud in the muck of sin is is that how you would want him to be? No, but he did he did it on the cross.
He took that on and made it all of it white as snow. Because of Satan sin of arrogance and pride and violence scripture says God could not allow him to remain in his privileged position near the throne. God took away Satan's privilege.
Can you look at 16 and 17 we read through that but through the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence. And since I expelled you and disgraced from the Mountain of God and banished you banished you Guardian cherub from among the fiery Stones your heart became proud because of your beauty for the sake of your Splendor gadkari you corrupted your wisdom. So I threw you down to the ground and I made you a spectacle before Kings. the only
God Has the ability to do that?
And so he had to cast him out.
Scripture says out of the Mountain of God out of heaven. So where did God casting? Casting down to the Earth our passage says that he may be seen. This is an interesting. This is again while I was thinking cap moments. So that he may be seen. How many of a see the enemy anemone for those of us that have different set of eyes God's eyes a spiritual scripture realized we can see the enemy at work right? I mean most of us we would we would agree to that.
But God casting down so they would be seen seen for who and what he really is.
And as we look and we're going to look at some of these issues we talked about. We see that arrogance and that pride and that violence that the scripture talks about. We see that living out day today. Yeah, we ignore it.
And though it doesn't say it here in this passage. We know from other places in Scripture. But Satan's ultimate punishment. Is hell?
if you were to look at Revelation chapter 20 verse 10 It says and the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur where the Beast and the false prophet had been thrown and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
There's people who don't believe.
There's a preacher that wrote a book. Who doesn't believe that hell is a real place?
There's people who don't believe that the enemy is a real person or real being.
Then I think that we have enough scripture. And again, we just scratched the surface. We're not we're not even digging deep yet next week. We're going to take a little deeper. The next week's going to be another thinking cap day. We're going to pull this apart. Just one more step before we jump into some of the other issues that we're going to talk about.
So I asked a question of the beginning of our message are at the beginning of our time together. Is Satan a real being I don't know if you got the technology to work if you didn't it it is this next slide Me shows zero. I don't know that matter, but will still do it by hand. And so we asked the question is Satan a real being guys. Will you show that next line see if there's any answers o a parent Lee technology did work? Okay, so I'm happy to see that there's no I don't knows and there's no nose. I'm happy to hear that those of us that are present. That we at least acknowledge the fact that Satan is a real being. Because we know from scripture that he is Lydia send against God and that God cast him out.
See the great thing that this does is if we believe that Satan is real. Then we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is real. If we know that God is real then that shapes how we tell the story to a lost and dying world.
Now before I close I want to make one thing very very clear. I don't give time to the enemy very often. One thing you will find about me. I'm not superstitious. I don't get super hyped into what some would call friends are or or out on the edge prophecy theology things like that, but I don't have my beliefs I do. But I don't give time to the enemy lightly and we are going to give time we gave time today. We're going to give one more week to some understanding of who he is, but this is simply nothing more deformed than to form a foundation. Make no mistake. I'll praise and glory is given to God. All honor and all praise is given to the Creator not the deceiver. The Bible says that the deceiver is here to seek whom he may devour to kill steal and destroy.
And if you believe that he is real you believe that there really is he being in this world? Called Satan devil Lucifer.
And you have not given your life over to Christ.
The Bible says this it says you're either for me. Oregon's me says scripture says it's this isn't Mike.
Scripture says you can't serve two masters. You'll either love the one and hate the other or the reverse yo-yo hate the one and love the other.
and so my question is simply this if you believe but Satan is real.
And conversely that God is real. Do you serve him? If you don't I would encourage you to make a decision today to serve God.
Let's pray father. Thank you for the fact that you are the Creator you. our mighty warrior you are our Strong Tower. You are the lover of our soul.
You are a refuge. You are a strength. You are God you are helping time of trouble.
You are the bright and Morning Star.
Father we serve you.
But I pray that if there be anybody within the sound of my voice that needs to know you. That needs to have a relationship with you. God I pray that you would. Help them today to make this today that does the day that they decide. To serve you in to make you Lord of their life.
father I pray that you would
point out Those areas in our life. It need attention.
father that need your forgiveness
We thank you Lord. We ask these things in your name. amen