Smooth Criminal
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Smooth Criminal
Smooth Criminal
Oct. 24th 1988 Michael Jackson released the song smooth criminal. We all probably remember the song for it’s video and iconic forward lean. But the lyrics today are what I want to focus on. In the song he describes someone who has just walked onto what is a crime scene. He describes the scene as if he was there when this smooth criminal broke into the apartment and harmed the victim Annie. Take a listen...
Lyrics
As he came into the window
It was the sound of a crescendo
He came into her apartment
He left the bloodstains on the carpet
She ran underneath the table
He could see she was unable
So she ran into the bedroom
She was struck down, it was her doom
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
This is a tragic tale and many Texans would say “that’s why I keep me a gun!” But what I need for you to understand is that we too as the good creation of humanity created in the image of God are susceptible to becoming victims of a smooth criminal. This smooth criminal has the sole purpose of causing chaos, disrupting order, and talking bad about you to God! This smooth criminal is omniscient but he does pay attention to what you show him. This smooth criminal is known by us as the devil, Satan, and the adversary. And the problem that we all in this room face as human beings is the fact that we at some point will have had become victims of his!
Optional Illustration
J.D. McMahon swindled investors out of their money when he told them he was building a skyscraper. In the blueprints, he replaced all the “feet” with “inches.” J.D. then managed to escape justice because in his defense, he claimed that he never actually said the building would be 480 feet (it was only 480 inches). To this day, the “world’s littlest skyscraper” stands in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Sin- to act contrary to the will and law of God
Last week we learned that we were created in the image/likeness of God for a purpose. That purpose was to have dominion over creation in this same image/likeness of God. And this same image that God called good did not last long. Soon humanity would tarnish that image. And in order to understand the Gospel (good news) message we must understand why we NEEDED good news! Sin...
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 772). New York: United Bible Societies.
gen 3 1-7
1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ ”
4 “No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
gen 3 22-
22 The Lord God said, “Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove the man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.
How did this happen?
Sin is not a complicated process. And in the letter written by James he teaches God’s people about “the attitude of Christians in response to adversity and living with true wisdom “from above,”” The epistle more than likely penned by the brother of Jesus, is the book that just oozes with practical information. He does not mind telling it like it is! And you can’t help but say to yourself while reading… DUH!!
the attitude of Christians in response to adversity and living with true wisdom “from above,”
12 Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone.
Trial & Temptation
Trial- Outside of the heart
Temptation- Within the heart
Tempt — to put to the test in order to ascertain the nature of something, including imperfections, faults, or other qualities.
From PNTC:
Financial difficulty can tempt us to question God’s providence in our lives.
The death of a loved one can tempt us to question God’s love for us.
The suffering of the righteous poor and the ease of the wicked rich can tempt us to question God’s justice, or even his existence
Focus on V13 and whether or not there is a lie present. The audience must understand that it is not saying that God does not test/tempt AT ALL. God most definately tested Abraham with Isaac, He tested Job, and He tested Israel leaving the other nations. But God’s testing is never to cause us to sin or destroy our faith!
The tests of God are to strengthen faith, not produce sin.
14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.
There is a revealing of who you truly are that comes to the surface when evil desires are involved.
The desire spoken about here are not your normal desires.
I desire/lust for/have cravings for bacon
There is nothing wrong with desiring food. But desiring food well after you are full can lead to sin.
I desire for the Cowboys to win a Super Bowl this year
There is nothing wrong with desiring a man or a woman to be your spouse. Desiring another’s spouse is an evil desire.
I desire to Lincoln Continental
NONE of these desires are sinful! BUT what James is talking about here is the desires that WE have that are PROHIBITED by God.
James describes how dangerous those desires can be.
Drawn away- to DRAG away, to cause a change of belief so as to correspond more with the beliefs of the person or factor causing the change
Enticed- (passive) to lure or entice someone to sin in a skilled/clever manner
Example: Bait and fishing… the bait is enticing, once the fish bites it is aggressively dragged away!
1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ ”
Satan does not know what is in her heart. He has to inquire...
Eve shows her hand
15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
conception takes two parties...
You and the adversary working together. He’s not just a smooth criminal when we engage our evil desires. He’s a smooth criminal with an accomplice!
Thus we are guilty! We deserve death.
There is no sin in temptation. Don’t feel like you are sinning because of being tempted.
When it comes to sin and the Smooth Criminal there is usually an accomplice involved.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
james 1 16-17
James wants his next points to be very clear V16
God does not give bad gifts. His goal is not to cause you to fail.
God wants us to mature in our faith!
God is Father of lights!
He is the great creator of good things
Does not change
God is not going to change from being the creator of all good things to a tyrant!
Remember V18
18 By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
God made a choice
To save
To save from the smooth criminal
firstfruits
The firstfruits would be the best given to God in hope/faith that He would continue to give more in the future.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 And he said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
11 Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
12 The man replied, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.”
13 So the Lord God asked the woman, “What is this you have done?”
And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
gen 3
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals
and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children,
yet your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”
17 And to the man he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,
and have eaten of the tree
about which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
20 The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife, and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.
gen 3 14
21 And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife, and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—