ENEMIES TO DEFEAT
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
Our Theme in this series of lessons - THE CHURCH MOVING FORWARD - is stated in...
Our Theme in this series of lessons - THE CHURCH MOVING FORWARD - is stated in...
13 Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before. 14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul believed in moving ahead - not falling back
He believed we should not be satisfied with where we are presently - but we need to be moving forward
With this in mind, consider how that the Lord's church is described as a body, both in its life and its function
With this in mind, consider how that the Lord's church is described as a body, both in its life and its function
4 For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office: 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another.
Bodies are designed to live, act, and to work
It is natural for the body to function in such a way that life today promotes life tomorrow
The same is true for the church - life today promotes life tomorrow
The body also has enemies that can damage or even kill it
The body also has enemies that can damage or even kill it
Diseases
Accidents
Likewise, the church has enemies that can keep it from moving into the future
Likewise, the church has enemies that can keep it from moving into the future
There are enemies that can damage/cripple the church
There are enemies that can kill the church
Therefore, we must be ready to fight these enemies if the church is going to move forward
If the Church is going to move forward we must realize that there are
If the Church is going to move forward we must realize that there are
Challenges to Accept
Making a difference in the world
Evangelizing our communities
Developing leadership
Abiding in the word of God
Enemies to Defeat
DISCUSSION
THE ENEMY OF IGNORANCE
THE ENEMY OF IGNORANCE
Ignorance comes in many forms
Ignorance comes in many forms
20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
Here we have reference to the ignorance of the pagans who make his god out of a tree
Today ignorance in shown in many by their worshipping of nature, crystals, idols, ancestors, etc. - Ignorant Worship
21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; that have eyes, and see not; that have ears, and hear not:
This is stubborn ignorance - refusing to listen God
Many today simple refuse to see-they refuse to hear
1 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness, nor knowledge of God in the land.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.
They were specifically ignorant of the word of God
This was going to destroy them … today as well
Ignorance is a real problem
Ignorance is a real problem
Causes us to follow the wrong path...
8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no justice in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein doth not know peace.
There are many paths - but only one path to heaven
Causes us not to do right...
10 For they know not to do right, saith Jehovah, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
We can do no better than we know
Causes God's wrath to come upon us…
11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they might not hear. 12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which Jehovah of hosts had sent by his Spirit by the former prophets: therefore there came great wrath from Jehovah of hosts.
Causes us to be lost...
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them.
Causes us to please ourselves - not God
3 For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
How do we defeat this enemy?
How do we defeat this enemy?
97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
13 Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching.
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
THE ENEMY OF UNBELIEF
THE ENEMY OF UNBELIEF
Many do realize this, but unbelief is a problem for both the saved and the unsaved
Many do realize this, but unbelief is a problem for both the saved and the unsaved
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
This is a simple fact - people will die in their sins unless the believe in Jesus
It is a matter of life and death
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: 4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.
It is a terrible thing to be blind - more terrible to be spiritually blind, to be plagued with unbelief
Satan can blind people to the glory of the gospel, and thus, groping in unbelief
12 Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God:
Normally we think of the unsaved as being unbelievers
The Hebrew writer is here addressing his brethren
Unbelief can keep the church from moving forward
Unbelief can keep the church from moving forward
How might unbelief affect us?
If a person knows God’s word; and yet, does not believe it, what value will it be in their lives?
There will be no desire for obedience
They will see no need for obedience
Many, evidently, do not believe that God cares how they live
Some do not believe that God has a plan to save
Some do not believe that it matters how we worship
Evidently, many do not believe that it matters how committed we are
We should be like the man who cried out to Jesus
24 Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Someone once said, "Be great believers. Little faith will bring your souls to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your souls."
THE ENEMY OF APATHY
THE ENEMY OF APATHY
A wife once asked her husband, "Do you think the world's problems are caused by ignorance or apathy?" The husband replied, "I don't know and I don't care."
A wife once asked her husband, "Do you think the world's problems are caused by ignorance or apathy?" The husband replied, "I don't know and I don't care."
Apathy is very similar to the attitude expressed by the church in Laodicea, for which Jesus condemned
Apathy is very similar to the attitude expressed by the church in Laodicea, for which Jesus condemned
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
They were lukewarm, they were lacking passion - they were unconcerned
23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of Jehovah. Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, Because they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah against the mighty.
neglecting their duties
would not help God’s people
they were apathetic
9 Rise up, ye women that are at ease, and hear my voice; ye careless daughters, give ear unto my speech.
they were at ease, careless, apathetic
10 Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah negligently; and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.
neglecting their duties
1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and to them that are secure in the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come!
at ease, apathetic
26 And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:
hears and does not
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?
faith without works cannot save
17 To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
How does apathy destroy us?
How does apathy destroy us?
Causes us to be lukewarm about the church - its purity, its doctrines, and its worship
Causes us to be lukewarm about lost souls
Causes us to be lukewarm about righteousness
Friends, apathy is an enemy of the church
THE ENEMY OF SIN
THE ENEMY OF SIN
This is the most obvious enemy, but sin happens to people - don't know, don't believe and who don't care
This is the most obvious enemy, but sin happens to people - don't know, don't believe and who don't care
Ignorance, unbelief, and apathy all lead to sin
If the church practices sin, how can we remain the church?
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; 26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, 27 that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Notice what the Bible has to say about the enemy of sin
Notice what the Bible has to say about the enemy of sin
1 Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
A runner does not run a race hampered by weights
Sin hampers our Christian race
12 Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: 13 but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin:
We need each other to help avoid having a heart hardened by sin
If it happens - sin will cause us to leave God
19 My brethren, if any among you err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 let him know, that he who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.
The error of sin can kill the soul
We need each other to stay on the right track
CONCLUSION
For the church to move forward, we must recognize and defeat our enemies
For the church to move forward, we must recognize and defeat our enemies
Four great enemies of the church are:
Four great enemies of the church are:
Ignorance
Unbelief
Apathy
Sin
These are all enemies that we can do something about.
These are all enemies that we can do something about.
Are you under attack today? FIGHT!!!
Are you under attack today? FIGHT!!!