A CLEAR & PRESENT DANGER
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Introduction:
Introduction:
I want to welcome you again this morning.
First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today.
I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.
I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”. What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.
Over the past couple of years we’ve been doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book written by a First Century disciple named Luke who wrote it for a couple of reasons:
First, to give us a history of how the church started, who was there, and the circumstances that surrounded it.
Second, in a way, to give us a template on how to accomplish the mission that Jesus gave us to take the gospel to the entire world.
With that said, if you haven’t been with us I would encourage you to go online to http://www.mcf.life or to our Facebook page where you can watch previous messages leading up to today.
Today however we are picking back up in Acts 23 as we rejoin the Apostle Paul once again in the city of Jerusalem as he continues to face challenges and difficulties on his way to Rome.
You may recall at this point much of the difficulty has come from his own people as some of the most zealous Jews in Jerusalem view Paul and his faith in Jesus as a threat to Judaism.
As a result, Paul has been beaten by his own people, arrested by Roman soldiers, and taken before the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish Court in the land.
And as we learned last week, the real issue isn’t that Paul is against Judaism, because he’s not. The real issue is Paul’s belief in Jesus and the hope that Jesus provides in the life to come. That’s the real issue. And we saw this as Paul brought this too light. Luke described it like this:
6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
Luke says as Paul stands before the sanhedrin he recognizes he’s dealing with two different religious groups, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. And knowing their theological differences, Paul sees it as an opportunity to get to the truth of the matter.
And so knowing it will create a division, Paul points to the real reason he’s on trial, which is the hope of the resurrection, the hope the Jesus gives us.
And as a result, the group becomes divided as the Sadducees, who don’t believe in life after death, begin to argue with the Pharisees who do.
Which then leads some of the Pharisees to begin to side with Paul leading to a dissension between the two groups.
And what we learned last week, is that in order to overcome the false accusations that Christians are accused of, we have to take people to the truth.
And the truth is, when it comes to our stance against the worlds version of truth, it’s not about a phobia, hate, or discrimination. The truth is, it’s about our belief in who God is, what he requires of us, and the hope we have in Jesus. That’s what it’s about.
And the reality is, if we can get people to face that truth, that’s where the rubber is going to hit the road. That’s where people are going to be forced to choose one side or the other. Because at the end of the day, that’s what the gospel does. It forces people to either embrace who God is or reject Him completely.
This is where Paul takes this group, and not only does it bring attention to the truth, but it works to his advantage, because Luke writes:
10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.
Luke says following Paul’s proclamation of truth, the dissension got so bad that the Roman officer in charge had to pull Paul out by force in order to protect him from those who were against him. Which in a way highlights just how divisive the gospel can be.
But the good news is, despite all the turmoil, God is with Paul. Because as Paul is brought back to the barracks, Luke says the Lord brought some needed encouragement to Paul. He puts it like this:
11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
Luke says in this moment of uncertainty and hardship, the Lord commends Paul for his stance on the truth and affirms His plans and promises for his life.
And what a comfort for us as well, to know that no matter what our circumstances say, when we stand on the truth, we can know with certainty that God stands with us.
Which leads us back to our passage today as Paul faces yet another hardship.
Now, at this point some of you might be thinking, “Wow, when are these hardships for Paul going to end? I mean when is this guy going to catch a break?”
Well, to be honest, not for awhile. In fact, it’s only going to intensify from here. You might ask, “Why and how so?” Well, we will get to the why and how in a moment.
But first, as we move into the next circumstance Paul is about to face, I want to take a few minutes to set up where this passage is taking us this morning. And to do that, I want to begin by asking you a couple of questions. Questions I think we can all relate with to some degree.
Question #1 - Have you ever been in a situation where you were in extreme danger, but you didn’t know you were? But then looking back you’re like, “Wow, I had no idea I was in that much danger?”
Andybody?
Example - Years ago when I farmed with my dad, I would go and check irrigation motors that ran the wells on our pivot systems. And if you’ve ever been around an engine like that, it’s extremely loud, almost deafening.
And I remember one time walking up to one of those engines, checking the oil, and then as I walked away I looked back and noticed there had been a rattlesnake within a couple of feet where I had been standing. But because of the noise of the engine I hadn’t heard it’s rattle.
As you can imagine, it made my heart skip a beat as I imagined what could have happened.
Have you ever had something like that happen to you?
Or how about this:
Question #2 - Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t know you were in extreme danger, but thankfully somebody noticed you were, and their intervention prevented you from some kind of disaster?
For example, maybe you were getting ready to cross the street, you didn’t see the car coming, and somebody yelled, “Watch out!”, preventing you from being hit.
I think if we give it some thought, we’ve all had something like that happen to us.
The reason I ask you to consider these questions, is because as we come to our passage today, we find Paul in a similar situation.
A situation where he is initially unaware of the extreme danger he is in.
A situation that if he’s not warned, it could easily result in his death.
A situation that you might call a “Clear and Present Danger”.
And what I mean by "Clear and Present Danger”, is that it’s a danger that’s extreme and imminent.
Thankfully though, it’s a situation where somebody else sees the danger Paul and is able to intervene and prevent Paul from certain death.
And so as we come back to our text today, I have two goals:
Goal #1 - To walk through the passage and discover what this "Clear and Present” danger was and how Paul was saved from it.
Goal #2- As we identify this “Clear and Present” danger, we’re going to discover how this situation applies to our lives and our walk of faith.
Because the truth is, just like Paul we face a “Clear and Present” danger. A danger we may not always be aware of. But an extreme danger that is imminent and will require the intervention of others to keep us from harm.
You might ask, “What’s the clear and present danger we face?”
That’s what we are going to discover today. So, with that as our basis, let’s pick back up in Acts 23 and find out why Paul is in danger and how he overcomes it. Picking up in verse 12, Luke writes:
12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy.
As you can probably tell, the Clear and Present Danger for Paul is an assassination attempt, a contract that has been taken out on his life. A contract that involves over 40 assassins who have taken an oath to not eat or drink anything until Paul has been killed.
I’d say that’s a clear and present danger, wouldn’t you?
So, a great question would be, “Who put the contract out and where did these assassins come from?”
Well, let’s start with who they are. And more than likely these assassins are zealous Jews who see Paul as an imminent threat to Judaism. So great a threat, that they are willing to sacrifice their own lives in order to take him out.
Which then raises the question, “Who put these guys up to this?” Because to have over 40 assassins committed to doing this seems rather extreme. Somebody has to be behind this.
And somebody is behind this. Because what we need to understand is that these 40 assassins represent a greater enemy that Paul is facing. An enemy that hates Paul. An an enemy that wants to destroy God’s plan and purpose for Paul’s life. An enemy that knows if Paul continues on to Rome, he will do a great work for God’s Kingdom.
You might ask, “Who is this enemy?”
His name is Satan.
Now, you might be thinking, “Hold on pastor. Where are you getting that Satan is behind this? How did you come to that conclusion?”
I’m basing it on what the Bible tells us about Satan, his character, and his tactics. Because when it comes to the character of Satan, here’s what Jesus Himself has to say about him:
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Notice what Jesus says. He says from the beginning, Satan has always been a liar and a murderer. A murderer of who? Anything and anybody that God has created. Why? Because he hates God and he hates his creation.
Which is why the Apostle Paul says this about the Christian life in Ephesians 6:
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Paul says our battle isn’t physical, it’s spiritual. That when it comes to the challenges and hardships we face, they are of a spiritual nature.
And what’s also true of this spiritual battle, is that often the battle manifests itself through physical means. Which is what we are seeing in Acts 23 as over 40 assassins take an oath to murder Paul.
Because I don’t know about you, but I’d have to say that 40 assassins wreaks of the demonic. I mean who else would put it in the heart of over 40 men to kill Paul other than Satan himself, the one Jesus says has been a murderer from the beginning.
And so there’s no doubt in my mind that as we read that over 40 assassins have made a death oath to kill Paul that the father of murder is behind it.
Now, you might be thinking, “Wow pastor, that stinks for Paul, glad I’m not him. I’m glad Satan hasn’t assigned 40 assassins to take me out!”
No, you probably don’t have 40 assassins that have sworn to not eat or drink until your dead. But whether you realize it or not, like Paul, you do have an enemy that is willing to go to great extremes in order to take you out. And his name is Satan.
Which means, like Paul, Satan is trying to kill you.
Now, you might be thinking, “Pastor, why in the world would Satan try to kill me little old me? I mean I’m not the Apostle Paul. I’m just a nobody from Marysville Kansas. Why would he come after me?”
Here’s why:
Reason - If you have any desire for God to work in and through your life, you are a threat to Satan, and he is going to try and kill that work.
That’s just a fact. The last thing Satan wants is for God to work in and through you. And so if he sees God at work in your life, or if he sees you seeking to be used by God, then you can count on him not only trying to destroy that work, but trying to destroy you as well. In fact, I can guarantee you that will be the case.
Now, you might be thinking, “Well that’s wonderful pastor. Thanks for the encouraging word this morning.”
You’re welcome. I’ll be here all morning. But I’m not done. Because like Paul, not only is he going to come after you, there’s some aspects to his attack we need to understand:
Aspect #1 - in order to take you out, he’s going to go to great extremes.
We saw this with Paul as no just 1 or 2, but over 40 assassins were assigned to kill Paul. That’s extreme, right?
And I’m going to tell you right now, if Satan is willing to go to that extreme to kill Paul, he’s willing to go to that extreme with you and I as well.
And honestly, this is where I think a lot of Christians fail to recongize the danger they are in. And as a result, we tend to walk into our day, our week, and our circumstances without the full awareness of the danger we face. Unaware that symbolically speaking, over 40 assassins have been assigned to take us out.
Which is why I think the Apostle Peter said this to the early church:
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Peter says, “Listen, as a Christian, you need to be aware that there’s a dangerous enemy out there called the devil. And he’s like a lion who is hungry for blood and is seeking somebody to eat. And so when you go out into you world, be watchful”.
And to be watchful here means to live with “continuous readiness and alertness”.
It’s the idea that when you go out and about, you need to be alert and aware as if a lion was on the loose in your neighborhood.
Now, you might be thinking, “Well that kind of stinks pastor. That almost sounds like I have to live my life in fear and paranoia.”
No, it just means you need to live life aware. In other words, you need to recognize that as a Christian, you are a soldier engaged in a spiritual war on a spiritual battle field with an enemy who doesn’t play by the rules.
An enemy that has one goal. To destroy you at all costs.
That’s the reality for you and I as believers. Maybe nobody has ever told you that, but it’s the truth.
Again, I’ll be here all morning.
Which leads to another aspect of Satan trying to take you out. Because not only will he go to great extremes:
Aspect #2 - Satan has a plan to take you out.
We see this as Paul’s situation further plays out. Because Luke says not only are there over 40 assassins assigned to take Paul out, but they have a plot. In other words they have a plan. So, what’s their plan? Let’s find out:
14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
Luke says the plan involves the cooperation of the chief priest and elders. In other words, it involves some of the council members from the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin being the religious Jewish body that we talked about last week that was made up of Sadducees and Pharisees.
And the plan is for some of the council members to call for another hearing in order to question Paul again, which wouldn’t be unusual at all.
But the truth is, they have no intent of questioning Paul. Their intent is to have the 40 assassins attack and kill Paul on his way to be questioned. It’s a devious plan. And it’s devious not only because it involves deception and murder, but it involves people that Paul should be able to trust as some of the council members are conspiring with these assassins.
The question then is, “How does this apply to us?”
I hate to tell you, but it applies in the same way. Because the fact is, not only will Satan goes to extreme measures to take you out, but he has a plan for it to happen.
You might ask, “What’s his plan?”
Well, I don’t know the specifics of the plan he has to take you out, but based on what the Bible tells us and what we’ve learned in this passage, I can give you a general idea of what it will consist of.
#1 - It will entail the current circumstances of your life.
In other words, in order to take you out, Satan is going to use your everyday circumstances. Which means:
If he can use your marriage, he’ll use your marriage.
If he can use a situation with your kids, he’ll use your kids.
If he can use sickness and disease, he’ll use sickness and disease.
If he can use some kind of temptation you’re prone to, he’ll use that temptation.
For example, maybe you and your spouse are struggling in your marriage, and Satan sees that. He heard you say to your spouse, “Maybe we should just get divorced. I’m not happy!”
And so to trip you up and maybe even destroy your marriage, he puts a temptation in your path at work that day.
Maybe its some needed affection from a coworker.
Maybe its an add on your facebook stream for some kind of porn or hook up site.
Maybe its a message sent from a long lost girlfriend or boyfriend.
Something that causes you to consider breaking your vows that will lead to the assassination of your marriage.
See how that works?
The point being, he strategically uses your current circumstances, frustrations, needs, desires, and temptations to try and take you out.
And guess what. He’s really good at it. In fact the Bible says this about his abilities to do this:
“Now the serpent (Satan) was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.” Genesis 3:1
Did you catch that. The Bible says Satan is the most crafty being in creation. Which means, his arsenal of ideas to take us out is endless.
So, just know, he has a crafty plan to take you out and destroy God’s work in your life.
But not only will it involve the circumstances of your life:
#2 - It will involve people you know and trust.
We see this with Paul has men he probably knew, men he possibly studied with, men who he thought he could trust, are now conspiring to kill him.
What that tells us is that Satan will not only use our circumstance, he’ll use anybody he can to take us out, even people close to us.
Believe it or not, this happened with Jesus and two of his disicples.
We see the first incident in Mark 8 as Jesus tells the disciples that in order to accomplish God’s plan in His life, He would need to suffer, die, and rise again.
But somebody in the group didn’t like that plan. Mark tells us who:
32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Mark says as Jesus proclaims God’s plan, Peter steps up and rebukes Jesus. Basically says, “No Jesus, that’s not what’s going to happen. That’s not God’s plan for you.” And it’s at that point that Jesus says something shocking to Peter. He says, “Get behind me Satan!”
So, what’s that all about? It’s about Satan using somebody close to Jesus to try and detour Jesus from the path God has Him on.
Now please hear me. By saying that I’m not saying Peter was possessed. What I’m saying is Satan was playing on the fears and emotions of Peter. Because the last thing Peter wanted was for Jesus to die. But at this point Peter still didn’t understand exactly who Jesus was and what He’d come to do. Peter was still thinking from an earthly perspective. Which is why Jesus said:
“Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
And in the same way Satan capitalized on Peter’s fear, emotion, and lack of understanding, he’s doing that with Paul as well in his circumstance as these religious leaders buy into the lie that Paul is going to destroy Judaism. As they let fear drive them to join these assassins in their plan to kill Paul.
And guess what, he’ll do the same with people in your life as well.
Example: I know I’ve had this happen to me at times. Many years ago the Lord was leading Denise and I to make a significant ministry transition. And I’ll never forget telling a friend of mine, somebody I looked up to, about what we felt like and knew God was leading us to do. And here’s what he said to me. He said, “If you do this, you’re making the biggest mistake of your life, you’re going to minimize what God can do through you, and you’re going to live to regret it.”
I have to be honest, his statement shocked me and it was like a punch in the gut. But in that moment, here’s what I knew. I knew that wasn’t my friend talking to me. I knew my friend loved me. He just didn’t want me to leave, and that Satan was using his fears and personal desires to try and discourage us from following the path God had for us.
And if I’m being honest with you, those statements haunted me for several years. But guess what? Those statements weren’t true, because I haven’t regretted it for one day, and if anything, God hasn’t minimized His work in us, He’s maximized it.
There’s a second example of this in Jesus’s life though. We see it in John 13 as Judas, one of Jesus’s disciples decides to betray Jesus. And what I want you to see is how it happened:
2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,
Notice John says this idea, this thought to betray Jesus, was put in Judas’s heart by Satan.
Which means, Judas is the vehicle in which Satan is working through. Which doesn’t mean Judas was possessed. But what it does mean is Judas allowed these thoughts Satan put in his mind to reach his heart and then play out in his life.
The fact is, when God is working in and through your life, he will use anything and anybody he can to discourage and destroy the work of God in your life. Which is why we need to be alert and aware that there is a lion out there seeking to devour us.
Now, at this point you might be thinking, “Wow pastor, this is one of the most discouraging messages I’ve ever heard you preach. Way to lift us up. Way to encourage us this morning. Why are you doing this?”
I’m doing it for a two reasons:
Reason #1 - Because it’s the truth. If you’re going to follow Jesus. If you’re going to live for kingdom purposes, then you need to know the danger that puts you in. You need to be aware that you now have a target on your back. That everyday, when you go into your workplace and into the circumstances of your life that there’s a spiritual lion out there seeking an opportunity to take you out. And not only that, he will use anybody and anything to do it.
Reason #2 - As bad as the bad news is, there is good news. And the good news is that we serve a God who protects us and goes before us.
And if we’re willing to put your hope and trust in His ability, His power, His promises, and His provision, then you have nothing to worry about.
Because while the enemy uses our circumstances and people for our destruction, God will also use our circumstances and the people in our lives for our deliverance.
We see this in Paul’s circumstance, because as the Assassins and council members plot to kill Paul, look at how God is at work:
16 Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” 19 The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. 21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”
Luke says as the enemy plots to kill Paul, God is going before Paul to protect him as Paul’s nephew becomes aware of the plot and then goes and warns Paul. Which then allows Paul to send his nephew to the Roman officer to warn him about the assassination attempt.
And this is so like God and what God does to protect those who have put their faith in Him. Why? Because this is the character of God. In fact, we see this character of God throughout scripture as he promises to protect those who serve him.
I love how Job puts it in Job 5:
12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.
The psalmist says it like this:
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
And maybe one we are all familiar with as Joseph proclaims to his brothers:
20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
You see, the good news is, even though we are in extreme danger, even though there is a clear and present danger, we serve a God who can deliver us from anything the enemy throws at us.
Which is exactly what is happening in Paul’s case. Because after being told about the plot, look at what the Roman officer does:
23 Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”
I just love this passage. It’s as if God is saying to Satan. “Forty assassins, that’s all you got?! I guess you didn’t see the protection detail I’ve assigned to Paul. I guess you didn’t see the 200 armed soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen that I have surrounded Paul with? Guess not. Good luck with that Satan, because you’re not going to touch Paul.”
Is that not amazing!
And what was true for Paul is true for us Church. The fact is, if we’ve put our hope and trust in God, then we have nothing to fear. Because God has our back. God is watching out for us. God is going before us. We have a protection detail that has been assigned to us. An army of soldiers surrounding us.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok, that’s great pastor. And I’m happy for Paul. But where’s the detail at? Because I don’t see them?”
It exists in two forms here this morning.
The first is one is spiritual and honestly, you can’t see. But it’s here.
We see an example of this in 2 Kings 6 as the prophet Elisha and his servant are surrounded by an enemy army. Look at what the writer tells us:
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
The writer says on this particular morning, an enemy army surrounded the city in order to attack Elisha. And as Elisha’s servant woke and saw the army, it kind of freaked him out.
But you know who wasn’t freaked out about it? Elisha. Why? The writer tells us:
16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
You see what the servant couldn’t see was the heavenly army that God had surrounded the earthly enemy army with. And guess which army was bigger, faster, and stronger?
Here’s the good news. The same heavenly army that was protecting Elisha is protecting our church, your family, and the circumstances of your life. The fact is, if your spiritual eyes were open, you would see that army surrounding your home, your workplace, ready to defend you.
But that’s not the only protection detail God has given us. He’s actually given us one we can see. Because like Paul, we have a nephew and an actual physical army that surrounds us as well.
You might be thinking, “Ok pastor, that’s interesting. I guess I’m not sure what nephew and army you’re talking about.”
Well, when I say nephew, I’m talking about family. And when I say army I’m talking about a large group of people. And when you put those two together, I’m talking about the family of God. I’m talking about the church. I’m talking about the person sitting next to you and the people that attend this church. And according to our database, there’s about 1200 people in our army.
Because in many respects, that’s what the church is meant to be for each of us. A place where we can come to find help and support. A place where we can be strengthened and encouraged. And a place where we can find protection from the enemy.
You might ask, “What kind of protection?”
Well, there are all kinds.
One form of protection is spiritual accountability. And when I say accountability, I’m talking about the importance of having other people in our life that can help pull us back from a bad decision. Or challenge us when we are given to temptation or foolish thinking. People who can say, “Hey, if you step into that, you’re going to get creamed.”
Another form of protection is prayer protection as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ join with you in prayer for a situation or challenge you are facing. As together you storm heaven and cry out to God for his intervention.
Another form of protection is the preaching of the Word as you join with other believers to study God’s Word and grow in your faith. As you discover God’s plan and will for your life.
Another form of protection is the assembly of the church for worship, as together we gather in the presence of God and find encouragement and strength in our time of need.
And this is why church attendance and involvement is so important. Because this is where God’s people gather. This is where you find refuge, peace, protection, and direction in the midst of the storm.
The alternative is to try and do life alone. The alternative is to surround yourself with the world’s version of hope.
Sadly, I see people do this all the time as church becomes less and less a priority in their life. And then they wonder why they feel alone. They wonder why life seems so much harder.
You see, God never intended us to walk life alone. In fact, God says it’s not good for man to be alone. Why? Because when we are alone, we are vulnerable. When we are alone, we do things we typically wouldn’t do. When we are alone, we are easy prey for the enemy. And let’s just be honest, when we are alone, we get weird.
And so God gave us one another. He gave us a support group. He gave us an accountability group. He gave us a prayer group. He gave us a place where genuine friendships could be formed. He gave us a place of safety. A place of peace. A place where we could grow and learn. A place where together we become an unstoppable army that the enemy doesn’t stand a chance against. A place called the church.
You see, God has given you not only a spiritual protection detail, but a physical one as well.
And guess what, the enemy knows this. Which is why he’s working harder than ever to destroy the church.
Which is why he works extra hard to keep you out of it by creating distractions and dissensions.
Distractions that come in the form of less important priorities that we fill our Sunday’s with.
And dissensions that come when we experience some kind of challenge or issue within the church. As at times we experience friction with another brother or sister in Christ.
Which is why we need to work hard to overcome dissension and make sure our spiritual priorities stay front and center.
Because the fact is, the more involved you are, the more connected you are, and the more present you are at church, the harder it’s going to be for the enemy to take you out. Harder for him to get you off course. Harder to destroy the work of God in your life. Why? Because you’ve surrounded yourself with heavens earthly army. With the church.
You see, when the enemy sends his assassins, God sends his protection detail to deliver us from his crafty plan to destroy God’s work in our lives.
That being the case, I’d like end today like we started by asking you to consider a couple of questions.
Question #1 - As a Christian, do you recongize the danger you are in?
I ask you that question not to scare you or discourage you, but hopefully to wake you up to the reality that there is a real enemy out there who is trying to take you out. Who is trying to destroy your marriage. Who is trying to take out your kids. Who is trying to destroy your witness. Who is trying to do anything he can to destroy the work of God in your life.
Because the truth is, he doesn’t want you to recognize that. He doesn’t want you to see him as a threat. He wants you to think you can live in ignorant bliss. He doesn’t want you to think you need to take precautions. He wants you to live like the world lives. Like an unassuming animal that has no idea a lion is about to pounce on it. That’s what he wants.
So, do you recongize the danger? Do you understand he’s willing to go to great extremes to take you out?
Question #2 - Now that you know the danger you’re in, are you committed to seeking the protection you need.
And when I say protection, I’m talking about the spiritual and physical.
The spiritual protection that comes as on a daily basis you seek the power and presence of God in your life. As daily your are in the Word and prayer.
To be honest, I can’t emphasize the importance of you and I daily being in the word and seeking the Lord in prayer. I mean how else can we be spiritually equipped to face an enemy that is more powerful than we are. More cunning than we can imagine. Friends, we need the the Lord to helps us.
But we also need physical protection. We need a place of protection where we can meet with fellow believers who are committed to love, pray, encourage, and strengthen us. We need a place called the church.
Because I’m going to tell you right now, more than ever we need one another. More than ever we need the fellowship and support. More than ever we need accountability. More than ever we need the prayers of others. More than ever we need the church.
So, are you committed to that? Is church a priority in your life?
And by church I’m not just talking about your weekly attendance. I’m talking about a commitment to make your church family a priority in your life. A commitment to make the relationships in this room a priority.
My prayer is, that it is. Because I can promise you this. If it’s not, the enemy is going to take advantage of your lack of priority. And I don’t say that to scare you or shame you into coming to church. I say it because it’s the truth.
Because remember what Peter said. Peter said Satan is a roaring lion that is seeking someone to devour. Someone who is not connected. Someone who has separated themselves from the herd. Someone who hasn’t surrounded themselves with the protection detail that God has provided.
So, are you committed to the protection you need? Are you committed to the church?
Let’s Pray
Situation where you were in real danger but didn’t know it, but the somebody warned you. And now looking back you’re like, “I could have died!”