Know Your Enemy Part 3: The Destroyer edited

Announcements:

Thank you for those who came out yesterday for the work day!

Reminder: everyone is invited to the party this morning’s service for Kale and Gracie

Jordan’s grad party will be on Saturday, June 25th and we will be giving more info later

We will be recognizing our graduates this morning at the end of the service

Worship:

Your Grace Is Enough

Great are You Lord

Rest on Us

Introduction:

We are in the last week of our series entitled, “Know Your Enemy.”

Up to this point, we have talked about:

-we are in a spiritual war. Not against flesh and blood

Ephesians 6:12 NLT

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

-we have an enemy that we need to be aware

-the Devil is real—Not some little red man with a huge smile, horns, tail, pitchfork sitting on the shoulder of a cartoon character

-he is known by many names: Lucifer, Satan, Father of Lies, Accuser, Deceiver, Prince of Darkness, the evil one, etc.

-Lucifer was 1 of 3 arch-angels created by God: Michael, Gabriel, Lucifer.

-he was the angel of worship—was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty

-we talked about in week 1 how Satan is the deceiver who attacks us with lies: questions God’s Word/what He says and twists God’s Word and what God says

-we talked about in week 2 how Satan is the accuser who attacks us with accusations about ourself but Jesus is our advocate who is interceding and standing in the gap for us and covers us with His righteousness.

This week, we will finish our series by talking about how Satan is the destroyer.

1 Peter 5:8 NLT

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Stay alert means to always be on guard and watchful.

Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that Satan (the thief) has come to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan wants to steal your joy, your peace and your contentment. He will seek to destroy your friendships/relationships, finances, reputation, family and your relationship with God.

How does he do that? We already talked about how he lies to us and accuses us. But when those don’t work, what does he use?

I always thought Satan would only attack when one is sick, depressed, lonely, weak, angry, vulnerable. He does attack at those points but he also attacks when things are going well and we are at the top of our game, if you will.

He won’t only kick you when you’re down, but also when you are on top of the world (least aware/alert = most vulnerable)

Satan did this to David.

If I were to ask you, what was David’s greatest sin? What would you say?

Some would say it was lust because of the adultery with Bathsheba (most known for) which led to another sin, murder, because he had Uriah killed.

But I think there was a root sin that happened before which led to those. The root sin of pride.

1 Chronicles 18-20 talks about David and the military victories he experiences and he’s on top of the world! Everything is going great.

Let’s turn to 1 Chronicles 21:1-17 as we take a look at a few observations this morning:

Body:

This takes place about 2 decades since David met Bathsheba which resulted in family problems/drama, civil war, etc.

I. Who are you listening to? (vv. 1-2)

1 Chronicles 21:1–2 NLT

1 Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the people of Israel—from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north—and bring me a report so I may know how many there are.”

A. We are either going to be moved by God or by our flesh/Satan. Satan whispers to David “look at what you have accomplished! Look how many people you have serving you!”

Illustration:

When I graduated high school, I couldn’t wait to move out and far away from my parents to be “free” and on my own. I was “moved” by my flesh to go to bible college that was far away from my parents. God told me to go to bible college but the one i chose was not the one He told me to go to. I knew what I was doing. Everything was going to be fine, or so I thought.

B. Taking a census wasn’t bad or against God. It was about doing it God’s way.

Exodus 30:12 CSB

12 “When you take a census of the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay a ransom for his life to the Lord as they are registered. Then no plague will come on them as they are registered.

C. A man in that culture only had the right to count what belonged to him. Israel didn’t belong to David! Israel belonged to God! In other words, David was relying on what he had done and how many people he had. He forgot they weren’t his people! They are God’s!

D. We need to be careful to make sure we are following God fully and not partially. If we aren’t following God fully, then we aren’t following God. There is a right way to do things and a wrong way to do things. Don’t follow your heart; follow God!

Jeremiah 17:9 CSB

9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?

Illustration:

By choosing to go to the bible college I wanted to go to rather than the one God wanted me to go to, I made a lot of poor choices and bad decisions that snowballed into consequences I shouldn’t have had to experience. I did it my way rather than God’s way. I relied on myself rather than God. Being half right was just as bad as not being right at all.

Are you listening to God or yourself/heart/emotions/flesh/Satan?

II. Surround yourself with mature Christians and listen to them! (vv. 3-7)

1 Chronicles 21:3–7 NLT

3 But Joab replied, “May the Lord increase the number of his people a hundred times over! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this? Are they not all your servants? Why must you cause Israel to sin?” 4 But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab traveled throughout all Israel to count the people. Then he returned to Jerusalem 5 and reported the number of people to David. There were 1,100,000 warriors in all Israel who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah. 6 But Joab did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do. 7 God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it.

A. Joab recognized that David was going against God by doing a census and tried to tell David not to do it.

B. 2 Samuel 24:4 tells us David’s captains also tried to tell David not to do it.

C. It is important to surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth no matter what the consequences may be. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you to grow in your faith and your relationship with God. And people who will call you out when you are doing something that you shouldn’t be doing. And listen to them!

Proverbs 13:20 CSB

20 The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.

D. 2 Samuel 24:5-9 tells us the census took almost 10 months! That’s plenty of time for David to realize he was wrong and to stop the census, but he didn’t. Was he stubborn and did it anyway? Didn’t want to look foolish in front of everyone else? We don’t know.

III. Welcome to adulting! (vv. 8-12)

1 Chronicles 21:8–12 NLT

8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.” 9 Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer. This was the message: 10 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’ ” 11 So Gad came to David and said, “These are the choices the Lord has given you. 12 You may choose three years of famine, three months of destruction by the sword of your enemies, or three days of severe plague as the angel of the Lord brings devastation throughout the land of Israel. Decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.”

A. David recognized his sin (v.8) and it was a pattern: pride

2 Sam 10 talks about the victory David and the Israelites had against the Arameans and Ammonites. He was on top of the world. And what did he do next? In the spring, when kings march out to war, he stayed behind.)

2 Sam 11 Because of David’s sin of adultery—Indirectly 4 people died. Uriah, the baby, Amnon, and Absalom.

But because David’s sin of pride around census—70,000 people died!

Each time the consequences increased.

B. God gave him three choices as to what the consequence would be for David’s sin.

C. David chose to man up and face the consequences of his sin by choosing the three days of plague.

In the other two options, the king and his family could be insulated against the danger, but David knew that he had to expose himself to the chastisement of God.

“Had he chosen war, his own personal safety was in no danger, because there was already an ordinance preventing him from going to battle. Had he chosen famine, his own wealth would have secured his and his own family’s support. But he showed the greatness of his mind in choosing the pestilence, to the ravages of which himself and his household were exposed equally with the meanest of his subjects.” (Clarke)

D. When you mess up, own it and take responsibility. And we need to remember that our actions affect those around us as well!

Conclusion:

Satan will use pride to destroy your life if you allow it.

James 4:6–8 NLT

6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

Military Language

➢Greek word: Opposes—Military term—A full army ready for battle

➢Greek word: Submit—Military term to voluntarily rank under.

1. Who are you listening to? We need to make sure we do what God wants us to do and do it how God wants us to do it. All decisions you make need to be brought before the Lord and ask for His wisdom and direction. In doing so, you will avoid being moved to follow your personal desire in place of God’s direction.

You don’t know everything!

2. Surround yourself with mature believers that will tell you the truth no matter how much it may hurt. And listen to them!

3. Welcome to adulting! Take responsibility for your choices and face the consequences (good and bad) for your actions

Have board come up and pray over the graduates.