We want Christmas to be perfect, lighting, music, decor and meals.
Rowena has decorated our home incredibly
Illus: Ben/Eldon’s perfect picture
How many pictures/editing to get this picture? Is it accurate?
It’s the sanitized version of the day.
We’ve done the same to the Christmas Story
Luke 2:6–7 (ESV) And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
TITLE: The Problem With Sanitizing
PRAYER:
“Wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger?”
An extremely pregnant woman traveling days via donkey exposed to the elements.
Traveling for a census, imposed by the Romans occupying their land:
Roman citizens legally compel non-Roman to do almost anything
Legally confiscate, property, require sexual favors and kill with no punishment ○ Execution was common and extreme, often for sporting purposes, including burning people alive, sewing then in animal skins and attacked by dogs, impalement, crucifixion
Traveling with her fiance who broke off the engagement - the baby is not his
They are traveling to his family’s region, and her pregnancy is scandalous
Upon arrival, no room with family/friends - that says it all
No room at the inn, gives birth in a stable, outside, animals, etc
Medicine was poor. Diseases were rampant. Life expectancy was 40
Placed the baby in a manger, a long open box or horses or cattle to eat from
Host of angels show up and absolutely terrify them
Massive groups of shepherds keep showing up wanting to see the baby.
Sanitizing: the process of enhancing the perception of a thing in order to make it more appealing and valuable.
Shrewd marketing
Deception -counterproductive to our best lives
It turns it into Instagram story that is irrelevant to those of us living real lives in real situations, in a real world than glamor
Sanitizing Is Not The Language Of The Kingdom. But Truth Is.
The Bible might be the worst promotional book ever. If it were for a pamphlet for a cruise line, you would discover:
Most captains unqualified to navigate boats
Most boats have significant health outbreaks
Instances of staff mistreating passengers
Ships regularly under attack by pirates.
Storms are frequent
Some ships never make it to their destination.
Consider Ananias/Sapphira
Acts 4:34–35 (ESV) There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
Acts 5:1–5 (ESV) But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.
Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart?
They were sanitizing their life.
They wanted to Impress others
They wanted their giving to look bigger than it was
They wanted to be connected to an elite groups
Ananias/Sapphira were New Testament virtue signalers.
To do something to be perceived as virtuous you otherwise would not do.
To do something in public that you don’t do in private.
Many of our current political leaders are guilty of this. Gaven Newsome and his medical officials laid out some of the most extreme lockdown measures in the country regarding social distancing, limiting exposure, banning inside dining at restaurants, suggesting you cancel thanksgiving and mask even while eating - but celebrating his birthday at a high end restaurant with over 20 of those same medical officials creating policy present, every one or them breaking every rule.
His public and private life are contradictory.
He’s virtue signaling.
He’s sanitized His public persona because his private one would not be accepted. ● He’s also a man like me somewhere in the process of God - I’m believing for his BEST!
COVID RELATED THOUGHTS FOR OUR CHURCH:
Some have good reason to distance and not be in church
Underlying health issues
Around people with underlying health issues
Around the infected and you are trying to protect others.
Decided risk is too high
We support you, Live Stream etc.
Illus: Alison Welter
Some have tremendous CONVICTION not to distance and to be in church in person
Conviction: gathering is the command of God
Conviction: gathering is necessary for their well well-being and equipping
Conviction: gathering allows me to serve the well-being of others.
Decided the risk is worth it.
● We support you. We will take the risk with you (physical, social and legal)
Illus: 85 year old couple greeting families in Texas
Choose your course, but don’t navigate like Gaven Newsome.
It is double minded and hypocritical
It will diminish your leadership influence in the lives of some
It infects others with your same brand of duality
Sanitizing Repels The Supernatural Work Of God. Truth Attracts It.
When the imperfect is exposed to God, He races in to perfect it.
James 5:16 (ESV) Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Transparency with the right people in the right environment unlocks the supernatural power of God.
Declaring truth in love unlocks the perfecting work of God in lives.
The truth about who you are
The truth about who they are
The truth about God
The truth about God’s world
Sanitizing any of the above leaves people trapped in their imperfection because we fail to faithfully proclaim a better option.
Consider 3 Hebrews and Nebuchadnezzar,
King was encouraged to demand people worship golden statue at sound of band
Unredeemed leaders crave power and control, not the best for their people
Three young men who follow God - violates commandment 1 & 2, so they don’t bow
Left the country
Steer clear of the idol and avoid taking a stand
Bow down, but don’t mean it in your heart
Bow down, repent later
All examples of sanitizing.
They refuse to bow, Nebuchadnezzar meets with them and demands they bow. Daniel 3:16–18 (ESV) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.
Fiery furnace is heated up
They are thrown in
Nebuchadnezzar notices four in the fire and calls them out
Fire had no power over them, hair, clothes, no smoky smell
Daniel 3:28–30 (ESV) Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
When we risk declaring truth in love, up close, we unlock the perfecting work of God in peoples lives.
Luke 5:13 (ESV) And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.
Jesus benign born in such an imperfect environment
Gives us confidence that He in your life and through your life can do the miraculous Don’t sanitize.
DAWSON WILLIAMS
“Showdown With Perspective
Verses:
1. But godliness (conforming to the laws and wishes of God) with contentment (contentment means to be satisfied or pleased.)is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)(esv)
2. do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)(esv)
Big idea:
We need to adjust our posture to better understand his words Main verse: but godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6) (esv)
Introduction:
We CANNOT sit back and wait for something to happen, we need to take our next steps with him through prayer and supplication (the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly).
Point(s):
1. Our perspective should look through the lens of gods grace
Action steps:
I’m inviting you to adjust your posture by doing the following: removing a negative and adding a positive
Closing:
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)(esv)
Nathan Semlick
“Showdown Against Deception”
Big idea: To fight deception we must first realize we are being deceived then fight against it
Introduction: During the War of 1812, British General Isaac Brock and the Shawnee chief Tecumseh bluffed their way into capturing Detroit without a fight. The ruse began in August 1812, when Brock besieged American General William Hull’s 2,000-strong army at Fort Detroit. Brock’s inferior force included just 300 regulars, 400 Canadian militiamen and 600 Indians, but he had cleverness on his side. Knowing that Hull believed the Indians to be ruthless barbarians, Brock allowed him to intercept a false letter indicating the British had 5,000 natives at their disposal. He then wrote another letter to Hull in which he cautioned that the Indian war party was so large that he feared he would be unable to control its bloodlust once the battle began. While Hull was mulling this over, Tecumseh marched the same group of whooping Indians past the fort multiple times to give the appearance of larger numbers. Brock also clothed his Canadian militiamen in discarded British uniforms to make the Americans think they were up against veterans. Faced with this well-acted bit of battlefield theater, Hull lost his nerve and surrendered. What if I told you that this scenario happens everyday. The devil and his army of legions try and do deceive you everyday. Today ill be talking about what deception happens and what you can do in response.
Point 1: When deception comes it will appear good
2 Corinthians 14-15
Satan does not come as a comic book style red guy with horns and a pitch fork, nor does he come as a monster from Nun. He will come as a a little tweety bird. His suggestions will appear to be wonderful and lovely but in the end they yield nothing. When you to restaurant and they give you to much change, and you think ah this wouldn't hurt anyone and you don't tell them. That is sin. If you promise to give your neighbors lawn mower back after using it and they never come for it, so you just keep it. That is sin.
Point 2 : Deception is related to action
We can be deceived in our action. Our actions are the evidence of what we believe . If we don’t do what we say we believe then we really
believe something else. If I claim to hate greed, then demand a salary raise when I am being paid ample then my action show that I do not really hate greed. I may say I love my family, but what I really love is what they do for me.
Point 3 : There are different levels of deception
Unconscious Incompetence: When we don’t know we are being
deceived and thus sin Conscious Incompetence: When we know we are being deceived and still give into sin
Conscious Competence: When we know we are being deceived and don’t give into sin Most of us fall into Conscious Incompetence or Unconscious Incompetence we either don't know, we are being deceived and thus sin, or know we are being deceived and still sin. So how do fight conscious competence or learn about my unconscious incompetence? Point 4 : You Must Be Prepared To Fight Deception
When the enemy comes it usually happens within a split second and if
you are not prepared you will easily give in . You must train your mind to recognise deception that way you can fight it. You must set your heart on the things of God. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things”
In the past this was a big issue for Christians and so to help in the fight against sin and deception they created a list of virtues and vices.
Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity.
Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.
Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires. Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.
Wrath is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as anger.
Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.
Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.
Kindness = cures envy by placing the desire to help others above the need to supersede them. Temperance = cures gluttony by implanting the desire to be healthy, therefore making one fit to serve others.
Charity or love = cures greed by putting the desire to help others above storing up treasure for one’s self.
Chastity or self-control = cures lust by controlling passion and leveraging that energy for the good of others.
Humility = cures pride by removing one's ego and boastfulness, therefore allowing the attitude
of service.
Diligence or Zeal = cures slothfulness by placing the best interest of others above the life of ease and relaxation.
Patience = cures wrath by taking time to understand the needs and desires of others before acting or speaking.
Tell my story of working on sloth.
Now I want you to take 30 seconds and look at this chart and pick both a virtue and vice to work on. Some of you may be thinking boy I don’t struggle with anything on this list well i can assure you you do (explain how they can mean different then we typically think). Then turn to someone one near you and tell them what your gonna work on. The church is a great place to build one another up and work on our mistakes and praise our successes. Now set a reminder on your phone for tonight. What I want you to do is before you go to bed take a minute or two to think about how you did with your virtue or vice. Do not forget or turn over to go to sleep or start watching a tv show, this is the part where you must fight. Temptation is strongest when you know your being tempted. You may get in bed and think boy I should do that but i’m too tired. Do not give in.
Action Steps
1 : Ask for help from God
When you get to these moments, which if you are constantly thinking
about whether you are applying your virtue you will, you will not be able
to do it on your own. You must ask help from God. When you get home today I want you to choose a bible verse to go along with your virtue.
2 : Don’t expect perfection
As Christians we know that perfection is impossible, however we can work toward it. In your journey you should mark success by progress, wars aren’t won in a day. They say building a habit takes about 30 days of intentional thought, so for the month of December I would encourage you to work on your virtue. At the end of that you may be able to move on to another virtue. For December I will be working on the temperance of my words, speaking only want is kind, true, and necessary. My bible verse will be Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise”. I implore you to do this to and while it may be hard it is worthy task. Here is great quote from C.S Lewis “No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it”. So let us do as Ephesians 4:22-24 tells us “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Abby Mowery
“Showdown With Outside Voices”
Big Idea: To stand up when people tear and question our faith in Jesus.
Introduction:
Story
History discussion on the separation of church and state - more specifically prayer in school. My stance: there should be a mental health or quiet time that if kids choose, they may use that time to pray without having to fear the scrutiny of their classmates. Explain why I did CREW last year (to allow kids to feel safe together to pray and have a community where they could feel comfortable)
People's responses directed at me: that this idea is inappropriate, unimportant, religion doesn't belong during the school day.
How that left me feeling: upset, angry, confused
How I dealt with it: I turned to my bible (which I had been kind of neglecting for a bit up to that point) and prayer. I thought how could these people say these things not only are they wrong, but they just don't get it and then God spoke to me through Acts 18:9-10
Scripture: Acts 18:9-10
ESV: And then Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”
Points:
● Keep speaking when the voices try and drown you out. - SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE OUTSIDE VOICES
God said, “your right they don't understand, BUT that is EXACTLY what I have sent you to do. DO NOT STOP preaching my word until they DO understand!” If we are to love our neighbors, then do NOT give up in the face of scrutiny. Do not stand down. The ideas and criticism of the enemy is fighting you for a reason; he knows what you can do in the name of Jesus. he knows what you can do in prayer.
● Access God’s children; You are not alone. - SPEAK WITH THE INSIDE VOICES
We are never alone no matter how we may feel. God is alway there, but also just like he said, “for I have many in this city who are my people” and we have them too. Utilize your family, your pastors, your mentors, and especially your prayer and bible. We are a community and we band together.
Action Steps: 1. Defend your faith always, don't give up.
2. KEEP PREACHING GOD’S WORD AND HIS TRUTH!
3. Reach out to God's community.
Closing:
We need to keep preaching until those who don't get it, do get it.
Acts 17:1-6 ESV
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
We are continuing in our series “Showdown.” And much like the classic western where the good guy rides into town to defend it from the bad guys, inevitably resulting in the quickdraw duel at high noon, we are discussing the moments in our lives when we find ourselves in a standoff and we must act.
The “opponents” that we face can take on many forms and be motivated by various factors. It is important that we recognize those opponents and act accordingly.
Title: WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR?
Deep Dive into the history of Duels
17th and 18th Century Duels were fought with swords. Afterwards they began to be fought with pistols.
Fights were to First Blood, Severely wounded, The Death, or one shot.
July 11, 1804: U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr, while in office, dueled former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton; Hamilton was killed.
February 24, 1838: U.S. Representative from Kentucky William Jordan Graves killed U.S. Representative from Maine Jonathan Cilley in a pistol duel. Afterwards, Congress passed a law making it illegal to issue or accept a duel challenge in Washington, D.C.
September 13, 1859: U.S. Senator David C. Broderick and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California David S. Terry. Broderick was killed.
Even Abraham Lincoln, as an Illinois state legislator accepted a dual and was about to fight when his people talked him out of it.
Duels and showdowns are common still. Luckily we have mostly moved beyond the need to shot each other in order to make our point. As I read through these historic duels the one question that I have is why? What happened that caused such anger that it drove two people to the point of killing or at best severely hurting the other?
In the scripture that we read a few minutes ago we see this angry mob. Evoking images of torches and pitchforks. Looking to take out Paul and his companion because he “turned the world upside” with his preaching and teaching about Jesus.
And, as I pondered this moment in scriptures and the one I will share with you in a moment, I think to myself; “Are the things that I am fighting for so compelling that it turns the world upside down?” Or, “Is it possible that what I am fighting for is misguided and unimportant?”
Let me be clear, the gospel is the most important possession of the church. It must be the only thing that motivates our fight. This beautiful gospel is that God has made a way that we might become children of God. Part of his inheritance. That no matter the depth or depravity of our sin, it will not be too great that his blood cannot cover. That no matter how far we wander, he will be relentless in his pursuit of us. That because SO LOVED the world that he gave his one and only son (To become sin on our behalf, to take our punishment upon him, to die on our behalf) that WHOEVER believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.
No! my concern is that we have forgotten our first love. And the message we proclaim has become cloudy and at times secondary. That instead of fighting for people, we begin to fight against people.
Acts 19
Synopsis – Paul rides into Ephesus. He begins to teach and preach in the synagogues. God was doing “extraordinary miracles.” People were being healed, even from handkerchiefs that Paul touched. Those that practiced magic began destroying their books. All totaled some 50,000 silver pieces worth. The idol makers got angry because they were losing business because lives were being changed. THE GOSPEL DISRUPTED THE ECONOMY!
Could you imagine if our message, the glorious gospel was resulting in economic shift?
The idol makers were so upset that they started a riot.
Acts 19:32 ESV
Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together.
Doesn’t this look like our world right now? Everybody is angry about something. I could make a handful of statements and probably offend everyone. If we offend people, let’s do it because of the gospel. Let’s be the type of people that turn our world upside down.
What was the message that caused this huge shift? That caused people to turn away from their practices that dishonored God? We can’t say for certain but we might have an clue given to us by Paul in his letter to the church in Ephesus.
Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:12-13 ESV
“remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
THIS IS THE MESSAGE! THIS IS OUR MOTIVATION FOR THE FIGHT!
I believe that our message as believers have been lost, or at least minimized, by all of the other “important” issues of our day. Instead of standing firm and fighting for what is right many believers have joined the mob. “We are mad, not sure why, but we are mad!”
Revelation 2:2-5
“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
This love at first is, I believe, this gospel of grace. It is really easy for us as believers to feel like we can move past this. We can become hard in our well doing that we forget about the great grace that God has shown us and that he desires to show others.
The instruction to the church here is repent, do the works you did at the beginning. If not then the influence that the church had in the region would be gone.
I do not want to cash in my influence for things that don’t really matter. Let’s fight harder for the gospel of grace than anything else.
Maybe this “showdown” is really us squaring off the unimportant, the frivolous, or the lesser causes.
Closing
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 3:8–10 (ESV) And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
PRAYER
We have a built in mechanism for our survival: FEAR
We see something dangerous
We experience FEAR
It protects us when we experience heights, fire, large animals, etc.
That mechanism is often exploited...
1. We see a CHALLENGE
2. The challenge experiences DISTORTION
The challenge is distorted, appearing larger, more threatening than in reality
Illus: the low light that casts tall shadows
Illus: Granville Mass. monument on small wooden bridge.
The tactic of every army
Judges 7:20–22 (ESV) Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
The challenge is distorted, appearing larger, more threatening than in reality
Distortions are deceptions - This is the enemies playground
3. The distortion activates the mechanism of FEAR
An emotional response
Initially based on distortion
FEAR is experienced by everyone, even the most heroic
FEAR is It is not a lack of faith
4. The DECISION must be made,.. what to do?
This can happen over a few minutes of a few days, few years
AFRAID - sees the distortion and decides to honor it as real
Will keep you from God’s best every time
COURAGE - sees the distortion and disregards it as a lie
So often the challenge and distortion is of a spiritual nature
These can be one-off experiences, but the can be exploited into strongholds
3 PREVALENT FEARS FOR TODAY
The Fear Of Bad Outcomes
Causing us to ignore God because His way might not work
Specifically - if I stick to what God says, this may not work
Exodus 16:19–20 (ESV) And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.
Examples:
Lying on a resume
Sabotaging a colleague to level the playing ground
Honor God’s Word and His Word will honor you.
God’s math equation will always work out.
Joshua 6:20 (ESV) So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city.
The Fear of Injury & Death
pressuring us to avoid risks associated with winning God’s BEST.
Numbers 13:1–2 (ESV) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.”
Numbers 13:30–31 (ESV) But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”
Numbers 14:1–3 (ESV) Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
We are so pain adverse. We are so afraid of dying?
Jesus’ pain/death were the prerequisites to life
A previous attribute we honor: COURAGE IN BATTLE
Noble wars, fought to protect the underdog
Young men sent men into battle to fight for someone else
When faced with death, these men marched forward
Protections in the US have afforded current generations have never faced a real enemy.
We’ve had to create them; we’ve define them with long lists; we’ve created therapeutics
In previous generations they would have overcome them.
The media distorts them
We are so consumed with safety and safe spaces - THEY ARE OUR GOD
Helicopter Parents Turn Into Snow Plow parents
Illus: family what had not left their home
Worse than dying is the failure to live an abundant life.
DON’T BE RECKLESS, BUT LIVE & THRIVE
The Fear of Man’s Opinion
pressuring us to dishonor God to win the honor of men.
Matthew 26:69–75 (ESV) Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
This was one of Peter’s worst life experiences.
Why did Peter Deny Knowing Jesus?
Fear of physical pain
Fear of incarceration
Fear of rejection
Plagues the church
We water down who we are and what we are about so as not to offend (we say it is in order to win them over first) that it renders our lives without power
What will my coworkers think if they see my bible, see me pray, invited them to church?
We will even go to the point to go against God’s word
Fear of the optics: How will this be viewed by others?
Following Jesus experienced the flip flop of the mob
Fear of being disliked?
Fear of being punished?
Fear of being marked - affect popularity,
How does heaven view this is the first question we need to ask ourselves
Our BEST LIFE begins as we focus on God’s opinion
Acts 4:18–20 (ESV) So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
Closing
This is a season for courage
Joshua to spies: Numbers 13:20 (ESV) Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.”
Moses to Joshua: Deuteronomy 31:6 (ESV) Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
John 16:32–33 (ESV) Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
In This Series We Will Focus On: common showdowns that show up in the lives of believers that are worth fighting.
Series Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV) Fight the good fight of the faith.
Illus: I grew up at drive-ins watching John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.
Bad Guys harassing people in a little town out in the middle of nowhere
The Good Guy shows up in town and sees what’s going on.
The town’s people are too afraid to do anything and can’t afford to hire someone who isnt
The Good Guy fight the Bad Guys and saves the people and their town.
It’s also a story line that appears thousands of times in scripture. Biblical showdowns!
Today’s Message Will Focus On: a critical showdown you must face, and this first showdown you need to lose.
TITLE: His Voice
The reason why you need to lose this showdown is because when God speaks you need to surrender. If you don’t you go on being the bad guy. We all start off being the Bad Guy and we will remain the bad guy as long as we are in opposition to what God says. PRAYER
Have you ever been around someone who is bossy?x
Illus: Leslie/Ben
Does It Seem Like God Is Incredibly Bossy
Adam/Eve: don’t eat from that tree
Abraham: leave your city and go to a place I will show you
Lot: get out of Sodom, run and don’t look back
Moses/Ten Commandments: do this stuff or die
Tabernacle: No one touches the Ark of the Covenant.
Joshua/Jericho: “Don’t take any of their stuff for yourself”
1 Timothy 6:12 (ESV) Fight the good fight of the faith.
The Good Fight of Faith is a Fight involving FAITH: His Voice
Will you listen to God’s Voice
The WHY of God’s Voice
1. He Desires His Best For You
Genesis 1:28 (ESV) And God blessed them. And God said
to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and
subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and
over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing
that moves on the earth.”
He’s so committed to your best, He sent His son to
purchase access to best
2. He’s Revealing The Way To His Best
○ Psalm 143:8 (ESV)...Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
○ Psalm 119:105–106 (ESV) Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and
confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.
3. He Sees The Adversary Contesting His Best
○ John 10:10 - steal kill and destroy
○ Circumstances in your life contrary to what God says
■ Anything that doesn’t line up with Genesis
○ Contrary Voices - Voices in you life contrary to what God says - voices in your head, people in your world, voices of pop culture, in government,
■ Voice of pleasure
● Stay home, collect unemployment
● Everyone should get basic needs covered without doing a thing
● No discomfort
■ Voice of substitute
● God promises BEST, but here’s decent
■ Voice of acceptance - optics
● A struggle for everyone
● Especially a struggle for people of faith
● Nicodemus came to Jesus at night - what will people think
● What will people think if we gather
■ Voice of fear
● Do what I say or…
● Nebuchadnezzar
● What if your bosses say you
4. He Knows His Best In Your Life Awakens Others To Theirs
Closing
1 Samuel 3:9 (ESV) Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Will you submit to the Voice of God?
Proverbs 21:5 (ESV) The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to
poverty.
Two opposing outcomes:
Hasty: one is pushed and is forced to react limiting damage
Poverty: constant decreasing until nothing is left
Diligent: someone who knows where they are, knows where they want to go, and has planned the journey. They too experience a push, but tack against wind toward planned destination
Abundance: more than enough
YOUR BEST LIFE IS WITHIN REACH
Two lives contrasted:
Survival Life - surviving the stealing, killing and destroying
BEST LIFE - the best version of your life on this earth as God intends
BEST LIFE - THRIVE
○ (ESV) I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
○ (NLT) My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
○ (The Message) I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
○ (NIV) I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Jesus came so you can have BEST LIFE: in your body, in your heart, in your mind in your emotions, in your relationships, in your career, in your finances, in your
purpose, in your success, in spite of circumstances
MAY HAVE - the possibility
● Some cross their fingers, “I hope my life will turn out decent.”
● Other’s declare, “I will thrive in Jesus Name!”
● Jesus makes this possible. Following Him unlocks this door.
○ Revelation 3:20 (ESV) Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with
me.
This is not a one time encounter: Relationship, Presence, Strength
Say yes to Jesus.
YOUR BEST LIFE WILL BE CONTESTED BY ________________.
Everything in this life will fight against God’s Best.
John 16:33 (NIV) “...In this world you will have trouble...
His Best will be Contested. contested by:
● It will be contested by your ignorance that His Best even exists
● It will be contested by your failure to take time to discover what His Best is.
● It will be contested by your refusal to believe His Best can be yours,
● It will be contested by your assumption that it will just show up
● It will be contested by your belief that someone with it will give it to you.
● It will be contested by your by the things that try to break you
● It will be contested by your own distractions.
● It will be contested by tempting you with a substitute
● It will be contested by your imperfections, mistakes and sin
● It will be contested by others who don’t want you to have it
● It will be contested by the wicked one.
The enemies are many and constant
John 16:33 (NIV)...But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
YOUR BEST LIFE MUST BE SEIZED
It is a complete lie that the will of God automatically happens
● It wasn’t the will of God for Adam or Eve to eat the fruit
● It wasn’t the will of God for Adam or Eve or anyone else to
die.
● It wasn’t the will of God for the Israelites to become slaves
● It wasn’t the will of God for Aaron to make a golden calf and people to worship it
● It wasn’t the will of God for Israel to be stuck in the desert for 40 years
● It wasn’t the will of God for Israel to be destroyed and deported
● It wasn’t the will of God for the in Jesus hometown to remain sick
● It wasn’t the will of God for Ananias & Saphira to lie about their offering and die
● Matthew 18:14 (ESV) So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Deuteronomy 1:21 (ESV) See, the LORD your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’
YOUR BEST LIFE IS SEIZED WHEN YOU:
● See Where You Are
● See Where He Has For You
● Plan the Journey
● Take Next Steps
Register For NovemberFast - Preparing For 2021
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ESV
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
In our lives we can easily feel as though we are stuck. Stuck in the middle of… We can find ourselves in what feels like the in-between. Because the in-between is always hard and feels like a great big “NOT YET”, we often get stuck
Title: Restarting Your Story
In our REBOOT series we’ve talked about:
The ongoing need for spiritual REBOOTS, how they are activated.
The importance of regular updates that bring us back into alignment with The LORD.
TODAY: Restarting your story when you feel like you have stalled somewhere in the middle.
In the computing world there is something that is colloquially known as “the spinning wheel of death.” That moment when you are right in the middle of a project and you click on something and that little spinning wheel starts spinning and never stops. Or the loading screen that never stops loading.
In 2020, you are no doubt feeling as if things are on pause. Perhaps you have felt “things will be better after the election” or “If Covid-19 will just go away our lives can return to normal.” “If Only…”
We often become stuck in our stories as if God has forgotten about us.
God is not a part-time novelist that will get back to writing when he gets some free time.
How easily we get sidetracked from the work that God is doing.
Jesus said “ In this life you will have trouble…” (John 16:33 NIV)
For the majority of us we occupy the space of trouble land!
“Jesus said I would have trouble!” OF ALL THE THINGS JESUS SAID,
THIS IS THE ONE PROMISE YOU REMEMBER AND LIVE BY?
John 16:33 (NIV) In this world you will have trouble. But
Take heart! I have overcome the world.
There are countless stories in the Bible where people must have felt stuck somewhere in the middle of their stories.
Joseph: Dreamed of greatness, sold into slavery eventually imprisoned.
Moses: Raised in the palace, condemned, wandering in the desert.
Daniel: carried away by an invading enemy.
Job: Wealthy and content, loses EVERYTHING.
David: Giant killer and hero, running from a tyrant king.
In every case they became stuck and felt like their stories were over
or , at least they were forgotten.
Psalm 13:1 (ESV)
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
DOUBT AND FEAR ARE THE ENEMIES OF YOUR STORY
Doubt and fear are never the key ingredients to success.
Doubt and fear make you do really dumb and unproductive things.
David ran from King Saul and hid out with the Philistines
Moses tried to convince God that He made a mistake choosing him.
It is time that we restart our stories!
WE MUST FAN INTO FLAMES THE GIFT OF GOD INSIDE OF US
(Reference to 2 Timothy 1:4)
Our stories can become stuck because we let the fire die down. FAN THAT FLAME!
RESTORATION/RENEWAL ALWAYS BEGINS WITH REPENTANCE
Jesus coined the phrase “born-again.” There is no better reboot. A clean slate, a new creation.
You are not stuck in your story. You can restart your story now!
2 Corinthians 4:7-11 (MSG)
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us.
Our ordinary lives are the vessels for God’s Extraordinary work through us!
Scriptural Context of Ezra:
● Israelites sanctioned by Cyrus, King of Persia to return to Jerusalem
● Fully funded to rebuild the wall, Temple, resume worship/festivals
● Resume Jewish life in the region
● Area residents disliked Cyrus, but disliked Israel even more
● Attempted to hinder the rebuilding process with the following strategy
Ezra 4:4–5 (ESV) Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Title: BREACH POINTS
In our REBOOT series we’ve talked about:
The ongoing need for spiritual REBOOTS, how they are activated.
The importance of regular updates that bring us back into alignment with The LORD. TODAY: Defending your life from the ongoing attack of the enemy and the impact of his lies.
Scripting attacks seek to insert malicious code in order to lead users to interact with false information that leads to false data, hijacked links and fake websites in order to steal resources or cause system failure. Cyber security specialists have dedicated significant resources in order to identify and secure common breach points where the attacks take place.
Real life has some very common parallels. God has given us His Word, the code for abundant living but the enemy our our souls attacks all of us at common breach points, seeking to inject his malicious code to pollute our lives with his word, which is nothing but lies designed to reroute our lives into a less-than experience, steal our resources and cause personal failure on any level possible.
We know:
● John 10:10 (ESV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy
● John 8:44 (ESV) ...he is a liar and the father of lies.
● Luke 4:13 (ESV) ....until an opportune time.
● Genesis 4:7 (ESV) ...sin is crouching at the door.
● 1 Peter 5:8–9 (ESV) ...the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
● 2 Corinthians 2:11 (ESV) ...so that we would not be outwitted by
Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
Every one of us have been the victim of his lies and deception.
Illus: 7th grade, Lynn Michaud, Ricky’s lies to her to win her over
Israel had been given the green light by heaven and earth, by God and man, to return to their home land, to rebuild and to reoccupy. But the enemy fought their script, looking to inject malicious code by engaging several common breach points:
BREACH POINT: INSERT MALICIOUS CODE WHERE NO OTHER CODE EXISTS
Ezra 4:5 (ESV) and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
● There are many things we have never experienced before and counsellors play a key role in navigating them
● People Of The Land hied counsellors (foreigner and Israel)
● There will be people in your world with a giant pro-them agendas that requires anti-you. ● They may not have made a blood oath with Satan, but He is behind the narrative. ● They look to inject their code where you have yet to establish code.
Illus: our greatest concern for our kids - someone else building their value system - homeschool
● Hosea 4:6 (ESV) My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…
● Amos 8:11 (ESV) “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.
There has never been more access to God’s Word than there is today!
DEFENSE:
● Study God’s Word daily; understand it’s context; consider life application ● Study Basic Doctrine
BREACH POINT: OVERWRITE TRUTH WITH MALICIOUS CODE
Ezra 4:2 (ESV) “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.”
● POTL were playing the long game
● Lied about who they were in order to shift thinking and later the actions
● Get you to participate in something that leads to your downfall.
ILLUS: engaged young woman whose boyfriend kept disappearing to fast and pray TRUST, BUT VERIFY.
When this is slow to work, scripting attacks introduce temptation: the risky “click-here” link
● Trojan Horse - looks like a reward, but invites the enemy into your otherwise protected city.
Numbers 22-23 Balaak King of Moab, wanted to destroy Israel
● Brought in the prophet Balaam to curse them, but three times he was unable
● Balaam suggested tempting them with the women of Moab
Often the best strategies to get you to participate in WRONG is to show you the REWARD only available to you by doing the WRONG thing
● “I know God’s word says A, B and C, BUT…”
● It’s in that moment you are exchanging God’s truth for your new truth!
● Romans 1:24–25 (ESV) ...they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
Malicious code works overtime to get Christians to embrace things that are wrong: ABORTION ● What about if someone was raped - less than 1% of the time
What about if the mother’s life is in danger - less than 1% of the time.
Illus: Elaine Stimpson
99% of abortions are after the fact contraceptives
○ 2017 - 862,000 abortions - 20% of all pregnancies end in abortion
○ 2,363 abortions per day -
○ 7,700 people die per day
○ 25% of deaths every day are the result of murder in the womb.
○ 431,000 abortions during COVID - died because of abortion
○ 210,000 died during COVID - but only 12,000 die of COVID
○ More babies die of abortion in a week than people died soley of COVID in 6 months
Illus: Christian mom who wanted teenage daughter to abort baby - how will people look at me?
Christians buy into the, “I know it’s not right, but it’s still better than….
This child is going to be deformed
○ What level of deformity is acceptable?
○ Down syndrome?
○ Heart condition
○ Blonde hair, black skin?
○ Illus: Matthesius’ daughter
● Not wanted”
● Will be unhappy”
● Someone can’t afford”
● Contributes to overpopulation”
● Places additional stress on the world’s food supply
Let’s use these same arguments on old people, or sick people… your grandmother. What does God’s word say about the child in its mother’s womb?
● Psalm 139:13–19 (ESV) For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my
soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!
If you have had an abortion, there is forgiveness for you.
It’s possible that it was malicious code injected when you didn’t know it was wrong It’s possible that it was malicious code injected to overwrite what you knew to be wrong.
But abortion cannot continue under the cover of a woman’s right to choose. The choice can be and should be made prior to conception, not after.
Introduction:
Today I’d like you to take a journey with me through the book of Nehemiah. If you don’t know who he is, you will by the end of my message. He was given an assignment from God, one man, to reboot the dream of a nation. Today, as the church, we are called to be a Nehemiah.
Title: Dream Reboot
Chapter 1
The book opens after a remnant of Jews had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon with Ezra. They went back to rebuild the temple of God.
Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the King Artaxerxes. It was a highly trusted position, during a time of war and treason. He poured the king drinks.
One day his brother and his friends came to visit Nehemiah. He asked how things were going with the Jews that had returned.
His brother reported that things were not going well. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem had been torn down and the gates had been destroyed by fire.
Nehemiah begins to pray. “God remember what you told Moses? If you disobey me, I’ll scatter you, but if you come back to me no matter where my people are I’ll put them back in place, those I choose to mark with my name.” Let the king be kind to me today.”
Chapter 2
He went in to serve wine to the king. He asked Nehemiah, “Why are you sad?” This was his opportunity, though he was terrified. He proceeds The city of my family is in ruins and the city gates are down.
“What do you want?”
Send me to Judah where my family is buried so I can rebuild its wall and gates. He went as far as to ask the king for letters to validate this quest. The letters represented the king’s orders for safe journey and provision of materials for the rebuild. On top of that, the king sent an army escort for safe travel.
The enemies Sanballat and Tobiah heard what was going on, they became angry that anyone would come to help the people. They began to mock their efforts.
Nehemiah arrived and had been there for three days before doing anything. He finally went out at night, assessed the damage and came up with a plan.
Nehemiah’s Dream Reboot
2:17-18 He went back to the people and said “Jerusalem is a wreck. Let’s rebuild the wall and set the city gates. Let’s not live in this disgrace any longer.” The people were eager to get started. They agreed and said, “Let’s get started!”
v. 19 The enemy showed up. “Ha, what do you think you are doing?”
v.20 Nehemiah responded “God will help us. He will make sure we succeed! You have no say in this!”
Chapter 3
The rebuilding of the wall and gates begin. People jumped in and worked together.
Why was the rebuilding of the wall so important?
With no wall, the city was vulnerable to attack. They appeared weak and open for an enemy to get in. The thought was to build the wall only to half it’s height, to begin, and enclose it. This way if an enemy was going to try to get in, they would have to first scale the wall. They would have to work to get in. As they completed a portion of the wall, they then restructured the gates. The plan was to work till they were completely closed in.
God had a dream for the Jews. To set them up in land flowing with milk and honey. He would bless them and provide all they needed. This is what they were fighting for. It was worth protecting. Nehemiah and the people were working to keep the dream alive!
Chapter 4
1-2 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he exploded in anger, vilifying the Jews. In the company of his Samaritan cronies and military he let loose: “What are these miserable Jews doing? Do they think they can get everything back to normal overnight? Make building stones out of make-believe?” 3 At his side, Tobiah the Ammonite jumped in and said, “That’s right! What do they think they’re building? Why, if a fox climbed that wall, it would fall to pieces under his weight.” (MSG)
V 4-5 How did Nehemiah handle it? He did not engage with the enemy but prayed instead.
v. 6 The people kept on working, they were almost done, things were coming together, they had a heart to work.
Nehemiah 4:7-9 “When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairs of the walls of Jerusalem were going so well—that the breaks in the wall were being fixed—they were absolutely furious. They put their heads together and decided to fight against Jerusalem and create as much trouble as they could.” (MSG)
v. 9 The people countered with prayer and set a round-the-clock guard against them.
They were working hard, it was a big job. The people were getting tired. Their spirit was weakening. Fear and Discouragement saw their opportunity to set in.
Nehemiah 4:10 “But soon word was going around in Judah, The builders are pooped, the rubbish piles up; We’re in over our heads, we can’t build this wall. 11-12 And all this time our enemies were saying, “They won’t know what hit them. Before they know it we’ll be at their throats, killing them right and left. That will put a stop to the work!” The Jews who were their neighbors kept reporting, “They have us surrounded; they’re going to attack!” If we heard it once, we heard it ten times.” (MSG)
v. 13 So I stationed guards at the most vulnerable places with swords, lances and bows.
Nehemiah 4:14 “After looking things over I stood up and spoke to the nobles, officials, and everyone else: “Don’t be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” (MSG)
v. 15-18 The enemies plans were frustrated. The people went back to the wall and went to work.
½ young men worked while ½ stood guard.
Military officers served as back up for everyone working
Common laborers were to hold a tool in one hand and a spear in the other
Each builder had a sword strapped to his side as he worked
Nehemiah kept a trumpeter with him to sound an alarm; if heard, the people were to all gather together in that place
“Our God will fight for us!”
The people worked by day and guarded by night.
They slept in their clothes and kept a spear in their hand, even when getting water.
Nehemiah had to reboot the dream God had given to His people!
You have one enemy, the devil. He has one goal in mind and will stop at no means to accomplish that task. He wants to kill your dream!
John 10: 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (NLT)
1 Peter 5: 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (NLT)
3 Take Aways from Nehemiah 4:14:
1. Fear/discouragement – will intimidate, lie, stop your momentum and try to kill your dream.
Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (NLT)
2. Mind – Your mind will need to stay focused on your dream.
Isaiah 26:3“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (NLT)
3. Fight – be prepared to fight for your dream.
Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” (NLT)
Closing:
Nehemiah 4:27-29 When it came time for the dedication of the wall, they tracked down and brought in the Levites from all their homes in Jerusalem to carry out the dedication exuberantly: thanksgiving hymns, songs, cymbals, harps, and lutes. 31-36 I had the leaders of Judah come up on the wall, and I appointed two large choirs. One proceeded on the wall to the right…38-39 The other choir proceeded to the left. I and half of the people followed them on the wall.” (MSG)
What did the enemy say early on? “Why, if a fox climbed that wall, it would fall to pieces under his weight.”
The enemy does not have the final say in anything concerning you and the things of God!
Do you need a dream reboot? If you are child of God, your dream is God given. Like Nehemiah, you need to fight for it. If you feel like your life is not worth a dream, God has one for you!
205 Billion Apps will be downloaded this year...
The most used app - Facebook with 2.3 billion active users
The average person has between 60-90 apps on their phone.
They use on average 25 apps during the month
They use on average 10 apps 96% of time
Most apps are deleted within a week...
77% of all apps are deleted after 3 days
90% of all apps are deleted after 30 days
Why do people download and then delete apps?
Use lots more resources than expected ($, memory and battery)
Don’t function properly - cause problems while using or to other experiences
Don’t live up to their promises
Interrupt - notifications, updates
Vulnerable to dangers (bad material, spyware,
Deceptive
Their presence creates a negative user experience, so they are deleted.
REALITY: We are far better at recognizing and deleting bad apps from our phones than we are at recognizing/removing bad apps that we develop during our life journey. But to become the person God wants us to be to experience all that He has for us, we have to participating in this process of deleting bad apps, because they are there.
Acts 8:21–23 (ESV) (Peter to Simon The Magician) ...your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
The Setting Of Acts 8
Acts 8:3 (ESV) But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Acts 8:4 (ESV) Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
When bad things happen, God redeems them in the lives of believers for His and their good.
I fully expect for God to use COVID for good!
Acts 8:5 (ESV) Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.
On of the original 12 disciples
Acts 8:6–8 (ESV) And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.
Words win over the mind, but a demonstration of power wins over hearts.
Words alone has to rely on a well crafted argument - information
The church today has a lot of information, but little demonstration.
It has crafted an argument as to why there is no demonstration
Samaria already had a ton of information
John 4:16–18 (ESV) Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
John 4:19–20 (ESV) The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
John 4:24 (ESV) God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship John 4:24 (ESV) God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:25 (ESV) The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
John 4:26 (ESV) Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
John 4:29 (ESV) “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
Leonard Ravenhill - “A man with an experience of God is never at the mercy of a man with an argument.”
L. H. Hardwick - A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an opinion.”
It’s important for us to declare truth, but it’s critical for us to look for moments to see the power of God released.
“THERE WAS MUCH JOY IN THE CITY - REVIVAL!
Revival is more the result of the positioning of people for God to move rather than the moving of God.
OUR LIFE APPS ARE WRITTEN ONE EXPERIENCE AT A TIME.
During the early stages of our life, every different experience becomes the lab in which we write the code for the app for navigating similar related experiences in the future. These include our interactions with:
Friendships
Money
Family
Loneliness
Rejection
People in authority: men/women
Sexuality
Discouragement
Success
Failure
Self image
Criticism
God
Church
APART FROM GOD, OUR APPS ARE FLAWED.
We have experiences.
We lack information.
We misunderstand.
We are deceived.
We get bad input.
We formulate responses.
We are prepared for a similar situation, incorrectly.
Acts 8:9–11 (ESV) But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
His whole life was based on deception for gain - magic
A means to wealth and fame.
He wanted this fame so badly that he lied and told them he was someone great
He clearly began this as a young man - And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
Everyone (least to great) paid attention to him - self made rockstar
We love to be deceived (magician, haunted houses,
We are so hungry to see greatness that we listen to people with the confidence to say, “I am GREAT!”
“This man is the power of God that is called Great.” (supernatural, spiritual)
Every culture without the power of God is hungry/thirsty for a replacement
Ripe for a con: someone to convince them through deception of a replacement and their representation.
Simon has developed his app for now and for the future!
Acts 8:12–13 (ESV) But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
JESUS SAVES,
BUT OUR BAD APPS CAN LIVE ON,
Acts 8:17–19 (ESV) Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
If only our salvation meant that all of the bad code were removed!
Similar experiences trigger bad apps.
Functioning in a bad app leads to bad outcomes.
We get trapped as we revert to what we know instead of what God wants to do.
That’s exactly what Simon did!
Can you recognize the activation of a bad app in your life?
TRUST GODS CATALYST FOR DELETING OLD APPS AND DOWNLOADING NEW ONES.
God loves you
He wants better for you.
He is unwilling to leave you as you are.
Discipleship is the process of having our flawed apps deleted and replaced with His new ones.
Life will bring along a catalyst to expose the bad app.
Reading the Bible
Listening to a sermon.
Reading a book.
The voice of the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual leaders.
Trust the catalyst and allow the surgery to happen there.
The catalyst for Simon required spiritual leadership.
Acts 8:20–23 (ESV) But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Can you trust your spiritual leaders to be the catalyst for transformation?
Acts 8:24 (ESV) And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
Closing: 2 Corinthians 7:1 (ESV) Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
