Sermon Tone Analysis

*THREE*

/The/

/Ruler/

 (Joh 12:31)  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

(Joh 14:30)  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

1Ti 3:6-7  Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

(7)  Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Pro 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

1Jn 5:19  And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of [literally “in the lap of”] the evil one.

If I were to ask you, “What was David’s great sin?” you would probably reply, “Committing adultery with Bathsheba and then having her husband killed in battle.”

Certainly the sins of adultery and murder (coupled with deceit) are great sins and must not be treated lightly.

But David committed another sin that had even greater consequences.

Because of David’s adultery, four persons died: Uriah, the baby that was born, Amnon, and Absalom.

But because of David’s other sin, /70,000 people died! /When David confessed his sins of adultery and murder, he said, “I have sinned.”

But when he confessed this other sin, he said, “I have sinned greatly.”

What was David’s other sin?

And what part did Satan play in it?

*1 Chronicles **21:1, 2, 7, 8, 14-19*

 

*1.

SATAN’S TARGET—YOUR WILL*

Satan’s goal is always to get to the will and control it.

He may begin by deceiving the mind, as with Eve, or by attacking the body, as with Job, but ultimately he must get to the will.

However, in David’s case, Satan bypassed the mind and the body and in a blitzkrieg action attacked his will and won.

David’s mind was not deceived; he had his eyes wide open when he rebelled against God.

David was not suffering; in fact, his kingdom was in great shape.

He had won a number of notable victories and was enjoying a height of popularity and success.

Had David been deceived, or had he been suffering, we might have had reason to sympathize with his decision; but this was not the case.

We must never underestimate the importance of the will in the Christian life.

Too many believers have /an intellectual /religion that satisfies the mind but never changes the life.

They can discuss the Bible and even argue about it; but when it comes to living it, they fail.

Other Christians have an /emotional /religion that is made up of changing feelings.

Unless they are on an emotional high, they feel God has forsaken them.

God wants /the whole of the inner man /to be devoted to him: an intelligent mind, a fervent heart, and an obedient will.

Our obedience ought to be intelligent, and it ought to be motivated from a warm and loving heart.

The Christian life is basically a matter of the will.

We are to love the Lord with all our heart (the emotions) and our mind (the intellect) and our strength (the will).

The Holy Spirit wants to instruct the mind through the Word, inspire the heart with true holy emotions, and then strengthen the will to do the will of God.

A dedicated Christian prays whether he feels like it or not.

He obeys the Word of God regardless of his own feelings.

The believer who lives on his emotions is repeatedly up and down; he lives on a religious roller coaster.

But the believer who lives on the basis of “spiritual willpower” has a consistent Christian life and a steady ministry that is not threatened by changing circumstances or feelings.

Your will is important because your will helps to determine your character.

Decisions mold character, and decisions chart the directions of your life.

You may want to blame circumstances or feelings, or even other people; but this is only an excuse.

It is the will that must direct the life.

You were saved by saying “I will!” as you responded to God’s gracious call; and you grow and serve God by saying “Thy will!”

Many Christians have the idea that Christian love is a feeling.

It is not; it is /a willing//.

/We are /commanded /to love one another, and God cannot command your feelings.

He has every right to command your will.

Christian love simply means that we treat others the way God treats us, and this involves the will.

I confess to you that there are believers whom I love as a Christian, but I do not like them, and I would not want to live with them or spend a two-week vacation with them.

But with the Spirit’s help, I treat them the way God treats me, and I seek to show them Christian love.

It is a matter of the will.

Satan’s original sin was a sin of the will.

Five times in Isaiah 14:12-14 Satan says “I will!”

He seeks to duplicate this sin in our lives, and he will if we are not careful.

Satan is “the ruler of this world,” and you and I are rebellious aliens living in his territory.

Because we are citizens of heaven, we obey heaven’s laws and submit to heaven’s Lord.

Satan wants us to worship and serve him; he wants our will submitted to his will.

What weapon does he use to tempt us?

 

*2.

SATAN’S WEAPON—PRIDE*

David was feeling important when Satan approached him with the suggestion that he number the people.

First Chronicles 20 records a number of great victories, including the capture of a valuable crown that was placed upon David’s head.

David won many victories, /but he lost the //war//, /because Satan used these victories to inflate David’s ego and entice him to rebel against God.

Two Insights:   1) 2 Samuel 24:1 tells us that the Lord incited David to take the census, which is not a contradiction because the Lord allowed Satan to tempt David for His own purpose, and 2) Sometimes, even unspiritual people like Joab can see the error of a particular action, when we are blinded by pride.

David’s adultery with Bathsheba was a sin of the flesh.

But when he numbered the nation, he committed a sin of the spirit.

2Co 7:1  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Believers should not get involved with either sins of the flesh or the spirit, but those who are not guilty of “fleshly sins” (such as adultery, gluttony, etc.) should not condemn others; for they themselves may be guilty of sins of the spirit.

The prodigal son in Luke 15 was guilty of sins of the flesh, but his proud, critical, unbending older brother was guilty of sins of the spirit.

It is worth noting that David’s sin of numbering the people resulted in 70,000 people dying.

His sin of adultery led to the death of four persons.

Local churches are quick to judge and condemn those who fall into sins of the flesh, but they are not so quick to judge and discipline church members (especially officers) who are guilty of sins of the spirit: pride, stubbornness (which is passed off as “conviction”), gossip, jealousy, competition, bragging about results, etc.

To some degree, pride enters into all of Satan’s temptations.

“You shall be as God!” was part of his offer to Eve.

Job had to listen to the criticisms of his friends, and he wondered why God did not appear to vindicate him.

When Satan tempted our Lord, he tried to appeal to human pride.

Mat 4:8-9  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;  (9)  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

This is one of the dangers of great success.

Those to whom much is given fight intensive spiritual battles against pride.

Pride glorifies man and robs God of the glory that only he deserves.

Pride is a weapon that Satan wields with great skill.

This explains why Peter writes,

1Pe 5:5-6  Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.

Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

(6)  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

What was so wrong about David numbering the people?

After all, in Exodus 30:11-16 didn’t Moses /command /an annual census?

Yes, he did, /as a reminder to the nation that it had been purchased by God.

/Each male twenty years of age or older had to give half a shekel for “ransom money.”

It was his way of acknowledging God’s great redemption from Egypt.

Note in verse 12 that Moses added a warning:”... that there may be no plague among them when you number them.”

When David numbered the people, he did it for his own glory and not for the glory of God.

There is no record that the “redemption money” was collected.

It was “the king’s word” and not the Word of God that directed the census; and even Joab (who was hardly a spiritual man) resisted the king’s commandment.

It was pride that motivated David’s actions.

Satan got hold of David’s will, inflated David’s ego, and led him into sin.

Satan knew that David was feeling victorious and important, and he took advantage of the situation.

This explains why Paul admonished the early church not to put new Christians into places of spiritual leadership.