Knowing your Adversary (2)
Knowing your adversary • Sermon • Submitted
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The Book of Job
The Book of Job
Last week I introduced and important theme that is vital to understand in order to have a proper view of God
without having this understanding our view of God comes into conflict and we will not be able to trust Him fully.
I case you missed last week and too busy to watch the youtube video.
let me sum up what I said
I challenged the thinking that God allows bad things to happen so we can learn from it.
I want us to understand God does not want evil to have any place on this earth
God created the world and it was good.
The way He created the World is the way He wants it…even today!
God Handed authority of the earth over to Adam & Eve
Adam & Eve sinned giving authority on the earth over to satan
That’s when the world began to get distorted from God’s original plan
That’s when evil entered, that’s when darkness began to rule
However that’s not where we are at now
Jesus died and rose again taking back authority from satan
Then Jesus gave that Authority back to His bride…the Church
Its now our job to shine as lights in the darkness.
carrying out the will of the father on earth
So let me be clear.
God does not want sickness, infirmity, natural disasters , any form of evil to be any part of His creation
He has given us the Authority to deal with it!
On the surface we may all agree with this decision.
But do we carry it out in the day to day
For example. Have you ever been sick and believed it was God’s will for you to be in that situation?
After all God can teach you some important lessons during those trials. Right!
Let me say it again
God does not want sickness, infirmity, natural disasters , any form of evil to be any part of His creation.
Who does?
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John 10:10
Jesus=Abundant Life
Thief=Theft, death, destruction
Think of it,
theft never existed before sin entered the world
God never planned on theft being a thing
There was no need for it because every need and desire was fulfilled under God’s plans
Death never existed before sin entered the world
God never wanted death to exist
Destruction never existed before sin entered the world
God only created, nothing needed to be detroyed
If the situation involved theft, death or destruction we know who initiated it
I give you a hint....Its not God!
the Booked of Job explained video 6 min
When we read the arguments of Jobs Friends, and even Job himself there is no mention of satan
We only know who is the culprit of Job attacks from the 1st chapter
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.
The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
“Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
“But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.
job 1:6-
Job’s situation was a direct result of satan’s efforts
Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Job 1:13-
Who caused the Sabeans to attacked?
Who sent Fire from Heaven?
Who caused the Chaldeans to attack?
Who caused a Great Wind that collapsed a house?
Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
Who covered Jobs body with boils?
Who got the blamed for all of Jobs troubles?
Its important that we put the blame where it belongs
For years I have heard various preachers say
“I don’t talk about the devil, I just talk about Jesus”
Might sound like a good idea but....
Jesus talked about satan
The authors of the New Testament talked about satan
The early church talked about satan
In fact satan being a non-mentionable is a recent thing localized to modern Christianity
Ignoring our advesary, when coupled with God’s sovereignty, keeps people in bondage by allowing satan free reign in the lives of God’s people
No we don’t focus on satan, but it also not advisable to simply ignore his efforts
So what does satan do to steal Kill and destroy?
From the book of Job we can see that satan has the power to influence people, control natural forces, cause sickness and disease.
Influence people
1-
We see that satan was able to convince the Sabeans and Chaldeans to attack job
satan will attempt to use those closest to you
Cause sickness and Disease
Mark 4:35-41
Matt 17:14-20
How did he do it?
…whispered in their ear.....
satan will attempt to use those closest to you
Why? they have the greatest influence over you!
but He will use anyone
Story of my decision to start fasting
Your words can either produce Life or death
You can have a conversation with someone and after your done you feel like you can do anything
those are words of Life
Or after the conversation you feel like a little bug under someone shoe
Those are words of death.
Now lets flip the table
Do you think you are able to speak for satan?
Lies----
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Gossip
Put downs
comments that belittle, degrade, devalue
Who inspires that. I gaurentee its not God
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
only satan benefits from such talk
Who do you want to speak for
This does not mean we avoid conflict. but during a discussion were 2 people have different views
talk about the view, while still building up the person
eg. Your an amazing person, but what you did was wrong
focus on the action that needs to change,
Do not succumb to attacking the person!
You’ve forced me to talk this way, and I do it against my better judgment. But now that we’re at it, I may as well bring up the matter of visions and revelations that God gave me. For instance, I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. I really don’t know if this took place in the body or out of it; only God knows. I also know that this man was hijacked into paradise—again, whether in or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell what he heard. This is the man I want to talk about. But about myself, I’m not saying another word apart from the humiliations.
If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.
Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness.
2. Control Natural forces
They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.
3. Cause sickness and Disease
At the bottom of the mountain, they were met by a crowd of waiting people. As they approached, a man came out of the crowd and fell to his knees begging, “Master, have mercy on my son. He goes out of his mind and suffers terribly, falling into seizures. Frequently he is pitched into the fire, other times into the river. I brought him to your disciples, but they could do nothing for him.”
Jesus said, “What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here.” He ordered the afflicting demon out—and it was out, gone. From that moment on the boy was well.
When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, “Why couldn’t we throw it out?”
“Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.”
Conclusion